This is what the revolution looks like.

Weather Underground terrorists, who made no secret of being anti-AmeriKKKan small-c communists, are having more success than they could have dreamed of in the 1960s.

They are dominating the language. You know that whole white privilege nostrum that were paying universities $60K per year to drum into our childrens brains? It is derived from their lamentation of white skin privilege. In their ideology, the revolution to overthrow the capitalist, racist, imperialist system summoned them  lily white radicals  to abandon their privilege and embrace the armed struggle.

Among their most influential thinkers was Bill Ayers. He got a windfall from the governments failure to prosecute him for the bombings he carried out and the mass murders he planned but was insufficiently competent to execute. It was a second career as a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois. As Sol Stern relates in a 2006 City Journal essay that should be required reading today, this entailed designing curricula used by todays hard-Left academics, based on what Ayers saw as a moral imperative to convert schools into social-justice indoctrination labs.

It worked.

Of course, in the days before they brought the revolution into the classroom, they pursued it on urban streets, prioritizing war on cops. To the avant-garde, the police are the pointy end of the oppressive government spear, enforcing its laws and imposing the racist societys caste system. For the revolution to succeed, the police have to be discredited, defunded, and defanged. For the Weather Underground, that meant branching into such radical offshoots as the May 19 Communist Organization and conspiring with black separatists.

So it was that such Weather confederates as Susan Rosenberg, Kathy Boudin, and David Gilbert, among others, teamed with the Black Liberation Army to carry out the infamous 1981 robbery of a Brinks armored truck at the Nanuet Mall near Nyack, N.Y. At the time, Rosenberg was already a suspect in the 1979 New Jersey jailbreak of Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, a Black Liberation Army leader who had been convicted of murdering New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster. Chesimard fled the country and was given asylum by Fidel Castros Communist regime in Cuba, where she has lived ever since.

Story continues

In robbing the Brinks truck, the terrorists shot at the security guards, murdering one of them, Peter Paige. In a firefight with Nyack police while trying to escape, they killed Sergeant Edward OGrady and Officer Waverly Brown  the latter a Korean War veteran who had joined the force in 1966, the first African American to serve in Nyacks police department. Rosenberg went on the lam, finally captured three years later in possession of over 700 pounds of explosives she and her fellow radicals were planning to use in additional mayhem. A federal judge in New Jersey sentenced her to 58 years imprisonment.

Boudin and Gilbert had left their 14-month-old son, Chesa, with a sitter in order to participate in the Brinks heist. But unlike Rosenberg, they were captured right after the bloody shootouts. Boudin was sentenced to a minimum 20 years imprisonment (with a maximum life sentence), and Gilbert to 75 years imprisonment.

With his parents in custody, young Chesa Boudin was raised by their confederates, Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. Like Ayers, Dohrn was a Weather Underground leader who became an academic after eluding significant prosecution for their bombings and mass-murder conspiracies  though she did do a short stint of jail time for contempt after defying a grand-jury subpoena to testify about Rosenberg.

In addition to his American academic work, Ayers became a supporter of the late Communist dictator Hugo Chavezs education programs in Venezuela. There, in a 2006 speech with the strongman looking on, Ayers proclaimed, Teaching invites transformations, it urges revolutions small and large. La educacion es revolucion! Later, Chesa Boudin would follow in Ayerss footsteps, working as a translator and think-tank researcher for Chavezs regime.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Ayers and Dohrn seamlessly became prominent in Democratic Party politics. At their Hyde Park home in 1995, they held a coming-out party for an ambitious political unknown, a community organizer named Barack Obama. Two years later, the future president breathlessly endorsed Ayerss polemic, A Kind and Just Parent?, as a searing and timely account. The book is an indictment of the U.S. criminal-justice system, which Ayers likens to South Africa under apartheid. As Stanley Kurtz has recounted, Ayers helped pave Obamas way into the radical Lefts extensive fundraising networks; the two collaborated as board members of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, doling out more than $100 million to community organizers and education reformers.

Susan Rosenbergs terrorism sentence was commuted by President Bill Clinton in 2001, part of the scandalous array of clemency grants on his last day in office. (I was then a senior federal prosecutor and had just spent months successfully arguing against her release.) Instantly, she was offered teaching positions at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and, later, Hamilton College, though protests by parents and alumni forced the first to be short-lived and the second declined.

Not to worry, though. By 2020, she was recruited to become vice-chair of the Board of Directors at Thousand Currents, after years as an activist in the thriving fields of criminal-justice reform and prisoners rights. (In the media-Democrat complex and on the campus, former terrorists whove found new ways to march the revolution through our institutions are transmogrified into social-justice activists). Like the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Thousand Currents is a grant-making foundation of the radical Left, similarly tapped into its fundraising networks  such groups as the W. K. Kellogg Foundation (a deep-pocketed non-profit that promotes racial causes and also supports the Tides Foundation and George Soross Open Society Foundations, among other heavyweight donor organizations) and the NoVo Foundation (funded and controlled by the Buffett family).

Currently, Thousand Currents signal project is Black Lives Matter.

The principal organizational framework for BLM is the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, run by three women: Opal Tometti, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Cullors  the last of whom, in a 2015 interview, observed, Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers. We are trained Marxists. We are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories.

Since George Floyds killing by Minneapolis police in late May, BLM has been flooded with donations. Its operations are opaque, however, and it has not qualified for non-profit status. To navigate around this inconvenience, the BLM Global Network Foundation is sponsored by Thousand Currents, which has non-profit status  meaning donors can make tax-deductible contributions to Thousand Currents, which, in turn, supports BLM. The arrangement appears to trace back to 2016, when the Kellogg Foundation provided Thousand Currents with $900,000 for building the infrastructure and capacity of the national #BlackLivesMatter to support and strengthen their local chapters organizing capacity.

Like Rosenberg, Kathy Boudin has landed on her feet. David Gilbert remains in custody serving his murder sentences (though, as his Wikipedia bio indicates, he has achieved the coveted activist status), but Boudin was granted parole in 2003. I know youll be stunned to learn that Columbia University quickly rolled out the red carpet for her to pursue a doctorate at Teachers College. She is now not only an adjunct professor at Columbias School of Social Work, but also a co-founder and co-director of its, yes, Center for Justice.

Meanwhile, Chesa Boudin, the son of Boudin and Gilbert raised by Ayers and Dohrn, is a rising political star. Just 39, he has authored the memoir Gringo: A Coming of Age in Latin America, studied at Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship, gotten a law degree from Yale, completed a stint in a big-city public defenders office, and, just last year, been elected that citys chief prosecutor  district attorney for San Francisco.

Boudins candidacy was backed by the Lefts financial network, BLM, and such luminaries as Communist icon Angela Davis and Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), the avowed socialist, who appears to be the most influential supporter of the Joe Biden presidential campaign. At the victory party the night of Boudins election, ecstatic supporters chanted F*** POA! (i.e., the Police Officers Association). He had run on a platform of ending what he sees as undue law-enforcement focus on people of color, thwarting federal action against undocumented immigrants, and prioritizing investigations of  not by  the police.

Hes making good on these promises. For example, he has stopped bringing charges that include a sentencing enhancement Californias legislature enacted to curb gang violence, fretting that it is disproportionately applied to people of color.

Just a few weeks ago, moreover, he announced a new initiative: The district attorneys office will no longer charge cases that rely on information from police officers said to have engaged in misconduct  including excessive force or racial bias. Of course, while police must on occasion use superior force in order to subdue criminals, weve seen in recent months that any law-enforcement use of force is now liable to be condemned as excessive. And racial bias, even in the absence of proof of conscious discrimination, is claimed to be unconscious; it is derived from statistical voodoo that scrutinizes the race and ethnicity of suspects in police encounters while studiously ignoring the offensive behavior that may have prompted police action. Boudin explained that his office has established a Trial Integrity Unit, which is compiling a list of cops as to whom there have been misconduct claims. The list is to be updated regularly.

That is, it is an ongoing, open-ended investigation of the police department, for the benefit of criminals.

The goals of the revolution have never changed. It has simply airbrushed its terrorist leaders into prominent public scholars and activists with a passion for change and justice. The revolution has lots of money, organization, control of the schools, support from one of the nations two major political parties, and the media megaphone. That is why the revolution is winning. The 1960s never ended, they just paved the way for today.

More from National Review
Crawfords statement lauded Zalewskis achievements during her brief tenure, including developing a consumer guide to help residents navigate the agency, making ICC meetings available to the public via livestream and providing more robust explanations about votes being taken in open session. In the past year, the ICC also imposed a $1 million penalty on LifeEnergy, an alternative retail electric supplier, for failing to comply with amended state marketing and sales rules and approved a lower delivery rate increase for Nicor Gas than requested, Crawford said.
Donald Trump testily lashed out at Chris Wallace after the Fox News Sunday host, during an interview to air this weekend, called out the president's false statement that Joe Biden wants to defund all police departments.

"Let's go!" the president said forcefully, appearing to look at off-camera staff and give an order for someone to retrieve a Democratic document he had just misquoted.

"Get me the charter, please," a clearly agitated Mr Trump said.

At the end of the brief-but-testy exchange, Mr Wallace looks bemused as he simply says, "Alright..."

At issue in a 46-second clip posted online by Fox is a policy pact the former vice president and Senator Bernie Sanders, the progressive Vermont senator who was his final primary foe, released recently. Mr Trump falsely claims in the brief snippet of the interview that Mr Biden and Mr Sanders said in that document they want to "defund" and "abolish" police departments.

The Independent conducted several electronic searches of the Biden-Sanders document. At no point does it call for abolishing or defunding any law enforcement entity. Quite the opposite, in fact. (You can search it here.)

At several points, it calls for more funding for police.

But that has not stopped Mr Trump from saying Mr Biden and all Democratic politicians want to strip funding from police departments and shut them down. He paints an embellished image of a "lawless" United States.

Democrats stumbled, analysts say, by initially repeating black activists "defund the police" slogan during protests after the murder of George Floyd, a black man, in the custody of white police officers. Democrats scrambled to say they merely want to take some funding from cops and give it to other social programmes.

Nevertheless, Mr Trump pounced, sensing an issue on which he could win back suburban and senior voters. He tried to repeat his contention in the Fox News Sunday interview, but Mr Wallace pushed back.

"Biden wants to defund the police," Mr Trump said.

"Sir, he does not," the FNS host shot back.

"Look, he signed a charter with Bernie Sanders," the president said.

"It says nothing about defunding the police," Mr Wallace said.

"Oh really?" Mr Trump replied. "It say abolish... Get me the charter, please."

The two Democrats state they want to "reimagine policing for the benefit and safety of the American people.

"In recent years, some innovative police departments have enacted evidence-based reforms to change their approach: investing in robust training and putting in place -- and, even more crucially, enforcing -- strong standards governing conflict resolution, de-escalation, and use of force," the write. "We must build on these evidence-based approaches and implement them nationwide."

In another section, they propose boosting funding for officer health.

The document does use the word "abolish" several times, but that is for other things such as ending the death penalty.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 09:36:34|Editor: huaxia

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SHENZHEN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport resumed its regular international passenger flights on Friday after an over three-month suspension of its international flights due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

The airport suspended all the international passenger flights since the end of March in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Its operation of the international flights restarted as a flight of Air Busan departing from Seoul, the Republic of Korea, arrived at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport on Friday.

According to the airport, Shenzhen Airlines will also resume the route between Shenzhen and Japan's Tokyo from July 26.

The airport has seen the daily flight number exceeding 1,000 in summer holiday travel rush, returning to its pre-epidemic level, and the daily maximum passenger flow hitting 130,000, 90 percent of its capacity before the epidemic.

The airport, together with the customs and airline companies, has further intensified measures against the epidemic by adopting a closed-off management for inbound passengers, including boarding inspection, temperature monitoring and epidemiological investigation, and strengthening the disinfection of the sites. Enditem
Every Briton over 50 could be offered a free flu jab this winter as Ministers 'consider all options' to avoid a double-whammy scenario of a bad flu season and a second wave of Covid-19.

'It's still under discussion and will depend on vaccine stocks, but it makes sense to extend the programme if it's possible,' a source told this newspaper, who added that it is 'highly likely' that the flu vaccination will finally become mandatory for all healthcare workers and care home staff  a move long called for by doctors.

Last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock hinted the UK was preparing for 'the biggest flu vaccination programme in history' as experts warned a resurgence of Covid-19 could lead to 120,000 deaths over nine months.

A severe winter or flu epidemic on top of more coronavirus infections could create a perfect storm, overwhelming the NHS, leading to more deaths and cancelled operations.

Last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock hinted the UK was preparing for 'the biggest flu vaccination programme in history' as experts warned a resurgence of Covid-19 could lead to 120,000 deaths over nine months

Currently, the vaccine is offered on the NHS to everyone at high risk of flu  those over 65 or people who have health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and pregnant women.

Children aged two to ten are offered the flu vaccine  given as a nasal spray  not because they suffer severe symptoms, but because they carry and spread the disease to other family members.

Inoculation is particularly effective in children. Last year it was found to offer protection in almost 90 per cent of cases, compared with just 39 per cent effectiveness in working-age adults.

While no official word has been given about extending the flu programme, insiders have said over-50s are a likely target as this is the age when coronavirus risk begins to mount.

Last month, Downing Street said Ministers were trying to secure a 'significant additional supply' of vaccines so more people could be made eligible for a free injection.

The benefit of vaccinating more people against flu would be twofold, said Professor Brendan Wren, an expert in infectious diseases as the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

'There is a worry that many people with severe flu, as well as Covid-19 patients, could overwhelm the NHS, but there is also a risk of concurrent infection with flu and Covid-19,' he said. 'It's too early to know for sure, but having both at the same time could mean a far more severe illness.'

The combined effect of a flu epidemic and Covid-19 would also complicate track and trace enormously, other experts have warned.

Last winter, roughly two-thirds of over-65s had a flu jab, however, under 50 per cent of working-age adults and children were vaccinated, including at-risk groups.

'There are all sorts of reasons for flu vaccination hesitancy,' said science broadcaster Vivienne Parry, who sat on the Government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation during the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic. 'People don't think of flu as serious, and there is a misconception that the vaccine causes illness.'

A Public Health England report published earlier this year recognised flu vaccine uptake 'decreased in nearly all of the adult clinical risk target groups this season'.

In 2018, the Government admitted the vaccine had 'failed to work' for the vast majority of people.

Currently, the vaccine is offered on the NHS to everyone at high risk of flu  those over 65 or people who have health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and pregnant women

Just 15 per cent of the 15 million people who'd had the jab were fully protected, making it far less effective than previous years. The problem was particularly acute in over-65s, whose immune systems are already less responsive  just ten per cent were protected, which contributed to the worst flu season for seven years, with double the number of average deaths.

Flu viruses mutate each year, which is one reason a new jab has to be given annually.

Experts from the World Health Organisation predict each February which strains are most likely to be dominant the following winter, and the vaccine is formulated, months in advance.

However, in 2017, mutations to the 'Aussie flu' strain, and the surprise emergence of influenza B, or 'Japanese flu', meant the vaccine was ineffective by the time it was being administered.

Since then, over-65s have been offered a new, powerful formula which is vastly more effective.

The rumoured move to make the flu jab compulsory for healthcare workers will spark debate. Surprisingly, uptake is remarkably low among NHS staff. While 70 per cent have the vaccine overall, there is huge variability between health trusts, with some reporting an uptake rate of just 40 per cent.

In 2018, Sir Bruce Keogh, then the National Medical Director of NHS England, claimed thousands of healthcare workers were 'putting patients and their own families at risk' by not having the flu jab. Former Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies described them as 'selfish', and suggested they should be forced to wear a badge stating their vaccination status.

Yet last year a Nursing Standard survey suggested more than a third opposed compulsory flu jabs. 'Part of the reason some trusts have such dismal uptake is practical  they're just not making it easy enough, a bit like putting Covid testing in car parks that no one can get to,' said Parry.

'But there's also a remarkable amount of hesitancy, especially in nurses. Many healthcare workers think, wrongly, that flu isn't serious and so they don't need to bother  even nurses working with patients on respiratory wards decided not to have the jab.'

She added: 'One hopes, thanks to the pandemic, people will be receptive to having the vaccine. But there will need to be a concerted public health campaign to try to get numbers up this year  the last thing anyone wants is to buy-in huge numbers of jabs, only to have to throw them away.'

Prof Wren said: 'Getting as many people as possible to have the flu jab will only be a good thing.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 01:57:48|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Saturday by 75 to 2,775 while death toll remained 40, the National News Agency reported.

Lebanon has seen lately a resurgence in COVID-19 infections due to arrival of patients from other countries who did not commit to proper precautionary measures and neglect by those who were seen standing in crowds near shops.

Lebanese health minister Hamad Hassan warned earlier this week against a further spread of the virus while demanding fines for those who fail to abide by precautionary measures.

Lebanon has been fighting against COVID-19 since Feb. 21.

The country has received several donations from different countries for the fight against COVID-19 including China which offered last month 17,500 masks, 1,500 protective gears, 1,320 goggles and 1,000 shoes covers to Lebanese public hospitals.

Firas Abiad, director general of Rafic Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, tweeted on Saturday thanking China for its assistance to Lebanon in the fight against the pandemic as Lebanon is facing a crippling economic crisis and a surge in the number of cases. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 19:15:22|Editor: huaxia

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Laborers work at the construction site of the second phase of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Bushehr, southern Iran, on Nov. 10, 2019. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

While Trump has not announced a more aggressive stance against Iran, Brian Hook, the State Department's special envoy for Iran, said last month that "timidity and weakness invite more Iranian aggression."



WASHINGTON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- This week marked five years since the signing of the Iran nuclear deal. Now, in the lead-up to November's U.S. presidential elections, Washington's Iran policy is at a crossroads.

If U.S. President Donald Trump is re-elected, U.S. policy is likely to continue in the same direction. But if contender Joe Biden clinches the White House, Washington is likely to take a softer approach, including the possibility of rejoining the nuclear deal from which Trump has withdrawn, experts said.

U.S. President Donald Trump displays a signed presidential memorandum at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Tuesday that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, a landmark agreement signed in 2015. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

TRUMP'S IRAN POLICY

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal, was reached in Vienna five years ago. According to its stipulations, Tehran, for the next 15 years, would only enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent and could not build any new heavy-water facilities. Iran has maintained that it abides by the commitments, and that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

But in May 2018, Trump called the arrangement a bad deal and pulled out, while reinstating sanctions that targeted Iran and any state that traded with the Islamic republic, which sent Iran's economy into free fall and destroyed its currency.

Since then, Trump has engaged in a policy of "maximum pressure." While proponents applauded Trump's policy for weakening Tehran's ability to build a nuclear weapon, opponents said the policy has not made the region more peaceful and has brought economic hardship to the Iranian people.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (1st L) visits the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detriot, the United States, on Jan. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Qiang)

BIDEN'S IRAN POLICY

Experts said it is possible that Biden, if elected president, would get back to some form of the deal that the Trump administration scrapped.

"It's very likely, I think, that Biden would try to find some way to get back into the nuclear deal, but with some additions," David Pollock, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Xinhua.

"I don't think that it would be just a simple 'OK, let's just go back to where we were before Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and drop all the sanctions,'" he said.

Pollock added that Washington has realized a big flaw in the nuclear deal is that it only dealt with the nuclear program, but did not address myriad issues ranging from terrorism to missiles to militias.

"The Biden team understands that, and they're going to want to at least make an effort to address those issues, not just try to turn the clock back," Pollock said, adding that Biden's policy would be "more oriented toward trying to get Iran back to the table."

Dalia Dassa Kaye, director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation, told Xinhua that a Biden administration would likely be staffed with key personnel who negotiated the JCPOA.

"I think we could expect a more serious and sustained commitment to renew diplomacy with Iran and revitalize the Iran nuclear agreement, with the U.S. rejoining the agreement if Iran returns to its commitments," Kaye said.

Clay Ramsay, an Iran expert at the University of Maryland, noted that Biden stated in April that right now, the United States should be removing all its blocks to humanitarian trade with Iran.

"If Biden is president in January this could happen very fast. And if Iran's government then started tamping down its nuclear program, a meeting of all the JCPOA states -- the U.S., Iran, the Europeans, and Russia and China -- could happen," Ramsay told Xinhua.

People wearing face masks walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, on July 13, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

A POLICY OF COVERT ACTION

Some believe that covert action against Iran's nuclear program may be part of a future trend.

The New York Times recently reported that some officials said a "joint American-Israeli strategy was evolving -- some might argue regressing -- to a series of short-of-war clandestine strikes, aimed at taking out the most prominent generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and setting back Iran's nuclear facilities."

That report on July 10 came not long after a spate of explosions and fires in Iran, including a mysterious blast at the Natanz nuclear facility.

While Trump has not announced a more aggressive stance against Iran, Brian Hook, the State Department's special envoy for Iran, said last month that "timidity and weakness invite more Iranian aggression."

Speaking of covert strikes against Iran's nuclear program, such as the ones the Times article alleged were occurring, Pollock said they "may very well continue, even if Biden is elected president."

"Because Obama did that too," Pollock said. 
We advise our investors to invest in underlying sectors and business models from a futuristic perspective rather than classifying them on the basis of largecaps or midcaps. If the underlying sector does well, then there are higher chances of these midcaps companies to become largecap and vice versa, Amit Jain, Co-founder & CEO at Ashika Wealth Advisors said in an interview to Moneycontrol's Sunil Shankar Matkar.

edited excerpts:

Q) Given the rally across equity segments so far and challenges going ahead, where would you invest your incremental money now?

A) The market has already bounced almost 40 percent from March 2020 lows, hence I shall wait before I take a fresh position in the market. I am rather lightening my positions in the market. As of now, we are a seeing disconnect in Global GDP & stock market performance. However, this disconnect may end soon.

Whenever I take fresh positions in the market, I will focus more on underlying sectors rather than classifying my investments on the basis of largecaps or midcaps. This classification in largecap & midcaps is an old school of thoughts & I don't personally believe in this categorisation.

If you observe there are a lot of stocks which were largecap in 2007 but they are almost like midcap today e.g. Vodafone Idea, BHEL, ONGC, DLF etc, as the underlying sector did not perform well in the last thirteen years. In fact, there are some largecap stocks of 2007 which even do not exist today for e.g. Jaiprakash Associates, Unitech, Reliance Communications, Suzlon Energy.

You will find most of these stocks are in Infrastructure, Real Estate, Telecom & Power sectors as post financial crisis of 2008 all "Asset Heavy Business Model" had gone for toss due to higher loan restructuring.

So, as a new school of thought, we advise our investors to invest in underlying sectors & business models from a futuristic perspective rather than classifying them on the basis of largecap or midcap. If the underlying sector does well, then there are higher chances of these midcaps companies to become largecaps and vice versa.

Q) With the strong recovery from March lows, some experts now feel that we are in a bull phase. What is your take?

A) This global market rally is more liquidity-driven due to excessive money printing by the US Federal Reserve in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The Fed has infused almost $3 trillion in the US Economy and promised to purchase stressed assets without any cap. Hence, we can say the US central bank is driving this hope driven rally in global markets.

Just to put a number to this $3 trillion, it is equivalent to India's annual GDP, which is the sixth-largest economy in the world. This amount of money was printed by the US Fed in just four months, or in lighter mode, I can say the US Fed has created another India in a very short span.

I am sure there is no bull run in global economies as we shall be having negative GDP growth rate globally, however, any further run in the stock market cannot be ruled out as the Fed has unlimited power to print money. This can only end when there are further escalations in the US-China conflict.

Q) What sectors appear more resilient in terms of growth and will you be investing in them?

A) Sectors which seem to be more resilient from A medium-term perspective are:a) IT companies which focus on artificial intelligence & automation processes;b) Personal mobility space particularly two-wheeler & affordable four-wheelers;c) Healthcare;

d) Telecom.

However, entry in these sectors should be at the right price point, for which investors need to wait as most of these sectors have given return on investment (RoI) of 30 percent to 70 percent since recent lows. We had advised our investors to invest in these sectors on March 27, 2020. But, now we are advising them to lighten positions for better entry points in a couple of months.

Q) Benchmark indices, as well as broader markets, seem to be going hand in hand in the rally. What is the market pricing right now at a time when most experts believe that the first half of FY21 is going to be bad in terms of earnings and economic growth and also COVID-19 cases are rising day by day?

A) This liquidity-driven global market rally is pricing in 'V' shaped recovery in the US economy due to the largest ever stimulus support by the US government.

The US government has supported the economy with three times the money that the US Fed took 100 years to create post its establishment in 1913 and that too in the first four months of the pandemic. This clearly shows there is too much liquidity in the stock market. This liquidity was created by the US Fed, to be infused in the economy, but in the short-term, this liquidity is driving global stock markets.

Just to share an example of a 100-year old US company called Hertz, which filed bankruptcy on May 24, 2020, and within 15 days of the bankruptcy filing, the share price got doubled, which is beyond any logic. Hence, even a layman can also infer this is a liquidity-driven rally, which is way beyond any fundamental strength of the global economy.

Q) India Ratings believes that there could be an additional Rs 1.6 lakh crore of debt turning delinquent between FY21-FY22 which is over and above the Rs 2.54 lakh crore anticipated prior to the onset of the pandemic, taking the cumulative quantum to Rs 4.21 lakh crore. Yet banks have been one of the better returners recently; what is driving this rally?

A) The Indian banking system had a combined Rs 97 lakh crore loan book till 2019. If you analyse this loan book sector-wise, then in our view, we can have overall NPAs of banks to the tune of Rs 12-14 lakh crore. Most of the sectors which will create these NPAs shall be from 'Asset Heavy Business Models'. We had advised our clients to exit from banking stocks on January 16, 2020, and we still believe it is not a great bet to favour banks.

Real delinquencies in the banking sector will start reflecting the post moratorium period. It may be scary for some of the banks which are not well capitalized yet. This short term rally in banking stocks is due to an oversold position in March 2020. Just to substantiate with example IndusInd Bank was trading close to Rs 1,900 in January 2020 and today it is trading around Rs 500. Is this bull run in banking stocks?

Hence, we advise investors to be cautious in medium-term and rebalance their portfolio to safe product categories.

Q: Ganesh (35 years) and Ramesh (35 years) are having Rs 10 lakh each and want to make their own balanced portfolio. How should they go about and what would be the asset allocation. Note: Ganesh is an aggressive investor and Ramesh is a conservative investor.

A) As the investors are in their mid 30's & wish to have a balanced approach of portfolio allocation, then the asset class mix can be as follows keeping at least the next five years in mind.

These allocations should be changed after 5 years. Once both of them cross 40 years of age.

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh high court has issued a notice to the state government and sought a reply within a week for its decision to allow tourists from Delhi to stay in the state-run Circuit House at Chaura Maidan, Shimla, that was earmarked for Covid warriors, particularly doctors.

The orders were passed by a division bench, comprising chief justice L Narayana Swamy and justice Anoop Chitkara, on a petition filed by advocate Virender Thakur.

The petitioner said that the government had made arrangements for the stay of frontline coronavirus warriors, including doctors of Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Shimla, at the Circuit House and some rests house.

However, the government also allowed tourists coming from other states to stay at these facilities.

On July 16, a family from Delhi stayed at the Circuit House at Chaura Maidan and one member tested positive for Covid-19.

The petitioner requested the court to order a judicial inquiry into the circumstances under which the government allowed these tourists to stay at the Circuit House.

He urged the court to pass appropriate orders, directing the government to stop the misuse of rest houses and circuit houses.

The case comes up for hearing on July 23.
The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle laid bare her financial dealings with her estranged father in the latest round of court documents, as she blames the deterioration of their "very close relationship" on the tabloid media.

Ms Markle, in court papers filed by her lawyers, said she and Thomas Markle "had a very close father-daughter relationship throughout her childhood and remained close until he was targeted three years ago by intrusive UK tabloid media".

She is suing 'The Mail on Sunday' over publication of part of her handwritten letter to him, following the royal wedding he did not attend.

In paperwork submitted to the High Court, Ms Markle answers new questions about an "imputation" that she "failed to provide any or any real financial support for her father", which she has said is false.

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It includes revelations previously included only in a private letter, claiming Mr Markle's medical bills were offset by the "significant payments" he received for media interviews, which "would appear to exceed and offset the excess medical cost of roughly $2,500". The disclosures are intended to counter claims that Ms Markle has not provided financial support for her father.

Instead, she said, she has offered "voluntary financial contributions" since she got a job, noting: "The claimant's father gave occasional financial support to the claimant, just as she provided reciprocal financial support to him once she began earning."

The details of the Markle family finances are the latest in an ongoing series of legal disclosures relating to the High Court case, which will rule on whether 'The Mail on Sunday' breached Ms Markle's privacy, copyright or data protection. The existence of the letter, given to the newspaper by Mr Markle, first came to public attention in US magazine 'People', after five friends of Ms Markle gave an interview intended to tell her side of the story.

Ms Markle claimed she knew nothing of the article ahead of publication.

In papers made public yesterday, she said she had confirmed three of her friends had taken part only afterwards via FaceTime conversations, a fourth in person, and the fifth during her baby shower.

A source close to the Sussexes said the paperwork was a response to a fourth request for further information from Associated Newspapers. In reply to questions about the financial support provided by Ms Markle to her father, lawyers said "the requests are gratuitous and a further violation and intrusion of privacy of both the claimant and her father".

They go on to expand on the father-daughter relationship, admitting it has "never been denied that the claimant's father supported her throughout her childhood and as a young adult" but claiming he did not "pay for all" her college fees.

Ms Markle is suing for undisclosed damages on the grounds of breach of privacy, copyright and data protection.

No date has yet been set for the full trial, which is expected to go ahead in 2021, with a hearing to decide costs and whether Ms Markle's "five friends" can be named first.

Associated Newspapers has wholly denied all claims against it, particularly the suggestion that the letter was edited in any meaningful way.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
1 Market Buzz

A wave of new investors have thronged the Indian stock markets in recent months during the coronavirus lockdown, triggering a boom in retail and significant rise in trading activity. People stuck at home are glomming on to share trading like never before. Several are bored and have money to spend. Lack of alternatives to make a quick buck betting is still not legal in Indiaand incentives and discounts from brokerages have attracted hordes of new investors. To be sure, this is not the first time the markets are seeing a flurry of new investors. But the lockdown has made stock market investing and the kind of new investors different from previous years. Read here.

2 Big Story

Zydus Cadila Chairman Pankaj Patel said he expects the companys potential COVID-19 vaccine to be ready for launch early 2021. The company began human trials of its plasmid DNA vaccine candidate (ZyCoV-D) at multiple sites earlier this week. "We are expecting the phase-1 and phase-2 studies to be completed in 3 months," Patel said. Then Phase 3 will follow and if data is convincing, the vaccine will be approved. The vaccine will be tested for safety, efficacy and will be compared with placebo. Zydus has received permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to initiate clinical trials of the vaccine. Read here.

3 Your Money

The government is still holding discussions on whether the deadline, which ends August 31, for loan moratorium can be extended, a senior government official has told Moneycontrol. "There has not been any decision yet on it (extension of date). But, we are holding regular discussions with the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) and other stakeholders, whether such an extension is possible. Maybe till the end of this year," the official said. In case of an extension of moratorium, the identification of bad loans and their provisioning would not take place before the end of FY 2020-21. "In that case, pumping money into PSBs (public sector banks) for recapitalisation can't happen before April (next financial year)," the official said. Read here.

4 Global Watch

British Airways, the world's largest operator of Boeing 747s, will retire its entire jumbo jet fleet with immediate effect after the COVID-19 pandemic sent air travel into freefall. For over 50 years, Boeing's "Queen of the Skies" has been the world's most easily recognised jetliner with its humped fuselage and four engines. But its days were already numbered before the pandemic struck earlier this year.British Airways (BA) had been planning to retire the aircraft in 2024, but with passenger numbers decimated this year, and experts forecasting it will be years before they recover, the airline said it was unlikely its 747s would operate commercially again. Read here

5 Tech Tattle

Emojis have become an integral part of our online conversations. So much so that they even have a day to themselves-- July 17 is celebrated as the World Emoji Day. While most emojis help us express our thoughts in a precise manner, there is one emoji -- two hands held firmly together-- which has been a point of debate on social media. Social media users are often confused if the emoji represents a prayer sign or a high-five. Emojipedia, yes there is a thing like that, says the emoji with two hands placed firmly together refers to please or thank you. But that has only compounded the confusion, read here

6 Startup Tales

Several homegrown social media apps are eyeing TikToks market share after the Chinese app with 200 million users in India was banned. But can they replicate TikToks success? TikToks USP was that it allowed users to create and upload content as it was packed with editing tools, which Indian apps lack. Unless they allow original content to be made, these apps will be nothing more than video-hosting platforms. TikToks other strength was its user base. It spawned a new segment of creators and viewers which had largely been sitting out social media game for various reasons. It was made possible by its algorithm that was completely in sync with what users wanted. Read here

7 Tailpiece

Solar Orbiter, a joint Sun-observing mission between the European Space Agency or ESA and NASA, released the first public images, including the closest pictures of the Sun ever taken. As per a NASA release, the mission, launched on February 9, 2020, completed its first close pass of the Sun in mid-June. When the orbiter flew within 48 million miles of the Sun, all 10 instruments flicked on, and Solar Orbiter snapped pictures. "These unprecedented pictures of the Sun are the closest we have ever obtained," said Holly Gilbert, NASA project scientist for the mission at the space agencys Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Watch here
Texas recorded 161 coronavirus deaths Friday, breaking the previous daily record as Gov. Greg Abbott continued urging the use of masks to prevent a second shutdown.

The state is now averaging more than 100 deaths per day, three times the average at the beginning of this month. More than 3,700 Texans have died from the virus since the spring, nearly a third of them in July alone.

In a TV interview with KDFW in Dallas, Abbott tried to highlight a bright spot, saying infections in the DFW Metroplex had plateaued, though it was unclear whether that would hold.

RECORD DEATHS: Texas reports 154 COVID-19 deaths, third straight day of 100-plus

Whether we go up or down from here will depend on the extent that people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area adopt the practice that was recommended this week by the CDC, he said, referring to the latest research confirming the effectiveness of masks in slowing transmissions.

The remarks came as the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit watchdog reporting outlet, obtained an unpublished White House document identifying Texas as one of 18 states where the coronavirus has gotten so out of hand that officials should start rolling back their reopenings.

The report, dated July 14, says the state should limit social gatherings to 10 or fewer people and restrict indoor dining to 25 percent of their maximum occupancy  down from the 50 percent restaurants can currently serve in Texas  and that officials should close gyms in roughly half the counties in the state, which are considered to be in the red zone.

The document says about half of Texas 254 counties are in that red zone because over 10 percent of coronavirus test results are positive and they have reported more than 100 cases per 100,000 people. The document identifies Harris and Bexar counties as among the top counties in the state based on the number of new cases over the past three weeks.

Another 82 counties are in a yellow zone, which indicates the positive test rate is between 5 and 10 percent and that they reported between 50 and 100 cases per 100,000 people. The document suggests those counties restrict in-person gatherings to 25 people or fewer and should limit gyms to 25 percent capacity.

NURSING HOME RESURGENCE: Texas nursing home COVID-19 cases jumped 60 percent since July 1

A Trump administration official said Friday the document was created by Dr. Deborah Birx, a leader of the White Houses coronavirus task force, and has been provided to each state to inform and assist with their response effort. Its a great example of our continued commitment to the federal state partnership.

We are the epicenter

Abbott has instituted some of the recommendations in the White House document already, including mandating masks in most counties and closing bars. But the governor has resisted calls from local leaders to allow them to mandate stay-at-home orders.

His office did not respond to questions Friday about whether he will take the additional steps recommended by the White House.

Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor and the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN Friday that Texas and other southern states now account for a significant amount of the worlds new COVID-19 cases. He called it imperative that the Trump administration develop a clear strategy going into the late summer weeks.

We are the epicenter for the pandemic, and there is just total disengagement from the White House, Hotez said. Its almost like we dont have a federal government, or at least an executive branch.

On Friday, Texas reported more than 10,675 new infections, the sixth time in the past 10 days that it has broken past the 10,000 mark, a Hearst Newspapers data analysis shows. The rate of people testing positive for the virus climbed to a seven-day average of 17.43 percent, following a four-day plateau.

COVID hospitalizations rose by nearly 200, bringing the state to a new high of 10,632.

Hardest-hit areas include Houston, San Antonio and smaller communities in South Texas. This month, Hidalgo County, along the Mexico border, reported more deaths than all of Harris County.

Dr. Ivan Melendez, Hidalgo Countys public health authority, said its not uncommon for the body of a COVID-19 patient to lay on a stretcher for 10 hours before it can be removed in the overcrowded hospitals where intensive care space is running short.

Before someone gets a bed in the COVID ICU unit, someone has to die there, Melendez said.

Meanwhile, health officials in San Antonio and Houston have turned to refrigerated trailers to store the dead, and soldiers prepared to take over a COVID-19 wing of a Houston hospital.

An 86-person Army team of doctors, nurses and support staff was setting up a nursing station at United Memorial Medical Center and expected to begin treating up to 40 patients in the coming days.

Matt Dempsey contributed to this report, which contains material from the Associated Press.

jeremy.blackman@chron.com

ben.wermund@chron.com
Cracking the whip against some private medical college hospitals for their non-cooperation, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday directed them to provide 50 per cent of beds as promised by them "with effect from tomorrow itself."

"The Chief Minister directed the private medical college hospitals to provide 50 per cent of the beds with effect from tomorrow itself as there is an acute increase in the number of COVID 19 cases reported in Bengaluru," his office said in a press release.

This is the third meeting by the chief minister with the private medical college hospital owners, said officials, adding that in the first meeting, the hospital authorities were asked to reserve 50 per cent of beds for coronavirus patients.

When they did not fall in line, the second meeting was convened but there was no change in their behaviour, the officials said.

The chief minister was compelled to convene another meeting and issue stern directions to them, according to the officials.

Yediyurappa said the private medical college hospitals need to cooperate as there is a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the city.

"It has come to the notice of the government that some institutes are denying treatment for COVID as well as non-COVID patients," Yediyurappa was quoted as saying in the statement issued by the CMO.

The chief minister expressed concern over media reports about several people dying as they did not get timely assistance due to denial of treatment by hospitals, it said.

The chief minister told the authorities of the private institutions that Bengaluru should continue to lead the country in being a role model for COVID management.

According to the CMO, during the previous meeting private medical colleges had agreed upon providing around 4,500 beds, which would make the total beds available in government and private medical colleges to 6,500.

The chief minister expressed dismay over some colleges not providing the number of beds as promised and also about certain lacunae which were noticed by ministers during their visits to these institutions.

"During this emergency situation we should respond with humanity.

COVID and Non COVID patients shall not be denied treatment and the balance in the healthcare system shall be maintained," Yediyurappa advised the private hospital owners.

He also assured them of all support including providing doctors and nurses, if need be.

The private medical colleges too assured him that 50 per cent of beds would be provided and some colleges offered 80 per cent of the beds for COVID treatment, the CMO said.

According to the CMO, nodal officers have already been appointed to monitor the availability of beds in these medical colleges.

It was decided to issue notice to Vaidehi Medical College for their absence, the statement added.

The government has already put a cap on the treatment cost ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 a day.
Frustrated by Gov. Tom. Wolfs latest COVID-19 restrictions on the food service industry, restaurant owners in central Pennsylvania are armed for a fight.

Representatives from dozens of establishments gathered earlier today at Bonefish Grill in Lower Allen Township to express their dissatisfaction with the governor and his recent mandates. In the coming days, they plan to spread word about a petition demanding change.

How can one person have this much power? How can one person go across our constitution, stomp on it and never look back? And theres nothing we can do? He has too much power, said organizer Matt Flinchbaugh, owner of Flinchys in Lower Allen Township.

On Wednesday, Wolf ordered restaurants, bars and breweries to dial back capacity limits from 50 to 25 percent. In addition, seating around bars is prohibited and establishments are no longer permitted to serve alcoholic beverages unless patrons order sit-down, dine in meals.

Wolf said that the reason for the rollback in freedoms associated with the green phase of his reopening plan is due to fears about a new coronavirus case surge.

But owners say their industry has been unfairly targeted, and the latest restrictions make it nearly impossible to survive, be profitable and maintain full staffing. Plus, they say their hands are tied because of the Supreme Courts recent decision maintaining Wolfs authority over the states response to the coronavirus pandemic.

State legislators, including Pa. senators Mike Regan, a Republican from Northern York County, and John DiSanto, Republican from Dauphin County, as well as John Longstreet, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, took to the podium.

Regan urged those in attendance to rise up against the governor.

This one man is making decisions for everybody and its crippling Pennsylvania and its crippling business, and most recently, its probably going to kill a lot of restaurants and bars here in Pennsylvania, Regan said.

Melissa Bova, Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Associations vice president of legislative affairs, announced an online petition will be circulated among restaurant owners to share with their customers. The petition will urge the Wolf administration to bring restaurants back up to 50 percent capacity.

A similar petition is being circulated by Montgomery County restaurant owners, Bova said.

We are going to be using a platform that will show whose constituents the people who signed the petition are a part of, so we can go to those people who are putting out the vote right now, and say, Five thousand people in your district say this is BS and you need to do something, she said.

We are going to use those numbers to push the needle, Bova added.

Restaurant owners in attendance Friday said they are ready to begin collecting signatures.

Is it a futile attempt? Who knows. At least it brings awareness, said Don Carter, Jr., owner of several establishments including Dockside Willies and Dukes in Wormleysburg.

He said hed like to see more consistency from the governors office and is upset the restaurant industry was targeted earlier this week with no mention of other businesses such as dirt track races, Hersheypark or casinos.

Themi Sacarellos, one of the owners of the Round the Clock Diners in York County, called the petition a good first step. In recent weeks, Round the Clock made headlines for defying Wolfs orders to shut down dine-in service for customers. The owners were fined by the Department of Agriculture.

People should voice their opposition, Sacarellos said. Let the people speak up, if they want to write their name on a petition, I think they should.

The restaurant associations Longstreet said they have been working with the governor for about two months to add sense to some regulations pertaining to restaurants. Initially, he said they were able to get outdoor dining, drinks to-go and expansion of premises, but somewhere along the way something changed.

This week, he said Wolfs administration consulted with the association and agreed to maintain the 50 percent capacity limits.

All of a sudden out of the clear blue without any notice, they reduced it to 25 percent. There will be no statistics that show 25 percent makes sense because they dont exist, he said. The only significance to that number is thousands of Pennsylvania restaurants close permanently and hundreds of thousands of employees are out of work.

He urged owners if they cant win in the courts, they will win in the court of public opinion.

Weve got to rein this in and get back to 50 percent now, he said. Now we need all of you to fight this fight through the court of public opinion.

In the meantime, today Wolf Governor urged Congress to provide financial relief to restaurants by passing the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive Act. The bipartisan bill is designed to provide $120 billion to help Independent restaurants with the economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ MORE:

Have Pa. bars, restaurants found a loophole in Gov. Wolfs new mandates?

Pa. bar, restaurant owners on new restrictions: A further strain on an already strained industry

High school football, fall sports to stay the course, PIAA decides in meeting

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The interest of the people must be paramount for the governmentt, the former Rajasthan CM said in her first reaction on the spiralling political crisis in state

Jaipur: It is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan are paying for the discord within the Congress, BJP national vice president and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje said on Saturday in her first reaction on the spiralling political crisis in the state.

The Congress is trying to shift the blame on the BJP and the BJP leadership, Raje said as a question mark looms over the future of the Ashok Gehlot-led government following a bitter feud between the chief minister and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.

The interest of the people must be paramount for the government, Raje said while asking the state's ruling Congress to think about the public.

"There is no point in trying to drag the BJP and the BJP leaders names through the mud. It is the interest of our people that must remain paramount!" she said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Raje, who has been conspicuous by her silence on the current crisis, went on to list the many problems facing the people of Rajasthan.

At a time when COVID-19 has claimed more than 500 lives and positive cases are close to 28,000 locusts are attacking farmers fields crimes against women are at an all-time high when there is a problem of electricity across the state And I'm only naming a few of the problems faced by our people, she said.

Think of the people!!!!! she ended the statement in which she took no names.

Raje's reaction came days after the crisis began with the registration of an FIR by Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) on Friday last week in connection with a conspiracy to topple the state government.

The SOG had issued notices to the chief minister, the deputy chief minister and the government's chief whip Mahesh Joshi for recording their statements.

Subsequently, as Pilot staged a revolt, he was removed as deputy chief minister. Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena were also sacked from the Gehlot cabinet for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy.

Congress has accused the BJP of trying to topple the Gehlot government and has alleged that Pilot and 18 other MLAs are involved in the conspiracy.

Further muddying the waters, Nagaur MP and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party convener Hanuman Beniwal has also accused of Raje having an internal alliance with Gehlot. The RLP is an ally of the NDA.

On Friday, the Congress suspended MLAs Bhanwarlal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh from the party's primary membership.

The move came after two audio clips surfaced. The Congress alleged that Sharma is talking with Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Sanjay Jain regarding the conspiracy of toppling the state government in the clips.

About Vishvenra Singh's alleged involvement, the party said some details may emerge soon.

The SOG has also arrested Sanjay Jain in an FIR on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy Congress alleged that Jain is a BJP leader while BJP has rejected the claim saying Jain has no links with BJP.

The disqualification notices issued by the assembly speaker against 19 MLAs, including Pilot, have been challenged in the high court.
Kangana Ranaut in an exclusive interaction with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami opened up about conspiracy theories around Sushant Singh Rajput's unfortunate demise. Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14. As per the autopsy report, the actor died due to asphyxia caused because of hanging, however, many conspiracy theories surfaced on social media suspecting that he did not die by suicide.

In an explosive interview on 'Nation Wants To Know', Kangana on Friday called the ongoing interrogation by Mumbai Police a 'complete sham' after they failed to summon those who are being questioned in the public domain or the ones who (she alleges) pushed him into a depressed state of mind.

Kangana said, "I have no way of investigating this matter. I am not an official. I can only gather my common sense with whatever I see. Whatever I say and whatever I put out there is not my opinion... it's not something that I think about but it is for everyone in the public domain to see. and some people very conveniently ignore it."

With over 30 people being interrogated till now in Sushant Singh Rajput's case, Kangana said that the cops still haven't summoned the main 'powerful' people. Without mincing her words, Kangana said, 'What gives these people the license to say things like 'Your end is near' for artists? If they (hinting: Mahesh Bhatt) knew Sushant wasn't feeling well, why didn't they call his father and tell that your son is not well? Why did Rhea call Mahesh Bhatt? Who is he?"

Ranaut further said, "I was summoned, I told them to send someone to take my statement in Manali. I haven't received anything after that." In conclusion, Ranaut stressed that Mumbai Police should summon two big Bollywood producers  Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra.

#KanganaSpeaksToArnab | Kangana Ranaut minces no words on Nation Wants To Know with Arnab Goswami. Stay tuned to watch here - https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei@KanganaTeam pic.twitter.com/0oH2CAU9kS  Republic (@republic) July 17, 2020

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's explosive conversation with Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami has prompted responses from many celebrities in the film industry. Prominent among them, veteran actor Simi Garewal has praised Kangana for taking a firm stand on nepotism against the "powerful" few in the industry as she hopes that it brings an awakening in Bollywood.

ALSO READ | Rhea Chakraborty exposes troll's heinous threats to her over Sushant; 'Enough is Enough'

Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide

The actor died by suicide leaving the film industry and his fans devastated. His demise gave way to an intense discussion on mental health and depression and later, topics like nepotism, favoritism came under the spotlight again.

Former Union Cabinet Minister Dr. Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput's death by suicide. The letter states how 'big Bollywood names are trying to cover up the death'. Ishkaran, the advocate and political columnist, shared a video on his Twitter handle explaining why a CBI investigation was needed.

ALSO READ | 'Since the family is silent...': Suman takes a 'backseat' on 'Justice for Sushant's' case
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati weighed in on the alleged phone tapping row in Rajasthan accusing chief minister Ashok Gehlot of acting illegally and calling for Presidents rule in the state.

In a tweet shortly after the BJP sought a CBI probe into the Congress allegations that it has audio tapes to prove that the BJP was in collusion with rebel Congress leaders to bring down the Gehlot government, Mayawati accused Gehlot of being a serial offender.

Rajasthan Chief Minister first violated the anti-defection law and betrayed the BSP by admitting its MLAs into the Congress. And now he apparently made another illegal decision by tapping phones, Mayawati tweeted.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police registered two first information reports on Friday alleging a conspiracy to topple the Congress government in the state after the partys chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a complaint citing three audio tapes, purportedly of conversations detailing the plot.

Amid the tug of war between Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot now being played out in the Rajasthan High Court, Mayawati said the Governor should recommend Presidents rule in the state.

The Governor of Rajasthan should take effective cognizance of the continuing political deadlock, mutual disturbance and instability in the government and recommend imposition of Presidents rule in the state so save democracy, she said in another tweet.
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WASHINGTON  A 52-year-old man was put to death on Friday for the 1993 murders of five people, the third federal execution this week after a 17-year hiatus of federal capital punishment.

The execution of Dustin Lee Honken proceeded without any last-minute delays, unlike those of the two other federal inmates who had been put to death in previous days. The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Justice Departments execution protocol early Thursday, clearing the way for his lethal injection on Friday afternoon. Mr. Honken was pronounced dead at 4:36 p.m. at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind.

He spoke only briefly in his final moments, according to a journalist who observed the execution.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for me, Mr. Honken said.

The Justice Department announced its intention last summer to revive federal capital punishment. But questions over the constitutionality of the lethal injection protocol  using a single drug, pentobarbital  delayed its resumption.
During the ongoing military exercises, the Armed Forces of Armenia carry out joint actions with the Russian Armed Forces, particularly the Russian 102nd Military Base in the territory of Armenia and at other military training schools. This is what Deputy Head of Vazgen Sargsyan Military University, military expert and ex-spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan told reporters today, touching upon the implementation of surprise military exercises in the southern and western military districts of the Russian Federation during this period.

Russia is a big country with a powerful army and can often allow itself to carry out such operations. I cant comment on the relationship between those operations and political events. During these military exercises with the Russian 102nd Military Base, rather large troops of the Armed Forces of Armenia will be engaged in the military exercises, particularly tanks, artillery, motorized rifles, etc.

A reporter also recalled the Armenian-Russian joint military group and, in response to a question on how the military group will act, if there is a danger on the borders of Armenia, Hovhannisyan said the Armenian-Russian joint military group has its action plan.

Touching upon Turkeys military-technical support to Azerbaijan, Hovhannisyan said this is not new.
The government has announced that to meet the need for medical staff for the treatment of patients, medical students will be roped in as assistants.

The government has observed that looking at the situation in the state, there could be a scarcity of medical staff in the coming days. To cope with this situation, the students studying in government medical and paramedical colleges, the Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) medical colleges, self financed medical colleges and grant-in-aid institutions can be roped in for government services, the government announced on Friday.

The first year, second and third year MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, physiotherapist, BSc nursing, GNM and students in the final year of various branches of medicine can be trained and deployed under the concerned officials as assistants.

For this, the students will be trained for a period of 3 days to 5 days according to the streams they are studying in. They will be trained in clinical management of infection, prevention and control, field surveillance and supervision, isolation and quarantine, psychological and social care, critical care assistance etc.

These students will be used in medical and paramedical services like preventive care, clinical care, logistics and other work like health and medical data management, data analysis and tele-counselling on the government's 1100 and 104 helplines.

This medical staff problem was pointed out by Niti Aayog member Vinod Pal, part of the four-member team which visited Gujarat to review the Covid-19 situation in the state.

After almost 4 months of the outbreak, the daily number of cases is increasing and has reached almost 1,000 cases every day. Gujarat has crossed the 46,500 mark in Covid-19 cases.

--IANS

amc/bg

(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.)
Indian Army officials said that a shell landed on the family's house in Karmara in Golpur Sector, killing Mohd Rafiq (58), his wife Rafia Bi (50) and son Irfan (15)

Three members of a family were killed when Pakistani troops shelled various forward areas and civilian places along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday, prompting the Indian Army to give a befitting reply, officials said.

"At around 2120 hours on Friday, Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and resorting to shelling of mortars along the LoC in Gulpur sector of Poonch district," a defence spokesperson said.

Pakistan's army also shelled heavily the hamlets along the LoC in Khari Karmara sector, officials said.

A shell landed on a house in Karmara village in which Mohd Rafiq (58), his wife Rafia Bi (50) and son Irfan (15) died on the spot, they said, adding that some houses have been damaged and a few people injured. "The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly," the officials said.

Firing and shelling between the two sides were going on when the last report came in.
INSEAD reports the highest average GMAT scores of any European business school. File photo

INSEAD reports the highest average GMAT scores of any European business school. File photo



In a wide range of initiatives to increase racial diversity at INSEAD, the European business school told alumni that it is doubling its scholarship budget for students from under-represented backgrounds, including from Africa and will also create a new position on diversity in the marketing and recruitment team of its degree programs department.

The school, with MBA campuses in France and Singapore, said it also will launch a fund dedicated to developing case studies that portray minority protagonists, have broad national diversity and address discrimination and injustice and it has immediately allocated 50,000 in seed funding to projects on equity, diversity and inclusion with an intention to increase that level of funding in future years.

The extraordinary moves were announced in an email written by Dean Ilian Mihov sent to INSEAD alumni and obtained by Poets&Quants. It occurs at a time when many business schools are attempting to more directly address issue sos racial injustice and economic inequality. The awakening to such issues has resulted in a public apology by Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria for the schools racial failures which in itself has brought additional criticism from at least one former Black American senior lecturer (see Former Harvard Business School Prof Slams Dean For Schools Systematic Anti-Black Practices). That same former professor has proposed 12 steps he believes HBS should take to resolve its anti-Black culture.

EVENTS HAVE LAID BARE PERSISTING RACIAL INEQUALITIES AND INJUSTICES

Events around the world, including, but not limited to, the brutal killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Adama Traore, have laid bare persisting racial inequalities and injustices, wrote Mihov. We know that these issues transcend national borders and that they affect our communities as well. Diversity and inclusion are founding values of INSEAD and we, therefore, feel the need to articulate our commitment against racism and reconfirm the foundational nature of our values.

Story continues

The initiatives are the outgrowth of a meeting convened last month by the dean who brought together a group of INSEAD stakeholders to suggest ways the school could respond to issues of inequity. Among other things, the school is creating a new INSEAD Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion that will report directly to the Dean of INSEAD. The office, explains Mihov, will ensure that we execute our action plan, regularly conduct assessments and provide reports on progress towards our core values and objectives. We are collecting best practices on how such an office should be structured and details will be determined.

INSEADs plan also includes steps to boost the racial diversity of its faculty and staff. Mihov said INSEAD will develop a plan to align with best practices to increase the diversity of staff and create a fund to facilitate faculty exchange from under-represented backgrounds. We will work with the PhD Project to increase the diversity of our faculty pipeline and engage other business schools in this effort to amplify our impact, he wrote.

The full text of his email follows:

Events around the world, including, but not limited to, the brutal killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Adama Traore, have laid bare persisting racial inequalities and injustices. We know that these issues transcend national borders and that they affect our communities as well. Diversity and inclusion are founding values of INSEAD and we, therefore, feel the need to articulate our commitment against racism and reconfirm the foundational nature of our values.

Last month, I brought together a group to listen to members of our communities and suggest ways in which we can respond in the short, medium and long-term. I am writing today to share an update on the actions we are taking now and will take in the next academic year starting in September.

The initial group I appointed is expanding now into a multi-stakeholder task force on equity, diversity and inclusion that will consist of (i) a core organising team, (ii) a broader team that will bring together representatives from students, staff, alumni and faculty, as well as key departments of the school to explore and test the viability of recommended actions while leading the engagement with different constituencies and (iii) an equity, diversity and inclusion specialist to advise and guide our work.

Together, we have started to prepare possible interventions to improve our institution, representation, education and thought leadership. Below is the list of initial actions, which will take effect immediately or will be implemented in the coming academic year:

Institution

We will create a new INSEAD Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion reporting directly to the Dean of INSEAD and will ensure that we execute our action plan, regularly conduct assessments and provide reports on progress towards our core values and objectives. We are collecting best practices on how such an office should be structured and details will be determined.

We will align with leading schools and provide equity, diversity and inclusion training to staff, managers and faculty.

We will share checklists to improve inclusion in syllabi as well as in all our marketing and communication.

We will launch the INSEAD Africa Initiative to develop partnerships with African universities and organisations and work closely with our alumni in Africa to increase the diversity of our student applications and offer executive programmes.

Representation

While we recognise that we will need to work creatively within the context of the legal restrictions in the countries where we have campuses, we remain committed to encouraging diversity of backgrounds among our students, staff and faculty.

Students. As of today, we are doubling our scholarship budget for students from under-represented backgrounds, including from Africa. We will create a new position on diversity in the marketing and recruitment team of our Degree Programmes department, and we will continue to analyse and act on the parameters that would allow greater diversity in our student applications.

Staff. We will develop a plan to align with best practices to increase the diversity of our staff in accordance with legal requirements of countries where our campuses are located.

Faculty. We will create a fund to facilitate faculty exchange from under-represented backgrounds and for subject-matter experts on relevant topics. We will work with the PhD Project to increase the diversity of our faculty pipeline and engage other business schools in this effort to amplify our impact.

Education

We will launch a fund dedicated to developing cases that portray minority protagonists, have broad national diversity and address discrimination and injustice.

We will incorporate material and conversations on systemic racism and equity, diversity and inclusion in our curricula, from launch week of our programmes to specialised electives. Next academic year, we will launch a new elective on diversity, equity and inclusion.

We are initiating a series of research-based webinars to increase the lifelong learning of all members of our community on equity, diversity and inclusion. The first session will be held later today (16 July) as part of our INSEAD Summer Learning Festival and will focus on systemic racism and the role of business leaders in addressing it.

Thought Leadership

We are immediately allocating 50,000 seed funding from our Research and Development Committee to projects on equity, diversity and inclusion with the view to increase this earmarked envelope every year.

We are now creating an INSEAD Knowledge page on equity, diversity and inclusion to display and discuss all of INSEADs research on the topic.

We will lead the conversation by holding a regular academic conference on equity, diversity and inclusion. Next academic year will have two: (i) the Women at Work conference looking inter alia at gender intersections with race in March 2021 in Abu Dhabi and (ii) the inaugural Business in Africa conference in partnership with Brookings.

In the coming weeks, the INSEAD Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task force (EDIT), reporting to me, will execute these initial actions while setting up the necessary processes for actions that will require more time. The task force will provide quarterly update reports until the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is fully set up and staffed.

I am deeply grateful to the task force and all who gave input so that we could craft our action plan on these most important issues. I look forward to updating you on our progress in the months ahead.

Best regards,

Ilian Mihov

Dean

INSEAD

DONT MISS: HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL DEAN APOLOGIZES FOR THE SCHOOLS RACIAL FAILURES or HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL CASE STUDY: WHY PROGRESS STALLED FOR BLACK AMERICANS

The post INSEAD Diversity Initiative Doubles MBA Scholarships For Under-Represented Students appeared first on Poets&Quants.
China and India have stumbled once again into a bloody clash over some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth.

A deadly brawl last month killed 20 Indian border troops and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers, punctuating a decades-old border dispute that has become one of the worlds most intractable geopolitical conflicts. It has inflamed tensions at a time when the world is consumed by the coronavirus pandemic, and it has scuttled recent efforts by the two Asian powers to set aside their historical differences.

In the weeks since, the two sides have tried to walk back from the brink, with military commanders and senior diplomats negotiating quietly to disengage. By late last week, satellite photographs indicated that Chinese troops had pulled out of one disputed area where a brawl sparked the latest tensions.

Even so, the broader dispute between the worlds two most populous nations, both armed with nuclear weapons, remains unresolved and dangerous. It involves a region called Ladakh, a sparsely populated area, high in the Himalayas, with close historical and cultural ties to Tibet. It was divided in the years after India gained independence from Britain in 1947 and the Communist Party established the Peoples Republic of China two years later.

Xinjiang Disputed borders china Line of Actual Control (approximate) Highway 219 connecting Xinjiang and Tibet Daulat Beg Oldi Gilgit-Baltistan Controlled by Pakistan Aksai Chin Controlled by China, claimed by India The all-weather DSDBO Road connects Indias remote military camp to the center of Ladakh. Galwan Valley Line of Control between India and Pakistan Tibet Leh china Pangong Lake Ladakh Area controlled by India CHINA Area of detail INDIA India Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea Highway 219 connecting Xinjiang and Tibet Disputed borders china Line of Actual Control (approximate) Daulat Beg Oldi The all-weather DSDBO Road connects Indias remote military camp to the center of Ladakh. Aksai Chin Controlled by China, claimed by India Galwan Valley Tibet Leh china Pangong Lake Ladakh Area controlled by India CHINA Area of detail INDIA India

During its invasion of Tibet in 1950, Mao Zedongs China seized the northern part of Ladakh, called Aksai Chin, and has held it ever since  in no small part because a crucial road connecting Tibet with another restive province, Xinjiang, runs through it. In 1962, the two countries went to war over the same terrain, but despite an overwhelming Chinese victory, the de facto frontier  known as the Line of Actual Control  remained roughly the same.

The clashes this spring and summer stemmed from Indias recent efforts to build up the road network on its side of the frontier, catching up  belatedly, critics say  to Chinas buildup on its side. Last year, India completed an all-weather road connecting Leh, the capital of Ladakh, to its northernmost outpost at Daulat Beg Oldi. In the last two decades, India has constructed nearly 5,000 kilometers of roads, allowing it to move military forces more easily along the mountainous border region.

China appeared alarmed by that and by Indias decision last year to impose direct national rule over the Ladakh region.

"China is very sensitive to Indian activity in the western sector, said M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and it goes back to the reasons why it decided to fight in 1962  to defend that road that connected Xinjiang to Tibet.

CHINA Galwan Valley Leads to Daulat Beg Oldi, Indias military base in Ladakh Line of Actual Control (Approximate) More than 1,800 meters above the valley (Elev: 6,000+ meters) INDIA Shyok River Galwan Valley Line of Actual Control (Approximate) CHINA Leads to Daulat Beg Oldi, Indias military base in Ladakh More than 1,800 meters above the valley (Elev: 6,000+ meters) INDIA Shyok River CHINA Galwan Valley Line of Actual Control (Approximate) Leads to Daulat Beg Oldi, Indias military base in Ladakh INDIA Shyok River CHINA Location of the deadly clash on June 15 Galwan Valley Shyok River INDIA CHINA Location of the deadly clash on June 15 Galwan Valley Shyok River INDIA CHINA Location of the deadly clash on June 15 Galwan Valley INDIA Shyok River Shyok River Galwan River Line of Actual Control (approximate) Indian military installments Where China claims its sovereignty Location of the clash on June 15 Line of Actual Control (approximate) Shyok River Where China claims its sovereignty Location of the clash on June 15 Galwan River Indian military installments Line of Actual Control (approximate) Shyok River Where China claims its sovereignty Galwan River Location of the clash on June 15 Indian military installments





This disputed land near Galwan Valley has some of the most treacherous terrain on Earth. While no border has ever officially been negotiated along the forbidding stretch of land high in the Himalayas that divides the two nations, the truce established a 2,100-mile-long Line of Actual Control. On the night of June 15, Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed at an area near a sharp bend in the Galwan River, where Chinese forces had set up tents. It was the first deadly clash on the border since 1975 and the deadliest since 1967. Indian officials have claimed that China was moving farther down the Galwan River than it had in the past. By occupying the valley, the Chinese could easily monitor Indian vehicles passing through on the main road. A spokesman for Chinas Ministry of National Defense, Senior Col. Wu Qian, said last month that China has sovereignty over the entire valley to the point where the Galwan and Shyok rivers meet. He blamed Indian troops for crossing into Chinese territory. The responsibility lies entirely with India, he said.

Galwan Valley is not the only hotspot along the frontier. By late April and early May, Indian troops began to observe a buildup of Chinese forces at two other spots along the Line of Actual Control: Pangong Lake and Hot Springs.

While no clashes occurred in Hot Springs, the Chinese brought up significant weaponry. About three kilometers away from the Line of Actual Control, companies of tanks and batteries of towed artillery appeared in existing Chinese positions north and east of Gogra.

Tanks Artillery batteries Tanks Artillery batteries Sources: Satellite image taken by Maxar Technologies on May 22, 2020; Henry Boyd and Meia Nouwens, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The tensions this year first boiled over on the northern shore of Pangong Lake, a glacial lake split by the de facto border.

In early May, troops from both countries brawled in disputed territory there. There were a number of injuries, some serious, though no deaths. That fight put both sides on edge, contributing to the deadly clash in the Galwan Valley a little more than a month later. Years ago, the two countries agreed that their troops should not shoot at each other during border standoffs. But China seems to be testing the limits. In the June fighting, Indian commanders said that Chinese troops used iron clubs bristling with spikes.

LADAKH Area controlled by India 1 2 AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India 3 Pangong Lake 4 7 Sirijap 8 5 6 India claims territories up to Finger 8. Line of Actual Control (Approximate) Chushul Sirijap AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India 8 7 6 India claims territories up to Finger 8. 5 4 LADAKH Area controlled by India 3 Line of Actual Control (Approximate) 2 1 Pangong Lake AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India Sirijap India claims territories up to Finger 8. 8 7 LADAKH Area controlled by India 6 5 Line of Actual Control (Approximate) 4 3 2 1 Pangong Lake Chinese posts Indian posts Pangong Lake Chinese posts Line of Actual Control (Approximate) Chinese posts Indian posts Chinese posts Pangong Lake Chinese posts Indian posts Chinese posts Pangong Lake Indian military settlements Helicopter pads Many more tents were seen on satellite images captured on July 10, compared to one month before. Bridge drainage Many more tents were seen on satellite images captured on July 10, compared to one month before. Indian military settlements Bridge drainage Helicopter pads Many more tents were seen on satellite images captured on July 10, compared to one month before. Indian military settlements Bridge drainage Helicopter pads LADAKH Controlled by India AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India Trucks can be seen coming from other camps Construction activities by the Chinese forces Line of Actual Control (Approximate) Line of Actual Control (Approximate) Construction activities by the Chinese forces AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India LADAKH Controlled by India Line of Actual Control (Approximate) Construction activities by the Chinese forces AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India LADAKH Controlled by India LADAKH Area controlled by India AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India No more clear Chinese constructions Line of Actual Control (Approximate) Line of Actual Control (Approximate) No more clear Chinese constructions AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India LADAKH Controlled by India Line of Actual Control (Approximate) No more clear Chinese constructions AKSAI CHIN Controlled by China Claimed by India LADAKH Controlled by India Chinese military settlements Tents spread out in this area Multiple roads have been constructed A map of China has been inscribed on the disputed banks of Pangong Lake. Interceptor craft A map of China has been inscribed on the disputed banks of Pangong Lake. Interceptor craft Tents spread out in this area Multiple roads have been constructed Chinese military settlements A map of China has been inscribed on the disputed banks of Pangong Lake. Tents spread out in this area Multiple roads have been constructed Chinese military settlements









This is Pangong Lake, where the slopes of the mountains jut into the lake from eight directions, referred to as the fingers. India and China have different interpretations of where exactly the Line of Actual Control passses. While military personnel patrol most of the areas by foot, there are several military settlements built along the bank. The first standoff this year occurred here on May 5. Indias most advanced post in this region was located at Finger 3, which is well connected by a road from deeper within its territory. Satellite images taken on June 26 showed construction activity by the Chinese in this region. But in images captured on July 10, the Chinese positions have thinned out, after a troop withdrawal. Despite the partial withdrawal, Chinese forces continue to dominate the spurs in this region.

Chinas actions in the Himalayas have mirrored similar efforts to assert or reinforce its territorial claims, especially in the South China Sea. Chinese warships have this year menaced fishing and research vessels from Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. In recent weeks, China is reported to have expanded its territorial claims in Bhutan, which has a close defense relationship with India.

Some analysts have argued that China is acting while the world is distracted by the coronavirus pandemic; others say China needs to distract its own population with nationalist propaganda about defending Chinese sovereignty. In any case, the tensions are unlikely to diminish.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-17 05:42:49|Editor: huaxia

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BUENOS AIRES, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The government of Argentina on Thursday urged the population to intensify preventive measures against the novel coronavirus after the country registered a record number of new cases and deaths from COVID-19.

"There are outbreaks and cases from internal migrations, social gatherings, and situations where there is little compliance with recommendations or with little perception of risk," said Health Access Secretary Carla Vizzotti.

Vizzotti urged residents to intensify prevention measures, to pay close attention to the onset of symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, and the sudden loss of smell and taste, and to self-isolate if these symptoms are manifested.

Argentina confirmed its first case of the disease on March 3, and on Wednesday, the country registered the highest number of new cases (4,250) and deaths (82).

As of Thursday morning, the country had registered 111,160 cases, with 2,072 deaths.

President Alberto Fernandez ordered a national quarantine from March 20 to July 17 to slow the spread of the disease. On Friday, he will address the nation to discuss the next steps the government will take to combat the virus. Enditem
The White House announced on Friday the nomination of Sue Ghosh Stricklett as the assistant administrator in charge of USAID's Asia Bureau, overseeing its operations from China to the Maldives.

New York: US President Donald Trump has nominated an Indian American lawyer who has been active in the Republican Party, and with the Hindu American Coalition to head the Asian operations of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

USAID is the arm of the US government that provides development assistance, to developing countries and promotes democracy and gender equality.

Her nomination goes to the Senate, which has to approve nominees to senior positions like hers.

According to the White House, she was a foreign policy adviser on Asia, to presidential campaigns.

Stricklett was the founder of the Trump campaign in Maryland state for the 2016 election. She had also campaigned for the two previous Republican Party presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Stricklett has been the general counsel for American Hindu Coalition, which says it is a non-partisan organisation which aims to "build a stronger America through Hindu Enlightenment Principles."

She is the author of several articles in US media advocating close relations with India, and on "Trump's outreach to Hindu Americans, both before and after his election" with a slew of important appointments in his administration.

The White House said that Stricklett has been a lawyer in private practice for over 25 years, working in areas of foreign policy and national security.

"The scope of her practice includes Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance, intellectual property licensing and technology transfer, US dual-use, and defence trade control licensing, and sanctions law enforcement," the White House said.

Stricklett's nomination comes when less than six months are left in Trump's current term, and nearly 250 key positions of the 755 requiring Senate confirmation have yet to be filled.
Carriers have adjusted their flight frequency to reduce congestion at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports that have both closed off a runway for major repairs.



Apart from adjusting its flight frequency, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has used wide-body aircraft like Airbus 350, Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 787-10 for flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as routes from the two cities to popular destinations like Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc.

Vietnam Airlines and other carriers like Bamboo Airways and Vietjet Air have also encouraged passengers to complete certain procedures online.

Last week, the Ministry of Transport asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to instruct airlines to temporarily divert some of their flights to airports near Hanoi and HCM instead, for example Cat Bi airport in Hai Phong city, Tho Xuan airport in Thanh Hoa province, Can Tho airport in Can Tho city and Cam Ranh airport in Nha Trang city in order to reduce congestion./. VNA

Transport minister wants to fix airport overloading Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has sent an urgent dispatch to order agencies to fix shortcomings in taking-off and landing slots for aeroplanes at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International Airports.
MG has launched the Hector Plus in India at Rs 13.49 lakh (ex-showroom) in India. The car comes as the company's third offering in the country and comes with an additional seat than the Hector. In the domestic market, the MG Hector Plus will take on the popular Innova Crysta. Hence, here is how the two vehicles fair against each other on paper.

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MG Hector Plus Exterior

The MG Hector Plus closely resembles its 5-seater sibling on the outside. The car comes with the same split headlight setup that sits on either sides of the cascading grille. MG has slightly tweaked the bumper on both sides. The car sits on the same wheels as the Hector. And at the rear, the car gets slightly tweak taillights as well.

Toyota Innova Crysta.

Toyota Innova Crysta Exterior

If one must compare the current-gen Innova with its predecessor, the new design takes the conception to a new level. The utilitarian image of the first-gen was completely changed into a much premium offering that people didnt mind spending a lot. The Innova Crysta comes with sharp-looking headlights and taillights that give it a much premium appeal. Sitting in between the headlights are two chrome slats that add to the premium quotient.

MG Hector Plus. (Photo: MG Motor India)

MG Hector Plus Interiors

The Hector Plus is touted to be a more premium version of the Hector. Hence, a few elements that works for the same include a tan coloured leather upholstery. While the rest of the features are carried over from the Hector, the Plus version gets an additional seat. Ditching the conventional bench seat for the second row, the Hector Plus ships with captain seats for the second row and a bench for the third. MG clarifies that the third seat might not be completely capable of accommodating an adult, which is solely meant for kids.

Toyota Innova Crysta Interiors.

Toyota Innova Crysta Interiors

The Innova Crysta on, the other hand, comes with the option of the same seat setup as well. Two in the middle and a bench at the back. The dashboard in the Innova Crysta is covered in black with a classy metallic strip defining its outline. The vehicle gets a blue-lit instrument cluster and the two dials read out revs and speed while the multi-function display in the centre shows all other related information. The MPV also gets an intuitive touch-screen infotainment system and the new steering wheel gets metal highlights and mounted controls.

Hector Plus Features

The Hector Plus come with one additional feature than the standard Hector, which is the automatic tailgate. Some of the other key features of the Hector Plus include a Panoramic Sunroof, a Chit-Chat i-SMART Next Gen interface, captain seats with recline and slide function, LED lighting, 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment and tyre pressure monitoring system.

Innova Crysta Features

In the ZX trim, the Innova Crysta gets keyless entry and start, reversing parking sensors with camera, electrically adjustable drivers seat, a cooled box, one touch up and down for all four windows and automatic headlamps, among others.

MG Hector Plus Engine

Like its 5-seater sibling, the Hector Plus will be offered with a 1.5-litre petrol engine rated 143PS, a 1.5-litre hybrid engine that will output 143PS and a 2.0-litre diesel engine that will deliver 170PS. While the hybrid and diesel variants will be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, the petrol-only version will be offered with a DCT only.

Toyota Innova Crysta Engine

The Innova Crysta gets two options in the form of 2.7-litre petrol and a 2.4-litre diesel. While the petrol variant churns out 166 PS and 245 Nm, the diesel outputs 150 PS and 360 Nm. Its transmission options include a five-speed MT and six-speed automatic unit.

MG Hector Plus Pricing

Introductory prices for the MG Hector Plus begins at Rs 13.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol variant and goes up to Rs 18.53 lakh (ex-showroom) for the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel variant.

Toyota Innova Crysta Pricing

Prices for the Toyota Innova Crysta begins at Rs Rs 15.66 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the 2.7 GX MT variant and goes up to Rs 23.63 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the 2.4 ZX AT variant.
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Luxury beachside homes have been evacuated after two properties partially collapsed into the sea following a battering from high waves.

As many as 66 homes at Wamberal, on the New South Wales central coast, are considered to be 'at risk' from the wild weather.

An east coast low has been battering the state's coast since Tuesday with waves as high as 11.5 metres recorded at Sydney beaches.

The Bureau of Meteorology has recorded waves as high as five metres along the central coast throughout the week while State Emergency Services say the erosion is the worst it has been in 30 years.

Luxury beachside homes have been evacuated after two properties partially collapsed into the sea following a battering from high waves

As many as 66 homes at Wamberal, on the New South Wales central coast, are considered to be 'at risk' from the wild weather

Veronica Allison inspects her damaged terrace at Ocean View Dr, Wamberal, on Saturday (pictured)

Pictured: Concrete blocks are craned onto the beach to stop coastal erosion next to houses at Wamberal Beach

A NSW Police spokeswoman said that residents of up to 30 houses on Ocean View Drive had been advised to evacuate as a precaution after consultation with structural engineers.

Chris Rogers, who lives on Ocean View Drive, said on Friday at least 40 homes have had their frontage completely destroyed.

Mr Rogers said State Emergency Service workers were cutting off power, water and gas to homes along the street on Saturday morning.

'They're saying it's a safety precaution,' he told AAP.

'A few of the owners refused to leave. I'm not going anywhere at the moment.'

Locals woke up to further destruction, with part of one home's wall coming away from the building overnight.

'You can see inside,' Mr Rogers said.

'They'll lose their decks and maybe that might pull half a wall off but the house isn't going to topple in.

'There's a lot more verandahs and balconies that have been toppling in and hanging over the edge.

'There's just cliff faces now. There's no stairs. There's no access. It's just a dead-set drop.'

One resident has taken extraordinary steps to protect his property, hiring an 80-tonne crane to drop boulders into the surf.

Mr Rogers hasn't lost much of his land but is concerned fellow residents could face further complications in coming days.

'The problem is this week there's going to be more swell,' he said.

'There's going to be another high tide. So what the hell's going to happen then?'

An engineer speaks with Enzo Ferrazanno, a family member of a resident on Ocean View Dr, Wamberal, on Saturday

Part of a beachside home at Wamberal collapses after wild weather

Residents at a number of houses have been advised to leave as Wamberal is hammered with wild weather

Pictured: The collapsed veranda of a house at Wamberal Beach is seen on Saturday

Photos have captured the trail of destruction and show walls of houses swept into the sea while concrete bollards stand exposed in the eroded shoreline.

In other photographs, balconies were seen hanging from homes and structural supports were left completely exposed because of the heavy rainfall this week.

Wamberal Protection Society vice-president Margaret Bryce says the damage is worse than in 2016 when another severe weather event caused significant erosion along the coastline.

'It's worse in that we've got two houses falling into the sea,' Ms Bryce said.

'We've got several houses at threat.

'Police had come last night and told people not to sleep there and people are being displaced.'

She said it had been a disaster waiting to happen, blaming Central Coast Council's 'inaction' on building a planned seawall to protect homes and the entire suburb.

'The anxiety and the stress of everybody here is palpable and it should be for the rest of Wamberal too,' Ms Bryce said.

In other photographs, balconies were seen hanging from homes and structural supports were left completely exposed because of the heavy rainfall this week

Photos have captured the trail of destruction and show walls of houses swept into the sea while concrete bollards stand exposed in the eroded shoreline

Pictured: A set of fallen stairs are seen on Saturday amid the significant erosion

Pictured: Concrete blocks are moved from a truck onto the beach via a crane on Thursday

'If this dune breaches, that lagoon behind us, all those lower-lying houses which have no meaningful foundations, will be breached too.

'As well as the $200 million worth of ... infrastructure, road, NBN network, utilities - all wasted.'

Outraged resident Veronica Allison told Sunrise the extent of the damage could have been avoided.

'This is quite a tragedy and it should never, never have happened.'

Locals claim council has prevented them from bringing in a seawall to protect their properties since 2016.

Though Central Coast Council's Scott Cox said residents had every right to protect their homes.

'If residents with sound advice, engineering advice, need to do works to save their own home, council won't be taking any action against them,' he said.

Local photographer Bryce Weick told Daily Mail Australia the homes had been hammered with bad weather in recent days and he couldn't believe the damage.

Exposed bollards are seen in the shoreline after huge waves battered the coast

Extreme weather conditions will continue along the coast of New South Wales as the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a hazardous surf warning all the way from Byron Bay to Eden

Pictured: An aerial view of the damage to a home on Ocean View Drive taken on Saturday

'Some of these places are just teetering on the edge,' he said.

'I think there is a higher tide coming in later on today so I think these people could be in for a little bit of trouble.'

Extreme weather conditions will continue along the coast of New South Wales as the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a hazardous surf warning all the way from Byron Bay to Eden.

'A low over the northern Tasman Sea continues to bring a large swell to the New South Wales coast,' BoM warns.

'Surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming in the following areas.'

Veronica Allison poses for a photograph alongside her fallen terrace on Saturday
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Over the last few years, most of us switched over to OTT platforms from regular television, and realised, that the content on these platforms is much more to our taste. Besides having a robust storyline, the world of web series has also given us a list of impressive actors, whose acting chops spoke volumes about young India. Among a plethora of actors, some also stood out due to their striking fashion game that made us stayed glued to their IG feed.

1. Amol Parashar

 Twitter/Amol Parashar

 Twitter/Amol Parashar

One of the most popular faces in the web-series arena, Amol Parashar left a mark with his stellar acting in TVF Tripling. His dressing sense and the way he grooms himself makes it almost impossible to ignore this talented guy. But that's not all for him. His versatility is not just limited to playing a DJ quite convincingly, the young actor also managed to have us crushing hard on him thanks to his fashion game. Whether you think of bright coloured T-shirts or suave pastel suits, Amol truly does justice to everything he dons.

2. Sumeet Vyas

 Twitter/Sumeet Vyas

 Twitter/Sumeet Vyas

Sumeet Vyas's character as Mikesh from Permanent Roommates stole our hearts with his nonchalance. But besides that, his eccentricity can also be seen in his sartorial style. His ability to pull off formal suits, Bandhgalas, dhoti pants etc. are all truly worth taking cues from. A quick look through his feed and you'll see a plethora of outfits teeming with contemporary silhouettes that we would love to add to our wardrobe. Way to go, Sumeet!

3. Sunny Kaushal

 Twitter/Sunny Kaushal

 Twitter/Sunny Kaushal

 Twitter/Sunny Kaushal

Vicky Kaushal's younger brother, Sunny is making headlines in screens of all sizes. If you have been following him, you would know that the actor has a sneaker fetish and has been spotted wearing some quirky pairs, time and again. He has also an easygoing sense of style and is usually seen rocking some bomber jackets clubbed with minimally ripped jeans and of course his OTT sneakers.

4. Ishwak Singh

 Twitter/Ishwak Singh

 Twitter/Ishwak Singh

Ishwak Singh has been in the limelight since his last release, Paatal Lok, a series that took the OTT space by storm. Speaking of Ishwak's super stylish repertoire, the actor's choices are truly inspiring. While going off the rails with eccentric hues or silhouettes is common amongst many Bollywood celebs, Ishwak believes in keeping it minimal and that perfectly complements his charm.

5. Jitendra Kumar

 Twitter/Jitendra Kumar

 Twitter/Jitendra Kumar

 Twitter/Jitendra Kumar

Jitendra Kumar made an indelible mark with several web-series, including Panchayat and Kota Factory. Popularly known as Jeetu Bhaiya, the actor has not limited himself to just acting but has also successfully managed to strike a chord with the audience with his fashion sense. Time and again, he has worn printed shirts, loud colours, oversized hoodies and statement pieces. No matter what he chooses to experiment with, the actor looks swell in everything.

6. Dhruv Sehgal

 Twitter/Dhruv Sehgal

 Twitter/Dhruv Sehgal

When Little Things released on an OTT platform, Dhruv Sehgal's character made us resonate with him. While we truly admired the breezy tale, Dhruv's fashion game is also worth taking inspiration from. The man knows how to raise his style game by wearing the right sort of accessories. While we realise that rocking certain types of pants can be a task, Dhruv does it effortlessly.


Coronavirus Updates: The premier hospital is likely to begin the exercise by enrolling healthy volunteers from Monday.

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He also indicated that a complete lockdown is likely to be imposed in Thiruvananthapurams coastal areas.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, at the daily briefing, said community transmission of the coronavirus is observed to have taken place in the coastal neighbourhoods of Pulluvila and Poonthura in the capital district.

The Kerala government Friday confirmed the community transmission of coronavirus in two coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram district. The development, which is indicative of the vulnerability of coastal areas to COVID-19, comes even as nearly 800 new cases were reported in the state in the past 24 hours with overall count surging pastexceeding 11,000.

Earlier, flight operations to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad were suspended on the request of West Bengal government.

All these cities are COVID-19 hotspots and have reported the highest number of cases in the country.

The ban on passenger flights to Kolkata from six cities including Delhi and Mumbai has been extended till 31 July as confirmed cases continue to surge in West Bengal.

Of the new confirmed cases, 563 were recorded in Kolkata alone. Twelve more patients have succumbed to the viral infection in the city.

West Bengal recorded 1,894 COVID-19 infections in a day, taking the overall count to 38,011 as on Friday. According to data provided by the government, there are 14,709 active cases.

Rawat said, "The number of cases of the virus has increased in the last few days, which is a matter of serious concern. The only way to curb it is by creating a gap and as a result, we have decided to implement state-wide lockdown on Saturday and Sunday."

The announcement has come a day after 199 positive cases were reported across the state taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 3,982.

Uttarakhand government has decided to implement state-wide lockdown on Saturday and Sunday amid rising number of COVID-19 cases, said chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday in Dehradun.

More than 1.34 COVID-19 samples have been tested so far, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), adding that 3,61,024 samples were tested on Friday alone.

India registered 34,884 COVID-19 infections and 671 deaths in past 24 hours, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. With this, India's COVID-19 cases now stand at 10,38,716.

India's tally of coronavirus cases crossed 10.38 lakh on Saturday with 34,884 new patients testing positive, while the toll climbed to 26,273 with 671 fatalities in the past 24 hours.

On Saturday, the total number of COVID-19 infections climbed to 10,38,716 with 26,273 deaths.

India registered a total of 6,53,751 recoveries so far, according to the recent data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.This takes the COVID-19 recovery rate to 62.93 percent.

Maharashtra recorded 8,308 fresh coronavirus cases in a day, taking the total number of infections to 2.9 lakh. This is the third time that the number of single-day cases breached the 8,000-mark in the state.

The total lockdown might continue for seven to 10 days, he added. The MLA also said that a 200-bed hospital will be set up in the town very soon.

A complete lockdown has been imposed in Narasaraopet town of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh from Friday onwards, according to the Narasaraopet MLA Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy.

A total of 88 people have recovered or discharged. The total number of cases in the state is now at 27,973, including 6,737 active cases and 550 deaths, said the state health department said on Saturday.

With 184 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Rajasthan, the total number of COVID-19 infections climbed to 27,973 on Saturday. Four more patients have lost their lives to the viral infection, taking the toll in the state 550.

In a letter to Principal Secretaries (Health) and Secretary (Health) of these states, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health Lav Agarwal asked them to ensure that at least 80 per cent of the new cases have their close contacts traced and are in quarantine within 72 hours of case confirmation.

With these states imposing lockdown anew, the health ministry emphasised that the restrictions should be utilised to focus on containment, surveillance and testing in containment and buffer zones as the key strategy for early detection of cases and fatality management.

With a surge in COVID-19 cases in Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha, the Union health ministry has asked these states to make renewed efforts to contain transmission of the virus and keep case fatality rate below one percent.

Taking to Twitter, Priyanka wrote, "Despite almost three months of lockdown and the claims of the Uttar Pradesh government, coronavirus cases have increased sharply in 25 districts in July. There has been a jump (in the number of COVID-19 cases) of 200 percent in three districts, 400 percent in three and above 1,000 percent in one district."

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday slammed Uttar Pradesh government as the COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing in the state. She claimed that the reason behind the surge in cases is due to a lack of testing and juggling of data.

"Today, there are 84 clusters in Kerala. Inside the clusters, local transmission is more than 50%, but outside the clusters it is below 10%. We should prevent cluster forming & community spread of infection," said the health minister.

Kerala health minsiter KK Shailaja confirmed on Saturday that are 84 COVID-19 clusters in the state and more than 50 percent of it was due to local transmission.

Delhi Government has started the Plasma Bank facilities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. These facilities have been set up in the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences and Lok Nayak Hospital in Delhi.

AAP leader Atishi, who has recovered from COVID-19, informed that she was eligible to donate her plasma to help critically ill coronavirus patients in the National Capital.

According to the researchers, including those from the University of Munich in Germany, Nsp1 is one of the central weapons used by the virus to ensure its own replication and propagation in human hosts. They said Nsp1 was identified as a disease contributing factor following the outbreak of the related 2002-03 SARS pandemic virus. Scientists who studied the SARS virus had shown that it inhibited protein synthesis in infected cells.

Scientists have determined how the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, inhibits the synthesis of proteins in infected cells, and have shown that it effectively disarms a part of the immune system, findings that may aid in the development of novel therapeutics against the deadly disease. The study, published in the journal Science, demonstrated that nonstructural Protein 1 (Nsp1) made by the novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 can have a devastating effect on host cells.

"Out of 4,510 samples tested for COVID-19, 118 people found positive. 17 were flight passengers. 4 were in contact with positive and symptomatic patients. 97 detected positive in antigen test," Deb said in a tweet on Friday night.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb appealed to the people to follow government guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19.

After 118 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Tripura, the total number of infections climbed to 2,380 on Saturday.

In its statement the Yuva Sena said the central government was "ignoring physical and mental health, anxiety and safety of students across the country" in allowing examinations to be held.

Maharashtra cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray moved the Supreme Court Saturday against the Centre's decision to hold final year exams for colleges and universities in September, after they were postponed from earlier this year due to the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown.

Mumbais recovery rate is nearly 15% more than that of Maharashtra, which is 55.62 percent, it said.

A release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Friday said that there were 3,42,756 COVID 19 cases in the country (till Friday) and the number of of recovered patients was approximately 6.35 lakh, which was 63 percent of the reported cases.

Even as Mumbais COVID-19 case count is nearing the one lakh-mark, the recovery rate of the countrys financial capital is nearly 70 percent, which is seven percent more than the national average, official data has revealed.

Bihar registered 739 fresh COVID-19 infections, taking the total number of positive cases to 24,967 on Saturday, according to the state health department.

Amitabh, 77, and Abhishek, 44, are in the isolation ward of Nanavati hospital since 11 July after they were diagnosed with COVID-19, while Aishwarya, 46 and eight-year-old Aaradhya were shifted to the facility on Friday night, almost a week after they tested positive for the virus.

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter Aaradhya Bachchan are responding well to the treatment to COVID-19, hospital sources said on Saturday.

The order comes a day after Kumar said that he was in favour of extending lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus infection. "There is already a one week long lockdown. The Chief Minister is holding a meeting, where a decision will be taken. In my personal opinion it will be good if the lockdown is for 15 days," he said, he had said on Friday. This in stark contrast to chief minister BS Yediyurappa's statement that there was no proposal to extend the extend lockdown as it is not the solution to arrest the spread of the disease.

The Karnataka government has issued an order for the transfer of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner BH Anil Kumar, said reports. According to LiveMint N. Manjunath Prasad has been appointed in his place.

The AIIMS Ethics Committee on Saturday gave its nod for a human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin following which the premier hospital is likely to begin the exercise by enrolling healthy volunteers from Monday. AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting phase I and II human trials of Covaxin. In phase I, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and the maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.

Cracking the whip against some private medical college hospitals for their non-cooperation, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday directed them to provide 50 percent of beds as promised by them "with effect from tomorrow itself." Yediyurappa said the private medical college hospitals need to cooperate as there is a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the city. "It has come to the notice of the government that some institutes are denying treatment for COVID as well as non-COVID patients," Yediyurappa was quoted as saying in the statement issued by the CMO. The chief minister expressed concern over media reports about several people dying as they did not get timely assistance due to denial of treatment by hospitals, it said.

With community transmission occurring in two coastal hamlets in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district, he district administration clamped a complete lockdown for 10 days in the coastal areas of from Saturday midnight to contain the spread of COVID-19. The district's coastal area stretching from Edava in the north to Pozhiyoor in the south has been declared as Critical Containment Zone (CCZ) and will be under complete and strict lockdown from Saturday midnight to July 28 midnight, an order from the district Collector Dr Navjot Khosa said. The existing lockdown relaxations shall not be applied and strict lockdown measures shall be in force for a 10-day period, the order stated.

gatherings will remain prohibited in the state in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing collectors and municipal commissioners via a virtual meeting, the CM called for replication of the Dharavi model elsewhere in the state to control the viral outbreak. "Care should be taken to ensure that new containment zones do not get created," he said.

Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday recorded 441 new COVID-19 cases, raising the infection count to 13,198, while the death toll reached 236 with five fresh fatalities, officials said. Amon the fresh cases, 43 were detected from the Jammu region and 398 from Kashmir Valley, they said. "Five persons, who were COVID-19 positive, have died over the past 24 hours, the officials said, adding all the deaths took place in the valley. The death toll due to coronavirus has now risen to 236 in the Union Territory  218 from the Valley and 18 from the Jammu region. There are 5,797 active cases in the Union Territory, while 7,165 patients have recovered from the infection, the officials said.

The Assam government has prohibited inter-district movement of individuals from 22 July till further orders to prevent community spread of COVID-19 in the state, Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said Saturday. In medical and last-rite emergencies, movement will be allowed only with written permission from the deputy commissioner of the originating district, Krishna said at a press conference. Movement of goods and essentials, however, will continue uninterrupted, he said.

not very serious. But the infection hotspots will have extended lockdown till July 31, the order stated.

Lockdown in Thane city for containment of coronavirus was lifted on Saturday, barring the areas which are infection hotspots, reports PTI. Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma said in a late evening order that the latest lockdown, imposed on June 10, was being withdrawn from areas where the coronavirus spread is

their lives during the day, an official said on Saturday. A total of 774 persons were discharged during this period as well, he added.

An addition of 1,838 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours increased Pune city's infection count to 35,878, while the death toll stood at 935 as 18 people lost

The AIIMS Ethics Committee on Saturday gave its nod for a human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin following which the premier hospital is likely to begin the exercise by enrolling healthy volunteers from Monday. AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting phase I and II human trials of Covaxin. In phase I, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and the maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.

With four new deaths, the number of COVID-19 fatalities climbed to 177 in Bihar on Saturday while the tally of positive cases was close to touching the 25,000 mark, a 2.5 times jump in just 18 days of this month.The recovery rate in Bihar has also dropped to 63.17 per cent from 77.52 per cent on 1 July. As per the health department's bulletin, the state reported 1,667 positive cases Saturday taking the total count to 24,967. Of the four latest casualties, two were reported from Gaya while one death each came from Jehanabad and Kishanganj, the bulletin said.

Telangana continued to witness an increase in coronavirus cases with 1,284 fresh cases reported on Saturday, taking the tally of infections in the state to 43,780. Six more succumbed to the virus, pushing the toll to 409. Out of the fresh cases, 667 were reported from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), followed by 86 in Sanga Reddy, 68 in Ranga Reddy and 62 in Medchal districts, a state government bulletin said.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: The AIIMS Ethics Committee on Saturday gave its nod for a human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin following which the premier hospital is likely to begin the exercise by enrolling healthy volunteers from Monday.

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally crossed the 3 lakh-mark and reached 3,00,937 on Saturday with the addition of 8,348 new cases, state health department said.

The Assam government has issued order allowing some relaxations in lockdown restrictions in Kamrup district, under which Guwahati falls, said reports. According to the new orders, which shall remain in effect from 7 pm on 19 July till 7 pm on 2 August, shops and businesses can operate on alternate days between 7 am to 5 pm with 50 percent strength.

A new single-day high of 3,963 new COVID-19 cases pushed the overall tally in Andhra Pradesh to 44,609 on Saturday while 52 patients died, the highest in a day so far.

Even as Mumbai's COVID-19 cases is nearing the one lakh-mark, the recovery rate of the countrys financial capital is nearly 70 percent.

Kerala health minsiter KK Shailaja confirmed on Saturday that are 84 COVID-19 clusters in the state and more than 50 percent of it was due to local transmission.

The Congress General Secretary on Saturday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government as the COVID-19 cases were rapidly increasing in the state.

A complete lockdown has been imposed in Narasaraopet town of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh from Friday onwards, said MLA Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy.

India registered a total of 6,53,751 recoveries so far, according to the recent data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. This takes the COVID-19 recovery rate to 62.93 percent.

India's tally of coronavirus cases crossed 10.38 lakh on Saturday with 34,884 new patients testing positive, while the toll climbed to 26,273.

India's COVID-19 cases crossed one million to stand at 10,03,832 on Friday, after nearly 35,000 cases were registered in a day.

West Bengal recorded 1,894 COVID-19 infections in a day, taking the overall count to 38,011 as on Friday. According to data provided by the government, there are 14,709 active cases.

India's tally of coronavirus cases crossed 10 lakh on Friday with 34,956 new patients testing positive, a new high in daily cases, on Friday while the toll rose to 25,602 with 687 casualties in 24 hours. Friday was the second consecutive day when the country reported over 3o,000 cases.

The Union health ministry said that the total count of cases stands at 10,03,832, including 3,42,473 active cases and 6,35,757 cured/discharged/migrated patients. The recovery rate stands at 63.33 percent.

Community spread of COVID-19 in Thiruvananthapuram, says Kerala CM

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that there is a community spreadof COVID-19 in some places in coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, where a large number of cases have been reported. He said that a total lockdown will be implemented in the coastal areas from Saturday.

"The situation in some places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district is serious as COVID-19 is spreading at a very fast rate. Large number of cases in these areas are an indication of the infection spread. We can say there is a community spread in these places. The government is taking steps to coordinate all the efforts to face this serious situation," Vijayan said at a press conference.

Vijayan added that community spread has occurred in two places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district. Poonthura, Pulluvilla and its nearby places have seen a rapid increase in the number of contact cases, the chief minister said.

"We are moving to the next stage. There will be more restrictions in the capital district, where maximum number of cases have been reported. Of the 246 positive cases in the district today, only two came from abroad. 237 cases were due to contact. Four healthcare workers were also infected and the source of three cases is unknown. This is an unusual situation," Vijayan said.

Kerala reported 791 new COVID-19 cases, 133 recoveries and one death on Friday.

Karnataka govt says lockdown won't be extended in Bengaluru

Karnataka minister R Ashoka on Friday said that the COVID-19 lockdown will not be extended further in Bengaluru.

"We have taken expert opinion, and the lockdown will not be extended. It will end on 22 July," the minister said.

Earlier on Friday, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mayor M Goutham Kumar called for an extension of lockdown in the city for one more week due to rise in the COVID-19 cases.

"It will be better if we get more time to tackle COVID-19 cases. We wish for the extension of lockdown for one more week. We have given the proposal to the government," said Kumar.

Lockdown had been imposed in the city for seven days with effect from 8 pm on 14 July till 5 am on 22 July to curb the further spread of COVID-19.

State-wise cases and deaths today

Maharashtra reported 8,308 new COVID-19 cases and 258 deaths on Friday. The total number of positive cases has risen to 2,92,589 including 1,60,357 recovered cases, 1,20,480 active cases and 11,452 deaths.

Tamil Nadu, which is the second worst-affected state in the country, reported 4,538 new cases and 79 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the state has risen to 1,60,907 including 47,782 active cases, 1,10,807 discharged cases and 2,315 deaths.

National Capital Delhi reported 1,462 new COVID-19 cases taking the total count to 1,20,107. The toll has risen to 3,571 after 26 deaths were reported today.

There are 17,235 active cases in Delhi and 99,301 patients have recovered till date.

A total of 3,693 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karnataka on Friday, taking the total number of cases to 55,115 cases including 20,757 recoveries and 1,147 deaths. The state reported 115 deaths due to the virus.

Gujarat's COVID-19 count has risen to 45,481 including 32,103 discharged patients and 2,089 deaths. Meanwhile, Puducherry reported 91 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases has risen to 1,832 including 1,014 recoveries and 25 deaths.

Andhra Pradesh reported 2,602 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 40,646 including 20,298 and 534 deaths.

Uttarakhand reported 120 new COVID-19 positive cases today taking the total number of cases to 4,102. Himachal Pradesh reported 18 new COVID-19 cases today taking the total count of cases to 1,402 including 383 active cases, 995 recoveries and nine deaths.

With 25 new cases, the total number of cases has risen to 660 in Chandigarh. There are 169 active cases and 480 patients have been cured to date.

India now has India the third-highest total cases after the United States and Brazil. And according to an estimate by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, by the end of next year, India will be the worst-hit country in the world.

The Health Ministry, however, said that actual caseload of COVID-19 in the country is 3,42,756. It said only 1.94 percent of the cases are in ICUs, 0.35 percent cases are on ventilators and 2.81 percent cases are on oxygen beds.

"The actual caseload of COVID-19 cases in the country is only 3,42,756, as on date. More than 6.35 lakhs (63.33 percent) of the total cases have recovered. India, being the second-most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million. On the global scale, cases/million population in India are four to eight times less than some European countries," the ministry said in a release.

The ministry said that the case fatality rate at 18.6 deaths/million is one of the lowest in the world.

US military medics deployed in California, Texas as virus surges

Teams of military medics were deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients as Miami area authorities began stepping up enforcement Friday of a mask requirement  echoing efforts in many parts of the world to contain surging infections, AP reported.

In California, military doctors, nurses and other health care specialists were being deployed to eight hospitals facing staffing shortages amid a record-breaking case numbers. In Houston, an 86-person Army medical team worked to take over a wing of United Memorial Medical Center.

Several states have been reporting record numbers this week, contributing to a surge in the national death rate. The seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths has risen 34 percent from two weeks ago, while the case count in that period shot up 43 percent.

With inputs from agencies
RT News quotes a report via Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, who says Le Mesurier informed an accountant during an audit that he "forged receipts" for tens of thousands of dollars. At the time, he listed the funds as lined items to support efforts in evacuations for refugees in war-torn Syria, though the money was actually expensed for his lavish 2018 wedding.

Le Mesurier was paid a generous salary of 24,000 ($27,414) per month. It was noted he issued loans to his wife, former diplomat Emma Winberg, using funds from the organization.

The accountant, instructed by Western countries to investigate Mayday, found "tens of thousands of dollars in cash" were used to pay for Le Mesuriers "fairytale wedding."

Shortly afterward, a number of countries that had donated to Mayday demanded an accountant have another look over the organizations books. According to De Volkskrant, this probe found that most of Maydays financial records are "missing." Donations were not just handed to the organization in Amsterdam and forwarded to Syria, but distributed through a network of commercial organizations in Turkey and Dubai. -RT

A Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2018 report showed Mayday received $127 million from mostly Western state donors between 2014 and 2018.

Le Mesuriers White Helmets promote themselves as 'first responders to emergencies in Syria, the group has been accused of staging multiple chemical attacks - including an April 2018 incident in Duma, Syria, which the White House used as a pretext to bomb Syrian government facilities and bases.

White Helmets have been accused of partnering with Al-Qaeda and even seen operating in rebel-held territory.
She's been nursing a broken heart amid her explosive split from boyfriend James 'Arg' Argent.

But Gemma Collins may have found something to smile about as she's reportedly signed a six figure deal to become the face of budget airline Wizz Air.

The self-proclaimed diva, 39, shared her thrilling news to Instagram on Friday, uploading a mock-up of the airline's pink aeroplane with her picture plastered on the side.

Flying high: Gemma Collins may have found something to smile about as she's reportedly signed a six figure deal to become the face of budget airline Wizz Air

Captioning the snap, she excitedly wrote: 'This is the GC here !! Welcome on board BABY !! LETS GO !!!

'Don't forget your masks and who wants Prosecco ! There's only one way to travel !!! WHIZZ AIR. ENJOY @wizzair.'

While Wizz Air shared the image on their own social media page, writing alongside the snap: 'The new @gemmacollins1 livery. May be coming soon to an airport near you.'

Can you believe it? The self-proclaimed diva, 39, shared her thrilling news to Instagram on Friday, uploading a snap of the airline's pink aeroplane with her picture plastered on the side

The Sun reports that the TOWIE star jetted to Tenerife to film promos for the brand in a bid to encourage Brits to travel abroad this summer.

A source told the publication: 'Gemma loves going abroad so when Wizz Air approached her team it was a no-brainer. Plus the planes are pink  her favourite colour.

'After signing on the dotted line, Gemma flew out to Tenerife with Wizz Air to shoot content for them.'

Exciting times: Captioning the snap, she excitedly wrote: 'This is the GC here !! Welcome on board BABY !! LETS GO !!!'

They continued: 'She'll be announced as the face of the company in the coming weeks and will be plastered across billboards and online adverts  as well as being on the box.'

The insider added that the bubbly blonde is a 'hugely recognisable face' and is the 'the ideal person' to front their brand new campaign.

They went on to suggest that Gemma is always up for a laugh and may even record some hilarious cabin crew announcements with 'plenty of jokes'.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of Gemma for comment.

And while her career may be flying high, the same couldn't be said for her love life after having recently endured a painful split from James Argent.

On Tuesday she announced her split by posting break up texts on her Instagram account in which James called her a 'hippo' and a 'fat f**k.'

Gemma has since apologised for releasing explosive text messages he had sent her, while friends have urged James, 32, to 'sort his life out'.

In a screenshot obtained by MailOnline, the Diva On Lockdown star contacted her fellow reality star in the early hours of the morning.

She wrote: 'I am sorry about putting the messages up, I was just so hurt you suggested an open relationship, it didn't look like a joke when you typed it.

Big job: The Sun reports that the TOWIE star jetted to Tenerife to film promos for the brand in a bid to encourage Brits to travel abroad this summer

'I was so upset but I shouldn't have put the messages up, that was anger on my part which was wrong. I am so sorry about that x.' (sic)

The GC had originally posted the fierce row that led to her breaking up with her on-off beau on social media.

In the texts, the musician called his partner a 'hippo' and a 'fat f**k', after she suggested that he had bought another woman dinner and not her.

The series of texts began with Gemma saying: 'What man pays for another woman!!!', while Arg responded by saying: 'Insensitive.'

Clearly riled, the blonde said: 'And the woman that saved your life has to pay for herself!!!'

All over: The reality star, 39, is nursing a broken heart amid her explosive split from boyfriend James 'Arg' Argent (pictured in 2018)

Her next message was masked, but her now-ex responded: 'You are supposed to be treating me you hippo.'

Moments later, Gemma uploaded another series of messages, where he sent her a plane emoji in reply to a picture of flight details.

'I'll take a mate, I'm not booking it. You said you would be a gentleman!', she penned, before he shockingly said: 'YOU FAT F**K. IVE JUST LOST ANOTHER 2000' (sic). He didn't refer to what he had lost 2000 of.

Meanwhile, according to The Sun, a source close to Arg allegedly claimed he needs to 'grow up' after seeing his dispute with Gemma.

Shocking: Gemma announced her split with James by posting break up texts on her Instagram account in which James called her a 'hippo' and a 'fat f**k'

They told the publication: 'The way James is treating Gemma right now is totally out of order.

'Gemma stuck by James for months when he was in rehab. And when he got home she was the first one there welcoming him with open arms.

'Gemma put her life on hold and now James has repaid her by behaving like this. He needs to grow up and realise he has a good thing with Gemma.'

The insider also said their highly-publicised argument could affect his comeback on TOWIE for the upcoming 10th anniversary show this autumn.
We have 50 mu (about 3.33 hectares) of grapevines and 240 mu of kiwi fruit trees in our farm. All these fruit trees and our ducks on the farm have followed a circular agricultural development model that combines poultry, marsh gas, and fruit or vegetables, a brown middle-aged Chinese man said in a sonorous voice to a group of visitors, introducing to them his special family farm.

After the brief introduction, these guests flocked to the central part of the farm, where grapevines and kiwi fruit trees with luxuriant foliage are flourishing in the high summer.

The middle-aged man is Zhang Yuanchao, operator of the eco-friendly family farm in Hongxing village, Longmen township, Lushan county, Yaan, southwest Chinas Sichuan province.

I can both learn skills and make money here, and everybody is assured working here, said Yang Guomin who works for the farm.

My job here rid me of poverty, said Li Song, who has worked on the farm for seven years and knows very well about Zhangs story of the farm business.

Zhang was once a migrant worker trying to make a living in many Chinese cities including northeast Chinas Shenyang and southwest Chinas Chengdu before 2006. He had often struggled just to make ends meet at that time.

In 2007, Zhang learnt that raising ducks might be a good opportunity, as theres less competition in the industry and the local government also provided ducklings and technical training.

However, after deciding to return to his hometown to set up his own duckery, Zhang found it difficult to have an appropriate site.

Zhang reported his problem to the government of Longmen township and the Communist Party of China (CPC) Longmen township committee, and got six mu of land for his new business through transfer of land contract and management rights with the help of local authorities.

Since Zhang was new to the business, the Party chief of Hongxing village introduced him to duck breeding specialists and helped establish a development alliance under which the specialists handle the technical part of the business, and Zhang takes charge of the management and duckery maintenance.

As the number of ducklings kept in the duckery grew, Zhangs income increased too. He was soon referred to as the guy who has earned more than 10,000 yuan ($1,428) by his fellow villagers.

Unfortunately, an unforeseen catastrophe ruined Zhangs business. Because of a violent earthquake that hit Lushan county on April 20, 2013, the duckery Zhang had spent painstaking efforts on for years was completely destroyed. The duck shed collapsed and all the ducks died in the disaster, making Zhang rather dispirited.

When he was ready to work outside his hometown as a migrant worker again to repay his debts, the local government came to help him start over.

Thanks to the help of local authorities, who helped Zhang rebuild the duckery, apply for loans and industrial support funds, and expand marketing channels, the duckery was brought back to life and started to make profit within two years.

However, as the number of ducks increases continuously, Zhang was faced with a new challenge - the disposal of the ducks droppings.

As Zhang was trying to figure out a solution to the problem, he heard that the local government was encouraging eligible people to develop crop farming through land transfer. So he contracted the land near his duckery, and started planting grapes and kiwi fruits, which, together with the duckery, later became his eco-friendly farm.

The experience-oriented farm combines sightseeing with sales and adopts a dual-model featuring both fruit cultivation and poultry breeding. It earned Zhang over 300,000 yuan in its first year, gaining Zhang a new nickname as Millionaire Zhang.

In 2015, Zhang joined the CPC and became a member of the Party committee of Hongxing village.

Seeing the folks in my village were still suffering from poverty, I drafted a systematic plan to help them, Zhang said, adding that his farm has provided more than 50 jobs for his fellow villagers while expanding its business.

More than 30 impoverished villagers like me are working for the farm, making over 3,000 yuan each month, Li told Peoples Daily.
Japan plans to take most government paperwork online, streamlining cumbersome processes blamed for delayed payments of pandemic assistance, in an ambitious digital revolution it aims to complete in a year.

The cabinet on Friday approved the digitization plan as part of its annual economic policy guidelines, which also aim to promote telecommuting and endorse Bank of Japan studies for issuing digital currency.

"We will take on drastic social reforms," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said ahead of the cabinet meeting. A task force of government officials and private experts will be created at the Cabinet Secretariat to oversee the initiative.

Specifically, the government will push for integrating online systems used by different ministries, agencies and municipal governments. A legislative revision will be submitted to Parliament next year for that purpose.

Government offices will be encouraged to move away from analog practices that emphasize face-to-face transactions, physical documents and hanko stamps. They will be asked to set numerical targets for achieving digitization. Such targets will help promote telework among government bureaucrats, the thinking goes.

The guidelines will give the go-ahead for proof-of-concept experiments by the BOJ to test the technical feasibility of a central-bank digital currency. This will be planned in coordination with other countries.
Lack of incident investigation mechanisms allows Baku to stand with unfounded accusations, foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan noted on Saturday.

"There are clear proposals for building security and confidence, including increasing the number of international observers on the ground and their permanent deployment, direct communication, and the introduction of mechanisms to investigate alleged violations of the ceasefire. Their implementation can help to avoid a further resumption of rising tensions," she noted.

"However, Azerbaijan has rejected these mechanisms of investigation, the absence of which contributes to the increase in civilian casualties, as well as unfounded accusations against the Armenian side."
By PTI

SHOPIAN: Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in the Amshipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there, a police official said.

He said the search operation led to an encounter after the militants fired upon the forces, drawing retaliation.

Three militants were killed in the gunfight, the official said.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants were being ascertained, he said, adding the operation was continuing.

On Friday, three militants, including a self-styled top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.
"Maybe a military confrontation in the South China Sea or Taiwan, or a drastic decoupling of the US and China causing great havoc to the world economy," Jia Qingguo, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, says from Beijing. The Professor of International Studies at Peking University accuses Washington of fuelling anti-China sentiment, arguing it is electorally convenient for US President Donald Trump to generate a crisis ahead of the November election amid the fallout from his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The US lobbied strongly for Britain to follow Australia and ban Huawei over national security concerns and led international condemnation of Hong Kong before pushing two US Navy aircraft carriers into the South China Sea last week. US Attorney-General William Barr then accused Hollywood, Disney, Google and Apple of "collaborating" with the Chinese government by censoring films and being "all too willing" to work with Beijing. The flags of the US and China at the site of a bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping last year. Credit:The New York Times The dispute ventured into the absurd on Wednesday when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted a photo of Mercer, his dog, playing "with her favourite toys", including Winnie the Pooh, a nickname for Xi that is censored in China.

Jia argues robust support from Washington has emboldened India, which is now pushing back against China's incursions on a disputed border between the two nuclear-armed nations. India's Ministry of Information has banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, after a groundswell of public anger over the deaths of 20 soldiers in hand-to-hand combat with Chinese forces in the Himalayas in June. Indian activists protesting the deaths of Indian soldiers in border clashes with China burn photographs of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:AP "Why does India all of a sudden take such a tough position? I think one of the reasons is they see they have the backing of the Trump administration," Jia says. "They think they can do it, but it's very dangerous." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week the US had made an "ill-informed strategic miscalculation" that was fraught with emotions and "McCarthyist bigotry". It seems as if every Chinese investment is politically driven, every Chinese student co-operation initiative is a scheme with a hidden agenda, he said.

Jia warns this tit-for-tat approach could see China withdraw from the rules-based international order. "If the US wants to make China the enemy, why should China not engage in an arms race? "People are very upset," he says. "I don't think China can change people's minds. I think a crisis will." Loading Jia's assessment of a US-led blockade is not shared by the Morrison government, Britain or increasingly, members of the European Union, which have come to their own conclusions on China's more assertive diplomacy, despite up to 53 countries including Cambodia, Pakistan and Syria backing China's position at the United Nations. Germany has taken a keen interest in Australia's fraying diplomatic relationship with Beijing, according to sources in Canberra, as Europe hardens its position on China in response to its crackdown on Hong Kong, the historically liberal territory that for more than a century functioned as a conduit between East and West.

Berlin, which has long maintained a China principle of "change through trade" is now leading calls for the European Union to "take a strong stand". It is grappling with its own debate over Huawei after Britain banned the Shenzhen giant from its 5G network this week over concerns its technology could be used to spy on its citizens. More than any other company, Huawei and its fellow Chinese globetrotter ByteDance, owner of TikTok, face the dilemma of China's engagement with the world. They oscillate between two spheres, two systems of government and two enormous markets. TikTok has more than 1.6 million users in Australia alone and 2 billion worldwide. It has an equally popular Chinese version called Douyin, which has publicised crackdowns on protesters in Hong Kong and suspended users for speaking Cantonese, the form of Chinese used in the city.

In Washington, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is investigating if the millions of videos uploaded to TikTok daily could give the Chinese government access to a vast facial recognition database. Loading The same backdoor security threat posed by Chinese multinationals and their state-linked companies is driving the fear of Huawei and its role in the most important global technology in a generation - the 5G network that will connect most of our lives to the internet. Simon Lacey, the former vice-president of trade facilitation and market access for Huawei Technologies in China, is now a senior lecturer in international trade at the University of Adelaide. Last week he acknowledged Huawei's inherent contradiction. "In China, it had to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the goals of the Communist Party leadership. Outside China, it had to argue that it had little or nothing to do with the Chinese state," he said in a piece first published in The Conversation.

"The limited space it has to operate is becoming increasingly narrow, to the point where in many markets it is no longer able to appear to be both." Xu Xiaonian, an honorary professor at the China Europe International Business School, says he has seen the Chinese government take an increasingly assertive role in business in the past few years "as the state advances where the private sector retreats".

"We would hope that we can stop that trend and reverse it," Xu told the Lowy Institute this week. "I dont see any sign of the policies moving in that direction, which is very unfortunate." Huang Yiping, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the People's Bank of China, says China has been a main beneficiary of the globalisation process, but partial decoupling of its economy from the US is probably the best it can hope for. "My own recommendation, and that of most Chinese economists, is that China should continue with an open-door policy," says the professor of economics at Peking University. "There is still a large rest-of-the-world but the problem is even this rest-of-the-world is becoming much more uncertain."
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Back in the bad old days of April, I had numerous conversations with friends both in and out of New York who were all of a sudden paying close attention to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. These people had, indeed, become hooked on Cuomo's daily briefings on the state's response to the coronavirus crisis, which were informative and even-keeled presentations on the scope of the pandemic as it swept across New York.

Because they knew the governor and I had what the kids call "a history," they would ask me: How did I think he was doing? Very well, I would respond. Despite early missteps, he was rising to the occasion and providing a model for what hands-on executive leadership in times of crisis could be. The only risk, I said, was that he would start believing his own marketing.

The good thing is that didn't happen until the number of COVID-19 cases in New York dropped to the manageable but still nerve-wracking numbers we are currently experiencing. But the evidence can be purchased for $11.50 plus shipping and handling, from an online store linked from the Executive Chamber's official website.

It's a poster entitled "New York Tough," and it's weird.

The poster, crafted by an artist who has so far remained anonymous  and, considering the criticism heaped upon the work, should probably stay that way  is both graphically and metaphorically suspect. On the left side, a plane loaded with COVID-19 is identified on one wing as "Europeans," which can't help but evoke nativist propaganda of yore that warned of pestilence carried to our shores by travelers from that continent. Also: Isn't is more than a little possible that more than a few Americans visiting Europe in the first months of the year hauled the virus back to New York and other states? (Following the artistic logic of this detail, there ought to be another plane marked "Chinese," but you can see how that might be, ah, problematic.)

On the right side, Cuomo's daughter's boyfriend  who spent several weeks on lockdown in the Executive Mansion  dangles from a cliff as the governor's three daughters and other New Yorkers (health care, essential) join "out-of-state volunteers" hanging in the blue ether to haul on a rope that is "pulling down the curve together." At the end of this tug-of-war, the governor's dog, Captain, is depicted in the sort of undignified pose my own dog strikes when she collapses on the living room floor and splays herself out in a shameless bid for a belly scratch.

Probably because it's his poster, the governor is the only figure depicted twice: near the center of the image, smiling from behind the wheel of his Pontiac GTO (which for some reason is aimed directly at the struggling boyfriend) and lower down, flanked by his health commissioner, budget director and secretary at a table evoking his daily briefings.

All of these elements and more  including a surmounting rainbow and beribboned "Love Wins," a giant octopus threatening a cruise ship, and a sun that looks suspiciously like "Cabaret"-era Liza Minnelli  combine to make it nearly impossible for the artist to include a detail that might remind the viewer that more than 32,000 New Yorkers have died from COVID-19, a level of mortality that outstrips reported deaths from the virus racked up by all but a handful of nations.

The governor's response to this criticism, boiled down, has been: Well, OK  but if you look at the projections it could have been so much worse. This stands in stark contrast to the White House, which has responded to criticisms of its handling of the virus on the national level by stating: Well, OK  but if you look at the projections it could have been so much worse.

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Cuomo has endlessly used the metaphor of mountaineering to describe the state's experience with COVID-19. He even ordered the construction of a sculpture that follows the contours of the state's infection curve, and had it colored the deep green of the Adirondacks in high summer.

"This is the mountain that New Yorkers climbed," Cuomo said last month at the briefing where he unveiled Mt. Coronavirus.

To be sure, mountain climbing is a handy metaphor for overcoming obstacles, as I am constantly reminded by the less nutty sort of framed posters you'll find in dental offices. But once again in this case these comparisons are a little, well, gross. Unless you're being pursued by angry Bavarian townsfolk or armies of Mongols, most people choose to climb mountains, the height of which are not determined by human action or inaction.

The metaphorical coronavirus "mountain," we should recall, is composed not of sedimentary rock but exclusively of human bodies experiencing infection, sickness and death, and its ascending altitude was determined in large part by the failure of our institutions  state as well as federal  to act quickly enough to address the crisis.

Turning it into the political equivalent of a cheery Richard Scarry splash page might generate some sales from those with a serious hankering for camp; it might be amusing in the short term, but I'm not sure we'll look back on it fondly.

Responding this week to criticism from CNN's Jake Tapper, Cuomo denied that the poster represented any sort of victory lap for a race that, after all, isn't over yet. He insisted the graphic was meant to celebrate the New York spirit. "I'm proud to applaud New Yorkers," he said  it's not about him, in other words.

But it sure feels that way.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from the Rajasthan Chief Secretary over allegations of phone tapping in the state after two audio clips of conversations purportedly regarding a "conspiracy" to topple the state's Congress government emerged amidst the ongoing political crisis in the state, officials said.

The Congress government has been accused by the BJP of resorting to "unconstitutional" methods to tap phones of politicians. The BJP has demanded a CBI probe into what it called a "saga of illegalities and concocted lies".

In a communication, the MHA told the Rajasthan chief secretary to send a report on the allegations of phone tapping. The official has been told to provide the details of the incident after two audio clips emerged.

The Rajasthan Police's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the two clips of conversations purportedly regarding a "conspiracy" to topple Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's government.

ACB Director General Alok Tripathi said it has registered an FIR on a complaint by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

The FIR mentions details of conversations of (Congress rebel MLA) Bhanwarlal Sharma with Gajendra Singh (Congress claims it is a reference to Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat) and a third man called Sanjay Jain.

The Congress on Friday had demanded the arrest of Shekhawat and Sharma. The BJP had described the audio clips as "manufactured".

Shekhawat has denied the charge, saying the voice in these clips was not his. He said he was ready to face any probe.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Saturday said senior Congress leaders, including Gehlot, have been claiming that these audio clips are authentic even though the FIR registered by police does not say so.

"These are serious questions that we want to ask the Congress high command and Ashok Gehlot. Was phone tapping done? Assuming that you've tapped phones, was the SOP followed? Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered?" Patra said at a press conference.

The people of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised, he said, asking if phones of people related to politics are being tapped? "Is it not a case of veiled emergency in Rajasthan?" he asked.

Patra demanded an immediate reaction from the state government and called for a CBI investigation into this "saga of illegalities and concocted lies". He cited regulations governing phone tapping to say that it can only be done by authorised agencies as per due process of law and subject to approved safeguards and a standard operating procedure (SOP).
: The government is



all set to introduce an app for monitoring the health of patients who are in home isolation, a senior official of the state government said on Saturday.

The state government will provide data of the patients to doctors who in turn through the app can interact with the assigned ones.

The app, developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, allows each doctor to access the data of 50 patients and constantly monitor them, the official said.

The government is advising patients to confine to their respective homes taking necessary care.

"We are roping in retired doctors who will be assigned 50 patients each. Data of those 50 patients will be given to them who in turn will interact with the patients continuously and monitor their health," the official told P T I.

has over 10,000 patients who are currently being treated at their respective homes.

The doctors who are the assigned patients will suitably be remunerated, the official added.

"Their (doctors) job is to call every day and assess their health status. They will also prescribe medicines if required," the official further said adding that the app will have the videocalling facility also.

The state has over 13,000 active cases as on July 17.

The Telangana government had in April launched 'T COVID-19' App - a single source of information, to assist citizens and government departments in tackling the pandemic situation.

The app equips citizens with accurate information about and helps in curbing the spread of fake news, an official release had earlier said.
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A Washington state police officer died after being accidentally shot by his training officer during crossfire as a suspect opened fire on them while they were inside their squad car.

Investigators said Bothell Police officer Jonathan Shoop, 32, was accidentally killed during a traffic stop in Bothell, Washington, on July 13 at about 9.40pm, after being fatally shot by his field training officer, Mustafa Kumcur.

The Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team said in a press release Friday that Shoop - a US Coast Guard veteran and 'Student Officer' who had been on the force for only a year - and Kumcur had pulled over a driver because his Pontiac G6 did not have a license plate.

After initially cooperating with the officers, authorities said the man - who has been identified as Henry Eugene Washington, 37 - drove off, crashing into a man on a scooter before hitting the center median. He then exited his car.

Bothell Police officer Jonathan Shoop, 32 (left), was accidentally killed by his training officer in the crossfire after a suspect opened fire on them. Shoop (right) was in the US Coast Guard before joining the police force

Investigators determined that Shoop died from a bullet that his training officer, Mustafa Kumcur (pictured), fired while shooting back at their suspect while they were in their SUV. Shoop was driving and the shooter was standing on the driver's side of the car

When Shoop and Kumcur arrived at the crash scene in their police SUV, authorities said Washington, in the process of walking away, switched directions and approached their car from the driver's side, before firing twice at the officers with a handgun.

Police said the first shot shattered the officers' car window. The second shot supposedly ricocheted off Kumcur's service weapon and hit him in the head.

Kumcur was in the passenger seat of the police car when he returned fire, shooting 'multiple times' at Washington.

One of Kumcur's bullets hit Shoop, in the driver's seat, killing him.

Police said that after the shooting, Washington fled the scene. He hid on the rooftop of a nearby business, at which time he called a 911 center in Kansas, 'to advise his family he had shot and killed a police officer,' according to authorities.

While attempting to get off the rooftop, Washington got stuck between two buildings and was taken into custody without incident.

Authorities said they recovered a handgun from Washington's pants and that during his police interview, he admitted to detectives that he had been driving the Pontiac, hit a pedestrian, shot at the police SUV and called the 911 center.

Shoop had been in the Bothell Police Department for just over a year when he was killed

A memorial was set up for Shoop outside the Bothell Police Department on July 14

Local residents who knew Shoop and or wanted to show their support placed flowers and balloons in front of a police car at the memorial site

Police vehicles are seen at the location where the shooting took place. During the incident, Kumcur was hit in the head by a bullet fired by the suspect, that ricocheted off his own gun

Authorities tracked down and arrested suspected shooter Henry Eugene Washington, 37 (pictured in white). His family have said that he has a history of mental illness

The King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office is now charging Washington with aggravated first degree murder, attempted murder first degree and vehicular assault.

'The fact that Mr. Washington did not fire the fatal shot is immaterial to his culpability in this crime,' King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mary Barbosa wrote in charging documents, according to ABC News. 'But for Mr. Washingtons directed attack on the officers, Officer Shoop would be alive today.'

Following the shooting, Kumcur was taken to the hospital where he was treated and then released.

Shoop's brother told the news site that despite police's determination that it was Kumcur's bullet that killed Shoop, he didn't blame him for the incident.

'Honestly, it doesn't change very much for me, that specific detail, it's simply another detail and it's a tragic situation,' Evan Shoop said, adding that his brother hand spoken 'very highly of his training officer and he loved his training officer, and so do I.'

Evan Shoop noted that if Washington hadn't allegedly shot first, there would not have been crossfire that led to his brother's death.

He added that he wanted Kumcur to know that 'we're thinking about him and that we love him. We don't view this chaotic situation as his fault.'

Washington's charging papers stated that he told detectives that he had shot at Shoop and Kumcur because he thought they might confiscate his car, marijuana and gun, the Seattle Times reported.

The charging papers also noted that when he approached the SUV prior to the shooting, he had shouted: 'Come on pig.'

Police said in that during his interview, Washington had spoken of hearing voices in his head and making off-topic statements, but said that he 'was able to understand the questions being asked of him and provided appropriate responses.'

The newspaper reported that Washington appears to be homeless and has had criminal convictions in Texas and Kansas, dating back to 1997.

Court records in Kansas were reported to show that Washington had pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer in Junction City, Kansas, in 2017. He was sentenced to time served in jail.

Washington's family have claimed that he has a history of mental illness, according to KOMO News.

Washington is being held without bond and is expected to be arraigned on August 3.

Shoop leaves behind his fiance, mother and two brothers.
Television | Production House

Without grandeur, audiences will focus on the storyline: Full House Films' Amir Jaffer It has been close to one month since the state government allowed film and television shooting in Maharashtra. This was a sigh of relief to several new shows that were left in the lurch due to the lockdown including Zee TV's Qurbaan Hua, which had just started on 25 February. Read More...

Television | TV Channels

Zee's leadership stance needs to be emulated The pandemic has officially infected around 14 million globally, felling close to 600,000 in its wake. The count for India is over a million, with over 25,000 being slain by the dastardly SARSCOV2. As harmful, or even more, is the economic and business mayhem it has caused. Read More...

iWorld | OTT

Even amidst a pandemic Netflix's content slate is full Wall Street was busy yesterday discussing one of its most favourite stocks in recent years. While Netflix executives spoke about cashflow, subscribers and competition, what interests the audience more is the upcoming content slate. Read More...
Video grab of a plane suspected of carrying drugs that was reportedly set alight after allegedly being intercepted by soldiers in Quintana Roo state, Mexico

In a radical move to try and stamp out large scale corruption entwined in the country's huge drugs smuggling business, Mexico`s President is placing the Army in charge of Customs at its borders and sea ports, signalling a major direction shift in law and order.

By James Blears

The bold announcement has been made by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as he was visiting the Port of Manzanillo, on Mexico`s Pacific coast, in the Western State of Colima.

It`s sunk to being one the epicenters of multi ton drug seizures from inflows of precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of crystal meth. It`s led to Colima having the highest homicide rate nationwide.

President Lopez Obrador explained: " We`ve taken this decision due to the poor administration of sea ports, with corruption and drug smuggling in these ports."

The Army is increasingly tasked and trusted with what should be civilian policing, which has been infiltrated and compromised by increasingly powerful organized crime.

Precursor chemicals are the major ingredient of narcotics now manufactured on an industrial scale. It`s cheaper, quicker, less vulnerable and more profitable than growing drug crops, which are easier to locate, spray and destroy with pesticides. In 2010, there was a seizure of 200 metric tons of metaphetamine chemicals at Manzanillo.

This move has not yet been extended to airports. Mexico`s illicit drugs trade has grown into a forty billion dollar per annum illegal industry, mostly directed towards the United States, in return for cash and high grade weaponry, which kills 30,000 Mexicans every year.
US official, Barzani are photographed against backdrop of Greater Armenia and Kurdistan map

FM: Most important direction continues to be international recognition of Artsakh

US selects Los Angeles to host Summit of the Americas in summer 2022

Karabakh Foreign Minister: Return of refugees can only be like mirror

Iranian president arrives on official visit to Moscow

All CSTO peacekeepers leaves Kazakhstan

Artsakh Foreign Minister: Unacceptable to bracket NKAO and NKR together

Karabakh FM: Format of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' visits needs to be restored

Media: Air communication between Turkey and Armenia will start on February 2

Artsakh FM: Azerbaijan attack on Karabakh will mean attack on Russia

Gold prices hardly change

American professor angers Erdogan's son-in-law

15 years pass since Hrant Dink assassination

563 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Guterres offers Merkel job at UN

Armenian church revamped in Iran

World oil prices going up

Newspaper: ECHR rulings increase after Armenia revolution in 2018

Newspaper: Armenia ex-President Sargsyan to give interview instead of press conference

Azerbaijan MFA falls into hysterical rage by France FM statement

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
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Kangana Ranaut Reveals She Was Summoned By The Mumbai Police

The actress told Republic TV, "They (Mumbai Police) summoned me, and I asked them too, that I'm in Manali, that you can send somebody to take my statement, but I have not received anything after that."

Kangana Ranaut Says She Will Return Her Padma Shri If She Can't Prove Her Claims About Sushant's Death

She continued, "I am telling you, if I have said anything, which I can't testify, which I can't prove, and which is not in public domain, I will return my Padma Shri. I don't deserve it. I am not that person who will go on record (to make such statements), and everything that I have said is in public domain."

Kangana Ranaut Questions Mumbai Police For Not Summoning Aditya Chopra. Mahesh Bhatt, Karan Johar And Rajeev Masand

"I am not saying that anyone wanted Sushant to die, but definitely doomed. These people are emotional vultures. They want to see people lynch themselves. To date, Mahesh Bhatt is selling Parveen Babi's illness in so many versions through his films. Why is Mumbai Police not summoning - Aditya Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt, Karan Johar, Rajeev Masand? These 4 people. Why, because they are powerful? With this interview, I only have things to lose," the actress told Arnab Goswami.

She further added, "Tomorrow, needy outsiders like Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhasker will get up and say that they love this industry. I am only saying if you love this industry and if you love Karan Johar, then why are you not getting work like Alia or Ananya? Their whole existence is proof of nepotism. There will be articles that will make me look like a mad person after this, I know."

Kangana Ranaut Calls The Investigation By Mumbai Police A Sham

The actress said, "Sushant's family shouldn't be harassed because these people are too powerful. These people aren't even summoned. Mumbai Police investigation is a complete sham. I have said no to Bhansali's Padmaavat but he hasn't done anything vengeful. He doesn't gang up on anyone but he's being summoned. Shekhar Kapur, a God-like figure in the industry is being summoned."
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Look south if you want to see just how bad the COVID-19 pandemic can get if a population gets complacent, says Niagaras acting medical officer of health.

If you look at the United States, they had 75,000 cases in a single day on Thursday, said Dr. Mustafa Hirji. So in one day, the United States had more cases than Ontario has had for the entire pandemic so far.

The results of unchecked spread of the novel coronavirus are as predictable as they are troubling, he said. Contact tracing, a key public health measure to find and isolate cases, is nearly impossible when the daily case count is in the tens of thousands.

Hospitals in Buffalo report they are running out of swabs to perform tests. In that scenario  one Ontario saw in the early stages of the pandemic  doctors have to restrict who gets tested.

That makes sense. If you are running out of testing supplies, then you have to restrict who gets tested to critical cases, Hirji said. That means you cannot do some of the more broader testing we are doing now in Canada.

Hospitals are at capacity as serious COVID-19 cases surge, meaning there are fewer beds, ventilators and other resources to help patients.

By contrast, this week Niagara Health reported no COVID-19 patients for two days. Prior to that there had only been two people being treated at the St. Catharines hospital for about two weeks.

It is amazing to look at and think Canada and the U.S. are so close, but just across the border it is an entirely different situation, said Hirji, who has long harboured concerns about Niagaras proximity to the American border. I think we have leaders in Canada who are taking COVID-19 seriously, and that is why we are doing so much better.

In Ontario, the economy is taking tentative steps to a wider reopening  something Hirji said is only possible because in regions like Niagara infection-control measures have tamped down the spread of the virus.

But he said Canadians should not be smug about handling the pandemic more effectively. The virus doesnt care which side of the 49th Parallel it is on, and given a chance it will spread rapidly.

Hirji said to keep Niagara on the right path, residents have to continue physical distancing, practice good hand hygiene and wear masks. He says those with mild symptoms related to COVID-19 should get tested.

St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake have already passed masking bylaws, and Fort Erie appears poised to do so soon. Niagara Region deferred a masking bylaw decision and will revisit the debate July 23.

Hirji said while there is some debate in Canada about masking orders, the debate is much more intense in the U.S.

I think there is such a hard push in many states around masking because right now, it is one the last things they can do to try and get control of the situation, he said.
She's never been shy of showcasing her ample assets.

And Victoria Silvstedt put on an extremely busty display in a revealing leopard print bikini top and a mini skirt as she took a stroll on the beach in St Tropez.

The Swedish supermodel, 45, looked incredible in her holiday look as she headed to the famous Club 55 restaurant in France.

Wow! Victoria Silvstedt, 45, put on an extremely busty display in a revealing leopard print bikini top and a mini skirt as she took a stroll on the beach in St Tropez

Victoria displayed her eye-popping cleavage in a revealing bikini top which perfectly displayed her flat stomach.

The blonde beauty teamed the top with a cream frilled skirt as she took a stroll along the beach, with her long hair tumbling down her back.

Victoria completed her holiday ensemble with cat-eye sunglasses and a boho beach bag as she headed down to the beach to top up her tan.

Summer-ready! The Swedish supermodel looked incredible in her holiday look as she headed to the famous Club 55 restaurant in France

Gorgeous: Victoria displayed her eye-popping cleavage in a revealing bikini top which perfectly displayed her flat stomach

Amazing: The blonde beauty teamed the top with a cream frilled skirt as she took a stroll along the beach, with her long hair tumbling down her back

The catwalk star treated the jetty as her runway as she strutted her stuff alongside other holiday makers.

The star looked incredible as she walked, showcasing her endless pins in her skimpy ensemble.

At one point she burst into giggles as she appeared to share a joke with a pal.

Victoria's jet-set life has skidded to a halt in the midst of the pandemic.

Beach look: Victoria completed her holiday ensemble with cat-eye sunglasses and a boho beach bag as she headed down to the beach to top up her tan

Stunning: The catwalk star treated the jetty as her runway as she strutted her stuff alongside other holiday makers

Flawless: The star looked incredible as she walked, showcasing her endless pins in her skimpy ensemble

The model had been lapping up the sunshine in St Barts since the start of 2020, with many celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Bella Hadid and Rita Ora jetting to the Caribbean to ring in the New Year.

Victoria goes to St Barts every year and has enjoyed a lengthy stint in the spotlight after being chosen to represent her country in the Miss World pageant in 1993.

After her pageant days, the Scandinavian stunner was spotted by Hugh Hefner and went on to become a Playboy Playmate.

Fun times: At one point she burst into giggles as she appeared to share a joke with a pal

Jovial: Victoria looked radiant as she laughed with her pal amid her lunch outing

Work it: The model looked amazing as she struck a pose and pouted her lips

Since her career rocketed, Victoria has modelled for some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior and Valentino.

Despite the glamorous veneer to her lifestyle as a young model, she revealed there was a dark side in a recent interview with Female First.

Victoria said: 'I started very young to model in Paris when I was 18, I remember like starving myself to fit into the clothes and it was an amazing experience but you know I did shows for Valentino, Chanel, so it was really prestigious.'

Career: Despite the glamorous veneer to her lifestyle as a young model, she revealed there was a dark side in a recent interview with Female First
By CALVIN WOODWARD and DESIREE SEALS Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP)  John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died. He was 80.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis' passing late Friday night, calling him "one of the greatest heroes of American history."

"All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing," Pelosi said. "May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make 'good trouble, necessary trouble.'"

The condolences for Lewis were bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Lewis was "a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles."

Lewiss announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer  I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now, he said  inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.

The announcement of his death came just hours after the passing of the Rev. C.T. Vivian, another civil rights leader who died early Friday at 95.

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Lewis participated in the 55th anniversary march in Selma in March of this year.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country's attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

"John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal "I Have a Dream" speech.

A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a "scorched earth" march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: "By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy."

It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.

Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools.

As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabama's segregated Troy State University.

He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.

Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.

The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didn't come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama's capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.

Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his party's senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

In an early setback for Barack Obama's 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.

In a statement following his death, President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Lewis as a "giant" who became "the conscience of the nation."

Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill  but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis refused to attend Trump's inauguration, saying he didn't consider him a "legitimate president" because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from "s---hole countries," Lewis declared, "I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug."

Lewis said he'd been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally he'd do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

"There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free," Lewis said in June, recalling the "good trouble" he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

"If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us," he shouted. "I will go to the border. I'll get arrested again. If necessary, I'm prepared to go to jail."

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

"When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us 'what did you do? what did you say?" While the vote would be hard for some, he said: "We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history."

Lewis' wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.
BEIJING - The number of confirmed cases in a new coronavirus outbreak in Chinas far west has risen to 17.

The National Health Commission said Saturday that 16 more cases were identified in the previous 24 hours in the Xinjiang region, on top of a first case.

The outbreak in the city of Urumqi is the latest to pop up since China largely contained the domestic spread of the virus in March. The largest was a recent outbreak in Beijing that infected more than 330 people.

Authorities in Urumqi have reduced subways, buses and taxis and closed off some residential communities, according to Chinese media reports. They also placed restrictions on people leaving the city, including a suspension of subway service to the airport.

China has been accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, the homeland of the largely Muslim Uighur ethnic community. The region has long been blanketed with extreme security, which China says is necessary to prevent terrorist activity.

In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:

 Bangladesh has surpassed 200,000 cases. Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Health Directorate, said Saturday that 2,709 people had tested positive over the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 202,066, including 2,581 deaths. Bangladesh lacks adequate laboratories for testing, and experts say the actual figures are much higher. Most people in rural Bangladesh have stopped wearing masks and are thronging to shopping centres ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, scheduled for later this month.

 Australias Victoria state saw a marked drop in new COVID-19 infections  from Fridays record high of 428 to 217. The Health Department said Saturday that two more people in the state, a man and a woman both aged in their 80s, had died, raising the states death toll to 34 and Australias national total to 118.

 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison requested that the next two-week sitting of Parliament be cancelled because of increasing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus in parts of the country. Parliament was due to sit from Aug. 4 to 13 and would not meet again until the next planned two-week sitting starting on Aug. 24. Morrison said he had written to the parliamentary speaker to ask for a cancellation. The request is considered a formality.

 South Korea has reported 39 newly confirmed infections of COVID-19, most of them cases imported from abroad. The figures brought the national caseload to 13,711, including 294 deaths. Authorities said least 28 cases were tied to overseas arrivals. Eighteen others came from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, which had been at the centre of a virus resurgence that began in late May as restrictions eased.

___

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Canada's Halton Regional Police Service has launched an investigation into a graffiti-related case that was carried out at the St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery in Oakville, a private property. The graffiti was spray-painted on a monument inside the cemetery, which is allegedly linked to Adolf Hitler's SS. Halton Regional Police Service has said that the graffiti may have been hate-motivated, targeting the identifiable group of Ukrainians in general, or Ukrainian members of the cultural centre.

Read: Banksy's London Underground Artwork Scrubbed Clean In Compliance To Anti-graffiti Policy

The Halton Regional Police Service also apologised for any hurt caused by misinformation that suggests that the Service in any way supports Nazism. Investigators have determined that the monument in the cemetery that was vandalized with spray paint happened sometime between June 19 and June 21, 2020. "Due to the nature of the graffiti this crime is being investigated as a hate-motivated offence," the police said.

The Halton Regional Police Service has issued a media release that provides clarification regarding the ongoing investigation into graffiti at St Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery in Oakville. ^jh pic.twitter.com/0PwQOSxtN5  Halton Police (@HaltonPolice) July 17, 2020

Read: Copenhagen's Famous Little Mermaid Statue Vandalised With 'Racist Fish' Graffiti

"On June 23, 2020, the Halton Regional Police Service attended the area of Liptay Avenue and Colonel William Parkway in Oakville for a report of graffiti spray-painted on the sidewalk at this intersection. On June 28, 2020, police attended Skipton Lane in Oakville for similar graffiti written on the sidewalk in chalk. During this incident, 4 individuals were observed walking on Skipton Lane and are believed to be involved in the incident. Police will not be releasing images of the graffiti to the media or further spreading the suspect's message by confirming what text was painted on the monument," Halton police said in a press release.

Read: Giannis Antetokounmpo's Graffiti In Greece Vandalised By Neo-Nazis

Ukrainian soldiers linked to Nazi?

According to reports, Ukrainian volunteers joined Hitler's SS organisation between 1944-45, which was responsible for carrying out brutal crimes against Jews, Polish women, and children during the Second World War. The monument that was spray-painted is allegedly linked to those who fought along with Hitler's SS.

Read: Canada: Street Artists Paint Toronto's 'Graffiti Alley' Amid Protests

(Image Credit: Halton Police Service/Website)
The Pixel smartphones definitely get the best of Android when it comes to implementing a new feature or two, and this carries throughout the system UI including with Google Assistant.

In fact there are a number of Google Assistant features that have debuted on Pixel smartphones. Before making their way to other non-Pixel devices, Google typically tests a new feature(s) on its own Pixel lineup first. Then rolls it out fully to all Pixel phones before moving on to testing it on other popular Android devices.

In this case Google appears to now be testing the new Google Assistant design on phones that arent the Pixel 4.

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Google Assistant light bar is the new feature being tested

Google isnt just bringing the light bar to Assistant on non-Pixel devices. Rather, its testing the new Assistant design in general.

The light bar is part of that though. And one of the features that makes Google Assistant more distinct with its new look. Keeping this in mind, not all of the Pixel 4s Google Assistant design is making its way to non-Pixel devices.

Based on some screenshots from 9To5Google, it looks to really be the light bar mostly. The design of Google Assistants interface on the home screen when you activate it is changing it seems, but it wont be what you see on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

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On those two devices, when you activate Google Assistant the backdrop is a sort of light or dark gradient that fades from a solid color to entirely transparent. Itll be light or dark depending on where you activate it.

For example, if youre activating it on the home screen its generally white. But if you activate it somewhere the theme is in dark mode, itll be dark. The design for non-pixel devices with the light bar just has a shorter back drop, but the entirety of its colors is still all solid. In this case white.

The design has yet to roll out more widely

So far the design has not rolled out to many devices. Its reported that there have been both Pixel and non-Pixel devices that have seen this new design though.

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Which means Pixel 3 series and prior are likely to start seeing this new design with the light bar too at some point.

How long the testing will continue is unclear but tests for new UI changes can go for weeks or longer. So users shouldnt expect things to change when interacting with Google Assistant any time soon.

Google may also slip these changes under the radar during the rollout and forego any sort of formal announcement. So if youre eager to have things changed up a little bit, keep your eyes peeled for a new look the next time you ask Google to do something.
The Anambra State government has called on residents of the state to take active precautionary measures against COVID-19, as the states confirmed cases continue to rise.

Vincent Okpala, the Commissioner for Health, made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Awka on Saturday.

He said the ministry had concluded plans to collaborate with the Joint Emergency Preparedness and Rapid Response Team to ensure that everybody in the state was not ignorant of the virus.

Mr Okpala, a medical doctor, said that COVID-19 confirmed cases in Anambra had risen to 118, while 67 had recovered and discharged and a record of 12 deaths reported in the state.

It is frightening that at this point in time most residents of the state do not believe in the existence of the virus. It is time to take action to avoid wider spread of the virus, he said.

He reminded the people of the state that the pandemic still exists and kills, hence the need for all to take responsibility and be safe and alive.

Mr Okpala said that being coronavirus positive was not a death sentence and advised the public to report to healthcare centres immediately they notice any symptom of the disease in their body.

The virus is best treated at the early stage. There is no need to cover up the disease because it would be more dangerous, he said.

He said that 69 per cent of the 118 confirmed cases in the state were men, while 31 were women.

Mr Okpala assured health workers of their protection against the virus and appealed that they should not relent in their service to humanity.

The commissioner assured that all interventions deployed to fight COVID-19 would be used in support of health system strengthening in the state.

We are in constant touch with Representatives of World Health Organisation, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, UNICEF and Red Cross.

Civil Society Organisations, among other critical bodies in the fight against coronavirus pandemic in Anambra.

We need to keep fighting against the highly infectious and deadly disease to achieve positive results, he said. (NAN)
A man has spoken about his terrifying encounter with a yowie while on a bike ride with a friend 40 years ago.

Kieron Darcy had an encounter with the creature when he and a friend were exploring a heavily wooded area near Palm Beach, Queensland in 1978.

Mr Darcy said they came across a foul smell before they saw a 'massive, hairy' animal standing on two legs shaking a 40ft pine tree back and forth.

The gigantic creature let out a loud roar and the scared boy's fled the area on their bikes.

Kieron Darcy had an encounter with the creature when he and a friend were exploring a heavily wooded area near Palm Beach, Queensland in 1978 (Pictured: A witness sketch of the creature)

Mr Darcy said they came across a foul smell before they saw a 'massive, hairy' animal standing on two legs shaking a 40ft pine tree back and forth (Pictured: An artist's impression of the sighting)

Mr Darcy got a good look at the creature that he saw so many years ago and he still remembers it to this day.

'The sun was starting to go down, so it was a silhouette but the hair looked to be a deep, deep red, auburn colour,' Mr Darcy told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'There wasn't much hair on his face and he had a really flat-top head that just ended at his eyebrows. His eyes were red.'

When he saw the animal shaking the tree and let out its deafening roar, Mr Darcy said he and his friend were terrified.

'I looked across to my mate who was one of the tough kids in school. When I saw his face I knew we had to get out of there. We got back home in about 10 seconds I reckon, we were so scared.'

The gigantic creature let out a loud roar and the scared boy's fled the area on their bikes (Pictured: A recreation of the encounter)

Where Mr Darcy claims he encountered the yowie in 1978 based on current day map

Mr Darcy told his mother and some school friends about what he saw in the woods but no one believed him.

He decided to put the encounter behind him and move on with his life as people would think he was crazy.

But when he visited the same area with his fiancee many years later, he decided to tell her the story.

Though she didn't believe him either, it inspired Mr Darcy to get in contact with Australian Yowie Research, a group dedicated to yowie research.

Gold Coast yowie hunter Dean Harrison said the case had many similarities to other sightings in the area recorded in the 70s.

He said the Gold Coast is normally a hotspot of activity for yowie sightings.
The last few months have represented a microcosm of just how destructive the mainstream media and their accomplices in the Democratic Party are. Their masks may cover their faces when they are seen in public, but their veils have been fully ripped off. Make no mistake: the media are just as conniving, cynical, and nefarious as ever, but now they do not even pretend to care about journalistic standards of objectivity, integrity, professionalism, or the well-being of this country. They have been playing the American people for suckers and underestimating our intelligence for years. Now they truly believe we are blithering idiots, and just as naive as they always thought we were.

Read the Washington Post or the New York Times, turn on CNN or MSNBC on any given day over the last few months, and all you will find is old-fashioned yellow journalism and nonstop hatred of all things pertaining to President Donald Trump, as so called "objective reporters" attempt to sway the 2020 election in Joe Biden's favor. Watch a White House press briefing and listen to "reporters" interrupt, rant, and rave as they ask Trump and his press secretary Kayleigh McEnany nonsensical questions such as "How many deaths are acceptable"; "Does President Trump believe that it was a good thing that the South lost the Civil War?"; "You've said many times that the U.S. is doing far better than any other country. When it comes to testing ... why is this a global competition to you, if every day Americans are still losing their lives?"; "Is it possible that your impulse to put a positive spin on things may be giving Americans a false sense of hope?"

Tune in to the postpress briefing coverage, or post-truth coverage (whichever you prefer), as Trump is portrayed as an unhinged lunatic melting down in front of us. No matter that he is forced to respond to one hostile and imbecilic question after another. Please forgive the CNN and MSNBC anchors for their regular demonizing and chiding of the president. Their reporters are brave patriots and impartial jurors simply doing their jobs, calling it as they see it. That's what they keep telling us, anyway. We are simply not intelligent enough to understand why Trump might not always exude an inner Zen-like demeanor, as reporters repeatedly refer to him as racist and xenophobic and accuse him of causing death on the country, all in one press conference.

Watch as MSNBC in true Orwellian fashion cuts away from a live press briefing, while CNN calls it propaganda as Trump plays a video of news anchors in their own words downplaying the severity of the virus in January and February, even as he issued the travel ban on China. Listen to the media and the Democrat leaders blame the Trump administration's response to the virus, even as Democrat governors Gavin Newsom, Andrew Cuomo, and Phil Murphy praised his administration and the federal government's unprecedented response to the virus, in setting up mobile testing sites and distributing PPE, including thousands of ventilators, respirators, gowns, masks, naval ships, and building field hospitals for patients across all fifty states and territories. Watch as the media blame Republican governors for an increase in positive COVID-19 cases in states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Georgia, even as they praise Democrat governors for their handling of the virus in states with the most coronavirus deaths including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Connecticut.

Listen to the media fawn over a rare Biden speech, as he reads from a teleprompter and rewrites his own history on the virus: "Donald Trump failed us. Month after month, as many of us urged him to step up and do his job, he failed us. Just look at the record. In January, I, along with others, sounded the alarm of the coronavirus outbreak." No matter that on the very day in January when Trump issued the travel ban from China, Biden criticized the president for doing so and said, "In moments like this, this is where the credibility of a president is most needed[.] ... This is no time for Donald Trump's record of hysterical xenophobia, and fear-mongering."

Read the Times portraying Trump's Mount Rushmore speech (one in which he honored our founding fathers) as racially divisive and scorning his supporters for attending the rally without social distancing, "a packed crowd of sign-waving supporters, few of whom wore masks." Just one day earlier, the Times published an article, "Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History." The article asserted, "The recent Black Lives Matter protests peaked on June 6, when half a million people turned out in nearly 550 places across the United States." In other words, highlight the strength of the Black Lives Matter movement, while also failing to make any mention of the supposed catastrophic effects of gathering in large crowds, during a health pandemic, that the media keep insisting is heading in the wrong direction.

Watch as Trump is chided for wanting to reopen schools so that middle- and lower-income parents can return to work and earn a living for their families without also having to look after their children. Listen to the backlash the president's education secretary receives as she raises the mental health issue of keeping children home or suggests that falling farther behind grade-level subjects in math, science, English, and history could have severe long-term consequences.

The media are openly rooting for a surge in coronavirus cases, cheering for violence and racial division in our streets, praying for a slow economic recovery, and demanding that children stay home from school because they are hoping it will hurt Trump at the polls. The veils have come off for the mainstream media. On November 3, the veils will also come off for the American voters.

David Keltz is a speechwriter in the Executive Branch and the author of Media Bias in the Trump Presidency and the Extinction of the Conservative Millennial. He was a former White House intern in the Office of the Vice President.
Minister Pham Hong Ha affirmed that Vietnam has taken many specific actions since joining the network.



Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the countrys smart city development plan for the 2018-2025 period and a vision to 2030, which identified three priority groups: smart urban planning, smart urban management, and smart urban utilities.



Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha speaks at the conference (Photo: VNA)



On the basis of interconnected databases, many urban areas in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, have had initial success in providing smart utilities in education, health care, transportation, construction, and the environment; optimised urban development management; improved urban living standards; and created opportunities for human development, Minister Pham Hong Ha said.



He emphasised that comprehensive urban development and management is done through improving decision-making capacity based on interconnected data systems and multidisciplinary coordination.



Developing smart cities requires significant investment capital and human resources from the whole society, in which the private sector plays an important role in providing resources and technology solutions, helping to accelerate the development of smart cities.



With the theme Smart cities towards community identity and sustainable development for a cohesive and responsive ASEAN, ANSCs activities in 2020 aim to promote the active participation and cooperation of ASEAN member nations, agendas with the groups partner countries, the participation of the private sector, and the maintenance and development of the ASCN dialogue.



ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said the group has given impetus for smart cities to invest in technology, resolve urban challenges, and create new sources of growth.



This is a good opportunity to take advantage of the leadership and capacity of cities from ASEANs partner countries to address the COVID-19 crisis.



When rebuilding an economy post-pandemic, it is important to rebuild partnerships among smart cities inside and outside of the region in order to achieve tangible impacts, he said.



Smart cities need to have effective responses to health crises, the official noted.



He underlined the importance of promoting intra-bloc efforts on building smart cities, in particular efforts related to digital connection and urbanisation strategies.



It is necessary to establish better understanding between the public and private sectors to help strengthen the regions potential and resources, as well as realise opportunities for the development of smart cities post-pandemic, he said.



The conference focused on discussing and approving a number of documents.



The 26 member cities of ASCN aim to build a medium-term vision and develop and implement an action plan each year in accordance with the situation in each country, towards promoting the unique identity of each city and each country, thus contributing to the common identity of the ASCN.



Member cities will update others on smart city development and share experiences in responding to COVID-19.



As the Chairman of the ASCN 2020, Vietnam will make every effort to push the overall development of the network and strive to accomplish its goals, Ha said.



If the COVID-19 pandemic is soon brought under control, Vietnam will hold the ASCN High-Level Forum later this year to discuss more deeply and comprehensively experiences and good practice in developing smart cities and promoting partnerships outside ASEAN, he added.



The ASCN was established at the 32nd ASEAN Summit in Singapore in 2018 and aims to build a cooperative platform for cities to share common goals in developing smart and sustainable municipalities./.
GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2020) Swiss authorities will conduct unannounced random checks of compliance with self-isolation regime among travelers arriving in the country amid high rate of imported COVID-19 cases, Patrick Mathis, the spokesman of Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health, said on Friday.

The government is going to request passenger lists for some 20-30 flights arriving in Switzerland every week and then randomly check if people are adhering to self-isolation rules, as the country has no capacity to control every traveler. Switzerland currently requires travelers from high-risk COVID-19 countries to stay in quarantine for at least 10 days.

"About 10 percent of coronavirus cases are imported by those who return from abroad," Mathis said.

The first list of passengers was already sent to Swiss cantons on Thursday, while random checks of people arriving from abroad on buses were set to start on Monday.

Switzerland considers 29 countries, including Russia, Brazil, the United States and Sweden, to be high-risk areas where the coronavirus is spreading at a high rate. The maximum fine for breaking the quarantine amounts to 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,600).
BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president has agreed to extend support on conditional basis.

Jaipur: The Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) supports the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, the two MLAs of the regional party said in a joint press conference with state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara on Saturday.

BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president and other leaders have agreed on extending support to the Gehlot government on the condition that demands related to development of the state are fulfilled.

The party had on Monday issued a whip asking Roat and Ramprasad to be neutral and neither support the Congress nor the BJP. It had also told them to neither support Chief Minister Gehlot nor Sachin Pilot in case of a floor test in the assembly.

"BTP MLAs and their party leaders held discussions with the chief minister. They were already with us and have reassured their support to the Ashok Gehlot government," Dotasara said at the press conference outside a hotel on the Delhi highway where the Congress has kept MLAs amid the political crisis.

The MLAs were shifted to Hotel Fairmont on Monday soon after a Congress legislature party meeting, where Congress lawmakers expressed support for Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Pilot, whose rebellion threatens the state government. Pilot was stripped of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted informing about the support by the BTP.

He tweeted a photo with the BTP's MLAs and office bearers giving him a demand letter, and said that they have announced to support the government.

"We had supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections (last month) on the condition that our demands related to the development of our areas will be met. We have again held discussions with the chief minister on those demands and we have been assured that the demands will be fulfilled," BTP MLA Roat said.

He said that the BTP president had issued a whip directing them to stay neutral but now the party is in support of the government.

Roat, who recently issued two videos alleging that policemen were not allowing him to go from his Jaipur MLA residence to his constituency in Dungarpur district, said it happened due to misunderstanding by the police.

"I do not know what they had in mind. They said it was a misunderstanding. It's okay now," he said.

In the videos, one police inspector was seen taking away the keys from his car, which was surrounded by two police vans.

Ramprasad said that the BTP is against any attempt to topple an elected government. "We are into issue-based politics. Toppling an elected government by BJP is not fair, he said, while reaffirming support to the Gehlot government.

Raje slams Congress

In her first reaction on the political crisis in the state, BJP leader and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje said on Saturday that it is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan are paying for the discord within the Congress, .

The interest of people must be paramount for the government, Raje said while asking the ruling Congress to think about the public. "There is no point in trying to drag the BJP and the BJP leaders names through the mud. It is the interest of our people that must remain paramount!" she said.
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<! John Lewis: Good night America >

Tributes poured in Saturday from Democrats and Republicans for U.S. Civil rights leader and long-serving Congressman John Lewis.

He died on Friday, after losing the battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.

Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the 17-term congressman from Georgia.

She described Lewis as a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama wrote in Medium: Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did.

And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders  to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise.

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise. And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example, Obama said.

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King tweeted: Farewell, sir. You did, indeed, fight the good fight and get into a lot of good trouble. You served God and humanity well. Thank you. Take your rest.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the chambers top Republican, hailed Lewis as a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles.

Lewis had stepped away from his congressional duties last year as he underwent treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

But he returned to Washington in early June, in the midst of fiery demonstrations following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, to walk in Black Lives Matter Plaza, the renamed intersection near the White House that was the site of protests against injustice.

The winds are blowing, the great change is going to come, Lewis said days earlier during a lawmakers discussion on race.

Lewis, was a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation.

He went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress from 1986.

He was the last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He was best known for leading 600 protesters in the 1965 Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by state troopers. He suffered a fractured skull that day.

Televised images forced the countrys attention on racial oppression.

In 2015, he walked across the bridge arm in arm with Barack Obama, the nations first black president, to mark the anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march.

Obama presented Lewis with the Medal of Freedom, among the nations highest civilian honors, at a White House ceremony in 2011.

Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did, Obama tweeted early Saturday.

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise, Obama added.

A Democrat from Atlanta, Lewis first won his U.S. House seat in 1986 and was re-elected many times.

Lewis clashed with President Donald Trump on multiple occasions  boycotting his inauguration and citing Russian interference in the 2016 election to question his legitimacy.

He was just 21 when he became a founding member of the Freedom Riders, who fought segregation of the US transportation system in the early 1960s, eventually becoming one of the nations most powerful voices for justice and equality.

He was the youngest leader of the 1963 March on Washington, in which King delivered his famous I have a dream speech.

John Lewis was born in Troy, Alabama on February 21, 1940, the third of 10 children.

His community was almost entirely black, and he quickly learned about the segregation that afflicted Alabama.

Lewis, who organized sit-ins at segregated lunch counters and was arrested two dozen times for non-violent protests, was a founder and eventual chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, where he wrote speeches against police brutality and campaigned to register black voters.

The civil rights movement also lost another leader on Friday.

He was Reverend CT Vivian, who also staged anti-segregation sit-ins in the 1940s.

He was an early advisor to King and helped organize the Freedom Rides.

He died early Friday at 95.

Bernice King, youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. tweeted photographs of Lewis and Vivian early Saturday, with the caption: Elders, now ancestors. Hallelujah.

Related
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - After photos of crowded night clubs caught the attention of public health officials, the noisy downtown bar district in St. John's, N.L. was a more controlled scene than usual last Saturday.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

George Street, in downtown St. Johns, on Saturday July 11, 2020. After photos of crowded night clubs caught the attention of public health officials, the noisy downtown bar district in St. John's, N.L. was a more controlled scene than usual last Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - After photos of crowded night clubs caught the attention of public health officials, the noisy downtown bar district in St. John's, N.L. was a more controlled scene than usual last Saturday.

The many bars, pubs and nightclubs on George Street closed their dance floors and kept doors open to circulate air. Masked bouncers performed head counts on the mostly young patrons in line.

Neil Rajan, 20, was lined up outside the Rob Roy for a night out with his girlfriend.

Rajan said he's been following news on the pandemic and avoiding crowds. But George Street didn't seem too packed on Saturday, he said, adding he felt reassured by Newfoundland and Labrador's low COVID-19 infection numbers  just one known active case at the time.

"I'm a bit afraid, but I'm taking the risk," Rajan said. "I'm weighing the pros over the cons, and at the end I'm just saying, I just want to go out."

Atlantic Canada is ahead of much of the country in lifting pandemic-related restrictions on businesses, after beating back the first major wave of COVID-19 by early summer.

But as bars in more populous provinces with higher case numbers such as Quebec and Ontario begin to welcome patrons again, outbreaks among young people have stoked fears the venues are opening too soon.

Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy public health officer, said Friday there is "cause for concern" about the rising number of cases linked to bars and nightclubs, especially among young people. He called on Canadians to get creative while maintaining their social lives.

"Singing, mingling and dancing in close contact with others in closed spaces, in crowded places, is not the way to party this summer," Njoo said in Ottawa.

Experts maintain that opening bars is risky, but they also recognize Canada has managed to control the pandemic within its borders. The summer, they say, presents an opportunity for authorities to offer people social relief in a controlled setting.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases expert at Toronto General Hospital and associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, said he's not surprised by outbreaks in bars.

Like any indoor space where people gather for hours at a time, he said bars are sites where infections can spread rapidly.

"Alcohol is consumed and people get disinhibited," Bogoch said. "And I think it's just much less likely for people to adhere to physical distancing measures in those settings."

COVID-19 outbreaks in bars have occurred around the world and at home.

Outbreaks have been linked to strip clubs and private parties in British Columbia. While in Montreal, people lined up for hours outside clinics this week after public health officials advised anyone who went to a bar since July 1 to get tested  leading to 30 positive cases linked to drinking venues.

Bogoch said he hopes the Montreal scenario serves as a "wake up call" for young, healthy Canadians to remember how the pandemic affects their communities, and to keep in mind measures such as hand washing, physical distancing and mask-wearing.

At the same time, he said, people in their 20s and 30s will inevitably gather over the course of the pandemic, whether bars are open or not, especially after months of struggling through an emotionally difficult period.

"People are starving for social interaction, and they're seeking it out," Bogoch said. "Rather than shaming and blaming, I think we should look at ways that we can accommodate doing this in a safer manner."

Bogoch suggested bars could hand out masks and set up sanitizer stations, or add outdoor seating to reduce the overall likelihood of spread.

He also noted it's potentially easier to conduct contact tracing at bars following an outbreak as opposed to after a private house party.

Colin Furness, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Faculty of Information and Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, said people have a tendency to attenuate or downplay risks as a way to cope with threats like COVID-19.

He said it's not surprising young people would construct narratives to justify going out after months of feeling locked up and hearing messages about how their age group experiences less severe symptoms.

"Your sense of self is ... at that age is very much bound up in your social relationships with others, and so to be kneecapped by COVID for that age group I think is really brutal, genuinely harmful," Furness said.

Like Bogoch, Furness said governments can take advantage of a period of low community spread by changing rules to make it easier  and safer  for young people to socialize, such as relaxing laws on outdoor drinking.

Unlike the United States and Italy, where greater distrust in government poses its own public health challenges, Furness said Canadians are generally more compliant.

Governments in Canada, he said, should be careful but creative while reopening businesses in a way that accommodates people's social needs.

"There's room for creativity," he said. "In terms of saying, instead of trying to prevent this, how can we channel it in a way that's less dangerous."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2020.
China rushed a team of medical specialists to Urumqi, the provincial capital of Xinjiang, after it reported 40 new coronavirus cases, including 23 asymptomatic infections, prompting the local administration to declare a "wartime mode", official media reports here said on Saturday.

This is the second outbreak in Xinjiang, the Muslim Uyghur majority province which has been in the limelight in recent months over allegations of the internment of thousands of Uyghurs in special camps. China defends the camps as education camps.

Urumqi reported 17 confirmed COVID-19 patients, and 23 asymptomatic cases in the last four days, the state-run Global Times reported.

The current outbreak is related to a group gathering which is developing rapidly, and local health authorities have advised people not to panic as all the confirmed cases have mild to moderate symptoms, who are also under centralised medical observation, the report said.

The local government in Urumqi, has declared a "wartime mode" as all local residential communities have been put under "sealed-off management" in its fight against the resurgence of COVID-19, it said.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

China's National Health Commission (NHC) dispatched a medical expert team on Saturday to Xinjiang to investigate the epidemic amid a spike of domestic COVID-19 cases.

The sudden spike in the number of infections has prompted the local administration to declare a "wartime mode".

Feng Zijian, a senior official of China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said Xinjiang is now conducting an investigation over the source and route of the sudden spike after 149 clear days of no infection.

Urumqi launched an emergency response plan and set up 15 special groups for anti-epidemic actions, he said.

At the national level, the NHC said on Saturday that it received reports of 22 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Friday.

As of Friday, the overall confirmed cases in the country had reached 83,644, including 252 patients who were still being treated, with three in severe condition.

Altogether 78,758 people have been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 have died of the disease, it said.
Healthy experts are not giving up on developing effective COVID-19 vaccine. Just recently, health experts found out that antibodies used to treat cancer, rabies, Ebola, and some forms of hepatitis, can be a bridge in developing a vaccine for coronavirus, NBC News reported.

Gigi Gronvall, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, claimed, "Monoclonals offer a great bridge to a vaccine."

Got to see talimogene laherparavec (T-VEC) injections in Surg Onc clinic today! If you think vaccines and monoclonal antibodies are cool you will also definitely be a big fan of this. Its a modified Herpes Simplex 1 virus that only infects cancer cells... (1) pic.twitter.com/fOHyTvxk1B  Ryan Zeh (@Ryan_Zeh) July 15, 2020

Also Read: COVID-19: New Study Says Your Blood Type Does Not Affect Your Risk of Getting Infected with Coronavirus

Most of the medical experts and researchers aim to create a vaccine that would teach the immune system to develop a defense mechanism to fight off the invading virus on its own. One of the cures that may help in creating the COVID-19 vaccine is the Monoclonal antibody. This drug enhances the immune system's ability even more since it provides an immediate, but a short-lived boost to fight off the virus

Also Read: COVID-19: N95 Was Invented by Peter Tsai! Can He Make Another Breakthrough in Coronavirus Pandemic?

Eli Lilly, Regeneron, and other drugmakers are currently developing monoclonal antibodies. Regeneron and Eli Lilly both started their clinical trials for the drug in early June, and it is expected that the results would be released in the coming weeks.

How do monoclonal antibodies work?

The report explained that antibodies are produced by the person's immune system when a germ, such as a coronavirus, infects the human body. These proteins can identify the virus if it penetrates the human body again and fights it off.

#immunotherapy pic.twitter.com/oFZJnpgOZG How do monoclonal antibodies treat cancer? Our new video explains how drugs such as trastuzumab, pembrolizumab, and rituximab work against cancer: https://t.co/97SEdjM6m8  National Cancer Institute (@theNCI) July 16, 2020

Different types of antibodies are being used to treat other health issues such as rabies, Ebola, cancer, and some kinds of hepatitis. Many scientists and researchers across the globe are hoping that the novel coronavirus will soon be included in the list of treatable diseases.



The convalescent plasma is antibody-rich blood, which is acquired from the previously coronavirus-infected individuals. To boost the patients' immune system, the donated plasma is infused in their bodies. However, this type of antibody relies on the altruism of blood donors, which is currently one of the issues since blood donations are not recommended during the ongoing pandemic.



"We need drugs that prevent hospitalization," said the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, during an interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg on Thursday, July 16.

On the other hand, monoclonal antibodies are artificial since they are created in a laboratory or medical facility. Although it is artificial, it can mimic the natural antibodies developed by the body's immune system.



"Monoclonals are a refinement of the convalescent plasma process, mass producing it as a purified form," said Gigi Gronvall.



She claimed that all the antibodies that fight the coronavirus, including other pathogens, are contained by the convalescent plasma. However, scientists can identify antibodies for a particular type of bacteria or virus, and mass-produce them in a lab.



An infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, claimed that the monoclonal antibodies are the "best of the best."

Also Read: Chinese Coronavirus Theories and Other Ads Will Now be Banned From Google

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 23:31:53|Editor: huaxia

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SHENYANG, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A China-Europe cargo train loaded with 88 containers of disposable medical masks left northeast China on Friday afternoon for Madrid, supporting the COVID-19 fight and work resumption in the Spanish capital.

The supplies, purchased by the Spanish government, consist of more than 64 million masks, weighing 30.6 tonnes.

It is the first special freight train to send medical supplies to Spain from Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province. The train is expected to arrive in Madrid after a 22-day journey.

The China-Europe rail routes have been playing a crucial role in supporting Europe's anti-epidemic fight, and have become an important transport channel for stabilizing global trade and production resumption amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem
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FILM

Melbourne Queer Film Festival screens online with a selection of features, documentaries and Australian shorts. Catch Filipino coming-of-age drama Billie and Emma or Backing Up Bilitis about 17-year-old closeted Jane, who hosts an underground event on the brink of Melbourne's first gay liberation movement. Today, mqff.com.au

ART

Kevin Chin's landscape painting series explores how our globally interconnected world can be isolating, and how we find solace in urban life. The pandemic and subsequent tightening of national borders have brought new significance to the exhibition Social Distance, which can be viewed online alongside a video analysis of one work. Free, thisisnofantasy.com
The Ferrari team will soon want to wash away the taste of Spielberg. During the qualification of Hungary it already went better, but according to Ralf Schumacher the reaction of the team is not very appropriate.

After achieving zero points at the Styrian Grand Prix, Ferrari will do everything in its power to get a good result in Hungary and score valuable points - and, of course, not let its two drivers collide.

Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel will start next to each other, starting from P6 and P5 respectively. According to Ralf Schumacher it won't be an easy start for the team, even though the red cars will start on the soft tyre. "If you look at the last Ferrari starts, they were also on the soft tyres, but they weren't that good," explains Schumacher at Sky.

A bitter statement

"When it comes to engine management, I think Mercedes is pretty good. If nothing goes wrong, all four cars with Mercedes engines should be able to pull away. The acceleration of the Ferrari doesn't help either, because it is a bit weak". So according to Schumacher it won't be easy for the Maranello team to compete with Racing Point.

After the dramatic qualifications in Austria, the Ferrari team is very happy with the performance. "What I really disliked was Ferrari's statement: 'We are happy that we have reached the top ten with both cars'. It's all well and good, but of course it's a bit bitter that it's Ferrari and you've actually been working for four years to get the title", said the former F1 driver about the words of the team.
Wicklow actor Jack Reynor will star in a new movie which also features John Boyega and Felicity Jones of 'Star Wars' fame.

'Borderland' is set to begin filming over in the UK next year. It's based on the non-fiction book 'The Road to Balcombe Street: The IRA reign of Terror in London' by Steve S Moysey.

Reynor, who is originally from Blessington, and Boyega will play arch-nemeses in the movie, with former IRA member Michael (Reynor) out for revenge after witnessing SAS Sergeant Tempest (Boyega) shooting his pregnant wife after a botched ambush in Northern Ireland.

Determined to get revenge, the paramilitary follows the Sergeant back to London and joins an IRA active service unit wreaking havoc in the city.

The film will be directed by brothers Thomas and Charles Guard, who directed the 2009 Dreamworks movie 'The Uninvited' starring Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks and David Strathairn. They have since built a highly successful career in advertising shooting commercials for Audi, Stella Artois and Nike.
Kolkata Police has arrested a Nigerian national (34) from south Delhis Tigri neighbourhood on charges of running an online racket that duped unsuspecting people across the country by luring them with hefty cash rewards.

John Effe alias Simon was arrested by officers of the cybercrime branch of Kolkata Polices detective department on July 15 and brought to the city on transit remand.

On Friday, he was sent to police custody till July 28 by the chief metropolitan magistrate at Bankshall Court, Kolkata.

It is a huge racket and the victims are spread across India. It will take time to find out the details, said Murlidhar Sharma, joint commissioner of police (crime), Kolkata Police.

Effe was running the racket, which used to send fraudulent WhatsApp messages to unsuspecting people, saying their phone numbers had been selected for a reward of Rs 2.75 crore each, said Sharma.

Recipients of the messages were asked to share their names, addresses and other details through an e-mail address. The information was subsequently used to cheat them.

Effe has been charged under Sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 511 (offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonments) the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A New Hampshire mother is sharing her story after she went into a coma due to COVID-19 while pregnant and woke up to find out her baby had been born.

"I'm like, Wow, this is amazing. I'm thankful that I'm alive, said Rocio Casalduc.

Casalduc is also thankful her newborn daughter Victoria is alive.

When the 20-year-old developed a dry cough during her second pregnancy, she went to the hospital, where she was tested for COVID-19.

I was COVID positive, and that's when I just, I just dropped. I couldnt even think I was so nervous, she said.

Casalduc said she answered some difficult questions.

If I had to choose between me or my daughter's life, who would I choose, and that's when I don't even know, I just started to cry, she said.

Casalduc said she asked doctors to save her baby's life before she was intubated and went into a coma for three weeks

She woke up at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and learned she had given birth to little Victoria about three months early. She also learned that her family -- her mother, sister, boyfriend and baby son -- all had COVID-19, too, and all had recovered.

Related video: Ohio baby out of the NICU, home with mom who gave birth on a ventilator while fighting COVID-19

Baby Victoria is still in the hospital, but she's on the path to recovery.

I just told them we're not going to let her leave so soon. We're going to fight. She's a fighter just like me, Casalduc said.

Up to this day today, she's still fighting. She's still a little sick, but she's like me: she's a fighter, she added.
WASHINGTON - This week's remarkable character assault by some top White House advisers on Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious-disease expert, signified President Donald Trump's hostility toward medical expertise and has produced a chilling effect among the government scientists and public health professionals laboring to end the pandemic, according to administration officials and health experts.

As novel coronavirus cases surge out of control coast to coast, the open rancor between the scientific community and a White House determined above all to resuscitate the economy and secure a second term for Trump threatens to further undermine the U.S. response, which already lags behind those of many other developed nations.

A chorus of voices - including Fauci; Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and even Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff during the start of the pandemic - has been speaking out publicly and with increasing urgency about the crisis in ways that contradict or undermine Trump. Some of them have sharply criticized testing capacities and efficiencies, suggested that everyone wear masks and warned of the virus spread worsening.

Though Trump does not automatically distrust the expertise of public health officials, he is averse to any information or assessment that he considers "bad news," that compromises his economic cheerleading message or that jeopardizes his reelection, according to several administration officials and other people with knowledge of the dynamic.

In addition to Fauci, the White House has repeatedly undermined and sidelined the CDC over the last several months, which prompted four former CDC directors to pen an op-ed in The Washington Post this week that argued no president had politicized the CDC to the extent that Trump has.

The result has been open warfare from some hard-line Trump loyalists seeking to discredit Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is shown by polls to be regarded as a truth-teller by a majority of Americans.

Two of the White House officials with the closest and longest-standing ties to Trump, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and trade adviser Peter Navarro, attacked Fauci this past week. Navarro penned an op-ed in USA Today in which he stated that Fauci was "wrong about everything," while Scavino shared a cartoon on social media mocking Fauci as "Dr. Faucet," drowning Uncle Sam with a deluge of "extra cold" water.

Their critiques were echoed by one of Trump's outside economic advisers, Stephen Moore, and come after the White House anonymously shared last week with The Post a lengthy, researched list of comments Fauci has made intended to support Trump's earlier claim that "he's made a lot of mistakes." The list was reminiscent of research that campaign operatives distribute to reporters about their political opponents.

Trump sought to distance himself from those efforts and insisted he has a good relationship with Fauci, despite the fact that Fauci no longer briefs the president on the pandemic and is rarely if ever in the Oval Office anymore. Trump told advisers to tamp down their criticism of Fauci because he believed it was politically harmful to him, aides said, and in a show of solidarity Vice President Mike Pence tweeted a photograph of him meeting with Fauci in the Situation Room.

Fauci said the push to discredit him was "bizarre," telling the Atlantic, "If you talk to reasonable people in the White House, they realize that was a major mistake on their part, because it doesn't do anything but reflect poorly on them."

The interpersonal strife and the deliberate push by some inside the White House to protect Trump by sowing distrust of scientists is hampering the nation's efforts to combat the virus, according to public health experts.

"It seems that some are more intent on fighting imagined enemies than the real enemy here, which is the virus," said Thomas Frieden, a former CDC director and president of Resolve to Save Lives.

"The virus doesn't read talking points," Frieden said. "The virus doesn't watch news shows. The virus just waits for us to make mistakes. And when we make mistakes, as Texas and Florida and South Carolina and Arizona did, the virus wins. When we ignore science, the virus wins."

Trump in recent weeks has been committing less of his time and energy to managing the pandemic, according to advisers, and has only occasionally spoken in detail about the topic in his public appearances. One of these advisers said the president is "not really working this anymore. He doesn't want to be distracted by it. He's not calling and asking about data. He's not worried about cases."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Matthews countered in a statement: "President Trump has always acted on the recommendations of his top public health experts throughout this crisis as evidenced by the many bold, data-driven decisions he has made to save millions of lives. Any suggestion that the President is not working around the clock to protect the health and safety of all Americans, lead the whole-of-government response to this pandemic, including expediting vaccine development and rebuilding our economy is utterly false."

At federal health agencies, the barrage against Fauci has taken a significant toll, seen by many as a broadside against their community at large. The acrimony has angered career scientists at the National Institutes of Health, where Fauci is hailed as a hero, and at the Food and Drug Administration, where officials work closely with Fauci and his team, according to current and former government officials.

Many FDA career scientists and doctors see the White House criticism of Fauci as an effort to bully him - to make it clear that no one should consider crossing the president in the months leading up to the election, according to people familiar with the scientists' thinking.

"To see an NIH scientist and a doctor attacked like that, the feeling is, 'Oh, my God, that could just as easily be me,' " said a former FDA official, who like some others interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid without risking retribution.

Some agency professionals worry the episode is a sign the FDA might come under political pressure to approve a vaccine or treatment for covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, before it has been fully vetted for safety and efficacy.

Furthermore, they say the character attacks further undermine America's historic standing as a worldwide leader in public health, which is already tarnished by the nation's beleaguered response to the coronavirus and inability to contain it.

Another former senior administration official called the Fauci attacks a global embarrassment. "It's one thing to question science," this official said. "It's another thing to attack science."

Scott Becker, chief executive of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, which represents state and local labs, said, "The whole public health community has been demoralized by this."

Indeed, almost 90 organizations - including the American Society for Microbiology, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and several AIDS groups, as well as the public-labs association - sent a letter to Pence, who chairs the White House's coronavirus task force, condemning the recent moves.

"We object to any attempt to cast doubt on science and sow mistrust for public health expertise, and to spread misinformation during this challenging time for all Americans," the letter read. "Such efforts not only put the health of our population in greater peril, but also undermine the work underway to move our country beyond the pandemic and return to normalcy."

The substance of Trump allies' criticism of Fauci centers on his statements early in the pandemic that wearing masks would not necessarily stop the spread of the virus. But as Fauci and other scientists learned more about the virus, their assessments evolved with that knowledge.

"That's really the nature of science," Fauci said Thursday in a live-stream conversation with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. "You look at the data and the information you have at any given time, and you make a decision with regard to policy based on that information. As the information changes, then you have to be flexible enough and humble enough to be able to change how you think about things."

Moore, a conservative economist who is on leave from the Heritage Foundation to run a group called Save Our Country focused on reopening the economy, said the fact that Fauci is heralded in the media and trusted by the public is a problem for efforts to convince schools and businesses to reopen.

"I've seldom seen someone who has been more wrong more consistently over his whole career than Dr. Fauci that continues to be listened to and held up as some kind of expert," Moore said.

He went on to express dismay that Fauci does not act like "a team player" by parroting to the public Trump's talking points.

Navarro has led a fierce campaign inside the White House against Fauci, telling colleagues that the infectious-disease expert "has no clue what he's talking about," according to a person who heard his comments.

Others in Trump's orbit have privately shared frustrations about Fauci, including White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Pence chief of staff Marc Short. Still, Meadows reacted angrily about Navarro's op-ed, and Short told others he thought it was a mistake, White House officials said.

In recent weeks, there was what one adviser described as a "widespread effort" by White House officials, lawmakers and outside advisers to convince Trump to wear a mask in public - something he did for the first time last weekend when he visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

In the coming weeks, health officials plan to more forcefully urge people to not only wear masks but to wear them consistently and correctly and to emphasize that masks are a supplement - not a substitute - for social distancing, one federal official said.

"You have to acknowledge the obvious, that this thing is going to be with us for a long time," said Josh Holmes, a Republican strategist close to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "You have to be realistic. People are willing to do difficult things if you give them a pathway of how do we get to the end of it."

This week, Redfield said that Trump ought to "set an example" by wearing a mask and that the epidemic could be brought under control in four to eight weeks if everyone wore one.

On June 30, Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner and an informal Trump adviser, had a call with House Republicans, organized by Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on which he laid out a grim prediction of rising case numbers and encouraged people to wear masks.

"At some point, we're going to have a confluent epidemic in the U.S.," Gottlieb said in an interview. "At some point, we're going to have so much infection that it's going to be hard to prevent a simultaneous national epidemic. It's going to be very difficult for us when this starts to run into flu season."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 14:54:33|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 29, 2020 shows the live broadcast of U.S. President Donald Trump speaking at a press conference at the White House in Washington D.C.. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Trump has been refusing to wear a mask himself since the pandemic broke out, citing his good health and frequent negative tests for the virus.

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he won't issue an order at the national level mandating the use of masks, even as the United States continued to break its single-day coronavirus case record amid a pandemic far from being contained, and whether to wear masks has become a source of heated debate.

Asked by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace if he would consider issuing a national mask mandate to slow the spread of the virus, Trump said: "No, I want people to have a certain freedom and I don't believe in that, no," according to a clip of the Fox News Sunday show, the full version of which will be aired Sunday.

"I don't agree with the statement that if everyone wore a mask, everything disappears," the president added, as Wallace pointed out that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the virus would be brought under control if everyone wore a mask.

"Dr. (Anthony) Fauci said don't wear a mask, our surgeon general -- terrific guy -- said don't wear a mask. Everybody was saying don't wear a mask, all of a sudden everybody's got to wear a mask," Trump said. "And as you know, masks cause problems too. With that being said, I am a believer in masks. I think masks are good."

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, arrives to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on COVID-19: Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School in Washington, D.C., the United States, on June 30, 2020. (Al Drago/Pool via Xinhua)

Trump has been refusing to wear a mask himself since the pandemic broke out, citing his good health and frequent negative tests for the virus.

He was seen wearing a mask in public for the first time on July 11 while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, some three months after the CDC recommended that Americans do so because asymptomatic bearers of the virus could still transmit it to others.

Along with the surge in coronavirus cases -- topping 3.5 million after the mind-boggling single-day record of 72,045 infections was set on Thursday, as per CDC's data -- the mask issue has been politicized to the extent that it has become a symbol of allegiance: Those refusing to wear masks support Trump while those donning them are against him.

Earlier in July, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows also said the option of a national mask mandate was not on the table. He told the "Fox & Friends" program on July 6 that "a national mandate is not in order. We're allowing our governors and our local mayors to weigh in on that."

In recent weeks, though, even Republicans have rallied around wearing masks, with at least one GOP lawmaker bluntly suggesting that Trump himself do so publicly.

Regretting the fact that the "simple lifesaving practice" of wearing a mask has been politicized to showcase whether one supports Trump or not, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said on June 30 that he had "suggested the president should occasionally wear a mask even though there are not many occasions when it is necessary for him to do so."

Meanwhile, governors and municipal-level officials have requested that residents wear masks to halt the virus resurgence.

Girls hold signs during a gathering in Dallas, Texas, the United States, on June 19, 2020. (Photo by Dan Tian/Xinhua)

While the governors of Arkansas, California and Colorado have issued mask mandates effective across their respective states, Texas Governor Greg Abbott's order applies to residents of counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases, effectively covering most counties in the state.

In Georgia, however, Republican Governor Brian Kemp and state Attorney General Chris Carr, also a Republican, sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, and the Atlantic City Council to block the mayor's mask mandate, claiming that such an order put businesses in harm's way and undermined the state's economic growth, and that local orders must not exceed the state's executive order in restrictiveness.

The lawsuit, filed one day after Kemp issued an executive order overriding all local mask mandates in the state, intensified a partisan fight over how to handle the public health crisis in a state that is among the first to reopen. Georgia saw a resurgence of the virus, with the seven-day average of caseload recently hovering around 3,000 per day. 
The Right to Information (RTI) Secretariat was commissioned on Friday, 17th July 2020 to provide support to the designated RTI Officers and Assistant RTI Officers at the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the public sector to fully operationalise the RTI Act.



The RTI Secretariat is a Division of the Information Services Department (ISD), which would help the MDAs to process information requested by citizens.



A Divisional Head is expected to be appointed soon to manage the daily administrative activities of the Secretariat.



Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who cut the tape to officially open the Secretariat in Accra, implored the ISD staff who would be working at the Office to be professional in their dealings to ensure timely release of information to applicants.



"You're to provide the information as it is required and not hide it, and should be dedicated to the tenets of the law to ensure that the rights given to citizens by the Constitution is upheld", Mr Oppong Nkrumah stressed.



The Minister said the first batch of Assistant RTI officers had been recruited to support the designated RTI officers at the various MDAs to process requests made by individuals and organizations.



The RTI Bill was passed on March 26,2019 by Parliament and the President subsequently assented it into law on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.



The Act provides for the implementation of the constitutional right to information held by any public institution and to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs.



The law is a critical tool in the fight against corruption in the country.



Mrs Mamle Andrews, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Information, in her welcome address, said the Secretariat would help in monitoring and coordinating the implementation of the activities of the RTI law across the public sector.



The effective roll out of the law, she said, would help government in policy formulation and decision-making.



The Information Ministry was tasked by government to assist in putting up the requisite infrastructure towards the full operationalisation of the Act within a year of the passage of the law.



Information Minister Oppong Nkrumah, his Deputy Pius Enam Hadzide and members of the RTI Implementation Committee toured the facility.



The fully air-conditioned Secretariat has furniture, computers, a Server and a Free Conference equipment for organizing virtual meetings.

Source: peacefmonline.com









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The 75-year-old required a tracheostomy  a tube directly into the throat  and on multiple occasions was presumed to have just hours left to live. So ravaged was his body that he had to relearn how to walk.

His fight has become legendary in the corridors of Sunshine Hospital, where "reinvigorated" doctors and nurses know from Jim's experience that no matter how dire, "we can get people to the other side".

Jim Fenech at his home in Melbourne West with son Jason. "It hits me hard when I talk about it, Im telling you," Jason says. Credit:Penny Stephens

The rocknroll-loving former steel worker spent 45 days on a ventilator in Sunshine Hospital ICU and another 56 recovering in the COVID-19 and rehabilitation wards in what may be our most astonishing coronavirus comeback yet.

On July 6, Jim walked from hospital to a world vastly changed from the one he left on March 28, when people were still waking up to the crisis to come.

Unconscious through the worst of his stay, Jim is spared the memories of his near demise, but for his adult children, Jason and Susan, recounting the journey is enough to bring them to tears.

"That was the worst six weeks of our lives, mate," Jason says of his father's time in ICU, when no one could visit.

"The last conversation we had I said, Dad, youve always told us to be strong. Now its your turn. What you told me is what Im telling you.'

"I said, 'I know youre struggling to talk, but I want you to listen: me and Susan, we want to thank you for everything youve done for us. We love you. We will always love you. But youve got to fight now. You make sure we see each other again.'
Amid the ongoing political turmoil in Rajasthan, BJP leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje took on the Congress party for making the people suffer due to its infighting as a question mark looms over the future of the Ashok Gehlot-led government following a bitter feud between the chief minister and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.

"It is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan have to bear the brunt of the infighting in Congress," she said in her first comments on the political crisis that has engulfed the grand old party in the state.

"They are attempting to put the blame on BJP," said Raje who had so far maintained silence on the unfolding crisis.

The Congress on Tuesday had sacked Pilot from the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit chief, two days after he openly revolted against the Gehlot-led government. Cracking the whip on the rebel leader, the party also removed his loyalists Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena from the state cabinet.

AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala announced the decision after a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held in Jaipur amid a tussle for power between Pilot and Gehlot.

Raje again took to Twitter later in the day to express her support for her party.

"Some people are constantly trying to spread illusions without any facts about the political developments. I have been serving the public as a loyal worker of the party for the last three decades and stand with the party and its ideology," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) leader Hanuman Beniwal on Thursday had accused Raje of "trying to save the minority Ashok Gehlot-led government" in the state.

"Raje is also making a strong effort to save the minority government, she has also made calls to many Congress MLAs about this," the BJP ally had said on Twitter, tagging BJP, party president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Raje went on to list the many problems facing the people of Rajasthan.

"At a time when COVID-19 has claimed more than 500 lives and positive cases are close to 28,000, locusts are attacking farmers fields, crimes against women are at an all-time high, when there is a problem of electricity across the state, and I'm only naming a few of the problems faced by our people," she said.

"Think of the people!!!!!" she ended the statement, posted on Twitter, in which she took no names.

Meanwhile, Gulab Chand Kataria, Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly, said Gehlot should prove that he has the numbers in the state assembly.

"We don't demand a floor test, but if Ashok Gehlot thinks he has a majority, he should prove it in Assembly," he said at a press conference.

The responses came days after the crisis began with the registration of an FIR by Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) on Friday last week in connection with a conspiracy to topple the state government. The SOG had issued notices to the chief minister, the deputy chief minister and the government's chief whip Mahesh Joshi for recording their statements.

The Congress has accused the BJP of trying to topple the Gehlot government and has alleged that Pilot and 18 other MLAs are involved in the conspiracy.
Guest Column How the Erosion of Sovereignty Elsewhere Impacts Myanmar at Home

Local farmers protest against a Chinese-backed copper mining project at Letpadaung in Sagaing Divisions Salingyi Township in May 2016. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

As Myanmar has focused on the fight against COVID-19 in recent months, many of its friends, including the United States, have offered support. But troublingly, at this time of shared struggle across the world, the Peoples Republic of China has continued its crackdown on democracy and disrespect for other nations sovereignty.

As governments responded to the twin calamities of the pandemic and its economic fallout, China aggressively cracked down on the independent, democratic spirit of Hong Kong, breaking a promise it made only 20 years ago. The PRC also continued its unprecedented campaign to undermine the sovereignty of ASEAN countries in the South China Sea. For Myanmar, these disputes may seem far away, but Beijings actions there are part of a larger pattern to undermine the sovereignty of its neighbors. Chinas actions in Hong Kong and the South China Sea alarm the United States and our friends and allies because these kinds of actionsbreaking promises, ignoring the well-being of smaller nations, rewriting historycan happen anywhere.

At the June 26 ASEAN Summit, Southeast Asian leaders issued a strong statement that territorial disputes in the South China Sea must be resolved in line with international law. The United States has a deep respect for all ASEAN countries, including Myanmar, and welcomed this statement that upheld the fundamental principles of the rules-based international system that undergirds the security and sovereignty of all nations. Four years ago, the South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal rejected Beijings maritime claim as a violation of international law. Despite thisand with limited or no consultation with ASEAN claimantsChina has deployed arbitrary fishing bans and harassed ships in the South China Sea. It has continued to block ASEAN countries from accessing resources off their coasts, including vast reserves of oil and gas and some of the worlds richest fisheriesthe very livelihood of millions who call Southeast Asian coastal communities home.

These events are taking place far from Myanmar, but the PRC has used similar behavior to intimidate, threaten, and undermine Myanmar sovereignty closer to home. Instead of demarcating fisheries, it takes the shape of unregulated banana plantations in Kachin State that thrive on forced labor and damage the environment. Instead of spurious maritime claims, it takes the shape of unregulated investment and corruption in the mining and forestry sectors. Instead of island building, it takes the shape of infrastructure projects and special economic zones that pile on debt and cede regulatory control, and benefit China far more than they do the people of Myanmar. This is how modern sovereignty is often lostnot through dramatic, overt action, but through a cascade of smaller ones that lead to its slow erosion over time.

The United States stands as a partner to Myanmar and ASEAN on issues that matter to the people of Myanmar and to the countries of this region: improving health, strengthening democratic institutions, combating illicit narcotics, and promoting responsible business and investment practices that can contribute to sustainable, inclusive economic development. To help develop and strengthen economic opportunities for the people of Myanmar, the United States supports transparent, consultative processes that include the voices of local communities and that put economic prosperity and power back in their hands.

Far too many young Myanmar people fall victim to the scourge of illicit narcotics and the violence it inflicts on communities. The United States partners with Myanmar law enforcement to strengthen their capacity to investigate and prosecute criminals involved in the production and trafficking of methamphetamine and other drugs. This equipment and training have led directly to the seizure of billions of dollars of drugs, precursor chemicals, and drug production equipment, most of which came from China. The U.S. support contributes to healthier communities in Myanmar and across the broader region.

Far too many young Myanmar women are duped with the promise of high-paying jobs or husbands in China, only to be sold to human traffickers who exploit them for labor and sex. Nearly 80 percent of Myanmars reported human trafficking cases in 2019 involved women being trafficked to China. Law enforcement in China often looks the other way and fails to help these vulnerable victims. The United States continues to partner with Myanmar authorities to strengthen Myanmars capacity to prevent human trafficking, investigate and prosecute trafficking-in-persons crimes, and protect victims. Our law enforcement assistance on illicit narcotics and trafficking in persons is helping Myanmar stand up to transnational organized crime and protect future generations.

Far too many in Myanmar are being hurt by the rapid environmental destruction caused by corruption and poorly regulated investments. The land disputes and land contamination from the controversial China-backed Letpadaung copper mine illustrate the implications for everyday people of ceding control to foreign actors for short-term economic gain. Corruption and lack of regulation result not in economic development of disadvantaged communities, but in harm to people and devastation to the environment. The United States is supporting Myanmars efforts to become a full member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, to shed light on the ownership of natural resources. The United States also supported the Myanmar governments efforts to hold public consultations with all local stakeholders in drafting a gemstone policy. Both efforts put the Myanmar people first.

Whether in the South China Sea, in Myanmar, or elsewhere, the United States joins ASEAN nations in calling for a free and open rules-based order. When negotiating energy, communications, or transportation infrastructure projects, Myanmar benefits when it is not burdened by unnecessary debt or exploited for strategic gain. Together our voices can strengthen the sovereignty of every nation, as we work to build healthy communities, increase sustainable economic development, and expand trade and investment ties in ways that benefit the people of our countries. The United States supports ASEAN in standing up to Beijings troubling foreign policy and economic practices, just as for more than 70 years the United States has stood as a friend and partner to the people of Myanmar.

George N. Sibley is Charge dAffaires at the US Embassy in Myanmar.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's graduating law school class faces tremendous uncertainty amidst the unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic. To support recent law school graduates as they enter the workforce, the California Supreme Court recently handed down new bar exam guidelines and rules, supported by input from California Lawyers Association (CLA).

CLA President Emilio Varanini applauded the Court's efforts and provided additional support for young attorneys. "CLA understands the Court's need to adapt to address the important issues involving facilitating aspiring attorneys' entry into our profession at what is an extraordinarily difficult time while protecting the public. From day one through the life of their practice, CLA will continue to advocate appropriately on behalf of aspiring lawyers and otherwise offer them the resources they need to succeed," Varanini added.

Taking into consideration the tremendous risks with in-person group testing, the September 9-10, 2020 in-person bar exam will now be administered online on October 5-6, 2020 with other options being made available for those for whom taking the exam online may not be a viable option. Registration for the examination is extended through July 24, 2020, and the Court asked the State Bar to issue a "Frequently Asked Questions" guide for the new exam format. CLA welcomes these efforts by the State Bar and the Court to ensure that the exam can take place in a manner that understands the serious risks still posed by COVID-19 and recognizes that not all can easily take the exam online.

Recognizing that California is one of two states with the highest passing score for the minimum competency exam, the Supreme Court directed the State Bar to lower the passing score from 1440 to 1390. The modified passing score is effective beginning with the October 5-6, 2020 bar exam administration and will be prospectively applied to future exams.

In addition to the changes to the California bar exam, the Supreme Court addressed "Diploma Privilege," which would allow graduates of American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law schools, if not all law schools, to be admitted to the bar without taking the bar exam. Recognizing the hardships faced by recent graduates in studying for and taking the bar exam, the Supreme Court has directed the State Bar to expedite the formation of a provisional licensure program. That program, which was supported by CLA in its comments to the Court, will allow 2020 law school graduates, regardless of whether they attend an ABA or non-ABA accredited school, to practice under the supervision of a licensed attorney, offering potential benefits to both young attorneys and their employers, provided that they take the bar exam by a certain date in the future. However, the Court properly rejected the Diploma Privilege proposal.

These new measures together support new law school graduates as they move into the workforce and begin their careers while still safeguarding the public. With the resources available to young attorneys through CLA and other organizations, this year's law school graduates will be ready to enter the practice of law and provide legal services to the public as it emerges from the pandemic.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Established in 2018, California Lawyers Association is the bar association for all California attorneys. CLA's mission is to promote excellence, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and fairness in the administration of justice and the rule of law.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 04:18:22|Editor: huaxia

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Aerial photo taken on April 11, 2020 shows a logistic station of the Erenhot Port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The port has handled 379 China-Europe freight trains in the first quarter of this year. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

"I'm almost now to the point where I would say the pandemic is reinforcing the advantage of being in China, because they got the epidemic under control very quickly," says Nicholas Lardy.



WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China is "leading the way" as it is the first major economy to show any sign of recovery, said a veteran China watcher, noting that China's contribution to global growth is "infinite" amid a COVID-19-induced global recession.

With positive growth this year, followed by a more robust recovery next year, the Chinese economy at the end of 2021 could be 10 percent bigger than it was in 2019, Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at Washington D.C.-based think tank the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), told Xinhua in a phone interview on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the output of the United States, the European Union, Japan, Canada, and Britain is going to be smaller in 2021 than it was in 2019, he noted.

"This year, when global growth shrinks and China's expands, on a conventional calculation, China's contribution to global growth is infinite because it's positive and global growth is negative," Lardy said.

"So I think it's going to play a very positive role," he said. "I don't think this has been significantly understood, but I think it should be."

The renowned expert said he thinks China is going to grow by 2 percent to 3 percent this year, a more optimistic projection than that of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which both forecasted a growth rate of roughly 1.0 percent for China.

Official photo of Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). (Photo credit: PIIE)

Despite supply chain shift spurred by the pandemic, Lardy cited a recent survey by the American Chamber of Commerce as saying that 83 percent of American companies operating China indicated that they have no plans to leave.

A few of them may cut back, and some of them may adopt the "China plus one" strategy, which refers to the practice of coupling their investments with a second facility, generally in another Asian economy, Lardy said, while noting that the pandemic is not prompting massive supply chain shift from China.

Commenting on the Japanese government's 2 billion dollar program to encourage Japanese companies to move out of China, the veteran China watcher said "2 billion is nothing."

American companies have made huge investments in China. They're not just going to abandon their capital goods, their factories, their market share, their investments they've made in building up their brands, Lardy said.

"This idea that you're going to change the behavior of companies by offering such a small amount of money, I think is ludicrous," he said, adding that "it's symbolism."

Noting that COVID-19 is now everywhere, and it's a "more complex calculation" than people might have thought back in February and March, Lardy said "if you want to go out of China, where are you going to go?"

Aerial photo taken on May 23, 2020 shows a panoramic view of an orange plantation in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

"I'm almost now to the point where I would say the pandemic is reinforcing the advantage of being in China, because they got the epidemic under control very quickly," Lardy said.

Noting that China's 3.2 percent year-on-year economic growth in the second quarter of this year is in line with his expectation, Lardy said China's industrial sector has been recovering "most rapidly," while the service sector has also seen expansion, with the country "doing stunningly well" on the trade side.

The economist said he thinks China's economic recovery will continue in the second half of the year, since the country has COVID-19 under control and a lot of pent-up demand will emerge.

He highlighted that China has managed to "put the brakes" on small outbreaks in Wuhan and more recently in Beijing with massive testing, quarantining and contact tracing measures.

"I think they have the resources and the commitment to avoid a negative effect of the coronavirus in the second half," Lardy said. "My view is that the virus is not likely to be a significant factor going forward." 
In route news, Hawaiian Airlines cancels plans for a big revival of mainland routes by Aug. 1; its the end of an era for British Airways as its 747s will fly no more; United plans to add transpacific service from Los Angeles, and Alaska Airlines will introduce new domestic routes there; JetBlue and American unveil an east coast alliance and code-sharing partnership; Alaska will reopen some airport lounges next month; some airlines extend their empty-middle-seat policies; American introduces touchless check-in; and Delta posts a huge quarterly loss.



Now that Hawaii has postponed its planned Aug. 1 opening date for out-of-state visitors who take a COVID-19 test before leaving home, Hawaiian Airlines has canceled plans to restore service on a number of mainland routes. Earlier this month, Hawaiian had announced that by Aug. 1 it would supplement its existing limited schedule by reinstating service from Honolulu to San Jose, Oakland, Phoenix, Las Vegas, New York and Boston, and would also use A321neo aircraft to revive flights to Maui from San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento and Los Angeles; to Kauai from LAX and San Jose; and to Kona from LAX. But now, according to the latest data from Routesonline.com, Hawaiians August schedule to the mainland will include only six routes: daily flights from HNL to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego and Seattle.

British Airways on Friday announced with great sadness that the Boeing 747, which has been a mainstay of its intercontinental fleet for 50 years, has made its last flight for the airline. The airlines remaining fleet of 31 747-400 aircraft will be retired with immediate effect as a result of the devasting impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector, which is not predicted to recover to 2019 levels until 2023/24, BA said. The airline had been in the process of slowly phasing out the 747s, which are being replaced with new long-haul planes including six Airbus A350s and 32 Boeing 787s.



Following American Airlines recent decision to cut back its international operations out of Los Angeles International, United Airlines is planning to expand long-haul service there. While United had recently suspended all widebody service out of LAX as part of its coronavirus cutbacks, the carrier reportedly told pilots last week that it plans to start flying 787s there again in September. The airlines initial plans include service to Sydney and to Tokyo Haneda. The LAX-Sydney route will reportedly launch on Sept. 8 with three flights a week, but the 252-seat 787-9 it deploys will be limited to carrying a maximum of 50 passengers.

In other United route news, the carriers previously announced plan to begin service to Santa Maria, Calif., from San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver this summer has been delayed again. Earlier, United had pushed it back to October of this year, but now Santa Maria airport officials say they have been told that United wont begin flying there before March of 2021 at the earliest.

Americans long-haul withdrawal from LAX is related to its burgeoning partnership with Alaska Airlines, which will focus AAs west coast international expansion on Alaskas Seattle hub. And for its part, Alaska will grow its own operations at LAX in support of the AA partnership. An Alaska official told Routesonline.com this week that in the months ahead, the carrier plans to add several new LAX routes, including Ft. Myers and Tampa, Fla.; Kona and Lihue (Kauai), Hawaii; Bozeman and Missoula, Mont.; Eugene and Medford, Ore.; and Spokane, Wash. Alaska Airlines is expected to become a full member of Americans Oneworld alliance within the next six to eight months. Also in Alaskas plans: New service to Ft. Lauderdale from San Diego and Portland, and from Seattle to Ft. Myers. All the new routes will be phased in from October through December. See the schedule here.

And American now has a new partner on the east coast as well: JetBlue. The two airlines announced this week that their new partnership includes an alliance agreement that proposes codeshare and loyalty benefits that will enhance each carrier's offerings in New York and Boston, providing strategic growth and driving value for customers and team members of both airlines. American said it will add more international service from JetBlues New York JFK hub next year, including seasonal summer flights to Tel Aviv and Athens and winter seasonal service to Rio de Janeiro. Once the pandemic ends, AA said, the new partnership is certain to facilitate American adding new long-haul markets in Europe, Africa, India and South America.

JetBlue, which recently unveiled plans for route expansion at Newark Liberty International (including new Mint transcon flights to San Francisco and Los Angeles starting next week), said it will also grow at JFK and Boston to maximize connections to Americans network. From both New York and Boston, JetBlue plans to enhance service to strategic markets, including those on the east coast, west coast, and in the southeast, the carriers said. Their new code-sharing pact will put JetBlues code onto 60 AA routes and Americans onto 130 routes operated by JetBlue.

American also said that it plans to operate more two-class regional jets starting in 2021, providing the premium experience customers in the Northeast prefer. What about JetBlues previously announced intentions to start flying across the Atlantic? JetBlue is not joining Oneworld or the AA/IAG Atlantic Joint Business Agreement (i.e. Americans partnership with British Airways and Iberia) and will continue with plans to independently launch and operate trans-Atlantic flights to London in 2021, the airlines said. (My prognostication: All three airlines will combine when we come out of this pandemic, likely under the American brand...)

The carriers were less than specific about their plans to extend reciprocal frequent flyer privileges: JetBlue and American loyalty members will also enjoy new benefits while the carriers are exploring additional premium experiences for customers, they said. And what about the prime transcontinental routes like JFK-SFO/LAX where they currently compete? The two airlines didnt say if those would be part of the new code-sharing, but only commented that JetBlue and American will offer customers more options on transcon service from New York to the West Coast. Americans popular three-class service on the Airbus A321T will join JetBlue with its Mint premium experience and thoughtful core seating.

The latest news about airport lounges reopening comes from Alaska Airlines. Currently, the only Alaska lounge open to passengers is in the D Concourse at Seattle-Tacoma International. But the carrier said that effective August 1, it plans to reopen its airport lounges in Anchorage, Los Angeles International, Portland, and Seattles North Satellite. The lounges will feature a number of new virus-preventing features (e.g., replacing newspapers with free online access to digital media), and capacity will be limited based on local restrictions, which in most cases is currently 50 percent, Alaska said. Still no word yet on the fate of the Alaska Lounge at SFO, or when American's new Admirals Club will open there.

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Theres been some debate recently about whether or not keeping the middle seat empty is an effective way to protect passengers against catching COVID-19 in-flight. As we reported earlier, United and American no longer guarantee empty middle seats, while Delta, Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue still do. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said this week customer surveys have shown that his airlines empty-middle-seat guarantee is the number one reason why flyers choose Delta, and he announced that the carrier now plans to extend that policy beyond Sept. 30  although he didnt say for how long. Southwests policy is also in effect through Sept. 30, and JetBlue said this week it now plans to keep middle seats empty at least through Sept. 8. Alaskas website notes that Through September 30, 2020, were limiting the number of guests on our flights and blocking seats, although it didnt specify how many middle seats would be blocked.

Meanwhile, Delta is also cracking down on its in-flight mask requirement. Starting next week, anyone who doesnt want to mask up on a Delta flight cant just say that they cant do it for medical reasons  theyll have to prove it. How? Delta will require them to submit to a virtual consultation with a medical professional at the airport before they will be allowed to board.

In other combating COVID developments, American Airlines just announced that it has introduced touchless check-in at 230 airports, so passengers can get to the gate without touching a kiosk screen, even if they check a bag. Those with luggage to check on a domestic flight can indicate the number of bags on the airlines app or website. When the customer arrives at the check-in kiosk, they can scan the boarding pass on their personal mobile device or one they printed out at home. After the boarding pass is scanned, the kiosk automatically prints the bag tags, all without the customer having to touch the kiosk, AA said.



The latest dismal airline financial news came from Delta this week as it reported a second quarter adjusted pre-tax loss of $3.9 billion. Given the combined effects of the pandemic and associated financial impact on the global economy, we continue to believe that it will be more than two years before we see a sustainable recovery, said CEO Ed Bastian. While the carrier will continue to add capacity during August, it now plans to increase operations by 500 daily flights instead of the 1,000 previously scheduled. In an interview on CNBC, Bastian said that when it comes to corporate travel, he doesnt expect that well ever get back entirely to where we were in 2019 on the volume of business traffic. I do think theres a lot of inefficiency, which we can all appreciate in business travel. The international trips that weve all been on where weve flown over to Europe for a two-hour meeting and flown back, that does nothing but beat you up, and youd certainly be much easily better accommodated over a video call. Ugh. Be sure to check out our post on how all this will affect hotels in our post on Monday.

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Actor Kangana Ranaut has vowed to return her Padma Shri should she be unable to prove the claims she has made about actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death. Speaking to Republic TV, Kangana said that she was summoned by the police in the case.

They (Mumbai Police) summoned me, and I asked them too, that Im in Manali, that you can send somebody to take my statement, but I have not received anything after that. I am telling you, if I have said anything, which I cant testify, which I cant prove, and which is not in public domain, I will return my Padma Shri, Kangana said. I dont deserve it. I am not that person who will go on record (to make such statements), and everything that I have said is in public domain, she added.

Sushant died by suicide on June 14. He was 34 years old and was reportedly suffering from depression. In a couple of videos last month, Kangana had talked about the pressure and rejection he was facing from Bollywood and the media. She blasted blind items written about him in the media and called his death a murder, planned by the movie mafia.

Kangana also quoted Sushants father, his ex-girlfriend Ankita Lokhande and filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor and even read out a few blind items published about Sushant by the media. She said that she never said anything when the media targeted her but confronted a journalist after they spoke against freedom fighter, referring to Rani Laxmi Bai.

Also read: Bulbbul actor Avinash Tiwary has sharp reply to R Balkis find me better actors than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor comment

Sushant Singh Rajputs demise has shaken us but there are people who are running a parallel narrative and saying that he committed suicide because he was depressed. How can a persons mind be weak if he holds ranks in engineering entrances? she asked.

In his last interviews, he is clearly asking why is the industry not accepting him. He felt like a leftover. Do you feel that this does not hold importance in this incident (his demise), she asked. This was not a suicide but a planned murder. The only mistake that Sushant made was to succumb to their planning, she said.

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, however, said on Friday that the police is not suspecting any foul play in Sushants death so far. He also said that there is no need for a CBI investigation in the case.

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Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we intend to prove it. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the weeks events with Dave DAlessandro of the Star-Ledger Editorial Board.

Q. As COVID surges across the country, President Trump is retweeting rumors that the CDC is lying about the coronavirus, while trying to discredit Anthony Fauci, the nations most trusted public health expert. If the primary strategy from the White House is to smear people who try to fight the virus, where is this heading?

Julie: It's heading further down the path on which we are already far along. The United States leads the world in COVID infections and deaths. While other nations have managed to get this virus under control, our approach has led to a raging fire that has resulted in the deaths of over 130,000 people  more than the American death toll in all wars after 1945 combined. Wearing a mask should not be a partisan issue. Listening to scientists should not be a partisan issue. Taking this crisis seriously should not be a partisan issue. And yet, whether it's the president of the United States or his Republican enablers in statehouses across the country, the mantra has been to disregard the danger and get back to normal, which is impossible to do. It would be laughable if it weren't so serious.

Mike: The best chance the president has to be re-elected is simply by doing a good job. The metrics on the economy were very strong for 3-plus years. The most important thing the president can do is use all his power to slow the spread of the virus, which will allow the economy to rebound. Doing a good job, not blaming others, is how incumbents win.

The plan is to have no plan, let thousands of daily deaths become normal, and create massive confusion about who is responsible, in part by fighting with the press when it shows up to be briefed or to ask questions. Don't say "spin." It is way beyond spin. https://t.co/tuPqvW39DO pic.twitter.com/kHKb1FgtiZ  Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) May 4, 2020

Q. Trump is still demanding that schools and day cares fully reopen, but now the polls are showing that his own supporters are skeptical. How will that play out for him?

Julie: I don't care how much you love Donald Trump. Chances are, you love your kids slightly more. And when Trump is forcing Americans to make a choice between keeping his electoral prospects safe and keeping their children safe, even his biggest supporters might think twice. It's not the president's children and grandchildren who are going back to schools where they will be taught in old classrooms or trailers with no ventilation and no social distancing. In fact, I'm pretty sure that no Trump child is going back to school under those conditions this September. That's the biggest face-slap of all  the insistence by the president and some Republican governors that millions of American school children be sent back to schools under conditions to which they would never subject their own families.

Mike: We all want schools to re-open, but it must be done safely. The president should encourage it but be flexible, knowing that going back to school in August in LA or Miami might be unsafe, while it could be safe in Northern Maine or Wyoming. New Jersey will face similar issues in the Fall. Bergen County has 21 times more COVID cases than Cape May County. Hudson County is 60 times more densely populated than Salem County. A one-size-fits-all approach doesnt even work for our small state, so how could it work for a country as large and diverse as America?

Q. Now that hes trailing by double digits, Trump replaced Brad Parscale with Bill Stepien, a fellow you guys know so well, as his campaign manager. Will the campaigns message change in any discernible way?

Julie: I have a lot of respect for Bill Stepiens political skills but he is in an impossible situation. Donald Trump is unmanageable and his message is dictated by Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh or whatever he hears on OANN.

Mike: Hiring Stepien is a brilliant move. He is a superior political operative, the best in the country right now. Hes smart, diligent, low-key, no-nonsense and exceptional at employing analyzing data and deploying the right tactics. Hes exactly the type of person the president needs around him right now. If anyone can steer the Trump campaign back on to a road of success, its Bill Stepien.

Stepien is the best in the business - smart, tough, level-headed. Really good move by the president. https://t.co/2KdTQjdaha  Mike DuHaime (@MikeDuHaime) July 16, 2020

Q. The Legislature approved along party lines Gov. Murphys plan to borrow $10 billion to compensate for revenue tanking. What should we watch for next?

Julie: Under this legislation, the Legislature has veto power over the issuance of individual bonds. Republicans have also threatened to sue. So the governor has a complicated task ahead in actually getting new debt issued.

Mike: Republicans are rightly standing up and must demand the governor and his Democratic allies in the legislature make tough spending decisions right now. Families and businesses across the state are making difficult decisions and cutting costs. They cant max out the credit card or run to the bank to this extreme level. Voters will demand accountability and tough decisions to make spending cuts, not just borrowing, which is the easy way out, passing the buck to future taxpayers.

Heres how experts assess N.J.s plan to borrow almost $10B https://t.co/4GbHJenFJS pic.twitter.com/44m7yYwn7j  njdotcom (@njdotcom) July 16, 2020

Julie: I would believe that New Jersey Republicans shouting loudest about this are remotely sincere if even one of them would speak up about the debt explosion under President Trump, who has borrowed from China and other lenders to fund the PPP and other COVID-related stimulus programs. If it is acceptable for Trump to borrow money because this pandemic has slowed the economy, it should be acceptable for Phil Murphy. I don't mind the moral argument against borrowing but it would be more believable if those banging the drum against New Jersey's borrowing were consistent and not just rooting for the team that wears the same jersey.

Mike: Very different. The US Constitution allows the federal government to deficit spend, and all administrations, Republican and Democratic, do it. The New Jersey constitution does not allow it, same with 48 other states.

Julie: Is it ideological or is it statutory? Because all I've heard is ideological opposition about saddling our children with debt coming from New Jersey Republicans. That makes it a very different argument.

Mike: New Jerseys unemployment rate is almost 17%. Voters wont care about either sides ideology for long. They want leaders to make the same hard decisions they must in hard times.

The Murphy Administration's $10 billion borrowing plan is wacko on steroids. Read my editorial on how the killer combination of debt and tax increases they support will hurt New Jersey taxpayers today, next year, and for decades to come. https://t.co/9QK3u28U44  Senator Steven Oroho (@stevenoroho) July 15, 2020

Q. New Jersey and New York extended their advisories for visitors from dozens of states, who must quarantine if they visit our teeming shores. Gov. Cuomo is actually threatening to fine those who disregard the quarantine, but Gov. Murphy wont take it that far. Given whats at stake, whats the more prudent decision?

Julie: Gov. Murphy has the more rational approach. Good luck to Gov. Cuomo in actually enforcing this rule. Both governors have made clear why those traveling from Florida, for example, are more at risk for spreading the virus than those traveling from less hard hit states. But surely, public resources could be spent in more effective ways than in trying to bust people who lie about their travel histories. The only way this would work effectively is if we mirrored other nations and imposed a national lockdown. Otherwise, everyone is on the honor system.

Mike: I agree with Julie. Gov. Murphy has this right. I hope visitors will act responsibly. But I dont want police roaming the beaches giving out tickets to those who vacation in New Jersey.

Q. Gov. Christie told The Hill that he is pondering a presidential run in 2024, in large part because the Supreme Court has cleared away that Bridgegate matter and that a lot of atmospheric things are no longer in play. Is he right, and is he viable?

Julie: If Gov. Christie believes that Bridgegate is what did him in in 2016, the Supreme Court's decision didn't actually change anything for him. But I actually don't think Bridgegate is what ended his presidential prospects. The ridiculous notion among conservative opinion makers that he somehow helped President Obama's re-election during Hurricane Sandy hurt him a lot more, as did the emergence of Donald Trump, who took Christie's brashness and turned it up to eleven. As for viability, a failed businessman and game show host is now our president. If the Republican Party ever decides to get serious about governing again, I don't see why a two-term governor wouldn't be a viable candidate.

Mike: America and the Republican Party would be well-served with Chris Christie at the helm. He knows how to competently manage a crisis like the one we face now. He has core conservative principles yet is pragmatic and works across party lines to do whats right for the people he serves. Hes tough, smart, inclusive and a strong leader. Where do I get my bumper sticker?

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Dateline Myanmars 1988 Uprising Leaders Found New Party, Rally Voters of All Ages

--

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, Im joined by U Ko Ko Gyi, who was a student leader in the 1998 pro-democracy uprising and has now founded the Peoples Party to contest the 2020 election. I am The Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni.

Both the leaders of the Peoples Party as well as its members are students or student leaders who participated in the pro-democracy uprising in 1988, and the party has garnered significant interest. Since you have been travelling around the country to rally support for your party, what are your expectations? To what extent has your party made preparations for the election and in which constituencies does it plan to contest in the coming general elections?

Ko Ko Gyi: It has been 32 years since the 1988 pro-democracy uprising took place. We established the party with the intention that our 88-generation as well as older and younger generations could come together to realize the demands made in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and continue our unfinished duties. The party is only one-and-a-half years old. While we were trying to rally the support of people and open party offices in regions and states, COVID-19 broke out unexpectedly. Now our organizing work has stalled, and we are only now planning to open party offices. Our party chapters outside Yangon told me that around 100 candidates may run in the election, but we are still scrutinizing the applicants. When this review is over, we will be able to officially announce how many candidates will run and in which constituencies and for which parliaments. For the time being, we are still reviewing.

YN: We heard that you were focused on establishing a policy alliance on your tour. Could you explain more about this?

KKG: As we are travelling across the country [to drum up support for the party], and as now is the time to prepare for the election, one of our tasks is to select the most qualified candidates thorough a careful search. We will also implement a policy alliance regarding ethnic politics.

Here, people should understand not just this political terminology but also its very essence. A policy alliance does not mean a coalition government, which is only about sharing of seats in the Parliament and the cabinet. That would be no more than power politics. Our country does not have much experience with policy alliances. The public notion of an alliance is just the sharing of seats in the cabinet and the Parliament. We are preaching the policy alliance not just for the 2020 election, but we have urged the parties to have a serious discussion about which policies we can cooperate on after 2020.

There are many problems facing the country and some of the significant problems are peace, a federal Union and civil-military relationsthe fact that unelected military appointees are holding seats in the Parliament, and the military is holding key ministries in the government. Because of these issues, we have to continue to work to amend the Constitution. In doing so, rather than speaking only about what changes we want to see, we should discuss how we can cooperate to take a pragmatic and results-oriented approach.

The Rakhine issue is now being labeled as an international issue. Similarly, there are other economic and investment problems. There is a need to create a lot of jobs for the post-COVID-19 period, to take care of migrant workers who have returned to Myanmar, and to rehabilitate businesses impacted by COVID-19. Though [the government] is providing assistance to businesses hit by COVID-19, there is a need to monitor the effectiveness of its assistance programs and adjust them as necessary.

We believe that an individual or an institution or a party alone cant solve all those problems. The idea of a national unity government has a very serious meaning. Our call for creating a political environment in which nationally important figures and institutions can work together to address national-level problems is far more serious than a coalition government, which is just about sharing of power. Thats why we are saying a person and a party alone cant solve all the problems of the country, but we need a national unity government. This is our suggestion to address the long-running problems that we will continue to face.

YN: You talked about civil-military relations, the amendment of the 2008 Constitution and the militarys hold on 25 percent of seats in the Parliamentand you faced the military on the streets during the pro-democracy uprising in 1988. As you run in the election, you will have to face them again on the political front: how would you define the role of the Tatmadaw [military] in what you call the national unity government?

KKG: It is necessary to confront reality. Before 1988, the country was under a one-party dictatorship, which was born out of the military government that seized power in 1962. From 1962 to 1974, the country was under military rule. From 1974, the country was under the rule of a military-backed party. From 1988 to 2011, the country was under the military regime. The military controlled the countrynot just 25 percent but 100 percent. Since the country started to be governed under a constitution, they controlled the country by reserving 25 percent of all Parliament seats.

In other words, the military is retreating gradually. Although it is retreating, they drafted the Constitution so that the remaining 75 percent cannot do as they desire and amend the Constitution without the support of the military. Generally speaking, we have 75 percent of the Parliament seats. It is very important to strengthen this 75 percent in terms of administration.

The military will continue to participate in the national reconciliation government like it is participating now. It currently holds three ministries and the 2008 Constitution says, if the military wants to appoint military personnel to more ministries, they can do so with the approval of the commander-in-chief of defense services. But on the other hand, political parties do not have a say in the peace process unless they have at least a representative in the Parliament.

I will point out what is really important in symbolic politics. Our party also has ethnic members like Shan, Chin, Mon etc. When we say we represent ethnic groups, this is meant generally. In reality, there are ethnic leaders traditionally recognized by their respective ethnic communities. It is necessary to invite them in solving conflicts or national issues. The military will also participate in politics as it does now.

YN: The Peoples Party has recently invited the 1962, 1974, 1988, 1996 and 2009 generations, who grew up under the military regimes, to join the party. What promise will the Peoples Party bring for the new millennium generation, which has grown up in the age of the Internet and social media?

KKG: As far as we know, our generations suffered a lot of injuries. Even in the 1988 generation, there are people who took up arms or who were imprisoned in different jails as they lost their youth under the military regimes. There is a gap between the new generation and us. The new generation is not burdened by the past. They are more pragmatic. They consider what chances the current political situation will bring about. When we were younger, we had to go to old book shops to read old books. However, they have the Internet. They can study or work abroad. They have many opportunities. They have more openness and their horizon is wider.

We need to think about them pragmatically. It is more pragmatic for the leadership of the nation to consider creating education and job opportunities for them. However, we would like to inform them that it is impossible to create such opportunities without taking an interest in politics. Who will emerge as leaders in the elections and what are their visions and attitudes towards the new generation? To elect such leaders, it is important for the new generation to take an interest in politics. It is lopsided if they think only of opportunities without taking an interest in politics. Therefore, I would like to urge, for the first time, voters age 18 or 19 to cast their votes actively by considering everything carefully. If possible, I would like to urge them to engage in politics not just as a voter but also as a person to create opportunities for them, by themselves, despite the 25 or 30-year-old age minimums for running in elections.

YN: Thanks for your contribution!

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Saturday called for a new international mechanism to maintain the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and said Armenia and Azerbaijani should continue peace talks after the latest deadly clashes on their border.

Pashinian met with Armenias Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan and top army generals to discuss the situation at a volatile border section where at least 16 Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers were killed in heavy fighting that broke out on July 12. The military authorities in Yerevan and Baku reported no serious ceasefire violations there for the second consecutive day.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Pashinian again blamed Azerbaijan for what was the worst escalation of the Karabakh conflict since 2016, saying that it was sparked by a failed Azerbaijani attempt to seize an Armenian border post.

Pashinian noted that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stepped up his bellicose rhetoric and threatened to pull out of Karabakh peace talks in the weeks leading up to the flare-up. The Armenian army proved this week that Azerbaijan cannot resolve the long-running conflict militarily, he said.

Pashinian also condemned as a crime against humanity an Azerbaijani threat to launch a missile attack on Armenias Metsamor nuclear power plant.

We all must finally get out of the whirlwind of continuous statements about ceasefire violations and create an international system of credible monitoring of the ceasefire regime, said the Armenian premier. Also, the negotiating process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group presidency should continue, and Azerbaijan should at last adopt a constructive position.

Baku maintains that the Armenian side itself provoked the hostilities by attacking Azerbaijani army positions in the western Tovuz district bordering Armenias Tavush province.

On Thursday, Aliyev again threatened to withdraw from peace talks with Armenia, saying that they have been meaningless so far. He said the U.S., Russian and French mediators co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group should do more to make the talks substantive in addition to trying to prevent truce violations.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the mediators stressed the importance of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow.

Aliyev and Armenias former President Serzh Sarkisian reached agreements on bolstering the shaky ceasefire regime during a series of face-to-face meetings held after the April 2016 hostilities in Karabakh. They specifically agreed to allow the OSCE to deploy more field observers in the conflict zone and investigate truce violations occurring there.

Baku subsequently refused to implement these safeguards against deadly fighting, however, saying that they could cement the status quo. Pashinian did not clarify whether he now wants to revive Aliyevs confidence-building agreements with Sarkisian brokered by the mediators.

Serious skirmishes along the Tavush-Tovuz section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border appear to have largely ground to a halt on Thursday afternoon. A spokesman for Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said on Saturday morning that the situation there remains relatively calm.

An Armenian military spokesman, Artsrun Hovannisian, said Azerbaijani forces sporadically fired small arms overnight. He spoke of a lingering potential for renewed attacks on Armenian troops deployed in the mountainous area.

If they resort to large-scale provocations they will get an adequate answer, Hovannisian warned at a news conference.

Meanwhile, Karabakhs Armenian-backed army claimed to have shot down an Azerbaijani military drone early on Saturday. It released photographs of what it described as an Israeli-made Orbiter-3 drone lying in a field.

Hovannisian said that the reported destruction of the unmanned aerial vehicle does not necessarily mean that fighting could also break out soon at the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact around Karabakh. No major ceasefire violations have been reported from there in recent weeks.
NYK Line will begin the tugboat business at Phu My and Cai Mep ports

The cost of the deal has yet to be disclosed. After the purchase, NYK Line Vietnam will officially start the tugboat business at Phu My and Cai Mep ports in Vietnam, which are the largest ports in the nation in terms of import/export cargo and inbound/outbound vessels.

NYK made this investment decision after considering the tugboat business in Vietnam, a country that has achieved remarkable economic growth in recent years, recognising the potential of this sector for future growth.

In accordance with its medium-term management plan Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green, NYK Group seeks to strategically invest in growth industries and emerging markets and strengthen the groups management resources.

Previously, NYK Line (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. was established in Vietnam as a joint-venture maritime transport agency between NYK (51 per cent) and the Vietnam Ocean Shipping Agency (VOSA) group of companies (49 per cent). NYK purchased VOSAs shares and the Vietnamese government approved the application for NYK Line (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. to become a wholly-owned subsidiary on September 28, 2015.

Thoresen Vinama Tug is a shipping-trading joint venture company. In 2009, it established Thoresen Vinama Logistic focusing on warehouse management and trucking activities via its own trucking fleet in Southern Vietnam.
Lisa Smith and her daughter, Claire, are at odds on how to handle the upcoming school year.

The mother thinks schools students should not return to the school buildings for another year, when the plan is solid for the students, teachers and administration, but her daughter is eager to get back to Bengal Tech at Bassett High School.

My husband and I decided that she will go entirely remotely, Smith said, though she has impression that Claire is not happy about our decision. She misses her friends and the class interaction.

As the 2020-21 school year looms ahead, families are debating about how to return safely, in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most arent confident.

In Martinsville, the original plan was for preschool students to attend four days a week; students in elementary school would attend two days a week; and students in middle and high school would attend one day a week. On Friday that all changed to distance learning.

In Henry County students have the option of going to school two days a week or staying home. Patrick County had a plan and backed away. Students at Carlisle School will return to the classroom.

Or will they? As fast as a school district announces a plan -- Martinsville already has changed twice -- it is adjusting, with both Martinsville and Patrick County Schools now saying their published plans will/may/perhaps will change.

In an online survey conducted by the Martinsville Bulletin, 61% of those responding said schools should not reopen until a vaccine or cure for COVID-19 is found. Some 20% favored a return to school five days a week, and 19% like the hybrid model of some in-school instruction with some at-home learning.

That survey is still open; cast your vote at www.martinsvillebulletin.com. The results are not scientific.

A poll published earlier this week by the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index said 71% of parents feared that sending their kids back to school is risk to their own health and about 51% of respondents that they are either very or extremely worried about their kids returning to class in coming months. About 23% said they were not very concerned or not concerned at all.

All of this has become somewhat political and controversial because the president has said he wants children in schools five days a week, and some Republicans -- including members of the legislative delegation serving Southern Virginia -- have express support for that concept.

But the parents who discussed their positions on this issue with the Bulletin didn't mention politics -- only the well-being of their children.

Each school division as various safety protocols that includes masks, social distancing, bus policies, cleaning and meal distribution. And decisions about extracurricular activities, such as sports, cheerleading, band and other off-hours programming, is being handled as a separate issue.

Against reopening

Damanpreet Narula of Martinsville said she is not comfortable at all in sending her daughter, Amreen, to kindergarten, which she would attend at Patrick Henry Elementary School.

I think they should have been working on a plan in March or April instead of scrambling to figure it out now, Smith said.

Tim Collins of Stuart looked at the situation mathematically:

According to numbers from the Virginia Department of Education Henry County Public Schools has an enrollment of approximately 7,400 students, with Carlisle having an enrollment of approximately 350 students. In such close proximity it will be hard to avoid community transmission, but lets estimate an infection rate of a conservative 5%, or 385 kids. The survival rate of COVID-19 is 98%. So that means conservatively we only lose eight kids to the virus. Those numbers dont reflect teachers, administrators, support personnel or anyone who would happen to visit the school.

Mother of two Jennifer Daughtry of Martinsville pointed out that if the school board is still holding its meetings virtually, it shouldnt be sending the kids and staff back to the classroom.

However, Daughtry is on the fence about possibly letting sophomore Gabe and freshman Kaity return to the classroom. She said she is still very torn on the decision but leaning toward yes.

Once they have a cure, then maybe we can go all the way back to a semi-regular schedule. Until then, virtual is the way, said Jacqueline Portillo of Spencer, the mother of a preschooler and sister of a high-schooler.

The teacher should meet with students every day over the internet, and the platform, whether its Zoom or Class Chat or Google Meets, should be standardized by school systems. Only children needing extra attention should go into school, because one or two kids per class showing up is better than half the class, she said.

Social distancing among children just is not feasible, Portillo said: Like it or not, we as adults are having a hard time not touching things and distancing ourselves. Kids dont know or dont take it seriously. While we may not see anyone, there are others who are going to parties on the reg.

Feeling cautious

Former Bassett High School teacher Nadia Kriger-Sells of Martinsville said that she decided in the spring not to return to teaching because of the pandemic. Her son, Nikolas, was a student at BHS, too.

I didn't have a better plan, but even just surviving homeschooling for a year while things settle somehow was more comforting than believing that the Department of Education and then each district would know how to safely handle thousands of students and the social distancing requirements. I just don't see how it's even feasible, she said.

This school year, Nikolas, will be a sophomore at Christian Academy in Danville with his sister, Katelyn, in third grade, and Tori, in first. WCA is a very small school with strident safety measures, said Kriger-Sells  also though she is still not entirely comfortable with the return to school.

It doesnt matter how careful the parents are if the schools open prematurely, due to the pressure to open, and endanger everyone, especially the teachers, since they are least considered in this mess, she said.

If the schools were closed when there were no known cases in this area, then how on earth are they trying to get us to believe that it's safe to open the schools for in-classroom instruction now when the positive COVID cases only continue to rise? she said.

Susan Henderson, whose granddaughter Tali attends Carlisle School, said shes feeling cautious. Parents must play a big role in cooperating and following guidelines for social distancing, proper handwashing and wearing a mask.

Henderson said that success would require absolutely everyone to work together to try and stay well, and that no parent ever should send a sick child to school. Employers absolutely must cooperate to allow parents to stay home with sick children for that to be possible.

Robin Summerlin, who worked at the hospital for 38 years, said she doubted the possibility of cooperation: Sadly, some will never be as conscientious.

Said Kim Mason of Bassett: Im equally as terrified for their physical health as I am excited for their mental health. We all need routine and structure and friends in our normal day  but weve also never had a pandemic to deal with.

Her daughter Olivia Mason will start her freshman year at Bassett High School, and her son Joseph Garza will enter seventh grade at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School.

I like the flexibility that our school system is offering with their plan, she said. It does give parents a choice to do what they think is best for their family.

The Mason family made the return-to-school decision last month, when local cases were still rather low. As new cases come out, we could still decide at any time if its best for them to do one hundred percent virtual. Such a fluid situation on all ends, its hard to have any concrete answers to anything.

Sarah Myler of Martinsville pointed out that if the schools cant stop keeping the kids apart during lice outbreaks, theyre not going to do any better with this invisible pandemic, and this is much more serious.

There are a lot of unknowns, said Stephanie Correa of Spencer, mother of 12-year-old Jorja. Correa says we should face the fact that this sickness probably is staying around.

How are we going to live with this? she asks. Are we going to permanently stay shut how are we going to be able to survive? Employers definitely need to change their policies to reflect ongoing issues with daycare and school.

Teacher Kristy-Leigh Tatum of Rocky Mount is very much torn about whats the right decision, and I have just put my fears in Gods hands. She said she particularly is worried for her daughter, who has allergies and asthma.

Tatum, who taught last year at Franklin County High School, will teach seventh-grade English for Martinsville Middle School. She has two daughters in Franklin County schools.

Courtney Hanks said the country is "way behind when it comes to modern education," and that's taking its toll now.

She, her husband and her parents work, which makes it hard to support their Henry County student learning at home.

"Trying to keep up with my kid at home is going to become a nightmare. But sending her to school two days a week would disrupt our schedules more than a daily schedule would. But I also currently do not have any other solutions to offer to this issue that would be more feasible," she said.

It will be OK

Deborah Haskins of Ridgeway, the grandmother of students at Axton Elementary, Laurel Park and Fieldale-Collinsville Middle and Magna Vista High Schools, is telling people not to worry.

She has friends who have continued to send their children to school this whole time, and guess what; theyve been fine. With proper cleaning and hand-washing, there has not been any problems.

Holly Kozelsky is a writer for the Martinsville Bulletin; contact her at 276-638-8801 ext. 243.

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Lenore Goldberg

New York

To the Editor:

Your Agenda for Change checklist and the articles behind it have resonated with me. However, I do think one essential brick is missing in the foundation of your thesis: revisiting the large accumulation of programs that we have adopted over time as a nation that have ossified into untouchable entitlements. Whether it be farm and other subsidies, oil and gas incentives, and on and on, there are billions to be reapplied if we have the courage to support elected officials who rework the budget.

Yes, there will painful choices, but there always are when prioritizing. We cant just keep adding and never subtracting; the cumulative burden on society is too great. Couple this effort with your checklist and I would agree that we would be repositioning our nation for another century of prosperity.

Steve Fitzgerald

Fraser, Colo.

To the Editor:

Many of the suggestions on your checklist are good ones. But although providing universal prekindergarten for 4-year-olds and requiring employers to pay for family and medical leave would go a long way toward helping families with children, those ideas do not go far enough. Providing fully funded, high-quality child care for infants and toddlers would significantly strengthen the list.

In many localities, child care is prohibitively expensive. Moreover, the importance of high-quality early childhood care has been documented by research showing that much important brain development occurs during the first three years of a childs life. Lastly, many of the people who do the work of caring for very young children are woefully underpaid.

Universal child care for babies and toddlers would give children a healthy early start, help their parents and ensure that child care providers are properly compensated for their essential work.

Amy Laiken

Chicago

To the Editor:

The Jobs We Need (editorial, July 5) is one of the most well-written and economically, culturally and sociologically important editorials I have ever read. All of your points lend themselves to one key theme: Making the United States a fairer, more just, more hospitable country in which to live is as crucial now as it ever was to our nations future prosperity.

The Golden Rule has been tarnished, but it can  and will  win out in the end. Greed, selfishness and inhumane treatment are running rampant throughout parts of our culture, but these behaviors must cease if we are to become a truly great country again.
OTTAWA  Statistics Canada is working on plans to deliver a contactless census next May if COVID-19 remains a threat.

Officials from the agency said Friday the census day will be May 11, 2021 as planned

But efforts are being made to protect the health and safety of both census staff and Canadians, and any in-person census-taking will respect any applicable health advice such as physical distancing and protective gear.

In a technical briefing given on condition they not be named, the officials said in 2016, almost 90 per cent of Canadians responded to the census without an in-person contact, including online or by mail.

Some of the data collected may also show if there are longer-term changes to Canada as a result of the pandemic such as more telecommuting and other impacts on the labour force.

Statistics Canada Friday published the full questionnaires that will be used for the census, including for the first time questions to count transgender Canadians, veterans and active military personnel and members of Metis groups.

The changes to the 2021 questionnaire come out of consultations with various communities who felt they didnt see themselves reflected in the questions in 2016.

The questions now ask a respondents sex at birth and current gender, which the questionnaire notes may be different from what is on current legal documents.

There is a new question looking for the numbers of Inuit enrolled in Inuit land claims agreements, and another asking about Metis government representation.

The census will also ask about all the ways people commute to work, rather than just the most common way, as the agency tries to suss out how many people ever use forms of active or public transportation versus private vehicles.

Statistics Canada is also no longer providing a list of suggestions of ethnicity on the census form, as it has in years past. Canadas Jewish community was flummoxed after the 2016 census cut its population in half, from 309,000 in 2011 to about 143,000 in 2016.

The change happened after Jewish was dropped as one of the 20 suggested answers on the questionnaire, because it had not been one of the top 20 answers in 2011.

The 2021 question asking about the ethnic or cultural origins of respondents ancestors does not provide any suggested responses, though the agency says it will provide a web page with a long and diverse list of potential responses.

Additionally, Statistics Canada is trying to get information about why people work part time or seasonally for the first time.

Read more about:
Kangana Ranaut, in an interview, said that she would "return" her Padma Shri award if she is unable to prove the claims she has made about actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide. After Sushant died by suicide on June 14, the actress had released a couple of videos on social media accusing several members of the film industry of propagating nepotism.

Read more: Kangana Ranaut will Return Padma Shri if She Can't Prove Her Claims About Sushant Singh Rajput's Death

In the same interview, Kangana Ranaut also claimed that Yash Raj Films head honcho Aditya Chopra allegedly threatened her for rejecting his 2016 production Sultan, which starred Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles. Kangana said that she did not want to work with Khans after delivering a blockbuster in Tanu Weds Manu Returns on her own.

Read more: Kangana Ranaut Claims Aditya Chopra Threatened Her for Refusing Sultan: He Told Me 'You're Finished'

In another news, a section of social media began trolling actress Sonakshi Sinha as soon as her first look from her upcoming film Bhuj: The Pride of India was unveiled on Friday. Sonakshi Sinha is often subjected to trolling on social media, which escalated after she failed to answer a Ramayan related question on Kaun Banega Crorepati last year. She, along with Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor, has also been facing a volley of criticism for riding on the privileges of an insider in the wake of Sushant Singh Rajput's death, with many calling for "a boycott" of their films.

Read more: Sonakshi Sinha's Bhuj: The Pride of India Poster Invites Backlash, Netizens Call For Film's Boycott

A day after R Balki's comment on finding him better actors than Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor went viral, both the actors were among the top trends on Twitter on Saturday. Star kids have been at the receiving end of heavy backlash ever since Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide on June 14. They are being criticised for riding on the privileges of an insider.

Read more: As Nepotism Debate Flares up, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor Trend on Twitter

Meanwhile, if you are looking for a break from the heavy dose of daily news, you can try the ninth and the final season of Suits which is finally available on Amazon Prime Video or the docu-series-cum-reality-show Indian Matchmaking on Netflix, which is about how arranged marriages work in India.

Read more: Streaming Now: Suits Season 9 is Finally Here, Indian Matchmaking Digs Into Desi Weddings
(CNN)  For the first time since March, India is allowing scheduled international flights into the country.

During a press conference on Thursday, Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri confirmed the establishment of "air bubbles" between India and the US, France and Germany.

"Until international civil aviation can reclaim its pre-Covid situation in terms of numbers, the answer lies through these bilateral air bubbles, which will carry as many people as possible but under defined conditions," said Puri.

"Because many countries are still imposing entry restrictions, as are we, it's not that anyone can travel from anywhere to anywhere. You need permission."

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23, with the exception of repatriation flights.

As of July 15, nearly 690,000 Indian nationals have been flown home on these flights, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Puri told media the ministry has already signed an agreement with France. Air France will operate 28 flights on the Delhi-Mumbai-Bangalore sector to Paris between July 18 and August 1.

The minister indicated that Air India will also be operating daily flights between India and France for the rest of the month but added that these plans are subject to change as details are finalized.

As for the United States, he said they've agreed to allow United Airlines to operate 18 flights between India and the US from July 17 to 31. These will include daily flights between Delhi and Newark and thrice-weekly services between Delhi and San Francisco.

Though not yet officially confirmed, Delta is also expected to fly 18 flights from Friday till the end of the month between India and the US, said Puri.

"All these tickets are being sold on a one-way basis," he said. "So, it is not normal commercial operations."

Talks with Lufthansa are almost done, he added, noting they are still working out agreements for flights to and from Germany.

Puri acknowledged there's a huge demand for bilateral air bubbles at the moment, but added that they need to proceed with caution.

"We should do only as much as what our capacity is," he said. "Our health infrastructure, for instance, the number of quarantine facilities -- all states have a mandatory one-week quarantine. So, we must have facilities for that."

Though regulations vary according to the state, those returning to India must observe a mandatory quarantine for a minimum seven days upon returning to the country. (In some states, they allow people to observe home quarantines and in others it varies depending on whether the traveler is symptomatic.)

At the moment, entrance is restricted to Indian nationals or those with Overseas Citizenship of India status, said an official during the press conference. Some foreigners will also be allowed, he added, but that will be subject to restrictions, which he did not elaborate on.

India marked a grim milestone on Friday, passing 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases after its health ministry reported a record 34,956 new infections in just 24 hours.

This story was first published on CNN.com India to resume international flights, confirms air corridors with US, France, Germany
As political bets go, the one Japanas Shinzo Abe made on Donald Trump in 2016 is proving to be a mistake of historic proportions.

No world leader was quicker in getting to Trump Tower in New York to congratulate the U.S. president-elect on a victory few saw coming. Nine days after Trumpas shock win, there was Abe on Nov. 17, reassuring a fearful world not to worry, head be a atrustworthy leader.a

From the start, Prime Minister Abeas visit was a comedy of errors. Japanese diplomats are obsessive sticklers for protocol. Trumpas people were slow to set a time or any choreography for his first post-election tAte-A -tAte with a world leader. Japanese officialdom was livid that Trump brought his daughter Ivanka along.

The real error, though, was Abeas effort to normalize a U.S. leader whoas since taken a wrecking ball to the global economic order Abeas team hoped to preserve 44 months ago. That order gives Japan a seat at the Group of Seven nations table not accorded to Beijing. And at a cost to Tokyo, so far, of more than $2.2 trillion and counting.

The amount referenced here is how much Abeas government is having to spend to revive the economy. To be fair, Japan would be pumping stimulus into the economy even if Trumpas White House hadnat so spectacularly botched its Covid-19 response. But the magnitude of the spending, about 40% of gross domestic product, is a direct result of Trumpas failure and the global financial repercussions.
Among many army drills that defence minister Rajnath Singh witnessed during his visit at the border in Leh on Friday, one was an exhilarating, spine-chilling act of paratroopers jumping off a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft over Stakna in eastern Ladakh. Singh witnessed the paratroopers land while he watched the feat from the ground. Witnessed the Fire and Fury, Singh tweeted out.

In a viral video, which was released on Friday evening, the paratroopers could be seen jumping off the aircraft with no reluctance or inhibition. One of the first paratroopers made the jump, twisted mid-air and waved back to the camera.

Also read: Rajnath Singh watches military exercise by T-90 tanks at 11,000 ft in Leh

The video got the adrenaline rushing in people. Netizens have been awe-struct by the display of courage and heroism. One social media user tweeted out saying, Josh is high. Long live The Indian army !! tweeted another user.

Watch | Stunning visuals of Indian paratroopers jumping out of plane over Ladakh

We Are Ready. Today Fellow Paratroopers tested their routine skills in Ladakh. Jai Hind, tweeted former Special Forces officer Major Surendra Poonia.

Witnessed the Fire and Fury of the Indian Army during the Para Dropping and other military demonstrations at Stakna near Leh today.



Also, I got the opportunity to interact with them. I am proud of these brave and courageous soldiers. pic.twitter.com/WYJzx6z6Sh  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 17, 2020

The daredevil act came as the Indian Army showcased its T-90 tanks and armoured combat vehicles as defence minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation at the border on Friday. Army tanks carried out military exercises in Singhs presence in Stakna, a forward post in eastern Ladakh. Singh later interacted with the personnel and gave an address.

The defence minister landed in Leh on Friday morning and is on a two-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir along with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
AfriKids Ghana, a Child Rights Non-Governmental Organization, under its COVID-19 response project, has undertaken wide spread sensitization programmes on COVID-19 and presented preventive materials as well as food items to some vulnerable communities in 13 districts in four Regions of Northern Ghana.



The project valued at over GH1million was started as part of contributions to complement governments efforts at fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus.



The items included, 570 Veronica buckets, 640 tippy taps, 5,656 alcohol based hand sanitizer, 15,658 facemasks, 24,960 carbolic soap, 12,960 litres of liquid soap as well as 1,155 radio sets with downloaded frequencies, 2,000 bags of five kilograms of rice and 2,000 litres of cooking oil.



The districts are Bolgatanga Municipal, Bongo, Builsa North, Builsa South, Nabdam, Talensi, and Kassena-Nankana West Districts in the Upper East Region, Sissala East in the Upper West Region, Mamprugu Moagduri and Bunkpurugu in the North-East Region and Saboba, Tolon and Kumbungu in the Northern Region.



Speaking at a short ceremony at Pusu-Namongo in the Talensi District to present the items to the beneficiaries, Mr Nicholas Kumah, the Country Director, AfriKids, commended the Stevenson Group, Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Kingdom Afrikids Charity, UK, for funding the project.



The Country Director said the emergence of COVID-19 had truncated most of the flagship programmes of AfriKids Ghana that were intended to be executed in 2020 and therefore the management of the NGO adapted to the situation and fostered a plan to complement efforts to curb the spread of the infectious virus in its beneficiary communities.



Mr Kumah noted that since April, 2020, AfriKids Ghana had been working with various stakeholders including the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service and Department of children and Social Welfare among others to raise awareness about the virus in the 13 districts and how to prevent it from spreading.



We have worked to raise awareness in community and market places on the spread of COVID-19 and preventive mechanisms, hand washing demonstrations and radio discussions on issues about COVID-19. We have so far, 47 jingles in local languages. The target was children, the youth, women groups, traditional authorities, religious leaders, and every other community member in our operational areas, he added.



Mr Kumah said the COVID-19 response project was intended to have direct impact on 87,918 persons, while it further impacts 714,566 persons indirectly within the operational areas and their environs.



He said it is our hope that the items will go a long way to reduce the spread of the disease and with other efforts, bring it to a halt.



Madam Tangoba Abayage, the Upper East Regional Minister, who received the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, lauded the efforts of AfriKids Ghana and its partners for their labors over the years to ensure that the vulnerable especially children lived dignified lives.



She noted that government alone could not provide all the items needed to effectively deal with the spread of the virus and called on the private sector to partner government to fight the pandemic.

Source: GNA









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When he left the military, he entered seminary in 1956 and was ordained at St. Cecilia on May 27, 1961. He served as an assistant pastor at several parishes in Omaha before becoming chaplain at the former Archbishop Rummel (now Roncalli) Catholic High School in Omaha.

In 1982, Schwertley became pastor of St. John the Baptist parish in Fort Calhoun, where he served until his retirement in 1999. The parishs social hall is named in his honor.

Tim Sully, the development director of Omahas Siena Francis House, was an altar boy growing up in Fort Calhoun. He watched as Schwertley devoted much of his time to the heavy lifting of helping alcoholics, drug addicts and others.

He got into addiction counseling through the Omaha Archdiocese, and he was a very popular speaker, Sully said. He was kind and supportive and good and challenging all at the same time.

Mary Muff of Omaha, a longtime friend of Schwertleys, said she met him in the 1970s when she was looking for ways to get help for her alcoholic husband, Bill. Nothing seemed to get through to him, she said.
When Susan Rice announced her endorsement of Joe Biden's presidential bid, the former National Security Adviser under President Barack Obama shared a photo on Twitter.

In it, Biden and Rice are hugging. He comforted her, she said, in the days after her mother died in 2017. The post aimed to display Biden's keen ability, through enduring his own personal tragedies, to empathize with and be compassionate toward others, especially when they're grieving.

As the Biden campaign eyes an early August announcement of his pick for vice president, that photo also serves as a subtle reminder that Rice has experience in the White House and a close working relationship with Biden. It's a fact that could prove vital as Biden decides on a running mate.

PHOTO: Joe Biden and Susan Rice confer as President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi brief the press in the Oval Office of the White House, April 14, 2015, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

"He's seen her not just in good times, but on really hard days," said Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser to Obama. "He trusts her. He would rely on her wise counsel. He would know that even if he disagreed with her he wouldn't have to worry about whether or not she's a team player. She would be."

Rice has foreign policy experience that spans decades, not only as a national security adviser, widely considered one of the toughest jobs in government, but also as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She also served on the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton and as assistant secretary of state for African Affairs within the State Department.

MORE: 'Why not a Black woman?' Consensus grows around Biden's VP

Representatives for Rice said she was unavailable to be interviewed for this piece. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Rice touted her background in getting different federal agencies to collaborate as experience that makes her uniquely suited for the office.

"One needs to bring the government together in common purpose, with an understanding of the budget, how to work with Congress and how to get business and the elements of government harnessed toward shared objectives," she said. "That's what I have done for the bulk of my career."

Story continues

"You've got to take all of those agencies and work a problem in a timely fashion so that you feel comfortable making a recommendation to the president," said a former senior Obama administration official. "And running that process as efficiently and as thoroughly as she did is a real advantage that she has."

MORE: White House blocks CDC director from testifying on schools reopening

"It's not enough to have good ideas or to have the right solutions. If you don't understand how to work across our government to actually make things happen, you're not going to get things done," said Brook Anderson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Rice's former chief of staff during her tenure at the U.N.

Some Democrats worry selecting Rice for the No. 2 spot could resurrect Republican criticism on the handling of the terror attack at the U.S consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

PHOTO: Susan Rice poses for a portrait at her home on Wednesday September 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Following the 2012 attack, Rice, based on intelligence she had at the time, went on several Sunday political television shows and said that the attack was "spontaneous" following protests in the area. The Obama administration later determined it was a premeditated attack.

Congressional investigations, many by Republican-led committees, concluded Rice did not mislead the public with those initial statements. Despite that, some Republicans continued to attack her. Earlier this month, in an interview with Fox News, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Rice of "going on Sunday shows and lying."

Former Obama administration officials who spoke with ABC News characterized the accusations against Rice as unfair and untrue. Philippe Reines, a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton, said invoking Benghazi to count Rice out of the running for vice president "doesn't make sense."

MORE: Service has shaped Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Is her next post in the White House?

"If you really believed it was potent, you would go after [Joe Biden], on it," Reines said. "Using Benghazi is against the VP pick is sort of odd."

Others said the attacks Rice endured proved her resilience.

PHOTO: Susan Rice is seen during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. Rice discussed her book 'Tough Love.' (Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"It was not easy, but she does have a great game face, and she doesn't ever want to be a distraction -- and she realizes that public service is really hard and it's not for babies," Jarrett said. "She realizes it's not about her. I don't think she took that criticism personally, I think she realized that anybody who was close to President Obama was fair game for Republicans to try and abuse."

"She has a lot of experience in becoming a target and having a target put on her back," said a former Rice aide. "And what she does is, she focuses on the work at hand and doing what she thinks is right for our nation."

Biden's campaign is reportedly vetting, among others, Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, along with Reps. Val Demings of Florida and Karen Bass of California. He's under increasing pressure to pick a woman of color.

MORE: Biden campaign invests in diverse coalitions with new campaign hires

In comparison to many of the women thought to be under consideration, most have held elected office. Rice has not.

"Having an executive background isn't the end-all or be-all to doing the job of vice president," said Nadia Brown, a political science professor at Purdue University and author of "Sisters in the Statehouse: Black Women and Legislative Decision Making." "However, it would be atypical for someone to come in without having the modern history version of what we think is the launchpad into the VP seat."

Rice's proponents point to her work on three presidential campaigns as sufficient experience to help the Biden campaign in the run up to Election Day. She was a foreign policy aide to Democrat Michael Dukakis in 1988, she served as an adviser to John Kerry's 2004 bid and worked as a surrogate and adviser to Barack Obama in 2008.

MORE: Democrats look to Texas suburbs to trace a 'roadmap' for courting a changing electorate

"From her work on presidential campaigns, she has deep experience doing the kinds of things that you would do if you were an actual vice presidential candidate," Anderson said.

If she were to be selected, it would be unprecedented -- she'd be the first African American woman on a major party ticket in November -- and she could face unprecedented scrutiny.

"That's just part of the responsibility -- I don't think she looks at it as a burden," Jarrett said." She looks at it as an opportunity to comport herself in a way where people would say, 'The first African American woman was an extraordinary vice president.' And does that come with a lot of additional headwinds because you're the first? Sure it does. But she's up to it."

Susan Rice has spent years in the White House. Could she make a return as vice president? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
European Union leaders were locked in intense negotiations on Saturday evening in an attempt to save a summit on the terms of a 750bn pandemic recovery fund from an acrimonious end as the debate over the blocs financial future became heated, The Guardian reports.

A second day of talks in Brussels saw Polands prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, publicly accuse the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden of being misers while the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, claimed the Dutch were trying to rewrite the EUs rules.

The leaders are split over both the size of a recovery fund and the seven-year budget due to start next year. There is also stark division over the nature of the conditions attached to the emergency funding and the balance between grants and loans on offer to countries hit by the crisis, The Guardian informs.
The youth, who was tonsured by a little-known right-wing outfit  Vishwa Hindu Sena  in protest against what Nepal Prime Minister had said about Lord Ram has told the police he was paid Rs 1,000 by the outfit for agreeing to get his head shaved.

A statement issued by the Varanasi police said the youth, Dharmendra Singh, has an Indian voter ID card and lives in a government quarter, the Times of India reported. Fact Checker News Mobile quoted SSP Amit Pathak as saying that the incident was staged and the news about the assault was untrue.

Earlier, it was reported that the fringe outfit had assaulted a Nepali National and tonsured him in response to Nepal Prime Minister's remarks over Lord Ram.

The police, meanwhile, have so far arrested six persons involved in the incident . The main accused, Arun Pathak, founder of the Vishwa Hindu Sena, is absconding.

The arrested persons were identified as Santosh Pandey, who shot the video of head shaving, Ayush alias Ashish Mishra, Raju Yadav, Amit Dubey, Rajesh Rajbhar and Jai Ganesh Sharma, who shaved the head of the youth.

Uttar Pradesh DGP HC Awasthi had ordered a "senior officer" of Varanasi to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

According to the Varanasi police, a case was registered at the Bhelupur Police Station regarding the incident of tonsuring, and raising of offensive slogans, the video of which had went viral.
Thanks to the U.S. Small Business Administrations Payroll Protection Program, Butte and Anaconda nonprofits and businesses were able to obtain relief funds to compensate for COVID-19 hardships.

The program is part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES, which was signed into law March 27 and designed to help American businesses during the nationwide COVID-19 shutdown.

In Butte, 582 businesses and nonprofits received funds, keeping 6,352 workers on the job. In Anaconda, the number of businesses was 115, with 1,548 jobs saved.

The SBA did not provide business names for loans less than $150,000, but names of businesses given more than $150,000 were released.

In Butte, a total of $19,173,560.15 was awarded to 514 businesses and nonprofits. A total of $3,026,188.69 was loaned to 103 Anaconda businesses.

The government agency released the information last week and emphasized SBA was committed to ensuring that any release of PPP loan data does not harm small businesses or their employees.

Loans of $150,000-$350,000 were awarded to 41 Butte businesses and nonprofits, with 20 more receiving $350,000 to $1 million. Five businesses received from $1 million to $2 million, and two received $2 million to $5 million loans. Those loans totaled $22.15 million to $54.35 million

In Anaconda, four businesses received loans of $150,000 to $350,000. Two businesses got $350,000 to $1 million, with one getting $2 million to $5 million, and another receiving a $5 million to $10 million loan. Money received by these eight businesses was between $8.3 million and $18.4 million.

Topping the Butte list was Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services, Inc., which employs 485, and REC Silicon, with 205 people on the payroll. Each received $2 million to $5 million.

The loan program could not have come at a better time for Mike Thatcher, chief operating officer for CCCS.

As a nonprofit, the criteria fit us well, he said.

CCCS is an organization that works within the correctional system to provide opportunities for treatment and education in lieu of incarceration.

CCCS had no reserves to rely on during the early stages of the pandemic and Thatcher said he feared the company could go the way of the Titanic.

We literally would have had to lay off 50 to 60 employees if we had not gotten the loan, he said. Our sustainability was at risk.

While the past few months have been challenging for the company, and stressful, too, with roughly 20% of the workforce needing to work from home, Thatcher is crossing his fingers and hoping for the best.

Were not out of the woods yet, said Thatcher. My hope is the virus doesnt escalate and a vaccine is found.

Julie Jaksha, regional director for Buttes Small Business Development Center, is thankful the program has helped so many Butte businesses during a difficult time and calls it a great investment.

As regional director, she has talked to several Butte business owners who viewed the funds as a godsend. Some told Jaksha they would have closed their doors without the loan and more than likely would not have reopened.

These loans were enough to weather the storm, Jaksha said.

For Zac Yates, general manager at Yates Body Shop, his main concern is his 15 employees. He was bound and determined that all employees keep their jobs

We jumped on the opportunity to get the loan, he said.

With the help of the loan, the long-standing body shop has been able to stay afloat and keep its employees.

Yates described present-day as a time of uncertainty, but has faith that although it will take some time, a sense of normalcy will return.

Its just our reality right now, he said.

Approximately 15 jobs at Action Inc.s weatherization program were saved due to the federal loan.

According to Don Foley, chief financial officer, the furloughs definitely hurt the nonprofit.

The loan allowed us to bring them back, said Foley, who had feared some of the highly trained workers would find jobs during the interim.

Community Hospital of Anaconda, with 400 employees, received $5 million to $10 million, and AWARE Inc., which employs 500 people, received a $2 million to $5 million loan.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort was another one of the Anaconda businesses that benefited.

According to general manager, Steve Luebeck, the loan enabled the company to continue operating.

It pretty much saved us in the months of April and May, Luebeck said.

Following Gov. Steve Bullocks stay-at-home directive in March, Fairmont was empty of hotel guests, but that didnt stop the power and insurance bills from coming.

Those bills kept rolling in and needed to be paid whether we were open or not, Luebeck said.

In addition, canceled reservations were piling high.

The loan enabled the general manager to keep some of his staff working and pay the bills, too.

That was a blessing, he said.

According to the Small Business Administrations website, these PPP loans may be fully forgiven if the federal relief funds are being used to maintain the number of employees and their salary levels, mortgage interest, rent and utilities.

Otherwise, the loans have an interest rate of 1 percent, and payments are deferred for six months.

The program was recently extended and applications are now being accepted through Aug. 8.

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Holidaymakers have been reassured that refund credit notes (RCNs) are protected under a government guaranteed scheme.

Ministers have finally confirmed that these refund promises are secure even if a travel company goes bust.

RCNs were handed out by many holiday companies at the beginning of the pandemic as global travel was suspended.

The credit notes allowed customers to book another holiday or be eligible for a refund once the RCN had expired.

They were popular among travel firms because it meant they did not have to find the cash for thousands of refunds. By law anyone whose package holiday is cancelled has the right to a full cash refund within 14 days.

Until now, it has been unclear whether RCNs would be honoured if a company went into administration.

The Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have now confirmed that RCNs are protected under the Atol scheme, which is government-guaranteed and administered by the CAA.

It will apply to all relevant coronavirus-related RCNs issued by Atol holders operating within the UK between 10 March and 30 September. All refunds will be honoured and paid from a central fund, even if the provider goes bust.

READ MORE: Twitter hack: 130 accounts targeted in cyber attack

"This is not only good news for anyone looking to get away for a break in the sun, but also for the aviation and travel sector which has been hit hard by the pandemic," said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

"It's providing more flexibility, with the government standing behind the consumer and also the travel companies," he told the BBC.

But customers money will not be secure if they accept vouchers instead of RCNs because they are not Atol protected.

Some travel firms have been offering vouchers worth more than the original booking, to encourage customers not to request cash.

In May, Specialist Leisure Group, which included the tour operator Shearings, collapsed into administration with 2,500 jobs lost overnight.
A day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed community transmission of coronavirus in two coastal villages, the state's health minister KK Shailaja has said that community spread in COVID-19 clusters is more than 50 percent.

Emphasising the need to prevent cluster formation and community spread of infection, she told news agency ANI that there are 84 clusters in Kerala inside which local transmission is over 50 percent, adding that the same is below 10 percent outside the clusters.

The minister said the government is trying to break the chain of transmission from one cluster to another and is thoroughly locking the clusters.

Track this blog for LIVE updates on the COVID-19 pandemic

On July 17, a day when Kerala recorded its highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases, Vijayan said that in areas like Poonthura and Pulluvila (coastal villages), the state had reached the community transmission stage.

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

Kerala's total coronavirus case tally stands at 11,066 as per the latest update on July 18, with an active case count of 6,033.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), community transmission "is evidenced by the inability to relate confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases, or by increasing positive tests through sentinel samples (routine systematic testing of respiratory samples from established laboratories)". To simplify this, reaching a community transmission stage means the source of the infection/contagion is not known. So even those with no known history of travel to affected areas or without any history of contact with affected people could contract the infection.

India has stood firm in its denial of community spread of coronavirus. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also reiterated earlier this week that there is no community transmission of the novel coronavirus in India, in the current situation. This, even as the country has over 1 million cases of COVID-19 against its name.
Every year, several Ghanaian women migrate to Lebanon in search of work to help their families back home or to better themselves. The opportunity in Lebanon is seemingly unmissable.



Advertised as a sponsorship that helps a person grow financially through employment, the Kafala system, could convince someone unsuspecting young women that greener pastures are in the Gulf State.





The stark reality, however, is that Kafala system couldnt be farther from the truth as it is a gateway to modern-day slavery; an opportunity for employers to exploit migrant workers.



Workers in the Kafala system have no rights. Their identification documents such as passports are held by agents who assign them to families. Their immigrant worker visas will be revoked if they choose to run. They are owned by their agents and employees, subject to anything and everything.





Sarah, a 26-year-old Ghanaian woman who once threaded beads for shoes and jewelry in Ghana unfortunately fell victim to this system making her a slave. She only recently managed to escape from that kind of bondage with the help of a charity.



This is her story.



I work [in] a lot of houses. The first day, when I came there, they [first family] received me good, with the husband they were good to me. Only [after] one week, they change if you make any mistake she will use her shoes to beat you. There were too much.



You will not sleep. If she is coming to wake you up she will use her shoes to wake me up. So I decided to run. I ran from the house.



After she ran from her first domestic job, her agent assigned her a new family. This time it was horrific.





So I went to another family from there. My office, they gave me some woman. I went there to work too. There was sexual harassment, it was too much.



One of my madams brothershe wanted to sleep with me. He told me, this is $20, take and let me spend my night with you. I said no. I didnt come here because of sex and money. The next day he came when I was in the bathroom scrubbing. He came naked, he didnt wear anything.



He holds a knife and doing like this, she drew her hand across her neck.



and he said do you know this? I said knife. So he put it on my neck and told me if you tell my sister, I will kill you. Here is a cemetery, I will kill you in the night and throw you there. No one will know that its me.



So I was quiet and listened to him. He told me from today, every day I have to suck your breasts. I have to do this. I have to do this.



That day I cried. I cry. I dont have anybody to talk to.



Today when I am suffering here there is no parent. There is no one to encourage you.





I dont even want to remember because what this guy did to me, it was very painful. It was very painful.



Sarah says she only went to Lebanon to make money to invest in her beads business back in Ghana but after her ordeal, she went for nothing.



Had she known that her experience in Lebanon would have been full of physical, sexual, and mental abuse, she probably would have remained in Ghana.



Now, however, after escaping the grasp of her employers in Lebanon she has managed to find hiding in Beirut.



Sarah wants to discourage anybody, woman or man from making arrangements to migrate to Lebanon for work, especially under the Kafala system.



They take us as slaves. I know maybe by now some people are still arranging themselves to come. They shouldnt come because this journey is do and die. Its a very, very serious case. They shouldnt come. This is not a good thing to do, she said.













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Like many of their colleagues, GOP Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Dan Sullivan of Alaska posted tributes to Rep. John Lewis on Saturday and included photos of themselves with the civil rights icon who died Friday. Rubio even made the image his Twitter profile picture.

There was just one problem. The photos they each posted were of Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died in October.

"It was an honor to know & be blessed with the opportunity to serve in Congress with John Lewis a genuine & historic American hero," Rubio tweeted with the photo of himself and Cummings.

"It was an honor to have served alongside John for a small portion of his impressive career of service, and to have joined him at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a years-long effort of the congressman," Sullivan wrote on Facebook with the photo of himself and Cummings outside the museum.

Twitter

The response on Twitter was a mix of anger and ridicule, with many users posting photos of various white Republican congressmen and labeling them Rubio, whose blunder happened first. Others chided the senators for the faux pas of mixing up two people of color, especially given that they had interacted with both of them in person.

Rubio and Sullivan weren't the first to mix up the two men. It happened so often that Lewis even mentioned it in a tribute to Cummings on the House floor after his death.

"Sometimes people would confuse us and say, 'Hello, Elijah' to me or 'Hello, John Lewis' to him," Lewis said. "And we would joke about it, we would laugh about it."

Both Fox News and CBS have used photos of one when speaking about the other in their broadcasts.

In June 2019, Fox News aired a clip of Lewis and identified him as Cummings. Then, two months after Cummings passed away in October, CBS aired a segment about Lewis's cancer battle and used a photo of Cummings.

Both networks apologized.

About 20 minutes after Rubio posted the Cummings photo, he deleted it and replaced it with a video of himself and Lewis at a Martin Luther King Day event in 2017.

"Earlier today I tweeted an incorrect photo," Rubio wrote. "John Lewis was a genuine American hero. I was honored to appear together in Miami 3 years ago at an event captured in video below." He added, "[May] God grant him eternal rest."

Sullivan did not address his mistake. Instead, he removed the photo and deleted the reference to being with Lewis at the museum opening.
He said there have been rumblings about changing the nickname from time to time over the years, but that until last month it had never been discussed as an agenda item at a public meeting.
India said the country's total confirmed cases has surpassed one million, the third-highest number behind the United States and Brazil, and its death toll reached more than 25,000. That followed Brazil's announcement on Thursday evening that its confirmed cases exceeded two million, including 76,000 deaths.

Governments are frantically trying to prevent and put down outbreaks and keep their economies running as the pandemic accelerates. Worldwide, confirmed cases numbered more than 13.8 million yesterday and Covid-19 deaths totalled more than 590,000.

Yesterday, Israel reimposed sweeping restrictions to tackle a new surge in coronavirus cases in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "interim steps" to avoid another general lockdown.

Stores, malls, barber shops, beauty salons, beaches and tourist sites will also be closed on weekends. Public gatherings will be limited to 10 people indoors or 20 outside.

Japan's capital recorded a single-day record number of new coronavirus cases for a second consecutive day yesterday with 293 cases confirmed. Tokyo was taken off a list of places where discounts are offered under a government scheme to encourage domestic tourism.

The recent infections have triggered concerns that the government moved to ramp up the Japanese economy too quickly. Many governments have been rolling back reopenings and tightening restrictions to try to stave off more waves of new cases.

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, yesterday announced increased pandemic restrictions after detecting eight new Covid-19 cases in a cluster that began in a Sydney pub and was traced to a visitor from Melbourne. Around 42 cases have since been linked to that cluster.

The continuing surge of new cases in India drove home concerns over the readiness of some countries to cope with outbreaks that could overwhelm hospitals and test feeble healthcare systems. The government ordered a week-long lockdown in the technology hub of Bangalore after confirmed cases there increased exponentially.

"The acceleration in cases remains the main challenge for India in the coming days," said Dr Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute.

The coronavirus deluge in parts of the US produced more record numbers of confirmed infections and deaths in the South and West.

Texas reported 10,000 new cases for the third consecutive day and 129 additional deaths. A third of its more than 3,400 total Covid-19 deaths came in the first two weeks of July.

Florida reached another ominous record, with 156 virus deaths, and a staggering 13,965 new cases.
On July 4, Maharashtra had recorded 2 lakh cases of Covid-19. Within 14 days, the state has added another 1 lakh cases, taking its tally to 3,00,937 cases on Saturday. Although Mumbai crossed 1 lakh cases on Saturday, the pandemic curve has plateaued in the city, which has contributed only 19% of the cases in the most recent surge. However, districts such as Thane, Raigad, Pune and Nanded are now major contributors to the spread of Covid-19 in the state.

Till May, Mumbai constituted almost 60% of the total cases recorded in Maharashtra. But gradually, the city started reporting constant numbers of daily cases below 1,500, which helped flatten the pandemic curve in Mumbai. The city was the epicentre, but now the wave has spread to other districts, said Anup Kumar Yadav, commissioner (family welfare) and director, National Health Mission, Maharashtra.

Mumbai now accounts for 33.8% of Maharashtras Covid-19 cases and the remaining 66.2% cases have been reported from elsewhere in the state. After Mumbai, Thane has recorded the maximum cases of Covid-19, with its tally rising from 45,833 cases on July 4 to 71,345 on July 14. As per data from the state government, 92,525 new Covid-19 cases have been recorded between July 4 and 17 in Maharashtra.

An analysis of all 36 districts in Maharashtra shows Covid-19 cases in Raigad have increased from 5,585 to 10,548 in the last 13 days  an 88.8% rise and the highest in the state. This is followed by Nanded, which recorded an 87% surge with its caseload increasing from 388 to 726 in the same period. Cases in Pune have increased from 26,956 on July 4 to 49,037 on July 17, marking an 81.9% rise.

The pandemic curve may have plateaued in Mumbai, but it is at its peak in other districts. Our main priority is to get more oxygen-supported and intensive care unit (ICU) beds. Also, despite the rise in number of cases, we have been able to keep a check on the mortality rate, said state health minister Rajesh Tope.

Experts have identified several reasons for this gradual increase in the number of cases. First, in mid-May, migrant workers from Mumbai, Pune and neighbouring states returned to their home regions, often without properly-conducted tests. District health officers have complained that many ignored quarantine rules and thus spread the infection. The returning workers dont trust us and often try to run away from quarantine centres. If we keep them in home quarantine, they dont follow social distancing, said Dr AR Gita, district health officer, Aurangabad.

Another reason is that after the lockdown was relaxed from June 3, the infection spread from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to other regions through people travelling to and from Mumbai. MMR has a large population, so it was expected that cases would increase with lockdown relaxation, said Tope.

Health officials also pointed to increased testing as a reason for more recorded cases of Covid-19. Dr Sanjay Mukerjee, secretary of the medical education and drugs department said the state at present has 124 testing laboratories with a daily testing capacity of 40,000 samples. On July 16, we did over 36,500 tests in a day. We have tested more than 15 lakh people, which is a 40% rise over the last three weeks. With increased testing, the number of patients diagnosed with Covid-19 will rise naturally, said Mukerjee.
The operation to remove the submerged vehicle from Courtown harbour gets under way

The weekend proved to be a very busy time for Courtown Arklow Coast Guard Unit, by far its busiest of the year so far.

Beginning on Friday (July 10) at 7.30 p.m., the unit responded to an incident involving a submerged vehicle in Courtown Harbour.

The team were involved in assisting a Jeep which got into difficulty when it was retrieving a jet ski from the water.

The driver lost traction on the slip, and the vehicle entered the water.

The driver exited the vehicle with no injuries and the vehicle was then recovered allowing the slipway to be reopened.

A number of bystanders witnessed this incident, and the team were assisted by Courtown RNLI Lifeboat and local Gardai.

Following this, Saturday proved to be a busy day when the unit was tasked to assist the National Ambulance Service at Courtown woods just after midday.

A faller was recorded just north of the 'Old Bar' and the injured party suffered minor back injuries, before being transferred to a stretcher and transported to the waiting ambulance.

Later that evening, at 5 p.m., the unit were tasked to Curracloe, Wexford to search for a missing child alongside the Rosslare Lifeboat, Rescue 117 and the Gardai. The child was quickly located safe and well and the unit were stood down en route and returned to base.

Just over two hours later, the Unit were tasked to assist in locating a stricken yacht with a broken mast somewhere between Wexford harbour and Wicklow.

The vessel was located roughly one kilometre east of Kilmichael Point by Rescue 116 and then taken under tow by the Arklow Lifeboat, brought back to Arklow Harbour. The customs vessel 'Faire' which was moored in Arklow also assisted in the search.

Officer in charge of the Courtown/Arklow Coast Guard Unit David Swinburne said that it had been the busiest weekend they had ever had, but thankfully the operations were successful.

He said that the focus is now on tracing the whereabouts of missing person Deirdre Redmond from Gorey.

The Unit began searching for Deirdre at 12.30 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, and again at 6.30 a.m. yesterday (Monday, July 13).

The Courtown RNLI Lifeboat also assisted in this search, concentrating on the area between Saleen Beach and Roney Point at Ballymoney, after the last sighting of Deirdre was reported there.

The teams ask that if you see someone in difficulty on or near the water dial 112/999 and ask for the Coast Guard.
UPDATE: Easton shooting victim out of the hospital, cops searching for gunman

A man was shot Friday afternoon on South Sixth Street between Ferry and Lehigh streets, Easton police report.

The call came in just after 5 p.m., but there were initially two locations where officers responded -- the 100 block of South Sixth and 15th and Northampton streets.

A car is towed from North 15th Street near Northampton Street in Easton after a shooting on South Sixth Street.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Wilson Borough police were dispatched to a gas station there just west of the Easton border for a shooting victim but soon learned it was a city case, borough Chief Chris Meehan said. A blue Ford Taurus was towed from the Easton side of 15h Street just north of Northampton Street.

The victim eventually made it to an area hospital and it was believed his wounds were survivable, police said.

Witnesses told police the gunman was wearing a white tank top, a news release said.

An Easton police detective records evidence after a shooting July 17, 2020, on South Sixth Street.Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

A man sitting on his porch on the first block of South Sixth said he heard a single gunshot and it didnt take city police more than a minute to get there. It was pretty quick. The Easton native has lived for four or five years on the transitional block between the Downtown and the West Ward and said he hears gunshots all the time.

The crime scene appeared to be up the hill and closer to Lehigh Street. Most of the focus was on the east side of the street near an SUV, although there was blood on the other side of the street and several feet to the south.

An Easton detective record evidence July 17, 2020, after a shooting on South Sixth Street.Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Officers began to take down crime scene tape about 6:15 p.m.

The victim and many witnesses were not cooperative with investigators, police said. If anyone has information on the shooting or witnessed it, they are asked to call Detective Chris Miller at 610-250-6656. Anonymous tips can be left at 610-250-6635.

Easton police on July 17, 2020, block off the block of South Sixth Street between Ferry and Lehigh streets following a shooting.Tony Rhodin | For lehighvalleylive.com

There have been two homicides recently in the city as the late spring and early summer has seen its share of violence.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.


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Mali's protest movement on Friday pressed on with a demand for embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to quit, as international mediators tried to defuse the crisis in the insurgency-riven country. At a press conference in the capital Bamako, the June 5 Movement also insisted that the West African state's parliament be dissolved, and called for a "republican transition" from the current government. The move came during soaring political tensions in Mali, which a delegation from the 15-nation West African regional bloc ECOWAS is trying to calm. The June 5 Movement has triggered a show-down with the government with unflinching demands that Keita resign over his perceived failures in tackling the dire economy and Mali's eight-year jihadist conflict. After staging several anti-Keita protests last month, the latest rally, on July 10, turned violent and deepened the political impasse. Three days of clashes between protesters and security forces ensued, leaving 11 dead and 158 injured, according to an official tally, in the bloodiest bout of political unrest in years. The June 5 Movement -- a disparate alliance of political, social and civil-society leaders -- has stuck to its core demand and rejected conciliatory gestures from the president. ECOWAS mediators met Keita on Friday, according to a statement from the presidency. They also met influential imam Mahmoud Dicko -- who is viewed as the de facto leader of the movement despite not being a formal member. "We really spoke as brothers and Africans and I hope that, inshallah (God willing), something will come out of this that will give Mali back its greatness," he said. - Impasse - One of the June 5 Movement's leaders Ibrahim Ikassa Maiga restated the demand that Keita resign at the press conference on Friday. He also read from a statement entitled "note on exiting the crisis," which urged the international community to lean on the president to step down. Mali's allies and neighbours are keen to avoid the fragile Sahel nation of some 20 million people sliding into chaos. Swathes of the country lie outside of government control because of a jihadist insurgency that began in the north in 2012, and has since claimed thousands of lives and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. ECOWAS mediators, who have been in Mali since Wednesday, continued to hold meetings between the warring parties. On the agenda is the March-April parliamentary election, the disputed outcome of which many analysts say is the root of the current crisis. The United Nations high commissioner for human rights on Friday also urged both sides in Mali to show restraint, warning of escalating tensions. Keita appears unlikely to offer his resignation, however, despite the opposition's insistence. Mali's Prime Minister Boubou Cisse condemned the deaths of protesters in an interview with French media on Thursday, but added that Keita's resignation was "inconceivable" since he had been elected. The 75-year-old president came to power in 2013 to hopes that he would turn the country around. Despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops in the country, jihadist insurgents have swept into central Mali, as well as into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. For its part, the June 5 Movement appears to have heeded earlier calls for de-escalation. On Wednesday, it scrapped a mass prayer rally scheduled for Friday in honour of recently-killed protesters and urged Malians to commemorate the dead in mosques instead. The rallies have turned violent and deepened the political impasse
- Iya Villania has finally given birth earlier this morning on Saturday, July 18 at The Medical City

- She and her husband Drew Arellano announced the big news about their unica hija on their respective social media accounts

- Drew even uploaded a cute baby photo of their unica hija and even shared their daughter's name to the public in his post

- The celebrity mom also thanked God for her successful delivery in one of her posts online

- It can be noted that the actress expressed her worries about having a daughter in one of her latest interviews

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Iya Villania and Drew Arellano have finally welcomed their unica hija on Saturday, July 18 at The Medical City.

Following this news, KAMI learned that Drew even shared a photo as well as the name of their baby girl on his social media account.

The celebrity mom also posted several stories about giving birth to their third child online.

Photo from Iya Villania's Instagram

Source: Instagram

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In his online post, Drew shared the name of their unica hija to the public, "ALANA LAUREN V. ARELLANO. July 18, 2020."

Furthermore, Iya also shared a couple of Instagram stories about her birth journey with one post showing her at the hospital at 4 in the morning.

The Kapuso artist could even be seen sporting a face mask and face shield to keep herself safe amid the pandemic.

Screenshots from Iya Villania's Instagram

Source: Instagram

The celebrity mom thanked God for helping her get through her pregnancy.

"Thank you, Lord. Delivery is hard. Thank you Lord for getting me thru that once again," she wrote.

Screenshots from Iya Villania's Instagram

Source: Instagram

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Iya Villania is one of the most gorgeous celebrity moms in the Philippines. She is currently married to television host Drew Arellano. They tied the knot on January 31, 2014.

She made headlines during her pregnancy with her third child when she posted a video of her 16-minute workout routine online.

Her 'toilet' photo with her children Primo and Leon Arellano also went viral on social media after the celebrity mom shared how she assists her children.

POPULAR: Read more news about Iya Villania

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
'No money changes hands - it's all about making someone you don't know happy. It really restores your faith in humanity,' says The Repair Shop presenter Jay Blades

Stopped clocks, dog-eared toys these broken but much-loved possessions have become primetime TV stars. Eimear OHagan finds out how must-watch series The Repair Shop is helping the nation feel good again

For its six and a half million viewers, The Repair Shop has proved to be the perfect escape from the anxiety and monotony of lockdown, with its gripping combination of master craftsmanship and deeply personal stories.

The BBC TV programme, where members of the public bring much-loved but broken family heirlooms to be repaired and restored by a team of experts, has been captivating an ever-growing audience (prior to lockdown just under three million viewers were tuning in) since it launched in 2017. But its never struck such a chord as during recent months, with the current series being brought to our screens early to satisfy demand.

As a nation weve been glued to every episode, weeping at the emotional stories behind each dilapidated treasure, gasping at the incredible restorations and well, weeping again with joy for the overwhelmed owners.

Presenter Jay Blades, 50, who has a background in furniture restoration, says its become must-watch viewing for so many in lockdown because its a show founded on the principles of community, humanity and kindness.

Its about so much more than just fixing stuff, he says. Its about coming together to help others  reflecting what weve seen in lockdown, with people out clapping for the NHS and helping one another through this time.

No money changes hands in the repair barn  its all about altruism and making someone you dont know happy. It really restores your faith in humanity.

From careworn teddy bears to irregular clocks, a diverse collection of treasured possessions has been brought to the workshop, housed in a thatched barn in West Sussex, clutched by nervous contributors preparing to entrust the experts  who range from a ceramicist to a carpenter  with their irreplaceable item.

Its a huge responsibility, says Jay. We all recognise the faith being placed in us because, while the items may not be valuable in a monetary sense, to their owner they are priceless. To them, its more than a possession  theyre bringing us a member of their family. The item has been passed down through generations and if the team can work its magic, it will be around for future ones to treasure. So much rests on the experts skills and care.

When a restored piece is handed to its owner, I struggle to hold back my emotions. Its such a privilege to witness the joy of the owner and the bond formed in that moment between them and their expert, who has poured so much love into their work. For ever more  when that person looks at that item, uses it, talks about it  our team has become part of its history and part of their family.

For Jay, who is father to daughter Zola, 13, the premise of the show resonates on a very personal level. Five years ago, his marriage broke down and he left his family home, temporarily sleeping rough in his car. Hes described that time as hitting rock bottom, admitting he came close to taking his life. To now find himself fronting a primetime BBC show is, he says, surreal. Five years ago, I couldnt see tomorrow, so to be part of this show now is just amazing. And, like the items brought in for repair, I had fallen apart, I didnt see a future for myself. But I had a team of friends around me, who restored me and gave me a new lease of life.

So what does it take to be part of the team of expert restorers and how does it feel when one of your most precious items has been restored?

Im incredibly protective of every repair

Suzie with her brother, clock expert Steve Fletcher

Suzie Fletcher is a master saddle maker and leather worker, and part of The Repair Shops team of experts I wish I could tell my 13-year-old self that a broken saddle would one day lead me to a career in television. My grandpa bought me my first pony and Id saved hard to buy a saddle, only for its frame to break. I was devastated when the local saddle maker, a man called Ken Langford, told me it was beyond repair, but when he suggested I take it home, take it apart and at least learn from it, I did. That was it; my lifelong passion for saddles and tack was born. To me, saddles are both pieces of art and engineering, and are practical and beautiful at the same time.

Ive loved leather ever since I was a little girl and I took a scrap of it from the floor of a local factory where my parents bought their gloves. Its smell, the way it felt in my hand  I was captivated, and made a tasselled waistcoat from it for my Sindy doll.

I left school at 16 and moved from my home in Oxfordshire to East London where I spent two years studying at saddlery college. I am dyslexic and had struggled at school, so nobody was surprised Id chosen a non-academic path, although I remember having to explain to my headmaster what a saddler actually was.

After college I trained with Ken, and a number of other master saddle makers, before leaving the UK to live in the US for 22 years, settling in Boulder, Colorado, and marrying my late husband. I was one of just five master saddle makers in the whole country at the time.

My brother Steve, who is the clock specialist on The Repair Shop, was responsible for me joining the shows team. We grew up in a very crafty home. Dad was a watchmaker who also loved photography and Mum made her own clothes. Both Steve and I were raised with a make-do-and-mend attitude.

I was still in the US, preparing to return to the UK after my husband sadly passed away, when Steve joined the show in its first series in early 2017. Hed call me after filming and tell me what hed been working on and how much he loved it. One night I casually suggested that if they ever needed anyone who worked with leather, he should mention me. Off he went to the production team, who to my great surprise offered me a role in the summer of that year.

I was very nervous about being on TV  it was a world away from working by myself in my little workshop. Driving to the first day of filming I thought, What on earth am I doing?

Like everyone who watches it, though, Ive fallen in love with the show. I think audiences have enjoyed seeing the team pull together to make something wonderful happen  and thats been reflected in communities up and down the country. All the values the show promotes resonate with me, and Im so pleased it highlights an alternative to the modern culture for disposable possessions.

Each item that is brought to me for repair is special but some really do stick out in my memory, such as the rocking horse that was brought in by a woman called Julie. Shed recently lost her husband to pancreatic cancer and had no idea that I too had lost my husband to the same disease, so immediately I felt a connection.

Will Kirk, the wood restoration expert, did the most incredible job on the horse and I made a decorative saddle and bridle. The saddle was detachable because, years before he died, her husband Paul had signed his name and the date on the horse, and Julie wanted her grandchildren to be able to see it. When she came in to view the horse, and Pauls signature, there wasnt a dry eye in the barn. That one really touched me.

The rest of the team joke about how incredibly protective I am of every item entrusted to me; I treat each one like a baby chick. Every possession is unique and there is no room for error. Ive had moments where Ive thought, I honestly dont know if Im going to be able to do this. Leather is so fragile  one stitch can be undone and the whole thing can fall apart.

When I return an item to its owner, I always hold my breath with anticipation. Until I see they are happy, I cant exhale and often my heart is thumping so loudly Im amazed my microphone doesnt pick it up!

I never forget that while I have come to that moment, having poured all of my skill and care into the item, that person is coming to it with a multitude of emotions, from grief to joy, coupled with nervousness.

Its no surprise that the reveal is often filled with happy tears  my own included.

My music box is a link to loved ones Ive lost

Sue Pritchard, 62, and her son Richard, 31, brought her familys Polyphon music box to The Repair Shop earlier this year One of my favourite things to do is sit in my lounge and listen to the music box I inherited from my parents. Closing my eyes, I see my father smiling, while my mother dances and laughs. Its so precious to me because it evokes such wonderful memories of them.

Sue and her son Richard with music box expert Steve Kember (left)

My paternal grandfather was an engineer who travelled the world; he came home from one of his trips with the music box and its 20 discs, and its been in the family now for more than 100 years. My father inherited it, and I have many memories of my mother dancing to it for me when I was a child and later for my children, Annika and Richard. She loved ballet and would spin around to the Sugar Plum Fairy music.

Mum died a few years ago and by then the music box was battered from years of use and didnt play properly. I still kept it, but felt a great sadness that my grandchildren, Anya, three, and Alexander, one, would never get to enjoy it. It was Richard who applied for us to take it to The Repair Shop. He knew how much it would mean to me to have it restored  and, as a music composer and producer by profession, he was eager to sample the music on it for his work.

Although I was very nervous about being filmed, I handed it over to Steve Kember, the music box specialist, and Will Kirk, the woodwork expert. I was already a fan of the show and trusted them implicitly.

When the box was returned to me, it looked brand new and I wept with happiness. Since then Richard has sampled the music from it, fulfilling that dream of his, while I listen to it regularly, also playing it for my grandchildren.

Its a piece of my familys history and a link to loved ones weve lost. Im so grateful to have it restored and preserved for future generations.

The five moments when it got really emotional

Left: The Pocket watch When Ron (centre, with his wife Antonia) brought an antique pocket watch to The Repair Shop, it came with the most incredible story of survival. It had been sewn into the dress of his grandmother, Penot, who had kept it hidden for four years during her time as a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp on the island of Sumatra during the Second World War. There is no family history except this watch, said Ron. Despite the pressure, clock expert Steve Fletcher (far left) worked his magic  to an emotional reaction. Right: The louis vuitton steamer Trunk Broken and battered, it was hard to see how new life could be breathed into the vintage LV steamer trunk that Tom (centre) brought to The Repair Shop  an heirloom originally owned by his globetrotting great-grandfather Henrico. Suzie (above with presenter Jay) teamed up with her brother Steve for this restoration and didnt let Tom down.

The Gold Brooch Sisters Alison and Lorraine travelled from Dundee with a much-loved but broken gold brooch of a tiny bird that had once belonged to their great-grandmother and had lain in a box for the past 40 years. Jewellery expert Richard Talman helped fulfil their dream of returning it, restored to pristine condition, to their mother.

Left: The Toy Horse No ordinary childhood toy, this 50-year-old horse was brought in by Caroline and her husband Mark (both centre) from St Ives, and had been her brother Nathans, who died in his 20s from an unsuccessful heart transplant. Toy repair experts Amanda Middleditch (left) and Julie Tatchell worked their magic. Right: The Jukebox After his broken jukebox was repaired by radio and electronics expert Mark Stuckey (left), Geoff (right), from Sunderland, was able to listen to Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller  the tune he and his late wife Marie had danced to at their wedding reception.

The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain is on weekdays at 4.30pm on BBC One until 24 July
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 03:53:36|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt rejected on Saturday Turkey's political and military interventions in Arab affairs, stressing that such interventions lack legal basis.

The Turkish interventions violate the UN Security Council resolutions, whether in Iraq, Syria, or Libya, said Ahmed Hafez, spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement.

He expressed surprise that the Turkish administration is "risking the fortunes of the Turkish people" through intervention and involvement in the Arab countries' crises to exacerbate and further complicate them.

On Thursday, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed that his country will not stand idle in the face of any direct threats to the security of Egypt and Libya.

Sisi made the remarks during his meeting in Cairo with Libyan tribal leaders who are allied to the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar.

The tribesmen authorized the Egyptian president and Egyptian army to intervene in Libya to protect its sovereignty.

On June 20, Sisi threatened to send troops to Libya to protect "Egypt's national security" as fighting between the Libyan rivals intensified.

Sisi also warned that Libya's Sirte and al-Jafra, which are currently under the control of LNA, are a "red line" in terms of Egypt's national security.

His remarks came almost two weeks after he announced an initiative, dubbed the Cairo Declaration, to end the Libyan conflict.

The plan was welcomed and backed by the United States, Russia, the European Union and most of the Arab countries.

Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rivals with warring forces, namely the UN-backed Government of National Accord based in the capital Tripoli and the eastern-based Haftar-led LNA. Enditem
Seamless coordination ensured that there are just 38 local terrorists active in Kashmir

3 terrorists gunned down by security forces in Shopian

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, July 18: Three terrorists have been gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir.

The encounter started early this morning at the Amshipora area of Shopian, police officials said.

It may be recalled that on Friday, the security forces had gunned down three terrorists in Kulgam. One of the three terrorists killed in the Kulgam encounter had fabricated the improvised explosive device used in the Pulwama attack last year in which 40 CRPF jawans were martyred.

Terrorists killed in Kulgam encounter had fabricated IED used in Pulwama attack

The slain terrorist has been identified as Walid. Sources tell OneIndia that Walid who was killed along with another terrorist, Salim had fabricated the IED for the February 2019 Pulwama attack.

In the encounter that took place today, three terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad were gunned down by the security forces. The encounter took place at Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

A search operation was launched by the security forces early this morning after receiving inputs about the presence of terrorists in Nangad area of Kulgam. The search operation turned into an encounter when the terrorists opened fire on the security forces.

A rifle has been recovered from one of the slain terrorists.
Nithiin is all set to enter into wedlock. As per reports, the actor will get married to Shalini Reddy on July 26 at an auspicious muhurtham of 8.30 pm in Hyderabad. The wedding will be held following all the lockdown norms with only close friends and family in attendance.

Earlier, the actor was looking forward to tying the knot with his long-time girlfriend Shalini at a destination wedding in April. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, the wedding was postponed for a future date. The duo recently got engaged in a private function in Hyderabad.

Nithiin started his career as an actor with the 2002 movie Jayam directed by Teja. His performance in the movie was highly appreciated by the audiences and he won the year's Filmfare Award for Best Actor Male Debut. His best performances include Chal Mohan Ranga (2018), A Aa (2016), Heart Attack (2014), Ishq (2012), Dil (2003), Drona (2009), Srinivasa Kalyanam (2018) and Courier Boy Kalyan (2015) among the others. He was last seen in the 2020 movie Bheeshma alongside Karnataka crush Rashmika Mandanna. The romantic-action film directed by Venky Kudumula turned out to be a blockbuster at the theatres.

Nithiin will next be seen in Venky Atluri's Rang De opposite National Award-winning actress Keerthy Suresh. The shoot of the film is currently halted due to the COVID-19 lockdown. He is also a part of Chandra Sekhar Yeleti's yet-to-be-titled film.

Nithiin And Shalini's New Wedding Date Out!

Nithiin & Shalini's Wedding Preponed; Bheeshma Star To Tie The Knot Next Month?
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PARIS  The eyewear wars are not over. Casting uncertainty on its latest acquisition project, EssilorLuxottica has taken GrandVision to court to gain access to information on how the company has managed during the coronavirus crisis and assess the extent of breached obligations of an agreement between the companies.

The proceedings, filed in a court in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, are intended to gain information in order to assess the way GrandVision has managed the course of its business during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the extent to which GrandVision has breached its obligations under the support agreement, said EssilorLuxottica in a statement.

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Despite repeated requests, GrandVision has not provided this information on a voluntary basis, leaving EssilorLuxottica with no other option but to resort to legal proceedings, the eyewear giant continued, without elaborating further. GrandVision was not immediately available for comment.

EssilorLuxottica purchased a 76.72 percent stake in the Dutch optical retailer a year ago, at a price of 28 euros per share, a deal that valued the firm at over 7 billion euros.

If the deal goes through, the acquisition would reinforce the eyewear giants retail network, which already includes the LensCrafters chain. The area is rich in opportunity for business improvement, analysts have said.

Formed in 2018 from the 46-billion-euro merger of France-based Essilor and Italys Luxottica, EssilorLuxottica has suffered a number of challenges along the way, with early stages of integration complicated by disputes between top managers of the French and Italian factions of the company.

The group had reported a strong start to the year, but ended up withdrawing guidance a few weeks later when store closures rolled across Europe and North America. Behind the initial optimism was the return to business in China, where production was fully operational with spare capacity in March. To deal with crisis, EssilorLuxottica has adjusted production according to demand, implemented cost and cash control measures, and suspended lower priority investments. It also restructured its top management structure, and reduced the management board by a third to simplify decision-making.
You have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and your doctor gives you the option of not being treated, but of remaining under observation: is there any objective way you can decide to be treated or not treated? What should you do? Now using first results from analysis of the world's biggest Active Surveillance prostate cancer database, the GAP3 consortium* has begun to identify which patients are at risk of the disease developing and which patients can continue to safely delay treatment. This work is presented at the virtual European Association of Urology congress.

As lead researcher, Dr Mieke Van Hemelrijck (King's College London) says: "Current methods of deciding whether or not to recommend treatment are not reliable. Our analysis shows that we should be able to produce a single global methodology, which will give accurate estimates on how aggressive these cancers are. These will feed directly into the treatment decision, and give men the reassurance they need to decide on treatment".

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death in men, but many men who discover they have prostate cancer are not in any immediate danger: they have Low Risk Prostate Cancer. Over the past 10 years, an increasing number of these men have been given the option of going on active surveillance, rather than being immediately treated. Active surveillance means that men continue to be monitored and tested (via PSA levels, biopsy, and other tests), with treatment only starting when the cancer shows signs of developing. The number of men on active surveillance varies from country to country, with up to 80% of men delaying treatment in some countries. However, there are no generally accepted ways of understanding who is at risk, and as many as 38% of men who start active surveillance drop out within 5 years.

Van Hemelrijck said: "Prostate cancer treatment can have significant side-effects such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence, so often avoiding intrusive surgery or radiotherapy can benefit the patient. Nevertheless, being told you have cancer puts great psychological pressure on men to agree to treatment, so understanding just how aggressive the cancer is before deciding on treatment is essential. At the moment we just don't have that reassurance".

Although active surveillance is considered a real step forward in management of low risk prostate cancer, there is surprisingly little agreement on which men will benefit. Doctors consider a range of factors, such as age, PSA score, biopsy details, technical details of the cancer, and so on. But the decision on whether or not to start treatment is still often subjective. Erasmus MC , department of Urology was tasked by Movember to coordinate the development of a global database on Active Surveillance (the GAP3 consortium). Dr Van Hemelrijck worked with a team of researchers from the GAP3 Consortium to develop the world's most accurate active surveillance nomogram.

A nomogram is a treatment calculator, similar to an App: you feed in the details and it gives you advice on whether or not to treat. Local nomograms exist, but a global version is needed to be generally applicable. Working with data from the 14,380 patients on the Movember database (the world's largest), they were able to input data such as age, size and condition of the tumour, PSA, biopsy details, time on active surveillance, genetic factors, etc.

"Not surprisingly, we have found that even accounting for these factors there was still differences in outcomes between participating centres. But this work has shown that it will be possible to produce a nomogram which can guide treatment. Just as importantly, the work shows which additional factors need to be included in the nomogram in future to enable us to eliminate this variation and produce accurate estimates of tumour aggressiveness".

Commenting, EAU Adjunct Secretary General Professor Hendrik Van Poppel (University of Leuven, Belgium ) said;

"This work shows that it should be possible to develop a global nomogram - in other words, a system which allows us to predict whether active surveillance will be suitable for individual low and intermediate risk prostate cancer patients. This would be an important step forward in terms of the reassurance we can offer patients, and in choosing treatment pathways. The urology community would welcome this, and will be happy to cooperate in taking this project forward".

This is an independent comment; Professor Van Poppel was not involved in this work.

###

For more information on the GAP3 projects see https://gap3.movemberprojects.com/

The 35th European Association of Urology conference takes place online from 17-19 July, 2020. This replaces the physical conference which was scheduled to take place in Amsterdam. The EAU conference is the largest and most important urology congress in Europe, with up to 14,000 attendees. Conference website

https://eaucongress.uroweb.org/

Note: the release summary was edited to compy with Eurekalert text limits.

Type of research: Not peer reviewed/observational research/ people
Armenians are holding a protest rally against Azerbaijani aggression on the square of the city of Munich in Germany.

Armenian youth chanted: We want a world without weapons.

The participants came with flags of Armenia and posters in Armenian. They sang an Armenian patriotic song.

Azerbaijanis were also present in the square and tried to drown out the song of Armenian youth with their shouts.

They also tried to take provocative actions, but the German police thwarted this attempt.
German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz was aware of potential market manipulation at Wirecard AG almost a year and a half before the company collapsed, putting pressure on a key figure in Angela Merkel's government.

Financial watchdog BaFin informed Mr Scholz in February 2019 about the case "because of the suspicion of a violation against the prohibition of market manipulation," according to a report by the Finance Ministry seen by Bloomberg.

His early knowledge of the allegations swirling around Wirecard increases scrutiny on the highest-ranking Social Democrat in Ms Merkel's coalition and lays bare the delicate political dynamics just over a year before the next election.

Presented to the heads of the parliamentary finance committee on Thursday evening, the report creates a new opening for critics who accuse German authorities of being too lax by failing to pursue fraud allegations of a company that aspired to be a leading light in Europe's tech industry.

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Whatsapp Markus Braun. Photo: REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Mr Scholz was told that BaFin would "investigate in all directions," said the document, which was reported earlier by German media.

While the minister has denied any direct involvement in the Wirecard scandal, he has struggled to insulate himself from the issue. His deputy, Joerg Kukies, confirmed on Wednesday that he met the digital payments company's then-Chief Executive Officer Markus Braun twice at the end of last year, including once on the manager's birthday.

Ms Merkel kept the scandal at arm's length, saying the responsibility to clear up the issue lies with Scholz.

"What information the Finance Ministry possessed at what time will be disclosed by the ministry to the public, and the chancellor sees that as good and correct," Martina Fietz, Merkel's deputy spokeswoman, said yesterday during a regular government press conference.

She stopped short of stating that Scholz has the German leader's full support. "The chancellor works faithfully with all members of the cabinet," Ms Fietz said.

Despite the mounting pressure, Ms Merkel would be hard pressed to take action against her vice chancellor without bringing down the ruling coalition, an unlikely scenario in the midst of a global pandemic and during Germany's six-month presidency of the European Union.

Wirecard, a member of Germany's benchmark DAX index, became a national disgrace when it said last month that a quarter of its balance sheet probably doesn't exist. That set off a blame game between banks, auditors and public authorities and revealed large gaps in the country's oversight of non-financial companies.

In a closed-door meeting of the Bundestag's finance committee late Thursday, Deputy Finance Minister Mr Kukies said he was unaware that it was Braun's 50th birthday when he met the former CEO on the sidelines of a banking conference in Munich last November, according to minutes of the session seen by Bloomberg.

Mr Kukies said he discussed a KPMG audit, which Mr Braun had looked forward to as "clearance." The ministry official also said that Mr Scholz had shown great interest in the Wirecard case and had repeatedly asked him for updates.

The opposition has called for a special meeting of the finance committee during the parliamentary summer break because it sees many questions still unanswered.

"Politically it's highly problematic that the finance minister got involved with the case at such an early stage," said Danyal Bayaz, a lawmaker with the Green party. "Scholz had Wirecard on his radar, he had an interest, but this interest apparently never became big enough to prompt him to take action."

Any decision over Mr Scholz's fate would rather lie with the SPD, whose members last year rejected his bid to lead the party in favour of a duo who voiced more support for policies such as a wealth tax, a higher minimum wage and public spending.

Still, voter backing of the SPD remains mired at historic lows, and the party has begun to manoeuvre in support of Mr Scholz's bid to run for the chancellorship. That fragile balance would be upended if the politician's standing was challenged.

The Finance Ministry waved off suggestions that Mr Scholz didn't act appropriately. German regulators pursued accusations against Wirecard over the years and the ministry was regularly informed about the state of the various probes, Finance Ministry spokesman Dennis Kolberg said at the government briefing.

The ministry is "actively" looking to overhaul accounting oversight in the aftermath of Wirecard's collapse and will present a plan "as quickly as possible," Mr Kolberg said.

Despite outrage over the shortcomings, political opponents have stopped short of calling for Mr Scholz to step down.

"The sloppiness when it comes to controlling billion-dollar companies is simply inconceivable," Bernd Riexinger, head of the Left party, said in an emailed statement. "Scholz urgently needs to explain why suspicions of irregularities at Wirecard -- but also the problems with the oversight regime -- were ignored in his ministry for so long."
On a typical Saturday morning before the pandemic, hundreds of customers would form a line on Pier 47 to buy inexpensive whole halibut, black cod and rockfish from the Pioneer, the only fishing boat in San Franciscos Fishermans Wharf that sold to the public. But now, the Port of San Francisco has halted the Pioneers retail fish sales, and its captain is looking for a new harbor to call home.

The fact is that San Francisco has made it very clear there is no place for us anywhere in San Francisco, said Giuseppe Pennisi, a third-generation fisher who was the subject of a Chronicle special in-depth report, The Fishermans Secret: a Modern-Day Treasure Hunt, which told the story of his years-long quest to recover what he believes are gold ingots from the bottom of the ocean.

Though he has leads on a new Bay Area location that may ultimately be better for business, customers who live in the area are disappointed, and they have been sending angry emails to city officials complaining about the hurdles that the Pioneer has faced.

Mayor Breed is bending over backwards to accommodate and bend the rules for restaurants and other businesses, said Charles Thomas, a customer who has been involved with community issues through the group North Beach Neighbors for decades. Theyre deliberately closing this business down. Theyre doing the opposite of what they should be doing. They should be supporting fish markets.

Photos by Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The Pioneer had been selling fish directly to the public in 2017 as part of a pilot program, and over time, it became a beloved part of the neighborhood. Then on June 10, the Port sent Pennisi a notice saying that his sales would be suspended for 90 days so that Scomas, a 54-year-old seafood restaurant that leases the part of the pier where Pennisis customers usually line up, could set up five or six tables for outdoor dining. About 10 days later, the Port said the fishing vessel could no longer unload fish at the site, which gave Pennisi another reason to look for a new location for his ship.

Currently, outdoor seating is the only type of in-person dining allowed in the city, and Scomas has had a lease on the space for decades, according to Randolph Quezada, communications director at the Port.

Its an unfortunate timing situation, but as the rules and regulations regarding what was acceptable during the pandemic changed, Scomas had the opportunity to get back to work, Quezada said, noting that the restaurant used to have over 100 union employees. We had to help them out with this.

Pennisi and many of his supporters say the city shouldnt pit one business against another and should find another place for the Pioneer. The Port says that there is no other berth at the wharf where the 68-foot boat can sell fish to the public safely. Meanwhile, Scomas owner Tom Creeden, who originally allowed the Pioneer to set up its fish market in the restaurants small valet parking lot, said that difficulties with the fish sales started before the pandemic.

Creeden alleges that Pennisi didnt abide by their verbal agreement to finish doing business by 11 a.m. each day, including washing down the small asphalt area that separates the boat and the restaurant, getting rid of any trace of fish guts. He also said Pennisi didnt do enough to keep the boats customers from leaving their cars in the restaurants parking lot.

We had a good relationship, and things kind of fell apart, he said. Managers sent letters and asked him to keep cars out. It was hampering our business.

Pennisi acknowledges that his customers sometimes left their cars in the wrong spot, but he had a different understanding about their handshake agreement over when he could unload and conduct sales. Overall, he said, he is more frustrated by the actions of the Port, which he said isnt doing enough to support the fishing fleet, especially with the recent fire at Pier 45 and the disrupted market that fishers face with so many restaurants closed or doing very limited business.

For many nearby residents, the Pioneer has been a critical way to buy fresh whole fish instead of the imported and defrosted fish fillets at supermarkets, according to emails they sent to the Port. Sales to locals have done well as wholesale business has waned, Pennisi said.

More Information Read more about the Pioneer in "The Fisherman's Secret: a Modern-Day Treasure Hunt," a Chronicle special in-depth report: sfchronicle.com/fisherman See More Collapse

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

In a June 21 email to the Port, longtime customer Holden Benon said that he can share through firsthand experience that they are a one-of-a-kind, family-owned business that delivers a wonderful product while maintaining the authenticity of our wharf (and indeed the City of San Francisco, generally).

Quezada, though, said that the opportunity to sell to the public is available to other fishing boats through the program.

We know people were very committed to the Pioneer, said Quezada. Were trying to walk a really fine line to balance the needs of the industry, our tenants and the entire Fishermans Wharf community.

It may be a loss for people living right around the wharf, but Pennisi feels that he may still get lucky. After calling harbors up and down the coast for a new berth, he might have found a spot in the Bay Area where he can do direct fish sales and also unload fish. The still-secret location would also allow him to realize his dream to run a fish and chips business, he said, and sell cooked Dungeness crab  purchased from other fishing buddies  from a food truck.

Serendipitously, on Thursday he was given a delivery van by a man he bought a food truck trailer from on Craigslist, who said God told him to give it to him.

It was a two- to three-hour wait to buy fish at our boat during the pandemic, Pennisi said. I have to find a way to get fish to the public.

Tara Duggan is the San Francisco Chronicles assistant food editor. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
Bangkok, July 18 : All foreign diplomats and their dependents arriving in Thailand will no longer be exempted from a 14-day state quarantine against the COVID-19 pandemic, a top official said here.

In a statement on Friday, Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said that the Thai government has resolved to strictly require all incoming diplomats and their dependents from other countries to be quarantined for 14-days at places of their choice, reports Xinhua news agency.

The lifting of the exemption to the 14-day state quarantine for diplomatic personnel and their dependents resulted in Thursday's arrangement under which an Estonian diplomat has been allowed to check in at a Bangkok luxury hotel for the 14-day state quarantine and to pay for all the expenses there himself.

The Thai authorities have allowed Grande Center Point Terminal 21 hotel on Sukhumvit Road to turn itself into a venue for the Estonian diplomat's 14-day quarantine, the CCSA spokesman said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mr. Trump has been a major purveyor of SLAPPs, including frivolous lawsuits brought by his campaign against The Times, The Washington Post and CNN. However, most SLAPP cases, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, involve real estate issues, the protection of the environment, consumer rights or animal rights in addition to criticism of public officials. Actions that have drawn SLAPPs include online criticism, letters to the editor, fliers, petitions, protest demonstrations, filing a complaint with a government agency, speaking out at public hearings and making legal claims.

Here are some typical examples of SLAPPs, among many cited on the website of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: When a reporter in Connecticut reported that a candidate for the State Senate had been arrested on a charge of drunken driving, the candidate sued her for invasion of privacy and emotional distress. When at a meeting of the Phoenix City Council in 2017 a grocer criticized the developer who controlled the land on which the store stood, the developer sued for defamation. An environmental group protesting a pipeline was sued by a natural-gas company for racketeering and defamation. In all these cases, anti-SLAPP laws helped defendants fend off the suits: In the first, the politician dropped the charges; in the other two, courts dismissed the charges and awarded the defendants fees and costs.

SLAPPs have become so pervasive that since the 1990s, 30 states and the District of Columbia have adopted some form of an anti-SLAPP statute (the politician in Connecticut withdrew his suit after the reporters lawyer invoked the states anti-SLAPP law). These do not preclude legal redress for businesses, institutions or public figures who have been unfairly maligned  the laws typically require the plaintiffs to demonstrate that theres a probability they can win; its only if they cant that the suit is dismissed, and in many states, the plaintiff is made to pay the defendants costs and lawyer fees.

New York State has had an anti-SLAPP law on the books for more than 25 years, but it applies only to suits brought over real estate developments, zoning and the like, for example when a developer sues environmentalists who oppose a project. The bill now before the Legislature would broaden the scope to include matters of public interest, which should be broadly construed, and it would strengthen the courts right to award the defendant costs and fees.

There is no good reason to delay passage of the bill. The states that have yet to adopt anti-SLAPP laws would be wise to follow suit. So long as any states have none or the laws vary widely, abusive plaintiffs are encouraged to go forum shopping. Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California, for example, filed defamation lawsuits in Virginia, though he and the defendants were based in California. That was before the Virginia General Assembly toughened the states laws.
Joy Nunieh, a former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), says during her time as head of the agency, she...

Joy Nunieh, a former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), says during her time as head of the agency, she was asked to spend N10 billion on Christmas bonus.





While testifying before the house of representatives committee on NDDC on Friday via teleconference, Nunieh said rejecting the idea contributed to her removal from office.





She said if she had agreed, the 10 states under the commission would have got N1 billion each.





When I was appointed, I went from office to office; I sat in their offices and I told them, You people are responsible for what has gone wrong in the zone, she said.





All the staff have in their wards or local government areas projects. If every staff of NDDC takes up a project in their local government area and ensures that they are well done, we will not have these issues.





Thirdly, the IMC. For the first time in the history of NDDC, no palliatives were given. I did not give out Christmas palliatives. I was under pressure to bring N10bn  N1bn per state  but I refused. The youths were complaining that things were difficult and I said the day I give you this money, you know I have started collecting your money.





I never gave any Christmas bonus or palliative during my time. For the first time in the history of NDDC, NDDC worked throughout December. There was no break except on public holidays.





She also alleged that Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, hijacked the forensic audit of the commission ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.





He (Akpabio) said the first thing I would do is to write a letter to him and he gave me the draft, that I should put it on my letterhead. In that letter, I was supposed to write about most of the companies; [That] senator Nwaoboshi owned the 98 companies, she said.





I never ever told the world that senator Nwaboshi was the senator that was collecting the N1 billion.





The issue of the N1 billion was different. I said how can an individual be collecting N1 billion every month? The case of senator Nwaoboshi is the case of the 98 files which I was supposed to write about.





What I met was not exactly what was going on. Akpabio insisted that he would supervise the forensic audit. I reminded him and showed him the letter that the president had written, that there is no way we could spend the money that was in our budget.





Nunieh said under her, the commission did not award a single contract.





I want to tell the world that I never did any employment. I never gave out a single contract from NDDC, she said.





I am not corrupt. No contractor can sit anywhere and say they gave me N10. And I can say before the world that Im the most unpopular MD ever that came to NDDC. The money of the people of Niger Delta is blood money, I refused to touch it.





Even when my friends were contractors, even when they claimed that they were owed monies, my instruction was that everybody should finish their jobs. Everybody saw contractors going back to site when I was the MD.





Nunieh could not appear before the panel to physically testify because police laid a siege to her residence in Port Harcourt on Thursday.





But for the arrival of Nyesom Wike, Rivers governor, she would have been arrested.





The president has since ordered the speedy conclusion of the audit of the commissions finances from 2001 to 2019.





He ordered the audit in October last year.




The cyclist, an elderly peasant farmer, swerved into the path of our minibus on the quiet road in rural China.

He went flying. He was clearly badly injured. We shouted at the driver to stop and get the man to hospital. But our Communist Party minder ordered him to drive on.

It was 1979, and a tiny, but horribly revealing, reminder of the callousness of a regime that had killed more of its own citizens than any other in history.

Under Mao, tens of millions died in the so-called Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Now he was dead and his successor Deng Xiaoping wanted to show a different face to the world through foreign journalists like me.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is pictured above. It was revealed that our military chiefs have drawn up plans to base one of our two new aircraft carriers in the Far East early next year to play a part in countering an increasingly assertive China

A few years earlier, farmers digging a new well had found the remains of an ancient tomb. It would lead to one of historys most extraordinary archaeological discoveries: the Terracotta Army.

We were taken to a dimly lit underground museum. Lined up were endless rows of full-size clay soldiers, each immaculately preserved, each with distinctly different faces and different uniforms to denote their rank. There were several hundred of them.

And that display, breathtaking though it was, turned out to be a mere taste of what was to come. A vast archaeological dig eventually unearthed more than 8,000 soldiers with 130 chariots and 670 horses.

This terracotta army and its massive mausoleum was created on the orders of Qin Shi Huang when he became first emperor of China nearly 2,500 years ago. He, like Deng, wanted to send a message to the known world.

Under Mao, tens of millions died in the so-called Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Now he was dead and his successor Deng Xiaoping (above) wanted to show a different face to the world through foreign journalists like me

His was a very simple one: China is the mightiest nation on Earth. You mess with us at your peril.

Remind you of anyone still around today?

We know that the emperors lasted more than 2,000 years. We know that Maos reign of terror died with him. But the Peoples Republic of China that he founded survives.

It is now led by a man, Xi Jinping, whose ambition equals that of any ancient emperor.

China has become the second most powerful country in the world. Xi wants it to be the first. And he has changed the rules of the Communist Party to keep him in the job for life.

Should we fear that prospect and is there anything we can do to stop it happening?

The first is easy to answer. China under Xi has become an increasingly malign regime  both at home and abroad.

Not only was it the source of Covid-19 but they tried to cover up the outbreak in Wuhan and then strong-armed the World Health Organisation into underplaying the danger. We are all paying the price.

China also ripped up a decades-old agreement with Britain on Hong Kong, meant to last for another 27 years, and imposed tough new security laws on its people.

The world condemned it. Beijing ignored it. There are worrying signs that Taiwan is the next target.

The Chinese people themselves have nothing to complain about  just so long as they dont worry about trivial stuff like basic human rights and do precisely what their communist leaders tell them.

And just so long as they were not born into an ethnic group of which those leaders disapprove.

This terracotta army and its massive mausoleum was created on the orders of Qin Shi Huang when he became first emperor of China nearly 2,500 years ago. He, like Deng, wanted to send a message to the known world

The treatment of the Uighurs has grown ever worse under Xi. There are more than a million of them, many locked away in what the authorities call re-education camps.

Others call them concentration camps. Uighur women are threatened with forced sterilisation. Revolting. Inhuman. But, despise it though we may, it is an internal matter.

Chinas foreign policy is something else completely. Especially when it risks destabilising the region and, ultimately, the global order by, for instance, building military bases on reclaimed reefs in the South China Sea.

And when it tries to persuade other governments that a mighty Chinese company like Huawei is independent of the state in just the same way as BT is independent of the British government. Its not. It does what its told. There is a law that says it must.

Which is why, after we spent years cosying up to Beijing and giving Huawei the power effectively to run our communications network, the worm has turned.

It is a humiliation for Boris Johnson. It will cost billions to turn elsewhere for the kit to make our 5G mobile network function. It will set back the programme by at least a couple of years. And China, inevitably, is threatening to retaliate.

But all that is a price worth paying. The alternative would have been to give a potentially hostile foreign power the wherewithal to hold us to ransom and spy on us from within the very heart of our communications system.

The next big question for the Government is whether to allow the Chinese to design a new nuclear power station in Essex  crucial for future energy supplies.

And then we face the even bigger question of how we deal with the menace of a country whose economy will soon overtake the United States to become the mightiest in the world, and whose military power should scare us all.

We had a worrying pointer this week as to how we should not do it. It was revealed that our military chiefs have drawn up plans to base one of our two new aircraft carriers in the Far East early next year to play a part in countering an increasingly assertive China.

Vice-Admiral Jerry Kyd, the Royal Navys fleet commander, announced that, Our ambition is to be absolutely persistent and forward-based there.

If that does indeed happen it will be a reversal of a decision taken in the Sixties to withdraw Britains military presence east of Suez.

I try to picture President Xi summoning his generals to an emergency meeting at the news. Panic is etched on their faces. The British bulldog is baring its teeth, he will tell them. We must back down.

Really? The days when Britain roared and the world quaked have long gone. And that is no bad thing. Quite the opposite.

Sadly, it is far too late to reverse the ludicrous decision that led to us wasting so many billions on aircraft carriers we did not need and which have proved technically hopeless. And which would be sitting ducks for one of Chinas new long-range missiles.

China under Xi has become an increasingly malign regime  both at home and abroad. Not only was it the source of Covid-19 but they tried to cover up the outbreak in Wuhan and then strong-armed the World Health Organisation into underplaying the danger. We are all paying the price

We even have to rely on the Americans for the aircraft they will carry. Just as we would have to rely on them if, God forbid, we ever threatened to use our independent Trident nuclear missiles.

You can just about see why our top military brass (though not all of them), and a dwindling band of patriotic politicians, want to cling to the notion that Britain is still a so-called Tier One force on the world stage. Look at our proud history, dammit!

Well, actually, no. Lets look at our future instead. The past is the past.

Lets accept, for a start, that we simply cannot afford the vast defence spending thats needed. Just in case no ones noticed, were a bit strapped for cash right now. As in an overdraft of a few hundred billion. And will be for a very long time to come.

But, crucially, if China or, indeed, Russia really does pose a threat in future it will come not from the barrel of a gun or a nuclear missile. It will come from a computer keyboard.

Cyber warfare has the potential to bring a sophisticated country such as ours to its knees terrifyingly quickly.

We panicked a few months ago when shops ran out of loo rolls. Try picturing supermarkets with no food. Or garages with no fuel. Or homes and hospitals with no electricity. Civilisation has never been more vulnerable.

Lenin famously said society is only ever three meals away from anarchy. That was before computers controlled the world.

And thats why we are right to jettison Huawei and wrong to rely on aircraft carriers.

Theyre about as much use as a terracotta army.
The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!



Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Location: Troy, New York

The Community Manager will work closely with the projects key leaders to define and execute the relationship management strategy with our player community. The ideal candidate will act as a bridge between our gamers, game developers and the publisher. They will influence internal operations to improve the effectiveness of each game or product line. The Community Manager will have experience engaging online communities across a variety of platforms from social to gaming focused media. He/she/they will also build strong internal partnerships with our product and marketing teams to deliver against important business initiatives.

Responsibilities

Develop a long-term community support strategy in collaboration with our existing team

Strategize ways to scale our communities and connect with gamers

Maintain expert knowledge on each social platforms algorithms, user dynamics, and evolving feature sets. Provides recommendations to enhance algorithms to further maximize marketing impact

Identify, evaluate, and report performance KPIs with a strong understanding of which measurements align with business goals

Leads the development and execution of marketing strategies through various social media channels

Own content creation and development (e.g. events, contests, videos, livestreams, and marketing promotions) across various social channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube

Be flexible and able to recommend and execute ad-hoc community actions based on short-term business needs

Leverage data-driven insights and critical thinking skills to make strategic recommendations to internal teams

You will represent the point of view of our players and manage all external communications as the friendly, responsive, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic voice of Velan Studios

Fully aware of the companys online presence on social media and makes corrective recommendations if community image is deviating from strategy

Addresses inquiries, complaints, comments and other contacts generated through social media

Leads the development of standard responses or guidelines to the most common inquires, complaints and comments

Provide meaningful feedback and reporting to game teams on the communitys sentiment, concerns and suggestions

Acts as primary point of contact with key influencers within various social media networks

May work with key influencers to execute social media marketing strategies

May negotiate deals with social media influencers to achieve social media marketing goals

Requirements & Qualifications

4+ years of relevant community management experience

Proven game industry experience, including community management experience supporting at least one shipped AAA title

Familiarity with / enthusiasm for the core games space - spanning mobile, console, and PC gaming

Comprehensive understanding of best practices standards for all social media channels including and not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Discord, Pinterest, etc.

Considered an expert in the industry with the ability to develop and execute long-term social media marketing plans with minimal direction and guidance

Strong writing, editing (photo/video/text), presentation and communication skills

Ability to lead the analysis of social media marketing efforts to measure and how social campaigns deliver impact to broader business & marketing objectives

Ability to measure and analyze results and make decisions using qualitative and quantitative data

Ability to communicate with diverse (and sometimes challenging) personalities

Bachelor's Degree preferred

Big plusses:

Experience managing a live service gaming community

Experience with Photoshop, video editing, HTML/CSS, and live stream production skills

Experience working with remote teams

Experience working in a fast-paced start-up environment

Interest in emerging technologies

Interested? Apply now.

About the Gamasutra Job Board

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Gamasutra's Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.



Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here.
The government of India has agreed to allow US air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US Transportation Department said on Friday.

The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the US Transportation Department in June to accuse India of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air carriers serving India.

The Transportation Department said it was withdrawing an order it had issued requiring Indian air carriers to apply for authorization prior to conducting charter flights, and said it had approved an Air India application for passenger charter flights between the United States and India.

A group representing major US airlines and the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Friday.

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Twitter it was moving to "further expand our international civil aviation operations" and arrangements from some flights "with US, UAE, France & Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries."

"Under this arrangement," it added, "airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from & to India along with Indian carriers."

The US Transportation Department order was set to take effect next week. The Trump administration said in June it wanted "to restore a level playing field for US airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement. The Indian government had banned all scheduled services and failed to approve US carriers for charter operations, it added.

The US government said in June that Air India had been operating "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both directions since May 7.
That changed after a new commissioner arrived touting the virtues of police restraint and improved community relations. In the protests and violence that followed Grays death, the police were urged to hold back until they came under attack: 130 officers were injured and the National Guard was called in.

Toxic relations between the police and the citys political leadership made matters worse. A federal consent decree showed little understanding of how effective policing works, further hamstringing law enforcement. Expanded definitions of use of force made cops especially reluctant to intervene in situations where there was a chance of a physical altercation. The police force shrank. A new mayor touted the benefits of after-school programs and social mediators to treat the root causes of crime. But, as MacGillis acidly notes, the mayors plan risked overlooking the most immediate dilemma: People inclined toward lawbreaking increasingly thought they could do so with impunity.

The result is a comprehensive urban tragedy that cant be blamed on long lockdowns, hot summer weather, the coronavirus or the state of the economy.

Its also a cautionary tale. With all the usual good intentions, cities across America risk emulating the same catastrophic mistakes made in Baltimore. New York has disbanded its plainclothes crime-fighting unit and may criminalize the use of holds that, while prone to abuse, many cops consider essential for dealing with violent suspects. Milwaukee is looking at a 10 percent cut in police funding. Minneapolis may disband its police force entirely, at least if its City Council gets its way.
Illegal mining case: ED recovers Rs 6cr in cash from CMs relatives during raids in Punjab

SAD starts first of its kind social media initiative to reach out virtually to people in each and every constituency
The Congress on Saturday alleged that rebel Rajasthan lawmakers of the Sachin Pilot team currently camping in the BJP-ruled Haryana are now being moved to Karnataka, another BJP state.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that when the Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan police reached the Haryana hotel to question the legislators in the case of audio tapes - where BJP leaders, including Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, can be heard conspiring with MLAs from the Pilot camp to topple the state government - the lawmakers gave the police a go-by. The state police has registered two FIRs in the matter involving audiotapes.

Govind Singh Dotasra, the new Rajasthan Congress unit chief, also alleged that the special team of the Rajasthan police was made to wait by BJPs Haryana police unit until the MLAs inside the resort were moved out. The police arrived at the hotel on Friday evening to collect voice samples of the leaders heard scheming in the offending tapes about bringing down the Gehlot government.

The Congress spokesperson once again reached out to rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who has maintained that he is not joining the BJP, and underscored that the party doors are not closed on him. At the same time, he questioned why are celebrated BJP lawyers representing him and the dissident MLAs camping in the BJP-ruled state.

A short while earlier, the BJP demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations made by the Congress in Rajasthan that it has audio tapes to prove that the BJP was in collusion with rebel Congress leaders to bring down the Gehlot government.

In another development, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati weighed in on the alleged phone tapping row in Rajasthan and accused chief minister Ashok Gehlot of having acted illegally and called for Presidents rule in the state.
U.S. legislation on Hong Kong violates int'l law, says Sudanese analyst

KHARTOUM, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. signing of the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" into law is "a grave violation of international law" and a flagrant interference in China's internal affairs, a Sudanese political analyst said Friday.

"The United States has got used to unilateral actions that constitute a grave violation of international law," Abdul-Raziq Ziyada told Xinhua.

"The American move also represents interference in China's internal affairs as Hong Kong is an integral part of China," he added.

Ziyada underscored China's sovereign rights to adopt what it deems suitable measures to confront the U.S. move.

"China is a sovereign state and of its duty to protect its authority in Hong Kong together with the interests of its citizens against any external interference aiming at undermining the stability of the region," Ziyada said.

China has strongly condemned the U.S. move.

"The Chinese government firmly opposes and strongly condemns this move by the United States," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday.

"The Act maliciously denigrates the national security legislation for Hong Kong, and threatens to impose sanctions on China. It seriously violates international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations. It constitutes gross interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs," the statement added.

The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), for its part, expressed its strong opposition to the U.S. move and vowed to fully support the central government to adopt countermeasures.

"The U.S. move seriously violates international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations and constitutes gross interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs," a spokesman of the HKSAR government said Wednesday.
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Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia have begun discussions on postponing the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), an official has said.

The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said this in Abuja on Friday.

He said Nigeria and the four countries are considering a new date for this years WASSCE, which Nigeria has temporarily pulled out from.

We met with WAEC on Monday and (we) have agreed to further consult with four other countries on a new examination date, he said.

Efforts to get a reaction from WAEC on the discussions were unsuccessful as its spokesperson, Damian Ojijeogu, did not respond to calls and messages sent to him.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Nigerian government reversed its earlier announcement on the resumption of schools. It also said no Nigerian school will participate in the WASSCE earlier scheduled for August 5 to September 5.

The decisions were to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among students.

WAEC

Secondary school graduating students who live in the five English-speaking countries write the WASSCE, which is organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

This years examination was postponed indefinitely in April after it was earlier scheduled to commence in May.

It was postponed after schools were shut down across the countries in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Apart from postponement of its examination, WAEC also suspended its 68th Annual Council meeting scheduled for Liberia from March 23 to 27, 2020.

The council made the decision to postpone the annual meeting after its 176th special international A & F Committee meeting in Accra.
People affected by drugs, alcohol, and mental health issues in one of Perth's busiest hospitals will be assessed in a specialised emergency unit, in a bid to protect staff from aggressive patients.

The state government has pledged $19 million from the COVID-19 recovery fund towards a behaviour assessment unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's emergency department.

The revamp of SCGH's emergency department will include a new behavioural assessment unit. Credit:Paul Kane

The busy ER has been subject to extended criticism over the last few years after a spike in violent assaults at the hands of aggressive patients saw staff members take time off work in 2018.

Barely a year later, an explosive email from SCGH director of emergency medicine Peter Allely outlining the major concerns he had about the hospital's ED was leaked to the press.
Taryn Manning last graced the screen with her pal Britney Spears back in 2002 for their coming-of-age cult classic Crossroads.

But the Virginia-born actress still holds her former co-star and current friend close to her heart, amid Britney's conservatorship battle.

She posted a throwback photo and a heartfelt message Friday to Instagram, showing her support for her friend, but calling out the #FreeBritney movement.

Supportive friend: Taryn Manning posted a throwback photo and a heartfelt message Friday to Instagram, showing her support for her friend Britney Spears, but calling out the #FreeBritney movement

The 41-year-old shared a still from Crossroads of herself, Britney, 38, and their co-stars Zoe Saldana, 42, and Anson Mount, 47, writing: 'Such a wonderful time with this crew!'

She continued: 'Britney I know youre strong af and have your own brain and thought process. To me you look happy and like youre having a blast! Keep up the happy posts and your faith in Jesus Christ. How about instead of #freebritney we say #GodIsWatchingOverBritney

'How about lets give this wonderful woman the dignity she deserves and earned. Until you know the facts stop speculating and perpetuating the father of lies. We all know shes under a type of control thats unfair and things will be fixed. Have faith. Wish her well! Send good vibes of no fear! Please! #alldarknesscomestolight'

The #FreeBritney movement has recently re-emerged, as fans have spread some conspiracy theories based on presumed subliminal messages in her Instagram content.

Throwback vibes: The 41-year-old shared a still from Crossroads of herself, Britney, 38, and their co-stars Zoe Saldana, 42, and Anson Mount, 47, writing: 'Such a wonderful time with this crew!' (pictured in January, 2020)

Keep the faith: She continued: 'Britney I know youre strong af and have your own brain and thought process. To me you look happy and like youre having a blast! Keep up the happy posts and your faith in Jesus Christ'

But a source recently told TMZ that she isn't being held against her will, and the conservatorship is what's best for her.

The insider said: 'These people who are screaming for the conservatorship to end, well if that happened and she hurt herself or died 2 weeks after would these people utter a peep? No way.'

Britney also appeared to deny the rumors last week on Instagram, writing: 'I get how some people might not like my posts or even understand them, but this is Me being happy .. this is Me being authentic and as real as it gets !!!!!

'I want to inspire people to do the same and just be themselves without pleasing others .. thats the key to happiness !!!!!!'

Meanwhile, a Change.org petition has nearly garnered 200,000 signatures to let her hire a lawyer to get her out of her conservatorship.

Best for Britney: A source recently told TMZ that Britney isn't being held against her will, and the conservatorship is what's best for her

#FreeBritney: Meanwhile, a Change.org petition has nearly garnered 200,000 signatures to let her hire a lawyer to get her out of her conservatorship

Mama's girl: Although it's unclear whether Britney will be afforded a lawyer of her own, she reportedly requested for her mother Lynne, 65, to be part of the conservatorship (pictured in February, 2000)

The petition reads: 'Since 2008 Britney Spears has been held in a conservatorship, this gives her conservator (Jamie Spears) full control over her life, body and finances/estate. Conservatorships are typically used for SEVERELY mentally ill individuals or people in comas.

'Having been on 3 world tours with dangerous flying and fire stunts, its safe to say she is sane enough to feed and clothe herself. With this conservatorship, she is unable to properly fight for her freedom as she isnt legally allowed to hire her own lawyer. We need this petition so that Britney can hire her own lawyer and live a normal life as a 38-year-old woman with two kids.'

Although it's unclear whether Britney will be afforded a lawyer of her own, she reportedly requested for her mother Lynne, 65, to be part of the conservatorship.

A source told ET: 'Britney trusts Lynne and has asked her mother to be part of her conservatorship. She truly believes that her mother wants to help her have more autonomy when it comes to her money.

'Britney is aware that how she is doing psychologically seems to directly correlate to her spending habits. She knows right now she might not be ready to be in complete control but she wants more freedom to spend how she pleases.'

Against her will: The #FreeBritney movement gained traction last March, after she entered a psychiatric facility, which many believed to be against her will (pictured in July, 2019)

Court date: Her father Jamie, 68, stepped down as her conservator back in September, and her care manager Jodi Montgomery took over as a temporary conservator, with the next hearing postponed to September, amid COVID-19

The #FreeBritney movement gained traction last March, after she entered a psychiatric facility, which many believed to be against her will.

After fans protested outside of West Hollywood City Hall the next month, Britney took to Instagram to assure them 'all is well.'

Her father Jamie, 68, stepped down as her conservator back in September, and her care manager Jodi Montgomery took over as a temporary conservator, with the next hearing postponed to September, amid COVID-19.

The latest #FreeBritney resurgence was sparked after Kanye West's bipolar disorder and past opioid abuse came up amid his bizarre presidential bid, highlighting a double standard around gender and mental health.

One fan tweeted: 'A man has a mental breakdown, he runs for president. A woman has a mental breakdown, she's stripped of all basic rights. Kanye's a joke and #FreeBritney. I hate Hollywood.'
Marathi actor Usha Jadhav has bagged a project with Alejandro Cortes and is now shooting in Spain for the film. She has shared pictures from the sets

Usha shared a picture of herself, wearing mask and wrote in Instagram, Por fin... @alexcortescalahorra #filmshooting #trabajo #rodaje #vida #amor #peliculas #movies #passion #actorslife #director #cinespanol #ushajadhav #alejandrocortes #pandemic #socialdistancing #coronavirus #covid19 #mask #mascarillas.

A Mumbai Mirror report quoted Usha as saying, I flew here at the beginning of this month. Its one of my favourite countries and I admire the director, Alejandro Cortes. Its an amazing feeling to be back on sets. Alex is a friend, so also my co-actors Laura Gomez, Ruben Martinez and Salome Jimenez. Its great working with people you love. She also talked about the safety measures being taken on sets. Masks are compulsory, and we cant hug or touch each other. Its difficult and strange. Even our costumes are sprayed and so also the camera lenses after every shot. Its a limited crew and though following these rules means it takes us a while to complete the shoot, we are happy to do it. We are taking all precautions and have signed a Labour Risk Prevention Plan and also have health insurance. That makes us somewhat secure.

Also read: Gauri Shinde shares challenges of shooting from home: You cant tell your actors how to emote over phone

Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevans film on the real life story of Prabhavati Amma is Indias official entry to the online market of Cannes Film Festival 2020. Titled Mai Ghat : Crime No 103/2005, the film features Usha in lead role. The film has already got Usha an award - she bagged the Best Actor (Female) at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for her performance.

Usha has been honoured with the National Award for Best Actress for the Marathi film Dhag in 2012.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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- A newly wedded couple was out for their photo shoot when they fell into a river

- Lora Wendorf and Jordan Devries were posing for photos when they tried a romantic dance move that unfortunately flopped

- The bride took a shot, brushed out her hair and removed her eye makeup, before heading back to the party and right on time, it started to rain

Hilarious! A newly married couple has become the talk of the internet after falling a the river during their photoshoot.

Lora Wendorf and Jordan Devries were posing for photos on a riverside dock on the big day when they broke out a bold dance move only for them to end up in the water.

READ ALSO: Commando: Size 8 says she never wore panties before she got born again

Lora Wendorf and Jordan Devries were trying a romantic dance move when they fell into the river. Photo: Jeremy Schruder / SWNS.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Leeds United promoted to Premier League after 16-year absence

According to Fox News, Lora said she was so happy at the moment and had asked her hubby to give her a dip.

She said she wanted to do a romantic backwards dip but ended up in the river before she could perfectly execute it.

"I wanted to do a romantic dance move that you see on 'Dancing With The Stars.' But Jordan is not a dancer and neither am I. I did not give him much notice. I did the backwards dip and he was not quite ready and I fell into the river," the bride told news agency South West News Service.

READ ALSO: Shiro sasa: Rais Uhuru Kenyatta achangamka kuzungumza na mrembo wa Elburgon

Lora Wendorf and Jordan Devries after falling in the river. Photo: Jeremy Schruder / SWNS.

Source: UGC

Moments later, Lora emerged from the water only to discover that her new husband had tumbled in with her.

After freshening up, the newly married woman said she almost cried at the sight of her dress, hair and makeup, soaking wet.

READ ALSO: Ruth Matete launches fund-drive for hubby's burial, hospital bill

The couple emerging from the river soaking wet. Photo: Jeremy Schruder / SWNS.

Source: UGC

The bride took a shot, brushed out her hair and removed her eye makeup, before heading back to the party and right on time, it started to rain.

Lora and Devries went back to the wedding venue drenched and brushed off any person who tried questioning why they were wet.

READ ALSO: Francis Atwoli gets Rhumba band to serenade wife Mary Kilobi on her birthday

In other news, a woman was bashed for stealing the show in a wedding party by wearing a fancy and revealing dress at the event.

The gorgeous lady stepped to the occasion dressed in a red gown that revealed a little skin.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

Couple gives birth to triplets after 21 years of trying | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has promised to cooperate with the presi...

Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has promised to cooperate with the presidential panel probing the anti-graft agency under his watch.





President Muhammadu Buhari had set up a panel to look into allegations of corruption and abuse of office levelled against Magu.





He was arrested on July 6 and whisked to the presidential villa in Abuja where the panel headed by Ayo Salami, former president of the court of appeal, sat.





Magu was detained at area 10 force criminal investigation department (FCID) until he was released on Wednesday.





In a statement on Friday, Wahab Shittu, Magus counsel, said the suspended EFCC boss is not contemplating legal action against the government.





Shittu said had accepted the probe because he knows no one is above the law.





He, however, appealed to Nigerians to leave their minds open till the end of the probe.





Our client appreciates the efforts of the Buhari Administration in its commitment to the war against corruption including the ongoing probe being undertaken by the Hon justice Salami investigation panel, the statement read.





Our client undertakes to cooperate fully with the Salami panel by making available to the panel formal response to the allegations against him in the social media platforms and Newspapers since he has not been formally served with copies of the allegations against him by the panel.





Our client strongly appeals for a fair- minded probe proceedings against him including an open mind by the Nigerian people until the probe process is completed.





Shittu said Magu would not be a part to any derogatory remark against the incumbent administration.





Our client acknowledges the widely respected integrity of Mr President and chairman of the probe panel, Hon Justice Ayo salami (Rtd) and is hopeful that the truth in his case will ultimately prevail, the statement read.





Our client urges Nigerians and the international community to continue to support the current administrations quest to rid our society against graft.




- Anne Curtis took to social media to air her honest and frank opinion about Senator Koko Pimentel's viral quarantine breach

- This happened after Pimentel said that the charges against him were "baseless"

- The actress emphasized in her tweet that Pimentel's actions were "reckless and irresponsible"

- The "It's Showtime" host also noted that babies have a very low immune system

- Her post immediately went viral and garnered countless comments and reactions among netizens

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Anne Curtis did not hold back in expressing her honest opinion about Senator Koko Pimentel's controversial visit in Makati Medical Center when he accompanied his then-pregnant wife in March of this year.

KAMI learned that the actress gave her reaction after Pimentel said that the charges against him were "baseless".

Anne Curtis (Photo from Flickr)

Source: UGC

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Reckless and irresponsible were the words she chose to describe the senator's actions, "I understand excited sya sa baby nya, BUT he was waiting for the result of his test.

She also emphasized that by doing so, Pimentel risked the lives of people, "Going to the hospital not knowing if hes positive or not for covid-19 was reckless & irresponsible - putting lives at risk. Imagine babies with low immune systems pa. It is not a baseless case.

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

Anne Curtis is one of the most famous celebrities in the Philippines. She is an actress and a pioneer host of the ABS-CBN noontime program Its Showtime.

The superstar is married to a social media celebrity, Erwan Heussaff. They tied the knot on November 12, 2017. She gave birth to their child, Dahlia Amelie Heussaff, on March 2, 2020.

In her latest online video, she shared a super cute bonding moment with her daughter baby Dahlia which immediately went viral.

She also expressed her honest opinion about ABS-CBN's franchise denial. The "It's Showtime" host admitted that she is heartbroken and at a loss for words about what happened to the Kapamilya network.

POPULAR: Read more news about Anne Curtis

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
At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Republic of Congo, like several other African countries, received a large quantity of COVID-Organics from Madagascar.



This traditional concoction, made from artemesia plant, which is supposed to prevent and cure COVID-19 patients, was tested and analyzed by experts. But in Congo, reactions to the efficacy of COVID-Organics are mixed.



The committee had to temporarily stop this experiment. Unfortunately, with COVID-Organics, there are patients who did not respond to the treatment. These are patients for whom the viral load control was positive at the end. But this will be proven with scientific evidence because what I am reporting to you is only preliminary, Professor Alexis Elira Dokekias, whos responsible for COVID-19 cases in Congo told our Correspondent, Laudes Martial.



On the efficacy of plants, Sorel Eta, an ethnologist who has been working with the Akas indigenous people of Likouala in the north for over two decades, believes this plant is invaluable in the fight against coronavirus and deserves further tests.



The Central African nation has registered 2,358 coronavirus cases, 589 recoveries with 48 deaths.

Source: africanews.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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by Melani Manel Perera

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the current health situation does not justify a full lockdown. There are 2,687 cases of contagion in the country; estimated ten dead. Authority: The spread of the coronavirus has been stopped. Public health inspectors go on strike: they want legal protection to deal with the pandemic emergency.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa maintians that the Covid-19 pandemic is under control. On 16 July, in a meeting with the media, the former Sri Lankan president (brother of the current leader of the Gotabaya nation) said that panic is unjustified. "Based on the current health situation - he added - there is no need for a full lockdown."

World Health Organization data puts cases of contagion in Sri Lanka at 2,687 with 11 dead. The prime minister has accused the opposition of spreading lies about the health situation to obtain electoral advantages.

At the same press conference, Anil Jasinghe, director general of the Health Service,claimed that the spread of coronavirus has been stopped. He stressed that all cases related to the Kandakadu rehabilitation center - a recent outbreak of infection in the country - have been identified and isolated: "Only 25 people who left the facility were positive; another 20 in contact with them were immediately placed in quarantine ".

Dr. Jasinghe said that the authorities imposed restrictive measures only in the Rajanganaya area, and 1,400 diagnostic tests are conducted daily. While appreciating the efforts of the health authorities, Anurudda Padeniya, president of the Association of Public Health Officers, asked that at least 4,000 tests be performed daily.

While the government calls the population to calm, public health inspectors decided yesterday to go on strike, stopping anti-Covid-19 health checks. Phiusl, the trade union, asks that its members be assured of the legal tools to carry out their work properly.
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China will take anti-dumping measures against n-Propanol (NPA) imported from the United States, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

The domestic industry has suffered substantial damage due to the dumping of such products by the United States, the ministry said in a preliminary ruling based on an anti-dumping investigation that started in July last year.

From Saturday, importers of such products into China will be required to pay deposits at rates of between 254.4 percent and 267.4 percent at Chinese customs.

NPA, which is formed naturally in small amounts during many fermentation processes, is used as a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly for resins and cellulose esters.
A former House of Representatives member, Ned Nwoko, has sued a U.S.-based critic, Azuka Jebose, demanding N2 billion damages for alleged defamation of character.

The ex-lawmaker said Mr Jebose, a native of Onicha-Ugbo in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, had consistently taken to the social media to criticise him.

PREMIUM TIMES checked one of his Facebook posts, where he accused Mr Nwoko of being complicit in the murder of one Ogogo Blessing.

In May, Mr Nwoko wrote the journalist, demanding a public apology and retraction of defamatory publications made on several online publications and social media.

The letter, dated May 2, 2020 and addressed to Mr. Azuka Jebose, was entitled; Re-Demand For Public Apology And Retraction of Defamatory Publications Made Against The Person And Reputation of Hon. (Prince) Ned Nwoko of Idumuje Ugboko.

The letter obtained by PREMIUM TIMES was signed by O.J Obodaya on behalf of Mr Nwoko.

However, the defendant said he has not been served with the court papers or any letter.

Lawsuit

The current request for damages was contained in a writ of summons obtained from Effurun High Court, Delta State on behalf of Nwoko by his counsel, Ikhide Ehighelua and Co, dated July 13, 2020.

Also joined in the suit No. EHC 99 as the second defendant is Chukwunonso Nwoko identified as the employer and sponsor of the first defendant, Mr Jebose.

According to the suit, both defendants made highly defamatory publications in several online blogs and other social media platforms calculated to reduce the estimation of the claimant and denigrate his reputation in the public.

It stated that the malicious publications had continued unabated against the plaintiff in spite of warnings by his solicitors to the defendants.

Counsel to Nwoko also stated that the first defendant defiantly came out openly on the social media that the cautions would not be a deterrent to his defamatory publications, prompting the legal action.

READ ALSO:

The claimant also seeks a public apology to be published by the defendants in at least two national daily newspapers circulating in Nigeria and social media platforms as well as an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from making any further defamatory publications against him.

Defendant reacts

Speaking with our reporter on Saturday, Mr Jebose denied being served any writ of summon or letter regarding the subject matter officially.

He told PREMIUM TIMES that all he is seeking is justice he is not afraid of any suit instituted against him.

Im not afraid of trial. All Im after is justice and that the people of Onicha-Ugbo, whom he (Nwoko) has been grabbing their lands will be happy that justice is on the way, he said. But, I have not been served any process officially other than in the media reports.

Mr Jebose said none of his writeups against Mr Nwoko is devoid of facts. He accused the lawmaker of intimidating his critics with military apparatuses and security agents.

He (Mr Nwoko) thinks he can intimidate everyone but I cannot be intimidated, he said.
Lesley Cowling, University of the Witwatersrand

Drum becomes an online-only magazine this month, almost 70 years after it was first launched as an African print publication.

The magazine is now a celebrity-focused human interest magazine. But it played a very different role in the 1950s and 1960s, when it is widely considered to have created new possibilities for identity for black South Africans. It was also crucial to the development of South African literature.

The Drum boys, a group of young writers employed by the magazine in its early years, served an emerging urban black readership in the first decade of apartheid, which came into force in 1948. Their lively chronicles of urban adventures made them popular characters, as well as contributing to Drums commercial success.

The magazine grew to be the largest circulation publication for black readers in South Africa, and expanded to include East and West African editions.

The Drum era of the 1950s has been romanticised as the fabulous decade through posters, photographs, film and exhibitions. The Drum look has found its way into fashion (T-shirts printed with Drum covers), decor and television, commercials and game shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.

Despite the nostalgia, many South Africans are not familiar with the journalism of early Drum. But magazines, as media academic Tim Holmes notes, are crucial to the construction of identities because of their intense focus on readers and reader communities.

Such journalism, despite its lightweight appearance, tells us complex stories about culture. Magazines also provide a space for creative forms of journalism.

Through their use of storytelling, personal narrative, local lingo and vivid scenes of everyday life, the Drum writers engaged in an ongoing construction of cosmopolitan identity for Johannesburg city dwellers. Literature scholar Michael Titlestad has called this process improvisation, comparing the writing in Drum with the improvisation in local jazz that took place in the 1950s.

The beginning

While countries throughout Africa were heading to independence in the 1950s, in South Africa the National Party was introducing draconian apartheid laws. There was also increased migration to cities. Africans could not own property, but were able to obtain freehold rights in certain areas, such as Sophiatown, on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

Sophiatown was a place where people could mingle across the colour bar. Its shebeens (informal taverns), music, celebrities and gangsters were the source of many Drum stories.

The African Drum was launched in 1951. After a lacklustre three months, the owner, Jim Bailey, brought a friend out from England, Anthony Sampson, to edit the magazine. They did some informal research and were told that black readers wanted sport, jazz, celebrities and hot dames.

Tell us whats happening right here, man, on the Reef!

Henry Nxumalo, an ex-serviceman with some experience as a journalist, was highly influential in developing Drums style as the magazine sought to attract black readers. Writers came from diverse backgrounds.

Todd Matshikiza was a musician (and went on to compose the musical King Kong). Can Themba, a teacher, won a fiction contest held by the magazine in 1952. Arthur Maimane was a schoolboy from St Peters Secondary School in Sophiatown with a passion for American crime writing. A young German, Jurgen Schadeberg, took the pictures, later joined by Bob Gosani and Peter Magubane.

As the magazines circulation grew, now iconic names in South African literature joined. These included Casey Motsisi, Bloke Modisane, Eskia Mphahlele, Lewis Nkosi and Nat Nakasa.

Drum journalist and novelist Lewis Nkosi. Poklekowski/ullstein bild via Getty Imag

Mostly without journalism training, the Drum writers began experimenting with tales of everyday life in the black townships. Nxumalo and Matshikiza, as the earliest writers on Drum, were influential in creating inventiveness in both reporting and writing.

Matshikiza developed a lively style to write about jazz, which was dubbed Matshikese. He was described as hammering on his typewriter like a musician playing a keyboard.

Maimane wrote serialised fiction in the mode of American hard-boiled detective stories. Others recounted first-person adventures in the shebeens and clubs, wrote confessional stories on behalf of characters they interviewed, or offered their own opinions.

In their stories, they used the styles of fiction writing more than news reporting, as many of the Drum writers also wrote short stories and novels. As John Matshikiza, Todds son, noted years later in the preface to a collection of Drum articles:

The startling thing is that there is no real dividing line between the two styles of writing: the journalistic and the fictional.

Investigative journalism

At first, circulation was slow to pick up. Then Nxumalo pitched a story about the abuse of labourers on the farms of Bethal. Nxumalo and photographer Schadeberg posed as a visiting journalist and his servant to gain access to the farms. The magazine published an eight-page article outlining the abuses, bylined Mr Drum.

The edition sold out, and public response reached Parliament.

After this, Drum carried regular investigations, mostly driven by Nxumalo. He got himself arrested so that he could write about prison conditions and took a job at a farm where a worker had been killed. Mr Drum became a celebrity, and his feats of investigative journalism have rarely been matched in South Africa.

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Drum sales hit 73,657 in 1955, making it the largest circulation magazine in Africa in any language. The devil-may-care spirit of the Drum writers, however, was difficult to sustain as the apartheid structures bore down on them.

By 1956, Sophiatowns black residents were being removed, to make way for an exclusively white suburb, in line with the apartheid policies that prohibited the mixing of races.

In December 1956, Nxumalo was stabbed to death while out on an investigation. His death deeply affected his fellow writers.

The increasing repression of the 1960s destroyed the journalists of the Drum school. Most went into exile. Drum was banned and stopped publishing for some years. The title was eventually revived, and sold in 1984 to Nasionale Pers, an Afrikaans media company with close ties to the apartheid government.

The 1980s

In the 1980s, many of the early Drum writers were unbanned, releasing their writing back into South Africas public domain. Mike Nicol, who wrote a book on 1950s Drum, describes the impact of this moment as history shifting beneath ones feet, revealing a lost country. There was surge of interest by literature scholars. Michael Chapman, in the 1980s, argued that

the stories in Drum mark the substantial beginning, in South Africa, of the modern black short story.

Lewis Nkosi, on the other hand, regretted the short-lived potential of the Drum generation and the production of what he called journalism of an insubstantial kind.

Many scholars argue that the Drum writers, in detailing everyday experience, showed quite powerfully the violent impact of the apartheid system on black South Africans. Nkosi noted:Mphahlele felt that Drum did not deal seriously with social issues. Others argued that Drum was not explicitly committed to the liberation struggle.

No newspaper report  could ever convey significantly the deep sense of entrapment that the black people experience under apartheid rule.

Their inventive style of using fictional tactics to tell non-fiction stories pre-dated the New Journalism of America  touted by Tom Wolfe as a brand new approach to journalism  by a decade.

This edited extract is adapted from Echoes of an African Drum: The Lost Literary Journalism of 1950s South Africa, in Literary Journalism Studies.

Lesley Cowling, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism, University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The conversation
Olalekan Ponle, a Nigerian held in the United States for alleged multi-million-dollar fraud, has been indicted by the grand jury, a group of lawyers empowered to conduct legal proceedings and investigate potential criminal conduct.

Mr Ponle, popularly known as Woodberry, alongside Ramoni Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi, was arrested in the United Arab Emirate on June 10 for multiple fraud charges after a raid by operatives of the Dubai crime unit.

According to the complaint, an unnamed Chicago company was defrauded into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2 million.

Companies based in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York and California also were victims of the fraud, prosecutors say.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nabbed Mr Ponle through details accessed from his WhatsApp, iPhone and Bitcoin transactions. He was extradited to the United States on July 2.

The 29-year-old is currently facing charges bordering on wire fraud Conspiracy at a United States District Court sitting in Illinois.

His first appearance in court was on July 3, after which the preliminary hearing was set for July 16 before Judge Jeffrey T Gilbert.

Although Mr Ponle appeared in court for his detention and preliminary hearing on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES is yet to access the outcome of the proceedings as of the time of filing this report.

Grand Jurys report

As obtained by this paper, a report of the special grand jury constituted in 2019, which was submitted to the court on Wednesday, indicted Mr Ponle.

In the American judicial system, the grand jury listens to the prosecutor and witnesses, and then votes in secret on whether they believe that enough evidence exists to charge the person with a crime.

When a person is indicted, he is given a formal notice that it is believed that he committed a crime. The indictment contains the basic information that informs the person of the charges against him.

The jury summed up the allegations against Mr Ponle to an eight-count charge of wire fraud, which violates section 1343 of the United States Codes.

Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretences, representations, or promises, transmits or causes to be transmitted by means of wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce, any writings, signs, signals, pictures, or sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

More so, the jury, in its conclusion, stated that, upon conviction, Mr Ponle shall forfeit to the United States of America any property which institutes and is derived from proceeds traceable to the offense provided in Title 18. United States Code, Section 981 (IXC) and Title 28, United States Code, Section 24611).

If any of the property described above, as a result of any act or omission by a defendant: cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence; has been transferred or sold to, or deposited with, a third party; has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the Court; has been substantially diminished in value; or has been commingled with other property which cannot be divided without difficulty, the United States of America shall be entitled to forfeiture of substitute property, as provided in Title 21, United States Code, Section 853 (p),  the report further read.

Previous reports had indicated that Mr Ponle will be in the custody of the U.S. Marshal until further order by the Court.
Nearly 14,000 migrant labourers who returned to their natives places in Bihar from other states during the Covid-19 lockdown have sought counselling and psychological help from mental health professionals in the last three and a half months, shows the data of the Bihar State Health Society (BSHS).

Most of them were reported to have been suffering from depression, anxiety, apprehensions and sleeplessness.

Among 38 districts of the state, Banka had the maximum number of such cases. Altogether 1,847 migrants in Banka have sought counselling facility between April and first fortnight of July this year.

Muzaffarpur was next where 1,744 migrants consulted counsellors during this period, followed by Gopalganj (1,539) and Arwal (1,348).

Araria reported the minimum number of such cases (15) while the capital Patna reported a modest 253 cases.

The BSHS has been running a mental health programme for the migrants affected by Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. In April this year, it had started Ummeed, a counselling and medical treatment facility for mental health problems among migrant labourers, people in health quarantine and isolation centres. All district hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres and quarantine centres and isolation centres were asked to provide necessary counselling and psychiatrist support services to Covid-19 affected people.

Since April 5 to July 16, 2020, we have 13,930 mental health cases. But the actual number must be much higher. We all know that a large number of people dont understand they need counselling and mental support services. Many migrant labourers may not be aware of this, Preeti Bajpai, state consultant, mental health programme of the BSHS, said.

We also involved ASHAs (accredited social health activists) or the community workers and ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwives) who are the village level female health workers, the first contact person between the community and health services. They intimate us about the cases, she said.

Nipurnh Gupta, communication officer, Unicef, said these ASHAs and ANMs were given online orientation training. They are also making migrants aware about mental health treatment facilities created for them by the government, she said.

Dr Rajesh, the monitoring and evaluation officer, mental health programme at the BSHS, said the effort has been to reach migrants located even in remote areas We knew the loss of income and jobs among them, insecurities and isolation would affect their mental health, he said. To mitigate all this, there was the need of mental health services, he said.
Imphal: Manipurs Additional Director General of Police ADGP (Law and Order) Arvind Kumar allegedly shot himself with his service gun at his official quarter at 2nd Manipur Rifles Complex in Imphal on Saturday.

He has reportedly been taken to the hospital. The development was confirmed by news agency PTI, which said Manipur's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arvind Kumar has allegedly shot himself and he has been taken to hospital.

Arvind Kumar is a 1992 Batch IPS officer of Manipur cadre. He is currently serving as ADG of Manipur Police.

According to media reports, Kumar is being operated upon. He was recently repatriated back to his Home cadre the Centre due to health reasons.

The development was also confirmed by Imphal West SP K Meghachandra Singh, who is also present in the hospital.

More details are awaited.
Britain said on Saturday it was pausing its daily update of the death toll from the coronavirus in the United Kingdom after the government ordered a review into the calculation of the data over concern numbers might have been exaggerated.

Academics have said the way that Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures means they might look worse there than in other countries of the United Kingdom.
(Photo : Downloaded From Getty Images official website )

China has announced that they are getting ready to launch a rocket, their first Mars rover, between July 20 to 25 or by early August the latest. They had just moved a rocket in position for the upcoming launch which is one of three missions to Mars with the other two from the U.S. and the U.A.E.

The Long March-5 carrier rocket has been used experimentally three times but without a payload. The Tianwen-1 Mars rover will be the first payload the rocker carrier will officially launch.

In late July or early August, the rocket will launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on Hainan island in southern China, announced the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. They will be launching before the United States will launch their Mars rover, Perseverance.

Li Benqi, part of the Long March-5 team, said, 'Testing for all the technical items on the rocket, the Mars rover, and the launching area has been completed so far. While the rocket is at the launching area, our preparations are focused on filling fuel into the rocket and ensuring a good final state of the rocket and the rover. Then we'll enter the launching procedures.'





First Mars Mission

China's space program, which began in the 1950s, will finally have its first Mars mission for the collecting of scientific data. Previously, they had collaborated with Russia to develop a military missile program.

In 2011, China partnered up with Russia in an attempt to complete a Mars mission but had failed. If successful, Tianwen-1 will land on Mars by February 2021. Since their first mission with a crew in 2003, they have sent astronauts to an experimental space station.

China's team has also landed a probe, the Yutu-2, on the Moon's far side. It had been part of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon in 2019.

Preparing for the new interplanetary space mission comes after China had launched its final satellite of the Beidou navigational system, which is competing against America's Global Positioning System (GPS). This will be their most ambitious space mission yet.

Moreover, they have plans to launch the Chang'e 5 lunar probe before the year ends. By 2022, China plans to complete a permanent space station, the Modular Space Station Experiment II or Mengtian, which translates to 'dreaming of the heavens.'

The United States, United Arab Emirates, and China will all be conducting scientific research on Mars when their rovers land next year in search of signs of ancient microscopic life. They will also be scouting the Red Planet for future missions with astronauts.

Read Also: NASA Is Getting Ready for the Artemis Moon Missions by 2024





Landing on Mars

The reason they're pushing for a time window before August 15 is because of Mars and Earth's alignment every 26 months. If they miss this window, they will all have to hold their Mars missions until 2022, when the Red Planet will be nearer to Earth again.

Scientists hope to find signs of water on the Red Planet and eventually build entire civilizations there. The U.A.E has already begun working on its Martian city in a desert near Dubai.

The Emirati will be launching Amal, or 'Hope' in Arabic, by July 20 in collaboration with the University of Colorado in Boulder Colorado. Like China, it is the nation's first interplanetary mission.

Engineer Ge Xiaochun from the China National Space Administration said positively, 'The Mars probe is the first step of China's planetary exploration project. The coming launching mission has been highly recognized and supported by the international community.'

Read Also: Dubai's Martian City Is Currently Being Built by Architects - Here's an Inside Look




'The Kremlin Is Shocked': Moscow Scrambles For A Response As Protests Rock Russia's Far East

By Matthew Luxmoore July 17, 2020

MOSCOW -- In September 2018, residents of Khabarovsk Krai, a Russian region bordering China, voted overwhelmingly for a governor not allied with the ruling party. Sergei Furgal, a former scrap-metal trader, won the election on a wave of discontent over falling wages and a hugely unpopular pension reform that raised the retirement age by five years.

Routing incumbent Vyacheslav Shport by winning nearly 70 percent in a runoff vote, Furgal celebrated a victory that dealt a humiliating defeat to a candidate endorsed by President Vladimir Putin and caused heads to turn in Moscow.

Some said that by challenging Shport, Furgal broke a promise he had made to the Kremlin: that he refrain from campaigning and accept a position in Shport's cabinet instead. Once in office, he faced a dogged state TV campaign to blacken his name, and the kind of backstage jockeying for his ouster that may eventually have led to his downfall.

"They crossed a red line," a source in Putin's administration told the Vedomosti newspaper at the time, in reference to the deceptively named Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), a nationalist outfit usually loyal to the Kremlin, which fielded Furgal in the election. "They've turned into the [real] opposition -- and may now share its fate."

A week ago, those warnings appeared to come true. Less than two years into his term, Furgal was arrested and whisked off on July 10 to Moscow's notorious Lefortovo jail, where he awaits trial on charges of organizing the murders of two businessmen and the attempted murder of another in 2004-05. He has pleaded not guilty, and supporters have questioned why the charges took 15 years to surface.

The following day, cities across Khabarovsk Krai were rocked by the largest protests witnessed in the region since the Soviet collapse in 1991, with an estimated 30,000 people marching through the streets of the regional capital, Khabarovsk, and demanding Furgal's release. The protests have continued daily and featured anti-Putin slogans, leaving Moscow scrambling to gauge the right response.

The situation was "emotionally very resonant," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on July 14, warning that protests could aid the spread of the coronavirus. And Russian state TV has been conspicuously tight-lipped about the Khabarovsk rallies, which have provoked smaller protest events in other parts of the country's Far East.

"The Kremlin is shocked," said Abbas Galyamov, a political analyst based in Moscow. "No one knows how to react."

In The East

It's Moscow that is traditionally viewed as Russia's bastion of opposition sentiment, not the distant, industrial Far East. Regions on the country's sprawling eastern flank are often reliant on central subsidies, and grudgingly accustomed to getting the short end of the stick. But mass protests there are rare, with grievances aired more commonly in private than on the streets.

But this time may be different, analysts say.

A June 25-July 1 vote that cemented a set of controversial changes to Russia's constitution, including one enabling Putin to seek two more six-year terms as president, has contributed to a sense that people's political choices are being ignored. The arrest of a popular governor has served as a catalyst for an expression of that sentiment in the form of protest rallies.

"This is not a protest city, like Moscow or St. Petersburg," Zyoma Kulikov, one of the protesters in Khabarovsk, told RFE/RL. "But I'll keep coming here until Furgal is brought back and given an open, jury trial here in Khabarovsk."

Crowd size in Khabavorsk has dwindled since the record turnout on July 11, with several hundred people protesting outside the regional administration each evening. But Sergei, a local builder who declined to give his last name because he feared repercussions for speaking out, said the mood was combative ahead of a major rally planned for July 18.

"We're doing everything for Moscow to hear us, for Putin to hear us," he said. "They say there are fewer and fewer of us each day, but this weekend, people will come in droves."

Last summer, crowds numbering in the tens of thousands protested in Moscow over the exclusion of independent candidates from elections to the city council. The police reacted with a show of force and a subsequent campaign of legal prosecutions in which several people were sentenced to prison on charges they denied or said were substantially overblown.

This week, on July 15, a smaller rally in Moscow against the amendment that could extend Putin's rule featured chants of "Khabarovsk, we're with you!" and banners displaying Furgal's name. Some 140 protesters were detained in a sometimes violent police clampdown shortly after the main event ended.

But as protests in Khabarovsk continued, there have been few signs of a similarly forceful response by the authorities. Instead, the rallies appear to have baffled a local law enforcement mechanism unused to handling anything of the sort.

Kremlin 'Flummoxed'

"The protest reached such a scale that the authorities are flummoxed," said Galyamov. "That's why law enforcement is acting with such restraint. It's unclear how people will react to arrests. They may be like a red rag to a bull."

Few predict the protests will spark a revolution that topples Putin's two-decade rule. But after years of falling real wages and minimal support from the state during a pandemic that continues to sicken thousands of Russians each day, some analysts say that Khabarovsk is a harbinger of more unrest to come.

"Furgal's trajectory tells us much more about tectonic processes at work in Russian politics and society than anything specifically to do with him," Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London, wrote in a recent column. "You worry less about not having so loud a political voice when times are good, but recent years have not been that."

Galeotti argues the protests are another symbol of the gradual "decline of Putinism." For residents of Khabarovsk, demonstrations are a release valve for anger over economic stagnation, job losses, and a widespread sense that their voices just aren't being heard.

"It is not that this will bring Putin down so much as that it becomes a symbol of the ossification and alienation of Late Putinism," he wrote.

With reporting from Khabarovsk by Yekaterina Khasina of the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-scrambles- for-a-response-as-protests-rock -russia-far-east/30733192.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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(Photo : Image by Manie Van der Hoven from Pixabay ) A new ocean in Africa will form in about 5 to 10 million years.

New data from satellite imagery offers valuable tools to study a tectonic rift in one of Africa's most geologically unique points on Earth. Along the stretch of East Africa's Afar region, scientists have found that the continent appears to be splitting apart.

Experts believe that atop the juncture of three tectonic plates, the cleave would eventually create a new ocean basin millions of years from today. Right now, the most apparent evidence is a 35-mile-long split in the Ethiopian desert.

According to Christopher Moore, a PhD doctoral student at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, it is the only location on Earth where researchers are able to study the mechanism of how continental rift turns into an ocean rift.

Scientists believe that Africa's new ocean will appear in at least five to ten million years. However, the Afar region's serendipitous location at the boundaries od the Arabian, Nubian, and Somali plates makes it an ideal laboratory to study intricate tectonic processes.

Read Also: Death of A Tectonic Plate: How Could It Be Happening?





What are Tectonic Plates?

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) describes a tectonic plate as a massive, irregularly shaped piece of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere

The Earth's crust is made up of many large tectonic plates that constantly climb over, slide under, mash against, or stretch apart from one another.

The heat from radioactive mechanisms within the planet's interior causes the plates to move. At times they shift toward and sometimes away from each other. This activity is called plate motion, or a tectonic shift.

For the past 30 million years, the Arabian plate has been moving away from Africa. As a result, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden between the two linked landmasses came into existence.

There are still a lot of things unknown about the tectonic plate shifting, including what is causing the continent to rift apart. Some think that an enormous plume of superheated rocks rising from the mantle underneath East Africa could be behind it.

Africa to Take on a New Form

Some comprehensive satellite observations, along with field research could aid scientists in piecing together the events taking place in the Afar region's underground base. However, if the area serves as a living laboratory dedicated to the study of the continental rift, the environment would not make it easy for them.

Cynthia Ebinger, a geophysicist at Tulane University in New Orleans, says the region has been described as "Dante's inferno," as it is the hottest populated town on the research campaigns in the Afar area.

Furthermore, she explains that temperatures rise up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime and then cool off to about 95 degrees at night.

Each plate boundary in the Afar region is extending at different speeds. However, the joined forces of these separating plates are creating what's known as a mid-ocean ridge system. From this system, experts believe that a new ocean will eventually form.

Ebinger theorizes that the built-up pressure from rising magma could be causing the explosive events seen in the Afar region. She believes that over time, such rifting events will eventually reshape the African continent.

Also Read: Earth's Tectonic Plates May Have Started Moving Earlier Than Thought
By PTI

NEW DELHI: AAP leader and Kalkaji MLA Atishi, who has recovered from COVID-19, donated her plasma to the 'plasma bank' of a state-run facility here on Saturday, and urged others to also do it.

The step by the AAP legislator also drew praise from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"The required tests and counselling was done at the ILBS this afternoon, and later she donated plasma," a senior official said.

The first-of-its-kind 'plasma bank' in the country was recently set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS) in south Delhi.

A person who has recently recovered from COVID-19, usually develops antibodies against the coronavirus and then this is collected and transferred to a sick patient through plasma.

Each person can donate 250-500 ml of plasma.

The first dosage of 250 ml is given to the recipient, and if needed second dosage of 250 ml after 24 hours can be given.

"Donated plasma at the ILBS Plasma Bank today! Would like to urge all recovered COVID patients to come forward and donate their plasma. It is very rare that one gets an opportunity to save someone's life; and plasma can do just that!," Atishi tweeted.

Chief Minister Kejriwal has been urging people who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate plasma.

AAP spokesperson Akshay Marathe also donated plasma, and shared pictures on Twitter.

"Delightful experience today donating plasma at Delhi govt's plasma bank at the ILBS Hospital with @AtishiAAP. One can't imagine just how hassle-free the entire process is. Happy to be able to contribute to our CM @ArvindKejriwal ji's mission to save as many as lives as possible," he tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Atishi took to Twitter to inform that she was now eligible to donate plasma.

"Happy to share that I'm now eligible for donating plasma, as per medical protocols. I will be donating plasma at Delhi Govt's plasma bank in ILBS today!," she tweeted.

Kejriwal praised her decision, and shared her tweet with a comment, "V good Atishi!".

AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi had earlier donated plasma. Health Minister Satyendar Jain too had expressed his desire on Twitter, to donate plasma.

Strict guidelines have been issued as to who are eligible to donate plasma, at present.

People in the age group of 18 to 60 years, who have fully recovered from COVID-19 and have showed no symptoms for 14 days can go for donation, subject to strict guidelines for eligible donors.

Someone weighing less than 50 kg, women who have ever been pregnant, cancer survivors, and those with kidney, heart, lung or liver diseases, are not eligible to donate plasma.
Even as it has been almost a year since India abrogated Article 370 that provided special rights to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has not stopped raising the issue at international platforms, despite several unsuccessful attempts. This, despite India making it clear more than once that the issue is India's internal matter. On July 17, Pakistan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi while addressing the High-Level Segment of UN ECOSOC titled 'Multilateralism after COVID 19: what kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary?' raked up the Kashmir issue once again.

Even as global leaders underscored the importance of reformed multilateralism to ensure an "effective collective response" to global crises such as COVID-19 at a high-level session, Pakistan used it to rake up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and oppose the expansion of the Security Council's permanent membership.

READ | PM Modi at ECOSOC details India's progress; From Development to protecting the environment

Qureshi said Pakistan was "particularly concerned" by the "oppression and atrocities being perpetrated against the people of Jammu and Kashmir." He added that the Security Council will not be revitalised by accommodating the narrow ambitions of those who seek power and privilege. "Additional permanent members in the Security Council will compound, not resolve, its paralysis. Indeed, it is the small and medium sized states with the highest stake in the UN-led world order, which can help to promote an equitable and effective structure of international peace and security," he said.

READ | PM Modi calls for 'rebirth and reform' of UN citing global changes amid Coronavirus

PM Modi's address

India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member. Delivering the keynote address, PM Narendra Modi, spoke about the history of the United Nations and India's association with it since it birth - 75 years ago. He talked about the role India has played in the ECOSOC via its domestic efforts in achieving its sustainability goals by 2030. Highlighting the Modi government's 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' motto, PM Modi listed the various schemes announced and implemented by the Centre, domestically. This is the first time PM Modi is addressing the session after India's election to the UN Security Council.

READ | Former CM Fadnavis briefs PM Modi on 'ground reality' about COVID in Maharashtra

UN - ECOSOC high-level conversation

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) had hosted the high-level conversation among leaders on global solidarity and renewed multilateralism during times of crisis and in the continuing pursuit of long-term sustainable development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg were among the world leaders who addressed the High-Level Segment. The session was aimed at reflecting on the kind of multilateralism needed today to deliver a forward looking and effective collective response to global crises such as COVID-19 and long-term challenges such as climate change, while accelerating progress towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

READ | PM Modi addresses UN-ECOSOC; talks multilateralism, India's COVID battle & social schemes

(with PTI inputs)
After clocking 37 per cent Covid-19 positivity ratio a month ago, the city has now brought it down to around 12 per cent following measures such as ramped up testing and increased surveillance, a top official of the Greater Chennai Corporation said here on Saturday.

The government announcing a 12-day lockdown last month had also been largely beneficial as it reduced peoples mobility, GCC Commissioner G Prakash said.

Ramped up testing for coronavirus, fever camps and door surveillance have brought down the positivity ratio to 10 -12 per cent from about 35-37 per cent just a month ago, he told reporters here.

Since March, the civic body has conducted over five lakh RT-PCR tests.

A month ago, we increased the testing as per Chief Minister K Palaniswamis instruction. This has been a major turning point (in bringing down the positivity ratio). As of today we have achieved a positivity ratio of 10-12 per cent, from about 35-37 per cent a month ago, he said.

When 4,000 samples were tested in the past, there were 1,400-1,500 positive cases. And of the 13,000 samples being tested now, only 1,200 to 1,250 positive cases are being reported, Prakash added.

The Chief Ministers decision on enforcing the lockdown, which reduced the peoples mobility, created a conducive atmosphere to increase the testing and step up the household surveillance, he said.

The metropolis had earlier reported heavy caseload of the virus, sharing a big chunk of daily numbers of the infections reported all over from the state.

The government had, among others, cited the population density, especially in many of the narrow lanes, as the key to the fast spread of the pandemic in this city.

Subsequently, an intense lockdown with more curbs was implemented in the city and suburban areas covered under three different districts--Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallore, from June 19-30.

The city has been of late witnessing a dip in the daily number of cases.

Tamil Nadus cumulative tally of Covid-19 cases stood at 1,60,907 as of Friday, with Chennais share being 83,377.

Prakash further said that about 11,53,399 people have attended over 18,645 fever clinics conducted in Chennai from May 8 to July 17.

Of those who attended, 60,686 symptomatic patients were identified and tested for Covid-19 and others were given medicines for minor ailments, he said.

On the civic bodys recently launched Home Quarantine and Isolation Monitoring System (HQIMS), a smartphone application to monitor those quarantined, he said the method has been effective.

Nearly 8.5 lakh people were quarantined and several among them have completed the mandated isolation period.

The Chief Minister allotting 40 crore for this unique initiative had helped us to identify and deploy 4,500 youth for the monitoring work, Prakash added.
Rs 499; Simon & Schuster

For the many who believe that America is the land of milk and honey, there is the other side. It is the country that starts internal strife and civil war in Sanghaala, gets the survivors here on a visa and puts them on menial jobs like slaves for its own benefits. Impassioned words from a man who left his fictitious country of birth, Sanghaala in Africa, at the age of 12, and served his adopted country in times of war. But Guruprasad Kagineles Hijab, originally written in Kannada and translated by Pavan N Rao is not the story of this man. The chapter on Kuki is the story of an embittered refugee, and it is one among many.

Hijab is about migration and choices. Its intent is to explore the twin themes of immigration and integration, in the process uncovering many truths and untruths about its motley cast and their respective realities. In Kagineles words, through the story of Hijab, he attempts to explore an organic relationship about a human being and the land to which he migrates. When a person moves to a new land, he or she will make an honest attempt to become a part of the new land. A prominent name in contemporary Kannada literature, Kaginele, who won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award for Hijab, confesses to being most comfortable writing in Kannada.

The tiny nondescript town of Amoka in Minnesota is the epicentre of the drama that unfolds in the book, when a young Sanghaali woman, who is pregnant, refuses a critically-needed caesarean operation on grounds of religion and its lopsided counterpart, superstition. The prologue states that Sanghaala could be any country in Africa - like Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya or Uganda. It should not matter much when all the immigrants from these countries look the same, eat alike and speak alike in the voice of the narrator, an immigrant himself but not from the African continent. You know then that there is unconscious bias at play here. Amoka is a fictional derivative of Anoka, a real town in Minnesota and apparently considered the Halloween Capital of the world. Although the single two-lane road town is geographically situated in Minnesota, the land of ten thousand lakes and luscious green beauty, the mise-en-scene is largely composed of a sterile hospital populated by an oddball mix of people. Guru is the eponymous raconteur, an Indian doctor like Kaginele, who lives in Minnesota. The voice of Hijab is Gurus. Along with Radhika and Shrikant, the other Indian colleagues, fellow doctors and immigrants, Guru awaits the culmination of the immigrant dream - the arrival of a green card. The South Asian representation is complete with a Pakistani Muslim colleague whose role gets aborted mid-plot when things heat up.

Sanghaala refugees started migrating to America in the 1920s. It began as a trickle at first and then went up substantially in the 1920s owing to the internal strife in the country and conflicts with neighbouring countries. Most of them live in Minnesota, almost to the tune of at least one hundred thousand. For the many thousand Sanghaalis who have migrated to the new land of opportunity, existence is a tightrope walk, a clash between culturally-held mores and the scientific rationale of a developed nation. Thus, while an incision on the abdomen is hard for Fadhuma and her husband to stomach, female genital mutilation is par for the course. Prolific child-bearing is lifes mission for most of these women. A couple of inexplicable, shocking incidents shatter the somnolence of the town, and nobody seems to have any answers. As the plot thickens, the inevitable media frenzy follows.

Author Guruprasad Keginale (Courtesy Simon & Schuster)

A large part of Hijabs plot feels like a disjointed puzzle, and none of the players seem to hold the missing pieces to complete it. Barriers of language and belief widen chasms. A sassy self-appointed spokesperson for the Sanghaalis makes a confrontational appearance before things go south. That is the controversial Mohammed Mohammeds only physical appearance in the plot. But his presence pulsates erratically on social media. There are a bunch of forgettable American characters: colleagues at the hospital. There is also the obtrusive presence of the higher-ups on the echelons of power, who are unnamed and unseen, while Guru tries to make his way through the maze, with skeletal support from his colleagues. Humour noir meets poignancy in the shape of an offshoot of the plot in which a character named Martin Luther King is a victim of mistaken identity, not for his name but for his appearance.

Kagineles characters run the entire gamut of the voyeuristic times we live in: there is trial by media, the insidiousness and intrusiveness of social media, and finally, the gimmicky exhibitionism of reality television. For the voyeuristic times that we live in, all this isnt wildly shocking. As Rick Jackson, the bombastic president of the hospital board puts it:F*** the media. Lets make the news that we want.

Kaginele stirs up a murky broth of ingredients: mystery meets machinations, racial biases, a terror angle and its habitual construct, the corollary that must damn certain religions or ethnicities. There is also a sprinkling of activism and feminism, and assimilation and adaptation as personified by the new age Sanghaali girls, with their painted faces, American idiom, and hijabs.

The story of Hijab is an unusual one. While the narration is a staid recounting of events, it manages to keep the reader adequately engaged. The prose is on an even keel at all times, and there are no embellishments. The tonality is clinical as is the connect with Guru or any of the other characters. None of them leaves any lasting impression nor do they evoke any empathy. Hijab is intriguing and powerful but it remains a dispassionate read.

Sonali Mujumdar is an independent journalist. She lives in Mumbai.
Rev. C.T. Vivian, key civil rights leader, has died at 95

The Rev. C.T. Vivian, an early and key adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who organized pivotal civil rights campaigns and spent decades advocating for justice and equality, died Friday at the age of 95.

Vivian began staging sit-ins against segregation in Peoria, Illinois, in the 1940s  a dozen years before lunch-counter protests by college students made national news. He met King soon after the budding civil rights leaders leadership of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, and helped translate ideas into action by organizing the Freedom Rides that forced federal intervention across the South.

Vivian boldly challenged a segregationist sheriff while trying to register Black voters in Selma, Alabama, where hundreds, then thousands, later marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

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You can turn your back now and you can keep your club in your hand, but you cannot beat down justice. And we will register to vote because as citizens of these United States we have the right to do it, Vivian declared, wagging his index finger at Sheriff Jim Clark as the cameras rolled.

The sheriff then punched him, and news coverage of the assault helped turned a local registration drive into a national phenomenon.

Former diplomat and congressman Andrew Young, another close King confidant, said Vivian was always one of the people who had the most insight, wisdom, integrity and dedication.

Barack Obama, who honored Vivian with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, tweeted Friday that he was always one of the first in the action  a Freedom Rider, a marcher in Selma, beaten, jailed, almost killed, absorbing blows in hopes that fewer of us would have to.

He waged nonviolent campaigns for integration across the south, and campaigns for economic justice throughout the north, knowing that even after the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act that he helped win, our long journey to equality was nowhere near finished, Obama wrote.

Obama also drew a direct line from Vivian and all the heroes in that Civil Rights Generation to todays generation of activists, saying I have to imagine that seeing the largest protest movement in history unfold over his final months gave the Reverend a final dose of hope.

Among many other tributes, The King Center in Atlanta tweeted: Rev. C.T. Vivian. Courageous. Brilliant. Sacrificial. A powerfully well-lived life that lifted humanity. We will miss you. And the Rev. Al Sharpton, who heads the National Action Network, tweeted that Vivian made this nation and world a better place.  RIP, my friend.

Speaking with students in Tennessee 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, Vivian urged them to act strategically as they advocated for justice and equality. The civil rights movement was effective not only because of its nonviolence, but because activists made sure their messages were amplified, he said.

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This is what made the movement: Our voice was really heard. But it didnt happen by accident; we made certain it was heard, Vivian said.

Cordy Tindell Vivian was born July 28, 1924, in Howard County, Missouri, but moved to Macomb, Illinois, with his mother as a young boy. He studied theology alongside future civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis at the American Baptist College in Nashville, Tennessee, where they trained waves of activists in nonviolent protest.

King made Vivian his national director of affiliates at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and sent him around the South to register voters, an effort that brought Vivian to Selma in 1965. Standing on the Dallas County courthouse steps as a line of Black people stretched down the block behind him, he argued for their voting rights until Clarks punch knocked him flat.

Vivian stood back up and kept talking before he was stitched up and jailed, and his mistreatment helped draw thousands of protesters, whose determination to march from Selma to Montgomery pressured Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year.

Vivian continued to serve in the SCLC after Kings assassination in 1968, and became its interim president in 2012, lending renewed credibility after the organization stagnated for years. He also co-founded VISION, the precursor to Outward Bound; the Center for Democratic Renewal; and a consulting firm that encouraged improvements in race relations.

There must always be the understanding of what Martin had in mind for this organization, Vivian said in a 2012 interview. Nonviolent, direct action makes us successful. We learned how to solve social problems without violence. We cannot allow the nation or the world to ever forget that.

Vivian died at home in Atlanta of natural causes Friday morning, his friend and business partner Don Rivers confirmed to The Associated Press.

Vivian had a stroke about two months ago but seemed to recover, Rivers said. Then, he just stopped eating, he said.

Rivers, 67, said he was 21 when he met Vivian at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Back then, he worked as an audio director when Vivian was the dean of the universitys divinity school. The two remained close over the years and Rivers said he handled the business side of Vivians work.

Hes such a nice, gentle, courageous man, Rivers said, adding that the reverend wasnt in it for the money. He was always giving, giving, giving.
HIGHLAND PARK, Mich.  Representative Rashida Tlaib, one of Congresss most famous members, is perhaps best known for her membership in the progressive group known as the squad and her strident attacks on President Trump.

But on a recent Saturday, she stood in a former manufacturing plant in one of Americas poorest districts, talking about power outages as she worked to beat back a stiff primary challenge that is threatening her political future.

Where were the outages? Look at the map, Ms. Tlaib told members of the Detroit chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, the influential Black sorority, as she railed against DTE Energy, the local power company. Black and brown communities overwhelmingly have outages because they dont fix the infrastructure in our neighborhoods. DTE, I dont need you to issue a statement that says Black Lives Matter. I need you to show me Black lives matter.

The message drew raucous applause here in Highland Park, a city surrounded by Detroit where Black residents make up roughly 90 percent of the population, and where voters are less concerned with the latest Washington controversy than they are about coronavirus testing, neighborhood blight and losing power whenever thunderstorms strike.
Lucknow:

Uttar Pradesh police has been alerted to maintain strict vigil near banks and other places to maintain law and order in the wake of decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.

After the announcement caught people by surprise, long queues were seen at ATMs and petrol pumps on Tuesday night.

The situation became difficult for commuters on Wednesday with many petrol pumps closing down claiming that they were out of stock, while in shops, customers were turned away by traders, who were not ready to accept notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations.

"Director general of police Javeed Ahmad has issued directives to all district police chiefs stating that there may be serious law and order issues after the announcement. "Patrolling and visibility (of force) should be there at market areas, near banks, post offices," additional superintendent of police in DGP office Rahul Srivastava said.

He said police officers have been directed to talk to traders bodies and petrol pumps and keep an eye on situation in rural areas. Police has been deployed at petrol pumps to control the crowd.

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A majority of the speakers who have featured in 1947 Partition Archive's new series come from families of Partition migrants and have enduring cross-border stories of love and friendship to share.

Hum keh thehre ajnabi itni madaraton ke baad

Phir banenge aashnaa kitni mulaqaton ke baad

Kab nazar mein aayengi be-dagh sabze ki bahaar

Khoon ke dhabbe dhulenge kitni barsaaton ke baad

(We who are like strangers, after all the time gone by,

Will we know one and another again and after how many meetings more?

And will there be spring when the green is all unblighted?

And how many rains must fall before the stains of blood are washed clean?)

These lines from Faiz Ahmed Faizs poem 'Dhaka Se Wapsi Par' (On Returning From Dhaka) describe the poets pain for his countrymen, divided by the then bloody civil war between West and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The sentiment transcends time, becoming the torment of the people who migrated during Indias own Partition, or even an echo of these uncertain times, where sealed global borders and lockdowns have separated loved ones from each other.

Yet, in the hope of a joyful union, Lahore-based Dr Salima Hashmi, the oldest daughter of Faiz, recites these lines in a virtual talk series, which is bringing India and Pakistan together while the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Launched on 30 May, these weekly one-hour episodes are an initiative by 1947 Partition Archive  one of the foremost platforms to record peoples oral stories of India's Partition. From artists to scholars, the show, which is known as 'Sunday Stories Live', invites speakers from either side of the border to talk about the shared and lost history of the subcontinent.

For New Delhi-based Guneeta Singh Bhalla, the founder of the Partition Archive, it was the pandemic that enabled this talk show. She found herself forced to withdraw from plans of live events and rethink engagement in the digital space. Facebook Lives became a natural choice, as the Archive's page has one million followers from both sides of the border and the global diaspora.

"In mainstream politics and pop culture, Partition is often used as a test of someone's nationality and allegiance," says Bhalla, whose Archive has documented almost 10,000 stories since its inception in 2010. "Less than 1 percent of the people we interviewed migrated by choice. They still have love for their ancestral land. One of the purposes of the series is to bring forth this truth."

In the past seven episodes  recordings of which can be accessed on the Archives Facebook page  the speakers have included author Urvashi Butalia, whose book The Other Side of Silence is one of the first to narrate the oral history of Partition survivors, and Bhai Baldeep Singh, an eminent 13th-generation musician of Gurbani kirtan, who gave profound insights into the syncretic Hindu-Muslim musical traditions of undivided Punjab. Another episode saw a delightful camaraderie between professors Dr Rita Kothari of New Delhi and Dr Farrukh Khan from Lahore, as they discuss teaching Partition to graduate students through regional histories that have entwined Hindus and Muslims for generations.

Most if not all the speakers seem to come from families of Partition migrants and have enduring cross-border stories of love and friendship to share. Yet the show hardly ever becomes purely sentimental, with the continued relevance of Partition remaining central to each session. Partition is not a static event, it is an on-going journey, Lahore-based Anam Zakaria, an oral historian and award-winning author of several books on the Partition, says in one of the early episodes of the series. Like many other speakers of the show, she talks of how Partition has enabled the crystallisation of religious identities with nations which uproots people from the only home they have ever known. Pakistani children often find it hard to believe how Shah Rukh Khan can be Muslim and yet Indian, says Zakaria while narrating an anecdote from one of her classroom interactions on the show.

Zakaria also points out other ways in which the wounds of Partition continue to fester  the struggles of divided families on either side of the border, the lynching of minorities, attacks on places of worship, and most recently, the Uttar Pradesh governments brutalities on Sikh farmers in its state, who migrated to the area during Partition.

Is there a way ahead for peace and friendship? That is another question that continues to surface through the show.

It is the writer, the actor, the filmmaker, the poet on whom the responsibility of peace rests, 77-year-old Hashmi, now a renowned painter who migrated from Rawalpindi to Lahore during the Partition, tells her digital audience. The role of the artist is to heal these fractures.

In this last episode, Hashmi speaks about her own work in this regard, which involves repeated cross-border collaborations. Whether its joint exhibitions between Indian and Pakistani artists, fighting diplomatic hurdles so that her Pakistani students can travel to India and study the shared art legacy of the subcontinent, or her pivotal role in opening art scholarships to students from all parts of South Asia at Lahores Beaconhouse International University.

Upcoming sessions for the following few weeks will include discussions on teaching Partition in the UK, its representation in contemporary cinema and its continued psychological impacts. Bhalla hopes to run the show at least for the next few months, allowing it to evolve with the audience and its needs". Some speakers and viewers have felt that much of the conversation on the show remains Punjab-centric, which Bhalla intends on changing by bringing in voices from Sindh, West Bengal and Bangladesh as well.

As for the future of the digital format of the show, for now it seems to have more advantages than live events. The Archive's Facebook page is able to draw a large global audience  an average of 10,000 viewers per episode  a high number compared to the footfall of live events that the Archive often hosted in New Delhi. There are also no diplomatic visa nightmares, which would have otherwise made it impossible to invite speakers from the other side of the border.

As the Partition is a very sensitive and polarising subject, at live events one would often receive very offensive and one-sided questions from the audience, says Delhi-based lawyer Noor Anand Chawla, who is also the moderator for the show. Chawla admits that while trolls do turn up at the digital show as well, the backend team makes sure their comments dont pop up on the live screen. This leaves room for more nuanced questions to be answered during the 30-minute audience interactive session.

Chawla has noticed that many of the repeat attendees of the show are Partition survivors and their families. One such person is 80-year-old Bengaluru-based Harish Jagtiani, who hasnt missed a single episode of the show and will continue to watch it for its knowledgeable, articulate and objective speakers. He hopes the show can also bridge a missing cultural legacy between himself and future generations. These stories are often not told to those whose ancestors migrated from places like Sindh, where there was not much violence, says Jagtiani, who migrated from Karachi to Bombay when he was just a boy of four. Through the show I hope to share this with the young people in my extended family.

For those of us who may not come from families with a Partition history, the show becomes a way of discovering cross-border connections that are scarce, if not altogether absent in propaganda-driven State narratives. Instead, the show reiterates what Hashmi considers is fast receding from public memory: People from both sides of the border have far more in common than what divides them.

Payal Mohta is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai, India. Read more of her work here.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

This operation, the military confrontation of recent days, is yet another glorious victory for us, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

The people of Azerbaijan know this. These days I have been receiving letters from thousands of citizens, and they all express support. International military experts are of the same opinion, as evidenced by the real situation in the region. The Armenian forces failed to invade the Azerbaijani lands by a single centimeter and they will never succeed, said President Ilham Aliyev.

On the contrary, if we wanted to, we could have taken control of a significant part of the lands on that territory of Armenia.

But this is not our goal. Information about the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border has already been shared and we are quite satisfied with the operational situation. At any time, at the right time, we will take advantage of the additional capabilities created over these days, including the new deployment of combat posts, and we will have our say. As was the case during the April fighting, the notorious neighbors resorted to the dirtiest of actions this time as well. What are they? They fired at our villages, resulting in the death of 76-year-old elder Aziz Azizov. This shows once again that Armenia is a fascist state, said President Ilham Aliyev.
Following the detection of its first omicron case Saturday in Haidian district of Beijing, the Chinese capital locked down certain communities and office buildings just weeks before the Winter Olympics and the Lunar New Year holiday. The city opened 30 emergency testing points in Haidian on Monday as it rushes to contain the spread

Jan 19, 2022 05:37 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18)  The Philippine Ambassador to South Korea has resigned after he was accused of sexual harassment a few months ago, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

A highly placed source confirmed to CNN Philippines that it was Ambassador Noe Wong who tendered his resignation back in March. There is currently no replacement for him, the source added.

The Embassy of the Philippines in Seoul first received the sexual harassment complaint against the ambassador in February while he was in Manila, the DFA said. The agency then started its investigation.

"The Department is committed to ensuring that justice is rendered in this case," the statement said.
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Linkedin Chelsea Kiew (The Straits Times/Asia News Network)  Sat, July 18, 2020 20:07 549 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066775371 2 Entertainment One-Direction Free

If there is one thing that fans of One Direction are hoping for, it would be a reunion.

But although one has yet to be announced, the English-Irish boy band is celebrating their 10th anniversary with new content, including previously unreleased music.

The group comprises Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. Former member Zayn Malik left in 2015. One Direction have been on hiatus since 2016.

The new content includes a website, 10 Years Of One Direction, according to CNN.

Read also: Nine songs to remember nine years of One Direction

The site will house the members' auditions on music competition television show The X Factor and a celebration video made especially for fans, which documents highlights of the group's career.

There will also be an archive of music videos, artwork, TV performances and behind-the-scenes content as well as previously unreleased music. The music includes remixes, live recordings and acoustic renditions of hit songs.

Visitors will even be able to generate personalized playlists based on how they interact with the content.

The website 10 Years Of One Direction will be launched on July 23, the date the group was formed.

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This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra  Sat, July 18, 2020 14:09 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406675b5d0 1 Environment environment,Leonardo-DiCaprio,coronavirus,animals,orangutan,COVID-19,Sumatran-orangutan,actor,SOCP Free

American actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio has shown his support for a campaign that aims to protect Sumatran orangutans from the coronavirus.

We don't yet know if non-human primates can contract COVID-19, but the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme isn't taking any chances. Unfortunately, these necessary precautions are making it harder for the island's only orangutan reintroduction program to continue crucial conservation work, reads the caption of his Instagram post.

DiCaprio visited the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) in North Sumatra in 2016.

SOCP director Ian Singleton said that the species was critically endangered and shared 97 percent of human DNA, which gave the organization concerns over whether orangutans were at risk of infection.

Ian said that the SOCP was currently handling more orangutans than normal at its quarantine and rehabilitation center. The organization is applying preventive measures such as improving its cleaning procedures and preparing for more medical care.

To cover these measures, along with purchasing food and medicine for the orangutans and protective gear for its staff, the SOCP is raising donations until Sunday through justgiving.com/campaign/protectorangutans.

So far, we have received face masks, gloves and hazmat suits. The SOCP is very grateful for all who have helped, said Ian.

The conservation program began its activities in 1999 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the PanEco Foundation, Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari (YEL), Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and the Indonesian Forestry Ministrys Forest Protection and Nature Conservation Directorate General. One of its first targets was to establish a modern, state-of-the-art quarantine facility for confiscated illegal pets and a reintroduction program to release these animals back into the wild.

In May last year, DiCaprio posted a photo of the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, on his Instagram account to raise concerns about plastic waste and its dangers. The actor is known for his environmentally conscious efforts, from starting the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation dedicated to supporting various biodiversity-preservation projects to making in the 2016 documentary Before the Flood, which focuses on climate change issues.

The documentary featured Mount Leuser National Park in Aceh, a UNESCO World Heritage site that covers thousands of hectares of protected forest in Aceh and North Sumatra. The parks ecosystem is threatened by a high rate of deforestation. (wng)
National energy companies in the Middle East region must pursue bold structural cost-reduction measures to mitigate the impacts and emerge stronger from the Covid-19 crisis which has dealt a massive blow to the energy sector, according to Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The report, titled Procurement post Covid-19: A new reality for national energy companies explains how companies must act now to balance near-term supply chain management urgencies and redesign the supply footprint and supply capabilities.

A survey was conducted by BCG from April to May to understand the Covid-19 related supply chain challenges encountered by these companies.

As per the findings in '2020 National Energy Operator Survey,' around 75 per cent of participants have encountered supply disruptions that have impacted operations and national energy companies have taken several prudent measures to safeguard the supply chain during this time of crisis.

First and foremost, many have focused primarily on supply chain de-risking  92 percent of BCGs survey respondents have set up Covid-19 response teams, more than 75 percent of these are already engaging with key suppliers, and close to 70 percent have identified alternative suppliers for critical materials and increased inventory and monitoring.

Secondly, most teams have initiated quick-win cash and control measures  90 percent of respondents are actively negotiating down prices of metal-based items as commodity metal prices fall, while 70 percent are either considering or already working on reducing discretionary spend and repurposing existing wherever possible to defer future purchases.

Arun Bruce, the managing director and partner at BCG, said: "National energy companies need to consider structural cost reduction exercises. The majority of companies we surveyed have not yet initiated those changes; only less than 30 per cent of respondents are working with their functional counterparts to identify alternative materials, reduce demand, and cancel non-critical procurement."

BCG analysis indicates that most service providers to the energy industry will likely experience cost deflations in the range of 20-30 percent over the next 12 months.

This will be driven by declining demand due to steep CAPEX cuts, commodity price drop, salary/wage reductions, and financial distress within the supplier ecosystem which leads to reduced overheads and profit margins.

Capex-related services and materials such as drilling and OCTG would see prices fall by 20% to 30% in the next 12 months. Opex-related services will see marginal price declines while savings on Opex materials including piping valves and fittings could be in the 5% to 15% range.

However, there is an underlying need for caution since excessive bargain hunting could permanently damage the supply chain by forcing financially distressed suppliers out of business

Furthermore, as per the BCG study and analysis, the future of supply chains will be centered on three major objectives: supply security, cost efficiency and supplier innovation. To rebound and move forward, BCG has proposed five key levers that companies should adopt while pursuing these three objectives:

Establish complete category, supplier, and Covid-19-related market intelligence: The current situation is highly dynamic, and it is critical companies have a comprehensive view of the market so they are equipped with precise information to determine how much reduction to seek and from which suppliers.

As a result, they can develop differentiated strategies for achieving cost efficiencies across strategies. These include:

*Forge stronger collaborations and partnerships with key suppliers and end user: Unlocking lasting supply chain value requires working closely with suppliers and end users. This enables the supply chain teams to take a hard look at the current operating model to reduce costs, accelerate innovation and drive continuous improvements.

*Embrace digital ways of working: Covid-19 has brought forward to need to digitize supply chain management and a comprehensive digital strategy will not only improve cost efficiency but also prepare these companies for future crises.

*Institute end-to-end supplier risk management: National energy companies need better visibility into both their direct and sub-tier supply chains. Several respondents have admitted to maintaining large inventories to mitigate the risks of supply disruptions and such strategies will not be viable in the coming years.

*Support local content and national supplier ecosystem: Supply chain disruptions brought on by the pandemic is providing a new impetus to secure supply of critical goods and more than 75 percent of respondents are interested in discussing localization and regionalization strategies for critical items.

Cristiano Rizzi, the managing director and partner, said: "Although crises are known to cause significant economic strain, they also provide opportunities for growth and companies that flourish during downturns share common traits of preparation, preemption, growth orientation, and lasting transformation."

Based on the 2020 National Energy Operator Survey and our independent analysis, we are confident that the supply chains of national energy companies will recover and rebound. But in order to achieve objectives in this regard, several key levers must be utilized to ensure they act in earnest, starting right now, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Commission on Judicial Conduct, the state agency overseeing investigations into judges, will hold a formal hearing on Monday against a judge accused of touching a womans buttocks during a judicial conference last year.

Judge Paul M. Sushchyk, of Sterling, is an associate justice of the Probate and Family Court. He is being charged with inappropriately touching a woman who works in the Administrative Office of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department, according to the complaint filed on Feb. 11 with the Supreme Judicial Court.

On April 25, 2019, Sushchyk was at Bayzos Pub in Brewster with the woman following a dinner event that was part of the two-day conference. According to the charging documents at around 9 p.m., Sushchyk approached a table the woman was seated at, walked behind her, and without her consent placed one of his hands under [her] buttocks or buttock and pinched or squeezed her buttocks or buttock.

Afterwards, Sushchyk began speaking with someone else at the table and allegedly removed a silver flask from his coat pocket, stating that there was whiskey inside the container, the documents say.

Based on these two alleged incidents, the commission charges that Sushchyk violated the Massachusetts Code of Judicial Conduct.

The Commission also charges that Sushchyks conduct constitutes willful judicial misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice and unbecoming a judicial officer, and brings the judicial office into disrepute, in violation of M.G.L. c.211C.

Sushchyk has a private law practice in Worcester. He was nominated by Gov. Charlie Baker to serve in his role as associate justice of the Probate and Family Court in 2018.

Mondays hearing will take place on Zoom and will begin at 10 a.m.
But in a sharply worded statement posted on Saturday on social media, Tomorrow Group confirmed that it was the owner of all nine companies and pushed back against what it called malicious slanders.

In a sign that Mr. Xiao could still put up a fight, Tomorrow Group also accused the government of setting up obstacles to its operations and exaggerating the risk that the nine companies posed. The authorities spared no effort to push for the takeover, the company said.

Chinese censors moved quickly to take down the statement, which was first reported by The Wire.

China is trying to identify fault lines in a weak economy that survived for decades on a borrowing binge. In recent weeks, the banking regulator has purged tycoons and other shareholders whom it accused of using banks and insurance companies as personal A.T.M.s.

Along with Mr. Xiao, Beijing has also targeted Wu Xiaohui, who married a granddaughter of the former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, rose to prominence and bought the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Mr. Wu found himself in the governments cross hairs in 2018, when his insurance firm Anbang Group was seized. He later pleaded guilty to defrauding investors and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Mr. Xiao and the business dealings he undertook  most of them hidden within the Russian-doll-like layers of Tomorrow Group  illustrated the cozy ties between Chinas business world and its political elite.

From humble beginnings, Mr. Xiao made his way to the prestigious Peking University, an institution that would prove critical to his entry into the world of finance. There, he headed the official student union at a time of political upheaval, as fellow classmates crowded Tiananmen Square in Beijing to demand democracy in 1989.

Mr. Xiao was said to have kept his head down then, at one point even working with the university to try to de-escalate tensions with the students, before the army crushed the movement by killing hundreds of people or more.
The employees filed a lawsuit for allegedly misleading shareholders about a bribery scandal in India.

As per an Economic Times report, the lawsuit was filed by Ravindra Guyyala in the US District Court of Delaware which follows a separate ongoing securities class action lawsuit filed by Cognizant shareholders. He alleged that the company failed to disclose the bribery and misled shareholders.

In the lawsuit, the petition names former CEO Francisco D'Souza, current CFO Karen McLoughlin, former president Gordon Coburn, and former chief legal officer Steven E. Schwartz and board members, including current CEO Brian Humphries, as defendants, ET further reported.

Highlighting a bit about Guyyala, he is a small stock owner of Cognizant and currently based in Little Rock, Arkansas. He in his lawsuit has alleged that the executives and board members breached duties by issuing false, misleading statements and omitting material information in the companys public filings. They did these to get approval for the construction of new campus in Chennai regarding the bribe payments.

ET states that, Cognizant has not responded to their queries till Friday, when asked about the matter.

Looking back into history according to ET, in 2014, Cognizant had allegedly authorised a contractor to pay a $2 million bribe to a senior government official to issue a planning permit for its new campus in Chennai.

According to the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC), that time, the payment, along with a scheme to conceal a $2.5 million reimbursement to the contractor, was authorised by two senior executives at Cognizant's US headquarters, which investigated the matter between 2014 and 2016. Following which, the executives, including former Cognizant president Gordon Coburn, resigned in 2016.

Coming back to 2019, Cognizant settled the charges with the SEC without admitting or denying the allegations. The major IT firm agreed to pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest of approximately $19 million and a penalty of $6 million.

Currently, Guyyalas lawsuit argues that due to their positions as employees and/or directors of Cognizant, the Individual Defendants were privy to information regarding the Companys financial prospects and internal controls and would have been well aware of the ongoing issues at the Company," ET also adds.

Looking into the lawsuit, it seeks a jury trial, asking for improved corporate governance, payment of damages to the company and allowing shareholders to nominate board members.

The Individual Defendants (officials and board members) are liable for damages under Section 10b of the Exchange Actand, if Cognizant were to be held liable in the Securities Class Action, the Individual Defendants would be liable to it for contribution, the petition states in it lawsuit.
Mumbai, July 18 : "Dil Bechara" director Mukesh Chhabra on Saturday revealed that he last spoke to his films lead star, the late Sushant Singh Rajput, 18 days before the actors demise. It was May 27, Chhabras birthday, and the filmmaker recalled the conversation was a long one.

"He had personally called me up on my birthday and we spoke. We had a long chat on 27th May. He would always be there, wishing you on your birthdays, so he had called. That's about it," recalled Chhabra, speaking to pinkvilla.com.

"Because of the lockdown, he and I hadn't met for a few months. I wish I knew he was in pain," Chhabra told the website.

"Dil Bechara", the late Sushant's final release, opens digitally on July 24. The film co-stars budding actress Sanjana Sanghi and has music by AR Rahman. "Dil Bechara" is an official remake of the 2014 Hollywood romantic drama "The Fault In Our Stars", based on John Green's popular novel of the same name.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
Friday's political drama in Rajasthan ended with BJP middleman Sanjay Jain's arrest by the Special Operations Group of the state police after Congress released the transcripts of audio tapes "exposing" BJP's attempts to poach Congress MLAs in a press conference earlier in the day.

Amid the ongoing political drama in Rajasthan, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of State Police on Friday arrested Sanjay Jain.

Sanjay Jain has been arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) team of Rajasthan Police, under sections 124A and 120B of Indian Penal Code (IPC), Police said.

On Friday, two FIRs were registered by the SOG based on the complaint filed by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi about audiotapes, which Congress said, had conversations about an alleged conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government.

Gajendra Singh, Bhanwarlal Sharma, and Sanjay Jain were named in the FIR. There were two complaints from Mahesh Joshi (Congress leader), it is with respect to the audio that went viral yesterday. We registered 2 FIRs under section 124A and 120B. The veracity of clip to be investigated, Ashoke Rathore, ADG SOG had told ANI.

Also read: Rajasthan HC directs speaker against taking any action on Sachin Pilot, 18 rebel MLAs until tuesday

Also read: Rajasthan Rumble: BJP rejects Congs allegations, calls audio tapes manufactured

The team of SOG of Rajasthan Police that was waiting outside the resort in Manesar where Sachin Pilot camp Congress MLAs are staying, was allowed to enter the resort yesterday.

Congress leader Anand Sharma alleged that there was an attempt to prevent Rajasthan Police team from entering the resort and that it was done at the behest of BJP.

Also read: Rajasthan Political Crisis: Cong accuses BJP of larger conspiracy, suspends 2 rebel MLAs

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited a forward post near LoC in Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir. Following his visit, Rajnath Singh said that the country is proud of the brave and courageous soldiers who have been defending the country in every situation.

"Visited a forward post near LoC in Kupwara District of Jammu and Kashmir today and interacted with the soldiers posted there. We are extremely proud of these brave and courageous soldiers who are defending our country in every situation", the Defence Minister tweeted.





Visited a forward post near LoC in Kupwara District of Jammu-Kashmir today and interacted with the soldiers deployed there.



We are extremely proud of these brave and courageous soldiers who are defending our country in every situation. pic.twitter.com/Chaqvf83Xq a Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 18, 2020

Before visiting the forward post in the Kupwara district, Singh visited the holy Amarnath caves and offered his prayers. Rajnath Singh spent about an hour at the temple complex there. Singh reviewed the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir accompanied by the top brass of the military. He also asked the Indian Army to give a befitting reply to any misadventure from Pakistan.

Before his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Singh had visited Ladakh for a comprehensive review of the security scenario in the wake of border standoff with China.

While addressing the ITBP jawans at a forward post on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake, the Defence Minister said, "India is not a weak country. No power in the world can touch even an inch of India's land." Talking about the killing of 20 Indian Army officers in the violent clash at Galwan valley, Singh stated, "We will not allow the sacrifice of soldiers to go in vain."

Also read: India-China standoff: No world power can touch even an inch of Indian land, says Rajnath Singh
But Biden said at a news conference on June 30 that he had not received a classified intelligence briefing. When asked amid reports that Russia had offered bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan if he had requested that the Trump administration help provide intelligence briefings, he said, They have not offered a classified briefing. And as this proceeds I may very well do that.
The Crossroads Hotel has been closed since the outbreak was identified but is expected to reopen Sunday. The pop-up clinic at Crossroads had its last day on Saturday, July 18 to enable this. The hotel is a huge establishment with a colourful past. Once the last pub in Sydney before driving down the Hume Highway toward Melbourne, it was reportedly a favourite watering hole of serial killer Ivan Milat. Every day last week the government announced more cases in the Crossroads cluster but the numbers are slowing. A decade or two ago, it was frequented by bikie gangs and a late-night venue featuring live music of the AC/DC-cover-band genre. These days it is best known as a dining joint patronised by couples, families and workmates, serving classic pub fare such as chicken schnitzel with your choice of nine different toppings.

It does a brisk trade in hosting milestone birthday celebrations, engagement parties, wakes and other functions, catering for events of up to 300 people in pre-pandemic times. Those who visited between July 3 and 10 say things were pretty much back to normal, with barely a nod to social distancing and pandemic hygiene. The Crossroads Hotel and its parent company Marlow Group did not respond to requests for comment. John Jocys, 64, had a similar experience to Sarkis on July 6 when he was part of a family group of 10 people to celebrate his mother-in-laws birthday. He says the hotel was overcrowded and while his family had a function room to themselves, this was sheer luck because another party did not show up for their booking. Jocys was a card-carrying VIP member of the hotel but now swears he will never return. "We won't be back, we've got plenty of choices where we can eat and we can feel safe," he says. His family has also tested negative to the virus.

Other customers commented that the hand sanitiser was missing or empty and that staff were wearing gloves to serve drinks and food and not changing them. Loading NSW Chief Medical Officer Kerry Chant urges Sydneysiders not to penalise the businesses named because it creates a barrier to staff or owners coming forward for testing in the future. She points out the deep cleaning and scrutiny makes them "probably one of the safest venues to go to". Notably, the $2 million COVIDSafe app did not play a key role in identifying the Crossroads cluster  despite more than 6 million downloads. NSW Health is reviewing the role of the app. Instead it was a team of public health "detectives" led by Jennie Musto, using the old-school methods of asking questions and putting two and two together.

Each of the public health units around the state is responsible for interviewing confirmed cases in their area. In a process that can take an hour or more, they try to find out who the patient's close contacts are, who else might have been exposed and work back 14 days to try to figure out how they were infected. Musto, the operations manager for the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, says the Liverpool unit interviewed a woman with COVID-19 while the Nepean unit separately interviewed a man from Katoomba with the disease. The information was relayed to Musto's central team who noted that the man from the Blue Mountains had been to the Crossroads Hotel and decided to ask the woman from the Liverpool region  much closer to the hotel  if she had too. "She had and that was it, the link was made," Musto says. "It's not that difficult, it just takes a long time." Musto says whole-genome sequencing, which is a routine part of the COVID-19 testing in NSW, showed the strain of COVID-19 of both cases also matched the publicly available sequences of a strain from Victoria. Patient Zero was a middle-aged man from Victoria who was unknowingly infected with the virus when he travelled up to Sydney on June 30. He attended his workplace, a freight company in Wetherill Park on July 3, and then a large group of colleagues went out to the Crossroads Hotel that night.

A young man who worked at the hotel was also infected that night, setting off another chain of infection. He went to the Planet Fitness gym nearby the next day and several times over the next week, while also continuing to work shifts at the hotel. So far six people in the Crossroads cluster are confirmed to have been infected in the gym, all on July 8. Planet Fitness provided a statement outlining all its safety measures and its intention to reopen on Saturday, July 25 after deep cleaning. Planet Fitness in Casula on Saturday. Credit:Dean Sewell Paula Boardman, 38, from Casula says she trains at Planet Fitness every weekday and they were taking COVID precautions very seriously. She has tested negative but must remain isolated for another week.

"They did a fantastic job at spacing everything out, all the staff wear masks and theyve got sanitiser stations, so I think it was just unluckiness  they couldn't have done anything different," says Boardman. The Planet Fitness Casula voice mail message notes that it found out about cases linked to the gym from the news media rather than NSW Health. Loading Berejiklian makes no apology for this: "Our biggest issue is to make sure the public knows about these venues as soon as we do so that they can take action," she says. "If you've been somewhere with known cases, you need to act immediately." Every day last week the government announced more cases in the Crossroads cluster but the numbers are slowing and Chant is hopeful we are now in the "mopping up" phase.
Zindzi Mandela, the youngest daughter of South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, was buried at a private funeral on Friday following her death aged 59 earlier this week.

The daughter of Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, she was South Africa's ambassador to Denmark at the time of her death, which coincided with the anniversary of a car crash that claimed the life of his first son, 51 years earlier.

His family said she had tested positive for coronavirus on the day she died on Monday, but they were still awaiting post-mortem results.

In a eulogy at a virtual memorial Thursday night President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked the Mandela family for "the very important gesture of sharing this information with the nation".

"In doing so you are helping to encourage social acceptance for sufferers."

"This is a virus that affects us all, and there should never be any stigma around people who become infected," said Ramaphosa.

South Africa is now the world's sixth most affected country with 324,221 cases, including 4,669 deaths.

When Zindzi's half-brother, Makgatho Mandela, died of an AIDS-related illness in 2005 at the age of 54, the father spoke openly about the cause of the death.

Mandela became one of the first public figures to break the taboo around the AIDS epidemic that had engulfed South Africa.

Zindzi was buried next to her mother -- who died two years ago -- at a cemetery in Fourways, a northern suburb of Johannesburg.

Radical leftist opposition leader Julius Malema paid tribute to Zindzi for her role in the liberation of South Africa from the shackles of apartheid.

'Shattered'

"She survived the most brutal regime at an early age and we thought that this crisis and invisible enemy (coronavirus) we are confronted with today, she is going to survive it because she has seen worse," said Malema.

"And when people like mama Zindzi succumb to this invisible enemy we all remain hopeless and we are shattered," Malema told public broadcaster SABC at the cemetery.

Zindzi grew up while her father was incarcerated by the apartheid regime for 27 years.

Zindzi Mandela, pictured at the premiere of 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,' the biopic of her legendary father, in November 2013. By Charley Gallay (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP)

She was an active member of the African National Congress (ANC) youth movement.

One of her most prominent moments was in 1985 when she read out -- in front of a huge crowd of ANC supporters at a Soweto stadium -- a letter in which her father rejected an offer of release from the then apartheid president P.W. Botha.

At the time Botha had offered to free Mandela from prison on condition he renounced the anti-apartheid violence and protests.

Only two of Mandela's six children survive.

Zenani, 61, is South Africa's ambassador to Argentina while Makaziwe, 66, who was born from Mandela's first marriage with Evelyn Mase, is a businesswoman in South Africa.

His eldest child Thembekile was killed at the age of 24 in a car crash on July 13, 1969 while his father was imprisoned on Robben Island. A daughter from Mandela's first marriage died in 1948, nine months after birth.
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St. Maarten expects approximately 125 students and residents, from the US, on the island, via the repatriation flight schedule for Saturday, July 18, 2020. The repatriation flight, which will be conducted by Spirit Airlines has been organized in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of TEATT, and Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports to enable our students and residents abroad a safe return to St. Maarten. The flight will depart from Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and proceed to Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM). The estimated arrival time is scheduled for 1:30 PM.





Individuals arriving tomorrow, who already have a COVID-19 PCR Test, are expected to upload their results at www.stmaartenentry.com. If an individual has not taken a COVID-19 PCR Test, he or she will have a mandatory swab PCR test at the Princess Juliana International Airport, on arrival, as a precautionary measure. These students and residents will be required to self-quarantine until their test results have been received and confirmed as COVID-19 negative. Results are expected within 24-48 Hours and will be delivered to individuals by CPS. This decision was taken earlier this week in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor. Returning residents are hereby reminded that violation of self-quarantine can result in law enforcement actions to ensure the safety of the publics health of St. Maarten.




Politicians and activists voiced an outpouring of grief and appreciation for U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who died on Friday of pancreatic cancer at age 80.

President Donald J. Trump: Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family.

Former President Barack Obama: He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise. And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example.

Former President George W. Bush: Laura and I join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of Congressman John Lewis. As a young man marching for equality in Selma, Alabama, John answered brutal violence with courageous hope. And throughout his career as a civil rights leader and public servant, he worked to make our country a more perfect union. America can best honor Johns memory by continuing his journey toward liberty and justice for all.
Ten-year-old Devanie Mora, of Mason City, has a heart for animals.

Dogs, cats, birds, chinchillas, hermit crabs, snails and hedgehogs are some of her favorites.

She likes her animals, her mother, Becki Mora, said.

This year, shes combining her love for animals with pageants.

Devanie Mora, who was crowned Americas Little Miss Pre-Teen Midwest in June, is collecting mascara wands for Wands for Wildlife, a North Carolina-based organization that supports wildlife rehabilitation efforts to save animals.

The wands are used to remove fly eggs and larva from the fur and feathers of wild animals.

It works very well because the bristles are so close together, she said.

Devanie Mora, a Newman Catholic fifth-grader, has been competing in Americas Little Miss pageants since she was 5.

At 6, she received the Americas Little Miss Princess title.

This years pageant was her first in two years due to family medical issues. The state pageant was held via Zoom in June.

Devanie Mora was selected by a panel of judges to represent Pre-Teen Midwest, receiving the highest score in her age group of five states.

The Midwest division comprises girls from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Devanie Mora said although this years pageant was different, it was still fun.

She will compete for a national title on July 25-26 in the Twin Cities, which will also be a girls weekend with her mother and her grandmother, Vicki Strole.

It will be amazing seeing all my pageant friends again in person and the hotel, Devanie Mora said. A relaxing hot tub after a day of pageants (is) perfect.

In 2021, she will participate in the Grand National event in Orlando, Florida. The 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19.

Devanie Mora said her favorite part about participating in pageants is meeting new people and traveling to new places as well as dressing up in gowns and costumes.

Pageant contestants are encouraged to participate in community projects.

Since her first pageant, Devanie Mora has used her crown, and her outgoing personality, to raise money for breast cancer, collect crayons for the Crayon Initiative and gather pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.

Becki Mora and Vicki Strole said they usually provide her five different community service projects to choose from, but she ultimately picks the one she wants to do.

Shes always picked something close to her, which is pretty awesome, Becki Mora said. Im always proud of it.

Devanie Mora said she chose Wands for Wildlife this year because she loves animals and wanted to find a way to help them.

So far, shes collected and cleaned about 50 wands, but she plans to get more throughout the year.

Devanie Mora enjoys attending school, spending time with her family, including her brothers, singing, learning sign language and karate.

Last year, she co-hosted the Mason City Pride Festivals youth pageant.

Earlier this week, she delivered three dozen muffins to the Mason City Police Department to thank the officers for their service.

Devanie Mora will join Mason City native and Newman Catholic alumna Rebekah Mason, who was crowned Junior Miss Great Lakes at the Princess of America Pageant Minnesota, Wisconsin and Great Lakes, volunteering at the Community Kitchen this summer.

Individuals can donate their mascara wands to Devanie Mora by dropping them off at Perkins restaurant in Mason City or arranging a pick up by emailing ladifrogger@hotmail.com.

Ashley Stewart covers Clear Lake and arts and entertainment in North Iowa for the Globe Gazette. You can reach her at ashley.stewart@globegazette.com or by phone at 641-421-0533. Follow Ashley on Twitter at GGastewart.

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Elected representatives should be barred from holding public office for five years and from contesting the next election if they defect, senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal said on Saturday.

Sibal, who was addressing a webinar, said that the "endemic" of defection is due to human greed and hunger for power.

His remarks come at a time when the ruling Congress in Rajasthan is facing a rebellion by Sachin Pilot and his loyalist MLAs. Just months earlier party legislators led by Jyotiraditya Scindia had defected to the BJP in Madhya Pradesh leading to the collapse of the Congress government there.

"No law can prevent it (defection). The only solution is that if anyone defects they shall not hold public office for five years and cannot contest in the next election. These are the two elements that need to change," Sibal said in response to a question on the political crisis in Rajasthan.

Speaking on the Collegium system of appointments, Sibal said even the judges are human beings and are swayed by personal likes and dislikes.

"See, even if you give the power to the government, they will misuse it. When a person becomes a judge in the Supreme Court, he should give away his personal likes and dislikes. But over the years, this is not happening," he said.

The Congress leader also spoke about issues relating to matters of faith and said personally he felt that the apex court should not have dealt with the Sabarimala temple case.

"I don't think the court should even enter the area because it has an enormous impact on society. The change in society comes with education, transformation and social movement. You can lay down any law but unless there is a change in societal mindset, there will be no change," he said.

Sibal also voiced his opinion on some senior lawyers refusing to represent the Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley face-off in Ladakh.

The lawyers who did this should not have made their feelings public. You may not take a brief for whatever reason but you don't have to prove nationalism in public, Sibal said in the webinar organised in partnership with a legal news portal.

On the recent killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in Kanpur, the parliamentarian said that encounter is the most barbaric method and it should not be accepted in any democratic society".

How are we different from countries that cut off your hands for stealing? I am sorry, the courts have not come down heavily. It is time for courts to realise that democracy has been destroyed in India through political tools, he said.

When asked about his views on developments in Jammu and Kashmir, Sibal said that "citizens cannot be treated differently and it is not that everybody there is a terrorist".

He did said it was "unfortunate that people were deprived of fundamental rights and the Supreme Court judgement is not being implemented".
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Linkedin Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18, 2020

Defense and aerospace giant Boeing said it was looking forward to working closely with the United States and Indonesia to finalize a possible US$2 billion deal for Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

Congressional notification is an important step in the United States Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, so were pleased that a potential V-22 acquisition by Indonesia has entered this phase, Boeing said in a statement to The Jakarta Post dated July 15.

Currently, the US military is buying the V-22 under the Multiyear Procurement III (MYP III) contract. Completion of this sale in 2020 will allow Indonesia to receive the MYP III pricing already negotiated by the US Government for its aircraft.

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NEW DELHI: Largest human trial of the coronavirus vaccine being developed by the Indian agencies will begin from Monday at Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). According to reports, Delhi AIIMS has obtained the required permission from the Centre for conducting the human trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine.

The human trial of the COVID-19 vaccine, being jointly developed by the ICMR and Bharat Biotech, will be conducted upon at least 100 volunteers. According to Bharat Biotech, these human trials will be done on 375 volunteers. The trials will be in total 3 phases and the first phase will begin from Monday.

At least 12 top medical institutes of the country, including AIIMS, are participating in the human trial of the COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine has been given to 10 volunteers at Patna AIIMS and, so far, there had been no side effects of the vaccine in any of the volunteers.

For the Indian scientists and medical researchers, this is a highly encouraging development. After Patna AIIMS, 3 more volunteers were given the COVID-19 vaccine at the PGI Hospital, Rohtak and the results were very positive.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij shared this news through a tweet.

Human trial with Corona vaccine (COVAXIN) of Bharat Biotech started at PGI Rohtak today. Three subjects were enrolled today. All have tolerated the vaccine very well. There were no adverse efforts.  ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) July 17, 2020

However, on the largest scale, this COVID-19 vaccine will be tested at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS, Delhi. It may be noted that as many as 34,884 new cases of the coronavirus COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours taking India's total tally to 10,38,716 on Saturday morning.

The total includes 6,53,750 recovered cases and 3,58,692 active cases, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Saturday. With 671 fatalities in the past day the death toll rose to 26,273.

This is the third consecutive day when the number of coronavirus infections has increased by more than 30,000. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to July 17 with 3,61,024 samples being tested on Friday.

Maharashtra has a total of 2,92,589 cases and 11,452 fatalities while Tamil Nadu has a tally of 1,60,907 cases and 2,315 deaths. Delhi has reported a total of 1,20,107 cases and 3,571 deaths due to the virus.
A lawyer says charges should be dropped against a man who was arrested for having a knife while a London police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck in a video that caused outrage because of its similarities to George Floyd's death.

Marcus Coutain, 48, was filmed pleading with officers to 'get off my neck' as he was handcuffed on the pavement in Islington, north London, on Thursday evening.

After Coutain appeared in court charged with possessing a knife in public today, his lawyer Timur Rustem called on the police to apologise while speaking outside Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court.

The police watchdog is investigating the manner of the arrest, which has resulted in one Metropolitan Police officer being suspended and another placed on restricted duties.

Deputy Commissioner Sir Steve House described the footage as 'deeply disturbing' and said some of the techniques, which are 'not taught in police training', caused him 'great concern'.

A police officer has been suspended after he was filmed kneeling on a suspect's neck during an arrest in Islington, London, on Thursday evening

Coutain's lawyer Timur Rustem pictured outside Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court said the incident 'mirrors almost identically what happened to George Floyd' in the U.S. in May

Coutain appeared in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Saturday afternoon charged with possessing a knife in public.

He indicated a not guilty plea and the case has been sent to Snaresbrook Crown Court on August 17.

Scotland Yard said officers were called to a fight in Isledon Road at around 6.30pm on Thursday.

Footage posted on social media on Thursday evening shows two officers holding a handcuffed black man on the pavement.

Im deeply concerned about this distressing incident. We have raised this with senior officers at the @MetPoliceUK as a matter of urgency. I welcome the fact they have reviewed this so quickly and its right that they have referred it to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. https://t.co/hELN0cguu6  Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) July 17, 2020

At the start of the two minute, 20 second clip, one of the officers appears to be kneeling on the man's neck and has his hand on his head.

The man struggling on the ground can be heard shouting: 'Get off me  get off my neck, I haven't done anything wrong, get off my neck.'

The court heard Coutain matched the description of a suspect in an assault case, but Coutain's lawyer Timur Rustem said his client was initially searched for drugs.

He said his client was subsequently told he matched the description of a 'someone involved in an attack' before charges were brought for having a knife.

The video shows two male officers pinning a visibly-distressed man to the ground as he writhes on the concrete

He told the court Coutain had the blade on him for repairing his bicycle, adding: 'He had a lawful reason to have that item on him.'

Speaking outside court, Mr Rustem said his client was 'very distressed and very confused and not quite sure why he was targeted in this way'.

He told reporters: 'Essentially Mr Coutain was stopped and searched for matters for which he has not been charged.

'It is the use of what I would regard as excessive force, a knee being placed on his neck  references which mirror exactly what happened to George Floyd in America.

'A man saying 'I can't breathe' and 'get your knee off my neck', while he was already handcuffed and while he was restrained by two police officers.'

He said Coutain suffered 'fortunately minimal' injuries to his wrists and neck, adding: 'Fortunately it didn't lead to the tragic consequences that we saw in America.'

Officers were called to a fight in Isledon Road, Islington. They arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon, the force said.

Inquiries continue and the Met has referred it to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

At the start of the two minute and 20 second clip, one of the officers appears to be kneeling on the suspect's neck and has his hand on his head.

The struggling man on the ground can be heard shouting 'Get off me ... get off my neck, I haven't done anything wrong, get off my neck.'

One of the police officers is heard to ask him 'Are you going to behave yourself?' before telling him to 'Stay down'.

He then stood up and asked onlookers who were filming the incident to 'move back', while another clip showed more police officers arriving at the scene.

The situation calmed down by the time the suspect was led into a car and taken to a police station. He has since seen a doctor.

The suspect shouts a series of pleas including 'get off my neck' and 'I haven't done anything wrong'

Sir House, Met deputy commissioner, said: 'The video footage that I have seen today and is circulating on social media is extremely disturbing. I understand that many viewing the footage will share my concern.

'The man involved was arrested, taken to a police station and has now been seen by a police doctor.

'Some of the techniques used cause me great concern - they are not taught in police training.'

He said the decision to suspend one officer, and remove the other from operational duty, would be 'kept under review'.

'We have quickly assessed the incident, including the body worn video footage from the officers and their statements and justification for their use of force. As a result we have referred the matter to the IOPC,' he added.

'One officer has been suspended and another officer has been removed from operational duty, but not suspended at this time. This decision will be kept under review.

'We will co-operate fully with the IOPC investigation.'

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said what he saw in the video was 'an extremely concerning incident'.

He tweeted: 'It is right that it is quickly referred to the IOPC and an officer has been suspended. I will be following this closely: we are policed by consent and that relies on the highest levels of respect and professionalism.'

The video showed two male officers pin a visibly-distressed man to the ground as he writhed on the concrete.

One officer had his hand pressed against the suspect's face and a knee on his neck while the other restrained his legs.

The suspect shouted a series of pleas including 'get off my neck' and 'I haven't done anything wrong'.

Horrified witnesses urged the officers to stop and repeatedly shouted: 'That's a human being.'

After several seconds, the officer took his knee off the suspect before telling an onlooker to 'shut it' when they criticised his use of force.

He stood up and walked towards the crowd to order them back before the second officer eventually let the suspect sit up.

After several seconds, the officer takes his knee off the suspect before telling an onlooker to 'shut it' when they criticise his use of force

One officer has his hand pressed against the suspect's face and a knee on his neck while the other restrains his legs

A second clip showed several more officers arriving on the scene as tension among the crowd escalated.

Witnesses urged officers arriving to 'arrest the officer' they had filmed kneeling on the suspect's neck.

A woman heard giving a statement to a constable said: 'It's okay to arrest him but don't push his head and then kneel on him. It might kill him, it might injure him.'

Another officer is then heard telling the crowd that the suspect 'matches the description' of a male they were searching for before the footage cuts out.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: 'Police were called by a member of the public at approximately 18.30hrs on Thursday, 16 July to reports of a fight in Isledon Road, N7.

'A man, who matched the description of one of those involved, was detained by officers and arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody at a central London police station.

'Enquiries into the circumstances continue.

A second clip shows several more officers arriving on the scene as tension among the crowd escalates with witnesses urging those arriving on scene to 'arrest the officer'

'We are aware of a video showing part of this wider incident where two officers have detained the man on the ground and appreciate this looks very concerning. This footage has been viewed, along with body worn footage from the officers who attended. Both officers involved have also provided statements.

'The officers' initial interaction with the man and the events that led to him being detained have also been analysed.

'Our officers carry out their duty on a daily basis across London in often difficult circumstances. Where force is used, officers must be able to justify this as lawful, proportionate and necessary.

'Our officers understand that their actions will be scrutinised as they go about their work and that the public have the right to hold them to account where appropriate.

'On this occasion we have decided to refer this incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.'
Workhorse: The Boeing 747 was first introduced on BOAC's London to New York route in 1971. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

British Airways (BA), the world's largest operator of Boeing 747s, will retire its entire jumbo jet fleet with immediate effect after the Covid-19 pandemic sent air travel into freefall.

BA had been planning to retire the aircraft in 2024, but with passenger numbers decimated this year, and experts forecasting it will be years before they recover, the airline said it was unlikely its 747s would operate commercially again.

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect," BA said in a statement on Thursday.

The 747 democratised global air travel in the 1970s, but fell behind modern twin-engine aircraft and now trails newer planes in fuel efficiency, making it expensive to run.

Expand Close A line up of British Airways 747s. Photo: British Airways/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp A line up of British Airways 747s. Photo: British Airways/PA Wire

BA's predecessor BOAC first introduced the 747 on the London-New York route in 1971.
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.
Photo Credit: Office of Rep. John Lewis(WASHINGTON) --By Benjamin Siu, ABC News



Rep. John Robert Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and civil rights icon, died Friday. He was 80 years old.



Lewis passed seven months after a routine medical visit revealed that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Black Caucus confirmed the news of his death.



Known as the "conscience of the U.S. Congress," Lewis had continually represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District, which includes most of Atlanta, since taking office in 1987. His cancer diagnosis in December 2019 did not interrupt that streak.



"So I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross," he said in a statement at the time.



"John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation  from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years," Pelosi said in a statement.



Lewis, who was born on Feb. 21, 1940 to sharecroppers in Troy, Alabama, attended segregated public schools and counted the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s radio broadcasts as inspiration for his work as an activist.



At 18, he wrote a letter to King, who responded by purchasing a round-trip bus ticket to Montgomery for Lewis so they could meet.



"Dr. King, I am John Robert Lewis," he recalled saying to King. "And that was the beginning."



Lewis wasted no time organizing, quickly finding himself on the front lines of the civil rights movement.



As a student at Fisk University, he led numerous demonstrations in Nashville against racial segregation, including sit-ins at segregated lunch counters as part of the Nashville Sit-ins.



Starting in 1961, he took part in a series of demonstrations that became known as the Freedom Rides, in which he and other activists -- Black and white -- rode together in buses through the South to challenge the region's lack of enforcing a Supreme Court ruling that deemed segregated public bus rides unconstitutional. Upon stopping, the activists on these rides often were arrested or beaten, Lewis included.



In his second-to-last tweet, just 10 days ago, Lewis tweeted about the 59th anniversary of his release from jail after being arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for using a white restroom during a Freedom Ride.



During a stop in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Lewis was attacked by two men who hit him in the face and kicked him in the ribs, according to Smithsonian Magazine. In an interview decades later, he said he was undeterred.



"We knew our lives could be threatened, but we had made up our minds not to turn back," he said.



He was the youngest person to speak at the 1963 March on Washington, an event he helped organize as the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The rally, at which King famously delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, drew more than 200,000 attendees.



And in the winter of 1965, in what would become known as "Bloody Sunday," Lewis, alongside fellow civil rights leader Hosea Williams, was in the process of leading hundreds of demonstrators in a march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery when they were greeted by a "sea of blue" of Alabama state troopers, Lewis said. The troopers beat and tear-gassed the demonstrators after ordering them to disperse.



One of those troopers fractured Lewis's skull, scarring his head for the rest of his life.



"I thought I saw death," Lewis later said.



Lewis retraced the steps from those day's events nearly every year until his death, in what has become known as the Alabama Civil Rights Pilgrimage.



Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981 and then to Congress, representing Georgia's 5th District in 1986. He served on the Ways & Means Committee and was head of the Oversight Subcommittee.



"The world has lost a legend; the civil rights movement has lost an icon, the City of Atlanta has lost one of its most fearless leaders, and the Congressional Black Caucus has lost our longest serving member," the caucus said in a statement. "The Congressional Black Caucus is known as the Conscience of the Congress. John Lewis was known as the conscience of our caucus. A fighter for justice until the end, Mr. Lewis recently visited Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington DC. His mere presence encouraged a new generation of activist to speak up and speak out and get into 'good trouble' to continue bending the arc toward justice and freedom."



A published author, Lewis co-authored a graphic novel trilogy titled MARCH about the civil rights movement, a project that garnered the National Book Award, among others.



Lewis was never shy in his criticism of President Donald Trump, skipping his inauguration and first State of the Union address and calling him a "racist" in a January 2018 interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.



"George, I don't think there's any way that you can square what the president said with the words of Martin Luther King Jr.," the Georgia congressman said, in reaction to Trump's alleged reference to not wanting immigrants from "s--hole" countries. "It's just impossible ... It's unbelievable. It makes me sad. It makes me cry.



President Barack Obama awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 for his lifetime of advocacy and activism.



During that ceremony, Obama said of Lewis: "And generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind -- an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time; whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now."



In June, at a town hall with Obama discussing the racial protests across the country following the death of George Floyd, he reflected on his emotions while protesting during the civil rights movement.



"I have been beaten on the bridge, I thought I was so dead. I thought I was going to die, Lewis said.



"I believe it was the grace of God, and praying witnesses that helped save me, so today I feel more than lucky, more than blessed to see the changes that are occurring, to live to see a young man, a young friend like Barack Obama, become president of the United States of America was worth the pain," he added.



Lewis also offered praise for young people who had come together from all walks of life to join in protests.



"They're going to help redeem the soul of America, and save our country, and maybe even save the planet," he said.

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Rosalie's Writings

with Rosalie Liddle Crawford

I was climbing up a ladder to see if I had an attic the other day, mainly to check if there was insulation. Immediately I realised I had a problem. There was no attic.

So, then, loving playing with words, its a non-existant problematic attic. This could be a good thing, as Id probably store stuff I dont need in it anyway, only to be discovered in 50 years time when someone carries out an archeologic dig of my home.

Digging around in the attic of politics this week, a few idioms came to light. There was the cat out of the bag, with the revelation that MP Hamish Walker had leaked information about NZs active Covid-19 cases. Then there was Woods, Hipkins and Muller all trying not to fly off the handle, while processing what political fallout there would be and how it could affect the upcoming election. Could things get even more out of hand?

Weve still got the elephant in the room, the monkey on the back and a skeleton in the closet probably tucked away somewhere in this problematic idiomatic attic. But its early days in the election campaign, theres still time for Winston to pluck something out of the woodwork.

Local stink protesters who have had a bee in their bonnet about the stench around the industrial parts of Mount Maunganui were relieved this week to learn that in just over 18 months, one of the main contenders for the ultimate olfactory violation awards will be heading south to Napier. Not to be sniffed at, but this award-winning pet food exporter of the year was also providing a lot of local jobs. What were we all thinking with running them out of town? Face masks are fashionable, surely someone can whip up a nose mask to block odours? Oh well, theyve decided to call it a day here in the bay. Our loss.

Its a good thing that Goldilocks isnt doing reviews these days. Pre-Covid, she would have walked into a cafe and found herself faced with not only too hot and too cold, but also too paleo, too deconstructed, too artisanal and too pretentious. We cant say were in a nearly post-Covid era now in NZ, its more like the end of the beginning of Covid, but its refreshing to see that the art of eating out with others has returned.

For those who dont know, one of Taurangas top secrets  the date scone underbelly of our community is humming, with our cafes turning out the best date scones in NZ. Dont believe me? Check it out for yourself. Start at the Mount and go eat your way through date scones in Papamoa, Greerton, the Historic Village and the Lakes.

Or would you rather stay home? With this pandemic still raging around the globe, its interesting to note that a safer pandemic nearly hit our shores, with over 1000 confirmed cases of jigsaw puzzle completion.

For those wanting to enjoy a romantic trip to a dying star while being sucked into oblivion, it was a big wake up call to find Rocket Lab lost their rocket this week. Where did it go? Its not rocket science. Oh it is? Maybe gravity played a part?

Coming back down to earth, for those who can afford Disney world holidays, thanks to Covid its off to the hinterlands of NZ for the school hols instead, to experience our own back yard. Our Own Back Yard holidays means different things to different folk. Taurangas MP Simon Bridges is happy striding around in gumboots feeding yaks on a Richmond yak farm. The Prime Minister called in to Hawkes Bay to talk about water, while Aucklanders have been told to stop using so much water while brushing their teeth. Thankfully Aucklands back yard is the Waikato, with the mighty Waikato River able to be tapped to ease their drought crisis.

Speaking of water, when it rains, it seems to pour here in the Bay of Plenty, with a few great deluges and wind knocking trampolines and fences over lately. The best of it though is how the community comes together during disasters big and small, helping each other, going the extra mile, doing their bit.

Someone asked me the other day what my superpower was. I thought for a moment, and then replied Im a Kiwi, as ultimately there is an immense pride and appreciation deep down for the incredible spirit and heart found in our grassroots community.

July 12, 2020
The family of a schoolboy stabbed to death in Westminster have paid tribute to him as police arrested two men in the ongoing murder investigation.

Ahmed Yasin-Ali, 18, was found injured in Elmfield Way, Maida Vale, at around 12.30am on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said.

Police officers gave him first aid and land and air ambulance crews were called, but he died in hospital shortly after 1am.

In a statement issued by Scotland Yard, his devastated family said: 'Our beloved son, brother and friend peacefully passed away on Wednesday morning. He was loved by all and will forever be missed.

The family of Ahmed Yasin-Ali, 18, have paid tribute to him after he was stabbed to death

'Caring, loving, and by far the most clean-hearted of us all. He wanted nothing but good for everyone and himself, striving hard in his school work and job to make it to university in order to provide our family with a better life.'

A memorial appeal launched on GoFundMe has raised more than 10,000 target.

The family say the money will be used to create a well in his name and to go toward funeral costs.

They added any leftover funds will be donated to charities.

The family added: 'Our family wants to prevent such devastating acts from happening ever again, this means that we are fully cooperating with the police and respect the law.

'The last thing we need is any retaliation or revenge.

'We as Muslims forgive those who so painfully took away our precious and beautiful son. Forever in our hearts, our neighbourhood hero.'

On Friday, a 23-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were both arrested on suspicion of murder, the Metropolitan Police said. They remain in custody.

Officers stand at the scene after Ahmed was found injured in the latest stabbing in London

Detectives have appealed for anybody who may have heard a disturbance on Elmfield Way or seen a vehicle driving at speed on the nearby Harrow Road around the time of the incident to come forward.

Det Chief Insp Vicky Tunstall said: 'Ahmed's family are devastated by the loss of their son and brother and we are working tirelessly to investigate the circumstances surrounding his murder.

'Ahmed was only 18 years old, had his whole life ahead of him and had aspirations to attend university, so this is a particularly tragic and wasted loss of life.

'I would also like to appeal to those in the community who may hear, or know information about this tragic death.

Met police officers, who have no arrested two on suspicion of murder, on scene where Ahmed Yasin-Ali was stabbed to death in Maida Vale in the early hours of Wednesday morning

'I can assure you, this information will be treated with sensitivity and care, and I ask you to trust that we will take appropriate action and can provide complete confidentiality, if that is your concern.

'Importantly, as a specialist command, we are working very closely with the local police to ensure the safety of the community during this time, and ask that you support us in this and provide information, regardless of the relevance it may or may not have.

'I am determined to ensure those responsible for his death are brought to justice as swiftly as possible.'

It comes as 10 people have been killed in London in the two weeks alone as the capital begins to emerge from lockdown.

Data shows that there has now been more than 60 murders in the capital this year

London has seen a series of unrelated shootings and stabbings prompting the Met Police to step up patrols this weekend.

In the latest incidence of violence, two men have been stabbed tonight in London's main financial district.

The City of London Police say the attack took place at Broadgate Circle at about 11pm.

In a statement on Twitter the force said: 'Our officers are currently dealing with an isolated incident in Broadgate Circle, in which two people have been stabbed.

'Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening and they are being treated by @Ldn_Ambulance.'

It is understood the incident is not being treated as terror-related.

Police launched a murder probe after a man in his 30s was stabbed in Kilburnon Thursday

Police officers on scene in Enfield where another man was stabbed to death on Thursday night

On Thursday night, police launched two more separate murder investigations after two men in their 30s were killed on London's streets.

Police were called to the scene outside a McDonald's on Victoria Road in Kilburn, north London, following reports that a man had been stabbed at around 10.24pm.

The victim, believed to be in his mid-30s, was taken to a central London hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after.

Just hours later, a second murder investigation was launched after a man in his 30s was stabbed in Enfield, north London, and rushed to North Middlesex Hospital where, despite the best efforts of doctors, he was pronounced dead.

The deaths comes after statistics released from the Office of National Statistics yesterday showed that knife crimes in England and Wales had risen six per cent to a new record high and homicides by ten per cent in the last year.

Anyone with information about the death of Ahmed Yasin-Ali is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD reference 185/15Jul, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
In its latest round of business support grants announced on Friday, the City of Sydney has awarded A$222,334 ($155,100) to night-time and live music businesses, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sydney, July 17 (IANS) Australia's Sydney city on Friday provided further support for restaurants, bars and venues to get back on track, as businesses have slowly reopened after the COVID-19 lockdown.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for Sydney's night-time economy, which was only just beginning to breathe again after the lockout laws were lifted in January," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

"Sydney's core night-time economy is not only critical to our city's future -- generating more than A$4.2 billion in revenue each year and employing more than 35,500 people across nearly 5,000 businesses -- it is key to our vision for Sydney as a thriving global city," she said.

Moore said businesses operating at night were hardest hit by the COVID-19 restriction measures, so it is critical to support these businesses to get back to normal as restrictions ease.

"We recently approved COVID-19 relief grants for 654 projects, worth a total of A$8.85 million, which included 144 businesses operating at night," she said.

The latest round of grants will help to create a wide range of new events across the city, including literary dinners, live music, dance workshops and cooking classes.

A further 12 not-for-profit or members-based organizations have been awarded A$350,000 to promote local economies and improve access to industry information, upskilling and networking.

--IANS

ksk/
RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Flexjet, a firm that for 25 years has offered fractional jet ownership and jet leasing while working out of the Cuyahoga County Airport, and locations in other parts of the U.S., including Florida and Texas, is planning to expand locally.

Building Commissioner James Urankar told City Council members Tuesday (July 7) during a Planning & Zoning Committee meeting held via Zoom that, earlier that day, the citys Architectural Review Board held its first meeting on Flexjets plans for a new operations center at the county airport. Flexjet is located at 26180 Curtiss Wright Parkway.

It was actually very impressive, Urankar said of the plans. Its really kind of an amazing building. The overall concept of Flexjet Richmond Heights is to be their global operations center, which could eventually include some conversions and renovations of existing hangars and buildings, connecting them all to a main campus with an underground tunnel.

This (proposed) Flexjet building is kind of like an anchor building which is going to drive additional development -- it could drive additional development in 21 and 22 -- to a unified campus there at the airport. So, its a very impressive project.

Urankar said of the proposed building, of which he did not yet have drawings to share, Its literally space-age. A drawing was shown during the ARB meeting.

Because Flexjet is located on county property, Urankar noted that a process that includes county approvals lies ahead. But, he added, Theyve already been working on it and we expect to have the environmental assessments and the county approvals within the next 45 days. Theres some demolition that will have to take place also.

It an exciting time for Richmond Heights, said Ward 2 Councilman Frank Lentine. The Flexjet project is taking place at the same time the $200-million Belle Oaks mixed-use project is being planned for Richmond Town Square, and a new high school/middle school is being built off Richmond Road.

You better believe it, said Urankar, agreeing with Lentine. This is going to be a big (Flexjet) campus over there. Ultimately, it was mentioned (on July 7) that that is their goal.

Once the global operations center is completed, it is believed that 200 additional jobs will be added at the site. Urankar said that Flexjet is looking to start the project in early fall, but that the company did not state an expected completion date.

When reached by phone, a Flexjet representative said that the company did not wish to make official comment on the project for another three to five weeks.

New Community Authority

The New Community Authority (NCA), the seven-person committee that will oversee the finances of the Belle Oaks project, held its first meeting, online, July 9 afternoon, and then met again Thursday (July 16).

The NCA includes four local Richmond Heights members, and three chosen by Belle Oaks developer DealPoint Merrill. Representing Richmond Heights are Paul Ellis, who was elected at the first meeting the authoritys chairman; retired engineer Fred Cash, Sr.; active resident Timothy Lowe; and Economic Development Director Brian Gleisser. Representing DealPoint Merrill, of Woodland Hills, Cal., is company CEO David Frank; his business partner Sterling McGregor; and Blake C. Beachler, a lawyer with the firm Calfee, Halter & Griswold.

The first meeting, at just over two hours, saw the committee name McGregor as vice chair and Gleisser as secretary.

In overseeing the financing for Belle Oaks, the NCA, under Ohio law, serves as its own government entity, with the ability to issue bonds. The NCAs activities are separate from city government and have no effect on city finances.

The first meeting featured a disagreement when DealPoint Merrill NCA members suggested that the law firm Bricker & Eckler, which has represented the developers, serve as legal counsel for the NCA. Richmond Heights Law Director Todd had earlier spoke of a potential conflict of interest for Bricker & Eckler in advising the NCA regarding a developer services agreement which it had drafted as counsel for the developer.

At the second meeting, the NCA hired Bricker & Eckler, for its experience in NCA matters. Speaking of the hiring of Bricker & Eckler, Gleisser said, Weve resolved that. Bricker & Eckler does not represent DealPoint Merrill anymore, so theres no dual representation. Today (July 16) we appointed them legal counsel to the NCA. They do not represent DealPoint Merrill. As of last week, (Bricker & Eckler) de-engaged (from DealPoint Merill).

During the first meeting, Frank stated he was no longer negotiating with Richmond Heights Schools on a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement. TIF regulations state that if a developer does not seek relief of more than 75 percent of property taxes for up to 10 years, school bard approval is not necessary. Gleisser said both DealPoint and the Richmond Heights schools made an offer to each other before Frank made his announcement.

Apparently, Frank will not seek more than 75 percent. Thats what he says, Gleisser said of Frank/DealPoint. I havent seen that in writing.

Frank is also negotiating with the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District on a TIF agreement, as most of the southern portion of the mall is located within the SE-L District.

As for the NCA members, Ellis, a Richmond Heights resident of more than 30 years, has had a lengthy career in finance. He served as Richmond Heights finance director in 2012-13, and in the city of Cleveland finance department from 1980-90. He has also worked for Cuyahoga County, the Regional Transit Authority, and the city of Seven Hills in financial capacities.

I think its a very exciting project, Ellis said of Belle Oaks, after his first NCA meeting. Its a good opportunity for the city to remake Richmond Town Square.

Cash worked 40 years as an engineer, several with his own firm, and others with CT Consultants. He also served as president of city-owned Greenwood Farm from late 2014 to 2019.

Im very excited to be serving (on the NCA), Cash said. This project will bring a big change to the mall and will be good for the future of Richmond Heights.

Despite the slowdown the coronavirus has created for the economy, the Belle Oaks project is proceeding. It is planned to include, over two construction phases, the first scheduled to begin this fall, 791 new Class A apartments, new retail, a parking garage, a park and several other amenities at Richmond Town Square. DealPoint Merrill is still in the process of trying to purchase the entire mall site from Mike Kohan, of Great Neck, N.Y.

Mall reopens

Urankar, who ordered Richmond Town Square closed on May 6 due to numerous code violations, permitted the mall to reopen Thursday (July 16).

The mall reopened at about 1 p.m. that day after violations had been corrected.

See more Sun Messenger news here.
Russia, Germany criticize U.S. threat to sanction Nord Stream 2 as disregard for Europe's energy sovereignty

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 14:01, July 17, 2020

Russia and Germany have rejected the recent U.S. threat to sanction the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, criticizing the move as disregard for Europe's energy sovereignty.

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, stretching 1,230 km from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, involves the construction of two pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year from the Russian coast to Germany. The project is scheduled to start operation in the middle of 2020.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Washington's threat to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 as well as the second line of the TurkStream pipeline stretching from Russia to Turkey across the Black Sea is "unfair competition."

"This is a continuation of negative manifestations, a continuation of a rough line on the introduction of various restrictions, a rough pressure on European business, which includes our companies," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He reiterated that with its threat, the United States is trying to force Europeans to buy more expensive U.S. liquefied gas on less favorable terms.

Kremlin's statement came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent fresh warnings of possible sanctions to companies involved in the two projects.

Pompeo claimed these projects are not commercial but serve as Moscow's tools to exploit European dependence on Russia's energy supplies that ultimately undermine transatlantic security.

"Companies aiding and abetting Russia's malign influence projects will not be tolerated," he noted. "Get out now or risk the consequences."

As a matter of fact, U.S. President Donald Trump has long voiced his discontentment about the Nord Stream 2 project, complaining about Germany's large payment to Russia on energy and "delinquency" on military spending.

In response to Washington's threat, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "European energy policy is made in Europe."

"By announcing measures that will also sanction European companies, the U.S. government is disregarding the right and sovereignty of Europe to decide where and how we source our energy," said Maas in a statement.

"European energy policy is made in Europe and not in Washington. We clearly reject extraterritorial sanctions," Maas added.

Mass said that the German government had held numerous talks with the United States in recent weeks as Washington was planning to tighten a sanctions law against Nord Stream 2. The law -- U.S. Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act -- was enacted in late December 2019.

Peter Beyer, the German government coordinator for transatlantic relations, also tweeted Thursday that the United States should grant Europe comprehensive energy sovereignty.

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Head of All Progressives Congress (APC) Primary Election Committee for Ondo State, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, says the party will conduct indirect primaries in the state on Monday.

Bello said this on Friday at a news conference shorty after the inauguration of his committee at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

He recalled that the immediate past APC National Working Committee (NWC) had few months ago adopted the indirect mode of primaries for governorship poll in Ondo State.

The governor added that the NWC decision was ratified by the Partys National Executive Committee (NEC)

On the issue of the mode of primary, this has been settled by the previous NWC and ratified by NEC, which gives the opportunity to the state executive committee to chose the mode of primary that they would want.

This has been settled. The Ondo Primary election would be conducted via indirect mode.

This was the option chosen by the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party in the last meeting.

So, we are going for indirect primary, the governor said.

According to him, the task ahead of us is to go and conduct free and fair primary that all aspirants will be happy with and then join hands together for us to be victorious at the end of the day.

He said that Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger State was mediating among the aspirants to ensure peaceful coexistence and agreement on this mode of primary.

But let me put it this way, from what I know about party politics, especially in APC, I was once a contestant and I had opponents and from what I have come to realise, it is not within the purview of contestants to choose rules of engagement.

We follow laid down rules and regulations of the party. As a member, we should abide by the rules and regulations, our party Constitution, the guidelines for the elections, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Electoral Act and every other rule that guides elections.

So, it is like going into the general elections now and then APC will be dictating to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that this is the rule we want.

I do not think it sounds very nicely, but I know at the end of the day that every contestant in this election shall be treated fairly and credibly.

And we shall have a candidate that is going to be acceptable to all the contestants and the people of Ondo State and we shall come out victorious in the general elections, Gov. Bello said.

Earlier, the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, urged the committee to be fair and just to all aspirants and tasked the contestants to accept the outcome of the primary in good faith.

The party is once again assuring you that it will remain fair and just to all and, as loyal party members, we expect you to accept the outcome of the primary in good faith.

You should have control over your supporters against any act that is detrimental to the success of the exercise and, of breach to peace.

We should strive to build and maintain a united front to once again win the confidence of the people of Ondo State through a transparent process, Gov Buni said.
HADDAM  The first selectman is taking a hard line on Black Lives Matter signs being taken from the front lawns of homes in town.

Several residents are taking offense to what they consider an attack on their First Amendment rights to display the signs.

This is absolutely wrong and unacceptable. You dont have to agree with someones views, but this is not the way to express it, said First Selectman Robert McGarry. He alerted State Police resident troopers Joseph DeAngelo and Michael Stanger earlier in the week about the matter.

Those responsible broke the law, McGarry said. Whomever is responsible has committed a number of crimes that they will pursue.

Resident Peter Baird has gathered more than 60 signatures of individuals who support a letter about the problem that he sent to the Haddam and Killingworth communities.

Attempts to silence others and trample on their opinions is a direct affront to the values on which our country was formed. Free speech is vital to a functioning democracy, McGarry said in response to an email Thursday signed by nearly 20 individuals.

I believe people should be able to express their beliefs regardless of whether I agree with them or not, and regardless of how much those beliefs may offend me, he said.

Residents have said on Facebook that there have been complaints about Trump support signs being removed for several years. McGarry wasnt aware of that situation, however, It wouldnt surprise me  the level of intolerance of other peoples points of view.

In these highly partisan times, its important for people to be able to respectfully express their viewpoints, in conversations, in media, and in any signs or messages that residents may choose to put on their own property, Baird wrote to the first selectman.

The 19 signatories appealed to McGarry to make a public statement, which he said he intends to do.

Stealing signs is not only an infringement on property rights, but is an attempt to silence free speech and political expressions, and exacerbates the divisions in our town. Wed feel the same way about any signs that are taken, whether they be for Trump, for Biden, or for any mainstream political cause, Baird wrote.

The same thing is happening in Killingworth, he said. Some replacement signs were stolen over the past couple of nights, he said. This is a theft and trespassing, both crimes, and has implications for free speech.

Rosemary Bassilakis also posted about the problem on the You live in Haddam if ... Facebook page.

Bassilakis said she noticed her sign was missing Thursday while mowing the lawn and looked at her neighbors yard across the street and saw it had happened there as well.

She thought perhaps it violated a code, and was taken down on behalf of town officials, then later wondered if it was a mischievous act. Maybe its just teenagers being stupid and rambunctious and a little bit naughty, she said.

Her public query was intended to call upon the stealer to put it back up, she said. Freedom of speech is the American way. Its just plain silly, and sad to me, she said.

Stealing is not a freedom. Be a good American and decent human being, and please return the signs, she wrote on social media.

People need to make an effort to respect others opinions, Bassilakis said. If we listen and learn from one another, we can evolve. Theres a lack of tolerance thats incredibly concerning.

Its the theft that bothers Bassilakis most, much more than the trespassing. If someone cuts across my lawn to get through, Im not going to freak out about it, she said.

Bassilakis sees the intolerance as a longstanding societal issue. Its becoming commonplace that people only want to talk to those who agree with them. Where on Earth is that going to get us?

Disagreement often leads to progress, but only if were open to listening to those with whom we disagree, McGarry wrote in his email.
Green Berets represent the U.S. Armys elite fighting force, and Staff Sergeant Kyle Daniels has taken that skill and dedication from the battlefield abroad to his work at home. The former Special Forces member is the founder and CEO Firebrand Flag Company, which has produced the first-ever fire-resistant flag.

I want Firebrand Flags to be the official flag company of the U.S.A., Daniels says on the companys website, and, if for some reason, one of our enemies got ahold of one of our flag, they would have to go to extreme lengths to destroy it, much like they do when they are face to face with an American service member.

After serving in Iraq Daniels returned to civilian life in the United States and had a tough time adjusting to disrespect for the American flag. I got sick to my stomach watching the American flag being burned as a means of protest, he told The Veterans Project. That flag means so much more to me now after seeing the sacrifice of my brothers and sisters in arms made to defend what it represents.

Trying to envision a positive counter-measure to the disrespect that was being shown to our flag, both at home from protesters and abroad from terrorist groups, Daniels decided to create a flag that would be nearly indestructible. I knew there had to be a way to produce a flag that could defend itself when nobody was around to defend it, he explained.

The reality of making a fire-retardant flag and getting it widely distributed was much more difficult than Daniels originally thought, but he persevered and launched his first product, appropriately named Old Glory on Flag Day, June 14, 2020. The process to make the flag required entirely new cutting machines and the largest purchase of Kevlar fabric outside of the U.S. military, he explains on his website.

All of this time, effort, and energy the former Green Beret has put into the company was dedicated to making a flag that would look, feel and fly like a real flag but that wouldnt burn.

Along the way, Daniels got lots of help from fellow former service members, including Jason van Camp, the former Commander of Danielss Green Beret unit. Van Camp created Warriors Rising, a veteran business incubator, which was designed to help projects like Firebrand Flags get off the ground.

With the help of a business mentor that Daniels was paired with, he set about solving the technical challenges involved in his concept. If things had gone the way I initially envisioned with Firebrand Flags, I would have been up and running within six months and every red-blooded, patriotic American would be proudly flying one of my flags in front of their house or business, Daniels said.

Of course, working with high-tech materials like kevlar, an incredibly strong and heat-resistant synthetic fiber used for bulletproof vests and combat helmets, and nomex, a flame-resistant fiber used in firefighters gear, presented obstacles, but as a seasoned veteran of the U.S. Special Forces, Daniels was not discouraged.

When I hit those roadblocks, I simply have to adapt, overcome, and do whatever needs to be done to accomplish the mission, he explained.

Having accomplished his first objective of creating the first fire-retardant American flag, Danielss next goal is getting the word out. I want every home, business and government building in America to proudly fly one of our flags, he declared. I also want it to fly outside all of our embassies and forward operating bases overseas.

Danielss company slogan is Freedom fears no fire.

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc
Lyft said on Friday it would distribute some 60,000 vehicle partition shields to its most active drivers as a protection against the coronavirus and begin selling the custom-made protective barriers to other drivers later this summer. The ride-hailing company began in May to require both passengers and drivers to wear a mask during trips and said it had provided North American drivers with more than 150,000 sanitizing products and masks since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Located in Ta Phin village, about 12 kilometers away from Sa Pa town, Ta Phin monastery is easily recognised thanks to its ancient French architecture (Photo: vietfuntravel.com.vn)

Lao Cai - Travelling to Sa Pa town in Lao Cai province is always a journey of interesting experiences and Ta Phin monastery is becoming a popular spot near the town.

The monastery is located in Ta Phin village, about 12 kilometres from Sa Pa and is easily recognised thanks to its French architecture.

It was constructed in October 1942, but in 1945 the nuns left for Hanoi and the monastery was unused and fell into disrepair.

Nowadays, Ta Phin monastery is a ruined, desolate building hidden in the fog. It is surrounded by dense trees, reminding one of fairy tales.

The beauty of the ancient monastery is old, nostalgic, vague and mysterious and reminds one of being lost in an old European film.

The part that has not been lost to the ravages of time is enough to be amazed at the old religious building with architectural features in an old European style.

The gate of the monastery is built of stellar stone with an arched gate in the French style. The outer wall is laterite layer, going deep inside, visitors will see the walls, mossy windows in layers, but they are still solid and firm. Each wall and brick is imprinted with time.

The monastery has three floors including an underground basement, a west-facing horizontal house with five chambers and a staircase. In addition, the right side of the monastery has a vertical house connected to the horizontal house. This was the place used to store food, furniture and the kitchen of the monastery.

Today, the whole building has no roof but only the old moss-covered walls remain. In front of the monastery, there is a large and long corridor but it is also not intact.

Although it has been abandoned for a long time, the features and quiet space of the monastery are a major attraction.

It seems that at any angle, any location in the monastery, visitors can create a unique scene. So, don't be surprised when you see the photos which feature old colours mixed with the wilderness of time and a little colour of nostalgia, a little slice of heaven for photography enthusiasts.

If you want your wedding photos to have a bit of a subtle, nostalgic look, this is might just be the place for you.

When finishing visiting Ta Phin monastery, we discovered Ta Phin village which also attracts visitors with the unique cultural characteristics of the Red Dao ethnicity people.

Unlike the Mong and Giay people, the Red Dao people have a very small population and are less well known. Their villages are often located in remote valleys and mountain slopes.

Many villages in Sa Pa today have been modernised and no longer retain the wild nature anymore. But Ta Phin village is different and is probably the only village in Sa Pa that still retains the regional cultural identity.

The road leading to Ta Phin village is winding with mountain scenery, magnificent clouds, and splendid colours of terraced fields. The locals here are friendly and may invite you to their homes.

Ta Phin is considered a brocade village where visitors can find handmade brocades made by ethnic minority people. The products are mainly provided for shops in Hanoi and HCM City and exported as well.

Because of living in the valley and at the foot of big mountains, the Red Dao have extensive knowledge and experience with plants. Bath remedies of the Red Dao have hundreds of plants. Among them, there are 10 main and most important medicinal plants that make up the brand of valuable medicine of the Red Dao people in Ta Phin.

Today, Red Dao herbal baths are not only a culture and unique identity of every family in the Dao ethnic community but have spread widely throughout the country and are trusted by many people. Experiencing a Red Dao herbal bath is a great reason to go to Ta Phin village - the source of the precious medicine.
British Airways has faced severe losses with a hit to the aviation industry as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. They have announced that in favor of more energy efficient and cost effective aircraft's, they are retiring their Boeing 747 aircraft fleet.

The British Airways announced that its fleet of Boeing 747 aircraft, fondly known as The Queen of the Skies, is likely to have flown their last scheduled commercial service and is proposed to be retired with immediate effect due to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the aviation sector.

After nearly five decades of service and millions of miles flown around the globe, it is proposed that the airlines remaining fleet of 31 747-400 aircraft will be retired with immediate effect as a result of the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector, which is not predicted to recover to 2019 levels until 2023/24, the airline said in a release on Friday.

It further said that the fuel-hungry aircraft were slowly being phased out by British Airways already as the airline has invested heavily in new, modern long-haul aircraft including six A350s and 32 787s which are around 25 per cent more fuel-efficient than the 747.

Also Read: Global air passenger demand shows slight improvement in May: IATA

Also Read: India to ease international travel restrictions for US, European airline carriers?

Speaking about the decision, Alex Cruz, Chairman, and CEO, British Airways, said, This is not how we wanted or expected to have to say goodbye to our incredible fleet of 747 aircraft. It is a heartbreaking decision to have to make. So many people, including many thousands of our colleagues past and present, have spent countless hours on and with these wonderful planes  they have been at the centre of so many memories, including my very first long-haul flight. They will always hold a special place in our hearts at British Airways.

We have committed to making our fleet more environmentally friendly as we look to reduce the size of our business to reflect the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on aviation. As painful as it is, this is the most logical thing for us to propose. The retirement of the jumbo jet will be felt by many people across Britain, as well as by all of us at British Airways. It is sadly another difficult but necessary step as we prepare for a very different future, he further said.

The airline operated its first 747 London to New York service on April 14, 1971, and in July 1989 the first British Airways 747-400, the aircraft type the airline still flies today, took to the skies.

Also Read: Tourism in Himachal Pradesh likely to begin in a week: CM Jai Ram Thakur
A daily wagers daughter, who has secured the eighth rank in class 12 board examinations in Mizoram, was felicitated by Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai for her achievement despite all odds.

Handing over a citation to 17-year-old Lalvenhimi in the presence of her parents at Raj Bhavan on Friday, the governor said the girls achievement has become a source of inspiration for students across the country.

The student of Durtlang Higher Secondary School in Aizawl scored 437 out of 500 marks in Arts stream in the examinations conducted by the Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE). The results were declared on July 13.

I used to wake up at 3 am every day and study till 7 am, and again from 6 pm to 10 pm. Besides, I used to perform household chores and look after my siblings when my parents were away, Lalvenhimi told reporters.

The 17-year-old, who dreams of becoming a college teacher, will study Bachelor of Arts at the Government Hrangbana College, which has offered her free admission in recognition of her achievement.
The head of the NYPD's second-biggest union has been spotted giving interviews with a QAnon mug placed prominently in the background.

NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins was spotted at least twice in one week giving on-air interviews with a QAnon-emblazoned mug over his shoulder.

QAnon is known for advocating a far-right conspiracy theory alleging a secret, 'deep state' plot against President Trump and his supporters. There has yet to be any conclusive proof of these claims, initially made by an anonymous poster called Q on the 4chan website.

NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association union president Ed Mullins gave two TV interviews in which a QAnon mug could be seen in the background over his left shoulder

The Qanon mug's interview appearance was spotted and shared online by a Twitter user Friday

The QAnon mug could be seen most recently in an interview Mullins did with Fox News' Neil Cavuto on Friday.

During the interview, the mug can be seen sitting on top of a printer over Mullins' left shoulder.

The black mug - made more obvious because its sitting in front of a white-background framed document - bears a 'Q' logo designed out of an American flag logo. It also reads 'QANON' and includes the group's popular slogan hashtag 'WWG1WGA,' which means 'Where we go one, we go all.'

When news of the mug's interview presence made the rounds on social media, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's press secretary, Bill Neidhardt, replied to a tweet with a screengrab from the interview, writing simply: 'Delusional.'

Mullins and de Blasio have been going head-to-head lately, due to de Blasio's current commitment to shifting $1billion out of the NYPD's budget and signing bills that make it crime for city police to apply pressure on the necks, chests or backs that could obstruct breathing while taking them into custody.

Eagle-eyed social media users noted that the QAnon mug also appeared in an earlier interview Mullins did on July 13, although it was slightly less prominently-placed back then

Ed Mullins claimed that neither the office the interviews were taped in nor the mug were his

The prominently-placed mug from the interview appears to have the same design as this mug, bearing the group's slogan 'WWG1WGA,' which means 'Where we go one, we go all'

Officers caught engaging in those acts could face misdemeanor charges, the New York Daily News reported.

In response, several New York State police departments - including Westchester an Suffolk counties - issued orders banned their officers from pursuing or participating in arrests in New York City to avoid legal trouble, according to SBA tweets.

It has been argued that police officers may need to apply at least some, fleeting pressure to those specified areas while making arrests.

Eagle-eyed social media users noted that Mullins' July 17 interview wasn't the first time that a QAnon mug got screentime.

The same mug was seen in the background of a Fox News interview Mullins did on July 13.

During that interview, the mug also sat on the printer over his left shoulder, but the mug was closer to the wall and not quite so prominent.

'No one noticed when he did the same thing a few days ago, so he made the mug a bit more prominent today,' one tweeter wrote of the mug's new position in the more recent interview.

It's unclear if Mullins was aware of the mug's presence in the background of his interviews or who might have placed it there.

When asked about the mug, Mullins told HuffPost that neither the mug nor the office he did the interviews from belonged to him. He also claimed that he had 'no idea' what QAnon was.

Mullins declined to reveal whether the office belonged to someone in the SBA, but noted that it 'wasn't even in New York.'

Mullins does not appear to have any previous connections to QAnon, but HuffPost noted that the SBA has linked to articles from a far-right police news site called Law Enforcement Today, which has endorsed congressional candidates who support the conspiracy theory.

There are at least 50 Republican candidates running for public office who have either 'endorsed or given credence' to QAnon, including 11 who will be up for election in November,

Mullins is just the latest prominent political figures to have been tied to QAnon, a conspiracy theory that falsely claims  among many other fantastical allegations  that Democratic officials are secretly operating a worldwide pedophilia ring.

President Donald Trumps former national security adviser Michael Flynn recently posted a video in which he uses QAnon phrases and slogans.

And a report from the liberal watchdog group Media Matters found that there are 59 Republican candidates for public office who have either endorsed or given credence to QAnon. At least 13 of those candidates will appear on ballots in November.

Over July 4 weekend, Trump's disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn was seen in a video alongside relatives reciting the QAnon oath and slogans.

Trump himself has been known to retweet QAnon-related tweets.

The concept that someone like Mullins, who has such obvious law enforcement ties, supports QAnon is 'frightening' because the group 'is dedicated to the illegal and unconstitutional use of the military as a police force to hold tribunals and execute America's enemies,' Mike Rothschild, author of The World's Worst Conspiracies, told CNN.

The SBA currently has about 13,000 active and retired NYPD sergeants among its membership.

The FBI issued an official statement declaring that 'conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists,' including QAnon, is a growing threat in May 2019.
Facilities can conduct their own testing, but the state wont pick up the cost. HHS would like all employees throughout the state to be tested by the end of July, though Wisell admitted that was an ambitious goal.

Cost estimates for the testing program were not provided, but Wisell said HHS will be using the testing kits obtained through the $27 million TestNebraska contract.

Besides testing, the reopening guidelines for long-term care facilities take into account other variables, including whether coronavirus cases in the surrounding community are stabilizing or spiking.

Many people who get the coronavirus will experience only mild to moderate symptoms and recover. But those who are older or have underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for more severe illnesses and even death. With seniors or medically fragile residents living in close quarters, nursing homes quickly became coronavirus hot spots.

When the pandemic first emerged in Nebraska, many nursing homes quickly shut down outside visits and sequestered residents in their rooms. Before shifts started, workers had their temperatures checked and were asked if they had a cough or a sore throat.
As anticipated, the Red Sox have reached agreement with righty Zack Godley, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports on Twitter. The deal is now formally wrapped up, with Godley taking a 60-man player pool spot and heading to Summer Camp.

Godley will still need to earn his way onto the Boston 40-man and active roster. But hes expected to have ample opportunity to do so.

The Red Sox did finally get some other good news on the pitching front. Southpaws Eduardo Rodriguez and Darwinzon Hernandez, each sidelined due to coronavirus considerations, are back in camp, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe tweets. Theyll still need to build up to regular season readiness.

Godley, 30, was cut free recently by the Tigers. Since he had participated in the Detroit organizations Summer Camp, Godley is in a relatively advanced position in terms of readiness. With the Boston rotation short on experienced options, hes seen as a plug-and-go option.

Whether Godley can seize the opportunity remains to be seen. He has had his chances in recent years but has thus far failed to regain the form he showed earlier in his career. In his best season, 2017, Godley turned in 155 innings of 3.37 ERA pitching with 9.6 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and a 55.3% groundball rate.
From high above West Point Island, one dock sticks out from the rest.

It juts out about 300 feet into the Barnegat Bay, twice as far as the others, and sits on a slight angle toward a row of million-dollar homes on Pershing Boulevard.
The mystery over how two toddlers nearly drowned in a fenced off pool has deepened after it was revealed the area was gated and the family were home.

Cousins Destiny, 18 months old, and Osmond, who is 23 months old, were found unconscious in the pool at a home in Casula, in Sydney's south west on Saturday afternoon.

Police desperately performed CPR on the boy and girl who were then rushed to the Children's Hospital at Westmead in critical conditions.

The grandfather of the toddlers, Awi Achrafe, said he had no idea how the 'beautiful' babies could have made their way into the pool.

Cousins Destiny, 18-months-old, and Osmond, 23 months, were found floating on the surface of the pool at a home in Casula, (pictured) in Sydney's south west on Saturday afternoon

Mr Achrafe said the whole family was home at the time and neither toddler could swim.

'The pool is fenced off and has a gate, the (children) couldn't open it,' he told The Sunday Telegraph.

'I don't understand how it could have happened. They don't know how to swim, they're only young.'

Mr Achrafe said he visited the family, who had been living in the Lakewood Crescent house for three years, every day.

'They're always smiling and playing. I'm praying for them,' he said.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Gavin Wood stressed how important the CPR that police performed was.

'The (children) were both in cardiac arrest and unresponsive. It was an incredibly traumatic and chaotic scene,' Insp Wood said.

'The response time of police was eight minutes after the initial call and they managed to perform effective CPR  without that we may have had a very different outcome.

'Both (children) remain in critical care but at the moment we're hopeful.'

Officers from Liverpool City Police Area Command have established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday revealed a tangential way that investors can play the Covid-19 vaccine rush without taking on the risk of investing in a developer that loses the race.

"Rather than chasing the Covid=19 vaccine developers that are panning for gold, I want to go with the equipment suppliers that sell the medical equivalent of pans and picks and shovels to the gold miners," the "Mad Money" host said, likening the endeavor to discover a vaccine to the California gold rush of the 19th Century.

Cramer, who has a liking for pharmaceutical names like Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Regeneron, thinks most smaller vaccine developers are risky plays.

The market digested vaccine development updates from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson this week and is anticipating data from a phase one trial of AstraZeneca's own research into a potential vaccine expected to publish on Monday.

"All these stocks though are wild traders. I want to be more thoughtful than just speculate endlessly on who is in front and who isn't. The horse race just continues," Cramer said. "All these little vaccine developers with Covid-19 exposure are roaring here, but there can be only most likely let's say three or four actual winners."

Cramer recommends taking the side door by investing in Abbott Laboratories, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Danaher and Honeywell International.

Abbott Labs, which makes multiple Covid-19 testing kits, saw its stock trade sideways for a few months as the country focused on reopening from the coronavirus lockdown.

Shares, however, are back on the rise, alongside the latest outbreak of the fast-spreading disease across the American South. Abbott Labs closed at a record $99.25 Friday after maturing nearly 3%.

"Right now, Abbott's at $99 and if it breaks out above $100, I'm betting there'll be another leg higher," Cramer said.

Thermo Fisher produces medical instruments and laboratory equipment for the pharmaceutical industry. Those products include supplies for virus samples and tools for drug and vaccine developers.

Stock in Thermo Fisher made a fresh closing record of $395.40 Friday after climbing 0.76% during the trading day.

"The only problem here is that the stock's been such a juggernaut and you haven't really gotten a chance to buy it into weakness," the host said. "I think you can put on a small position, though, here and then hope for a pullback that gives you a better entry point."

Danaher, which recently spun off multiple business to focus on its life sciences and diagnostics arms, rivals Thermo Fisher and has exposure to the world of Covid-19 testing.

Danaher shares also set a new closing high in Friday's session after rallying 1.13% to finish at $190.95.

"Like Thermo Fisher, the stock's had a giant run. You really haven't had a chance to buy it since the March low weakness," he said. "Danaher's got great management though, so put it on your shopping list, because this one's absolutely worth buying into weakness."

Honeywell is a big producer of N95 masks, personal protective equipment and medical equipment. The stock is within 16% of its January closing high.

"This is not a great short-term play. This stock's going to be hobbled until we actually get a vaccine, we know that, but longer term I'm a gigantic believer in Honeywell, and I like that you can get it at a discount right now. This thing sells for less than 18 times 2022 earnings. It's got a solid 2.33% yield," Cramer said. "If you want to buy this one, you should go slowly, because I think you'll get a better entry point down the road."
Bosky Khanna By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Amid the rising Covid-19 cases in the city, the state government on Saturday transferred the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner B H Anil Kumar.

The government's move came as a shock to many as Kumar had taken charge as the civic body chief only recently.

Senior bureaucrat N Manjunath Prasad, who had handed over the charge to Anil Kumar on August 28, 2019, has been brought back as the BBMP Commissioner, with immediate effect, the government order said.

Anil Kumar has now been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Enterprise, replacing V Rashmi, who has been posted as secretary to the government, Kannada and Culture Department.

Manjunath Prasad, who was working as Principal Secretary (Revenue), will continue to hold the post until further order.

Alleged financial anomalies related to Covid-19 to the tune of around Rs 240 crore could be behind the government move, some BBMP officials said.

Others said he was shunted out after High Court had pulled up the BBMP and the government for not providing adequate supplies to people in the containment zones.

Outgoing commissioner Anil Kumar told The New Indian Express that this was one of the most challenging jobs he had taken up. "It was good and challenging. I also learnt many things while working here. I wanted to do a lot of things like the creation of the vision document for Bengaluru for 2020 but failed to do due to the pandemic. I also wanted to improve the road infrastructure and the solid waste management of the city."
The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service.

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Until Friday, 734 candidates have submitted bids for nominations for the Senate elections slated for 11-12 August

Egypt is closing candidacy registration for the upcoming Senate elections on Saturday, with the National Elections Authority (NEA) set to announce on Sunday the initial list of candidates.

NEA head, Ibrahim Lashin, said the authority will announce the names of candidates for the closed list and individual systems, the state-run MENA reported.

Until Friday, 734 candidates have submitted bids for nominations for the Senate elections slated for 11-12 August.

Egyptians abroad are scheduled to cast their ballots on 9-10 August.

The results of the first round of voting will be announced on 19 August.

Second round votes will be on 8-9 September, while the results will be announced on 16 September, the NEA said.

The authority added that health guidelines and social distancing will be adopted at polling stations.

The Senate will house 300 seats, one third of which will be elected via the individual candidacy system, another third through the closed party list system, and the final third to be appointed by the president.

Senate members' tenure is set at five years.

Senate elections will be followed by House of Representatives elections.

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Pakistan's aviation authority has suspended 15 more pilots for possessing dubious licenses, taking the number of those taken off duty for flying with fake credentials in the country to 93, according to a media report on Saturday.

They were suspended by the Aviation Division on Friday.

These are among the 262 pilots, who were grounded and put under investigation by the aviation ministry last month, for possessing suspicious licences, according to the Dawn newspaper.

The licences of 28 other pilots have already been cancelled.

Abdul Sattar Khokhar, Spokesman for the Aviation Division, said a total of 262 pilots were identified as possessing fake licences by the Board of Inquiry and grounded immediately after identification on the instructions of the government.

He said out of these 262 pilots, the federal Cabinet had approved cancellation of the licences of 28.

These 28 pilots will not be able to undertake any flying duty and their licences have been cancelled after proper legal procedures under which the pilots were given an opportunity of hearing.

The matter was twice deliberated by the Cabinet before the decision.

The process of verification of licences of 93 pilots has been initiated, while the investigation of the remaining 141 cases is expected to be completed within one week.

Khokhar, who is also the senior joint secretary, said the entire process of scrutiny and validation followed by necessary disciplinary action was being closely monitored and personally supervised by Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

Meanwhile, Serene Air, a private airliner, has stopped paying salary to its pilots and first officers who have been identified as possessing fake licences.

The human resource department of the airline informed them that they would not be paid from June 29 till the issue was resolved.

Earlier, the Aviation Division had provided a list of 10 pilots of the private airline having fake licences.

Of the 10 pilots, three had already left the airline, while the remaining have been grounded, the report said.
Canada is a multicultural nation. Nominally bilingual, with both English and French holding official language status at the federal level, the worlds second largest nation in area is also home to more than 60 indigenous languages and many other brought to the country by its immigrant population. In fact, according to the 2016 census, one in five Canadians was born abroad. As COVID-19 continues to restrict global travel, however, it may also restrict Canadas ability to accept new immigrants, including foreign workers.

There are a number of pathways through which people typically enter Canada. These include the Express Entry program for skilled immigrants and entrepreneurship-based pathways at the province level, as well as entry backed by family members already living in Canada. Under ordinary circumstances, each of these avenues has a clear set of processes that interested parties might go through. However, just as other countries have restricted entry, Canada has also shut down various points and methods of entry.

Related: This Canadian Startup Is Creating Breathable Masks That Seal Tight to Your Face

Managing And Modernizing

In order to address ongoing immigration needs during the pandemic, Canadian officials have realized that they need to take steps towards developing a more modern system, a process that includes taking bids to overhaul the outdated application system. Canada saw record numbers of new permanent residents in 2019, so the country needs a system that can address volume.

In addition, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) hopes that its improved application system will provide greater insight into who applies to enter Canada. That means building in data-analytics infrastructure, while also automating key processes and improving digital interview capacity. The less time IRCC staff needs to spend on straightforward entry applications, the more carefully they can attend to complex cases, including applications from refugees.

Immigrants Keep Canada Running

Modernizing the Canadian immigration system is also important because of the countrys aging population. Many Canadian immigrants arrive prepared to fill critical jobs, particularly in healthcare, transportation, safety and food professions. Indeed, even in the midst of the pandemic, immigrants working in healthcare or who perform medical transport or maintain medical equipment are permitted to enter Canada and may not be subject to the standard 14-day quarantine policy.

For those temporary workers attempting to enter, norms and expectations look a bit different than they typically would. These foreign nationals simply need a valid Canadian work permit or a letter of introduction to the IRCC if their permit has yet to be released. These relaxed rules only underscore the critical role that immigrant workers play in the Canadian economy. As in many Western countries, including the United States and the UK, the Canadian healthcare system cant run without the contributions of immigrants.

For Immigrants, Is The Risk Worth It?

Immigrants seeking careers in Canada typically understand themselves as seeking a safer, more prosperous life, and ordinarily that would be true. For those weighing such a move right now, however, risk weighs heavily. These are individuals who would be immigrating to work as frontline workers, without the promise that theyll be able to become Canadian citizens down the line.

One place where citizenship concerns are particularly acute is in Quebec. Thats because the provinces center-right government has pledged to reduce immigration numbers. Since Quebecs immigration system is slightly different from the rest of Canadas, their leadership may be able to reject certain federal immigration provisions, were the federal government to support immigration opportunities for frontline workers.

Related: Getting Back to Work: How Automation Will Help Us Rehire Talent

As for those who cant fill critical jobs, their immigration status may be permanently on hold. Ultimately, thats a matter of safety  decreased travel also means a decreased risk of transmitting COVID-19  but its also disconcerting. Its unclear when conventional immigration pathways will reopen, but until then, foreign workers are either on the front line or stuck at home, wherever that may be.

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By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Thuglak editor S Gurumurthy on Friday alleged that a National Herald type of scam which rocked the Congress party in Delhi is brewing in Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Trust which has properties worth Rs 20,000 crore and annual income that runs into crores. National Herald Scam II brewing. Kanishk Singh, Rahul Gandhis right hand has taken over the trust documents and accounts. None of the trustees seem to be aware of the accounts, Gurumurthy said in his Tweet on Friday.

Recalling that the trust was built during the times of former Chief Minister K Kamaraj after the famous 1958 Avadi Congress yielded huge funds with which properties were bought, Gurumuthy said The TNCC has become like the National Herald: Has only properties; not the party. Motilal Vohra who cant read a number (because of his advanced age) is a trustee and Kanishk Singh controls the TNCC trust. The scam is 10 times the National Herald fraud. And he (Vohra) is the chosen man for National Herald also, he added. In a series of tweets, Gurumurthy said GK Vasan spoke to him and said after he left the Congress six years ago he was not aware of what was happening in the trust.

Sonia seems to have appointed new trustees to carry out the National Herald II type of operation. Matter getting worse, Gurumurthy added. Will the trustees Sudharshan Nachiappan, Kesavan, and Chakravarthy explain what is happening to the Rs 20,000 crore worth property, why Sonia Gandhi appointing the trustees instead of TNCC executive committee, Gurumurthy asked. Gurumurthy also alleged that all trustees were summoned to meet Rahul Gandhi in 2009 and instructed them to sign some documents.

Gurumurthy alleged that a multi-storey building was being planned to be built in the trust land. However, denying the allegations, TNCC president KS Alagiri told Express, The trust is governed by the trustees as per the rule. And Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi do not interfere in its activities. Also, they can not interfere as per the rule. Hence, it is a baseless allegation. TNCC treasurer Naesey J Ramachandran too denied this allegation.  It is not true. The trust is functioning as usual, he added.
"By announcing measures that will also sanction European companies, the US government is disregarding the right and sovereignty of Europe to decide where and how we source our energy," Xinhua news agency quoted Maas as saying in a statement on Thursday.

Berlin, July 17 (IANS) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has rejected the US' latest threat to impose sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Moscow and Berlin, saying "European energy policy is made in Europe".

"European energy policy is made in Europe and not in Washington. We clearly reject extraterritorial sanctions," Maas added.

Mass said that the German government had held numerous talks with the US in recent weeks as Washington was planning to tighten a sanctions law against Nord Stream 2.

The law -- U.S. Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act (PEESA) -- was enacted in December 2019.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent fresh warnings of possible sanctions to companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and the second line of the TurkStream pipeline stretching from Russia to Turkey.

Pompeo claimed that the projects were not commercial but serve as Moscow's tools to exploit European dependence on Russia's energy supplies.

Peter Beyer, the German government's coordinator for transatlantic relations, tweeted Thursday that the US should grant Europe comprehensive energy sovereignty.

The Nord Stream 2, stretching 1,230 km from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, is scheduled to start operation in the middle of 2020.

--IANS

ksk/
Tbilisi is in contact with Yerevan and Baku to resolve conflict, Georgia-Online reported referring to the Georgian deputy FM Lasha Darsalia.

"Any destabilization in the region deserves Georgias attention and is definitely not in our interests. De-escalation must be seen as soon as possible," Darsalia noted.

"As for the interests of a third force in this conflict, the issue is quite sensitive, if someone is interested in destabilization, then it is Russia, given the fact that our territories are occupied by Russia," the deputy FM added.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Authorities arraigned a Staten Island man on Friday linked to a drive-by slaying of a father in the Bronx right in front of his 6-year-old daughter earlier this month.

Prosecutors from the office of Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark allege that Stapleton resident Laquan Heyward, 25, was in the car out of which two bullets hit 29-year-old Anthony Robinson in the torso killing him at the intersection of E. 170th Street and Sheridan Avenue.

Authorities charged Heyward with his alleged co-conspirators Davon Delks, 21, and Devon Vines, 27, who prosecutors say were also in the car along with Joel Baba, 22, and a driver who has not been apprehended.

Surveillance footage capture the incident and shows Robinson crossing the street while holding his daughters hand. The girl was not harmed in the incident.

Baba and Eghosa Imafidon, 23, died a few hours after the attack on Robinson when they were shot inside a Bronx apartment building just blocks away in an incident investigators have said they believe was retaliatory. All the other people involved were from the Bronx.

All three men arraigned Friday are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, and two charges of criminal possession of a weapon.

A judge ordered Delks and Vines remanded, and prosecutors requested the same for Heyward. However, the judge ordered $100,000 bail for him. He has posted 10% of that, but the judge ordered the source of the funding to be investigated, according to a spokesman for the Bronx district attorney.

All three of the men are due back in court on August 17, according to the spokesman.
"It is important to clarify that all CPL/ATPL pilot licenses issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are genuine and validly issued. None of the pilots licenses are fake, rather the matter has been misconstrued and incorrectly highlighted in the media/social media", maintained a letter written by CAA Director General Hassan Nisar Jamy in a latter to high-ranking aviation officials of Oman.

The statement issued by the CAA is a direct contradiction to the Minister's allegations, who said that at least 40 per cent of Pakistani pilots possessed fake licenses.

"CAA had already verified/cleared 96 Pakistani pilots out of 104 names received from various civil aviation authorities/foreign airlines (UAE/GACA, Vietnam Airlines, Bahrain Air, Civil Aviation Malaysia, Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and Turkish Airlines)," read the letter.

The revelation made by the CAA has put the Aviation Minister in hot water as opposition parties have demanded immediate resignation, along with accountability of the minister.

The opposition parties in the National Assembly and the Senate standing committee faced the Minister with serious uproar.

"The Minister, through his false statement had caused a daily loss of Rs.500 million to the Pakistani International Airline (PIA) and removal of about 200 pilots from various airlines and damaged the national prestige at the international level," said Nafisa Shah, Member National Assembly (MNA) of the opposition the Pakistan People Party (PPP).

"Various aviation agencies of the world have already sent letters to us. Tomorrow, our air space can be handed over to some other country. This is treason," she said, while demanding an immediate resignation of the Minister.

The issue was also brought up at the Senate standing committee where oppoisiton party leaders raised the issue, stating that "it was a wrong move by the aviation minister which had damaged Pakistan's reputation".

However, the Aviation Minister came out in defensce of his remarks, stating that he had declared the licenses of the pilots as "dubious" and not "fake".

"It might be damaging for the country in short term but for the future it was important to show the world through actions that we are improving our systems," he said.

The issue of fake licenses of Pakistani pilots attracted global attention as global destinations, airlines and air safety agencies had suspended authorization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The issue brought global embarrassment to Pakistan and was declared as the biggest aviation scam in the global aviation industry.

The Aviation Minister's remarks the prompted European Union Air Safety Agency to suspend PIA authorization to operate to the EU member states for six months, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also shared its concern over the serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator.

The US Department of Transportation had also revoked permission for the PIA to conduct charter flights to America and downgraded Pakistan's air safety rating after the agency raised concerns about pilot certifications.

--IANS

hamza/ksk/


South Africa: Citizens urged to help others this Mandela Day

In celebrating International Nelson Mandela Day, government has called on citizens to dedicate themselves to helping others.

Government has encouraged all South Africans to uphold the ideals of the father of the nation, former President Nelson Mandela.

This years Mandela Day comes at a time when the world is faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let us all harness the South African spirit of Ubuntu (humanity) and emulate the values that Madiba taught us, said Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Director General Phumla Williams.

Williams said the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality require collaborative efforts between government and social partners to drive long-term socio-economic change.

It is critical for all people to become caring citizens in their communities, as the change we all want to see is in our hands, she said.

COVID-19 said government, has brought to the fore the ideals of Tata Madiba, who embodied the spirit of care, selflessness, sacrifice and resilience.

The resilience of South Africans has enabled the nation to overcome a number of challenges and it continues to draw strength in its ability to rally for action to defeat COVID-19. This battle requires citizens to honour Mandela Day by dedicating themselves to helping fellow citizens in beating COVID-19.

As part of Nelson Mandela IDay, citizens can all play their part in small ways and provide assistance to the needy in various neighbourhoods by donating food, masks and sanitisers.

Citizens can support initiatives such as the Nelson Mandela Foundations Each1Feed1 campaign.

More information on the campaign can be accessed on www.nelsonmandela.org/each1-feed1.

The South Africa we have all come to love is a product of social solidarity and we must come together again and assist our fellow brothers and sisters. Government also extends its heartfelt thanks to individuals, non-governmental organisations, business and other formations who selflessly make sacrifices to improve the lives of others. Let us all heed the call to action, make a positive mark and change our communities for the better, said Williams.

In addition, government reiterated its call for all individuals to stay safe and minimise the spread of the virus by making preventative measures part of their cultural and religious practices.

These include maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 metres, regularly washing hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitiser, and wearing a mask when in public. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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With a rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus across the United States, a new forecast published by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention projected that the country might see over 157,000 deaths by August 8. The US CDC informed that this weeks national forecast relies on 24 individuals forecasts from outside institutions and researchers. As per the new forecast, the US might see nearly 157,205 coronavirus deaths by August 8, with a possible range of 149,957 to 168,305.

The CDC on its website said that the state-level ensemble forecasts suggest that the number of new deaths over the next four weeks will likely exceed the number reported over the last four weeks in 22 states and 2 territories. The US agency further informed that the jurisdictions with the greatest likelihood of a larger number of deaths include Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, the Virgin Islands, and West Virginia.

READ: COVID-19: Fauci Urges Local Leaders To Be As 'forceful' As Possible On Wearing Masks

The new projections come after the countrys coronavirus death tally surpassed 139,000. Currently, according to Johns Hopkins University, the United States has over 3.6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. Even with the country reporting over 60,000 cases daily, the American states continue to reopen businesses and school to revive the hard-hit economy.

READ: Donald Trump Lashes Out At John Bolton, Mary Trump After Books Become Best-sellers

National mask mandate ruled out

Despite the rapid spread of the virus, the US President Donald Trump has also reportedly ruled out a national mandate requiring people to wear face masks. Trump, in an interview with an international media outlet, said that he wants people to have a certain freedom. He reportedly added that he doesnt agree with the statement that if everybody wears a mask, everything will suddenly disappear.

Although, Trump, who on previous occasions has repeatedly refused to wear a mask, was recently seen donning a face covering. Trump, during his latest visit to see wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army hospital, was spotted wearing a dark-coloured mask. Later, speaking at a press briefing, he said, I think when you are in the hospital, especially in a particular setting when you are talking to a lot of soldiers, people that in some cases just got off the operating table, I think it is a great thing to wear a mask." Doubling down on his decision, he said that had never been against masks but there is always a time and a place.

(Image: AP)

READ: US: Surging Democrats Expand Senate Targets To GOP States

READ: Jesus Statue Beheaded At Catholic Church In South Florida
She's been taking photographs of herself every day during her family getaway.

And, Chloe Lewis showcased her enviable post-baby body in a dusty pink belted swimsuit as she relaxed poolside in Ibiza, Spain on Saturday.

The former TOWIE star, 28, looked effortlessly glam in the elegant one-piece from Anna Lous, which she accessorised with a smattering of delicate gold jewellery.

Gorgeous! Chloe Lewis, 28, showcased her enviable post-baby body in a dusty pink belted swimsuit as she relaxed poolside in Ibiza, Spain on Saturday

The stunning high rise swimsuit boasted pretty crochet trims and a nylon belt with customised buckle.

Chloe also wore a personalised woven bracelet from HA Designs, which brandished her son's name, and further accessorised with gold jewellery from The Sunshine Club.

Adding a designer touch, the TOWIE star shielded her eyes with a pair of gold-rimmed Fendi sunglasses.

Chloe styled her brunette tresses into brushed-out beachy waves and sported a minimal make-up look while perfectly matching her nail polish to her attire.

Motherhood: Chloe welcomed son Beau with Danny in October and the group have been living in bliss ever since

Mother-of-one Chloe welcomed son Beau with Danny in October and the group have been living in bliss ever since.

Chloe recently spoke about her pregnancy in a Q&A and said she gained 1.5 stone in weight while expecting her first baby.

The reality TV star admitted she was 'surprised' at her low weight gain and also shared she fell pregnant just a month into her family planning journey.

Incredible: Chloe has been sharing snaps of herself soaking up the sun during their getway

She told followers: 'I weighed myself towards the end, I was about 1 1/2 stone heavier. I really thought I was going to blow up pregnant but really surprised myself.'

When asked whether she planned to start a family, the media personality said she 'felt the time was right' as she was content in her relationship with Danny.

'Yes we planned & fell the first month but everyone is different. I don't know if you ever feel the time is right,' she said.

'I just was very happy in my relationship & knew it was right & I've always wanted to be a mumma. Plus I had lots of practise with my sisters babies, the only difference is I got to give them back.' [sic]
Amidst a political tug of war in the state, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot called on governor Kalraj Mishra on Saturday evening in what the Raj Bhavan termed a courtesy call.

But a government official, who did not want to be named said, Gehlot apart from discussing the coronavirus disease outbreak and the states efforts to contain it, also wanted to take up the possibility of holding a special assembly session in the 45-minute meeting.

The official privy to the CMs meeting with governor said Gehlot apprised Mishra of the current political situation. The agenda of the special session, if it happens, is not known, the official said. As per rules, the governor has to notify holding of the session on the recommendation of the cabinet.

The meeting comes on the day two Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) MLAs said they will back Gehlot in the power tussle with former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, who has rebelled with 18 Congress legislators. The Pilot camp also has the support of three independents. These MLAs are believed to be camping in Gurugram.

Gehlot, on the other hand, has the support of 101 MLAs (86 from the Congress, 10 independent and 5 from other parties)  the majority mark in the 200-member state assembly. The CMs supporters are in a hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur. In addition to this, there are two other Congress MLAs  speaker CP Joshi and Bhawarlal Meghwal, who is indisposed.

The meeting also comes at a time when the Rajasthan high court is hearing a petition by the Pilot camp, which has challenged the Speakers disqualification notices to the dissidents. Pilot and 18 other rebel Congress MLAs got a four-day breather on Friday as the HC directed that no action be taken against them until Tuesday over their failure to attend a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting.

Political analyst Narayan Bareth said the meeting could give a signal to people and Gehlots opponents that the CM is confident about his numbers and wants to seek a trust vote.

The meeting indicates that an assembly session might be called to deal with the issue...which could later change in to a floor test. It looks like a strategic move, he said.

The petition by the Pilot camp challenged the speakers notice, which was based on a complaint by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi, that the rebel MLAs should be disqualified from the assembly for defying an order asking all party legislators to be present at CLP meetings on Monday and Tuesday. All 19 MLAs skipped both the meetings. In the high court, the Pilot camp said the whip cannot apply when an assembly session is not in place.

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US continues to arm terrorists in Syria's al-Tanf, trains them for terror acts: Top Russian official

Iran Press TV

Friday, 17 July 2020 10:21 AM

The Russian Foreign Ministry says the United States continues to arm allied Takfiri terrorists in al-Tanf region in Syria's central province of Homs near the Jordanian border, and trains them to carry out acts of terror and sabotage across the war-wracked country.

"There is actually no fight against terrorism in areas where Americans are present. On the contrary, they (terrorists) are being encouraged to continue their activities. For example, there is credible information that the (US) forces occupying the area around al-Tanf are training and supplying weapons to terrorist groups. This is being done for the sake of acts of sabotage across Syria," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing in the Russian capital Moscow on Thursday.

She added, "We generally evaluate the situation on the ground as tense, and the most difficult situation is in areas that are out of the control of the Syrian government, as in [the northwestern province of Idlib] and east of Euphrates River [in northern Syria]."

The remarks came only days after a member of a Takfiri terrorist group, who was recently detained by Syrian government forces, admitted receiving training on how to use US-made weapons under the supervision of American instructors.

Russia's Sputnik news agency published a video on Tuesday, showing the confessions of three members of the so-called Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra (the Revolutionary Commando Army) terrorist group, who had been captured near the ancient central city of Palmyra.

One of the terrorists, identified as Abdullah al-Mishuat, revealed that he and his fellows had learned how to handle different types of armaments in training sessions supervised by the US instructors.

Mishuat said "we were taught to handle all types of weapons by American instructors. All of the weapons were US-made."

He said the US instructors would come to the training sessions, adding, "Americans observe from afar, monitor and evaluate the training process. The training were [sic] difficult, they lasted for two or three hours, no less."

Back in mid-May, a number of captured members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group confessed to close cooperation with US military forces stationed at al-Tanf base in the central Syrian province of Homs to carry out various acts of terror and sabotage.

During confessions broadcast on Syria's state-run television network at the time, three extremists  identified as Salah Jaber al-Zaher, Ali Salim Yahya and Amer Abd al-Ghafar Nemah but better known by their noms de guerres as Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Salafi, Abu al-Bara'a al-Homsi and Abu Sawan, revealed that they were instructed by American forces to target Syrian government troops in and around the ancient city of Palmyra, the Tiyas Military Airbase  also known as the T-4 Airbase, the Shaer gas field as well as nearby oil wells, Syria's official news agency SANA reported at the time.

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California unemployment rate for June 2020 View Photo

Sonora, CA  A record number of jobs were added in the month, but that gain could be lost as COVID-19 shutdowns increase across the state.

That prediction comes from the state Employment Development Department, which released its unemployment report on Friday. Although California added a record 558,000 jobs in June as many more businesses reopened, EDD officials say much of the growth last month was from restaurants and bars. Those are the very businesses being affected by new closure orders this month that are expected to bring big job losses in next months job loss report.

The states rate showed improvement decreasing to 14.9 percent, better than the record 16.4% in April and May but still higher than at the height of the Great Recession a decade ago. The Mother Lode followed suit with slightly larger declines. Tuolumne Countys rate dropped nearly two percentage points to 14.49-percent from 16.5 percent, which was slightly higher than the states average for the month of May. A total of 2,950 are unemployed out of the 20,530-workforce. In Calaveras County, the June jobless rate dipped by a percent, from 12 percent in May to 11 percent, leaving 2,270 without employment out of a labor force of 20,630. For another month, Lassen County had the lowest rate at 9.5 percent while Imperial registered the highest at 27.3 percent.

In June, leisure and hospitality industries gained 292,000 jobs, the most of any sector. With schools closed, education took the biggest hit with 36,000 jobs lost. Nine of Californias 11 industry sectors added jobs last month, benefiting from statewide re-openings of mostly bars and dine-in restaurants. That sector has regained more than a third of its job losses from March and April. Percentage-wise, construction had the biggest rebound since the historic losses in March and April, recovering 68 percent of the jobs lost.
PHILIPSBURG:--- After what it termed "irresponsible decisions" taken by government, the board of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) on Friday called government negligent in safeguarding the safety and health of the people of St. Maarten.

The USP board called the government's decision to not compel a negative PCR test for persons returning on a repatriation flight as the "height of negligence" especially with these travelers being repatriated from Florida, the foremost hotspot for Coronavirus infections in the US.

"Government knows full well that such a decision is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with the health and lives of the population of SXM," the USP board said.

"Anyone who wanted to return home under the current circumstances would have understood if they needed to get the test 3 days prior to travel. It is the world we live in now. For everyone to be safe, there will be some necessary inconveniences. But the government apparently chose to listen to a handful of dissenting voices in the coalition who didn't want family and friends to pay to get a test. Completely irresponsible," the board added.

The USP board reminded that there is ample evidence of people not self-monitoring or self-isolating when they had to. "If we have the opportunity to control that and not repeat it, the board said, why would we not do so? Florida is literally drowning in COVID 19. And we exempt testing? That's beyond negligent."

The board also questioned when will the general public and the world know about arrival protocols at PJIA, as the country is now just a few days away from opening to international flights. The board said that although the airport itself has put measures in place, government's protocols might trigger changes and additions that must be known. Also, the board continued, questions such as what happens in the case of someone being detected with a fever, who will be checking temperatures, is there enough people-power for this ect, remains unanswered.

"We know we do not have the capacity to do a lot at the airport. People who want to travel here should know by now what they will be expected to adhere to and what they can expect upon arrival. Also, the public should be given enough time to say whether it feels that these protocols and measures are enough to safeguard them. Working in an adhoc manner has been the calling card of this government. We should not have to hear two days before the first flight about protocols like we heard about the nontests for the repatriation flight," the board said.

It continued: "It's either that government purposely holds things close to their chest until the last minute, or they really are in a confused state about what to do at PJIA.

"St. Maarten cannot afford another shut down as a result of a government being unprepared. That would be a catastrophe on another level. The Minister of TEATT seems more concerned about the airlines and their feelings than divulging what these same airlines will be flying into. Unfortunately, government does not inspire any kind of confidence with its irresponsible decisions and, apparently, willfully holding the public in the dark."
Recently, I was told by a few people who read my debut novel In Love and In War that I gave undue and rather explicit attention to bongi. Oh, your story is beautiful; you use vivid imagery. But The reservations were over the unvarnished sex scenes.

It got me thinking. What should be the role of sex in a literary work? Should sex be given a place, let alone pride of place, in a story rooted in the dynamics of a society supposedly as conservative as Nigeria, irrespective of the books subject?

It appears that Nigerian writers since the 1990s have come out of their shells in terms of depicting sex in their works. A heartbreaking novel like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Half of a Yellow Sun has enough raunchy vibes to make an impotent guy do unholy things. The author wrote like a woman who understands and cherishes the joys of bongi even against the backdrop of a terrible civil war. Small wonder a reader wrote Adichie after reading the novel, asking her to keep off writing about sex in subsequent books, or if she must depict sex in her works, leave off portrayals that brought out the joys and enjoyment of sex. Any careful reader of Adichies subsequent books like Americanah will realize that she did not heed the counsel.

Our fathers and mothers in Nigerian literature, at least some of them, were pretty titillating, even when they wrote about subjects far removed from creaking beds (apologies, my lord Mayor, Toni Kan). Cyprian Ekwensi s masterpiece Jagua Nana, the tale of forbidden love between a glamorous sex worker and a teacher, was censored and earned the dubious honour of being the first Nigerian literary work to become a subject of parliamentary debate. True to type, Ekwensi remained unmoved by the moral police. This is not unusual, if one remembers that Ekwensis antecedents were in the famous Onitsha Market Literature where the erotic was a staple of storytelling. The great iroko, Chinua Achebe, was at times prim and prudish, but when he meant business, he did things with sexy finesse. Witness the erotic gyrations in A Man of the People and Anthills of the Savannah. Okonkwos disentangling of Ekwefis cloth in Things Fall Apart, while leaving much to the imagination, is far more erotically charged than anything out of Fifty Shades of Grey. Flora Nwapa and Buchi Emecheta were beautifully uncensorial in some of their books, too.

But in my book the king of sex among our literary grandees is Naiwu Osahon whose novel Sex Is a Nigger clearly outruns Dilibe Onyeamas similarly titled Sex Is a Niggers Game. Osahons unabashed eulogization of the black mans phallic prowess is a poster card for sexual revolution on the Nigerian literary landscape. Henry, the protagonist, would have clearly beaten the Italian master of lechery, Casanova, anytime trousers down. Or is it petticoats down? Sadly, Osahons novel has been misread as little more than pornography. I wonder if any of my generation of Nigerian writers, including authors of erotica, comes close to this maestros depiction of provocative carnality in fiction. Perhaps only Obinna Udenwes Holy Sex series which was published by Brittle Paper comes close. But unlike Osahon whose storyline was sheer enjoyment of the desires of the flesh, Udenwes work, while massively employing the tools of carnality, is a critique of the mischief of our jet set pastors.

Be that as it may, sex serves the purpose the writer wants it to serve in his or her work. It can be the centre of the story. You need not be a literary aficionado to realize the significance of sex in all spheres of life. Many people are wearing headstones in cemeteries because of bongi. Bongi has overthrown governments; even changed the dynamics of heaven if the Bibles account in Genesis chapter 6 verses 1 to 4 about heavenly beings desiring and taking beautiful earthly women for habitation and copulation is true. To those who give unvarnished place to sex in their writings, be ye not ashamed.

At the same time sex must be respected in art. This has nothing to do with hypocritical morality or even religion and culture. I believe such a beautiful thing should not be debased, and anyone who does so in art will not go scot-free. How? Leave that to the cosmos. Words matter; indeed, all art matters to the cosmos.

What then is the dividing line between the erotic and the pornographic in literature? This is difficult to spot, and rather subjective. For me, the erotic can be as rarefied as poetry like the Song of Solomon or as medium budget as Fifty Shades of Grey. Erotica, to be sure, is a literary genre which is of varying quality, including the downright trashy, even dangerous. The erotic, if masterfully handled in any genre of literature, will shine, even if it is not the works main theme. The writers of the holy books made no mistake when they gave the erotic significant place in their writings.

Pornography does not necessarily debase sex. But in many cases its end purpose does not go beyond mere burrowing into carnality, even if vicariously. After the mental (if not physical) humping and grunting, nothing else follows. No literary richness on the palate. Anyone familiar with pornography, be it in the written word or visual depiction, knows how strongly prone it is to debasement in many aspects.

Finally, sex in literature should be taken in stride, just as war, giving birth and other depictions of human reality are represented in the word. If bongi tells a story or is the vehicle for a story, let it be told.

Henry Chukwuemeka Onyema is an author and historian. His first novel is In Love and In War. He is the creator of the 2 to 4 series on Facebook. Email: [email protected]
Trucks filled with Armenian apricots are provided with free parking lots.

Earlier on Friday trucks filled with Armenian goods were brought out from the Moscow market.

According to Armenian Minister of Economy Anna Ohanyan, amid the situation, two alternative solutions were given and trucks are proposed to transfer their goods to the new two points of sale, while one of the sites is offered by the Tashir group of companies, where Armenian exporters can park for free by the decision of the Moscow businessman Samvel Karapetyan.

News about trucks filled with Armenian goods being brought out of Moscows Food City market at midnight was posted on social networks Friday. Some suppliers reported that the food was already rotten.

The Union of Armenians of Russia held talks with Russian government officials, including the administration of the President of Russia in regard to the situation at Food City.

We informed them about the situation that was created as a result of violating the rights of Armenian lessees and asked to take measures to restore their lawful rights in a short period of time. As Head of the Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs I. Barinov reported, Food Citys leadership assured that all lessees, including the Armenian lessees are equally important and will do everything possible to solve the situation," the Union of Armenians of Russia noted.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Kuwait's crown prince will temporarily exercise some of the ruling emir's constitutional duties, per a royal decree, the state news agency KUNA said on Saturday, without giving details. The 91-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah, was admitted to hospital on Saturday for medical checks, the state news agency KUNA reported earlier. (Reporting by Samar Hassan, writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

DUBAI (Reuters) - Kuwait's crown prince will temporarily exercise some of the ruling emir's constitutional duties, per a royal decree, the state news agency KUNA said on Saturday, without giving details.

The 91-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah, was admitted to hospital on Saturday for medical checks, the state news agency KUNA reported earlier.

(Reporting by Samar Hassan, writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Gal Gadot starrer Death on the Nile gets an official China release date only upcoming Hollywood to do so
Prince Philip looked happy and healthy as he smiled alongside the Queen after the secret wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who celebrated his 99th birthday last month, attended the ceremony in Windsor in a rare public appearance since his official retirement in August 2017.

In an official photo released today, Prince Philip stood beside his wife of 73 years in a smart dark coloured suit, white shirt and striped tie, beaming at the newly married couple.

Like her husband, the Queen appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service and looked resplendent in mint green for the occasion.

The couple posed with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.

Prince Philip looked happy and healthy alongside his wife of 73 years Queen Elizabeth as he beamed at the Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in an official photo released today

Prince Philip looked happy and healthy as he smiled alongside the Queen after the secret wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at the Royal Chapel of All Saints

Prince Philip appeared in good health, standing unaided besides Queen Elizabeth despite recent bouts of ill health.

This is just the second official photograph of the Duke since the start of the year, though rumours about his health have persisted since he was hospitalised shortly before Christmas for a pre-existing medical condition.

Prince Philip spent four nights in hospital in December for what royal officials described as 'observation and treatment'.

The 'precautionary measure' and unspecified condition renewed concerns about the duke's health as he approaches his landmark 100th birthday.

Philip has made few public appearances since officially retiring from public duties in 2017, though he did release a message thanking the medical community during the COVID pandemic.

Prior to that, the Duke of Edinburgh had a successful hip operation at the private King Edward VII hospital in Marylebone, central London, in 2018 shortly before the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

In January 2019, Philip emerged unscathed after his vehicle was involved in a traffic accident that injured two people near the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The couple are self-isolating at Windsor and, prior to the wedding, had reportedly not seen members of the family since the lockdown began in mid-March.

Philip enjoyed a quiet celebration for his birthday last month by sharing a special lunch with the Queen.

The Queen has now seen six of her eight grandchildren marry.

The Duke of Edinburgh leaves King Edward VII Hospital in London, after being admitted for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition on 24 December, 2019

She and Prince Philip have been in isolation at their Windsor residence since the start of lockdown, allowing them to spend more time together than they have done in 'many years', one expert noted.

To mark the duke's milestone birthday last month, the Royal Family released a photo of released a new photograph of the couple standing side-by-side in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle.

In April Prince Philip came out of retirement to deliver a heartfelt thank you to key workers who are helping to make sure 'the infrastructure of our life continues' in the coronavirus pandemic.

The Duke of Edinburgh said he wanted to recognise the 'vital and urgent' medical and scientific work taking place to battle the deadly virus.

Like her husband, the Queen appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service and looked resplendent in mint green for the occasion

The monarch and Prince Philip have been in isolation at their Windsor residence since the start of lockdown, allowing them to spend more time together than they have done in 'many years', one expert noted

Sat in the backseat of a green Range Rover beside his wife of 73 years, the prince looked smart in a dark coloured suit, white shirt and striped tie

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the country will have been inspired by Philip's words.

The Duke of Edinburgh has spent much of his retirement at his cottage, Wood Farm, in the sanctuary of the Sandringham estate, more than 100 miles away from the Queen, who was usually at Buckingham Palace or at Windsor.

But they were reunited at the Berkshire castle four months ago for their safety after Philip was flown there by helicopter on March 19 ahead of lockdown.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: 'This must be the longest they've been under the same roof for many years, I would say. But it's an opportunity for them in their later years to reconnect.'

The Queen, pictured today leaving her granddaughter Princess Beatrice's wedding with her husband, has now seen six of her eight grandchildren marry

He added: 'It is the perfect royal cocooning.'

Royal expert Camilla Tominey agreed it is 'arguably' the most amount of time the Queen has spent with her husband in recent years.

Speaking on This Morning she said: 'They're there for the foreseeable future. It's quite nice in a way that they are together when they wouldn't have normally been this time of year.'

She added that next year the Queen will send Prince Philip a telegram for his 100th birthday.

'They are planning tentatively the 100th birthday celebration, of course, she'll give him a telegram that's what she does when people turn 100,' Camilla said.

On the eve of Prince Philip's 99th birthday the royal family released a new photograph of the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, who have been married for 73 years, standing side-by-side in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle. The photo was taken at the castle a week previously

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are staying with a reduced household of around 20 staff, dubbed Operation HMS Bubble, and Mr Little said the monarch and Philip most likely have lunch or dinner together each day while spending other time on their separate interests.

Philip keeps himself busy reading, writing and painting, and even released a rare public statement in April - his first since his retirement - praising key workers and those making sure that essential services are kept running during the coronavirus pandemic.

As well as enjoying riding her fell ponies in Windsor Home Park, the Queen - the nation's longest reigning monarch - has her official duties to deal with, including her red boxes of papers and regular telephone audiences.

The royal couple have been pictured at Windsor throughout the years including in the grounds of the castle more than 60 years ago in 1959, accompanied by Sugar, one of the many royal corgis.

The success of the Queen and Philip's long-lasting marriage has often been put down to their differing personalities.

In 2007, the couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary by travelling to Malta, where they had lived for a short time as a young couple.

In 2012, they marked their blue sapphire anniversary - 65 years - and in 2017 passed the rare, personal milestone of 70 years of marriage - their platinum wedding anniversary.
Hyderabad: A massive combing operation and checking in villages was on to nab five CPI Maoists, including a senior member, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh, who escaped after an exchange of fire with police in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district on July 14 night, Telangana DGP M Mahendar Reddy said.

He told reporters here on Friday that 500 personnel of Greyhounds, the elite anti-naxal force of Telangana police, Telangana State Special Police, Armed Reserve and local police are on the hunt for the Maoists.

He exuded confidence that they would soon be nabbed and appealed to people not to provide shelter to the outlaws.

Two groups of Maoists members, including the five ultras led by Bhaskar, Telangana "State Committee" member of CPI (Maoist), armed with AK-47 assault rifle, had escaped after an exchange of fire with police in separate incidents in forest areas in K B Asifabad district and Bhadradri-Kothagudem district on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with senior police officials in K B Asifabad district, he said "We will nab the Maoists shortly and produce them before law."

Reddy vowed to ensure that there was no Maoist activity in Adilabad, Asifabad, Nirmal and Mancherial districts, that constitute the erstwhile undivided Adilabad district.

He said the Maoists are seeking to create terror and tension among Adivasis and also sow seeds of suspicion at a time when the government has taken up a lot of development and welfare programmes.

Reddy warned that development and welfare programmes undertaken by the state government, particularly for the benefit of the Adivasis, would be hampered if Maoists were allowed to re-enter the district.

"People should cooperate with police and not provide shelter to the Maoists and ensure they do not re-establish base.

Development and welfare programmes will be hampered (if the Maoists re-enter)," the DGP said.

Bhaskar, who hails from Adilabad district of Telangana, is allegedly involved in multiple offences and has gone underground for nearly 30 years.

He carries a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head announced by the state government.

His wife is also a Maoist, police said.

The group had entered Telangana from bordering Maharashtra and had been moving around in the forest areas for the past two months.
The man accused of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe has denied telling a key prosecution witness he is the most feared man in Ireland, his trial has heard.

Aaron Brady (29), who has pleaded not guilty to capital murder, was giving evidence for a fifth day at the Central Criminal Court.

Under cross-examination by prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan, he was asked about his notice of alibi and about evidence from two US-based witnesses.

Molly Staunton and Daniel Cahill have said that while living in New York they heard the accused admit to shooting a guard.

Mistaken

Ms Staunton said she was present in Mr Brady's apartment with two other men in the summer of 2016 when he said he had "murdered a cop".

Mr Brady accepted she was a truthful witness and agreed with aspects of her account, but said she was mistaken about him saying he had "shot a cop" and denied making any admissions.

He also said the word "cop" was not in his vocabulary and that he would use either "guard" or "police".

"The fact is I didn't shoot Adrian Donohoe, I didn't shoot anybody," he said.

He told the jury he recalled the incident in the apartment, saying he was angry because two gardai had called to his wife's parent's home in Tralee, Co Kerry, and "blackened" him.

Counsel also asked Mr Brady if he told Ms Staunton he was "the most feared man in Ireland".

The accused laughed when this was put to him, saying: "I definitely didn't say that, that's ridiculous."

He described Ms Staunton as a "nice girl", but she was "mistaken on a lot of things".

Mr Brady also said she was "vulnerable", and described the interruption by a male while she gave her evidence via video link from a house in New York as "disgraceful".

He was then asked about the evidence of Mr Cahill, who said that on three occasions he heard the accused admit to shooting a garda.

Mr Brady accepted he was in a fight at the Bronx bar where Mr Cahill worked and he had a scar after being punched in the face.

However, he denied saying he threatened to shoot the man who assaulted him and that he had shot a garda in Ireland.

He also said he was not alone with Mr Cahill in the toilet, cleaning his eye after the fight, and told the jury his friend was also in the bathroom.

He told Mr Grehan "if someone hit you and you were with your friends", they would come to your aid.

Psychopath

Mr Brady repeatedly denied the conversations with Mr Cahill and described him as "a liar" and a "psychopath."

Mr Grehan put it to the accused that a psychopath is someone with "no morality, no empathy, that blames others, manipulates others and lies to get out of any situation, playing the victim", and suggested Mr Brady "look closer to home".

The trial will continue before the jury of six men and seven women on Monday.

Mr Brady has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Adrian Donohoe (41), who was then a member of An Garda Siochana, at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Dundalk, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013.

The accused, of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, also denies stealing 7,000 in cash and assorted cheques from Pat Bellew at the same location on the same date.
The roughly 28,000-person Western Massachusetts community of Northampton has not been exempt from conversations about policing that are taking place across the country.

Deliberating late into the early morning hours of June 19, the Northampton City Council, in a near unanimous decision, voted to cut 10% of its 2021 police budget, marking a nearly $883,000 decrease from last year.

The decision came after loud calls from residents to slash the police departments funding, a demand that is being echoed by activists throughout the country and by the Black Lives Matter movement generally.

Proponents for such measures in Northampton have urged city officials to repurpose the money elsewhere into other community services, like public health, education or housing.

Along with cutting a substantial portion of the police departments budget, the small Pioneer Valley city may now be in the unique position to jumpstart a commission composed of 15 residents to look at how Northampton can transform its law enforcement agency in the years to come.

Frankly, theres a lot of discussion about alternatives to policing but nothing, no actual plan or transition plan in place to what that would be transitioned to, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz told MassLive in an interview last week. So I put forward with the city council president in the form of a resolution this idea of creating a policing review commission to look at how public safety is provided in Northampton and to give us advice on how to transition away from the police providing some of these services and what alternatives you would then fund in lieu of police.

At a city council meeting last week, members of the legislative body formally voted to create the committee, and officials are now searching for applicants who want to be members.

The mayor is expected to appoint six members to the committee, and the city council will pick nine appointees. Narkewiczs appointments must include a member of the Northampton Human Rights Commission, and the city council can appoint no more than two city councilors to the committee.

The commission must also be made up of at least eight members who are Black, Indigenous, people of color or from other historically marginalized communities that have been targeted by policing practices in the United States.

We want to make sure that we have the voices of those communities well-represented on this committee, Narkewicz said.

The members of the commission will be tasked with studying issues related to public safety. They must hold regular meetings and organize at least three public hearings before they put forward a preliminary and a final report of their recommendations by December 2020 and March 2021 respectively.

The commission will not be restricted in terms of what subject matters it discusses at its meetings, what issues it studies and, ultimately, what reforms it recommends.

Members of the committee could talk about everything from the size and structure of the Northampton Police Department to its use of force policies and union contracts, according to an outline of the commission.

Other subjects officials have laid out for the commission to study are civilian oversight/review models; allowing social workers to handle 911 calls about mental health, homelessness, substance abuse disorder and domestic violence instead of law enforcement; and a report about investments that aim to reduce crime.

Essentially, we havent limited what the committee can look at, but weve certainly given them some direction on the types of things that they should be looking at, the mayor said, including the current structure and composition of our police force and training and issues like body cameras, but also looking at some of these alternative programs, where crisis response services are provided by civilians versus by police.

The review commission, Narkewicz said, is the product of a nationwide dialogue, not just a citywide one, in which municipal officials and civilians are trying to figure out the most effective ways to make the public safe.

How other cities are looking at police reform

Following the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, cities and towns across the country turned inward and began reevaluating what law enforcement should look like at the municipal level.

In Minneapolis, the site of Floyds murder and a place that has a long history of brutality at the hands of law enforcement, the municipalitys city council voted to dismantle the communitys police department and dramatically rethink how to provide public safety and emergency response services.

Across Massachusetts too, city councils and mayors have been involved in conversations, and debates, about law enforcement funding and structure.

In late June, the Boston City Council approved a $3.61 billion operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year amid criticisms and calls for more drastic cuts to the communitys police department.

The vote came less than two weeks after Boston Mayor Marty Walsh declared racism a public health emergency, vowed to transfer $3 million from the overtime budget for the citys police department to the Boston Public Health Commission and called for strengthening the municipalitys Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel, which reviews complaints made against BPDs internal investigation team.

Later the same month, Walsh announced the creation of an Equity and Inclusion cabinet that is expected to tackle issues of systemic racism within the citys government.

However, the community has not created a commission, like Northamptons, charged with looking at alternatives to policing.

Worcester and Springfield, the next biggest cities in Massachusetts, have yet to form committees responsible for the same duties either. Also, amid calls to slash the budgets of each communitys police department, only Springfields city council voted to seriously cut law enforcement funding, while Worcesters approved a budget increase.

Although the three largest cities in the commonwealth have not opted to establish commissions tasked with recommending reforms to the communities law enforcement agencies, the Massachusetts State Senates robust police standards bill, S.2800, would, if passed, create two historic committees, one charged with certifying law enforcement officers and the other responsible for addressing systemic racism.

The bills proposed Police Officer Standards and Accreditation Committee would be tasked with certifying and, if problems crop up, revoking an officers license to serve in Massachusetts.

Another committee put forward in S.2800 would be dedicated to looking at the status of and the issues facing Black residents in the commonwealth.

The latter commissions primary function would be to ensure that African Americans equitably benefit from and have access to government services in the same manner as other citizens of the commonwealth, according to the bill.

Whether a committee similar to Northamptons policing review commission has been proposed anywhere else in the state is uncertain.

Questions about the Northampton Policing Review Commission

For the Western Massachusetts city forming its policing review committee was not cut-and-dry.

When discussing the new body, several questions arose on a variety of subjects, from why nobody from the Northampton Disability Commission would be required to sit on the committee to how members would be appointed.

City Councilor Alex Jarrett asked City Council President Gina-Louise Sciarra during a July 9 Northampton City Council meeting how public the appointment process should be.

He noted the legislative bodys normal method for choosing members of a commission starts with a referral to city services and ends with a city council vote.

Sciarra answered that she is unsure how many extra weeks engaging in an appointment process like that would take. Several city councilors pointed out the commission has only a short amount of time to create a final report about its recommendations.

The city council president also brought up concerns surrounding maintaining appointees privacies, pointing out that individuals may share personal stories in their applications to the commission.

I believe in doing things publicly and openly, but when youre asking people to give you narrative letters of interest about why they would like to serve on this sort of commission that may have personal information in it, it doesnt seem appropriate to then divulge those and discuss them in a public meeting, she said.

Sciarra added, Its not how commissions are chosen.

Concerns were also brought up about how quickly the commission will be forced to put forward its final report.

The timeline for the committee, which was first presented by the city council on June 18, calls for the appointment process to end on Sept. 3 and the commission to hold its first meeting no later than Sept. 24.

The Northampton Policing Review Commission is expected to issue its preliminary report to the mayor and the city council on or before Dec. 17 and its final report by March 18, nearly two months before the required submission of the fiscal year 2022 city budget.

This is an ambitious timeline that weve laid out, but we feel the urgency of the moment and the movement really calls for it, Sciarra said.

City Councilor Rachel Maiore noted that she thinks the city council will need to work very closely with the Northampton Police Department once the legislative bodys plans are completed to implement the changes and alternatives to the current law enforcement structure.

However, she emphasized that members of the police force should not serve on the commission, echoing her fellow councilors concerns.

I dont think that this commission is the place for police officers themselves, she said. I think the community really needs to set our agenda outside of that paradigm.

Both Narkewicz and Sciarra said they do not intend on appointing any members of the Northampton police force to the commission.

Typically, when I do reviews of a city agency, generally its not done by the agency itself. Its done by an external review, whether its a consultant or its a committee, the mayor said.

Residents interested in serving on the commission can send a letter of interest to the mayor or the Northampton City Council by Aug. 14. Letters can be emailed to mayor@northamptonma.gov or citycouncil@northamptonma.gov.

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A 35-year old man believed to be a Togolese has been granted bail by a Tema Magistrate Court for attempting to register in the ongoing voter registration exercise.



The court presided over by Mrs Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong granted him bail in the sum of GH 6,000.00 with two sureties after pleading not guilty to an electoral related offence.



Elvis Kweku Saglah, the accused, was arrested on Wednesday at about 1630 hours by some men perceived to be National Security operatives who were present at the Assemblies of God church registration station One at Ataa Saki, Nmlitsakpo Electoral area of the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.



Saglah was initially given a police enquiry bail by the Kpone District Police but was re-arrested on Friday when he reported to the station in line with the bail condition.



Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Donnie Saglah, a relative of the accused, said Saglah was a Ghanaian, born to a Ghanaian father, the late Mr Mensah Saglah, who hailed from Anloga in the Volta Region.



The relative further explained that the accused was however born in Togo because his late mother was a Togolese adding that he grew up and schooled in Togo but he was brought to Ghana by some foreign investors in 2009 to work and had since remained in Ghana.



He is a Ghanaian and must be treated with some dignity, "he added.



The GNA observed on Monday that, relatives and friends of the accused stormed the Court ready to testify to his Ghanaian nationality but the case was adjourned to July 27, 2020.

Source: GNA









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By Lidia Kelly

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday delayed the opening of parliament for several weeks as the new coronavirus continued spreading through the country's two most populous states.

Morrison asked the speaker of the parliament to cancel a two-week session due to start on Aug. 4, out of concern about the COVID-19 pandemic. The request was seen as a formality as the speaker is a member of Morrison's Liberal Party and the opposition Labor Party accepted the call.

Lawmakers are to meet at the next planned session on Aug. 24.

"The government cannot ignore the risk to parliamentarians, their staff, the staff within the parliament and the broader community," Morrison said in a written statement, adding he acted based on the advice of medical authorities.

Victoria state reported 217 new infections after a record 428 cases on Friday. Neighbouring New South Wales, the most populous state, which has also been struggling to contain a new wave of infections, saw 15 new cases.

Victoria forced nearly five million people into a partial lockdown for six weeks on July 9, as expectations of harsher social-distancing restrictions were growing with the virus continuing to spread.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews left open the possibility of further curbs, urging people not to leave their houses except for work, exercise or essential shopping.

"The likelihood of a longer lockdown, the likelihood of even more restrictions - that really does rest with individuals and families and members of the Victorian community embracing the spirit of the rules and erring on the side of caution," Andrews said at a televised briefing.

Australia's Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the government will issue further income support to tackle deteriorating confidence across the country, in addition to an existing A$70 billion ($49 billion) in wage subsidies.

"There's a lot of uncertainty in the economic environment, and the Victorian situation is a significant setback," Frydenberg told The Age newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.

Story continues

"It's diminished confidence beyond the Victorian border, and the recovery is a confidence game. So, maintaining business and household confidence is going to be critical."

The government is expected to announce details of the support measures on Thursday, before sending them for a vote to the parliament.

In March, all parliamentary sittings were cancelled until August. But as Australia appeared to be succeeding in controlling its outbreak in the following months, some sittings took place, including a one-day special session to vote on the initial wage subsidy scheme.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by William Mallard)
NEW DELHI: Indian security agencies have expressed concern over Chinese weapons being provided to the terror groups active in Myanmar. In a recent development, a huge cache of Chinese weapons was recovered near Myanmar-Thailand border, which was destined to Arakan Army (AA) so that Indian assets, including the Kaladan Multimodal Project, could be targeted.

Myanmar and Thailand Police conducted a joint operation last month in June and seized a large consignment of Chinese weapons. Security agencies had arrested a total of 6 people in connection with this case. Those arrested revealed that the Chinese weapons were being transported to the Arakan Army operating in Rakhine state adjoining Bangladesh.

AK 47 assault rifles, anti-tank mines, grenades and machine guns were among the seized items from a house in Mae Sot District on the Thai side.

They are not the weapons currently used by the Arakan Army. The weapons manufactured by the Wa (United Wa State Army) and the KIA (Kachin Independence Army) are not up to mark. They cant fire on automatic. The seized weapons are original and Chinese-made, The Irrawaddy reported citing a source.

Last year, Indian and Myanmar Armies had carried out a joint coordinated operation in their respective borders against Arakan Army and other rebel groups under the code name Operation Sunrise to secure the Kaladan Project. The Arakan Army has set up several camps in areas across Mizoram's Lawngtlai district, posing a threat to the Kaladan Project. This project is being viewed as India's gateway to Southeast Asia.

In his interview given to Bangkok Post, the Deputy spokesman of Thailand Police Col Kissana Phattanacharoen, said, it is believed the seized weapons were intended to create havoc and the discovery comes amid intelligence reports about suspicious activities being planned by a certain group of people.

Pakistan's ISI is eyeing to recruit Rohingya jihadis for terror activities in Bangladesh and the eastern part of India. There is a strong link available between Let and terror group Aqamul Mujahideen, which is a breakaway group from the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami Arakan (HUJI-A), headed by Abdus Qadoos Burmi, a Pakistani national of Rohingya origin has called jihad in Myanmar. Abdus Qadoos Burmi has shared stages with LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.

Last year in the month of Nov, a huge cache of Chinese weapons was seized in Shan state by the Burmese Army including surface to air missiles.

Among the weapons seized were 39 M-22 assault rifles, 29 medium machine guns, 69 M-21 assault rifles, nine M-16 assault rifles, 21-RPG and one FN-6-man portable air defence system which is the shoulder-fired surface to air missile.

During the investigation, it was revealed that all the weapons were to be delivered to terror groups and were smuggled through China.

There is a well-planned conspiracy to destabilized the Myanmar border adjoining to Bangladesh and India. Through the Kaladan Project, India will be able to reach its strong presence in Myanmar, which will help to counter Chinese presence. This could be a reason that Chinese weapons are transported to rebels groups like AA. said an officer aware of these developments.

India entered into a framework agreement with Myanmar in April 2008, to facilitate the implementation of the project. On completion, the project will help connect Mizoram with the Sittwe Port in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. On the Indian side, work is on to extend the Aizawl-Saiha National Highway by 90 km to the international border at Zorinpui.

The Chinese made weapons are also available for the insurgent groups of North-Eastern states. As per Indian intelligence report, ULFA Chief Paresh Barua is currently residing in China and actively involved in supplying Chinese made weapons to various groups.

In 2004, ten truckloads of arms and ammunition smuggled from China were seized by the Bangladesh Army. In another incident in 2010 when northeast militant Anthony Shimray, who had returned from Nepal, was apprehended by Indian security agencies. During the interrogation, Shimray disclosed that he was tasked to send a large consignment of AK 47s, M16 rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers among other arms and ammunition from China to India.

These weapons were to be sent from China's Beihei through an agent from Bangkok to Bangladesh's Cax Bazaar. From there, the weapons were to be made available to militant groups of northeast.

As per some reports, Beijing had also been taking help from Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI against India. China and Pakistan had jointly set up an operational hub against India in Bangladesh capital city Dhaka with the aim of contacting militant groups of northeast states.
Pronab Mandal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: In yet another incident of Bengal womens involvement with terrorist outfits, a 25-year-old from Kolkatas adjoining Hooghly district, was arrested by Bangladesh Police in Dhaka on Friday.

The Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Bangladesh arrested Pragya Debnath, a 25-year-old woman who changed her name to Ayesha Jannat Mohona, on the charges of recruiting young people and raising funds on behalf of Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), an outlawed terror outfit in Bangladesh which has moles planted in West Bengal and other parts in India, said sourced in the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB), a central governments intelligence wing.

Ayeshas arrest came to light three months after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) tracked down college student Tania Parveen, a suspected Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT) member and agent of ISIS, in Basirhat, North 24-Parganas, in last March.

The SIB sources said they are yet to know Ayeshas modus operandi in West Bengal and other parts of the country. "We are considering Ayesha a bigger threat than Tania. Ayesha, who belonged to Hogghlys remote Dhaniakhali area, went to Bangladesh and was carrying out activities against the government of the neighbouring country. We do not know how many youths she recruited in India," said an officer of the central agency.

The SIB sleuths came to know that Ayesha had converted to Islam in 2009 while studying in school. "It appears someone took her into confidence. She came in touch with Asmani Khatun, the chief of JMBs women youth wing in 2016, and was recruited in the outfit. Since then she started visiting Bangladesh frequently. She was in the neighbouring country in the garb of a guest teacher of a religious institute," said the officer, adding, "Asmani was arrested recently in Bangladesh and since then Ayesha was assigned to recruit youths for the outfit."

The presence of JMB operatives in West Bengal came to light after a blast in Khagragarh, Burdwan, in 2014 in which two persons were killed. "We came to know the outfits presence in districts such as Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, and Malda. But Hooghly was never under our scanner because we did not find any footprint in the district while probing into the Khagragarh blast," said another SIB officer.

The central agency informed the Ministry of External Affairs about Ayeshas arrest. "We need to communicate with Bangladesh Police to know the extent of Ayeshas activities in West Bengal and India," the officer explained.
Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha chaired the 3rd conference of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) on July 17, in the form of a video conference.

Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha speaks at the conference

Ha affirmed that Vietnam has taken many specific actions since joining the network.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the countrys smart city development plan for the 2018-2025 period and a vision to 2030, which identified three priority groups: smart urban planning, smart urban management, and smart urban utilities.

On the basis of interconnected databases, many urban areas in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, have had initial success in providing smart utilities in education, health care, transportation, construction, and the environment; optimised urban development management; improved urban living standards; and created opportunities for human development, Ha said.

He emphasised that comprehensive urban development and management is done through improving decision-making capacity based on interconnected data systems and multidisciplinary coordination.

Developing smart cities requires significant investment capital and human resources from the whole society, in which the private sector plays an important role in providing resources and technology solutions, helping to accelerate the development of smart cities.

With the theme Smart cities towards community identity and sustainable development for a cohesive and responsive ASEAN, ANSCs activities in 2020 aim to promote the active participation and cooperation of ASEAN member nations, agendas with the groups partner countries, the participation of the private sector, and the maintenance and development of the ASCN dialogue.

ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said the group has given impetus for smart cities to invest in technology, resolve urban challenges, and create new sources of growth.

This is a good opportunity to take advantage of the leadership and capacity of cities from ASEANs partner countries to address the COVID-19 crisis.

When rebuilding an economy post-pandemic, it is important to rebuild partnerships among smart cities inside and outside of the region in order to achieve tangible impacts, he said.

Smart cities need to have effective responses to health crises, the official noted.

He underlined the importance of promoting intra-bloc efforts on building smart cities, in particular efforts related to digital connection and urbanisation strategies.

It is necessary to establish better understanding between the public and private sectors to help strengthen the regions potential and resources, as well as realise opportunities for the development of smart cities post-pandemic, he said.

The conference focused on discussing and approving a number of documents.

The 26 member cities of ASCN aim to build a medium-term vision and develop and implement an action plan each year in accordance with the situation in each country, towards promoting the unique identity of each city and each country, thus contributing to the common identity of the ASCN.

Member cities will update others on smart city development and share experiences in responding to COVID-19.

As the Chairman of the ASCN 2020, Vietnam will make every effort to push the overall development of the network and strive to accomplish its goals, Ha said.

If the COVID-19 pandemic is soon brought under control, Vietnam will hold the ASCN High-Level Forum later this year to discuss more deeply and comprehensively experiences and good practice in developing smart cities and promoting partnerships outside ASEAN, he added.

The ASCN was established at the 32nd ASEAN Summit in Singapore in 2018 and aims to build a cooperative platform for cities to share common goals in developing smart and sustainable municipalities./. VNA

Network propels smart city schemes Amid the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution, Vietnam is taking advantage of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network in order to formulate several policies on building smart cities and attracting deeper investment.
On July 13, attorneys for four environmental organizations, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division against the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) challenging the Trump Administrations new reforms to the Clean Water Act Section 401 Environmental Certification Rule.

Environmental Certification refers to an administrative process of obtaining a permit for a pipeline or hydropower project that may discharge into waters of the United States, that certifies the project complies with environmental law.

Under the old rules of the Clean Water Act, states and tribes must approve of natural gas, oil, or water pipelines or hydropower facilities that involve discharges into rivers. Trumps revised Clean Water Act 401 Certification Rule reduces what environmental issues that state and tribal governments can obstruct a pipeline or energy project for.

Hostage Price

The new rule is meant to promote Pres. Trumps mission of efficient permitting and lessening regulatory uncertainty of water projects. U.S. EPA Director Andrew Wheeler issued the following statement in a June 1 news release of the revised rule:

Today, we are following through on Trumps Executive Order to curb abuses of the Clean Water Act that have held our nations energy infrastructure projects hostage, and to put in place clear guidelines that finally give these projects a path forward.

The prior 50-year-old rule was established under the Nixon administration in 1972 and created a perverse incentive for states, tribes, and recreational fishing organizations to shake down the federal government for freebies unrelated to the magnitude of impacts of the projects themselves. In fact, the very existence of the environmental organizations filing suit -- American Rivers, American Whitewater, Idaho Rivers United and California Trout and the Western Environmental Law Center -- are dependent on obstructing such projects. While these organizations are non-profit under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, they function as political advocacy groups.

Bob Nasdor of American Whitewater framed it differently:

These new regulations are a brazen attack on the Clean Water Act with the goal of undermining the publics ability to protect our rivers from harmful impacts of federally-licensed energy projects.

The purported concern of those opposed to the new rule is that it does not protect local water resources from industrial pollution. However, any pipeline spill or contamination incident would be handled under tort law. And the intent of the original 1972 Act was not to provide recreational tourism and related road improvements for states and tribes whose lands a pipeline incidentally runs through.

Its going to be a very quick yes or no - Trump

Under the new rules, the permitting process for projects under the Clean Water Act would have to be completed in two years instead of dragging on for years with legal obstructions. Trump said: Its going to be a very quick yes or no.

The duration of the permitting process for mining industries and oil and gas pipeline companies would be streamlined.

The recently blocked Dakota Access Pipeline Project, to convey 570,000 gallons of crude oil per day from Bakken oil fields to Pakota, Illinois and, ultimately to Gulf Coast refineries, is an example of the type of project that would benefit from the new ruling. Construction stared in 2016 and was completed in June 2017. But Indian tribes are still trying to shake down the EPA for compensation beyond that provided by eminent domain law.

Dakota Access had to condemn strips of land for a pipeline corridor within tribal lands from 23 owners and a coal mine for pipeline rights of way, for which just compensation was offered. Moreover, tribes and states have legal recourse to local eminent domain law courts in any dispute over land values. The legal issue under eminent domain law is that landowners are only entitled to just compensation for their losses, not what they can gain from holding out or using environmental law to obstruct a public project (see Monongahela Navigation Co. v. United States, 1893; see footnote 636 here).

The complainants want the new rule set aside as unlawful and arbitrary, capricious and in excess of statutory jurisdiction under Sections 701, 704 and 706 of the Administrative Procedures Act. In essence, the complainants believe they can get Trumps new rule thrown out by the administrative law court (i.e., the deep state) as paramount over eminent domain law and the new narrower scope of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

Environmental organizations and law firms, tribes and recreational fishing organizations are all special interest groups of the Democrat Party.

Photo credit: US EPA
Nearly 350,000 Michigan families will get more money for food this month to help mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the state announced this week.

The additional benefits will be loaded on Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is typically provided monthly.

The state announced the additional benefits to its Food Assistance Program on July 14. It will provide the maximum benefit, which varies depending on household size, to families by July 20.

The 350,000 Michigan families impacted by Tuesdays announcement represent about 50 percent of the states families that received food assistance in April, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefits.

Many Michigan families are still struggling to put food on the table as a result of this global pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. These additional payments will help many Michiganders as they continue to deal with an unprecedented public health and economic emergency.

In April, nearly 1.5 million people in Michigan received federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the states Food Assistance Program. The federal funding was provided to the states through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

The maximum allowable benefit for people enrolled in SNAP range from $194 for one person to $1,164 for a family of eight people.

Families dont need to re-apply to get these benefits. Balances on Bridge Cards can be checked online or by calling 888-678-8914.

Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.

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.

More coronavirus coverage on MLive:

Consumers Energy Foundation donates $3.6M to Michigan nonprofits during coronavirus pandemic

Shortage prompts Kroger to stop giving coin change to customers

Third employee at Soaring Eagle casino tests positive for coronavirus
The development of the mammalian placenta depends upon an unusual twist that separates DNA's classic double helix into a single-stranded form, Yale researchers report July 15 in the journal Nature.

The Yale team also identified the molecular regulator that acts upon this single strand to accelerate or stop placental development, a discovery with implications not only for diseases of pregnancy but also for understanding how cancer tumors proliferate.

"Placental tissue grows very fast, stimulates blood vessel formation, and invades into neighboring tissues, like a tumor," said senior author Andrew Xiao, associate professor of genetics and a researcher with the Yale Stem Cell Center. "Unlike a tumor, however, the placenta grows through a precise, coordinated, and well-controlled manner."

At the earliest stage of fetal development two linked processes begin simultaneously. As the fertilized egg begins developing specialized cells of the new life, another set of cells begins producing blood vessels in the placenta to nourish the growing fetus.

"In many ways, pregnancy is like a prolonged state of inflammation, as the placenta constantly invades the uterine tissue," Xiao said.

The DNA of the cells that will make up the growing placenta share an unusual trait -- the double helix begins to twist. The resulting torsion causes certain sections of the genome break into a single strand. Although the primary sequences of the DNA are the same between the placenta and embryo, the different structure of the DNA between the two helps determine the fate of the cells.

The Yale team led by Xiao discovered placental growth is then regulated by the sixth base of DNA, N6-methyladenine. This base stabilizes the single-stranded regions of DNA and repels SATB1. SATB1 is protein critical for the organization of chromatin, the material that makes up chromosomes.

Placentas without N6-methyladenine grow uncontrollably while placentas with abnormally high levels of N6-methyladenine develop severe defects that eventually halt embryo development, the researchers found.

The findings could help researchers develop new therapies for conditions such as preeclampsia in pregnancy as well as certain types of cancer characterized by activity from single strands of DNA, the researchers said.

The research was primarily funded by National Institutes of Health and the Ludwig Family Foundation. A team of researchers led by Haitao Li in Tsinghua University also contributed to this study.
The Executive Director of the Doyen Institute of Intelligence and Investigations, Mr George Dosoo Doyen has cautioned individuals and businesses who deal in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to be wary of fraudsters due to the high demand of the commodity.



Explaining the modus operadi of the fraudsters, Mr Doyen said they most place advertisements on the social media and if anyone contacts them to make a purchase, they asked the client to make an advance payment and sometimes demand half payment before delivering the goods.



He cited a lady in Tamale who wanted to sell PPE and upon chancing on an advertisements on the social media, contacted the supposed manufacturer of the items and made half payment, but ended up being defrauded thousands of Ghana cedis.



Mr George Doyen gave the advice at the side-lines of a graduation ceremony for Private Professional Investigators trained by the Institute, in Accra at the weekend.



He advised individuals and businesses interested in trading in PPE to avoid making advance payment, but should receive the goods before making payment.



Mr Doyen also cautioned individuals to avoid taking cheques for payment as the fraudsters often issue dud cheques to their clients or victims.



The Executive Director advised the graduands to maintain high integrity, professionalism and exercise diligence in their work.



"In this profession, trust is very important and so you should be trustworthy and maintain high integrity, professionalism and be time conscious," Mr Doyen advised.



He asked them to desist from taking money to entrap innocent persons, saying, "if you take money to entrap people because you want quick result, it will ruin your career and also affect your integrity".



Mr Richard Kumadoe, a Fraud and Security Consultant, making a presentation on The Role of Security Professionals during COVID-19", entreated the graduands to offer strategic counselling to their clients.



He said: "Businesses, individuals, communities and countries will employ your services, therefore, you should give them strategic advice to ensure their safety. You dare not fail them".



Mr Maxwell Caleb Nortey-Newman, a Certified Fraud Examiner and Forensic Investigation Professional, on his part, advised them to abide by the Code of Ethics of the profession and live morally upright life, in order to engender public trust.



"The security industry is a slippery ground and you'll encounter lots of challenges, but you should maintain high integrity and professionalism, "he added.



Some of the courses run by the Institute include Private Professional Investigation, Organised Crime Investigations, Analyst Intelligence Officer, Money Laundering Investigations, Financial Investigations and Corporate 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.

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Kangana Ranaut was at her fiery best in her first interview on Sushant Singh Rajputs demise. The actor made sensational statements as she spoke to Republic Media Network Editor-In-Chief Arnab Goswami, even when put on the spot. The Queen star did not mince her words in calling the late actors death as murder, blaming big producers, while hitting out at the movie mafia for systematically sabotaging the Chhichhore star's career.

READ: Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab, Recalls Intimidation By Film Industry's 'suicide Gang'

Speaking of Sushants suicide, Kangana stated she was also told by the veterans of the industry that she will commit suicide and have a 'tragic end.' "I call this gang 'suicide gang'.

Mahesh Bhatt was among the names to face the ire of netizens, amid reports of his association with Sushants girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. Kangana had hit out at the filmmaker in her videos, and did so once again during the interview. She spoke about a mafia hangover.

Rhea has been one of the names questioned by the Mumbai Police in connection with the case. The Tanu Weds Manu star questioned why Mahesh counselled Sushant and interfered in his relationship with Rhea.

"Sushant's girlfriend at the time Rhea in her statement mentioned Mahesh Bhatt. How is he related? Bhatt's first AD has written how Bhatt used to consel him. Who was Mahesh Bhatt in Sushant's life?.

READ:Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab, Asks 'Why Was Mahesh Bhatt Counselling Sushant Singh?'

She added, "What gives these people the license to say things like 'Your end is near' for artists? If they knew Sushant wasn't feeling well, why didn't they call his father and tell that your son is not well?"

Kangana stated the attacks and allegations almost made her consider suicide. 18 brands dropped me within 2 months. Maybe I didn't have the thought of killing myself but definitely shaving my head off and disappearing. My relatives didn't let their children meet me because you turned me into a nymphomaniac. Called me so many things in public. As a girl, having a marriage and a child is no more an option for me. They turned Sushant also into a rapist. How will he go back to Bihar? Small cities don't value money, they value respect.

READ:Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab, Names '4 People' Not Being Summoned In Sushant Death Case

READ:Kangana Ranaut Says Sushant's Death Was 'abetted', In Tell-all Interview To Arnab Goswami

The three-time National Award winner also questioned that the investigation in the case. Questioning the summoning of veteran filmmakers Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shekhar Kapur, she urged that four names be summoned in the case.

"I am not saying that anyone wanted Sushant to die, but definitely doomed. These people are emotional vultures. They want to see people lynch themselves. Why is Mumbai Police not summoning the 'powerful four'?

She also did not hesitate to call it murder. She said, "I call it murder because I do feel abetment of suicide. According to section 306, it is as much of a criminal offense as physically killing one person. So for me, from day 1, I've been calling it murder."

READ:EXCLUSIVE: Kangana Ranaut Reveals She Was Threatened For Refusing To Star In 'Sultan'

READ:Kangana Ranaut Vouches To 'return Padma Shri' If She Can't Prove Claims In Sushant's Case

Yash Raj Films has been involved in Mumbai Polices investigation into the case, as Sushant had a three-film deal with the banner, doing two films, but the third film, Paani was shelved. The police asked the banner to submit the contract copy with Sushant and also questioned the banners casting director Shanoo Sharma and another employee.

Kangana claimed Sushant had a big showdown with Aditya Chopra after he could not do films outside the YRF banner, like with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Their contracts are evil, you cant do anything without their permission. Bhansali wanted him for Ram-Leela, but Aditya Chopra did not allow him to the do the film, so he made Ranveer Singh do the film. Bhansali has not chased any actor for five years,he wanted him for Bajirao Mastani, again Aditya Chopra did not let him do the film, reason best known to him, why because Sushant did not know how to do chaplusi (being a sycophant). They sabotaged his career, she said.

YRF talent agency had been handling his work and prevented him from working with other directors and instead promised him a movie with a big director (Shekhar Kapur). That film was cancelled too. When Sushant rebuked and claimed autonomy over his career, they had a big showdown and Aditya Chopra told him that no one will work with you," she said.

Kangana also gave her own example, She also revealed that head honcho Aditya Chopra threatened her when she refused Sultan. "The director came to my house and narrated the script. I had a meeting with Aditya Chopra... just so that I could express my apologies in person and he was fine at the time. But later a news piece came out saying 'Kangana said No to Sultan'. And then he messaged me, 'How dare you?! You say No to me'. And then he told me, 'You are finished'," Kangana said.

Kangana also claimed that after the success of MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Karan Johar (Aditya Chopra's childhood friend) strategically entered the situation and cast him for Drive. He, however, called him a 'flop star' and that he didn't attract exhibitors. Kangana expressed dismay and questioned how a director like Karan Johar could not release the film in theaters.

"How is it possible that after delivering a blockbuster, you are not getting buyers for Sushant?" Kangana asked. "Now, last year his film Chhichhore came out, how many of us know that it was a bigger hit than Gully Boy? While Gully Boy just made even its profits, Chhichhore was a blockbuster. But there was no acknowledgment for him. For a mediocre film, they are celebrating Alia and Zoya."

Kangana also stated Sushant was among the few to support her on nepotism, after which he had to face repercussions.

You know why I feel so responsible for this whole thing, because when I spoke about nepotism, only one person supported me, Sushant. And after that, they went for him. No outsider supported me, they went licking their feet and they got awards, the whole system, be it insider or outsider, went against me, Kangana said.

She also recalled Sushant fearing the failure of his Sonchiriya, pleading with fans to watch the film. "He said that he's not from Bollywood and there are people who will throw him out. They will make sure that he doesn't work in the industry. He asked for support from his fans on social media fearing that he'll be destroyed and ruined."

Kangana also stated that she was ready to return her Padma Shri if she could not prove her claims in Sushant case.

They summoned me, and I asked them too, that Im in Manali, that you can send somebody to take my statement, but I have not received anything after that. I am telling you, if I have said anything, which I cant testify, which I cant prove, and which is not in public domain, I will return my Padma Shri," Kangana said.

She also stated that the society needed to set a precedent by also making journalists responsible for their comments, so that they don't get away with sabotaging careers and pushing someone to suicide.

Kangana also said, "I have no way of investigating this matter. I am not an official. I can only gather my common sense with whatever I see. Whatever I say and whatever I put out there is not my opinion... it's not something that I think about but it is for everyone in the public domain to see. and some people very conveniently ignore it."

Kangana stated that she did not take up the cause for fans, but wanted to see reforms. "Fans are not my hope. I am not doing this for fans. This country has stockholm syndrome. They like foreign people, I can't change that. What happened to Sushant, that exact trap was laid for me. I want reforms."

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's explosive conversation with Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami has prompted responses from many celebrities in the film industry. Prominent among them, veteran actor Simi Garewal has praised Kangana for taking a firm stand on nepotism against the "powerful" few in the industry as she hopes that it brings an awakening in Bollywood.

Watch the full interview above

READ:Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab: Calls Out Production House That Restricted Sushant; Read

READ:Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab: Questions Sushant Probe, Says Powerful Not Summoned

READ:Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab, Says 'They Went At Sushant After He Backed Me On Nepotism'

READ:Kangana Ranaut Reveals To Arnab, 'Wanted To Shave Head Off & Disappear'; Read Why

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.
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Cuba's successful containment of COVID-19 through door-to-door screening of every home in the country, shows how 'shoe-leather' epidemiology could have averted the dramatic failure of the UK's response to the pandemic. In Cuba there have been 2,173 confirmed cases and 83 deaths, with no reported deaths throughout the first week in June.

The term 'shoe leather' epidemiology, where much of the work is carried out on foot in the community, was first demonstrated during the Soho cholera epidemic in 1854.

Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Professor John Ashton describes how, when China first reported the emerging epidemic in Wuhan in January 2020, Cuba promptly drew up a cross-government contingency plan. When the first cases of the virus were confirmed in the country among three tourists from Italy on 11 March, the plan was immediately put into action.

Screening was carried out in Cuba by tens of thousands of family doctors, nurses and medical students on foot, with testing, tracing and quarantining of suspected cases in state-run isolation centres for 14 days.

Prof Ashton said: "Cuba has long been renowned for its ability to turn in world beating health statistics while continuing to struggle economically. With a health system grounded in public health and primary care, the country invests heavily in producing health workers who are primarily trained to work in the community. Their efforts with COVID-19 have been outstanding."

He added: "Cuba was one of the first countries to send health workers to support the control of the epidemic in Wuhan, back in January, just one example of its unrivalled commitment to international solidarity in humanitarian disasters."

###
It's known in the cafe and sandwich bar trade as the 'golden hour' - that lunchtime slot when workers leave their desks and pop out for a sandwich or a sweet treat, providing peak footfall for businesses.

And yesterday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was encouraging employers to bring back workers to offices in England next month, some cafe and sandwich deli owners in Belfast city centre were also appealing for the Executive to follow suit.

Kieran Sloan, owner of Sawers Deli in the Fountain Centre, said it was clear if offices do not reopen soon, it is going to have a "devastating" impact on the city.

"We're hearing from people coming in that there's one or two people in an office which used to have 30, and this is happening on all the floors," he explained.

"Some of them are saying that they're not returning back to September, even January. We're also hearing rumours that some office buildings are going to be sold.

"It's going to be devastating for Belfast city centre. We call it the 'golden hour' - 12noon to 2.30 - our peak trading during the week. We've been talking to other cafe owners and they want office workers back.

"Our landlords have been great, we had three months free, which was amazing, but now the rent bills are returning.

"(At the start of the lockdown) we changed the business to online and it was doing really well, but now we're out of lockdown we need that footfall back again."

He also stressed that should masks become mandatory to enter shops, it could hit traders in the pocket.

"How is it going to be enforced", he asked, pointing out that Sawers is part deli (which would be exempt from the wearing of masks for customers as an outlet serving food) and grocery store, which would require face coverings.

"We're trying to grab every bit of business that we can. Nobody has been given clear guidance." He added that he believed the wearing of masks should be done on a voluntary basis.

"It's about being sensible, keeping social distancing. We're cleaning all the time," added Kieran.

Annette McQuillan, who helps run a family business that owns Blinkers cafe in Bridge Street and the nearby Strikes restaurant, said they had made the difficuly decision not to reopen their third outlet, Caffe Uno, due to the impact of the lockdown.

"It was the final straw and now we have 29 staff we're trying to redeploy between the remaining two businesses," she explained.

"And obviously we're trying to minimise the amount of customers we're having in due to social distancing."

She said that office workers would account for 40% of their trade on weekdays. "It's very, very difficult. I don't think the city centre is going to recover any time soon, in terms of footfall," added Annette.

Nearby at Mikey's Deli, manager Roisin Robertson said they had managed to keep their loyal customer base by teaming up with Just Eat, which allows customers to order food for delivery via an app.

"We've still had our office workers, it's just they're making orders to have food delivery to their homes," she said.

"It's helped us a lot and now we're getting busier and busier."

However, at Taboo Donuts in Ann Street white collar trade is being missed, said manager Marie Moylan.

"Office workers are a big part of our customer base, especially on Thursdays and Fridays. We've been open here for the past two years. Usually on a Friday we're packed out with office workers," explained Marie.

"We would feel it as a business if employers didn't bring back their staff to the offices.

"We would have office staff buy big boxes of 12 donuts to have as a Friday treat. Some would even buy a few boxes of donuts."

Meanwhile Tony Rice, manager of Thyme Deli in Church Lane, said it is concerning if office buildings do not welcome back staff.

"If offices don't reopen then trade will go down. It is worrying. We've been reopened two, three weeks and trade's down 40%. I think if schools all go back, then everything else will go back to normal, and that will help," he said.
Call it booze, the demon drink, or maybe the cup that cheers. Alcohol - in great or small measure - has often intertwined with the political world.

There are countless stories about the "old days" when the Dail and its environs was a haven for imbibers. Looking back we can see there was a certain toleration when it came to alcohol, for sailing close to the wind.

In common with many areas of public life, heavy drinking was then a real time hazard in the Leinster House bubble.

It wasn't just here in Ireland that this was the case, either. Over-indulgence has long been a hazard for British politicians of varying hue.

A visit to Winston Churchill's underground bunker in the shadow of the Westminster parliament shows a replica of his living quarters during World War II. Pride of place beside his bed is a bottle of Pol Roger Champagne.

He described this particular tipple as "the oil of government".

Churchill, who was known to sometimes start his day with a stiff whiskey, could put away prodigious amounts of rum and brandy.

In contrast, his arch-nemesis, Adolf Hitler, despite having an alleged dependence on prescription drugs, avoided all alcohol.

Other British prime ministers have had their own relationship with the bottle. Lloyd George, while partaking in a string of extra-marital liaisons and maintaining a permanent mistress, disapproved of heavy drinking.

Harold Wilson in public was a pipe-smoking man of the people sipping the odd pint of beer. In private, he favoured cigars, and according to his biographers he could knock back generous amounts of brandy.

Margaret Thatcher embraced an unrelenting work ethic, but regularly enjoyed a few whiskeys at the end of a long day.

Alcohol was not a problem for her but in her lonely, searingly unhappy retirement years she sought too much solace in the bottle before dementia finally took over her life.

David Cameron sometimes risked his clean-cut image because of a love for "chillaxing".

In the United States, George Bush junior - on the lash for years - gave up alcohol completely on his 40th birthday. It was after another "wild drunken weekend" that he finally saw the light and said enough was enough.

Donald Trump, whose brother Fred died of alcoholism at the age of 43, has famously never touched a drop.

Old Joe Kennedy, the patriarch of America's most famous political clan, reportedly made some of his fortune by illegally importing scotch and gin during prohibition.

Yet he had an abstemious approach in his personal life.

However, heavy drinking blighted the life of his son, Ted. Younger members of the Kennedy clan have endured well-publicised battles with addiction.

In Russia and the former Communist-controlled countries of Eastern Europe, knocking back vast amounts of vodka was often seen as a perk of the job for those near the pinnacle of power.

When Vladimir Putin came to power he was determined to clean up the Soviet image on this front. He is rarely if ever seen with a drink, preferring to present himself as super fit, with a love for judo and horse riding.

This is in marked contrast to when Boris Yeltsin held the Russian presidency. He was regularly seen in public obviously under the weather.

In 1994, when his official plane had a stop-over in Shannon, he was "too tired" to leave his seat for a scheduled meeting with the then-Taoiseach Albert Reynolds and some of his ministers.

Amid much diplomatic confusion, they were left waiting on the tarmac. A certain kind of "tiredness" meant they never did get the opportunity to exchange pleasantries with Mr Yeltsin.
She welcomed her first child, daughter Molly, in December 2019.

And on Saturday, as her little girl reached seven months, Edwina Bartholomew gushed over her tiny tot on Instagram.

The 37-year-old Sunrise presenter shared a series of gorgeous images of herself and Molly laughing on her bed and said how much she misses her girl in the mornings, after having recently returned to work.

'Seven months old today': On Saturday, Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew gushed over her daughter Molly and shared sweet images of herself with the tiny tot

In the beautiful photos, Edwina beamed next to her daughter in a bright blue jumper which had the word 'love' emblazoned across the front.

Sweet Molly giggled next to her in a beige onesie.

'Seven months old today. Proud owner of two front teeth and a vice-like grip,' Edwina captioned the post.

Her girl! 'Seven months old today. Proud owner of two front teeth and a vice-like grip,' Edwina captioned the post

'Always laughing and now squealing, a sound somewhere between a galah and a tiny orange strangled cat,' she said.

Edwina returned to her role as a presenter with Channel Seven morning show Sunrise at the start of June - which is notorious for its gruelling early morning starts.

'Going back to work has been a challenge. I have loved having something "other" in the day but miss our mornings,' she admitted.

Look how much she's grown! Edwina welcomed Molly in December (left). She reached seven months on Saturday (right)

She concluded by gushing: 'Thankfully we have years of adventures ahead.'

Edwina said in June that she was excited to be back on television screens, so that she can 'contribute to telling breaking news stories' to Australians every day.

'It's been a weird time being an observer and sitting on the couch,' the journalist and television presenter told News Corp Australia.

Adjusting: Edwina returned to her role as a presenter with Channel Seven morning show Sunrise at the start of June

Edwina continued: 'It was particularly hard during the bushfires, to think I couldn't contribute to telling those stories.'

However, she said that she's thankful to have been self-isolating at home with baby Molly on maternity leave throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

'The timing in that respect has been great,' added Edwina.

Doting dad: Edwina and her husband Neil Vacroe (pictured) welcomed baby Molly on December 19

Edwina and her husband Neil Varcoe welcomed baby Molly on December 19.

Earlier this year, the journalist reflected on how motherhood had strengthened her marriage.

'Neil has been so amazing,' Edwina told The Herald Sun at the time.

'They say you fall in love with your husband again after you have a baby. And that was definitely the case for me,' she cooed.
Michael Schmalz (left) faced criminal charges in 2012 for allegedly assaulting a subdued prisoner and falsifying records about the incident. Schmalz, seen here before a preliminary hearing in the case, was acquitted, but later was fired from the department. He's now a corporal in Rockledge, a small borough in Montgomery County. Read more

Inside the Warminster Police station eight years ago, Cpl. Michael Schmalz handcuffed a disruptive prisoner, dragged him out of his cell, and, with help from other officers, pushed him to the ground. He then struck him twice in the head, doused him with pepper spray, and knelt on his neck for 45 seconds, police records show.

Schmalz, 57, was fired after an internal investigation found that he used excessive force. He was also charged with simple assault, harassment, and tampering with public records, but was acquitted by a county judge and later had his criminal record expunged.

Three years later, he went back to work as a police officer in Rockledge, a tiny borough on Montgomery Countys border with Northeast Philadelphia. In the years since, Schmalz has worked his way up the ranks, and is now second-in-command, in line to become the chief should his current boss retire.

In interviews, Schmalzs former colleagues said they were stunned that he was able to gain another high-level position as a law enforcement officer. Schmalz, for his part, said the dismissal of the criminal charges proved his behavior wasnt that egregious.

His case is emblematic of an issue that has gained national attention since the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis: Some officers, when fired for cause, have been able to return to the streets, issued new badges and authority by different departments.

 READ MORE: Black and Blue: A history of police brutality against Black people in Philadelphia

This week, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law mandating the creation of a statewide police misconduct database, with the intention of preventing problem officers from finding new employment. Law enforcement experts say its unclear exactly how pervasive the problem is in Pennsylvania, simply because this is the first time preventative measures have been taken.

The measure is reminiscent of Pennsylvanias pass the trash law, a 2014 act that made the disclosure of sexual-abuse allegations a mandatory part of the application process for school-related jobs.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro was a vocal supporter of the bill creating Pennsylvanias police misconduct database. The measure  cosigned by police chiefs and union leaders throughout the state  takes the guesswork out of hiring officers, especially for smaller departments with limited resources.

If you got fired, unless that chief took that time to call your previous chief, there would be no way of knowing, Shapiro said.

The new database will only be accessible to police departments. But even if a chief knowingly hires an officer who has previously been fired, the database comes with a mandate to make those decisions transparent in a publicly available report.

Now the burden is on you to explain to the community why you chose to hire him, Shapiro said. Before this, you were flying blind. And if something happened, you were left to go and try to put the pieces together working backward.

Schmalz said he supports the database, so long as its applied fairly during the hiring process. He said he didnt have any disciplinary issues before the firing and hasnt had any since.

Im all for it, and you should be upfront. But one incident shouldnt make you a problem child, period, he said. I have a blemish on my career, and its a big one, Im not trying to minimize it. But I shouldnt be labeled a problem cop if the investigation is done and Im not found guilty by a judge.

Hes not the only law enforcement officer in the Philadelphia region grappling with this issue.

In June, Woodlynne Police Department Officer Ryan Dubiel was charged with two counts of simple assault for pepper-spraying a group of teenagers during a confrontation in the Camden County borough. The case is ongoing.

Woodlynne is Dubiels ninth department in less than a decade, according to local prosecutors. The New York Times reported last month that Dubiel left those previous jobs after a trail of complaints and a series of arrests in which suspects were injured.

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Dubiels actions were appalling and completely unjustified. Grewal prominently mentioned Dubiels case last month when he announced a new state requirement that police departments publish an annual list of officers who were fired, demoted, or suspended for more than five days due to a disciplinary violation. The inaugural list is slated to be released by the end of the year.

Just as we license doctors, nurses, and lawyers, we must ensure that all officers meet baseline standards of professionalism, and that officers who fail to meet those standards cannot be passed from one police department to another while posing a threat to the public and other officers, Grewal said in a statement.

 READ MORE: Fired, then rehired: Once-secret records show how the arbitration system overturned the firings or discipline of Philadelphia cops.

In Schmalzs case, the information about his firing was made available to his new employers. It didnt sway their decision.

Joseph E. Bresnan, an attorney for Rockledge, said borough officials were aware of Schmalzs termination and the reasons behind it when he was hired as a part-time officer in 2015.

The chief looked into it and found no merit to the allegations, Bresnan said. As such, his termination in Warminster did not factor into the decision to hire Michael Schmalz.

Rockledge Mayor Harold Praediger, Borough Council President Michael Praediger, Borough Manager Grace Metzinger, and borough Police Chief Gerald Miller did not return requests for comment about Schmalzs hiring.

The arbitration report from the proceeding in Warminster was never made public, but The Inquirer obtained a copy of the 100-page document.

In it, arbitrator John M. Skonier concluded that Schmalz had used excessive force on Shaun Queeney, a handcuffed, noncombative prisoner, including kneeling on his neck and deploying his [pepper] spray at almost point blank range.

He then failed to prepare accurate and truthful reports about the incident and improperly directed subordinate officers to change or falsify their reports, according to the ruling.

One Warminster officer told the arbitrator that Schmalz, his supervisor, looked over his shoulder as he filed a report about the incident, and later told him to remove language that he had used soft-hand grabs to help restrain the prisoner.

In Schmalzs report, according to the arbitration documents, he wrote that Queeney was being combative, kicking, spitting, and trying to bite the officers. But surveillance footage from the cellblock showed otherwise, the arbitrator said, and other officers testified to that as well.

Schmalz denied the allegations that his report was inaccurate and that he pressured the other officers into changing their reports.

Had he done anything wrong, he said, I wouldve pleaded guilty, I wouldve owned it. I couldve collected unemployment and been on my way. But if I pleaded guilty, I wouldve admitted I did something wrong. And in my heart, I know I didnt do anything wrong.

Maria Haberfeld, co-director of the NYPD Police Studies Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said part of the problem with fired cops being rehired lies with the lack of universal standards for hiring officers. What may trouble one department, she said, might not matter to another.

In some departments, you can be fired for sleeping on duty, in others you get a reprimand. Its a matter of perspective on the behavior, she said. When it comes to excessive use of force, somebody might look at this example and consider it not excessive.

How often fired officers shuffle to other departments is difficult to know, she said, because it has never been universally measured. Regional databases are a good start, she said, but a national database is the best solution.

And if even if prior bad behavior is tracked, she said, theres no guarantee that an officer wont repeat those mistakes in a new assignment.

Its psychology 101: The best predictor of behavior is past behavior and the reaction to it, she said. If your past behavior amounted to a slap on the wrist, why wouldnt you engage in the same behavior again?
With much of the world preoccupied with the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout  and in the U.S. thats compounded by a presidential election campaign and the outrage and unrest following the killing of George Floyd  deteriorating relations with China are under the radar for many voters.

They shouldnt be. We are on the verge of Cold War footing  if we arent there already.

China has moved aggressively on a wide front to push its agenda  while deflecting criticism for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic  by flexing economic, political and military muscle. In addition to upping its military provocation in regional waters, it has flooded American institutions  including academic  with people tasked with stealing U.S. technology, warns FBI Director Christopher Wray. He calls the Chinese campaign of theft the greatest threat to our economic vitality and says the agency has 1,000 open investigations into suspected Chinese economic espionage spanning just about every industry sector.

Having grown weary of protests in Hong Kong, China went back on its promises of autonomy and passed a new security law essentially outlawing dissent in the former British colony. Earlier this week the Chinese government sanctioned two U.S. senators who had the temerity to complain about Chinese behavior and criticize mass Chinese detention of up to 1 million Muslim Uighurs.

China has made territorial claims on its border with India, resulting in military clashes, and has expanded its internet censorship that has been hugely successful in stifling internal dissent, getting Zoom to censor talks being held in the U.S., according to the New York Times.

Fortunately, the United States and others have begun to confront China.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump ended Hong Kongs preferential trade status and imposed sanctions on officials who crack down on rights there. Trump also signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, passed unanimously by Congress, that penalizes banks for doing business with Chinese officials who implement the security law.

Australia is pushing for an international investigation into the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19  drawing a Chinese boycott on importation of Australian beef.

This week, the United Kingdom banned equipment from controversial Chinese company Huawei  accused of being a security risk for Western customers  from its 5G networks.

A defense white paper adopted this week by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes cabinet said Chinas push to make territorial claims in regional seas was posing a greater threat to Japan and the region. Japan is now exploring ways to move beyond its conventional defense-only role under the Japan-U.S. security alliance.

The growing tensions are in addition to the realization in the U.S. we must reshore production of things like antibiotics from China.

It is imperative candidates in the upcoming election  from Congress to President  be prepared to give clear answers on what U.S. policy should be. And voters should demand nothing less.

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.
Armenians in the Hague are holding a rally in front of the Azerbaijani embassy.

Armenian demonstrators are at some distance from the Azerbaijani embassy, and Azerbaijanis have gathered in front of the embassy with the flags of Azerbaijan.

Police are standing between the two groups of demonstrators.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab says people voting in person for the Aug. 4 primary election can cast a ballot regardless of whether they wear a mask.The Secretary of State's office said it encourages all Kansans to be safe and follow the recommended safety protocols of health professionals."Our priority has been, and continues to be, ensuring every Kansan has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in the 2020 elections," Schwab said.
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: The personal assistant of a tech entrepreneur has been arrested and accused of decapitating him.

Nigerian ride-sharing app Gokadas founder Fahim Saleh, 33, was found dismembered and decapitated in his luxury Manhattan apartment, New York news media reported.

On Friday (local time), his personal assistant, identified as 21-year-old Tyrese Devon Haspil, was arrested.

Tyrese Haspil (pictured with a face mask on) has been arrested and charged with the murder of his boss, Fahim Saleh. Source: Reuters

Haspil has been charged with second-degree murder, New York City Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said at a news conference.

Mr Haspil was Mr Salehs executive assistant and handled his finances and personal matters. It is also believed he owed the victim a significant amount of money, Mr Harrison said.

He added Mr Saleh was assaulted by Haspil with what appears to be a Taser while exiting an elevator into his apartment.

Mr Saleh was found dead in his New York apartment on Tuesday. Source: AAP

Mr Salehs body had been decapitated and dismembered, with body parts placed into separate plastic garbage bags. A power saw and cleaning supplies were found plugged in nearby.

Police sources told NY Daily News Mr Saleh discovered Haspil had embezzled more than AU$130,000 and instead of calling the police he offered the 21-year-old the chance to pay it back.

Security camera video showed Mr Saleh in his apartment buildings elevator with a man in a dark suit, mask and gloves, the media reports said.

Video footage showed the suspect following Mr Saleh into the seventh-story apartment, where a struggle began.

Haspil was Mr Saleh's executive assistant. Source: AAP

Mr Saleh, who was born in Saudi Arabia to Bangladeshi parents and grew up in New York, founded the Pathao ride company in 2015 and in 2018 the Gokada motorbike hailing app.

Gokada was widely used in the Nigerian megacity of Lagos until state officials in February banned motorcycle taxis, known locally as "okada", dealing a serious blow to the company.

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The German-Azerbaijani Alliance and the Central Coordination Council of Azerbaijani Diaspora Organizations in Germany organized a rally in front of the Armenian Embassy in Berlin. The protest action was held in support of Azerbaijan amid the provocation by Armenia and hostilities in the Tovuz region

Despite the fact that the city authorities limited the number of protesters to two hundred people, several hundred more Azerbaijani patriots enthusiastically supported the slogans and demands of the main participants, standing aside.
Many prospective visitors to Portugal have contacted The Independent about travel to the country in summer 2020. These are the key questions and answers.

Can I go to Portugal?

Anyone with a valid British passport can travel to Portugal. There are plenty of flights every day from the UK, predominantly to Faro, serving the Algarve, and also the capital, Lisbon.

But the travellers from Portugal to the UK, including returning British holidaymakers, will need to self-isolate for two weeks. And because the Foreign Office advises against travel anywhere in mainland Portugal, standard travel insurance policies are not valid; this does not apply to the Azores or Madeira.

What exactly does the British government say?

Portugal, unlike Spain, France, Italy and many other countries, is regarded as having too high a prevalence of coronavirus to allow the quarantine restriction to be lifted.

So travellers are told to self-isolate for two weeks. The UK government says: When you arrive in the UK, you will not be allowed to leave the place where youre staying for the first 14 days.

This is because it can take up to 14 days for coronavirus symptoms to appear.

The only way to reduce the quarantine is to leave the country.

Separately, the Foreign Office says: Madeira and the Azores are exempt from the FCO advice against all non-essential international travel.

This is based on the current assessment of Covid-19 risks.

But even though the Foreign Office office has put Portugals Atlantic islands on the good list, quarantine is still necessary.

How do the Portuguese respond?

They are furious. The countrys ambassador to the UK, Manuel Lobo Antunes, wrote in the Telegraph: The incidence rate in Portugal (22.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) remains higher than we would like, although it is in decline.

However, this figure results from the numbers of cases detected in local outbreaks in specific areas around Lisbon, as well as from the easing of strict lockdown measures, as is the case in many other countries, and as such does not offer an accurate representation of the situation nationwide.

Outside these areas, the figures are much lower or even residual, namely in the regions usually chosen by British tourists: the Algarve has seven cases per 100,000 people, Madeira has 1.2, and the Azores 0.4.

It is hard to understand why people travelling from the UK to Madeira or the Azores, even without passing through our continental territory, should quarantine on their return. The same goes for those visiting the Algarve.

The economic impact of the UKs decision to keep Portugal under quarantine is immense and there are fears it could be lasting if not scrapped at the next review in just over two weeks.

What do other countries say about Portugal?

The Belgian foreign ministry warns against travel to specific locations in and around Lisbon: the Santa Clara district, as well as the suburbs of Amadora, Odivelas, Loures and Sintra.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health says that travellers arriving in Norway from Portugal  as well as Luxembourg and Sweden  must quarantine for 10 days.

It bases the decision on the number of confirmed cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The institute says Portugal has 46. This is more than twice as high as the Portuguese ambassadors figure of 22.

For comparison, the Norwegian figure is 18 for the UK and less than one for Estonia and Latvia (both of which, curiously, are not on the UK no-quarantine list).

When might the UK government assessment change?

At any time; the Foreign Office says it constantly monitors its advice for British travellers going abroad. But while that is decided for the whole UK, each of the four nations will make its own decision on how appropriate it will be for arrivals from Portugal to avoid quarantine.

They may differentiate between different parts of Portugal, as other governments have done.

Two key dates are impending: 20 July, which is the day when a second review of the quarantine policy must take place; and 31 July, which was indicated by the transport secretary, Grant Shapps as the next date for revising the list.

The Independent expects Portugal to be granted exemption before the end of July, but there is no guarantee of this.

Can I avoid quarantine by travelling through Spain on the way back from Portugal?

No. All arriving travellers to the UK must complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in the 48 hours before they are due to reach the UK. They must declare if they have been to a country that is not on the no-quarantine list.

If, though, you spend some time in an approved country after leaving Portugal, that time is subtracted from the self-isolation obligation. So if you spend a week in Portugal followed by a week in Spain, you will need to quarantine for only a week on return to the UK.

What will Portugal be like if I go?

Temperatures are checked automatically on arrival, and personal details collected.

Anyone flying to Madeira or the Azores must either produce a certificate showing a negative test result within 72 hours of arriving or undergo a test on arrival.

Masks are compulsory on public transport, in shops, other enclosed spaces or in places with many people, according to Visit Portugal.

Beaches have a traffic-light system: green is for low occupancy; yellow indicates some crowding; and red meaning it is full.

I have a flight reservation for Portugal. Can I get a refund?

No. If the plane is still going, the fact that you choose not to travel on it is not the airlines problem; the carrier can keep your money.

But many flights are being cancelled because of the UK government action, and so you should wait to see if yours is one of them  at which point you are due all your money back, for both legs, if you booked a return but only one flight is cancelled.

Alternatively, your travel insurer may offer some recompense.

I have a package holiday booked to Portugal. What are my options?

Holiday companies will comply with the Foreign Office advice, so at present they should not be sending anyone to mainland Portugal.

The quarantine requirement to self-isolate for two weeks on return to the UK, though, does not mean your holiday is automatically cancelled.

While the big firms  Tui and Jet2  say they will not take anyone to Portugal if the requirement to self-isolate is still in effect on return to the UK, other companies may still operate trips to Madeira and the Azores.

If you are concerned about your trip, talk to your tour operator. They may offer the chance to postpone or switch destination, or they could just invite you to wait longer.

Should I pay the balance for my September holiday?

If you can afford to do so, pay the balance. There is a significant possibility that your trip will go ahead as normal, in which case you should have a happy and safe holiday.

There some likelihood that the trip will be cancelled. If that happens, you can expect a full refund of the whole cost of the trip (theoretically within two weeks, though it could take longer).

It may sound counter-intuitive to pay out more money to guarantee either a holiday or your money back, but that is the way the system works.

Were the travel company should fail before your departure, then the full cost of the holiday would be refunded under the Atol scheme.

Deciding not to pay the balance would mean that you lose the deposit.
A model created by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) has projected that the US death toll from Covid-19 would pass 224,000 by 1 November 2020, which is up 16,000 from a previous forecast. It also said, however, that number could be reduced by 40,000 if the vast majority of Americans wore face masks in public. More than 20 states currently have mask-wearing requirements in place.

President Donald Trump, whose popularity in opinion polls is declining ahead of an election in November, has been reluctant to embrace mask-wearing, and most of his Republican governors and local officials have followed suit. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, for example, only goes as far as encouraging Oklahomans to wear face masks but he rarely wears one in public himself and has not issued a statewide mask mandate. Stitt, who was at a rally held by Trump in Tulsa on 20 June, has confirmed that he tested positive for Covid-19.

Alabama governor introduces mask order

Across in Alabama, with infections surging for the second day in a row, Republican Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday reversed her position and ordered all residents to wear masks, effective from Thursday.

"I always prefer a personal responsibility over a government mandate," Ivey said at a briefing. "And yet I also know with all my heart that the numbers and the data over the past few weeks are definitely trending in the wrong direction."

Despite all our best efforts, were seeing increases in cases every day still occurring and were almost to the point where hospital ICUs are overwhelmed, Ivey said during a press conference.

Although the order does come with a fine of $500 and possibly time in jail, the governor has said it is going to be a challenge to enforce it.

I still believe this is going to be a difficult order to enforce, and I always prefer personal responsibility over a government mandate, and yet I also know with all my heart that the numbers and the data over past few weeks are definitely trending in the wrong direction, she said before adding, This mask order is hard to enforce, so once again Im calling on everyone in our state to practice personal responsibility and wear a mask.

When is the Alabama mask order in force?

From the time of the order being announced on Thursday, people of Alabama will be required to wear a mask until 31 July. The guidelines state that individuals must wear face coverings when in public and in close contact with others. This includes indoor public areas as well as there being a limit of 10 gathering outside.

Are there any exceptions to wearing a mask?

Yes! There are a number of exceptions and these include:

- children up to six years old

- those people with a medical condition

- when eating or drinking

- when confirming your identity

- if having some medical, dental or other service that needs access to the face

There are a number of other exceptions related to exercising and communication.

Ivey did not go so far as to start closing some of the establishments that have reopened sine the earlier lockdown, including bars, restaurants, gyms, casinos, beaches and retail stores, although she did not rule it out.

Clearly there are some other more restrictive actions we could take such as closing things back down but I dont want to go there unless there are absolutely no other options available, she stated.
Here is a sampling of the weeks events and how to tune in (all times are Eastern). Note that events are subject to change after publication.

Monday

Round up your little ones for a story time that pairs the love of reading with the joys of science, technology, engineering, art and math. Annelisa Purdie, a librarian from the Countee Cullen branch of the New York Public Library teaches young learners all about the color wheel with Emma Dodds book Dogs Colorful Day. Be sure to download a color wheel activity guide here before the tuning in.

When 10 a.m.

Where nypl.org/education/kids/storytime

Be captivated by the Trisha Brown Dance Companys 2010 performance of Opal Loop/Cloud Installation #72503. This dance, created in 1980 by Ms. Brown  a choreographer The New York Times deemed a pillar of post modern American dance  kicks off the second installment of Baryshnikov Arts Centers PlayBAC initiative, in which the center presents videos from its vast archive.
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. In a letter to the President of the United States, along with discussions and advocacy, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) urged the Administration to dramatically shift its policies given Azerbaijans attacks against Armenia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the Assembly.

The letter by Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian states in part, Azerbaijans ongoing attacks on Christian Armenia that started on Sunday July 12 with the active support and encouragement of Turkey should signal the need for a dramatic shift in your Administrations policies in the region. The Assembly emphasized the most telling point in the current round of fighting  that after the 2016 Four-Day War, the parties were to implement increased monitoring and an investigative mechanism to help ensure cease-fire compliance. Only Azerbaijan has blocked those measures, so that its lobbyists and government can try to cover up more atrocities.

The Assembly Co-Chairs cited ongoing concerns regarding the over $100 million disparity in U.S. security assistance between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the Administrations deferential posture vis-a-vis Turkey on matters ranging from recognition of the Armenian Genocide to its own blockade of Armenia and military support to Azerbaijan, which the Assembly Co-Chairs stated have clearly contributed to the Aliyev regimes emboldened breaches of the cease-fire and the taking of innocent civilian lives.

Given that Azerbaijan has repeatedly targeted civilian-populated areas and has openly threatened to bomb Armenias nuclear plant, which is strictly dedicated to civilian energy use under international supervision, and given Bakus ongoing intransigence with respect to the Nagorno Karabakh peace process, the Co-Chairs called on the Administration to immediately cut all military funding to Azerbaijan and to restore military aid parity with Armenia.

In addition, the Co-Chairs urged the President to send a clear public message to Turkey that its support of anything except respect for the agreed cease-fire only signals that it is working to complete the Armenian Genocide committed during the Ottoman Empire.

Finally, the letter requests that the Administration enforce the substance of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and Section 620(I) of the Foreign Assistance Act, (commonly known as the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act), and revoke the executive waivers issued therein which have been routinely provided.

The Assembly has also taken further actions with Congress and the Administration, emphasizing that until the Aliyev regime can show a sustainable and enforceable commitment to a cease-fire and the cessation of attacks on civilians, peace is impossible.
Kuwait's crown prince will temporarily exercise some of the ruling emir's constitutional duties, per a royal decree, the state news agency KUNA said on Saturday, without giving details.

The 91-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah, was admitted to hospital on Saturday for medical checks, the state news agency KUNA reported earlier.
The N.J. Department of Labor said it has started paying 20 weeks of additional unemployment benefits to those who exhausted their payments.

Before the extension, workers would receive 26 weeks of regular benefits and then 13 weeks more from a federal extension under the coronavirus relief law, the CARES Act. Benefits maxed out at 39 weeks.

The extra 20 weeks, bringing the total to 59 weeks, was a great relief to workers, but some have reported this week that they havent seen the extensions.

The Labor Department said every eligible claimant will be automatically enrolled in the extended benefits when they exhaust their state and federal benefits.

But the extended state benefits have more stringent eligibility requirements than the federal extension had. These requirements are based on federal law, said Labor spokeswoman Angela Delli-Santi.

The extended benefit provision says workers must have earnings of at least 40 times their weekly benefit rate during their base year in order to qualify, she said.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

Those workers, though, could be eligible for extended benefits under the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).

We are working on a process to automatically move them over to PUA if they dont qualify for extended benefits, she said. They will not have to call or reapply.

This may do the trick for some workers because its easier to qualify for PUA than it is to qualify for traditional state unemployment benefits.

The Labor Department didnt indicate how long it might take for these workers to be approved for extended benefits under PUA.

Workers should note that if the Labor Department already has your income information, moving to PUA doesnt mean you would get a lower benefit. Many PUA recipients are receiving the minimum benefit of $231 because the agency hasnt yet verified their wages, but may get a higher benefit after a review by an agent.

Also note that if you get extended benefits under PUA, you will only get seven weeks of payments, not 20 weeks, per the federal guidelines.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.
NEW ORLEANS, July 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits:

Forescout Technologies, Inc. (FSCT)

Class Period: 2/6/2020 - 5/15/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: August 10, 2020

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-fsct-2

Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)

Class Period: 2/2/2018 - 3/10/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: August 14, 2020

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-wells-fargo-amp-company-securities-litigation-2

Enphase Energy, Inc. (ENPH)

Class Period: 2/26/2019 - 6/17/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: August 17, 2020

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-enphase-energy-inc-securities-litigation

ProAssurance Corporation (PRA)

Class Period: 4/26/2019 - 5/7/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: August 17, 2020

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-proassurance-corporation-securities-litigation

If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above.

If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL  The Hillsborough County Commission has asked the county attorney to draft an ordinance that would disband the Emergency Policy Group and give the authority to make decisions related to the coronavirus pandemic to the county commission.

The motion was made by Les Miller, who serves as both chairman of the EPG and the county commission.

Since the coronavirus pandemic was declared in March, the EPG, made up of three county commissioners, the mayors of the cities of Plant City, Tampa and Temple Terrace, the Hillsborough County sheriff and the chairman of the Hillsborough County School Board, has been meeting twice a week to make policies and issue orders protecting the safety and welfare of the county's residents.

But now members of the county commission are wondering if the EPG is asserting a bit too much authority and overstepping the bounds of its legislative mandate.

Under Article 8 of the Florida Constitution, counties have been permitted (but not required) to convene EPGs during emergencies for decades.

According to Miller, the legislation was intended to allow elected officials to react quickly during a weather emergency. It was never intended for making critical policies related to a global pandemic.

Hillsborough County is the only county among Florida's 67 counties to enact an ordinance to convene an EPG in times of crisis.

That doesn't sit well with some members of the Hillsborough County Commission. Although all the members on the EPG are all elected officials, they were never specifically given the authority by the voters to make critical emergency decisions on behalf of all 1.4 million residents of Hillsborough County, said County Commissioner Mariella Smith.

We are the board that was elected to issue legislative orders for our county, she said.

Both the Pasco and Pinellas county commissions make the emergency decisions on behalf of their counties during the coronavirus pandemic.



Story continues

One of the arguments for disbanding the EPG is the group's inability to reach a consensus on major issues.



Since it first began meeting, many of the votes have been divided along party lines between Republicans Plant City Mayor Rick Lott, Temple Terrace Acting Mayor Andy Ross, County Commission Sandy Murman, school board chairwoman Melissa Snively and Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister and Democrats Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and county commissioners Miller and Kimberly Overman.

This led to the EPG to declaring a countywide curfew in April only to rescind it less than a week later and a divided vote on mandating the wearing of masks, which critics said weakened the order.

Miller said the rift has led to a lot of frustration and no clear direction as Hillsborough County's coronavirus numbers continue to rise.

It has become apparent that the pandemic is a different challenge and the EPG has limited enforcement options. The board of county commissioners has broader authority to enforce those options," Miller said.

Some EPG members think disbanding the EPG is a good idea.

"I fully support the decision of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners," said Chronister. "The BOCC has greater purview over county resources, will streamline the allocation of those resources, and be a more efficient representation of every citizen in our county.

The county attorney is expected to present a draft copy of the ordinance to the county commission on July 21.





This article originally appeared on the Tampa Patch
327 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore on July 17, including 3 imported cases from India and Philippines

The Ministry of Health reported 327 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore as of 12 pm on July 17. This takes the nations tally of infections to 47,453.

The vast majority of the new cases are Work Permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories.

File photo courtesy: Facebook/Lawrence Wong

There are also nine cases in the community, of whom six are Singaporeans/ Permanent Residents and three are Work Pass holders.

Additionally there are 3 imported cases, one of which is a Singaporean who returned from the Philippines on July 6. The remaining cases are children who are Dependants Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass holders who arrived in Singapore from India on June 26 and July 15.

All of them had been placed on 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) upon arrival in Singapore, and had been tested while serving their SHN.

On Thursday, the MOH added more locations to its list of places visited by COVID-19 cases in the community during their infectious period. These include - Resorts World Sentosa Casino, Mustafa Centre, Tekka Centre; shopping malls New World Centre, Sembawang Shopping Centre, Northpoint City and; the Traffic Police's headquarters.
Streetwise - Gifts Given and Gifts Received

by Frank Dunnigan

December 2014

Whenever I think back over Christmases pastmore of them now than I can count on six pairs of handsI often take pleasure in recalling certain giftsnot necessarily those received, but rather some of the unique gifts that I have given to others.

One of the first times that I made something for my parents was in Mrs. Beckermans kindergarten class at Parkside School in the fall of 1957. Each one of us was provided with a dried pine cone securely mounted with a glob of Plaster of Paris in a tiny Dixie paper cupthanks to Mrs. Beckermans husband. Then, armed with large bottles of Elmers Glue, plus thousands of tiny beads and sequins and many small bottles of different colors of glitter, each member of the class went to work on a project that left all of us shaking tiny flecks of glitter out of our hair for days. Its a safe bet that some of this artwork may still be on holiday display in a handful of homes.

In fourth grade at St. Cecilias in 1962, everyone in our class made a Christmas pin for our mothers, consisting of slightly overlapping cut-outs of red, white, and green felt in the shape of a three-inch Christmas tree, secured with a large safety pin on the back. Each of us then glued ornamental rows of sequins and tiny stars on the small cloth trees, again with the ever-present bottle of Elmers. At the 9:00 a.m. Mass on Christmas morning, it was easy to spot the mothers of fourth graders, as each of them proudly wore those fabric trees on their lapels.

It was always my job to deliver jars of Moms Chex Mix to our neighbors in mid-December. Wrapped in foil and topped with a bow, the jars were then labeled with gift tags that had been cut out of old Christmas cards, then hole-punched with a piece of red string addeda regular rainy day project that produced shoe boxes full of tags, a supply that lasted for decades. I still recall the pleasure that so many of our neighbors expressed at receiving such a small but thoughtful gift. Sitting in a variety of living roomssome of them belonging to people who were universally perceived by all of us kids to be crabby old peopleI learned a lot about their lives, about our Parkside neighborhood (many of them were original residents dating back to 1936), and also about the history of San Francisco, including the times before the 1906 Fire.

Early each December, Dad and I would take a ride down to the Hromada Candy Company in a factory near the Embarcadero, where we bought boxes of peppermint candy canes for Santa to hand out on the night of our 18th Avenue block lighting. If I was lucky, we sometimes went on a weekday afternoon after school when the factory was in operation, and I got to watch those huge ropes of red and white candy mixture getting twisted together, bent into shape, cut to the proper size, and then sealed in plasticand I would always be given a few samples. On the night of the lighting, Santa would arrive by fire engine and sit in someones garage entryway, listening to holiday wishes from young and old alike, and my job was to hand out candy canes to the crowdsespecially to the younger, smaller children who might be a bit leery of Santa on his throne, surrounded by bright spotlightsbefore we all adjourned to numerous open house parties up and down both sides of our block.

Beginning when I was in about sixth or seventh grade, our across-the-street neighbors asked my parents to hide Christmas gifts for their four toddlers in our garageDad and I then carried these back across the street late on Christmas Eve when the children were sound asleep. For years, those kids thought it was magic that so many wrapped packagesespecially large items like bicyclescould magically appear on Christmas morning when they had not been able to find any trace of them during pre-holiday searches of their own house. It also served as another reminder to me that the spirit of the holidays involves doing for others in many different ways, both large and small.

In college at University of San Francisco, a couple of friends were still living at home with widowed Moms, and it was an annual ritual for a group of us to get together and help them put up their Christmas trees. Everyone stored decorations in old Emporium, White House, and City of Paris gift boxes, and many families still had a few ornaments that had belonged to grandparents, often with wax drippings from lighted candles in pre-1906 San Francisco living rooms. Some families still had tiny metal disks on a red ribbon that were once licenses or ID tags for family pets who had departed for kitty or doggy heaven years earlier. In Catholic households, the rule was that the Nativity scene could be set up in advance, but that the Infant was always placed in the manger by the youngest child on Christmas Eve. Wise Men were allowed only in the distance, gazing the skies and searching for the Star. While they could be moved progressively closer to the stable each night, tradition had it that they could not be placed in front, presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh until January 6th.

In 2001a grim holiday season if there ever was one, coming on the heels of 9/11I was caring for an elderly cousin who lived at the Fort Miley Veterans Affairs Hospital on Clement Street. After listening to him reminisce about seasonal decorations, another cousin and I decided to take him out for a night-time ride around town. Ray thoroughly enjoyed that evening, telling his VA friends for weeks afterward the details of what he had seenthe decorated windows of downtown stores, the tree at McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park, plus homes lighted with menorahs, mechanical reindeer, blinking stars and electronic snow-people.

Without a doubt, though, the most memorable Christmas gift I was ever involved in took place 45 years ago when I was a senior at St. Ignatius High School.

On a cold and damp Friday afternoon in December of 1969, my friend and classmate Keith Forner approached me for help in delivering Christmas food baskets for our sodality group. We both had many other things to dostudy for finals, yearbook deadlines, shopping for gifts for our own familiesbut it was something that simply needed doing right then and there, and the sodality was chronically understaffed at that time of year because everybodys busy.

Loading the back seat and the trunk of my parents 1964 Chevy with dozens of cardboard boxes filled with grocery essentials, all destined for low-income households, we set out immediately after school that day. We both knew the layout of San Francisco streets pretty well, but as we narrowed down specific addresses, there turned out to be several places located in run-down flats and apartment buildings that were a bit scary, even for a couple of brash 17-year-olds.

Summoning up our courage and forging ahead, we knocked on the first door, which opened just a crack as a single eyeball peered out at us from behind a rusty security chain. When we explained why we were there and displayed the box of groceries, the elderly womans face broke into a broad smile, her eyes twinkling, as she opened the door and welcomed us in. She spoke of losing her husband recently and of children who lived a long distance away. Helping her put away the groceries, it was easy to notice the near-empty cabinets and refrigerator in her kitchen.

The same type of scene was repeated over and over again as we visited a dozen or so houses that afternoon and eveningincluding several in our own Sunset District neighborhood where we had never before suspected that there were any people in need. Elderly folks, shuffling to open the door and peeking out at us (often with an overwhelming smell of tobacco smoke whooshing out and engulfing us as soon as the door swung open) expressed their delight and gratitude when they realized why we were there.

At a tiny Richmond District house, it was bitterly cold when we first walked in, and the lone resident stared in amazement at our cardboard box of canned goods and other kitchen basics. Layered in multiple sweaters, he acknowledged his gratitude and said that that he could now afford some additional heat, and immediately turned the thermostat up to a more comfortable settingclearly a rare treat for himself.

One lady, upon seeing the box of groceries being delivered, was so excited to have such an abundance in the house that she immediately divided her gift into two portions, setting aside some things for her neighbor down the hallyet another small reminder about the importance of sharing with others.

Especially in homes with children, headed by a single parent (in some cases, a single grandparent), the response was emotionalboth for the recipients and for the two of us. More than once, excited toddlers tugged at our sleeves and hugged our legs, saying Thank you, Santaperhaps confusing our bright red high school jackets with the uniform of St. Nicks elf-assistants. Some of them insisted on sitting down with us and whispering what they wanted to give their families for Christmasand often there was no mention at all of toys they might have desired for themselves.

At our final stop of the day, a lady invited us in to her small apartment near the Golden Gate Park panhandle. In that dimly lit living room, a tiny two-foot-tall Christmas tree was standing crookedly on a table in the window, with a few faded ornaments and a single string of non-working lightsa classically sad Charlie Brown tree. Nearby, there was a box of single-strand silver tinsel from Woolworth, and the lady asked if we had time to help her.

We spent the next thirty minutes trouble-shooting the lights and adjusting the ornaments to make the tree look better, then loaded it with strand after strand of shiny tinsel. As the lady was standing in the arched doorway watching us work, her oversized glasses reflected the bright lights on the tree, carrying her back to a time in the distant past, to some long-gone place that existed only deep within her memory. As we drove away, at about 7:00 p.m., she was standing at her window, with the curtain pulled back, admiring the glimmering tree and smiling and waving goodbye to us.

Mission accomplishedin more ways than one.

On our way home that eveningKeith lived on 31st Avenue and I lived on 18thwe stopped in at the old Villa Romana on Irving Street for a bite to eat (and if memory serves, a surreptitious glass of red wine, after stuffing our S.I. jackets into the trunk of the car). For a couple of teenagers from comfortable Sunset District homes, we had just been given an intimate glimpse into the lives of many other San Franciscansand that was a gift that remained with each of us.

Today, all those surprised adults we visited are gone, and the small children we met are now in their 50s. Im a retiree myself, and sadly, my friend and classmate Keith left this earth far too soon back in the summer of 1977 at the age of 25. Yet the images from that 1969 holiday season still burn brightly in my mindjust like the lighted trees, stars, and candles in the windows of so many homes across our western neighborhoodsquiet reminders about the joys of friendship, giving, and receiving.

Best holiday wishes to one and all!

Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places!
A newborn girl who was not breathing when she was born in a New Jersey train station bathroom was saved by a transit officer who performed CPR and rushed her to a hospital.

Body camera video released Friday by the New Jersey Transit Police Department shows Officer Bryan Richards entering a women's bathroom in Newark Penn Station on Tuesday.

Richards walks into the bathroom to find two other officers standing near an opened stall where a woman stands inside.

'Oh s***!' Richard's exclaims when the mother, holding a blanket, reveals the unresponsive child wrapped inside.

Police body camera footage captured the moment Officer Bryan Richards revived an unresponsive newborn in Newark Penn Station on Tuesday

Richards then takes the child, whose skin is a grayish color, from the mother and places her in a bathroom sink.

Shocked station travelers can be heard gasping as they see the baby girl in Richards' hands.

He then proceeds to perform several chest compressions on the child, but quickly realizes that time to save the child is rapidly dwindling.

Having no other option, he carefully sprints out of the bathroom, through Newark Penn Station and to a waiting police vehicle.

Richards performed chest compressions on the child, who was unresponsive and had a grey tint to her skin

Richards realized time to save the child was dire and, while holding the child in his hands, rushed her to a waiting police cruiser

Officer Nunes drove Richards and the newborn to a local hospital where the child received medical treatment

Then, Officer Alberto Nunes desperately drives the cruiser to a local hospital while Richards continues to perform CPR and chest compressions,

Flashes of the unresponsive child in Richards' hands can be seen in the body camera footage

Halfway through the CPR. the little baby girl makes a noise but Richards keeps attending to the child with life saving measures.

Finally, as the car pulls into the hospital a loud cry is heard from the child.

Both Officers Alberto Nunes and Bryan Richards (left to right) said they were relieved when the baby girl started crying in the police cruiser

'Good girl. Good girl. Good girl,' Richards said as the officers arrived at the hospital.

New Jersey Transit authorities said the baby is 'doing well.'

Three days after the harrowing event, both Officers Richards and Nunes attended a press conference to share their heroism.

'Once the baby started crying, that's the best thing to have,' said Richards. 'A crying baby is a great baby.'

He added: 'On the way - it's already high stress, high adrenaline - but once I had the baby crying it was a very big sigh of relief and a happy moment.'
Emory University President Claire E. Sterk and President-elect Gregory L. Fenves issued the following statement:

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Congressman John Lewis. His extraordinary life inspired us all. Rep. Lewis moral clarity, dedication to protecting human rights, and securing civil liberties for African Americans earned him widespread respect and admiration in Atlanta, Georgia, our nation, and around the world.

Rep. Lewis embodied Emorys mission to serve humanity and it was always an honor and a privilege to have him on campus. He served as Emorys Commencement speaker twice, first in Atlanta in 2014 and then in 2019 at our Oxford campus. He was a frequent guest lecturer and met with hundreds of Emory students, faculty and physicians over the years.

To the very end, Rep. Lewis was a towering figure for social justice. His passing came on the same day as that of another civil rights leader, Rev. Cordy Tindell C.T Vivian. These two icons fought for equality and human rights and challenged racial injustice  struggles that remain relevant today.

Emory is proud to have had Congressman John Lewis as our representative in the U.S. Congress. We remain grateful for his willingness to always listen, learn and assist. His integrity combined with a commitment to public service earned him a reputation for reaching across the political spectrum for the benefit of all Georgians.

Further, the sense of purpose he brought to Congress, born of the courage and moral resolution he demonstrated in the civil rights movement, enabled him to influence important conversations and inspire others to join him in pursuing solutions to difficult problems.

Emory joins Atlanta and the rest of the country in mourning the loss of a remarkable leader and friend. While he is no longer with us, we will continue the universitys work to live by his example. On behalf of Emory, we extend our deepest condolences to the entire Lewis family.
A man who allegedly crashed a speeding ute into seven parked cars in Brisbane on Friday night before trying to run away is now helping police with their investigation.

The incident happened on Hansen Street, Moorooka, not far from the area known as the "magic mile of motors" because of all the car dealerships.

Police are investigating after a ute crashed into seven parked cars at Moorooka on Friday night. Credit:Queensland Police Service

At 6.30pm on Friday, a police officer responding to reports of a serious accident in Hansen Street found a driver had allegedly crashed "at speed" into seven parked cars.

The utility then rolled and crashed into a fence, police said.
The Missoula County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council received a $125,000 grant from the state Department of Health and Human Services to fund a mobile crisis team to respond to calls for people in mental health crisis, which currently fall on the shoulders of law enforcement.

"We're trying to cut law enforcement and first responders out of the equation in responding directly to mental health-related calls, which are quite high coming into 911," said Kristen Jordan, CJCC manager.

The grant will help fund a 10-month pilot crisis team, which will consist of two mental health professionals with basic medical training to assess and assist a person in crisis, and a peer-support specialist and/or case manager to ensure the person receives follow-up treatment and mental health services.

Missoula County and the City of Missoula approved matching funding for the project, which, coupled with other grant funds received earlier this year, totals $380,000. Data from the pilot project will be used to inform future funding decisions.

When the mobile crisis team is up and running, people will be able to call 911 and have a mental health team dispatched to the scene. Depending on the situation, the dispatcher may send both police and the mental health team, or just the police if they need to go out and secure the scene first.

"The 911 dispatchers are going to triage the call, and if it's not a safety call as far as somebody actively endangering themselves, then the team of two mental health professionals will head up the scene and help deescalate and talk to the person and get some basic details from them," Jordan said.

A case manager will then follow up with the person after the phone call.

"What I want to see is people in mental health crisis receiving the services they need before their mental health potentially leads them to committing a crime, which then they get treated through the criminal justice system," Jordan said. "A lot of people who commit crimes do have undiagnosed mental health issues, and they're not being addressed, and it's leading folks to committing crimes."

The county is aiming to have the mobile crisis team active by September, and will contract with a mental health provider to deliver mobile crisis services through an RFP process expected to start next week, according to a press release.

Jordan said she hopes the team cuts down on the need for law enforcement and first responders to go out on calls "that they're not trained for and that they didn't sign up for."

"It's a bit of a waste of resources and time," she said. "One call could lead a police officer taking a person in crisis to the emergency room where sometimes the wait is hours, so you'll have one of our law enforcement officers sitting in an emergency room with somebody in mental health crisis, and they're not out doing their job they've been hired for," she said.

Instead, the mental health team would catch people in crises, deescalate the problem and connect them to services they need.

City and county elected officials and the Missoula County Sheriff's Office have pointed to the project as one way they are bolstering community resources as residents have asked for in requests to reallocate funding from law enforcement to such resources. Some residents have commented in recent city meetings that the city should commit funding beyond the 10-month pilot period.

Jordan said as part of the grant, the county is required to gather data on the team's effectiveness.

"In about 10 months time, we're going to go back to the city and county and say 'here's the data here's how much money we've saved, time to hard fund this,'" she said.

The team will be modeled after a similar project in Eugene, Oregon, called CAHOOTS, Jordan said. A press release from the county stated that mobile crisis teams reduce jail bookings and emergency room visits, decrease arrests and prosecutions, and allow for more appropriate use of law enforcement and first responder time. Research shows that every dollar spent on mobile crisis saves $5 to $7 elsewhere in the mental health and criminal justice systems.

Jordan said there is a push across the country for mobile crisis teams, and said forming one up to this point has been difficult with budget constraints.

"Finding money has been hard," she said. "We kind of have these budgets set up to pay for certain things over here, and it can be hard to bring in new programs without a lot of pressure. There's a lot of pressure right now for jurisdictions to implement mobile crisis teams."

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Britain said on July 18 it was pausing its daily update of the death toll from the coronavirus in the United Kingdom after the government ordered a review into the calculation of the data over concern numbers might have been exaggerated.

Academics have said the way that Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures means they might look worse there than in other countries of the United Kingdom.

Also Read: Air India calls financial situation challenging, leave without pay 'win-win situation'

Also Read: Informed PM Modi of coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra: Former CM Devendra Fadnavis
Four million residents of Barcelona have been urged to stay at home as virus cases rise, while EU leaders were set to meet again in Brussels Saturday, seeking to rescue Europes economy from the ravages of the pandemic.

Spains Covid-19 death toll of 28,400 is one of Europes worst and the country has identified more than 150 new virus clusters across the country.

Barcelona, one of Europes most visited cities, warned of a potential return to lockdown as EU leaders met and as India became the third country to record one million cases after the United States and Brazil.

With all this news there will only be cancellations, Joan Bernat, a 46-year-old restaurateur in the city told AFP.

Trade was already going badly these past few weeks -- theres nobody in the offices, no tourists.

The virus has now killed more than 594,000 people and infected over 13,990,000 as it continues to surge across the globe despite months of unprecedented lockdowns to stop its spread.

A growing number of countries and cities have been forced into reimposing restrictions, with Barcelona only the latest example.

India hit the million mark the day after virus cases in Brazil topped two million -- although the World Health Organization said Friday that Brazils contagion has plateaued with the rate of infection stabilising after 77,000 deaths.

Difficult EU negotiations

The mood was sombre in Brussels as European Union leaders met in person for the first time in five months Friday, hoping to overcome divisions about a planned 750-billion-euro ($857 billion) stimulus package.

The leaders will meet again Saturday after running into opposition from frugal countries led by the Netherlands and Austria.

Some 12 hours of haggling failed to yield a result as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte refused to give ground on his demand for strict controls on payments to his struggling southern partners.

World Bank chief economist Carmen Reinhart meanwhile urged the G20 group to extend debt relief for the poorest nations battling the pandemic.

The Group of 20 in April agreed to a one-year moratorium to help the worlds 76 most vulnerable economies but Reinhart said the step hasnt gone as far as it was hoped.

G20 finance ministers and central bankers are set to hold virtual talks Saturday, aimed at spurring global economic recovery.

Now is not the time

The International Monetary Fund warned meanwhile that the United States, with more than 3,640,000 cases, must do more to support households and boost demand after GDP contracted 37 percent in the second quarter.

The IMF warned tremendous uncertainties hang over the countrys outlook.

The top US infectious disease specialist, Anthony Fauci, called on Americas youth to take the virus more seriously.

The sooner we put this down, the sooner were going to get back to normal and youll be able to freely have fun, go to the bars go with the crowds, but not now. Now is not the time to do that, he said.

The United States marked a record number of coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day Friday, notching more than 77,600 new infections in 24 hours, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Lockdowns have been imposed on millions of people in India, where more than 600 are dying every day.

Indias hotspots had previously been the megacities of Mumbai and New Delhi, but smaller cities and rural areas -- where 70 percent of Indians live -- have recently begun to raise the alarm.

With per capita spending on health care among the lowest in the world, Indias hospitals are reeling.

Its not going to go away till a vaccine comes... I have to keep fighting and trying to save every single life, Showkat Nazir Wani, a doctor in an intensive care unit outside the capital New Delhi, told AFP.

New restrictions

Despite fears of a second wave, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his country could expect to return to significant normality by Christmas, as a study revealed that Europes hardest-hit nation may be overestimating its death toll.

However, Israel said stores, markets and other public spaces would be closed on weekends as its number of cases surges.

In China -- where Covid-19 first emerged late last year -- flights were curtailed and public transport shut down in Urumqi, the capital of the far-western Xinjiang region, after new infections were detected.

Authorities in Australias second-biggest city Melbourne meanwhile warned that its lockdown could become even tougher after a record 423 new cases were registered there on Friday.

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Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are helping New Mexico analyze four scenarios for reopening schools  one of which would involve keeping teenagers home so younger students could spread out in high schools.

In briefings to lawmakers and reporters, Human Services Secretary David Scrase said Friday that the calculations are incredibly complex and require massive computing power at the laboratory to determine how each option would affect the spread of COVID-19.

He expects the analysis to be finalized next week but said a hybrid approach  where groups of students rotate between in-person and virtual learning  may be a better option than, say, closing high schools.

The complex analysis must take into account, Scrase said, that children dont seem to contract and spread the disease the way adults do  perhaps because of a difference in receptors in their noses.

But teachers and school staff would still be at risk from in-person learning, he said, and theres evidence that their parents will be more mobile if kids arent at home, which contributes to spread of the disease.

When you reopen schools, Scrase said in a media briefing, you dont see a big increase in cases in kids  what you see is a lot of teachers getting infected.

Scientists at Los Alamos are studying four main scenarios  distance learning, a hybrid in which students are physically present about half the time, the closing of high schools but in-person learning for others, and full-time in-person school for everyone, with stringent mask requirements.

Scrases comment that parent mobility increases when children are in school triggered intense pushback.

In addition to Scrases comments in legislative and media briefings Friday, KRQE-TV reported him saying that parents contribute to the spread of COVID-19 when their kids go back to school because theyre more likely to go to the store, return to work and do other activities.

Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, said Friday that keeping schools closed will damage New Mexicos efforts to boost academic achievement at the same time the state faces a lawsuit over the quality of its education system.

If the only reason were keeping kids at home is so we can control their parents, thats not going to meet the constitutional muster, he said.

Responding to a question in a legislative hearing, Scrase said Friday that the increased mobility of parents is simply one factor among many that has to be analyzed in the reopening of schools. He didnt describe it as an overriding factor or chief concern.

Keeping children at home for remote learning, Scrase said, creates its own challenges that also have to be considered.

Daily average up

A critical factor in the successful reopening of schools, Scrase said, is simply whats happening in the broader community. And the news on that front isnt good.

New Mexico reported 319 new coronavirus cases Friday, pushing the states daily average to a record high, according to a Journal analysis.

The state has averaged about 273 new cases of COVID-19 a day over the last week, the largest total since the pandemic arrived in March. The daily average has shot up 48% since July 1 and more than doubled since a month ago.

In other countries, Scrase said, their success at reopening schools generally matched how they were doing overall. The seven-day average of new cases, he said, is a quick way to measure New Mexicos progress.

We need to see this level out, he said of the growth.

But there are some positive signs, Scrase said, such as data showing New Mexicans travel outside the home seems to be leveling off after recent increases.

The spread rate of COVID-19 is also inching downward, according to modeling by Presbyterian Healthcare and state officials. The most recent estimate is that the transmission rate is about 1.09, meaning each person whos infected spreads the disease to 1.09 other people.

Its an improvement from the 1.2 spread rate the state has seen in recent weeks.

The states goal  to proceed with a gradual reopening  is to get the rate below 1.05.

Death rate decline

New Mexico is already meeting its goals on the number of tests conducted  more than 6,700 a day this week  and for intensive care beds available and the supply of personal protective equipment.

Death rates are also on the decline, Scrase said, and a smaller percentage of coronavirus patients are requiring a ventilator to help them breathe.

Better treatments for the virus might be a factor, he said. Younger adults also make up an increasing percentage of coronavirus infections.

Its also possible that deaths will grow as the disease progresses in people who have only just contracted it, officials say.

Older adults, in any case, are most at risk.

New Mexico reported three more virus deaths Friday  adults ranging in age from their 40s to their 80s, all with underlying medical conditions of some kind.

The state reported 166 virus patients in New Mexico hospitals Friday, a decline of four people since the day before.

Journal staff writer Shelby Perea contributed to this article.
He's been soaking up the sun on a luxury yacht with his family.

But Rod Stewart bid farewell to the crew who had been so attentive during his sunny break on Saturday, as he and wife Penny Lancaster docked in Croatia.

The music legend, 75, was in high spirits as he kissed the hand of a female crew member before exiting the boat, while Penny, 49, looked effortlessly stylish in a snakeskin shirt dress.

Goodbye! Rod Stewart, 75, bid farewell to the crew who had been so attentive during his sunny break on Saturday, as he and wife Penny Lancaster, 49, docked in Croatia

Rod displayed his distinct sense of style in a blue shirt and jeans as he said goodbye to the crew on his way off the lavish boat.

The Maggie May hitmaker kissed one of the staff's hands before heading onto the land with his glamorous wife.

As ever Penny looked effortlessly stylish in a chic shirt dress and aviator sunglasses as they prepared to travel home following their lavish getaway.

Chic: Penny looked as stylish as ever in a snakeskin shirt dress and aviator sunglasses as she and Rod disembarked the yacht in Croatia

Rod and Penny's yacht break may have been a delayed anniversary trip for the loved-up couple, who celebrated 13 years married last month.

They celebrated their wedding anniversary and marked the occasion with a takeaway meal and a glass of wine in the back of their car.

Earlier this year, Rod gushed that his wife Penny is 'everything' to him, as he reflected on their relationship.

Rod explained that being with Penny made him learn 'good manners' which he also tries to instil on his children, while he feels he helped her gain 'a lot of confidence' during the course of their relationship.

Penny and Rod began dating in 1999 before marrying eight years later in the medieval monastery La Cervara in Portofino.

After their wedding on 16 June 2007, the couple enjoyed their honeymoon on the Lady Ann Magee yacht, which was moored in Portofino, and they share sons Alastair, 14, and Aiden, nine, together.
Shaheen Iqbal made new Navy Chief

The government has appointed Rear Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal as the chief of Bangladesh Navy by promoting him to the rank of vice-admiral.

His appointment will be effective for three years from Jul 25, the government said in a notice on Saturday. Iqbal is succeeding Admiral AMMM Aurangzeb Chowdhury who is retiring later this month.

The new Navy chief worked his way through Bangladesh Naval Academy and was commissioned in the Executive Branch in 1982 after joining the Navy as an officer cadet in 1980, according to the Bangladesh Navy website.

The government appointed him assistant chief of the naval staff for operations in 2019.

In his long naval career, Iqbal commanded various types of naval ships: frigate, offshore patrol vessel, large patrol craft and fast-attack craft.

He also commanded two important shore establishments of Bangladesh Navy-BNS Titumir and School of Maritime Warfare and Tactics.

The officer served the National Security Intelligence as a director for two years from January 2011.

He assumed the duties of Commodore Commanding Khulna in February 2013 and completed his tenure in January 2015.

He also served as staff officer operations of Commodore Commanding BN Flotilla. Iqbal was a "Blue Flag" bearer as a member of the UN Guard Contingent in Iraq from November 1997 to February 1999.

During his service career, Iqbal attended various courses at home and abroad. He specialised in anti-submarine warfare from India. He completed Officers' Weapon Course in the School of Infantry & Tactics, International Surface Warfare Course in the US, and Combined Force Maritime Component Commander Flag Officers Course at Hawaii in the US.

He graduated from the Naval Staff College in the US. He completed the Armed Forces War Course and the National Defence Course in the National Defence College.

Besides the US and India, he visited the UK, France, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Hong Kong, China, Nepal and Australia.

Iqbal is married to Monira Rowshan Iqbal who worked as a teacher. They have a son.
Police are working to identify a man who allegedly supplied MDMA pills to three children on the state's Central Coast this month, while a report shows drug use among young Australians has declined in the past 18 years.

Two 11-year-old girls and a 12-year-old boy were admitted to hospital for suspected overdoses of MDMA in Terrigal on July 6. All three children have since been discharged.

Police are working to identify a man who allegedly supplied drugs to three children in Terrigal last week. Credit:Edwina Pickles

It is understood the children sought the drugs and took them knowingly.

"Police have been told the children were supplied a number of MDMA pills by an unknown man while they were out in the Terrigal area that afternoon," a police spokeswoman said.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh, speaking at a recent conference, expressed his concern about the indifference shown by many Vietnams enterprises to EVFTA (EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement).

Khanh fears that they will not take full advantage of the opportunities and warned that the benefits would fall into foreigners hands.





By using certificates of Vietnamese origin of goods, foreign invested enterprises will be able to more easily penetrate the European markets. Thus, the beneficiaries are not Vietnamese enterprises but foreign investors.



Pham Ngoc Hung, deputy chair of the HCM City Business Association, said there are many reasons behind this.



First, the negotiation process for the agreement was too long. It kicked off in October 2010 and the agreement was only approved by the EU Parliament in 2020.



As they had to wait too long, their interest in the agreement decreased.



Second, the large enterprises which have been exporting products to the EU for many years might have had good knowledge about EVFTA as well as other agreements.



Woodwork and footwear companies, for example, have been learning about agreements and seeking partners, while large corporations are using legal consultants.



Meanwhile, SMEs, with small production scale and limited financial capability, understand that they are incapable of exporting products to the choosy market. Therefore, they dont intend to learn more about the agreement.

By using certificates of Vietnamese origin of goods, foreign invested enterprises will be able to more easily penetrate the European markets. Thus, the beneficiaries are not Vietnamese enterprises but foreign investors.

Hung said the fear that foreign investors will take all opportunities away from Vietnamese enterprises is completely realistic.

Exports to the EU now just account for 2 percent of total exports, which means that there are still great opportunities for Vietnams enterprises to increase the proportion.



However, enterprises need to renovate their production process and improve the quality of goods. Only products with high quality which can satisfy requirements can enter European markets.



Hung said the EVFTA has opened a highway for Vietnams enterprises to go to Europe. However, they need to travel on modern cars, not rudimentary ox carts.



In other words, Vietnams enterprises have to upgrade, or they will fail to enter the European market, he said.



He proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) strengthen connections with Vietnamese trade counsellors overseas, especially in European countries, to provide updated information to businesses and help minimize legal risks.



MOIT and VCCI also need to change the ways of working, and eliminate complicated administrative procedures which cost enterprises a lot of time and money.

Kim Chi

EVFTA benefits yet to be seen While the whole world was aggressively fighting Covid-19, Vietnam and the European Union ratified the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVTFA).
London: Britains Health Minister Matt Hancock has ordered a review into how deaths from coronavirus are reported in England after academics said the daily figures may be unreliable and include people who have died of other causes, an official said.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Credit:AP

The way Public Health England, a government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures in England means they might look worse than in other parts of the United Kingdom, according to two academics.

Yoon Loke, from the University of East Anglia, and Carl Heneghan, from the University of Oxford, said Public Health England cross-checks the latest notifications of deaths against a database of positive test results  so anyone who has tested positive can be recorded as dying from the virus.

In a blog titled "Why no-one can recover from COVID-19 in England", the academics said that patients who tested positive for COVID, but were successfully treated, would still be counted as dying from the virus if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 18, 2020 - 17:30 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. will start a clinical study of the antiviral drug Avigan in Kuwait as early as this month in collaboration with an Indian partner company, sources close to the matter said Saturday.

India's Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. is expected to mainly conduct the clinical study involving up to 1,000 people to assess its effectiveness, according to the sources.

Earlier this month, Fujifilm said it had granted exclusive rights to Dr. Reddy's to develop, produce and sell the potential COVID-19 treatment drug overseas, along with Dubai-based Global Response Aid.

Avigan has been seen as a possible treatment for the COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co., the Japanese firm's subsidiary that developed Avigan, also known as favipiravir, was initially planning to conduct its clinical study targeting 96 people in Japan from late March through the end of June.

But the trial did not proceed in accordance with the plan as the number of infections in Japan was dwindling some weeks during the period.

The number of COVID-19 infections in Kuwait was more than 58,200 as of Saturday, while that of Japan came to some 24,100, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The sources said if effective data were collected during the study in Kuwait, they could be used in Japan.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had hoped to see the homegrown drug approved by the end of May but gave up the target after a Japanese university's interim report, released in mid-May, did not indicate clear efficacy of Avigan in treating the disease.

Earlier this month, Fujita Health University, which has led a team carrying out clinical tests of Avigan, said again its study failed to demonstrate a clear efficacy in treating coronavirus patients at an early stage of the disease.

Related coverage:

Avigan study fails to demonstrate benefit in COVID-19 treatment

Fujifilm ties up with Indian firm on potential COVID-19 drug Avigan

Falling coronavirus cases in Japan cause delay in Avigan clinical tests
As if the left and right allegations against Ellen DeGeneres being rude and unfair to her staff are not enough, a series of new claims rise anew as the famous talk show host is in quarantine and conducting shows at home.

In a recent revelation, formers employees of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" claim that they experienced bullying, racism, and a toxic work culture while working at the the17-year-old show.

The 62-year-old host's namesake show is known for having a compassionate and charitable brand, often giving away stuff and cash to ordinary people. However, employees claim that it is all just for show.

"That 'be kind' bulls**t only happens when the cameras are on. It's all for the show," one former employee allegedly told BuzzFeed, and it is only the tip of the iceberg.

Racist Claims

A former black woman staff said that after working for the show for 18 months, she experienced racist micro-aggression and abuse.

She recalled being told "I'm sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here" by one of the writers on the show.

The African-American employee tried to raise the issue to her white boss, as well as some salary issues, but her concerns were never prioritized.

Toxic Work Culture

Meanwhile, another employee revealed how she was unconsciously fired from her post. The staff, who had been working on the show for a year, had an unfortunate suicide attempt, so she had to check himself into a mental health facility. Unfortunately, when she came back healed, her position was apparently terminated.

Another ex-employee revealed that after arguing with the supervisor and HR for time off, they were eventually fired for attending a family member's funeral.

Clueless Ellen

The staff expressed their belief that the executive producers are giving Ellen DeGeneres the impression that things are going great within the workforce, which is why she is probably clueless about what is happening behind the camera.

While the employees blamed the show's executive, they insisted that Ellen should be more involved in what is happening with the team and check on the staff's well-being.

"If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what's going on," one ex-staff said.

The Ellen Degeneres Show Response

A day after the bombshell BuzzFeed story, the show's executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner released a joint statement saying that they were saddened to learn that several employees had a negative experience while working on the show.

"We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our product family has had a negative experience, it's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us," the statement read.

They vowed to take it as a learning experience and commit to do better moving forward.

How Could This Affect Ellen's Career?

Since a series of bad publicities are hitting Ellen for the past few months, it is believed that it will hit her reputation and career.

Her image was the first to suffer after being targeted by the internet's "cancel culture" and getting canceled with whatever she does.

The wrath also caused her show's ratings to drop by 14 percent last month. According to TVNewsCheck, it has been the lowest rating in the 17 seasons of the show.

Soon, we wouldn't be surprised if celebrities will also reveal their bad experience with Ellen and on the show. And it would not be long enough before brands drop major endorsement deals with the TV host.

Just like the coronavirus pandemic, only time can tell when her doomsday is coming.

READ MORE: Battle Of The Babies: Cardi B's Daughter Kulture Beats Kylie Jenner's Stormi!
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 22:33:59|Editor: huaxia

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LJUBLJANA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian Health Minister Tomaz Gantar has signed a two-year cooperation agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, according to a recent statement on the government website.

Cooperation will focus on the strengthening of the health care system and control of communicable and non-communicable disease. It will also promote health equality, investments, gender equality and human rights by boosting health literacy, cooperation of the private sector and NGOs, and the participation of the country in global networks, according to the statement on Friday.

The Health Ministry highlighted the cooperation as part of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU which will come in the second half of 2021.

Slovenia reported 24 new coronavirus infections over the past day, according to the latest official figures on Saturday. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 1,940, and the death toll remains at 111. Enditem
The Oregon Health Authority reported 353 new confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases and three deaths on Saturday.

Saturdays count marks the third consecutive day that state officials have reported 300 or more cases.

The streak began on Thursday when the health authority reported a record-breaking case count for the third consecutive week with 437.

Disclosure of the cases comes a day after state officials reported the highest hospitalization total since the pandemic began with 158 Friday. The previous high was 156 on April 8.

The disclosure also comes just a few days after new mandates announced by Gov. Kate Brown Monday went into effect. The mandates ban indoor social gatherings of 10 or more people and require Oregonians to wear masks when they cannot maintain 6 feet of physical distance outdoors.

New cases by county: Benton (4), Clackamas (15), Clatsop (2), Coos (3), Crook (2), Deschutes (11), Douglas (4), Hood River (8), Jackson (7), Jefferson (2), Klamath (4), Lake (3), Lane (37), Lincoln (3), Linn (3), Malheur (5), Marion (31), Morrow (11), Multnomah (87), Polk (7), Sherman (3), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (35), Union (4), Wallowa (2), Wasco (5), Washington (47), and Yamhill (7).

New fatalities: Oregons 255th victim of the coronavirus is a 78-year-old man in Marion County who died in his home July 17 after testing positive three days prior. State officials have yet to determine if he had underlying health conditions.

The 256th victim of the coronavirus in Oregon is a 60-year-old man in Wallowa County. He died in his home July 16 after testing positive July 8. He had unspecified underlying health conditions.

An 81-year-old man in Lincoln County who had unspecified underlying health conditions is Oregons 257th victim of COVID-19. He died in his home July 4 and tested positive through a post-mortem test July 15.

Workplace outbreaks: State officials reported this week that 142 coronavirus cases have been connected to the Lamb Weston potato factory in Hermiston, which is the third largest workplace outbreak to date. The factory has been closed since June 15 and cooperated with health officials by testing all employees, a company spokesperson told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an email.

Outbreaks at food processors and agricultural sites have infected nearly 1,000 Oregonians since March. However, workplace outbreaks are now outnumbered by what state officials call sporadic spread -- cases whose origins are unclear.

Since it began: State officials have reported 14,149 presumed and confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

-- Bryce Dole; bdole@oregonian.com; 541-660-9844; @DoleBryce

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.

Where to find coronavirus face masks, facial coverings online:
From a miracle COVID-19 patient to an interview with a mobsters hitman , weve selected some of the best long reads of the week from thestar.com.

Want to dive into more long features? Sign up for the Weekend Long Reads newsletter to get them delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday morning.

1. None of us expected him to survive: Coronavirus patient recovers after nine weeks on a ventilator in Toronto hospitals intensive care unit

Mario Castillo Tamayo was the first COVID-19 patient to end up in Humber River Hospitals intensive care unit and he remained there on a breathing machine from late March to early June  about nine weeks.

At one point doctors in the hospital thought the 51-year-old was going to die because his oxygen levels dropped so low. One of his doctors called and said my husband is getting worse, and we dont know if he will make it, said Castillo Tamayos wife, Maricar Pagulayan.

2. Things are right up close, personal. Pat Musitanos hitman shares tales of working for Hamilton mobster

Hitman Ken Murdock said he had one strict personal rule: kill his victims away from their wives and children. You dont do that sort of stuff in front of the wife and kids, he said in a telephone interview. He said the first murder he committed for Musitano was in 1985 when he was ordered to execute a Stelco factory janitor for unpaid gambling debts.

3. Inside the highly sexualized culture at Ubisoft: Will mounting harassment allegations finally result in real change?

Bullying. Sexual harassment. A highly sexualized culture rife with drinking and partying.

The allegations began swirling on social media in June, and it became quickly apparent that Ubisoft had a problem.

Workers relied on a whisper network to help each other stay away from known harassers within the company, said one woman who shared her story.

4. Why the pandemic is a triple whammy for nail salon workers  and an opportunity for change

As the pandemic hit, Jackie Liangs outreach to nail salon workers suddenly pivoted away from concerns about subminimum wage earnings  and toward the looming fear of earning nothing at all.

But as devastating as salon closures were for owners and workers alike, Liang  a nail technician who now works with Torontos Nail Technicians Network  knew the challenge of reopening would be just as complex.

Resuming business amid a pandemic brings into focus a sector with patchy regulation, a population of workers already vulnerable to respiratory illness, and a set of precarious working conditions that made it hard for workers to speak up about safety concerns, Liang says.

5. And then there were none: The day North York Generals ICU was clear of COVID patients was cause to celebrate. But staff fear a second wave

On June 30, North York General Hospital marked a milestone: After 100 days there were no COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit.

That morning, staff gathered to quietly celebrate and reflect on the harrowing weeks of treating the sickest coronavirus patients. The hospital, at Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue East, was among the first in the GTA to see a wave of critically ill patients with the virus; at its peak, the community hospital had 12 COVID patients in its 21-bed ICU.

6. As a white kid from Oakville, I was taught systemic racism didnt exist here. A BLM rally led me to ugly truths

At the rally in Downtown Oakville on June 13, one speaker told the story of Ira Julius Johnson and Isabel Jones. They spoke about how in 1930, 75 members of the Ku Klux Klan rode in a procession from Hamilton to Oakville to intervene in the marriage of Johnson, presumed to be a Black man, and Jones, a white woman, writes Ethan Carley.

I had never learned about this, and I was compelled to know more.

7. Secret letters detail Ford government efforts to control Ontarios supposedly arms-length transit agency

Months after taking office in 2018, the Ontario PC government issued a written directive to Metrolinx prohibiting the supposedly arms-length transit agency from communicating with the public about key issues without ministry approval.

The letter was one of nine confidential ministerial directives sent to Metrolinx over the first 21 months of the Progressive Conservatives mandate. In them, the provincial government also gave direction to the agency about expensive and politically charged projects like a new Woodbine GO station, Toronto subways and the Hurontario LRT.

8. The forever battle of a journalist of colour: Dalton Camp Award winning essay

To be racialized is to be politicized, writes Radiyah Chowdhury. I could walk into any room as a journalist, but by virtue of my headscarf Id be recognized as a Muslim woman first. I was taught to present both sides of a story, but what would I do in situations where one of those sides threatened my ability to live peacefully in a democratic society, like the secularism law passed in Quebec?

How could I give vitriol and racism a platform when covering political movements that aimed to effectively legislate Islamophobia, like Stephen Harpers 2015 Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, which legitimized unfounded fears of Islam? It seemed like at some point, the sacrifice Id make to be a mainstream journalist would be to quiet the human side of myself. In fact, I would have to work twice as hard to be considered a fair journalist, lest I be accused of bias by way of my ethnicity and faith.

9. Questions about COVID-19 that keep Sick Kids infectious diseases expert up at night

As much of the province moves into Stage 3 of reopening, Dr. Upton Allen, head of infectious diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children, is thinking about September and the start of the school year. He said people need to continue working together to prevent an increase in the number of community cases to ensure a safe return to school.

That said, moving forward, the threshold for closing schools again, even with an increase in the number of cases in the community, will be much higher in the fall because we have learned a lot about how we can protect ourselves, he said. We are a lot better equipped to deal with community cases than we were in the spring.

10. This Black woman entrepreneur built her hairstyle into a million-dollar hair extension business

The kinky and the curly are obvious. But the yaki?

You might not understand why Vivian Kayes million-dollar, Hamilton-based hair extension business carries the tongue-in-cheek name, KinkyCurlyYaki.

Certainly, she says, banks and business advisers have not.

But the women who buy Kayes products online  80 per cent of them in the U.S.  they get it.

If youre a Black woman whos ever worn hair extensions you know what yaki is, said Kaye, 42.

11. All of Toronto will soon be a smart city riddled with sensors, experts say  but who will control the data?

A smart city needs all the bells and whistles  the sensors and signals, computers and robotics that its skin-and-bones architecture demands.

But its blood  its human plasma  is the data of our lives.

And should Toronto attempt another smart-city project over the next decade, its the control and distribution of that human data  its governance  that will make or break the venture, experts say.

12. Restaurants may be open but theyre not in the clear. Inside one neighbourhood cafes make or break reopening

Places like mine, which dont have any backers and are owned by people who live in the neighbourhood they serve, theyre the most at risk, says Leo Wong, 31, owner of Scenic Coffee + Brunch, a small cafe and brunch spot located in a plaza on Woodbine Ave., just south of Highway 7, in Markham. We dont have any financial resources to fall back on.

13. Just wear the damn mask and other truths from actual doctors

You know, in almost every country where theyve been able to Crush the Curve, people have been wearing masks, says Dr. Jason Lee, a specialist in clinical immunology, allergy and internal medicine with a practice in Toronto. And in a lot of countries where everyone wears a mask, it wasnt even a public order. People just did it since it was a good citizen thing to do. Its kind of strange that we have to fight for it and make bylaws for this in Canada since, if everyone wore a mask, and did social distancing, we would have no cases.
The image of Triona OConnor selected for an exhibition in Tokyo

A 'mirror' photo by Co Wexford artist Triona O'Connor has been been chosen for an exhibition in Tokyo, Japan.

'Contemplating' was selected for the Mirror Mirror art 2020 exhibition in June.

Ms O'Connor, who has exhibited in galleries througout Ireland, got involved in the project in May. Working in the Anything Red theme, the New Ross woman successfully protrayed a narrative that appealed to judges.

Tasked with using a mirror to make art more interesting, she set about creating her own world.

She said: 'I got a notification on Facebook. I'm in this group called International Call For Artists and it was posted there. It caught my eye: a mirror project using the mirror. The theme was anything red so I set up my Canon camera in the room and set the camera on a timer and took photos of myself and then submitted online to Instagram to the mirror project.'

The mirror presented in the location, the reflection it captures and Instagram through which the image is seen was the criteria for the work.

Her lightbulb surrounded mirror suggests a performer ahead of a show and is cinematic.

She was thrilled with the recognition: 'I'm an international artist!'

Ms O'Connor qualified with a degree from Crawford College of Art & Design in Cork and has four pieces of art on show in her latest exhibition.
Northern Ireland's courts and tribunals are gearing up for the post-Covid era

Northern Ireland's courts and tribunals are gearing up for the post-Covid era.

The Lord Chief Justice's Office set out yesterday how the volume and range of cases being dealt with by the courts will be stepped up in the coming weeks.

As courts business resumes, it's anticipated that as much court work as possible will be undertaken remotely.

Members of the public and legal representatives should not attend court unless specifically required.

Jury trials at Laganside Crown Court will restart on 19 August. Other Crown Courts across Northern Ireland will resume in September.

Work in the Family Proceedings Court in Belfast's Laganside facility in the city centre restarts from next Monday, July 20, while a new Summon Sentencing Court begins work at Laganside from Wednesday next. The Summon Sentencing Court will deal with matters which can be sentenced without the defendant needing to be physically present in court.

Listing for Civil Bills will commence from August 3, 2020, the Lord Chief Justice's Office said.

The initial listings will cover cases that had been previously listed for hearing in March, April, May and June 2020.

Full details of changes can be read at https://judiciaryni.uk
Azerbaijan has rich experience in committing terrorist acts. This is what Advisor to the President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Davit Babayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, commenting on Bakus threats to launch a missile attack on the Armenian nuclear power plant.

Azerbaijan has intoxicated the water resources of Nagorno-Karabakh for decades, that is, ever since Heydar Aliyev came to power in Azerbaijan, and this led to the sharp growth of oncological diseases. This was the result of intoxication of those water resources, and first of all, in Stepanakert, Babayan emphasized.

According to him, Azerbaijans nonsensical statements that the Armenians in Karvachar (formerly Kalbajar) are burying wastes from the Metsamor Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, de facto affirm that they have radioactive wastes and are preparing ground for future operations with such statements.

When a state says it will "attack the nuclear power plant", it can be expected since that state has great experience in poisoning the population. As a matter of fact, they were intoxicating the waters of not only Nagorno-Karabakh, but also the waters of many regions populated by national minorities. There has to be a focus on biological, bacteriological and chemical weapons in the concept paper on national security, the Advisor to the President of Artsakh said.

Babayan recalled that Azerbaijan has established a good school for teaching Armenian, and this has to make Armenia and Artsakh be more and more alert because Azerbaijan might have already sent certain people for certain purposes.
The science is inconclusive: Children do not often become seriously ill or die of covid-19, but less is known about how easily they spread the coronavirus that causes the disease to adults. Health experts remain divided, but many have begun advocating for at least some in-person school, offering families not just a better education but mental-health support, food security, child care and more.
For the millions of workers stuck at home through the coronavirus pandemic, the idea of moving to a Caribbean island for a year sounds like a dream.

But now it could become a reality.

Barbados is planning to introduce a 12-month visa that would allow remote workers to swap cramped city apartments for the islands white sandy beaches, blue sea and year-round sunshine.

The scheme, known as the Barbados Welcome Stamp, is due to be launched in August and will be open to anyone earning more than $50,000. The scheme is designed to provide a much-needed boost to the islands tourist-dependent economy, while capitalizing on the shift in work patterns driven by the coronavirus pandemic.

Image: Mia Mottley, Barbados' prime minister, speaks during the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York. (Kevin Hagen / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)

There's nothing like waking up and seeing the sunshine. And there's nothing like being able to work and go for a sea bath and come back and put in the second shift of work, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley told NBC News. You can do all of that, while still being able to do the things that you're doing in London or New York, she added.

Tourism makes up 40 percent of Barbados' economy, employing 26,000 people according to the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association. Mottley said unemployment had virtually trebeled during the pandemic, leading to a 31 percent decline in government revenue.

Obviously, short-term travel came to a halt in March for us. We will continue to see the decline, she said.

We felt that perhaps the better thing for us to do is to open up our travel opportunities for people who wanted to stay longer, and wanted to be able to work from elsewhere, particularly with the technological platforms that afford that opportunity to us now.

The Barbados Welcome Stamp would give visitors the right to work in the country for up to a year, regardless of where their employer is based. Its expected to cost $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a family visa  irrespective of how many children that family has. Participants in the scheme will be required to take out health insurance.

Story continues

Barbados, with a population of 286,000, has confirmed just 104 COVID-19 cases and seven deaths, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The island partly reopened its international borders July 12, with flights resuming from Canada. Flights from the United States will resume July 25, with four weekly flights from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and flights from Miami restarting in August.

The Barbados government has already put measures in place to try to limit the infection risk posed by the return of overseas visitors. Travelers are expected to have the results of a negative COVID-19 test, taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.

If not, a test will be taken upon landing and the traveler will be quarantined for two days while awaiting the results. Visitors are also required to undergo a temperature check on arrival and must wear a mask at the airport.

Image: Bottom Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Caribbean island of Barbados. (Fyletto / Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Mottley said the relatively low infection rate in Barbados, in contrast to surging case numbers in the U.S. and widespread fears of a second wave, could help to persuade people to take up the Welcome Stamp offer.

Given that it is anticipated there will be a second wave, particularly in Europe come November or December, we believe that we can offer people who have the capacity to work from home a different perspective, particularly given the mental health issues associated with this physical pandemic.

Santiago Ibarguen, 39, a disaster preparedness consultant, moved to Barbados from Washington, D.C., with his wife and their two children.

He said the benefits of living and working in Barbados are clear: We have this saying here that we live like a vacation because literally every Friday, once you get off work, it's your vacation until Monday.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reportedly directed HDFC Bank to repay Rs 210 crore to Mashreq Bank. The amount was debited from non-banking finance company (NBFC) Altico Capitals account in September 2019 to write off the NBFC's bad loans.

HDFC Bank had debited the amount through an external commercial borrowing (ECB) from Dubai-based Mashreq Bank. Altico had parked the sum originally raised from Mashreq with the Indian private sector lender, Mint reported.

HDFC's action came after Altico showed signs of stress and in early September 2019 its long-term and short-term issuer ratings were downgraded by India Ratings from AA- to A+ and A1+ to A1, respectively. The ratings agency had cited continued pressure on real estate sector  stretched working capital cycle for real estate borrowers  and diluted liquidity buffers on balance sheet as reasons for the downgrades.

Altico then defaulted on a close to Rs 20 crore interest payment to Mashreq Bank followed by a series of defaults which led to management action.

Altico and Mashreq Bank accused HDFC Bank of violating regulatory provisions" for its actions and approached the RBI. A source told the paper that Altico sought to change its owner to SSG Capital from the existing Varde Partners, Abu Dhabi Investment Council and Clearwater Capital Partners and had filed an application with the central bank for the same.

The banks will recover Rs 2,750 crore from this transaction along with some security receipts of the total outstanding debt of Rs 3,872 crore," the source added.
Tensions are mounting by the day between the United States and China, leading to talk of a new Cold War. Experts see important historical differences -- but believe the two powers are entering dangerous territory.

US President Donald Trump's administration has increasingly gone global against China, pushing other nations to reject its strings-attached aid and telecom titan Huawei, and siding unreservedly with Beijing's rivals in the dispute-rife South China Sea.

Trump has made China a major campaign issue as he heads into the November election, but the relationship looks unlikely to change in more than tone if he loses to Joe Biden, who has accused the president of not being tough enough.

Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs at Harvard University, said the world's two largest economic powers were engaged in a long-term competition over "incompatible strategic visions," including China's desire to dominate Asia.

China sees Trump as a "weak and error-prone leader" and likely believes the "disastrous" US response to the coronavirus pandemic presented opportunities to press its advantage, he said.

"It resembles the US-Soviet 'Cold War' in certain respects, but it is not yet as dangerous as that earlier rivalry," Walt said.

"One key difference is that the two states are still closely connected economically, although that relationship is now under considerable strain."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is taking stern warnings about Beijing around the world, did not reject the Cold War comparison in a recent radio interview.

He also noted that the United States was never as economically intertwined with the Soviet Union --and said the West therefore needed to separate from China, especially its technology, which Washington fears will be used for espionage.

Oriana Skylar Mastro, an assistant professor at Georgetown University and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said it was dangerous to speak of a Cold War with China.

"The situation with China is nothing like the Cold War," she said.

"On the positive side, we have extensive engagement. On the negative, there is a real possibility of a hot war between the two sides to a degree that never existed with the Soviet Union."

She said that using a Cold War lens leads to ineffective responses, including Washington incorrectly seeing Beijing as an ideological threat.

Mastro said that China had plenty of options to alleviate US concerns, such as pulling back weapons systems in the South China Sea.

"But Beijing won't do this because it fundamentally misunderstands the drivers of US policy. It thinks the US is responding to its own decline in power -- that no matter how Beijing acts, the US will lash out," she said.

"So there is no impetus to try to moderate its ambitions and how it attempts to achieve them. This is a mistake. And China's failure to do so, to try to assure the US, could lead us into a war."

In a shift from a few years ago, US businesses, stung by what they see as rampant theft of intellectual property, are rarely asking for de-escalation.

David Stilwell, the top State Department official for East Asia, said he learned as US defense attache in Beijing that China responded to "demonstrable and tangible action."

"Personally I was of that school that you could work with these folks. But my epiphany came 10 years ago when I went to Beijing," he told a recent think tank event.

The United States has also pressed China over its clampdown in Hong Kong and mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims, each time triggering retaliatory measures by Beijing.

Trump has still voiced hope of preserving a trade deal with China, which promised before the coronavirus pandemic to ramp up purchases of US goods.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said both sides knew China would no longer be able to carry out the agreement in full.

Shi said he expects relations will keep deteriorating.

"The old Cold War was a very fierce confrontation and competition between two great powers, driven by ideology and strategy," Shi said.

In the case of the United States and China, the two powers are selectively but rapidly "decoupling" from each other, he said.

"Using this definition, it can be said that China and the United States have begun to enter a new Cold War."
In the latest sign of growing instability in New Zealands political establishment, the main opposition National Party installed a new leader this week following weeks of inner-party turmoil. The change occurred just 10 weeks before the scheduled September 19 general election.

Former cabinet minister Judith Collins won the leadership ballot at an emergency caucus meeting on Tuesday night, following the sudden resignation of the incumbent, Todd Muller, earlier in the day.

Muller cited unspecified health issues and declared he was not the best person to lead the party. In May he had replaced Simon Bridges in a leadership spill triggered by the partys slump in the polls.

Mullers 53-day leadership term was the shortest of any parliamentary leader in New Zealands history. Media commentators said the trigger for his resignation was the revelation that National Party MP Hamish Walker and former party president, Michelle Boag, leaked private medical details of COVID-19 patients in an attempt to embarrass the Labour Party-led government.

The media attacked Mullers inability to control his MPs and his failure to gain political traction from the governments mismanagement of quarantine hotels, which prompted the resignation of Health Minister David Clark earlier this month.

The persistent crisis within the National Party, however, has deeper roots than the scandal surrounding Walker and Boag. Collins is the third person to lead the party this year and the fourth since the shock resignation of Prime Minister John Key in 2016.

The National Partys turmoil stems partly from its lack of any significant differences with Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns main response to the crisis. This has consisted of handing tens of billions of dollars to big business in the form of subsidies, bailouts and tax concessions, even as companies like The Warehouse, SkyCity and Air New Zealand have sacked thousands of people.

For now, Labour appears to be the ruling elites preferred party to oversee the savage pro-business restructuring that is already underway. The media in New Zealand and internationally has lavished praise on Arderns handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

A more fundamental source of political instability is Nationals foreign policy differences with the Labour government. While both parties support close military and intelligence ties with the United States, including NZ participation in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the National Party remains anxious about alienating China, New Zealands main trading partner.

The 20082017 National governments attempt to balance between the US and China became increasingly untenable as President Barack Obama, followed by Trump, ramped up the military encirclement and economic pressure on China.

Arderns coalition government, which includes the right-wing nationalist NZ First Party and the Greens, was formed in 2017 with the support of Washington. During the coalition talks that followed the inconclusive election, US Ambassador Scott Brown publicly criticised the National Party for failing to support Trumps threat to totally destroy North Korea. He indicated that the next government should take a firmer stand against China.

The drive towards war is now accelerating sharply due to the unprecedented health, economic and social crisis created by the pandemic. Washington aims to reverse its long-term economic decline and assert its global dominance, and divert working-class anger over the rising US death toll.

The Ardern government has strengthened New Zealands integration into US war preparations. A 2018 defence policy statement labelled China and Russia the main threats to the global order, echoing the Pentagon. It has also ramped up military spending and recruitment.

Meanwhile the governments supporters in the media, along with the prominent pro-US academic Anne-Marie Brady, have sought to portray the National Party as compromised because of its links with Beijing. This anti-Chinese campaign, which began before the 2017 election, is now bearing fruit.

Mullers resignation followed a surprise announcement on July 10 by Nationals Chinese-born MP Jian Yang that he will retire after the election. Brady, NZ First, the trade union-backed Daily Blog and the fascist group Action Zealandia have all accused Yangwithout any evidenceof being an agent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Yang is a significant fundraiser for the National Party. He also helped to organise a delegation to Beijing last year led by Bridges, who was attacked in the media for praising the Chinese government.

As leader, Muller argued for further trade with China; he also defended Yang and promoted him in the National Party parliamentary rankings, from number 33 to 27.

The ousting of Bridges, Yangs retirement and Mullers resignation suggest growing divisions within National over its links with China. Stuff also noted: Roughly a third of the National MPs elected at the last election have either departed or are about to leave, including leading figures in the 20082017 government: Bill English, Paula Bennett, Nikki Kaye, Amy Adams and Nathan Guy.

Notwithstanding the foreign policy differences which exist between the National Party and Labour there is complete agreement with the Ardern governments continued assault on the jobs, wages and the living and working conditions of the working class.

The installation of Collins will not resolve the partys crisis. Notably, Collins has returned Bridges to her front bench with the key portfolios of foreign affairs and justice. Her own business connections with China will be of considerable concern in Washington. In 2014, Collins was admonished by Prime Minister Key for using an official trip to Beijing to endorse milk products exported by the NZ company Oravida, of which her husband is a director.

Collins leadership represents a further lurch towards right-wing authoritarianism. In the Key government, she was a hardline police minister, overseeing increased access to tasers and firearms for officers. The media dubbed her Crusher Collins when she proposed legislation to crush the vehicles of illegal street racers.

Journalist Nicky Hagers 2014 book Dirty Politics revealed that Collins was a confidante of prominent right-wing blogger Cameron Slater. In one of her messages to Slater, Collins summed up her approach to politics as: If you cant be loved, then best to be feared. She was temporarily removed from cabinet over her alleged involvement in Slaters efforts to smear the Serious Fraud Office head on behalf of an investment banker who was under investigation.

Alongside Collins, Gerry Brownlee has been made the new deputy leader. Brownlee is widely despised for his role as minister in charge of the Christchurch earthquake recovery following 2011. This was a disaster for tens of thousands of people whose houses were damaged or destroyed and who faced endless delays and shoddy repairs from government agencies and insurance companies.

The National Party was founded in 1936, following the election of the first Labour government, as a regroupment of pro-business forces determined to suppress rising working-class opposition to capitalism. Amid the most severe crisis of capitalism since the Great Depression, all the major parties are once again preparing to brutally confront mass opposition to job losses, austerity and militarism.
NR | 2h 6min | Adventure, Drama, Western | 24 January 1948 (USA)

Fred C. Dobbs has a lot on his mind, but not much to do. Dobbs has landed in the bawdy, bustling port town of Tampico, in northeastern Mexico. He spends his days either begging for handouts or working odd jobs that earn him enough pesos to support his lifestyle, which consists of drifting aimlessly like an unmoored dinghy.

One day, Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) meets up with a younger drifter named Bob Curtin (Tim Holt), and the two men manage to score a construction job. Upon completion of backbreaking labor, the sleazy contractor who hired them, Pat McCormick (Barton MacLane) disappears, leaving the two men with nothing but the lint in their pockets, once again.

A screenshot from the trailer. (Public Domain)

When they catch up with McCormick in a bar, a slugfest ensues. Although McCormick is the better pugilist, the grimy duo manages, barely, to prevail through sheer grit and desperation. They take their hard-earned cash from the wallet of the prone, bloodied swindler and depart.

Poster for the Warner Bros. film. (Public Domain)

The Lure of Gold

These dire straits set the stage for director John Hustons 1948 adventure The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which was set in the 1920s. It was based on a 1927 novel of the same name by B. Traven.

While languishing in a grubby flophouse, Dobbs and Curtin bump into old-time gold prospector Howard (Walter Huston, the father of the director), a good-natured motormouth with banter aplenty. Dobbs cleverly dissects Howards ramblings about gold prospecting and comes up with a plan to seek gold in the Mexican high country.

Dobbs convinces both Curtin and Howard to partner up with him, and they pool their meager funds to purchase supplies, which include tools and a small pack of mangy burros. Howard thinks that their best chance of finding gold lies far off, in a mountain range called the Sierra Madrean area plagued by all kinds of dangers, including hostile wildlife, crooked Federales, and bushwhacking banditos. It is at this point that we first get an inkling as to Dobbss avaricehis beady eyes suddenly light up and his face twists at the mention of striking it rich.

Walter Huston, here in 1950, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Howard in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. (Public Domain)

The traveling trio begins their voyage by train, which gets ambushed by an especially persistent gang of bandits led by the paunchy Gold Hat (Alfonso Bedoya). After driving off the bandits, the men traverse through swampy jungles and desiccated landscapes alike, until they finally reach the Sierra Madre mountains.

The men scour the foothills of the mountains, but the only thing that they come across is fools gold. As a result, the two tenderfoots consider giving up their fortune-hunting trip. In a tense scene, Howard mocks them, laughing loudly. Dobbs, exhausted and spiteful, threatens to kill the old-timer. But a sudden sighting of real gold interrupts the potential outbreak of violence. The men promptly set up a clandestine campsite near several gold veins.

One night, while gathered around a campfire, the men reveal what theyll do with all of their cashed-in gold. Howard doesnt want much: He just wants to live out his final days enjoying lifes simple pleasures. Curtin, likewise, has the modest aspirations of owning a ranch surrounded by peach orchards, since that reminds him of his childhood. But Dobbs seeks immediate gratifications, such as ordering extravagant meals and wearing only the finest of suits; theres no long-range plan in sight for him.

The prospectors try to keep their illegal mining operation (since they have no rights to the land) hidden from bandits, Federales, and even a fellow prospector who seems to know a little more than he lets on.

As time goes on, Dobbs begins to unravela bad case of gold fever. As Dobbss mental condition deteriorates, the other two men wonder what they should do about their burgeoning problem. Will Howard and Curtin part ways with their troubled partner, or will Dobbs become so deranged that he actualizes his increasingly sadistic thoughts?

Humphrey Bogart in 1940. (Public Domain)

In the End

The films runtime is jam-packed with stories; it could have easily been a three-hour epic or a TV miniseries. There are also a few unexpected yet believable plot twists, especially in the capable hands of director John Huston, and of course the incredible acting abilities of Bogie (who is cast against type as an antagonist), as well as commendable displays of acting prowess by both Walter Huston and Tim Holt.

In the end, this film shows us that the biggest enemy that the men face is themselves. Greed, lust, envy, and paranoia are increasingly brought to the fore, but the film does an excellent job of gradually revealing them with subtlety. Its a film that shows us what even the most well-meaning people will do under stressful conditions.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is an adventure film that doubles as a character studyan incisive exploration of the human condition.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Director: John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt

Not Rated

Running time: 2 hours, 6 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 24, 1948 (USA)

Rated: 4 stars out of 5



Ian Kane is a filmmaker and author based out of Los Angeles. To see more, visit DreamFlightEnt.com or contact him at Twitter.com/ImIanKane
Federal Department of Finance

Bern, 18.07.2020 - On July 18, 2020, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer and Swiss National Bank Chairman Thomas Jordan took part in the video conference of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. This fourth meeting under the Saudi G20 presidency centred around efforts to deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The discussions focused on global economic developments and global financial stability, adjustments to the action plan to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, launched by the G20 in April this year, and joint efforts to secure global economic recovery. The G20 also emphasised the importance of the initiative to temporarily suspend debt service payments by the poorest countries to their sovereign bilateral creditors (Debt Service Suspension Initiative  DSSI). Other topics covered included international corporate tax reforms and sustainable infrastructure investment.

Federal Councillor Maurer stressed the importance of smoothly functioning and open markets for a swift, sustainable recovery. In his remarks, he highlighted the key role played by global supply chains and advocated a strengthening of international cooperation to avoid delivery delays. At the same time, Mr Maurer emphasised that investors and companies now needed planning certainty. With this in mind, he also urged to greater caution in the preparation of new international tax rules. Finally, he stressed that transparent and sustainable sovereign debt is the key to sound policies.

The next meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors is scheduled for October 2020. Switzerland is participating in the meetings for the fifth consecutive year.

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Phone +41 79 437 73 61

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The US has reported more than 77,000 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, setting yet another single-day record amid a fierce debate over the need to reopen the country with the Trump administration urging schools to resume in-person teaching.

There was grim news from Brazil as well - the worst-affected country in South America. Its tally of Covid-19 cases has crossed the two million mark. More than 76,000 people have died in Brazil. Since May, Brazil has recorded over 1,000 daily deaths.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that transmission of the virus in Brazil has plateaued.

In the US, the new record of 77,217 cases, according to a Reuters tally, beat the previous high of 69,070. Fatalities went up by 969 in the past 24 hours. The virus has claimed over 138,300 lives, infecting at least 3.57 million people.

The White House continued to push for reopening the country. Science is on our side. We encourage localities and states to follow science and open our schools. Its (the curbs) very damaging to our children, Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press spokesperson, told reporters.

Also, two US diplomats are among five new cases reported in Cambodia on Friday. All five cases involve people who had travelled from the US.

In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday hoped that Britain will be able to return close to normality from November, possibly in time for Christmas. Several restrictions have been eased in recent weeks.

Dutch authorities said on Friday they will cull more than 1,100 mink as the coronavirus was discovered in yet another farm in the Netherlands, taking the total to 25. The latest outbreak was found in the town of Westerbeek.
An attorney for one of the central figures in an alleged drug ring based at a Nederland fireworks store and chemical company on Friday night issued a strongly worded defense of the family that owns the business.

The Daughtrys own and operate a number of legitimate businesses and have been a hard-working part of this community for decades, defense attorney Ryan Gertz said in a statement to The Enterprise.

He was referring to Joseph and Sandra Daughtry, who were among nine people indicted on trafficking and money-laundering charges before the businesses were raided on Wednesday.

The government has singled them out over one chemical that they sell which accounts for a portion of one of their businesses, Gertz said.

Related: Eight arrested during Nederland fireworks shop raid drug trafficking charges

The product in question is 1,4 butanediol, often referred to as BDO, which metabolizes into a drug commonly used as a date-rape drug once ingested.

The government says millions of dollars of BDO was sold illegally from Jakes Fireworks and the nearby Right Price Chemicals in Nederland since at least 2015.

Defendants did not employ any form of verification to ensure that its supply of BDO is limited to legitimate businesses, court documents allege. Further investigation revealed that (Right Price Chemicals) sold and shipped its supply of BDO exclusively to individuals at personal residences, fraternity houses, hotel rooms, and apartments, while also accepting walk-in customers who visit Jakes Fireworks.

Gertz countered that the Daughtry family sold a legitimate industrial cleaning chemical and accused the government of misrepresenting the business.

The product comes with specific warnings that it is not intended for human consumption, Gertz said in the statement. It is a legitimate industrial cleaning chemical (not a drug) and is marketed and sold as such. This is the equivalent of charging Walmart because people eat Tide Pods.

The government claims that two women died after ingesting BDO supplied from the Nederland headquarters. One, identified only as A.H. in the criminal indictment, died on June 15, 2015. The other, identified as M.K., died on June 30, 2016.

The government previously said the victims were in Florida and Virginia.

Related: Prosecutors seek immediate jail time for all but 2 in suspected Nederland drug trafficking case

Prosecutors say the fireworks stand was a front for a lucrative illegal business.

For years, Defendants were able to operate a drug scheme with minimal detection because their place of business was a fireworks store, court documents say. But Jakes Fireworks is no different than any crack house or drug hotel. Behind the simple facade of Jakes Fireworks, Defendants run a nationwide drug distribution network selling what employees of Jakes call liquid gold.

On Friday, the Daughtrys son, 34-year-old Jake Daughtry, made his first appearance in federal court in jailhouse attire with his hands and feet shackled in chains.

Pale and overweight, with thinning dark hair, the younger Daughtry walked stoically past two rows of family members and friends as he was escorted by uniformed authorities into the small but crowded courtroom in downtown Beaumont.

Daughtry and his father have been identified as key defendants in the scheme that has been under investigation since 2018.

In court on Friday, Jake Daughtry sat speaking with defense attorney Dustin Galmor before the proceedings began.

Daughtry rose as U.S. Magistrate Judge Zach Hawthorne put him under oath and read off the allegations against him  a litany of 19 charges including drug trafficking and money laundering.

Most serious were two trafficking charges that, if authorities can prove they led to death or serious bodily injury, each carry a minimum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

Jake Daughtry is scheduled to return to federal court on Monday for a detention hearing. Of the nine people indicted, only Joseph Daughtry, 64, and Sandra Daughtry, 72, are not currently detained.

After Fridays hearing, which lasted approximately 10 minutes, Jake Daughtry was led out of the courtroom as the group of family members and friends watched from down the hallway.

Those family members declined to speak with a reporter.

The group then briefly met with Galmor, who told the Enterprise he was one of multiple lawyers working on the case and referred comment to Gertz.

The government alleges that Right Price Chemicals distributed approximately 7,000 gallons of BDO over thousands of orders, generating $4.5 million in sales.

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raided the Right Price Chemicals warehouse on Wednesday. Agents were seen testing the contents of several barrels in the warehouse.

Four other defendants  Jordan King, 31, of Nederland; Austin Dial, 28, of Nederland; Jesse Hackett, 37 of The Woodlands; and Kip Daughtry, 46, of Vidor  appeared Thursday before judge Hawthorne at the federal courthouse in Beaumont.

Tanner Jorgensen, 28, of Nederland, has yet to have his initial hearing. Another defendant remains unnamed by the U.S. Attorneys Office.

mfaye@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/mattGfaye
In this file photo illustration, a Twitter logo is displayed on a mobile phone on May 27, 2020, in Arlington, Virginia. Twitter is probing a massive hack of high-profile users from Elon Musk to Joe Biden that has raised questions about the platform's security as it serves as a megaphone for politicians ahead of November's election. AFP



Twitter is probing a massive hack of high-profile users from Elon Musk to Joe Biden that has raised questions about the platform's security as it serves as a megaphone for politicians ahead of November's election.



Posts trying to dupe people into sending hackers the virtual currency Bitcoin were tweeted by the official accounts of Apple, Uber, Kanye West, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and many others on Wednesday.



"We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools," Twitter said.



The fraudulent posts, which were largely deleted, said people had 30 minutes to send $1,000 in the cryptocurrency, promising they would receive twice as much in return.



A total of 12.58 bitcoins  worth almost $116,000  were sent to email addresses mentioned in the tweets, according to Blockchain.com, which monitors crypto transactions.



"We advise the public not to fall victim to this scam by sending cryptocurrency or money in relation to this incident," said the FBI's San Francisco division, which was investigating.



The account of President Donald Trump, which has 83.5 million followers, was not targeted.



"The president will remain on Twitter," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. "His account was secure and not jeopardized during these attacks."



With the presidential election just over three months away, the influence that social media platforms have on politics has become a hotly debated issue.



Just hours before Wednesday's hack, the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform called for the appointment of a national cybersecurity czar.



In a sign of their growing role in public life, social media have become essential tools, especially in times of crisis.



"For US decision-makers, Twitter presents a bit of a paradox," said Heather Williams and Alexi Drew, who just published a book on Twitter's place in diplomacy for the Centre for Science and Security Studies at King's College in London.



"Tweets from government officials may help shape the American public narrative and provide greater insights into US decision-making to reduce misperception by foreign actors," they wrote.



"On the other hand, tweets may increase misperception and sow confusion during crises, creating escalation incentives for an adversary," Williams and Drew wrote.



- Blue checkmarks -



Twitter locked down affected accounts and removed the fraudulent tweets. It also locked accounts not affected by the hack as a precaution.



As of Thursday afternoon, the company was "working to help people regain access to their accounts ASAP if they were proactively locked.... taking extra steps to confirm that we're granting access to the rightful owner."



Trump escaped being hacked this time, although in November 2017 his account was deactivated for 11 minutes by a Twitter employee on their last day on the job.



"It's because the president's account had already been deleted by a Twitter contractor several years ago and it looks as if they have put a bunch of protections around that account," the former head of security at Facebook, Alex Stamos, said on CNBC.



Vice reported that a Twitter insider was responsible for Wednesday's hack, citing leaked screenshots and two anonymous sources apparently behind the hack, one of whom told the media outlet they had paid the employee.



US Senator Josh Hawley tweeted a letter to Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey expressing concern over privacy for the San Francisco-based company's millions of users.



"I am concerned that this event may represent not merely a coordinated set of separate hacking incidents but rather a successful attack on the security of Twitter itself," he said.



-'Giving back'-



The tweet that appeared on Tesla founder Musk's Twitter feed said: "Happy Wednesday! I am giving back Bitcoin to all of my followers. I am doubling all payments sent to the Bitcoin address below. You send 0.1 BTC, I send 0.2 BTC back!"



It added that the offer was "only going on for 30 minutes."



The fake messages that appeared on other famous accounts made similar promises. (AFP)


Strange as it might seem, the coronavirus pandemic has offered a respite of sorts to those planning new educational ventures. With much of society and the economy shut down, there has been more time for planning and reflection.

The Mexican American Civil Rights Institute, born in San Antonio not quite a year ago, used that down time wisely.

Its governing board rethought events the pandemic had obliterated and gained time to refine the institutes mission and guiding principles. Members of its separate national advisory board worked on ways the institute could be an influence from coast to coast.

And in a favor to all of us, the institute shortened its name.

RELATED: Ayala: San Antonio College moves closer to eliminating Texas Ranger mascot

The extraordinary events of 2020 also accelerated the institutes digital game plan  long term, it wants to be a national hub of Mexican American civil rights archives.

Leaders said the pandemic, which made digital connections that much more essential, fostered a re-imagining of the institutes online presence.

Next month, it will unveil its first website, a 1.0 version. A second is already in the works. The goal is a robust digital archive.

This coming week, MACRI  the institutes acronym, pronounced in Spanish  also will celebrate its new executive director, Sarah Zenaida Gould.

An expert in museum research and curatorial work, Gould served as founding director of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Centers Museo del Westside.

Before that, she was a lead curatorial researcher at the University of Texas at San Antonios Institute of Texan Cultures. She helped to mount several exhibits there, including one on Tejanos.

A graduate of Smith College in Massachusetts, Gould holds masters and doctoral degrees in American culture. She co-founded Latinos in Heritage Conservation, which promotes the preservation of U.S. Latino heritage, both tangible and intangible.

Gould has held fellowships at the Smithsonian Institution and the American Antiquarian Society and is an alumna of the Leadership Institute of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.

On ExpressNews.com: Ayala: UTSA will have to make more than amends for its devastating cuts to a San Antonio treasure

She started her new, full-time job at MACRI this week.

Last fall, the institute received a two-year, $250,000 planning grant from the city of San Antonio, with an additional $250,000 to follow in 2021.

For the last nine months, Ezequiel Pena, director of Our Lady of the Lake Universitys Center for Mexican American Studies and Research, served as the institutes interim executive director. He laid the groundwork for MACRI, set priorities and got us connected to the Lake, he said.

Hes hopeful the institute will raise the profile of Mexican American civil rights activism and history and move the country beyond a black-and-white binary.

He said Mexican American movements have had deep solidarity with African American, womens and LGBTQ activism. The institute will work to make Mexican American civil rights a part of a national conversation, he said.

On Aug. 14, MACRI will host a virtual launch, an online conference featuring a series of presentations from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The institutes initial work will include K-12 teacher workshops on Mexican American Studies, to be held at the Region 20 Education Service Center on the East Side.

Post-pandemic, MACRI will sponsor conferences that will produce white papers on Mexican American civil rights history.

Gould said theres no better time to advance the preservation of such history, given the activism on the streets.

RELATED: Ayala: San Antonio College reckons with racist past by dropping Ranger mascot

History learned in the classroom is often a condensed, easy-to-swallow version, she said. This is an opportunity to expand the story, to make sure our communities know what their forebearers did.

So many young people are doing this work, she said, referring to the Black Lives Matter movement, which has galvanized people from all walks of life, including Mexican Americans.

We must never forget that it was young people who led this moment, just as in 1968, when young people were leading the civil rights movement, she said.

The pandemic was really a wake-up call, Gould said. We want everybody to know Mexican American civil rights history. We especially want our own community to know it.

History is very relevant. Its always relevant.

eayala@express-news.net
Any risk-tolerant investor will be hard pressed to find a penny stock that better embodies the description than Greek oil tanker operator Top Ships (TOPS). Shares are going for $0.11 apiece, after a multi-year ride to the bottom. In 2020 alone, the stock is down by 86% so far. Adding insult to injury, the only analyst on Wall Street keeping a close eye on the vessel operator recently downgraded his rating.

Maxim analyst Tate Sullivan dropped his rating from Buy to Hold and also removed his price target, citing potential for delays at shipyards delivering five new ships to TOPS in 2021 as the reason for the downbeat assessment. (To watch Sullivans track record, click here)

The analyst further said, While COVID-19 may continue to impact global shipping and shipyard activity in 2021, we note shipyards periodically have newbuild delivery delays even during more predictable operating environments. In addition to potential delays in 2021 generating revenue from five new ships, we also factor in the risk that some of TOPS' customers may not exercise options on contracts with end of firm period contracts in 2021.

There are four ships in the companys fleet that fall into this category. According to Tate, this could result in lower daily rates and/or downtime between contracts if volatility in global shipping activity continues.

Therefore, Sullivan trimmed his 2021 revenue estimate from $68.7 million to $66.9 million, and slashed his previous 2021 EBITDA estimate from $31.4 million to $30.4 million.

In order to raise additional cash, since the turn of the year, Top Ships has completed a series of equity offerings, with net proceeds coming in at about $113.7 million. Sullivan estimates that in the first half of 2020, $41.4 million went toward reducing the debt load, but he still expects debt to increase to $374.6 million by the end of 2021 (compared to the previous 2021 estimate of $348.3 million).

In addition, Sullivan believes TOPS will preserve cash before paying for newbuilds, although the analyst expects TOPS to fund newbuild construction with proceeds from the equity offerings.

Story continues

Looking ahead, a revision of Sullivans outlook for the vessel operator is dependent upon the health of the global shipping industry.

We will continue to review our estimates as a meaningful increase in shipping activity in 2021 may lead customers for four of TOPS' ships to exercise options at higher daily contract rates, the analyst concluded. (See TOPS stock-analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

More recent articles from Smarter Analyst:
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China's State Council has recently released a regulation on ensuring timely payments to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which will help improve the business environment, officials said.

The central authorities gave high attention to the problem of overdue payments to SMEs, officials with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.

The regulation, made public on Tuesday, standardizes the contract signing between SMEs and government departments, public institutions, as well as large enterprises, noting that SMEs should not be forced to accept unreasonable terms, the officials said.

The officials noted that the regulation also introduced provisions in terms of payment deadlines, payment information disclosure and complaint handling, stressing that the regulation will help boost the SMEs' confidence in development.

The regulation will go into effect on Sept. 1.
Rebecca and Chris Judd welcomed their youngest sons Tom and Darcy in September 2016.

And on Saturday, the AFL WAG revealed how shocked she was when she first found out she was expecting twins.

The 37-year-old shared a sweet throwback photo of herself from when she was pregnant with her boys, saying that at the time she had severe morning sickness.

'I was so crook': On Saturday, Rebecca Judd revealed how shocked she was at finding out she was carrying twins back in 2016... as she shared a sweet throwback picture from when she was pregnant

'Mum just sent me this. We were holidaying in South Africa at the time,' she captioned the image she shared to Instagram stories, showing her posing alongside son Oscar and daughter Billie.

'I was pregnant but at this early stage thought I was only carrying one,' she added.

Rebecca admitted she felt much sicker than her previous pregnancies and found out why after she got back to Melbourne.

They're so little! The 37-year-old shared a sweet throwback photo of herself with her older children son Oscar, now eight, and daughter Billie,now six, just after she found out she was pregnant again, while the young family were holidaying in South Africa

'But I was sooo crook,' she said.

'All the nausea and general rottenness made sense,' she explained once she found out she was carrying two babies.

Despite feeling so sick, Rebecca looks stunning in the image, flaunting her slender long pins in a short blue and white dress as she crouches next to her only daughter Billie.

Big family: Rebecca and her husband, retired AFL star Chris Judd, 36, share four children, son Oscar, eight, and daughter Billie, six and three-year-old twins Tom and Darcy

Rebecca covered her eyes with a dark pair of sunglasses and coordinated with a navy Longchamp bag.

The Postcards presenter wore her luscious long blonde locks up in a messy bun and glamourous makeup with a full coverage foundation, hint of bronzer and a soft pink lip.

Meanwhile, little Billie, who would have been bout 2-years-old at the time, looks adorable standing next to her mum in a pink and grey cardigan and love heart print shorts with her curly ringlets pulled up into a ponytail.

Feeling nostalgic: Rebecca admitted she is starting to feel clucky again while in COVID-19 lockdown on Wednesday when she shared a photo of herself in hospital three years ago after giving birth to her twins, Tom and Darcy

She was also joined by Oscar, who was around four-years-old, in a Batman jumper and denim cactus print shorts.

Despite her large family, it appears Rebecca is starting to feel clucky again while in COVID-19 lockdown.

The Jaggad wear designer shared a throwback photo to Instagram on Wednesday of herself in hospital three years ago after giving birth to her twins.

Growing up fast! Tom and Darcy (pictured) are now three years old

'Whenever I'm feeling clucky I gaze at my babies' photos all day. Must be ovulating,' she captioned the photo.

In the image, Rebecca held the newborns close to her chest while in her hospital bed.

The infants were wearing white onesies and they were both connected to tubes.

The influencer looked simply glowing in the picture, and showed off her natural beauty by going makeup free.

Rebecca, Chris and their children are isolating at the families $7.3million mansion in Melbourne after the city was placed back into lockdown for six weeks due to a surge in cases of coronavirus.
Anger: Protesters demand the release of immigrants and families in detention due to dangers posed by coronavirus outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement HQ in Washington DC. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Dr Joseph Varon has never seen so many patients in his intensive care unit.

Most of the beds are occupied by cases of Covid-19.

But although his hospital in Houston, Texas, has found itself at the new centre of the US outbreak, he is not as worried as one might imagine.

"Our ward is full of coronavirus patients, but we've had amazing success in treating them," said Dr Varon, chief medical officer at United Memorial Medical Centre. "Around 95pc of people who have come in here have walked out."

Based on most recent death certificate data released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of deaths caused by Covid-19 and conditions linked to the virus decreased from 6.9pc for the last week of June to 5.5pc for the first week of July, representing the 11th consecutive week of decline.

"As cases rise, deaths decline. The disconnect between case and death trends is striking," said Whet Moser, of the Covid Tracking Project.

Some health experts now believe what was seen in the early days of the outbreak in New York and New Jersey -and indeed much of Europe - was a "worst-case scenario", and that a combination of factors could help spare current hotspots the same fate.

For months in New York, doctors over-relied on ventilators, which yielded bad prognoses, and admitted they were "flying blind" when it came to drug treatments.

"We were seeing so many people in such a bad way, we thought we were failing because we didn't know how to treat them," said Dr Samir Farhat, who runs the intensive care unit at New York Community Hospital, back in April. "We kept experimenting to try to find something that worked."

Antivirals and steroids have recently been discovered to reduce fatalities in the sickest patients, as have high doses of vitamin C and zinc treatments.

Dr Varon and colleagues from five different hospitals across the US have created a cocktail of drugs they have called the "Math+ Protocol".

The combination of cortisone steroid, vitamins and anticoagulants is helping combat the two biggest dangers of the virus - inflammation and clotting - and the Math+ Protocol even managed to help a 92-year-old Covid-19 sufferer undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer.

"We learned so much in a few months," said Dr Varon, who has treated more than 200 coronavirus patients.

"No one needs to die from coronavirus any more," he said.

Mortality of patients fell to under 42pc at the end of May from almost 60pc in March, according to analysis of two dozen studies involving more than 10,000 patients in North America, Europe and Asia.

The median age of those testing positive in the US is falling, suggesting that while older people continue to shelter, younger adults are being infected as they return to work and socialising.

In Florida, another new hotspot, the median age of people testing positive for Covid-19 fell from 54 to 35 between May and June.

The State recorded its highest single-day toll on Thursday with 156 deaths, more than 8,000 are currently in hospital with the virus.

Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, issued a directive in late March that effectively ordered nursing homes to accept elderly virus patients from hospitals. The goal was to free up beds, but it allowed the virus to spread quickly among the most vulnerable communities.

Nationwide, the US deaths per million tally is just under 400. The figure is inflated by the north-east's death rate, which is more than double the national average at 1,100.

Some experts warn, however, that it is too early to read much into the numbers, pointing to what is known as a "death lag".

According to the CDC, the average period from symptom onset to death is about two weeks. The average lag between death and the reporting of a death is just over seven days.

Some experts also fear that while younger adults are driving new infections, states might not see deaths spike until infections overflow into older populations.

The University of Massachusetts' Amherst Reich lab this week predicted that the Covid-19 death tally could be 151,000 in the US by August 1.

"Should we expect that trend to move upwards? The lag times from infection to death, and death to reporting, mean it's a possibility," said Mr Moser. "But there's also a lot we don't know about this new phase of the pandemic, meaning trends in new cases and deaths may not correlate."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Cristina Noriega was elated to begin a new job in March with the San Antonio Independent School District Foundation, with an office at Mark Twain Dual Language Academy, where her daughters were in second and fourth grade.

This is going to be the best, she told them. We can go to work and school together.

They did, for four days before spring break. Then the coronavirus spread and schools never re-opened. Noriega and her children were still at work and school together, but at home  not the way shed anticipated.

When her boss told her in a meeting last week that SAISD would start the school year teaching fully remotely until Labor Day, she broke down on the spot.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

I cant work full-time and do this, Noriega sobbed. I just cant do this forever.

Every school district in Bexar County now will do the same, under an order by the Metropolitan Health District issued Friday that pronounced the virus transmission risk of in-person instruction too high.

Even after Sept. 7, if the order isnt extended, the Texas Education Agencys latest rules allow districts to keep campuses closed into October, an agonizing choice for administrators. But at some point, Noriega and other parents will be forced to decide between two deeply flawed options: They can send kids to classrooms during a pandemic or face the strains of keeping them home to learn remotely, which might harm them academically and developmentally.

In a series of shifting rules, the TEA ordered schools to reopen every day of the week for students who want to come, though high schools now can limit access using hybrid models that mix in-person classes with distance learning. Districts can ask to delay reopening classrooms for up to eight weeks  except for students who lack the technology to learn at home.

As children begin their fifth month of isolation amid a surge of coronavirus cases and deaths, and as the rules and risks of reopening schools keep changing, school districts are scrambling to accommodate teachers and students with resources for any given scenario. But among parents, a sense of helplessness and fatalism has set in.

I just hold out a lot of hope that were going to get a vaccine within this year, said Catherine Brackett, a mother of four elementary- and preschool-age children.

When schools shut down in March, districts only had a week or two to devise and implement remote learning. In San Antonio and across the country, many saw students fall through the cracks, their work incomplete, their families unresponsive.

On ExpressNews.com: Metro Health orders San Antonio schools to stay closed until Labor Day

School leaders have worked to improve systems for the fall, but they know remote learning can still shortchange students  those with substandard living conditions, limited access to health care, emotional difficulties or some special educational needs, and even those without such disadvantages  who rely on schools for in-person attention.

Remote learning will never replace face-to-face learning with teachers and the social interaction that kids build, said Anthony Jarrett, assistant superintendent of instruction in North East ISD.

The Aspen Institute held up San Antonio ISDs transition to remote learning as a national model, but if it werent for the pandemic, Patti Salzmann, the districts chief academic officer, would not want it at all. Some teachers are juggling their own children at home and remote learning is hard on students of all ages, she said.

I do not think fully remote should be a learning model for any child, Salzmann said. I think its excellent as a supplement, but I fully believe that learning is social and children benefit from being in community with others and learning from others.

Fighting limitations

Noriega and her husband, busy with their jobs, couldnt always make sure their young daughters were videoconferencing on schedule. In their English-speaking household, without dual-language classmates to talk to, their Spanish regressed. They live with Noriegas mother-in-law, who is in her late seventies, and everyone wants to protect her from the virus.

I dont think I would feel safe sending them to school, Noriega said. It feels wrong. But I want it.

Bracketts 2- and 4-year-old children attend a private preschool, while her older children are going into the first and third grades at Great Hearts Northern Oaks, a charter school. After schools shut down, the older children started with paper packets, then moved to Google Classroom and Zoom. They adjusted well, in part because Brackett doesnt work and her husband, who owns a construction company, sets his own hours.

The private preschool is now open, but Brackett has decided not to send her younger children back.

Im going to have to figure out something for my preschool kids because theyre just floating through life right now, she said.

Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News

Brackett is a former public school teacher who was able to identify her childrens weaknesses and buy supplemental curriculum materials. She said her heart aches for students with two working parents and those who were already at risk of dropping out.

I could argue on all sides of the debate happening in schools, Brackett said. I think what we have to do right now is everyone take a deep breath and realize were going to have to pause and change the way weve felt about education until all this has settled down, and know that there will be a time when we could get caught back up.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas will administer STAAR test next year, education commissioner says

Distance learning has been hardest on the smallest children, parents and teachers agreed.

Teresa Razo teaches 3-year-old dual-language preschoolers at Neal Elementary in SAISD. During the shutdown, she began Zooming with them at 8 a.m. so she wouldnt miss virtual teacher training in the afternoon. Some of the parents couldnt get their toddlers on Zoom. Some students were still sleepy. Razo couldnt hear some of theym  they mumbled or there was too much noise in their busy homes.

Shes not sure how much progress they made.

I have a masters degree in educational technology and if it was stressful for me, I can only imagine how it was for those who werent tech-savvy, Razo said.

But Razo has underlying health conditions and is terrified of stepping into a classroom at all in the coming weeks.

North East ISD Superintendent Sean Maika said the time that school buildings are closed will be used to prepare campuses and train staff and students on safety protocols.

Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News

Our in-person learning is the best and we are doing our very best to provide as close as we can get through remote learning, but were all concerned about the slide, said Donna Newman, the districts associate superintendent of instruction and campus administration, using a catch-all term for academic regression.

Some students took optional year-end exams, but on the whole, shutdowns complicate efforts to gauge where they are academically. North East and other districts planned in-person summer classes, set to begin this week, for those in danger of repeating grades  but as the pandemic worsened, those classes went virtual too, a blow for students assigned to them because of struggles with distance learning.

Remote learning in the fall will be a drastic improvement over the spring, with methods adjusted, teachers better trained, and more social and emotional learning, said Jarrett, the NEISD assistant superintendent.

The new program will include teacher office hours, tutoring sessions and easier communication, said Jennifer Gutierrez, executive director of elementary instruction. Schools will provide laptops or tablets to students who dont have them.

Students will log in every morning to learn from teachers in real time, collaborate with their classmates and practice independently, mirroring what we would hope to have in a traditional space, but putting it in a virtual space to the best of our ability, Jarrett said.

He still worries about children spending too much time on screens and teachers not being able to tell how well their lessons are understood. But on the whole, he and Newman agreed with leaders in other districts that some of the best things about remote learning will stick with schools forever.

More than 90 percent of the 49,000 students in SAISD come from families with low enough incomes to qualify for subsidized school meals. In responses to surveys about the remote learning experience, SAISD parents said one of their biggest barriers was lack of private work spaces for their children.

The school district cant change their housing situation, Salzmann said, but it will issue tips to parents struggling with the constraints of time, space and multiple children.

SAISDs online learning will remain mostly flexible, but teachers in core academic subjects will conduct daily real-time lessons with every grade level, she said.

Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News

Many schools districts administer the MAP assessment throughout the year to track student progress, and now will give it at the start of the year  NEISD will do it remotely, and SAISD when schools reopen.

In the long run, students might not be drastically harmed if they fell behind in the spring, and master teachers will work in person with small groups of struggling students, Salzmann said.

Learning is not linear, its dynamic and theres different entry points, she said. Will we have to go back and re-teach some things? Probably.

Tech spending sprees

Even before Metro Healths closure order, Southwest ISD had planned to start the year Aug. 24 and spend the first three weeks online-only. The new TEA directives give the district the option to wait longer to reopen buildings.

Its all really fluid, Superintendent Lloyd Verstuyft said. Whats always going to be first and foremost is the safety and well-being of our students and staff.

Every district has been getting parents feedback, and thats been fluid, too.

Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox

In a survey three weeks ago, 30 to 40 percent of Southwest ISD parents said they wanted some kind of face-to-face learning, Verstuyft said. The district started another survey last week, and soon hopes to know if those opinions have changed as coronavirus cases mount.

Verstuyft said he plans to ask his board to approve a plan similar to his initial one: to start online only, and then transition to in-person, ideally when were in an environment where we can get out of the spike of COVIDness in our own backyard.

Hes been hearing a sense of fear from a lot of teachers, he said, adding, This is unprecedented. There are a lot of unknowns. I think teachers are rightfully cautious.

Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News

In switching to remote learning, Southwest ISD benefitted from putting some $10 million toward technology in its 2012 bond, ensuring nearly all students had access to a laptop computer. Before the pandemic hit, the district had 500 hotspots that families could check out if they had no internet at home. It has ordered more, with the goal of having 1,500 available by the start of the year.

Judson ISD has had to gear up faster. The district has ordered more Chromebooks so every student - instead of every household - has one.

We learned our lesson. We felt that when this happened, back in spring break, we didnt feel prepared. We didnt want to be in that same boat again, said Jeanette Ball, Judsons superintendent. We have spent close to $5 million to get ready for this.

Judson also has purchased more hot spots, along with software that will allow students to download educational materials by going to school campuses, which have Wi-Fi, then work on them at home.

But with all the new technology comes the challenge of making sure everyone can use it well.

We are doing a lot of training. A lot doesnt even begin to describe it, Ball said. Weeks and weeks of training opportunities for our teachers.

The choice

The big question, Ball said, is how to provide the safest environment for the staff and our students along with making sure that we have a rigorous program to offer (that) all our students can learn from.

Judson ISD has been outfitting campuses with plexiglass shields and stocking up on masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. At the same time, administrators have formed a care team dedicated to tracking down unresponsive students and getting them the resources they need to stay in online schooling.

If I was forced to make a decision right now, Id say the best thing would be to go virtual and maybe face-to-face with key groups that need it, maybe special (education) students or students whose parents are first responders, Ball said.

I long for the day we can come back and do what our teachers do so well, and truly take care of our kids to the capacity that we should be doing.

But until then, she said, its important to watch and wait.

How long? At a South San ISD board meeting July 8, the new superintendent, Marc Puig, said teachers had told him they wanted the flexibility to stay virtual through December, and he agreed with them.

A too-early return to classrooms doesnt make any sense, Puig said. Do you understand the chaos thats going to happen on day one? When we try to put masks and face shields on kids? Imagine this. The bell rings and theres masks and shields coming off.

Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News

Trustee Stacey Estrada Alderete and her son caught the coronavirus and she wont vote for a back to campus plan, even in the face of TEA requirements.

I, as a representative of these children and these teachers and this staff, will not make a decision or agree to put anybody at any type of risk, Alderete said. Whatever we have to do to protect our children and our staff and everybody down to the last janitor in that building, we need to do it.

Northside ISD Superintendent Brian Woods, who also is president of the Texas Association of School Administrators, had worked with the TEA for months, advising and advocating for the agency to give districts the most flexibility possible.

He wasnt happy with the TEA rules, and the way they have changed almost weekly. Fridays new guidance was an improvement, Woods said, but it forced a restart of the planning process for how to teach the districts 106,000 students while still leaving the timing of reopened classrooms in the states hands  or that of Metro Health.

Families and staff want answers and thats justifiable, he said. We want it to be local discretion to decide what is a safe number of people in a building. Thats the bottom line.

As long as COVID is a thing, we want to have the discretion to decide what that appropriate enrollment is and base it on health metrics, not what somebody hopes is going to happen but on actual metrics, Woods said. Hope is not a strategy.

Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. To read more from Alia, become a subscriber. amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN
S.C. busy for home buyers

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina Realtors released its June 2020 market data reflecting continued constrained seller activity while buyers are increasingly active.

During the shutdowns across the country and in South Carolina, many began to re-evaluate how and where they live. This mindset is a factor in driving the South Carolina real estate market," SCR President Owen Tyler said.

In comparing June 2020 to June 2019, pending sales increased 4.5% to 9,541. New listings were down almost 7.5% to 10,523. Inventory shrank 24% to 23,870 units, causing prices to move higher. The median sales price was up almost 8% to $242,000. Houses were on the market an average of 77 days. Months Supply of Inventory was down 23% to three months, indicating that demand increased relative to supply.

"Monthly indicators are steadily improving. When comparing June 2019 numbers to June 2020, we've had many instances of sales increases throughout the state. As we head into the summer months, it looks like South Carolina's real estate market will be as hot as the weather," SCR CEO Nick Kremydas said.

Chamber names top workplaces

COLUMBIA  The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce announced the 2020 Best Places To Work in South Carolina.

To identify the states top-notch employers, the chamber partnered with the publishers of SCBIZ and the Best Companies Group for the 15th consecutive year to conduct the states most thorough, comprehensive selection process.

This year, for the first time ever, rankings will be revealed at a virtual event ceremony on Aug. 21 at 3 p.m.

Despite these challenging times for our world and for business, the companies on this list have shown an ongoing commitment to creating a positive work environment and valuing their workforce. Employees determine the success of an organization, and these companies put them first. The State Chamber is proud to recognize all of these great businesses and congratulate them as some of the best of the best in South Carolina, said S.C. Chamber President and CEO Ted Pitts.

Among the best places to work in the Small/Medium Employer Category are C.F. Evans of Orangeburg and Central Electric Power Cooperative Inc.

South State Bank is recognized in the Large Employer Category.

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Four persons have been arrested in Pakistan's northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province for vandalising a rare statue of Gautam Buddha discovered during excavation at an agriculture farm, police said on Saturday.

The statue that was discovered in tehsil Takhtbai of Mardan district was destroyed on the orders of a local Maulvi (prayer leader), local residents said.

Four suspects have been arrested and an FIR under the antiquity act has been filed, police said.

District Police Officer Zahidullah said the incident took place when a water line was dug up and construction workers discovered the statue.

"We have arrested contractor Qamar Zaman and his workers, Amjad, Aleem and Saleem for smashing the Buddha statue and have also recovered some of its pieces from them," he said.

The arrests were made after a video showing people damaging the statue with hammers went viral on social media.

A senior officer of the Tourism Department said after the video surfaced the authorities reported the matter to the police for action against the culprits.

Takhtbai area is a tourist destination for people from Sri Lanka, Korea and Japan since it was a part of the Gandhara Civilisation - one of the earliest urban settlements documented in the history of the subcontinent.

Director of Archaeology Department Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Abdul Samad Khan expressed anguish over the incident and assured that proper action would be taken against the culprits involved in damaging the rare statue.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's old name is Ghandhara and the region is a highly revered place for the followers of Buddhism.

In 2017, two rare and ancient Buddha statues were unearthed at an archeological site in Bhamala in Hariput district. The largest ever statue found at the site depicts the death of Buddha and the second statue was a Buddha with a double halo.

The statue depicting the death scenario was the oldest of its kind in the world. It was also verified by the American laboratory which identified it as older than third century BC.

Peshawar Museum is also known for displaying one of the world's largest collection of architectural pieces on Buddha.

A couple of years ago, the museum's tallest statue of Buddha in schist stone was transported to Switzerland for display there for 100 days at an international exhibition.
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Sylvia Topper was in constant motion  someone who always had something going on, whether it was in the home or in the community.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sylvia Topper was in constant motion  someone who always had something going on, whether it was in the home or in the community.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Not one to stay still, Topper was adventurous and gutsy. In 1963, she hitchhiked around Europe by herself.

"She was active in politics, she joined in," says her husband, David Topper. "She was restless; there was an energy she had."

Born Sylvia Aronson in Chicago in 1943, Topper had a passion for behavioural therapy. She earned an undergraduate degree in social work from Ohio State University, and a masters degree in clinical social work from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Winnipeg eventually became her home after the couple moved here in 1970.

She began work in the field of psychotherapy and was a group therapist for the River Heights Family Life Education Centre from 1973 to 1981. While there, Topper developed a program for adults who were recovering from grief, which was one of the first of its kind in the city, David said.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Sylvia Topper, psychotherapist and community leader, 'always had to be doing something'

"Nowadays, its pretty common for various sorts of people to be in private practice in psychotherapy, but that wasnt true before. She pioneered that," he says.

Topper died Feb. 2, at age 76, after a battle with dementia. She is survived by her husband, siblings Judy and George, sons Steve and Romi, and granddaughter Alexis.

As a mother, Topper was adamant about staying home to raise her children, but was also actively engaged with feminist ideologies of the time. David fondly remembers coming home from work and taking part, with Sylvias guidance, raising their children in roles that were then often up to women.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Topper and her granddaughter, Alexis, in 2014.

"Theres no place or a plaque (for her), but in general, she started so many different things, and was involved in so many feminist things," he says.

Topper took those values to her many positions in different organizations in Winnipeg, including the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba, Womens Health Clinic and Temple Shalom.

"Shed get on a committee, and then shed be the chair of the committee, and next thing you knew, she was on the executive, because she got things done," David says.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Topper spent the year after high school, 1960, working on a kibbutz in Israel.

Topper was unafraid to get out there and do work she felt needed to be done. "She was very compassionate, understanding. She was hard-working; she was a doer," he says.

Fellow clinical social worker Penny Yellen knew Topper throughout the 1970s and 80s, via mutual work at the NCJWC and the River Heights education centre. She recalls her as someone who served the community and educated women.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Sylvia Topper, in 1960, in Israel, while working on a Kibbutz.

"When thinking of her work within the national council, I came up with the word epitomized. She epitomized the values of (the council), our goals are education, service and social action. Sylvia was very involved in the education and the social action," Yellen says.

"Very involved in womens issues, the social action we were doing in the 80s, study groups  that kind of thing."

Toppers desire to understand others came through both in her work and personal life. David describes her as an intent listener, even outside of her profession, despite being outgoing by nature.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Topper began work in the field of psychotherapy and was a group therapist for the River Heights Family Life Education Centre from 1973 to 1981. While there, Topper developed a program for adults who were recovering from grief, which was one of the first of its kind in the city.

"A lot of people, you start telling them somethings bothering you, and theyll say right away, Oh, I have that, and its often upsetting because youre trying to get something across and people want to talk about themselves," he says.

"But she listened to people."

In the six years before her death, dementia affected much of Toppers life, including her ability to speak  a "sad and ironic" twist, Davis says.

"Id go visit her every day, and Id do all the talking, and Id say, You were always a listener, Sylvia."

In happier times, Topper was gutsy. She spent a year between high school and university working on a kibbutz in Israel. She hitchhiked throughout Europe on her own in 1963.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Sylvia Topper participates in an antiwar demonstration in 1966.

Three years later, Topper and David travelled to New York to hear Martin Luther King Jr. and other notable figures speak at an antiwar demonstration. David, a now-retired University of Winnipeg professor, often found himself swept up in her energetic nature.

"Im an academic, so its reading and thinking; and she was a doer," he says. "Id be reading a book, and shed say, Lets go somewhere. Id say, Where do you want to go?  I dont know, lets just go somewhere.

"Wed get in the car and go... She always had to be doing something," David says. "It was good. She accomplished a lot of things."

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Authorities in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara state have offered two cows for each gun surrendered to halt bloody attacks by criminal gangs, including cattle rustlers.

Remote communities across the region have for years been hit hard by deadly raids from armed groups of motorcycle-riding cattle rustlers and kidnappers.

Military operations have failed to end the killings and local officials have tried repeated negotiations to broker peace.

Zamfara governor Bello Matawalle said Thursday that under the new initiative "for every rifle submitted by a repentant bandit, there would be compensation of two cows".

Matawalle said the offer of livestock was meant to convince the gangs, known as "bandits", to disarm without cash payments that could be used to buy more arms.

There was no indication if the plan would be enough to convince them to forsake their lucractive cattle rustling and kidnapping rackets.

The unrest in northwestern Nigeria, which experts say has been spurred by overpopulation and climate change, has seen an estimated 8,000 people killed since 2011 and 200,000 flee their homes.

President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged a fresh push to end the killings after a spike in attacks in neighbouring Katsina state.

The "bandits" mainly come from the Fulani ethnic group that has long relied principally on cattle herding.

Vigilante groups set up by local communities to defend themselves have been accused of extrajudicial killings that add to the spiral of killings.

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The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), has unveiled a coordinating framework for governance of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF).

Mr Dasuki Arabi, BPSR Director-General, made the disclosure in a statement by Mr Aliyu Umar, Principal Information Officer of the service on Friday in Abuja.

According to Arabi, the objective of the BHCPF is to extend Primary Health Care (PHC) to all Nigerians by increasing the level of financial resources to all services.

It provides for improved funding of healthcare at the grassroots so that people do not have to travel far to access medical services.

Other objectives are to enable the states participate in improving health centres through counterpart fund that will enable them benefit from the consolidated funds, he said.

Arabi said that the stakeholders currently involved in the BHCPF implementation project include; Central Bank of Nigeria and the Ministry of Health.

Others are the National Health Insurance Scheme, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state Ministries of Health, International Donor Partners, and Civil Society Organisations.

The director general noted that the lack of commitment on the part of state governments in contributing the 25 per cent counterpart funding made it difficult for them to access the fund.

Out of 15 states that have fulfilled the criteria for accessing the N6.5 billion earmarked for disbursement via the NHIS gateway, only two have had access as at January, while 58.3 per cent are yet to meet the criteria.

Record also has it that of Nigeria's 36 states and FCT, only 11 have State Social Health Insurance Scheme (SSHIS) established for providing access to healthcare, which is a critical criterion for the implementation of the Fund.

By implication, more than 75 per cent of the states are already disenfranchised to benefit from the Fund, the BPSR boss said.

He gave assurance that BPSR will work with relevant authorities to broker dialogue and reconciliation across the federal, state and local government actors.

He further said that the bureau would also set up working and learning mechanism among the actors, using standardisation tool such as 'Community of Practice'.

We will work with relevant agencies to facilitate digitalisation of the process involved in the implementation of the fund.

We will also create communication mechanism and strategy for reporting fund implementation performance, he added.(NAN)
World Bank President David Malpass called on the Group of 20 leading economies to extend the current suspension of debt repayments by the poorest countries through the end of 2021 and broaden the scope to deal with the global pandemic.

The virus and worldwide recession will lead to rising poverty in impoverished nations and debt burdens for some countries are rising to crisis levels, Malpass said in remarks prepared for a virtual meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bankers on Saturday.

The Washington-based development lender last month forecast emerging markets output will shrink for the first time in at least six decades. The rate of Covid-19 infections is increasing in many countries, and even with the G-20s April agreement that aims to waive about $12 billion in bilateral debt payments from vulnerable countries, the cost of servicing obligations crowds out health and social expenses.

While some economies continue to have access to capital markets for borrowing, investors are being driven by a search for yield, and that complacency risks a new debt crisis that spreads beyond the poorest countries and could weigh on them for decades, Malpass said. He also called for debt reduction, resolution and more transparency.

The Debt Service Suspension Initiative that started in May and runs through the end of this year should be implemented in a transparent way by all official bilateral creditors, including national policy banks, Malpass said. He highlighted the need for full participation by the China Development Bank. Borrowing countries participating in the plans have identified $8.4 billion in eligible savings, he said.

The situation in developing countries is increasingly desperate," Malpass said. Time is short. We need to take action quickly on debt suspension, debt reduction, debt resolution mechanisms and debt transparency."

The Covid-19 pandemic is now spreading faster in the Americas and Africa compared to the previous G-20 ministerial meeting in April when the bulk of infections were in Asia and Europe.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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With the retirement of Justice R Banumathi, the Supreme Court will be left with only two women judges  Justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee

Justice R Banumathi, the second woman ever to sit on the Supreme Court Collegium, retired from the service on Friday with a three-decade-long career behind her.

The woman judge, who was regarded 'fearlessly independent' by Bar Association president Dushyant Dave and as a "great judge" by Attorney General KK Venugopal, shared some instances from her private life during her farewell. Narrating an instance from her childhood, the judge revealed that she too had been a victim of delay in justice and complicated legal procedures.

Banumathi said that she was born in a small village in Tamil Nadu, and at that time, the inaccessibility of the justice system meant her widowed mother and two young sisters could not obtain the compensation money owed to them after the death of her father.

"I lost my father in a bus accident, when I was 2 years old. In those days, we had to file a suit for compensation. My mother filed the claim and court passed a decree. But, we couldnt get the amount due to complicated procedures and lack of assistance. Myself, my widowed mother and my two sisters; we are victims of court delay and its procedural lags. We did not get the compensation till the last day," Banumathi was quoted as saying by Live Law.

In her farewell address, she also talked about her struggles in her three-decade-long career. She said that there were "mountains of obstacles for no reason" in her career as a judge.

"Yet no human hand could prevent what Jesus Christ has ordained for me in my life," she added.

Justice Banumathi would be remembered for the landmark judgement in the 2102 Delhi gangrape and murder case, in which the four convicts were awarded death penalty.

She headed the bench, which heard the case till an hour before the convicts were hanged to death on 20 March morning.

Justice Banumathi also recently heard the politically sensitive corruption cases involving former union finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram.

With the retirement of Justice Banumathi, the apex court will be left with two women judges  Justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee. Before Justice Banerjee's appointment to the top court in August 2018, there had never been three sitting lady judges in the Supreme Court.

Justice Banumathi started her journey as a sessions judge in 1988. She was elevated to Madras High Court on 3 April 2003. Thereafter, she was elevated to the apex court on 13 August, 2014, and was the sixth woman judge in the Supreme Court.

She was also the second-ever woman to be part of the Collegium." Justice Ruma Pal was the first woman to achieve that feat. She retired in 2006.

A collegium is a closed group of four senior most judges in the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India. The body is responsible for making important institutional decisions, including advising the President on appointment and transfers of judges in the higher judiciary.

Supreme Court Bar Association president Dushyant Dave praised Justice Banumathi as "a fiercely independent judge who gave multiple dissenting opinions".

In the Bir Singh versus Delhi Jal Board case a Constitution Bench had held that the rule of pan-India reservation that currently prevails in the NCT of Delhi is constitutionally valid. However, Banumathi, noted in her dissenting opinion, If the reservation to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are to be extended to all categories of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes all over India or to the migrants then there is every possibility of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of other developed States and Union Territories squandering reservations to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who are disadvantaged in the respective States/Union Territories including Union Territory of Delhi.

In her farewell speech, Justice Banumathi lauded various initiatives taken by the governments and the judiciary to ensure more efficiency of the system as well as to aid in the accessibility to justice.

"The technology present today wasn't there when I entered the judiciary. In the present day, everyone speaks of pendency of cases and they pass a lot of comments saying that the pendency is affecting the economy of the nation."

"I want to strike a positive note that various initiatives have been taken by the Central Government, state governments and the judiciary to aid in the accessibility to justice and to ensure more efficiency of the system," she said.

Various enactments, moves like increasing the strength of judges at the high courts and the Supreme Court, etc, have helped in bringing sweeping changes, she said.

Justice Banumathi added that with more citizen-centric services such as copies of judgements and orders, easier accessibility of cause list, e-payments, mobile apps, etc, are all arms meant to increase accessibility and transparency of the system.

Wishing that a vaccine is developed soon for COVID-19, she said that "at this point, regarding physical courts, that is a decision to be taken by the Committee of Judges. But, we must wait for sometime, because more than appearance, we must understand that it is more of a life concern."

With inputs from PTI
Oregon's city of Portland is looking more like Caracas, Venezuela by the day, not just in its Marxist ideology, but in its moral rot and physical shambles.

John Hinderaker at Power Line noted a few days ago that he had until recently taken comfort in knowing that his home city of Minneapolis wasn't the worst-run city in America, because of Portland.

But now the blue-city shambles is taking another turn - Portland's leaders are openly screaming for federal law enforcement coming in to protect federal property, such as courthouses, to leave the burning garbage dump that is their city. They'd rather the city be left to fester.

Fox News has a very good report:

What a dump.

According to the Washington Post:

During a video news conference Friday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler twice called the federal police in his city President Trumps personal army and said that he is joining a chorus of Oregons elected officials in sending a clear message to Washington: Take your troops out of Portland. This is part of a coordinated strategy out of Trumps White House to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data, and it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials, Wheeler said. As we were starting to see things de-escalate, their actions last Saturday and every night since have actually ratcheted up the tension on our streets.

There was also this leftist fool:

I am proud to be among the loud chorus of elected officials calling for the federal troops in Portlands streets to go home, Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said in a statement shared with The Post on Sunday. Their presence here has escalated tensions and put countless Portlanders exercising their First Amendment rights in greater danger.

The governor of Oregon was just as bad:

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said President Donald Trump, who deployed Department of Homeland Security officers to Portland, "is looking for a confrontation in Oregon in the hopes of winning political points in Ohio or Iowa." "Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government," Brown, a Democrat, said in a statement late Thursday.

And here's more overwrought rhetoric from an under-brained Oregon senator:

A peaceful protester in Portland was shot in the head by one of Donald Trumps secret police, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote in a Thursday tweet that also called out acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf. Now Trump and Chad Wolf are weaponizing the DHS as their own occupying army to provoke violence on the streets of my hometown because they think it plays well with right-wing media.

According to federal officials, leftist anarchists were preparing to attack federal property, such as courthouses, had attempted to break and enter, and were last seen chanting of their plans to burn it down. If that doesn't suggest a situation that requires federal intervention -- to defend the threatened third branch of government with its courts and rule of law -- what does?

A federal official tweeted this:

I offered @DHSgov support to help locally address the situation thats going on in Portland, and their only response was: please pack up and go home. Thats just not going to happen on my watch. pic.twitter.com/BW8UdbNZ9c  Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) July 17, 2020

Oregon's U.S. Attorney, a federal rather than state official, had this to say:

The overarching goal of law enforcement is public protection and, during tense and dangerous situations, de-escalation. Federal law enforcement officers protecting the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse and other federal buildings have been operating with those two critical goals. Night after night for the past 50 nights, they have protected the federal courthouse from incursion and fire. They have rebuffed efforts to enter the building by force and have been met with an onslaught of commercial fireworks, laser strikes, glass, mortars, paint, and anything else near at hand. They have endeavored to find the individuals within the crowd who are committing these violent acts and arrest them in a manner that is safe for both the officers and nearby non-violent protesters. In limited instances, their conduct has been questioned and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General appropriately opened an investigation into the use of less lethal ammunition directed at a [protester] last week."

What we are looking at here is an unprecedented opposition to any semblance of law and order. Worse still, we are seeing a city and state at odds with federal interests in the most basic of interests, protecting federal property.

We are seeing fantastical narratives from Oregon's mayor in particular, but pretty much all of them.

Start with the claim that the Portland violence had died down until the feds came along. The feds were causing the problems, not the rabid leftists. Baloney, Portland has been a leftist hellhole for months - just look at the evidence shown from the Fox News coverage. Widespread reports about people not being able to go out at nights and crime running rampant didn't suggest anything at all dying down, it suggested a festering problem growing and getting worse.

And, considering Wheeler's bizarre projecting, not a word about why there was violence and hellishness in the first place, a violence brought about by Wheeler's own weak leadership and more likely, kowtowing to the rabid mob. The mob had pretty much become his governing arm, either by choice or default. That ought to be grounds to demand he forfeit his office, given his hostility to all rule of law and failure to maintain the peace. We haven't really seen anything like this in the last 100 years. Perhaps the best analogy would be that some dispirited elements of the defeated Confederacy embraced the ways of the mob, unable to accept the results of the Civil War. They became Klansmen. Portland looks disturbingly similar in its defiance.

There was also the nonsense from several of them, claiming Trump was only cracking down on their hellhole city to please voters in Ohio and Iowa, to get his numbers up in the polls. Let's translate that: Instead of numbers up in the polls, how about 'doing things people like'? People like it when laws mean what they say and rule of law is a given in any American city. They like courthouses to be courthouses, and police to police, all things that are anathema to the freaks running Portland. Why would people support the president and reward him in the polls if his administration decided to protect federal, taxpayer-paid-for property? It's completely opaque to them that this would be popular - except of course among all those un-hip people in Iowa, as one of them said. By extension, they unwittingly signalled that they had been keeping their city a hellhole to keep President Trump's poll numbers down, which doesn't speak well for them.

Thirdly, there were the bizarre and Confederate-like howls to get out. They want the feds to abandon federal property to the Antifa mobs they succor. The howls should be treated with the contempt they deserve and the federal response should if anything be harsher. We all know what they really want out, not the feds, but President Trump, out from the White House. That's what explains the vehemence of their statements. They never really got over the 2016 election and now that they know they can't overturn it, they turn their own city into a dump and tell the President to get out that way.

It just serves as a new argument to re-elect Trump.

Image credit: Fox News YouTube screen shot
This is the fourth extension since the start of the pandemic

Keeping Canadians safe: Canada-U.S. border closure extended This is the fourth extension since the start of the pandemic

Keeping Canadians safe: Canada-U.S. border closure extended This is the fourth extension since the start of the pandemic

Keeping Canadians safe: Canada-U.S. border closure extended This is the fourth extension since the start of the pandemic Mohanad Moetaz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canada and its southern neighbour have once again agreed to extend the border closure for another 30 days, until August 21.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed to reporters that the Canada-U.S. border would remain closed.

Despite lobbying from U.S. politicians to reopen the border, Canada remains committed to keeping Canadians and residents safe, amid ongoing concerns from Canadians about the surge in COVID-19 cases south of the border.

Trudeau maintains that he has concerns over the coronavirus situation in the U.S. The border between the two countries will remain closed except to essential travel.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

Essential travel includes trade shipments through railways and trucks, essential workers and temporary foreign workers.

In addition, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are allowed through the border.

Provincial leaders have also expressed their opposition to the reopening of the Canada-U.S. border.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is against the reopening of the border whilst highlighting the spike in coronavirus cases in Florida.

U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier signed an executive order banning new green card holders and temporary workers from entering the country. The president believes that this move will help American workers whose employment had been affected due to COVID-19, find employment.

However, Canada is committed to welcoming immigrants and temporary foreign workers. Immigration minister Marco Mendicino maintains that welcoming immigrants will help the economy recover, rather than hurt it.

This uncertainty clouding over U.S. immigration policy has also played a role in the increasing number of immigrants coming to Canada from the U.S.

Individuals who were previously interested in moving to the U.S. may now consider Canada as a better option, especially since there are many options to immigrate to Canada.

The U.S. currently has over 3.5 million COVID-19 cases and over 130,000 deaths.

In contrast, Canada has over 100,000 cases and 8,000 deaths.

Even when taking into account the difference in population, the number of cases in the U.S. is significantly higher than in Canada.

A fraction of a per cent of the Canadian population has contracted the virus. As for their American counterparts, that number exceeds 1 per cent.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

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Australian Survivor first aired on Nine in 2002 and featured a bunch of third rate media personalities battling over hairy rock crustaceans in the frigid waters of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. In 2006 the show moved to Seven with fairly underwhelming results, only to be rebooted a decade later, this time in its most successful incarnation yet on Ten, and with Jonathan LaPaglia as host. "To be honest, there is a reason why these shows are cancelled in the first place, and that's usually audience fatigue," the TV insider explains, adding: "Rebooting a franchise on a different network is a safe bet for a programmer who has run out of ideas and not willing to take a risk on trying something fresh." Ouch! It is usually written into contracts between networks and production companies that when their broadcast arrangement comes to an end, the original network has a period of exclusivity over the show if they want to pick it up again for another season.

Those contracts also include "hold back" clauses which kick in when a network drops a series to prevent a rival network from picking up the franchise in the first 12 months after the series went to air on its original network. When it comes to individual contracts signed by "talent", there are no standard procedures. Which is why when some big names quit one network and turn up unexpectedly at another during their "off contract" period, it can result in a blaze of headlines - as it did for former Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson when she left Nine, the owner of this masthead, for Ten. Graham Kennedy: Channel Nine's "King". Channel Nine's Graham Kennedy was once famously paid by the station's proprietor Sir Frank Packer $50,000 on top of his salary in 1974 as a "retainer" after the rising star, suffering from exhaustion, wanted a break from television. The money (which equates to around $500,000 in today's value) was intended to stop him from working for any other network.

But the days of "talent" being exclusively owned by a particular network are over, especially given the advent of social media and other platforms which diminish any sort of propriety rights a network has over its "stars". Though television "horse trading" has been going on for decades, and some decisions made in years past certainly look less impressive with the benefit of hindsight. The cast of Neighbours in 1989, including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce. The idea for Neighbours was originally pitched to Nine in 1982, which knocked it back. The show ended up making its debut in March 1985 on Seven with a budget of $8 million, however the Melbourne-produced show underperformed in Sydney and by July Seven announced it was cancelling it.

Gina Riley and Jane Turner as their alter egos Kath and Kim. Credit:ABC Neighbours was then bought by Seven's rival network Ten, much to Seven's annoyance, which clearly did not have any "hold back" clauses in its contract with the show's mastermind, the late Reg Grundy. So aggrieved was Seven at the time that Ten had to build replica sets when it took over production as Seven had destroyed the original sets to prevent the rival network obtaining them. Ten began screening the series in January 1986, and Neighbours has gone on to become the longest-running Australian television series of all time, bringing in countless millions in advertising revenue and generating huge amounts in global sales - which helped make Grundy one of the richest men in Australia. We all love them, but Jane Turner and Gina Riley's comic alter egos Kath & Kim probably rank as Australian TV's greatest network philanderers.
courtneyk

Robert Miller, a Pittsburgh area restaurateur, has watched with sadness as some of his favorite local eateries closed for good in recent weeks. Union Standard, Pizza Taglio, Spoon  just a handful of the businesses lost in the age of the coronavirus pandemic. "They're all places people would know by name," Miller said. Miller, 45, expects his restaurants would have been among the wreckage if it weren't for aid received as part of federal coronavirus relief. His three establishments  Sidelines Bar and Grill, Sidelines Beer House and The Fire Side Public House  collectively got about $212,000 in funding through the Paycheck Protection Program and $775,000 from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. But the PPP money has been gone for weeks, sales are down at least 50% from last year and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf curbed bar and restaurant activity again this week due to rising Covid-19 cases.

Miller fears his restaurants can only make it another six to eight months absent more federal aid or a resumption of normal business. "It's been difficult," he said. "You could talk to 1 million people who have the same story as me." Funding issued through the Small Business Administration has been a financial lifeline for millions of small businesses during a recession that hit faster than any other in American history. The Paycheck Protection Program, created by the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion relief measure enacted in March, offered low-interest loans of up to $10 million to small businesses. Entrepreneurs who use the funding a certain way, like allocating the bulk toward employee wages, don't have to repay the loan  a huge draw for businesses forced to shut due to government fiat and through no fault of their own.

Lisa Hess at Lucy's Coffee in San Luis Obispo, California. Shannon McMillen Photography

But now that business owners have used up their PPP funding, they're facing uncomfortable questions amid the possibility of further shutdowns. "How long will this last?" asked Lisa Hess, founder of Lucy's Coffee in San Luis Obispo, California. The firm took a PPP loan of about $23,000 and used up the cash in approximately six weeks. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently closed bars and indoor dining across the state amid a resurgence of Covid-19 in the Golden State. The shop has adjusted to the post-Covid-19 world by moving its service outside, setting up tables and purchasing umbrellas to make more seating available. Hess has a second lifeline through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, a federal loan for small businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis. She is reluctant to continue borrowing, especially since cash flow is tight. "If this goes on for a year and I use this money to pay the rent, then am I taking on a crazy amount of debt to keep the doors open?" Hess asked. "How much do you put into it before enough is enough, if I keep getting in debt to keep up?"

Emergency aid hobbled by delays, confusion

A man walks his dog past a placard stating "ALL SMALL BUSINESS IS ESSENTIAL" outside Atilis Gym on May 20, 2020 in Bellmawr, New Jersey. Mark Makela | Getty Images

In addition to establishing the Paycheck Protection Program, the federal government opened its existing disaster-loan program to businesses in all states due to the crisis. Nearly 5 million businesses have gotten $518 billion in cumulative PPP funding, with an average loan of $105,000, according to the SBA. Another $135 billion was issued through the disaster loan program, with an average loan of about $60,000. Both programs were marred by administrative delays, changing rules and limitations that made it difficult for some businesses to take advantage.

We're revisiting whether you can defer rent, how much do you need to retain a skeleton crew, who can you lay off assuming you don't get a second round of funding. Dan Herron CPA and principal of Elemental Wealth Advisors

"I think clearly there were some mistakes," said Chester Spatt, a professor of finance at Carnegie Mellon University and former chief economist at the Securities and Exchange Commission from 2004 to 2007. Chief among them were rigid rules around how PPP funds could be spent, Spatt said. They created an inherent tension between employees and the continuation of the business itself, he said. The program's original framework required business owners to spend the funds over eight weeks or risk losing full loan forgiveness  which would essentially forfeit one of the program's main draws. The federal government later broadened that timeline to 24 weeks, but by then it was too late for many who'd gotten a loan early on.

More than just payroll costs

A customer wearing a protective mask receives a takeaway meal from a restaurant during the coronavirus pandemic on May 20, 2020 in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Michael Tullberg | Getty Images

Robert Miller, for example, had already spent seven out of eight weeks' worth of PPP funding on his restaurants by the time that update was announced. "Eight weeks was nothing, considering we're on month No. 4 [of the pandemic]," Miller said. Due to another early limitation of the program  that at least 75% of funding be used for payroll  Miller, like many other businesses, didn't have much left over for other costs. (Lawmakers eventually lowered that threshold to 60%.) Miller has been spending more than $500 a week on Covid-19-related items (e.g., gloves, masks and cleaning supplies) alone. Items like umbrellas, tables and chairs for outdoor dining cost extra, too, all adding to the bottom line. More from Personal Finance:

Coronavirus unemployment claims are worst in history

Treasury canceling stimulus checks to dead recipients

'Jumbo' loans may be harder to get. Here's what to expect Luckily, his disaster loans have helped supplement other business costs as sales have lagged  though the prospect of being indebted to the federal government for 30 years, the term of the disaster loans, isn't a welcome thought, he said. For entrepreneurs along the coasts, rent expenses have also devoured their loan proceeds. Landlords, whose pocketbooks are also squeezed, are reluctant to give much of a break. "Payroll is the biggest expense, but the rent?" said Hess. "I don't know what the solution is here. "I talked to my landlord about it, and he pretty much said no because he can't afford it, either."

Scraping more funding

Anton Petrus

Around 84% of small businesses that received a Paycheck Protection Program loan will have exhausted their money by the first week of August, according to a recent Goldman Sachs survey. Under current law, companies can't get a second bite at the apple. The Senate will start debating the contours of another round of coronavirus relief when the chamber reconvenes on Monday, but it's unclear whether it will contain more aid for small businesses. Even then, lawmakers have hinted that future aid for businesses would be more targeted than in the CARES Act. In the meantime, tax professionals working with business owners have been scrounging for additional ways to free up cash flow. "We're revisiting whether you can defer rent, how much do you need to retain a skeleton crew, who can you lay off assuming you don't get a second round of funding," said Dan Herron, CPA and principal of Elemental Wealth Advisors in San Luis Obispo, California.

It's been difficult. You could talk to 1 million people who have the same story as me. Robert Miller Pittsburgh area restaurateur

Another strategy to consider is tapping the disaster loan after PPP funding runs out. Entrepreneurs with access to both can't use them concurrently for the same costs. "There's nothing that says you can't use one after you've used up the other," said Albert Campo, CPA and managing partner of AJC Accounting Services in Manalapan, New Jersey. "If you have some suppliers you owe money to, you can use the disaster loan money for that." Other sources of liquidity may become scarce. "Banks are a little more conservative when lending," said Campo. "Restaurants have a harder time getting funding due to their failure rate. "It's very nuanced and specific to each client, depending on their credit and liquidity."

'Bit of a boom'
Albany

It was a small ceremony compared to the pomp and crowds of the Tulip Festival, but one of the city's finest traditions has triumphed again.

Albany has a new Tulip Queen.

The 72nd winner -- Kaya Rifenberg-Stempel of Latham -- was crowned Saturday in a ceremony at Washington Park delayed but not defeated by the coronavirus pandemic. All five finalists will work together on community service and literacy projects for the next year as the Albany Tulip Court, according to Mayor Kathy Sheehan.

The women were chosen from a pool of dozens of nominees by a committee of local leaders through an extensive interview process based on their volunteer service, commitment to the local community and leadership skills. The event usually coincides with the Tulip Festival in early May.

Here's more information about the queen and the court members:

Tulip Queen:

Rifenberg-Stempel, 19, of Latham is a senior at the University at Albany where she enjoys learning about foreign languages and cultures. She is a lifelong Albany County resident and Girl Scout. She is a co-founder of Building a Better Colonie, an organization that seeks to encourage youth participation in local politics. She is also a devoted wildlife advocate. She hopes to someday get involved in international politics as a foreign ambassador. She is a member of the Tau Sigma transfer honor society and the Pi Delta Phi French Honor Society. In her free time, she loves to read, write, sketch, and play musical instruments. Above all, she values time with her family, especially her younger brothers. As a member of the 2020 Tulip Court, She hopes to raise support for wildlife conservation projects and to spread knowledge about music, art, and foreign languages throughout Albany.

Court members:

Kimberly Guzman-Reyes, 23, Albany is working toward her associate of general studies at Maria College in Albany while working part time with Insta-cart. Her volunteer experience includes assisting in the emergency department for Albany Stratton Veteran Medical Center, working as a teacher assistant, volunteering at Hudson Park Nursing Home, as well as preparing meals for those in need at St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Albany. She enjoys hiking, cooking and yoga. As a member of the 2020 Tulip Court, Kimberlys goal is to make a difference in her community by being involved in activities that create positive change for all people. She hopes to inspire and be an example for future Latin applicants to Tulip Queen.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Samantha Peck, 21, Albany is attending the University at Albany working toward earning her degree in psychology. Her volunteer experience involves participating in adoption clinics for the Mohawk Humane Society, volunteering at the food bank, walking in the Albany Pride Parade on behalf of the alliance for positive health , running a blood drive for the Red Cross and she has done countless service projects as a Girl Scout. She enjoys horseback riding, painting, reading, playing with dogs and cooking/baking. She also enjoys traveling and being part of new experiences. As a part of the 2020 Tulip Court her goal is to better herself and her community.

Maya Wilson, 21, Latham is a sophomore at Hudson Valley Community College where she is studying human services so she can one day be a social worker for a school. She works full-time at the state Assembly. Her volunteer experience ranges from the Regional Food Bank, making ribbons for Mothers Against Drunk Driving and most recently assisting at The Unity house for Domestic Violence. She was a cheerleader for Colonie Pop Warner where she participated in many fundraisers for her community. In her free time she takes pleasure in reading, health and fitness, and traveling. She was also a contestant in the miss New York USA pageant. As a member of 2020 Tulip Court, her goal is to work with families of low-income and their children to help them acquire resources that they need.

Karina Wojnar, 23, Albany is a graduate from Siena College where she studied business, art, and dialogue. She majored in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Social Justice & Global Citizenship. She currently works as the Development & Membership Manager at Albany Center Gallery, a community arts non profit located in downtown Albany. She has volunteered with organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of the Capital Area and the Sanctuary for Independent Media. In her spare time, She works as a yoga instructor, hikes, creates art, and rollerblades. As a member of the 2020 Tulip Court, She hopes to work with the community to provide needed resources and develop sustainable, impactful programming that amplifies the voices of the unheard through creative expression.
Rosenda Rios, a longtime San Antonio TV and radio journalist best know for her time at KSAT, died Thursday morning at a hospice in Houston. She was 62.

The TV station announced Rios' death on air Thursday during "Good Morning San Antonio." From 2001 to 2010, she worked for KSAT as an anchor and as an investigative reporter for the station's "The Defenders" team.

"We begin the newscast with a sad note for our KSAT family," said morning anchor Mark Austin. "One of our former colleagues, Rosenda Rios, has lost a long battle with cancer. She passed away this morning with her family by her side."

"Loving, kind, compassionate, a constant professional, a mentor and probably one of the most positive people I've ever known," Austin said during the broadcast.

Rios had battled cancer over the past year and at one point was cancer free until it returned, according to a report by KSAT.

READ ALSO: Parents of late Fox San Antonio anchor die of coronavirus

In 2010, Rios left KSAT for USAA, where she was the lead digital content strategist as part of the company's communications team.

But before moving to the corporate world, Rios had a distinguished career as a journalist, dating back to 1980s, when she worked as a newscaster and reporter for a local radio station. She started her TV career in the early 1990s as a reporter and sometimes anchor. She left in 1995 to work for Austins CBS affiliate, where she anchored first the morning show and then the weekend news.

Rios returned to San Antonio, initially as a weekend anchor for KSAT before joining the stations investigative team.

She was also the co-owner of Rios Burns Media Group LLC., which focused on digital video in new media.

Rosenda is one of the kindest, most generous women Ive ever worked with. She lived her life with gusto, fiercely loved her family and friends, and never stopped being a member of the extended KSAT family," said Bernice Kearney, the station's news director. "I will miss her beautiful smile and her infectious laugh, and will always be grateful for the time she spent as part of the KSAT12 News team.

Rios is survived by her husband former KSAT photographer Larry Burns and their two sons, Noah and Gabriel.



Friends and former colleagues took to social media to share their memories of the late TV journalist.



"I am sure our dear colleague and friend Rosenda Rios is now truly at the happiest place...heaven," shared KSAT anchor Ursula Pari on Facebook. "We will miss that ever present smile and dependable kind word she offered to everyone. Rest in peace among the angels, Ro. I know you'll keep everyone in line up there."



Pari also shared memories of her friend and colleague on "KSAT News at Noon" on Thursday.

"It's with a heavy heart that the KSAT12 family share with you the loss of a dear friend and colleague Rosenda Rios. She was an excellent reporter and anchor in the early 200os," Pari said.

"Rosenda was known for her kindness bright smile, her volunteerism and her pride in her two sons, Gabriel and Noah, as well as her beloved Pumpkin kitty," Pari added on air.

Candice.Garcia@express-news.net | Twitter @_candicegarcia
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has recently said that in addition to crushing freedoms in Hong Kong and threatening the independence of Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party is also trying to dominate global communication services. As per reports, during his visit to Iowa on July 17, Popeo said that he had come across a report that stated that the Chinese were performing mass sterilization drives as well as mass abortions on Chinese Muslims in western China.

'China the perpetrator of human rights abuses': Pompeo

Today, the Chinese Communist Party is crushing freedom in Hong Kong. It is threatening a free Taiwan and trying to dominate the world communications networks, Pompeo said

Pompeo added that Chinas action constituted some of the worst human rights violations. A few weeks back, I read a report about the Chinese Communist Party forcing mass abortions and sterilisation on Chinese Muslims in Western China. These are some of the most gross human rights violations we have seen and I have referred to it as the stain of the century, he added.

On July 17, the Trump administration also indicted 5 Chinese foreign nationals as well as two Chinese entities under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.

Read: US' Pompeo Trolling China's Xi Jinping By Posting Pic Of His Dog With Winnie The Pooh?

Read: It's Time To Push Back Against Challenge Posed By China: Pompeo

The United States has reportedly also imposed sanctions against Chinese telecom company Huaweis employees. The US also targeted other Chinese technology companies that allegedly provide support regimes engaging in human rights abuses globally. The United Kingdom has also announced that it will be banning Huawei. The move is being seen as a success by the Trump administration in its continued efforts to isolate the Chinese firm.

Read: Pompeo Says US Should Limit Which Human Rights It Defends

Read: Trump Wants North Korea Summit Only If 'real Progress' Possible, Says Mike Pompeo

As per reports, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emboldened by UKs decision to ban Huawei recently stated that this meant that the UK was joining the US and many other democracies around the world in becoming Clean countries. Pompeo's statement drew a response from Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying who claimed that none of the actions taken by the US is clean and that the US was simply playing dirty politics.

(Input Credit ANI)(Image Credit AP)
President Obama presents a 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rep. John Lewis during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 15, 2011. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The death of civil rights icon John Lewis prompted an outpouring of tributes on Saturday, a combination of mournful praise and calls to action as the nation faces a fresh reckoning with persistent racism a half century after his pioneering protests for Black equality.

Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did, former President Obama said in a written tribute. And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders  to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise.

Lewis, 80, who died of pancreatic cancer late Friday, made an early mark as a young leader of the 1960s civil rights struggle, helping to lead the 1963 March on Washington, suffering wounds from a police beating in Selma, Ala., in 1965, enduring dozens of arrests and then serving as a House of Representatives member from Georgia since 1987.

His death was mourned by figures who had known him for decades and by a younger generation of Black people, who have been on the front lines of the protests for police reform in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Lewis' last appearance was at a Washington protest in early June, and his last with Obama was in a virtual town hall addressing activists leading this summer's protests.

"How fitting it is that even in the last weeks of his battle with cancer, John summoned the strength to visit the peaceful protests where the newest generation of Americans had poured into the streets to take up the unfinished work of racial justice," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said in a statement. She long had an especially close relationship with Lewis.

John Lewis had the clearest vision of justice there can be, said Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, a civil rights group. He saw how civil rights would transform America, but he knew there would be no civil rights without the kind of Black political power that was willing and capable of disrupting the status quo. He became that power, and he disrupted the status quo.

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"He told Black Lives Matter activists that he wished he had an open internet in his time," Robinson said.

In a proclamation under President Trump's name, the White House ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff, including at U.S. facilities worldwide, as is traditional for those so honored.

Trump remained mum about Lewis on Saturday morning, when he played golf at his club in Virginia. He then tweeted condolences midafternoon.

Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing, he wrote on Twitter. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family.

A week before he was sworn in as president, Trump launched a bitter Twitter attack on Lewis, after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trumps election and said he would boycott the inauguration.

Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results, Trump tweeted, mischaracterizing the congressman's Atlanta-area district. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!

Backlash against his attack on Lewis helped prompt a broader boycott of the inauguration.

Obama, in his tribute, recalled his own, very different inauguration experience with Lewis, when Obama became the nation's first Black president. "I hugged him on the inauguration stand before I was sworn in and told him I was only there because of the sacrifices he made.

Praise for Lewis also came in from some Republicans, including those who have blocked his legislative causes, including a pending bill to renew the Voting Rights Act. The House has passed that measure but the GOP-controlled Senate has declined to consider it  a fact many on social media noted in responding to a Lewis tribute from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

McConnell said in a statement, You did not have to agree with John on many policy details to be awed by his life, admire his dedication to his neighbors in Georgias Fifth District, or appreciate his generous, respectful and friendly bearing.

"What a loss," said House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) in a "Fox and Friends" interview. "You knew you were serving amongst someone who was a legend, who was a giant."

Democrats presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill, issued a statement that began, We are made in the image of God, and then there is John Lewis. How could someone in flesh and blood be so courageous, so full of hope and love in the face of so much hate, violence, and vengeance?"

The Bidens said they had talked to Lewis a few days ago and found him upbeat and encouraging. Instead of answering our concerns for him, he asked about us, the Bidens said. He asked us to stay focused on the work left undone to heal this nation.

Lewis also drew praise from Biden's final primary rival, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who said:

"His courage helped transform this country. He wont ever be forgotten by those who believe America can change when the people stand together and demand it. "

Sen. Kamala Harris of California, a Black Democrat who also ran for president in 2020 and is being considered by Biden as a possible running mate, said of Lewis, He carried the baton of progress and justice to the very end. It now falls on us to pick it up and march on."




Government TechnologyIn this months installment of the Innovation of the Month series, we explore a collaboration between the University of Texas at Austin and the city of Austin, involving leveraging AI to improve the lives of people experiencing homelessness. MetroLabs Ben Levine spoke with Sherri R. Greenberg from the UT-Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs; Min Kyung Lee, Stephen C. Slota and Kenneth R. Fleischmann from the UT-Austin School of Information; James Snow from the city of Austin Public Works Department; and Jonathan Tomko from the city of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department about the background and development of their project.Can you describe the origin and objective of this project and who has been involved in it?This project is funded by Good Systems, a University of Texas Grand Challenge. Good Systems is one of the three Bridging Barriers Grand Challenges at the University of Texas at Austin. Bridging Barriers is a Presidential initiative, funded by the Provosts Office and administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research. The goal of Good Systems, of which I am founding chair, is to design AI technologies that benefit society. We define good systems as human-AI partnerships that address the needs and values of society.Good Systems is funding seven collaborative research projects between Good Systems researchers across the UT-Austin campus and city of Austin staff. Many of these projects, including ours, emerged from a research project design workshop that Good Systems and the city of Austin jointly organized. The workshop organizers included, from UT-Austin, Deputy VP for Research Jennifer Lyon Gardner, Bridging Barriers Executive Director Tessa Green, Bridging Barriers Events Program Coordinator Alison Fiorenza, Julie Schell and the School of Design and Creative Technologies Extension Team, Junfeng Jiao, Sherri Greenberg, and me; and, from the city of Austin, Charles Purma III, Ted Lehr and Sara Smith. The lead contacts in maintaining the close collaborative relationship between Good Systems and the ciity of Austin are Sara Smith from the city and UT-Austin Good Systems Network Relationship Manager Andrea Christelle.Each project leverages AI and interdisciplinary expertise to develop new findings and tools that can contribute to our respective fields and improve the lives of Austin residents.The particular focus of our project is to leverage AI to benefit one of our most vulnerable communities: Austin residents who are experiencing homelessness. Our interdisciplinary team consists of researchers from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin, and multiple departments at the city of Austin and Travis County, including Public Works, Housing, Technology, Innovation, Public Health and Emergency Medical Services. Our aims are to understand the information and service needs of people experiencing homelessness; to understand the information needs of agencies serving people experiencing homelessness; to use AI to empower people experiencing homelessess; and to assist agencies.There are many factors contributing to and related to homelessness. Which of them are you focused on?We describe homelessness as a wicked problem due to its complexity, heterogeneous stakeholders and interested parties across governments and nonprofits. Homelessness is experienced as a complex and multi-dimensional continuum, ranging from housing instability to reintegration from incarceration, couch-surfing to street homelessness, and episodic to chronic homelessness, wherein individuals move to, from and across these categories dynamically. We aim to use AI to help predict populations who are susceptible to entering the homelessness continuum and to help provide services to people who are experiencing some form of homelessness. The goal of our project is to study how to better provide wrap-around services to people on the homelessness continuum in the city of Austin, as well as how to assist local governments and nonprofits seeking to serve those individuals.How has COVID-19 impacted homelessness in Austin? What new research questions have arisen as a result of the pandemic?COVID-19 has impacted people experiencing homelessness in Austin by disrupting the system they have developed to survive while living on the streets of Austin and Travis County. Obtaining food and water, showers, cash for immediate needs, clothing, and assistance with resources all depend on someones ability to go to a location via public transportation or find a ride in a personal vehicle. When the shutdown occurred in April, access to food and water was immediately impacted as people experiencing homelessness could no longer enter buildings, and staff were not at work to provide services.We also are hearing that families are coming to agreements with landlords and simply moving out, instead of waiting for an eviction to be on their credit history, which could affect them for the next seven to 10 years. The individuals impacted by voluntarily vacating their homes will increase the number of people experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, assistance programs may not be available since the family would not have an eviction record necessary to qualify for assistance. This is the epitome of being between a rock and a hard place.People experiencing homelessness are being hit hard by COVID-19. In addition to possible infection from having to live without basic facilities, such as hand-washing stations, they are having to compete with other households who have suddenly become housing or food insecure. The city has offered new services to prevent a crisis, including more toilets, showers and free meals. A mobile hygiene clinic also has been launched. These efforts could lead to better outcomes for many and help people obtain more permanent shelter. But how could technology be a part of the solution? Could it help the city and its community partners be more proactive and less reactive, or better understand where there may be gaps in the system? Could it help optimize resources to leverage resources and efficiencies to serve more needs with less?Yes, research could measure this impact on the social service agencies and their metrics in accordance to grant requirements, as well as the impact of those locations that could not close, such as hospitals and other public safety services. Policy and eligibility also can be tracked to see the impact on those who voluntarily vacated their homes, instead of waiting for an eviction.How do you leverage AI to address these factors? What will your research approach entail?We will apply AI to empower individuals experiencing homelessness and assist agencies. To do this, we will leverage numerous data sets provided by the city of Austin and other government and nonprofit partners. Applying time-series and clustering modeling and other general predictive modeling techniques, we will better understand the factors contributing to homelessness and identify gaps in social services that, when filled, can empower people on this continuum. Our AI research will lead to refinements to user-facing and social service provider-facing systems. We also will compare where social services are provided and where they are needed most. The resulting AI-based tools will help decision-makers identify where services are most needed and how to deploy those services, and to offer personalized recommendations to individuals on the homelessness continuum.How will the city use your research to address the problem of homelessness? Could other cities benefit from this research as well?Our research can assist with identifying people at risk of becoming homeless and intervene proactively instead of reactively. The costs of addressing homelessness after the fact are much greater than before someone becomes homeless. There are additional barriers; health conditions can become more acute on the streets and services become more of a triage system.Other cities are asking themselves the same questions. Due to the fragmented nature of social service providers, each plays a critical role and has core competencies that are part of the overall solution. Can AI help cities become more proactive, optimize resources throughout a system, clarify roles and leverage resources to provide better services for those experiencing homelessness and the community at large?What are your next steps? Where do you see the project going from here?We see our research as helping consolidate existing data and giving voice to the concerns and practices of relevant stakeholders, including those providing services and those needing services. Addressing current gaps in policy and services relevant to homelessness requires an interdisciplinary approach that is both predictive and cumulative, and qualitative and quantitative. Our work will enable better coordination between existing services and help identify areas of exceptional need that existing services are not reaching.At the programmatic level, we also hope that the collaborations that we are building between Good Systems, a UT Grand Challenge and the city of Austin can serve as a model for other university-city partnerships. There is increased enthusiasm for fostering such partnerships here in Austin, and we are keen to see this trend continue statewide, nationally and internationally.
But four people at the centre of the scheme spoke with The New York Times and shared numerous logs and screenshots of the conversations they had on Tuesday and Wednesday, demonstrating their involvement both before and after the hack became public. The hackers' tweets from the accounts of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. Credit:Twitter The interviews indicate that the attack was not the work of a nation-state or a sophisticated group of hackers. Instead, it was done by a group of young people  one of whom says he lives at home with his mother  who got to know one another because of their obsession with owning unusual screen names, particularly one letter or number, like @y or @6. The Times verified that the four people were connected to the hack by matching their social media and cryptocurrency accounts to accounts that were involved with the events on Wednesday. They also presented corroborating evidence of their involvement, like the logs from their conversations on Discord and Twitter. Playing a central role in the attack was Kirk, who was taking money in and out of the same Bitcoin address as the day went on, according to an analysis of the Bitcoin transactions by The New York Times, with assistance from the research firm Chainalysis.

But the identity of Kirk, his motivation and whether he shared his access to Twitter with anyone else remain a mystery even to the people who worked with him. It is still unclear how much Kirk used his access to the accounts of people like Biden and Musk to gain more privileged information, like their private conversations on Twitter. The hacker "lol" and another one he worked with, who went by the screen name "ever so anxious", said they wanted to talk about their work with Kirk in order to prove that they had only facilitated the purchases and takeovers of lesser-known Twitter accounts early in the day. They said they had not continued to work with Kirk once he began more high-profile attacks around 3.30pm US Eastern time on Wednesday. "I just wanted to tell you my story because i think you might be able to clear some thing up about me and ever so anxious","lol" said in a chat on Discord, where he shared all the logs of his conversation with Kirk and proved his ownership of the cryptocurrency accounts he used to transact with Kirk. "lol" did not confirm his real-world identity but said he lived on the West Coast and was in his 20s. "ever so anxious" said he was 19 and lived in the south of England with his mother.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has repeatedly said the police force he oversees does not want or need the help of federal officers during nightly protests downtown.

But hours after Wheelers most recent public plea for federal agents to leave, Portland police advanced on protesters in a coordinated effort with federal officers. Friday wasnt the first time Portland police worked in tandem with federal officers. Portland police and federal officers marched shoulder-to-shoulder early Sunday morning to disperse protesters downtown.

Yet Wheeler and the Portland Police Bureau have denied any role in the decisions and operations of federal officers first seen in Portland June 27.

In the three weeks since, Department of Homeland Security officers have drawn criticism for arresting Portlanders and loading them into unmarked minivans, leading to national outcry. A U.S. Marshals officer shot a 26-year-old protester, Donavan La Bella, in the face with an impact munition, critically injuring him. The federal forces have drawn widespread criticism for using chemical weapons and impact rounds, and otherwise physically engaging protesters who do not appear to be a threat.

Portland police have said they provided help to federal officers at their request on the night of La Bellas shooting July 11. While testifying Friday to state lawmakers about the agencys use of tear gas, Deputy Chief Chris Davis disclosed that a member of the Federal Protective Service is in the Portland Police command post during downtown demonstrations.

At a press conference happening the same time as the legislative hearing, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell confirmed the two forces share real-time plans with one another.

We do communicate with federal officers for the purpose of situational awareness and de-confliction, Lovell said during a Friday press conference with Wheeler. Were operating in a very, very close proximity to one another, sometimes within the area of a city block.

Lovell denied that Portland police had taken direction from federal agencies or vice versa. A spokesperson for the mayor told The Oregonian/OregonLive early Saturday afternoon that Wheeler, the citys police commissioner, has been told PPB does NOT coordinate with the feds on tactics.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty issued a public statement on Twitter around the same time and said she was convinced Portland police and federal officers were working together to respond to protests.

We know that Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner met with DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, Hardesty said. We know Portland Police are collaborating with this federal occupying force.

Her statement criticized Wheelers failure to quell the federal presence. Within hours, Portland police said in a media release that starting Saturday night, the Federal Protective Service will not work in the Portland Police incident command center.

The mayors office did not immediately respond to questions about the exact nature of their side-by-side work in the command center and how it did not constitute tactical coordination.

Lt. Greg Pashley, a police spokesperson, said the federal presence was to facilitate communication.

Officers actions on the street make clear that city officials and federal commanders have worked together at times to remove protesters.

The coordination raises questions about the clear contradiction between what the citys police bosses are telling the public compared to how officers are actually responding to the nightly groundswell of protests against police violence.

For weeks, both Wheeler and federal officials have declined to provide specific information about the extent to which they have coordinated together. Portland police have refused to provide specific details about the operations of agencies assisting them, including federal forces.

Several people appeared to be detained pic.twitter.com/ffYfVBV1Qy  Dave Killen (@killendave) July 18, 2020

Ross Caldwell, director of Portlands Independent Police Review, agreed that some level of coordination is clearly inevitable because federal buildings sit next to the downtown jail at the heart of nightly protests.

But Caldwell said the question comes down to if police are coordinating with federal agencies before the protests begin, and at what level those decisions are being made.

Caldwell said it is paramount for the public to know how the agencies work together, because federal officers are operating from a different playbook with fewer regulations and accountability.

We cant have the feds doing PPBs dirty work and being able to get away with it because they dont have any oversight, Caldwell said.

Caldwell said his office had requested reports about the police response, and investigators planned to review how much was planned out and how much was spur of the moment decision-making.

You very quickly approach a line there of what is appropriate and what is not, Caldwell said. We have requested all of those reports, and were going to be reviewing.

Protests against police brutality and systemic racism have occurred every night for more than seven weeks in Portland after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd. Portland police have often coordinated the response among the many different police agencies present at protests.

City officials have routinely decried vandalism and alleged violent attacks from protesters. Activists and civil rights groups have routinely decried Portlands police use of force. The tactics have culminated in a multitude of lawsuits and temporary restraining orders against the city.

For several weeks, there were no visible federal officers at the nightly demonstrations, even as protesters staged outside the federal courthouse next to Portland police posted at the downtown jail.

After protesters removed a George Washington statue June 18 in Northeast Portland, the city found itself in the crosshairs of President Donald Trumps administration. On June 21 in Tulsa, Trump singled out leftist radicals in Portland for tearing down the statue.

On June 26, Trump signed an executive order with the stated purpose of deterring damage to monuments and government property. Video footage shows federal officers wearing camouflage uniforms and military-style helmets were present the next day at the federal courthouse.

Tensions ramped up after U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced July 3 he was deploying a special federal force to Portland for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Officers from the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Service have all responded to protests in recent days.

Wolf traveled to Portland Wednesday to meet with the federal forces. Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese said he declined an invitation to talk with Wolf, and Wheelers office said the mayor was not invited. But Portland police confirmed Friday that Turner, who leads the police union, did meet with the DHS head.

The federal tactics gained national attention Monday after praise from Trump. The presidents White House remarks came two days after a federal officer used an impact munition to shoot La Bella, whose hands were raised above his head as he held a stereo.

La Bella was critically injured and had to undergo a series of surgeries, his mother, Desiree La Bella, has said.

U.S. District Attorney Billy Williams, Oregons top federal law enforcement official, has said he has called for two separate investigations, into La Bellas shooting and into reports of unprovoked arrests by Homeland Security personnel.

The Department of Homeland Security has not returned six separate requests for comment about its operations, most recently sent Friday, pertaining to its actions in Portland. Wolf has said publicly that he has no plans to withdraw officers.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol issued a statement Friday that it will work tirelessly to restore law and order in Portland after violent anarchists destroyed federal property and injured federal officers. It did not describe the injuries to officers. The federal courthouse has been heavily tagged by graffiti.

Portland police have repeatedly said federal officers are acting on their own. Video evidence shows the local agency was working in tandem with federal officers at various points throughout the night when La Bella was shot. Soon after a deputy U.S. Marshal shot La Bella, Portland police were captured on video talking with deputy Marshals in front of the federal courthouse.

A few hours later, Portland police and federal officers were marching through the streets of Portland shoulder-to-shoulder clearing remaining protesters together.

Portland police said in a press release issued soon after that the actions were at the request of federal officials. Portland Police officers responded when federal officers called for help because people were resisting arrest and people in the crowd were throwing bottles at federal officers, the bureau said.

Portland police have provided few other details about their work with federal officers.

Officers in camouflage uniforms with military-style helmets and shields with POLICE written on them, first shown on video at protests June 27. The uniforms led many people to initially believe they were National Guard troops. Williams later confirmed that officers in camouflage posted at the courthouse were deputy U.S. Marshals.

This is National Guard. About a minute after I filmed this, they shot munitions at a protester walking north on 3rd. @OregonGovBrown didnt you have an opinion about this? pic.twitter.com/prIZxyNQo9  Lindsey Smith (she/her) (@LindseyPSmith7) June 27, 2020

Witnesses reported the officers engaged a protester with less-lethal munitions for no apparent reason as they walked past the group.

When asked July 1 about the appearance of officers at the federal courthouse, Lt. Tina Jones, a Portland police spokesperson, said she could not say which agency the officers represented.

We are the ones who request mutual aid, but it is unreasonable to think our agency knows or has all the information on every agencys uniform or equipment, Jones said in an email. You will have to inquire with them.

It was not until July 3 that Portland police confirmed federal officers had made arrests. In response to a follow up question, Jones disclosed U.S. Marshals officers and Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Services were actively policing protests at the federal courthouse.

PPB is the lead agency for Portland city property; the federal agencies are primary for federal properties, Jones said when asked about the level of coordination between Portland police and federal agencies on July 4. We coordinate as needed for public safety needs in the city of Portland.

Jones did not answer follow-up questions about when Portland police began coordinating with federal officers or to what degree they had been coordinating together.

After the Homeland Security secretary confirmed July 3 he had deployed agents to Portland, Wheeler did not immediately criticize their deployment.

In the days after La Bellas shooting, Wheeler accused the federal officers of placing protesters in danger. At his press conference Friday, he accused President Donald Trump of using Portland as a staging ground to further his political agenda.

Less than 12 hours later, after Portland police labeled a demonstration as unlawful, Portland police and federal officers marched in tandem toward hundreds of Portlanders.

This article has been updated to include a development from Portland police.

-- K. Rambo

krambo@oregonian.com

@k_rambo_

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Armed clashes involving tanks and artillery on the border between Tavush in north-eastern Armenia and the Tovuz district in Azerbaijan since last Sunday threaten to provoke all-out war. At least 12 soldiers, including a major general and a colonel, and one civilian from Azerbaijan are dead, as are four soldiers from Armenia. Many others are wounded.

After a dangerous China-India border clash last month, this is further confirmation that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified geo-political conflicts all over the world. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan face a growing coronavirus outbreak and a serious economic and social crisis causing mounting anger among working people. While Azerbaijan, with a population of 10 million, has registered more than 26,000 cases and 334 deaths, Armenia has reported more than 33,000 cases and 607 deaths despite having a population of less than three million.

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of having violated the ceasefire between their countries. The BBC reported that the border clashes came just days after Azerbaijans President [Ilham] Aliyev criticised international mediators conducting peace negotiations with Armenia, describing the process as meaningless.

Significantly, these clashes have taken place not in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, but along an internationally-recognized border between the two countries. Azerbaijani Deputy Defense Minister Kerim Veliyev claimed on Tuesday that nearly 100 Armenian soldiers have been killed, but Armenian officials denied this.

While Armenian official Artsrun Hovhannisyan said on Friday it can be considered that the tension has been greatly eased, this second armed clash in five years between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and official threats show an all-out war between the two South Caucasian states is a real danger. Such a war that could easily erupt into a conflict between Russia, a close backer of Armenia, and Turkey, a traditional ally of Azerbaijan and a member of NATO.

The seriousness of the conflict was underlined on Thursday with a statement from Azerbaijans Defense Ministry spokesman Vagif Dargyakhly, who said: The Armenian side must not forget that the state-of-the-art missile systems our army has are capable of launching a precision strike on the Metsamor nuclear power plant, and that would be a huge tragedy for Armenia.

This Soviet-built nuclear plant is about 35 kilometers from Yerevan, the Armenian capital, and close to the eastern border with Turkey as well. A missile attack on this plant would inevitably lead to a horrific nuclear disaster affecting the entire region.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry called this threat an explicit demonstration of state terrorism and genocidal intent, adding: We strongly condemn the nuclear threats voiced by Azerbaijan, which demonstrate absolute absence of responsibility and sound judgment from this particular member of the international community.

Moreover, Baku and Yerevan both accused each other of targeting civilians. While Armenias Defense Ministry spokeswoman Sushan Stepanyan said on Thursday Azerbaijani forces were shelling Armenian villages with mortars and howitzers, Azerbaijani officials claimed that Armenians shelled Azerbaijani villages with large-caliber weapons.

President Aliyev sacked his Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov on Thursday after accusing him of engaging in meaningless work, meaningless negotiations. This came after a pro-war demonstration in Azerbaijans capital Baku on Tuesday night, involving about 30,000 people shouting slogans like Karabakh is Azerbaijan! and Mobilisation, according to local reports. At 4:00 a.m. local time, several protesters broke into the parliament.

According to AP, Aliyev lashed out at nationalist demonstrators and accused the leaders of the opposition Popular Front of Azerbaijan of inciting riots to destabilize Azerbaijan during the renewed fighting with Armenia.

Since Sunday, many official statements have come from all over the world. Reuters news agency wrote: International concern is high because of the threat to stability in a region that hosts pipelines taking oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to global markets.

While UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Tuesday for an immediate cessation of hostilities on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the Co-Chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) Minsk Group urged all sides to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and attempts to change the situation on the ground, in a statement on Wednesday.

The OSCE Minsk Group, led by the United States, France and Russia, was created in 1992, ostensibly to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-Armenian mountainous region in Azerbaijan, declared independence in 1991. The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh had begun in 1988, when Azerbaijan and Armenia were still part of the Soviet Union. It escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s, after the Stalinist bureaucracy dissolved the Soviet Union in 1991. The war between Azeri troops and Armenian separatists had claimed some 30,000 lives by the time of the 1994 ceasefire.

As the World Socialist Web Site warned in 2016, when the last serious armed clashes erupted between the two countries, killing nearly 200 soldiers on both sides: The war danger posed by the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis points to the disastrous geopolitical consequences of the dissolution of the USSR, and the reactionary character of the nationalist politics that predominate in all the former Soviet republics, including Russia. This provided the basis for the emergence of explosive ethnic conflicts and imperialist intrigue across the region.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared his government is deeply concerned about deaths and violence on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and called on parties to immediately de-escalate, resume meaningful dialogue and ceasefire to start negotiations with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

France for its part condemned the armed confrontation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, calling for dialogue.

We are deeply concerned about the shootings on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. We call on both sides to exercise restraint and respect their obligations under the cease-fire, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, adding: Russia, as we have already stated at various levels, is ready to provide its mediation efforts for a settlement, as a co-chair of the Minsk group.

Russia has two military bases in Armenia, with about 5,000 soldiers and hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery systems as well as reportedly a dozen MiG-29 fighter jets, helicopter gunships and other weapons.

According to Russias TASS news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a surprise combat readiness check on Friday. It involved about 150,000 troops, over 26,000 weapon systems, 414 aircraft and 106 warships for Russias Southern and Western Military Districts, the Airborne Force and marine infantry of the Northern and Pacific Fleets.

Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said: The check stipulates holding 56 tactical exercises with the troops. A total of 35 training grounds and camps and 17 naval ranges in the Black and Caspian Seas will be involved.  The results of training measures held should be taken into account in assessing the level of the preparedness of military large units and formations for taking part in the Kavkaz-2020 [Caucasus-2020] strategic exercise [scheduled for September].

However, the most belligerent statements came from Ankara, a major ally of Baku for decades. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack by Armenia against friend and brother Azerbaijan, during a press conference on Tuesday. He said: Moreover, this last attack was not on the Upper Karabakh line, but directly on the borders between the two states and with heavy weapons.

Erdogan was effectively implying the Kremlin is behind what he called Armenias reckless and systematic attacks, which he said aim block the solution in the Upper Karabakh and to reveal new conflict areas.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar also declared that this move goes over Armenias head, after a meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Defense Minister and Air Force Commander Ramiz Tahirov on July 16.

On Friday, Ismail Demir, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries, an affiliate of the Turkish Presidency, declared on Twitter: We need to show the world that the two brother countries are in full unity. One nation, two states, adding that Our armed unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition and missiles with our experience, technology and capabilities are at Azerbaijans service.

Emphasizing their full support for the Erdogan government in the conflict, the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) and Good Party backed a joint statement with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in the name of the Turkish Parliament on Wednesday, declaring: Turkey, which has always been a defender of peace and stability with the understanding of two states, one nation, will continue to stand with Azerbaijan in its efforts to restore its territorial integrity.

Amid dangerous proxy wars between Turkey and Russia in Syria and Libya, the Turkish ruling elites full support for Azerbaijan and Moscows massive military exercise constitute a warning that escalation between Azerbaijan and Armenia could rapidly spiral out of control and provoke a broader conflict including Russia, Turkey and NATO.
You're walking down the street - wearing a mask and six feet from everyone else - when the person in front of you suddenly topples to the ground. You assume, probably correctly, that it's a heart attack, and your first impulse is to rush over and start CPR. But then you remember the pandemic and pause.

Please - experts urge - don't hesitate because of coronavirus fears. "You're talking about people who need help, and who need people willing to jump in and help them," says Michael Sayre, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Washington and medical director of the Seattle fire department. "The risk isn't zero, but it's low. You're many times more likely to save someone's life by intervening than you are to get infected."

More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital annually, and about 90 percent of the victims die, according to 2015 statistics cited by the American Heart Association. CPR - or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, where you use hands-only chest compressions (or, if available, a cardiac defibrillator) to get the heart beating again - can as much as triple an individual's chances for survival, according to the AHA.

First responders will arrive in gowns, gloves and masks and goggles - but you might have only a mask. How do you help, while protecting yourself, if you see a stranger drop in front of you? Here's what Jeffrey Goodloe, chief medical officer for the Oklahoma Emergency Medical Services System for metropolitan Oklahoma City/Tulsa, recommends:

"If I am walking down the street, wisely wearing a mask, and see someone collapse, I'm going to rush to them, and check to see if they're responsive. I will grab their shoulders and say: 'Hey, are you OK?' Then I would feel for a pulse, and see if they're breathing. If they are unresponsive and there is no pulse, I would immediately call 911, and start CPR. If they are wearing a mask, leave it on. If not, pull their shirt up over their face, or put some kind of cloth covering over their nose and mouth."

If you don't know CPR - or have forgotten how to do it - the 911 operator can talk you through it, he says.

Experts believe a rescuer's risk of infection is low. Sayre conducted a study in the Seattle area when - at the time - the incidence of covid deaths were 15 per 100,000 population, including fewer than 10 percent who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The researchers concluded it would take treating 100 such cardiac arrests to result in one rescuer infection, and 10,000 bystander CPR interventions for one rescuer to die of covid-19.

"When we did our calculations, we used the 10 percent number, but it's probably lower than that," Sayre says. "Here in the Seattle fire department, we responded to patients in Kirkland who had the disease and had to go to the hospital, but no one realized they had covid. Early on, our EMS crews took care of them, wearing gloves but no masks, and only one guy got sick - so we decided to take a longer look. We think the risk of getting infected from chest compressions is really low."

There is no need to initiate mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in adults to restore breathing, experts say.

"With good chest compressions, there is some passive inhalation," Goodloe says. "They are getting a little bit of ambient air just through the process of chest compression. We have found that is enough for neurological intact survival in adults. Those chest compressions are really the key to survival until trained EMTs or paramedics can arrive."

Children, however, are different when it comes to breathing. Typically an incident of some kind - choking or submersion in a family pool - impairs their ability to breathe. With kids, it's more important to focus on their airways.

"Most of the time it's a child in a backyard pool, and the person pulling them out is a parent," Sayre says. "We totally want them to do mouth-to-mouth breathing."

For drownings that occur in public pools or at beaches, lifeguards usually have access to a bag-valve-mask or positive pressure ventilator, with special HEPA or N95 filters. These devices force air into the breathing passages and avoid the need for direct mouth-to-mouth contact.

"Although it's OK for family members to do, physical mouth-to-mouth is no longer encouraged," says Thomas Gill, vice president of the United States Lifesaving Association. "It's not something recommended for the person on the street if you see a stranger lying there."

Drowning is different from cardiac arrest, in that lack of oxygen results from water submersion, so the first response should be to initiate breathing, Gill says. "But if a person is walking down the road and sees [a] neighbor cutting the grass who suddenly is grasping his chest, something else in the body is causing that to happen, and it's not submersion underwater."

In a choking emergency - if you see a stranger who seems to be choking on a piece of food - again, don't hesitate. Ask the person whether he or she is choking. If the person can speak, the airway is not totally blocked, and the person can cough out the object. Otherwise, perform the Heimlich maneuver, applying strong thrusts from behind to the abdomen - between the naval and the rib cage - which should dislodge it from the windpipe.

"Ask - 'Are you choking?' Somehow despite all the languages, it's universal to clutch our throat when we are as a signal," Goodloe says. "If they can speak, their airway is not fully occluded, so encourage them to keep coughing to expel the food. Today, we might stand in front of them, but stand to the side a few feet away, and you'll avoid the mainstream spray of droplets and anything else being coughed out. If they can't speak, a good Heimlich thrust or two or more can absolutely save a life. Do it. And call 911 or direct someone else to do so."

He adds one more important piece of advice: "If you direct someone else to call 911, make firm eye contact, and look to see they are dialing quickly. You'd be surprised the tragic results from just screaming, 'Somebody call an ambulance - call 911,' and everyone assumes someone else is doing it."

The numbers of non-hospital cardiac arrests are almost certainly higher now because experts say many people are delaying or avoiding care, afraid they will become infected with the novel coronavirus if they go to an emergency room. One recent study, for example, found that out-of-hospital cardiac arrests among New Yorkers rose from 1,336 patients in 2019 to nearly 4,000 this year during the height of the pandemic.

"The most tragic deaths in this era of covid-19 are the ones in patients reluctant to seek care - or the reluctance of others to provide care - because of their concerns about covid-19," Goodloe says.

Most out-of-hospital attacks occur in the home or in long-term care facilities, with only 18.8 percent happening in public, according to the AHA. With the former, family members or staff in the facility often are available to help. With the latter - especially with the worrisome reluctance to seek care - people are even more vulnerable, and bystander help more crucial than ever.

"We are concerned," says Goodloe, who also serves on the board of the American College of Emergency Physicians. "We want to maintain - even grow - the levels of bystander CPR. We do not want covid-19 to negatively impact the willingness of people to provide CPR. If it does, we will assuredly lose savable lives."

As scientists continue to study the virus that causes covid-19, emergency medicine specialists agree that there is more to learn. But current evidence suggests the transmission danger to rescuers of delivering CPR or responding to choking remains low, including for those whose protective gear may not go beyond that of a face mask.

"I think there are unanswered questions, but we don't get the opportunity to take a time out," Goodloe says. "Each and every day, over 1,000 Americans are dying from sudden cardiac arrest, most outside the hospital. We have to provide the best care possible as we seek answers to questions that have arisen as a result of this pandemic."
Pitchfork Book Club highlights todays best new music books.

The 19th-century composer Franz Lizst had sculpted cheekbones, stern eyebrows, and a grand forehead framed by a severe widows peak. He was, as one would say, a major hottie. Zealous fans brawled over his handkerchiefs and fashioned his broken piano strings into accessories; they clamored so often for locks of his shoulder-length hair that he began snipping his dogs fur and sending it to them. Back then Liszt was essentially Justin Bieber, as music journalist and Jezebel senior writer Maria Sherman summarizes in her book Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTS. She contends that Lisztomania, one of the first modern, Western examples of pathologizing womens hysteria in relation to a musical artist,could be the genesis of boy-band infatuation, of girls being spellbound by cute musicians only to be dismissed as dizzy, bra-flinging harpies.

In 2020, no cynic can ignore the power of boy bands or the savvy of their fans. Last month, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, K-Pop stans inundated a Dallas Police Department app with fancams and commandeered white supremacist hashtags on Twitter; they also helped foil Trumps big Tulsa rally by swarming the ticket system. Which makes a book clarifying the mechanics, intrigue, and cultural dynamics of boy bands particularly timely. Larger Than Life champions the enduring legacy of these male vocal groups, from winsome 1930s barber shop quartets to fetching Disney Channel celebrities. It looks like an oversized edition of a teen gossip magazine, embellished with patterned yellow borders, pink and blue headings, and bubbly illustrations inspired by Tiger Beat. Throughout, Shermans chatty, colloquial writing is winkingly uncool, brimming with slang like mic drop, zooted on ganja, and total moist beefcakes. It gestures loudly as if to say, How do you do, fellow kids?

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At the same time, Larger Than Life lightheartedly invokes Communist Manifesto authors Marx and Engels, is blurbed by veteran music critics like Ann Powers, and ends with a recommended reading list winnowed from a 50-page bibliography. Its flip and entertaining, sure, but also well aware of its position within an academic history. Sherman begins with the basics: Her working definition of a boy band is a group of attractive young men who dress similarly, dance without embarrassment, and sing well with one another. Each band member can be shuffled into a designated tropethe heartthrob, the bad boy, the shy oneand is beholden to iron-clad commandments such as honor thy love ballads and thou shalt not grow a beard. Usually, a conniving businessman stalks behind the scenes. Lou Pearlman, disgraced manager to the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, swindled millions from the bands and was imprisoned for running one of the longest-running Ponzi schemes in history. After splitting with the R&B sextet New Edition, Maurice Starr assembled New Kids on the Block as the foundational Black acts white copy. Appropriation rears its ugly head in boy bands throughout the decades, as Sherman notes at the books outset.

For superfans, there are fun pop-out features like Style Watch, which revisits such sartorial highlights as Justin and Britneys 2001 denim-on-denim extravaganza, or Tech Toch, which explores how media and technology shifts, like the introduction of MTVs TRL, have shaped fan engagement. Larger Than Lifes target audience really seems to be adult nostalgiststhose who, as adolescents, probably sported tiny HitClips on their backpacks and wrote their fan mail by hand. (Less space is dedicated to how, say, a contemporary fan base like BTS ARMY mobilizes on Twitter.) If Tumblr was a little past your heyday, the short list of absolutely crucial boy band lingo clarifies what ship and stan means. Each chapter dives into the history of a prominent boy band, but Sherman also breezes through dozens upon dozens of lesser known ones in paragraph-length capsule summariesHanson, Westlife, even the Jack in the Box-created Meaty Cheesy Boysindulging readers in a lively game of Were They a One-Hit Wonder? There are too many of them in rapid succession to derive meaningful insight, but theres also a thrill in seeing your cherished, lesser-known boy band make the cut. (For me, it was Nickelodeons Big Time Rush.)

Larger Than Lifes real strength is its recognition that boy bands, like many cultural entities, exist at the intersection of multiple overlapping and conflicting forces. Sherman moves through a myriad of lenses: gender, race, labor, globalization. Boy bands should unionize, she jokes while discussing exploitative label/manager-artist agreements, a recurring theme. She credits Motown Records Berry Gordy for pioneering the streamlined, factory-style system upon which the boy-band industry was built, and explains how Bostons Racial Imbalance Actwhich mandated desegregation through busingexposed the rapping, breakdancing white boys in New Kids on the Block to Black music. She also details how the squeaky-clean images of Disney Channel stars, like the purity ring-wearing Jonas Brothers, were shaped by a conservative, abstinence-only agenda. But sometimes the intensity of Shermans assertionswhich match fans playfully hyperbolic dictioncan obscure more the subtle dynamics that shes teasing out.

Early on, she highlights how boy bands embody a softer, more innocent masculinity than fans are typically exposed to, enabling them to safely experiment with identity and desire, to swivel between romantic types. Boy bands are objectified, subject to the female gaze. Thus, it goes without question that they subvert harmful, traditional images of what a man should be. They dare not to uphold straight cis mens interest, but to celebrate marginalized peoples humanity, Sherman lauds. But on a very literal level, boy bands do promote straight cis mens interests; the primary beneficiaries of One Directions meticulous branding are jerks like Simon Cowell. In a later excerpt about queer boy band members, *NSYNCs Lance Bass is quoted saying, Screw the fact that you are going to come out as being gay. It ruins their whole business plan.

Its less the fearlessness of straight-presenting boy bands that should be championed than keen interpretations of their fansthe lesbians who see their own aesthetics reflected in Harry Styles, the drag kings who expose gender nonsense through campy parodies, the Tumblr users who dream up gay fan fiction. The rap collective BROCKHAMPTONs decision to self-label as a boy band probes us to interrogate our outdated assumptions. Do mixed gender audiences, as opposed to primarily female ones, really preclude an act from being a boy band? Do members have to be white, thin, straight, cis, pop-singing, or even boys? Sherman does raise these questions, highlighting BROCKHAMPTON and groups like the all-trans No Daughter of Mine. But she could further excavate these dynamics, clarifying what it means for a boy band of trans boys to further expressions of boy band masculinity, bringing it into unchartered territory instead of stopping at the claim. At the end of the day, the marginalized people at the heart of Larger Than Life still largely seem to be straight women; even then, its up for debate whether a message like you dont know youre beautiful constitutes a true feminist win.

Boy bands are constructions: Their terms evolve based on the social and political conditions they inhabit. The best section in Larger Than Life, on BTS and the K-Pop explosion, fully grounds its analysis in these contexts, clarifying how pop expression in South Korea evolved as the country transitioned from military dictatorship to a more democratic regime. The book is worth reading for this section alone. Here, we learn about Seo Taiji and Boys, whose 1992 performance of the rap song Nan Arayo on a televised music competition show helped spawn the formidable K-Pop industry. We seehow K-Pop, while borrowing from Western genres like EDM, R&B, and hip-hop, still retains its own signatureseight to 10 melodies versus five, more emphasis on the harmoniesand has developed into a formidable tool for cultural diplomacy. For obvious reasons, the K-Pop chapter is where Shermans book feels most directly relevant to how boy bands are now, not yesterday. It also strikes the best balance between cheerleading and objective evaluation. Boy bands are not just larger than lifetheyre also a part of it.

Buy Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTS from its publisher, Bookshop.org, Amazon, or Apple Books

(Pitchfork may earn a commission from purchases made through affiliate links on our site.)

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
There is often hesitation among Africans and the African diaspora to critique the pioneers and trailblazers who had to overcome racial, political and economic odds.



Philip Quaicoe (or Quaque) was one of them. Quaicoe was an 18th-century Anglican priest from the British colony of Gold Coast, now Ghana.



His last name is specifically Kweku (also spelled Kwaku), the Akan name for a male child born on Wednesday. In his day, the same name was even spelled as Quaque by the British and it is the rendition that comes up in many internet searches of the man.



Records claim he was born in 1471 but we do not know more. What we do know is that he was one of three children taken to England in 1754 by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG).



Quaicoes father was Birimpong Cudjoe, most likely a native chief.



Knowing what we do now, it is hard to view historical instances like what happened to Quaicoe without contempt. The very reason these Africans were adopted by Christian missionaries was to civilize the Africans.



Two of those taken to England along with Quaicoe did not survive this civilization process. Thomas Cobbers died only four years after they had arrived and William Codjoe lost his mind and died in 1766.



Quaicoes last man standing status adds mystery to his story when it is told these days in Cape Coast schools, one of which is named after him.



For Christian believers, Quaicoes ordinance as a priest in 1765 was the culmination of an unflinching spirit and perseverance.



Quaicoe married Catherine Blunt, an Englishwoman, in the same year and returned to the Gold Coast in 1766. He was not the same man who had left two decades before  in fairness, he was more English than African or, if you like, Fante.



For one, his name was no more Kweku. It was Philip.



But in other aspects, Quaicoe perceived himself as that one African sanitized by grace for the purpose of helping with European civilization in Africa.



He set up a private school in his own living room to train the offsprings of white fathers and African mothers  mulattoes, as they were called.



Quaicoes move was intentional for various reasons. Mulattoes had fathers who, if they chose to stay in their childrens lives, could afford to pay the English-trained Quaicoe.



The other reason is that mulattoes were, in a sense of social hierarchy in many colonized societies, closer to white people. Their chances of social mobility were frankly better than full-blooded Africans.



Choosing to admit only mulattoes was both a political and a financial decision.



When Quaicoe admitted full-blooded Africans into his school, they were the kids of wealthy coastal traders.



Quaque was also the SPGs missionary and a chaplain to the Company of Merchants Trading to Africa (CMTA) at the Cape Coast Castle, the principal slave-trading site of the CMTA.



Those roles may have out of his control.



We can understand the life of Quaicoe with due recognition for the crisis of his identity and his complicity in European maleficence. But criticisms are also quite easy.



A better summary would be that he was a victim of his times. And that we might probably be overdoing his posthumous exaltation.

Source: face2faceafrica.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Rs 7 billion assets, Rs 140 million cash was what group that bombed Sri Lanka had

CID to probe journalists arrest case in Assam

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Dhubri, July 18: Assam police on Friday announced a CID investigation into the arrest of a journalist on charges of extortion and misbehaviour with the wife of a district official.

Rajib Sarma, a journalist in DY365 channel in this western Assam district, was arrested from his residence in Gauripur town at 2 am on Thursday. Hours after his arrest, his 64-year-old ailing father died due to cardiac arrest.

The scribe's arrest triggered a hue and cry in the state, following which the district superintendent of police and the divisional forest officer (DFO) were transferred, the officials said.

How a 'series of transactions' led CID crack Murshidabad triple murder case

Dhubri DFO Biswajit Roy had lodged a police complaint against Sarma accusing him of extortion and misbehaving with his wife.

Sarma did a series of news reports claiming that cattle smuggling in Dhubri district was thriving on the alleged nexus between the DFO and district police.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

"The case of the arrest of a local journalist of an electronic media has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for a proper probe," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) G P Singh told reporters here on Friday.

The police officer visited the residence of Sarma to convey condolences to the bereaved family. Singh also visited the Dhubri police station.

On Friday, a local court granted Sarma an interim bail to complete the last rites of his father.

The ADGP said the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Cell will be investigating the DFO's case separately and it will be unrelated to the criminal case against the journalist.

He also said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to inquire about the role of Dhubri district police in cattle smuggling cases in the last two years.

"I have done the preliminary inquiry today and will submit my findings to the DGP and the chief minister by tonight," the police officer said.

The ruling BJP condemned Sarma's arrest. A party delegation met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and submitted a memorandum denouncing the arrest and seeking an impartial probe into the case.

The Guwahati Press Club too sought the chief minister's intervention in the matter so that the scribe's family is not harassed unnecessarily.

Meanwhile, the Assam government transferred Dhubri Superintendent of Police Yuvraj to 1st Assam Police Battalion at Ligiripukhuri as its commandant. Charaideo's SP Anand Mishra replaced him.

Special Branch SP Shwetank Mishra will take charge as Charaideo SP, a Home Department notification said.

The Environment and Forest Department also transferred the Dhubri district forest officer to the Genetic Cell Division in Guwahati.

The current DFO of the Genetic Cell Division, P V Trimbak, will be posted to Dhubri, according to an order.
81/82 Batch of Richmond College donates Palliative care centre Karapitiya Hospital View(s):

A donation of over 600,000/ (Six Hundred Thousand) was made recently by 81/ 82 batch of Richmond College Galle to Palliative care centre Karapitiya Hospital recently voluntarily in recognition of the hard work done so far by Dr Chrysantha Perera who is in charge of the unit in hospital. Incidentally Dr. Chrysantha too is a member of this group and he thanked his colleagues for coming forward to donate towards this worthy cause. Picture shows the group together with Dr. Chrysantha Perera after making the donation. Class teachers of the group Mr. Thilak Wijewardane and his wife Mrs Marion Senananayake too were present on this occasion.
Nearly 20 photos are on display on the peripheral wall of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City as part of a mini-exhibit to commemorate the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

U.S. President Bill Clinton announced the formal normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam on July 11, 1995.

Each of the 19 photos on display tells a story about the Vietnam-U.S relationship in the last 25 years. There are unforgettable moments and also interesting ones.

We wanted to create a photo exhibit on the Consulate wall to tell the incredible story of our how our two countries became the partners and friends we are today, Matthew Ference, public affairs officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, told Tuoi Tre News.

Looking at the mini-exhibit on Le Duan Street in District 1, one can see historic milestones in the bilateral relationship, such as President Clintons historic visit to Vietnam in 2000 or President Donald Trump speaking with Vietnamese General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong during a visit to Hanoi in February 2019.

A man walks past photos displayed on the wall of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. relations, July 16, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

The photo wall also celebrates important individuals who successfully advocated for the normalization of relations, such as Senator John McCain and Senator John Kerry, said Ference.

The photo of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy speaking to the media at the launch of a dioxin cleanup project at Da Nang Airport in the namesake central city in April 2014 marks a significant milestone in the expanding partnership between the United States and Vietnam to address the legacy of war issues.

After four years of work, the two countries announced the successful completion of the project, which led to the launch of a similar joint dioxin remediation project at Bien Hoa airbase in the southern province of Dong Nai in 2019.

Two women walk past photos displayed on the wall of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. relations, July 16, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Other photos highlight the strength of people-to-people ties, such as the photo of a group of Vietnamese Young Southeast Asia Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) students in Washington DC, or one of U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink speaking to students at a community relations event during the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt's visit to Da Nang in March 2020.

Photos of U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie Damour during a November 2019 visit to An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, where she met with the Muslim Cham community at Mubarak Mosque and learned about eco-tourism at Tra Su Cajuput Forest, further demonstrate the strong engagement of the U.S. throughout Vietnam.

We hope residents of Ho Chi Minh City can stop to take a look at these photos when passing by Le Duan Street, whether to enjoy reliving famous moments from the past 25 years or to learn something new about our partnership with Vietnam, said Ference.

A woman looks at photos displayed on the wall of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. relations, July 16, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

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Flowers and messages are placed at the memorial for George Floyd on June 9, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Residents of the community, and people around the world, have come together in calling for an end to police brutality after the death of George Floyd, who was killed while in Minneapolis police custody on May 25th.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Racism in Minneapolis was declared a public health emergency on Friday.

The Minneapolis City Council approved a resolution to "recognize the severe impact of racism on the well-being of residents and city overall."

The resolution is authorized two months after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, kneeled on his neck for over eight minutes.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Minneapolis City Council approved a resolution to declare racism as a public health emergency to "eliminate racial disparities" for marginalized community members on Friday.

The resolution was created by council members Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham as a call for action for the city government to end racism and build "an active, anti-racist culture in the City of Minneapolis."

"It's past time that we begin to address these systemic issues that have been plaguing our society for decades," said Jenkins, according to the report.

The declaration brings attention to the economic, educational, and health disparities amongst people of color in Minneapolis, which is comprised of 40% of BIPOC community members, according to the resolution.

"Racism in all its forms causes persistent discrimination and disparate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, education, health, employment, public safety and criminal justice; exacerbated further by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis," the resolution read.

By declaring racism a public health emergency, the resolution said, Minneapolis is recognizing "the severe impact of racism on the well-being of residents and city overall," and plans to "allocate funding, staff, and additional resources to actively engage in racial equity in order to name, reverse, and repair the harm done to BIPOC in this City."

Minneapolis, according to the resolution, "has some of the starkest racial inequities in the country."

Story continues

The resolution comes after nearly two months after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, and sparked an eruption of protests across the US.

Since then, members of the Minneapolis City Council vowed to disband the city's police.

One of the actions to be undertaken by the resolution is to establish "a comprehensive public safety system that decentralizes BIPOC over-policing and criminalization."

Minneapolis is not the only city to declare racism a public-health crisis. In recent months, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, and Indianapolis have also declared racism as a public health emergency following Floyd's death.

Read the original article on Insider
(Natural News) Indias coronavirus caseload exceeded one million this week, making it the third country to reach the grim milestone after the U.S. and Brazil. The worlds second-most populous nation crossed that threshold after logging around 34,956 cases Friday, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, public health experts are warning that the pandemic is starting to make inroads into rural areas, where healthcare systems are already buckling under pressure. The 1.3 billion-strong country is among the most densely populated regions on Earth, which gives the virus plenty of room for transmission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi enforced a nationwide lockdown in March to head off infections early on. The restriction slowed down the spread of the virus, but it tanked the economy and hurt many of the countrys poor migrant workers. The government lifted the lockdown in June, which caused new cases to spike.

Currently, Modi and other senior officials are saying Indias handling of the coronavirus is better than wealthier countries, especially when it comes to the death rate. The country reports around 19 deaths per million; in comparison, the U.S.  the current leader in global caseload  has 429 deaths per million.

As of press time, India has 26,273 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Public health experts, however, argue that actual numbers could be significantly higher, as testing in the country remains sparse.

Reinforcing lockdowns to prevent new infections

Indias coronavirus caseload has been steadily rising, with authorities reporting record numbers every day. Researchers at the Massachusets Institute of Technology estimate that the country will be the worst-hit nation in the world by the end of next year, given its rate of infections.

Despite taking swift action in the early days of the pandemic, more than 100 million Indians have lost their jobs. The economy isnt faring too well either, with forecasts saying that it will contract by as much as 9.5 percent this fiscal year, a stark difference to its economy from the last decade. Public health experts say that Modis lockdown was too early. This also led migrant laborers, most of whom live in the city, to return to their home villages to survive. In the process, they became unwitting drivers of transmission, as they spread the virus into every corner of India. (Related: Indias coronavirus caseload surges after lockdown.)

In a bid to head off new cases, some states have reimposed lockdowns or movement restrictions. In Odisha, the state government enforced a lockdown in certain areas. Meanwhile, Goa  a popular beach destination  returned to lockdown a few weeks after reopening.

Cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi remain to be coronavirus hotspots; however, authorities are now reporting outbreaks in more rural areas, most of which have limited healthcare systems.

In Bihar, one of the poorest states in the country, the state government announced that lockdowns would continue until the end of the month, after logging around 1,000 new cases daily. The Health Ministry will send a special team to investigate the surge in new cases.

Across the country, schools and colleges continue to be shuttered and public transportation remains closed.

Meanwhile, the government is starting to restart international travel, as it plans to establish air bubbles with some countries.

Under this arrangement, airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from [and] to India along with Indian carriers, explained Hardeep Singh Puri, Indias minister for civil aviation.

Pandemic.news has more stories on the ongoing Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.

Sources include:

Bloomberg.com

NPR.org

Worldometers.info

Coronavirus.JHU.edu
The coronavirus pandemic has affected the whole world to the point where people are getting admitted for the virus every day with overworked doctors and health care professionals doing their best to keep the patients alive.

However, because of some people's blatant disregard for the safety measures put in place, good people are dropping like flies one by one unless we take this epidemic seriously and follow the health protocols set in place by medical professionals.

But it's a very different case when even the administration governing the land is not doing a good job in controlling the outbreak which Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg implied when he took the stand and criticized the president and his administration for the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic in a report from CNN Business.

In his interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert who also heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the CEO expressed his dismay at how the government is going against the advice of America's top healthcare professionals and how America is faring against this disease compared to the rest of the world.

"I just think that it was avoidable and it's really disappointing that we still don't have adequate testing, that the credibility of top scientists like yourself and the CDC are being undermined and until recently that parts of the administration were calling into question whether people should even follow basic best practices like wearing masks," Zuckerberg said.

Reopening America Too Quickly

Even as the number of cases grows in the United States day by day, America's doors have once again been opened in order for the economy to recover.

Restaurants, pubs, barbershops, department stores. You name it. However, it comes at a great cost as the number of people who have contracted the virus are breaking records.

Although Dr. Fauci said that some states were able to abide by protocols for a safe reopening, some citizens, however, the country "went from lockdown to caution into the wind."

Dr. Fauci has often been the subject of criticism by the Trump administration for his leadership in leading the response to the pandemic.

If you've missed watching the live interview, you can watch it again here.

Read Also: HelloMask: Could Transparent Eco-Friendly Surgical Face Masks be the Next Big Thing?

Facebook's Actions Against Misinformation about the COVID-19 Pandemic

Until a vaccine is found, the virus is not going anywhere and is here to stay. It has been around for more than 4 months now, but there are some people who do not know the severity of this virus which can cause them to panic courtesy of false information.

In order to disseminate factual and accurate information, Facebook has cracked down on hoaxes and false information. It has removed content spreading misinformation or conspiracy theories and warned people who "like" posts that are deemed to be false according to a report from CBS News.

Facebook has also built an information center to direct users to "authoritative information" about the virus and launched a feature called "Facts about COVID-19" intended to debunk common myths last March.

Read Also: [COVID-19 Update] Russian Spies Target Organisations Researching Coronavirus Vaccines
A Melbourne millionaire who was infected with COVID-19 but dismissed it as 'nothing more than a man flu' has called for the lockdown to be ended in his local area.

Forestry boss and resort owner James Neville-Smith and his wife Katey shared a petition last Sunday that called to 'exclude the Mornington Peninsula from COVID lockdown'.

The whole of Melbourne is currently in stage-three lockdown, including the Mornington Peninsula Shire, which is a one hour drive away from the CBD.

Mr Neville-Smith lives in the seaside town of Flinders at the end of the Mornington Peninsula, and believes his area should be exempt from the stay-at-home directives.

Forestry boss and resort owner James Neville Smith and his wife Katey. Mr and Mrs Neville-Smith live in Flinders on the Mornington Pensinula in southeastern Melbourne

Mr Neville-Smith shared a petition last Sunday to exclude Mornington Peninsula from the Melbourne COVID-19 lockdown. He said he is 'very worried about local business'

'My reasoning is the case numbers (on the Mornington Peninsula) are very low and I'm very worried about local business,' Mr Neville-Smith told The Herald Sun.

'I appreciate that there are others who want the whole place locked down but I am very concerned about the economic impact of all these lockdowns. I think it's rough on small business which has just got itself going again.'

Mr Neville-Smith is the executive chairman of Neville Smith Forest Products, one of the biggest forestry operations in Tasmania and Castaways Resort and Spa on Mission Beach in Queensland.

He previously revealed he had been infected with COVID-19 to the publication.

'I had it and I'm 100 per cent recovered and fit as a fiddle. I appreciate it's not pleasant but it was a flu for me, nothing more than a man flu,' he said.

Mr Neville-Smith (right) gives former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (centre) a tour of Neville Smith Forest Products in Launceston, Tasmania in 2017

The Change.org petition Mr Smith shared argued that since the Mornington Peninsula has a low number of cases, it should be exempt from lockdown to protect it from the rest of Melbourne.

'Including us actually allows easy access to the rest of metropolitan Melbourne into the Mornington Peninsula and potentially promoting the spread of the virus,' the petition read.

The petition also argued that employment, businesses, education, panic buying, and mental health have already been impacted negatively by the previous lockdown.

It also called for policing to be diverted from handing out $1,652 fines for breaching lockdown laws to 'stopping real crime'.

The Mornington Peninsula was revealed to be the homicide capital of Melbourne on Friday, according to the Mornington Peninsula Leader.

Lastly, the petition pointed out that the Mitchell Shire, north of Melbourne, is also in lockdown, proving that lockdowns can be enforced on a shire-by-shire basis.

Mr and Mrs Neville-Smith take a selfie. The couple live in the seaside town of Flinders at the end of the Mornington Peninsula, and believes his area should be exempt from the stay-at-home directives

All residents of Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire currently have stay-at-home orders as part of the stage-three lockdown.

This means people are only allowed to leave the house for work or study, exercise, shopping for essentials and to give or receive care.

Victoria reported 217 new cases on Saturday, which is a welcome drop from Friday's record 428 cases.

Two Victorians, both in their 80s, died on Saturday and the state is still battling 2,752 active cases.
By PTI

LAHORE: A Pakistani court on Saturday awarded 15 years jail term to two leaders of banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in two terror financing cases.

"Today the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore concluded the trial of two leaders -- Luqman Shah and Masoodur Rehman -- of proscribed organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in two cases registered, investigated by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police in 2019," the CTD said in a statement.

The court found the accused guilty of terror financing under section 11-N of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

Along with the 15-year imprisonment, fines were imposed on both.

The CTD said the two convicts had committed offences of terror financing by managing the assets/properties of the LeT and by raising funds from them.

"The prosecution successfully proved the offences by producing strong evidence wherein the convicts had collected funds for LeT and managed assets of LeT. The conviction and sentence will have big impact to stop terrorism financing in the country," the CTD said.

Last month, the Lahore ATC had awarded up to five years jail sentence to four senior leaders of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and close aides of mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack Hafiz Saeed in a terror financing case.

They were Malik Zafar Iqbal and Yahya Aziz, Abdul Rehman Makki and Abdus Salam. Except Abdul Rehman, the rest are United Nations Designated Persons involved in terror financing.

In February, Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to jail for 11 years on terror finance charges by an ATC in Lahore. The ATC sentenced Saeed and his close aide Zafar Iqbal to five-and-a-half years each in two cases.

A total of 11 years sentence will run concurrently. Saeed is serving his term in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. He was arrested in July last year.

The CTD of Punjab police had registered 23 FIRs against Saeed and his accomplices on the charges of terror financing in different cities of the province.

The Hafiz Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the LeT, which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

The US named Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

He was listed as a terrorist under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has accused Sachin Pilot of plotting to topple his government from day one and said he was not on talking terms with his former deputy since the Congress returned to power in the state 18 months back. He maintained he will welcome Pilot with open arms if he chose to return. He was three-year-old when I became MP [member of Parliament] for the first time. I have ties with his family going back decades. I will welcome him with a hug.

Gehlot said there was no dialogue between them over the last year and a half. A minister who does not talk to the chief minister, does not take his advice, keeps no dialogue with him... There can be opposition but the dialogue is necessary for a democracy, he said in an interview to a TV channel.

Gehlot said Pilot initially wanted to join the BJP but the lawmakers loyal to him were unwilling to do so. He added that is when he thought of forming a third front, a new party, and finish the Congress in Rajasthan.

Gehlot maintained he has the support of over 100 lawmakers in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly while Pilot has just 2-15 with him. My government is sitting with over 100 MLAs [members of the legislative assembly] but you want to topple that and want to form a government with the support of the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party]. People will never forgive you, Gehlot said.

He called the entire matter unfortunate and added the internal quarrel should have been resolved internally. If you do politics in connivance with your rivals, then what is left in a democracy?

The Rajasthan polices Special Operations Group (SOG) on July 11 issued a notice to Pilot to record his statement a day after it registered a case against two BJP members for allegedly trying to bribe legislators to topple the state government. The notice triggered the ongoing political crisis with Pilot calling it Gehlots attempt to humiliate him.

Gehlot said 10 to 12 notices, including one to him, were served but an environment was being created that poor Pilot has got a notice. Our party is the complainant and 10-12 notices have been served. We have not named him. We have said there was a conspiracy by the BJP to topple the government. Why is he going around giving clarifications? asked Gehlot.

Gehlot said Pilot and lawmakers loyal to him planned to rebel on June 10. He added he learnt about their plan, thwarted it, and kept all the lawmakers at a resort. They were planning to leave at 2 am. I had to save the government. I woke up all collectors at 1 am and I asked all party leaders to reach Jaipur the next day and almost all of them reached. Then these people realised the truth and started saying there was no conspiracy and there was no need for placing MLAs under lockdown. But I had proof then and I have proof now.

He asked the younger leaders to show patience and trust their leaders. You should not betray the party. The party has given you so much.

Gehlot said he has been a three-time central minister, three-time state party chief, three-time Congress general secretary, and three-time chief minister because he rose through the ranks. Our generation leaders worked hard and stayed loyal to the party and its ideology and so we are where we are today.

Gehlot said he became the chief minister because people wanted it and eventually the Congress high command backed him. If I had felt that the public and MLAs were not with me, I would have myself told the high command.

He called the suggestions that the seniors should retire irrelevant. We too were juniors when we joined and we are still active today. Now people say they should sit at home. If we leave politics, what will we do?

Gehlot said he supports Congress leader Rahul Gandhis statement that those who want to leave are welcome to go. Those who want to leave should leave. Those who do not have a commitment towards the party... they are liabilities who are just waiting to grab posts... those who are committed do not get a chance. Those who are opportunists and traitors, if they leave then a new form of the party will come forth.

He rejected suggestions that the departure of leaders perceived to be close to Gandhi put a question mark on the latters leadership. There is no question mark on his leadership but on the thought process of these leaders [who have left].
NEW HAVEN  The city will open cooling centers and splash pads this weekend, providing residents an opportunity to get out of the heat and humidity.

The Kennedy Hall of Records, located at 200 Orange St., will be open Sunday through Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., city Spokesman Gage Frank said in a release.

We want our all residents in this City to have access to reliable, cool spaces during the incoming heatwave, said Mayor Justin Elicker as part of the release. City Officials will continue to monitor the weather so that we can handle the need for additional cooling centers that may be in demand.

Frank said that, if the need arises, the City will open all public libraries to serve as cooling centers on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the following locations for the general public:

Fair Haven Branch Library is located at 182 Grand Ave.;

Mitchell Branch Library is located at 37 Harrison Street;

Stetson Branch Library is located at 200 Dixwell Avenue in the Dixwell Plaza;

Courtland Seymour Wilson Branch Library is located at 303 Washington Avenue.

Splash pads are also available to residents across the city from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Frank noted.

Temperatures in New Haven are expected to hit 90 on Saturday and 93 on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

A heat advisory is set to begin at noon Sunday, as the heat index  which takes humidity into account  is expected to reach 103 in parts of the region. A heat index value of 106 is considered dangerous, according to the NWS.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Breaking the mould Sabrina Ghouse, 28, is charting a path to the C-Suite for herself and other women, writes Daleena Samara View(s): View(s):

Sabrina Ghouse is breaking stereotypes. If her goal to be CEO of a multinational corporation sounds far-fetched in Sri Lanka, her land of birth, think again.Appointed in June as Vice President of AAA Digital San Francisco Bay Area at age 28, shes getting close. Before that, she managed AAA Auto Insurance Product and Marketinghot seats for a young woman in a mans world, the world of automobiles.

If asked to comment, Sabrinas probable answer would be automobiles are as much a part of a womans world as that of a mans. Shes not buying into stereotypes. Her gender-bending book, Built to be CEO: A womans journey to the top spells out why women are CEO material even if they are a rarity in seats of power, and what they must do to draw out their leadership potential.

Sabrina has come a long way from the Elizabeth Moir straight-A student and animal lover who told her mum, Shahareen Ghouse, she wanted to be a veterinarian.I loved animals and wanted to spend more time with them  it was that simple, she recalls.

Growing up, she realised the complexities of career and shifted focus to the corporate world. Her mum, her first and lifetime mentor, urged her daughter to cross 10,000 miles to set a family milestone as the first girl in the Ghouse family to get a college degree, at Harvard, following a scholarship award. Rich foundational experiences and wider vistas followed.

Of the many hats Sabrina has worn since graduation, a defining role was that of Chief of Staff (COS) to CEO, a role traditional to the military but which has over the past two decades spread to government and the corporate world in the West, but rare in corporate Sri Lanka.CEO Magazine describes the COS role as a foundation of leadership success in government and business.

Sabrina did her hard yards80 hours a week for three years as COS to the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company and worked on critical projects for him. The journey imparted valuable lessons on the mettle of a successful CEO, for example a strong resume, networking ability, situational leadership, self-awareness, drive and brand building.

Her contact with the CEO and other CEOs he interacted with, and the guidance and inspiration she received from successful female role models, mentors and sponsors; Emmy-winning reporter Patti Lee; Olympic medallist Jennifer Botterill, fighting champ Alexis Davis, and Laura Furstenthal, a managing partner at McKinsey, shaped her dream.

Built to be CEO shares the take-aways from these interactions, systematically laid out with infectious confidence to fire up other young women.

The value of time

Perhaps the most important tip Sabrina learned was Money Value of Time (MVT). The success of the COS role centred on MVT  A COS will calculate the value of a CEOs time and ensure it is preserved at minimum, and ideally enhanced over time. She became adept at making the CEOs life easier, saving time so that he could focus on the companys vision.

She managed time through precision work in12-hour cycles  completing projects in 12 hours or fewer, dividing tasks into four slots: one week, one day, one hour or one-minute.

My position on time is that we must value it more than any other resource at our disposal, she says. It is our job to convince those around us of this concept.

MVT is a concept for all to master. Regardless of socio-economic status, everyone has the same number of hours in a day. Time is the lowest common denominator.

Early career is premium time. The earlier you start, the better your lead, since it is in early career that you have the benefit of making mistakes, she writes.

Beating the odds

Women are scarce in positions of power. Women make up half of the population, but only 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs, she says.

The first three chapters of Built to be CEO highlight barriers to success: For example, subtle gender stereotyping pervading Hollywood Disney blockbusters that place women in secondary roles, shaping prejudice at a young age.

It is an invisible force field. You interact with it often and willingly. It reflects and reinforces our biases and may even cause them. We have allowed it to become our reality.

But these are surmountable barriers;We can all agree on one thing: to change this, we need more women in leadership positions.

Built to be CEO charts a course to rectify the imbalance. Hard facts counter stereotypes: for example, businesses listed on the S&P 500 run by women are outperforming those run by their male counterparts and generated a median total shareholder return of 18.4 percent in 2016, compared with 15.7 percent for those run by men; and female CEOs at some of the largest US companies, such as those on the S&P 500, are offered higher compensation packages and repeatedly out-earn their male counterparts.

Such underlying factors must be addressed by fostering an environment that empowers women to strive to become CEOs and by actively altering ones own career trajectory.

She urges young women to rise to the challenge by asking themselves: Am I built for more? Believing you can be CEO is the start and your choices thereafter define outcome.

What it takes to be a leader

An uncle recalls a time when teenage Sabrina commented on his choice of beverage, Coca Cola, with a mind-blowing thesis on Coca Cola production  shes that kind of girl, he says proudly.

Do you have to be born special to achieve so much, so fast? A chapter on personality types and traits answers this question.Importantly, personality types exist but change over time and circumstance. Traits can be developed. Sabrina identifies key traits that accelerate the careers of future CEOs. Excuses for failure that obstruct achievements are also highlighted.

The right track record is all-important. And personality and leadership skills take priority over technical skills, although a deep understanding of and experience in corporate finance is non-negotiable, she says. Communications and influence are crucial skills because a CEO has to read and convince people about herself and her ideas.

Women must also build their unique personal brands and speak out about the value they bring to their workplace, industry and community.

Luck can be made

You make your luck, she says, citing the CEO Genome Project conducted by American leadership advisors ghSMART, which identified CEO sprinters  those who fast track to CEO before the average of 24 years from their first job. Sprinters had one thing in common: 97 percent of them took at least one catapult experience  a bold and unexpected opportunity that thrust them out of their comfort zone.

Excelling in such a catapult experience enables you to leapfrog your way up, she says. Make a habit of replying yes to bold opportunities  ready or not. But if you are prepared to travel off the beaten path, learn: how to potentially embrace unexpected bold moves; thrive in uncertain circumstances; and manage associated risks.

Crisis management, as in the current pandemic situation, may be a catapult experience that births leaders. More than 30 percent of CEO sprinters identified by CEO Genome led their teams through a big mess they inherited. In most cases, they fixed it.

All of us are lucky all of the time, she says. The difference is that you may not recognise it.For that to happen, your mindset about luck needs to change. Successful leaders see opportunity in crisis to demonstrate positive governance and emotional maturity.

Soft skills are powerful

Skills like empathy and caring are powerful. The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity for leaders to care for their people. Ideally, people want to stay at an organisation because of the culture and not because they have no other career option.

Sabrina never forgets her mothers words: Some people are so poor, they only have money. Thus, she prioritises family and health over career.

Sleeping and napping are R&R favourites! So is time with close friends and her pets.Travel is an escape hatch:across the US and the world. Ive been to over 60 countries now! she says.

Gratitude is a habit: I have been fortunate enough to go to a great school in Sri Lanka, and I am still thankful to have got a scholarship  Whenever I achieve something in my career, I email the principal of Elizabeth Moir and thank her for her material impact on my professional development.

Recently, Sabrina posted this meme on her LinkedIn profile: You are personally responsible for becoming more ethical than the society you grew up in. Its a wake-up call for the new generation of leaders navigating a world erupting with the fallout of bad decision-making by preceding generations. The future belongs to them. For them, male or female,Sabrina provides an invaluable roadmap.

Built to be CEO is available on Amazon.com and Makeen Books, Colombo 03.
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley enjoyed a cup of coffee in the recently rejuvenated area outside Priory Coffee Co. in Fermoy during a visit to the area to see the work of the Fermoy and Mitchelstown Town Teams this week. Photo: Brian Lougheed

Under Cork County Council's Project ACT initiative, town teams in Fermoy and Mitchelstown are introducing a range of measures which are enhancing the safety, accessibility and appearance of their towns, supporting communities and driving economic activity.

To date, actions taken include a deep clean and decluttering of public spaces and footpaths, footpath repairs, replanting of flowerbeds, reassignment of public space for pedestrians and businesses, additional road and pavement markings and the designation of new Age-Friendly car parking spaces. Town Teams are also working to identify suitable areas for the addition of new street furniture.

Car parks in Fermoy where charges normally apply are currently free until 1st August 2020 and residents who hold Parking Permits in the areas where street parking has been reduced are encouraged to park their vehicles in the car parks when possible, to help support accessibility and social distancing.

Cork County Council has 110,000 Town Development funding available to Fermoy MD for the enhancement and upgrade of Fitzgerald Place / Market Place and Waterloo Lane, upgrading the pedestrian crossing at Mill Island Car Park and the Fermoy Painting Scheme. In Mitchelstown, the fund will support accessibility improvement works at St. George's Arts and Heritage Centre, a public lighting upgrade, laneway at Lower Cork Street, footpath repair work and the Mitchelstown Painting Scheme.

Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Mary Linehan Foley congratulated the local community for working alongside Cork County Council to achieve these many improvements

"Measures taken in Fermoy and Mitchelstown show how effectively a community can respond and adapt to challenges through collaboration," she said. "Our ability to come together and do what we can to improve our towns and villages is one of the greatest strengths we have in Cork and Fermoy and Mitchelstown are shining examples of this community spirit."

The Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey added said the works that have taken place in Fermoy and Mitchelstown, designed to deliver for the community and economy of the Fermoy Municipal District, have been made possible by the phenomenal contributions from, and cooperation of, everyone involved in the Town Team.

"This unprecedented level of collaboration from all sectors of community life will be the platform for future growth and success throughout the region," he said. "Similar measures are taking place throughout the County, individually tailored to meet the needs identified locally to ensure the promotion of social distancing, maximisation of space for pedestrians and the enhancement of space for commercial activity."
Face coverings will become mandatory in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire as authorities move to restrict visits to aged care centres after 363 new cases of coronavirus and three further deaths in Victoria.

The Victorian government has restricted visits to homes to include carers only, and the federal government will provide funding to ensure casual care staff are not moving between facilities and potentially spreading the virus.

Daniel Andrews departs the daily COVID-19 press conference wearing a mask on Sunday. Credit:Chris Hopkins

It will also crack down on social distancing in workplaces, where more than 80 per cent of transmission has occurred since mid-May, implementing inspections and fines for employers.

Wearing a face covering  which can be a mask or an item such as a scarf or bandanna  while outdoors will now be mandatory.

Until now, people have been asked to wear a mask if they are undertaking an activity where they cannot safely stay 1.5m from others.

From Sunday, people leaving home for one of the four essential reasons will need to wear face coverings. From 11.59pm on Wednesday, people caught outside without a mask or face-covering could be subject to a $200 fine unless they can demonstrate to police why they should not be wearing one.

Click here to read the full story.
Azerbaijan must publicly refrain from threats, said Armenian MFA spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan in an interview to Lenta.ru.

The full interview has been posted by the MFA press service.

Question: As Grad systems, tanks, manpower, and a large number of UAVs are used on the border, can we talk about the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan?

Answer: These hostilities indicate large-scale escalation provoked by Azerbaijan. Targeted shelling of civilian infrastructure and population is a long-used tactic of the Azerbaijani side. We have encountered this over the years; we faced this in April 2016, when Azerbaijan launched a major offensive on the border with Armenia and the line of contact with the Artsakh Defense Army.

The actions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces both in April 2016 and in July 2020 are gross violations of international humanitarian law. We have stated on numerous occasions that the language of war threat will not work. Armenia and Artsakh have enough capacity to defend and ensure the comprehensiveness of our joint security system.

Question: Did the Armenian side have any information about the preparing attack before the launch of hostilities?

Answer: Your question is more addressed to the military than to the diplomats. Generally, it can be noted that the Armed Forces of Armenia are always ready to repel any infringement. For my side, I would like to emphasize that there were political premises.

The escalations were preceded by the attacks and accusations of the President of Azerbaijan addressed to the OSCE Minsk Group mediation format. Moreover, the Azerbaijani leader has recently started to resort to the territorial and historical claims against Armenia, particularly the capital Yerevan, as well as the Zangezur region in the south of Armenia. In his public statements and remarks he again returned to aggressive and warmongering rhetoric, assuring the population of its country of Azerbaijan's ability to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by military means. Most probably at some point, Azerbaijan considered its capabilities match with its well-known intentions, particularly, to demonstrate the ambitions and capacities of the Azerbaijani armed forces to impose their will on Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Question: What is the supposed objective of the adversary?

Answer: Since the current escalation is entirely the result of Azerbaijans actions, it is better to ask the representatives of Azerbaijan. We can only guess what Baku intended to achieve by provoking escalations on the border. Most probably, the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan found it possible to demonstrate military superiority over Armenia; however, it strongly overestimated its capacities. Meanwhile, we must not forget that the leadership of Azerbaijan traditionally uses the factor of instability on the border with Armenia as a domestic political instrument. That is, the Armenophobic propaganda carried out by the leadership of Azerbaijan serves as a convenient instrument in the hands of its authorities to consolidate society.

Hostility actions allow them to divert attention from domestic issues, such as the dictatorial character of the government, widespread corruption, mass violations of all fundamental human rights and freedoms.

Question: How do you assess the reaction of Armenias international partners? Some note that it is at least lackluster.

Answer: The international community, both at the level of countries and international organizations, immediately and definitely responded to the recent events. They unanimously called to cease the hostilities. We highly appreciate the obvious and uncompromised position of our partners, who stand for the unacceptability of military provocations. Nevertheless, several individual countries have resorted to at least destructive rhetoric. In this regard, I would like to highlight the position of Turkey, which not only expressed its unconditional support to Azerbaijan, but also resorted to obvious claims against the South Caucasus, which the Turkish President and other official circles of Turkey tried to justify by referring to Turkey's historical mission in our region.

In such a difficult regional situation, we consider it unacceptable to resort to the direct or indirect support to the aggressive and provocative behavior of Azerbaijan, and we express our regret in connection with the statements of this nature.

It is an imperative that third countries refrain from policies that provoke instability or, anyhow support Azerbaijan based on kinship, or encourage its illusions regarding possibility of the military solution of the conflict.

Question: Azerbaijan officially threatened to attack the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant. How seriously does Yerevan take such a threat, and how can it respond to Baku?

Answer: The Armenian Foreign Ministry has already issued a respective statement. This threat is addressed to all the peoples of the region, including the population of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan must publicly refrain from that threat, and we will be consistent in this issue.

I would like to emphasize that this threat not only indicates the level of desperation and the crisis of mind of the political-military leadership of Azerbaijan, but also underscore absolute absence of responsibility and sound judgement from this particular member of the international community.

Question: It is noteworthy that this new escalation did not take place in the territory of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Should these actions be conditioned by the conflict?

Answer: The recent escalation should be also viewed in the context of the provocations by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh. As I already noted above, provocations and military adventurism is the primary method of the regional policy of the Azerbaijani leadership. From our point of view, a provocation on the interstate border and an attempt to seize a defense fortification located on the territory of the Republic of Armenia is a threat to our national security. This should be suppressed by all the capacity the Republic of Armenia poses.

Question: What are the scenarios of possible further development of the events: will it be military operations, or say, new advancement by Armenia to establish a security zone?

Answer: We have stated on numerous occasions and continue to insist that there is no alternative to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. We hope that after the fiasco of its military adventurism, Azerbaijan will demonstrate responsibility for preserving and strengthening the ceasefire regime. There are concrete proposals for security and confidence-building measures, including an increase in the number of international observers on the ground and their permanent deployment, a direct line of contact, and the introduction of mechanisms to investigate alleged ceasefire violations. The implementation of those proposals can help to avoid further resumption of escalations.

However, Azerbaijan has rejected these investigation mechanisms, the absence of which contributes to both the increase of civilian casualties and groundless accusations towards the Armenian sides. I would like to underscore that the efforts aimed to cessation of hostilities, and unconditional, complete restoration, preservation and strengthening of the ceasefire signed between Armenia, Artsakh and Azerbaijan are imperative.
The mystery behind the 'COVID19' number plate attached to a BMW abandoned at an airport has thickened after the registration popped up on a re-sale website.

A grey BMW 5 Series sedan was first spotted at Adelaide Airport in February with the number plates COVID19, before the coronavirus outbreak was declared a global pandemic.

The unusual plates sparked a host of conspiracy theories before airport staff were contacted finally by the car's owner this week, who confirmed they were interstate.

The plates are now listed on re-sale website Mr Plates with 'all reasonable offers considered'.

State transport officials have since banned COVID-19 from being put on personal number plates, according to the ABC.

A BMW with COVID-19 number plates (pictured) was abandoned at the start of the pandemic by its owner, who it was since revealed is living interstate

The plates are now listed on website Mr Plates with 'all reasonable offers considered' for potential buyers

The number plates are now up for sale in South Australia on a website called 'Mr Plates' (pictured)

Several members of the public complained about the number plates since they were issued on March 5.

The South Australian transport department has since apologised and said the number plate incorrectly passed its approval process.

'In line with our policies for the approval of number plates we have reviewed this plate and requested that the number plate be surrendered to the department,' a response to one of the complaints read.

A block has now been placed on using the name of the virus on number plates.

The department told the ABC: 'DPTI has now put a block on the term "COVID 19" and any variation of that term and it will not be permitted to be registered going forward.'

The grey sedan was spotted by Adelaide Airport worker Steven Spry, who believed the car had been parked there since 'February or even earlier'.

Mr Spy said airport staff had noticed the car some months earlier, but it wasn't until the cover blew off in April when they saw the number plates.

They had speculated it belonged to a long-haul pilot who has gone overseas and couldn't get back.

Meanwhile, mysterious new footage has emerged of the car travelling along Burbridge Road and West beach on March 24.

Meanwhile new footage has emerged of the car travelling along Burbridge Road and West beach on March 24 (pictured)

Driver Dan Parfitt captured the video to post on social media after noticing the unusual number plates.

'It obviously stood out straight away  I took a Snapchat video of it and never thought of it again,' Mr Parfitt told ABC News.

'It was pretty early in the proceedings before it really kicked off here.'

The name COVID-19 wasn't being used until February 11, with the disease referred to as novel coronavirus before the pandemic was declared.

Personalised number plates can take up to ten days to arrive in South Australia.

Motoring authorities in various states have also approved registration for a Toyota Corona with the number plate 'virus', and a Holden ute with the number plate 'Wuhan'.
Donald Trump has said that he will not order Americans to wear face coverings to prevent the spread of coronavirus, despite pleas for US residents to do so from the countrys top public health official, Dr Anthony Fauci.

In a segment to be broadcast on Sunday, the president told Fox News: No, I want people to have a certain freedom, and I dont believe in that.

The wearing of face masks as a response to the pandemic has become heavily politicised in the US, largely by Republicans who view calls to do so as an affront to their personal liberty.

As the virus surges across the US, which has recorded more than 3.55 million cases and 137,864 deaths, such lines of argument are seeing states craft drastically different rules on face coverings

Amid the confusion, three top officials with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday urged the public to wear masks.

We are not defenceless against Covid-19, CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus  particularly when used universally within a community setting.

It came as the federal governments top infectious disease official, Dr Fauci, urged local leaders to enforce the wearing of face coverings.

I would urge the leaders  the local political and other leaders  in states and cities and towns to be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks, he said.

Practically, when you're living your life and trying to open up a country, you are going to come into contact with people, and for that reason we know that masks are really important and we should be using them, everyone,

States first began to draft such orders in April. However, three months later, many states are still yet to do so, with some even blocking localities from creating their own rules.

In Georgia, Republican governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order blocking localities from creating their own legislation on masks, and on Thursday sued Atlanta's mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, arguing that her call to wear a mask breached his executive order.

 Trump seen wearing a face mask in public for the first time

But with coronavirus cases soaring across most of the country, this week has seen a number of states, including those with Republican governors issue orders requiring the public to wear masks, including Arkansas, Colorado, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

However, the Trump administration has indicated that it will not federally enforce such measures,with Mr Trump only donning a mask publicly for the first time on Sunday.

He had previously said: "I don't think I'm going to be doing it. Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens - I just don't see it."

On Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany added: We leave it to localities to make the decisions with regard to face coverings, and the CDC guidelines remain the same today: recommended, but not required.

The White House was forced to assert that Mr Trump followed CDC guidance during a visit to Atlanta, after the city's mayor, Ms Lance Bottoms, accused him of breaking state law in failing to wear a face covering.
Offices in Canary Wharf, London. Credit: Getty.

Some 230bn ($289bn) could be wiped off the value of UK commercial property as employees continue to work from home in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Predictions from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast a fall of nearly 14% in the price of offices and commercial buildings this year.

The boom in online shopping together with a shift toward remote working has created lower demand for retail and office spaces.

OBR predicts prices will fall by 13.8% in the 2020-21 financial year before slowly recovering, rising by 0.9% in 2021-22, up to 2% by 2024-25.

Credit ratings agency Moody's says the trend will create 'credit negative' for commercial landlords such as Land Securities and British Land.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Unions call on Johnson for clearer workplace guidance

Ramzi Kattan, vice president at Moody's, told the Daily Mail COVID-19 had turbocharged pressure on traditional retailers and office-based firms.

Although some businesses may need more office space to comply with social distancing rules the trend toward home working will outweigh this, warns Kattan.

We have had the biggest work-from-home experiment ever during the pandemic and it has gone surprisingly well for most businesses. So we think many companies will now be re-examining their requirements for space and, over time, that is going to hurt demand  especially in large cities, he added.

Large firms including Barclays (BARC.L), Vodafone (VOD.L), Facebook (FB), Twitter (TWTR) and Unilever (UL) have announced plans to allow staff to work at home more frequently and in some cases permanently.

Meanwhile high street retailers including Boots and John Lewis plan to close shops across the UK.

Because of COVID-19 there is also going to be a worse economic environment and that is also going to reduce demand for offices. Retail is going to bear the brunt and offices will be hit too over the longer term, said Kattan.
Two more men have been charged this evening at the Special Criminal Court with involvement in the attempted murder of Kinahan cartel target James 'Mago' Gately.

Mr Gately was shot multiple times as he sat in his car at the Topaz filling station on the Clonashaugh Road, Dublin 17, on May 10, 2017.

David Duffy, 33, of Greenfort Lawns, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, and Douglas Glynn, 35, of Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin 1, both appeared at the non-jury court charged with the offence under Section 72 (1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

The charge alleges that between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017, both dates inclusive, and with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, and with the intention of enhancing the ability of the said criminal organisation, or any of its members, to commit a crime or a serious offence, namely the murder of James Gately, participated in or contributed to activities connected with the said offence.

Mr Duffy is accused of the offence at a location within the State while Mr Glynn is accused of the offence within and outside of the State.

Detective Garda Anthony Kennedy told Ms Ciara Vibien, for the State, that he arrested Mr Duffy at 7.06am at his home on July 16 and conveyed him to Irishtown Garda Station where he was cautioned and detained.

On foot of a DPP direction that both men be tried at the Special Criminal Court, both were charged in the body of the Criminal Courts of Justice building this afternoon.

Solicitor Mr Brian Coveney, for Mr Duffy, said that a bail application and a free legal aid application on behalf of his client would be made on July 31 at the three-judge court and he was remanded in custody to that date.

Read More Man arrested in connection with 2.5m drug seizure in Dublin

Detective Garda Jonathan O'Leary told Ms Vibien that he arrested Mr Glynn at 7.01am at Alfie Byrne House, Dublin 1, and that he conveyed Mr Glynn also to Irishtown Garda Station where he was cautioned and detained.

Mr Simon Matthews BL, for Mr Glynn, also said that he would make a bail application and a free legal aid application on July 31.

Presiding judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens ordered both to be remanded in custody to reappear at the court on July 31.

This evening's charging brings the total number of those who have appeared before the courts in relation to participation in the attempted murder to five.
Criminals are exploiting gaps and inconsistencies in the gun licensing systems of different states and territories to funnel legal firearms into the black market, illegally dispose of guns and move their licences to other states without immediate detection.

Gun owners who lose their licence are also registering their firearms in other states  without any red flags initially being raised  because some states and territories are still operating on largely paper-based systems.

The Morrison government wants to streamline firearms processing in Australia. Credit:iStock

One NSW firearms dealer, Shane Simpson, trafficked more than 250 guns into the black market  including one which was used in a high profile bikie shooting  by providing forged documents to the state's firearms registry.

The Wollongong gun shop owner, who was last week jailed for 13 years, fraudulently updated the NSW Firearms Registry to make it appear that he sold the firearms to legal interstate arms dealers.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine should urgently adopt the amendments proposed by the President to the law "On the Judicial System and the Status of Judges" in order to launch the work of the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ) and prevent the shutdown of the country's judicial system, said head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine Valentyna Danishevska.

In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Danishevska said that the Supreme Court supports the conclusion of the High Council of Justice on this bill.

"The bill submitted by the President is actually aimed at implementing the decisions of the Constitutional Court regarding the existence of the HQCJ and some powers of the High Council of Justice. Also, the draft law, to a certain extent, concerns the activities of the Supreme Court and decides the fate of the judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, who lost their powers in December 2017," Danishevska said.

"The urgency of this bill is of particular importance because, since last fall, the judicial system 'lost' one of the key bodies - the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine," the head of the court noted, explaining that without the work of the HQCJ, judges cannot be appointed and transferred to other posts.

According to the head of the court, the creation of the HQCJ and the transfer of judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine to the Supreme Court are priority tasks, while other issues of judicial reform can be discussed and adopted by the parliament separately.

Commenting on the norm of the draft law on the transfer of judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine to the Supreme Court, Danishevska stressed that in this situation "the worst thing is not to solve this problem at all."

According to her, there are nine judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. "I think that there will be no problems after the adoption of the Law: if they want to consider cases, they will be able to fully administer justice in the Supreme Court. There are no fears or barriers on our part about this."

Speaking about the possibility of passing the bill in the near future, Danishevska said: "I have no such confidence. But I would like at least the key issues to be resolved, because without the resumption of the HQCJ activities, the judicial system will simply stop."
Some third-level colleges are delaying the entry of first years by a further week after confirmation that Leaving Cert results and CAO offers won't now be released until September.

The country's largest university, University College Dublin (UCD), said it would affect its plans to start Orientation Week for first years on September 14.

"We anticipate it will impact on these students and are seeking to minimise this for them," a UCD spokesperson said.

At Trinity College Dublin, Freshers' Week is being put back a week to September 28, with the start of the first-year teaching term also back a week, to October 5.

Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) is delaying Orientation Week to September 28, with lectures for first years starting on October 5.

Dublin City University, which had planned a two-week orientation programme for first years starting September 21, said it would have to curtail that.

The disruption to the 2020 Leaving Cert prompted all third-level colleges to pencil in later starting dates, while the publication this week of the September timeline for the results and CAO offers forced a further review.

Maynooth University and the University of Limerick are sticking with their original reopening schedules.

Maynooth's Orientation Week will start on September 21, with lectures beginning the following week.

Limerick is going ahead with its existing plans to bring first years on to campus on September 28.

Leaving Cert results will issue on September 7, three weeks later than usual, and CAO round one offers will follow on September 11. Students will have until September 16 to accept an offer.

Round two offers will issue on September 23 and, depending on the college, acceptance of a place may mean a slightly later start for those students.

The late release of the results and offers has sparked some criticism, with Irish Universities Association Director General Jim Miley expressing "surprise and disappointment with the timing of finalising grades, noting in particular the challenges faced by students and their families".

However, Mr Miley did acknowledge "the unique challenges" facing the Department of Education, which, because of the Covid-19 public health threat, replaced the traditional June exams with a system of calculated grades.

He said the focus of the universities now was "to give clarity to students as early as possible. Each university will quickly finalise their revised plans based on the delayed date for grades release".

The Technological Higher Education Association, the umbrella body for institutes of technology and TU Dublin, said its colleges were committed to affording incoming students the necessary time to make arrangements.

Union of Students in Ireland President Lorna Fitzpatrick said the delay in issuing Leaving Cert results was unfair on students hoping to start third level, who had already faced so much change and uncertainty.

"The turnaround time between the results coming out, CAO and UCAS offers being made and college starting is now extremely short, which heaps yet more pressure on students," she said.

Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris moved to assure students that grant payments would not be affected by the delay and said Susi remained open to applications.

Meanwhile, the CAO offer season kicks off today with offers to 5,800 applicants, mainly mature students, mature nursing/midwifery applicants, and deferred applicants.
Jaipur, July 18 : Taking a dig at the Congress, Rajsamand's BJP MP Diya Kumari on Saturday said that the Rajasthan's ruling party's move to blame her party for its infighting was both ridiculous and condemnable.

She said that the Congress was to be blamed for all its controversies and problems amid a battle of supremacy among leaders of different factions.

The BJP leader said that the people of Rajasthan will never forgive the Congress since instead of providing relief to the masses during the pandemic, Congress MLAs were allegedly learning how to make Italian dishes in a 5-star hotel.

"The photographs show that no social distancing is being maintained. It would have been appropriate if they had done some public service as per the Indian culture. Blaming any BJP leader at the Centre or in the state is a reflection of the frustration of the Congress," Diya Kumari remarked.

The MP said that due to sealing of the inter-state borders, the general public was suffering huge financial losses. "This is affecting the marble businesses the most," she added.
Mumbai, July 18 : Mumbai Police on Saturday recorded the statement of Yash Raj Films head Aditya Chopra as part of their investigation of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

Chopra was reportedly interrogated for over four hours on Saturday. The police is yet to release the filmmaker's statement.

According to earlier reports, late actor Sushant had signed a contract with Yash Raj Films (YRF) for three films. He starred in two YRF productions, "Shuddh Desi Romance" in 2013 and "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy" in 2015. He was scheduled to to work in a third TRF film, Shekhar Kapur's "Paani", but the project got shelved.

Mumbai Police has so far recorded statements of several industry colleagues and friends of Sushant over the past weeks including girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant's co-star of his last film "Dil Bechara", Sanjan Sanghi, and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is said to have offered four films to the late actor including "Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela" (2013), "Bajirao Mastani" (2015) and "Padmaavat" (2018).

Meanwhile, on Saturday the hashtag #ImmediateCBIForSSR started trending on Twitter as netizens kept demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the actor's death.

Former Cabinet Minister Subramanian Swamy tweeted on Saturday on his verified account: "The possibility of CBI investigation ordered by government in the SSR alleged suicide case has vastly increased. At the very minimum the CBI can to begin with investigation of the induced or assisted suicide crime under Sections 306 and 308 read with Section 120 A&B of IPC."

The possibility of CBI investigation ordered by government in the SSR alleged suicide case has vastly increased. At the very minimum the CBI can to begin with investigation of the induced or assisted suicide crime under Sections 306 and 308 read with Section 120 A&B of IPC.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 18, 2020

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery

-- Syndicated from IANS
New research from the University of Albertas Parkland Institute highlights incongruencies between Canadian climate goals and money being sunk into post-secondary research that favours continued investment in the oil and gas industry.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New research from the University of Albertas Parkland Institute highlights incongruencies between Canadian climate goals and money being sunk into post-secondary research that favours continued investment in the oil and gas industry.

The report, titled, Knowledge for an Ecologically Sustainable Future? Innovation Policy and Alberta Universities, took years to compile and traced funding over two decades from various agencies and research grants from all levels of government, as well as corporate investment in research.

What the data gathered demonstrated was how post-secondary institutions in Alberta have oriented research work toward attracting funding for fossil fuel industry research, with the biggest influence seen in engineering faculties.

"Universities have a huge role to play in helping society to develop the kinds of knowledge and technologies that we need to make that transition (to a post-carbon economy)," said Laurie Adkin, a professor of political science at the University of Alberta, and lead author of the report.

"So theres a big question: is that what were doing? Or are we doing the kinds of research, are we creating the educational programs, and prioritizing research, that goes towards deeper entrenchment of the oil and gas industry?"

Investment in fossil fuel industry research has been prioritized over other areas, such as renewable energies, energy efficiency and conservation, social planning, and sustainable agriculture, the report reads: "This pattern is found in relation not only to grant funding, but also in the establishment of research chairs and institutes."

Adkin says it is not surprising in an economy focused on the fossil fuel industry this kind of prioritization has taken place, and similar orientation towards the local industry would likely be seen in other provinces. However, she says it is alarming theres been no effort to shift the talents and expertise in Alberta to tackle problems the country will face due to climate change.

"I was really surprised that agriculture, for these agencies, was just not on the radar. And I just find that particularly shocking in the context of the climate crisis, because what the modelling shows us is that Alberta, and Canada, will be a part of the world that is able to continue to produce food... whereas other parts of the world are losing that capacity because of desertification, extreme weather and heat," Adkin said.

"So, you would think we would be seeking to learn a lot more about how to increase food production in an ecologically sustainable way. And also, as Albertans, we should be asking: what are we going to build an economy on if nobody wants our bitumen?"

Adkin found $6.4 billion landed at corporations, innovation agencies, and universities from the Alberta government through various mechanisms since 1997, but all of it tied to fossil-fuel related research and development. Meanwhile, $241 million was allotted for research and development in the areas of renewable energies, energy efficiency and conservation, fuel cells, and biofuels research; and $190 million on environmental and sustainable development.

In addition to Alberta research funds flowing to the oil and gas sector, funds from the federal government also imitated the same patterns.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council provides research grants for energy, environment, and sustainable development domains. The study found, when looking at where that funding has gone at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary since 1999, 63 per cent has was invested in fossil fuels-related research. Meanwhile, only 11 per cent went to alternative energies, and less than three per cent to sustainable development research.

The study considers a historical overview of research funding, but there is little likelihood patterns will change any time soon.

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In late 2019, when Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson visited Alberta, he reiterated the federal Liberal government would be continuing to invest in research that would lower the emissions associated with the extraction of oil from oilsands in northern Alberta.

"Im very interested in the discussions around how technology can enable us not simply to address emissions-intensity-related issues, but to help us think about how we might extract energy without pollution," Wilkinson said at a news conference in Calgary in December.

"Pathways to doing that, I think, are enormously important in the context of the conversation we will be having going forward."

This type of thinking is exactly what Adkin fears.

"This somehow all gets seized upon to say, We can continue to extract and export these fossil fuels and we can make that environmentally sustainable. Well, we cant."

sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca
There are only eight cases with sentences for judges for making an unlawful decision, two of which are acquittals, while article 375 of the Criminal Code, which the Constitutional Court recognized as unconstitutional, was actually used to put pressure on judges, head of the Supreme Court Valentyna Danishevska said.

In an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency, speaking about the number of cases on bringing judges to justice for unjust decisions and specific sentences, Danishevska said: "There are very few of them. We studied this issue: in fact, this article was used to put pressure on judges. According to our data, 1,000 applications against judges were registered in the register of pretrial investigations for the period from 2013 to 2019, and only eight sentences were rendered, and what is more, two of them were acquittal."

According to her, in 2019, 593 criminal proceedings were registered on applications for rendering unjust decisions by judges, and there were 242 proceedings over six months of 2020, two proceedings were transferred to the court in 2019, and there were no proceedings in the second half of 2020 yet.

"These figures are confirmation of the facts of pressure. A situation often happens when these statements come from the parties to the process, including from the prosecutors," said Danishevska.
One of the key questions in Japanas present national security debate is how to manage Chinaas apredatorya geoeconomics.

Where does Tokyo stand in crafting an effective economic security strategy?

Beijing has systematically integrated economic and financial instruments into its foreign policy with the objective of advancing its grand strategic ambitions. From the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to Made in China 2025, Beijing shrewdly incorporated geoeconomic tools of statecraft into its grand strategic thinking. Chinaas coercive economic maneuvering employs trade, investments, technology, internationalizing of currency and even weaponization of resource supply chains toward geopolitical ends.

Thus, reorienting Japanas economic security strategy constitutes a top priority for Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. The objective is primarily to secure cutting edge technologies including next-generation 5G networks; strengthening foreign investment regulations in acore industriesa in 12 strategic sectors; blocking COVID-19 bargain hunters grabbing key businesses; protecting intellectual property and averting forced technology transfers; fortifying self-sufficiency in strategic metals and mineral resource supply; managing Chinaas plans for a digital yuan; and better strategizing developmental aid in the Indo-Pacific. From instituting an economic unit at the National Security Secretariat (NSS), conceiving a U.S.-Japan economic security dialogue, and joining forces with other democracies in a D-10 (the G7 plus India, Australia and South Korea) framework for 5G and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence a Japanas strategic thinking on economic security is manifesting.

Pre-pandemic, Prime Minister Shinzo Abeas priority was how to secure Japanas economic interests amid worrying trends of de-globalization, receding trade liberalization, and increasing protectionism. Japan, as the worldas third largest economy, has led in building the multilateral trading system, particularly with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) following the U.S. exit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership; the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU following Brexit; and steering the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) process. At the Osaka G-20, Japan pushed for building rules for data governance and constructing a new regime underpinned by adata free flow with trusta (DFFT).
The ban could cause tension between military leaders and Trump, who supports keeping Confederate names on bases.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has issued a policy ushering in a de facto ban on displaying the Confederate flag at United States military installations around the world by authorising only certain flags that promote unity, according to a copy of his memo, seen by Reuters news agency on Friday.

The decision could increase tension between Esper and Republican President Donald Trump, who has cited free speech rights in his defence of Americans who fly the Confederate flag.

The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols, Esper said in the memo.

The Confederate flag was flown by breakaway Southern states that advocated for the continuation of slavery that lost the US Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865.





Flying the flag can be offensive to many in the US, who see it as a reminder of the enslavement of Black Americans and as a symbol of white supremacy.

Supporters say the flag represents the Souths heritage and culture and, along with US military bases named after Confederate generals and statues honouring them, serve as memorials to Confederate casualties in the Civil War.

Trump, who has been accused of intentionally stoking racial tensions as part of his re-election campaign, has criticised the desecration and removal of statues of Confederate and other former US leaders to energise his political base

Trump has also publicly opposed renaming US military bases named after Confederate generals, such as Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Bragg in North Carolina, putting him at odds with his military, whose top general has said the matter should be re-examined.

A defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the White House was aware of Espers memo.

Esper also clashed with Trump last month by publicly opposing the deployment of active-duty troops to address civil unrest across the country following the May 25 killing of George Floyd, an African American, by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Beyond the American flag, Espers memorandum cites a series of flags that can be flown on military installations, including state flags and ones to honour prisoners of war and service members who went missing in action.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about a Trump administration executive order on the International Criminal Court as defence secretary Mark Esper listens [Yuri Gripas/Pool/Reuters]

The reason it does not cite the Confederate flag explicitly was to ensure it could withstand challenges, the defence official said.

The decision to not name a specific prohibited flag was to ensure the department-wide policy would be apolitical and withstand potential free speech political challenges, the official said.

Most US military services, including the Marine Corps, have already banned the display of Confederate flags, but Espers memorandum is department-wide and will affect military installations around the world.
Ava DuVernay, Samuel L Jackson and Viola Davis are among the stars paying tribute to civil rights hero John Lewis after his death at the age of 80.

The Georgia congressman was one of the Big Six civil rights leaders, who included Martin Luther King Jr, and helped organise the 1963 March on Washington.

He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

He announced in December that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

DuVernay, who directed the film Selma about the 1965 march, wrote on Twitter: Thank you for your care and kindness, your advice and understanding.

Will never forget what you taught me and what you challenged me to be. Better. Stronger. Bolder. Braver. God bless you, Ancestor John Robert Lewis of Troy, Alabama. Run into His arms.

Thank you for your care and kindness, your advice and understanding. Will never forget what you taught me and what you challenged me to be. Better. Stronger. Bolder. Braver. God bless you, Ancestor John Robert Lewis of Troy, Alabama. Run into His arms. https://t.co/DTUEw7cJzX  Ava DuVernay (@ava) July 18, 2020

Davis tweeted: Rest in Heavenly peace Mr. John Lewis. Thank you for your service, for your commitment to change and your courage.

You did great with your time on this earth. Goodnight sweet Prince. May flights of angels sing the to thy rest. Andpour some blessings on us down here.

Video of the Day

Rest in Heavenly peace Mr. John Lewis. Thank you for your service, for your committment to change and your courage. You did great with your time on this earth. "Goodnight sweet Prince. May flights of angels sing the to thy rest." And...pour some blessings on us down here  pic.twitter.com/9ZBSnLYmMa  Viola Davis (@violadavis) July 18, 2020

His death was announced hours after civil rights leader Rev Cordy Tindell CT Vivian died aged 95.

Jackson wrote on Twitter: What A Day now, John Lewis. Sometimes its Good to meet a Hero I was blessed every time we met. RI POWER, Sir.

He added: #thestrugglecontinues#BLM#VOTE.

What A Day... now, John Lewis. Sometimes its Good to meet a Hero... I was blessed every time we met. RI POWER, Sir.#thestrugglecontinues#BLM#VOTE  Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) July 18, 2020

Rapper and producer Diddy shared a photo of them together and wrote: Thank you King John Lewis for your lifetime of service for our community. We will finish what you started ON GOD!

Meanwhile director Rob Reiner wrote: John Lewis stood for everything America should be. And, God willing, will be.

John Lewis stood for everything America should be. And, God willing, will be.  Rob Reiner (@robreiner) July 18, 2020

Lewis entered politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council and he won his seat in Congress in 1986.
The mayor of Portland has demanded US president Donald Trump remove federal law enforcement from the city.

Protests have taken place in the city for nearly two months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Federal agents in green camouflage uniforms have reportedly arrested and detained protesters in the city, after being sent solely to protect federal property.

Mayor Ted Wheeler told reporters: Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city.

Federal officers deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters late on Thursday (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian/AP)

Democratic Governor Kate Brown said Mr Trump is looking for a confrontation in the hopes of winning political points elsewhere and to serve as a distraction from the coronavirus pandemic, which is causing spiking numbers of infections in Oregon and the nation.

Mrs Browns spokesman, Charles Boyle, said that arresting people without probable cause is extraordinarily concerning and a violation of their civil liberties and constitutional rights.

Federal officers have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported on Thursday.

Some have been detained by the federal courthouse, which has been the scene of protests, but others were grabbed streets away.

Mr Wheeler said: This is part of the core media strategy out of Trumps White House: to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data.

And it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials.

One video showed two people in helmets and green camouflage with police patches grabbing a person on the pavement, handcuffing them and taking them into an unmarked vehicle.

Who are you? someone asks the pair, who do not respond. At least some of the federal officers belong to the Department of Homeland Security.

Calls have been made for the federal agents to leave the city (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian/AP)

The US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that its agents had information indicating the person in the video was suspected of assaulting federal agents or destroying federal property.

Story continues

On Thursday night, federal officers deployed tear gas and fired non-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters.

Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell told reporters on Friday that his officers are in contact with the federal agents, but that neither controls the others actions.

We do communicate with federal officers for the purpose of situational awareness and deconfliction, Mr Lovell said.

Were operating in a very, very close proximity to one another  so its important for us to know if theyre going to take some type of action and its important for them to know if were going to take some type of action.
The recent incident of a Dalit couple consuming pesticide and being assaulted by the police in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district is more horrific than the 2016 flogging of Dalits at Una in Gujarat, MLA Jignesh Mevani said on Saturday.

A Dalit couple allegedly consumed pesticide while a drive was underway to evict them from government land on Tuesday. A video of the incident showed some police personnel purportedly beating up the husband with batons, leading to a huge outrage.

The independent MLA from Gujarat has demanded that criminal cases be registered against police personnel involved in the July 14 incident.

"The Guna incident is more frightening than the Una incident in Gujarat. A five-month-old child of the victim couple was also pushed during the incident. What can be more inhuman than this?" Mevani asked. He said if the guilty police personnel are not booked, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government will face a backlash during the upcoming Assembly bypolls.

Mevani alleged that atrocities against Dalits have been on the rise since the BJP came to power in the state. "The attitude of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is anti-Dalit and anti-farmer," he said.

Mevani, MP Scheduled Castes Commission member Pradeep Ahirwar, and state Congress secretary Kiran Ahirwar visited the spot of the incident and also the couple in hospital. Ahirwar said Dalits are scared in the wake of the incident. He demanded compensation for the victims Rajkumar Ahirwar (38) and his wife Savitri Ahirwar (35).

The state government had transferred Inspector General (Gwalior range), Guna collector and superintendent of police following the incident while six police personnel were suspended.
The multi-agency team probing the Kerala gold smuggling case on Saturday carried out several raids in the state and detained many for questioning, a senior officer familiar with the developments said, adding the scope of inquiry will be widened by probing political and bureaucratic patronage to smuggling syndicates.

Without strong patronage such a thriving syndicate cant function in the state. Our inquiry will cover terror angle, hawala and political and bureaucratic patronage also. This time we will get to the bottom of the racket, said the official.

The National Investigation Agency-led probe in the matter is generating enough political heat in the state. We have nothing to fear. Let the guilty be punished. Some people are in a race to arrive at a conclusion but their designs will be short-lived, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, adding there was a concerted bid to tarnish the image of the government. Those who are cheering will have to repent in the end, he said criticising the opposition.

The BJP and the Congress were unsparing in their criticism .

Role of two high-ranking officials in the CMs office, his former secretary M Sivasankar and former IT fellow Arun Balachandran, are out. Now the CM cant wash off his hands, said BJP state president K Surendran.

Since powerful aides have gone it is time for him to follow, said state Congress chief Mullapally Ramachandran.

The customs had seized 30 kg gold from a baggage addressed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5. Later, the probe was handed over to the NIA.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Intelligence Bureau and Income Tax are part of the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, a gunman of the Kerala police posted at the United Arab Emirate consulate allegedly tried to end his life on Friday, a day after he was reported missing by his family. But the customs suspect that this accident was aimed at covering up his alleged link with the gold smuggling racket. A senior official of the customs said the gunman will be questioned after his release from the hospital.

The man was working at the consular office for the last three years and before this he was posted at the immigration department at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. In the leaked call details of Swapna Suresh, second accused in the case, there were many calls to him and customs suspect he knew about the racket and accepted a share in return.

The CM has denied reports that the consulting agency PricewaterHouseCoopers (PHC) was dropped from the state e Mobility Hub project. Earlier there were reports the CPI(M) central leadership was not happy with the way the state government engaged many international consultants and contract agencies. But he denied this report saying it was sheer imagination of some newsmen.

The state police had filed a cheating case against Suresh, PHC and a placement agency Vision Technology on July 13. During investigation it was found that Suresh had produced a fake degree certificate to secure a job at the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited, a state government undertaking. PHC and Vision Technology were authorised agencies responsible for verifying her educational documents, said the police. The case was registered under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) 465 forgery and 471 (using as genuine a forged document).
Laredos Rep. Henry Cuellar on Friday announced a spate of exceptions to the border wall that have been included in the Department of Homeland Securitys appropriations bill for next fiscal year.

Along with sites that had previously been excluded from border wall construction in past legislation, such as the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge and historic cemeteries, Cuellar has now added language that would protect any site on the National Register of Historic Places; Sacred Heart Childrens Home; the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge; and property within one mile of historic sites along the Los Caminos del Rio Heritage Corridor.

Within this DHS bill and four others  Department of Defense, Military Construction, Energy & Water, Financial Services  Cuellar also included language that prohibits funding to be used to design or construct the border wall.

Although these bills have been adopted by the House Appropriations Committee, they still need to be approved by the full House of Representatives and Republican-held Senate before they become law. And Democrats intentions to strip funding from border wall construction in years past have fallen apart in the days before the final votes.

READ MORE: Where to get tested for coronavirus in Laredo

Still, stakeholders in Laredo, San Ygnacio and Zapata expressed hope regarding these protected areas, which are more general and expansive, and could therefore include a wide range of properties.

The Los Caminos del Rio Heritage Corridor, for example, spans all of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata and Webb counties. Historic sites within this area, which are not defined, could be wide-ranging, noted Attorney Ricardo De Anda, who is fighting the border wall as an affected landowner and attorney.

Then youve got substantial relief, he said.

And sites under the National Register of Historic Places include some of the treasures of Webb and Zapata County, including the Barrio Azteca Historic District, the Trevino Uribe Rancho, the San Ygnacio Historic District and Fort McIntosh.

Laredo College President Ricardo Solis noted that the schools entire campus is Fort McIntosh, which dates back to the 1840s. He added that the school site is also an environmental sanctuary, a tourist destination and hiking spot.
'Conversion therapy', by its nature, is a practice that is concealed from public view. Suppressing someone's sexuality or trying to make them "convert" to heterosexuality is widely regarded as morally wrong. Anyone promoting it is likely to be doing so in secret, which makes it hard to determine how widespread it is.

In 2018, research by BeLonG To found 90pc of young LGBT+ people struggled with their sexuality. One of the biggest concerns about conversion therapy is the harm that it can do to teenagers who are pushed into such courses by their families.

The new Government has vowed to legislate against so-called conversion therapy, following a 2018 bill from Sinn Fein senator Fintan Warfield that had the same aim.

There have been sporadic reports over the years of individuals who claim to be able to offer conversion therapy in Ireland. Up until now, the largest and best-known organisation accused of being associated with it is the Catholic Church.

In an interview with Sean O'Rourke on RTE Radio 1 in March 2018, Mary McAleese said that conversion therapy courses were being run in Ireland "with the full knowledge and consent" of senior Vatican officials such as Cardinal Kevin Farrell. She said that she had been told in 2012 that a young legionary priest had been running courses in Dublin attempting to "convert" people from homosexuality to heterosexuality.

"Young people, particularly young gay men, regrettably, are told there is no such thing as homosexuality, there are just people who are confused about their sexuality," McAleese said.

She singled out one Vatican-approved organisation, Courage International. This group strongly rejects any claim that it runs "conversion therapy" courses. Rather, it claims that it is offering pastoral support to gay people who want to live "chaste lives". It is based on the Catholic Church's teaching that being homosexual is intrinsically disordered behaviour, and Courage International subscribes to an ethos that suggests homosexuality is not real.

Over the years, its website has boasted about having a presence in Ireland, but the organisation says that it does not currently have an Irish chapter. Courage was founded by Father John Harvey, who wrote a document full of homophobic tropes that has been used as a resource by the organisation.

The document suggests that few homosexual people "come from homes where the parents, by mutual love, have created an atmosphere of caring for each child". It suggested that gay men hate themselves, that they have unmet needs, that men experience same-sex attraction because of poor relationships with their fathers or because they suffered sexual abuse.

The same organisation has been criticised for its involvement in Catholic parishes in Scotland. Courage International is understood to be linked with half of Scotland's eight dioceses. Stonewall Scotland, a gay rights group, said Courage International was "a form of" conversion therapy and was "extremely dangerous". The Scottish Catholic Church claimed that Courage International was only providing "pastoral support" for people who wanted to live "chaste lives". It said that "the Catholic Church does not advocate or support so-called gay conversion therapy".

The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference has never publicly condemned or distanced itself from Courage International or any similar practice which is carried out on behalf of the Church. The Catholic Church sometimes defends Courage by pointing out that many LGBT+ Catholics attend the programme of their own free will. But McAleese has pointed out that these may be devout people who only believe their sexuality is wrong because of the church's teaching.

Individual choice

In 2018, Warfield introduced a bill to seek to ban conversion therapy. Ronan Mullen, the independent senator, claimed that conversion therapy should not be banned if there is not conclusive proof that it harms people. "If it cannot be shown to be harmful to people, we are back into the realm of individual choice," he told the Seanad.

The comments were criticised, and Fine Gael senator Jerry Buttimer called on Mullen to apologise to the house. The Iona Institute was also quick to claim that any legislation which would ban Courage International could be unconstitutional. If and when Ireland criminalises conversion therapy, it is likely that the debate around the legislation will become embroiled in questions about religious freedom.

Under Warfield's bill, programmes such as Courage International would have been included in any legal ban on "conversion therapy". Earlier this year, he clarified that his bill would include any practice that seeks to "change, suppress and, or eliminate a person's sexual orientation, gender identity and, or gender expression". While the Programme for Government has promised to ban "conversion therapy", it is not clear if it would include organisations like Courage International, which deny that they are involved in any conversion therapy courses.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Sat, July 18, 2020 07:55 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667405b2 1 National Medan,District-Court,defamation,defamation-case,ITE,ITE-Law,slander,police,social-media Free

Prosecutors at the Medan District Court in North Sumatra are seeking two years of prison for defendant Febi Nur Amalia, who is on trial for defamation for demanding on Instagram that the wife of a police officer repay a debt of Rp 70 million (US$4,763).

Prosecutor Randi Tambunan argued that the 29-year-old had no right to slander Fitriani Manurung, who filed the case against Febi, in her attempt to collect the debt on social media.

Randi said the defendants actions violated articles 27 and 45 of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law. The articles carry a maximum punishment of six years in prison and a fine of Rp 1 billion.

We hereby demand that the panel of judges sentence the defendant to two years in prison, Randi told the court.

When the judges asked the defendant to respond, she said, I feel the demand is not proper.

Presiding judge Sri Wahyuni Batubara gave the defendant and her legal advisor two weeks to prepare a defense statement.

Read also: Commentary: Indonesia has serious 'overcriminalization' problem

The case started in December 2016 when Fitriani, who is the wife of a local police senior commissioner, reportedly borrowed Rp 70 million from Febi, her friend, a resident of the Menteng Indah complex in Medan.

In 2017, Febi allegedly tried to collect the debt several times but to no avail. Fitriani reportedly blocked Febis phone number.

Febi sent a direct message to Fitrianis Instagram account in early 2019 to ask for the money, but Fitriani said she did not recognize her. She then allegedly blocked Febis account for a second time.

Febi then posted an Instagram story using her handle @feby25052 and tagged Fitriani. It read, I suddenly remembered the wife of a police senior commissioner who hasnt paid her debt to me, amounting to Rp 70 million, for years @Fitri_Bakhtiar. I would easily let the money go if the debtor was poor, but its different in this case because the debtor herself is rich. So I have to claim the money."

In a previous hearing, Febi claimed to have strong evidence of Fitrianis debt. Febi said Fitriani had asked for the money to buy a bag for the wife of a senior National Police officer.

Fitriani has denied having a debt to Febi. She claimed the money was not transferred to her account but to her husbands. Fitriani said the Instagram post had harmed her. (syk)
Tyrese Devon Haspil, 21, is walked out of NYPD 7th precinct after been charged with second-degree murder in the death of the 33-year-old tech CEO Fahim Saleh, in New York, on July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Personal Assistant to Tech CEO Fahim Saleh Charged With His Murder

NEW YORKA personal assistant arrested Friday in the death and dismemberment of a 33-year-old tech entrepreneur was believed to have owed his boss a significant amount of money, New York City police said.

Tyrese Haspil faces a murder charge in the death of Fahim Saleh, whose beheaded, armless body was found Tuesday by a cousin who had gone to his luxury Manhattan condo to check on him.

Haspil, 21, handled finances and personal matters for Saleh, whose ventures included a ride-hailing service in Africa.

Haspil, who grew up on Long Island and lives in Brooklyn, was taken into police custody Friday morning in the lobby of another luxury apartment building several blocks from where Saleh was killed, NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said.

Tyrese Devon Haspil, 21, is walked out of NYPD 7th precinct after been charged with second-degree murder in the death of the 33-year-old tech CEO Fahim Saleh, in New York, on July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Tyrese Devon Haspil, 21, is walked out of NYPD 7th precinct after been charged with second-degree murder in the death of the 33-year-old tech CEO Fahim Saleh, in New York, on July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Information on Haspils arraignment and a lawyer who could speak on his behalf was not immediately available.

Officers responding to the cousins 911 call discovered Salehs clothed torso, bags containing a head and arms and an electric saw in the living room of his luxury seventh-floor apartment on the Lower East Side, police said.

Investigators recovered security video showing Saleh exiting an elevator that leads directly into the full-floor, two-bedroom apartment, closely followed by a masked person dressed entirely in black, according to a law enforcement official who was briefed on the case.

This undated photo, provided by Gokada, shows company founder and CEO Fahim Saleh. (Ademola Odusami/Gokada via AP)

A New York Police cruiser is parked at 265 East Houston Street, in New York, on July 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The video also showed a struggle between the two that ensued at the entrance to the apartment, said the official, who wasnt authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Harrison said investigators determined that Haspil assaulted Saleh in the elevator with a stun gun a day before his body was found. Speaking to reporters about the arrest, Harrison would not say when police believe Saleh was killed, nor would he discuss other details about the case or take questions.

Investigators initially believed that the cousin who went to check on Saleh may have interrupted the attack and that the assailant fled out a back exit. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide after an autopsy found the cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the body.

Saleh was the chief executive officer of ride-hailing motorcycle startup Gokada that started operating in Nigeria in 2018.

Salehs LinkedIn biography described him as a self-taught businessman who founded Gokada, building on his experience of first seeing an opportunity in his parents native country of Bangladesh and starting that countrys largest ride-sharing company. It said he also invested in a similar venture in Colombia.

The headlines talk about a crime we still cannot fathom, Salehs family said in a statement after his death. Fahim is more than what you are reading. He is so much more. His brilliant and innovative mind took everyone who was a part of his world on a journey and he made sure never to leave anyone behind.

Apartments in the 10-story building where Salehs remains were found sell for more than $2 million. The building was completed in 2017 as part of a wave of gentrification in the neighborhood.

By Michael R. Sisak

Associated Press writer Tom Hays contributed to this report.
Family members embrace Police Officer Chris Rigler next to a memorial for slain officer Jonathan Shoop outside the Bothell Police Department in Bothell, Wash., on July 14, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images

Police Officer Fatally Shot by Patrol Partner in Crossfire, Investigators Say

The gunshot that killed a police officer in Washington state last week was fired by a fellow officer, detectives said.

The fatal shooting took place late on July 13 after officers chased a suspect who refused to stop after being pulled over. The driver later exited his vehicle and fired on officers, who returned fire. Both officers were hit; the suspect fled. He was found later, hiding nearby.

An investigation found the fatal shot was fired by Mustafa Kumcur, a field training officer who was riding in the passenger seat as Jonathan Shoop, a student officer, was behind the wheel of their patrol SUV, the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team said.

As the male suspect approached the drivers door, Kumcur was holding his firearm, according to the teams investigation.

While detectives continue working on the sequence of events, it is believed the male fired two rounds into the patrol SUV. One broke the drivers side window and the other hit Officer Kumcurs firearm, ricocheted, and struck him in the head, the team said in an incident report.

It is also believed Officer Kumcur fired multiple times, with one of the shots striking and killing Officer Shoop in the crossfire.

A photo of slain police officer Jonathan Shoop is shown at a memorial outside the Bothell Police Department in Bothell, Wash., on July 14, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

The King County Prosecutors Office acknowledged that the fatal shot was fired by another officer.

The fact that Mr. Washington did not fire the fatal shot is immaterial to his culpability in this crime. But for Mr. Washingtons directed attack on the officers, Officer Shoop would be alive today, prosecutors wrote in charging documents.

According to state law, a person is guilty of first-degree murder if he or she engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to any person, and thereby causes the death of a person.

Henry Washington, the suspect, is being held without bail on first-degree murder and other charges.

Washingtons Facebook profile picture shows him holding a gun. The words Black Live Matter are imprinted on the photograph.

As Washington led officers on a chase, he crashed into a man riding a scooter before exiting his vehicle and fleeing on foot.

Henry Washington in an undated picture posted to Facebook. (Henry Washington/Facebook)

Authorities said the suspect ended up on a rooftop of a nearby business, where he called a 911 center in Kansas to advise his family that he had shot and killed a police officer.

When he attempted to get off the roof, the male became wedged between buildings and was taken into custody without incident. A handgun was recovered from his pants, authorities wrote in the incident report.

Washington admitted to driving the Pontiac, fleeing from an attempted traffic stop, hitting the pedestrian, shooting into the police car, and calling 911, officials said. Prosecutors charged him with aggravated first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and vehicular assault, detectives wrote.

Jennifer Phillips, the Bothell city manager, said the investigation points to a tragic crossfire situation that resulted in the death of one of our officers.

Let us be clear, we believe the actions of the suspect led to this tragic event, she said in a statement.

According to court documents, Jalen Irvin, the man who was struck on his scooter, told police officers that the suspect approached a police cruiser before opening fire and yelling, Come on pig, come on pig.

Shoop, 32, died from a gunshot wound, according to the county medical examiners office. He is survived by his fiance, mother, and two brothers, police said.

A general view of a memorial for slain police officer Jonathan Shoop outside the Bothell Police Department in Bothell, Wash., on July 14, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

A woman who described herself as Washingtons mother wrote on Facebook that she was in shock after her son killed a police officer and wounded another one.

Carolyn Washington, the mother, told KOMO News that her son has a history of mental illness.

She believes he wasnt on his medication at the time of the shooting.

We know my son didnt intentionally do that, she said. We know if he had been in his right mind, he never would have done [anything] like that.

Washington was fired from a temp agency a week before the chaotic situation took place. He called a secretary at the business and threatened to shoot the place up, a Renton Police Department captain told KIRO 7.

The Seattle officers had some conversation with him on the phone, but they said he was unintelligible, Capt. Dave Leibman said. When our officer called him, he pretty much told the officer he didnt have time to talk and hung up on the officer.

Because the woman decided against pressing harassment charges, police closed the case.
This weekend, Yamile Jasaui hopes to be sitting on a plane out of Peru, where shes been stuck for five months. From there, it will be a transfer in Mexico City before shes back home in Canada.

But, she said, the weeks of frantically organizing a charter flight out of the South American country wont feel over until shes seated on that plane.

Peru has been locked down since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its borders have been closed. Ottawa has so far helped arrange for nine repatriation flights to Canada since the lockdown began, according to Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

The last flight left Peru for Canada in June.

Jasaui had stayed in Peru since March to remain close to a terminally ill grandparent who passed away in late April. She then ended up needing her own surgery, after which she was advised not to travel, preventing her from taking the government-facilitated flights.

But when she tried to arrange her own charter out of the country, she said there was no support from the Canadian consulate, even to help promote the flight so more stranded Canadians could sign on and share costs.

I think a lot of people are disappointed that we couldnt count more on them for this, she said. I think we could have got way more people.

On Saturday, a flight is scheduled to carry 47 people  a mixture of Canadians, Mexicans and Peruvians and others  on their way back to their respective homes. Jasaui thinks the numbers would have been higher, and the $1,700 USD price tag cheaper, if the Canadian consulate had helped.

Her complaint is the latest in a series of issues raised by Canadians in Peru since the COVID-19 lockdown began. Stories of dismissive embassy staff, botched flight plans and a Canadian government seemingly unwilling to help have all come out of the country since the lockdown began.

The Conservative critic for Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship, Peter Kent, said Peru has been a particularly troubled situation for the Canadian government due to the number of Canadians in remote areas and a severe lockdown imposed by the government.

With 345,000 cases, Peru has been under a severe lockdown. Canadians reported in March that under initial restrictions they werent even allowed to leave their accommodations unless it was to buy food.

I really sympathize with their situation, Kent said of Canadians in Peru.

But the federal government insists it is working hard to bring Canadians all over the planet home, although some may remain outside of the country for an indeterminate period. Officials declined to answer questions in an interview, but in an emailed statement said that they were aware of the very stressful situation facing many Canadians abroad.

The statement said that slightly more than 3,000 Canadians had returned from Peru so far, and that there was an emergency loan program in place to help Canadians and permanent residents who were sheltering in place outside the country.

Jasaui says the refusal to help was mind blowing and has left her frustrated. In the end, her biggest help turned out to be a local travel agent named Ricardo Lazo Barrueto.

He has moved land and water and everything to make this flight happen, Jasaui said in a phone interview from Lima while packing her bags.

Lazo Barrueto is based in Lima, and is trying to help Canadians arrange flights home since late May.

Jasaui says Canadian officials would not send out news of the flight to other Canadians who had registered in Peru. The government registry often sends out vital information to Canadians in foreign countries who have registered on it.

Global Affairs Canada said it helped promote a previous flight not organized by the federal government, but did not explain why the latest independent effort to get Canadians out was not also promoted.

The Canadian consulate was also unhelpful in securing a permission from the government for the flight to leave Peru while the borders are closed, Lazo Barrueto said, so he ended up seeking it through the Mexican embassy.

Since May, Lazo Barrueto says he had been approaching the Canadian consulate with flight proposals and getting nowhere.

He said his Mexico flight was the third proposal with limited response he had sent to Canadian officials.

With his latest proposal to fly Canadians to Mexico first, after a phone call with consul staff, he said he hadnt heard anything back and gave up.

Since the Canadian embassy never sent me any kind of response, I couldnt wait for them anymore and I had to take the option to do it through Mexico, he said.

Reached by the Star at his office, the hustle and bustle in Lazo Barruetos office could be heard in the background. He said he was dealing with hundreds of texts and emails as he secured everyones places on the flight.

Its been non-stop during the last week attending to all the final details and collecting fees to get everyone on the flight.

Ive had to do miracles to make it happen, he chuckled. Its a very difficult job without any kind of support.

At first 97 people signed up for the 150-person flight and in the end 47 have paid to take it.

Packing her bags and looking forward to her flight, Jasaui said it has been an odyssey trying to return to Canada, but the effort feels like its about to pay off.

Im just very much looking forward to being home, she said. Im super, super grateful to Ricardo.

Read more about:
NYPD sergeants union chief Ed Mullins displays a QAnon mug while being interviewed on Fox News.

Screenshot/Fox News

Ed Mullins, the head of the NYPD sargeants union, appeared on Fox News on Friday via remote video with a mug placed behind him emblazoned with the symbol of a far-right conspiracy theory.

Mullins refused to say whether the mug was his or whether he endorses the QAnon conspiracy in a call with Business Insider.

"Our country is falling apart, New York City is in crisis, and the only thing the news media is concerned about is a mug," Mullins told Business Insider on Friday.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Ed Mullins, president of the NYPD's Sergeants Benevolent Association, appeared on Fox News on Friday via remote video with a mug placed behind him emblazoned with the symbol of QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory.

This isn't the first time Mullins has appeared alongside the mug promoting the QAnon conspiracy, which claims the world is run by a Satanic cabal of child-abusing elites intent on ousting President Donald Trump. The same decor accompanied at least two other video interviews Mullins did with Fox News this spring.

Mullins refused to say whether the mug was his or whether he endorses the QAnon conspiracy in a call with Business Insider.

"Our country is falling apart, New York City is in crisis, and the only thing the news media is concerned about is a mug," Mullins said.

HuffPost reporter Christopher Mathias tweeted that Mullins told him on Friday that the mug wasn't his.

Fox News declined Business Insider's request for comment.

Mullins has repeatedly appeared on Fox in recent months to discuss the Black Lives Matter protests and the police response, and regularly criticize protesters and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Story continues

De Blasio has sharply condemned Mullins on multiple occasions and insisted the union leadership "has only practiced division, they foment hatred."

"They do not try to help us move forward," de Blasio told reporters earlier this year. "They don't try to create anything good. I have no respect for the leadership of the SBA."

The QAnon theory, which originated in 2017, has attracted a devoted conservative following and several Republican candidates for the US House have either endorsed or voiced support for the conspiracy. Trump has actively promoted QAnon, sharing dozens of messages from QAnon-linked accounts on Twitter.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit has come under fire this week for discouraging Canadians from working during the pandemic, but at least locally, the effects may only be on higher-risk industries.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit has come under fire this week for discouraging Canadians from working during the pandemic, but at least locally, the effects may only be on higher-risk industries.

On Wednesday, Premier Brian Pallister called for CERB to be reformed, calling it a barrier to Canadians who would like to safely return to full-time work.

Spencer Day

"If you earn $1,000 a month, then youre eligible for 2,000 additional dollars," Pallister said then. "If you earn one additional dollar, you lose $2,000. This is a tax. You could call it a clawback. This means that someone whos approaching earning that $1,000 is going be discouraged from getting $1,001. For this reason, the program needs to be redesigned."

In a Thursday phone interview with the Sun, Pallister said hes privately received support from several fellow premiers over the statement but declined to name them until hes ready to go public.

The premier pointed to the results of a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses of its members as evidence of the programs flaws.

"I would say this reinforces our concern that the federal program needs to be redesigned," he said. "Not eliminated  I want to be clear about that  because the CERB program has been helpful in supporting people in a time of need. But now, with its design flaw, it is discouraging people that otherwise might want to come back to work from doing so because of the financial penalty it imposes if they earn more than $1,000 in a month."

That study said that only 35 per cent of small firms in Canada are at normal staffing levels and 25 per cent report having a hard time finding the staff they need to properly operate. In Manitoba, those results were at 42 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

Larry Maguire

Further, CFIB president Dan Kelly said 27 per cent of Canadian small firms report that some of their laid-off staff have refused to work when called. Of the employees that have refused to return, the survey said that 62 per cent prefer to stay on the CERB and 47 per cent are concerned about the health risks of returning to work to themselves or their family.

CFIBs director for the prairies, Jonathan Alward, told the Sun on Thursday that a deeper dive into those results is also required.

"Thinking back recently to Phase 3, restaurants, their capacity increased," he said. "So youll see more businesses deciding OK, now were going to start doing dine-in, weve got to bring back our waitstaff or servers. I think the same for retail when the capacity for the shop increases, so too hopefully is the demand and theyre bringing back on more staff."

He added that some industries that havent been able to fully reopen, such as movie theatres, or have had reduced business, such as hotels, wont have as much demand for staff right now.

Sandy Trudel

On Twitter, economist Armine Yalnizyan called the results "misleading," pointing out on Friday that while the CFIB boasts a membership of approximately 110,000 small firms, only 3,389 responded to the survey.

She posted slides from a background presentation related to the survey created by CFIB that show only 25 per cent of businesses were having trouble finding staff. Another slide said only 14 per cent of businesses polled had staff refuse to return to work because they prefer to collect the CERB.

However, local members of Parliament told the Sun on Thursday and Friday that theyve had constituents raise concerns about the CERB to them.

"Ive been speaking to a lot of small businesses in the last little while here as we try to get as many businesses back to work as we can," Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire said on Thursday. "Some of them are having problems finding enough employees to go back to work, and for many good reasons the employees are being cautious. If theyve got a family at home and they can stay home and collect the CERB and thats not a problem, we want them to collect the CERB from our Conservative point of view  but we also think the government could be working on a scale approach."

Brian Pallister

Maguire touted his partys proposal to reform the benefit titled the Back to Work Bonus, where workers could earn up to $5,000 a month before they would completely lose their CERB benefits. He said local businesses have told him a phased approached like this would be a big help.

The Sun asked Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Spencer Day on Thursday if hed heard of businesses complaining about the benefit recently. He came back on Friday and said he reached out to approximately 12 local businesses to ask their thoughts.

"Its a lot of entry-level positions, the more casual workforce, gas bars, daycares, fast food, where business owners have had problems competing with CERB," he said. "In the construction industry, not a lot of concerns there. Ive talked to a couple different car dealerships, they didnt seem to have any issues. I reached out to a few hair salons as well, they havent had a lot of issues getting their staff to come back or fill positions."

He also said the chamber had been hearing more concerns about the CERB preventing workers from returning to their jobs earlier in the pandemic before things started to reopen but that had died down recently.

Jonathan Alward

Brandons director of economic development, Sandy Trudel, said while there isnt a broad-stroke answer to the question of whether jobs are going unfilled, she said there have been difficulties hiring in some sectors.

"Especially when you look at what well call the service sector side of things," she said. "In some situations, its financially advantageous for one to not be at work versus being at work when we look at the benefits available right now. And then theres the uncertainty of how long will those hours be available or will they fluctuate because the market has not yet found what I hope to be the new norm."

Trudel said employers have also expressed difficulty filling lower-paying jobs as well, especially when you factor in that some employees can earn close to what they were earning before the pandemic but are also able to take care of their kids and not pay for child care.

Her department hasnt heard a lot of concern regarding the CERB, but part of that is because their staffing has been lower during the pandemic.

The conversation regarding CERB will likely continue, but there may be no straightforward answer or consensus on how or if it should be changed.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
In an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am, an old resident of the Armenian village of Chinari said she isnt afraid of anything and is defending the village from the enemy.

Her husband stressed that the Armenian Army is strong and that the leadership is fighting well to defend the homeland.

Samvel Vanyan, 87, said if he and the other elderly leave the village, there wont be anyone to give the young people advice and encourage them. The old man also praised the Armenian army and said it fought excellently and imposed its will on the adversary.

A store clerk said the villagers must work and showed the fruits and vegetables gathered by the residents of Chinari, adding that the residents of Chinari must work in order to be able to defend the border and that working is their way of defending the border.
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Linkedin Jocelyne Zablit (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States  Sat, July 18, 2020 12:38 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066759fdc 2 World Portland,protester,federal-agents Free

Rights activists and lawmakers expressed outrage on Friday over reports that federal agents circulating in unmarked cars in the western US state of Oregon were grabbing and detaining protesters off the streets.

"What is happening now in Portland should concern everyone in the United States," said Jann Carson, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Oregon. "Usually when we see people in unmarked cars forcibly grab someone off the street, we call it kidnapping.

"The actions of the militarized federal officers are flat-out unconstitutional and will not go unanswered," he added.

According to interviews conducted by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), federal law enforcement officers have been driving around downtown Portland and detaining protesters with no explanation since at least July 14.

Mark Pettibone, a 29-year-old demonstrator, recalled being terrified when an unmarked minivan pulled up next to him early Wednesday and men with green military fatigues jumped out and detained him.

"It seemed like it was out of a horror/sci-fi, like a Philip K. Dick novel," Pettibone told The Washington Post. "It was like being preyed upon."

Pettibone said he was taken to the federal courthouse and later released without being told why he had been detained, or whether he had been charged with a crime.

In a statement on Friday, US Customs and Border Protection said its agents were behind the arrest carried out as they "had information indicating the person in the video was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of federal property."

"Once CBP agents approached the suspect, a large and violent mob moved towards their location," the agency said in a statement sent to AFP. "For everyone's safety, CBP agents quickly moved the suspect to a safer location for further questioning.

"The CBP agents identified themselves and were wearing CBP insignia during the encounter," the statement added. "The names of the agents were not displayed due to recent doxing incidents against law enforcement personnel who serve and protect our country."

Read also: In first, US brands white supremacists as foreign terrorists

'Political theater'

Federal officers have been deployed in Portland as part of President Donald Trump's plan to crush nightly protests outside the city's federal courthouse and another court building.

The protests against racism and police brutality were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and have taken place across the country for more than six weeks.

"A peaceful protester in Portland was shot in the head by one of Donald Trump's secret police," Senator Ron Wyden wrote in a tweet on Thursday that also denounced Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who visited Portland the same day.

"Now Trump and Chad Wolf are weaponizing the DHS as their own occupying army to provoke violence on the streets of my hometown because they think it plays well with right-wing media," Wyden said.

The governor of the state, Kate Brown, also hit out at the Trump administration.

"This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety," she wrote in a tweet. "The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government."
There arent many 24-year-olds who enjoy looking at their baby pictures, fewer still who show them off to friends.

But James Whetton has good reason to boast about one photograph  as it shows him being cradled in the arms of Princess Diana.

Even though he was only six days old and desperately ill when the worlds most famous woman took him in her arms during a visit to the hospital he was in, James describes it as one of the proudest moments of my life.

Now a strapping 6ft-tall plasterer, he today speaks for the first time about his battle for survival, his recovery and that famous photograph.

James was delivered by caesarean section on January 2, 1996, at Southend Hospital in Essex.

Within moments of him taking his first breath, medical staff realised there was a serious problem and transferred him to intensive care.

James Whetton has good reason to boast about one photograph  as it shows him being cradled in the arms of Princess Diana

Doctors discovered he had a dangerously fast heartbeat  reaching 275 beats per minute at one stage  as well as fluid on the lungs and a chest infection.

With his condition worsening, James was immediately taken by ambulance to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, the UKs largest specialist medical centre for heart and lung conditions.

At the time, Diana made private visits to the hospital where her then lover, surgeon Hasnat Khan, worked to comfort the sick and dying.

James recalled: I was born with an enlarged heart. In the ambulance it stopped and I died. It was very touch-and-go. At one point, I had to be put into an induced coma.

His mother Anne Pearce, then a 21-year-old TV researcher, and her parents, Brian and Rosemary, were sitting by his cot on the childrens ward when Diana arrived, alone and unannounced.

After pausing at each bedside, she lingered longer when she reached James. There must have been something about me, he said. I was the youngest on the ward and born with jet-black hair.

She said to my mum that I had lovely hair and asked what my name was. She then said, Can I pick him up? 

It was at that moment that Diana gently lifted the 6lb 1oz child from his cot  carefully, so as not to disturb the wires monitoring his condition  and gazed down at him.

From what my mum said, she truly cared, said James. She was there all day. It wasnt just for a picture. The photograph was taken by my grandfather, Brian.

He said she was lovely and acted like a normal person. She was just there to help others.

She wanted to send a little bit of hope to people who were at their lowest.

It gave a lot of families comfort when she turned up  a belief that everything was going to be OK. She lifted everyones spirits.

I was the only baby she picked up  the golden arms of Diana held me. She was so heartwarming, so maybe thats what helped me to keep on fighting. She may have passed on a little bit of her love and got me through it, who knows?

Jamess condition improved sufficiently for doctors to allow him to go home to the new family house in Hockley, Essex, which Anne and her salesman partner Stuart Whetton, just 23, had bought in anticipation of Jamess arrival.

James battled further health problems as a toddler but made a full recovery by the age of three.

My heart problems are behind me, he said. It sorted itself out. Miraculously. I havent had any health issues since.

He was told about his Royal encounter when he was ten, but it wasnt until secondary school that he realised its significance.

I knew for some reason this wonderful lady held me and it made it into the newspaper, he explained.

I knew she was a princess but it was only when I was 14 that I started reading about her and what she had done.

Teachers would mention her and it was a fun fact I could bring up  but really it was more than that. I did feel special.

Such is the bond that he keeps the picture on his phone so he can have it close by, adding: Of course Ive got to carry it around with me. I show people on the odd occasion as its quite something. Its something no one else has. It captures a special moment in time that people dont usually get.

I would have liked to have met her as a grown-up. I wish we could have had a conversation and I could have asked her why she came to see us [sick children] that day and why she picked me up.

Its a nice feeling to know that not only did a princess hold you, but a princess who was the best of them all. Its surreal. I was just a little baby from Essex.

'I do feel like I have a bond with her as she was holding me at the same point my mum was  practically as soon as I was born. She was one of the first people to see me as not many were allowed into the hospital.

He admits, however, that the image carries bittersweet connotations for his family.

It was a traumatic time for my parents. Its still quite emotional looking at that picture for my mum as I did nearly die.

Plus, theres two people in that photo and only one of us is alive.

James survived a second brush with death as a teenager when he was involved in a road crash.

I often think Im lucky to be alive, he said.

James was delivered by caesarean section on January 2, 1996, at Southend Hospital in Essex

I was on a motorbike when I was 16 and a car crashed into the bike. I broke my femur when the bike slammed on top of me.

The car hit me side-on. If it had hit my body rather than the bike, I would have died.

I was lying in the hospital thinking that this is the second time now Ive been close to dying.

His parents later split and, after his father remarried, Jamess half-brother was born with similar medical complications five years ago.

Thats when I really experienced what my parents must have gone through, he said. It was terrifying.

Just 20 months after holding little James in her arms, Diana was killed in the Paris crash that also claimed the lives of her new lover Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.

She had previously said she made the trips to the Brompton at least three times a week and spent up to four hours with patients, holding their hands and talking to them.

Some will live and some wont, but they all need to be loved while they are here, she explained. I try to be there for them. I really love helping. I seem to draw strength from them.

Diana met Dr Khan when she watched two heart operations at the hospital and the pair went on to have a discreet, two-year relationship that ended just weeks before she died. She referred to him as Mr Wonderful and friends described him as the love of her life.

Diana reportedly considered converting to Islam so that they could marry and their relationship was certainly serious enough for his family to meet her during her 1996 visit to Pakistan, when she wore the traditional shalwar kameez  loose-fitting trousers paired with a flowing dress  out of respect to their faith.

Dr Khan previously told The Mail on Sunday that it was the non-progression of their relationship that prompted Diana to end it early in the summer of 1997.

James explained that he thinks it was Dr Khan who treated him as he was overseeing all of the heart treatment at the time. He was the specialist on the ward.

Now the little boy in the picture, who still lives in Essex and spends his spare time watching Liverpool FC and going out with friends, dreams of a family of his own with his live-in girlfriend Molly Pinnington, a 23-year-old worker at Royal Bank of Scotland.

And he admits to excitement at the prospect of one day showing the famous photograph to his own children. Id love to tell them all about Diana, I want to be part of keeping her memory alive.
The Taliban have put the son of the movement's feared founder in charge of their military wing and added several powerful figures to their negotiating team, Taliban officials said. The shakeup, one of the most significant in years, comes ahead of expected talks with Kabul aimed at ending decades of war in Afghanistan.

As head of a newly united military wing, 30-year-old Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob brings his father's fiercely uncompromising reputation to the battlefield.

Equally significant is the addition of four members of the insurgent group's leadership council to the 20-member negotiating team, Taliban officials told The Associated Press.

The shuffle, overseen by Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada, is meant to tighten his control over the movements military and political arms, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the inner workings of the Taliban.

Analysts say the shake-up could be good news for negotiations with the Afghan political leadership, and a sign of how seriously the Taliban are taking this second  and perhaps most critical  step in a deal Washington signed with the insurgents in February.

Id say it appears to be a positive development because the Taliban are creating a delegation that seems more senior and more broad-based than theyve used to date, or than might be strictly necessary for the opening stages of talks, said Andrew Wilder, vice president of the Asia Program at the Washington-based U.S. Institute of Peace.

If you want to see the glass as half full, this strengthened Taliban delegation could be interpreted as a sign that the group is planning to engage in serious discussions, he said.

When the U.S. signed the deal with the Taliban on Feb. 29, after more than a year and a half of negotiations, it was touted as Afghanistans best chance at peace in four decades of war. It was also seen as a road map for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, ending Americas longest war.

On Monday, four-and-a-half months since the signing, chief U.S. negotiator and peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted that a key milestone in the implementation of the U.S.-Taliban agreement had been reached as American troop numbers dropped to 8,600 from about 12,000 and five bases were closed in Afghanistan.

Even as Khalilzad chastised increased insurgent attacks on Afghan security forces, he said the Taliban had been true to their word not to attack U.S. and NATO troops.

No American has lost his/her life in Afghanistan to Taliban violence. Regional relations have improved, he tweeted.

The Taliban have stepped up their military activity against Afghan government forces since Yaqoob's appointment in May, a sign the militants under his leadership may see battlefield wins as upping their leverage at the negotiating table.

I can see a lot of reasons for the Taliban to be pushing the envelope  perhaps as a negotiation tactic, but equally likely as a means to test U.S limits, said Daniel Markey, a senior research professor at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies. So far, the Trump administration looks like it is heading for the exit, no matter what. Why not ratchet up the violence to see what greater victories can be won? 

Surprisingly, the shuffle also sidelined senior Taliban leader Amir Khan Muttaqi, removing him from the negotiating committee. Seen as close to neighboring Pakistan, his removal could limit Pakistan's influence and buttress their position with Kabul, which is deeply suspicious of Islamabad.

Already a deputy head of the movement, the sudden appointment of the son of Mullah Mohammed Omar as the Taliban military chief reportedly ruffled feathers among members of the leadership council, who had not been consulted. Yaqoob, however, met with the council and won over the dissenters, said the Taliban officials.

Yaqoobs appointment appears to be, at least in part, an effort by Mullah Akhundzada to shore up oversight of battlefield operations at a key moment ... as the insurgents ramp up violence to strengthen their negotiating position in preparation for potential peace talks with the Afghan government, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center.

In recent weeks, hopes have been raised of a July start to negotiations but the Taliban and the Kabul government have become bogged down in the final release of prisoners, a prerequisite for the start of negotiations. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the AP on Friday that the Taliban reject government efforts to substitute prisoners from the originally negotiated list for the exchange.

Countries have been lining up to host the talks, with Germany being the latest to put in an offer and Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Japan and Norway reportedly among the nations volunteering. However, the Taliban and Afghan government officials say the first round is likely to be held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office.

The newly strengthened negotiating team includes Abdul Hakeem, the Taliban's chief justice and confidant of Akhunzada, as well as Maulvi Saqib, who was chief justice during the Taliban rule.

Under the U.S.-Taliban deal, the Taliban  who during their rule of Afghanistan hosted al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden as he planned the 9/11 attacks  have pledged to no longer host any terror groups. They also guarantee that Afghanistan will not be used as a launching arena for future attacks against America.

In a tweet this week, Khalilzad said more progress is needed on counter-terrorism, without elaborating.

This week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also spoke about the controversy surrounding the White House over reports of Russian money being paid to Afghan militias  reportedly with links to the Taliban  to kill U.S. troops.

Theres a lot of Russian footprint; there are Russian weapon systems there. We have made clear to our Russian counterparts that we ought to work together to get a more sovereign, more independent, peaceful Afghanistan, he said.
T he heartbroken mother of a law graduate, who fell to her death from a road bridge while escaping her burning car, said her daughter pleaded with rescuers: "Please don't let me die".

Azra Kemal, 24, from London, was found on land in a void below the A21 dual carriageway near Tonbridge, Kent, at about 2.45am on Thursday.

Her mother, Nevres Kemal, 56, said that she had fallen 40ft to her death in the pitch dark after climbing over the barriers, thinking that there was a central reservation between the carriageways.

The social worker told the Daily Mail that her home in Whetstone, north London, felt empty without her only child, who was a graduate of the London School of Economics.

"She was really and truly the air that I breathe. That is all I live for, for her. I am in total shock. I do not know what to say," she said.

Ms Kemal told the publication that two police officers came to the door on Thursday morning to tell her about what happened.

She said her daughter had been driving on the A21 with friends in the car when they decided to swap drivers but there was a fault with the car and it started smoking.

Ms Kemal said the group had got out and moved away from the car when it exploded.

She added that they then began to try and wave people down and to cross the central reservation.

"She climbed up and there was no concrete. This reservation was not there. It was pitch black so she has fallen 40 feet to the earth," Ms Kemal said.

"She was still alive. The guy jumped down and could not see her. She said 'Don't leave me here'".

Ms Kemal said an off-duty nurse was passing and saw the car so she called the paramedics, but her daughter was pronounced dead at 3.20am.

"Her last words were 'Please don't let me die,'" Ms Kemal said.

A 31-year-old man, also from London, was arrested but has since been released without charge.

Kent Police has appealed for witnesses and said it was preparing a file for the coroner.

A spokesman said: "Detectives investigating the circumstances around the death of a woman who fell from a bridge on the A21 are satisfied there are no suspicious circumstances and are now preparing a report for the coroner.

"The woman, who was 24 and from London, is understood to have fallen while seeking assistance after a car she was travelling in caught alight," they added.

A 31-year-old man, from London, who was arrested in connection with the incident has since been released without charge.

Anyone who has information that may assist should call Kent Police on 01622 604100, quoting 16-0120.
is heading towards becoming a global hotspot of the COVID-19 pandemic, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said on Saturday, as he hit out at the Nitish Kumar government over the "low" number of tests being conducted.

Yadav, the leader of opposition in the state legislative assembly, said the government was testing around 10,000 samples per day against the required 30,000-35,000 tests a day given the size and population of

If the required number of tests are conducted, 4,000- 5,000 cases would be detected every day, thus putting the state at the top in the country in terms of the spread of coronavirus, he claimed.

The former deputy chief minister said there is a strong possibility of not only becoming a national hotspot, rather it is heading towards becoming a global hotspot of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yadav said despite the low testing rate in the state, the number of positive cases has remained over 1,000 per day.

The positivity rate in Bihar was at 13 per cent between July 11-17, which is the highest in the country, and it showed that the state stood nowhere in terms of testing, he said.

A complete lockdown imposed from July 16 to July 31 will not serve any purpose if the testing rate and the bed capacity at hospitals are not augmented, he said.

Yadav said he would urge the central team that is arriving in the state on Sunday to ensure transparency in reporting of COVID-19 figures.

"I would request them to ask the state government to bring transparency in putting out the figures, besides ensuring special assistance from the central government, and look into the supply of oxygen concentrators and testing kits," he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two young brothers, Will (16) and Matthew Gladstone (13) from Arlington, Massachusetts, USA, show us that age is no bar when it comes to saving the planet and its astounding biodiversity. Four years ago, they founded the Blue Feet Foundation to protect a very charming bird -the blue-footed booby. Together, they came up with an extremely ingenious idea to save the bird. They decided to sell bright blue socks matching the blue feet of these boobies to raise funds for these birds! Their hard work has helped raise thousands of dollars that have been spent on the conservation of these birds and their habitat in the Galapagos Islands. The story of these two brothers serves as an inspiration to all striving to make a positive change in the world.

A blue-footed booby couple performing the mating dance. Image credit: BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock.com

But before learning more about this awesome brother duo, let us know some interesting facts about the bird that they are endeavoring to save.

Blue-footed boobies, as the name says, are known for their bright blue feet. They are very proud of their feet themselves and never leave a moment to show them off. Males use this precious feature to attract the females with a high-stepping strut in the mating season. The bluer their feet, the higher their chances of wooing their favorite lady. These birds are also not just about good looks but they are excellent divers as well. They live off the western coast of Central and South America. The Galapagos Islands, known for the Darwin's finches, houses nearly half the breeding population of these boobies. Nesting on the land at night, these birds fly far into the sea during the day to feed on fish, often hunting together co-operatively. They are highly skilled divers who can swoop down from the air and into the water to catch their unlucky prey. All these traits make the blue-footed boobies really interesting birds that anyone will fall in love with!

Will and Matthew. Image credit: The Blue Feet Foundation.

Going back to the story of Will and Matt, let us learn about what their feelings are about this bird, why they are concerned about its fate, and what they are doing about it.

To learn more, World Atlas speaks to Will, and here is the conversation:

So, how did you learn about the blue-footed booby in the first place?

In my 5th-grade science class, we did a whole unit on birds. I was so excited to learn about them that I soon started reading about different birds on the internet. That is when I learned about the blue-footed booby. I read about it on the World Wildlife Fund website where they let you adopt one virtually.

What made you fall in love with these birds?

They are unlike any bird I had ever learned about! Also, they have so much personality and such bright blue feet. They dance to show off how blue their feet are to attract a mate. They are not at all afraid of people. That is how they got their name. When Spanish explorers discovered them they thought they were stupid for not being afraid of people. Bobo is stupid in Spanish.

A blue-footed booby diving into the sea for fish. Image credit: Neel Adsul/Shutterstock.com

Why did you decide to do something to save them? When did you start the Blue Feet Foundation?

I was sad to know that the population of blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos was declining and no one knew why. Their population dropped by around 60% in fifty years. So, I started the Blue-Feet Foundation with my brother four years ago to do something to protect these birds. Matt came up with the name.

How and why did you come up with the idea of selling blue socks?

I knew if I could sell something people wanted I could give the money from the sale to a charity that is helping the blue-footed booby and the Galapagos. So, one day I was laying on my bed staring at my feet trying to come up with an idea when it just hit me! If people could have blue feet they would care more about a bird with blue feet. So blue socks would be perfect!

Wearing the blue-footed booby socks at the Tropic of Capricorn. Image source: Blue Feet Foundation

The blue-footed booby socks reaches Stonehenge, UK. Image source: Blue Feet Foundation

Who bought the first pair of socks (if you remember)?

I dont remember the exact person but it had to be one of my classmates. They were very supportive.

How many socks have been sold till now and how much funds generated from the sale?

So far weve sold over 20,000 pairs of socks and donated over $130,000 generated from the sale. Weve had orders from all 50 states and over 40 countries! Till now, The US, Canada, Australia, and Italy have been the most supportive countries. We dont keep any of the money. We pay for the socks, shipping, packaging, website, advertising, and the rest we give to one of two charities. Both The Galapagos Conservancy and The Charles Darwin Foundation help the blue-footed booby. In fact, the Galapagos Conservancy used the money to pay a blue-footed booby expert to travel to the Galapagos to do the first-ever population decline study on the bird. They said the study wouldn't have happened without our donation because there wasn't enough funding for the study. So, we are really happy to have been able to contribute to the blue-footed booby conservation in our own little way!

The brightly colored blue-footed booby socks stand out on the dark landscape. Image source: Blue Feet Foundation

Musicians wearing the blue-footed booby socks. Image source: Blue Feet Foundation

Have you seen a blue-footed booby in the wild? Did you visit the Galapagos Islands?

Last summer I went on a dream school trip to the Galapagos. I was really excited to see a blue-footed booby in person. I only saw them from far away so I didnt get to see them up close. But the trip was awesome. The Charles Darwin Foundation gave our whole tour group a behind-the-scenes tour so we got to see a lot of cool animals.

Blue-footed booby socks at the Great Wall of China. Image credit: Fotos593/Shutterstock.com

What do you plan to do for these birds in the coming years?

Matty and I are going to keep working on the Blue-Feet Foundation so we can raise more money for the blue-footed booby. It is also very important to save their Galapagos habitat as well.

Blue footed booby with booby chick in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image credit: Fotos593/Shutterstock.com

What is your message to the world about the blue-footed boobies and why should people buy the socks?

The blue-footed is a very special bird that we must protect for future generations to see and experience. We feel really happy when people send us pictures of themselves wearing our socks. People wearing our socks have posted photos from The Great Wall to Stonehenge to Antarctica! The blue-footed booby is a symbol of the Galapagos, one of the Earth's most fascinating destinations, and a real global treasure. We need to protect both because once lost, we can't ever get them back.

Two children having fun showing off their blue-footed booby socks. Image source: Blue Feet Foundation

Also, by buying our socks someone is not just helping the blue-footed booby but inspiring kids to get involved to help an animal or a cause they care about. Many kids reach out to us to know how they can help the animals they love. For example, we have helped a California boy to save frogs, one in Idaho to protect salmon, and an Indonesian girl who wanted to save dogs.
Well I am here to say that when you burn a church to the ground, you are setting me on fire. When you paint vile words on a statue of the Blessed Mother, you are smearing those words onto my own skin. When you throw rocks through the windows of a chapel to destroy the jewel-like stained glass, you are bruising my body. And when you are a member of the media, and you look away as this is happening but make sure to point out every offense perpetrated against every other group that has you as its free P.R. director, you are ignoring my righteous cries and my pain.
New Delhi, July 18 : In an attempt to reduce dependence on the Chinese imports, the Central government plans to come out with a fresh solar tender that will provide viability gap funding (VGF) to projects setting up solar wafer and ingot manufacturing facilities.

Silicon wafers and ingots are critical components that go into manufacturing solar cells and modules. However, India does not have manufacturing facilities for these complements that is largely imported from China, even by local solar cell and module makers. China is the biggest maker of these components globally.

"Under the phased manufacturing plan in solar, government may provide the VGF support to developers of these critical solar components. This high technology manufacturing would change the face of domestic equipment market and eliminate dependence on imports," said official sources.

The fresh initiative is to give a boost to local manufacturing as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. While there is push to set up solar cell and module manufacturing in India, absence of wafer and ingot facilities dented these plans as these critical components will continue to be brought from abroad.

Chinese companies dominate the Indian solar components market, supplying about 80 per cent of solar cells and modules used here, given their competitive pricing. India imported $2.16 billion worth of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, panels, and modules in 2018-19.

As part of an accelerated manufacturing plan that is being operationalised in India, it is incentivising setting up of solar cell manufacturing capacity of 4000 MW that would allow project developers to restrict import of this product completely.

Additionally, 3000 MW of fresh solar cell capacity is being added under manufacturing linked bids for solar projects. This would incentivise power project developers planning manufacturing in India.

The current capacity of solar cell manufacturing in India is about 2,500 MW. This is proposed to rise over three times in coming years.

In case of solar modules as well, 7000 MW of capacity is being added in addition to existing capacity.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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.
The factory of Samsung Electronics Vietnam in the northern province of Thai Nguyen. Photo by VnExpress/Le Dang.

South Korean firms want the Vietnamese government to be flexible with quarantine requirements for their experts and executives entering the country for work.

They made the plea at a meeting on Friday between the governments Advisory Council for Administrative Reform and South Korean businesses in Vietnam.

So far 4,300 South Korean experts have been granted permission to enter Vietnam for work since the pandemic began, and the figure would continue to rise, South Korean Ambassador Park Noh-wan said.

He called on the government to ease quarantine policies.

A representative of the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam (Korcham) said quarantining costs South Korean businesses money and time as people now have to do a two-week home quarantine in South Korea before flying out to Vietnam and two more weeks upon landing.

This makes it difficult for South Korean experts to come to Vietnam to work though they are needed for economic projects, he said.

Korcham therefore wants Vietnam to reduce the period of quarantine and consider exemptions in some cases like people coming for short-term work and for important tasks like investment and signing contracts, he said.

Vietnam would work closely with countries, including South Korea, to overcome difficulties amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Mai Tien Dung, Chairman of the Government Office, assured.

South Korea was the fifth biggest investor in Vietnam in the first half of the year with nearly $545 million of registered capital.

South Korean businesses have more than 8,000 projects, account for 30 percent of Vietnams total exports and provide more than 700,000 jobs.
Amazon Prime Video's second official Kannada film French Biriyani is all set to release on the platform on July 24. Ever since the makers announced the film, fans were eagerly waiting for the trailer of the Danish Sait starrer. And now, after launching the official trailer of the laugh riot to a great response, its director Pannaga Bharana recently opened up about the film and how it came about.

Pannaga said, Truth be told, French Biriyani was not meant to be a Kannada movie. I had, in fact, written it as a Tamil film, in the backdrop of how auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai operate and literally take you for a ride without metre charges, etc. It was one of the many scripts that I have written and backed up on my computer, waiting for the opportune moment to bring it to life. It would have stayed there longer, but for a meeting with Danish.

He continued to add, Although I knew of him, my wife was the more ardent follower of his radio pranks and other online initiatives. But it was Prajwal (Devaraj) who introduced us. During our conversation, Danish explained that his repertoire was not just Nograj (from Humble Politiciann Nograj) and that he could present many other characters, one of which was Asgar. That gave me an idea to dust this script and give it a Bengaluru setting.



Pannaga who collaborated with writer Avinash Balekkala and Danish on the film concluded by stating, I probably wouldnt have made it (without Danish). Meeting him gave me the idea to revive this script. Luckily for us, Danish mentioned that Puneeth Rajkumar was looking for interesting scripts to develop under his home banner and our film intrigued him enough, making it the second film that he now presents on OTT.

ALSO READ: Puneeth Rajkumar On Theatrical Versus OTT Release: Watching Films In Theatres Will Never Fade
The Defence Minister is accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MN Naravane to take stock of the situation in volatile parts of the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control on a scheduled two-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane offered prayers at Amarnath Temple on Saturday.

The Defence Minister is on a two-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. He will take stock of the situation at both the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Line of Control (LOC).

On the first day of his visit, the Defence Minister interacted with the troops in Lukung, Ladakh along with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday.

Talks are underway to resolve the border dispute but to what extent it can be resolved I cannot guarantee. I can assure you, not one inch of our land can be taken by any power in the world, he said referring to India-China standoff while he interacted with the Indian Army and ITBP personnel at Lukung.

Also read: Rajasthan political crisis: BJP leader Sanjay Jain arrested

Also read: India, US sign several agreements on Strategic Petroleum Reserves in ministerial SEP meeting

Emphasising on finding a diplomatic solution to the standoff, he further said, If a solution can be found by talks, there is nothing better.

Recently what happened between troops of India and China at PP14, how some of our personnel sacrificed their lives protecting our border. I am happy to meet you all but also saddened because of their loss. I pay my tributes to them, he added.

Meanwhile Pakistan has been continuously carrying out ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and China has been carrying out incursions into Indian territory in Ladakh region in recent past.

On June 15, 20 Indian soldiers laid out their lives during combat with Chinese forces in Galwan valley, leading to tensions between both nations. Chinese soldiers subsequently started moving back following dialogues between two countries through military level and diplomatic level.

Also read: Rajnath Singh in Ladakh: Not an inch of our land can be taken

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 23:01:17|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Saturday summoned a senior Indian diplomat to lodge protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir region, the Pakistani foreign ministry said.

Two women were injured due to the firing by the Indian forces in Rakhchikri and Baroh sectors of the LoC on Friday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

India has committed 1,697 ceasefire violations to date this year, resulting in 14 deaths and serious injuries to 133 civilians, the statement added.

Pakistan and India had declared a ceasefire along the LoC and the working boundary in 2003. However, both sides routinely exchange fire and accuse each other of ceasefire violations.

Tension has been heightened after India lifted the special status for the Indian-controlled Kashmir in August last year. In its reaction, Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic relations, suspended trade relations and train service with India.

The Pakistani side condemned India's military action and underscored such "senseless acts are in clear violation" of the ceasefire understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct, the statement said.

"These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security," the statement said.

The Indian side was called upon to respect the ceasefire understanding, investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the working boundary, according to the statement. Enditem
Tourists walk around the forecourt of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 16, 2017. (REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo)

Australian PM Told Virus Risk to Parliament Sitting

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is seeking to cancel the next sitting of the federal Parliament due to worries over the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria and New S0uth Wales.

The escalating spread of the coronavirus in Victoria and worrying trends in NSW have prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison to seek the cancellation of the planned sitting of the federal parliament early next month.

Acting on the advice of acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, Morrison has written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to request that the sitting fortnight commencing August 4 not be held.

Kelly has said holding a sitting of Parliament would pose a significant risk to MPs and senators and their staff, as well as parliamentary staff and the broader ACT community.

Morrison says the government cannot ignore such advice.

It is not feasible nor desirable to hold a sitting of parliament that would exclude parliamentarians from a single state, Morrison said in a statement on Saturday.

Meanwhile, authorities are cautiously awaiting the latest update on the COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria.

Victoria recorded 428 more cases on Friday, the largest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, while three people died, taking the national toll to 116.

There are 122 people hospitalised in Victoria, including 31 in intensive care.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton painted a bleak picture of the states disappointing and concerning new case numbers.

We have not turned the corner here, he said in Melbourne on Friday.

Tragically, there will be several who will require intensive care support and a number of people will die.

Health experts are calling for restrictions in the state to be tightened to level four.

Federal Victorian Liberal MP Tim Wilson said if the trend in infections continued, it would present real challenges.

We need to be mindful that a lot of the outbreaks are occurring in targeted communities, and so blanket policies may not be the most effective ones, he told ABC television.

It might be targeted ones to targeted communities that may be more sustainable.

NSW recorded eight new coronavirus cases on Friday, with 42 cases now linked to the Crossroads Hotel in southwest Sydney.

The state has 101 active cases with one person in intensive care.

NSW will tighten restrictions next week, with a 10-person booking cap at pubs, restaurants, and cafes.

Weddings will be capped at 150 people and guests must be seated at all times.

The federal government is putting the finishing touches to an Economic and Fiscal Update to be released on Thursday, ahead of a full budget on October 6.

The update will include details of what the JobKeeper wage subsidy and enhanced JobSeeker dole payment, both introduced to cushion the economic impact of COVID-19, will look like beyond September.

Morrison said the next phase of support will still be a national program but better targeted to where it is needed most.

Colin Brinsden
Schools in New York will not require coronavirus testing among students or staff members, according to more detailed guidance released this week by the states Department of Education.

That decision follows current guidance Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a 145-page report on reopening guidance released Thursday.

Much of the information in the school guidance report is expected: Lots of cleaning and handwashing. Fewer students moving around the school. More open (interior) doors, which lessens the need to touch knobs.

But within the guidance are some clues about what still might be allowed in schools.

Gym equipment must be routinely cleaned. Woodwind instruments must be cleaned between each use  though another part of the report says instruments should not be shared.

Students who sing must stand 12 feet apart. Better yet: Sing outside.

The states guidelines set a framework for school districts to follow this fall. The state isnt ordering districts to follow one kind of schedule. Itll be up to each district to choose from all in-person classes, all-remote classes or a hybrid.

And the report leaves many decisions up to local districts. For example, it doesnt say whether afterschool programs are allowed. Instead, the state is encouraging districts to collaborate with community partners, such as afterschool program providers, to meet students needs.

Districts and schools must submit their plans to the state by July 31.

Before instruction begins, the state wants educators to start by settling the students. Districts should consider a transition period to support the social and emotional well-being and resiliency of students before beginning to phase in academic content, the guidance says.

It is unrealistic to expect that students will return to instruction as they left it months ago, the guidance says. Students have experienced an extremely stressful, and for many, traumatic experience while isolated from school, friends, and community.

Here are some highlights from the full report:

Art

All arts classrooms, sinks and other shared materials and surfaces should be cleaned following federal CDC guidelines. Schools should consider asking students to maintain individual kits of high touch supplies such as scissors, markers, pencils and erasers.

Arrival and dismissal

To lessen crowding, the state recommends staggering arrival and dismissal times for students. This might include different times for parental drop-off and pick-up. Students may be directed to enter/exit the school through specific doors, to keep fewer people from congregating at one main doorway.

Attendance

Schools must take attendance, including among students who are learning remotely.

Schools must develop a mechanism to collect and report daily teacher student engagement or attendance, the report says. While this requirement is straightforward in an in-person setting, a procedure should be developed to make daily contact with students in remote or hybrid settings.

Cleaning

Schools must clean high-traffic spots many times throughout the day. This includes: tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards and tablets, toilets and restrooms, faucets and sinks.

Thats in addition to repeated schoolwide cleaning, including in classrooms, restrooms, cafeterias, libraries, playgrounds and buses.

Closings

Schools and local health officials will set parameters (such as increased absenteeism) that could trigger a schoolwide closure. If Covid-19 cases arise, schools may consider modifying operations rather than shutting down fully. School administrators should consider closing school if absentee rates impact the ability of the school to operate safely, the report says.

Covid-19 testing

Its up to healthcare providers or local health officials to determine whether testing is needed at a school. That doesnt rule out large-scale testing at a school; rather, that should be the decision of health professionals, rather than educators, the guidance says.

Emergency drills

Evacuation and lockdown drills will continue amid the coronavirus. Schools can modify the practice. For example, a fire drill might include only a few classrooms at a time. Lockdown drills may include instruction about sheltering in place, without physical movement.

Handwashing

Everybody will be washing their hands more, according to the guidelines. This might even mean setting up portable handwashing stations. At a minimum, the state says wash your hands:

Upon entering the building and each classroom;

After using shared objects or surfaces (e.g. electronic devices, musical instruments, writing utensils, tools, toys, desks or table tops);

Before and after snacks and lunch;

After using the bathroom;

After helping a student with toileting;

After sneezing, wiping or blowing nose, or coughing into hands;

Upon coming in from outdoors; and

Anytime hands are visibly soiled.

Kindergarten

Its possible schools may shorten half-day and full-day pre-K and kindergarten schedules to allow for cleaning. Half days could go from 3 hours to 2  hours a day. Full-time could go from six hours to five hours, under existing state regulations.

Masks

Masks will be required for all staff, students and visitors. Schools must have supplies. Schools must also figure out policies for mask breaks for students. Face coverings may be challenging for students (especially younger students) to wear in all-day settings such as school, the guidance says.

The state suggests schools have at least one disposable mask for each student each week, for times when students forget their mask or need a new one. For teachers, the recommendation is five per week. For health staff, its 10 per week.

Meals

Schools must provide meals to all students, whether they are attending in person or remotely. Schools should also remind families they can submit new applications for free or reduced-price lunches.

Schools may explore more grab-and-go kiosks, which can be set up at different points in school. Some students may eat in classrooms. Students will be discouraged from sharing foods.

Other possible changes can include: different payment methods, more vending machines, a la carte sales.

Music

When students sing or play wind instrument, staff must ensure everyone is 12 feet apart in all directions. The state is encouraging schools to consider moving chorus practice outside, when possible.

Naps

Napping material should be sanitized between uses. When possible, schools should try to assign each student his or her own mats or other sleeping material for the year.

Nebulizer treatments

These and other aerosol-generating procedures should be done in separate rooms with health staff wearing protective gear, including an N-95 or surgical face mask.

Phys ed

Students engaged in physical activity should be spread out 12 feet apart. Instructors may want to use a microphone to give instructions, because of the distancing. The state urges more focus on individual pursuits or skills rather than traditional team sports.

Periodic questionnaires

In addition to daily temperature checks, schools should periodically screen students and/or parents with a questionnaire about possible exposure, travel and/or Covid-19 testing. These can be done in apps, online or on paper. Schools must take steps to ensure that any process has multiple avenues of completion and is not used as a basis to exclude students from school, the guidance says.

Playgrounds

Schools can keep playgrounds open when proper safeguards are in place. In elementary schools, this could mean staggering playground time by individual classes.

Positive cases

In addition to temperature checks, schools must isolate and supervise any students with temperatures and/or other symptoms until they can leave campus.

Schools or districts should set up two health care areas, if possible: one for regular illnesses and a second to isolate suspected Covid-19 infections.

Return of recovered students and staff

People who have had Covid-19 should stay home until:

It has been at least 10 days since the individual first had symptoms;

It has been at least three days since the individual has had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine); and,

It has been at least three days since the individuals symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath.

School buses

Students and drivers will wear masks on buses. Staff must train students about social distancing on the buses and at stops. Districts must perform regular school bus disinfection measures. All buses must be disinfected once a day.

When the temperature is 45 degrees or higher, the roof hatches or windows on the bus should be opened slightly.

Students who do not have a mask cannot be denied transportation; one should be provided by the district.

Students with a disability which would prevent them from wearing a mask will not be forced to do so and will not be denied transportation.

Students from the same household should be encouraged to sit together.

Hand sanitizer will not be permitted on buses because it is combustible, the guidance says. School bus drivers, monitors and attendants must not carry personal bottles of hand sanitizer with them on school buses.

Technology

Schools should see to provide students and teachers with access to some sort of computer, such as a desktop, laptop or tablet, to the extent practicable.

It doesnt say how districts would pay for this.

The guidance also suggests schools provide reliable access to high-speed internet. That could include boosting wifi signals from schools into parking lots.

The guidance also says schools must provide instruction in other ways if students dont have access to a computer or the internet.

Temperature checks

The state says schools should use plastic or glass barriers separating students and staff during initial temperature checks. If that is not possible, the state says staff should wear a mask, googles or face shield, and disposable gloves during checks.

Water fountains

The state requires there be a water fountain for every 100 students. That means some fountains could be disabled, depending on the campus. The state suggests schools install water bottle filling machines or distributed bottled water.

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Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has registered 7,279,237 Ghanaians so far, with about three weeks to conclude the exercise.

With a target of about 15 million voters, it would appear that the commission is on track considering the fact that the exercise is close to half way through.

Maintaining its lead, the Greater Accra has 1,524,600, followed by the Ashanti Region with 1,319,498.

The figures for four regions constitute 60% of the figures captured so far.

Dr. Eric Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairperson in charge of Corporate Services, disclosed these during yesterday's chapter of the 'Let The Citizens Know' series of the EC at its headquarters in Accra.

SHS, Prisons Registration

The commission will today proceed with the registration of students in senior high schools and prisons without registration centres, Dr. Bossman announced.

We are using this medium to inform all the political parties that they may send their agents to the various centres. To be able to register as many applicants as possible, the commission will be sending many teams to the prisons and schools, he said.

Exercise Break

Dr. Bossman announced during the update that the registration teams in the districts would be breaking today, saying this means the fourth phase of the registration will begin on Sunday in all the districts. However, the registration at the district offices continues for the aged, nursing mothers, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.

Assurance

The commission has assured those who have not registered yet that the registration teams will be at the registration centres in their neighbourhood in no time.

As we indicated on Monday, registration takes place in electoral areas, so if the team has left your area but is still within your electoral area, you qualify to register. Moreover, applicants should wait patiently if the teams have not been to their registration centres, Dr. Bossman added.

---Daily Guide
British Lawmakers Seen Pushing for Earlier Huawei Ouster

By Natalie Liu July 17, 2020

The British government's decision to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G telecom network beginning in 2027 is only the "opening salvo" of what is to come, according to a leading expert on U.S.-British relations.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, thinks there is a "higher than 50% chance" that Huawei's exit date will come two or even three years ahead of the announced date.

The same hardline lawmakers in the governing Conservative Party who pushed for the rejection of Huawei consider seven years to be too long a period to completely disengage from the company, Gardiner said in a telephone interview, adding that these lawmakers may be able to push through legislation that would shorten the timeline.

He pointed to statements made Tuesday by member of parliament Iain Duncan Smith immediately after the decision to cut Huawei out of the nation's 5G plans was announced.

"The head of [British Telecom] said 'seven years, yes, but we can do it in five.' So now let's bring it forward to five and make sure it happens quickly; there's no reason why they can't," Duncan Smith said in the House of Commons.

The former cabinet minister also urged the government to remove Huawei equipment from existing 3G and 4G infrastructure to prevent a scenario where the company's software keeps getting upgraded, posing a continuing threat. "If they're a risk in 5G, why are they not a risk to us generally?" he asked.

Duncan Smith continued his urging with an op-ed the next day, in which he wrote, "Removing Huawei makes sense. Waiting seven years to do it does not."

Much of the concern about Huawei has centered on fears that its technology could be used by China to spy on countries that install it. In his op-ed, Duncan Smith wrote that "the bigger problem is the aggressive behavior of China and its crackdown on dissidents in China and elsewhere. We have become far too dependent on this powerful communist state and the free world needs to come together to resolve this issue."

He added: "End [Huawei's] involvement earlier, in 2025 at the latest."

Gardiner, who predicted that Britain's action would influence decision-making in other European capitals, believes the vision put forth by Duncan Smith could very well be realized. The cabinet is expected to introduce legislation, known as the Telecom Security Bill, to legalize the terms guiding the nation's 5G network.

Duncan Smith and "about 60" like-minded lawmakers in the Conservative Party, along with supporters in the opposition Labor Party, could attach amendments to the bill to advance the deadline for British companies to divest from Huawei, he said.

Gardiner added that the legislators could set a date as early as 2024, when the next general election is due.

Roger Garside, a former British diplomat whose postings included Beijing, told VOA from his home in London that he was "profoundly relieved that the British government is coming to its senses over Huawei."

"There has been a fundamental failure under successive British governments to appreciate the threat posed to our fundamental interests by the [People's Republic of China]. Now we appear to wakening from that dream state."

Beijing, for its part, says it is "seriously evaluating the situation" before responding to the British decision. Huawei's executives have denied they are obligated to share information with the Chinese government.

Gardiner said British leaders were fully aware of the risk of retaliation when they made their decision, which he sees as a severe blow to both Huawei and its Communist Party backers, especially given "the vast inroads" the company had made in "the upper echelon" of British society and "vast amount of resources" Beijing poured into lobbying for Huawei to remain in Britain.

He credits the sea change in British public opinion to a "perfect storm" created by China's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its response to pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Had Margaret Thatcher, his former boss, "still been with us today, I'm in no doubt she would be standing up to Beijing, standing up for the rights of the people in Hong Kong," he said.

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The United Nations is increasing to $10.3 billion its appeal for humanitarian aid funding to handle the fallout from the coronavirus crisis around the world, according to the Associated Press.

At the beginning of the year, humanitarian agencies targeted around 110 million people. They now need to reach 250 million in 63 countries, said the report citing a top official.

"The number of people in the world who need humanitarian assistance has more than doubled because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the effects of the global lockdown of economies and societies," stated Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva yesterday (July 17).

Laerke said the UN initially asked for $2 billlion in late March for the immediate response. That was increased to $6.7 billion in May.

He said the appeal does cover basic health services but the bulk of it is related to non-health needs, such as food, water, sanitation and shelter.

"We are seeing a huge increase in the number of starving people, which could reach some 270 million by the end of the year," he added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for this years governorship election i...





The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for this years governorship election in Edo State.





Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.





According to Okoye, with the publication of the final list of candidates, no Political Party can withdraw or substitute any of the nominated candidates.





The statement reads: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has in compliance with its Timetable and Schedule of Activities, and in accordance with Section 34 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) published the Final List of Candidates for the 2020 Governorship Election in Edo State by displaying it in the Commissions offices in the State capital and the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State. The list has also been uploaded on the Commissions website.





By Section 35 of the Electoral Act and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities of the Commission, the withdrawal and substitution of candidates for the Edo Governorship election ended on 13th July 2020.





With the publication of the Final List of candidates, no political party can withdraw or substitute any of the nominated candidates or tamper with the list and particulars of the candidates in a manner inconsistent with the intendment of the constitution and the Electoral Act.





We urge political parties to pay close attention to the timelines stipulated in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities of the Commission as well as the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act.








Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport has proposed for the Slovenian government to incentivise airlines by providing ten euros per passenger in a bid to retain carriers currently serving the country and attract new ones. It comes after the airport recently announced it was in talks with one of the largest airlines in the region over potential flights. The General Manager of Ljubljana Airport, Zmago Skobir, met with the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Jansa, earlier this week to discuss the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on air traffic and potential government assistance. The Ministry of Economy should help carriers during the initial stage of relaunching routes. We are talking about just ten euros per passengers. This is feasible under EU rules and other countries have already resorted to the measure, Mr Skobir told the STA news agency.





According to the General Manager, the existing 40% to 50% cabin load factors on flights to and from Ljubljana raise the question whether some airlines will maintain their services to the city over the winter. "The situation now is no better than we anticipated back in April. Its of paramount importance to keep these routes so they're here when passengers regain their trust in travel. There is fierce competition for air carriers among airports. Good connections will be key next year, when Slovenia presides over the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2021, Mr Skobir said. He expressed his disappointment with the ministry, which is yet to respond to Fraport Slovenija's initiatives.





The Ministry of Economy has said it is in talks with airlines over new services to Slovenia, however, the General Manager of Ljubljana Airport said operator Fraport Slovenija has no information on this matter. He added that the state's strategic position on how to sustain key routes was unclear. It would be more economical and sensible for Slovenia to support large airlines with a diversified network than set up a new national carrier after Adria Airways went bankrupt last year. Setting up a new flag carrier would be more expensive and time-consuming and would also require additional funds during the pandemic, so there is no added value in such an effort, Mr Skobir said. He is convinced the airport can function normally without a national airline.
The air in the region is about to get a whole lot hotter, and a whole lot harder to breathe.

Montgomery County has issued a code red hot weather warning and the state has issued a code orange warning for ozone.

The code orange is for Saturday and is issued for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Code Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people.

Those groups include young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. They are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.

The Air Quality Action Day is based on Saturdays forecast: sunshine for most of the day, with light southwest winds, high temperatures expected in the lower to mid-90s. These conditions will create robust ozone formation.

Area residents and businesses in the area are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce air pollution by:

Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature;

Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;

Limiting engine idling; and

Refueling cars and trucks after dusk.

The heat can be as dangerous as the poor air quality.

After reviewing the weather forecast, Montgomery County issued the code red warning starting Sunday, July 19 through Wednesday, July 22.

Heat index values will be at or above 100 degrees between noon and 6 p.m. each of those days.

Those, especially at risk, are very young children, elderly adults, and people with chronic medical conditions, and who take certain medications. Friends, relatives, or neighbors should check on people who may be at risk.

Such conditions can be deadly, and residents should take precautions to prevent heat-related stress and exhaustion.

Here are some helpful tips on how to alleviate the effects of the hot weather:
Sincere in their faith

It is interesting to me that many of my fellow citizens carry a handgun, openly or concealed, to protect their family but will not wear a mask to protect my family.

I have approached many of these individuals and the majority professes a profound love of Jesus of Nazareth. I believe they are sincere in their faith. Well then, why dont they love me, a 67-year-old retired educator and neighbor, as much as they seem to love their family?

Jesus instructed his followers to, Love your neighbor as yourself ( Mark 12:31 ). Why not wear a mask when social distancing is not possible? It would appear to me that would be a wonderful, silent expression of our shared belief.

Thom Summey

Yadkinville

Working together

The last few months of challenges, turmoil and lack of leadership has illustrated how our country is less united than ever. This is a time when working together for the common good is urgently needed.
Dozens of babies have contracted the coronavirus in one Texas county alone, officials said, as the state continued to hit record numbers of daily deaths.

Health officials made the grim announcement as the state reported a record 174 new coronavirus deaths on Friday, numbers that are expected to climb further still. It was the third consecutive day the state recorded more than 100 deaths.

We currently have 85 babies under the age of one year in Nueces County that have all tested positive for Covid-19, said Annette Rodriguez, director of public health for Corpus Christi Nueces County.

"These babies have not even had their first birthday yet. Please help us stop the spread of this disease," she added.

More than 3,700 Texans have died so far of the coronavirus. Some hospitals are now reporting shortages of intensive care unit beds for infected patients.

Recommended Texas hospitals on the brink of collapse as coronavirus cases surge

Dr Alison Haddock of the Baylor College of Medicine told the Associated Press that the current situation is worse than after Hurricane Harvey, which swamped Houston with floodwaters in 2017.

"I've never seen anything like this COVID surge," said Dr Haddock, who has worked in emergency rooms since 2007. "We're doing our best, but we're not an ICU."

Patients are waiting "hours and hours" to get admitted, she said, and the least sick people are lying in beds in halls to make room for most seriously ill.

Texas was one of the first states to reopen following a nationwide shutdown implemented to contain the virus. Governor Greg Abbott gave the go-ahead for businesses, including bars and restaurants, to reopen in May.

After initially resisting mandates for people to wear masks, Mr Abbott issued a statewide order earlier this month that requires Texans living in counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear one while in frequenting a business and public buildings.

Texas is not alone in struggling to contain the spread of the virus. Eighteen US states were this week classified as being in the red zone  areas reporting 100 new cases per 100,000 people per week.

According to a leaked document, which was prepared by the White House coronavirus task force and obtained by the Washington, DC-based nonprofit Centre for Public Integrity, the classification requires those areas to implement stricter public health measures to stop the spread.

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah were named as red zone states.

The same document listed 11 states with positivity rates above 10 percent, which would also classify them as red zones: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.

More than 3.5 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. And more than 137,000 have lost their lives.

 With agencies
Gandhinagar, July 18 : The Gujarat government has announced that to meet the need for medical staff for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, medical students will be roped in as assistants.

The Gujarat government has observed that looking at the Covid-19 situation in the state, there could be a scarcity of medical staff in the coming days. To cope with this situation, the students studying in government medical and paramedical colleges, the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) medical colleges, self financed medical colleges and grant-in-aid institutions can be roped in for government healthcare services, the government announced on Friday.

The first year, second and third year MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, physiotherapist, BSc nursing, GNM and students in the final year of various branches of medicine can be trained and deployed under the concerned officials as assistants.

For this, the students will be trained for a period of 3 days to 5 days according to the streams they are studying in. They will be trained in clinical management of Covid-19 infection, prevention and control, field surveillance and supervision, isolation and quarantine, psychological and social care, critical care assistance etc.

These students will be used in medical and paramedical services like preventive care, clinical care, logistics and other work like health and medical data management, data analysis and tele-counselling on the government's 1100 and 104 helplines.

This medical staff problem was pointed out by Niti Aayog member Vinod Pal, part of the four-member team which visited Gujarat to review the Covid-19 situation in the state.

After almost 4 months of the outbreak, the daily number of coronavirus cases is increasing and has reached almost 1,000 cases every day. Gujarat has crossed the 46,500 mark in Covid-19 cases.
Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley described his reaction as a sense of relief.

The federal and provincial governments announced an agreement on a $19-billion transfer to help municipalities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Ontario receiving about $7 billion.

We first heard about it (Thursday), Bradley said. All the indications are this is going to be helpful to the Region and the local area municipalities.

The deal explicitly earmarks some of the money to help with municipal budgets and public transit costs.

The latest financial report estimates the regional governments total gross cost due to the COVID-19 pandemic at $56 million. The figure jumps to $84 million when the expenses borne by the local area municipalities are added.

The Region currently estimates its 2020 deficit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at $7.5 million. When the local area municipalities in Niagara are added, the figure is $15.4 million.

Bradley said the money is going to help, and staff will have a better idea how much so after the provincial government releases more details next week.

Municipalities are not allowed to run deficits at year-end, according to the Ontario Municipal Act, which leaves local councillors with difficult choices as the budget process unfolds. Only eight per cent of regional services are discretionary, which equates to about three per cent of the budget.

The consequence is we could see dramatic increases in taxes, which no one wants to see any time, but particularly when people struggle with the ramifications of COVID-19, Bradley said.

The other alternative is drastic cuts to services.

Most services provided by Niagara Region  including everything from water and highway repair to policing and paramedics  are essential, with little leeway to cut.

During a pandemic they are of even more importance, Bradley said

The Toronto Star reports the funding is designated to help in specific areas, many of which are delivered by local government. They include:

Testing and contact tracing and data management;

Health care, including mental health and addictions;

Aiding vulnerable populations, including in nursing homes;

Personal protective equipment;

Early learning and child care;

Paid sick leave.

In the past, Bradley said, the province has matched federal government grants, something he hopes to see this time around.
KarthikK Senior - BHPian



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Re: Pre-worshipped car of the week : Buying a used Hyundai i20 (2nd-gen) My views are solely based on evaluating from a pre-owned perspective. The car does have a few gizmos and additional safety features over its contemporaries but I think that is where the good part ends.



The service costs are pretty expensive on a Hyundai and from personal experience, this only worsens as the car ages. Sure, the service network is large and widespread, but that does not address the cost problem. For this reason, I'd rather choose a preowned Jazz over a preowned i20 if I wanted fuss-free maintenance in a premium hatch. If I was okay spending a lot on maintenance on a premium hatch, I may rather check out a preworshipped Polo GT TSI/TDI or something like a Swift, which would tick more boxes for dynamics or enthusiast pleasure.



In the powertrain options, the 4 speed AT is not only a gas guzzler, the lack of a 5th gear pretty much deters you from taking it on the highway and having fun. That 4AT gearbox should have been kept only for the i10 which is largely used only within cities. The manual 1.2 is a slouch and not worth spending additional maintenance on, when I can get similar performance from a Swift or something. The diesel is great though, but the poor steering and sub-par dynamics don't allow complete enjoyment of that power.



Whichever way I look at it, the additional maintenance money going into a preowned i20 is not helping either the enthusiast in me (Polo or Swift for the win), or the practical side of me (Honda is better there for me).



Voted for No. Last edited by KarthikK : 17th July 2020 at 13:08 .
The global COVID-19 catastrophe is worsening by the hour, fueled by the homicidal back-to-work drive of all the major capitalist countries. Infection rates are rising and heading rapidly to 14 million. The number of deaths will soon hit 600,000. In the US, the epicenter of the pandemic, infections are setting new records on a nearly daily basis, deaths are rising sharply, testing has broken down and hospitals in many regions are at or over capacity.

But the New York Times chose to lead its front page on Friday with an article accusing Russian intelligence of plotting to steal US, British and Canadian research on a coronavirus vaccine. The article uncritically reports allegations made jointly on Thursday by intelligence agencies of the three countries that a shadowy entity they call APT29 has sought to hack the computer systems of Western companies, research organizations and government agencies involved in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Wall Street Journal led its Friday edition with a similarly uncritical promotion of the US-British-Canadian claims, noting that "efforts to develop a vaccine have become an international arms race."

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters, Russia has nothing to do with these attempts.

As with previous anti-Russian smears, including Moscows supposed manipulation of the US 2016 election and the more recent New York Times fabrication about Russian bounties to the Taliban to kill US troops, neither the intelligence agencies, the Times nor the media more broadly present any evidence to back up the lurid claims. The intelligence handouts are nevertheless, once again, immediately presented by the corporate media as unchallengeable fact.

The Times' front-page coverage of alleged Russian hacking contrasts with its response to this weeks attack on Twitter. The newspaper has adopted a decidedly muted tone in reporting that some of the worlds most high-profile figures and companies, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Apple, had their Twitter accounts compromised.

For various reasons, including uncomfortable questions the Twitter attack raises about the ability of the technology companies to manipulate user accounts, the Times gives short shrift to this massive hack, only to concentrate on another one alleged to have occurred against no specific target and at no specific time. The article on the alleged Russian hacking does not even mention the Twitter hack, because to do so would invite the obvious conclusion that it does not take a nation-state to carry out a successful cyber-attack.

As usual, the Times for the most part cites unnamed officials in describing the alleged activities of APT29, also dubbed Cozy Bear. It notes that government officials would not identify victims of the hackings. No dates or specific incidences of hacking are given. However, the newspaper cites Robert Hannigan, the former head of the British intelligence agency GCHQ, as naming as the apparent primary target Oxford University and the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, which are jointly working on a vaccine.

US media reports acknowledge that there is no evidence that any data was actually stolen by the alleged hackers and that no information was compromised. The Times quotes Hannigan as saying that the hackers were not seeking to disrupt vaccine production.

The US National Security Agency on Thursday released an advisory (APT29 targets COVID-19 vaccine development) that is even flimsier. In a mere three and a half pages of text, it declares, without providing any evidence, that APT29 is almost certainly part of Russian intelligence. It then claims that the group has been targeting organizations involved in vaccine development in the US, UK and Canada throughout 2020, seeking through the use of malware to gain a foothold in the targeted computer systems. However, it is silent on whether it has succeeded in doing so.

The unsubstantiated accusations of vaccine research hacking are not limited to Russia. Last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray said China was working to compromise American health care organizations conducting COVID-19 research, a charge that was repeated by Attorney General William Barr in a speech in Michigan on Thursday.

What is behind these concocted smears against Russia and China?

There is a ferocious global struggle between competing corporations and nations to be the first to patent a vaccine for the coronavirus. At stake are billions of dollars for corporate CEOS, investors and bankers, and an immense geopolitical advantage for the country that wins the vaccine sweepstakes.

In a May 27 article on what it called vaccine nationalism, the Wall Street Journal wrote:

Pharmaceutical companies are bracing for export bans on future coronavirus vaccines and spreading production across different continents, on early signs of a high-stakes geopolitical scramble to secure supplies for a scientific breakthrough that could confer enormous economic and political power A coronavirus vaccine would be a monumental prize for the first country able to manufacture it at scale, a civilizational triumph comparable to the moon landing. It would allow the winner to revive its economy months ahead of others and then select which allies get shipments next, centering the global recovery on its medical output.

The United States is most nakedly pursuing a nationalistic course, aimed at enriching American oligarchs and deploying the vaccine not as a means to save lives, but as a weapon against countries in the crosshairs of US imperialism. These include, in the first instance, China and Russia, but also Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba and others. The American ruling elite intends, moreover, to use a vaccine to gain leverage against its European allies, particularly Germany.

Washington will withhold the vaccine from countries deemed impediments to its drive for global hegemony and reward those that fall into line behind its plans for war and conquest with access to the lifesaving drug.

As Science magazine wrote in May, the Trump administrations warp speed vaccine development program is based on eschewing international cooperationand any vaccine candidates from China, and aimed at developing vaccines reserved for Americans.

The American ruling class is increasingly concerned that it may be losing the race for the vaccine. The World Health Organization reports that more than 160 vaccines are being developed and 23 have begun clinical trials on humans. Russia is developing 26 vaccines, two of which are undergoing clinical trials. Eight of the potential vaccines in various stages of human testing are being developed in China, the most of any country. The Chinese state-owned firm Sinopharm and another Chinese company have already announced they are entering final testing.

The Washington Post published an article on Thursday, the same day as the joint anti-Russia statement from the US, the UK and Canada, reporting progress in Chinas vaccine program. Earlier, the Times published an article on China that stated, By some measures, it is winning the race, with four companies already testing their vaccine candidates on humans.

Also on Thursday, Reuters published an article reporting that Russia plans to produce 30 million doses of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine domestically this year, with the potential to manufacture a further 170 million abroad. It quoted Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, as saying, We believe that based on the current results it will be approved in Russia in August and in some other countries in September... making it possibly the first vaccine to be approved in the world.

Under no conditions is US imperialism prepared to allow either Russia or China to dominate the global market for a COVID-19 vaccine. It is seeking in advance to criminalize their efforts, very possibly as a prelude to banning the import of such a vaccine into the US and lesser powers dependent on it, such as the UK and Canada.

In regard to the development of a coronavirus vaccine, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters last month, There should not be a divide between the haves and the have-nots. But the actual situation, determined by the class interests of the capitalist oligarchs who dominate the world, is precisely the opposite. The United States, in particular, is seeking to use control of a COVID-19 vaccine as a weapon.

Human lives are no consideration to the American financial oligarchy. Its only concerns are the profits of US corporations and the dominance of American imperialism.

In a rational and humane society, the issue of secrecy in the development of a lifesaving vaccine, all the more in the midst of a deadly pandemic, would never even arise. All questions of personal gain or national advantage would be completely subordinated to the pursuit of a globally coordinated effort, utilizing the revolutionary gains in science and technology and the knowledge of experts in every country, to contain and ultimately eradicate the virus and provide the needed medical care and social support for all those impacted both physically and economically.

But that is impossible within the framework of capitalism. The obscene perversion of the effort to develop and make available a vaccine as a result of its subordination to corporate greed and the drive for geopolitical domination exposes the bankruptcy of capitalism. Human progress and life itself are incompatible with a system based on the accumulation of personal wealth by a corporate-financial elite and the division of the world into rival nation-states.

The struggle against the pandemic is the struggle, led by the international working class, to expropriate and overthrow the capitalist parasites and establish world socialism.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 10:16:23|Editor: huaxia

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A van carrying suspected rebels arrives at the Kigali Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda, July 17, 2020. The Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB) on Friday paraded through the streets 57 suspected rebels who were recently arrested in the jungles of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua)

KIGALI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB) on Friday paraded through the streets 57 suspected rebels who were recently arrested in the jungles of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The suspects, captured by the DRC military, were accused of terrorism and formation of armed groups to destabilize Rwanda, acting spokesperson of RIB Dominique Bahorera said shortly after the suspects were brought before journalists in the Rwandan capital Kigali.

They belonged to different terror groups based in the DRC, such as the National Liberation Front (FLN), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, and the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change, said Bahorera.

The suspects were handed over to Rwanda in the framework of security cooperation between the two countries, according to the RIB.

Last year, the DRC and regional countries met to deal with the armed groups operating in the DRC, which have been threatening the security of the region for decades. Enditem
In spite of numerous difficulties, the investors of four thermal power plant projects under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model are rushing to start operation and begin generating power for the national grid.

Nghi Son 2 thermal power plant is more than 70 per cent complete





The first is Hai Duong coal-fired thermal power plant invested by JAKS Hai Duong Power Co., Ltd. According to the commitment in the BOT contract, the first turbine is expected to go into operation on December 1, 2020 and the second one on June 1, 2021.

As of now, the construction is 93 per cent complete. The total mobilised capital reached $1.40 billion, $1.05 billion of which comes from bank loans while investors equity is $350.5 million.

The project has been waiting for a license for its slag waste area. Originally, Hai Duong Peoples Committee sent a proposal over the license to the prime minister for approval, however, it has been passed on to other ministries which have yet to arrive at a conclusion, delaying the project.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic also prevented foreign experts and labourers from entering Vietnam and suspended construction activities, putting the project behind schedule and forcing it to miss its pilot and even commercial operation deadline.

At Duyen Hai 2 thermal power plant invested by Malaysian company Teknik Janakuasa, a subsidiary of MMC Corporation Bhd., the first turbine is expected to start commercial operation in June 2021 and the second one in September 2021.

At the moment, the construction has been 79.58 per cent completed. The disbursed capital was $968.2 million, $208.2 of which is contributed by investors and $760 million from loans.

The construction was impacted by the pandemic. In May and June, the investor sent Tra Vinh Peoples Committee a proposal to let 599 experts and labourers enter the country and resume their work at the project. The investor expected the authorities to support these people to return to Vietnam, however, the proposal has yet to be approved.

Regarding Nghi Son 2 thermal coal-fired power project in Thanh Hoa province, led by Marubeni Corporation and Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO), the new plant would have a total generation capacity of 1,330MW and would help to drive Vietnam's economic growth and enhance its global competitiveness. The plant is due to be completed and commence operations in 2022.

The construction of segments has reached 73.7 per cent and the investors disbursed approximately $956.9 million.

Along with the impact of the pandemic, the project is facing numerous difficulties, including import tax, construction to the national power grid, as well as the need to construct segments that are outside the scope of the original investment plan, according to Decree No.40/2019/ND-CP.

Van Phong 1 Coal-Fired Power Plant developed by Van Phong Power Co., Ltd., a Vietnamese company invested by Sumitomo Corporation, was expected to start operations in 2023 with the generation capacity of 1,320MW. To date, the $374.55 million loan was disbursed. VIR

Thanh Huong

Thermal, nuclear power key to Vietnams energy security: expert Dr Nguyen Manh Hien, former head of the Energy Institute under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, talks about Vietnams energy security.
A Malahide entrepreneur is set to take the drinks market by storm with his carefully crafted gin, offering a unique and modern taste created from re-imagined recipes dating from the 17th century.

Jason Kidd, the brainchild of 'Blood Monkey' gin, moved home to Malahide with his wife five years ago with a vision to create a gin that would offer an alternative to the traditional London Dry style.

With 20 years' experience working with Diageo, Heineken and Foster's, Jason founded Outcast Brands in 2018, and set to work on concocting 'Blood Monkey' gin.

Speaking to The Fingal Independent, Jason explains where he first found his inspiration: 'I actually did a lot of reading, looked back over the history books of drink development, and gin actually started as a Dutch drink brand called genever.

'Basically, that recipe was taken by English and Irish traders from the Netherlands back over to key maritime ports, the likes of Portsmouth, Plymouth, Cork and into London, and then essentially the recipe just got bastardised over a few years, and essentially went from genever or jenever, to gin.

'So what I've sought to do is take inspiration from the original recipe, but I guess modernise it and bring it up to date with some interesting botanicals in it.

'The key difference is its taste profile. It tastes very much like a white whiskey, so it's actually got a malted grain base as opposed to a neutral grain base spirit which most gins would have, so it has that kind of warm rounded caramel texture that you'd get from a whiskey, but then it also has the floral citrous notes that you'd find as well.'

Jason said he's getting some 'really good feedback' for 'Blood Monkey' from the trade.

To date, he says, the product is in five or six venues across Ireland.

'Blood Monkey', distilled by West Cork Distillers, is also available in Jus de Vine Divine in Portmarnock, and Jason is hoping to introduce the gin to Malahide in the near future.

He is also, he says, having some 'good conversations' with O'Brien's, Molloy's, and Supervalu.

'The good thing about it is it's giving gin drinkers something new and a new way to enjoy gin.

'It goes well with a tonic, it goes well with a blood orange juice for example, but also for whiskey drinkers looking for something a little more punchy than what they would tend to find in gin, and it's also giving them a new gin style.'

Jason says he is having some 'really promising conversations' with some of the smaller and larger retailers in Ireland, and also with some of the larger wine groups and premium end retailers in the UK.

As for his Malahide neighbours, they will undoubtedly raise a glass to his continued success.
Rarely do terms such as Islamic State and natural justice keep company. Both seem alien, uncomfortable, fundamentally ill-suited. For one, Islamic States own approach to natural justice, archaic and stone-age obscurantist, has tended to be distinctly unnatural and particularly brutal. But it has also invited, in response to its particular brand of terrorism, a troubling approach on the part of governments determined to excoriate it. For those taking to its sources of fanaticism, harsh measures are meted out.

The case of Shamima Begum has brought both the ideological recruitment by Islamic State, and the decision to join it, into the orbit of natural justice and procedural fairness. Should a person, a mere child at 15, face the calculating coldness of the British Home Office on removing her citizenship without due process, despite being a dual national?

Begum was of that tender age in 2015 when she, along two other school girls, left London to join the Islamic State group in Syria. It was a decision born of childish conviction, and it did not impress the Home Office. In 2019, it revoked her citizenship citing security grounds after she was discovered in a Syrian camp. These powers are available under the National, Immigration and Asylum Act of 2002 in cases where the Secretary of State is satisfied that the person has done anything seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the UK. The fact that she has Bangladeshi nationality made the decision an easier one. According to then Home Secretary Sajid Javid, such powers were only used in extreme circumstances. One circumstance was the instance when someone turns their back on the fundamental values and supports terror. The British government has also done its level best to ignore her, refusing to assist in her removal from the camp or her return to the United Kingdom.

The decision to extinguish her British citizenship did not cause much concern, let alone outrage, though pockets of disagreement simmered. Then Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott was sharp, and as it turns out prescient enough, to remember the provision in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that no-one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality. But the public pulse suggested much support for Javids decision. A YouGov poll taken in February 2019 found that 74 percent of respondents agreed with the decision. As of July 17, 2020, the numbers had not shifted dramatically, with 70 percent concluding that the Home Office was in the right. The sense that Begum never quite fit the bill of being an ideal victim prevailed. Arguments that she had been groomed were snorted off. What she got, she deserved to get, good and hard.

The premise of behaving so freely with denaturalisation lies in presuming, sometimes erroneously, that the person has an alternative citizenship, or at least the means of attaining it. This is, at best, shallow, assuming that the alternative state would be happy to enable such a person to exercise the citizenship of their state. It also makes assumptions about practicalities, a dangerous notion in instances where individuals find themselves in situations of conflict. In reality, as Devyani Prabhat notes, cancellation of British citizenship means people can be left in limbo in war zones because they lose the right to re-enter the UK and to receive any diplomatic protection. Ryan Corbett, writing in May last year, also reiterates the consequential realities arising from the removal of citizenship, which go beyond formal decisions. In making grave decisions of deprivation of citizenship, states should be as concerned about creating de facto stateless persons as they are about creating de jure stateless persons.

In Begums mind, she only ever had one citizenship, at least in any meaningful sense. As she lamented, I wasnt born in Bangladesh, Ive never been to Bangladesh and I dont even speak Bengali properly, so how can they claim I have Bangladeshi citizenship? It was a point more or less endorsed by Bangladesh, given the distinct lack of interest shown by that countrys authorities in her fate. For Begum, legal purgatory awaited.

Begum duly mounted a challenge, arguing that she needed to appeal, in person, against the ruling by returning to Britain. On July 16, the Court of Appeal, comprising Lord Justice Flaux, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Singh, found that Begum should be granted leave to return to the UK. She could hardly have made her case to challenge the cancellation from the isolation of Camp Roj in Northern Syria. We have to proceed on the basis that whilst she remains detained in the camp she cannot give effective instructions or take any meaningful part in her appeal so as to make it fair and effective. The court concluded that the only way a fair and effective appeal [could] be permitted was to allow Begum to come into the United Kingdom. The interests of fairness and justice must, on the facts of this case, outweigh the national security concerns, so that the LTE [Leave to Enter] appeals should be allowed.

The governments line, much as it has always been, was not sympathetic. Sir James Eadie QC made the argument that Begum had left the UK on her own free will, aligned herself with Islamic State and remained in Syria for the duration of four years before being detained by the Syrian Defence Forces. The impracticalities of making her appeal, in other words, were self-inflicted. This sat uncomfortably with the court, as a 15 year old schoolgirls notion of free will should hardly determine the means of mounting an effective challenge.

The decision should not be considered a boon for those wishing to open the gates of welcome to estranged daughters and sons of Britannia gone bad in the service of foreign terrorist groups. While the justices determined that Begum should be permitted to return to the UK to pursue due legal process, she could only do so subject to appropriate controls as determined by the Secretary of State. It was also accepted that, should the Security Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions consider that the evidence and public interest tests for a prosecution for terrorist offences are met, she could be arrested and charged upon her arrival in the United Kingdom and remanded in custody pending trial. Begum has conceded that point.

None of these cautionary qualifications impressed Javid. The restrictions placed on Begums rights and freedoms arose, he claimed in a statement, from her own transgressions. (Again, no thought as to age; no consideration as to the margin to err in life.) The appeal could easily have been made using modern technology. Having her return to the UK would create a national security risk that cannot be fully mitigated, even with the diversion of significant resources. Governments would be hampered in future cases while Islamist and far-right extremists would be emboldened.

Many of Javids concerns are speculative, as is much in the field of values and disturbed ethical sensibility. To remove the citizenship of citizens, even dual nationals, is a grave matter. That it should even be permitted is more than troubling; that such decisions cannot be properly scrutinised by courts, would be even worse. While an appeal against the ruling is inevitable, this case at least shows that British justice, as broken as it is, can still surprise.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected]
By Trend

A meeting with Alec von Graffenried, mayor of Bern, the capital of Switzerland, was held at the initiative of the Azerbaijani embassy in Switzerland to inform the Swiss official structures about the provocative actions carried out by the Armenian armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border to seize new positions, the embassy told Trend on July 17.

New chairman of the Switzerland-Azerbaijan Friendship Group in the Swiss parliament, member of the Liberal Party of Switzerland (FDP) Laurent Wehrli, members of the country's influential Swiss Peoples Party, MP from Canton of Geneva Yves Nidegger and MP from the Canton of Ticino Marco Chiesa were also provided with detailed information about the recent Armenian provocations.

In addition, the Swiss Foreign Ministry, influential politicians, leading media outlets, including Tamedia AG - located in Zurich and currently the biggest and most functional press center in Switzerland, were also informed about the provocation.

The embassy continues the targeted activity to expose the lies and provocations of Armenians.

The issue related to the recent military provocation committed by Armenia was discussed during the meetings. Azerbaijani ambassador to Switzerland Hanum Ibrahimova emphasized that Azerbaijans leading position in the region and the rapid pace of development could not but irritate Armenia.

While providing her interlocutors with the detailed information about the history of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the ambassador informed them that Armenia has been holding 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory under occupation for about 30 years, where cultural and religious monuments belonging to the Azerbaijani people are being destroyed.

As a result of Armenias aggression, about a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced people, Ibrahimova added.

The ambassador stressed that this provocation of Armenia casts doubt on the essence of the negotiations and poses a threat to peace and security in the region.

In turn, expressing concern about the provocation that occurred on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, mayor Graffenried and other participants of the meetings expressed support to the ambassador, referring to Switzerlands official position supporting Azerbaijans territorial integrity and sovereignty.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Ayodhya: Nripendra Mishra, head of the Ram temple construction committee, has arrived in Ayodhya and is camping near the sacred site.

Nripendra Mishra, who was the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will attend the proposed Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust meeting in Ayodhya on Saturday (July 18). Along with Nripendra Mishra, a team of senior engineers has also come to Ayodhya, which will closely inspect the construction of the temple.

Trust members confirmed that an invitation had been sent to PM Modi and in today's meeting, the date for the beginning of temple construction is likely to be finalised.

"Chairman of the temple construction committee Nripendra Mishra will be present at the meeting. He will come with a date that has been approved by the Prime Minister," said the source.

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat will also be present on the occasion of the beginning of temple construction.

According to sources, the construction at Ramjanmbhoomi is likely to begin in August. While the temple construction ceremony was supposed to be celebrated with many Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and other important dignitaries in attendance, the list of attendees after COVID-19 spread is likely to have only Prime Minister Modi, Bhagwat, UP Chief Minister, few Ministers and MPs from the region, stated the source.

Members of temple trust mandated by the Supreme Court stated that while the programme of 'Shilanyas' has been done at 'Singh dwara', it was not a proper ceremony.

"Bhoomi pujan will be done at Garbh Griha to begin temple construction. This is the formal beginning of temple construction for which invites have been sent out," added the source.

The construction of a grand Ram temple at the Janmabhoomi of Lord Ram has been defining issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party as it has been on the manifesto of the party for over two decades.

The Ramjanmabhoomi Trust was formed by the Central Government after the Supreme Court of India directive regarding it on November 9, 2019.
"If you're not [confident] then please feel free to continue to use the police operations centre (POC) and the operational commanders who are in the POC to get advice and guidance, but again we need to ensure that we don't see additional spreads of the virus through bad behaviour," Mr Fuller said. Loading The message represents a stark difference to directives given to officers at the height of lockdown measures earlier this year, who were told to exercise discretion where appropriate. "Police are expected to educate, assist and protect the public," one of a number of internal directives obtained by the Herald said. Police were also encouraged to seek legal advice before taking action. In Thursday's video Mr Fuller said: "We've taken a pragmatic approach but a fair approach to businesses, understanding that everyone's under enormous pressure, but I think it is time that we start to issue tickets over using discretion."

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said it was worrying to discover three cases of local transmission with no known source. Loading "Obviously we are concerned when we find cases that can't be linked back [to outbreaks] because it does indicate that we've missed a chain," she said. "We will be re-interviewing cases and trying to ascertain any contact points and updating the community about additional actions." Dr Chant said several people in the Casula pub outbreak were "potentially quite infectious", after revealing on Wednesday cases in the cluster were becoming infectious within one day of contracting the coronavirus.

Infectious disease experts from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee have looked at the case, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd said, who believe it was "unusual but not improbable". "We think it's unlikely that the strain has changed," Professor Kidd said. While symptoms usually develop within five to seven days of infection, Professor Kidd said cases of people becoming infectious shortly after being infected were likely to happen as more people in Australia contract the virus. Ten of the confirmed cases in NSW on Thursday were in the official reporting period of the 24 hours to 8pm Wednesday, and included four people in hotel quarantine, the three mystery cases and three cases linked to the Casula cluster.

Hurricane's Grill at Brighton Le Sands has been closed for deep cleaning. Credit:Peter Rae Five other cases were confirmed after that period, including four more linked to the cluster. Those cases included a teenage girl who attended Hurricane's Grill in Brighton Le Sands on July 11 between 6pm and 8pm with another previously identified COVID-19 case who was infectious at that time. That venue was closed on Thursday for deep cleaning. Another case was a man in his 30s who had been to Casula's Planet Fitness gym. He is the third person to be infected at that venue, after a man contracted the virus at the Crossroads Hotel attended the gym. Planet Fitness was deep cleaned on July 12 but remains closed. The remaining case was in a Victorian who flew into Ballina on July 12 on Jetstar flight JQ 466. Dr Chant said the person wore a mask during the flight and was screened at Ballina airport, but later developed symptoms.

The outbreak has also affected the courts. Jury trials in NSW will not resume in the Albury and Campbelltown District Courts on July 27, as planned, owing to the increase in community transmission in these areas. While labelling the scale of Victoria's second wave a "big setback", Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was impressed by the speed at which contact tracers in NSW were tracking down cases related to the cluster at Crossroads. "That demonstrates in NSW how effectively the states can respond to this," he said on Thursday. "Hopefully we will see that situation continue to improve as well." But Dr Chant said this was a critical time for COVID-19 in NSW, urging people not to socialise if they had even the mildest symptoms. She reminded the community that family and friends were the people most likely to infect you.

"We have the impression that the people we're associating with day in, day out, are safe and we might let down our guard," she said. "Don't have the perception that you're safe in that environment."

Loading NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard warned young people not to become complacent about the threat of coronavirus as they are often the least ill but "can be the most infectious". "[There was] a young bloke who had one of the highest infection levels we've ever seen. His viral load was capable of spreading to anyone near him," Mr Hazzard told 2GB. "The health tracers tell me young people get out and about in the evening, and they go to lots of places. If you're sick, for heavens' sake stay home. You're putting everybody at risk. "We really need young people to wake up, they can be extremely deadly to their elderly relatives."
The family of six-year-old Bridger Walker, who made international headlines, has detailed how he stepped up to protect his little sister from being mauled by a mean dog.

A German Shepherd charged at Bridgers younger sister on July 9 and he made headlines all around the world when he put himself between the dog and his sibling.

In an Instagram post, his family from Cheyenne, in the US state of Wyoming, have provided more context on what happened that day, explaining his actions did not surprise the family.

Bridger Walker stepped in the save his sister from being mauled by a dog. Source: Instagram/@nicolenoelwalker

In the lengthy Instagram post, the Walker family said Bridgers world was rocked in 2016 when he met his younger sister after her birth.

As his parents we were anxious about how he would react, but without hesitation, he jumped into the oversized hospital chair and waited patiently for his turn to hold her, the statement said.

Since that moment, it was clear to use that there was a special bond between him and his sister.

The family says from that moment, Bridger rarely strays far from his little sister, and describes him as gregarious, always learning, so full of love and an absolute joy to have in our lives.

Bridger shielded his sister from the mauling and put his body in front his sibling's to protect her. Source: Instagram/@nicolenoelwalker

Over the years, alongside his father and older brother, Bridger has trained in Brazilian jiu jitsu, and by being one of the youngest and smallest in the class, he has always been up against larger and more experienced opponents.

The family admits their knowledge of the events which took place on July 9 are limited to what Bridger and his now four-year-old sister have recounted, however they said it was not their intention to embellish.

Bridger was at a friends house with his sister and the three of them went into the backyard. There the friend explained there was one nice dog and a mean dog.

The statement recalls Bridgers own account of when the mean dog ran at him and his sister.

I stepped to the side, in front of my sister so that the dog wouldnt get her, Bridger said.

I kept moving, so it couldnt get past.

Story continues

The dog then latched on to Bridgers cheek, and he yelled at his sister to run and when the dog released, he ran to his sibling and moved her to safety.

The family said the dogs owner secured the animal and applied pressure on Bridgers wounds while waiting for emergency care, adding the family was forever and sincerely grateful for the love and care they provided.

While Bridger was in hospital, his father asked him why he stepped in front of the dog.

If someone had to die, I thought it should be me, Bridger reportedly told his father between scans, something his father found challenging.

Bridger Walkers family overwhelmed by support after dog attack

The family said they were astounded by the love and support they received following the attack.

Since Bridgers bravery was covered worldwide, he has received messages from his heroes  like Chris Evans, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway  in addition to many more.

The family has not asked for any financial support, and they have asked for people to forgo judging the dogs owners.

Somewhat ironically before Bridger was injured, the Walker family had been discussing what message they would spread to the entire world if they could.

After Bridgers actions, our family has settled on a simple request: may we each actively strive to bear one anothers burdens, stand up for and protect those who are weak, oppressed or those whom the world might forsake, the family wrote.

Mourn with those who mourn, comfort those that need comfort, and love one another.

The family said they had been asked if they would like any financial support. Instead they have urged people to donate to some veteran-support services and an organisation fighting against child sex trafficking, which they listed in their Instagram post.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Who are those in rehabilitation? Sons, siblings, husbands and fathers Who are those who have fallen victim to substance abuse and are undergoing rehabilitation at Kandakadu?On the threshold of youth, he was just 21 years old when his parents realized that he was not what he used to be when schooling.Living and schooling in a village in Galle, he had passed his Ordinary Level exam well, but was not interested in continuing his studies. It was last year when he took up odd-jobs as a labourer at construction sites that there was a character-change, says his father who was a solider but is now into construction. The youths mother is a garment worker and his sisters are studying. They learnt to their dismay that their loved one was into drugs and he was sent to Kandakadu in January this year. They were happy to see him on July 4 after a lapse of several months. However, a few days after, came the call that even though his son had tested negative, the family needed to go into quarantine at the Rantambe centre for 14 days. From Wellampitiya comes a similar tale  the son in a family of five who fell into the murky depths of addiction when he was 18. Now 26, he had done one rehabilitation stint, only to succumb again and be sent to Kandakadu for the second time. His mother and sister were happy when they heard that they could visit him on July 4 and chatted about this and that when they met him. A few days later they were informed that they need to be in quarantine. We are thankful that putha is not infected, says the mother. In another family from Gampaha, it is the 52-year-old father who is at Kandakadu. The mans wife recalls how their lives changed when she realized that something was wrong with him. Shortly after that he could not continue with his job at the bakery and it was from his co-workers that she found out that he was in the vice-like grip of substance abuse. Ape lamai dennama cigarette ekakwath bonnehna, says this housewife who has two sons aged 26 and 18. The elder one is a driver who is married with a little one-year-old daughter and the younger is due to start Advanced Level classes soon. It is with a sigh that she says that her husband was never arrested but she reported him and got him sent for rehabilitation as she did not want the sons to feel embarrassed about their father. I took up the challenge to make him a better person, even though it was very hard, she says. She visited him on July 4 which was poya. After a few days she got a call that she should be in quarantine and since July 11 she has been at the Rantambe centre. Her husband has tested negative but she was awaiting the results of the RT-PCR test when the Sunday Times contacted her. Meanwhile, we hear the heartrending tale of a new bride who kept watching the door for her husband.but he did not return from a visit to his parents home on February 17. Her 33-year-old husband was a driver from Hambantota. She was 30. They married in January and set up home in the Maharagama area, while she too found herself a job in a shop. He had been arrested on February 22 and sent to Kandakadu on March 15 for one year. My husbands family was against our marriage. Even though he took drugs, he was not an addict but a family-oriented person. His mother is a cleaner and his father has no job. His four elder sisters who are married never help their parents but my husband was doing so through his earnings, said the bride who had such hopes for the future. She is insistent that his family handed him over to the police because of their grudge that he had married her. Tearfully, she visited him at Kandakadu on July 4, travelling all the way from home to chat to him and get a glimpse of his beloved face. On July 9, she was asked to get into self-quarantine. Her husband was negative for the virus.
Three militants were killed in an encounter in South Kashmirs Shopian district on Saturday morning, the army said.

The shootout began after the army, police and the CRPF launched a joint operation at Amshipora village in Shopian district.

As the search and cordon operation was underway, it turned into an encounter in which three unidentified militants were killed. The militants fired from a cowshed of the lone house located in an orchard, the army spokesman said.

Police said that identification of the militants is underway and the DNA samples were taken from bodies of the slain militants.

This was the second encounter in south Kashmir in the last 24 hours. On Friday, three Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were killed in Kulgam district including a Pakistani commander, who was identified as Waleed by the police and was believed to be an IED expert. Police said that Waleed was active in the area for the past 18 months and had escaped four cordon and search operations in the recent past.

The bodies of militants are not being handed over to their family members due to the Covid-19 pandemic for the last three month.. They are instead buried in Baramulla, Kupwara and Ganderbal districts, at times in the presence of the family members.

In June, security forces had killed 48 militants in various encounters in the Valley. It was the highest number of casualties that the militants had suffered in a month this year. Most of them were killed in four districts of south Kashmir.

Since January this year, 136 militants have been killed in different encounters across Kashmir. Among them were top commanders of different militant outfits including Hizbul Mujahideen, operational commander, Riyaz Naikoo.

The police and army has now compiled another list of the top militant commanders who are active in the Valley and according to the IG Kashmir, Vijay Kumar the militants will be neutralized.

Top police officials recently said that fresh militant recruitment has come down in the first six months. However, reports from the ground suggest that despite the killing of militants in the encounters, new recruitment is still taking place, especially in south Kashmir.

Security forces have said that they wont harm the youth who return to their homes. But several youth who have gone missing, have not paid heed to the calls of their families and forces.
Governor Gavin Newsom Lays Out Pandemic Plan for Learning and Safe Schools

Governor Gavin Newsom Lays Out Pandemic Plan for Learning and Safe Schools

Plan centers on rigorous instruction for students even when schools are physically closed

Decisions to open in-person will be determined by local data that the public can track on a daily basis

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Schools open for in-person instruction will implement precautions, including a requirement that students in 3rd grade and above wear masks

Newsom: In California, health data will determine when a school can be physically open  and when it must close  but learning should never stop

SACRAMENTO  Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his plan for learning and safe schools ahead of the 20202021 school year, as the California Department of Public Health issued a framework for when and how schools should reopen for in-person instruction.

Learning is non-negotiable, said Governor Newsom. The virus will be with us for a year or more, and school districts must provide meaningful instruction in the midst of this pandemic. In California, health data will determine when a school can be physically open  and when it must close  but learning should never stop. Students, staff, and parents all prefer in-classroom instruction, but only if it can be done safely.

The Governors plan centers on five key areas:

1) Safe in-person school based on local health data

The California Department of Public Health today issued updated schools guidance that includes using existing epidemiological metrics to determine if school districts can start in-person instruction. CDPH currently uses six indicators to track the level of COVID-19 infection in each California county as well as the preparedness of the county health care system  data that includes the number of new infections per 100,000 residents, the test positivity rate, and the change in hospitalization rate, among others. Any county that does not meet the states benchmarks is put on the County Monitoring List.

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Schools located in counties that are on the Monitoring List must not physically open for in-person instruction until their county has come off the Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days. Schools in counties that have not been on the Monitoring List for the prior 14 days may begin in-person instruction, following public health guidelines. School community members  including parents, teachers, staff and students  can track daily data on whether and why their county is on the Monitoring List at https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap-counties/#track-data.

There is a single exception. Local health officers may grant a waiver to allow elementary schools to reopen in-person instruction if the waiver is requested by the district superintendent, in consultation with labor, parents and community-based organizations. When considering a waiver request, the local health officer must consider local data and consult with the California Department of Public Health.

The Department also issued updated guidance for when schools must physically close and revert to distance learning because of COVID-19 infections. Following a confirmed case of a student who was at school during his or her infectious period, other exposed students and staff should be quarantined for 14 days. The school should revert to distance learning when multiple cohorts have cases or 5 percent of students and staff test positive within a 14-day period. The district should revert to distance learning when 25 percent or more of its schools have been physically closed due to COVID-19 within 14 days. Closure decisions should be made in consultation with local health officers. After 14 days, school districts may return to in-person instruction with the approval of the local public health officer.

2) Strong mask requirements for anyone in the school

In the updated guidance, all staff and students in 3rd grade and above will be required to wear a mask or face covering. Students in 2nd grade and below are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering. Students should be provided a face covering if they do not have one. The state has delivered over 18 million face coverings to schools to support them to reopen and ensure all students can participate in learning.

3) Physical distancing requirements & other adaptations

In the updated guidance, CDPH requires that all adults stay 6 feet from one another and 6 feet away from children, while students should maintain 6 feet of distance from one another as practicable. Anyone entering the school must do a health screen, and any student or staff exhibiting a fever or other symptoms will be immediately sent home. The guidance also provides that if anyone in a student or staff members household is sick, they too should stay home.

4) Regular testing and dedicated contact tracing for outbreaks at schools

The public health guidance recommends staff in every California school be tested for COVID-19 periodically based on local disease trends and as testing capacity allows. The Governor also announced today that the state will provide resources and technical assistance for COVID-19 investigations in school settings.

5) Rigorous distance learning

Over the course of the pandemic, most schools will likely face physical closure at some point due to COVID-19. The Legislature and Governor Newsom enacted a budget that provided $5.3 billion in additional funding to support learning, and set requirements to ensure schools provide rigorous and grade-appropriate instruction. Under newly enacted state law, school districts are required to provide:

Devices and connectivity so that every child can participate in distance learning.

Daily live interaction for every child with teachers and other students.

Class assignments that are challenging and equivalent to in-person instruction.

Targeted supports and interventions for English learners and special education students.

The full guidance from the California Department of Public Health can be found here: https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-schools.pdf
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Positive COVID-19 cases caused an agglutination or a clustering of red blood cells, which was easily identifiable to the naked eye. Researchers were able to retrieve positive or negative readings in about 20 minutes.While the current swab / PCR tests are used to identify people who are currently positive with COVID-19, the agglutination assay can determine whether someone had been recently infected once the infection is resolved - and could potentially be used to detect antibodies raised in response to vaccination to aid clinical trials.Using a simple lab setup, this discovery could see medical practitioners across the world testing up to 200 blood samples an hour. At some hospitals with high-grade diagnostic machines, more than 700 blood samples could be tested hourly - about 16,800 each day.Study findings could help high-risk countries with population screening, case identification, contact tracing, confirming vaccine efficacy during clinical trials, and vaccine distribution.A patent for the innovation has been filed, and researchers are seeking commercial and government support to upscale production.Dr. Simon Corrie, Professor Gil Garnier and Professor Mark Banaszak Holl (BioPRIA and Chemical Engineering, Monash University), and Associate Professor Timothy Scott (BioPRIA, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University) led the study, with initial funding provided by the Chemical Engineering Department and the Monash Centre to Impact Anti-microbial Resistance.Dr. Corrie, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Monash University and Chief Investigator in the CBNS said the findings were exciting for governments and health care teams across the world in the race to stop the spread of COVID-19. He said this practice has the potential to become upscaled immediately for serological testing."Detection of antibodies in patient plasma or serum involves pipetting a mixture of reagent red blood cells (RRBCs) and antibody-containing serum/plasma onto a gel card containing separation media, incubating the card for 5-15 minutes, and using a centrifuge to separate agglutinated cells from free cells," Dr. Corrie said."This simple assay, based on commonly used blood typing infrastructure and already manufactured at scale, can be rolled out rapidly across Australia and beyond. This test can be used in any lab that has blood typing infrastructure, which is extremely common across the world."Researchers collaborated with clinicians at Monash Health to collect blood samples from people recently infected with COVID-19, as well as samples from healthy individuals sourced before the pandemic emerged.Tests on ten clinical blood samples involved incubating patient plasma or serum with red blood cells previously coated with short peptides representing pieces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.If the patient sample contained antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, these antibodies would bind to peptides and result in the red blood cells' aggregation. Researchers then used gel cards timmobilizingggregated cells from free cells in order to see a line of aggregated cells, indicating a positive response. In negative samples, no aggregates in the gel cards were observed."We found that by producing bioconjugates of anti-D-IgG and peptides from SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and immobilising these to RRBCs, selective agglutination in gel cards was observed in the plasma collected from patients recently infected with SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to healthy plasma and negative controls," Professor Gil Garnier, Director of BioPRIA, said."Importantly, negative control reactions involving either SARS-CoV-2-negative samples or RRBCs and SARS-CoV-2-positive samples without bioconjugates, all revealed no agglutination behavior."Professor Banaszak Holl, Head of Chemical Engineering at Monash University, commended the work of talented Ph.D. students in BioPRIA and Chemical Engineering who paused their projects to help deliver this game-changing COVID-19 test."This simple, rapid, and easily scalable approach has immediate application in SARS-CoV-2 serological testing and is a useful platform for assay development beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. We are indebted to the work of our Ph.D. students in bringing this to life," Professor Banaszak Holl said."Funding is required in order to perform full clinical evaluation across many samples and sites. With commercial support, we can begin to manufacture and roll out this assay to the communities that need it. This can take as little as six months, depending on the support we receive."COVID-19 has caused a worldwide viral pandemic, contributing to nearly 600,000 deaths and more than 13.9 million cases reported internationally (figures dated 17 July 2020).Source: Eurekalert
Akpabio and Nunieh

According to The PUNCH, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has threatened to take legal action against the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Ms. Joy Nunieh, for allegedly defaming his character.

This threat was contained in a statement titled, Akpabio to sue Joy Nunieh for defamation, denies false allegations, signed by his special assistant, Anietie Ekong, in Abuja, on Friday, said the minister has already instructed his lawyers to seek legal redress.

Ekong described Joys allegations against his principal as tissues of lies noting that at no time did the minister make advances towards her.

The statement read in part, The Honourable Ministers initial attitude was to allow his lawyers and the judicial system vindicate him of the false allegations against him, but he is compelled to react to some of the wayward allegations levied against his person by Ms. Nunieh, especially the one bothering on sexual harassment.

To start with, let it be known that there is no scintilla of truth in all the allegations peddled around by Ms. Nunieh. They are simply false.

The Honourable Minister did not at any time, place or circumstance make any form of sexual advances to Ms. Nunieh, not even to put himself in a position or posture suggestive of sexual advances towards Ms. Nunieh, or any female staff of his Ministry or the NDDC.

For the records, the Honourable Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON is happily married and contented with his wife. Together they are blessed with children, four (4) of whom are young women.

The Honourable Minister is an avid believer of the Affirmative Action and that was visible in the appointments he made as a two (2) term Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State between 2007 and 2015.

Under his watch, he appointed several women into various high-level positions as chairpersons of Local Government Councils, Magistrates, Judges, Heads of Parastatals, Directors, Permanent Secretaries, and Commissioners.
The death toll from a migrant boat disaster in Lake Van in eastern Turkey has risen to 54, the governor's office said on Saturday, after three weeks of search operations.

The boat, which sank on June 27, is believed to have been carrying 55 to 60 migrants, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. Five people have been arrested in relation to the incident.

Nine bodies were recovered from the lake on Saturday, bringing the confirmed death toll to 54, the governor's office said.

Lake Van is near Turkey's border with Iran, from where migrants from Iran, Afghanistan and other countries regularly cross into Turkey heading west towards Europe.

Seven people died and 64 were rescued when a boat carrying migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan sank on the lake in December.

More than a million people reached Greece from Turkey in 2015-16. Numbers dropped sharply following a 2016 agreement between the EU and Turkey for Ankara to take migrants back in return for funds.

Earlier this year, tens of thousands of migrants tried to cross into Greece via land and sea borders after Ankara said it would no longer stop them.

Turkey, home to 3.6 million Syrians, the world's largest refugee population, had said it would open the frontier because it was alarmed by the prospect of another wave of refugees fleeing war in northwest Syria.
New Delhi, July 18 : The BJP on Saturday hit back on the Ashok Gehlot Government when it not only denied charges of alleged bid to break the Congress party but also alleged that the dessert state is witnessing an "indirect emergency".

The BJP was referring to the purported phone conversations that were leaked by Gehlot camp.

"Is the phone of every person in Rajasthan, who has any concern with politics, is being tapped? Is Emergency not being imposed indirectly in Rajasthan?," asked BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra in a press conference here on Saturday.

Calling the Rajasthan political crisis a "drama", Patra alleged it is a brazen cocktail of conspiracy, lies, fraud and defiance of law.

"The whole conspiracy is being hatched in their house and through some audio tapes it is being alleged that the BJP is trying to sabotage the Congress party," said Patra. He demanded a CBI probe into this matter, to ascertain whether phone tapping was done or SOPs were followed. He also questioned if the voice in the leaks are authentic, why the FIR states it as "purported".

This attack comes in the wake of an FIR filed by the SOG in Rajasthan against Union Minister and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and two others on the basis of a complaint by Congress whip Mahesh Joshi soon after three audio clips with alleged conversations on toppling the Ashok Gehlot government were released by Rajasthan's ruling party.

However, Shekhawat has denied any of the tapes has his voice while another BJP leader said the tapes were doctored.

The clips have recorded purported conversation between Shekhawat, Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, a Jaipur resident and BJP leader Sanjay Jain while discussing plans and actions to topple the Congress government.

Now, the BJP has based its counter attack on these purported conversations to raise the "phone tapping of politicians in Rajasthan" charge against Congress while labelling it am "indirect emergency".

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Shortlisted candidates will be employed on a temporary basis for an initial period of three months and will be paid Rs. 16,500 per month.

The National Health Mission (NHM), Assam, has released a notification for recruitment of 150 laboratory technicians on temporary basis for an initial period of three months for COVID-19 duties.

Those who get shortlisted will get a monthly remuneration of Rs 16,500. One can apply till 19 July by visiting the official website of NHM at nhm.assam.gov.in.

Candidates who are willing to apply should have completed Lab Technician Diploma course from Medical Colleges of Assam or Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences, Mizoram. Those who have studied the course from institutes under Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, Assam, are also eligible, reported Hindustan Times. The age limit for the post is 44 years (as on 31 March).

Before applying, candidates should ensure that they fulfill the eligibility criteria, else the candidature will be cancelled.

The selection of candidates will be done via interview, reported JagranJosh. The schedule for the interview will be announced by NHM on its website. Candidates will not be sent separate individual call letters for the interview.

Those who appear for the selection test will not be given travel allowance (TA) or dearness allowance (DA). NHM has informed that the interview may also be conducted online.

How to apply

Step1: Go to the official website of NHM or visit this direct link - https://nhm.assam.gov.in/portlets/recruitment.

Step 2: Click on the link for National Health Mission, Assam.

Step 3: You will be directed to a new page where you will find the link to apply for the post of laboratory technician.

Step 4: Click on the link to Apply Online.

Step 5: Register by providing all the details.
According to a Tweet released by US Army Europe twitter account on July 18, 2020, the U.S. Army has deployed M1A2 Abrams Sep V2 main battle tanks in Germany fitted with the new Trophy APS (Active Protection System). The Trophy is an APS developed and designed by the Israeli Company Rafael that can be integrated into main battle tanks and combat vehicles. The goal of this APS is to intercept and destroy incoming anti-tank guided missiles and rockets with a shotgun-like blast.

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U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams SEP V2 fitted with Israeli-made Trophy APS Active Protection System deployed in Germany for the NATO military exercise Defender Europe 2020. (Picture source US Army Europe Twitter account)

The new M1A2 Abrams Sep V2 fitted with the Trophy APS (Active Protection System) will take part at the military exercise Defender Europe 2020. This NATO military exercise was designed as a deployment exercise to build strategic readiness in support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy and NATO deterrence objectives.

In September 2017, the U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) has announced that General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan, has been awarded a $9,899,995 modification (P00027) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0067 to support and urgent material release and have first unit equipped on trophy installed on an Armor Brigade Combat Teams M1A2 SEPv2.

The Israeli government first developed the Trophy technology, and the U.S. Army began developing the system for the Abrams about two years ago. Production of the system is a collaboration between General Dynamics Land Systems, Leonardo DRS and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.

In October 2019, Leonardo DRS has announced the delivery of the first Trophy Active Protection Systems (APS) to defend the Armys Abrams main battle tanks against a variety of anti-armor threats. The Trophy APS is mounted on M1A2 Abrams SEPV V2, radar boxes are mounted on each side the turret to provide 360 protection against anti-tank guide missiles and RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenades). When the Trophy APS detects threats, the radar detects and classifies the incoming threat. The system tracks the threat, computes intercept parameters and transmit alert to the crew and the Battle Management System (BMS). If threats pose danger, the system launches countermeasures to neutralize it away from the protected zone.



Trophy APS Active Protection System mounted on M1A2 Abrams main battle tank of the U.S. Army. (Picture source Leonardo DRS)

The TROPHY APS offers 360 azimuth protection and high-angle elevation coverage while maintaining user-defined safety zones for friendly troops on the ground.

The Trophy is able to intercept all types of anti-tank missiles and rockets, including handheld weapons such as rocket propelled grenades. The system can simultaneously engage several threats arriving from different directions, is effective on stationary or moving platforms, and is effective against both short- and long-range threats. Newer versions of the system include a reloading feature for multiple firings. The Trophy development plan includes an enhanced countermeasures unit to be available in the future for protection against kinetic energy penetrators.

The trophy is the only fully integrated, combat-proven APS in the world. Since its first deployment in 2011, and currently installed on the IDF's Merkava Mk3 and Merkava Mk4 tanks and Namer APCs, Trophy has made numerous combat interceptions with no injuries to crews, dismounted troops or damage to platforms. Having undergone over 4000 successful field tests, Trophy has accrued over 500,000 operating hours and is now under contract for serial production for thousands of systems.

The M1A2 SEP V2 is an improvement of the M1A2 SEP main battle tank. Upgrades include improved survivability, automotive power pack, computer systems, and night vision capabilities. As the second version in the M1A2 SEP, the V2 variant provides the Army with a digital tank with a new electronic backbone, powerful new computers, and an open architecture designed to accept future technologies without the need for significant redesign.

The main armament of the M1A2 SEP V2 MBT is similar to the M1A2 Abrams which consists of one 120 mm smoothbore M256 cannon. The standard 12,7mm machine gun for the tank commander is replaced by a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) II developed by the Norwegian Company Kongsberg Defense armed with a 12.7mm machine gun. The CROWS II is fitted with detached Line of Sight (DLOS) enables the gunner to keep his sights on target, independent of ballistic solution for the weapon/ammo in use.
Not since exactly four months ago have New York's hospitalizations for COVID-19 been this low.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday there were 743 people across the state being treated in hospitals statewide for the disease caused by the coronavirus  a new low since March 18. Also staying low were the deaths on Friday attributed to the illness: 11.



In his daily briefing, the governor said 1.08 percent of Friday's COVID-19 tests were positive and 754 additional cases were confirmed in 46 counties.

"As New York continues to show progress combatting COVID-19 with low hospitalizations and a low rate of positive cases, we remain alarmed by spikes in much of the country and the risk of a lack of compliance at home as the state pursues a phased, data-driven reopening," he said. "New Yorkers' vigilance, courage and adoption of basic behaviorsmask wearing, hand washing and social distancinghas driven our ability to control the virus, and we have to continue on that path to success."



Highlights:



 Patient Hospitalization: 743 (-22)

 Patients Newly Admitted: 65 (-6)

 Hospital Counties: 31

 Number ICU: 172 (-7)

 Number ICU with Intubation: 100 (+2)

 Total Discharges 72,064: (+94)

 Deaths: 11

 Total Deaths: 25,035



The Capital Region area's percentage of positive tests over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, respectively, are 0.8%, 1.1% and 0.7%.

Albany County

County Executive Daniel McCoy said 17 more people have been confirmed as having the virus, for a total of 2,096.

Four are health care workers, two are people who traveled and four others who had contact with a positive case.

Three people are hospitalized, an increase of one. The countys death toll remains at 122 people.

There have now been 22 cases linked to the large backyard party on the Fourth of July on Hudson Avenue in Albany. McCoy said those who attended should call the county health department at (518) 447-4640 to get expedited testing.

Rensselaer County

County Executive Steve McLaughlin said on Saturday that two additional cases of the virus have been confirmed, bringing the total number of infected in the county to 696 confirmed cases, 72 of which are active.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Saturday's two new cases involve employees at the Riverside Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in the town of Schodack. Five residents at that nursing home were hospitalized on Saturday, McLaughlin said. Riverside has seen 34 confirmed COVID-19 cases involving residents since the pandemic began, and at least 18 cases involving employees, including 10 county residents who are employees.

McLaughlin on Saturday, as he did on Friday, called on the state to intervene.

"We remain puzzled as to how a private senior care facility like Riverside, five months after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, can have a spike in cases like this," McLaughlin said. "It raises real and serious questions that demand answers."

An attempt to reach someone for comment at the home was unsuccessful Saturday afternoon.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Lovelace Health System began requiring enhanced masking of employees who deal with patients this week, but a top administrator said the move wasnt spurred by the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus at the companys New Mexico Heart Institute in Albuquerque.

A week after the state Department of Health confirmed more than 100 patients were possibly exposed and four Institute employees  including a cardiologist  had tested positive for the coronavirus, theres been no word on the extent of the virus spread at the Institute.

The physician, who hasnt been identified, was being treated in the ICU a week ago, but his condition wasnt divulged Friday. There were also no details released on the three employees who subsequently tested positive for the virus after the physicians case was reported to the state on July 5.

Dr. John Cruickshank, CEO for Lovelace Medical Group, said Friday he didnt know whether any patients have tested positive and wasnt certain that information could even be divulged.

A Lovelace spokeswoman told the Journal in an email, due to patient and employee confidentiality, we cannot speak to any additional COVID-19 cases.

How the physician became infected is unknown, Cruickshank added.

We have no idea where that virus came from, he said.

What is certain is that the virus that has taken 565 New Mexican lives as of Friday is continuing to spread here and around the country, Cruickshank told the Journal. He said thats why Lovelaces parent company, Ardent Health Services, based in Nashville, Tennessee, mandated the new type of mask for employees at its 30 hospitals nationwide.

We anticipate that we will have future exposures to our staff, he said. Its not a question of if it will happen, its when it will happen.

He said the new protection of a KN-95 mask will offer a significant upgrade from a loop surgical mask or homemade cloth mask. The mask guards against aerosol contamination but offers less protection than the N95 respirator-grade mask.

Protecting employees is vital, he said, considering the numbers of medical staff that are being quarantined as COVID-19 rages in other states.

Every one of those staff members that goes down decreases our ability to care for the community, Cruickshank said. Were in this for the long haul and that cardiology exposure that we had, thats not going to be the last exposure.

He said eye protection for medical workers is currently under consideration, adding, Were at the beginning of this challenge, and thats what people tend to forget. Were at least a year way from a vaccine.

At Lovelace and other medical facilities in New Mexico, patients are screened for symptoms of the virus prior to their appointments, and their temperatures are taken upon arrival to see providers.

But that doesnt catch asymptomatic patients who may transmit the virus.

Statewide, the health care industry in New Mexico has accounted for about 17 percent of the COVID-19 cases investigated by so-called rapid response teams from the state Environment Department and DOH. Positive tests have been reported at hospitals in Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Taos, at University of New Mexico Hospital and Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque and Presbyterian Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho, state records show.

Rapid response teams typically help test other employees who worked with the infected person, advise on disinfection and safety plans and sometimes temporarily shut down a business to contain the virus. The state usually does contact tracing to find and notify others who may have been exposed.

Cruickshank said the Heart Institute didnt shut down its operations after the positive tests were reported.

We contained that quickly, he said, adding that Lovelace handled its own contact tracing instead of waiting for the state to come in.

DOH will tell you that Lovelace did a tremendous job and that is the reason why they didnt shut us down, or see the need to do anything like that. We did what we needed to do.

DOH spokesman David Morgan told the Journal on Friday, The department is satisfied Lovelace has taken adequate steps to eliminate any further transmission.

Lovelace has been among those health care institutions in the state, and nationwide, that has lamented the public failing to get timely care for non-COVID conditions, such as strokes and heart attacks, out of a fear of contracting the virus.

Cruickshank said the public shouldnt be concerned about contracting the virus at the Heart Institute.

Youre taking a risk when you go pump gas in your car and youre not wearing gloves. You go into that Lowes, or that Costco, youre walking by people that are positive for COVID and theyve got their nose hanging out of their masks. Theres probably more chance of you getting infected in those environments than there is when going to an environment like ours with medical professionals that are doing everything they can to keep that from happening.

Melanie Mozes, spokeswoman for Presbyterian Healthcare Services, told the Journal there were no plans at this time to introduce KN-95 masks into its workforce, which uses other surgical and procedural masks as appropriate for their position.

Early in the pandemic we did notify a small group of patients who were potentially exposed, Mozes said. But to date, she added, there are no known reports of patients contracting COVID-19 through contact with its workforce.
The protest began at Madison Square Park, where Jeff Bezos spent $96 million creating his Manhattan dream home.

From there, the small group marched to the Midtown offices of Governor Andrew Cuomo with a demand that has begun to grow louder as the pandemic grinds on: soak the super-rich.

Fridays demonstration in New York, and others like it, havent reached anything near the level of the Occupy Wall Street movement a decade ago. But this time, protesters have a hometown advocate in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive lawmaker who this week joined a campaign demanding Cuomo pass a billionaires tax for New York State.

They take and take and take from our city and do not contribute, proportionally, said Molly Glenn, 34, who works in construction and joined Fridays protest. You want to have an apartment here. You want to say that you are a member of the greatest city in the country. You should have to support the city.

There are about 100 people tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index whose primary residence is New York state. Their wealth often comes from finance -- names such as Steve Schwarzman, Jim Simons and Leon Black. But vast New York fortunes have also been made in real estate, media and industry. The majority have multiple homes and theres no guarantee theyll stick around if a wealth tax is enacted.

Carl Icahn, born in the Far Rockaway neighborhood in Queens, New York City, has been an icon on Wall Street for decades and is worth $18.3 billion. He said in September that he planned to relocate his home and business to Florida to avoid paying New Yorks higher taxes.

That was before Ocasio-Cortez backed the bill -- sponsored by state senator Jessica Ramos -- that aims to tax unrealized gains on billionaires wealth to create an emergency worker bailout fund for poor and undocumented New Yorkers. The bill will be considered after the state legislature returns Monday.

Read More: Ocasio-Cortez New York Clout Reflected in Progressive Victories

Its time to stop protecting billionaires, and its time to start working for working families, Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, said in a video directed at Cuomo. The message spread on Twitter with the hashtag #MakeBillionairesPay.

AOC has campaigned for higher taxes on the rich since bursting on the scene in 2018. Targeting the state level is a new twist. And her supporters and influence within New Yorks Democratic Party is growing. Jamaal Bowman, whos also bashed Bezos, just beat long-term Representative Eliot Engel in a Democratic primary.

Cuomo has previously opposed raising taxes on the wealthy, but the drumbeat is growing, partly fueled by the coronaviruss impact on the city. He repeated to reporters on Thursday his opposition to a tax that could drive the wealthy away.

Priorities Changing

Michael Novogratz, a Democrat who made his fortune in hedge funds, also warned that the tax-driven approach will be counterproductive.

Wealthy people are willing to pay more tax, though it has to be fair, said Novogratz, who now invests in digital currencies and in recent weeks has been a vocal supporter of Black Lives Matter. The biggest problem with the tax code is some groups pay and other dont.

The danger, Novogratz says, is that those who already pay a substantial share of New York taxes will move to lower-tax states, especially as the pandemic changes priorities.

There was already momentum toward leaving New York after the 2017 Republican tax overhaul created a $10,000 limit for state and local tax deductions, which hurt property owners. Covid-19, which makes lower-density living more attractive, is pushing hordes of others out, he added.

Thats a view shared by Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University.

No one knows in this climate how people are making location decisions, Moss said. We want to do everything possible to maintain people in New York rather than to encourage them to move to low-density or low-tax locations.
Geneva (Switzerland), 18 July 2020 (SPS) - The Geneva Support Group for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in Western Sahara called Thursday on the United Nations Security Council to include a chapter on human rights monitoring in the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).



Noting that Western Sahara has been included in the list of non-self-governing territories since 1963, and that the Saharawi People have been under illegal military occupation since 1975, and that it has been waiting for the organization of the referendum on self-determination and independence since 1992, the 200-organization group, in an open letter to the chairman of the UN Security Council, Christoph Heusgen, called on "the members of the Security Council to include a chapter on human rights in the mandate of MINURSO and to implement all the necessary means provided for in the UN Charter so that it can fulfill, as soon as possible, the main mandate for which it was created."



The 214 organizations of the Geneva Support Group recalled, in the letter, "the UN's primary responsibility for the people of Western Sahara."



They asked the UN secretary-general to "appoint an independent figure as a personal envoy to continue the excellent work of former President Horst Kohler."



They also called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to resume the Technical Mission, initiated in 2015, and to establish a programme of technical assistance and capacity-building with Saharawi People's recognized representative, the Polisario Front." (SPS)



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The police department said in a statement that officers assembled in the park as the protesters converged there and were providing security and protecting their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble." It said that as demonstrators approached the statue some members of the crowd turned on the police and used the protest to attack officers with fireworks, rocks, frozen bottles, and other objects."

Amika Tendaji, an organizer for the protest, during which artists tagged the statue with slogans including Decolonize Chicago and Black Lives Matter, decried the officers use of force to protect a statue.

I think the people of Chicago and the world have proven that they are over police brutalizing people, she said. Theyre over police murder, theyre over police terrorism, so the people are going to keep fighting.

The Columbus statue in Grant Park and another in the city's Little Italy neighborhood were also vandalized last month.

Protesters across the county have called for the removal of statues of Columbus, saying that the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.
England strengthened their foothold in the second Test against West Indies, who ended the day on 32/1, behind the hosts first innings total of 469/9 by 437 runs at stumps on Day 2. Centuries from Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes were the highlight of the day as the pair added 260 runs for the fourth wicket.

All-rounder Roston Chase claimed his third five-wicket haul in Tests but a crucial 40 from Jos Buttler down the order allowed England to go past the 400-run mark. Englands last wicket pair of Dom Bess and Stuart Broad put on 43 in less than seven overs before Root called them back.

England had the perfect end to the day through Sam Curran, who in his first over of the innings, trapped John Campbell out LBW. Initially given not out, England retained their review after three dots signalled the end of Campbell for 12. Night watchman Alzarri Joseph survived 18 balls, and remained unbeaten of 14 when stumps were drawn.

Stokes and Sibley the star for England began cautiously  the first session yielded just 57 runs  but the way Stokes switched gears post lunch was inspiring. Even though Sibley fell trying to clear the boundary, Stokes began to dictate terms and score boundaries nonchalantly. Stokes and Sibleys stand was the second-highest by a pair for any wicket at the venue  Old Trafford in Manchester before it was broken by Chase. The West Indies off-spinner struck twice in quick succession to get Ollie Pope out LBW.

Despite the wickets, Stokes was tough to contain. He brought up his 10th century in Tests  all coming from either No. 5 or 6. In his company, Buttler grew and confidence and the two took England forward with a 43-run stand. Stokes fell to a reverse sweep off Roach, the ball clipping the bat and landing into the keepers gloves. It was his first Test wicket in 87 overs and he followed it with the wicket of Chris Woakes for a golden duck.

The tired duo of Kraigg Brathwaite and Campbell had the tough task of seeing off 15 overs and even though Campbell scored a couple of crisply-time boundaries, he was rapped on an inswinger of Curran, eventually given out. Brathwaite showed confidence in Joseph to take strike and he did not disappoint, seeing off Curran and the off-spin of Bess.
The United States has released an internal diplomatic cable that had triggered speculation by senior officials of the Trump administration that the Covid-19 epidemic might have started because of an accident at a virology lab in Wuhan, a Chinese city that became the epicenter of the outbreak last December.

Officials of the US embassy China, who wrote this cable in January 2018 after a visit to the lab, had raised concerns in this state department cable about serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory.

And, though the lab could conduct study SARS-like coronaviruses extracted from bats, it needed the permission of designated authority to research strains that could infect humans, officials wrote in the cable, whose release was secured by the Washington Post this week through a lawsuit.

But the cable did not prove or disprove the lab origin theory of the outbreak. I dont see any evidence to support the idea that this was released deliberately or inadvertently, Ian Lipkin, the director of Columbia Universitys Center for Infection and Immunity, told the Washington Post after being being made aware of the content of the cable.You cant just say someone is guilty of accidentally releasing a virus. You have to prove it.

The Trump administration, however, appeared to have made that determination already in an effort to deflect blame for the spiraling infections and fatalities in the United States. President Donald Trump said in May he had a high degree of confidence that it had indeed started from the Chinese lab. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo followed up claiming enormous evidence.

But, also in May, the US intelligence community punctured that theory. The office of the director of National Intelligence said in a statement it was still investigating outbreak started through contacts with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.

The Trump administration has not pushed the lab theory much in recent days, but it has blamed China for the outbreak, broke off ties with the WHO accusing it of being complicit in Chinas cover-up of it responsibility for the outbreak. Trump and Pompeo have called the virus the Chinese virus and the Wuhan virus.

Covid-19 infections, meantime, are soaring in the United States, with nearly 78,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours and 843 deaths. Texas, Florida, Arizona and other southern states are the worst hit in this second surge. ICUs are running to full capacity in some of their worst affected counties, and, in a repeated of the grim situation in New York some weeks ago, refrigerated trucks are being used to store bodies because of overwhelmed morgues.
The situation along the entire border was mostly calm, Armenian ex-defense ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan told a briefing on Saturday.

"But soon after that, the Artsakh Defense Army announced that their air defense units had shot down another UAV of the Azerbaijani army.

The condition of our wounded continues to be the same. The wounded have positive dynamics, except for one, who is in critical condition," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 22:09:14|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced on Saturday that people who had stayed in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa 14 days before boarding a flight to Hong Kong must provide documents showing their negative results for COVID-19.

Hong Kong had recorded 234 imported cases of COVID-19 from June 20 to July 17, according to the HKSAR government.

A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau of the HKSAR government said that as the epidemic situation evolves and develops, taking into account the limited capacities of Hong Kong's quarantine and isolation facilities, the HKSAR government needs to implement measures to prevent imported cases.

"To this end, having regard to the latest public health risk assessment, we consider it necessary to impose conditions on travellers coming to Hong Kong from high risk places to reduce the health risk they may bring to Hong Kong," the spokesman added.

According to the specifications by the Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR government, travelers from the above seven countries planning to come to Hong Kong are required to undergo a nucleic acid test for COVID-19, the sample for which was taken from the relevant traveller within 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure of the specified aircraft.

The operator of the specified aircraft should submit to the Department of Health of the HKSAR government, before the aircraft arrives in Hong Kong, a document confirming that each relevant traveller has produced such documents.

The travelers will have to undergo the COVID-19 test on arriving Hong Kong and wait for the results at a designated location. If their test results are negative, they will be allowed to go to the hotels for which they made the reservation to continue the 14-day compulsory quarantine. If their results are positive, they will be transferred to hospital for isolation and treatment, according to the specifications.

The specifications were made in view of the development and severity of the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong. They will come into effect on July 25 and will remain effective until further notice.

People who are in transit in Hong Kong and those who are exempted from compulsory quarantine will not be affected.

Any traveler coming to Hong Kong fails to comply with the requirements to provide information, or knowingly or recklessly provides any information that is false or misleading in a material particular, is liable to a fine of 10,000 HK dollars (about 1,289 U.S. dollars) and imprisonment for six months. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.75 HK dollars) Enditem
In 1910 a young couple called Agnes and Alexander McCann and their two small children were living in Belfast. Theirs was what we call today a mixed marriage. Agnes, a Protestant, and Alexander, a Catholic, had married two years previously in a Presbyterian church.

But Alexander had come under pressure from his parish priest, who informed him that the pair were living in sin and insisted they should be married in a Catholic Church.

Agnes, however, saw herself as legally married and refused to go through a second ceremony.

The pressure on Alexander intensified. One day he and the couple's two babies, a little boy and a little girl, just disappeared. The Church had won.

Agnes was distraught. She walked the streets, asking everyone she met if they had seen her children.

A Presbyterian clergyman called attention to her plight. Her story may be little remembered today, but in 1910 it was big news, and not just in Ireland.

There were protests in London and even as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Questions were asked in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords.

In Belfast the public response followed time-honoured tradition. There were riots.

Everyone was getting their spoke in - churchmen and politicians, different religions, different sides of the community, all keen to make their point.

How much thought, though, did any of them really give to the human heartbreak at the centre of the story?

A young family torn apart, a mother desperately searching for her stolen babies.

That all happened over 100 years ago. One of the saddest aspects of the story is that it doesn't read like ancient history.

Even today, in the 21st century, marrying someone from "the other side" can still bring trouble.

A new publication from the Northern Ireland Mixed Marriage Association tells the stories of several couples who were forced to leave here in the more recent past for the heinous crime of falling in love with someone from another religion.

It's entitled Exiles In Love, which, despite sounding a bit Mills And Boon-ish, accurately sums up the predicament they and many others faced: having to choose between leaving behind families and friends and all they knew, or remaining in a place where they had to deal with abuse and often very real threat.

Many couples still face that hard choice.

All the stories in the book are a mix of shocking, saddening, heart-warming and touching. These are true love stories.

Jimmy McClelland and his wife Anne, who now live near Durban in South Africa, were forced to flee as the Troubles intensified in the 1970s.

"Mixed marriage was never our problem, but other people made it theirs," he said.

The couples who tell their stories in the book describe the hostility they faced. Paint daubed on their homes. Animosity from the neighbours. The fear of attack. They left because they had no option.

How many other couples were forced into exile too? How many other marriages and relationships faced with such pressure didn't last the course?

The book is part of a series produced by Nimma and sponsored by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs' Reconciliation Fund. It's aimed primarily at secondary school children.

The series is written and edited by Paul McLaughlin, a tireless and dedicated worker for Nimma and a quiet hero in promoting reconciliation.

Nimma argues not just acceptance of mixed marriage, but for more availability of integrated education and shared social housing.

In the book the story of Agnes and Alexander is told by Nimma chairman Ken Dunn in his short but powerful history of inter-church marriage in Ireland.

It is not a story with a happy ending. Alexander, it later transpired, had been helped to relocate with the couple's son and daughter to far-off Pittsburgh in America. Alone in Belfast with her grief and her despair, Agnes McCann never saw or heard from her children again.

Banksy has the making of money down to a fine art

Sometimes I find myself totally out of step with the arts world. In a word: Banksy. I don't get Banksy.

Sure, he seems to be a talented stenciller, and yes, much of his work is quite clever in a T-shirt slogan sort of way.

But as for profound statement: a little girl letting go of a heart-shaped balloon? It's hardly Picasso's Guernica.

Nonetheless, Mr Banksy's art is regarded as extremely cool and commands big bucks. It adds to the mystique of his brand that he keeps his identity secret.

This week he allowed himself to be filmed completing an installation on a London Underground train carriage.

It featured a sneezing rat. Banksy is big on rodents. And a nod to quarantine. "I get lockdown. I get up again."

Experts have suggested that the Banksy-decorated Tube carriage could have been worth 1.5m had it been put up for auction.

Unfortunately, the cleaners got to it first. They uninstalled his installation.

It seems they didn't recognise the greatness they were obliterating. Questioned later by bosses, they did say they remembered cleaning off some "rat thing".

The workers were only doing their job. Transport for London has a zero-tolerance approach to graffiti. Even the arty stuff.

Banksy has now been invited back to redo his stencilling in a more appropriate place.

But the whole point of graffiti is that it it's inappropriate.

Cleaning it off is the real art. Banksy might even agree. In sales terms, he's been cleaning up for years.

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No masking our confusion

Someone in authority needs to sort straightforward rules on masks. It's all very confusing. Not least because there are many sorts of masks. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been pictured out and about in one with a valve. But apparently the valve makes the thing worthless since it allows coronavirus germs a free escape route. It's too leaky, Rishi. Is the Depp mask any better though? The actor favours a striking bandanna wrapped around the bake. Stylish, yes. Effective? The jury's out on that one.

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Subs near-miss gives me that sinking feeling

Scariest transportation story of the week was the report of the near-miss (in 2018) between the Stena Belfast to Cairnryan ferry and a nuclear submarine. There were almost 300 people on board the ferry. The nuclear sub underestimated the ship's speed and came within 50 to 100 metres of it, which in submarine social distancing terms is frighteningly close. What was a nuclear sub doing there in the first place? Are they expecting Vladimir to invade the Isle of Man? None of this is terribly reassuring.
TUs reveal ECT Cabinet paper By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

The government on Friday rejected claims by trade unions that a cabinet paper was submitted seeking approval to go ahead with the agreement entered into with India and Japan to privatise the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

Ports and Shipping Ministry Secretary M.M.P.K. Mayadunne speaking with the Business Times today said that his ministry had not submitted any cabinet paper on the ECT.

He noted that only a five-member committee appointed by Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera was discussing issues pertaining to the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) and the ECT on their activities and their future.

However, General Port Services Trade Union Leader Chandrasiri Mahagamage revealed at a media briefing held at Maradana on Friday a cabinet paper dated June 9, 2020 which states that the new government informed the Government of Japan and Government of India that it will honour the agreement (MOC) signed by the previous government only on condition that Government of Sri Lanka of SLPA will not agreeable to borrow further or provide guarantees but will support Foreign Direct Investment in ECT while maintaining 51% equity share in TOC of ECT to Sri Lankan ownership.

The paper also highlights that Adani Ports and Logistics has entered into a strategic partnership with John Keells Holding PLC to develop and operate the ECT.

In this respect, approval is sought to recognise the proposal submitted by Adani Ports and Logistics on the recommendation of the Government of India, the paper said.

In addition it proposed appointing a Cabinet Appointed Negotiation Committee (CANC) to evaluate the proposal within the MOC; authorise SLPA to proceed with the formation of the proposed TOC corporate structure; and grant concessions in consistent with those extended to CICT.

Meanwhile sources at the Colombo Port also affirmed that this cabinet paper would have been submitted to Cabinet though it is likely to have been shelved for the time being.
That release could not be found.
OTTAWA, ON, July 17, 2020 /CNW/ - Small businesses across the country have stepped up in the fight against COVID-19, finding innovative ways to retool their businesses to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) and support Canadians through this challenging time.

This week, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, highlighted the Government of Canada's ongoing support for small businesses during a trip to Cobourg and Peterborough.

On July 16, Minister Ng toured Markham-based PCL Graphics, a business that was able to transition its operations to supply face shields, barriers and floor signs to the community throughout the pandemic.

Today, Minister Ng visited Venture 13 in Cobourg, home of the Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC). Minister Ng announced, on behalf of the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, that the government is investing $4 million through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) to support more than 700 women-led small and medium-sized enterprises in southern Ontario.

The Northumberland CFDC and the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation will each receive $2 million to provide non-repayable contributions of up to $5,000 to support women entrepreneurs in purchasing reusable PPE, updating workspaces to keep their employees safe and shifting their business model online in response to physical distancing guidelines.

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected women-owned and -led businesses for a variety of reasons. Their businesses tend to be smaller and therefore more sensitive to changes in the economy. Women are more likely to be represented in the sectors being hardest hit by the pandemic, such as retail, hospitality and service industries. Women face greater barriers in accessing capital and financial services.

These investments will help ensure that women entrepreneurs continue to get the support they need as we work to rebuild the national economy.

Following the announcement, the Minister had a virtual meeting with members of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce to discuss how the government is supporting entrepreneurs through the pandemic.

Later in the day, the Minister toured BCM Biodegradable Solutions in Cobourg, a manufacturer of biodegradable chemical products that is now also producing hand sanitizer.

Minister Ng was then joined by her colleague, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, to visit two local businesses in Peterborough that embody the resiliency and innovation shown by so many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They visited AVIT Manufacturing, which has helped lead the retooling effort in the area to support the COVID-19 response. To close, Minister Ng and Minister Monsef toured the Imprinted Apparel Store, a women-owned business that has added face masks to its product lineup and shifted much of its business online in response to physical distancing guidelines.

At every opportunity during her tour, Minister Ng highlighted the wide range of government supports that are available to help businesses keep their employees on the payroll, cover rent and keep up with their operating expenses during this difficult time and as they contribute to rebuilding our economy.

Quote

"This has been a Team Canada effort from the start, and our government will continue to support businesses every step of the way as together we navigate this crisis. Whether it's family-owned businesses on main street, innovative start-ups or dynamic women entrepreneurs, our government is working hard to support Canadian businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic and to help them rebuild in the months to come."

 The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

Quick facts

As of December 2019 , there were 1.23 million employer businesses in Canada , of which 1.20 million (97.9%) were small, 22,905 (1.9%) were medium-sized and 2,978 (0.2%) were large.

, there were 1.23 million employer businesses in , of which 1.20 million (97.9%) were small, 22,905 (1.9%) were medium-sized and 2,978 (0.2%) were large. To support Canadians and Canadian businesses as we fight COVID-19, the Government of Canada introduced the largest relief package in our country's history, which includes these major programs:

introduced the largest relief package in our country's history, which includes these major programs: The Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) is providing businesses with up to $40,000 in interest-free loans through participating Canadian financial institutions. If repaid by December 31, 2022 , up to $10,000 will be forgiven.

Emergency Business Account (CEBA) is providing businesses with up to in interest-free loans through participating Canadian financial institutions. If repaid by , up to will be forgiven.

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) is helping businesses by covering a portion of their payroll, retroactive to March 15 and with the intention of continuing support into December.

Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) is helping businesses by covering a portion of their payroll, retroactive to and with the intention of continuing support into December.

The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program is providing relief for small businesses experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. Over the course of the program, property owners will reduce rent by at least 75% for the months of April, May, June and July for their small business tenants.

Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program is providing relief for small businesses experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. Over the course of the program, property owners will reduce rent by at least 75% for the months of April, May, June and July for their small business tenants. In addition to broad support programs, the government's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan includes targeted measures to help tourism businesses, rural communities, artists and athletes, innovative high-growth businesses, Indigenous-owned businesses, women entrepreneurs, farmers and agri-food businesses, and more.

The national $962-million Regional Relief and Recovery Fund is delivered through Canada's regional development agencies and supports SMEs across Canada that have been unable to access existing relief measures. In southern Ontario , FedDev Ontario is delivering $213 million to provide short-term financial relief and help businesses recover.

Follow @CanadaBusiness on social media for business-related news: Twitter, Facebook

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

For further information: Ryan Nearing, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, 343-551-0244, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/icgc.nsf/eng/home


Syracuse, N.Y. -- Onondaga County reported another 23 confirmed coronavirus cases today, nearly matching the average of new daily cases over the past two weeks, according to data provided by county spokesman Justin Sayles.

The number of new cases has fluctuated somewhat each day over the past two weeks. Just 10 new cases were reported on Friday, compared with 39 on July 12.

On average, the county has confirmed 24 new cases each day over the past two weeks.

Overall, just under 1% of tests are coming back positive in Central New York, according to the data released by Gov. Andrew Cuomos office today.

The county got 2,215 tests back today, meaning the one day positive rate here was 1.04%.

Onondaga County reported no new deaths today. Overall, 191 people have died in Onondaga County from Covid-19.

Earlier this week, County Executive Ryan McMahon continued to urge people to take precautions against transmitting the virus. On Thursday, nearly half of the 37 new cases confirmed that day involved people who had no symptoms.

Forty-three people are in the hospital today, the same as Friday. Of those, six are in critical condition. Another 18 are ready to return to a nursing home but are awaiting a negative test result.

Of todays 23 new cases, the county reported:

2 are from a household contacts of previously confirmed cases

5 are from our new cases are affiliated with senior living or group home facilities

2 are travel related (Delaware & Virginia)

2 are of unknown origin

12 from community transmission, 7 from known sources and 5 unknown

Overall, the county is monitoring 333 active cases.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

US can get coronavirus under control in 8 weeks if everyone wears masks, CDC director says

Syracuse University reopening: Students to be contact tracers, IDs synced to test results

First Covid-19 vaccine tested in US poised for final testing

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
The Election Commission of India has asked national and regional political parties to send in their views and suggestions by July 31 on how to conduct election campaigns and public meetings amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

This comes as Bihar is set to go assembly polls later this year amid the Covid-19 crisis. Several opposition parties of Bihar urged the Election Commission on Friday to assure voters that the upcoming assembly polls, amid the pandemic, do not become a super-spreader event.

Also read: Free and fair elections: Election Commission, Bihar opposition discuss poll concerns

Accordingly, you are requested to kindly send your views and suggestions latest by July 31, 2020, so that necessary guidelines may be firmed up for the election campaign by candidates or political parties for the conduct of election during pandemic period, it said in the letter to the parties.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the state badly. In capital city Patna, as many as 89 containment zones and over 16 districts have been put under lockdown for another 15 days with effect from July 16, the opposition memorandum said.

The term of the current Bihar Assembly ends on November 29 and a new assembly has to be constituted before that.
A Philip Morris-funded group has been attempting to interfere in the design of public policies in Costa Rica and other countries by opposing legislation that seeks to regulate cigarette smuggling, a report by AdiarioCR has shown.

The Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trades (TRACIT) interference also involved requesting the strengthening of the Joint Commission Against Illicit Trade, the report added.

Tobacco companies are using a backdoor tactic to finance an organization like TRACIT in order to gain access to governments and influence policy, said Michel Legendre, director of tobacco control at Corporate Accountability.

In August 2018, TRACIT representatives met with government officials who are members of the Joint Commission Against Illicit Trade, which also includes private sector delegates. At that meeting, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Costa Rica (AmCham), TRACIT members who came to the country presented the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index, which they commissioned from The Economist Intelligence Unit.

The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index is sponsored by Amcham Costa Rica, the Industrial Association of the Dominican Republic, Authentix, Brand Protection Group of Brazil, British American Tobacco (BAT), BCIU, Coca-Cola, Crime Stoppers International, Diageo, Eurocham Myanmar, Ideas Matter, JapanTobacco International, Marazzi and Associates, NIS, NPIC, PernodRicard, Philip Morris International (PMI), PEFC, Procter & Gamble, Richemont, Unilever and Universal Music.

On that occasion, Jeffrey Hardy, Executive Director of TRACIT, was quoted as saying that the government should strengthen the work of the Inter-institutional Joint Commission [sic] that presides over the Ministry of Finance, which defines public policies that can be influenced by representatives of the private sector, including the tobacco industry.

In the minutes of the Joint Commission reviewed for its report, AdiarioCR noted that the only company invited to the sessions is Philip Morris International (Mendiola & Cia. in Costa Rica). Specifically, on May 2, 2019, Susana Salas and Arturo Fernandez, managers of External Affairs and Illicit Trade for Costa Rica and Central America, respectively, attended.

But that was not the only time he wanted to make his influence evident, the report noted.

On May 7, 2019, TRACIT addressed government and industry officials during a conference on illicit trade organized by the Latin American Anti-Trafficking Alliance (ALAC), another organization with a strong tobacco presence, to once again present the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index. Similar activities have been carried out in other Latin American countries, such as the Dominican Republic and Argentina (2019), Colombia and Ecuador (2018) and Panama (2017).

What is TRACIT?

TRACIT was officially launched on September 6, 2017, in New York, and was presented as a private sector initiative to enhance business collaboration with governments and intergovernmental organizations to mitigate the social and economic damage of illicit trade.

In the same year of its creation, it began to receive funds from PMI, according to Uruguayan doctor Eduardo Bianco, Technical Director of the Centre for International Cooperation on Tobacco Control (CCICT) in Uruguay, based on research carried out by the British University of Bath, as can be corroborated by its Tobacco Tactics Project.

In March 2019, the PMI IMPACT initiative awarded TRACIT US$21 million of the US$100 million it donated to 31 organizations that year. By 2017, it had already donated US$20 million to 29 projects, including TRACIT, said Mr Bianco.

The University of Bath, in its Tobacco Tactics Report, has shown that Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International have all been

partners in TRACIT projects, providing funding directly or through their partnership with Crime Stoppers International.

The tobacco industry uses TRACIT to reach out to governments and international organizations, in a more credible way than if it did so directly, given its

tarnished international image, Mr Bianco said.

This allows it, indirectly, to be part of government bodies in charge of combating illicit trade or advising them, something it cannot do openly since it is forbidden by an express provision of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its Protocol against Illicit Trade.

And its main objective, he said, is to discredit the most effective of all anti-smoking measures: applying high taxes, around 80 per cent of the price, to cigarette packs.

FCTC violation

Costa Rica has fully adhered to the tobacco control policy promoted by the WHO.

In 2008, it signed the FCTC, and in 2012 it approved the General Law on Tobacco Control and its Harmful Effects on Health (9028) and its Regulations. In 2013, the labelling of tobacco products was regulated and in 2016 the Protocol for the Elimination of Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was approved.

Costa Rica has made progress in tobacco control by reducing the prevalence of consumption to 8.9%. But it is not 100% protecting public health policies regarding tobacco control from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry, said Nydia Amador of Costa Ricas National Anti-Tobacco Network (RENATA).

It is contradictory that tobacco companies that have been judicially convicted and fined in the European Union, the United States and Canada for being involved in the illicit trafficking of tobacco products are part of TRACIT and Amcham and are given space  through these organizations  in a Joint Commission that seeks to eliminate smuggling. Its like watching out for cheese..

In its Article 5.3, the FCTC warns that in establishing and implementing their public health policies regarding tobacco control, Parties shall act in a manner that protects such policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry, in accordance with national law.

Reina Roa, from the Panamanian Ministry of Health, said the Parties to the Protocol should not receive TRACIT or establish alliances with it, or with any other entity that has direct or indirect links with the tobacco industry.

TRACIT responds

AdiarioCR said it contacted Mr Hardy, TRACITs Executive Director.

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After assuring him in two emails that he would answer a few questions, he finally did not, the report stated.

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However, the information on the website is clear and its eleven partners are alcoholic beverage companies ABinBev, Heineken, Diageo and Pernod Ricard; pharmacist Novartis, tobacco company Philip Morris International, P&G, Richemont, PVH-Calvin Klein-Tommy Hilfiger, Syngenta and Universal Music Group.

Membership costs a minimum of $25,000 per year, which does not mean much for companies with annual revenues exceeding $29.6 billion, as was the case with PMI in 2018.

TRACITs mission is to raise funds and expertise to advance its members initiatives and to interact with governmental and intergovernmental organizations, the report noted.

Michel Legendre said it is an old interference tactic of the tobacco companies: grouping tobacco with other industries and presenting a front entity.

TRACIT is carrying out tobacco-related actions around the world and is using its reports and events to address decision-makers, he said.

Mr Bianco added that because TRACIT has close connections with the tobacco industry, it provides a biased view of the illicit tobacco trade, ignoring or hiding the clear evidence of the tobacco industrys involvement with the illicit tobacco trade.

This is strategically important to tobacco companies, not so much because they may be losing out on profits, but because it is their main workhorse in opposing the main measure to reduce tobacco consumption: price increases through tax increases.
In "Pandemia: Latinos in Crisis," CBS News spoke with several celebrities and activists along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees and undocumented immigrant farm workers about the ongoing impact of the coronavirus on the Latino community.
An eight-member team, headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Sharma of Criminal Investigation Department - Crime Branch, Jaipur, has been constituted to investigate the matter related to Rajasthan political crisis. On Friday, two FIRs were registered by the SOG based on the complaint filed by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi about audiotapes.

An eight-member team, headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Sharma of Criminal Investigation Department  Crime Branch, Jaipur, has been constituted to investigate the matter related to Rajasthan political crisis registered by the Special Operations Group (SOG).

On Friday, two FIRs were registered by the SOG based on the complaint filed by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi about audiotapes, which Congress alleged, had conversations about an alleged conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government. Meanwhile, Sanjay Jain, who was among persons accused by Congress in alleged horse-trading in Rajasthan and linked by it to purported audio-tapes, was on Saturday sent to four-day remand of the SOG by a Jaipur court here.

According to the police, Jain was arrested by a team of SOG under Sections 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Friday.

Also read: R. Balki asks for better actors than Ranbir & Alia amid nepotism debate, gets a befitting response

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Meanwhile, Ashok Singh and Bharat Malani, who are also accused in the matter, refused to give their voice samples for further investigation. Gajendra Singh and Bhanwarlal Sharma were also named in the FIR.

There were two complaints from Mahesh Joshi (Congress leader), it is with respect to the audio that went viral yesterday. We registered two FIRs under Section 124A and 120B. The veracity of clip is to be investigated, Ashoke Rathore, ADG SOG had told ANI earlier.

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Saturday the Ministry of Defense headquarters, where he met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, headed by Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Onik Gasparyan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan attended the meeting, government's press service reported.

In his speech, Pashinyan referred to the recent escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

His statement runs as follows:

"The purpose of todays meeting is to discuss the operative situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. However, first of all it should be stated that the military-political situation in the region has become tense due to Azerbaijans aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Late on July 12, Azerbaijans armed forces launched an attack and attempted to get hold of the Anvakh (Fearless) border post of Armenias armed forces. To give a comprehensive idea of the situation, it should be stated that the aforementioned position is located in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

At the same time, Azerbaijans armed forces targeted the villages of Movses, Aygepar, Chinari, Nerkin Karmiraghbyur in Tavush region with artillery fire and drones, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure and residential houses. We have evidence - factual data - that Azerbaijans armed forces have deployed artillery and armored vehicles in the courtyards between residential houses in the village of Aghdam, which faces Armenian Chinari village. They targeted our villages with the assumption that the Armenian side could not help hitting civilian targets in case of retaliation.

Dear Colleagues,

It is important to record the meaning and context of the events that are taking place in the region, because Azerbaijans offensive must have an explanation; therefore, the following question may arise: What does the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan want to do? Why?

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyevs long-standing warlike rhetoric has intensified in recent months. He threatens to resolve the Karabakh conflict by force and openly demonstrates his intention to abort the OSCE Minsk Groups mediation efforts. Against this background, he developed the thesis of the strength and invincibility of the Azerbaijani army in a bid to justify those billions of dollars spent over the past decade and a half under the pretext of army development.

The military-political leadership of Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that it is waiting for an order from Ilham Aliyev to resolve the Karabakh conflict by military means. This continuous rhetoric had to get some expression. Naturally, against the background of aggressive statements made by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, we were supposed to be more vigilant for the security of Artsakh, attention should have been doubled on Artsakhs Defense Army. Therefore, Azerbaijan decided to strike in the direction we should have expected the least with a single goal to materialize the myth of Azerbaijani armys invincibility by means of an unexpected blow, to break down the moral and psychological positions of the Armenian side with a swift military success and ultimately attack the Republic of Artsakh in that situation.

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, however, showed an exceptionally high level of combat readiness. They not only secured the inviolability of Armenias borders, but also shattered the myth built up by the incumbent President of Azerbaijan for a decade and a half about the combat effectiveness of the Azerbaijani army.

At the same time, with the recent onslaught, Azerbaijan caused significant damage to those countries with which it is cooperating in the military-technical sphere, since our Armed Forces destroyed weaponry that was deemed to be invulnerable all over the world.

However, the biggest surprise is the condescending attitude of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan towards its own soldiers lives who were doomed to death since the task set before them was obviously unachievable.

The provocation undertaken by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan also has a much broader geopolitical context. In an attempt to cover up its own failure, the Azeri propaganda has started to develop a thesis that the Armenian armed forces are positioned to disrupt and dismantle the international energy infrastructure originating in Azerbaijan. This is done to present Armenia as a global threat.

But this absurd assertion can simply be thwarted by the fact that Armenia theoretically had the opportunity to take such an action far before last weeks events. But it has never had such a goal; it has never been on our political agenda, we never sought to create economic, political, military-political or security instabilities in the region and in the world.

Our task is to ensure our sovereignty, our borders, the security of our country and people, and to promote global security. It has become clear in recent days that Azerbaijan poses a threat not only to Armenia but also to global security. An Azerbaijani official stated a few days ago that their country could launch a missile attack on Metsamor nuclear power plant.

Armenia is capable of ensuring its own security, including the Metsamor nuclear power plant, but this is a statement that should be unequivocally considered a crime against humanity, because such an action is a threat to commit terrorism against humanity, it should be given an appropriate international response and probe.

As for what to do next, our position remains the same. We must all get out of the vicious cycle of mere statements about ceasefire violations: an international system of reliable ceasefire monitoring needs to be established.

And next, the negotiations held in the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing format should be continued, and Azerbaijan should finally adopt a constructive position.

And finally, let me express my satisfaction with the high efficiency of the Armenian Armed Forces and state that the Governments army development policy, including the development of the military-industrial complex, has fully justified itself. There is no doubt that we will continue along this line. As I have said on many occasions, the development of our armed forces is not a priority for us, but the priority of priorities.

And I would like to address a crucial issue that we have raised in this context, that is, the return to the state of ill-earned money obtained through corruption, and the investment of that money for the development of Armenias Armed Forces. This objective has not been met in full as of yet. But we will be consistent on this way: specific legal mechanisms have already been established to that effect, which will come into force in the near future."
In a big reveal, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has said he has not been on talking terms with his former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot since the past 18 months and that Pilot was plotting to topple his government from the first day. However, the CM also added that if the rebel Congress leader, who insists he is not joining the BJP, were to come back to the party, he will welcome him with a hug.

In an interview to a TV channel, Gehlot said, There was no dialogue between us since the last one and a half years. A minister who doesnt talk to the chief minister, doesnt take his advice, keeps no dialogue with him... There can be opposition but dialogue is necessary in a democracy, he said.

Claiming the support of over 100 MLAs, Gehlot said Pilot has been conspiring to dislodge the government from the day of its formation in December 2018. The CM said Pilot had only 12-15 MLAs with him.

My government is sitting with over 100 MLAs but you want to topple that and form a government with support of the BJP. People will never forgive you, Gehlot said.

The CM said the entire matter was very unfortunate and the internal quarrel should have been resolved internally. If you do politics in connivance with your rivals then what is left in democracy, he said.

On the notice issued by the Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan police over alleged attempts to bribe the MLAs before the Rajya Sabha elections to topple the state government, Gehlot said notices have been served, even one to him, but an environment is being created that poor Pilot has got a notice.

Our party is the complainant and 10-12 notices have been served. We have not named him. We have said there was a conspiracy by the BJP to topple the government, why is he going around giving clarifications? said Gehlot.

The CM said Pilot and his MLAs had planned to flee on June 10 but Gehlot learnt of their plan and thwarted it and had to keep all MLAs under lockdown in a resort.

They were planning to leave at 2 am. I had to save the government. I woke up all the collectors at 1 am and I asked all party leaders to reach Jaipur the next day and almost all of them reached. Then these people realised the truth and started saying there was no conspiracy and there was no need for placing MLAs under lockdown. But I had proof then and I have proof now, he said.

Gehlot said Pilot initially wanted to join the BJP but his MLAs were not willing so he thought of forming a third front, a new party to finish the Congress in Rajasthan.

Referring to Pilot and BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress three months back, Gehlot said the younger leaders should show patience and trust the leaders.

You should not betray the party, the party has given you so much. I have been a three time central minister, three time PCC chief, three time AICC general secretary and three time CM because I went through the grind in the NSUI and Youth Congress. Leaders from our generation worked hard and stayed loyal to the party and its ideology and so we are where we are today, said Gehlot.

The Congress veteran underlined that he had become chief minister because people wanted it and it was eventually decided by the high command. If I felt that the public and MLAs were not with me, I would have myself told the high command, he said.

People say we are seniors now and we should sit at home. But this talk is irrelevant. We too were juniors when we joined and we are still active today. Now people say they should sit at home. If we leave politics, what will we do? he said.

Asked what would happen if Sachin Pilot were to return to the Congress, Gehlot said he would welcome him with open arms. He was three years old when I became MP for the first time. I have ties with his family going back decades. I will welcome him with a hug.

Asked if there was a question mark on the leadership of Rahul Gandhi as leaders perceived close to him were leaving the party, Gehlot said: Theres no question mark on his leadership but on the thought process of these leaders.

He said these younger leaders have not learnt to rough it out in politics but have got a chance due to the untimely demise of their fathers.

On Rahul Gandhis statement that those who want to leave are welcome to go, Gehlot said he supported it. Those who want to leave, should leave. Those who do not have commitment towards the party... they are liabilities who are just waiting to grab posts... those who are committed dont get a chance. Those who are opportunists and traitors, if they leave then a new form of the party will come forth, said Gehlot.
A trio of Lloyds' top bankers have emerged as potential successors to the outgoing boss Antonio Horta-Osorio.

Horta-Osorio is quitting the bank after almost a decade at the helm, earning a total payout of more than 56million.

Change at the top: Antonio Horta-Osorio is quitting the bank after almost a decade at the helm

City insiders have speculated that Vim Maru, head of Lloyds' personal banking business, could be in line to replace him. David Oldfield, head of Lloyds' business bank, and William Chalmers, the bank's finance chief, have also been named as front-runners in the race for one of the top jobs in British banking.

Lloyds  Britain's biggest bank  will also seek out external candidates for the role.

Its next boss will spearhead efforts to support the British economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis. The chief executive will also determine the pace of bank branch closures, and how much to invest into Lloyds' insurance and wealth products.

Lloyds has already started working on its next strategic review. However, it is believed the bank will not set out its plans for the next phase until the new boss is in place.

Analysts at JP Morgan said in a report that the bank had a 'solid internal bench' of candidates to replace Horta-Osorio.

The bank is also welcoming a new chairman, Robin Budenberg, in early 2021.

The analysts added: 'A new strategic plan is expected in 2021, with continued focus on growth in wealth management and insurance business lines to diversify away from interest-rate sensitive business.'

Lloyds declined to comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 19:50:33|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Suspected African Swine Fever has broken out in some districts in the northern part of Zambia, a veterinary government official said on Saturday.

The disease, which affects pigs, has broken out in two districts of Nakonde and Shiwang'andu in Muchinga province situated in the northern part of the country and officials fear that it could spread to other districts if not contained.

Wilson Katumbi, a provincial veterinary officer, said initial investigations on history, clinical signs and post-mortem lesions were pointing to Swine Fever, according to the National Agricultural Information Service (NAIS), a government agency specializing in agriculture information.

He said about 248 pigs were at risk of contracting the disease in the two districts, with 20 pigs having died so far.

The Veterinary Department has since started sensitizing farmers on the preventive measures to be put in place, he added. Enditem
DENVER, CO, July 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intrepid Potash Inc. (NYSE: IPI) plans to release its second quarter 2020 financial results on Monday, August 3, 2020, after the market closes. Intrepid will host a conference call on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results and other operating and financial matters and to answer investor questions.



Management invites you to listen to the conference call by using the dial-in number 1-800-319-4610 from the U.S. and Canada, or +1-631-891-4304 from other countries. The call will also be streamed live on Intrepid's website, intrepidpotash.com.

A recording of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call at intrepidpotash.com or by dialing 1-800-319-6413 from the U.S. and Canada, or +1-631-883-6842 from other countries. The replay of the call will require the input of the conference identification number 4965. The recording will be available through September 4, 2020.

About Intrepid

Intrepid is a diversified mineral company that delivers potassium, magnesium, sulfur, salt and water products essential for customer success in agriculture, animal feed and the oil and gas industry. Intrepid is the only U.S. producer of muriate of potash, which is applied as an essential nutrient for healthy crop development, utilized in several industrial applications and used as an ingredient in animal feed. In addition, Intrepid produces a specialty fertilizer, Trio, which delivers three key nutrients, potassium, magnesium, and sulfate, in a single particle. Intrepid also provides water, magnesium chloride, brine and various oilfield services.

Intrepid serves diverse customers in markets where a logistical advantage exists and is a leader in the use of solar evaporation for potash production, resulting in lower cost and more environmentally friendly production. Intrepids mineral production comes from three solar solution potash facilities and one conventional underground Trio mine.

Story continues

Intrepid routinely posts important information, including information about upcoming investor presentations and press releases, on its website under the Investor Relations tab. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll at intrepidpotash.com, to receive automatic email alerts or RSS feeds for new postings.

Contact:

Matt Preston, Vice President of Finance

Phone: 303-996-3048

Email: matt.preston@intrepidpotash.com
While Thane saw the highest number of Covid-19 patients being discharged in a single day, Navi Mumbai recorded its third-highest single-day spike on Saturday, pushing the total number of cases in the city past the 11,000 mark. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has issued orders to ease the lockdown in the city from 5pm today. Restrictions remain in place for Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai and other cities in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR).

On Saturday, Thane city continued its trend of the past three days and reported a declining number of Covid-19 cases. The city recorded 342 new cases and 10 deaths, raising its tally to 15,516. The death toll is 547. Around 1,277 patients were discharged on Saturday, which is the highest number to be discharged in a single day in the city. Thanes recovery rate has risen from 52% to 64%.

TMC issued guidelines relaxing the lockdown in Thane city from 5pm today allowing standalone shops and markets to open. Residents are allowed to go for walks. Except for malls, markets and commercial places within housing societies, all other shops can open from 9am till 5pm on odd-even day basis. In containment zones, only medical shops and essential services will be permitted. All the relaxations of Mission Begin Again will be permitted in Thane, said Sandeep Malvi, deputy municipal commissioner, TMC.

The lockdown will not be relaxed in the 27 containment zones in Thane city.

TMC also sent notices to 15 privately-run Covid hospitals on Saturday for overcharging patients. A special audit committee, instituted by civic commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma, identified 196 people who had been overcharged by 15 hospitals. The corporation received around 1,752 complaints. Till now, the committee has identified 196 people who were overcharged. The respective hospitals have been given notices. In response, if the hospital is unable to prove its innocence, it will have to refund the patient, said TMC commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma. The total refund for all 196 patients is 27 lakh.

The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has also registered four complaints of overcharging by hospitals in the past two days.

On Saturday, KDMC recorded 475 new cases of Covid-19, taking its tally to 15,240, of which 6,221 are active. Nine deaths were recorded taking the toll to 240.

Navi Mumbai recorded 352 new cases of Covid-19, which is the third-highest single-day spike. The total number of cases in the city is 11,138. Ten deaths were also reported, raising the death toll to 340. Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar has cancelled leaves, public holidays and weekly offs for all civic employees to tackle the spread of Covid-19.

The Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) reported 125 new cases and two deaths. The total number of Covid-19 cases in Panvel is 4,739 and the death toll is 110.

The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) recorded 67 new cases. The total number of Covid cases is 1,834, of which 1,188 are active. The city also recorded three deaths while death toll is 29.

The Ambernath Municipal Council (AMC) recorded 64 new cases and four deaths. In total, the city has recorded 3,030 Covid-positive cases and 116 deaths.

Badlapur city recorded 67 new cases, bringing its total to 1,834. The death toll is 29.

Bhiwandi saw 57 new cases and seven deaths. Altogether, Bhiwandi has 3,063 cases, of which 688 are active. The death toll is 173.
Hes well aware its becoming a divisive issue across Niagara, but Wayne Redekop believes the smart move is to make wearing face masks mandatory in indoor public spaces.

This is becoming a hotter topic as the days go by, the Fort Erie mayor told fellow town council members on July 13. Members of regional council and town council have received a flood of emails and voice messages on the issue.

Regional politicians, including Niagaras mayors, spent nearly five hours July 8 debating whether to make face masks mandatory. That ended in a tie vote, with Regional Chair Jim Bradley breaking the deadlock by voting to defer the issue to the next meeting July 23.

Redekop said he voted in favour of masks because hes convinced they can help reduce the spread of potentially fatal COVID-19, for which there may not be a vaccine until next year.

Most public health authorities everywhere, including Niagaras acting medical officer of health, acknowledge that wearing a facial mask or covering when physical distancing is not possible will help halt the spread of COVID-19, he said.

The mayor said physical distancing of at least six feet in many public places, such as supermarkets, is often more aspirational than practical.

Redekop said prudent safety measures undertaken in Fort Erie and Niagara as part of provincial efforts to slow the spread of the virus have succeeded. But, he added, health experts predict a second wave is likely.

The province has given the green light for most of the province to proceed to Stage 3 of reopening the economy. Niagara was one of the regions being held back in Stage 2.

Redekop, noting COVID-19 can be spread by people without symptoms, fears people wont support local businesses if they dont feel safe. Masks can reassure people, he said.

If we do not persuade our residents that it is safe for them to go into businesses once the province goes into Stage 3, people will simply choose to stay away, thus hampering our efforts to reactivate the economy, he said.

Redekop said Fort Erie council members havent yet considered the possibility of a bylaw, opting to wait for regional councils decision.

But he said if the Region doesnt opt for a mandatory mask bylaw, his council might.

If the Region fails to pass a bylaw with respect to mandatory mask wearing, Id have absolutely no doubt somebody on my council will raise that, said Redekop. Most of the councillors are in favour of it.

The South Niagara Chambers of Commerce representing Niagara Falls, Port Colborne-Wainfleet, Welland/Pelham and Greater Fort Erie chambers, conducted a poll asking residents if they support mandatory face masks in their communities or if they support the Region making masks mandatory.

Redekop said the chamber survey found more than 60 per cent of business owners favour a mandatory masks policy.

The benefits of requiring everyone to wear a mask in confined quarters outweigh the disadvantages, in my opinion, he said. If the choice is between prudence and protecting the health and safety of the residents of Fort Erie and Niagara or taking a wait and see attitude ... I choose the former.

In May, Fort Erie council agreed with a call by Coun. Marina Butler urging provincial and federal politicians to establish guidelines and a public education program surrounding the use of personal face masks.

Crystal Beach resident Geoffrey Aldridge wrote to regional council, urging the Region to adopt a mandatory face mask rule to avoid a hodge podge of rules among different cities and towns in Niagara.

The longer we wait to take positive action the more people will get sick, need intensive care and die, he said.

with files by Richard Hutton
John Robert Lewis, the son of sharecroppers who survived a brutal beating by police during a landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama, to become a towering figure of the civil rights movement and a longtime US congressman, has died after a six-month battle with cancer.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced his death in a statement. He was 80.



"Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history: Congressman John Lewis, the Conscience of the Congress," the California Democrat said.



Lewis died on the same day as civil rights leader the Rev. Cordy Tindell "C.T." Vivian, who was 95. The dual deaths of the civil rights icons come as the nation is still grappling with racial upheaval in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests that have swept the nation.



It's another blow for a country still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, reeling from the deaths of nearly 140,000 Americans from Covid-19 as it has affected nearly every aspect of American life.



Read also: Lets build new world together - US Congressman John Lewis



Mr John Lewis (R) during his visit to Ghana in 2019 as part of the Year of Return activities interacted with the Deputy Online Editor of Graphic Online, Enoch Darfah Frimpong.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Chinese researchers have published an analysis of a gel-like substance spotted by the country's Yutu-2 lunar rover in a crater on the far side of the moon last year.



In a research paper published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, researchers from institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences described the substance as "a dark greenish and glistening impact melt breccia" on the floor of the Von Karman crater on the far side of the moon. It measures about 52 cm by 16 cm.

Breccia is a type of rock composed of angular fragments of minerals or rock cemented together.

The researchers compared the images taken by the lunar rover with samples brought back from the moon by the U.S. Apollo missions. They found that the substance resembled the Apollo samples, suggesting that it could be formed by some violent impact, such as a meteorite that crashed into the moon.

They said that the impact melted some lunar regolith and breccia together, which formed the substance. Lunar regolith refers to the mixture of powdery dust and broken rock that covers the surface of the moon.

The Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019.

The rover Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, has worked much longer than its three-month design life, becoming the longest-working lunar rover on the moon.
New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, will on Saturday (July 18) visit Amarnath temple. His visit to the Amarnath temple comes at a time when the Indian Army has announced that terrorists were trying to target the pilgrimage at National Highway 44.

Brigadier VS Thakur, Commander, 2 Sector said, "There are inputs that terrorists would try their best to target the yatra. NH-44 continues to be sensitive because that is the route that the yatris would take to go up to the north routes." He said that the Army remain committed to ensuring that Amarnath Yatra will be conducted peacefully without any hindrance.

On July 17, on the first day of his visit, Rajnath visited Stakna in Ladakh where he held interactions with field commanders and took stock of the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He witnessed a military drill involving a fleet of attack helicopters, tanks, infantry combat vehicles and ground commandos at a high-altitude forward base here.

In the drill, the Army and Air Force displayed combat readiness in the region where India and China are engaged in a bitter border standoff. A large number of ground commandos, tanks, BMP infantry combat vehicles, Apache, Rudra and Mi-17 V5 helicopters, took part in the drill at Stakna.

Troops also carried out para dropping and slithering exercises in the presence of Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane.

On Friday evening, Singh had arrived in Srinagar for the second-leg of his journey. He was briefed in detail about the situation on the LoC, in the hinterland and successful counter-terrorist operations by 15 Corps Commander Lt. Gen. B.S. Raju.

He said that the country was proud of the valour and patriotic spirit of the soldiers," a senior defence ministry official said. "He urged all to continue to work hard to ensure security both on the Line of Control and in the hinterland. He also impressed upon the commanders to maintain strict vigil along the Line of Control and remain prepared to give a befitting reply to any misadventure by the adversary," he said.

Later on Friday evening, the Defence Minister chaired a high-level security review meeting, which was attended by Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir GC Murmu, Gen Rawat, Gen Naravane, Corps Commander of the Chinar Corps Lt Gen BS Raju, Director General of J and K Police Dilbagh Singh and other senior officials from the security forces, civil administration and intelligence agencies, the Ministry statement added.

There have been increasing incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in the past few months.

Earlier this month, India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces along the LoC and the international border, which officials said are primarily to push terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir.

Fourteen Indians were killed and 88 sustained injuries in more than 2,432 incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations carried out by Pakistan forces till June, according to official data.

India has been maintaining that the unprovoked ceasefire violations are in contravention to the 2003 ceasefire understanding between the two countries.

Despite these concerns having been shared, including through the channel of Director General of Military Operations, the Pakistan forces have not stopped such activities, officials said.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced late Friday that her office would sue several federal law enforcement agencies over their response to Portland protests and launch a criminal investigation into an incident of force by federal officers.

Rosenblum is seeking a temporary restraining order to stop federal officers from detaining Portlanders, arguing federal agencies seized and detained Oregonians without probable cause. She said the states lawsuit in federal court will name the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service as defendants.

The federal administration has chosen Portland to use their scare tactics to stop our residents from protesting police brutality and from supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, Rosenblum said in a statement. Every American should be repulsed when they see this happening. If this can happen here in Portland, it can happen anywhere.

Rosenblum also said the state and the Multnomah County District Attorneys office would criminally investigate the shooting by federal officers of Donavan La Bella in the face with a less-lethal munition Saturday, critically injuring him. La Bellas hands were above his head when he was shot.

Earlier Friday, U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams called for an investigation into reports that federal officers had detained two protesters without probable cause. Williams had previously launched a federal investigation into the shooting of La Bella.

Rosenblums announcement comes after several days of criticism traded between officials in Oregon with federal officials over the continued use of force and chemical weapons by federal officers on Portlanders.

I share the concerns of our state and local leaders  and our Oregon U.S. senators and certain congressional representatives  that the current escalation of fear and violence in downtown Portland is being driven by federal law enforcement tactics that are entirely unnecessary and out of character with the Oregon way, Rosenblum said. These tactics must stop.

-- K. Rambo

krambo@oregonian.com

@k_rambo_

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Leave No Trace is fighting a tough battle with Leave Much Trash.

The state government's top environmental leader says one of the unfortunate repercussions of the influx of visitors to the Adirondack and Catskill parks -- a welcome relief for many during the coronavirus pandemic -- is a big litter problem this summer.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos on Saturday issued a statement reminding outdoor adventurers to follow the principles of Leave No Trace, as in what one brings in, one should take out. The request comes as the agency is getting increased reports of visitors leaving trash behind after trips to state lands, waters, and facilities -- particularly in the Adirondack Park and the Catskills.

During the States ongoing response to COVID-19, New Yorkers are desperate for a chance to get outside, change up the scenery, and get a breath of fresh air. Its great that so many people are enjoying the outdoors this summer, but its disheartening to see litter and garbage left behind, Seggos said. Its a simple fix. Whatever you bring in with you should leave with you as well."

The DEC notes that as well as being an eyesore, litter is a hazard to wildlife and delicate ecosystems. It urges visitors to the states natural areas and facilities to keep New Yorks environment clean by properly disposing of waste. Follow these tips to Leave No Trace:

1. Carry out what you carry in. Dont leave trash, food, gear, or any other personal belongings behind.

2. Trash your trash. Use designated receptacles when available or carry your trash in a small bag so you can throw it out at home. Never put trash in outhouses or porta-potties.

More Information Earlier this summer, DEC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) launched the PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL Campaign to encourage all New Yorkers to recreate safely, responsibly, and locally this summer and to always treat fellow outdoor adventurers with respect. The campaign invites people to take the PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL pledge. See More Collapse

3. Use designated bathroom facilities when available. If traveling, use the rest areas closest to your destination before you arrive. Learn how to dig a cat hole and properly dispose of your human waste for the times when nature calls and a bathroom is not available.

4. During the COVID-19 public health crisis, take extra precautions when picking up trash you find on the trail. Wear gloves and make sure to hand sanitize when you are done.
The Chinese government seized nine financial companies formerly controlled by fallen tycoon Xiao Jianhua for alleged lawbreaking in an unusually aggressive move to attack risks from his once free-wheeling financial empire.

The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) took over (link in Chinese) four insurance companies and two trust firms, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) seized (link in Chinese) two securities companies and one futures firm, according to official statements Friday.

All were previously controlled by billionaire Xiao, who was placed under graft investigation by Chinese authorities in January 2017. Chinese authorities havent disclosed the specifics of the investigation.

The moves aim to protect investors legitimate interests, both regulators said. The takeovers, which took place Friday, will last at least a year, during which the companies will continue to operate normally, according to the watchdogs.

The massive seizure involves assets amounting to nearly 1 trillion yuan ($142.8 billion), according to Caixin calculations based on financial reports. It marks a major step for regulators to dismantle a sprawling business empire built by Xiao under the umbrella of Tomorrow Holding Co. Ltd., one of the highest-profile targets of Chinas crackdown on financial risks.

Founded in 1999, Tomorrow Holding grew into a conglomerate with businesses as diverse as banking, securities, insurance, coal and real estate. Through complicated and sometimes illegal shareholding arrangements, Tomorrow Holding controlled a large number of financial institutions that helped fund Xiaos debt-driven business expansion.

The nine companies formed a key part of the Tomorrow Holding financial business that backed many of its high-profile acquisitions in recent years, which often involved complicated transactions and the use of shell companies.

Many of the financial institutions had funds embezzled by Tomorrow Holding, which ended up failing to repay the money, causing high risks for the institutions and their clients, sources close to the regulators told Caixin.

Last year, the top banking regulator took over Inner Mongolia-based Baoshang Bank Co. Ltd., a debt-ridden lender controlled by Xiao. The good assets of the lender were later taken over by Mengshang Bank, with major shareholders including a national deposit insurance fund managed by the central bank, the government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Anhui-based Huishang Bank Corp. Ltd.

Several other regional lenders previously controlled by Tomorrow Holding, including Bank of Taian Co. Ltd., Bank of Weifang Co. Ltd. and Harbin Bank Co. Ltd., have also launched government-led restructuring to cut ties with the troubled conglomerate.

The governments efforts to break down Xiaos financial empire echoed the crackdown on Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd., another free-wheeling conglomerate controlled by now-imprisoned businessman Wu Xiaohui. Anbang was restructured into Dajia Insurance Group Co. Ltd. after a two-year period of state custody and massive asset spinoffs.

Dismantling empire

Huaxia Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Tianan Property Insurance Co. Ltd. of China, Tianan Life Insurance Co. Ltd. of China, E An Property & Casualty Insurance Co. Ltd., New Times Trust Co. Ltd. and New China Trust Co. Ltd. were placed under state custody to protect the rights of policy holders and customers and to serve the publics interest, the CBIRC said in its statement.

The four insurers had combined assets exceeding 800 billion yuan by the end of 2019 but suffered different degrees of business and debt problems. The largest one, Huaxia Life, reported a profit drop of more than 77% in 2019, and Tianan Life booked a net loss of 2.5 billion yuan. The two trust firms managed a total of 467.7 billion yuan of assets at the end of 2019.

The regulator assigned six institutions to supervise each of the seized companies daily operations, including China Life Healthcare Investment Co. Ltd., China Pacific Property Insurance Co. Ltd., New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., PICC Property and Casualty Co. Ltd., Citic Trust Co. Ltd. and Bank of Communications International Trust Co. Ltd.

The takeover wont change the companies debt obligations or creditor rights, and business operations will continue as normal, the regulator said.

On the same day, the CSRC assumed control of Guosheng Securities Co. Ltd., New Times Securities Co. Ltd. and Guosheng Futures Co. Ltd., citing their failure to accurately disclose ownership and flaws in corporate governance.

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Avic Securities Co. Ltd., China Merchants Securities Co. Ltd. and Guotai Junan Futures Co. Ltd. were appointed to manage the companies daily operations. The takeover will not affect the companys businesses and trading, the CSRC said.

New Times Securities had 22.1 billion yuan of assets as of the end of May. Guosheng Securities had assets of 30.8 billion yuan, and Guosheng Futures, 746 million yuan, the CSRC said.

In 2018, Chinas central bank identified Tomorrow Holding as one of several financial holding companies that needed to be scrutinized in their ownership structure, connected-party transactions and sources of funding as part of a sweeping clampdown on financial risks.

The story has been updated to correct that the seizures involved assets worth nearly 1 trillion yuan.

Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com)

Caixin Global has launched Caixin CEIC Mobile, the mobile-only version of its world-class macroeconomic data platform.

If youre using the Caixin app, please click here. If you havent downloaded the app, please click here.
(Natural News) As the Antifa and Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Portland, Oregon continue on their 47th consecutive day, the arrival of federal agents into the city has emboldened the rioters and made local officials draw their anger at the federal government for intervening.

The demonstrations that swept the United States following the death of George Floyd on May 25 have simmered down in many parts of the country. Portland, however, is an exception. Here, the demonstrations have two parts.

During the day, people march around the city and listen to speakers talk about systemic racism and the need to defund or abolish law enforcement. By sundown, these generally peaceful protests end up at the Multnomah County Justice Center in the Downtown Portland neighborhood. Its here that the demonstrations transform into violent riots, and its here that both Antifa and BLM have skirmished every night since the beginning of the civil unrest. (Related: Portland rioters attempt to create new autonomous zone.)

The large crowds of banner-waving protesters are replaced by smaller groups of organized and dedicated rioters, who vandalize the Justice Center and other nearby buildings and attack law enforcement by throwing rocks, sending fireworks and launching other improvised projectiles like frozen water bottles.

In response to the citys inability to contain these nightly disruptions to law and order, the Trump administration has sent in federal agents, whose heavy-handed tactics have drawn widespread condemnation from elected officials both in Portland and in the state of Oregon.

Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he talks about the valuable lessons Americans can get from the nearly two months of rioting initiated by the Black Lives Matter domestic terrorist movement.

Portland leaders united in desire to see federal agents leave

These federal agents needed to enter the city and take over protecting lives and property because even the leaders of Portland and Oregon have done little to curb the violence. These elected officials have instead tried to satisfy the desires of the Black Lives Matter movement. One way they tried to do this was to slash the PPBs budget by more than $15 million. However, this did little to stop the demonstrations from continuing, as the cut falls short of the demand for a budget reduction of no less than $50 million.

Instead of intensifying their commitment to stamping out rioters and looters, Portland officials have been united in their desire to see federal agents leave Portland immediately.

Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city, said Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat. The governor of Oregon, Kate Brown, another Democrat, agreed with Wheelers remarks.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said that their agents will not leave because violent anarchists have attacked and injured federal personnel and damaged federal buildings in Portland.

Instead of addressing violent criminals in their communities, local and state leaders are instead focusing on placing blame on law enforcement and requesting fewer officers in their community, Wolf said in a statement.

Wheeler has said that he has a four-point plan for dealing with the demonstrations. However, this plan hinges on getting federal agents to leave Portland.

First we get rid of the feds, said Wheeler during an interview with KATU on Friday. Number two, we contain and de-escalate the situation. Number three, we clean up downtown. Number four, we open up for business. Thats the plan.

This plan, however, fails to answer precisely how he will prevent the violent demonstrations from reoccurring without federal agents, especially when the Portland Police Bureau have stated that it is unsustainable to expect them to keep fighting the rioters every night.

Instead of stopping Antifa or the Black Lives Matter movement, the united calls for federal agents to leave the city may be weakening the Trump administrations attempt to effectively deal with the escalating violence. If federal agents leave the city, the people of Portland will be left to fend for themselves.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

APNews.com

KATU.com
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Chennai corporation is aiming to bring COVID-19 positivity rate in the city to 8-10 per cent from the existing 10-12 per cent by the end of July, Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said.

Realistically speaking, we are aiming to bring the positivity rates down to 8-10 per cent and then from there on, to 5 per cent which is recommended, he said.

He said that the time between a patient result being out to admission to hospitals or home quarantine after the screening, now stands between 3-3.5 hours.

Two months back, it used to take up to two days in some cases. Now we have an improved system in place. If a person tests positive, hell be in a hospital or home quarantine by 6 pm the same day, he said.

At present, the citys doubling time is at 47 days, way ahead of the WHO-recommended 14 days. In zones like Royapuram where the caseload was high earlier, the doubling time is at 97 days, he said.

Further, the city corporation claimed that as on Saturday, over 5 lakh tests done have been conducted by RT-PCR, "which is considered the best method globally".

He went on to say that the city has touched up to 13,000 tests a day.

Until now, around Rs 400 crores have been spent on various COVID related activities, including Rs 200 crores for testing alone, he said.

The city corporation Commissioner said that the city was ready for the lockdown to be lifted or any relaxations.

Livelihoods should be protected and the economy should recover. In the Chief Secretarys meeting yesterday, we were discussing how we have moved to the unlock phase, he said.

Systems have been created and are in place to move on, he said.

However, we will not relax our efforts in any way. It will go on with the same intensity for the next four months or until necessary, he added.
Lewis harnessed his own history, beaten by state troopers in Selma, Ala., as he and other peaceful protesters tried to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and turned it into a moral calling on Capitol Hill. Every year, he led dozens of members of Congress to a weekend pilgrimage to Selma that served as an educational retreat to learn of the civil rights struggle and culminated with a soul-replenishing trip with Lewis across the bridge where he had nearly died in 1965.
Egypt, which backs the LNA alongside the United Arab Emirates and Russia, has threatened to send troops into Libya if the GNA and Turkish forces try to seize Sirte

Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) on Saturday moved fighters closer to Sirte, a gateway to Libya's main oil terminals that the GNA says it plans to recapture from the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA).

Witnesses and GNA military commanders said a column of about 200 vehicles moved eastwards from Misrata along the Mediterranean coast towards the town of Tawergha, about a third of the way to Sirte.

The GNA recently recaptured most of the territory held by the LNA in northwest Libya, ending eastern commander Khalifa Haftar's 14-month campaign to take the capital, Tripoli, before the new front line solidified between Misrata and Sirte.

Backed by Turkey, the GNA has said it will recapture Sirte and an LNA airbase at Jufra.

But Egypt, which backs the LNA alongside the United Arab Emirates and Russia, has threatened to send troops into Libya if the GNA and Turkish forces try to seize Sirte.

The LNA has itself sent fighters and weapons to bolster its defence of Sirte, already badly battered from earlier phases of warfare and chaos since the 2011 revolution against longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi.

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HOUSTON, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In June, BBVA USA made industry headlines with the launch of its new mobile banking app, Mobile 9.0. The app was launched in tandem with the bank's expanded transaction detail screen, which is available for both mobile and online banking. The digital updates are designed to strengthen financial freedom for customers and align with the first pillar of the bank's new five-year strategic plan, which focuses on financial health .

In late June, BBVA USA also announced that it had received approval to open 15 new branches across its footprint in Texas, the bank's largest U.S. market. The bank's data-driven placement model is the enabler by which it was able to strategically expand its branch network to these new locations. The new branches, set to open in early 2021, will feature an updated model designed to blend in-person interactions with digital banking.

Last month, BBVA USA took a stand against systemic racism and social injustice with a personal message from BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler and by sending a letter to congressional leaders encouraging the swift adoption of legislation in support of accountability, transparency, fairness and public safety in U.S. policing. The bank also announced that it would close offices across its footprint in commemoration of Juneteenth.

Presented below are articles and news from June 2020 that were posted on the bank's online newsroom ; global media platform, bbva.com ; and financial education blog, MoneyFit .

Corporate News

BBVA USA to observe Juneteenth

BBVA USA closed all offices across its footprint at 1pm Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. "We will close our doors to contemplate the significance of this day and cultivate a deeper understanding of how we can make a difference and stand against systemic racism and social injustice," said BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler.

BBVA urges Congress to act on police reform

After announcing that it would close offices across its footprint in commemoration of Juneteenth, BBVA USA continued its stand against social injustice by sending a letter to congressional leaders and urging them to act on police reform.

"BBVA stands side-by-side with our Black employees, customers, and communities"

BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler shared a personal message emphasizing the bank's commitment to supporting the fight for equity and social justice as it stands in solidarity with those who are experiencing oppression.

BBVA USA announces it will open 15 new branches across its Texas footprint

BBVA USA has received approval to open 15 new branches across Texas. The branches, set to open in early 2021, underscore the bank's 5-year strategic plan launched in early 2020, which aims to help clients improve their financial health.

Digital Banking & Innovation

BBVA USA launches new mobile banking app, expanded transaction detail

The bank has launched its new mobile banking app, Mobile 9.0, and expanded transaction detail screen in mobile and online banking, both aimed at leveraging the bank's technology expertise to provide a better experience and more control for customers.

Infographic: Dissecting the New BBVA USA Branch

With BBVA USA set to open 15 new branches across Texas in early 2021, the bank enters a new era that blends digital banking with in-person interactions even further. In an infographic, we highlight the layout and features of the modern branches.

BBVA USA 5-Year Strategic Plan  Pillar No. 6: Data and technology

As part of BBVA USA's new five-year strategic plan, the bank is building on its established reputation to bring even more developments in the realm of digital transformation. Few financial institutions across the U.S. have had a track record comparable to BBVA's work in technology  and the bank is more ready than ever to blaze more digital trails, especially considering what may be a new normal, post-pandemic.

"Amplifying digital transformation...is now more vital than ever"

Given the current pandemic, the future will never look the same in multiple facets of society, including banking. In this podcast, BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler gave his take on the future of the U.S. banking industry, and BBVA USA Head of Business Development Jose Luis Elechiguerra dived deeper into the bank's new digital products.

Culture & Workplace

"How I'm recognizing LGBTQ+ Pride Month this year"

BBVA USA Chief Compliance Officer Celie Niehaus  in her own words  shared her story and how she recognized and reflected on LGBTQ+ Pride Month this year in light of national calls for social justice.

BBVA USA 5-Year Strategic Plan  Pillar No. 5: The best and engaged team

Pillar No. 5 of BBVA USA's new five-year strategic plan focuses on the bank's long-term efforts to attract and retain top talent in BBVA's workforce. "We are committed to a diverse and engaged team knowing that diversity  in all its many forms  strengthens an organization from within, setting it up to win in the future," said BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler.

Market Spotlight

Dale Kahil introduced as BBVA USA's newest Senior Relationship Manager in the Houston market

BBVA USA has announced the addition of Dale Kahil to the Commercial Banking  Emerging Companies team in the Houston market, providing another key team member to the group's growing operations. Kahil's role includes managing and developing relationships with commercial clients in the Houston market.

BBVA USA Houston Commercial Banking team promotes Estefania Gallardo to Relationship Associate

The BBVA USA Houston market, in line with its emphasis on employee development, has promoted Estefania Gallardo from Relationship Support Specialist to Commercial Relationship Associate.

Business Unit Spotlight

Is the extinction of cash coming faster than expected?

Banking may never be the same moving forward from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, BBVA USA Head of Retail Larry Franco shared how technology, convenience, security and social distancing may lead to a decline in cash use as a mode of payment.

PPP and the drop in unemployment

When the PPP launched, its aim was to help small businesses avoid laying off employees while their operations were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. That aim may be taking effect.

PPP Pitch-In Series: The bank's sponsorship team kicks in its support

When the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) launched in early-April, BBVA USA employees knew there was going to be an influx of applications for small businesses struggling during the ongoing pandemic. Multiple business units throughout the bank stepped up to help process applications. BBVA USA Senior Marketing Specialist Aditya "Diddy" Saini, a member of the bank's sponsorship team, recently spoke about his involvement and experience in the PPP volunteer efforts.

Economic Research

May unemployment figures suggest recovery underway, according to BBVA Research

According to the BBVA Research team, May's employment figures suggested that recovery is underway in the U.S. economy. In May, 2.5 million jobs were added with the unemployment rate declining by 1.4 percentage points.

Resource Articles

Rethinking financial goals after COVID-19 for young families

Raising young children is hard work. But it's undoubtedly been especially difficult during the COVID-19 outbreak without school, childcare, recreational activities and while working at home. In this article, we share tips and ideas to help you best allocate resources and prioritize goals as you work to make it through this time and look toward the future.

Rethinking financial goals after COVID-19 for young adults

The COVID-19 pandemic will likely make it even more challenging for many young adults to embark on careers and become financially independent. All this uncertainty has many young adults putting their previous career and financial goals aside as they adapt to this new reality. But, there are some valuable steps these individuals can take to make the most of the current situation and also make plans to move forward.

Rethinking financial goals after COVID-19 for empty nesters

You've worked hard, raised your kids and are now the proud owner of an empty nest. But, what you probably imagined would be a few quiet years of rewarding yourself for a job well done has been disrupted by a global pandemic. While every empty-nest family is different, now is an ideal time to review your financial situation and make some adjustments to help protect your future.

Talking to your creditors if you're having trouble paying your bills

Millions of Americans across the country are dealing with the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many banks, lenders and utilities are currently offering assistance to customers facing financial hardship due to the crisis. For example, BBVA has a dedicated Online Payment Assistance Portal where customers can learn about relief options and request payment assistance.

Unemployed because of COVID-19? What you need to know

The lethal coronavirus outbreak has dealt a severe blow to the U.S. economy, quickly throwing millions of people out of work as businesses across the country locked their doors or curbed operations. In this article, we provide answers to top questions related to unemployment during the current pandemic.

CARES Act and your credit score: What you need to know

Late payments can cause your credit score to drop. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (also known as the CARES Act), passed by Congress in late March, requires lenders to report to credit bureaus that consumers are current on their loans if they have sought relief from their lenders due to the pandemic.

Tips for college students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, most college students found themselves quickly sent home from their campuses and transitioned to online classes for the remainder of the school year. Today, many students are still facing academic and financial uncertainty. However, recently passed federal legislation includes some relief to struggling college students and other resources are also available to help them through this time.

For more BBVA news visit, www.bbva.com and the U.S. Newsroom .

Additional news updates can be found via Twitter and Instagram .

For more financial information about BBVA in the U.S., visit bbvausa.investorroom.com .

About BBVA

BBVA Group

BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States. It is also the leading shareholder in Turkey's Garanti BBVA. BBVA's purpose is to bring the age of opportunities to customers by providing the best solutions and helping them make the best financial decisions through an easy and convenient experience. The institution's responsible banking model aspires to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable society. BBVA rests on three solid values: customer comes first, we think big and we are one team.

BBVA USA

In the U.S., BBVA is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 641 branches, including 330 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 44 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 17 in New Mexico. The bank ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). In the U.S., BBVA has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 14th nationally in terms of dollar volume of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2019.

SOURCE BBVA USA

Related Links

www.bbva.com


Cris Julian and son Ethan emerged Friday from their two-week coronavirus quarantines in New London, Iowa.

It took less time to wait it out than it did to get their results back. As of Friday night, they were still waiting.

Youngest son Alexander was tested at the same time but got his positive test results back within 48 hours. He was exposed by another student during an open gym workout at his school. Because the state lab was closed July 3, Julian's doctor's office sent the tests to Quest Diagnostics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said COVID-19's incubation period is up to 14 days, so Julian said that means her test is "worthless now."

"We will never stop the spread if we cant get reliable and timely results," Julian said.

Cris Julian, left, and Ethan Julian, right, were still waiting for their coronavirus test results on July 15, 12 days after they were tested. Alexander Julian, center, got tested the same day and at the same place and learned he was positive 48 hours later.

She wants the federal government to provide incentives for labs to provide a faster turnaround, and some leading public health experts agree. They said the Trump administration needs a national strategy for testing and a way to prod, penalize or otherwise enable laboratories to pick up the pace in processing.

Here's the rub: Labs are performing more COVID-19 tests than ever, lab workers are strained and states are bidding against one another for the same, limited supplies.

"It's the Wild, Wild West," said Blair Holladay, CEO of American Society for Clinical Pathology. "There's been no national testing strategy ... so states are duking it out for supply chains. That's a problem."

In mid-April, when labs completed about 150,000 COVID-19 tests a day, the federal government dangled a major incentive to increase testing output. Medicare would pay labs $100 for each high-throughput test, nearly double the $51 per test paid in the early days of the pandemic, as a way to get labs with machines that process lots of tests to increase capacity and deliver faster results to combat the spread of the virus.

The labs reached an all-time high of more than 831,900 COVID tests Thursday, according to the COVID Tracking Project, but the prolific expansion has led to a bottleneck, slowing results for families such as the Julians.

Story continues

Quest Diagnostics said this week the average turnaround time for nonpriority patients was seven days or more. Patients in hospitals, those preparing for acute surgery and health care workers with symptoms get results within a day.

The laboratory giant warned it won't be able to deliver COVID-19 test results faster as long as cases continue to rapidly escalate. The situation is "complex and not easily fixed" and affects the entire laboratory industry, Quest said in a statement.

LabCorp, citing increases in testing demand and supply and equipment constraints, said average turnaround time for non-hospital patients was four to six days, according to a company spokeswoman.

"Weve gone way backwards" in testing, said former New York health commissioner Nirav Shah.

Shah, a senior scholar at Stanford University's Center for Clinical Excellence, and other public health experts said the delay in results renders many of the tests irrelevant and increases the virus's spread.

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a former health commissioner for Baltimore and the state of Maryland, said commercial and federal insurance programs could penalize labs that didn't produce results within 48 hours or pay extra if they do.

"It's the failure of a federal strategy that led us to this point," said Sharfstein, a professor and vice dean at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Financial incentives would help to get more tests done quickly. Additional funding to guarantee the market would also help to grow capacity for testing over time."

In the short term, states that can't build more capacity should set priorities for who can be tested, he said. The "best case scenario," Sharfstein said, would be "more timely and therefore more meaningful tests."

"I'd rather have fewer tests that are timely than more that are too late," he said. "It is a worthwhile trade-off."

Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb favors a focus on lab capacity.

"Its an infrastructure issue and a question of whether youre going to undertake a huge capital investment for a business that will go away in six months," he said.

Whatever the solution, epidemiologist Brian Castrucci called shifting testing responsibility to states the "worst misuse of federalism ever" and "a national leadership disaster."

"When you look at that (in some places), everyone who wants a test can get a test, was that the right thing to do?" said Castrucci, CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation.

"Did we take any steps to prepare to do that? This could have been forecasted. This was never an 'if' but a when."

As of Monday, Johns Hopkins University reported there have been more than 3.7 million U.S. cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and more than 140,000 deaths.

No incentive for quick results

Anthony Morelli, 21, of Winchester, Virginia, had a fever for nine days while he and his family waited for the results of his COVID-19 test this month. It took 13 days for the positive results.

His mother, Allison Lowry, had symptoms when she went through a CVS drive-thru line near her home June 30. She got her positive results back July 8.

She was sick for about three days, and the whole family self-quarantined. She would have taken Morelli to the emergency room if she was sure it was COVID-19.

Anthony Morelli, left, waited 13 days for his positive COVID-19 test results. Matthew Morelli didn't get sick, but their mother, Allison Lowry, did despite testing negative.

Its really kind of a disgrace and irresponsible on the part of CVS and Quest to take on testing that they do not have the capacity to process," Lowry said. I can see how that would contribute to the crisis thats going on if people dont have symptoms anymore and they just get tired of waiting for results and just go out and infect more people.

CVS sends test samples to third-party labs that process kits and return results, which CVS shares with customers, said Mike DeAngelis, senior director of corporate communications for the company.

"The increase in cases of COVID-19 in certain areas of the country is causing extremely high demand for tests across the board," DeAngelis said. "This has caused backlogs for our lab partners and is delaying their processing of patient samples. Currently, during times of high demand, it may take six (to) 10 days for people to receive their results, and in some instances, our lab partners may take even longer to return results."

Actual delivery of the results to patients further extends the process. Some patients said they had to wait until Monday because medical offices were closed on the weekend.

Ramin Bastani is CEO of Healthvana, which says it has delivered fast and private HIV results since 2015. The company contracted with cities, counties and labs in mid-April to do the same for COVID-19 tests.

He said the process of calling, then mailing printed results to thousands of people is labor-intensive. Some health departments have eight workers calling patients for up to 12 hours a day. His company can deliver results in five minutes via text message, he said.

"It can take up to a couple days, and some people fall through cracks," Bastani said.

Under fire for the testing delays, Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expanding testing options at surge sites where rapid turnaround is needed and getting more tests into doctors' offices. The federal government procures and sends testing supplies such as swabs to every state once a week, according to Giroir.

Shah blames a U.S. health system that prioritizes tests for nonemergency surgeries over people who could be spreading the virus.

The system is perfectly designed to deliver the results it incentivized," Shah said. "It has not incentivized public health but profit. At what point does public health ever get in ahead of the line?"

Lab industry officials said the problem is more complex than paying labs to process tests more quickly. Doctors and clinics need swabs to collect mucus samples from patients' nasal cavities. Labs require chemical reagents to run tests on machines.

The absence of a national testing plan means there's little federal coordination to steer pivotal supplies to regions where the virus thrives, Holladay said.

New York labs busy with the pandemic's initial surge months ago are now well-equipped, while some labs in the Southeast and Southwest cannot turn around tests quickly enough. Labs in New York can probably finish tests in 12 hours, Holladay said, while labs elsewhere report results can take more than a week.

In Phoenix, results for three-quarters of COVID-19 tests are ready within one week, and one-quarter of tests take up to 10 days, Sonora Quest Laboratories, the metro region's dominant lab, reported Thursday.

Further complicating matters is a mismatch of state policies on reopening restaurants, bars and gyms, as well as mask wearing.

Holladay said the lack of federal coordination and varying state reopening policies would mean less if the virus was under control and fewer Americans were dying.

"Deaths are going back up, and its clearly related to opening the states before this virus was under control," Holladay said.

Smaller labs ready to help

While large labs and hot spot cities report delays of a week or longer, consumers in other states get quick results. Some smaller labs say they have untapped capacity.

Loveland, Colorado-based Warrior Diagnostics gained the FDAs emergency-use authorization for the labs molecular COVID-19 test.

Founder and President Jake Rice said Warrior can handle 1,500 tests each day and deliver results within 48 hours of receiving a specimen from a clinic, nursing home or other provider. But the lab does only about 200 tests per day.

Were here. Were open. Were ready to rock, Rice said.

He reached out to state government officials to offer his company as an overflow lab, but that has not translated to new business. Nursing homes turn to other labs, and some hospitals develop their own testing or send samples to overwhelmed national labs.

Rice sees even more demand on the horizon from large employers screening workers returning to offices or factories.

He said turnaround time is critical to make tests meaningful. A test that takes more than seven days to process makes it difficult to isolate and trace the contacts of infected individuals. Rice favors paying labs incentives to guarantee faster results.

They should reimburse a lot more for faster turnaround time, Rice said. We are banking on doing these tests as fast as possible instead of a five- (or) seven-day turnaround time. What is that going to help?

Other labs prioritize testing by need. High-priority patients get access to quick-turn testing while less urgent cases, such as asymptomatic patients with no known exposures, are pushed back to the testing line.

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, director of infection control at Stanford Childrens Hospital, said sophisticated labs must run multiple machines simultaneously to process tests as quickly as possible.

Some patients need immediate results. She gave the example of a patient on life support awaiting a liver transplant. Among the tests doctors run to ensure a donor kidney is the right fit, they must know whether the organ is infected with COVID-19.

For such urgent cases, Stanford uses a Cepheid rapid-testing machine  one of four major testing platforms the academic lab uses. The rapid test can deliver results in as little as 30 minutes but typically no more than two to three hours, Maldonado said.

"We don't have very many of those tests ... so we save them for that reason," said Maldonado, a professor of pediatric infectious disease and health research and policy. "Its not I want to get on a plane pretty soon. Thats trivial compared to the person whos going to die if you transplant an infected organ into them."

She said the nation's testing logjam won't be easy to quickly resolve. Labs need more machines, more trained personnel to run the machines and, in particular, more chemical reagents to run tests.

The American public should be prepared to wait longer for results, wear masks to protect others and socially isolate themselves when appropriate.

"The real problem right now is getting the platforms freed up to do the work that theyre supposed to," Maldonado said. "Right now, they are just so backlogged with a surge of people who want to get tested. Theres just not enough supplies or people to do the tests."

In Iowa, after two weeks of sheltering in place, Cris Julian is cautiously venturing out again with a mask and social distancing. As she and son Ethan pass the two-week mark since their tests, she wonders if she'll ever hear.

"I would be surprised if anything comes back now," she said.

O'Donnell is on social media as @JayneODonnell and can be emailed at jodonnell@usatoday.com. Alltucker is on Twitter as @kalltucker or can be emailed at alltuck@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID testing delays worsen as labs struggle to keep pace with demand
There is no official data on job and income losses due to the lockdown because no government agency is tracking it. A few private initiatives have tried but their assessment varies so widely that one would have to be very careful in reaching any conclusions.

Their assessments are important nevertheless because they provide some indication about the gravity of the problems.

Here are a few such findings.

Private assessments on job and income losses

The Azim Premji University's first round of survey during April 13-May 20, 2020, says the job loss caused by the lockdown was 66% and the income loss 64%.

The percentage of job loss works out to be 276.2 million in number, assuming the total workforce at 465.1 million in 2017-18. (For more read 'Coronavirus Lockdown XX: 276 million unemployed, economy in doldrums; time to recalibrate India's response')

It further said 47% of households didn't have enough money to even buy a week's worth of essentials. The sample size of this survey was 5,000 households. When its survey resumes in August, it will provide some assessment about how the unlocking is impacting people and economy.

Also Read: Rebooting Economy VI: Is Modi govt ignoring job crisis in India or unable to tackle it?

Business information company Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) survey carries out regular household surveys over the past few years, tracking, among others, the state of employment. Its surveys show the job loss ranged from 122 million (30% job loss) in April (lockdown started on March 25) to 101 million (25% job loss) in May and 57 million (14% job loss) in June 2020 - compared to the average employment of 404 million in 2019-20.

It did not talk about income loss; its sample size is not known but more of it later.

Why do the two private surveys vary so much?

Here is a word of caution from PC Mohanan, former chairman of the National Statistical Commission.

He says: "This lockdown is an unusual situation which the conventional metrics may not really explain. For example, if an enterprise is shut for April the employees continue on the roll, the system will not treat them as unemployed even if they did not work or get paid for the month. So, one has to be careful in interpreting current data coming out from some agencies."

His observations are limited to regular wage/salaried workers (almost entirely in organised sector) since the state of job loss is very different for unorganised workers - self-employed and casual workers who view employment differently.

Self-employed workers are temporarily out of work but as soon as the economy opens up they will be back in business. Casual workers virtually live on a day-to-day basis and their employment and income are directly linked to the opening up of economic activities.

Mohanan's word of caution would also explain why income loss may be disproportionate to job loss, as another private study found with the help of CMIE.

Also Read: Rebooting Economy V: Why healthy environment is critical to fight COVID-19 pandemic

Using the CMIE's services, a few scholars from the Chicago University and University of Pennsylvania assessed income loss during April 18-30. Their findings show 84% of Indian households reported loss of income since the lockdown. About 66% households reported having enough resources to survive for more than a week before facing distress.

Their paper, 'How are Indian households coping under the COVID-19 lockdown? 8 Key findings', also pointed out that while the income decline was reported by more than 90% of households in the middle-income groups; this was 85% in the lowest income group and 66% in the top income group.

It explained the differences in income decline: "The disproportionate impact on households in the middle of the income distribution may partly be due to the fact that these households are most likely to be dependent on sources of income which are hit due to the lockdown. The households in the highest quintile are more likely to have stable salaried jobs, with the ability to work from home and continue to earn a living."

As for the lowest income group, it said: "Households in the lowest quintile may be more heavily concentrated in occupations that have continued despite the lockdown (e.g. agriculture, food vendors) or have benefited from the targeted transfer programmes. In contrast, the remaining households appear to be exposed to substantial job losses that have not been buffered by additional transfers."

The study disclosed that they put two questions for their study (i) fall in household incomes and (ii) how long a household can continue without outside help in the CMIE's consumer pyramids household survey (CPHS) that covered 5,779 households.

Also Read: Rebooting Economy IV: Is govt using environmental laws to protect polluting industries?

They also disclosed that while the CMIE's CPHS usually surveyed about 175,000 households every four months the sample size had shrunk to 45% "through the lockdown".

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) used a different approach to assess the job and income losses (not surveys like the previous two studies).

It relied on the PLFS of 2017-18 for data and looked at those employed in non-essential industries, assuming that they were the ones unable to work and at risk of job loss.

Its paper, 'Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Labour Supply and Gross Value Added in India', first pushed in June and then revised in July 2020, estimated that 25% (116.8 million) and 17% (78.93 million) workers from non-essential industries were at risk of job loss during lockdown 1.0 (March 25-April 14) and lockdown 2.0 (April 15-May 3), respectively.

It estimated income loss for casual and regular wage/salaried workers at Rs 33,800 crore (at 2017-18 prices).

Misleading data to claim green shoots

On June 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "green shoots are now visible in the economy". He cited the case of power and fertiliser consumptions and Kharif sowing to buttress his point.

Green shoots in the economy are relevant for recovery from losses in jobs and incomes.

On June 23, the finance ministry released a statement saying 14 separate economic indicators showed clear signs of green shoots.

Also Read: Rebooting Economy III: All that's wrong with India's environmental governance

These indicators spanned manufacturing (purchasing managers' index (PMI), consumption of electricity and petroleum), services (railway freight, digital transactions and toll collection), finance (private placement of corporate bonds, mutual fund assets and forex reserve) and agriculture (procurement and fertiliser sales).

Some of these are quite misleading and irrelevant. Here is how.

Firstly, the procurement of food grains and sowing (fertiliser sale) happens every year in May and June, after the Rabi harvesting is over and preparations begin for the Kharif crop with the monsoon hitting some parts on June 1 (Kerala). Comparing such data with those of April, as the finance ministry did, is meaningless and misleading because such activities never happen in April. These data should have been compared with the previous years' corresponding data.

Secondly, the Railways resumed its freight and passenger services (special trains to take migrants home) during May and June after the lockdown on March 25. So, comparing it with April, when both services were suspended, is misleading. It should have compared these data with the corresponding data of previous years.

Thirdly, the pick-up in three finance-related indicators - corporate bonds, mutual fund assets and forex reserves - in May and June merely indicates resumption of some activities stopped on March 25 and the COVID-19 scare spread. This comparison too is misleading.

Besides, pick up in forex reserves is mainly due to the fall in crude prices and lower import of petroleum products due to demand and consumption crash.

Also Read: Rebooting Economy II: What stock market boom means to people and economy

Fourthly, here is a reality check on "lower contraction" in manufacturing output, electricity consumption that the finance ministry claimed and much more.

Reality check on green shoots in the economy

The official data (Index of Industrial Production or IIP in short) on manufacturing, electricity and industrial output (general index) is available until April 2020. The following graph maps their growth numbers since January 2020.

Contrary to the claims, the RBI database shows a sharp decline and no data is available for May and June. That is because on July 11 it was disclosed that the government has decided not to do so "due to inadequate data collection". (Read 'India suspends release of industrial output data for lockdown period')

Notice how growth rates were touching the zero line in all of these cases in January 2020.

If the finance ministry saw green shoots in the May and June numbers, why did it stop the data? Obviously, there is plenty to hide.

Two more economic indicators are relevant here: consumption of petroleum and petroleum products that the finance ministry talked about and credit outflow to non-food sector (agriculture, manufacturing, services, and personal loans).

The RBI's database provides credit outflow data up to May 2020. The following graph captures growth in credit to non-food sector as well as its various components like the industry as a whole, MSMEs (part of industry), services and personal loans.

Also Read: Rebooting Economy I: Why stock market is booming when COVID-19-hit economy sinks

There is no evidence of green shoots but indication of a very slow resumption of economic activities.

As for growth in consumption of petroleum products, it has been on a long-term decline and hence, it would be prudent to look at data for a longer duration. The following graphs map growth from FY17.

Notice how for most months, the growth is negative and close to zero.

The flourish of May is very deceptive because total consumption in May 2020 (14.67 million tons) was just 79% of that in January 2020 (18.53 million tons).

Unmet demands for MGNREGS works

For addressing rural job loss (there is no programme to address urban job loss), the government is relying on the rural job guarantee scheme, MGNREGS, long condemned as a "living monument of UPA's failures". An additional allocation of Rs 40,000 crore was made to take the total allocation for FY21 to about Rs 1 lakh crore to ensure more people got jobs. Millions of migrants went back to villages due to the loss of jobs and shelter during the lockdown.

But if that was supposed to provide additional work, it is not happening on the ground.

The unmet demand for work is huge. It is far greater in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, that saw higher influx of migrants. The graph below uses data for the period April 1- July 13, 2020.

The total unmet demand, as on July 14, 2020, was 6.4 million households and 13.8 million individuals.

The huge unmet demand (both households and individuals) is primarily because the long neglect of MGNREGS makes it difficult for the administration to suddenly ramp up the works.

That the above graph presents only a part of the picture is evident from the fact that the number of households and individuals getting work is far below their numbers in previous years - as the following graph shows.

Given the additional influx due to job loss, the demand from households and individuals should have been closer to the previous years than the case in FY21 so far.

The average days of work for households remains below 50 days (the previous five fiscals' average works out to be 48), even though the entitlement is for 100 days. During droughts and such exigencies, the law already provides to raise the number of days of work to 150 days.

Long road to recovery

In all, the ground realities don't present a very encouraging picture.

But that is to be expected given the fits and starts with which the social and economic activities are picking up. Several states continue to be completely shut till July 31 (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal), many are shutting down for short durations (UP shuts down for every weekend) or imposing complete lockdowns in specific cities and localities (Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, etc. are shut).

The COVID-19 cases are growing dramatically, crossing 25,000 a day last week and touching over 30,000 (a day) this week. The total cases have crossed 10 lakh in a matter of weeks.

These are not signs of a quick economic recovery.

Given the grim predictions by many that the daily number of cases could cross the 1 lakh mark in a few months' time, it would be a long and painful haul for the people and the economy.
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that he considers it necessary to strengthen NATO and direct the alliance's means to deterrence, including of Russia, the Pentagon press service informs.

It is reported that during a telephone interview, the head of the US defense department said about the importance of continuing the US work with NATO countries to increase the combat readiness of the alliance. "This applies to everything from ensuring that our allies and partners spend at least 2% [of GDP] on defense," he said, noting "great progress on this issue.
Former Debenhams workers are holding rallies outside stores for the 100th day of demonstrations.

The former staff members are calling for their redundancy packages to be improved, believing the company used the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to stop operations in Ireland.
A man has admitted to stabbing his friend to death at a Pyrmont apartment block but will fight a murder charge on mental health grounds, his lawyer says.

Jawid Jawid, 41, was arrested in Parramatta on Thursday evening, after allegedly stabbing his boss Bashir Zaheer to death at the Mirage apartments earlier that day.

Police at the Mirage apartment building in Bunn Street, Pyrmont, where Bashir Zaheer (inset) was fatally stabbed on Thursday. Credit:Peter Rae, Nine News

Mr Zaheer, 44, was the manager of the building complex on Bunn Street in Pyrmont and employed Mr Jawid as a security guard there.

Both families told Nine News the pair were like brothers after knowing each other for 25 years.
The surge in COVID-19 cases since mid-May has strained the ability of Houston and Harris Countys health departments to investigate infected residents and find each person whom they could have exposed to the virus, public health officials leading the effort said.

Delays of up to several weeks in receiving lab results, which sometimes contain sparse or inaccurate contact information, mean contact tracers often miss a critical window to warn potentially pre-symptomatic COVID carriers to isolate away from family, friends and coworkers  a crucial step to limit the spread of the virus.

The countys average daily new caseload of 1,579 is more than twice the number investigators can process, a failure that leaves the Houston area, once lauded by the White House as a model for how to manage COVID-19, struggling to regain control of the pandemic.

The volume of new cases is more than we can keep up with at this point, said Dr. David Persse, Houstons health authority. If people dont isolate and dont quarantine, thats where the rubber meets the road. Thats what slows down the virus.

Contact tracing is one of public healths essential tools, since the 19th century a tried-and-true method of containing outbreaks of disease including typhoid, tuberculosis, measles and Ebola, University of Houston medical historian Helen Valier said. Researchers credit the method with helping South Korea contain its coronavirus outbreak in the early spring.

The tactic, however, typically is employed in small outbreaks, not uncontrollable transmission levels like those seen in Harris County since late May that make such detective work close to impossible.

You dont want a situation where its a raging fire all the time, where there are cinders falling and igniting different infection points, Valier said. You need to have some sort of control to have effective contact tracing, to have cases falling or at least plateaued.

The tool has never before been used on an outbreak of this scale, said Crystal Watson, a Johns Hopkins Public Health scholar.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials recommends 30 tracers per 100,000 people to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Using that formula, Harris County could need 1,410. Combined, the city and county have less than 600.

Likewise, the states contact tracing effort, meant to help local health departments, had met just 70 percent of its staffing goal at by the end of June.

I dont want to say its not feasible, but I just think its incredibly daunting to conduct tracing with this level of virus transmission going on in Houston, Harris County and the state of Texas, said Peter Hotez, an infectious disease specialist at the Baylor College of Medicine. For contact tracing to be successful you need to first bring down virus transmission to low levels, then have a contact tracing infrastructure in place.

Persse said investigators were able to successfully contain the first COVID-19 outbreak detected in Houston, which was traced to vacationers who returned from a Nile River cruise in late February. But that investigation was a puzzle for which contact tracers had all the pieces: The handful of cases could each be tracked to someone who had been infected in Egypt.

With more than 34,000 active cases in Harris County as of Friday, that kind of success no longer is possible, he said.

We are in an uncontrolled spread, Persse said. Were not going to be able to stop it. But whatever we can do to slow it down is worth it.

Public health officials and researchers agreed that despite its limited effectiveness now, contact tracing is a worthwhile endeavor that will improve when local cases decline.

Test delays hinder efforts

There are two main contact tracing efforts underway locally. One by the city health department tracks cases reported within Houston; the second by Harris County Public Health concentrates on test results within the unincorporated parts of he county.

Since mid-May, Harris County Public Health has been able to contact 60 to 65 percent of COVID patients, said Shah. The county met its goal of hiring 300 contact tracers at the end of May.

Investigators prioritize the most recent tests first, where there is the greatest chance of convincing a patient to quarantine quickly.

If we get your lab three weeks after you took your tests, or even a month, that delay means, as an epidemiologist, while its important to log a person, honestly, I cant do much for community transmission at that point, Shah said.

The process begins when the health department receives test results from public and private labs. Some arrive via fax and must be manually entered into the departments online system; a three-foot-high stack of results spit out by the machine illustrates the enormity of the task.

Making matters more difficult, he said, the information labs share is inconsistent and often incomplete. Missing contact information, dates of birth and addresses force staff to burn valuable time scouring databases and sleuthing on the internet. Sometimes they discover a patient actually lives in Galveston or Fort Bend County, and forward the case file to the appropriate jurisdiction.

High caseloads also continue to be a problem. The county can process 250 to 300 a day, Shah said, but is averaging 481.

So, if I got 500 yesterday, 500 today and 500 tomorrow, now thats a six-day workload you received in three days, Shah said. And the more the cases go up, the more youre stressed to try to reach them.

County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who fretted that the number of cases were too high six weeks ago when they were a fraction of what they are now, said she is sure the county effort has made a difference to some people, but called it a minor tool at this point. She said tracing will not play a central role until case numbers plummet and testing turnaround times improve.

She repeatedly has sought Gov. Greg Abbotts permission to again issue a stay-at-home order, which successfully flattened the curve of cases in March and April. Abbott told Houston television station KRIV on Thursday a second shutdown would be the last step taken.

Scared, grateful, dismissive

Houstons health department is at a bigger disadvantage. Persse said his teams are able to process about 300 cases per day; the city is averaging more than 1,000.

The health department has hired just 232 contact tracers out of its goal of 300, a spokesman said. They work on the sprawling third floor of the George R. Brown Convention Center, which otherwise is empty as the city has refused to permit large indoor gatherings. In the first week of July, they were able to contact about 62 percent of the positive cases they were given.

Former restaurant worker Christopher Lam said he sought more reliable employment during the pandemic; retiree Robert Paterson said he wanted to help with the response. They call 25 to 30 COVID patients and their contacts a day. Some are scared, they said. Some, especially those who speak English as a second language, said they were grateful for the check-in.

A small percentage are dismissive of self-isolation or spooked the government is calling and asking personal questions. The tracers work to build a rapport.

Most people are receptive, but they are a little defensive, Lam said. Theyre always asking, who are you? I tell them Im with the Houston Health Department, and show them were here to help.

A particular challenge is convincing a contact to self-isolate and get tested, Paterson said, since privacy laws prevent the tracers from divulging which patient listed them as potentially exposed.

There are other successes. Three members of Harris Countys tracing team described the work as rewarding, if emotionally taxing. Investigator Preeti Rao described a family with several COVID-positive members who were reluctant to quarantine because they needed to earn money.

They were on the verge of being evicted within a few days, Rao said. They were giving their infant son water, because they didnt have any food at all at home.

Rao helped connect the family with community groups who provided groceries, diapers, baby formula and rental assistance so they could avoid exposing others to the virus.

And there are encouraging signs in the data, even if they are few. COVID hospitalizations in the 25-county region have flattened in the past week, as has the number of infected patients needing intensive care. Persse said residents should not view this glimmer of hope as a signal the worst has passed.

People need to picture that were in a truck driving 100 mph down the freeway, and we finally stopped accelerating, Persse said. Well, were already going 100 miles an hour. That doesnt mean you take your foot off the brake.

zach.despart@chron.com

todd.ackerman@chron.com
A court in the northern Vietnamese province of Thai Binh has ordered the execution of a local woman who sent poisoned bubble tea to a love rival but ended up killing the targets co-worker instead.

Lai Thi Kieu Trang, a 25-year-old woman from Kien Xuong District, was given the death penalty for murder as she had carried out a plan to kill D.T.H.Y., her older cousin whose husband Trang had been having an affair with.

In December last year, Trang poisoned four cups of bubble tea with cyanide, a chemical compound that is highly poisonous, before sending them to Y's workplace.

N.T.H., a colleague of Y. at the Thai Binh Lung Disease Hospital, drank a cup of the poisoned bubble tea and collapsed to her death.

In addition to the death sentence, Trang is responsible for compensating H.s family a total of VND269 million (US$11,600) and providing the victims three children with monthly financial support of VND2 million ($86) until they are 18 years old.

In their confessions at the court, P.V.Q., Y.s husband, admitted he had been having an affair with Trang, while the 25-year-old woman affirmed that she had had no intention of poisoning anyone people than Y.

Lai Thi Kieu Trang (center, dark blue) stands trial in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam, July 17, 2020. Photo: Khanh Linh / Tuoi Tre

Trang clarified that she bought a total of six cups of bubble tea, but ran out of cyanide after putting the poison into only four of them.

The woman said she was not aware of the level of toxicity of the chemical compound as the person who sold it to her only told her it is toxic and that she should keep it out of her reach.

Trang remained silent when asked by the judges if she had thought about how Y. could have brought the poisoned bubble tea home and given them to her husband and children.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 19:35:10|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writers Lyu Qiuping, Wang Nian and He Wei

NANNING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 years ago, Luo Cuimei, sold vegetables for a living in her hometown in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. She still plies her trade, but hardly in the same old way.

In the past, she would get up early and carry the vegetables to the market on her shoulders. These days, Luo sells them online, with her e-commerce industrial park reaping 100 million yuan (14.3 million U.S. dollars) of annual sales revenue.

Now aged 40, Luo is from the Mulam ethnic group and grew up in a remote village in Luocheng, the only Mulam autonomous county in China.

Covering a wide area of karst topography and suffering from serious rocky desertification, Luocheng has low agricultural yields. Combined with poor transport interconnectivity, this makes it one of the most impoverished counties in Guangxi.

China aims to eradicate absolute poverty this year. One trend that is bringing that goal closer is the growth in e-commerce platforms connecting farmers and customers. This means farm products of higher quality and with more added value are being sold at much higher prices, lifting numerous farmers out of poverty.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Luo started selling vegetables at the age of 13 during school vacation. That year, her mother began suffering from serious joint pains but was too poor to see a doctor.

Luo gathered over 10 kg of green onions from their field, trekked several miles to town and sold them, bringing home four yuan.

"My father burst into tears when I delivered the cash. At that very moment, I was determined to get rich, so that my parents would no longer have to worry about money," she said.

Luo dropped out of senior high school and became a full-time vegetable vendor in 1999. She would get up at 4 a.m. every day, carry her vegetables to the market using a shoulder pole, and sell them at very low prices.

However, she soon found a better business model, arranging to sell directly to local restaurants.

"Compared with waiting all day in the market for customers, I found delivering vegetables to the doorsteps of restaurants more efficient and profitable," Luo said.

In less than three months, she earned more than 8,000 yuan. It was a huge sum of money back then, almost enough to build a house.

In 2001, leaving almost all her money to her parents, Luo boarded a packed train and traveled dozens of hours to Zhejiang, a coastal economic hub in east China where her cousin had married and settled down.

"I was longing to see the trains and high-rise buildings that she had told me about, and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life selling vegetables deep in the mountains," she said.

In Zhejiang, she took jobs in factories manufacturing metal products, electronics and clothes before deciding to start her own clothing business.

"It was an era of abundant opportunities. I saw my boss, who could barely survive at the start of the year, buying a high-end sedan at the end of the same year."

With her savings, Luo rented a storefront in the provincial capital of Hangzhou and sold clothes that she had purchased at wholesale markets in the cities of Yiwu and Wenzhou. During the first year, the store brought her tens of thousands of yuan in profit.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

In 2008, her father was diagnosed with lung cancer.

"I felt very guilty because I had spent little time with my parents. So, I decided to return home to be with them for the rest of their lives."

Back home, Luo tried several businesses, including a clothes shop, a cafe, a hotel and a supermarket, before starting once more with vegetable sales.

"Seeing the farmers toiling in the fields and bringing in meager incomes, just like I used to, I decided to do something to get local vegetables and fruits recognized by the market," she said.

Local farm produce was normally healthier, being organic and unaffected by industrial pollution, a fact that could be used to gain competitive advantages in the market.

To get some inspiration, Luo returned to Hangzhou, where she found most of her former peers in the clothing business had taken advantage of the growing trend in online shopping. By this time, Hangzhou, home to the e-commerce giant Alibaba, had become an internet technology center.

"I was surprised to find residents there bought vegetables simply by scanning QR codes with their mobiles, allowing them to trace the origins of the products and make payments," she said.

In September 2016, armed with this new knowledge, Luo started the first e-commerce company of Luocheng.

Luo traveled to various parts of the country for training in e-commerce, learning how online shopping worked. She also took the opportunity to convince companies in other parts of China to buy products from her area.

Within the first year, she won a 10-million-yuan contract from a company in the city of Shenzhen, the first big order of her company.

With more orders flowing in, Luo persuaded local farmers to grow products, such as snow peas, to order for particular customers, adding some 5,000 yuan to the per capita annual income of local villagers.

The farmers receive guidance on their plantations, with agricultural experts providing tips by way of video clips. The use of pesticides and fertilizers is banned.

"We are given the seeds and have the products purchased right on the farmland. All we have to do is grow the peas as instructed and count the money," said Li Zhenqiong, a local villager and one of the snow-pea growers.

To date, Luo's company has set up 71 e-commerce service stations in impoverished villages, acting as distribution centers for local products, boosting the incomes of 20,000 poverty-stricken people.

From 2015 to 2019, about 82,000 residents in Luocheng shook off poverty, with the poverty rate reduced from 28.47 percent to 2.21 percent in the county.

Luo has also been invited to give lectures to entrepreneurs, poverty alleviation cadres and college students.

"It's a regret that I didn't go to college. I expect talented young people like them to join in the innovation of 'the internet plus agriculture.' They are the hope for agriculture in mountainous regions," she said. Enditem

(Xinhua reporter Huang Haoming contributed to the story.)
In addition to seeking records on the assessments of Pritzkers side-by-side mansions on Astor Street in the Gold Coast, the U.S. attorneys office also requested information related to assessments and appeals filed by the Schmidt, Salzman & Moran law firm on behalf of entities affiliated with the Pritzkers, including (the) Hyatt (hotel chain), Astor Street and Pritzker Group, from Jan. 1, 2016 to present, according to documents provided to the Tribune through an open records request.
The priest was defrocked following investigations into complaints by church-goers in Upper Egypt, the US, and Canada

Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church has defrocked a priest abroad over sexual abuse allegations, the Church said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, the Church decided to defrock Coptic priest Rewies Aziz Khalil to his non-monastic name Youssef Aziz Khalil following investigations into "posts on social media and complaints to the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of Minya and Abu Qirqas from church-goers in the Upper Egyptian village and in the United States and Canada."

The decision by the Church comes days after social media posts went viral accusing Khalil of being a "pedophile" during his service abroad in the US and other regions.

Egypt has been intensifying efforts against sexual harassment amid an ongoing investigation by the prosecutor-general into allegations of rape, sexual harassment and blackmail made by dozens of women and girls against a young man, Ahmed Bassam Zaki.

The controversial case has pushed the cabinet to approve earlier this month a bill proposed by the justice ministry to keep the identity of victims of sexual assault and harassment confidential.

According to the draft law, the identities of the victims of sexual crimes are not to be publicly disclosed, and can only be revealed to the court and defendants upon request.

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Europa Uomo logo. Credit: Europa Uomo

Findings from the first international prostate cancer quality of life study conducted by patients themselves reports that significant numbers of men treated for the disease are struggling with continence and sexual problems after treatment. Results suggest that any treatment apart from active surveillance may negatively affect quality of life, and indicate that for many men these effects may be greater than previously thought.

The findings of the Europa Uomo Patient Reported Outcomes Study (EUPROMS) were announced today by Europa Uomo Chairman Andre Deschamps at the European Association of Urology's Virtual Congress. He reported that "The analysis of survey responses showed that urinary incontinence and sexual function were the two areas where men reported the lowest quality of life scoresmuch lower compared to the averages reported in clinical studies".

EUPROMS gathered data from 2,943 European men from 25 countries. The respondents had an average age of 70 (all were over 45), and on average had been diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 64, meaning that they were reporting on quality of life 6 years after treatment.

Overall, 50% of men who replied to the questionnaire and had been treated for prostate cancer said that loss of sexual function (including the ability to have an erection or reach orgasm) was a big (28%) or moderate (22%) problem for them.

"We often hear that decline in sexual functioning is a relatively small problem for prostate cancer patients and the effect on their quality of life should not be exaggerated," said Andre Deschamps. "We also hear that prostate cancer is typically a disease of 'old men', implying that the loss of sexual function is less relevant. This survey paints a different picture."

Respondents also report that different treatments have different effects on quality of life; radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate) has the largest reported impact on urinary incontinence. Radiotherapy was shown to double the fatigue a patient experiences in comparison to surgery, whereas chemotherapy triples the fatigue score. The impact of radiotherapy on sexual function is worse than radical prostatectomy but both have a severe impact.

Results indicate that the best quality of life scores are seen where the cancer is discovered in an early, curable stage. "This means efforts toward early detection and awareness are essential to avoid unnecessary deterioration in quality of life. Wherever it is possible and safe, active surveillance should be considered the first line treatment to ensure best quality of life." said Andre Deschamps.

He continued, "Our findings provide patients and health care professionals with a snapshot of the impact of treatments. We hope they will be used to set realistic expectations of the effects of the different treatments for prostate cancer on quality of life. They show that the effects of prostate cancer often don't stop after treatment, and even those who are treated successfully for their cancer may have significant problems".

He added "The results of this survey are different from clinical studies using the same validated questionnaires. This doesn't replace previous studies, but it does, suggest further investigation is needed. This is a huge survey, which is the great strength of the work, so I'd like to say thank you to all patients and volunteers who spent hours making this survey a success."

Commenting, Professor Arnulf Stenzl (Tubingen University, Germany), the European Association of Urology's Adjunct Secretary GeneralExecutive Member Science, said:

"This is a valuable survey, the largest of its kind ever undertaken. It uses the same questionnaires used in standard clinical settings, but it is both qualitatively and quantitatively different to the kind of study usually undertaken, so it needs to be read alongside these previous studies. It has several strong points, not least that this is multi-national, and so will reflect the impact of treatment on a wide range of patients, with different health systems. We completely agree that early detection and treatment is essential if we are to avoid problems with quality of life later on. It shows that for many men, quality of life can be poor after most prostate cancer treatment, especially in advanced disease. This message is clear, and we need to listen to the voices of these patients".

Explore further Active surveillance for prostate cancer can give men good quality of life
ALBANY  When State University of New York Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson announced in June she would be stepping down for another opportunity before the start of the fall semester, voices close to the governor floated the name of Jim Malatras, president of SUNY'S Empire State College, as the only candidate qualified to lead the sprawling 64-campus public university system.

Word at the state Capitol was that Johnson  a nationally renowned business executive, academic and engineer who had previously worked for the Obama administration  "didn't work well" with New York politicians.

That is not a problem you'll find on Malatras' resume. Seen as one of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's most trusted advisers, the 42-year-old has spent half his life in state government and currently chairs the governor's advisory council tasked with reimagining education in the face of COVID-19. The possibility that he might take over the SUNY system was widely perceived as a bid to expand Cuomo's sphere of influence.

Malatras comes across as affable and charismatic  as one political insider put it, "he's a schmoozer." In conversation, the Delmar resident often references his wife and young son, who was a frequent visitor to the Capitol's second floor when Malatras worked as one of Cuomo's top staffers. They also have a daughter.

People who have worked under Malatras describe him as is a tough manager with high expectations and an ambitious vision. But his top-down approach and short temper allegedly drove out several longtime employees during his two-year stint at the Rockefeller Institute of Government and at least one top finance official in his current role at Empire State College.

The SUNY system is facing immediate existential challenges brought on by the pandemic. Larry Schwartz, another Cuomo confidant, last month told the Times Union that the system's Board of Trustees should forgo the usual nationwide search and just appoint Malatras, a "jack of all trades" who's adept at navigating state government.

"I think it will be short-sighted and a waste of time to do a nationwide search when there are many issues that need to be resolved now to move SUNY forward," Schwartz said in June, just days after Johnson announced she would leave to become president of Ohio State University. "I've watched a lot of chancellors come and go, I don't think SUNY has come close to reaching its full potential."

United University Professions, the labor union that represents faculty and staff on SUNY campuses, has passed a resolution calling for a nationwide search and for the board to make every effort to ensure the next chancellor comes from an under-represented community of color. (In its seven-decade history, SUNY has had 19 chancellors: 16 white men, two white women and Clifton Wharton Jr., the lone African-American to serve in the post.)

"The reality is there will always be political give and take," UUP President Frederick E. Kowal said. " ... Certainly, the chancellor has to have really good political skills in Albany, but we believe an independent chancellor and independent SUNY is critical to its longtime success."

Malatras says he is committed to his current position at SUNY Empire, where he is working to "make education more accessible, affordable and relevant to the workforce."

"I'm humbled to even hear my name mentioned in the discussion of the SUNY Chancellor search, but my focus remains on SUNY Empire and our ongoing efforts to create new educational opportunities for students of all ages across the state, nation, and globe," he said in an email last week.

Will Waldron/Times Union

Malatras holds a doctorate in political science from the state University at Albany and is respected for his public policy work, but his college administration experience is limited.

During a one-year break in his tenure in Cuomo's administration  which otherwise ran from 2007 through 2017  Malatras worked as a top aide to former SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, Johnson's predecessor. Before joining Cuomo during his tenure as attorney general, Malatras was legislative director for former Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, a famously hard-charging Westchester Democrat who died in April.

Malatras said he considers himself a "pracademic"  an academic-practitioner  and doesn't believe there should be a hard line between academia and policymaking.

"I've always thought it was important to combine both of those things. Even when I worked in the Legislature, I was getting my Ph.D at the time," Malatras said in an interview Thursday. "How do you apply public policy concepts and political science concepts in real time?"

Malatas left Zimpher's service in 2014 to become Cuomo's director of state operations, a position that put him up against the governor's opponents. Several who have had run-ins with Malatras  most who spoke on condition of anonymity  said his temper could be volcanic.

In 2015, Malatras clashed with teachers unions and parent activists over Cuomo's support for the Common Core curriculum and his desire to link students' standardized test scores to teacher evaluations. After a statewide opt-out movement took hold, Cuomo sought to appease the activists through the creation of a task force to consider what had gone wrong with Common Core rollout. Malatras was named as the panel's leader.

When Jeanette Deutermann, founder of Long Island's opt-out campaign, criticized members of the task force, she received an irate phone call.

"The governor was trying to put the olive branch out and (Malatras) proceeded to tell me off," Deutermann said. "I'd never talked to this guy in my life, (and) he's literally yelling at me saying, 'Who do you think you are? You don't even know who these people are. ' He showed zero respect for me."

In February 2017, Malatras was hired as president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a newly created role at the Albany think tank that functions as SUNY's public policy research arm. He became president of SUNY Empire State College in May 2019. Both positions came with annual salaries of nearly $300,000 a year, more than doubling his state government pay. Thomas Gais, the institute's longtime director, made $188,000 a year.

The arm-twisting tactics regularly deployed by Cuomo's inner circle were not well-received at the Rockefeller Institute. More than half of the 22 researchers and support staff on the institute's payroll between 2017 and 2019 appear to have either left or had their pay significantly reduced, according to data obtained from See Through NY.

Donald Boyd, the institute's former director of fiscal studies, left in 2017. While he never directly experienced Malatras' anger, he heard accounts of profanity-laden tirades.

The Rockefeller Institute "was slow to change; (Malatras) didn't tolerate slow movement. ... He brought people into his office, he used the F-word, he slammed doors," Boyd said. "If what people told me was correct, it's a totally inappropriate way to treat employees."

Malatras said he has never slammed a door in a management context. There was, he said, understandable tension around finances, which were nearly depleted when he arrived. In addition to getting its budget in order, Malatras said he tried to modernize the institute's at times stodgy culture and elevate the work of female researchers who he believed had been sidelined.

Streamlining and reducing research and administrative salaries was a necessary part of that, he said, but it created enemies. "People were just unwilling to have those conversations," Malatras said. "It's not arm-twisting and maneuvering. Sometimes being blunt is okay. ... We are all adults."

The SUNY-funded institute is one of few nonpartisan, nationally relevant entities of its kind outside New York City and Washington, D.C. Some researchers worried that under Malatras' leadership, the think tank would be perceived as less independent from the governor's office.

Indeed, numerous studies published by the Rockefeller Institute during Malataras' tenure were aligned with policies and initiatives of the Cuomo administration.

Malatras said the objective was to make the institute's work more relevant.

"A think tank can't just be a think tank on things that no one talks about. It has to drive meaningful change," he said. "I tried to elevate the things that we worked on. I wanted to examine things that were vexing actual policymakers  and not just state policymakers, but federal policymakers. The opioid crisis was not a natural thing for the institute, initially. They focused sometimes on esoteric federalism issues. ... How about you do applied federalism?"

Under his leadership, the Rockefeller Institute produced significantly more research  106 pieces in 2017. By his second year, he brought in $2 million in research grants, up from $460,000 raised in 2016 and $1.2 million in 2017, Malatras said. He launched the Nathan Fellowship, named for Richard Nathan, the institute's former director for two decades, and an applied internship program to bring diverse faces and perspectives into the organization.

Heather Trela, who was promoted to chief of operations at the institute under Malatras, said the institution "needed things to be shaken up a little. ... I learned a tremendous amount from Jim."

At Empire State College, Malatras took on more responsibility, overseeing 1,300 employees and 16,000 students across 35 locations.

In his first months at the Saratoga Spring headquarters, Malatras refreshed the online college's brand and mapped out a plan to improve its standing and visibility in the SUNY system through key partnerships, his colleagues say. He also took the time to learn the organizational structure through virtual town halls.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

SUNY Empire's former vice president of administration, Joseph Garcia, sued the college for $1.5 million, claiming in court documents that Malatras undermined and harassed him because of his age and ethnicity before he was terminated. (The lawsuit was first reported in the Schenectady Daily Gazette.)

Garcia, a 63-year-old veteran with extensive financial experience, claims Malatras directed the college's budget director to bypass Garcia's authority and report directly to him. He said Malatras excluded him from budgetary matters and eventually stripped him of all his responsibilities, according to court documents filed in state Supreme Court in early June.

The suit claims that Malatras castigated Garcia in public to justify his allegedly discriminatory behavior, and replaced him with a "younger, non-Hispanic employee," Beth Berlin, who was at the time acting state education commissioner.

A spokesman for Malatras said Garcia was terminated because of gross mismanagement of the college's finances, and that the college doesn't tolerate discrimination in any form.

"These are baseless accusations of a former employee who was let go for poor performance, ignoring ethics-related complaints, and neglect of official duties that resulted in the loss of tens of thousands in taxpayer and tuition dollars," Kyle Adams said.

He noted that a subordinate of Garcia's, who no longer works at the college, was accused of falsifying invoices and is the subject of a criminal investigation.

Paul Davenport, Garcia's attorney, said the administrator immediately took the necessary steps that led to the investigation when he learned of the misconduct.

"Without Mr. Garcia's leadership, this fraudulent activity may well have gone undetected," Davenport said.

Other allegations made by the college "will be proven to be false," Davenport said. "Each of these are classic post-termination justifications for discriminatory conduct. During the last months of Mr. Garcia's employment, he was isolated and ignored."

Plenty of colleagues at SUNY Empire offered praise for Malatras. SUNY Empire's UUP chapter president Pamela Malone said he has raised the college's profile at a time when the demand for high-quality remote education has surged due to the global health crisis. "In the short term that Jim has been there, he has done a good job," she said.

Anastasia Pratt, chair of the College Senate, called him "absolutely approachable," bringing an air of honesty and transparency to the executive level of the college through his virtual town halls.

"He is far and away the best academic leader under whom I've worked," Pratt said.

Even those who have sparred with him over the years don't necessarily see his hotheadedness as a sign of disrespect.

"Jim and I have argued at times," said UUP's Kowal, "and weve joked about it afterward. Hes passionate about his views on policy, as I am. Its a natural way that things go."

Even detractors acknowledge Malatras gets things done and performs well in a crisis  precisely the sort of description often directed at Cuomo. Many were relieved to see Malatras join the governor's team during the administration's daily COVID-19 press briefings.

With SUNY facing an overall enrollment decline for the 2020-2021 academic year and projecting a $400 million operating revenue loss for the 2020 fiscal year, which ended June 30, one could argue that crisis management is just what SUNY needs.

Johnson's final day as chancellor was July 15. Robert Megna, another former Cuomo official, has been appointed as the SUNY system's interim president. The SUNY Board of Trustees has not announced a vote on whether to conduct a search for SUNY's next leader.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who was part of the SUNY chancellor search that ended with Johnson's hiring, now serves with Malatras on the new education-redesign task force.

On the question of whether SUNY should mount a national search, Weingarten took a middle path: "The SUNY system is an amazing jewel of New York State and it needs to be a national search. But I would hope Jim Malatras is one of the people who gets considered."

She praised Malatras' work on the new education panel. "I thought he excelled. ... He listened, he acted, and he pushed back when necessary because he wanted to make sure that we got to what was right for kids and for educators," she said. " ... That kind of commitment to public service is really important."

Update July 20, 2020: The article has been amended to include comments from Paul Davenport, Joseph Garcia's attorney.
The Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday registered a case against rebel Congress lawmaker from Sardarshahr Bhanwarlal Sharma, one Gajendra Singh and power broker Sanjay Jain under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.

Sharma, who has since been suspended by the Congress, belongs to sacked Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilots camp and is allegedly one of the kingpins to make a concerted bid to dislodge the Ashok Gehlot-led government.

A day earlier these three persons were booked by the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police on the basis of a complaint filed by the chief whip of Rajasthan assembly Mahesh Joshi.

A case has been registered against Sardarshahr MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, Gajendra Singh and Sanjay Jain under Section 7 (public servant accepts or attempts to take bribe) and 7A (public servant obtaining undue advantage) of the PC Act, 1988, on the basis of a complaint filed by chief whip of Rajasthan assembly, Mahesh Joshi, said an ACB official.

The basis of the complaint is the surfacing of three incriminating audiotapes on Thursday evening, which quickly went viral on social media amid the uncertain fate of the Ashok Gehlot-led government following a protracted power tussle with Congress rebel Pilots faction.

In one of the audiotapes, a rebel Congress lawmaker, who Joshi claims to be Sharma, is purportedly talking to a middleman and a person named Gajendra Singh about toppling the Gehlot government.

The ACB official said Joshi has identified Sharma because he has been familiar with his voice, as he has been associated with the party for many years. However, he has been unable to identify the two accused.

His complaint was based on the three audiotapes of purported conversations that elaborate the bid to destabilise the Gehlot government, the official added.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the three audiotapes.

While lawmaker Sharma, who is the eye of the raging political controversy, is incommunicado, as his mobile phone is switched off.

The SOG arrested Sanjay Jain alias Sanjay Bardia late at night on Friday on charges of toppling the Congress-led government.

Jain was arrested under section 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code (IPC), said a SOG official.

While in another audiotape, Vishvendra Singh, who is also a Pilot supporter and a member of the Rajasthan legislative assembly (MLA), can be heard purportedly speaking to another agent in his bid to topple the Gehlot government.

It could be heard that one person is talking about more legislators are needed to dislodge the Gehlot government and another person exuded confidence that the current dispensation would not last long.

Another conversation estimated that the Gehlot governments longevity is not more than 10-15 days.

The SOG is also investigating another case related to sedition against two persons, who have been arrested, on the basis of intercepts of two mobile phones that pertain to an alleged bid to oust the Gehlot government.
Phuket Swap Shop returns with focus on charity drive

The Phuket Swap Shop enjoyed a large turnout with its first meet since the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted, raising funds for the Life Home Project Foundation & Orphanage through a Swap Shop held at the Grind Cafe on the bypass road on July 4.

Community

By The Phuket News

Saturday 18 July 2020, 11:00AM

The July 27 event will be in conjunction with the Andaman Natural Resources and Conservation Foundation, which will be holding a beach cleanup at Nai Harn beach that morning.

The success of the Phuket SWAPSHOP relaunch will see another event held in the south of the island, at RawFitness in Nai Harn on July 27.

The Swap Shop was held under the guidance of Rassada Municipality, with Mayor Phudit Raksarat lending a hand in organising the event and in collaboration with the Andaman Natural Resources Conservation Foundation (ANRCF) with Samran Sinthong, secretary of the ANRCF Southern Thailand area, also joining the team.

The Phuket SWAPSHOP coordinators Sarha Robinson and Yoana Vastree Estevez not only decided to do something against the excessive waste of products by giving locals the possibility to swap pre-loved treasures rather than throwing them away, but also connected sustainability, charity and local support into one event.

Our relaunch on July 4 was a huge success! said Sarha. Over 200 people decluttered their houses and swapped to their hearts content at the Grind Cafe, Yoana agreed happily; I could not believe my eyes when I saw so many people lovingly share their beautiful possessions. We were amazed by the constant flow of clothes, books, shoes, homeware and more!

Phuket SWAPSHOP collaborates with different venues each time to support local businesses, which is very important in these difficult times.

We had many people reach out to us such as organic farms and vegetarian restaurants who are all involved in making sustainable living reality, Sarha explained.

The big focus of the July 4 event was to raise funds for children under the care of the Life Home Project Foundation, she added.

The Life Home Foundation is a non-profit organisation with the goal of preventing the spread of HIV, as well as helping HIV-infected/affected people and AIDS patients. The foundation first acted as a hospice for women with AIDS with the main purpose of establishing a self-reliant and sustainable shelter by offering vocational training and education for HIV affected women and their children, as well as helping HIV-positive persons and AIDS patients in the community and in hospitals.

The Life Home Foundation receives no government funding and relies entirely on private donations.

The success of the Phuket SWAPSHOP relaunch will see another event held in the south of the island, at RawFitness in Nai Harn on July 27. This event will be in conjunction with the Andaman Natural Resources and Conservation Foundation, which will be holding a beach cleanup at Nai Harn beach that morning.

We are so grateful that we can help so many people at the same time, said Sarha. We will support the ANRCF in their mission to promote sustainable living and caring for the environment, we will help local businesses by bringing in a lot of visitors and we will give the local community a chance to SWAP and find new treasures. Its an amazing collaboration of awesomeness!

If you want to give back to Phuket and support the community, make sure you follow and like Phuket SWAPSHOPs Facebook page to stay updated about future events: https://www.facebook.com/phuketswapshop/

We encourage everyone to come, see and take part  and remember, all this helps to raise funds for children in need!

For more information about the Phuket SWAPSHOP events, contact Sarha and Yoana through the Phuket SWAPSHOP Facebook page or by email to phuketswapshop@gmail.com

Raw Fitness is located 90/6 Moo 1 Saiyan-Nai Harn, Viset Road, 83130, Rawai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket. (Click here for map.)
When PK Sharma, a renowned doctor in Tinsukia, a commercial hub of upper Assam, died on Wednesday due to Covid-19 complications, condolences poured in from all over.

But when it came to performing the last rites of the 75-year-old, the local administration had to seek help from five men who volunteered after the health and municipal workers refused for fear of contracting the coronavirus disease.

Dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, the men, who are members of Assams nearly 14,000-strong Pratirodhi Bondhu, a cadre of volunteers created by the state government, gave the doctor a dignified farewell.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

This is the first cremation of a Covid patient we had to perform in our district. After municipal workers refused to conduct the last rites, we requested the Pratirodhi Bondhus, and the five youths volunteered, Bhaskar Pegu, Tinsukias district deputy commissioner, said.

The five men, all college students, are now under quarantine and awaiting their swab test results for Covid-19. Once that comes, they want to return to helping others during the coronavirus pandemic as well as the floods ravaging most districts of the state.

Ive never done last rites. But the moment I heard no one was coming forward to perform the last rites of the deceased doctor, I volunteered. It felt nice to be associated with the task, a 19-year-old, one of the five volunteers, said on condition of anonymity.

The need for a dedicated group of volunteers engaged in non-medical activities related to Covid-19 who can support the local administration and the frontline workers was felt a few months ago when the pandemic first struck Assam.

Since the state is ravaged by floods each year, the volunteers were also expected to help the disaster management authorities in the districts in managing Covid-19 vis-a-vis floodswithout any remuneration.

We came up with the idea and issued an appeal in April seeking volunteers for Covid-19 related work. There was an overwhelming response and 16,000 people came forward within 4 days, Pankaj Chakraborty, state project coordinator of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), said.

While most of the volunteers were students above 18 years of age or unemployed youths, ASDMA also received applications from doctors involved in private practice, other professionals and even popular Olympic boxer from the state, Shiva Thapa.

Besides advocacy and awareness as well as helping in Covid and flood work the aim of engaging the volunteers was to provide emotional and psychological support to senior citizens and children in these trying times and act as bridges between community and administration, said Chakraborty.

The volunteers are being engaged for a minimum of 10 days to maximum 60 days till September and were provided online training on basics of Covid-19 and hygiene, mental health and counselling and risk communication and community engagement before they started performing their assigned tasks.

While frontline workers like doctors, healthcare personnel and police are leading the Covid-19 battle, the role of these volunteers is also very commendable. In our district they are engaged in flood relief, helping police in enforcing social distancing and now even assisting with performing last rites, Ruby Gogoi, district project officer of the disaster management authority in Tinsukia, said.

Though it was not part of their assigned tasks, some volunteers also got involved in evacuating people and maintaining order when Oil India Limiteds natural gas well in Baghjan witnessed a blow out on May 27 and caught fire on June 9.

Till Friday, Assam had recorded 21,864 Covid-19 cases with 14,105 recoveries and 51 deaths. Floods in the state since May have claimed over 100 lives76 due to drowning and 26 due to landslides.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, at present more than 35 lakh people in 28 districts are still affected by the floods and over 51,000 uprooted are taking shelter in relief camps.
JERSEYVILLE  Prosecutors are challenging an attempt by a Jerseyville man convicted of murder to get a new trial.

Special Prosecutor Crystal Uhe this week filed a response refuting allegations by Roger Carroll, who was convicted in the death Bonnie Woodward.

In March, a Jersey County jury found Carroll guilty of of murder in Woodwards 2010 death. His attorneys, Clyde Kuehn and Scott Snider, filed a motion in June seeking a new trial.

Uhe filed prosecutors response to the trial request Wednesday. Uhe, Madison County first assistant states attorney, was appointed along with former Madison County prosecutor Jennifer Mudge as special prosecutors because the case involved both Madison and Jersey counties.

Carroll, 53, could get up to life in prison because a firearm was used in the commission of the killing, which enhances the usual sentence.

Carroll was an early suspect in the June 25, 2010, death of Woodward, 48, of East Alton, but the case was dormant until the reported assault of his wife, Monica, and subsequent testimony by his son, Nathan, in April 2018.

Kuehn and Snider contend Roger Carrolls attorneys were not given property notice of the testimony of the witness who identified Carroll. They also argue the judge erred in allowing testimony about a confrontation between Roger and Monica Carroll or testimony about charred bone fragments at the spot where Roger Carroll is said to have set a fire to burn Woodwards remains.

At the trial, witnesses testified Roger Carroll killed Woodward and burned her remains on a huge pile of brush before pushing it into a creek outside his rural Jersey County home.

Mudge said that in the days before Woodwards death, Roger Carroll stalked her. She was reported missing after her car was left in the parking lot of Eunice Smith Nursing Home in Alton.

A hearing on the motion is set for Aug. 19 in front of Circuit Judge Eric Pistorius in the Jersey County Courthouse.
The European Unions two surprise court losses this week in cases related to its handling of tech companies are unlikely to slow its multi-front attempts to regulate US digital giants.

On Thursday, the EUs top court said Europeans data is unsafe in the US and struck down a method that Facebook Inc. and thousands of other companies use to send information. A day earlier, Apple Inc. won a court fight over a record 13 billion-euro ($14.9 billion) Irish tax bill in a setback for the EUs crackdown on preferential fiscal deals.

The Apple ruling seemed like a major blow to Margrethe Vestager, the EU tech czar whos gained prominence by cracking down on Silicon Valleys abuse of power and seeking to curb their effort to set up shop in the lowest-tax nations. But on Thursday, she announced an antitrust probe into voice assistants such as Apple Inc.s Siri and Amazon.com Inc.s Alexa to look at how tech companies use data to gain a tight grip on growing markets.What we see in Europe, which we do not see in the United States, is a set of governments who see digital as a policy area where government should be involved, said Frances Burwell, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. It doesnt always work, but that doesnt mean that the conversation or the attempt is going to stop.

Thursdays decision by the top court was yet another defeat for the European Commission, the blocs executive body and antitrust agency. The judges struck down the so-called Privacy Shield, a mechanism that EU and US officials spent years negotiating, and said Europeans data was insufficiently protected when moved to the US because of concerns about American surveillance programs.

In the Apple court case, the iPhone maker contested a 2016 decision by the commission ordering it to pay back taxes to Ireland, saying the EU sought to retroactively change the rules by forcing it to pay taxes in Europe that are due in the US . The EU General Court sided with the companys arguments.Despite the defeat, Vestager said she would continue her quest to force fair behaviour by large tech corporations.

After the judgment, she said her team would continue to scrutinize aggressive tax planning measures. And on Thursday, she unveiled a sweeping antitrust inquiry into voice assistants and other connected gadgets such as smart thermometers and TVs, an area companies like Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google have sought to expand in recent years.
ABOUT VILLAGEREACH

VillageReach transforms health care delivery to reach everyone, so that each person has the health care needed to thrive. We develop solutions that improve equity and access to primary health care. This includes making sure products are available when and where they are needed and primary health care services are delivered to the most under-reached. Radical collaboration with governments, the private sector and other partners strengthen our ability to scale and sustain these solutions. Our work increases access to quality health care for more than 40 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. VillageReach is incorporated in Washington State and has offices in Seattle (USA), Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and Mozambique.

DESCRIPTION

Summary

VillageReach invites qualified candidates to apply for the temporary position of Technical Manager, Digital Solutions  Francophone Africa. This temporary full-time employment will be for a period of approximately nine months with the potential to extend dependent on funding and mutual good fit. The Technical Manager, working in collaboration with global staff, will play a key technology solution management and coordination role in COVID 411, a program operating in DRC, Malawi and Mozambique to expand the VillageReach health center by phone platform to support coordinated COVID-19 messaging. This position will provide managerial and technical oversight and/or advice to ensure successful and timely completion of project activities. Their main responsibilities include overall project management, technical leadership and partnership building and management, monitoring and evaluation. The successful candidate will be a person fluent in both French and English with experience managing digital technology or software project activities and who is motivated by VillageReachs mission of health care reaching everyone.

Description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time.

Provide overall Technical Project Management in a multi-vendor, multi-stakeholder environment with both agile and work plan-driven management. Work effectively with technologists and non-technical stakeholders.

Maintain oversight of the overall project schedule, key milestones, and deliverables. Track work plan activities and facilitate meetings including sprint team meetings and technology vendor coordination meetings.

Learn technology tools including call center hotline platforms and messaging/chatbot services in order to be able to use and configure these tools. Prepare training materials and transfer selected skills to other staff and partners.

Contribute to content development (such as working with subject matter experts to contribute to call operator scripts and IVR messaging campaigns). Coordinate translations and approvals of content and documents.

Create written documentation including meeting notes, work plan status reports, and progress updates.

Facilitate knowledge management and collaboration among global and country staff including developing, documenting, and disseminating lessons learned, best practices, and case studies.

Lead technology vendor relationship management including expectation setting, establishing specifications and requirements, and holding vendors and partners accountable to timelines and deliverables. This includes facilitating technical conversations with vendors and with VillageReach software engineering experts.

Provide review and quality assurance for documents and technical deliverables.

Coordinate and support data export, data cleaning, dashboard preparation, and KPI reporting.

Contribute to ongoing improvement and dissemination of VillageReachs work by cultivating an understanding of stakeholders and staying up to date about significant initiatives for digital solutions in global health.

by cultivating an understanding of stakeholders and staying up to date about significant initiatives for digital solutions in global health. Actively identify, develop and manage new partnerships and business development opportunities.

Mentor and manage less experienced/junior employees with the goal of developing their skills, experience, and ability to contribute to VillageReach work.

Competencies:

The following competencies reflect what is expected of all VillageReach employees; including examples of how one might demonstrate each of these competencies in ones role.

* Personal Motivation and Drive: Is self-directed in ones approach to work, but asks for help when needed; holdsoneself accountable; undertakes self-development activities; seeks to build and master new skills; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities within the organization

* Collaboration & Effective Communication: Establishes and maintains effective relations with coworkers, partners &stakeholders and external parties; works collaboratively with others to accomplish organizational and team goals and objectives; works actively to resolve conflicts; expresses ideas and thoughts effectively; selects and uses appropriate communication methods and maintains meaningful communication with virtual coworkers and other parties to keep them informed

* Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: Takes personal responsibility for and supports others across the organization in creating and sustaining a diverse work environment where individuals are welcomed, valued, respected and supported; personally committed to attaining cultural competency including self-awareness of ones own attitudes about culture and cross-cultural interactions; exhibits the willingness and ability to engage openly and respectfully around issues of race, colonialism, identity and culture; upholds equity in access to sharing of information, ideas, and opportunities throughout VillageReach

* Commitment to Excellence: Produces a high output of work, both in terms of quality and quantity; looks for ways toimprove and promote quality; monitors work to ensure quality; has a personal commitment to the mission of VillageReach

* Solution Orientation & Innovation: Focuses on results and desired outcomes and how to best achieve them; getsthe job done; sees opportunities for creative problem-solving while staying within the parameters of good practice; sees old problems in new ways and has novel approaches to solving those problems; contributes original and/or resourceful ideas to their area of responsibility; is able to consider and articulate risks and consequences of proposed innovations and factor these into decision-making

REQUIREMENTS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Education & Experience:

A Bachelor s degree or higher in IT, information systems, project management, public policy, development studies, resource management, public administration, public health, or a related field.

higher in IT, information systems, project management, public policy, development studies, resource management, public administration, public health, or a related field. A minimum of 5 years of experience working in technology in global health or international development.

Experience in digital solutions deployment, configuration, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in the context of public health. Experience working directly with software developers is a plus.

Experience working at or with technology vendors or technology providers. (Examples could include telecom providers, chatbot/messaging services, USSD, SMS or IVR service providers, or electronic health records.)

Experience in Project/Program management: Familiar with program and project management principles and strategies. A project management certification is a plus.

Other Qualifications:

Strong verbal and written French and English.

Strong communication and cross-cultural management skills including experience with political officials.

Open mindedness to accommodate the non-traditional mix of disciplines within VillageReach and interpersonal skills to work effectively in partnership with others in the organization and externally.

Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and comfortable in a fast-paced technical environment.

Established cultural competency in partnering with racial, cultural and linguistically diverse groups.

Demonstrated understanding of challenges with working in rural, underserved and low-income context; experience living in and/or working in a low-income country a plus.

Knowledge of last mile health infrastructure challenges (e.g. of rural communities in an African context).

Ability to collect and analyze data quickly and efficiently. Ability and confidence to identify and recommend creative solutions to a diverse group of stakeholders. Identifies both opportunities and needs for change. Ability to identify issues or problems and provide a respective solution that is feasible and acceptable to the local context. Explores and shares innovative best practices with others.

Energy, intelligence, diplomacy, sound practical judgment and ability to work independently without supervision. Ability to travel internationally, up to 10% of the time.

Environment and Physical Demands

VillageReach has no private offices, employees work in a shared, open environment with task and conference rooms accessible to employees for privacy and meetings. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. During COVID-19 office closures, we expect employees to work remotely from home including video calls. Due to the time zone differences between our Seattle office and our Country Offices and location of other global staff, our Country office staff are expected to be available for late afternoon/evening meetings up to 6pm local time.

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

This is an immediate hire and therefore resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 31 July, 2020. To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to our online portal: https://www.villagereach.org/join-us/

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION:

VillageReach is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity. We believe that diverse, equitably weighted perspectives foster an organizational capacity to create novel solutions that improve health in the most underserved and hard-to-reach areas. To align our values, innovations and impact, VillageReach is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce.

Compensation:

VillageReach has an established compensation structure that is based on the relevant market and internally transparent. We hire people into the established range based on ones experience and education and considering internal equity. We do not inquire about salary history.

2900 Eastlake Ave. E., Suite 230 Seattle, WA 98102 USA

TEL: 1.206.512.1530 & 1.866.203.3175 FAX: 1.206.860.6972

www.villagereach.org // info@villagereach.org

WWW.VILLAGEREACH.ORG
Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu waits for a meeting of the Pobeda (Victory) Organizing Committee at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 11, 2019. (Pavel Golovkin/Pool via Reuters)

Russia Holds Military Exercises in Southwest Amid Flare-Up Between Azerbaijan and Armenia

MOSCOWRussia is holding military exercises to test its combat readiness amid clashes between its ally Azerbaijan and Armenian forces, Russias defense minister told his Azeri counterpart on Saturday.

The Defense Ministry described the exercises as a routine check of the armys capacity to ensure security in Russias southwestern region.

More than a dozen Armenian and Azeri soldiers have been killed in recent days in clashes between the two former Soviet republics which have long been at odds over Azerbaijans breakaway, mainly ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russia, which has a military base in Armenia, has urged the two sides to cease fire and show restraint. The Kremlin has said Moscow is ready to act as a mediator.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Azerbaijans Sakir Hasanov discussed the clashes in a phone call on Saturday.

The drills involve around 150,000 troops and 400 aircraft, according to the defense ministry.

The two sides accuse each other of shelling military targets and villages, and Azerbaijan has warned Armenia it could strike the Metzamor nuclear power station if its Mingechavir reservoir or other strategic outlets were hit.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Saturday Azerbaijan posed a threat to his country and global security, saying the threat to attack one of its nuclear power stations amounted to a threat to commit terrorism.

Russia considers Armenia to be a strategic partner in the South Caucasus region and supplies it with weapons.
London, July 18 : Joaquin Phoenixs Oscar-winning starrer "Joker" is the most complained about film of 2019 in the United Kingdom.

This was revealed by British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The BBFC report states that the DC origin movie received 20 complaints relating to the film's age classification, which is 15, reports digitalspy.com.

Complaints said that the BBFC should have classified the film as suitable for an 18-rating owing to its "violence and tone", while some people felt it should have been banned altogether.

The BBFC feel that the movie doesn't "dwell on the infliction of pain or injury in a manner that requires an 18", despite scenes of strong violence, including stabbings, shootings and blood.

While "Joker" received the most complaints in 2019, its total number is far less than the amount of complaints "Red Sparrow" received in 2018.

The Jennifer Lawrence-starrer was BBFC's most complained-about movie in 2018 with 64 complaints. The total number of complaints filed to the BBFC dropped by nearly half from 2018 to 2019. There were only 149 total complaints filed in 2019.

Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" had received a total of 364 complaints back in 2008.

Todd Phillips' "Joker" tells the story of the popular DC supervillain of the same name. The film traces the protagonist's early life as Arthur Fleck (essayed by Phoenix), who is an aspiring stand-up comedian struggling to make ends meet and constantly derided by society. The film narrates how circumstances push Fleck into the path of crime after he fails to find his way in Gotham's fractured society.

Apart from winning Oscars for Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Original Score (Hildur Guonadottir), "Joker" was a global box-office success. The film's impact sparked conversations around mental health. A follow-up to the film is also in the works.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
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Jaipur: Launching a counter-attack on Congress over audiotapes stir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (July 18) asked if the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan resorted to unconstitutional methods to tap the phones of politicians.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, who addressed an online media briefing today, demanded a CBI investigation into the allegations made by Congress in Rajasthan.

He posed a few questions before the Congress during the briefing:

Q1. Was phone taping done? The Congress govt in Rajasthan must answer.

Q2. Is it not a sensitive and legal issue, if phone tapping has been done?

Q3. Assuming that phones were tapped by the Rajasthan government, was the standard operating procedure followed by Congress?

Q4. Did the Congress govt in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered? The Chief Minister should answer if the state machinery was misused in the phone tapping incident.

Q5. Is the government in Rajasthan snooping on all political leaders in the state?

Q6. Is there not a state of emergency in Rajasthan?

Q7. Is phone of any person who is related to politics being tapped?

On Friday, Congress cited two audio clips on social media and demanded the arrest of Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat, alleging that he is heard in one of them during a conversation on a plot to bring down the Congress government in the state.

Congress also suspended two dissident MLAs -- sacked ministers Vishvendra Singh and Bhanwarlal Sharma -- from its primary membership. In an FIR lodged with Rajasthan police, the party alleged that Sharma was also heard in the audio clip.

The complaint by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi mentioned Gajendra Singh but stopped short of identifying him as the union minister.

Both Shekhawat and Bhanwarlal Sharma have rejected the allegations, levelled by AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala at a press conference.

Sanjay Jain, the third man mentioned in the audio clips, was arrested late at night. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had referred to him as a BJP leader, a charge denied by that party.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) was sent to a hotel in BJP-ruled Haryana's Gurgaon the to seek the dissident MLAs' version in connection with an FIR lodged over the audio clips, the unit's Additional Director General Ashok Rathore said.

The team was stopped outside the hotel for about an hour by Haryana policemen deployed there. The Rajasthan police were let in later, but told at the reception that the MLA was not staying there, and they returned, Rathore said.

Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident MLAs are challenging the Congress move to disqualify them from the state assembly, and were initially asked to send their replies by 1 pm on Friday.
She moved fans after disclosing her mental health struggles in a powerful anti-racism speech in the wake of George Floyd's death.

And weeks after her emotional words, Clara Amfo is reportedly being lined-up for a stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

The BBC Radio 1 presenter, 36, is said to have impressed with her coverage on the channel, with bosses also hoping to cast a 'diverse range of talent', according to The Mirror.

Dancing Queen? Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo is reportedly being lined up for a stint on Strictly Come Dancing this year (pictured in March)

A source told the publication: 'Clara is now a familiar BBC face and producers want her. The show wants to cast a diverse range of talent.'

The publication reports that bosses were also impressed with Clara's coverage on BBC Ones One World: At Home Together online concert in support of the NHS.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of Clara for comment.

Clara has previously expressed her love for dancing, stating: 'I love to rave. I love to dance. Notting Hill Carnival is one of my favourite days of the year', so no doubt she'll be perfect for the show.

Line-up: The BBC Radio 1 presenter, 36, is said to have impressed with her coverage on the channel, with bosses also hoping to cast 'diverse range of talent' (2019 cast pictured)

She joins a long list of celebrities on the rumoured Strictly line-up including Jessie J, Gillian Anderson, Sandi Toksvig and Paul Merson.

The reports come weeks after Clara broke down in tears on her show back in June as she discussed her mental health struggles following the death of George Floyd.

The broadcaster delivered a powerful speech on racism as she told listeners she was unable to come into work the day before and speak with 'happy intention' when she had spent the weekend devastated.

In demand: 'Clara is now a familiar BBC face and producers want her. The show wants to cast a diverse range of talent' a source told the Mirror

The previous week, ex-police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after a video surfaced of him crushing 46-year-old Floyd's neck with his knee in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The DJ began her address: 'I'm fully aware that we are in the middle of this devastating pandemic, and I'm fully aware that I'm not a medical professional or a frontline worker. I am just a woman who does a radio show.

'But my job is very public facing, so I want to talk to you. Now if you have small children or would rather not hear what I'm about to say, because I am going to discuss race and violence, please check out something else for the next few minutes.'

Emotional: Radio 1 DJ Clara broke down in tears on her show back in June as she discussed her mental health struggles following the death of George Floyd

Clara continued: 'Now as you know at Radio 1 we talk a lot about mental health and mine was in a really, really bad way yesterday.

'In fact it has been for the past few days, in particular, in relation to the death of George Floyd. George Floyd, an unarmed black man, who died whilst being held under arrest.'

She continued: 'Now, I didn't have the mental strength to face you guys yesterday, to ask, "Hi, how was your weekend" like I usually do with my happy intention, because I know that my weekend was terrible.

'I was sat on my sofa, crying, angry, confused, and also knowing, stuck at the news'

Clara's voice broke as she continued her emotive speech and while fighting back tears.

Devastating: The previous week, ex-police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after a video surfaced of him crushing 46-year-old Floyd's neck with his knee in Minneapolis, Minnesota

She said: 'Stuck at the news of yet another brutalised black body. Knowing how the world enjoys blackness and seeing what happened to George, we black people get the feeling that people want our culture but they do not want us.

'In other words, you want my talent but you don't want me. There is a false idea that racism, and in this case anti-blackness, is just name-calling and physical violence, when it so much more insidious than that.'

Clara then shared a powerful quote by Amanda Seales, who said: 'You cannot enjoy the rhythm and ignore the blues.'

The DJ added: 'I say that with my chest.'

She ended her highly emotive speech: 'Let's do this. Let's all be anti-racist.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent out a strong message to the international community of on shaping the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) agenda, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said Saturday.

A strong message to the international community of Indias role and contribution: PM @narendramodi on shaping the ECOSOC agenda. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas, Sabka Vishwas - resonating with the core SDG commitment of leaving no one behind, Jaishankar tweeted.

In another tweet, he also underlined Modis call for reforming the global multilateral system to enhance the UNs relevance and effectiveness.

Making the fight against the COVID-19 a peoples movement. Economic package of over 300 billion dollars. Vision of a self-reliant & Resilient India, integrated with the global economy. Call for reformed multilateralism with a reformed UN at its center, Jaishankar wrote.

In his address on Friday, Modi recalled Indias support to the ECOSOC and UNs developmental work, and how they are tied to Indias own domestic agenda.

Today, through our domestic efforts, we are again playing a salient role in achieving Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. India is also supporting other developing countries in meeting their Sustainable Development Goals, he said.

Modi went on to stress that Indias motto of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas, Sabka Vishwas resonated with the core SDG principle of leaving no one behind.

The PM spoke at length about Indias efforts to expand access to sanitation, bring about gender parity in elementary and higher education, and empowering women through financial inclusion.
Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week?
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 00:37:05|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's anti-narcotics police said on Saturday they seized 379 kilograms of cannabis.

Emmanuel Lukula, the Kilimanjaro regional police commander, said the cannabis was seized at Holili town at the border between Tanzania and Kenya.

He said police were also holding for interrogation the driver of a pick-up vehicle that was used to ferry the cannabis.

"Police seized the cannabis in the ongoing anti-narcotics operation across the country," Lukula told a news conference in Moshi municipality of Kilimanjaro region located on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.

On July 6, Tanzanian President John Magufuli ordered to transfer and demote at least three police officers for protecting a syndicate growing cannabis in the country's northern district of Meru. Enditem
As the countrys tax agency, the CRA affects the lives of Canadians more than much other government and federal institutions. While its usual duty is to ensure that everyone complies with their tax obligations and to offer tax incentives to those most in need, this year has been very different. The government had to provide financial relief to its citizens, and the CRA played a key role.

The CRA offered some breathing room to Canadians that were affected by the pandemic by extending tax deadlines and allowing people to gather their resources. But thats not the only change this year.

Home buyers plan

One of the major changes this year is for home buyers. The CRAs home buyers plan allow Canadians who are buying a qualified home to take out some of their RRSP savings without incurring any withholding tax. The amount has to be paid back in 15 years, which is a generous enough duration.

The home buyers plans limit used to be $25,000. But for any withdrawals that were made after March 19, 2019, the limit is increased by a full $10,000. The new $35,000 limit allows first-time home buyers and people who are building their own homes access to better resources. For people taking the money out for a down payment, the increased amount can mean qualifying for better properties.

CERB

The best and most substantial help for Canadians that came out of CRA this year is undoubtedly the CERB  a massive, multi-billion-dollar aid project that helped Canadians who lost their livelihoods in the pandemic. Even though the CERB payouts are taxable, and the CRA will take back a piece of them in the next years taxes, they have been enormously beneficial for millions of Canadians this year.

The CERB has been extended to keep people afloat for a few more months. But the governments generosity is going to run out eventually. If you are cash strapped and thinking about liquidating some of your TFSA assets, you may want to consider selling off some of your stagnant stocks and add some growth to your portfolio. If you are more comfortable with a small stake, you may want to consider a stock like K92 Mining.

Story continues

The company has a market capitalization of $988 million. It owns and operates the Kainantu Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea. The company has minimal debt and assets that are over five times its liabilities. It doesnt pay any dividends, but it does offer amazing growth opportunities. It returned about 550% in the past three years to its investors, which brings its CAGR to 86.69%.

That kind of growth might not be sustainable for many years to come. But if it holds for just five years, $1,000 in K92 Mining can get you a small nest egg of $22,000.

Foolish takeaway

Keeping up to date about changes in tax policies and other CRA rules can be beneficial. It would prevent tax mistakes and keep you informed regarding tax credits and deductions that may help you with a lighter tax bill. One evergreen way to keep your tax bill lower is fully contributing to your RRSP.

The post CRA Tax Update 2020: 2 Massive Changes You Should Know appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

Fool contributor Adam Othman 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
A state-wide drive launched to screen orphans and street kids for Covid-19 has united a grieving mother with her son who was missing for four years. The authorities also rescued 10 children hailing from Bihar who were forced to live as bonded labourers.

The good turn of events took place barely a couple of days after 'Operation Muskaan Covid-19' was launched by the Andhra Pradesh Police.

Bobba Sri Lalitha, a resident of Palakollu in the West Godavari district, lost her husband soon after the birth of her second son, Srinivas. Struggling to make ends meet, Lalitha was forced to take up menial jobs, including working as a rag picker to feed her sons.

In 2016, Srinivas fled home and reached the Vijayawada railway station. From there, the railway police rescued Srinivas and shifted him to a child care centre in Vijayawada and has been there ever since.

During the course of Operation Muskaan, Srinivas finally revealed that he is a native of Palakollu in the West Godavari district. The authorities then sprung into action and facilitated the reunion of Srinivas with his mother.

DGP Gautam Sawang said, "It is very heartwarming to be able to facilitate the reunion of a mother-son duo after almost four years. Things like these give us immense satisfaction and keep us going. Each kid who has been rescued has a heart wrenching story. It is to make this kind of difference in the lives of the vulnerable that this initiative was launched."

Police officials said that the 'Muskaan Covid-19' initiative has led to the rescue of 2,739 kids within 72 hours of its launch.

During the drive, the police have also rescued 10 children employed as 'bonded labourers' in Perecherla. All the kids hailing from Bihar have now been rescued and shifted to child care homes while a case has been registered against the management under relevant sections of the law.

The drive will continue till July 20.
Colin Millar from Wexford Fire Service, Mark Brennan from Rescue Organisation Ireland, Ray Martin from Dublin Fire Brigade and Sean Finn from Wexford Fire Service at the Rescue Organisation Ireland Frontline to Finishline charity walk as it passed through Gorey

Rescue Organisation Ireland was met with a friendly welcome in Gorey recently during its 'Frontline to Finishline' charity fundraiser.

During their visit, they were joined by members of the National Ambulance Service, An Garda Siochana as well as Wexford Fire Service and Wexford Civil Defence (Gorey Unit).

During Frontline to Finishline, the Rescue team travelled and paraded through Irish towns raising money for the charities ALONE and Pieta House, particularly concentrating on the effort made by volunteers during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The volunteers from the various emergency services walked in pairs, in single file, wearing their uniform or turn-out kit holding a social distancing 2 metre sign from Dublin through Kildare, Laois, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and finishing on the east coast of Wicklow in Bray over a total of six days.

On the day in Gorey, Colin Millar from Wexford Fire Service walked with Mark Brennan of Rescue Organisation Ireland, Ray Martin from Dublin Fire Brigade and Sean Finn from Wexford Fire Service

The donations have been flooding in since, and to date over 10,000 has been raised with a final figure of 10,862 recorded on the closing date, July 4.

The team want to thank all those who came out in support on the day as well as everyone from the Wexford area who made a donation to the cause.
The State Department has declared that a former Egyptian leader now serving on the executive board of the International Monetary Fund should be immune from a federal lawsuit brought by a U.S. citizen seeking to hold him liable for torture, according to court filings Friday.

The decision followed allegations of a diplomatic pressure campaign by the government of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to block the lawsuit against former interim prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who was named to the IMF board in 2014.

Several U.S. lawmakers and human rights groups have accused Egypt of blackmailing the Trump administration by threatening to weaken their strategic partnership in the Middle East unless Washington intervenes to dismiss a lawsuit from Mohamed Soltan, 32. Since the suit was filed by Soltan, a Washington-based human rights advocate who was imprisoned for 21 months in Cairo, Egyptian authorities have imprisoned several of his Egyptian relatives, in what human rights groups say is a bid to silence him.

"If the State Department had any discretion here and they chose to use it to protect this guy, that would be outrageous," said Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., a former State Department appointee who spearheaded a letter from 11 House lawmakers urging the Egyptian government to release Soltan's relatives and affirming Soltan's right to sue under U.S. law.

"If I were at the State Department, my message to the Egyptians would be, 'You can challenge this case in a lawful manner and ask us for help, or you can kidnap the relatives of American citizens, in which case you can go to hell," Malinowski said. He cited U.S. law barring arms sales to governments engaged in a pattern of intimidation against American citizens.

Attorneys for Beblawi disclosed the U.S. "certification of immunity" in a filing Friday afternoon as part of a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed last month by Soltan, who was released in 2015 and has become vocal advocate for Egyptian prisoners, including several American citizens.

Foreign governments and leaders are typically immune from civil actions in U.S. courts. However, Soltan cited the U.S. Torture Victim Protection Act, a 1991 law that allows suits against those allegedly liable for torture or inhumane treatment that takes place anywhere in the world if the defendants are in the United States and no longer heads of state or government.

In a certification dated July 7 and signed by Clifton Seagroves, principal deputy director of the office of foreign missions, the State Department said Beblawi still qualifies as a diplomatic envoy as Egypt's "principal resident representative" to the IMF per United Nations agreements. The department notice, included in a court filing by Beblawi, said that under diplomatic convention he enjoys "full immunity" from criminal, civil and administrative actions in the United States.

Neither attorneys for Soltan nor a spokesperson for the Egyptian Embassy in Washington responded Friday to emailed requests for comment.

A State Department spokesperson said, "The welfare of all U.S. citizens overseas, especially those detained or incarcerated, remains a top priority for the State Department. We are not going to comment further on this pending legal matter."

Beblawi attorney Timothy Broas said in the filing that his defense recently received a copy of the notice and accompanying State Department diplomatic note. The response came after Broas told the court this month that the Egyptian government through its Washington embassy on June 21 said, "Mr. El Beblawi has immunity from suit, not only by virtue of his current diplomatic status, but also personal immunity due to his official position of Prime Minister of Egypt at the time of the events cited."

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of Washington, D.C., has given Soltan until July 28 to respond to Beblawi's bid to dismiss the case.

Earlier this month, lead Soltan attorney Eric Lewis called Egypt's actions "outrageous" in comments to Foreign Policy magazine, which quoted him as saying "[Torture] is a breach of international law. [This request] is basically an attempt by the Egyptians to call in a political favor and have the United States give a free pass to torture. That is contrary to law and contrary to our values."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee members Christopher Coons, D-Del., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., sent a private letter to Egypt's ambassador urging Egypt to "halt its harassment" and intimidation of the Soltan family, the magazine reported.

An Egyptian American raised mostly in the Midwest, Soltan is seeking damages for being shot, beaten and tortured during 643 days as a political prisoner in Cairo.

Since his arrest in August 2013, Soltan has become a high-profile critic of the Egyptian military government, and he alleged in his lawsuit he was "targeted" for assassination and "barbaric" abuse because he exposed the regime's suppression of Islamist and liberal dissidents that led to massacres in Cairo in August 2013.

The suit asserts Beblawi directed and monitored the abuse of Soltan, who worked as a liaison to foreign journalists during protests after the military-led ouster of Egypt's elected president, Mohamed Morsi.

Days after the lawsuit was filed, five of Soltan's relatives were forcibly taken by security forces from their homes last month, and his imprisoned father was interrogated, his lawyers told the court.

"There is no doubt that the government is holding my five apolitical cousins and dad hostage to pressure me into silence," Soltan said this month. "The ransom is dropping my lawsuit. They told my family so."

Human rights activists say that the Sissi government has arrested tens of thousands of people for political reasons - among them U.S. citizens such as Mustafa Kassem, 54, an auto parts dealer from New York who died in an Egyptian prison in January.

Relatives of more than two dozen political opponents, human rights workers, pro-democracy activists and journalists living abroad have been arrested in Egypt, slapped with travel bans or hauled into security offices for interrogation.

Mohamed Lotfy, executive director for the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, has said the government's message is, " 'We are watching you. We might not be able to harm you, but we can do worse by harming your relatives.' It's a very powerful tool."

In a diplomatic note filed by Beblawi's defense, the State Department said it certified Beblawi's immunity after receiving three diplomatic notes from Egypt's embassy. The certification also came one day after the department announced Egypt's release of another dual Egyptian American citizen from New Jersey, medical student Mohamed Amashah, who was held a prisoner for 486 days on political charges.

- - -

The Washington Post's Carol Morello contributed to this report.
Chicago cops unleashed tear gas and charged at protesters Friday night after they attempted to tear down a statue of Christopher Columbus and threw fireworks at officers.

At least four protesters were injured after chaos erupted in Grant Park as hundreds of demonstrators gathered around the Columbus statue and vandalized it with graffiti.

The protesters aimed fireworks at police guarding the statue to push them back before they tied the monument up with ropes and tried to drag it down.

CBS reported that at least a dozen people were arrested. One also sustained injuries.

Protesters hurled fireworks at police in Chicago on Friday night

The protest attempted to pull down a Christopher Columbus statue

Shocking video showed fireworks exploding beside officers who were forced to retreat

At least four protesters were injured in the chaos in Grant Park on Friday night

According to WGN9, officers attempted to guard the statue but were hit with fireworks, bottles, full soda cans and other items and forced to back away.

They returned with pepper spray and clashed with protesters as authorities regained control over the area and pushed the demonstration away from the monument.

Protesters on bikes blocked of an intersection close by from around 9.30pm as they faced off with police and drove motorists away.

The large group was seen lining up along the four sides of the intersection in a circle as cars and emergency services looked on.

Protesters in the center were seen waving a large black flag as more demonstrators joined.

The main demonstration began earlier in the evening with rally planned for Black and Indigenous people in Buckingham Fountain, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

The group was calling for the defunding of the Chicago Police Department, saying the money should be invested in neighborhoods.

Hundreds gathered to hear speeches at about 5pm before peacefully marching toward Grant Park.

'There is a long list of names that will never be a hashtag... we cannot be out here every single time they kill one of us... thats why we need to have community control of the motherf*****g cops ,' one speech said, according to reporter Grace Del Vecchio.

The officers pulled bikes from protesters and they forced them away

Protesters linked arms at they tried to stand down police but were eventually forced to move as more tear gas was used as police herded them away from the statue

A great number of cops returned to secure the area around the state using tear gas

Some taunted the cops present by shouting, 'You're about to lose your jobs.'

Many traveled with bikes as they chanted 'Black Lives Matter' and held signs reading 'Defund the Police'.

Cops lined the path being taken by protesters but the demonstration remained peaceful until it reached the Columbus statue and a wave of fireworks was unleashed on officers surrounding the monument.

Several police injuries were reported as footage of the incident shows fireworks exploding just beside officers, as one falls to the ground.

A heavy barrage of other items continued to be thrown at officers until they backed away.

As cops fled, protesters surrounded the statue pulling off the covering over it to vandalize it and begin attempts to pull it down.

'Bring it down,' was chanted as two groups tried to dismantle the statue.

Some shouted at those filming the attempt and the earlier vandalization to stop.

Protesters on bikes blocked off an intersection later in the evening

Protesters are now working to pull the statue down #ColumbusStatue #ChicagoProtests pic.twitter.com/qKkXFNxQXp  Grace Del Vecchio (@delvecchiograce) July 18, 2020

The demonstrators gathered in a circle forcing cars on four sides to turn around

The group marched along Columbus Ave after being forced away from the statue

Chicago police quickly returned in greater numbers, however, and used batons and tear gas to beat back the protesters.

Protesters linked arms at they tried to stand down police but were eventually forced to move as more tear gas was used.

Angry clashes were seen as the protesters were herded out of the area and cops removed the ropes from the statue.

Video footage showed bikes being pulled from protesters by police officers as they were charged in riot gear and more fireworks exploded close by.

'Who do you serve, who do you protect?' protesters shouted as they backed away.

A large number remained watching outside the periphery, still choking on tear gas, as the Chicago police took control of the area.

A group then turned to Columbus Avenue where they continued a stand off with officers and planned to march back to Buckingham Fountain.

According to ABC7, four people were injured during the chaos and transported to a local hospital. They are said to be in a good condition.

NBC Chicago reported that at least four police officers were also injured.

Statues of Christopher Columbus have been torn town and targeted across the United States in recent weeks amid ongoing protests against racial injustice.

Columbus is seen as a figure of white supremacy and protesters are calling for his likeness to be removed from monuments.
Armenian armed forces purposefully hide their firing points near or behind their civilian objects for the purpose of provocation, Azerbaijans Defence Ministery Spokesperson Vagiv Dargahli told local media on July 18.

Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani Army fired only at the enemy's military targets. The firing points of the Armenian armed forces, which deliberately targeted Azerbaijani villages, civilians, and objects, were silenced by the precise fire of our units, Dargahli said.

The ministry also said that during the recent clashes in Tovuz, the Azerbaijani army used only a small portion of the available weapons, which are operated with high precision using modern information technologies and have destructive power in large areas. It is not all that we have.

"The available videos clearly show how accurately our troops destroyed positions, military facilities, military equipment, manpower and warehouses of the Armenian armed forces during the recent battles, testifying to the combat effectiveness, military potential and professionalism of the Azerbaijani army personnel," he noted.

I declare with confidence that the high fighting spirit of the personnel of our army, the modern weapons and military equipment in the army's arsenal, designed to conduct battles and ensure our security, will fully predetermine our victory," Dargahli concluded.

As to the situation on the border, Dargahli said that despite remaining tension, relative calm was observed in the Tovuz district direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border on the night of 17-18. The ceasefire on the line of contact was occasionally violated by units of the Armenian armed forces, and their attempts were resolutely suppressed by Azerbaijani army units, Dargahli added.

The cross-border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia started on July 12 noon after Armenian troops fired artillery at Azerbaijani military post in Tovuz region.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Love Island star Laura Anderson moments before attempted mugging in Barcelona, July 2020 (credit: Laura Anderson Instagram)

Love Island star Laura Anderson has revealed she was the victim of an attempted mugging in Barcelona.

The 31-year-old is currently holidaying in the Spanish city with boyfriend Tom Brazier, but has revealed a meal out turned nasty when two men tried to rob the pair while they were getting a taxi.

However, the feisty star detailed how she acted quickly and managed to fight off the would-be assailants.

Read more: Love Island's Laura Anderson has shared her new tattoo tribute in honour of Caroline Flack

Anderson took to her Instagram stories to tell of the scary incident.

She told her 1.2 million followers: "Hey guys so obviously, you know I am in Barcelona but last night was really horrible. Me and Tom went for dinner then decided to walk a little bit, try get a photo and basically got mugged.

"Nothing like this has ever happened to me before even when I worked for Emirates, travelling myself and stuff and Tom is pretty big.

Laura Anderson and Paul Knops during the 'Love Island Live' photocall at ICC Auditorium on August 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

"You know when you've just got a gut feeling? These two guys were just watching us and then I kept saying to Tom and he was like 'it's fine it's fine'."

She said: "So I just ran round the back of the cab and was like 'F*** off!' and whacked him on the shoulder with my phone which he could have taken and they scuffled off and it was just horrible and Tom was like get back in the car and we drove off.

"I didn't know where his friend was, I didn't know if he was gonna come from behind me or if he had any weapons, you just don't know - just for a watch!"

She later posted a photo of herself taken just moments before the attack took place.

She captioned it: Keep your eyes open. This was about 10 minutes before Tom and I got mugged last night.

Read more: ITV chief: I'd let my children take part in Love Island if they wanted

Moral of the story If youre travelling abroad just have your wits about you and look out for each other.

We were one of the lucky ones, minus a bit of rough & tumble. P.s The low life didnt get what he was after.

Anderson took part in the 2018 series of Love Island, finishing runner up with Paul Knops to Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham.
The president started taking Portland personally after that.

Federal law enforcement escalated after that, right? Thats the story that is making the rounds right now  the unmarked vans rounding up suspected protesters and arresting them.

Since the feds got involved with police its gotten really brutal. Id argue weve seen more police brutality in the last 50 days from Portland Police Department than anywhere else in the country. Its brutal but its also predictable. There are rhythms to the way police work. Its become an orchestrated dance with both sides.

There are warnings and kicking people out of the demonstration area. But the feds have deliberately defied the rhythms. Last Saturday, the crowd was 100 or so. It was very chill  nothing going on beyond the now-normal occupation of the Justice Center. And feds came out grabbing people seemingly at random and beating people with sticks. There was the kid who got shot in the head and his skull was fractured. The federal law enforcement violence is unpredictable violence.

Early on there seemed to be mass demonstrations focused on policing and racial justice. Is that still going on?

Its on a protester by protester basis. If you want to find really dumb stuff  kids getting into fist fights  youll find it. But theres a reason the demonstrations in Portland have been going on longer and at a higher intensity than any other city. First off, people here are really profoundly mad at their police department and they saw what Minneapolis got in terms of reform. Here, theyre not willing to take the minimal $25 million budget cut that they are offering police.

Also, protests have become, for many people, the main culture that exists in Portland now. We have a virus here, theres not much else going on. Theres an understanding theres an opportunity to either accept how bad things are or you can go out every night and try to do something about it.

How does that culture manifest?

Have you heard of Riot Ribs? Theres a guy named Lorenzo  he lives in Portland and came out one night grilling ribs for the protesters. He got tear gassed. Hes become something of a monument to the community. He Built a 24-hour rib restaurant  as much as you can eat. A local collective called The Witches created a fund-raiser for him while different houseless people helped to turn Riot Ribs into something bigger. Lorenzo set up resume building programs and programs to get people showers and job interviews. Its been a huge community effort. That's what people dont see as much. You could go to Justice Center at night and provoke feds or you could eat ribs. It was this beautiful surreal community. Last night, police cleared out Riot Ribs.
A man and woman have been arrested after a hit and run incident in north Belfast on Friday night.

At around 10.30pm police received a report that a grey BMW 118I car mounted the kerb and struck a man in his 40s.

Police believe that a man and woman then exited the vehicle and assaulted the man in the area.

The victim is believed to have suffered a broken leg following the incident.

A 40-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were subsequently arrested on suspicion of a number of related offences and have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

PSNI Chief Inspector Kelly Moore appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

We would appeal to anyone who witnessed the incident or saw anything suspicious in the area and has dashcam footage, to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 2109 17/07/20," she said.

"You can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/."
By PTI

JAIPUR: The Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) supports the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, the two MLAs of the regional party said in a joint press conference with state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara on Saturday.

BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president and other leaders have agreed on extending support to the Gehlot government on the condition that demands related to development of the state are fulfilled.

The party had on Monday issued a whip asking Roat and Ramprasad to be neutral and neither support the Congress nor the BJP.

It had also told them to neither support Chief Minister Gehlot nor Sachin Pilot in case of a floor test in the assembly.

"BTP MLAs and their party leaders held discussions with the chief minister. They were already with us and have reassured their support to the Ashok Gehlot government," Dotasara said at the press conference outside a hotel on the Delhi highway where the Congress has kept MLAs amid the political crisis.

ALSO READ: Rajasthan ACB lodges FIR in connection with two audio clips regarding 'conspiracy' to topple Congress govt

The MLAs were shifted to Hotel Fairmont on Monday soon after a Congress legislature party meeting, where Congress lawmakers expressed support for Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Pilot, whose rebellion threatens the state government.

Pilot was stripped of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted informing about the support by the BTP.

He tweeted a photo with the BTP's MLAs and office bearers giving him a demand letter, and said that they have announced to support the government.

"We had supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections (last month) on the condition that our demands related to the development of our areas will be met.

We have again held discussions with the chief minister on those demands and we have been assured that the demands will be fulfilled," BTP MLA Roat said.

He said that the BTP president had issued a whip directing them to stay neutral but now the party is in support of the government.

Roat, who recently issued two videos alleging that policemen were not allowing him to go from his Jaipur MLA residence to his constituency in Dungarpur district, said it happened due to misunderstanding by the police.

"I do not know what they had in mind. They said it was a misunderstanding. It's okay now," he said.

In the videos, one police inspector was seen taking away the keys from his car, which was surrounded by two police vans.

Ramprasad said that the BTP is against any attempt to topple an elected government.

"We are into issue-based politics.

Toppling an elected government by BJP is not fair, he said, while reaffirming support to the Gehlot government.

In the house of 200, Congress has 107 MLAs, including 19 of those who have been issued notices of disqualification by the assembly speaker on complaint by chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

The party claims that the Gehlot government has 109 MLAs, including Congress, independents and other supporting party legislators, in its support to run the government.
Srinagar: A man who gained some fame for his startling likeness to the Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor died after suffering a massive cardiac arrest at his Srinagar home late Thursday night. Junaid Nissar Shah was aged 29 and was pursuing a career in modeling in Mumbai.

Family sources said Junaid collapsed at around 10.30 pm that night after having spent the normally. He was rushed to Srinagars Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) where doctors soon pronounced him dead. The man had no history of heart disease but had lately been suffering from an anxiety disorder apparently because of his fathers deteriorating health.

Junaid Shah and his parents had a month ago returned home from Mumbai where he had taken up modeling as a profession. He had also reportedly enrolled himself in veteran actor Anupam Khers acting school.

Janaid Nissar Shah gained notice back in 2014 when his pictures went viral on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for his likeness to the popular actor Ranbir Kapoor. The resemblance was so striking that Ranbir Kapoors father, the veteran actor Rishi Kapoor tweeted on April 17, 2015, OMG. My own son has a double!!! Promise cannot make out. A good double!

Junaid Nisar Shah went to Delhi Public School before moving on to the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) for further studies. His sudden death is being widely mourned across Jammu & Kashmir.
Lalu Prasad Yadav

RJD president Lalu Prasad charged Nitish Kumar with remaining cocooned inside his official bungalow in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a criticism that prompted a sharp reaction from Chief Minister's deputy and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

The jailed former chief minister, serving sentences in Ranchi in fodder scam cases, came out with a couple of tweets in his native dialect Bhojpuri to take potshots at Kumar.

"Does a Chief Minister lead from the front or sleep with a blanket pulled over himself? In the four months since the first lockdown, Nitish has not ventured out of his bungalow even four times, said the septuagenarian, whose Twitter account is operated by people close to him.

He alleged that the people of the state have been left to fend for themselves amid the pandemic while the chief minister was busy in "rangai putai" (polishing) of the "mask of his good governance, characterized by unemployment, starvation, corruption and crime".

"This game of hide and seek will not drive coronavirus away. Who will fight the battle if the commander of the army runs away, Prasad added, sharing a tweet from his wife and successor as CM Rabri Devi, who had expressed similar views on the micro-blogging site, albeit in plain Hindi.

Kumar, who is known to be techno-savvy, has remained active politically and administratively through digital mediums like video conferencing.

This has not gone down well with the party founded and headed by Prasad who used to pose as a luddite in his hey days in a bid to underscore his humble roots which had endeared him to the masses.

Meanwhile, Modi, a senior BJP leader who was one of the litigants on whose PIL in the 1990s the Patna High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the fodder scam cases, hit back.

"At a time when the lockdown has been re-imposed because of coronavirus spike and people are being advised to work from home, Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi are asking Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to go among the people, throwing physical distancing to the winds, Modi, one of the most prolific social media users among politicians in Bihar, tweeted.

The Deputy CM also wondered why the couple did not give similar advice to their younger son and heir-apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who had remained away from the state for a long time after the nationwide lockdown was first clamped.

"Is the RJD wishing the chief minister to become infected with the coronavirus? A party known for its belief in black magic can go to any extent, driven by political envy", remarked Modi.

He was alluding to Shankar Charan Tripathi, a self-styled occultist whom Prasad had appointed as a spokesman of his party a few years ago, but sacked within months.

Sushil Modi also referred to the drubbing received in the Lok Sabha polls last year by the RJD, which failed to win a single seat in the state where the total number was 40, and the torpor exhibited by Tejashwi Yadav later who failed to attend the assembly session soon afterwards, which continued for over a month, despite being the leader of the opposition.

"Why did Lalu-Rabri not tweet at that time, babua, Janata ke beech rah ke chaheen (son, one must remain among the people)", remarked the BJP leader as a parting note, trying his hands at the colorful dialect.

As election for Bihar is approaching, wordy duel between rivals are intensifying.

Lalu Prasad, despite being in jail, keeps taking potshots at Kumar and the BJP to make his presence felt and boost RJD's prospects.
Amritsar Six days after Pakistan announced the resumption of Afghan exports to India through the Attari-Wagah border to facilitate transit trade, the first consignment of goods crossed over to India in two trucks on Saturday. All covid-19 related protocols were followed. Two trucks of licorice (mulethi) entered the Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari, on Saturday, said a senior Customs official in Amritsar.

We had information that seven-eight trucks of Afghan goods would enter India, and we had made arrangements accordingly, said a senior official of the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI), which oversees the ICPs affairs.

Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Association president Anil Mehra said, Pakistan has deliberately been creating hurdles in Afghan export to India. After a two-month long hiatus, Indian authorities allowed Afghan exports in the last week of May. The Pakistan government has also not been allowing movement of goods from Pakistans Chaman and Torkham borders with Afghanistan. Trade is victim of cheap politics of Pakistan. The ICP usually sees an annual trade of around Rs 7,000 crore and Rs 1,000 crore with Afghanistan and Pakistan, respectively.

Mehra added that besides allowing hurdle-free entry of Afghan exports to India, Pakistan should also consider the opening of trade with India from the Wagah border. Pakistan had shut trade with India and stopped operations of the Samjhauta Express after the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

India had suspended trade activities at the border on March 13 as a precautionary measure, against the covid-19 outbreak. Following this, Pakistan had also closed its border with India. Indian authorities had resumed suspended activities with covid-linked precautions on May 28, but Pakistan did not reciprocate. Two Afghan trucks, which had been stranded before the closure of the border, entered India on May 28.

Truck drivers and porters hope for resumption of their livelihood. We hear that 20-25 trucks a day will enter from Afghanistan once trade resumes fully. Thousands of porters and truck drivers hope to get back their jobs then. Trade with Pakistan must also open, said Amarjit Singh Shinda, president, Truck Drivers Union, at Attari.
In a major development, the Ministry of Home Affairs, on Saturday, has sought a report from Rajasthans Chief Secretary over the phone tapping issue in the state, as per ANI sources. The state's SOG has filed an FIR- naming rebel MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Sanjay Jain after tapes were leaked with these persons allegedly conversing about money transactions. Jain and 2 other BJP leaders- Ashok Singh and Bharat Malani have been arrested by the SOG.

MHA seeks report on phone tapping

Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report from #Rajasthans Chief Secretary over the phone tapping issue in the state: Sources  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2020

Rajasthan Govt Crisis LIVE Updates: BJP dares Gehlot to hold floor test; BTP supports CM

BJP: 'Will decide on defamation suit'

Addressing a press briefing on Friday, Rajasthan BJP chief Dr. Satish Poonia asked the whereabouts and authenticity of the 'leaked tapes'. Reiterating Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat's denial, he said that such allegations were done to defame the BJP. Moreover, he said that BJP will consult and decide on filing a defamation suit against Congress. Similarly, Leader of Opposition - Gulab Chandra Kataria and former CM Vasundhara Raje have questioned the authority of the state government to 'bug' their own MLAs, raising claims on its legality.

BJP slams Congress' 'leaked tapes' & horse-trading allegations; mulls defamation suit

Congress presents 'leaked tapes' in court

Earlier in the day, the Rajasthan SOG produced the audio clip which allegedly features businessman Sanjay Jain talking to MLAs about money transactions in a sessions court in Jaipur. The court has now ordered Jain to a four-day remand of the Special Operations Group (SOG) team of Rajasthan Police. Moreover, sources state that accused BJP leaders - Ashok Singh and Bharat Malani refused to give their voice samples for further investigation. The SOG team has also visited hotels in Haryana to issue a notice to the 19 rebel MLAs to collect evidence in the form of voice samples.

CM Ashok Gehlot meets Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra after BTP formally endorses him

Rajasthan battle

The final straw for Pilot's rebellion came when Rajasthan's Special Operations Group (SOG) issued notice to Pilot in connection with the alleged involvement of BJP leaders for toppling the state government - with BJP members hinting that Pilot was reportedly in touch with the BJP camp to become the CM. In response, Pilot and 18 MLAs arrived in Delhi, reducing the Congress' numbers from 107 to 88. While Pilot maintained that the will not be joining BJP, the Congress has sacked him as Deputy CM, state party chief, and 2 cabinet ministers, issuing all 19 MLAs disqualification notice by Speaker. Pilot has challenged this in Rajasthan High Court and it has been stayed till Tuesday, while the hearing is scheduled on Monday. After formally receiving the support of 2 BTP MLAs, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot called upon Governor Kalraj Mishra to submit a list of MLAs supporting his government.

BTP formally extends support to CM Ashok Gehlot; Congress claims support of 109 MLAs
XI'AN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Xi'an Satellite Control Center announced on Friday it has built a super-strong deep space monitoring network to support the country's first Mars exploration.

As scheduled, China plans to launch its Mars probe Tianwen-1 between late July and early August. Once the probe was sent into the Earth-Mars transfer orbit, the control center's two monitoring stations, in Kashgar of northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Jiamusi, in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, will provide monitoring support for it.

Experts at the center said the spaceflight control would be challenging as the probe would take nearly seven months to land on the red planet, which at the farthest point of its orbit is about 400 million km from Earth.

Efforts have been made to upgrade equipment at the two stations. Test results showed that they could meet the demands of spacecraft control on Mars, according to the center.

The two stations completed control tasks for China's lunar probes including Chang'e-2, Chang'e-3, Chang'e-4 and the test model of Chang'e-5.

The Jiamusi station is equipped with a large-caliber antenna, and with a diameter of 66 meters, it is the largest in Asia. In addition, China's first deep-space antenna array system, consisting of four 35-meter-diameter antennas, will be put into use in the Kashgar station by the end of this year, said the control center.
Geneva, 18 July 2020 (SPS)  Namibia has roundly criticized Spain in Geneva for its involving in the illegal exploitation of Western Sahara resources, claiming that Madrid "evaded its international responsibilities."



On Thursday, during the periodic review of the human rights situation in Spain, Namibia regretted that the recommendations it had formulated on this subject were only partially accepted by this country.



The task force on the universal periodic review of Spain included in its report published in March a series of recommendations made by Namibia and Timor-Leste on the economic activities of Spanish companies in occupied Western Sahara.



The two countries then expressed concern over Spains involvement in this planned looting.



The meeting, held Thursday at the Human Rights Council (HRC), was devoted to Spains responses to the UN task force



The Madrid representative in Geneva said that Spain "generally supports these recommendations" but "could only apply a part of them".



Hiding behind false pretenses, he argued that the full implementation of these recommendations faced legal, budgetary and constitutional obstacles.



Namibias representative replied by explaining "that there can be no excuses for the illegal exploitation of natural resources of Western Sahara population."



Namibia affirmed that the right to exploit these resources belongs exclusively to the Sahrawis, recalling that this right, enshrined in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and that of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, must be respected by the occupying power.



"We therefore urge Spain to do what is necessary, to guarantee the full implementation of these recommendations. It is a duty towards the people of Western Sahara who continue to live in poverty, while their resources are plundered by the occupying power and third country companies," said the representative of Namibia.



In the recommendations of this periodic report, Namibia and Timor-Leste demanded from Spain to "refrain from any economic activity in Western Sahara territory, without the free, prior and informed consent" of its people.



Namibia has also demanded the adoption by Spain of appropriate legislation to "ensure that Spanish natural and legal persons do not illegally participate in the exploitation" of these resources. (SPS)



062/SPS/700
Barcelona's streets were largely empty on Saturday, with millions of people instructed to stay at home as new coronavirus restrictions came into effect following a spike in the number of infections in the region over the past week. "It's a disaster," wails Maria Quintana, looking at her empty bar terrace by the Sagrada Familia in Spain's second city where the number of new cases has tripled to 800 in a week. In an announcement on Friday, the Catalan regional government urged nearly four million residents of metropolitan Barcelona to stay home unless absolutely necessary, banning gatherings of over 10 people and shutting cinemas, theatres and nightclubs. "We'd just started to see things coming back to life with the arrival of a few foreign tourists, so this is a step backwards," said Quintana, 35. With a ban on counter service, there are no stools at the bar, and there were no customers outside either, where the tables were well spaced. "If they impose another lockdown and force us to close, I will drop the blind, but it might as well be dropping the blade of a guillotine on my own neck because we won't be able to survive," the bar owner said. The new restrictions came barely four weeks after Spain ended its state of emergency when its 47 million residents were subjected to one of the world's toughest lockdowns to slow the spread of a virus that has killed more than 28,400 people in the country. The national lockdown, which also saw Spain's borders closed, caused huge economic damage, particularly to the tourism sector which had hoped to recoup some of its losses over the summer. But by Saturday morning, there were barely any tourists outside the Sagrada Familia, one of Spain's most-visited landmarks, and most of those were unaware of the new restrictions. "There are not lot of people in the street, but we did not know," said 23-year-old Karolina Kapounova from the Czech Republic, sweating behind a face mask which is now obligatory in public at all times in most of Spain's regions. "I don't think we will change our schedule... But with (your) mouth covered all the time and the heat, it's a bit bothersome." - Fleeing the city - "You see some tourists but only a few of them. And then they come and see that the Sagrada Familia is shut and that the bus isn't working," says Joan Lopez, 39, who runs a kiosk opposite the imposing basilica. Although the city "needs tourism like the air that we breathe", Lopez said he is relieved the authorities are taking strict measures to reduce the virus. "People don't listen to recommendations," he said. "Today the city seems empty, but that's because they all went away for the weekend... before they shut us in." Although the regional government asked residents not to leave for second homes, traffic authorities registered the departure of 350,000 vehicles heading for nearby coastal areas. "It's a mistake," warned Dr Jacobo Mendioroz, the region's COVID chief, in remarks to the Rac1 radio station. "The next step will be (mandatory) home confinement." Olga Torres, who is having a drink with a friend on a bar terrace, hopes it will not come to that. "It's not funny, the thought that they could lock us down again, but I think they'll consider it very carefully because, economically, it would spell catastrophe," said Torres, 55. The surge in new cases has led to fierce criticism of Catalonia's pro-independence regional government for not being better prepared. During the lockdown, the Catalan leadership had bitterly criticised the central government in Madrid, insisting they would have done a much better job if they had been independent. "Bad management has landed us with a new confinement order," read an editorial in the Ara daily, which is close to the separatist movement. Barcelona residents have been ordered to stay at home following a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the last week Few tourists were seen walking around Spain's second city
Editor's note: Michael Bociurkiw is a global affairs analyst, a former spokesman for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and host of the podcast Global Impact. He is currently based in British Columbia, Canada. Follow him on Twitter @WorldAffairsPro. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his; view more opinions on CNN.

(CNN)  First there was the secretive trip to Bermuda in 2016 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family rode in a helicopter owned by the Aga Khan, the billionaire and Ismaili Muslim spiritual leader whose organization has received hundreds of millions of dollars in Canadian federal grants to advance its work overseas.

Then, some three years later, the Trudeau government was found to have pressured then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to spare SNC Lavalin, one of Canada's largest engineering companies, from prosecution for bribing Libyan officials in return for lucrative government contracts between 2001 and 2011.

After the Canadian ethics commissioner said Trudeau had violated federal conflict of interest rules, he said, "I assume responsibility for everything that happened in my office." He added, "We recognize the way this happened shouldn't have happened," but said his government was acting in the interest of the national economy.

Ultimately, Trudeau lost two star female cabinet ministers (they resigned)  including the first indigenous woman to become minister of justice  and the scandal almost cost his Liberal Party's hold on power.

Now the charismatic G7 leader has a different problem on his hands. It not only threatens to deal a fatal blow to the once impenetrable Trudeau brand, it also casts unwelcome scrutiny on his immediate family and on an international charity juggernaut with links to Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and several other well-known celebrities and leaders.

The latest imbroglio is related to the government contract handed to the WE Charity to run a $660 million program for students unable to find summer work due to Covid-19.

Despite the fact that the charity paid Trudeau's family members for speaking engagements, Trudeau never thought to recuse himself from the cabinet decision on the contract. The federal ethics commissioner will also investigate Finance Minister Bill Morneau's involvement in the decision, since his daughter currently works for the charity. Since the revelations, Trudeau and his finance minister have both publicly apologized for not removing themselves from cabinet conversations regarding WE. On Thursday, Bardish Chagger, the minister of diversity and inclusion and youth, revealed that WE could have received a maximum of about $32 million for its role in administering the program

This controversy comes just as Trudeau, thanks to a savvy response to the Covid-19 epidemic that prioritized science over politics, began to recover the political capital that could regain his majority if an election were called.

Pollster Shachi Kurl told me Trudeau's handling of the pandemic accounts for about a 20-point increase in his approval ratings but has "not restored him to his original glory."

"It only took the worst-ever pandemic to hit Canada to help restore his brand," she said.

His latest apparent lapse in judgment means Trudeau may add one more ethics violation to the two he has already earned from the Bermuda trip and SNC Lavalin scandal.

It's not me but we

Trudeau has claimed it was the public service that recommended WE as the only charity in Canada able to manage the multimillion dollar contract aimed at giving students paid summer volunteer placements.

As the controversy deepens, the federal contract with WE was canceled in a "mutually agreed" upon decision and it is unclear when the federal bureaucrats now in charge of the program will be in a position to disburse the grant money to students.

But the ugly fact remains that a charity that paid more than $200,000 to immediate members of the Trudeau family appears to have benefited from the intimate connections with the prime minister. (Prominent figures in Trudeau's inner circle have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the charity.) Initially, WE said Margaret Trudeau was "never paid an honorarium" to appear at their events.

On Wednesday, Canada's National Post reported that the government gave WE $869,000 when Trudeau asked the charity to host a 2017 Canada Day weekend event that featured his mother, Margaret Trudeau. The newspaper reported that WE paid her an average of $8,000 per appearance (WE did not confirm or deny that she was paid for this specific event).

This week, the charity announced it was launching a restructuring and organizational review after making "important decisions to refocus our mission."

Parliamentary committee probes commenced Thursday and will continue into next week. On Thursday, it was revealed that WE stood to gain more than double the amount the federal government initially said it would receive for administering the program, and testimony raised questions about the extent of the charity's interactions with the government around the time the program was announced.

WE was founded by twin brothers Marc and Craig Kielburger, two "social entrepreneurs" who launched the charity to alleviate poverty internationally and create learning programs for children in the US, UK and Canada. The two are listed as best-selling authors with 20 books between them, many of which focus on self-help and their charities.

Deja vu

This latest controversy surrounding Trudeau, the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, recalls other missteps and transgressions, including wearing brownface at a party in his younger years and embarrassing the country during a state visit to India in February 2018 when the entire family overdid it with traditional dress. To make matters worse, a man convicted of attempted murder was invited to the Canadian High Commission, where he was photographed with Sophie Trudeau. (A liberal MP later took responsibility for inviting the man and apologized).

And it further solidifies a perception that the Liberals, and especially Trudeau, are politicians like any other  out of touch with ordinary Canadians, especially as millions struggle to recover from the economic blow of Covid-19. It threatens to undo the goodwill Trudeau received from solid measures taken in the crisis, such as early lockdowns, closing the Canada-US border and effective public health communication  much of it delivered by Trudeau himself from a podium in front of a government guest house. All that contributed to sparing Canada the shockingly huge Covid-19 case numbers seen south of the border.

'Sunny' days over?

Trudeau came into office in 2015 with a stunning majority declaring he would be above reproach on ethics. In a widely quoted victory speech, he promised Canadians a "sunny ways" image of "real change." And yet he quickly became the first Prime Minister ever to break the ethics statute.

The question is, after this third and entirely avoidable ethics lapse, whether his "sunny ways" reputation is tarnished for good. Said former ethics commissioner Mary Dawson, who ruled that Trudeau was guilty of violating the ethics statures for the Aga Khan holiday: "One doesn't continue to do the same thing twice. There seems to be a little bit of a blind spot or something there."

Ottawa-based political consultant Yaroslav Baran told me, "For someone so conscious of appearances, Mr. Trudeau sure seems pretty unconscious of appearances."

There are also signs that the decline of Trudeau  who came into office promising a more engaged Canada on the world stage is having a knock-on effect on Canada's international standing. I attribute Canada's defeat in the race for a UN Security Council seat to other world leaders figuring out there's a disturbing gap between what Trudeau pledges on such issues as climate change and peacekeeping commitments and what he is actually prepared to deliver.

While it may be too early to pen Trudeau's political obituary  the opposition Conservative Party is in the midst of a leadership race and none of the candidates exude star power  a weary Liberal caucus, sensing their leader has become a liability and fearing the prospect of defeat in a future election, could pressure their leader to step aside, at least temporarily.

Hopefully, in the free time that will give him for inner reflection, Trudeau will come to realize that when you are forced to say "sorry" too many times, people will have a hard time placing their trust in you at the next visit to the ballot box.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "How Justin Trudeau's latest ethics scandal could spell the end of his career"
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 23:50:08|Editor: huaxia

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TUNIS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia decided on Saturday to prevent the ships of French transport company Corsica Linea from anchoring in its ports, local media reported.

Mosaique FM radio Saturday quoted Habib Ghedira, member of Tunisia's committee to confront the COVID-19, as saying that the ban was taken by the government.

Several crew members of a ship belonging to Corsica Linea company, which operated the Marseille-Tunis route from July 1 to July 10, have been tested positive for COVID-19.

And eight other cases of COVID-19 were detected among the crew of another vessel of the same company that docked in the port of La Goulette in Tunis on July 14.

Tunisian Health Ministry called on thousands of people who were on board the two ships during the period to adopt self-isolation at home.

Meanwhile, Tunisian Transport Ministry has asked the French company on Tuesday to suspend its operations to Tunisia until the safety of the crew is confirmed. Enditem
People walking in Singapore's central business district. (PHOTO: Reuters/Edgar Su)

SINGAPORE  The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 202 more COVID-19 cases on Saturday (18 July) afternoon, bringing the total to 47,655.

Of them, seven are classified as cases in the community, while eight are imported cases who had been placed on stay-home notice or isolated upon their arrival in Singapore. The remaining are foreign workers residing in dormitories.

Among the eight imported cases, two (Cases 47649 and 47721) are residents who returned to Singapore from India on 6 July and from Pakistan on 4 July. Four cases (Cases 47697, 47698, 47699 and 47715) are work pass holders who are currently employed in Singapore. Another case (Case 47685) is a Dependants Pass holder. They arrived in Singapore from India between 6 July and 15 July. All seven of them had been placed on 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) upon arrival in Singapore, and had been tested while serving their SHN.

The remaining case (Case 47613) had arrived in Singapore from the Philippines on 16 July, and was conveyed directly to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases as he was symptomatic. The 40-year-old Filipino is a sailor currently holding a Special Pass, and he will eventually join a vessel that called at the port.

As for the community cases, the MOH said, Of the seven cases in the community, three were picked up as a result of our proactive surveillance and screening, and one had already been placed on quarantine earlier. Four of the cases are asymptomatic, and were detected through our proactive testing.

Three of the community cases announced on Saturday are linked to previous cases or clusters. Of these, one (Case 47686) had been identified as a contact of previously confirmed cases, and had been placed on quarantine earlier. The six-year-old boy, who is an Indian national, was tested during quarantine to determine his status, even though he is asymptomatic.

Another case (Case 47655) is also asymptomatic, and was identified from our periodic testing of individuals working in essential services. The 52-year-old permanent resident had gone to work at Excelitas Technologies Pte Ltd.

Story continues

The remaining case (Case 47632) was tested for COVID-19 under our enhanced community testing. He is a family contact of two other cases announced yesterday, and all three were confirmed to have COVID-19 on the same day, the ministry said. He is a 64-year-old Singaporean man who had gone to work at Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub.

Currently, four of the community cases are unlinked. Of these, two cases (Cases 47541 and 47723) had been detected as a result the ministrys screening of workers in essential services who are living outside the dormitories.

The remaining two cases (Cases 47544 and 47654) were swabbed under the enhanced community testing regime to test all individuals aged 13 and above who are diagnosed with acute respiratory infection at first presentation to a doctor. Case 47544 is a 55-year-old Singaporean man who had gone to work at Lee Hung Test Services Pte Ltd and Yale-NUS Research Laboratory, and Case 47654 is a 22-year-old Singaporean man who had gone to work at Adventure Plus Pte Ltd.

Overall, the MOH said, the number of new cases in the community has decreased, from an average of 18 cases per day in the week before, to an average of nine per day in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has also decreased, from an average of nine cases per day in the week before, to an average of five per day in the past week.

Details of cases on 18 July 2020. (Table: Ministry of Health)

Two new dormitory clusters were announced: a dormitory at 72 Tagore Lane and another at 54 Tech Park Crescent.

As there have been no more cases linked to the clusters at Changi Lodge II (80 Tanah Merah Coast Road) and Sungei Tengah Lodge (500 Old Choa Chu Kang Road) for the past two incubation periods (28 days), the MOH have closed the clusters.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said in a virtual press conference on Friday that the government is in the final stretch of clearing the workers living in dorms and is set to complete the work by mid-August, or possibly earlier.

Around 230,000 workers have either recovered or have tested to be free from the virus to date, said Wong, who is the multi-ministry COVID-19 taskforce co-chairman. This figure comprises over two-thirds of those living in dorms.

Over 43,800 cases recovered, zero in ICU

With 256 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Friday, 43,833 cases have fully recovered from the infection.

Most of the 169 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while none are in critical condition in the intensive care unit for the first time in months.

A total of 3,626 patients with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Apart from 27 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 15 others who tested positive for the virus were determined to have died from unrelated causes, including three whose deaths were attributed to a heart attack and another four, whose deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease.

Only cases where the attending doctor or pathologist attributes the primary or underlying cause of death as due to COVID-19 infection will be added to the COVID-19 death count, said the MOH in previous press releases, adding that the method of assessment is consistent with international practices for classifying deaths.

As of 6 July, the ministry has conducted 866,414 swab tests, of which 467,008 were done on unique individuals. This translates to around 152,000 swabs conducted per 1 million total population, and about 81,900 unique individuals swabbed per 1 million total population.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

More Singapore stories:

COVID-19: Election Night crowds will potentially have 'consequence', says Lawrence Wong

Singaporean woman tested positive for COVID-19 after dying of 'intracerebral haemorrhage'

Travellers with travel history to Australia's Victoria state, Japan, Hong Kong to serve SHN at dedicated facilities

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Lt Governor Anil Baijal and the AAP government are locked in another round of confrontation over the appointment of public prosecutors in cases related to Delhi riots and anti-CAA protests, with the LG asking Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to decide within a week on the Delhi Police's proposal recommending the names of six senior advocates.

Baijal, in a letter to Kejriwal, said that acting Home Minister Manish Sisodia did not agree to the Delhi Police proposal despite the force providing detailed justification for it.

The Delhi Police has proposed to appoint the six senior advocates to argue on its behalf in 85 cases of riots in Northeast Delhi, sources said.

It has also proposed that 24 cases of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) be assigned to special public prosecutors, appointed in June when the LG invoked his special powers after the Delhi government rejected the names recommended by the Delhi Police.

The AAP said it has a "strong objection to the constant intervention" of the LG in the appointment of Special Public Prosecutors for cases pertaining to Delhi riots and anti-CAA protests, insisting that the prosecutors have to be "independent" to ensure a free and fair trial.

Calling Delhi riots a "blot" on Delhi and the entire country, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the AAP government is committed to ensure the strictest possible punishment to all those involved in the violence.

"But for that to happen, independent investigation by the police and a free and fair trial are a must. The LG and the central government are insisting on the appointment of a panel of Special Public Prosecutors chosen by the central government. This is happening at a time when there are very serious allegations on the response of Delhi Police to these riots as well as how the investigation process is going on," he said.

In his letter, the lieutenant governor said that he had called the file pertaining to the matter for perusal on July 14 under Rule of 19 (5) of the Transaction of Business Rules (TBR), the sources said.

Baijal said that he had requested the home minister to reconsider his decision and agree to the proposal of the Delhi Police.

Sources said that there was a meeting between Baijal and Sisodia through video conference on Friday to settle the difference of opinion, but the matter could not be resolved.

"Since the difference of opinion still persists, I would request the chief minister to expeditiously refer the matter to the Council of Ministers under Rule 49 of TBR of GNCTD, 1992 with Section 45 (c) of the Government of NCT Act, 1991.

"In view of urgency and sensitivity of the matter, it is requested that the decision of Cabinet be communicated expeditiously, preferably within a week," a source quoted Baijal as having said in the letter.

Sources also said that if the Delhi Cabinet doesn't agree with the Delhi Police's request, the L-G will have an option to invoke his special powers under the provisions of Article 239AA(4) of the Constitution.

The first round of confrontation between the AAP dispensation and the L-G's office had emerged in June over the appointment of 11 special public prosecutors to argue cases pertaining to the communal riots in northeast Delhi in February.

When the Delhi government had rejected the police's request on the issue, the L-G had invoked the power under Article 239AA(4).

AAP leader and MLA Raghav Chadha said that under the Constitution, the lieutenant governor of Delhi has special powers to overturn any decision of the elected government. The Supreme Court has, however, made it clear that this power has to be used in the rarest of rare cases.

Last month, the LG used these extraordinary powers to appoint 11 central government lawyers to represent cases pertaining to Delhi riots in the lower courts, he said.

"Now, the LG wants to appoint central government lawyers to represent these cases in the High Court and Supreme Court too," he said, stressing that Delhi Police being the investigating agency should have no role in deciding the lawyers.

Responding to AAP's allegations, the LG office said that effective prosecution in cases relating to riots and anti-CAA protests is the need of the hour.

In a statement issued late evening, Baijal said that these cases involved large scale communal violence and require careful handling in view of the gravity and deep impact on the society.

"We are committed to ensure that the guilty in the Riot cases are awarded the strictest punishment as per law," the LG said in statement.

Since the cases are of highly sensitive nature, very large in numbers and there are several petitions including bail matters, applications and writ petitions which have been filed in various courts, these require constant monitoring and coordination across different courts.

"It was therefore felt that a dedicated team of prosecutors is needed and senior law officers/senior advocates/advocates may also be appointed as special public prosecutors to ensure that the cases are handled properly and in a focussed manner," the statement stated.

It is beyond doubt that the public prosecutor represents the state by virtue of his office. At the same time, he is also an officer of the court and is required to render assistance to the court to arrive at a just and equitable decision, it said.

"Therefore, there is no reason to imagine that the public prosecutors appointed would not perform their duty fearlessly and impartially as the officers of the court.

"We have full faith in the judicial process and we are committed to ensuring that the guilty in the riot cases are awarded the strictest punishment as per law," it said.
KYOTO, Japan - A memorial ceremony to mark one year since the fatal arson attack on Kyoto Animation Co. was held Saturday at the site of the company's No. 1 studio in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, with 94 people attending, including 85 family members of 30 of the victims.

The July 18, 2019, arson attack on the popular animation company sent shock waves across the nation and abroad. Thirty-six people were killed and 33 were seriously or slightly injured in the conflagration.

The memorial service, hosted by KyoAni, started at 10:30 a.m., the time when the incident took place.

"I miss you every day. I feel lonely every day. I can't help but look for you," said the wife of Futoshi Nishiya, who was 37 and designed characters for the anime film "Koe no Katachi" ("A Silent Voice"), in her speech.

"I'll live the rest of my life with a sense of loss." Many attendees were heard weeping.

Shinji Aoba, 42, is suspected of setting the fire after dousing the first floor of the studio building with gasoline. About 700 square meters of the three-story building burned to the ground. Board member Yoshiji Kigami, 61, and Yasuhiro Takemoto, the director of "Rakisuta" (Lucky Star), were among the 36 fatalities. One person is still hospitalized.

The Kyoto prefectural police arrested Aoba on May 27 on suspicion of murder and other charges. Currently, psychiatric tests are being conducted to determine whether Aoba is capable of bearing criminal responsibility.

The KyoAni building was demolished in April and is now a vacant lot. It has not been decided how to use the site.

Many people from home and abroad also paid tribute through social media.

"I would not be what I am now without KyoAni's works. I'll continue to support you," said one of the tweets.

At around 10:30 a.m., a memorial video by Kyoto Animation was posted on YouTube. At the same time, comments expressing condolences to the victims, such as "Silent prayer," "Rest in Peace" and "Thank you, KyoAni," poured in with the hashtag "#PrayforKyoani."

Messages also came from abroad, such as comments saying it is heartbreaking that the incident took the lives of so many young talented animators.
South African medical data startup LogBox inadvertently exposed account access tokens to the public Internet due to a firewall that was misconfigured. This potentially exposed the personal and private data of doctors and patients who used the platform.

The company has fixed the error, performed a full forensic audit, notified all of the institutions that use LogBox, and forced those whose LogBox accounts may have been affected to change their passwords.

At the start of July, LogBox received international media attention when TechCrunch reported that a security researcher, who goes by Anurag Sen on Twitter, had discovered an unsecured LogBox database containing user access tokens on the Internet.

These tokens could be used to log into LogBox accounts without a password, giving full access to the account.

LogBoxs initial reaction was that TechCrunchs article was factually incorrect and that it was reserving its legal rights against the publication and the security researcher.

Technical details

Representatives of LogBox have since told MyBroadband that while there are still inaccuracies in the TechCrunch article, they were mistaken about the extent of the data exposure.

We were wrong with at least one aspect of the TechCrunch article. We now know that there could have been more damage done, but luckily there wasnt, a spokesperson for the company said in an interview.

They also wanted to make clear that the database did not contain user account and patient data.

What Anurag Sen found was an Elasticsearch database that contained application logs.

This was a completely separate utility database only used for performance monitoring, LogBox said.

The logs stored to this database included ephemeral user access tokens which could be used to access the LogBox accounts of patients and doctors. Under normal circumstances these tokens would only be valid for eight hours, LogBox explained.

When it became aware of the issue, LogBox immediately revoked the access tokens. After fixing the problem it informed affected users and forced those who are most at risk to change their passwords.

Fallout

LogBox said that while it has received a tremendous outpouring of support from the healthcare professionals and institutions it works with, the potential fallout from the way this vulnerability was reported is tremendous.

In many respects, LogBox is still a non-profit in that it subsidises work at a private teaching hospital  the only private teaching hospital on the African continent  where it is used in its most extensive capacity, the company said.

Its being used for clinical case collaboration between multiple specialists in a way that isnt happening anywhere else on the African continent or, for the most part, in the rest of the world either, stated LogBox.

This thing is changing how medicine is practised in South Africa. People die because practitioners dont speak to each other or patients dont get the right treatment.

According to LogBox, all of this progress was placed in jeopardy because of the way this disclosure happened.

LogBox suspects foul play

While LogBox told MyBroadband that it has no interest in pursuing legal action against TechCrunch or Anurag Sen, it still believes that both parties may have violated South African and United States law.

Sen unequivocally committed an offence under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act and his actions may be unlawful under the Protection of Personal Information Act, LogBox said.

LogBox also argued that TechCrunch and Anurag Sen may have violated United States law under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Legal concerns aside, LogBox questioned how such a small business drew the attention of Anurag Sen and TechCrunch.

LogBox is a tiny, pitiful little business. It does have potential, but its small and has been attacked in his infancy, the company told MyBroadband.

At some level, were flattered by the amount of interest. However, we are thoroughly perplexed by Sens interest and TechCrunchs reporting of it.

Because of the circumstances, LogBox said that it cant help but wonder whether someone who means them harm paid for Anurag Sen to search for security vulnerabilities in their platform.

LogBox said it identified three parties who may be interested in cutting down LogBox while it is still in its early stages of development, and who have the network and wherewithal to do it.

Two of them are private individuals with corporate interests, and one involves a disgraced doctor that used to work at a hospital that is also our single largest user from a hospital group perspective, LogBox stated.

Its third suspect is a very large commercial enterprise in the healthcare industry.

LogBox reiterated that it has absolutely no plans to sue TechCrunch and Sen.

Were just interested in getting to the bottom of why this happened.

Anurag Sen responds

MyBroadband asked Anurag Sen whether they were paid to investigate LogBox for security vulnerabilities.

No, thats absolutely absurd, the security researcher said.

As you know from my profile, I do it to make the Internet a safer place. Also, I work independently.

Anurag Sen said that there are more than 40,000 exposed servers worldwide. LogBoxs Elasticsearch database was just one of them.

According to the researcher, LogBoxs server came up as part of a web mapping project they were working on.

I was looking for exposed Elasticsearch databases on the Internet, Anurag Sen explained.

These exposed databases occur due to misconfiguration. The server was easily accessible just by typing the IP address and port and it was left without any password.

Making co-ordinated disclosure easier for security researchers

Asked about the lessons they have learnt from this incident, a spokesperson for LogBoxs parent company, Group Elephant, explained that they are not inexperienced at handling security issues.

Not only do they have an ISA certification about how to handle information security, but they have also had to deal with hacks before.

According to Group Elephant, clients who were targeted in past hacks have told them they handled the incident admirably.

What happened with LogBox was a human failure, the company said.

Anurag Sen sent an e-mail to the LogBox support desk regarding the vulnerability and received a ticket saying that his query would be attended to in short order.

The agent responsible for ticket dismissed it as a hoax and did not take the matter further.

However, Sen told MyBroadband that because he received a support ticket he didnt try to contact LogBox again. It seemed clear that LogBox had received his message and just werent acting on it, so he went to TechCrunch.

As a result of this incident, LogBox said it would make responsible disclosure easier for legitimate security researchers.

However, it also said that just because someone claims to be an ethical hacker that doesnt make them one.

If you want to call yourself responsible and ethical, then behave responsibly and ethically, LogBox said.
It has been recently reported that the Russian Defense Ministry began drafting the crew matrix for universal amphibious assault ships of project 23900. They are often called Russian Mistral. The construction of the landing ships is accompanied by the reform of marines. New units are formed in marine brigades and regiments and modern arms and hardware are supplied, the Independent Military Review writes.

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Ivan Gren of project 11711 is a class of landing ship that is being built for the Russian Navy. (Picture source Twitter)

Big landing ships of project 775 have been the main warships of marines until recently. The crew matrix was adapted to the ships.

The composition of the amphibious assault fleet is changing. In particular, the Ivan Gren of project 11711 is already operational. The Petr Morgunov second ship of the project is undergoing trials. It is likely to participate in the Navy parade this year.

Another two landing ships were laid by an upgraded project in the spring of 2019. CEO of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Alexey Rakhmanov said the full displacement will increase to 8000 tons and the superstructure architecture will change.

The Russian Navy operates five marine brigades and one regiment. The Northern, Black Sea and Baltic fleets have one formation each. The Pacific fleet operates two brigades. The Caspian flotilla has a marine regiment. The 382nd marine battalion is deployed in Temryuk and subordinated to the 810th marine brigade. The formation has a special status and is sometimes called peacekeeping.

The marine reform began in 2017. A company of T-80BV tanks joined the 40th marine brigade in Kamchatka. In September 2019, tanks were supplied to the 155th marine brigade in the Far East. The Defense Ministry said the tanks arrived by rail in Vladivostok to rearm the coastal forces of the Pacific fleet.

All marine brigades formed reconnaissance-assault battalions, electronic warfare (EW) companies and companies of landing means.

Each brigade will have one assault battalion and two-three marine battalions. Marine scouts will be also reinforced. Regiments and brigades are creating reconnaissance-assault battalions. Each of them will have two reconnaissance and one commando companies.

The formation of new units proceeds unevenly so far. In June 2020, Commander of northeastern forces Rear Admiral Alexander Yuldashev said the marine brigade has formed an EW company and completed the creation of a company of landing means. The tank company has not yet developed into a battalion.

The situation with tanks for the marines is tense. Tank battalions have been formed in the 61st marine brigade of the Northern fleet and the 155th brigade of the Pacific fleet. The 810th brigade of the Black Sea fleet and the 336th brigade of the Baltic fleet have received no tanks so far. They are likely to be armed with T-72B3 / T-72B3M rather than T-80BM.
Washington, July 18 : US civil rights icon and Democratic Congressman John Lewis has passed away, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed in a statement. He was 80.

In the statement posted on her website and social media on late Friday confirming Lewis's death, Pelosi said he "was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation", and that as a Congressman he was "revered and beloved on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol", the BBC reported.

"Every day of John Lewis's life was dedicated to bringing freedom and justice to all," she said.

"As he declared 57 years ago during the March on Washington, standing in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial: 'Our minds, souls, and hearts cannot rest until freedom and justice exist for all the people.' "How fitting it is that even in the last weeks of his battle with cancer, John summoned the strength to visit the peaceful protests where the newest generation of Americans had poured into the streets to take up the unfinished work of racial justice," Pelosi added.

Lewis was one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders, which included Martin Luther King Jr, and helped organise the historic 1963 March on Washingtonfor Jobs and Freedom at which the latter delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

Lewis was the last surviving speaker from the March.

As a Congressman he was a Georgia Democrat, and represented an area which covered most of its capital Atlanta.

In December 2019, Lewis announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, said the BBC report.

During the civil rights movement, he was one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and then became its chairman from 1963 to 1966.

Upon news of his death, former US President Barack Obama said he had spoken with Lewis after a virtual town hall with a group of activists following the May 25 death of George Floyd, the unarmed black man who was killed under police custody in Minneapolis.

Obama said Lewis could not have been prouder of their efforts - "a new generation standing up for freedom and equality".

"Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did," the BBC report quoted Obama as saying.

"And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders - to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise." Civil rights group the NAACP tweeted that they were "deeply saddened", adding that "his life-long mission for justice, equality and freedom left a permanent impression on our nation and world".

Former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren tweeted that Lewis "was a true American hero and the moral compass of our nation".

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 20:07:37|Editor: huaxia

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CANBERRA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The next sitting of Australia's Parliament will be cancelled due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, according to a statement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday.

Paul Kelly, the acting chief medical officer, on Saturday advised the government that there would be significant risk associated with politicians returning to Canberra in the context of the increased community transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria and the trends in New South Wales.

Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators were set to return to Parliament for the first two weeks of August.

"The entry of a high-risk group of individuals could jeopardise the health situation in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and place residents at unnecessary risk of infection," Kelly said.

In response Morrison has requested that sitting fortnight commencing Aug. 4 be cancelled.

"This would mean Parliament will next meet on August 24th 2020," Morrison said in the statement.

"The government cannot ignore the risk to parliamentarians, their staff, the staff within the Parliament, and the broader community of the ACT that holding a parliamentary sitting would create."

"In addition, it is not feasible nor desirable to hold a sitting of Parliament that would exclude parliamentarians from a single state."

As at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, a total of 11,441 cases have been reported in Australia, and 8,161 have been reported as recovered from COVID-19, according to the latest figures of Department of Health.

The national death toll has increased from 116 to 118. And the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 233. Of the new cases 217 were in Victoria. New South Wales has recorded 15 new cases including four overseas travellers in hotel quarantine. Enditem
When Ricardo Alvarado went grocery shopping this week, he had a list of items to buy, but he steered clear of anything from Goya Foods. I was using their beans, but I found a different brand," he said. "I switched olive oil, too, and I bought my own spices, not theirs."

A performing artist based in New York City, Alvarado is boycotting Goya Foods. As long as Im helping my community, I will do my part. Its important that we show unity and solidarity.

The CEO of Goya Foods, Robert Unanue, plunged the company into turmoil last week when he praised President Donald Trump at an event announcing the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. Were all truly blessed, at the same time, to have leader like President Trump who is a builder, Unanue said. He compared the president to his grandfather, a Spanish immigrant who founded the company in 1936.

News of Unanues words spread quickly, and hashtags like #Goyaway and #BoycottGoya trended on social media.

Image: Goya Robert Unanue (Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images)

For Alvarado, boycotting Goya Foods is personal. I know the company employs a lot of Latinos and is very charitable, he said, but with everything that is going on with this administration and the border, the family separations and DACA, for Goya to step up and support him [Trump] for his work just blew my mind.

There is so much hate against our communities, Alvarado said. And the face of that hate is Trump. I feel like Goya is supporting hate, by supporting Trump.

As far back as Cesar Chavezs boycotts of grapes during the 1970s, consumer campaigns have been a way for Latino communities to amplify their voices. But the Goya episode feels different to many Latinos, because it come at a time when the nation is politically polarized and some Latinos report feeling under siege.

The Boycott Goya movement, some Latinos say, is more about taking a stand against the presidents bigotry than about punishing a once-beloved brand.

Valerie Halsema, a teacher in Los Angeles, said that she relates to both sides of the Goya issue. I support the boycott, but I also support his [Unanues] right to say what he wants. If he wants to say that, go for it," said Halsema, "but anytime you take a stance, there are consequences, and Im not sure he was ready for it.

Story continues

Halsema noted that where I would draw the line is death threats, harassment and people trying to totally shut someone down. The idea of the boycott is a good one, she believes, because Donald Trump has not exactly been a champion of people of color. Hes been so divisive. I would say I support the boycott  and free speech.

Unanues comments have led to public figures like Lin Manuel-Miranda, chef Jose Andres, actor John Leguizamo, former Democratic presidential hopeful Julian Castro and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez,D-N.Y., to express support for a Goya boycott or criticize Unanues comments.

That led to pro-Goya tweets from Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump that have kept the controversy brewing.

So far, Unanue is standing by his words. In an interview on Fox and Friends last week, he likened the backlash to suppression of speech. Speaking on The Ingraham Angle, he said: We have the opportunity to either do well, or to destroy. And lets do well.

Host Laura Ingraham asked Unanue if he planned on apologizing for standing with Trump, and he replied: Hell, no. Hell, no.

Goya Foods has, in a sense, participated in a boycott itself, when the company led other corporations in withdrawing support for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in 2017. That year, parade organizers were honoring Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera, whose sentence for seditious conspiracy was commuted by President Barack Obama.

Several national Latino advocacy groups have weighed in on Unanues recent remarks. In a statement Friday, the Hispanic Federation called the comments both painful and insulting. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) called Unanues words insensitive, calloused and disrespectful to the workers and consumers who buy Goya Foods products.

"This is not a party issue"

For Melinda Colon Cox, president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, the decision to issue a statement regarding Goya Foods was complicated by the fact the company is based in her state, and the organization likely has some members with strong ties to the company.

When an issue like this arises, we take it very seriously and we do our best to look at the full perspective of views based on the available facts, Colon Cox said.

Among other factors, her members considered that Trump has a history of making disparaging remarks about Latinos and that Goya Foods prides itself on being part of the Hispanic community and consumer culture.

It is undeniable that Goya is known for its charity and philanthropic efforts, Colon Cox said, yet Mr. Unanues remarks led to pain, hurt, and anger for a very large sector of the Latino community.

Colon Coxs group is nonpartisan, with members holding diverse political views. This is not a party issue, she said. Although she personally is supporting the boycott, her group is not endorsing it.

Colon Cox hopes that Unanue and Goya Foods can heal the anger among some Latinos by reflecting on the reasons behind the boycott. Words are powerful and they impact how a company is perceived by the public. Along with other measures, she believes that a statement from Goya acknowledging the boycott itself and why it is happening would be a start in helping to rebuild community trust.

Not a decision "taken lightly"

Maria De Moya, an associate professor of communications at DePaul University in Chicago, was surprised by Unanues remarks. I feel that Goya has been a brand that has always done a good job at celebrating immigrants and Latino culture, everything that this administration seems against.

Any CEO is entitled to his or her political views, De Moya explained, but when an executive is speaking on behalf of a brand, they owe it to the company, to investors and to their employees to represent the brand in the best way.

Giving passionate, public praise to President Trump, and then not backing down from the backlash, does not strike me as wise," she said.

De Moya added that a boycott does not have to cripple or bankrupt a company to be considered successful. Consumer boycotts can have the cumulative effect of subjecting a company to greater scrutiny in the press.

A boycott can also be successful simply by getting information out there about the companys values," she said. "While there are Latinos who support Trump who will continue to buy Goya, there are certain customers the company will probably never get back.

In New York, Ricardo Alvarado said his decision to boycott Goya Foods was not one he took lightly. Ill be honest, it hurt me, coming from Goya. It hit home for me in a hard way.

We made Goya, we made them. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Mexican Americans  we made that company, he said. For Alvarado, it doesnt matter if others do not continue the boycott, or if it eventually dies out. I have made my decision. I will keep my word; I am done with them.

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Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18 2020

Property owners in Balis hospitality sector have conceded to selling their hotels or resorts below market value, as the popular vacation island continues to struggle with the pandemic-induced hit to tourist arrivals.

While the asking price for property in the hospitality sector, such as resorts, villas and hotels, has not budged since the first cases of COVID-19 were announced at the beginning of March, owners have been more open to offering up their businesses at up to 25 percent below market price, according to Paradise Property Group, a Bali-based resort and villa realtors firm.

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I'm a working pensioner and delighted to be back working two weeks now. Recently I read in the Irish Independent the following: "Someone receiving the 350-a-week payment would have received a total of 7,700 over a 22-week period."

These "someones" did not include pensioners. One question has to be asked: Why was the State pension figure of 248.30 not increased to 350 for out-of-work pensioners during this period? Would have seemed fair to me.

Brian McDevitt

Glenties, Co Donegal

No time for pussyfooting around Covid regulation

It is becoming more worrying by the day to hear and see of people flying or sailing into and out of our island without concrete restrictions in place.

I do not believe our country as a whole owes anyone outside of Ireland a shred of apology for protecting our citizens in any way possible during this health scare. Pussyfooting around the issue is over. Be firm about people not coming just for vacation and put proper rules in place for those who have to come for emergencies. Filling forms that in most cases end up in a bin or not followed up is a waste of time.

Why can't any person coming off a flight or a boat be required to produce, with their passport, a signed letter from their doctor showing that they have been tested for Covid and cleared within two days of their arrival?

Where someone arrives in at a short-notice emergency, such as a funeral, they should be tested before leaving the airport or ship port and their address and contact details retained for contact.

Irish people leaving here just for holidays need to be strictly monitored on return and get a clearance cert from their doctor showing Covid clear before returning to work. Those measures might make people think twice before riding roughshod over guidelines and give the people who live here a better chance of keeping the pandemic under control. There are times when it doesn't pay to be nice and soft on rules, and this pandemic is one of them.

Mary Buckley

Ennistymon, Co Clare

Count ourselves lucky SF not in charge in this crisis

Great to hear Sinn Fein's concern for our reputation following the findings in the Apple case. The party had no such concerns when its pals were blowing up women, children and men at home and abroad as well as advocating that we welch on our debts by their proposals to "burn the bondholders".

Regarding the latter point, we can only wonder, if we had pursued such a crazy policy, who now would lend us the money to help us overcome the problems of Covid and at what price.

Taking that into consideration, together with its cavalier attitude to the virus amply and proudly displayed recently in west Belfast, we should count ourselves lucky it was not Sinn Fein that was in charge during this crisis.

Pat O'Mahony

Dalkey, Co Dublin

Donohoe's struggle to balance taxing questions

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe uttered the following two statements three minutes apart on Thursday night.

When asked whether large companies like Apple pay enough tax in Ireland, his reply was: "It is up to governments and policy makers to decide how social and moral commitments can be articulated by the level of tax that big companies pay. It is the role of governments to define what we think the public interest is. It is not up to companies to set it."

Two minutes later, when it was suggested to him that some people in the country think that large companies like Apple pay too little tax in Ireland, he responded with: "I cannot comment on the tax affairs of any individual company or the tax they do or do not pay."

Is Paschal Donohoe suffering from a medical condition?

Darren Williams

Dublin 18

Naive Begum deserves to be allowed home

I entirely agree with Dominic MacSorley ('Ireland has major UN role in humanitarian aid for Syria', Letters, Irish Independent, July 17).

Syria's monstrous dictator Bashar al-Assad isn't going to be toppled any time soon and certainly has no intention of relinquishing power.

In the UK, the Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of Shamima Begum to return to Britain from Syria where she went as a naive 15-year-old child in 2015.

I believe this to be the correct decision as she seeks redemption. While she is being pilloried as a terrorist it should be remembered that Tony Blair's illegal 2003 action in Iraq (together with George W Bush) and David Cameron's ignorant 2011 intervention in Syria have caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, and they were well into their forties.

Britain has an unenviable record of meddling in Middle East affairs from the betrayal of Palestine, to propping up the late criminal Shah of Iran and intervening in Libya, Iraq and Syria.

By contrast, Ms Begum shows contrition for her actions (her three babies died of malnutrition in Syria) and she could be a beacon of hope to all those misguided youths into coming to their senses. Blair and Cameron show no remorse for their stupidity.

Dominic Shelmerdine

London, UK

Split school classes into two and take on teachers

The biggest challenge for the Government regarding the reopening of schools is class size. We can do all the hygiene, washing our hands and wiping down of surfaces but the large number of children in some classrooms will make it very difficult for teachers.

I know one school that has 34 junior infants starting school this September. How can one teacher, in the current Covid-19 scenario, manage this group of enthusiastic young boys and girls?

It should be divided into two groups of 17 and an additional teacher employed on a temporary basis. I understand this will be an additional cost but it needs to be done for this coming school year.

Education Minister Norma Foley should contact all school principals and ask for the total enrolment figure for their school on September 1 and a breakdown of the size of each class group. Then extra teachers, or at the very least classroom assistants, will have to be deployed in schools where the class groups exceed 25 pupils.

Eamonn Kitt (former primary school principal)

Tuam, Co Galway

Ryan relaxes after a long day at his window box

I have great sympathy for Eamon Ryan, who was seen snoozing in the Dail on Thursday ('Green leader Ryan wilts in the Dail', Irish Independent, July 17).

He is both the leader of the incorrigibly fractious Green Party and a self-confessed grower of lettuce in his window box. His constant battle against slugs and other pests must be exhausting.

Karl Martin

Bayside, Dublin 13

Russia has no need to steal Wests data after its advances in coronavirus vaccine research

There have been a spate of stories - emanating, not surprisingly, from London, - about "Russian spies stealing vaccine research" in the West. But for a novel change in the British foreign secretary's language in trying to substantiate these claims, this time it is "almost certain" instead of "highly likely".

What is certain, however, is that Russia has nothing to do with this story.

Moreover, it would be really difficult to explain Dominic Raab's insinuations in light of remarkable advances in the development of an anti-Covid-19 vaccine in Russia.

It has been a matter of public record for some time now that the Moscow Institute of Virusology and Microbiology has already successfully concluded a set of human trials of the vaccine and is aiming at the early production of the much-needed anti-Covid-19 instrument. There are at least five other Russian research centres which are at more or less the same stage of the vaccine development.

On top of all that, we have consistently proposed to the international community to join the efforts in fighting the disease within the framework of as wide co-operation as possible. Judging by this latest exercise, it is obvious that current leadership in London, Washington and Ottawa prefer otherwise.

Victoria Loginova

Press attache of the Russian Embassy in Ireland
Millions of Americans are in need of a second stimulus check from the IRS because of the coronavirus pandemic.

When or if one will come, however, is increasingly unclear.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, told CNN Friday that he has yet to hear from Republicans, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump, about negotiations tied to another coronavirus economic relief package.

Bipartisan support was needed to pass the CARES Act, which provided the first stimulus check earlier this year, Schumer told the outlet, and thus he figured that he would have had a discussion with his counterparts by now. But that hasnt happened.

It will have to soon, however.

The race is on to finalize a piece of legislation, as the U.S. House is only in session until the end of July while the Senate returns July 20 but leaves again on Aug. 7.

A summer recess for the Senate that started in June is why the House-passed HEROES Act has not been debated yet. It would include a second stimulus check, direct deposit, or prepaid debit card for anyone whose adjusted gross income qualified for one under the CARES Act.

One key difference, however, is that those with taxpayer identification numbers will be eligible, instead of just those with a social security number. Additionally, up to three dependents can be claimed for $1,2000 each, meaning the maximum a married or joint filer making less than $140,000 could get is $6,000.

With all that said, its unclear if Republicans will simply pass the HEROES Act or introduce their own legislation, which would slow down the process of getting something to Trumps desk to sign. As Forbes notes, both chambers are in sessions for just 15 days, so time is of the essence.

The bottom line is were going to fight for the whole HEROES bill period, Schumer said, per CNN.

If a payment is going to go out, expect that it would come in early-to-mid August at the absolute earliest, with the later portion of the month or even early September a possibility, as well.

By using the free Omni Calculator tool below, you can see how much you would be eligible for if the HEROES Act passes. If you cant see it, click here.

Second Stimulus Check Calculator - HEROES Act

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Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan discussed new areas of cooperation in the sector of energy in the virtual ministerial meeting of the US-India Strategic Energy Partnership with the US Secretary, signed MoU for cooperation on Strategic Petroleum Reserves and announced several new projects on Friday.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette in a virtual ministerial meeting of the US-India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP) prioritised new areas for cooperation. A number of agreements and partnerships were announced to advance the strategic and economic interests of both countries.

An official release said that two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin cooperation on Strategic Petroleum Reserves operation and maintenance, including exchange of information and best practices.

They also discussed the possibility of India storing oil in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to increase their nations strategic oil stockpile.

The two sides launched a public-private Hydrogen Task Force to help scale up technologies to produce hydrogen from renewable energy and fossil fuel sources and to bring down the cost of deployment for enhanced energy security and resiliency.

Also read: Extended help to over 150 countries during Covid-19: PM Modi at UN ECOSOC

Also read: Rajasthan HC directs speaker against taking any action on Sachin Pilot, 18 rebel MLAs until tuesday

They also signed an MOU to collaborate on Indias first-ever Solar Decathlon India in 2021, establishing a collegiate competition to prepare the next generation of building professionals to design and build high-efficiency buildings powered by renewables.

Pradhan said he has invited the US Government and US companies to join the Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission, which aims to transform India into a global manufacturing hub of the 21st century, particularly in the development of energy infrastructure.

While India has the market, the US has oil and gas reserves, the potential for investments and related advance technologies. Our collaboration, I am confident, will be win-win for all, he said.

Our meeting reflects both our governments commitment in further invigorating this partnership. Its welcome that despite challenges of COVID-19 situation, we are committed to strengthen our energy linkages and work together on mutually-aligned priorities, he added.

The USAID announced a partnership with Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) to develop Indias National Open Access Registry (NOAR).

MOU was signed between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with Indian Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioners (ISHRAE) for professional skill development for practitioners on energy-efficient design of air conditioning systems.

MOU was signed between EESL, NTPC, and USAID for retrofit of buildings to improve indoor air quality, safety, and efficiency.

Statement of Intent was signed between the US Department of State and Indias Ministry of Power under the Flexible Resources Initiative of the U.S.-India Clean Energy Finance Task Force to enhance the flexibility and robustness of Indias grid to support the countrys energy transition and mobilise the private investment to deliver reliable, low-cost power for the people of India.

The US Department of Commerce also launched an Energy Industry Working Group for India under the Asia EDGE initiative to facilitate private sector connections and ideas for US-India energy cooperation, including on innovative and disruptive technologies.

Under the US-India Gas Task Force, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Petroleum Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) signed MoU on information exchange in oil and gas regulatory frameworks.

MoU between Bloom Energy and Indian Oil on fuel cell technology, and Agility Fuel Solutions LLC and Indrapastha Gas Limited (IGL) to explore the viability, usefulness, and feasibility of advanced clean fuel systems including Type IV cylinders in India were also signed, the release said.

It said the US.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership has never been more vital in the midst of a global pandemic with an enormous human toll that is also affecting energy demand, global energy markets, and sustainable energy growth.

Also read: Pak offers 3rd consular access to India for Kulbhushan Jadhav: Reports

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Alex Wong/Getty ImagesRep. John Robert Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and civil rights legend, died on Friday at his home in Atlanta. He was 80 years old.

Lewis' death comes seven months after a routine medical visit revealed that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Black Caucus confirmed the news of his death.

"John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation - from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years," said Pelosi in a statement.

Born on February 21, 1940 to sharecroppers in Troy, Alabama, Lewis attended segregated public schools and counted the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s radio broadcasts as inspiration for his work as an activist.

During the 1960s, Lewis took on an important role during civil rights movement.

In 1961, he participated in a series of demonstrations that became known as the Freedom Rides, in which he and other activists -- Black and white -- rode together in buses through the South to challenge the region's lack of enforcing a Supreme Court ruling that deemed segregated public bus rides unconstitutional. Upon stopping, the activists on these rides often were arrested or beaten, including Lewis.



In 1965, he led hundreds of protesters in the "Bloody Sunday" march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. During the march, Lewis was knocked to the ground and brutally beaten by police where he suffered a skull fracture which scarred his head for the rest of his life.



Lewis also joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the massive crowd just before King delivered his famed I Have a Dream speech.

Often referred to as the "conscience of the U.S. Congress," Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council. He won a seat in Congress in 1986 and has spent much of his career in the minority.

In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifetime of advocacy and activism.

By Benjamin Siu and Candice Williams

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
COLONIE  School buildings last for decades but they are constantly being updated with the times.

Some of those updates center upon safety. After the Columbine shooting in 1999, for instance, schools nationwide were secured against outside intruders with upgraded locks, check-in windows and surveillance cameras.

Now as the nation grapples with COVID-19, educators are looking at making schools pandemic proof, or at least as safe as they can.

And while much of the pandemic safety measures we see are focused on social distancing and the use of masks, indoor air quality is also an important factor in how slowly or quickly a pathogen like COVID-19 can spread.

With that in mind, a group of engineers in the Capital Region are exploring new ground in that field, using a state grant to examine ways that schools in the North Colonie district can better protect themselves against COVID-19 and other viruses going forward.

Were just starting to brainstorm, said Jeremy McDonald, a principal with the Guth DeConzo engineering firm.

The company recently received a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to examine North Colonies half-dozen school buildings and recommend ways they can guard against viral spread.

Theyve been examining the schools, focusing on the HVAC, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as the air flow in the buildings.

While its early in the study, some of what theyve found suggests that schools of the future may be equipped with ultraviolet air purifiers and devices that measure the relative humidity in a room.

And the age-old method of modulating temperature and fresh air -- opening a window  may also be in the anti-virus toolkit for many schools.

Airflow and the relative humidity are important, said McDonald.

More air circulation means moisture droplets containing viral particles or other microbes are dispersed, lowering the risk of contagion.

The challenge there is figuring how to boost the rate of air flow in buildings, especially those from the 1950s or 1960s like North Colonie and other Capital Region buildings.

The relative humidity is crucial since viruses are known to propagate faster where there is high or low relative humidity.

Ideally, a building should be at 40-60 percent relative humidity.

More for you Like WWII, pandemic sparks technological innovations

Thats hard to do, especially in winter when the heat is on.

What happens then is the relative humidity, or amount of water vapor relative to the temperature, goes down.

As air is warmed, its ability to retain water is increased, thus lowering the relative humidity of the air, McDonald explained in a recent presentation entitled Mitigating Covid.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

This creates the perfect environment for viruses to expand and propagate.

Thats why its important to try and control the humidity relative to the temperature.

Moreover, if a building is too dry, it can irritate and dry out peoples lungs throats and noses. That means there is less resistance to virus and bacteria. (Thats also one of the reasons that doctors may advise using a humidifier if people have dry sinuses or other respiratory problems in winter).

With that in mind, one option for schools may be to install hygrometers to measure humidity, as well as CO2 monitors throughout the buildings or in classrooms.

Measuring CO2 or exhaled carbon dioxide can show how much fresh air, or lack of it, is in a given room.

Teachers could then open windows, run a fan or even have fewer people in a given space to increase air flow and fresh air levels.

All of the solutions will have to be tailored to individual buildings and there are challenges in balancing energy efficiency with airflow.

For now, Colonie schools are ordering newer higher efficiency air filters, said Superintendent Joseph Corr.

Precisely when and how schools will reopen remains uncertain, but Corr said they want to be ready with as many safety measures as they can have.

The NYSERDA program is also supporting studies in buildings operated by Empire State Development, the Tishman Speyer, Rudin Management and Vornado real estate firms as well as Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York City.

Also being studied are the Rochester Museum and Science Center and St. John Fisher College in Rochester.



rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU
The icon of icons: Remembering civil rights hero, Congressman John Lewis Atlanta Magazine

Remembering Nelson Mandela, Who Honoured the Power of Reconciliation The Wire. Oddly, the author appears not to know that the quote he cites when Mandela left Robben Island is the same he made at the end of his three hour statement at his trial.

This Microscopic Time-Lapse of Chemicals Crystalizing is Hypnotic PetaPixel (David L)

#COVID-10

Science/Medicine

Scientists identify six different types of coronavirus with increasing severity levels Telegraph

T-cells: the missing link in coronavirus immunity? Financial Times (David L). Already a topic in comments.

Free saliva-based COVID-19 tests begin at University of Illinois, but school wont say if students are required to take them Chicago Tribune. ma: So let me see if I have this straightSouth Korea, the U of I, even a micro-brewery in New Brunswick, Canada, can figure out how to rapidly and accurately test people, but the USofA cannot.ok then.

UK/Europe

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson sets out plan for significant normality by Christmas BBC (Kevin W). Translation: Johnson believes in Santa Claus. But hes such a narcissist that hes unable to see that hes on track to get a lump of coal in his stocking.

US

Explosion of violence dooms Mexican leaders bid to calm cartels Financial Times (David L)
Guterres delivered the 18th annual lecture marking the birthday of former South African President Nelson Mandela.

The United Nations secretary-general has delivered a stinging critique on inequality in the world, during a speech marking Nelson Mandela International Day.

Antonio Guterres says the world is at breaking point, and the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the deep divisions in society.

After his speech, he spoke to Al Jazeeras James Bays.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 09:45:14|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Saturday that it received reports of 22 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Friday, of which 16 were domestically transmitted.

All domestically-transmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

No deaths related to the disease were reported Friday, according to the commission.

On Friday, 21 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery, and one new suspected case was reported in Xinjiang.

As of Friday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,644, including 252 patients who were still being treated, with three in severe condition.

Altogether 78,758 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease, the commission said.

Six new imported cases -- three in Guangdong Province, two in Shandong Province and one in Fujian Province -- were reported Friday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 2,004. Of the cases, 1,920 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 84 remained hospitalized with three in severe condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

The commission said four people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

According to the commission, 4,072 close contacts were still under medical observation after 129 people were discharged from medical observation Friday.

Also on Friday, 14 new asymptomatic cases, including five from overseas, were reported on the mainland and no asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

The commission said 109 asymptomatic cases, including 77 from overseas, were still under medical observation.

By Friday, 1,713 confirmed cases including 11 deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 454 in Taiwan including seven deaths.

A total of 1,264 patients in the Hong Kong SAR, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 440 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 19:31:45|Editor: huaxia

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Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, speaks at a meeting of the Charity Law enforcement inspection group in Beijing, capital of China, July 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A senior legislator has stressed the full and effective implementation of the Charity Law to promote the development of charity and improve the social security system.

Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks at a meeting of a law enforcement inspection group on Friday.

Noting that the Charity Law is a legal pillar that underpins social aid and the multi-tiered social security system, Wang said the NPC Standing Committee will consider revising the law after the law enforcement inspection.

He stressed strict inspections of charity organizations in terms of donations, assets, services, information transparency, and management in accordance with the Charity Law.

Wang also called for more efforts in popularizing and implementing the law.

The NPC Standing Committee will send groups to six provincial-level regions to inspect the enforcement of the law, and the inspections will be carried out in July and August, covering Shanxi, Liaoning, and Jiangsu, among others.

Legislative bodies in seven other provincial-level regions have been tasked to run parallel inspections on the law.

The inspections will focus on fields including the establishment and development of charity organizations, charity fund-raising and donations, charity services, and disclosure of charity information, according to the meeting.

It marks the first inspections the NPC Standing Committee will be carrying out to implement the Charity Law since the law was adopted more than four years ago. An inspection report will be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee in late October. Enditem
Is there anything more disgusting than a reporter so full of himself he decides to try to outshine the subject of the report and make himself the news?

Welcome to Chris Wallace's world. The Fox News newsman got a prized interview with President Trump to be aired Sunday and used it as an occasion to argue with his subject, playing junior fact-checker instead of grand old interviewer, all in the name of cheap shilling for Joe Biden:

Here's the biased USAToday report with a little editorial comment there in the loaded word 'inaccurate':

WASHINGTON  Fox News host Chris Wallace fact-checked President Donald Trump's inaccurate claim during an interview that former Vice President Joe Biden is in favor of defunding the police, leading to a testy reaction. In a clip released between the "FOX News Sunday anchor and Trump  the entire interview will air Sunday  the president blamed "stupidly run" Democratic local governments for the increase in violence in some cities and implied the increase was the fault of the defund the police movement.

Just one problem. Trump was right. And Wallace was wrong:

Hey, Chris Wallace. Here's the citation you wanted from @realDonaldTrump. It's from your own network. https://t.co/LRr1tnl6yj  toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) July 18, 2020

Well Mr Fact Checker Chris Wallace is wrong (shocker) - here it is - at 2:34 - @JoeBiden agrees to "redirect funds" from police to "do other social programs"

Right @mercedesschlapp? It's clear Beijing Joe would not protect the public - he is going to fun 'social workers'  https://t.co/ZzGq2B9AHT  Tony Shaffer (@T_S_P_O_O_K_Y) July 18, 2020

Chris Wallace Is Wrong, Joe Biden Does Want to Defund the Police https://t.co/bHUcFL3L8z #skunkandonions  Skunk & Onions (@SkunkAndOnions) July 18, 2020

Biden indeed has called for defunding the police. Taking money out of a police budget and placing it into the coffers of social workers or diversity officers or sensitivity trainers, or anything other than police ... is defunding the police.

That's what Biden wants now that America is in a crime wave, coming from bail reform, sentencing reform, agenda-minded Soros-funded DAs who won't prosecute quality of life crimes, and the release of thugs from the can on the logic that they might catch COVID. In an atmosphere where shopkeepers and factory owners must now watch their establishments burn and homeowners must buy guns to defend themselves as blue city officials order police to stand down, and murders are now hitting record highs each weekend, Biden is calling for less money for the police, same as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other crazed radical leftists.

Wallace, though, wasn't interested in fact or nuance, in drawing the president out as to what he meant - this is increasingly a problem as we saw the other day - he just wanted to be the new Candy Crowley, fact-checking a Republican, with fact-free, vehemence-filled arguments in a bid to seize the narrative by making himself the news. That's campaigning, not doing the news.

And Wallace just doesn't get it.

And the public is fed up:

> @FoxNewsSunday is the terrible and very condescending. He ruins my Sundays if I ever watch him. He needs to move on, get him off @FoxNews. He is just a smiling assassin. https://t.co/0z7BmEWjUe

 Crystal20112008 (@crystal20112008) July 18, 2020

Once upon a time, reporters tried to enlighten the public by exposing perspectives, drawing interview subjects out, asking questions, following up with more questions, and shedding light on what a public figure thinks, or what drives a policy decision under an administration. Now they argue with Republicans, in a raw bid to get Democrats elected.

We saw it happen with Candy Crowley, who, as presidential debate moderator in 2012, decided to take her privileged position to argue with then-GOP candidate Mitt Romney, who lacked the gumption to fight back. She took flak for that in some circles, not all Republican, some just professional ones, and instead of keeping her in mind as an example of what not to do, Wallace decided to try to interview her. Who says it's not over until the fat lady sings? Wallace decided to extend the disaster of professionalism for years to come with this new low in journalistic standards.

Image credit: Fox News shareable YouTube screen shot, pixelated with Foto Sketcher
San Francisco, July 18 : The worst cyber attack in the history of social media in which over 130 high-profile Twitter accounts were compromised using internal company tools this week is not the handiwork of nation-state bad actors but the brainchild of four young hackers, the media reported.

The New York Times reported on Friday that the Twitter crypto scam can be traced back to a group of hackers who congregate online at OGusers.com, a username-swapping community where people buy and sell coveted online handles.

Two users, identified by the online monikers "lol" and ""ever so anxious," came into contact with someone called "Kirk." "Kirk did have access to Twitter's most sensitive tools, which allowed him to take control of almost any Twitter account, including those of former President Barack Obama, Joseph R. Biden Jr., Elon Musk and many other celebrities," said the report.

Twitter was yet to make it public who were behind the cyber attack, saying the investigation was on.

"But four people who participated in the scheme spoke with The Times and shared numerous logs and screenshots of the conversations they had on Tuesday and Wednesday, demonstrating their involvement both before and after the hack became public".

The Times learnt that the Twitter hack is not from Russian, Chinese or North Korean hackers but was done by a group of young people, "one of whom says he lives at home with his mother".

The reporters "verified that the four people were connected to the hack by matching their social media and cryptocurrency accounts to accounts that were involved with the events on Wednesday".

Twitter on Friday said nearly 130 accounts were affected by the mega cryptocurrency scam and it was working with the impacted account owners to control the situation.

Twitter acknowledged hackers took control of its internal system and tools after hijacking the accounts of several top-notch public figures.

The company said that it was assessing "whether non-public data related to these accounts was compromised, and will provide updates if we determine that occurred".

The cybercriminals sent bogus tweets from high-profile people like Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Mike Bloomberg and tech billionaires and companies, including Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Elon Musk, Apple and Uber, offering to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to a bitcoin address.

Celebrities like Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked.

According to cyber security firms, at least 367 users transferred around $1,20,000 (over Rs 90 lakh) to hackers within two hours of the attack.

The FBI has launched an investigation into the Twitter hack. The US Senate Commerce committee has also demanded that Twitter must brief it about the incident by July 23.
July 10

A 57-year-old man was arrested on July 10 at the 200 block of SE 6th St. just after 2:30 p.m. The individual was charged with public intoxication with three prior convictions.

A 29-year-old man was arrested on July 10 at the 600 block of W. 29th St. just before 3 a.m. in reference to a reported terroristic threat. The individual was charged with making a terroristic threat of a family/household.

Police responded to a hit-and-run resulting in injury at the 1200 block of Interstate 27 on July 10 around 2 p.m.

Theft from a vehicle was reported at the 1500 block of Yonkers St. on July 10 around 1:20 p.m.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 2200 block of W. 11th St. on July 10 around 5:30 p.m.

An assault was reported at the 400 block of Cedar St. on July 10 around 8:30 p.m.

Stolen property was reported at the 4000 block of Olton Road on July 10 around 12:30 p.m.

A burglary was reported at the 200 block of SW 10th St. around 11:15 a.m.

A burglary from a vehicle was reported at the 600 block of W. 8th St. on July 10 around 9:30 a.m.

July 11

An assault was reported at the 600 block of W. 29th St. on July 11 just before 9 p.m.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the intersection of 10th St. and Joliet on July 11 around 8:20 p.m.

Police responded to the 2400 block of N. Columbia St. on July 11 just before 3 p.m. in reference to a theft and criminal trespassing.

A theft was reported at the 300 block of SE 8th St. on July 11 just before noon.

An assault was reported at the 2500 block of E. 5th St. on July 11 around 12:30 a.m.

July 12

Plainview Police arrested 28-year-old Marcuis Anthony Martinez and 25-year-old Randy Plasencio, Jr., on July 12 at the 1900 block of W. 5th St. around 1:30 p.m. Each individual was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, which is a felony offense.

Lucy Nicole Cortez, 32, was arrested at the 2000 block of W. 5th St. on July 12 around noon for outstanding felony warrants and a misdemeanor warrant. The warrants include one for theft of property and two for forgery of a financial instrument, which is a felony.

A 30-year-old woman was arrested on July 12 at the 1100 block of Lexington St. just after 6:30 a.m. after police were called to the location in reference to an assault. The individual was charged with assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

A 33-year-old man was arrested for assault/family violence causing bodily injury. The individual was arrested at the 1100 block of Lexington St. around 9 a.m. on July 12.

A 25-year-old man was arrested for assault at the 2400 block of the west frontage road of I-27 on July 12. Officers arrived at the location of the arrest around 3 a.m.

Officers responded to the 2400 block of W. 24th St. on July 12 around 1:30 a.m. in reference to a call about public intoxication.

Officers were called to the 400 block of S. Columbia St. on July 12 around 10:30 p.m. in reference to a crash resulting in vehicle damage.

Criminal mischief was reported at the 1600 block of Portland St. on July 12 just before midnight.

Officers were called to the 1200 block of W. 21st St. on July 12 around 12:15 p.m. in reference to an assault.

A burglary was reported at the 500 block of Ash St. on July 12 around 9 p.m.

A crash with vehicle damage was reported at the 700 block of the west frontage road of Interstate 27 was reported on July 12 just before 9 p.m.

July 13, Monday

Frank Pelvith Lopez, 22, was arrested on Monday at the 900 block of Kokomo St. Officers responded to the location just after 11:15 p.m. and arrested Lopez for a felony warrant for cruelty to livestock animals.

Fraudulent use of a credit/debit card was reported Monday at the 3500 block of Olton Road around 3:40 p.m.

Burglary of a habitation was reported at the 3300 block of Quincy St. on Monday around 1:45 p.m.

A theft was reported at the 1300 block of W. 24th St. on Monday around 4:50 a.m.

Burglary of a vehicle was reported at the 2000 block of W. 11th St. on Monday around 8:40 a.m.

Burglary of a building was reported at the 700 block of W. 5th St. on Monday just after noon.

Assault and abandon/endangerment of a child were reported at the 600 block of W. 29th St. on Monday around 10:45 a.m.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 800 block of W. 5th St. on Monday around 5:15 p.m.

A burglary was reported at the 200 block of Cedar St. just after 10 p.m. on Monday.

Criminal mischief was reported at the 2000 block of W. 8th St. on Monday around 10:30 p.m.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at 5th St. and Quincy on Monday just before 1 p.m.

July 14, Tuesday

Police arrested 60-year-old Jose Angel Valenzuela on Tuesday at the 2400 block of W. 16th St. just after 11:30 a.m. for two out-of-county felony warrants.

Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported at the 100 block of Yonkers St. on Tuesday around 3:50 a.m.

Burglary of a vehicle was reported at the 1400 block of Lometa St. around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A theft was reported at the 700 block of Galveston St. on Tuesday around 7:45 a.m.

A crash resulting in injury was reported at the 2600 block of W. 16th St. on Tuesday around 10:15 a.m.

Criminal trespassing was reported at the 2900 block of Lometa St. around 11:20 a.m. on Tuesday.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 2900 block of Dimmitt Road on Tuesday around noon.

A crash resulting in injury was reported at 5th St. and Columbia on Tuesday around 12:30 p.m.

Officers conducted a stop at the 600 block of S. Broadway around 1:15 p.m. in reference to a health or safety incident. The incident report shows it included sale of a cigarette, e-cigarette or tobacco product to a minor.

July 15, Wednesday

A 31-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday at the 1300 block of Thunderbird St. around 11:45 p.m. where officers responded to a hit-and-run that caused vehicle damage. The individual was charged with driving while intoxicated and striking an unattended vehicle.

A theft was reported at the 900 block of Denver St. around 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Theft and damaged property were reported at the 1000 block of Denver St. on Wednesday around 11:15 a.m.

A theft from a yard was reported at the 1500 block of Milwaukee St. on Wednesday around 1:30 p.m.

Criminal mischief resulting in property damage to a business was reported at the 1200 block of W. 21st St. on Wednesday around 1:45 p.m.

A hit-and-run resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 2000 block of Kokomo St. on Wednesday around 3:10 p.m.

A burglary from a vehicle was reported Wednesday at the 2100 block of W. 6th St. around 4:15 p.m.

July 16, Thursday

An assault was reported Thursday at the 1500 block of Houston St. around 6:45 p.m.

A crash resulting in injury was reported at the 1800 block of the west frontage road of I-27 on Thursday around 9:50 a.m.

An assault was reported at the 1700 block of W. 15th St. on Thursday around 2:45 a.m.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 400 block of E. 5th St. on Thursday around 10:45 a.m.

Trespassing and criminal mischief were reported Thursday at the 700 block of Galveston St. just after 9 p.m.
Iowas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 8% in June, according to Iowa Workforce Development.

The states jobless rate was 2.7% a year ago, but ballooned amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 11.1% in June.

The decline in the unemployment rate by 2 percentage points in June is welcome news after several months of historically high rates of unemployment. Moving out of double-digit unemployment is a tremendously positive good sign for our economic recovery as businesses reopen and Iowans return to work, Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said in a release.

Townsend said Iowa employers are hiring, noting there are more than 50,000 job postings at IowaWORKS.gov.

The department also has guidance for a safe work environment at iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/COVID-19.

The number of unemployed Iowans declined to 131,200 in June from 173,000 in May, the department said. The current estimate is 84,000 higher than the year ago level of 47,200.

The total number of working Iowans dropped to 1,508,300 in June. That number is 12,900 less than May and 179,800 lower than one year ago.

In Pottawattamie County, there were 142 initial claims and 2,783 continuing claims for unemployment insurance.

The unemployment rate for the county in May  the most recent month available for county data, according to the Iowa Workforce Development website  was 9.9%. The rate was 10.8% in April and 3.1% in March.

According to the Iowa Workforce Development:

Total non-farm employment grew by 50,200 jobs in June, helping erase some of layoffs caused by efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

While this gain is tremendous, the state still has much ground to make up to return to pre-quarantine levels. Furthermore, not all segments of the economy are truly open and operating as usual, the department said.

Most segments of the states economy advanced in June. Private industries were fueled by services and added 43,500 jobs and government gained 6,700 jobs at the state level. Overall, Iowa trails last Junes mark by 117,700 jobs (-7.4%). Almost a third of these annual losses are within the leisure and hospitality sector (30.8%).

Accommodations and food services took a step towards normalcy in June with 18,800 jobs increased versus May.

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A court has heard how santa claus came early for a Longford father of two when a bank card which had been mistakenly sent to him by a financial institution allowed him to go on a four figure drinking and gambling splurge.

Michael McDonagh, 121 MacEoin Park, Longford withdrew 6,500 in total from an account belonging to a victim with the exact same name when AIB officials erroneously posted a bank card to his address.

Garda Shane OConnor gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution, revealing the 23-year-old replied sorry when each charge was put to him.

In outlining the case to the court, Garda OConnor said Mr McDonagh knew the card was not his and pretended to act as its official holder by physically going down to the Main Street facility in Longford town before withdrawing 6,500 on three separate occasions.

All of the withdrawals, which also involved Mr McDonagh going into the bank and obtaining a temporary pin number on the card, occurred on the same day-11 September 2019 last year.

Presiding Judge Seamus Hughes was informed the balance on the account amounted to 17,000 and belonged to Mr McDonaghs namesake who now resided in Austria.

Garda OConnor said the alarm was raised when the victim noticed the irregularities and contacted gardai.

When gardai arrested and subsequently questioned Mr McDonagh over the alleged deception, Garda OConnor said full admissions were made with the accused also indicating a willingness to repay the misappropriated monies as soon as possible.

Judge Hughes asked whether the accused invested the four figure sum or did Paddy Power get it all?

When defence solicitor John Quinn indicated the latter was very much indicative of his clients problems at the time, Judge Hughes said the irony of his previous comment was not lost on him.

Mr McDonagh said the bulk of the money went on wagers he placed on horses and dogs, gambling as well as drinking the entire amount over the course of a couple of weeks.

Quizzed as to how much he would otherwise ordinarily spend feeding his gambling habit, Mr McDonagh replied: Whatever I had in my pocket I would spend it.

He added his own personal circumstances at the time hastened his addiction problems, issues he was now addressing by managing to hold down gainful employment at a south Longford meat factory.

I give most of it (income) to her (wife) now, he said.

And I hold a small bit for myself. In September last year, me and the wife split up and I went drinking and gambling.

I was just in a bad place at the time but I have changed my life around now and I work now I do.

Prior to issuing any kind of ruling on the case, the court heard Mr McDonagh had six previous convictions to his name, all of which were for theft and came in February in relation to offences from seven months earlier.

Mr Quinn said his client came to court with 1,000 by way of compensation and was willing to pay the rest of the monies outstanding by way of instalments.

It was also revealed AIB had since reinstated the account of the victim concerned despite the local solicitor insisting bank statements were still being sent to his client in error.

Mr Quinn said his client was fully acceptive of his culpability, stating it was like manna from heaven when the card arrived in the post to him.

Judge Hughes said notwithstanding Mr McDonaghs guilt, there was an air of design to the Longford mans actions in his successful attempts to convince a bank official to issue him with a temporary pin number.

I have never heard the likes of it, he said.

Pressed further by the judge as to his feelings when he saw the figure of 17,000 pop up on the ATM screen in front of him, Mr McDonagh replied simply: I was just excited, judge.

In a response which drew ripples of laughter across the courtroom, Judge Hughes remarked how Santa Claus came early to Mr McDonagh before asking him: Did your toes curl?

With no response forthcoming, Judge Hughes accepted the 1,000 handed in by the accused and adjourned the case until October 6 when Mr McDonagh is expected to hand in another 1,000 in compensation.
Texas Permits Schools to Hold Online Classes Up to First 8 Weeks of School Year

Texas on Friday announced that public schools are allowed to temporarily limit access to on-campus instruction for up to the first 8 weeks of the school year.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) on Friday announced an update to its public health planning guidance (pdf) for the 2020-21 academic year, saying that school systems can hold online-only instruction for the first 4 weeks of school and can continue to do so for another 4 weeks, if needed, with a board-approved waiver request to the agency.

The TEA said that students who are not equipped for virtual learning, particularly those whose families lack reliable Internet access or a computer, will still be entitled to on-campus instruction once the school year begins.

The health and safety of students, teachers, and parents is the top priority, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Twitter shortly following the TEA update.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during a press conference at the state capitol in Austin, Texas, on March 29, 2020. (Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images)

Abbott said on Thursday that Texas could be seeing signs that the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus was slowing after June and July when hospitalizations quadrupled, stretching ICUs to full capacity. One of the hardest-hit areas remains the Texas-Mexico border, where officials are looking at converting hotels into medical units.

Texass largest teachers organization dismissed Fridays announcement as underwhelming, saying it is based on an artificial deadline.

Educators, students, and their parents need assurance that school buildings will not be reopened until it is safe to do so. Right now, with the pandemic still raging across Texas, we dont know when that will be, Texas State Teachers Association President Ovidia Molina said in a statement.

School leaders in Dallas and Houston concerned about the surge of COVID-19 cases have reportedly postponed the first day of classes until after Labor Day.

Texas reported more than 10,000 new cases of the CCP virus for a fourth consecutive day on Friday and 174 deathsa new daily record. The Texas Department of State Health Services is urging residents to stay home when they can and wear a mask when in public.

DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said in an announcement on Friday that COVID-19 is having widespread community spread across the state.

What does that mean? he continued. It means that its in all of our cities and towns in one degree or another, and its spreading in workplaces, its spreading in families and parties, and gatherings like that. So we really cant have our guard down, we have to put our guard up and be even stronger in terms of fighting COVID-19.

He said that staying at home and maintaining a social distance of 6 feet are ways to curb the spread of the virus. He also explained the importance of wearing a mask while in public.

Wearing my mask protects you, and you wearing your mask protects me  its part of how we protect each other and keep Texas safe, Hellerstedt said.

It has been nearly three weeks since Texas shut down bars again, and Abbott said the leveling off of Houston hospitalization rates in recent days is encouraging.

Were certainly not out of the woods yet, but this could be a glimmer of hope coming if people will continue wearing face masks wherever possible, Abbott told Houston television station KRIV.

California also issued strict guidance that makes it unlikely that many schools will resume in-person instruction this fall.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Over the years, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger have described themselves as accidental activists.

While their early steps into advocacy may have been unplanned, they built their lives around inspiring young people to be good citizens and helping deliver international aid to rural villages.

They became rock stars of the charity world in the process.

Now, theyve moved into damage control as they find themselves and their WE Charity embroiled in a still-evolving political and ethical scandal.

The federal government and WE Charity have withdrawn from an agreement to have the charity administer a $900-million student volunteer program, in which the government would pay students up to $5,000 in education costs for volunteering their time, leaving the fate of the program unclear.

The move has not only triggered investigations by the ethics commissioner over Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus and Finance Minister Bill Morneaus family ties to the organization, but also sharpened attention on the activities of the charity itself, raising questions about its transparency and business model.

So how did we get here?

The first story about Craig Kielburgers mission to end child labour appeared in the Toronto Star in June 1995. The 12-year-old from Thornhill had been so affected by the story of Iqbal Masih, a boy who was sold into slavery in a carpet factory in Pakistan and was later killed, that Kielburger started a childrens crusade to end child labour.

He called the group, then made up of a few dozen youngsters, Free the Children. They spoke at schools, gave presentations on child labour and collected petitions demanding Canada ban the import of goods made by children.

As the Kielburger brothers would later describe in their book, their philosophy asked people to consider a way of living that feeds the positive in the world and has the potential to revolutionize kindness.

The movement grew quickly. In November 1995, Craig Kielburger gave a speech before the Ontario Federation of Labour to rapturous applause, and when the new year dawned, he was on a fact-finding mission in India, where he met with Mother Teresa, took part in a raid on a carpet factory, and met with then Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien, who was on a trade mission.

A few months later, Kielburger was in Washington, talking to the Democratic partys policy committee. The TV newsmagazine 60 Minutes profiled him. He met with foreign affairs ministers and with U.S. vice-president Al Gore.

There were a few speed bumps.

In November 1996, an article in Saturday Night magazine, titled The Most Powerful 13-Year-Old in the World, alleged that donations to Free the Children went directly to the Kielburger family.

Kielburger served a notice of libel. For the record, I have not taken any money, he said at a press conference.

Court documents stated that Kielburger was also disturbed by the articles reference to journalists nicknaming him Damien, the same name as the Antichrist character in the movie The Omen.

In 2000, the magazine paid then 17-year-old Kielburger $319,000 to settle the suit.

Two years later, while pursuing peace and conflict studies at the University of Toronto, he became one of 156 candidates nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. (Former U.S president Jimmy Carter won.) By then, his movement counted 100,000 members in 35 countries; the group had built hundreds of schools, and shipped tens of thousands of health and medical supplies to developing countries.

While Craig was the public face of the group, his older brother Marc, then in his mid-20s, was the administrator behind the scenes.

Ask anyone at Free the Children, the Star reported at the time, and youll hear that Marc is the one behind the steering wheel.

In 2005, the brothers released their book Me to We, which aimed to inspire a revolution in giving and community building.

The brothers also wrote a joint column for the Toronto Star from 2006 through 2008, covering a range of topics, from calling for a federal ombudsman for children to pushing for fairer food global distribution.

It was during this time that the pair launched WE Days, youth empowerment rallies that would feature speakers, athletes and celebrity performers.

In 2012, the younger Kielburger was immortalized when the Halton District School Board voted to name a new Milton high school after him: Craig Kielburger Secondary School.

Having a role model whose hand you can shake, whose voice will act beyond the auditorium, is powerful beyond the name, said a student at the board meeting where the matter was decided.

The momentum led to changes within the WE movement, too, with WE Days expanding across the world. Free the Children restyled itself as WE Charity in 2016, bringing the branding of the charity under the WE umbrella.

Observers say that as the organization has grown, the brothers have kept a tight rein on operations.

The fact that all these years later, the brothers continue to be the face of the organization is unique, exemplifying founders syndrome, when the founder of an organization continues to exert enormous influence, says Susan Phillips, a professor in Carleton Universitys school of public policy and administration who specializes in philanthropy and non-profits.

Thats why I call it a celebrity charity; its hard to separate WE Charity the organization from the founders, she said.

The effect of founders can be very positive on organizations. Theyve got the enthusiasm and drive; it isnt all negative. But I cant think of another major charity in the country that has that kind of celebrity-founder ongoing connection.

According to Charity Intelligence, an independent charity watchdog, the WE movements growth has created confusion among donors between WE Charity and ME to WE, a for-profit social enterprise corporation controlled by the Kielburgers and founded in 2004.

According to its website, ME to WE creates socially conscious products and experiences that are designed to allow people to do good in their daily lives. That means things like retail products and immersive volunteer trips that take people to volunteer on their international development projects. At least half of the net profit goes into its partner charity, WE Charity, although the website says over the last five years its been more than 90 per cent.

The Kielburgers have maintained that the enterprise and the charity are separate, but complementary. But following the revelation that Justin Trudeaus mother and brother had been paid more than $280,000 for appearing at WE-hosted events  some of that money coming from the charity side, not the for-profit side  the brothers were forced to apologize.

No charitable funds were intended to pay their honorarium, as costs were sponsored by ME to WE Social Enterprise, they wrote in full-page newspaper ads. Once we learned that the charity did pay for some of their speeches, the error was identified, and the charity was reimbursed. Yet, the error should not have happened, and we apologize.

Amid the damage control, WE Charity announced this week that it is restructuring its operations and cancelling its flagship WE Day events.

After much reflection and with great care and concern for all our stakeholders, we have made some important decisions to refocus on our mission, simplify our program offering, and undertake a series of governance and structural changes, the charitys statement read.

WE Charity will return to its roots, prioritizing our international development work. Our global partner villages have already been significantly impacted by COVID-19, and we must not let them be further adversely affected by unrelated issues halfway around the globe.

Charity Intelligence evaluates organizations based on five metrics, including financial transparency, results reporting and demonstrated impact, and recently downgraded WE Charitys rating. The organization reported that over the last year WE Charity had almost completely replaced its board of directors. The watchdog said six of the charitys directors from last year were replaced by four new directors, with one new director resigning in June 2020.

Nicolas Moyer, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, said he hopes that, as WE Charity restructures, it will consider joining the council, which is the only national umbrella group for civil society organizations involved in international development. Its members include World Vision and the Red Cross.

Within our membership at CCIC, our members are committed to a code of ethics which outlines a range of best practices, he said.

The international development sector in Canada is larger than many people think. There are over 2,000 organizations that work in international development in Canada. They employ over 14,000 people. We collectively mobilize more than $5 billion in investments for international development. Its a sector that has learned a lot over the years about proper ways of programming, sharing best practices with one another.

Without referring to any charity specifically, Moyer noted: In our history, there are collectively a lot of unfortunate stories in our sector of smaller organizations sometimes that have done things that are inappropriate. There have been scandals over the years. Its been very important for leading organizations in this field to always push the bar towards better performance.

Moyer said hes only ever been able to view WE Charity from a distance because of its reluctance to join the council.

WE has specifically made a point of staying completely independent, said Moyer, choosing to not collaborate, not join in conversation, not engage the rest of the international development sector in Canada.

WE Charity and Free the Children has done an outstanding job of engaging young Canadians. But there are a lot of questions that we have  around the business model itself, and the impact of the programs they have.

In a statement on Friday, WE Charity said it is certainly open to being a member of the CCIC and any suggestion that it is reluctant to do so is wrong.

There are many associations that bring value to charities, it said, noting that, for now, it has chosen to associate primarily with the Ontario Council for International Cooperation.

WE Charity works hard to increase the level of awareness and understanding with respect to international development, the statement said.

Both Moyer and Phillips say they are worried about the effects the current scandal will have on the collective reputation of the international development sector.

Were going to see undoubtedly a dampening of giving for some time by economic circumstance alone, Phillips said.

Added Moyer: When any single organization in the international development sector is in the spotlight, especially for things that can be controversial, it does hurt collective reputation. And so we have a shared interest in them doing right and learning from this moment.
A former advisor to Irans ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the Supreme Leaders office has refused requests by Ahmadinejad to meet with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Abbas Amirifar a cleric who was Ahmadinejads cultural advisor in his second term told Sharq newspaper that For three years Ahmadinejad knocks on every door and begs to get a chance to meet the Leader, but they do not give him an appointment.

Although Ahmadinejad was a favorite of Khamenei who supported his controversial reelection in 2009, he had a fell out with the Supreme Leader over the issue of a ministerial appointment during his second term. After his presidency for a while he became a vociferous critic of the ruling system and once even went as far as sharply criticizing Khamenei for his governance.

In 2017, Ahmadinejad registered to run for president and the Guardian Council, loyal to Khamenei, refused to approve his candidacy. Now, there are speculations whether the enigmatic former president intends to run again in 2021 when current president Hassan Rouhanis term ends.

Amirifar told Sharq that if Ahmadinejad registers again the Guardian Council will unanimously reject his candidacy. However, Ahmadinejad has managed to get many of his supporters elected to parliament. For now, they do not dare to oppose policies endorsed by Khamenei but their presence in the legislature gives the former president a degree of political cover.
French prosecutors said they had opened an investigation into possible arson after fire damaged a cathedral in the city of Nantes on Saturday, noting the blaze had erupted in three separate places.

"An arson investigation has been opened, there are no conclusions to be drawn now because we have a lot of investigations to make which could introduce new elements," Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes told AFP.

The fire erupted on Saturday morning inside the gothic cathedral in the western city, destroying the organ, but firefighters brought the blaze under control within hours.

"When we arrive at a place where a fire has taken place, when you see three separate fire outbreaks, it's a question of common sense, you open an investigation," Sennes said.

"We cannot leave an event like that without a judicial investigation."

He said federal police were now involved and an expert on fires from the police technical and scientific unit was travelling to Nantes to join the investigation.

Sennes said there were no suspects in the probe at the moment.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

Kazakhstan has prepared an anti-crisis measures package in order to maintain socio-economic stability, including employment, demand and business activity, a source in Kazakhstans Ministry of National Economy told Trend.

The official said that as part of the anti-crisis measures, funds were allocated for the implementation of the new Employment Roadmap, concessional lending to small and medium-sized businesses, expansion of the Nurly Zher, Enbek and Business Roadmap state programs, as well as the development of agro-industrial complex, and the Aul-El Besigi project.

The main goal of the Aul-El Besg project is to improve the quality of life, modernize the infrastructure of rural areas.

In turn, tax incentive measures are being implemented to support the business country-wide.

"This will allow entrepreneurs to save money, which can then be used to support and develop their own business," the official said.

The official added that in order to support business activity and employment, a Comprehensive Plan for Restoring Economic Growth for 2020 was also adopted.

"The comprehensive plan includes operational measures to support various economy sectors: tax incentives, credit expansion, measures to develop infrastructure, support domestic production, entrepreneurship and employment preservation," the official further said.

Talking the goals that these measures will allow Kazakhstan to reach the official said that overall, they will ensure the preservation of employment and will help restore economic activity, as well as minimize the negative effects of COVID-19 and low oil prices crisis, and create a solid foundation for the transition to a stage of balanced and high-quality economic growth.

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Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is holding military exercises to test its combat readiness amid clashes between its ally Azerbaijan and Armenian forces, Russia's defence minister told his Azeri counterpart on Saturday.

The Defence Ministry described the exercises as a routine check of the army's capacity to ensure security in Russia's southwestern region and denied any links between the training and the fighting taking place in the Caucasus region, south of Russia.

More than a dozen Armenian and Azeri soldiers have been killed in recent days in clashes between the two former Soviet republics which have long been at odds over Azerbaijan's breakaway, mainly ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russia, which has a military base in Armenia, has urged the two sides to cease fire and show restraint. The Kremlin has said Moscow is ready to act as a mediator.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Azerbaijan's Sakir Hasanov discussed the clashes in a phone call on Saturday.

The drills involve around 150,000 troops and 400 aircraft, according to the defence ministry.

The two sides accuse each other of shelling military targets and villages, and Azerbaijan has warned Armenia it could strike the Metzamor nuclear power station if its Mingechavir reservoir or other strategic outlets were hit.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Saturday Azerbaijan posed a threat to his country and global security, saying the threat to attack one of its nuclear power stations amounted to "a threat to commit terrorism".

Russia considers Armenia to be a strategic partner in the South Caucasus region and supplies it with weapons.

"I categorically deny any link between the activities held by the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the escalation on the Armenian-Azeri border," deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin said in a separate statement, quoted by Russian news agencies.

(Additional reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan in Yerevan; Writing by Polina Ivanova; editing by Angus MacSwan)
A new case of COVID-19 was reported in managed isolation in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

According the ministry, Saturday's case is a man in his 50s who arrived in New Zealand on July 12 from Central Africa via Tanzania, Doha and Brisbane. The man is now in the quarantine facility in Auckland.

The number of active cases in New Zealand is 22. The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand is now 1,200, which is the number New Zealand reports to the World Health Organization, said the ministry.

There is no one in New Zealand receiving hospital-level care for COVID-19.

It has been 78 days since the last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source, said the ministry.

New Zealand laboratories completed 2,403 tests on Friday and the total number of tests completed in New Zealand to date is 441,123.
Keeping kids out of school  again  may be the most difficult decision Doug Ford has to make as premier.

Perhaps there have been more painful issues to deal with  the lives and deaths of seniors, the livelihoods and layoffs of workers. But none has as many shades of grey  questions of health and safety, education and economics, hope and hopelessness  as the fate this fall of students, teachers and parents.

It all falls on the shoulders of Ontarios 33-year-old education minister, Stephen Lecce. By months end, he tells me, the Progressive Conservative government will have the data it needs for a preliminary decision.

I understand full well that this is incredibly complex, he muses with calculated understatement. We will do whatever it takes to keep kids safe.

What does that mean? In practice it ranges from a cautious return to classes to a retreat to online learning, or something in between  which translates into a confusing state of limbo.

Such has been the mixed messaging of the past month, which has led many to lose patience with the ministerial messenger. Millions of Ontarians are waiting for the final word, not least school boards and teachers with only a few weeks until school begins.

Not so simple. A mere month ago, when students were tuning out online courses and teachers were complaining about video conferencing (a missed opportunity), the idea that wed face more of the same this fall seemed unfathomable.

But what felt like a failed experiment last spring could be a recurring agony next term, and the term after that  interminably. It already is in much of the United States  on Friday California announced that the countrys most populous school boards have ruled out a return to classes.

In Ontario, we have the luxury, currently, of a lower infection rate  but amid the uncertainty is complexity. For all the objective science, there is subjective judgment, and for all the exasperation over our provincial politicians making up their minds, it turns out that parents are also of two minds.

A poll by Campaign Research, published in the Toronto Star this week, revealed that fewer than one in five Ontarians support a full return to classes. A majority opted for a mixed model that includes online teaching with only part-time attendance.

The polling contradicts the conventional wisdom among policy-makers and experts that working parents were desperate to get their kids back in school full-time  so that they could get back to work unencumbered. Not so fast.

There is good reason to want schools reopened if at all possible, given that we are prepared to risk reopening restaurants and nightclubs. There is a medical consensus that students are at low risk of being sickened by COVID, and a pedagogical consensus that they are at high risk of being set back by losing another term of classroom teaching. There is also an economic imperative to give workers the certainty they need to be on the job if they cannot telecommute.

Most jurisdictions that reopened schools in mid-pandemic  from Quebec to Western Europe  did not experience major surges in community transmission. Despite those reassuring outcomes for students and parents, its fair to say that teachers remain less reassured  and that could be a sleeper issue for a minister and government still trying to rebuild a frayed relationship after prolonged labour strife.

Lecce insists that immunocompromised staff will be protected. But how does an otherwise healthy teacher in their fifties or sixties weigh the risk of increased daily exposure to COVID-19?

Lecces call to school boards for planning scenarios has generated a confusing menu of options, much of it predicated on social distancing that reduces class sizes  requiring many more teachers and much more money. As for limiting classes to 15 students, it might be optimal but not so practical.

Torontos public school board also looked at class sizes of 20 for later grades. Given the growing evidence that masks are what matters most, the tradeoff between masking and distancing may offer more manoeuvring room in the classroom.

With barely six weeks until the start of school, can the government and school boards get their act together in time? Even if they could, what if everything changes in mid-year?

Above all else, the province needs flexibility  not just in class sizing and teacher hiring but calendar timing. Ending classes on schedule next June seems overly optimistic given the uncertainties.

Now is the time to start discussing extending the academic year into the summer of 2021 if necessary. Prolonged summer breaks for teachers and students are a quaint tradition in a province that loves camps and cottages; but just because they are written into collective agreements with the teachers unions doesnt mean they should remain cast in stone amid COVID-19.

In the context of COVID-19, keeping all options on the table  is prudent  but at this point there is no plan to extend it, Lecce says of the school year, choosing his words carefully in our interview.

The ministers hands are tied on timing  for now. But if an unpredictable pandemic forces interruptions, well need creative solutions  including rethinking the summer break of 2021.
Callaghan O'Hare/Reuters

HOUSTONWhen health officials quietly removed nearly 3,500 COVID-19 cases from the official Texas total on Wednesday, it launched a deluge of conspiracy theories about inflated and unreliable data in the midst of a surging pandemic.

The 3,484 removed cases were diagnosed using FDA-approved antigen tests. The FDA has said positive results from antigen tests are highly accurate, and can be used to diagnose current COVID-19 infections. But state health officials pointed to the definition of a coronavirus case the CDC published in early April to explain why the cases were removed.

The case data on our website reflect confirmed cases, and cases identified by antigen testing are considered probable cases under the national case definition, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Under that definition, the CDC only considers cases confirmed if they are diagnosed using a molecular, often called PCR, test. Cases that are detected using antigen tests are classified as probable. If someone is diagnosed with an antigen test, Texas will not count their case among the state total.

The removed cases were from Bexar County, which includes San Antonio. The citys mayor said Thursday that San Antonio was one of three cities in Texas that tracks antigen testsand that the tests help local health officials see the full picture of COVID-19 in the area.

The state wants an apples-to-apples comparison with all cities in their reports, so they're removing antigen counts, said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. It now means the State of Texas will not be counting thousands of FDA-approved positive COVID-19 tests in their reports. That's troublingto say the least.

Houston Outbreak Has Residents Begging to Be Locked Down

The FDA approved the first COVID-19 antigen test in May. When you see a picture of COVID-19, you typically see a white ball with a bunch of red spikes coming off of it. A molecular (PCR) test looks for the viruss genetic material in the white ball. An antigen test looks for proteins that make up the red spikes.

Story continues

Each category of diagnostic test has its own unique role in the fight against this virus, according to the FDA. PCR tests can be incredibly accurate, but running the tests and analyzing the results can take time. One of the main advantages of an antigen test is the speed of the test, which can provide results in minutes.

While some jumped to the conclusion that the states removal was proof the record-high case numbers in the state were inflated and the whole virus scare overblown, it actually suggests the opposite. In a state thats already struggling to keep up with testing demands and rising hospitalizations, Texas runs the risk of undercounting casesand undermining trustby not recognizing positive antigen test results, experts said.

Dr. Sarah Bezek, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said the most transparent way for the state to report cases would be to include data from each type of coronavirus test.

Just say, These are the number of positives from the PCR tests, these are the number of positives from the antigen tests, and these are the number of positives from the serological studies (antibody tests), said Bezek, who works on the front line in Houston-area emergency departments. That would be complete transparency of data.

A positive antigen test result is reliable, Bezek argued. The two COVID-19 antigen tests the FDA has approved are very specific, meaning they can distinguish between COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

The legit knock on antigen tests is that they are less sensitive than PCR tests, which means they return more false negatives. But Bezek pointed out that even PCR tests arent 100 percent accurate, further hindering the ability of local health officials to conduct accurate contact tracing.

Depending on how and when a PCR test is administered, it, too, can return a false negative.

We have patients that are having negative test after negative test, Bezek said. Theres certain constellations of symptoms that, after you see enough patients with coronavirus, that when you see somebody whos testing negative you can say, Well, Im pretty sure this is coronavirus.

Those cases, she added, also arent counted by the state.

On Thursday, outrage over the case removals spread like wildfire online. But many of the responses werent from people concerned about reduced disease surveillance. Instead, they were conspiracy theorists suggesting the removals somehow indicated the crisis was overblown.

Its all been a lie, one Twitter user said. They locked us down and destroyed the economy on lies.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz got in on the action, sharing a misleading tweet suggesting that those 3,484 people whose cases were removed were never tested and that the San Antonio health department had made a mistake. Cruz added the comment, Troubling.

Local health officials were adamant that was not the case.

Probable cases do not mean maybe cases of COVID-19, said Colleen Bridger, interim director of San Antonio Metro Health. Antigen tests are FDA-approved, and positive tests are highly accurate.

Dr. Seema Yasmin, director of the Stanford Health Communication Initiative, said moving to erase the cases like Texas did was the worst thing they couldve done in a climate where mistrust is soaring.

The last thing you need when you are seeing a surge is for people to suddenly think that the numbers are inaccurate and actually things arent as tragic and as at-a-crisis-point as they really are, Yasmin said.

Texas reported 10,256 new cases on Friday, and hit a new daily record for hospitalizations (10,632) and fatalities (174).

According to the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic, many states report confirmed and probable cases in their state totals. The CDC did not respond to a request for comment about whether they planned to issue an updated guidance regarding counting positive antigen tests as confirmed rather than probable.

Because antigen tests return more false negatives than molecular (PCR) tests, theres a good argument to be made for keeping molecular and antigen testing data separate so researchers can best determine the positivity rates of each (how often tests come back positive).

Joseph Petrosino, chairman of the department of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, believes the data sets should be kept separate for the purposes of epidemiological research.

You want to compare apples to apples, Petrosino said. SARS-CoV-2 tracking started with counting positive PCR tests. If additional testing methods of different levels of sensitivity are added, it can hinder tracing efforts and epidemiological studies such as where the virus is spreading the fastest and what individuals are at greater risk.

Yasmin agrees that, behind the scenes, it makes sense to keep the two data sets separated. But when it comes to informing the public about infections, the total number of positive casesdiagnosed by molecular and antigen testsshould be reported, she argued.

We make decisions about our lives and whether kids will go back to school or whether we will go to the grocery store often based on community transmission, Yasmin said. You need that transparency of data. When it comes to antigen tests, theyre a good indicator of if somebody is a case or not.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

By Tamilla Mammadova  Trend:

Georgia and Kazakhstan concluded a memorandum on the establishment of the Kazakh-Georgian Cultural and Economic Association was concluded, Trend reports citing Georgian media.

The memorandum provides for cooperation in the fields of investment, trade, tourism and the cultural and social sector.

The document envisages development of a strategy, organizational structure and the management of the association as well as procedure for member admission.

The main goal of creating the association is to provide legal, informational and marketing support to the members of the association - Kazakh companies and investors working in Georgia and Georgian companies and investors working in Kazakhstan, as well as deepening cooperation between Georgia and Kazakhstan.

The memorandum was signed by eight companies representing the two countries.

Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Georgia Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov took part in the signing of the memorandum.

"Today, it is important for Kazakhstan to ensure its presence in actively developing markets, one of which is the Georgia, and the country legislation provides an opportunity for profitable investments,"said Mukhamedzhanov.

Agriculture plays an important role in bilateral trade and economic relations. Both countries are interested in regular deliveries of Kazakhstan grain to the Georgian market. For its part, Kazakhstan is ready to consider the issue of agricultural supplies from Georgia, the ambassador added.

In his words, Kazakhstan considers Georgia one of the promising trade and economic partners in the central and western parts of Transcaucasia.

"Investments in energy projects, participation in the banking sector of Georgia, transit access to the Black Sea, cooperation in agriculture, tourism and medical and preventive spheres are of mutual interest," said Mukhamedzhanov.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356
Approaching of asteroids towards Earth is not a very uncommon event. But such events catch attention when the space rock moving past our planet is of enormous size.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that a space rock almost 1.5 times the size of the London Eye will make its closest approach to Earth on 24 July, reported Express.

The report further added that the asteroid will come within just 0.034 astronomical units (AU) or 5,086,327 kilometres of Earth. It is moving at a speed of 48,000 kilometres per hour.

According to Mirror, the US space agency has described the asteroid as "potentially hazardous".

It has been named 2020ND and is 170m tall.

"Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid's potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth," Mirror reported quoting NASA.

Space rocks having a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 AU or less are considered PHAs.

The asteroid could have been pushed by the gravity of other planets into an orbit that will send it into Earth's region of space.

As per Lancaster Guardian, the 2020NDs proximity gives it a status of Near Earth Object (NEO).

It reported that the space rock is not expected to collide with our planet. However, according to NASA, there is a one in 300,000 chance every year that an asteroid with a potential to cause regional damage will strike.

Humans will not be able to see this space rock with naked eyes and even those with relatively powerful telescopes may not view it.
Oakland, California-based sociopolitical comedian W. Kamau Bell says his cable TV series, "The United Shades of America," is a place for "difficult conversations." So it's no wonder he believes the program is more vital than ever.

As the Emmy-winning series prepares to launch a fifth season on CNN Sunday, protests and debates over racial injustices and defects in American democracy are happening all over a polarized nation. In his role as "United Shades" host, Bell's mission is to explore communities across the country and get a feel for the challenges they face.

Along the way, he has shown a willingness to step outside his comfort zone  as a Season 1 get-together with members of the Ku Klux Klan proves.

In Sunday's standout premiere, Bell examines white supremacy and systemic racism through the lens of Pittsburgh and its local Black leaders and activists. He also visits with the rabbi of the Tree of Life synagogue where 11 worshippers were gunned down in 2018 by a white supremacist. Among his interview subjects are CNN correspondent Sara Sidner, who reports extensively on America's racial divide, and his mother, Janet Cheatham Bell, a scholar and author who once worked in the African and Afro-American Studies Program at Stanford.

Bell recently discussed the state of race relations:

Q: "United Shades" usually debuts near the end of April. With all the things that are happening, have you been antsy to get back on the air?

A: CNN is the network you turn to when you need to find out what's going on  even if you don't agree with it. I understood that they had to keep rolling with the news. So we were in limbo for a while and that's OK.

Q: But now you're ready to go and you've said you're very proud of this first episode. Tell us why.

A: I've never worked on an episode for as long as this. We finished filming in February, but had to keep changing things as the news shifted. And because of COVID, we were all isolated and in separate cities. So it was a lot of hard work, and it was awkward, but we kept pushing to make it sharp and super-timely. ... Plus, we were able to get the 'Mr. Rogers' theme song in there!

Q: You're also thrilled to be working with a new production company  Zero Point Zero Production, Inc., which did Anthony Bourdain's show on CNN. Why the change?

A: I got to work with them when I did an episode with Tony in Kenya (2018), and I've always been impressed with their stuff. They're the best people who do this type of television. They come from more of a documentary perspective than a reality TV perspective. Their shows feel more cinematic and artistic and I love that. With our show, I want you to learn something, and I also want you to go "Whoa!"

Q: Give us a cursory feel for Season 5. What can we expect?

A: When our show works well, it feels like we're kind of predicting the future, even though we pitched the episodes months ago. And that's what it feels like this season. We have an episode that looks at independent farming  a topic that has been discussed a lot about during the COVID pandemic. We also examine Black Wall Street and the idea of reparations  topics that gotten a lot of attention in the era of Black Lives Matter. And we have an episode on inequities in the public school system ... I wish these problems would be solved by the time the episodes air, but that doesn't seem to happen.

Q: As you reflect on what has happened since the death of George Floyd, are you any more hopeful that positive change can occur?

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A: It has been fascinating to see the kind of conversations that are happening in the national media, and among regular White people  not just Bay Area liberals. The fact that these conversations about systemic racism, police brutality and social injustice are out in the open makes me feel good. But I will only be really hopeful if we see things actually shift in the culture. And even if (Joe) Biden wins in November, there will still be lots of work to do. We'll be able to take a breath, but then we have to get back to work. With Trump, there's no taking a breath. You can't even sleep. I wish it didn't take the death of George Floyd, and so many others, for people to see how broken the system is. But now that we have seen the problems, we all have to try to do more (to make repairs). We can't just change our avatars on our Facebook pages.

Q: Many have pointed to the younger generation as a sign of hope, saying our youth will bring about change. But in your season opener, there's a segment about certain websites that target disillusioned kids and normalize racism and homophobia. It's pretty shocking.

A: If Martin Luther King was alive today, he would be 91. So you figure that a lot of people who hated him are still around. They've just learned to keep more quiet. Clearly, we still have kids being raised to be racists and that's discouraging. Kids today are being fed more hate per pound (via social media) than any generation before them. ... On the other hand, we counter (that segment) with one about an organization in Pittsburgh (1Hood Media) working with kids and showing them how to change the narrative. So there is good work being done by today's youth and I get excited by that.

Q: How great was it to have your mom on in the opening episode?

A: It's funny. Since we started, she's been saying, "When am I going to be on the show?" It kind of became a running joke. It's not like I want to start putting all my friends and relatives on the show. But she has some great things to say and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to her. Besides that, it gives viewers a feel for where I come from. This show doesn't exist without her.

Q: Where do you stand on the whole tearing-down-the-statues controversy?

A: I actually don't know if anyone deserves a statue  except, maybe, Bruce Lee (laughing). I've always thought it was weird that we build statues to people. It doesn't make any sense to me  and it certainly doesn't make sense to have statues of anyone who was engaged in the slave trade. Plus, almost all of these statues are dedicated to White men. Where's the Oprah statue we've wanted?
The New York Times report "US Weighs Sweeping Travel Ban on Chinese Communist Party Members" published on Wednesday has set public opinion ablaze in no time. The idea is incredibly absurd. Who in Washington were the first to propose it? Do they understand the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese society? Or were they merely using the proposal to sensationalize the situation? I have decided the time is right to formally introduce the CPC to Americans.





Students in Hunan University celebrate the 98th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China on June 29, 2019. (Photo/Jiang Dingbang)

To begin, let's talk about what 93 million Party members means. The scale of the Party is unimaginable to Westerners. 93 million is not just a number. That figure is more than the total population of Germany. According to reports, not only Party members but also their families are likely to face the sanction. If we count only their spouses, children and parents, there would be at least 300 million people - equivalent to the total population of the US. If their parents-in-law, siblings, cousins and families are counted, about half of the Chinese people will be affected. Half of Chinese society has connections to the CPC. Very few Chinese people have neither relatives nor friends who are CPC members.

Let's take a look at who these CPC members are. The CPC has been the ruling party for a long time. Most officials in local authorities across the country are Party members. But senior and middle-to-high level officials are only a tiny part of the CPC. Most CPC members live and work among ordinary Chinese people. They themselves are ordinary Chinese people. They are usually active forces in all walks of life. If the CPC is a big tree, these people are the roots which deeply penetrate the soil of Chinese society.

The CPC is not a political party that has emerged under a Western political ecology. It is substantially different to Western-style parties in scale, goals, operating mechanism and the role it plays in society. The CPC is not a typical "party" in the English vocabulary. No English word can really describe it.

The CPC can be described from different perspectives. For instance, the CPC is the skeleton of China's vast society, the backbone of the mobilization and operation systems of the whole country. The CPC creates the selection and training mechanisms for advanced figures in Chinese society.

The CPC is the product of Marxism applied to China's distinct national conditions. Relying solely on the historical, social and political experiences of the West, one cannot truly understand the CPC which has, together with the people, brought China to its status of the world's second-largest economy.

Most CPC members join the Party when they are young, with dreams, enthusiasm, collective spirits, higher working competence and other qualities praised by others. They often volunteer for more difficult work and devote themselves more than others because that is an obligation of Party members.

In the face of emergency situations, CPC members should rush to the front. That is the common expectation and requirement of all Party members and Chinese society. "CPC members shall be the vanguard" has once again become not only a widely used slogan but also a common reality on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus. Many medical personnel - including doctor Li Wenliang who was infected and sacrificed his life in the fight against the virus - are members of the Party.

The large-scale CPC has its own complexities. A small number of members have been found guilty of corruption, which has triggered the Party's anti-corruption campaign. It is due to the effective anti-corruption campaign - active since the 18th National Congress of the CPC - that the Party has further won the support and trust of Chinese people. It is also the reason that anti-China forces have been disappointed. The CPC, together with the Chinese people, is striving to change the destiny of the Chinese nation for the better. The Party is leading the Chinese people while integrating completely into the country. Its fundamental nature will never change. The hard work and responsibilities of the CPC have greatly boosted China's strength and its people's living standards. The Chinese people are aware of that.

Advocating for the separation of the CPC from the Chinese people for targeted attacks is the fantasy and delusion of a few US elites. It is as hypocritical and arrogant as attacking a man's heart and nervous system yet claiming to be beneficial to his whole body. Opposing all CPC members is undoubtedly opposing all Chinese people. It is an attempt to hit the weight-bearing part of Chinese society's development and progress. Political parties under the Western system are political tools seeking interests for certain groups. The CPC's responsibility, however, is to seek interests for all Chinese people. That is also a strong source of the CPC's strength.

The current US administration openly antagonizes the CPC. It is sowing hatred between the two countries and the two peoples, trying to make the struggle between the two sides a fundamental confrontation rather than a fight for interests. What does such confrontation mean for the 21st Century and for people who want peace? China and the US are the two largest comprehensive powers worldwide. The two are both nuclear powers and have great strategic mobilization powers. By repeatedly creating tension, is the current US administration trying to force the two countries toward an all-out strategic confrontation? Is it going to bury global peace and tranquility?

The US is deeply mired in the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is already the most seriously impacted country worldwide. Its situation may not improve for a long time to come. For the next one or two years at least, few Chinese people are likely to be willing to travel to the US except for in special circumstances. The US' planned sanctions on CPC members would be meaningless for a long period of time. What's irritating is that the US has been unscrupulously and publicly declaring policies attacking the CPC, which has crossed the bottom line of diplomacy and upset the basic civility of international relations in the 21st Century. The US is openly pushing the world toward a new Cold War, and that is a crime against humanity. History is not blind. The US is poisoning the 21st Century and it is bound to face retribution.

The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
Sarah Ferguson has shared her first Instagram post since news broke of her daughter Princess Beatrice's secret wedding ceremony broke yesterday.

The Duchess of York, 60, launched the daily YouTube show in April, where she reads a series of different children's books to help keep the little ones entertained during lockdown.

And this morning, Fergie posted a preview of her daily story slot with pal Michele OReilly, thought to be a lecturer, confirming she would be reading Peepo! by Allan and Janet Ahlberg, a book describing a glimpse into the daily life of a baby.

Princess Andrew's ex-wife did not mention Beatrice, 31, who married Italian property developer Edo, 37, at a ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, yesterday.

Sarah Ferguson has shared her first Instagram post since news broke of her daughter Princess Beatrice's secret wedding ceremony broke yesterday

Dressed in an orange cold-shoulder ensemble and a flower hairband, Fergie could be seen standing in the grounds of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.

Fergie, who has been isolating at the home she shares with Andrew, smiled as she held up today's book.

She wrote: 'Today at 4pm on Story Time with Fergie, I am going to be reading Peepo! by Allan and Janet Ahlberg and my guest friend is Michele OReilly.'

The bride's parents, Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York as well as her sister Princess Eugenie, 30, are thought to have been included in yesterday's nuptials.

Beatrice, 31, married Italian property developer Edo, 37, at a ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, yesterday (seen last October)

Yesterday, the Queen shared her delight at Princess Beatrice's surprise secret wedding to Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, saying it was a 'very nice' occasion

Beatrice's surprise ceremony took place with just 20 guests - including the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99.

Beatrice, 31, and Edo, were due to tie the knot at the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace, in London, on 29 May. But their ceremony was postponed due to Covid-19 and no new date was given by the palace at the time.

Yesterday, the Queen shared her delight at Princess Beatrice's surprise secret wedding to Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, saying it was a 'very nice' occasion.

Princess Beatrice with sister Princess Eugenie and parents Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew

The dashing Italian property developer who won Bea's heart: Father-of-one Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 37, is a long-time family friend who swept her off her feet Princess Beatrice has married Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in secret at Windsor Castle Princess Beatrice married fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret wedding in Windsor earlier today - but who is the man that stole the royal's heart? The happy couple were due to wed at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace in London with 150 guests on May 29, but Covid-19 meant they had to postpone their big day. Having kept their plans quiet, they tied the knot this morning in front of just 20 guests including the Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, at All Saints Chapel in Windsor Great Park. Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, are long-time family friends, but started dating in October 2018 and got engaged in September last year. The pair said of their 11-month whirlwind romance in a statement: 'We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement. Property developer Edoardo is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Shale, and has been a friend of the Yorks for some time. The father-of-one has a son, Christopher, with his former partner Dara Huang. He's said to enjoy an amicable relationship with Huang and prides himself on still being an active part of his son's life. Edoardo was educated at the prestigious Radley school in Oxfordshire before studying for a Master's in politics at Edinburgh. He is believed to have known Beatrice for years, the royal attended the funeral of Edoardo's stepfather, Christopher Shale, who died at of a heart attack at Glastonbury in 2011; Shale was a close friend of David Cameron. Father-of-one Edo has a young son, Christopher, whose nickname is Wolfie, with his former partner Dara Huang - meaning Beatrice is now a stepmother. Right, Beatrice with Edo Advertisement

Proud grandparents the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, were among the roughly 20 guests who watched the couple exchange vows at 11am yesterday morning at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.

The couple chose to have an intimate ceremony attended by just 'close family', according to a statement released yesterday afternoon by Buckingham Palace.

On marriage Beatrice becomes a stepmother to Edo's son Christopher, known as Wolfie, who is also thought to have attended.

The Queen, who has now watched six of her eight grandchildren wed, shared her joy in a conversation with Captain Sir Tom Moore, whom she knighted at Windsor Castle just hours after the nuptials. She told Sir Tom and his family: 'My granddaughter got married this morning both Philip and I managed to get there - very nice.'

The chapel, which can accommodate 180 people, was an ideal choice for social distancing, especially given the bride's grandparents are both in their 90s and in a high risk group. Weddings of up to 30 people are allowed under current government guidelines. The reduced guest list means that the couple will have to celebrate with celebrity friends such as Ellie Goulding, Karlie Kloss and Cressida Bonas at a later date.

Flowers from well-wishers were seen being unloaded from vans after the wedding, as Buckingham Palace confirmed no reception or other event was taking place.

Meet Beatrice's new in-laws! Royal already enjoys a close relationship with Edoardo's former Olympian father and even spent lock-down with her new husband's VERY well-connected mother So comfortable is Princess Beatrice is the company of her new in-laws that the royal, who has wed boyfriend Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 37, in a secret ceremony, she spent lock-down with her Newlyweds Beatrice and Edo spent lockdown with her at mother-in-law Nikki Shales 1.5 million country house near Chipping Norton. She used to run a property company and was awarded an MBE by David Cameron as a parting gift following his resignation at Prime Minister in 2016. The couple, who were set to marry next week, are staying with Edo's mother Nikki Shale at her 1.5 million home in Chipping Norton (pictured, Nikki) Beatrice's new father-in-law holds both British and Italian citizenship and competed for Great Britain as a skier at the 1972 Winter Olympics Property developer Edoardo, 34, is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Shale, and has been a friend of the Yorks for some time. Edoardo was educated at the prestigious Radley school in Oxfordshire before studying for a Master's in politics at Edinburgh. He is believed to have known Beatrice for years, the royal attended the funeral of Edoardo's stepfather, Christopher Shale, who died at of a heart attack at Glastonbury in 2011; Shale was a close friend of David Cameron. Princess Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, who were due to get married next week, have not joined the rest of the York family for the quarantine period. Speaking on the City Island podcast, Fergie explained: 'Edo and Beatrice have been living with her future mother-in-law who is lovely...I'm missing my [other] daughter but it's just like everybody else, we are just the same family as everybody else.' Princess Eugenie and Jack normally live in an apartment at Kensington Palace in London but have now moved in with Prince Andrew and Fergie at their home of the Royal Lodge in Windsor. Nikki was married to Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and a close friend of former Prime Minister David Cameron, before his death at Glastonbury Festival (pictured, Edo with Nikki and David Cameron in 2011 after the memorial service) Sarah opened up about bonding with Princess Eugenie over the last few months, saying: 'During this lockdown period I've really loved spending more time with Eugenie and Jack. 'My daughter got married to Jack in, oh goodness, was it last October? No, it was October before, heavens!' 'And so, of course once she's gone to get married they live away. So, I haven't seen her so much and so now it's been a total joy to spend real quality time with her,' she said. 'And, first time in 30 years I even baked a lemon drizzle cake with her, so the first thing is that it's fantastic,' she added. She later revealed she felt 'sad' that Princess Beatrice's nuptials, which were due to take place next week in St James' Palace, had been postponed due to the pandemic. She said: 'It's sad for me that Beatrice, she was going to get married next week, but they postponed the wedding. 'Edo and Beatrice have been living with her future mother-in-law who is lovely. Great friend of mine. 'But I'm missing my other daughter but it's just like everybody else, we are just the same family as everybody else.' Nikki split with Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi when Edo was young, while her second husband Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron, died of a heart attack at Glastonbury Festival in 2011. His stepfather and Nikki's second husband was Christopher Shale (pictured), a senior Tory and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron. He died in 2011 Advertisement

A statement released by the palace said: 'The small ceremony was attended by The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and close family. The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant Government guidelines.'

The couple did not release a wedding photo today because they did not want to overshadow the investiture of Captain Tom Moore, who received his knighthood from the Queen at Windsor Castle.

'They needed to make the wedding Covid-secure and safe for the Queen so what better way than the All Saints Chapel with reception on site at the Royal Lodge.

'They are just like a normal family and had to make sacrifices like many others have up and down the country and looking forward to having a wonderful celebration when the time is right.'

Edo is the son of Nikki Shale and Italian former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi. Nikki split with Mapelli Mozzi when Edo was young, while her second husband Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron, died of a heart attack at Glastonbury Festival in 2011.

Edoardo was previously engaged for three-and-a-half years to the mother of his child, Dara Huang, who he split from in 2018.

Sarah, who has recently signed a publishing deal for seven new books, is already the author of more than 25 books, including the Budgie The Little Helicopter and the Little Red series.

In April the mother of Princess Beatrice and Eugenie shared the first episode to her new YouTube channel, where she put on a very animated performance as she read kid's classic Hairy Maclary by Lynley Dodd.

The royal told fans she will be joined by others in following episodes, which will be released daily at 4pm.

The mother-of-two is isolating at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, a 30-room residence she shares with her ex-husband Prince Andrew.
Cities are setting the rules that now carry life and death implications for their residents, and most of these rules are sought to be set by the municipal authorities who have never wielded such power, reports Subhomoy Bhattacharjee.

Photograph: ANI Photo.

Tukaram Mundhe, the municipal commissioner of Nagpur in Maharashtra, sits in a war room every day with his medical officials to track measures to block the spread of the contagion in the city. Nagpur has opted for institutional quarantine for anyone who tests positive. That means greater monitoring.

"We did it in March itself when we found it impossible to keep people indoors. Placing them in our care has broken the chain of transmission, though the Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines only asked for home quarantine," says Mundhe. The city has managed to keep case fatalities below the national average.

The same camaraderie is, however, missing in Hyderabad.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has threatened to disengage from Covid-19 management in the city. It has said the state health department has not kept it in the loop about the number of cases on a daily basis, leaving the corporation clueless about who to monitor.

Cities are setting the rules that now carry life and death implications for their residents, during this pandemic. Whether it is Nagpur, Hyderabad or Delhi, most of those rules are sought to be set by the municipal authorities, who have never wielded such powers before.

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, for instance, make it a point to stay away from being posted in the city administrations, except as municipal commissioners. This in contrast to rural areas, where the equivalent district magistrate (DM) is an IAS, but his deputies -- sub-divisional officers -- are also from the service.

"Not surprising," says O P Agarwal, chief executive officer-India of World Resources Institute, adding, "Unlike municipalities, DMs are part of the state governments and have, therefore, much wider powers."

Covid-19 has substantially changed this pecking order. One of those was in view in May. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba met 13 municipal commissioners and DMs of the worst-affected cities. It was unprecedented.

In the rank-conscious Indian bureaucracy, these commissioners occupy slots several rungs below Gauba. In the normal course, they are supposed to report only to their respective state leadership where the Centre has no role.

But it is not a usual time by any means. While the meeting was also attended by chief secretaries of each state government, they were there to answer for the gaps in demands made by the commissioners.

India is still a long way from its cities getting their rightful share of power as the third tier of government. Temporarily though, among many other things that Covid-19 has brought on, is an enhanced role for the city bosses.

Will the current episode make these enhanced roles persist within the municipal administrations? "Covid-19 will certainly make these bodies rethink their role in managing cities," says Pushpa Pathak, senior visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

Pathak, who has also worked with the World Bank and the National Institute of Urban Affairs, is however, doubtful if this will lead to meaningful reforms. "There is a kind of rigidity in the urban sector. The state governments are not willing to give more authority and autonomy to (them)...functional devolution has not been accompanied with comparable financial devolution," says Pathak.

To get some of those reforms to stick, some of the municipal bosses met the chairman of another equally powerful institution, the 15th Finance Commission, N K Singh, in June. Going by the releases issued by the commission, many have forcefully put their points of being shortchanged by the states.

No state has set up state-level finance commissions in time to make more funds available to the third tier. In Uttar Pradesh, of the 18 functions slated to be devolved to the urban bodies, only eight have come to them.

"There was lack of cooperation from the state government officials in releasing information to the (state finance) commission for organisation of data as required, and also there was undue administrative interference from the government officials," notes a release issued by the 15th Finance Commission.

In Rajasthan, "water supply function is partially devolved and urban planning is yet to be devolved... The accountability mechanism and financial reporting of the urban local bodies in the state continue to be weak". As much as Rs 1,652 crore held by these bodies is lying with banks, Singh's team has found out.

The lack of accountability has impacted the fight against the disease as well. About Delhi, Partha Mukhopadhyay, one of India's foremost analysts of the urban sector, says, "On the disease, there has been less effectiveness, largely because the kind of infrastructure needed for doing this is not within the city's control. Currently, contact tracing is done via a medley of workers in the DM's office, once the hospital informs the DM."

Mukhopadhyay, who is senior research fellow at CPR, explains that given the caseload Delhi is generating (it had reported 83,077 cases on June 29), the city administration needed much more investment in information technology (IT) systems than it has now.

The Delhi government's IT department website was last updated two years ago. It is long overdue. One of the plans the Centre had laid out in more peaceful times was the Smart Cities Mission. The plan, written out in 2018, sought to empower local bodies to raise their own revenue, and also laid emphasis on their capacity building.

Mundhe says when he arrived in Nagpur, the city had less than 100 ICU beds to cater to a population of 4.5 million (of the city plus the adjacent rural areas). His first priority was to ramp up this capacity. He had an escape route because of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. He has got around the felt absence of powers by using the provisions of the Act.

"It gives wide ranging powers to the municipal corporations to do whatever is needed in such times," says Mundhe. Finance was drawn from the State Disaster Relief Fund and cajoling the state administration in Mumbai.

But not every city was able to do it. Hyderabad has cited lack of money. Delhi has enough to spare. The state government has an annual budget of Rs 60,000 crore, but lack of accountability between it and the three municipal corporations left gaping holes in the management of the pandemic. It was used by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to walk in with a more hands-on role. Mukhopadhyay says the example could create a narrative that the cities cannot be relied upon.

"The city failed. Who is going to give it more responsibility? This will unfortunately be the narrative, though the city should be much more empowered if we are to have localised responses."

Agarwal also agrees. "The special powers available to them now is unlikely to be willingly shared by the states when the crisis blows over, which is a pity."

Yet, so long as the pandemic persists, it could become the new normal.
Dil Bechara actor Swastika Mukherjee raised her voice gainst cyber bullying and thanked the Kolkata Polices cyber crime department for their prompt action. The actor said she was threatened online after a fake media report claimed she had said suicides are now in fashion.

She wrote in an elaborate note, On June 26, days after my co-actor in the upcoming movie Dil Bechara Sushant Singh Rajputs tragic death, there was a media report which falsely quoted me as saying that suicides are now in fashion. Following this, there were fierce online attacks on me including rape and death threats.

She went on to say that the person responsible for the fake report has been arrested.  I would like to inform you that the person behind the fake news posted on www.smritinews.in, Shuvam Chakraborty from Galsi, Bardhaman, Bengal, has been arrested by the Kolkata Cyber Crime department. He has accepted that he carried the false quote on the news portal and circulated it on social media, she wrote.

She further informed fans about another arrest in the regard. Along with this, Koushik Das from Hooghly, who had sent me acid attack and rape threats based on this fake news, has also been arrested. Both of them have surrendered in court. Many of us, irrespective of our gender, face vicious cyber attacks which can sometimes snowball into real threats. At the least, this causes a great deal of mental agony and harm to the individuals and their families. I would like to urge people to muster courage and report such situations to law enforcement.

She also thanked the cyber police department of Kolkata and wrote, Cyber-bullying is not acceptable. If it is happening with you, please speak up and expose the cyber-bullies. The police and other law enforcement agencies will help you to the best of their abilities. I take this moment to thank the Kolkata Cyber Crime department, and personally express my gratitude for Mr Nurul Absar, officer-in-charge, Cyber PS Lal Bazaar, Ms Shukla Sinha, inspector of Police Cyber Crime, and Mr Raja Saha, Sub-Inspector, Cyber Crime department. - Swastika Mukherjee.

Cyber bullying is not acceptable. Rape threats, acid attack threats are heinous crime & it needs to be addressed. Its time people think before attacking someone because there will be repercussions.

Thank you @KolkataPolice cyber crime department for taking such prompt action. pic.twitter.com/RyrGE3rwiA  Swastika Mukherjee (@swastika24) July 17, 2020

Sharing the note with a screenshot of one of the threats, the Paatal Lok actor tweeted, Cyber bullying is not acceptable. Rape threats, acid attack threats are heinous crime & it needs to be addressed. Its time people think before attacking someone because there will be repercussions. Thank you @KolkataPolice cyber crime department for taking such prompt action.

Also read: Happy birthday Bhumi Pednekar: 6 times the actor changed looks to get into her character

She had earlier shut the trolls who had judged her silence on Sushants death. Lashing at the trolls, she had posted a note about how every person has a different coping mechanism.

Swastika plays Sanjana Sanghis mother in Dil Bechara - Sushant Singh Rajputs last film set for direct-to-digital release on July 24. She had earlier shared the screen with Sushant in the 2015 film, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy.

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Popular chat app Discord was down after it experienced a widespread Cloudfare outage, affecting other sites and apps like Postmates, Patreon, GitLab and others.

Discord was down at around 5 p.m. ET and lasted for an hour, reported The Verge. Cloudfare is a cloud technology that supports many websites and apps like Discord.

"Users are currently having trouble disconnecting to Discord due to an upstream internet issue," Discord tweeted.

They told through social media that engineers worked on looking into the issue. Cloudfare tweeted shortly after the outage was reported. They said the issue has been identified and a fix was being done.

Cloudfare CEO, Matthew Prince, later posted on Twitter that they acknowledged the issue and traced the problem back to a router in Atlanta, the Business Insider reported.

Prince said they are routing traffic across transit providers after they have isolated the Atlanta router and shut down their backbone.

This outage was the second time Discord was down this year. The service hit issues with connectivity in March.

Prince said there was a jam that caused the slow performance on the sites as the logging caught up. "Everything is restored now and we're looking into the root cause," he said. The company acted upon the issue and is "monitoring the results."

Discord can be seen coming back online slowly. The website iMore can now connect to the service using a UK based server.

They said the issue does appear to be connected to Cloudfare and not Discord.

Many web-based chat services like Discord have seen a great increase in demand and usage since the start of the pandemic. This is no surprise as more and more friends and families turn to these kinds of apps to stay in touch.

Facebook was faced with the same bug last week. It crashed along with music streaming app Spotify and dating app Tinder.

The issue with Facebook's outage was traced to a glitch in Facebook's software developer kit (SDK), which is in some of the other apps. The problem was solved later on.

Online Boogaloo Groups

While Discord is a popular service for gamers, it recently shut down one of the largest servers used by followers of an anti-government "boogaloo" move after a VICE article exposed it in June.

The term "boogaloo" was termed as a code for civil war. The group reportedly made its presence with anti-government movement, white nationalism and others.

The "Trust & Safety" team from Discord looked into the server reported on by VICE and found that it did violate the service's community guidelines for "threatening and encouraging violence."

In the Discord's action to stop the group, the server and the accounts of 2,258 members were deleted.

Discord said they took the matters "very seriously" and that they continue to monitor their service for any "bad actors."

Facebook also announced that it will remove groups that encourage the boogaloo movement, reported the NBC News. The social media giant said 220 Boogaloo Facebook groups and 95 Instagram accounts were removed for violating policies on organized violence.
(CNN)  The US Attorney for the Oregon District on Friday requested an investigation into masked, camouflaged federal authorities without identification badges who are arresting protesters in Portland.

The request is aimed specifically at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel who have been captured on various videos arresting protesters and putting them in unmarked SUVs.

Demonstrators in Portland have been protesting racial inequality and police brutality for the last 50 nights, US Attorney Billy J. Williams said in a statement. Federal authorities have protected the Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse and, at times, interaction between protesters and law enforcement has gotten violent. Last weekend, one protester was seriously injured after the man was shot in the head with impact munition.

Oregon's governor and Portland's mayor demanded the troops be withdrawn and a US senator joined them in condemning the arrests.

"Authoritarian governments, not democratic republics, send unmarked authorities after protesters," tweeted US Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat representing Oregon.

Merkley also tweeted one video of such an arrest showing two masked, camouflaged individuals with generic "police" patches, detain a person dressed in a black outfit and place them in an unmarked van before driving away.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) admitted to being one of the agencies involved in arresting protesters.

"Violent anarchists have organized events in Portland over the last several weeks with willful intent to damage and destroy federal property, as well as, injure federal officers and agents," the agency said in a statement to CNN. "These criminal actions will not be tolerated."

The statement said CBP agents suspected the individual seen in the video Merkley re-tweeted of "assaults against federal agents or destruction of federal property," and that they moved the individual to a safer location for questioning after they saw "a large and violent mob move towards" them. CNN could not independently verify what happened before or after the video was recorded.

CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan tweeted the agency will continue to arrest "violent criminals that are destroying federal property." He also said CBP personnel are clearly marked as federal officers and have unique identifiers.

"You will not see names on their uniforms b/c these same violent criminals use this information to target them & their families, putting both at risk. As Acting Commissioner, I will not let that happen!" Morgan tweeted.

Portland Mayor Tim Wheeler demanded Friday that President Donald Trump send the federal officers home.

"This is not the America we want. This is not the Portland we want," Wheeler said at a news conference. "We're demanding that the President remove these additional troops that he sent to our city. It is not helping to contain or de-escalate the situation it's obviously having exactly the opposite impact.

Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, who visited the city Thursday, defended the actions of his officers, saying in a tweet, "DHS officers were assaulted with lasers and frozen water bottles from violent criminals attempting to tear down federal property. 2 officers were injured."

"Our men and women in uniform are patriots," he said in another tweet that featured uniformed officers who looked to be similar to the ones shown in the video from earlier in the week.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, described the arrests as "a blatant abuse of power by the federal government" in a tweet Thursday.

Brown tweeted she told Wolf "that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets."

"His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes," she tweeted. "He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm's way."

ACLU files lawsuit against DHS

Mark Pettibone, a 29-year-old Portland resident, told CNN he was taken by unknown federal agents Wednesday.

"I was kidnapped off the street in my own city for non-violently protesting and showing up in solidarity," Pettibone said. "About four people just out of the van that pulled up in front of me, and my first reaction was I tried to get away."

Pettibone said he was held for about two hours and plans to talk to the National Lawyers Guild, but will follow up with the ACLU.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon sued DHS Friday over the arrests.

The ACLU says DHS agents "have been deployed over the widespread objections of local leaders and community members, have been indiscriminately using tear gas, rubber bullets, and acoustic weapons against protesters, journalists, and legal observers."

"This is a fight to save our democracy," said Kelly Simon, interim legal director with the ACLU of Oregon.

The ACLU called the arrests unconstitutional in a tweet.

"Usually when we see people in unmarked cars forcibly grab someone off the street we call it kidnapping  what is happening now in Portland should concern everyone in the US," the ACLU's tweet read. "These actions are flat-out unconstitutional and will not go unanswered."

This story was first published on CNN.com "US attorney requests DHS investigation after video shows masked, camouflaged federal authorities arresting protesters in Portland"
President Donald Trump wearing a mask while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, July 11, 2020.

REUTERS/Tasos Katopodis

Trump said he won't issue a national mandate on wearing masks in a clip from an interview with Fox News due to be broadcast Sunday.

"I want people to have a certain freedom," Trump said, adding later in the interview: "I'm a believer in masks, I think masks are good."

Infectious disease expert Dr. Fauci on Friday urged state officials to be "as forceful as possible" in getting people to wear masks.

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Donald Trump says he will not force Americans to wear masks.

In a clip from a Fox News interview due to be broadcast in as part of an interview on Sunday, the president was asked whether he would consider a national mandate on wearing masks.

"No, I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don't believe in that," Trump said.

Trump appeared in public wearing a mask for the first time one week ago while visiting the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. On July 1, Trump told Fox News he's "all for masks," but that he didn't think mandatory mask-wearing orders were necessary.

Related: 6 months of coronavirus in the USA, reviewed in 6 minutes

"I don't agree with the statement that if everybody wore a mask, everything disappears," said Trump. The interviewer had quoted the Centers for Disease Control, saying that if everybody wore a mask for four to six weeks, it would get the virus under control.

"Dr. Fauci said, don't wear a mask. Our surgeon general  terrific guy  said don't wear a mask. Everybody was saying don't wear a mask, all of a sudden everybody's gotta wear a mask. And as you know, masks cause problems too. That being said, I'm a believer in masks, I think masks are good," the president added.

You can watch the clip here:

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US, said in an interview this week that he didn't regret not telling US citizens to wear masks at the beginning of the pandemic.

"I don't regret anything I said then because in the context of the time in which I said it, it was correct. We were told in our task force meetings that we have a serious problem with the lack of PPEs and masks for the health providers who are putting themselves in harm's way every day to take care of sick people," said Fauci.

Story continues

"When it became clear that we could get the infection could be spread by asymptomatic carriers who don't know they're infected, that made it very clear that we had to strongly recommend masks," he added.

Since April, the CDC has recommended that people wear cloth masks in public to help curb the spread of COVID-19, per fact-checking website Snopes.

On Friday, Dr. Fauci urged local officials to be "be as forceful as possible" in getting people to wear masks. Alabama and Montana announced new rules requiring masks on Wednesday, meaning nearly half of all US states now have mandates on wearing masks in public.

Read the original article on Insider
PLA Air Force's pilot cadet recruitment campaign in 2020 in full swing

PLA Daily

Source: China Military Online

Editor: Huang Panyue

2020-07-17 19:39:55



By Bai Wei and Li Jianwen

BEIJING July 16 -- According to authoritative release of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, the pilot recruitment campaign in 2020 is in full swing. More than 3,800 fresh high school graduates who have passed the preliminary and second round of selection are now in the final-stage test.

A relevant official in charge of the Pilot Recruitment Bureau of the PLA Air Force introduced that given the prevention and control situation of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, no recruitment test base was set up in Beijing this year for the first time. Instead, three pilot cadet recruitment test bases were established in Jinan of Shandong Province, Chengdu of Sichuan Province and Changsha of Hunan Province.

More than 2,000 candidates from 16 provinces including Shandong, Henan, Heilongjiang, etc. will be examined in 16 batches in Jinan, while more than 1,800 candidates from 15 provinces including Sichuan, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, etc. will be under test simultaneously in Chengdu or Changsha.

Prior to testing, all recruiting staff and candidates will be required to take nucleic acid test (NAT), and for the first time, expert examiners will carry out the medical assessment system for selection via video link.

The campaign aims to comprehensively evaluate the basic physical fitness, physical adaptability in aviation, mental health and individual mental characteristics of the candidates, which includes two major items, medical selection and psychological selection. Medical selection covers more than 100 physical examination items in 10 categories, and psychological selection includes more than 400 tests on 4 testing platforms.

A total of more than 90 medical experts and over 70 psychologists have been selected by the PLA Air Force to participate in this pilot recruitment campaign. The whole selection process will be carried out under real-time monitoring and be completed by early August.

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Bengaluru, July 18 : Amid complaints of seriously ill Covid patients not getting admission in some hospitals, the Karnataka government has directed all hospitals to give priority to moderately and severely ill patients, while sending the asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases to the Covid Care Centres (CCC), an official said on Saturday.

"It would be prudent to admit moderately and severely ill patients in hospitals, both government and private, and encourage asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients to get admitted to the CCCs," said Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey.

He also suggested home isolation for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases, according to their medical suitability after triage.

"All hospitals are hereby advised to comply with the above recommendation in the larger public interest and for prevention of Covid mortality," Pandey said.

The Health Commissioner has highlighted that many patients are visiting various hospitals by themselves, seeking admission in the midst of surging infections.

"In the process, moderately and severely ill Covid patients are sometimes unable to get admission to the hospitals," he pointed out.

The move is aimed at avoiding unnecessary hospitalisation for harmless infections to ensure beds for seriously ill Covid patients.

On Saturday, a record number of 4,537 new cases were reported from across the state, taking Karnataka's tally to 59,652.
A Long March 5 carrier rocket is moved to its launchpad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on Friday for the upcoming Mars mission. [Photo provided to China Daily]



China's first independent Mars exploration program has come one step closer to reality with the Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket being moved to its launchpad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on Friday morning.

The rocket, to lift Tianwen 1 to Mars, was taken out of its testing complex at around 8 am and spent nearly 2 hours on tracks on its way to the launchpad, the China National Space Administration said in a statement.

It will blast off between late July and early August to transport Tianwen 1, or Quest for Heavenly Truth 1, to an Earth-Mars transfer trajectory. Tianwen 1 is designed to orbit the red planet and land a rover on the Martian surface for scientific operations.

The Long March 5, the biggest and most technologically sophisticated rocket in China, was transported by ship to Hainan in May and assembled and tested at the Wenchang center, the only coastal launch facility in the country.

After being moved to the launchpad, engineers will conduct final examinations and load its propellants before the launch, it added.

China approved its first independent Mars exploration program in January 2016. The Chinese probe consists of three partsthe orbiter, the lander and the roverand they will separate in Mars orbit after a spaceflight lasting about seven months. The orbiter will remain in orbit for scientific operations and signal relay while the lander-rover combination will make an autonomous descent and landing.

The rover, which is expected to become the world's seventh of its kind and the first from Asia on the planet, has six wheels and four solar panels and carries six scientific instruments. It weighs more than 200 kilograms and will work for about three months on the planet, designers said.

In addition to China, the United States and the United Arab Emirates also have plans to send probes to Mars in the near future.

The US aims to launch the Perseverance, a car-sized, six-wheeled rover, between July 30 and August 15 to collect rock samples to be returned to Earth for analysis in about a decade.

The Arab world's first interplanetary mission, the UAE's Martian orbiter, named Amal, or Hope in Arabic, is scheduled to launch from Japan on Monday.


Wildwood is no place for The Wild One.

Thats the message behind the citys denial of permit for the Roar to the Shore motorcycle rally thats drawn thousands of bikers every September for more than two decades, after the mayor of the kitschy Jersey Shore resort said the tide of bad behavior, residents complaints and police overtime costs had risen too high.

It doesnt really fit in with the family-friendly atmosphere that Wildwoods trying to project, Mayor Pete Byron told NJ Advance Media, confirming announcements on the events website and Facebook page.

It is with great regrets that after 23 years we are forced to cancel Roar to the Shore Motorcycle rally, due to circumstances beyond our control, the organizers posted on the events Facebook page on Friday. The City of Wildwood has determined that the Rally no longer fits the image of the city and has chosen to deny all permits necessary to host event.

But beyond bikers rowdy ways, what led to the city to deny the Roars permit application early last spring, the mayor said, was an increasing number of arrests for violent crimes and the presence of more hard-core motorcycle gang members  mythologized in the 1953 Marlon Brando film The Wild One  whose presence was intimidating to the weekend riders on expensive, gleaming bikes that the event had traditionally attracted.

It was a great event, it truly was. Some of these motorcycles are worth more than cars. I personally enjoyed it, my family did, Byron said. But when you have to have snipers on tops of roofs and you have to explain to children why there are snipers, its time for a change.

The events organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via the Facebook page.

Several comments posted on the page following the announcement expressed disappointment at the permits denial, and questioned the wisdom of blocking an event that has long been an economic boost to the city. The mayor downplayed the assertion, insisting the first weekend after Labor Day, when the event has traditionally been held, would still be busy for the city, famous for its hugely broad beach, boardwalk amusements and whimsical Du-Wop architecture of the 1950s and 60s.

One post, by a self-described lover of beaches, bikes and the freedom they represent, seemed to confirm the mayors assertion about gangs, while still cursing the events cancellation.

...The government is taking everything away from us, she wrote.

The Roar of the Shore motorcycle festival, an annual even in Wildwood, was cancelled this year, after being denied a permit by the city. The mayor said an increasingly menacing tone no longer fit the family-friendly image Wildwood was trying to cultivate.Roar to the Shore

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com.
Citing difference of opinion with the AAP dispensation, Lt Governor Anil Baijal has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him to decide within a week on the Delhi Polices proposal to appoint six senior advocates for arguing on its behalf in cases related to riots and anti-CAA protests.

Baijal, in his letter to Kejriwal, said that acting home minister Manish Sisodia did not agree to the Delhi Police proposal despite the force providing detailed justification for it.

The Delhi Police has proposed to appoint six senior advocates to argue on its behalf in 85 cases of riots in Northeast Delhi and assign 24 cases of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to special public prosecutors, sources said.

The lieutenant governor said that he had called the file pertaining to the matter for perusal on July 14 under Rule of 19 (5) of the Transaction of Business Rules (TBR), the sources said.

Baijal said that he had requested the home minister to reconsider his decision and agree to the proposal of the Delhi Police. Sources said that there was a meeting between Baijal and Sisodia through video conference on Friday to settle the difference of opinion, but the matter could not be resolved.

Since the difference of opinion still persists, I would request the chief minister to expeditiously refer the matter to the Council of Ministers under Rule 49 of TBR of GNCTD, 1992 with Section 45 (c) of the Government of NCT Act, 1991.

In view of urgency and sensitivity of matter, it is requested that the decision of Cabinet be communicated expeditiously, preferably within a week, a source quoted Baijal as having said in the letter.

Sources also said that if the Delhi Cabinet doesnt agree with the Delhi Polices request, the L-G will have an option to invoke his special powers under the provisions of Article 239 AA(4) of the Constitution.

The first round of confrontation between the AAP dispensation and the L-Gs office had emerged in June over the appointment of 11 special public prosecutors to argue cases pertaining to the communal riots in northeast Delhi in February.

When the Delhi government had rejected the polices request on the issue, the L-G had invoked the power under Article 239 AA(4) of the Constitution.
The police on Friday freezed Rs 17 lakh in 10 bank accounts after a Jamshedpur-based woman was allegedly duped of Rs 75.53 lakh on the pretext of setting up mobile tower by cyber fraudsters through a Kolkata-based fake company, identified as Deal Money Security Company.

We have freezed Rs 17 lakh in 10 accounts and traced as many as 19 accused in the fraud worth Rs 75.53 lakh with a woman, a resident of Kadma. Pravati Chatterjee was allegedly duped on the pretext of setting up mobile tower at her village land in Sonamukhi village in West Midnapore district of West Bengal, Upendra Mandal, Jamshedpur Cyber police station officer-in-charge (OC), said.

The woman has alleged in her written complaint late last evening that she and her nephew have transferred Rs 75.53 lakh to various accounts of the said company since February 21, 2019, in instalments. All the 19 accused are based in West Bengal, mostly in Kolkata. Preliminary investigation has found the company to be fake. We have sought more details of bank transactions related to these accounts, Mandal said.

As per the FIR, Pravatis nephew Chandan Banerjee received a call and the caller introduced himself as an employee of Vodafone mobile tower company on January 29, 2019.

The caller offered Chandan a deal under which we were promised a one-time payment of Rs 30-40 lakh and monthly rent of Rs 18,000 for allowing them to set up a mobile tower on our land in Sonamukhi village under West Midnapore district, Pravati has alleged in the FIR.

Pravati gave her approval to set up the mobile tower on their said land in Sonamukhi.

Soon after, a woman named Antara Roy called her back and told that she needed to pay Rs 35,400 as registration fee by cheque at the office of Deal Money Security Company in Salt Lake, Kolkata, Pravati has written in her complaint.

Pravati went to the office of Deal Money Security Company on February 21, 2019, and submitted the cheque of Rs 35, 400.

Since then, Sagar Roy, Amit Sharma, Sanjay Chowdhary, Rajvir Sinha, Ranvir and Kaveri kept calling her from different mobile numbers and got her to transfer Rs 64.12 lakh from her Canara Bank account to various bank accounts provided by them between February 21 and June 12, 2020, Pravati has alleged.

Similarly, Rs 5.70 lakh from her sister Jayantis account and Rs 5.70 lakh from Chandans account in Punjab National Bank in Kharagpur were also transferred to their accounts during the corresponding period.

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Security installed at request of Muslims against terrorism: Xinjiang official

Global Times

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/17 23:03:40

As requested by local Muslims, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region installed security facilities to protect believers, as a big number of violent terrorist attacks had been launched at religious sites around the world in recent years, a Xinjiang official said at a press conference on Friday.

According to the 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom of the US State Department, religious venues in Xinjiang like Id Kah Mosque of Kashi were installed with walk-through metal detectors and surveillance cameras to "monitor" the Muslims' religious activities.

Mehmut Wusman, director of the Xinjiang Regional Ethnic Affairs Commission, refuted the accusation and said that when the three evil forces - separatism, terrorism and extremism - hit Xinjiang, many religious figures were brutally killed.

For instance, on July 30, 2014, 74-year-old Juma Tayir, vice president of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and senior mullah of the Id Kah Mosque in Kashi, was killed by three terrorists after presiding over morning prayers.

To protect the lives of religion personnel and believers, we have installed necessary security facilities in religious places in accordance with a request from local clerics and believers, the official said.

The move is widely welcomed, and is not for "monitoring the Muslims' religious activities" as the 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom called it, Mehmut said.

The official also noted that in recent years, a number of violent terrorist attacks had been launched at religious sites around the world. As a result, many countries have installed security facilities in their religious sites, including surveillance cameras.

"I believe that these measures are aimed at protecting Muslims, and will not affect normal religious activities. As far as I know, some religious venues in the US have also installed surveillance cameras. So are you doing this to monitor the people's religious activities?" the official asked.



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EC ready to face any challenges in conducting polls By Damith Wickramesekera View(s): View(s):

The Election Commission will introduce measures to meet COVID-19-related contingencies with the intention of conducting the August 5 poll, notwithstanding any challenges that may crop up, officials said.

The Election Commission has summoned District Secretaries to Colombo on July 26 to discuss aspects of the poll including potential health obstacles related to COVID-19. Even if there is a lockdown mandated in certain villages, alternative measures will be put in place to ensure voting takes place there.

The Commission has decided that the election cannot be stopped for any reason, one official said, requesting anonymity.

One of the concerns they face is the withdrawal of Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) from election duties. The PHIs have requested legal backing for their work, saying without such authority people objected to or ignored their instructions to comply with health guidelines.

While Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi on Friday night gazetted the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Elections) Regulations No 1 of 2020, it contained no reference to PHIs or their powers.

It outlined guidelines for the conduct of election meetings, door-to-door campaigns, election offices and polling stations and premises.

The Election Commission, which had wanted PHI participation in the poll, will now hold discussions with relevant authoritiesincluding the Health Ministryto fill the gap.

Either way, there must be representatives on polling day, be they nurses or doctors or others, to handle matters related to the pandemic, the official said.

In the event of a lockdown in one or many areas, a separate polling location will be organised with high security measures including personal protective gear and sanitisation to ensure affected voters to participate in the election. There are also plans to apply heat by a special method to the ballot papers after they are handed in by such voters.
Anish Kumar Narayanan's alarm goes off around 5 a.m. every day of the week, including weekends.

By 6 a.m. he's at the commercial kitchen he rents in Moncton, preparing food and packing up his food truck as he goes through his checklist: lamb, butter chicken, chicken curry.

Narayanan, who was born in Mysuru in southwest India, has lived in seven different countries across Asia, Europe and North America and has been a chef for 16 years. He has worked for food markets, restaurants, hotels and cruise ships.

After watching people enjoy his food at the Shediac Market, he decided to open his own food truck last year and became "a chef on wheels," as he likes to call himself.

Maria Jose Burgos/CBC

'It's still busier'

Last year, he attended multicultural events in Moncton, Canada Day events, Harvest Jazz and Blues in Fredericton, and many concerts.

"Food trucks basically make money in the events," said Narayanan, who is a father of two young kids.

But this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most events have been rescheduled or permanently cancelled.

Even so, Narayanan said he's had a more profitable year, with his phone ringing off the hook for hours each day.

Maria Jose Burgos/CBC

"It's still busier compared to last year. I think it is because the food truck is the most comfortable for [people.]"

This year, Narayanan hired one full-time and one part-time employee to help him out. But his days are usually 16 to 18 hours long, even with the extra hands.

Narayanan thinks some people are still reluctant to go into restaurants because of wait times and social distancing guidelines, so many find it easier to stop by food trucks.

"They can come, they can stand outside in an open area, they don't have to wait for more than five minutes, especially for my kind of food."

Maria Jose Burgos/CBC

Spokespersons for Fredericton and Saint John said the cities do not regulate food trucks and do not track the number of trucks operating.

Even though there's no official way to know if more have been operating this year, Ray Harris, who is a food truck fan and a data analyst in Fredericton, has been amassing information about the trucks.

Story continues

He said about 15 trucks constantly operate in Fredericton, with about seven in Moncton and five in Saint John. Their themes and flavours range from signature hamburgers and fries, to ice cream specialties, to naans and vegetarian Indian plates.

'It's definitely easier'

Ashley Greenberg, a TD Bank team manager in Moncton, said she hasn't been going into restaurants since they've been allowed to reopen.

Greenberg, who's originally from Toronto, said "it's definitely easier" to pick up food from trucks during her lunch breaks.

"Since the pandemic, a lot of [food trucks] are even asking me to text or call in my order so you can pre-plan, grab it, go sit in a park."

Maria Jose Burgos/CBC

In order to provide the Department of Health with details for contact tracing, restaurants have been required to take in private information from customers. Food trucks don't have to do that.

"I don't really want to give too much of my private information, just go in and enjoy a meal inside," said Greenberg.

Consolidating the information

Like Greenberg, data analyst Harris follows a few local food truck pages on social media to track down their schedules.

A few weeks ago, Harris was driving around Fredericton with his daughter when he came across a food truck specializing in coffee that was parked at Grimross, a local brewery in the uptown.

When he parked and walked over, he was told the truck had broken down.

Maria Jose Burgos/CBC

"I wasn't able to ever find them again. I didn't know their name, I didn't know how to get in touch with them," Harris said.

After talking to some friends who had similar experiences and doing some research, he realized that in New Brunswick, you would have to follow each food truck's social page in order to know where exactly they'll be on a given day.

"It seemed right to consolidate it somehow," he said.

Submitted by Ray Harris

Helping small businesses

A few days ago, Harris launched a map that shows where food trucks will be in Fredericton, Saint John and Monton.

"Each truck has an icon of where they are going to be on that day," he said. "You can pick the day so it looks three days out if you want to foreplan a little bit. And if you actually click on a truck their menu will come up for those that I have been able to find."

According to Harris, more than 200 people have been going to the site daily. Last weekend, the site got more than 2,000 clicks.

Maria Jose Burgos/CBC

If the clicks hold steady, Harris plans on expanding the web page and involving food truck owners so they can add their own schedules.

Narayanan said he thinks this is a great idea to help small businesses.

"I have more than 5,000 people following me. If they have an app, it is easy for them to track where is my food truck, not only my food truck, where is others' food trucks, too."
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Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18, 2020 17:34 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066769293 1 National Brompton,COVID-19,UK,London,folding-bike Free

A stolen Brompton folding bike from a social campaign program aimed to support medical workers in the United Kingdom is reportedly being offered for purchase in Indonesia, the British manufacturer said.

The London-based Brompton recently contacted local community Brompton Owner Group Indonesia (BOGI), notifying its members that a stolen bike was made available for purchase by an unauthorized seller in Indonesia in late June.



In a letter sent by the company to BOGI, the Brompton team claimed that the bike had been stolen from a UK health worker.



The stolen bike was designated for the companys Wheels for Heroes campaign, which aimed to provide UKs National Health Service (NHS) workers with 1,000 bikes to help their mobility amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the bikes, health workers can get to work without having to take public transportation.



BOGI founder Baron Martanegara posted the notification letter in the groups Facebook group on Wednesday.

Brompton has issued an official letter and red notice statement, [...] if any members have any information or have [the bike], please contact me, he wrote in the post.



Baron also posted a screenshot of a letter addressed to him from Brompton senior Asia marketing executive James Ku.



I am sending this email to kindly seek for the Indonesian Brompton communities support to help us identify and recover the stolen bike by spreading the message within our local community, James wrote in the letter.

Read also: Cycle of crime? Brompton bikes seized over regulatory discrepancy in Indonesia

In Bromptons notification letter, which was also posted by Baron, the company said the bike had a crime number report and was listed on the UKs stolen bike register.



Please be on the lookout for any further Wheels for Heroes bike in Indonesia and dont hesitate to contact us on this matter, all information welcomed, the letter read.



All Wheels for Heroes bike were manufactured to contribute towards a greater cause and each bike has meaningful value for every NHS key worker and the kind funders of the bikes.



As of July, the company that it has provided over 900 NHS staff with bikes through the program, raising around 320,000 (US$402,192) pounds from over 2,000 donors, adding to the companys initial investment of 100,000 pounds to produce the bikes.



Both Baron and James did not immediately respond to The Jakarta Posts request for comment at the time of writing.

Although Brompton has yet to open an official store in Indonesia, demand for the premium bikes  with prices ranging from Rp 30 million ($2,183) to Rp 80 million  has been on the rise in the country, along with the rising popularity of folding bikes.



The company has sold about 5,000 Brompton bikes to Indonesian consumers over the past three years, tempo.co reported.
Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan today posted on his Facebook page the statement of Secretary General of the European Ombudsman Institute Mr. Josef Siegele.

The statement of the Secretary General of the European Ombudsman Institute Mr. Josef Siegele:

Human Rights Have No Borders

The European Ombudsman Institute is gravely concerned by the violence towards civilian settlements along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

The European Ombudsman Institute guided exclusively by human rights principles strongly urges both sides to protect peaceful settlements and to refrain immediately from using fires and shelling towards civilian population, without political acting.

We are especially concerned by yesterdays official statement of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that they may launch missile attacks on the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) of Armenia.

This statement is a clear threat to civilians and it may cause a humanitarian disaster. These kinds of statements undermine the international human rights system. The international humanitarian law has absolute prohibition for this kind of intimidation towards the civilian population.

Human rights are universal; they should be protected globally - whether Europe, Asia, Americas or any other place in the world!

The European Ombudsman Institute will continue closely following the situation for human rights protection purposes.

Mediations of Ombudspersons with political decision-makers of their countries should have continuous aims to protect civilian populations of both countries and to act in the sense of executing human rights in this difficult situation.

JS, Sec.Gen. EOI.

As Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan extended his special thanks to Mr. Josef Siegele for his dedication to human rights values and for his efforts to protect civilian populations of every country, regardless of any factor.
South Africa: Mandela Day: President Ramaphosa reads to children

President Cyril Ramaphosa will commemorate Nelson Mandela International Day by spending time with children at a Soweto orphanage.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today, join the rest of the world in marking the annual Nelson Mandela International Day.

As part of his Mandela International Day activity, the President will spend time with the children of Ikageng Orphanage based in Orlando West, Soweto in a virtual book reading session organized by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said the Presidency on Saturday.

The aim is to share a special message of solidarity and hope with the young minds of South Africa.

President Ramaphosa will be joined, virtually, by Nelson Mandela Foundation Chief Executive Officer Sello Hatang, South Africas national rugby team Captain Siya Kolisi and his wife Rachel Kolisi in sharing a word of hope.

The President will also officiate the donation of food packs and blankets to 100 families in this community.

The donation by the Nelson Mandela and the Siya Kolisi Foundations is in response to this years theme, Each1Feed1 to fight global hunger.

The day will culminate in President Ramaphosa delivering a recorded message of support to the 18th Nelson Mandela annual lecture under the theme, Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: A New Social Contract for a New Era. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

As long as there is no progress in the negotiations, there can be no talk of any cooperation with Armenia, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

I have said this before and all international organizations, including the Minsk Group co-chairs, know this. Although over the past almost 17 years I have repeatedly received proposals to start cooperation with Armenia in one form or another  humanitarian, in matters of confidence building measures, etc. I said that we can be ready for this, but we must see progress in the negotiations, see that we are moving closer to a peace agreement, step by step. If this is not the case, then what is the point of cooperation? This cooperation can only be harmful to us, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state said that he adheres to this position today.

Go put pressure on the occupying state, bring it to its senses and finally tell them that they must leave our lands. If this happens and such a prospect seems realistic, then, yes, after that we can take certain steps. But under the current conditions when the prime minister of Armenia says, Karabakh is Armenia, period, I give an answer to this. Did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs respond to this at any level? I have not heard that, and neither have the Azerbaijani people. Who should do this in the first place? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is silent. I said that as long as there is no progress in the negotiations, there can be no talk of any cooperation with Armenia. It turns out that COVID is being discussed. So should we help the Armenian occupiers in connection with COVID? said President Ilham Aliyev.
Exeter Astrophysics expert awarded prestigious international prize

Professor Isabelle Baraffe, a leading expert in astrophysics research, has been awarded a prestigious international science prize.

Isabelle Baraffe, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Exeter*, has been selected as one of three joint recipients of the 2020 Viktor Ambartsumian International Science Prize.

The prize is awarded to outstanding scientists having significant contribution in physical-mathematical sciences from any country and nationality. The accolade, which comes with a monetary award of $50 ,000, is awarded by the Republic of Armenia.

The honour was granted to Prof Baraffe for her fundamental contributions to the field of low mass stars, brown dwarfs and exoplanets, and for innovative ideas in the domains of asteroseismology and compact binaries.

Isabelle Baraffe has produced important work in the fields of stellar and planetary astrophysics, encompassing a wide range of physical domains, from Earth-like planets to very massive stars and compact binaries.

Her work aims at understanding and properly describing the physical processes characteristic of the formation, the structure and the evolution of substellar (planets, brown dwarfs) and stellar objects. Among her results and achievements, emphasize is made on her key contribution in the field of brown dwarfs and exoplanets.

Speaking about the award, Professor Baraffe said: This is such good news in an otherwise difficult and challenging time. I am very honoured to have been awarded the Viktor Ambartsumian science prize and I would like to share it with my collaborators, postdocs and PhD students who have also contributed to the achievements recognised by this award.

Professor Ken Evans, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences said: I am delighted that Professor Baraffe has received this outstanding, prestigious award.

"It is testament to the hard work, dedication and innovation that she demonstrates through her outstanding research. Professor Baraffe is a genuine pioneer in astrophysics research, and has played a significant role in enhancing our understanding of worlds found far outside our own solar system. The award is richly deserved, and colleagues within the College, and wider University, congratulate her on this wonderful success.

Professor Zhongdong Wang, the incoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences said: I am truly delighted that Professor Baraffe has been recognised and rewarded for her outstanding research through this celebrated international prize. Professor Baraffe is one of the Colleges outstanding global ambassadors, and we are proud of the exceptional research she conducts. 

The Viktor Ambartsumian International Science Prize is one of the important awards in astronomy/astrophysics and related sciences. Launched in 2010, the Prize is awarded once every two years. For more information please visit Viktor Ambartsumian International Prize.

*Prof Baraffe is also affiliated to CRAL/ENS de Lyon, CNRS, France
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday met Governor Kalraj Mishra at Raj Bhavan in Jaipur shortly after two MLAs of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) handed over their letter of support to him.

Sources said Gehlot informed Mishra about the support extended by the two lawmakers and claimed a majority amid the political crisis in the state after Gehlot's deputy Sachin Pilot raised the flag of revolt against him. Pilot was later sacked from his position as deputy chief minister and chief of the party's state unit.

But an official statement from the Raj Bhavan made no mention of the crisis, describing the meeting between Gehlot and Mishra as a "courtesy meeting". A Raj Bhavan spokesperson said during the meeting, which lasted for about 45 minutes, Gehlot briefed the governor about the efforts being taken to protect the state from the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier, the two BTP MLAs addressed a joint press conference with state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara, extending their support to the Gehlot-led government.

The BTP's support came as a shot in the arm for Gehlot who was asked by Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria, to prove his majority.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje also broke her silence on the political crisis, saying, "It is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan have to bear the brunt of the infighting in Congress...They are attempting to put the blame on BJP," she said. "Public interest should be paramount for the Rajasthan government, the Congress is trying to shift the blame on the BJP and the BJP leadership."

BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president and other leaders have agreed on extending support to the Gehlot government on the condition that demands related to development of the state are fulfilled.

The BTP on Monday had issued a whip asking Roat and Ramprasad to be neutral and neither support the Congress nor the BJP. It had also told them to neither support Gehlot nor Pilot in case of a floor test in the assembly.

"BTP MLAs and their party leaders held discussions with the chief minister. They were already with us and have reassured their support to the Ashok Gehlot government," Dotasara said at the press conference outside a hotel on the Delhi highway where the Congress has kept MLAs amid the political crisis.

The MLAs were shifted to Hotel Fairmont on Monday soon after a Congress legislature party meeting, where Congress lawmakers expressed support for Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Pilot, whose rebellion threatens the state government. Pilot was stripped of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president on Tuesday.

"We had supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections (last month) on the condition that our demands related to the development of our areas will be met. We have again held discussions with the chief minister on those demands and we have been assured that the demands will be fulfilled," said Roat, adding the party president had issued a whip directing them to stay neutral but now the party is in support of the government.

Roat, who recently issued two videos alleging that policemen were not allowing him to go from his Jaipur MLA residence to his constituency in Dungarpur district, said it happened due to misunderstanding by the police.

"I do not know what they had in mind. They said it was a misunderstanding. It's okay now," he said.

In the videos, one police inspector was seen taking away the keys from his car, which was surrounded by two police vans.

Ramprasad said the BTP is against any attempt to topple an elected government. "We are into issue-based politics. Toppling an elected government by BJP is not fair," he said reaffirming support to the Gehlot government.

In the house of 200, Congress has 107 MLAs, including 19 of those who have been issued notices of disqualification by the assembly speaker on complaint by chief whip Mahesh Joshi. The party claims that the Gehlot government has 109 MLAs, including Congress, independents and other supporting party legislators, in its support to run the government.

(With inputs from agencies)
Trump Orders Flag at Half-Staff to Honor the Late Rep. John Lewis

President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered flags on U.S. properties to be flown at half-staff to honor the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

As a mark of respect for the memory and longstanding public service of Representative John Lewis, of Georgia, I hereby order  that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions through July 18, 2020, the president said in a statement.

Flags at U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad are also ordered to be flown at half-staff.

The flags at the White House and the Capitol can be seen flying at half-staff since Saturday morning.

Lewis, an iconic activist of the civil rights movement in the 1960s and a 17-term member of the Congress since 1987, passed away on Friday at the age of 80.

He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2019.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

Trump and the first lady also paid tribute to Lewis and his family in a Twitter post.

Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family, he wrote on Saturday.

The American flag flies at half staff over the White House in the District of Columbia on July 18, 2020, in honor of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) who died on Friday at age 80. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

He was knocked to the ground and beaten by police at age of 25 while walking at the head of the march. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred blacks from voting.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal I Have a Dream speech.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1926  1990), John Lewis (3rd from left in the front line), and others lead a voting rights march out of Selma, Ala., on March 21, 1965. (William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Politicians from both sides of the aisles mourned the late congressman publicly.

Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) praised Lewis as giant.

This son of sharecroppers in segregated Alabama helped to found and lead the mid-century Civil Rights movement, he wrote in a statement. Our great nations history has only bent towards justice because great men like John Lewis took it upon themselves to help bend it. Our nation will never forget this American hero.

Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House speaker, said that Lewis was fearless in his pursuit of a more perfect union.

All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing, she said.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.
President Akufo-Addo has kicked against requests by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other citizens demanding him to reinstate the Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo after he was ordered to take his accumulated leave.



The president has indicated that the basis on which the requests are being made were taken into consideration prior to the decision, thus, bringing back the Auditor-General on those bases makes the requests impossible.



The president encourages people to be citizens and not spectators and therefore, your petition is welcome and its contents have duly been noted.



However, the position of the President as contained in the letter dated July 3, 2020, from this Office to the Auditor-General remains the same, a statement signed by Secretary to the President Nana Asante Bediatuo read.



President Akufo-Addo last month ordered the Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo to take an accumulated leave of 123 days, which was further extended to 167 days.



Although the President justified his actions with sections 20 (1) and 31 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), the decision has been one that has received massive backlash from some members of the public including the Coalition of CSOs in the country.



The act, according to the Coalition, threatens the independence of the Auditor-General and downplays Ghanas effort to fight corruption.



Subsequently, London-based Ghanaian Korieh Duodu, and Lolan Sagoe-Moses on July 8, 2020, petitioned president Akufo-Addo to reinstate the Auditor-General but the president insists he cannot grant any of the requests.



The arguments made in your petition were considered prior to the President taking the decision to request Daniel Domelevo to take his accumulated leave from 1st July 2020.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend:

Turkmenistan invited Saudi Arabian Somo Al Mamlakah company to participate in the project on the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-PakistanIndia (TAPI) gas pipeline, Trend reports with reference to Turkmenistan's "NEBIT-GAZ" online newspaper.

The issue was discussed during a videoconference between representatives of Somo Al Mamlakah and Turkmenistans Turkmengas state concern, Turkmenkhimiya company, and the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs.

During the online meeting, the parties confirmed willingness to develop mutually beneficial cooperation in all priority areas, and, in particular, in the oil and gas industry and banking sector, and considered investment opportunities.

The Turkmen side also provided information about the projects and operations of Turkmengas state concern.

As was reported earlier, the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline continues on the Turkmen side.

The length of the Turkmen section of the TAPI pipeline, the construction of which was launched in December 2015, will be 205 kilometers (the main operations are carried out on the 120th kilometer). The pipeline will pass through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar (816 kilometers), through the cities of Quetta and Multan across Pakistani territory (819 kilometers), and reach the city of Fazilka in India.

The pipelines design capacity is planned to be 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year, and the projects cost - about $8 billion.

Somo Al Mamlakah Company is a private limited company established in 2010. It operates in the holding companies sector.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva
"AS long as it takes we are not going to give up. We are all fighters. We are going to keep going until we get justice."

These are the words of one of those attending the rally outside the closed Debenhams store in Limerick this Saturday afternoon.

A crowd of up to 100 made up of former staff, family, supporters and politicians were in attendance. This Saturday marked 100 days since the department store closed its doors in the city.

Staff are set to receive statutory redundancy, which is set at two weeks per year of service, capped at 600 per week. One former staff member told the Leader they will not stop the picket until they get a "fair redundancy package".

"It was devastating because of the way we were told. It was disrespectful especially after all the time we spent there."

"There has been radio silence since from the government, from the company, from everybody. We want answers. We want what we deserve. It is really unfair on everybody. We are out here today fighting for our rights," they told the Leader.

Among those lending their support was Sinn Fein's Maurice Quinlivan and Paul Gavan; Independent Cllrs Elisa O'Donovan and Frankie Daly. Members of Solidarity Limerick, the Socialist Party were also heavily involved.

Deputy Quinlivan said Debenhams has treated staff "disgracefully".

"I met the receiver of Debenhams recently. The UK company has seized the assets and stock and the leases and they left the Irish company with the debts. They are not paying off the redundancy. I believe the staff worked really hard.

"It is devastating for the staff who have lost their jobs and it is also devastating for the city centre. It was one of the few flagship stores. It comes with the huge loss of jobs as well as Uber around the corner. This is such a bad blow to the city," said Deputy Quinlivan.

The Sinn Fein TD said the staff shouldn't be out here protesting like this.

"Debenhams can well afford it. It come back to the fact the legislation isn't there to protect workers like this. They wouldn't have had to do what they are doing today. They would have got their redundancy which they worked hard for and are entitled to.

"It is just devastating for the people who have lost their jobs and have been treated with contempt by Debenhams - it is absolutely shocking. The key priority is these workers and the redundancy pay - they are entitled to it," said Deputy Quinlivan.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 02:12:22|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Some 25 million people in Iran have so far contracted the novel coronavirus, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday.

"Another 30 to 35 million people are prone to contract the disease as well," Rouhani said, citing a report by the health minister.

"The minister's report suggests the number of people to refer to hospitals in the future be twice that of the past five months," said Rouhani.

The Iranian president said it is likely that until the end of the current Iranian year which ends on March 20, 2021, the country will be grappling with the disease.

He called on the health authorities to provide enough medical equipment and treatment services to tackle the rise of COVID-19 infections.

Iran reported 271,606 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday with the death toll at 13,979. Enditem
As the restrictions intended to halt the spread of the Covid-19 decrease across Egypt, kites are filling the skies of Cairo

Most children are given kites by their parents, and even adults fly kites on various occasions, especially on the beach during the summer holidays.

Given the current coronavirus lockdown, though this is now easing, beaches and parks in Egypt are still closed to the public, causing many families to take to open areas and bridges so their children can fly their kites since rooftops or streets are often too dangerous.

A recent decision by the Ministry of the Interior has imposed fines on kite-fliers in certain areas and the confiscation of kites due to accidents to children flying kites. However, happily families are still going on outings with their children to make sure they fly their kites in allowed safe areas.

On one Saturday afternoon recently, many families gathered with their children on Abbas Bridge to fly their kites. The scene from a distance appeared like a carnival of colours, as if the coloured plastic kites had emerged from the River Nile. The whole bridge from the Giza side near the Ophthalmology Hospital to the Cairo side and the Manial district was covered with kites.

One family living in Faisal Street had come for the first time to Abbas Bridge so that their children could fly their kites. I enjoy flying kites here. I like to watch it fly in the sky, said little Yehia, their son.

My son bought his kite from our neighbours who were making kites and selling them, said Yehias mother. We bought the large one for LE20 for my elder children and the small one for LE15 for Yehia. My son saw his friends and neighbours flying kites and insisted on getting one for himself, so his father brought one for him. It is a new activity for him, she said, adding that the children were not allowed to fly their kites from balconies or rooftops.

Before the coronavirus lockdown people would sit in cafes near the bridge. Now, they cant do that, so they come here because there is a lot of wind that helps the children to fly their kites. I used to pass by the place and see families here with their children flying kites, so I thought it would be nice to bring my children too, Yehias father said, noting that most of the kites are made of coloured plastic bags, reed sticks and cotton string.

I saw many people in my neighbourhood flying kites, so I decided to make my own, said Omar, a primary school student who was also flying his kite. I brought all the material needed to make a kite, like the plastic bags and string. I used parts of coloured rubbish bags to make the tail of the kite. All in all, it took me one day to make it, he said, adding that if he had used paper it would not have lasted as long.

Ever since the beginning of the lockdown we have been staying at home. When we saw people making kites near our house in Giza, we decided to come here. If you stay here another hour, you will not be able to walk in this area because of all the kites, Omars mother said.

There are also more and more Facebook pages available that present kite-lovers with information on making kites or even free designs. There are also Websites that sell kites.

Samir Mahdi is an electronics and electromechanical consultant engineer who decided to design a Facebook page to present creative kite designs for free with the aim of improving kite design and construction. Making kites has always been one of my hobbies. I used to make kites for my children and the children of other members of the family during the summer holidays, and we would enjoy flying them on the beach. It is a very enjoyable hobby for all age groups, Mahdi said, now a grandfather.

The main goal of my Facebook page is to encourage children and young people by teaching them how to make their own kites. This is the source of real pleasure  not to buy a kite and miss all the fun behind it as most families do, he said, adding that if a kite is bought a child or a young person will learn nothing and kite flying will become just a game he gets bored of after an hour or two. On the other hand, if he makes his own kite, he will acquire many skills. He will also have the opportunity to be creative, which is the real benefit, Mahdi said.

He is trying through his page to increase the number of creative people from all age groups. Unfortunately, many people still want to buy ready-made kites, while those who want to learn how to make a kite are very rare, he lamented.

His page has about 1,000 followers and was designed in 2018. It displays images of the kites that members have made and shows people how to make kites based on geometrical principles through videos posted on the Website. It also displays the different types of designs in Egypt and in other countries around the world.

A POPULAR HOBBY

Kite-flying has always been my hobby ever since I was six years old. I still remember my first kite that my mother bought me. It was a yellow plastic kite in the shape of a butterfly with images of Ninja turtles on it, and my father taught me how to fly it, said Mahmoud Amin, an engineer living in Al-Shorouk City and the administrator of a Website on kites.

I now take my two children and my wife to fly kites to teach my children an Egyptian hobby inherited from our forefathers, he added.

On his page, Amin focuses on teaching kite-lovers how to make traditional Egyptian kites, which are hexagonal made out of bamboo sticks and plastic bags and based on both geometrical and physical standards. The page presents users with a variety of information about kites and kite-flying, like wind speed and wind direction as well as the right time to fly a kite.

The most popular designs are the star, triangle, chess, spiderweb and fan designs, to name a few. I prefer the star and always make myself star-shaped kites, Amin said, adding that the average size ranges from half a metre to two metres in length. There are larger ones, but they are not easy to handle, especially for beginners. The best sizes are a metre in length and a metre and 20 centimetres across.

The site aims at preserving a well-established hobby and the heritage of kite-flying and to create a society of kite-lovers on social media. It was established in March 2020 with the aim of exchanging expertise between kite-lovers and encouraging others to practise kite-flying as a hobby. Abdel-Rahman Ahmed, a medical student, is an administrator of the page. Their posts have been seen by 20,000 users, but their followers are only 200 because the site is relatively new.

I think that our only drawback is that we are not experts in Facebook, and this is why I call on anyone interested in the field to join our group to enrich it, Amin commented, adding that they intend to post information about the history of kite-flying in different cultures and to organise workshops after the lockdown ends.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 16 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Berkeley Group's GBP1 billion redevelopment project will benefit from easy access to Heathrow, Canary Wharf, the City of London, and the soon-to-open Elizabeth Line Crossrail. Property prices have already risen by 66% within a mile of Crossrail stations.

The London property market is starting to pick up steam after months of uncertainty due to the current health crisis.





Research from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) forecasts an upward trend in Londons housing market in the next four years. While sales remain subdued currently, there are signs of growing sales activity since the market reopened, says Widya Lesta, head of international residential at JLL. With recovery in transaction volume, we should expect prices to increase in London by the middle of next year. It is already deemed the best performing real estate market in the UK.

While most buyers rush to inner London for bargain properties, savvy investors know that lucrative investments lie in outer regions  where massive regeneration projects are underway in conjunction with the opening of the Crossrail.

One example is Southall in West London which is enjoying a sustainable growth for the last five years. For instance, the average price of a property sold at Southall was GBP298,715 back in 2015. Fast forward to March 2019, the average sold price soared to GBP397,354 ($697,500)  a 33% jump from in four years.

Over the corresponding period, the average house price in London increased 14% from GBP402,898 to GBP459,800.

In just the last 12 months, average prices of houses sold in Southall increased 4.07%. And with the arrival of the Crossrail later this year, anticipation is running high as the Berkeley Group spearheads one of the most ambitious redevelopment schemes this side of London: Southall Waterside.





Image: Berkeley Group

It is Berkeleys most ambitious regeneration program to turn an 88-acre (35.6ha) former gasworks into a luxury complex with 3,750 residences. It will have generous green spaces and a vibrant community when completed. Southall is an area where house prices are still affordable with plenty of growth potential as this is the first phase in a 10-year scheme, says Doris Tan, Regional Director of Benham and Reeves.

Story continues

"Southall Waterside by Berkeley is a much-anticipated project and has generated a lot of interest among investors from all over the world, adds Tan. We are proud to be involved in this stunning project. If you buy now, I believe it will definitely be an opportunity to reap benefits in the near future."





Photo: Southall Waterside, day view (computer generated image is indicative only)

Berkeley Groups regeneration projects: 10 years of unprecedented success

Being one of the pioneers in the residential and luxury rental sector, Berkeley Group has achieved success over the past 10 years by turning tracts of idle land into real estate hotspots. We specialise in regenerating these areas, says Rob Willis, Business Development Manager for Berkeley Group Singapore. And what we have seen is that time and time again, regeneration has had a positive impact on capital values.

Willis points to Berkeley Groups Royal Arsenal Riverside as an example. Prices were at GBP250 psf in 2010, and now 10 years later, it is closer to GBP1,000 psf.

The same can be said about Woodberry Down: A one-bedroom apartment priced at GBP275,000 in 2012 was commanding up to GBP540,000 in 2018  a 96% increase in just six years, says Willis.

Kidbrooke Village in Greenwich is another example. A studio or Manhattan suite that cost GBP262,000 in 2010, fetched a price of GBP350,000 by 2018.

"These examples show how regenerating a place increases its value, regardless of market conditions," says Willis.



Chart 1. Where regeneration by Berkeley has driven capital values (Royal Arsenal Riverside).





Chart 2. Historic price growth for a 1-bedroom apartment (Woodberry Down)





Chart 3. Where regeneration by Berkeley has driven capital values (Kidbrooke Village)





One of the latest projects offshore property investors should focus on is Southall Waterside, Berkeleys most ambitious regeneration program that will turn an 88-acre gasworks into a luxury complex that houses 3,750 residences.

Your doorway to the capital and the rest of the UK

Southall Waterside conveniently sits between Heathrow and the West End. It provides fantastic access to the whole of London in the East and to the rest of the UK in the West.

One of the key offerings of Southall is accessibility across London, and also out into the West of the UK, says Willis. This will be further enhanced by the opening of Crossrail next year. This means you can be located in Southall, but be in Paddington, Zone 1, in just 14 minutes."

Furthermore, the project is at the epicenter of London's international business scene  making it attractive to professionals who wish to stay close to their place of work or business. The headquarters of blue-chip companies such as Microsoft, Visa and Vodafone are just 14 minutes away by Crossrail.

The headquarters of other multinational firms such as Facebook, Google and Regus are only 19 minutes from Southall via Tottenham Court Road.

Of course, there's Canary Wharf, London's business hub, which is only 31 minutes away.

"By car, you can get to Stockley Park in just 23 minutes, where you can find big-name tech brands like Apple, Toshiba, Canon, and Sharp," adds Willis.

He sees Southall Waterside in high demand from employees and students throughout London and the UK.

A promising long-term investment

When it comes to opportunities, Southall Waterside offers a promising capital growth  similar to the previous Berkeley regeneration projects.

"A regeneration project like this offers a fantastic chance to invest because you can then grow with the development as it becomes one of the key villages in West London," Willis comments.

According to him, property owners who wish to rent out their investment property may expect rental returns of around 4.4% to 4.7%, which is a competitive rate for such a location.

In addition, Southall Waterside will benefit from the massive GBP1.9 million investment in infrastructural works from roads, public spaces and improvements to the Crossrail station at Southall that will provide easy access to London's top business and employment destinations.

Exclusive residence with world-class amenities

In terms of facilities, Southall Waterside will offer the same services found in Berkeleys Zone 1 and Zone 2 developments.

There will be a residents-only lounge suitable for work-from-home renters, a luxury spa, gym, 24-hour concierge, an electric car charging station and a cycle store.

Southall Waterside will also feature a 1.2km frontage along the Grand Union Canal, including a canal-side community facility where people can meet and dine at their leisure.





Photo: Canalside view (computer generated image is indicative only)

Meanwhile, the interiors are provided with topnotch fixtures and fittings that are integrated within the development and built to work from Day 1. In other words, investors can essentially rent out their units right away.

Southall Waterside will comprise suites, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments that offer spacious living. For example, a Manhattan suite has a total living area of 500 sq ft, which is ideal for a studio sized apartment.

A two-bedroom apartment has an equally large living area and bedrooms, making them appealing to prospective renters. Even the one-bedroom units offer plenty of space in terms of working and living area.

Lastly, investors will receive a 10-year warranty and a two-year policy with a Customer Service on hand 24 hours a day to deal with inquiries.













Photo: Interior (computer generated image is indicative only)

Find out more at the Southall Waterside launch

Phase 1 of the project is well underway, and judging by its UK release, it will be just a matter of time before all the units are taken up.





Phase 1 -Parkside (computer generated image is indicative only)

Berkeley Singapore is inviting serious property buyers to make a grab for this latest project while slots are still available.

For more details about Southall Waterside, you may book for their live events or one-on-one meetings on the following dates and times:

DATE: July 1719, 2020

TIME: 10am6pm

PLACE: Berkeley Group Plc, 10 Marina Boulevard #16-04, MBFC Tower 2, Singapore 018983

Strictly by appointment only. To register, please contact:

Widya Lesta (JLL Singapore) M +65 8282 3473 (CEA Reg No. R016997A)

Doris Tan (Benham & Reeves) at +65 9632 7334 (CEA Reg No. R016994G)









Photo: Evening view (computer generated image is indicative only)

This article appeared in The EdgeProp Pullout Issue 942 (July 20, 2020) of The Edge Singapore.

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 17, 2020 - 13:57 | World, All, Coronavirus

The Philippines will allow foreigners who hold long-term visas to enter the country from August, the government said Friday, as it continues to grapple with a rising number of coronavirus cases.

Under the measure approved Thursday by the national task force handling the pandemic, foreigners must have valid and existing visas at the time of entry, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

Related coverage:

Brazil tops 2 mil. coronavirus cases, now affecting 1 in 100 people

Hong Kong reports record coronavirus case, no sign of receding

"This means no new entry visa shall be accepted," Roque said, adding they must also have pre-booked accommodations at an accredited quarantine facility, and an appointment with a virus test provider.

The Philippines banned the entry of foreigners from abroad in March to curb the spread of the new virus.

As the country moved to ease quarantine measures in June, calls were growing from foreign companies doing business in the country for an early easing of entry restrictions.

"This is good, encouraging news for us," said Takashi Ishihara, executive director of the Manila office of the Japan External Trade Organization.

Ishihara had noted earlier that many of the Japanese companies operating in the Philippines need to have their Japanese staff return to the Southeast Asian country.

The Philippines reported 2,498 new virus cases on Thursday, with 61,266 confirmed cases so far. The University of the Philippines estimates the total would reach around 80,000 by the end of this month.

Roque, during a daily briefing on Thursday, said Metro Manila might return to lockdown if daily cases do not decrease in the next two weeks.
A man arrested following a five-day manhunt in Germanys Black Forest, which started when he disarmed four officers at gunpoint, appears to have had no support from anyone else during his time in hiding, police said Saturday.

The 31-year-old suspect, Yves Rausch, was captured on Friday after police received tips from two witnesses.

A judge on Saturday ordered him kept in custody pending possible charges of robbery by extortion and unauthorised possession of a firearm.

The investigation so far suggests that Rausch spent the whole of the manhunt in the forested hills around the small town of Oppenau in south-western Germany, police and prosecutors said in a statement.

In questioning, he said that the weapon he threatened officers with at the beginning of a drama was a blank gun, the statement said. It said that is still under investigation.

Expand Close Emergency services block off the access to the Ramsbach district of Oppenau (Benedikt Spether/dpa via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Emergency services block off the access to the Ramsbach district of Oppenau (Benedikt Spether/dpa via AP)

The four missing police weapons were recovered and an additional handgun found when the suspect was arrested on Friday. He was also carrying a hatchet.

On Sunday, police were alerted to a suspicious person carrying a bow and arrow and conducted an ID check on the man at a hut where he had settled illegally.

Officials have said Rausch initially co-operated but then suddenly pulled a gun on the officers, threatening and forcing them to hand over their service weapons. Nobody was injured.

The incident triggered a manhunt that, by the time it ended on Friday afternoon, had involved more than 2,530 police officers.

Rausch lost his home last autumn and had had no permanent address since then, according to authorities.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

Nizami Ganjavi International Center has sent an open letter to the UN and the European Union titled Peace and Justice for Nagorno-Karabakh, Trend reports.

We fully support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the borders as recognized by the United Nations and the whole international community.

Azerbaijan has received strong international legal support: no less than four resolutions of the UN Security Council demanding unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied territories. That and the international community has reaffirmed that it does not recognize the acquisition of territory by war.

The situation resulting from the illegal use of force can in no way be justified.

We strongly condemn indiscriminate targeting of Azerbaijani civilians and civilian objects along the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Illegal acitivities, as well as illicit settlement in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan must be ceased.

And today, despite the provocations, and the breach of the ceasefire agreement, Azerbaijan is seeking redress through the appropriate legal channels, not rushing into armed response. Conflict is frequently indecisive, and invariably costly in blood as well as resources.

This is the time to activate all possible diplomatic channels, the UN and the European Union should call for an immediate ceasefire, and use every means available at the international level to prevent any further military action. But it is also essential to advance the search for a final settlement of that long-standing conflict.

To work for peace through peaceful means, that is one of the tenets of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC). Thus, we call on the international community to live up to its previous resolutions, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolutions to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan under international law, ensure withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from all seized lands of Azerbaijan as demanded and hopefully reach a lasting settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

The negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs  Russia, France and the United States  has not brought any tangible result for the resolution of conflict. The Co- Chairs based on their mandate stemming from the Helsinki Final Act and the UNSCR should redouble their efforts to ensure meaningful negotiations towards achieving lasting peace.

At a time when all of humanity is fighting a common enemy in the Coronavirus and COVID- 19, it is not sensible for humanity to divert our energies and resources to unleash death and destruction on each other. Let us appeal to reason and the rule of law in our pursuit of a peaceful and just settlement to the conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Peace, true peace, is more than the cessation of war. It can only be built on justice and inclusion. That is a fitting task for the EU to assist in bringing about, and it would be an appropriate revival of the spirit of the United Nations on its 75th birthday. So let us work with the international community to overcome the unjust legacies of the past, to address our global challenges and to lay the foundations for better tomorrows, reads the letter.
Yves here. This is a damning account of how the African Green Revolution, which was supposed to greatly increase agricultural output and reduce hunger through modern farming techniques, has only modestly increased output at the cost of soil degradation. Even worse, malnutrition has increased.

By Timothy A. Wise, who directs the Land and Food Rights Program at the U.S.-based Small Planet Institute and is a Senior Researcher at Tufts Universitys Global Development and Environment. Originally published at the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy blog; cross posted from Triple Crisis

Fourteen years ago, the Bill and Melinda Gates and Rockefeller foundations launched the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) with the goal of bringing Africa its own Green Revolution in agricultural productivity. Armed with high-yield commercial seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, AGRA eventually set the goal to double productivity and incomes by 2020 for 30 million small-scale farming households while reducing food insecurity by half in 20 countries.

According to a new report from a broad-based civil society alliance, based partly on my new background paper, AGRA is failing on its own terms. There has been no productivity surge. Many climate-resilient, nutritious crops have been displaced by the expansion in supported crops such as maize. Even where maize production has increased, incomes and food security have scarcely improved for AGRAs supposed beneficiaries, small-scale farming households. The number of undernourished in AGRAs 13 focus countries has increased 30% during the organizations well-funded Green Revolution campaign.

The results of the study are devastating for AGRA and the prophets of the Green Revolution, says Jan Urhahn, agricultural expert at the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, which funded the research and on July 10 published False Promises: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

A Record of Failure

As I document in my background paper, Failing Africas Farmers: An Impact Assessment of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA has received nearly $1 billion in contributions, the vast majority from the Gates Foundation but with significant contributions from donor governments, including from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and other countries. AGRA has made over $500 million in grants to promote its vision of a modernized African agriculture freed from its limited technology and low yields. The campaign has been fortified with large financial outlays by African governments, much of it in the form of subsidies to farmers to buy the seeds and fertilizers AGRA promotes. These subsidy programs have been estimated to provide as much as $1 billion per year in direct support for such technology adoption.

AGRA has been controversial from the start. Many farmers groups on the continent actively opposed the initiative, pointing to negative environmental and social impacts of the first Green Revolution in Asia and Latin America. Since AGRAs founding, scientists and world leaders have gained growing awareness of the limitations of input-intensive agricultural systems, particularly to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2019 documented the many ways industrialized agriculture contributes to climate change, calling for profound changes to both mitigate and help farmers adapt to climate disruptions.

Surprisingly, as AGRA reaches its self-declared deadline of 2020, the organization has published no overall evaluation of the impacts of its programs on the number of smallholder households reached, the improvements in their yields and household incomes or their food security, nor does it make reference to its goals or progress in achieving them. Neither has the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has provided two-thirds of AGRAs funding. This lack of accountability represents a serious oversight problem for a program that has both consumed so much in the way of resources and driven the regions agricultural development policies with its narrative of technology-driven, input-intensive agricultural development.

Our research seeks to fill that accountability gap. Unfortunately, AGRA declined our request to provide data from its own internal monitoring and evaluation of progress. In the absence of data on AGRAs direct beneficiaries, we use national-level data from 13 AGRA countries through 2018 on production, yield and area harvested for most of the regions important food crops to assess the extent to which Green Revolution programs are significantly raising productivity. We also examine data on poverty and hunger to gauge whether there are signs that smallholder farmers incomes and food security are improving across the region at levels commensurate with AGRAs goals of improved farmer welfare.

We found no evidence that productivity, incomes or food security were increasing significantly for smallholder households. Specifically, we found:

Little evidence AGRA was reaching a significant number of farmers. Its last progress report says only that AGRA had trained 5.3 million farmers in modern practices with 1.86 million farmers using such practices. This is vague and far short of the stated goal of doubling productivity and incomes for seven million farmers directly and another 21 million indirectly.

No evidence of significant increases in smallholder incomes or food security. For AGRA countries as a whole, there has been a 30% increase in the number of people suffering extreme hunger since AGRA began, a condition affecting 130 million people in AGRA countries. Kenya, home to AGRAs headquarters, saw an increase in the share of its people suffering undernourishment in the AGRA years.

No evidence of large productivity increases. For staple crops as a whole, yields are up only 18% over 12 years for AGRAs 13 countries. Even maize, heavily promoted by Green Revolution programs, showed just 29% yield growth, well short of AGRAs goal of doubling productivity, which would be a 100% increase.

Where technology adoption has taken place, input subsidies provided by African governments seem far more influential than AGRAs programs. It is difficult to find evidence that AGRAs programs would have any significant impacts in the absence of such large subsidies from African governments.

Even where production increased, as in Zambia, a near-tripling of maize production did not result in reductions in rural poverty or hunger. Small-scale farmers were not benefiting; poverty and hunger remained staggeringly high with 78% of rural Zambians in extreme poverty.

Green Revolution incentives for priority crops such as maize drove land into maize and out of more nutritious and climate-resilient traditional crops such as millet and sorghum, eroding food security and nutrition for poor farmers. Millet production declined 24% with yields falling 21% in the AGRA years.

No signs of sustainable intensification, the goal of sustainably increasing production on existing farmland. Environmental impacts are negative, including acidification of soils under monoculture cultivation with fossil-fuel-based fertilizers. Production increases have come more from farmers bringing new land under cultivation  extensification  than from productivity increases. Both trends have implications for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Rwanda: Africas Hungry Poster Child

Rwanda, widely considered an AGRA success story thanks to rising maize production and yields, illustrates AGRAs failings. Overall productivity improvements across staple crops have been weak, while the number of undernourished has increased 15% in the AGRA years. Rwandas former Agriculture Minister, Agnes Kalibata, now heads AGRA and was recently named to lead a planned U.N. World Food Summit in 2021.

AGRAs questionable approach cannot provide the necessary impetus for the U.N. Summit on Food Systems, says Stig Tanzmann, agricultural expert at Bread for the World and one of the reports authors.

That summit should instead actively consider agroecology and other low-cost, low-input approaches, which have shown far better short and long-term prospects than high-input Green Revolution practices. One University of Essex study surveyed nearly 300 large ecological agriculture projects across more than 50 poor countries and documented an average 79% increase in productivity with decreasing costs and rising incomes. Such results far surpass AGRAs.

In view of the results of the study, the German government must change course consistently and use agroecology and the human right to food as a compass for its policy, according to Lena Bassermann, agricultural expert from the development organization INKOTA, a co-author of the report and one of the organizations asking the German government to withdraw from AGRA.

AGRA is a vicious circle that drives small-scale food producers further and further into poverty, destroying their natural resources, says Mutinta Nketani, an agricultural specialist from PELUM Zambia and author of the reports case study on Zambia.

As the report makes clear, as AGRA reaches its 2020 deadline, it is time for African governments and the donor community to change course. The report recommends that:

Donor governments withdraw their funding from AGRA and shift it to programs that help smallholder farmers, particularly women, develop climate-resilient ecologically sustainable farming practices such as agroecology, which is increasingly recognized and supported by FAO and the international donor community.

African governments withdraw from AGRA and other Green Revolution programs, including input-subsidy programs, and transition their agricultural development programs toward a more robust array of policies that respond to smallholder farmers expressed needs.

As former FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva indicated, We need to promote a transformative change in the way that we produce and consume food. We need to put forward sustainable food systems that offer healthy and nutritious food, and also preserve the environment. Agroecology can offer several contributions to this process.
There could be another lockdown in Ireland if the current trend of cases continues.

That is the warning from the Irish College of General Practitioners' lead advisor on Covid-19, Dr Nuala O'Connor.
The city of Oakland, Calif., has agreed to pay nearly $33 million to settle lawsuits filed on behalf of the victims of a fire that killed 36 people in a two-story converted warehouse in 2016.

The families of 32 of the victims who died when flames consumed the structure, which housed an artist collective known as the Ghost Ship, will receive $23.5 million, the city said in a statement. A survivor, Sam Maxwell, who the city said lives with severe, lifelong injuries and major medical expenses, will receive $9.2 million.

The blaze, on Dec. 2, 2016, was one of the worst structure fires in recent U.S. history.

People had gathered on the second floor of the warehouse for an electronic music dance party when the fire started. The building did not have a permit to host parties or operate as a residence, and most of the people who were living there were doing so in violation of zoning laws. Attendees and residents struggled to evacuate the building as they navigated a haphazard maze of broken pianos, shoddy electrical equipment and a makeshift staircase made of wooden pallets.

The East Bay Times, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the fire and its aftermath, found that the city had missed opportunities to flag hazards at the warehouse that could have contributed to the inferno.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18)  The governments top lawyer is urging the Supreme Court to junk the petitions seeking a temporary restraining order against the Anti-Terrorism Act, whose constitutionality is being questioned.

In a 223-page comment filed on Friday, Solicitor General Jose Calida reminded the high court that the judiciary must exercise utmost caution, prudence and judiciousness in the issuance of temporary restraining orders and injunctive writs.

The writ should not be granted lightly or precipitately, but only when the court is fully satisfied that the law permits it and the emergency demands it, Calida said.

He argued that all the eight consolidated petitions against the newly-signed anti-terrorism law failed to prove that its implementation would cause grave and irreparable injury to the petitioners constitutional rights.

Calida said it is the public who would be at risk from terrorist attacks if the law is not enforced.

Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 took effect on Saturday, according to the Department of Justice, even as some law experts argued that the start date should be July 22, or 15 days after the measure was published in a newspaper and not just the online Official Gazette.

The implementing rules and regulations "will come in 90 days," National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told CNN Philippines, adding that the Anti-Terrorism Council has started working on it.

On warrantless arrest and detention

Among the hotly contested provisions is Section 29, which extends the time suspected terrorists can be arrested and detained without warrant, from three days under the previous law, to up to 24 days.

READ: 3-day detention period for suspected terrorists more than enough, solon argues

Calida stressed that although the term suspected was used in the law, it is not a license to arrest any person based on mere suspicion.

Contrary to petitioners interpretation, therefore, the use of suspected in Section 29 does not at all signify an abandonment of probable cause as threshold in warrantless arrest under Section 5(b), Rule 113 of the Revised Rules of Court, Calida said.

He further argued that there is nothing in the Constitution that prohibits a period of detention longer than three days.

What the law does not prohibit, it allows, he said.

Guarding against abuse

The Anti-Terrorism Act has been a target of local and international criticism, as experts say it relaxes safeguards on human rights and is open to abuse. Administration officials, as well as lawmakers who authored and sponsored the measure, deny the alleged unconstitutionality of the law.

One of them is Senator Panfilo Lacson who said in a statement on Saturday that he will go the extra mile in guarding against possible abuse in its implementation.

Now that the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is in effect, the Filipino people are assured of a law that allows the Philippines to mount the needed strong response against the threat of terrorism, said Lacson, a former national police chief.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier defended the measure, saying it will not be used against law-abiding citizens, but stressed that communist rebels should be considered as terrorists because "I finally declared them to be one."

Lacson said this may be a "personal opinion" of the President, but the governments petition to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New Peoples Army, as terrorists will have to be tried and approved by the Court of Appeals.

CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Yuva Sena President Aditya Thackeray has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the UGC decision to hold final-year examinations before September 30.

Speaking to IANS, Yuva Sena Secretary Varun Sardesai said: "In support of students across India, the Yuva Sena has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the of University Grants Commission's (UGC) decision to conduct final-year exams."

He added that the Yuva Sena has challenged the UGC guidelines on the matter and requested the Supreme Court that each university may be allowed to chart out its own plan of action with respect to terminal semester/final-year examinations depending on the conditions in their respective states so as to provide relief to students.

"Even in this highly worrying time, the Human Resource Development Minister and the UGC have announced that final-year examinations be conducted in India by universities in September 2020, keeping in mind its guidelines, but ignoring the physical and mental health, anxiety and safety of students across the country", said the Yuva Sena in a statement.

Sardesai asserted that Covid-19 is a "national disaster" in view of which the UGC should have cancelled the final-year examinations and arrived at a fair and uniform criteria for declaration of results and also circulated it for adoption by all universities in India.

"However, it seems the UGC has not understood the full extent of the dilemma that the country is currently facing and it's using its power and authority to make it mandatory for universities to conduct examinations, which can be avoided", he added.

According to the Yuva Sena, in these unprecedented times of Covid-19 pandemic when the provisions of both the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, are amended from time to time, the UGC's stance of insisting on conducting final- year examinations/semester examinations and not to grant relief to these students is "very sad" and -- if the UGC goes ahead with it -- may also prove to be difficult to implement and not be safe as well.
WASHINGTON  For a while there, it looked possible that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci  the nations top infectious disease expert and a Washington sacred cow if there ever was one  might come away from the Trump White House unscathed. He was viewed as bipartisan (served six presidents!) and a savvy truth-teller able to skirt the reputational contagions that can accompany prolonged exposure to President Trump.

He dominated March and April as the coronavirus pandemic raged.

But then Hang Fauci signs started popping up at Reopen Now rallies, and #FireFauci hashtags started trending on Twitter. The president himself retweeted one. And now, well 

That is a bit bizarre, Dr. Fauci said this week in describing his current predicament at the White House. He has come under sustained attack, from the Oval Office down, on the record and off, in presidential tweets and in an attack op-ed article in USA Today by Peter Navarro, Mr. Trumps top trade adviser, who declared that Dr. Fauci was wrong about everything.

(On Wednesday, the newspaper had second thoughts, as Bill Sternberg, the editorial page editor, said the article did not meet USA Todays fact-checking standards.)
A top officer of Manipur police department allegedly shot himself with a service gun in Imphal on Saturday afternoon, officials said. The reason behind the incident is not known yet.

The incident took place at the official residence of the officer located at first Manipur Rifles Battalion premises in Imphal around 1.30 pm, the source said. He was immediately taken to a local private hospital for medical treatment.

The injured officer has been identified as Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Arvind Kumar of Manipur police department who is a 1992 batch Manipur cadre IPS.

While speaking to reporters, state chief secretary Dr J Suresh Babu who visited the hospital to see Arvind Kumar, said the incident is unfortunate and informed that he is conscious now.

We dont know what the background is but he is lucky that he is conscious. He is able to respond, Dr Suresh Babu said.

Weve to wait and watch the doctors advice, he added.

The government is planning to shift him to Delhi once his condition is stable, the chief secretary also informed.

Arvind Kumar was also visited by the top brass of the state police department including the Additional DGP L Kailun Inspector General of Police (Zone II) Clay Khongsai, Inspector General of Police(Zone II) K Jayenta (Zone), DIGs and district SPs.

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Linkedin Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18 2020

Defense and aerospace giant Boeing said it was looking forward to working closely with the United States and Indonesia to finalize a possible US$2 billion deal for Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

Congressional notification is an important step in the United States Foreign Military Sales [FMS] process, so were pleased that a potential V-22 acquisition by Indonesia has entered this phase, Boeing said in a statement to The Jakarta Post dated July 15.

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The Ministry of Public Security has proposed not granting ownership certificates to allow condotels, tourist villas and officetels to be turned into residential projects.

A condotel project in the central city of Da Nang.

In its report submitted to the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc relating to shortcomings in laws over condotels, tourist villas and officetels, the ministry clarified issues regarding management and trading of the estates.

It said some localities like Da Nang city and Ba Ria Vung Tau province have proposed changing land use purposes and issue certificates of ownership for condotels, gradually legalising them into residential apartments, putting pressure on social infrastructure. This could raise many complex issues about economic and social security.

If the certificate is granted to condotel owners, buyers could mortgage their assets to get loans. This could cause risk of credit insecurity as most investors of condotel products mortgage their projects at banks, the ministry said.

The ministry said many ministries believe they have sufficient legal basis to manage condotel apartments, tourist villas and officetels.

However, construction investment and management of these real estate products have encountered many difficulties which current laws have not resolved.

The Ministry of Construction said they did not prohibit condotels being turned into residential projects but current laws do not provide regulations for the conversion of commercial and service buildings to residential apartments.

Therefore, projects wishing to convert into residential products should be carefully considered and strictly comply with provisions of the law on investment and urban planning.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) in February issued new guidelines about the land-use regime and certification of non-residential construction works, including condotels.

These new guidelines bring positive signs to Vietnams real estate market. However, the Ministry of Public Security said in the document, MONRE did not yet clarify whether the property ownership certificate for condotels, officetels and tourist villas will be granted to the project owner or for each apartment.

In case of granting to each buyer in the project, there would be many complex problems in security and order in the management and operation of the building, as well as withdrawal upon the expiry of the project's land use term, it added.

Le Hoang Chau, Chairman of HCM City Real Estate Association (HoREA), said they have repeatedly opposed the conversion of condotels into a residential project because these are two types of land with different uses.

He said a condotel is a project belonging to tourism service land. It is developed for Vietnams tourism needs, which is developing very fast and needs high-class infrastructure. Meanwhile, housing is the land for residential residents, in addition to accommodation, it needs more public utilities to serve communities such as schools and hospitals.

Therefore, the conversion from condotel to residential projects would create a lack of uniformity in tourism development infrastructure as well as long-term revenue of localities, he added.

Economist Dinh The Hien said the amendments to provisions of laws for this new type of real estate were too late. In fact, there are many types of real estate born before the laws but only on a small scale. This condotel was developed with too large scale in many localities but lacks synchronised laws.

This has not only made it difficult for local management but also for secondary investors. The evidence was that recently, some condotel project owners had broken their commitments when unexpectedly announcing the suspension of profit payment to condotel buyers, he said./. VNA

Investors return to condotel market, with caution Investors have once again shown interest in condotels as the legal issues for this kind of real estate product have been clarified. However, the market remains cool.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Low runoff, top-of-the-thermometer temperatures and little rainfall have translated into a dismal summer on the Rio Grande, with large river stretches south of Albuquerque already dry.

But water managers are finally breathing a sigh of relief this week.

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and the state of New Mexico have received permission from neighboring states to access up to 38,000 acre-feet of water, or more than 12 billion gallons, that is currently stored in El Vado Reservoir under the Rio Grande Compact agreement.

The only other time New Mexico was granted emergency use of that stored water was in the 1950s, said Page Pegram, Rio Grande Basin Manager for the Interstate Stream Commission.

Its pretty clear without this release the Rio Grande was going to dry up through Albuquerque for sure, maybe even from Bernalillo through Elephant Butte, Pegram said. That would have been a bad situation  for endangered species, for farmers and for all the people using the river right now for fun.

Mike Hamman, CEO and chief engineer for the irrigation district, said the water will be a lifesaver for farmers. Low natural river flows forced the district to stop irrigation deliveries for farmers who use the water bank earlier this summer.

Were in one of the highest demand periods for crops, particularly things like corn and chile, Hamman said. Alfalfa can weather (drought) a little better, but people could probably lose two or three cuttings this year, and possibly lose full fields of alfalfa, as well. This is one of the last blocks of water in the system. With it, we get another four or five weeks of water, maybe more with a little help from Mother Nature.

The emergency request to access the water was made through state engineer John DAntonio, who is also New Mexicos Rio Grande Compact commissioner.

New Mexico must deliver a certain amount of water to Elephant Butte Reservoir every year under the compact. If the state accrues a water debt, they must keep an equivalent amount of water in storage as assurance that the debt will be paid.

All three Rio Grande Compact commissioners from New Mexico, Texas and Colorado had to agree to waive that requirement. Typically, the debit water is not released on the river until the late fall, when it can travel to Elephant Butte without major losses from irrigation or evaporation.

The irrigation districts supply for the Middle Rio Grande valley would have run out by this weekend without Texas and Colorado approving the emergency use, said district water operations manager David Gensler.

This year, weve realized that its problematic to have that water sitting there unusable, Gensler said. These are dire circumstances. New Mexico has just been baking for the last couple of months.

But the additional water isnt a free-for-all. Agencies said they will carefully manage water releases to benefit farmers and protect critical stretches of the river for endangered species, such as the Rio Grande silvery minnow. Agencies will hold back on using the stored water if the region receives significant rainfall.

The early release of debit water could impact how much water New Mexico is able to store in El Vado for its own use next year.

Without significant rain and snow, the state could be operating next year under a 100,000 acre-foot debit to downstream users.

We would still have to do everything we can to get water to Elephant Butte, Gensler said. Its like, we can have the water now, but it comes at a cost later. We dont waste a drop in these times.

Texas and New Mexico are in the midst of ongoing litigation about water delivery obligations under the Rio Grande Compact. That makes the granting of the emergency use request all the more unique.

With Texas, I think they wanted to help out with the situation in New Mexico and they werent willing to be vindictive toward the farmers in the middle Rio Grande to benefit farmers in the lower Rio Grande, Pegram said. I see it as a good sign that the other states are willing to cooperate. But this is definitely a short-term fix. Long term, we have to come up with some better solutions for how to share the water in the Middle Rio Grande overall. Were definitely looking into climate change and how thats impacting the water supply.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has opposed calls on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to shut down schools due to the coronavirus impact.



According to Deputy Health Minister, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, 161 students, teachers and non-staff of some Senior and Junior High Schools have been infected by coronavirus in the country.



The infections were detected following the President's directive that schools should reopen after he eased restrictions on public gathering.



As part of measures to safeguard the students, the government disinfected the schools and also distributed items such as thermometer guns, Veronica buckets, PPEs among others to the schools.



However, there is a public outcry for the President to close the schools because some students contracted the disease.



The opposition National Democratic Congress says the President is insensitive and some critics have even made wild allegations against him for not heeding their calls.



Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Kwesi Pratt stressed it will be dangerous for the country for the students to go back home.



To him, before the schools can be closed, the government must first undertake precautionary measures to ensure the students are not going to infect their families.



He stated, in the event of closing the schools, there should be mass testing for all students before they are allowed back home.



"You have to test everybody on campus. After testing them, they have to go into two weeks quarantine and after the two weeks quarantine, we test them again. That is the only way we can get minimum assurance that they don't send the disease back home," he said.







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.

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...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.
General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran, is seen in this screen grab obtained from a social media video, Iran, on Jan. 8, 2020. (Social media video via Reuters/File Photo)

Iran Has Sent Black Boxes of Downed Plane to France: Official

Iran has sent the black boxes from a Ukrainian airliner that it accidentally downed in January to France for analysis, a Foreign Ministry official said on Saturday.

Some 176 people were killed when the Revolutionary Guards, Irans most powerful military force, fired missiles at the Ukraine International Airlines mistaking it for a hostile target while on high alert during a confrontation with the United States.

The black boxes were transported to Paris yesterday by officials of the Civil Aviation Authority and a judge, Mohsen Baharvand, Irans deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs, was quoted as saying by the the semi-official ILNA news agency.

The wreckage of the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 at the scene of the crash in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, in a file photo. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Rescue workers carry the body of a victim of a Ukrainian plane crash among debris of the plane in Shahedshahr, southwest of Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 8, 2020. (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo)

He said France will begin reading the flight recorders on Monday and praised the French government for its very good cooperation with the Iranian delegation.

Frances BEA air accident investigation agency is known as one of the worlds leading agencies for reading flight recorders.

The fate of the cockpit voice and data recorders was the subject of an international standoff after the plane was shot down on Jan. 8, with Ukraine demanding access.

In an interim report last week 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 downing.
Two men pleaded guilty to smuggling and selling fake cancer and hepatitis drugs Friday in federal court in Houston, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Ukrainian citizens Maksym Nienadov, 36, and Volodymyr Nikolaienko, 33, admitted to co-conspiring to traffic counterfeit drugs into the U.S. in the Southern District of Texas, prosecutors said. Nienadov also admitted to misbranding drugs, according to the attorneys.
U.S. army soldiers take part in a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Yeoncheon, South Korea, April 8, 2016. Reuters



The Pentagon has offered the White House options to reduce American troop levels in South Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.



Citing unnamed U.S. officials, the paper said the options were presented in March following a broader review of options for withdrawing troops from around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.



The White House requested the review last fall, and by December, the Pentagon had come up with broad ideas, it said.



No decision has yet been made to reduce the number of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea from the current 28,500, according to the WSJ.






A welder suspected to be a Togolese has been arrested and arraigned before the Court for allegedly registering for a voter's ID at the Kpone Katamanso Municipality.

A welder has been admitted to bail in the sum of Ghc6,000 with two sureties.

The prosecutor, Inspector Emmanuel Kleku Mensah told the court presided over by Mrs. Akosua Anokyewaa Agyapong that, the complainant, honorable Godwin Owusu aged 56 is an assembly member for the Kpone Katamanso Municipality, whilst the accused, Elvis Kweku Segla is a welder and resides at Saki Mitsakpo electoral area within the Kpone Katamanso Municipality.

Inspector Emmanuel Kleku said the complainant who is a monitoring member of the national voters card registration exercise, was detailed to monitor proceedings of the Assemblies of God polling station no.C251402 as a leading member.

The prosecutor said on 8th July this year while at the polling station, someone approached him, alerted and pointed out the accused to him as a Togolese, trying to maneuver his way to register as a Ghanaian voter.

The prosecutor said the complainant quickly rushed toward the direction and met up with the accused person seated, awaiting his turn of registration. The complainant confronted the accused, the accused told the complainant he is a Ghanaian but born in Togo.

The accused went ahead to show the complainant an old voters identity card proving that he is truly a Ghanaian. The Complainant who was not convinced at the time further interrogated the accused and there he confided in complainant that his father is a Ghanaian from Anloga in the Volta region whilst his mother comes from Togo.

The accused said he grew up in Togo but relocated to Ghana in 2009 and currently working with a steel company in Tema. The complainant alerted the police and the accused was arrested and handed over to the Kpone police station for investigation.

The prosecutor added that on 10 th July this year, the accused together with the case docket was brought to the Tema Regional CID for further investigation.

A check made at the workplace of the accused; C4BT Consulting limited revealed on his personal information that the accused was born in Togo and also stated that he is a Togolese by nationality. Therefore, the accused was not qualified to register as a voter in Ghana. After investigations, the accused was charged and arraigned before the court.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge Akosua Anokyewaa Agyapong asked the prosecution to file a witness statement and present it to the court.

She has however adjourned the case to 27th July.
The Manitoba government has added 137 drugs to provincial pharmacare coverage, including 109 generic medications.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government has added 137 drugs to provincial pharmacare coverage, including 109 generic medications.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen said the move will help residents deal with a variety of health conditions and ailments.

"Medications can be costly and by adding these drugs to the formulary, we are providing better access and lessening the financial burden so patients can focus on being well," he said.

Drugs now covered under pharmacare include:

 Akynzeo  for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with some forms of chemotherapy;

 Enstilar  for the treatment of psoriasis;

 Mezera  for the treatment of ulcerative colitis;

 Prevymis  for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection;

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 Radicava  for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS);

 Sublocade  for the treatment of opioid use disorder;

 Truxima  for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; and

 Velphoro  for the control of serum phosphorus levels in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Friesen said 1,211 drugs have been added to the provincial formulary since April 1, 2016.

Coverage for the new drugs will be effective July 16. Medications that are added to the formulary require patients to meet pharmacare criteria to be eligible for coverage.
New Delhi: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actor-son Abhishek Bachchan, after being diagnosed with the deadly novel coronavirus a few days back were admitted to Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital. Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar updated about Bachchans' health.

She told Zee News that Amitabh Bachchan and son Abhishek Bachchan's health is stable at present. On July 19, it will be 7 days since they were admitted and diagnosed with COVID-19.

As per BMC protocol, Nanavati Hospital will decide upon the next date for Bachchans' swab test. Meanwhile, last night, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan along with daughter Aaradhya, who was in home quarantine showed mild symptoms and were rushed to Nanavati hospital.

Aishwarya complained of slight fever and cough.

Reportedly, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan might undergo next swab test after 10 days which means in the coming Wednesday or Thursday.

Kishori Pednekar also urged veteran actress Rekha to undergo a swab test for coronavirus. She maintained, "whether there are any symptoms or not, it is important to undergo a swab test for her as age is an important factor in this and she can't escape it. Rekha must undergo the test for her fans and well-wishers."

A few days back, Rekha's security guard, two house helps were found to be coronavirus positive.
U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse / AP



A Republican senator slammed the Trump administration, Friday, in response to a news report that the White House was considering reducing American troop levels in South Korea.



According to The Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon presented the White House with options for reducing the U.S. presence in March.



"This kind of strategic incompetence is Jimmy Carter-level weak. Why is this so hard?" Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement posted on his website.



"We don't have missile systems in South Korea as a welfare program; we have troops and munitions there to protect Americans. Our aim is to give the Chinese communist leadership and the nuclear nut tyrannizing his North Korean subjects something to think about before they mess with us," he said.






BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

As many as 2,166 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, 188 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.

Sadat Lari added that the condition of 3,529 people is critical.

The official said that Iran's East Azerbaijan, Ilam, Bushehr, Razavi Khorasan, Khuzestan, Zanjan, Golestan, Mazandaran, Kerman and Fars provinces remain 'red' zones.

So far, more than 2.12 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 271,600 people have been infected 13,979 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 235,300 have reportedly recovered from the disease.

The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the coronavirus 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.
A suspect has been arrested in the slaying of 38-year-old Kwame Thomas in Florence, police announced Friday evening.

Thomas was found unconscious and suffering from lacerations around 10 p.m. Thursday at Southern Oaks apartments on Hermitage Drive, according to a news release from the Florence Police Department. Thomas was declared dead after being taken by ambulance to North Alabama Medical Center.

Gary Duane White, 50, has been arrested and charged with murder, Sgt. Jason Fort said in the release. White was taken into custody during a traffic stop in east Florence this evening, according to police.

Further details werent released.

White is being held in the Lauderdale County jail without bail set. If convicted he faces up to life in prison.
Black boxes transported to Paris by aviation organisation officials and a judge, according to media report.

Iran has sent to France the black boxes of a Ukrainian passenger plane its forces mistakenly shot down in January, a foreign ministry official has said according to a media report.

The black boxes were transferred to Paris yesterday by aviation organisation officials and a judge, and their reading will start on Monday, Mohsen Baharvand, deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs, was quoted as saying by the Etemad newspaper on Saturday.

The French government has cooperated very well with the Iranian delegation and it is fit that I thank them for this, he added.

Flight 752, a Ukraine International Airlines plane, was struck by two missiles and crashed shortly after taking off from Tehrans main airport on January 8.





The Islamic republic admitted days later that its forces accidentally shot down the Kyiv-bound jetliner, killing all 176 people on board.

Iran has said the misalignment of an air defence units radar system was the key human error that led to the planes downing.

Tehrans air defences had been on high alert at the time in case the United States retaliated against Iranian strikes hours earlier on American troops stationed in Iraq.

Those strikes were carried out in response to the killing of a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in a US drone attack near Baghdad airport.

The black boxes are expected to contain information about the last moments before the aircraft was struck and crashed.

Canada, whose nationals made up most of the victims on board the jetliner, had demanded for months along with Ukraine that Iran send the black boxes abroad so their contents can be analysed.

With no means of decoding the black boxes, Iran had blamed the delay in sending them on the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen most international flights cancelled.
By Deena Beasley

(Reuters) - U.S. infectious disease specialists this week asked the federal government to "use every authority it has" to ensure adequate supplies of the antiviral drug remdesivir as the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus continues to rise.

In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) expressed concern that developed countries are relying on a single manufacturer for the only antiviral so far shown to be effective against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Remdesivir is made by Gilead Sciences Inc, which has committed to supplying 500,000 treatment courses of the drug to HHS for distribution to U.S. hospitals in July, August and September. The company has also licensed remdesivir to several generic drugmakers for sales in 127 low-income countries.

"We urge the administration to fully leverage all authorities including the Defense Production Act and other tools to ensure adequate supplies of remdesivir," the IDSA said.

Gilead, which last month priced a five-day course of its drug at $3,120 for U.S. insurers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The IDSA said remdesivir, available since May under an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, has been a critical tool for reducing the strain on hospitals.

Several hard-hit Southern and Western states have reported running low on the drug, prompting HHS earlier this month to ship emergency supplies to Florida, Texas, California and Arizona.

"We are concerned that the current supply of remdesivir is insufficient, particularly given dramatically escalating caseloads in many states and the likelihood of a continuing surge into the fall and winter," the IDSA said in its letter.

(Reporting by Deena Beasley; Editing by Leslie Adler)
The 911 Joint Communications board met last week to discuss developments across the state of Missouri, what the new normal of funding police might look like, and to talk about renewing their special 911 tax in April 2021.

Chairman Ron Bockenkamp observed that the term defund the police has taken on two different interpretations.

If youve been paying attention to whats going on in our country today, there are dramatic changes to our country that are happening or are being proposed, one of which concerns defunding the police, he said. One view is to absolutely defund the police, just get rid of them, theres an element that doesnt think we need police officers.

The other side is looking at staffing of police departments, and is there a way of defunding a portion of the police budget for issues that arent really a police matter.

Bockenkamp used an emergency call about water service as an example. He said a call that should have been routed to a utility department might take away man hours from police, and it might have been improperly dispatched. Bockenkamp pointed out that St. Francois Countys 911 system provides protocols leading to accuracy in assigning the emergency calls, and larger metropolitan areas across the nation are having to play catch-up.

But its something were already doing, he said. In our board package for our monthly meeting is a total breakdown of the calls, the kinds of calls, and the definition of those calls. St. Francois County 911 is ahead of the curve on this new normal.

Center Director Alan Wells said the staff played a huge role in making sure the calls were accurately dispatched.

A lot of it is learned traits, working with all the entities, police, fire, EMS. Through our CAD system, and the classification of calls, the powerphone system, it all helps, he said. But also meeting with our public safety groups  our fire chiefs, our police chiefs, our EMS directors  breaking down and evaluating those kinds of situations, most of the departments have their protocols that are also entered into the system. I thank the staff for helping with that.

Wells reported that after a brief hiatus due to the initial stages of the coronavirus outbreak, the state 911 board is meeting again. Wells is on several state committees, including one for grants, one for uniform training standards across Missouri, and one for regionalization, which divides the state into eight geographic regions so 911 centers can better collaborate on service.

For example, in Region 8 here, many counties have no true 911 in place. So how do we pull our neighboring counties up to a minimum standard, and maybe roll some monies into those communities for a minimum standard of care for their citizens and people who are traveling through, Wells said.

Continuing the local level of service might mean extending the sales tax that have made significant improvements over the last several years, Bockenkamp observed later in the meeting. Wells said the tax expires next year, and he suggested asking voters to renew the support for 911 operations in April 2021.

Bockenkamp said it might look a bit different than the prior initiative.

When we put this to the voters next time, and I think the board agrees, were not going to have a sunset provision in the language, were going to ask that the tax become permanent. I think we have the track record that will show weve been greatly responsible with those tax dollars, he said. Weve accomplished the list of goals we set, and weve exceeded it. I feel comfortable in proving that weve very responsibly and effectively managed the taxpayers dollars as theyve deemed fit to provide us.

In other business, Budget and Finance Committee Chairwoman Ginger Taylor observed sales tax receipts were higher for the month of June than in previous years, which she attributed to more people spending money on remodeling and construction. The center is ahead on their budget, and on track to pay down their lease.

The board also unanimously approved moving ahead with the Simms Mountain Project that would make updates to the tower sending out the signals.

Center employee Tacy Petrait, who came over with the Ste. Genevieve 911 merger in 2009, is retiring after 17 years total in central dispatch operations. Wells said hes hoping she can be retained for part-time work until someone is trained. Her last day was July 17. Bockenkamp and Wells congratulated her and thanked her for her service.

Board Member and Farmington Fire Chief Todd Mecey shared the ISO report the department recently received. The metrics have changed a bit, but the department received a good rating. Ron Bockenkamp observed, This is an important subject. Its more than just looking at an administrative report of statistical data, the bottom line is, the better the report is, and our participation in it, the better the insurance rate for the citizens of this county.

The board approved spending $14,000 as 40% required on a matching grant to improve automatic vehicle location software.

Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or at shaas@dailyjournalonline.com.

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- Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to gush over his lover Georgina Rodriguez after he described her as special company

- The 35-year-old Juventus striker posted a picture of himself and Rodriguez enjoying a getaway inside a superyacht somewhere in Italy

- Rodriguez also posted a picture of the couple inside the yacht as she served Ronaldo dessert

Cristiano Ronaldo has described his partner Georgina Rodriguez as someone special as they took a trip on a giant yacht somewhere in Italy.

The 35-year-old who failed to score for Juventus in his sides 3-3 draw at Sassuolo on Wednesday, July 15, uploaded a picture with Rodriguez as he captioned it: Make your dreams come true always with special company.

The photo showed Cristiano Ronaldo with Georgina Rodriguez aboard the super yacht.

Rodriguez then posted a picture of the couple inside the yacht as she served Ronaldo dessert.

However, this will not be first time the couple are spending quality time together as they also had a little yacht break a couple of weeks ago, when Ronaldo was pictured spending time with Georgina and some friends.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's first son, Cristiano Jr is holidaying with relatives in Paul do Mar off the south of Madeira.

But the ten-year-old could have landed his family in some sort of trouble after he was filmed riding a jet ski alone.

The youngsters aunt Elma, who is Ronaldo's sister, loaded the footage on to her social media before removing it after series of backlash.

Only recently, Ronaldo's girlfriend caught the attention of her fans on social media after showing off her twerking skills in a video clip.

The 26-year-old got 19 million Instagram followers excited after he released a video of her outdoor aerobic session.

She wore a tight-fitting bright pink outfit and a waist trainer while exercising with two other people who joined her doing the same routine workout.

A close shot from the video clip then filmed her twerking with her beautiful curves before the workout started.

Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news

Couple gives birth to triplets after 21 years of trying | Tuko TV :

Source: TUKO.co.ke
A million mink have been culled, and more are ordered for culling as fur farms in Spain and the Netherlands brace for the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Spain already ordered culling almost 100,000 farmed mink, while around one million farmed mink have been culled in fur farms in the Netherlands.

According to Aragon agriculture minister Joaquin Olona, they will slaughter 92,700 mink that have been farmed for fur. Government officials think that the virus may have entered the farm through one of its workers, who then spread it to the mink. Olona said, however, that they still do not know if transmission between humans and animals as possible.

The coronavirus has now been reported as present in 24 Dutch farms, according to a source from the fur industry. Last Friday, the number rose to 25, and it seems to be caused to the movement of pups to a different location. According to scientists, the infections may have come from two of the workers last April. Shortly after, the farms started culling.

Spain is the seventh biggest fur producer in Europe, while the Netherlands is currently the fourth largest in the world. The top three fur producers are Poland, China, and Denmark. Meanwhile, three of Denmark's mink farms have already been confirmed to have COVID-19.

Mink farming in the Netherlands has been scheduled for gradual phaseout to be completed in 2024. However, calls for an earlier closure of farms are now being made. Last month, the country's parliament approved a motion by the international movement Party for the Animals for quicker farm shutdowns.

Last Thursday, the HSI or Humane Society International, an animal welfare non-government organization that collected Dutch data on culls, said the COVID-19 risks, together with the conditions the mink are in, meant that faster action in ending mink fur farming needs to make.

According to Joanna Swabe, HSI public affairs director in Europe, these fur farms can become reservoirs of the coronaviruses, which will incubate the pathogens and transmit them to humans. She also said the farms are inherently cruel.

Culling of mink is conducted similarly to the way they are harvested, by gassing them with carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The fur of culled animals does not get sold on the market. According to Swabe, gassing is particularly cruel to the mink, since they spend much of their lives on the water and can hold their breaths for a longer time than other mammals. Recent video footage of a mink surviving a gassing in a Dutch mink farm has surfaced, after which it was gassed again.

Before the pandemic, HSI had data showing how fur farming is declining all over the world, mainly because of decreasing demand and farming practice bans. According to Saga Furs, a leading fur auctioneer from Finland said the latest auction this year had only one-fifth of its items being sold. There were a total of 4.9 million mink and 900,000 long hair fox and Finn raccoon pelts auctioned. Saga Furs CEO Magnus Ljung says the auction earned roughly 33M, although it should have raised 200M.

Last Friday, Ljung said sales started to pick up once more as international borders are also reopening, particularly in China. He said next week's orders are currently at about 5M.

Several countries now ban fur farming, such as the United Kingdom, Croatia, and Austria. Norway, Belgium, and Slovakia are currently phasing out farming, like what the Netherlands is doing. Bans are being considered in Montenegro, Ireland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Estonia, and Lithuania.
KITCHENER, Ont. - The Ontario government has unveiled its first plan to boost and protect intellectual property so entrepreneurs in the province can more easily reap the benefits from their innovations.

The province says the plan will help increase economic competitiveness by prioritizing the generation, protection and commercialization of IP and ensuring innovators in Ontario dont lose the value of their work.

The plan will make it easier for innovators to access IP expertise through a new organization specializing in supporting entrepreneurs focused on commercialization.

The government will work with post secondary institutions and research institutes to strengthen mandates related to commercialization and increase awareness around IP by developing standardized IP curriculums.

To guide the plans implementation, the province has built a five-member team with former Blackberry chairman Jim Balsillie, University of Toronto associate professor Shiri Breznitz, University of Windsor professor Myra Tawfik, MyJupiter Inc. co-founder Dan Herman and registered patent agent Natalie Raffoul.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other provincial ministers announced the team and plan in Kitchener today, where they visited the Medical Innovation Xchange tech hub.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2020.




Haiti - DR : Almost 100,000 Haitians return to the country in 6 months





According to data collected by the Group of Support to Repatriates and Refugees (GARR) at official and unofficial border crossing points, for the first six months of 2020, 98,828 Haitians living in the Dominican Republic returned to Haiti of which 20,629 in irregular migration were repatriated by the Dominican authorities and 78,195 returned voluntarily following the loss of their employment caused by the pandemic of Covid-19.



During the month of June 28,581 Haitians returned to Haiti (GAAR) including 17,336 in the last two weeks of June according to Josue Gastelbondo Chef de Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Dominican Republic.



An upward trend that seems to be confirmed for the first week of July when 5,898 Haitians, who lived in the neighboring Republic, returned voluntarily to Haiti between June 29 and July 5 (OIM Report)



For these first 6 months, the two most frequented official border crossing points are Ouanaminthe (North-East) with 39,422 Haitians and Belladere (Center) with 18,984 Haitians.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31249-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31118-haiti-dr-more-than-17-000-haitians-voluntarily-returned-to-the-country-in-2-weeks.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30859-haiti-ouanaminthe-assisted-voluntary-return-plan-for-haitians-in-dr.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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The US Attorney for the Oregon District called for an investigation into masked, camouflaged federal agents who arrested Black Lives Matter protesters and hauled them into unmarked vans - prompting outrage from local officials.

The investigation request by US Attorney Billy Williams comes as volatile clashes between federal agents and civilians escalate on the 50th night of protests in the city.

The concerning reports coming out of Portland have sparked tension between President Trump and Oregon officials including Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who told the president to 'keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city.'

The mayor also warned Trump not to use federal agencies 'as your own personal army.'

'Over the past week, President Trump has used our city as a staging ground to further his political agenda, igniting his base to cause further divisiveness,' Wheeler said. 'This is part of the core media strategy out of Trump's White House: to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data,' Wheeler said. 'And it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials.'

The American Civil Liberties Union is also now suing the Department of Homeland Security over the arrests.

Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racism continued on Friday in Portland, Oregon, for the 50th straight night of demonstrations since George Floyd, an unarmed Black father-of-five, died while in police custody two months ago (pictured)

Tensions in Portland have undoubtedly escalated with the arrival of federal agents from the US Department of Homeland Security, deployed under the Trump administration. Pictured: A proteser reacts to pepper spray outside the Multnomah County Justice Center.

Several local Oregon politicians have blasted the arrival of federal agents (pictured center), who are not required to follow the same policing restrictions as local authorities and can use methods like tear gas (pictured)

The US Attorney for the Oregon District Billy Williams on Friday requested that an investigation be launched into the conduct of federal agents in Portland after two residents appeared to be arrested without probable cause

Several Black Lives Matter protesters and residents in Portland have reported seeing masked federal agents, wearing camouflage and without proper identification, arresting demonstrators without explanation and hauling them into the back of unmarked minivans

Pictured: One woman holds a photo of Breonna Taylor, an Black American woman from Louisville, Kentucky, who was brutally shot dead by plain clothed authorities in March

Video of the masked agents was shared by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, who condemned the alleged actions in a tweet and furthered his attack against the Trump administration.

In the footage, two federal agents wearing camouflage briskly walk towards two protesters on a desolate Portland street this week.

'What are you doing? Use your words,' the camera woman says, as other nearby witnesses question what the agents are doing,

The camera pans to show a protester, dressed in all black and wearing a face mask, with his hands up in the air.

Footage shared by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and others on social media appeared to show two federal agents, who do not identify themselves or explain their actions, arresting a man this week in Portland

Throughout the recorded exchange, the federal agents never reveal what sparked the arrest or what the unidentified man was being taken into custody for

The two federal agents take the unidentified Black Lives Matter protester to an unmarked, grey minivan and drive away (pictured)

Without any explanation, or even a word, the two federal agents arrest the man and escort him towards the unmarked minivan.

'Where are you taking him? What is going on?' witnesses ask the agents. 'You just violated their rights.'

The agents place the man into the back of the vehicle and drive away.

A similar incident happened to Portland resident Mark Pettibone, 29, who told CNN that he was 'kidnapped off the street in my own city for non-violently protesting and showing up in solidarity.'

'About four people just out of the van that pulled up in front of me, and my first reaction was I tried to get away.'

Pettibone was walking with his friend, Conner O'Shea,' when a group of protesters warned them about mysterious minivans stocked with federal agents driving around the area, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

'I see guys in camo,' said O'Shea. 'Four or five of them pop out, open the door and it was just like, "Oh s***. I dont know who you are or what you want with us."'

Witnesses have said that agents are also detaining people who are simply near federal property and it's unclear if the people detained engaged in criminal activity

Both Pettibone and O'Shea believe they were targeted for wearing black cloths, but O'Shea managed to avoid arrest while Pettibine was taken into custody.

'I am basically tossed into the van,' said Pettibone. 'And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldnt see and they held my hands over my head.'

During this time, Pettibone said none of the agents identified themselves as federal officers or gave any detail about the arrest.

Pettibone, still blinded by his beanie hat, said agents drove around downtown a bit longer before they escorted him inside the federal courthouse.

'It was basically a process of facing many walls and corners as they patted me down and took my picture and rummaged through my belongings,' said Pettibone.

'One of them said, This is a whole lot of nothing.'

He was later put in a cell, read his Miranda Rights and interviewed by authorities. Pettibone was released 90 minutes later without receiving any paperwork, citation or reason for his arrest.

'I just happened to be wearing black on a sidewalk in downtown Portland at the time and that apparently is grounds for detaining me,' said Pettibone.

The Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse was covered in graffiti reading 'F*** 12,' 'All Cops are B******' and 'PDX hats cops' by Black Lives Matter protesters on Friday. In Portland, federal buildings have been a frequent target of protesters.

Pictured: a Black Lives Matter protester holds a fan reading '[All Cops are B******] with a fist in the air during late night demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, on Friday

A perimeter has reportedly been established around Portland's first autonomous zone, CLAT,' or Chinook Land Autonomous Territory,' after the police-free zone was built this Tuesday in Lownsdale Park

Since the beginning of nationwide protests on Memorial Day, Portland has held demonstrations for 50 nights straight as protesters deface federal buildings and demand changes to local law enforcement

Pictured: One demonstrator wearing a face shield holds a cardboard sign reading 'Black Lives Matter' and 'We Will Not Stop' while marching with hundreds of other residents in Portland on Friday night

Pettibone's incident comes after local officials were outraged over cell phone footage that showed 29-year-old Donovan La Bella, a peaceful protester in Portland this week, being shot in the head with a 'rubber bullet' while only armed with a music speaker. La Bella suffered a fractured skull and bled out onto the concrete for some time.

The incidents occured at the protesters' autonomous zone called 'CLAT,' or Chinook Land Autonomous Territory across the street from the federal justice center.

Williams on Friday said that he called for an investigation after circulating reports showed unidentified federal agents arresting two Black Lives Matter protesters without probable cause.

'Based on news accounts circulating that allege federal law enforcement detained two protesters without probable cause, I have requested the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General to open a separate investigation directed specifically at the actions of DHS personnel,' wrote Williams in the shocking statement.

Trump had previously vowed to 'dominate' the protesters with federal agents after he displayed a heavy-handed, militarized approach to quelling protests.

The US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that they were involved in some Portland arrests, but it's unclear which other agencies may be invovled.

'[Customs and Border Protection] will continue to arrest the violent criminals that are destroying federal property & injuring our agents/officers in Portland. CBP will restore and maintain law & order,' wrote Mark Morgan, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Mark Morgan, confirmed on Twitter that Border Protection agents were in Portland and had conducted arrests

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley shared video unidentified federal agents arrestig a Black Lives Matter protester on Twitter and called the move 'absolutely unacceptable'

Acting Secretary Chad Wolf of the US Department of Homeland Security defended his decision to deploy federal agents to Portland and claimed his officers had been subject to assaults by 'violent criminals'

But according to Sen. Merkley, such actions are things done by 'authoritarian governments.'

'Authoritarian governments, not democratic republics, send unmarked authorities after protesters. These Trump/Barr tactics designed to eliminate any accountability are absolutely unacceptable in America, and must end,' wrote Merkley.

But acing DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, who visited Portland on Thursday, defended his officers actions. He claimed that his officers had been assaulted with frozen water bottles 'from violent criminals.'

'Lets get this right. Protestors imply they were peacefully exercising their 1st amendment rights,' wrote Wolf.

'Instead, DHS officers were assaulted with lasers and frozen water bottles from violent criminals attempting to tear down federal property. 2 officers were injured. Facts matter.'

In a 1,700-word statement, Wolf also said troops were sent in to 'restore order' from 'lawless anarchists' who've become 'emboldened the violent mob as it escalates violence day after day.'

'The city of Portland has been under siege for 47 straight days. Each night the violent anarchists destroy and desecrate property, including the federal courthouse, and attack the brave law enforcement officers protecting it,' he said.

His rhetoric matches that of President Trump, who has unequivocally sided with law enforcement in recent months and has referred to Black Lives Matter protesters as 'thugs.'

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts also blasted the Trump administration for allowing federal agents to canvas the city without proper identification.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: 'thought wed already covered this after the attacks in Lafayette Square: the US government should not be using unidentified federal officers as a secret police force to terrorize US citizens & violate their constitutional rights'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned the presence of federal agents in Portland by saying 'Trump & his stormtroopers must be stopped'

Pelosi:'This is disgraceful behavior we would expect from a banana republic  not the government of the United States'

'I thought wed already covered this after the attacks in Lafayette Square: the US government should not be using unidentified federal officers as a secret police force to terrorize US citizens & violate their constitutional rights. This is outrageous,' wrote Warren.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused federal agents of being 'Trump's secret police.'

'Unidentified stormtroopers. Unmarked cars. Kidnapping protesters and causing severe injuries in response to graffiti. These are not the actions of a democratic republic,' wrote Pelosi.

'@DHSgov s actions in Portland undermine its mission. Trump & his stormtroopers must be stopped.

'First Amendment speech should never be met with one-sided violence from federal agents acting as Trumps secret police, especially when unidentified. This is disgraceful behavior we would expect from a banana republic  not the government of the United States.'

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown appeared to summarize her cohorts opinions by suggesting both President Trump and Secretary Wolf are prioritizing politics over public safety.

'This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government,' she wrote on Twitter.

'I told Acting Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets. His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes. He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harms way.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown furthered the attacks against DHS and the Trump administration by suggesting their motivations behind deploying federal agents was political, not to enforce public safety

Gov. Brown suggests President Trump was hypocritical in his criticisms of Portland because of his widely condemned St. John church photo-op that caused authorities to use tear gas on peaceful protesters in Washington D.C.

Black Lives Matter protesters, as well as Oregon officials, have made it clear that federal agents are not welcome in Portland and blame them for the escalated tensions

On Friday, Portland protesters began placing large chain link fence pieces against doorways of the federal justice center to block agents inside the building

Several black residents used a bullhorn to share their experiences of racism during a portion of the Black Lives Matter protest on Friday

One person who joined tense protests in Portland on Friday night held a sign reading,' Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable'

Brown even suggested Trump was hypocritical and pointed out his notorious St. John church photo-op where peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square were cleared out with tear gas and alleged less-lethal munitions.

Pettibone said he plans to speak with the National Lawyers Guild and the ACLU, but the latter has already taken legal action against the agency.

On Friday, ACLU announced that it had filed a lawsuit against the DHS over the 'flat-out unconstitutional' arrests.

'Usually when we see people in unmarked cars forcibly grab someone off the street we call it kidnapping  what is happening now in Portland should concern everyone in the US. These actions are flat-out unconstitutional and will not go unanswered,' the organization wrote.

Kelly Simon, interim legal director with the ACLU of Oregon, added: 'This is a fight to save our democracy.'

The American Civil Liberties Union revealed that it will sue the US Department of Homeland Security over actions and arrests they deem 'flat-out unconstitutional'

ACLU also filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Marshals Service and the Portland Police, who they've accused of unfairly targeting journalists and legal observers amid ongoing protests.

If won, federal agents would be held to far more restrictions than they do now. Authorities would be barred from arresting, threatening to arrest or using physical force against journalists or legal observers unless it's 'reasonably known' the individual committed a crime, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.

One of the largest problems currently facing law enforcement in Portland in a lack of uniform restrictions and rules from local police to federal agents.

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 have also repeatedly used tear gas, which has been temporarily banned from the Portland Police Bureau by federal court order unless they declare a riot.

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.'

Orion Crabb holds his head back as a medic works to remove tear gas from his eyes during a protest against racial inequality in Portland, Oregon

One of the largest problems facing law enforcement in Portland is the different policing restrictions placed on local police and federal agents, who are allowed to use tear gas and less-lethal munitions against protesters

Graffiti made by Black Lives Matter protesters on the Portland courthouse building reads 'Send home Trump's piglets' and 'We Won't Forget La Bella,' in reference to the 29-year-old peaceful protester who was shot by federal agents with a 'rubber bullet' and suffered skull fractures

A smoke grenade burns in front of federal law enforcement officers, deployed under the Trump administration's new executive order to protect federal monuments and buildings

Protestors erect fencing in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse entrance doors to block federal agents inside, but authorities eventually exited through the next door building and clashed with protesters

On Friday, authorities reportedly used tear gas, pepper balls, impact munitions and stun grenades at Black Lives Matter protesters

Last night, federal agents continued to patrol with little restriction and on at least two occasions used tear gas against Black Lives Matter protesters.

Hundreds of protesters gathered for a candlelight vigil, but some broke away to visit two nearby parks recently closed by the city.

They dismantled a chain link fence that surrounded the parks and moved them into the street, Oregon Live reports.

Lownsdale Park, near the justice center, became home to Portland's first autonomous zone this week.

CLAT, or Chinook Land Autonomous Zone, first sprang up on Tuesday when protesters used flashing traffic lights, kitchen appliances, codes and other items to create a barricade.

It is the same park where 'Occupy Portland' protesters set up camp in 2011 during the nationwide Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.

Autonomous zones began springing up across the United States after the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement.

The first police-free zone appeared in Seattle, Washington with the emergence of 'CHOP', or the Capitol Hill Organized Protest.

CHOP was meant to embrace community policing, but quickly descended into dangerous incidents and volatile nights that say a 16-year-old boy shot dead and a 14-year-old passenger wounded.

Footage from the scene shows a number of protesters standing behind a barricade made of yellow caution tape, traffic cones and what appears to be a grill.

Protesters in Portland have set up their own version of Seattle's CHOP this week with CLAT - Chinook Land Autonomous Territory - and camped out in a park near the federal courthouse

Protesters in Portland, Oregon, clashed with federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security this week as agents deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal munitions at residents. Pictured: a fountain in Portland damaged during Black Lives Matter protests on Thursday

Photo shared by the Portland Police Bureau show graffiti inside a public restroom that reads 'Black Lives Matter', 'ACAB' and 'No Lives Matter Until Black Lives Do'

Graffiti in CLAT read 'All Cops are B******,' ' Black Trans Lives Matter' and 'f*** 12 our street.'

An account from PNW Youth Liberation Front, an anti-fascist and anti-capitalist group, shared posts that urged Portland residents to support the CLAT encampment downtown on Wednesday.

The post said that support is needed to 'defend riot ribs and the autonomous territory...solid numbers are needed.'

They added that people inside CLAT were in need of barricades, shields, tents, sleeping bags and other materials to stay camped out in the zone.

But that did little to stop protesters on Thursday night who set an American flag ablaze on a concrete stump where the infamous 120-year Elk Statue was damaged in early July.

Protesters in Oregon burned an American flag this week while setting up the Chinook Land Autonomous Territory outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on Tuesday

Footage taken at the scene shows a number of people gathered around the fire as one person can be heard yelling 'Burn, let it burn!'

And last week, a protesters were caught in a botched attempt to damage a federal building.

Authorities on Friday did not intervene at first, but around 10pm announced over loud speaker that they were going to retrieve the fence pieces. Some officer emerged from the Justice Center, but soon retreated.

Later, dozens of federal officers reportedly streamed out of the federal building next door, while protesters stood several feet away near an intersection.

Within minutes, federal agents deployed impact munitions, stun grenades and tear gas.

According to reports with Oregon Live, the protesters had not done any anything to prompt the aggressive response.

Portland Police confirmed that federal agents used a type of tear gas during the incident.

Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty speaks at a candlelight vigil during equality protests in Portland, Oregon, on Friday as several of her colleagues blast President Trump and the DHS

Last night, federal agents continued to patrol with little restriction and on at least two occasions used tear gas against Black Lives Matter protesters

Two Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, sit in the middle of an intersection with their hands raised in the air as a sign of solidarity with the movement

Protesters push a chain-link fence against an entrance to the Multnomah County Justice Center in an attempt to prevent police from leaving the building during a protest against racial inequality

A resident covered up a Police parking sign with 'Black Trans Lives Matter,' the phrase 'Pig' and small drawing of the animal

By 11.30pm, the crowd of protesters had grown to at least 500 people and chants of 'No justice, No peace,' echoed through the late night streets.

During the protest, Black residents used a bullhorn to speak about their experiences with racism, and others used dismantled fencing to block the plywood-covered doors of the federal courthouse.

Some protesters continued to reinforce their blockade, but were sent back around midnight when agents threw a smoking device through a hole they cut in the plywood.

A stun grenade had also been deployed around 1am, but it's unclear what police agency set it off.

Although the groups of protesters would remain out in the streets into the wee hours of the morning, authorities attempted to clear out the area using force.

Rows authorities in riot gear, followed by Portland police vehicles, arrived to Madison Street to force people out of the area. Some federal agents appeared in camouflage, as well.

They opened fire with pepper balls, used stun grenades and used gas to move protesters north.

Other protesters were pushed left, where at least one group of federal agents were reportedly seen near the group with Portland police,

A protestor is seen inside the Portland autonomous zone perimeter fencing with a makeshift shield reading '[Black Lives Matter] and a gas mask

A woman participating in protests runs away from Portland police and federal agents who have deployed tear gas at demonstrators

Pictured: Police respond to protestors erecting fencing around the Multnomah County Justice Center on Friday amid reports that they were pushing chain link fences against entrance doors
By Katie Lauer

San Jose Spotlight

The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a third extension for an exclusive negotiation agreement through next year with Santa Clara Station, the controversial proposed student and workforce mixed-use housing development near the city's Caltrain hub.

Located at 500 Benton Street -- across from Santa Clara University and Santa Clara Police Department -- the proposed seven-story, 170-unit building would sit on 2.59 acres of land owned by the city and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

The VTA board is expected to extend the agreement -- first enacted in Feb. 2018 between the San Francisco-based developer Republic Metropolitan, VTA and the city -- at its Aug. 5 meeting.

If approved by the VTA, developers will have until Aug. 5, 2021 to finalize the remaining project analysis, outreach and planning. Developer Kelly Macy said her firm wants to agree on terms by early Fall.

Each of the building's 545 private beds -- across the 170 4- and 2-bedroom co-living spaces -- will be rented separately, and 29 percent will be deemed affordable; rents are projected at around $1,800 a month.

"That provides somebody who's making an entry level salary at $70,000 to be able to afford to live there and have their own private space," Macy said "We are very committed to this project ... and the project has only improved by our relationships and understanding of Santa Clara from these residents."

Santa Clarans, however, are split on the proposal.

Some residents support creating additional housing and focusing on an underutilized area in the city, but others voiced concerns such as environmental impacts from the development which is meant to target students and lower-income workers.

Resident Robert Fitch supported extending the agreement, saying more time would help address the need for more housing in the project.

Caltrain commuter Donna West worried the proposed 95 parking spots aren't enough for commuters, especially as the current 240 spots filled up prior to COVID-19, and nearby parking could be taken by other construction projects.

Patricia Leung, who sits on the Caltrain Citizen Advisory Committee and Historical Landmarks Commission, raised concerns about the project's size and historical significance of the land. She also questioned the city's designation as the "Mission City," if the project is approved without consideration and exploration of Native history on that land.

The grievances expressed Tuesday aren't new.

Most issues have been brought up by residents and councilmembers in the previous meetings, but some details city officials hoped would materialize by August haven't come together, including the relocation of a well on the property -- which supplies water to most of the city's District 5.

Macy said the developers submitted a California Environmental Quality Act report in February and outlined options for the 25-year-old well -- including paying an estimated $3.4 million to rebuild a new well -- but have not received a response from the city.

Mayor Lisa Gillmor said those details should be hashed out later when development plans begin to finalize.

"It's a very busy parcel, with all kinds of things going on it," Gillmor said. "But do you want to advance this project or not? That's what's before us."

Gillmor said the idea for this project sparked from the need for more housing for university students away from residential neighborhoods.

"I know a lot of people talked about the specifics of the project -- there's going to be plenty of time for everyone to weigh in on this project going forward," Gillmor said.

But Planning Commission chair and City Council candidate Anthony Becker said piecemeal projects aren't the way to build a major transit center and renovated city.

"There are so many moving pieces in this area that we should come up with a really strategic plan to work around," Becker said, pointing to examples like the recently opened Milpitas and Berryessa BART transit centers. "We should approve the project, it looks great, but there are a lot of issues."

Councilmember Teresa O'Neill, who cast the lone no vote in 2018 to grant the initial exclusive negotiating agreement, suggested that Republic Metropolitan meet with groups like Catalyze SV or SV@Home to boost community engagement.

Councilmember Debi Davis - who pointedly said she wasn't initially going to approve the extended exclusive negotiating agreement - suggested that the developer listen to every word residents have to say.

"Good luck, and I hope the community is going to keep their voice out there as strong as they can," Davis said. "If we don't push back, then nothing gets done and this project is not what I'm comfortable with. But if the community gets what they want and the developer is willing to compromise, then I'm fine with this."

Contact Katie Lauer at katie@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @_katielauer on Twitter.

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.
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has said that he has apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra.

He told this to reporters in Delhi on Friday night after a meeting with Modi. Fadnavis said that the PM asked about the situation in Mumbai, Pune and other parts of the state.

"As a leader of opposition, it is my job to apprise the government of the loopholes in the system and the improvements required to be made. I have been demanding that testing in Mumbai should be increased," he said.

Fadnavis has been visiting parts of Maharashtra to monitor the coronavirus situation and the health care facilities.

The former state chief minister on Friday also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He had later said that no political talks were held during the meeting with Shah, as it was meant to discuss financial assistance to the sugar industry in the state.

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

Fadnavis said he also met Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

"I am confident that the Centre will announce a good package for the sugar industry and farmers in the state," he said.

Fadnavis is scheduled to meet BJP chief J P Nadda later during the day.
Yale pharmacology professor Barbara Ehrlich and her team have uncovered a mechanism driving a rare, lethal disease called Wolfram Syndrome and also a potential treatment. Their findings appear in the July 6 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Wolfram Syndrome -- a progressive degenerative disease that affects about one in 500,000 people worldwide -- is characterized by the onset of diabetes in childhood, and, in teen years, psychiatric symptoms, loss of vision, deafness, and incontinence. Most patients die in their 30s. There are no treatments.

The new study confirms that calcium inside the body's cells play a key role, and proposes a potential treatment involving two existing drugs.

Specifically, Ehrlich's team confirmed that when the protein Wolframin is lost in cells in the pancreas -- the organ that produces insulin, which regulates blood sugar -- "calcium signaling goes awry," Ehrlich said. This, the team found, results in reduced cell viability and lower insulin secretion, which, in turn, triggers the debilitating symptoms of the disease.

The researchers tested a number of compounds for their effectiveness in restoring calcium signaling and improving cell functions, and found two drugs that worked -- ibudilast and a calpain inhibitor. Ibudilast has been approved for nearly 20 years to treat asthma in South Korea and Japan. It is now being tested in a number of clinical trials in the U.S., including for possible treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and, in a trial underway at Yale, for COVID-19.

Some 99% of the body's calcium can be found in the bones and teeth. The other 1% -- found in solution inside cells and bodily fluids -- supports a variety of critical biological functions, said Ehrlich. It is this latter form of calcium that her lab has scrutinized in relation to Wolfram Syndrome. This fluid-based calcium is necessary for muscle contraction, nerve function, and insulin secretion, she said.

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"Calcium is a signaling molecule," Ehrlich said. "It will signal, for instance, when insulin should be secreted."

Calcium signaling, in turn, is regulated by calcium-binding proteins, including neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1), a protein Ehrlich's lab has studied for the past 20 years. When a research group from Europe proposed that NCS-1 was involved in Wolfram Syndrome pathology, Ehrlich started investigating the disease.

"The first step was to better understand what the protein Wolframin does," said Tom T. Fischer, a medical student from Germany working in Ehrlich's lab. "In our cell model that is lacking Wolframin, we measured intracellular calcium and found that calcium signaling as well as calcium-dependent cell functions, particularly insulin secretion and cell viability, were disrupted."

They then tested a number of drug compounds and found that ibudilast and the calpain inhibitor restored intracellular calcium and cell functions, Fischer said.

With support from the Blavantik Fund for Innovation at Yale, Ehrlich's team will begin a mouse study within the next six months to further confirm the effectiveness of the drugs in correcting calcium signaling and preventing the progression of Wolfram Syndrome. If the results of the animal study show promise, the researchers said, they could move quickly into human trials.

Although Wolfram Syndrome is a rare disease caused by genetic mutations in a single gene, it is tied to a number of other diseases that could be viable targets for this treatment, including diabetes and bipolar disorder, the researchers said.

"Some people with bipolar disorder also have mutations in Wolframin," Ehrlich said. "This might be one of the first genetically identified mood disorders -- and we will definitely be exploring this more."
Hitting the pavement for a run is something most people can do, its really only fitness level that holds someone back.

For Tauranga man Stevie Jensen going for a run isnt that simple  he is deaf and blind so needs a guide to be able to run.

He runs using a 40cm rope tether with his guide calling out directions or any obstacles. His high powered hearing aids enable him to hear the calls in good conditions, if its too windy he struggles to hear, says his main guide Nikki Wilson.

When were running along if the conditions are perfect and it's not glary, he can see really, really big shadows and obvious contrasting.

I have to assume for safety that he can see nothing. So it's pretty much just really loud verbal cues, and often just pulling on the rope, pulling him round objects.

The pair belong to the Tauranga chapter of Achilles International, an organisation operating in 25 countries with a mission to enable people with disabilities to participate in mainstream running events.

Stevie and Achilles chapter leader Nikki planned to run the New York Marathon in November but the COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled their trip.

Here's a guy reaching his ultimate dream and then it's just been put on hold, had absolute brakes put on it. But he's just amazing.

For me, guiding Stevie, it's never been about the New York City marathon, it's always been about increasing his self-confidence and self-esteem.

Nikki has seen his confidence increase immensely saying Stevie often wouldnt speak to people very much but now he chats away with great confidence.

The New York Marathon is the largest coming together of Achilles International runners, says Nikki.

For him to come together with so many thousands of other Achilles athletes was going to be amazing. They make a real fuss of you over in New York.

Nikki says for now they are focussing on building their mileage back up after lockdown as Stevie was unable to run during that time.

To lessen the blow and fundraise Achilles International is holding a virtual event, where able and disabled runners can enter to run 5kms or 10 miles and upload photos and their time online.

Stevie and Nikki are running their 5km this weekend, Stevie was the first person in New Zealand to sign up.

They are starting at the Historic Village carpark at 10am on Sunday, July 19 and encourage others to join them and sign up to the event.

Anyone can enter the Achilles virtual hope and possibility run from July 18 to 26.

To sign up visit the Achilles International website for more information about Achilles Tauranga visit their Facebook page.
The director of the New Mexico Tumor Registry was recently honored by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries with its Calum S. Muir Memorial Award.

Chuck Wiggins, Ph.D., was given the honor for what organizers called substantive and outstanding contributions to the field of cancer surveillance.

He was also selected in recognition of his long-standing service to the cancer surveillance community; commitment to addressing cancer disparities; history of teaching and mentoring the next generation of cancer surveillance scientists, according to a news release.

Wiggins has been credited with working to understand the cancer burden among the diverse people of the Southwest.

I am honored to receive this recognition from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Wiggins said in a prepared statement. Truly, however, my accomplishments are readily attributable to our team at the New Mexico Tumor Registry, and to my faculty colleagues, staff and students at The University of New Mexico.

Wiggins first joined the New Mexico Tumor Registry in 1978 as an intern from UNM, eventually joining the organization full time as a reporting assistant.

We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.

Head of NM Tumor Registry recognized for long years of service, teaching, advancing cancer surveillance
In a shameful act, Army of terror state Pakistan has once targeted the civilian area, killing three innocent persons in Khari-Karmara area of the Gulpur sector in Poonch.

On 17 Jul 2020 at about 2120 hours, Pak initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with Small Arms & shelling with Mortars along LoC in Gulpur sector, District Poonch (J&K). Indian Army retaliating befittingly, Army Spokesperson said.

Read: Indian Army Gets Nod For Individual Procurement Worth Rs 300 Crores, Read Details

Three civilians killed

Confirming the death of three members of a family in Pakistans aggression, Police Official told Republic Media Network, At around 9 in the evening, Pakistan initiated ceasefire and started targeting civilian areas along the Line Of Control. During ceasefire violation, a shell landed on the house of one Mohd Rafiq r/o village Karmara in which Mohd Rafiq (58), his wife Rafia Bi (50) and son Irfan (15/16) died on the spot. Intermittent firing still going on.

He further added that teams of police have rushed to the spot the take back the bodies of civilians killed in Pakistans ceasefire.

Read: Indian Army Running Free School For Disadvantaged Kids In J&K's Ramban Amid COVID-19

Ceasefire violations along LoC

Pakistan has been continuously carrying out ceasefire violations along the Line of Control to push trained terrorists into the Indian side to carry out terror strikes in hinterland areas.

Jammu Kashmir Police DGP Dilbag Singh, on June 8, said that 150-250 terrorists are active in launchpads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and are waiting for an opportunity to sneak in into Indian Territory while 125-150 terrorists are active in Launchpads along LoC and International Border in Jammu region.

On average, Pakistan has carried out 11.7 ceasefire violations after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir.

Since abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, rattled Pakistan has violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir more than 3800 times.

Sharing data with Republic Media Network, Defense Spokesperson Jammu said that 307 ceasefire violations were carried out in August 2019, 282 in September, 351 in October, 304 in November, 297 in December, 367 in January 2020; 366 in February, 411 in March, 387 in April, 382 in May and 418 in June, taking the total to 3872 in 10 months.

Read: Indian Army Confirms 4th Corps-Commander Talks In Line With Consensus; 'process Intricate'

Read: Terrorists Planning To Target Amarnath Yatra; Attempts Will Be Foiled, Assures Indian Army
Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday demanded a CBI inquiry into the audio tape controversy, alleging that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was misusing government agencies to save his post. The BJP leader said phone tapping is a violation of privacy and it is conducted after permission from the home department.

"Chief Minister Gehlot is also conspiring to intimidate and threaten legislators by misusing government agencies to remain in power," Kataria told reporters. "The CBI should conduct an inquiry in the matter."

He questioned if the ruling Congress has the majority in the state assembly then why its MLAs have been kept in a hotel.

There had been infighting between the chief minister and Sachin Pilot since the government formation, which led to the present circumstances, Kataria said.

"All the allegations made by the Congress on the BJP are false. The Congress alleges that the BJP and its leaders are plotting to topple the Gehlot government, which is wrong," he said.

As the question mark over the survival of the Congress-led government in the desert state loomed large, two audio clips remained at the centre of the Rajasthan political tangle with attention shifting, even if momentarily, from the Congress' internecine Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot feud to its battle with the BJP.

Rajasthan Police's Anti-Corruption Bureau registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the two clips of conversations purportedly regarding a "conspiracy" to topple Gehlot's rule -- thrown into instability by rebel MLAs led by Pilot.
Nineteen UK MPs have tabled an early day motion (EDM) in Parliament which reads: This House notes the July 2020 statement by the National Union of Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and others in relation to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and affirms its commitment to press freedom and public-interest journalism.

The primary sponsor of the motion is Labour MP and former Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon. He is joined by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, former Home Secretary Diane Abbott, former Business Secretary and Education Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey and fellow Labour backbenchers Apsana Begum, Tahir Ali, Claudia Webbe, Clive Lewis, Bell Reberio-Addy, Ian Lavery, Kate Osborne, Ian Mearns, Ian Byrne and Grahame Morris.

The early day motion

Signatures have also been gathered from single MPs of other opposition parties. Kenny MacAskill has signed for the Scottish National Party, Caroline Lucas for the Green Party, and Liz Saville Roberts for Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales. The most extraordinary recruit is Gavin Robinson of Northern Irelands sectarian Democratic Unionist Party. It should be noted that with the organisers boasting of a "cross-party" response in support of Assange, none of the Liberal Democrat's 11 MPs signed the EDM.

The signatories have all either hitherto kept a criminal silence over Assanges persecution, or, in the case of Corbyn, McDonnell, Abbott and Long-Bailey, found their voice only after losing leading positions in the Labour Party. Their motion notes the statement of the UN et al, opposing Assanges extradition less than two months before the second and concluding phase of his hearing in London begins. It makes no call for Assanges immediate release or for guarantees on his safety. It is presented to a Parliament which is guaranteed to reject it out of hand. There is no commitment to press freedom and public-interest journalism for Parliament to affirm precisely because of the rotten parties of big business whose MPs fill its benches.

Every party represented in the House of Commons is deeply hostile to democratic rights in general and to WikiLeaks and Assange in particular. The 15 Labour MPs making up the bulk of the motions support are in a party headed by Sir Keir Starmer who, in his former role as Director of Public Prosecutions, organised the arbitrary detention of Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy by means of a bogus Swedish rape investigation. During his tenure, UK prosecutors wrote to Swedish prosecutors considering dropping the Assange case, Dont you dare get cold feet!!!

It is precisely because they have been reduced to an ineffectual minority thanks to years of capitulation to the Blairites, including on Assange, in the name of maintaining party unity, that the left Labourites feel at liberty to support the motion. They and their handful of allies do not intend to wage any genuine fightfor fear of unleashing popular opposition which would threaten the capitalist parties to which they are loyal. A previous early day motion on Assange was put forward by former Labour MP Chris Williamsonnow driven out of the party on slanderous charges of anti-Semitismin September 2019. This comparatively much stronger resolution read:

That this House condemns the on-going mistreatment and imprisonment of investigative journalist Julian Assange by the UK; agrees with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that his treatment appears to contravene the principles of necessity and proportionality envisaged under human rights standards; opposes any attempt to extradite Mr Assange to the United States, either directly from the UK or by onward extradition from Sweden; believes that his case has broader consequences for media freedoms, freedom of speech and civil liberties in the UK; and calls on the Government to ensure that Mr Assange is released, that his physical integrity and freedom of movement are respected and that he is afforded the right of compensation for his mistreatment by the UK.

Only three other Labour MPs, and one Independent, put their names down in support. Corbyn, McDonnell, Abbott, Burgon and Long-Bailey all refused to sign. Corbyns first statement on Assange in 10 months came in February 2020, in the dying days of his Labour leadership, after he had excluded the issue entirely from the December 2019 General Election. Earlier that month, McDonnell put in an appearance at a pro-Assange event in London having maintained total silence for the last decade.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as he is transported in a police vehicle to a hearing [Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham]

Like these for the record statements, the true purpose of the eleventh-hour early day motion to acknowledge what UN officials have been saying for years is to save face. The last few months have seen the persecution of Assange further exposed as a vicious, anti-democratic conspiracy.

The first phase of his extradition hearing held this February was a legal travesty, characterised by continued abuse of Assanges democratic rights, including his right to freely access legal counsel, as he remains imprisoned in Belmarsh and was subjected to strip searches on his way to court. Ongoing court cases in Spain have provided more evidence of CIA-organised spying on conversations between the WikiLeaks founder and his lawyers and have revealed that plans were discussed for his poisoning or kidnap while he was in asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Doctors continue to warn in leading medical journals that Assange is suffering the effects of severe psychological torture. He has also been held in prison on remand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, despite his severely compromised health. He was deemed ineligible for a temporary release scheme for vulnerable prisoners because, in the words of the Ministry of Justice, he is not serving a sentence!

The MPs supporting the early day motion have been notified by their advisers that they must make some token effort to dissociate themselves from this historic crime if they are to make any progressive pretence in the future.

At the same time, the motion serves a political purpose in channelling popular support for Assange behind bankrupt appeals to Parliament and letter-writing campaigns to local MPs. Nothing could be more disastrous for the campaign to free Assange and safeguard WikiLeaks. The British state, its courts and its formally democratic institutions are committed to the defence of British imperialism, whose crimes WikiLeaks exposed before the world. The rotten record of the Labour Party under Corbyn on Assange is proof that none of its representatives have any intention of defending him.

The real constituency for a struggle for democratic rights is the international working class, now entering into major strikes and protests against brutal state violence and homicidal government policies across the world. Assanges freedom depends on the intervention of this tremendous social force. The Socialist Equality Party calls on all those who agree with this perspective to join the Global Defence Campaign today.
Big Sean has said he is struggling to come to terms with the death of his ex-fiancee Naya Rivera, who drowned in Lake Piru earlier this month.

The Glee actors body was found at the lake in California five days after she went missing.

Authorities had been searching the area since 8 July when the 33-year-old rented a pontoon boat with her four-year-old son. The boy told police she pushed him back into the boat before disappearing beneath the surface.

In his first comments on the subject since Riveras death, rapper Big Sean shared an Instagram post describing Rivera as a hero for saving her son and making people feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud.

He added: I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person. Im still grieving and in shock, I cant believe this is real.

Big Sean and Rivera began dating in 2013 after meeting on Twitter. Rivera told Access Hollywood at the time: I had followed him, and he sent me a little message like, Im a fan. We went to dinner and the rest is history.

The couple collaborated on Riveras 2013 debut single Sorry and became engaged that same year, before breaking up in April 2014.

Rivera went on to marry Ryan Dorsey later that year. Before their divorce in 2018 the pair had a son together, the same child who was found on the boat on 8 July.

Big Sean, meanwhile, had relationships with Ariana Grande and Jhene Aiko and, shortly after splitting from Rivera, released a track called I Dont F*** With You, which featured lyrics including: Everyday I wake up celebratin s***, why? Cause I just dodged a bullet from a crazy b****.

The rapper later told Complex that his break-up with Rivera inspired these lyrics but claimed they "did not come from a bitter place at all".
New Delhi: India on Saturday summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission, Syed Haider Shah, and lodged a strong protest over the killing of three innocent civilians, including a child, in an unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Pakistani forces in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India strongly condemned the Pakistani action that took place on Friday night. "Charge d`Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission was summoned today and a strong protest lodged on the death of three innocent civilians... India condemns, in the strongest terms, the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Pakistan forces," MEA said in a statement.

The deceased persons belonged to a single family, the MEA said, adding a child was injured in the unprovoked firing.

"India also protested Pakistan's continued support to cross border terrorist infiltration into India, including supporting cover fire provided by Pakistani forces," it said in a statement.

The MEA said Pakistan was called upon to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire understanding for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control and the International Boundary.

This year alone, 21 Indians have been killed and 94 injured in over 2711 unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces, according to the MEA.
Ethiopia had talked about closing the dams gates and filling the reservoir in two to three years, but now says its willing to extend the process to as long as seven years, starting in the current rainy season. Egypt has asked for the process to be drawn out over about 15 years so that the effect on water flow is more gradual and to allow for the impact of droughts. Tensions spiked in mid-July after satellite images showed water building up behind the dam wall and initial reports suggested the gates had been closed. Ethiopian officials subsequently said heavy rains had resulted in natural pooling.




NEWS PROVIDED BY

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

July 17, 2020



NEW YORK, July 17, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on further evidence of bias reporting at the New York Times:

The opinion editor of the New York Times, Bari Weiss, resigned this week after being shamed for doing her job. She criticized what she saw as a censorial workplace, one that was biased against conservative opinion. Indeed, she said she experienced "unlawful discrimination" and a "hostile work environment."

What Weiss endured was widely covered by the media. What the media do not cover are the multiple instances of bias of a more subtle nature, and in this regard, the New York Times is hard to beat. Take, for example, two news stories that were recently posted online.

Every institution has its poster boy for sexual abuse crimes, and for the Catholic Church in the United States that would be former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The New York Times' 3300-word story on the predatory priest was not only a dud (it broke no new ground), it never touched on the most serious issue relevant to McCarrick's sordid history.

What Catholics want to know is not one more anecdote about McCarrick's homosexual adventureswhich is all the story offeredthey want to know who knew what and when about his behavior. The Catholic clergy and laity have been waiting for more than two years for the Vatican report on him. Why the delay? Never once do the reporters mention this.

Why are they so stunningly incurious about the only thing that matters about the McCarrick saga? To be blunt, why are they being protective of Pope Francis? It certainly would not be so generous to his two predecessors.

On a completely different note, the newspaper did a story on Nick Cannon, a prominent media star who was fired from ViacomCBS for making anti-Semitic remarks. The mega-media outlet issued a statement that made clear its objections. "ViacomCBS condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism."

That sentence appeared in the following media outlets: AP, UPI, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, Variety, USA Today, New York Post, MSN, Time, HuffPost, Fox Business, Hollywood Reporter, Miami Herald, Washington Examiner, Townhall, and Yahoo.

Why didn't the New York Times print that sentence? It is not as though no one saw it. Here is what its story said. "A ViacomCBS spokeswoman said in a statement that the company categorically denounced all forms of anti-Semitism."

Why did the newspaper shorten the actual statement? Because it decidedthis was no mistakenot to call attention to ViacomCBS denouncing "bigotry of any kind," not just anti-Semitism.

This matters, especially to the Catholic League, because ViacomCBS has had in its employ known anti-Catholic bigots, the most recent and obvious example of which is Trevor Noah.

On May 20, I wrote to the ViacomCBS board of directors saying, "Trevor Noah is out of control." After providing an example of his latest assault on priests, I mentioned how a year earlier I contacted Viacom's executives (this was before the merger with CBS) about Noah's "relentless anti-Catholic remarks."

Anti-Catholicism is just as unacceptable as anti-Semitism, or any other expression of bigotry. Yet in the worldview of the New York Times, only the latter matters (and even there many Jews would not agree).

The omission of any mention of the Vatican report on McCarrick, coupled with the omission of ViacomCBS's statement registering its opposition to "bigotry of any kind," are two examples of the kind of discreet bias that marks the New York Times. It's what happens when the newsroom becomes "a hostile environment."

Contact Eileen Murphy, senior vice president, Communications: eileen.murphy@nytimes.com
Hundreds of students from the Detroit area of the US turned out in protest outside their high school on Thursday calling for the release of a classmate who is in juvenile detention after not completing schoolwork during remote learning this past semester.

The 15-year-old student, called Grace in the original report that highlighted her situation, was on probation for fighting with her mother and stealing. ProPublica reported that Grace, who has attention deficit disorder, was easily distracted when studying at home and fell behind during remote learning.

A Michigan court judge sent Grace to juvenile detention in May, citing the schoolwork as a probation violation.

On Thursday afternoon, protesters assembled at Groves High School before they drove to the Oakland County's Circuit Court and prosecutor's office holding up signs with calls to 'Free Grace'. Students at the demonstration said Grace's academic performance was not unique as the country grapples with the pandemic.

"A lot of people were behind on their work this term, no one had motivation to do anything because the teachers weren't teaching and we were all online. I know so many people that didn't do their homework," said Prudence Canter, (18) a student at the school.

"It didn't seem like the judge or the caseworker knew how grades and due dates and things were structured during the pandemic shutdown in the spring," Geoff Wickersham, a social studies teacher at Grove, told Reuters at the protest. "I think this is a huge injustice."

Speakers asked protesters to raise their hands if they had ever failed to turn in an assignment at some point and every person raised their hands.

Oakland County executive David Coulter posted a statement online on Tuesday night, writing that he had spoken to the presiding judge. "While there are many more details that she is unable to share with me and the public to protect privacy of the minor and their family, I believe a review of this case is required," Mr Coulter wrote.

Congressional Representative Andy Levin wrote online that children should not be locked up for not doing their homework. "The prosecution's only witness was unaware of the student's learning disabilities," he wrote. "Witnesses who could have provided a better understanding of the situation, like the student's teachers, were unable to testify."
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced late Friday that the state Department of Justice will investigate the Vallejo Police Departments disposal of key evidence in the police killing of Sean Monterrosa  the windshield of the unmarked police vehicle an officer shot through.

The allegations concerning destruction of evidence under the watch of the Vallejo Police Department are significant, Becerra said in a statement. For public trust to exist, each and every part of our criminal justice system must operate in cohesion and theres little room for error. Thats why weve accepted Chief Williams request to take a look at what happened with the evidence and relay our findings to the District Attorneys Office for review.

Officials said the probe is separate from the Department of Justices review of the Vallejo Police Departments policies and practices. Previously, Becerra had declined to investigate the Monterrosa shooting.

The bottom line is that law enforcement across the country are rightly coming under the microscope and they have to get these things right if theres going to be a chance to rebuild trust, Becerra said. Our communities, particularly Black Americans and people of color during this time of social upheaval, deserve to know that we are listening and doing our part to take action.

In the early morning shooting on June 2, a police officer fired at Monterrosa through the windshield of an unmarked police vehicle. The 22-year-old was outside a Walgreens where police had responded to reports of people stealing merchandise on a night of demonstrations against police killings of people of color.

Last week, The Chronicle reported and Vallejo police confirmed that the windshield of the pickup truck the officer shot through had been destroyed.

Earlier on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the FBI to probe the killing.

The police killing of Sean Monterrosa was a horrible act of brutality that continues to shake our Bay Area community. Recent reports that key evidence in the investigation was destroyed are deeply disturbing and highlight the urgency and necessity of an outside, independent federal investigation, Pelosi said. We must insist on justice and accountability to honor Seans life and the lives of all killed by police brutality in America.

State Sen. Bill Dodd, who represents Californias Third District, which includes Solano County, echoed Pelosis demand for an FBI investigation in a statement Friday.

A thorough, independent investigation is absolutely essential for justice and accountability, Dodd said. Sean Monterrosa, his loved ones and the entire Vallejo community deserve no less.

The officer  whose name has not been officially released  fired five rounds from a rifle through the windshield, one of which struck Monterrosa. The officer was later heard on body cam footage asking other officers, What did he point at us? before saying, Hey, he pointed a gun at us. Police said the officer mistook a hammer in Monterrosas sweatshirt as a firearm.

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams said Monterrosa was turning towards the officers in a crouching down, half-kneeling position, as if in preparation to shoot. In an earlier statement, Williams said Monterrosa was on his knees and raising his arms, revealing what appeared to be the butt of a handgun.

Monterrosas family said they believe he was on his knees and surrendering when he was killed.

Vallejo city officials told The Chronicle an employee of the Vallejo Police Department who authorized destruction of the windshield was placed on administrative leave. The employee has not been identified by city officials.

In letters to county, state and federal agencies, which The Chronicle received from a source in the city of Vallejo, interim City Attorney Randy Risner said the destruction of evidence may have been a criminal act. He said the employee who authorized a contractor to destroy the windshield is a police officer, and that other officers may have been involved.

No officer or other employee of VPD discussed the destruction of this potential evidence with VPD executive staff or with the City Attorneys Office until after the fact, Risner wrote in a July 15 letter to Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams. It is also my understanding that more than one officer may be involved in the destruction of this evidence.

Risner addressed similar letters on July 15 detailing the disposal of the windshield to state Deputy Attorney General Nancy Beninati and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, respectively.

The Vallejo police chief issued a statement Friday night saying he was grateful the state DOJ is stepping in, and said two employees have been placed on leave while the investigation is pending.

I am deeply disappointed with the turn of events that led to the windshield not being preserved, Williams said. It is a priority for our department to conduct a thorough investigation and provide the transparency that our community expects and deserves. It is our hope that the State Attorney Generals Office can provide clarity in this investigation.

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.

Abrams has recused her office from reviewing the police killings of Monterrosa and Willie McCoy. Vallejo officials have asked that an outside agency investigate the shooting, and said they have contacted the FBI.

Vallejo police killed McCoy, 21, who fell asleep behind the wheel while in the drive-through of a Taco Bell restaurant in February 2019. Vallejo police officers fired 55 rounds toward him after police said McCoy roused from sleep and reached for a gun in his lap.

In letter addressed to Abrams on July 16, Risner demanded that she review the Monterrosa and McCoy killings, stating that her recusal was unlawful and threatening to file a complaint against her.

Abrams and Risner could not be reached for comment on Friday evening.

Melissa Nold, one of the attorneys representing Monterrosas family along with John Burris, told The Chronicle Friday that she was aware of Risners demand of Abrams, and said it is indicative of the confusion over the handing of the investigation.

Nold said Monterrosas family has expressed frustration over the probe into his killing, saying that the case is up in the air without any clear path toward justice.

For them, for the family, it creates a situation where they have to wonder is there ever going to be justice, or even any method of trying to acquire it, Nold said. Its frustrating for them to not even have a game plan. We cant even explain to them what is going to happen next because we dont even know. Nobody knows.

Burris told The Chronicle that this case is like a hot potato that continues to be thrust into the hands, and out of the hands, of multiple officials.

The problem with it is that it leaves the families in No Mans Land because (they) cant look to whoever is supposed to do with any degree of confidence that its going to get done, Burris said.

Chronicle staff writer Otis R. Taylor Jr. contributed to this report.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
Fighter planes of RSAF rehearse flying to prepare for national day parade in Singapore

EditorLi Wei Time2020-07-18 21:30:11 A helicopter of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) rehearses flying in preparation for the national day parade in Singapore on July 18, 2020. Singapore will celebrate its 55th anniversary of independence on Aug. 9. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua) 1 2 3 4 Next Source Xinhuanet

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The Philippines' ambassador to South Korea has resigned over allegations he sexually harassed a South Korean woman while serving in Seoul in December, according to the government, Saturday.







A complaint was filed at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, which then reported it to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila in February, while the former envoy was in the Philippine capital on official business, the department said in a statement.







The department did not name the ambassador in its statement, but noted that he submitted his resignation March 16 after an investigation.







It did not offer an explanation as to why his departure was only now being announced.







The Philippine embassy in Seoul is now headed by Charge d' Affaires Christian De Jesus.







"The department is committed to ensuring that justice is rendered in this case," it?said. "It also remains committed to cultivating and preserving a work environment where all personnel are treated with respect and dignity, and free from harassment of any kind."







According to a report by South Korea's Yonhap news agency, which also did not name the former ambassador, Interpol has included him in its Red Notice list and asked member states to help in locating and arresting him.







The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs did not comment on reports the ex-ambassador was evading law enforcement authorities. (DPA)


Non-Christians regularly object to the teaching that those who have never heard the gospel may be condemned to hell. Many Christians dont like it either. In fact, universalismthe belief that everyone, sooner or later, will be reconciled to God and saved by himhas in this century quietly become part of the orthodoxy of many Christian thinkers and groups.

But if all people will eventually be saved, why should they sacrifice to become Christians in this life? Why, indeed, should we endure hardship to evangelize them? Theologian J. I. Packer, author of Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (IVP), takes a careful look at the appeal and the problems of universalism.

The problem of individual human destinies has always pressed hard upon thoughtful Christians who take the Bible seriously, for Scripture affirms these three things:

1. The reality of hell as a state of eternal destructive punishment in which Gods judicial retribution for sin is directly experienced.

2. The certainty of hell for all who choose it by rejecting Jesus Christ and his offer of eternal life.

3. The justice of hell as a fit divine infliction upon humanity for our lawless and cruel deeds.

It was, to be sure, hell-deserving sinners whom Jesus came to save, and all who put their trust in him may know themselves forgiven, justified, and accepted foreverand thus delivered from the wrath to come. But what of those who lack this living faith? Those who are not just hypocrites in the church, about whose destiny Christ is very clear, but good pagans who lived before the Incarnation, or who through no fault of their own never heard the Christian message, or who met it only in an incomplete and distorted form? Or what about ...

1

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A political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Alidu Seidu has opined that COVID-19 has put the NPP government in a politically advantageous position, placing it steps ahead of its main opponent, the NDC.

Dr. Seidu was speaking to Kwakye Afreh-Nuamah, on the maiden edition of From The Diaspora, a weekly YouTube programme recorded in England, United Kingdom. The political analyst is of the view that opposition parties in Ghana have been muscled into a corner, a reason John Mahama has had to also intensify his social media briefings.

Dr. Seidu further asserted, the idea of exempting government officials from the lockdown rules created an opportunity for subtle political campaigning, If the president can move easily to wherever he wants to go without restrictions, that same ease of movement is not applied to any other candidate.

Also contributing on the show, Head of the Centre for Policy Discourse Analysis and lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, Dr. Este Sikanku felt government is taking political advantage of the situation.

If I do my audience analysis, I can arrive at that conclusion that, one of the major themes of conversation has been the concern that the President has engaged in politicking, he said.

From The Diaspora is a current affairs programme focusing on Politics and Corruption; Education; Crime and Security; Health, Gender and Developmental issues on the African continent.

For many Ghanaians and Africans abroad, participating in this democratic process simply goes beyond just following the news. They want to be part of it, they want to tell their stories. They want to be heard too.

This is where From the Diaspora comes in. This show is designed to highlight topical issues of national importance and hear the informed views of Ghanaians and Africans abroad on same.

Watch full discussion here:
Rioters set off smoke grenades on the steps of Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

Rioters Fire Smoke Grenades, Use Fencing to Block Exits in Portland

Rioters in Portland fired smoke grenades overnight after hauling fencing to several buildings and blocking exits.

The mayhem in Oregons largest city continued as an Antifa-linked group bragged that the evening has been tactical and demonstrators energy is high.

With barricades slowing a potential fed attack from any direction, protesters feel in control right now, tho that could change, PNW Youth Liberation Front said in a social media statement around midnight. The group later shared a call for members of Antifa to arm themselves with guns.

Video footage showed people in the mob hurling smoke grenades at the Justice Center, a city building that includes a police precinct, and rushing forward with fencing to try to block officers from exiting the building.

Groups also used fencing to block exit doors around the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse, a federal building near the center.

The situation began escalating around 10 p.m., the Portland Police Bureau said, as people seized fencing erected around a city park after police cleared a so-called autonomous zone earlier this week.

Rioters use fencing to barricade an exit from the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

The vandals took the fencing to the Justice Center and used it to barricade doors there, the bureau said.

People kept barricading exits with pieces of the fence at the Justice Center for several hours, including the barricading of exit doors around the Federal Courthouse. Dozens of people worked to barricade the doors while hundreds either cheered them on or assisted, the bureau said in a statement.

Shortly after midnight, the mob began shooting commercial-grade fireworks and smoke bombs near the barricaded doors while a different portion of the group used fencing to block traffic on a nearby street.

Police declared an unlawful assembly at 1:33 a.m. and began dispersing the crowd after a warning. While the crowd was being dispersed, some demonstrators hurled projectiles at the officers.

Several people were arrested.

A crowd of several hundred returned to the area less than an hour later. Officers again dispersed the crowd, arresting several people. Some shields and weapons were taken from members of the group during the arrests.

Federal officers protecting the courthouse helped respond to the chaos.

Demonstrators remove a fence to block a road in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Ankur Dholakia/AFP via Getty Images)

Federal officers prepare to disperse the crowd of protesters outside the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

Federal police use CS gas and pepper spray on rioters in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Ankur Dkholakia/AFP via Getty Images)

Customs and Border Protection, which said it made an arrest of a man this week, has agents in the area. Other Department of Homeland Security officers are also helping disperse the crowds.

Demonstrators have appeared to show no signs of stopping the nightly gatherings, though Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler asserted earlier Friday that the gatherings were winding down before federal officers started responding more forcefully to the violence.

City officials have tried appeasing the mobs, appointing Chuck Lovell, a black man, as police chief after Erika Shields resigned; taking some money from the police departments budget; and restricting police from using certain crowd control tactics like firing tear gas.

Wheeler said the moves, along with deescalation tactics like having police officers stationed inside the Justice Center as opposed to outside of it, were causing the size and energy of the demonstrations to decline.

Demonstrators gather in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Ore., hours before rioting started, on July 17, 2020. (Ankur Dkholakia/AFP via Getty Images)

That really didnt give anybody any opportunity for a back-and-forth between demonstrators and law enforcement, or the other way, and what we saw was the numbers were dwindling, the energy in the crowd was decreasing or moving elsewhere to do other things. Then the feds came in, Wheeler told reporters in a virtual briefing.

A week ago, we were saying, given the withering energy, the declining numbers we were seeing, the lack of targets that were available, we actually believed we would be in the clear by this weekend, he added later.

Federal officers arent facing restrictions on crowd control measures. They have been deploying tear gas and using other methods to quell the mobs.

Wheeler said he did not want to meet with acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, and Lovell said that no one from the bureau met with the secretary. The bureau later clarified that officer Daryl Turner, who has regularly spoken out against city leaderships handling of the mayhem, met with Wolf in his capacity as president of the Portland Police Association.

Lovell made remarks that stressed neither federal nor local officers are directing each other, though a line of communication is open between them.

The Portland Police and federal officers have buildings near each other. At times, we may take action near them. The federal officers have their objectives, and the Portland Police has our objectives. We dont direct federal officers actions, and they do not direct ours. Our objective is to protect life, protect property, prevent crime, and establish order, he said in a prepared statement during the briefing.

Wolf referred to Portland as a city under siege. The siege wont end until state and local officials act to quell the demonstrations, he said.

Pressed on how exactly city officials plan to stop the chaos, Wheeler said: We get rid of the feds. Number two, we contain and deescalate the situation. Number three, we clean up downtown. Number four, we open up for business. Thats the plan.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Friday accused President Trump of abusing the use of federal law enforcement officers, whose presence he said has ratcheted up the tension rather than quelled the nightly violence taking place across the city.

Last week, we were seeing the deescalation of the violence. We were seeing things calm down. But the intervention of federal officers reignited tensions, Wheeler said Friday afternoon during a joint online press conference with Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. I think we would have seen the end of this nightly engagement by now.

Protests and rioting in Portland have been nearly constant since the May 25 death of George Floyd that sparked national outrage and demonstrations across the country. On Tuesday, more than 200 people marched downtown for a mostly peaceful protest against police brutality, but some demonstrators who remain on the streets after dark have engaged in property destruction, throwing rocks at police, marking buildings with graffiti, and earlier this month briefly set a courthouse on fire.

As the violence continued, President Trump sent federal law enforcement agents to handle the situation, which he described as out of control. One demonstrator was critically injured and underwent facial reconstructive surgery after a federal officer fired an impact munition at his head, an incident that the Department of Justices Office of the Inspector General is investigating.

Lovell appeared to suggest that city police officers are not coordinating with federal law enforcement as the local officers work to prevent crime and establish order.

The federal officers have their objectives, and the Portland police has our objectives. We dont direct federal officers actions, and they do not direct ours, Lovell said Friday.

The president praised the work of federal authorities earlier this week at the White House, promising that the violence Portland would continue to be quelled.

Story continues

Portland was totally out of control, and they went in, and I guess we have many people right now in jail, and we very much quelled it, and if it starts again, well quell it again very easily, Trump said Monday. Its not hard to do, if you know what youre doing.

The city is now demanding that Trump remove the federal officers, Wheeler said.

When we have Donald Trump sending troops into our streets who are not accountable to me or to the city council or to the public at large, we dont know what they are doing or why they are doing it, Wheeler said, calling the deployment of federal officers in Portland an attack on our democracy.

The mayor added that the president must be held accountable, for using federal agencies as his personal army for political purposes to bolster his sagging polling data.

Take your troops out of Portland, Wheeler said, directing his remarks to Trump. We can handle better than they can whats going on in our streets.

More from National Review
As Connecticut lawmakers consider police reform and accountability legislation in the wake of George Floyds murder, they should join several other states around the country in recognizing that our antiquated drug policies play an instrumental role in the over-policing of communities of color.

Since President Nixon launched the War on Drugs, which was later explained by a top adviser as a pretext to enable government to harass and arrest Black Americans and anti-Vietnam War activists, enforcement of cannabis laws has been staggeringly unequal. According to the FBI, there were 663,367 marijuana arrests or citations in the U.S. in 2018, and 92 percent of these arrests were for marijuana possession alone. That same year, Connecticut arrested 1,788 people for marijuana possession. Within these numbers, wide racial disparities exist. According to a 2020 ACLU report, between 2010 and 2018, Blacks were four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession in Connecticut, despite virtually identical rates of marijuana use.

In 2011, Connecticut decriminalized marijuana, reducing the penalty for less than half an ounce to a $150 civil fine. This reform has saved thousands from the trauma of incarceration and the stigma of a criminal record, but it does nothing to reduce unequal stops, searches, and citations. We know that traffic stop interactions can lead to violence and even death for Black Americans. Only legalization  not decriminalization  will dramatically reduce the number of unnecessary police-civilian interactions that target Black and Brown communities.

Meanwhile, at a time when hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents are newly unemployed, a $150 fine can prevent individuals from making rent, putting food on the table, or keeping the lights on.

We have also witnessed cannabis-consumption-as-justification used in civil rights tragedies across the nation. The police officer who killed Philando Castile claimed the smell of burnt marijuana made him fear for his life. Before the grand jury, prosecutors argued Michael Brown was aggressive due to the presence of cannabis, after he was shot and killed by an officer. And, after George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, the presence of a minimal amount of marijuana in Martins system was raised in his trial to smear his character.

Furthermore, a quarter of all deadly no-knock drug raids involved cannabis during a seven-year period according to The Washington Post. Those killed include James Wescott, who had only 0.2 grams in his possession, and Henry Magee who had 12 plants in his home  both African American men. All of these lost lives represent intolerable crimes under a system that has weaponized cannabis against people of color.

Data have shown that legalization has significantly reduced the number of searches and arrests in states that have legalized among people of all races. In the first two legalization states  Colorado and Washington  there have been dramatic decreases in traffic searches, which are disproportionately performed on cars with Black or Latino drivers.

But, nearly a decade after Connecticut decriminalized cannabis possession, and as compared to other states in the region and throughout the country, Connecticut has a low decriminalization threshold and relatively high fines. Most other decriminalization states  including New York and Rhode Island  have at least a one-ounce limit. The fine is $50 in New York. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont, possession and cultivation is legal for adults. New Jersey voters are expected to legalize marijuana at the polls in November, meaning Connecticuts policies will soon be even more out of step with those of our neighbors.

Even southern states that have historically punished drug offenses harshly are beginning to recognize that marijuana policy reform is necessary to advance racial and criminal justice. Virginias law to decriminalize one ounce of marijuana with a $25 fine instead of jail time recently went into effect. The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus is also pushing for legalization in a special session in August. In Georgia, lawmakers proposed marijuana decriminalization as part of a broader policing reform bill.

By legalizing even just one ounce of marijuana, Connecticut could bring its marijuana laws in line with the region, eliminate the number one pretext for stopping Black and Brown people, reduce the burden on our overwhelmed criminal justice system, and reduce the harm inflicted on communities of color by the failed war on drugs.

At the onset of the COVID public health emergency, Gov. Lamont declared medical marijuana businesses as essential. At the same time, Connecticut law enforcement continue to put themselves and civilians at risk by citing and arresting individuals for marijuana. And our prisons, which are largely made up of Black and Brown residents, continue to deprive individuals of their liberty for actions that 65 percent of Connecticut voters think should be legal.

While legalizing marijuana will not alleviate all the challenges faced by communities of color, it will remove a powerful tool that has been used to harm them. Dismantling systematic racism in Connecticut can only begin in earnest when it includes reforming our marijuana policies.

DeVaughn L. Ward, a New Haven resident, is the Senior Legislative Counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project.
The personal assistant charged with murdering his wealthy tech entrepreneur boss was caught on surveillance video buying an electric saw and cleaning supplies just hours beforehand, prosecutors have revealed.

Tyrese Haspil, 21, was arrested and charged with second degree murder Friday over the grisly murder of Fahim Saleh , 33, in his Lower East Side apartment earlier this week.

Police say Saleh was beheaded and dismembered inside the $2.2 million residence on Monday afternoon, before his remains were found by a family member the following day.

An electric saw and cleaning supplies were discovered inside the apartment.

Prosecutors have not released the name of the store where Haspil was recorded buying the supplies. The personal assistant normally resides near Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

However, they allege the footage shows him making the transaction late Monday morning.

Tyrese Haspil (left) has been arrested and charged over the grisly murder of Fahim Saleh (right) in his Lower East Side apartment earlier this week

Saleh was murdered in his $2.2 million apartment building (pictured) on Monday afternoon

Investigators believe Saleh was killed around 1.45pm that afternoon.

Surveillance footage from Saleh's luxury apartment building - located at 265 East Houston St - shows him followed into a elevator by a man wearing a black suit and mask. It's believed that man was Haspil.

Saleh, who was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, reportedly appeared suspicious when the masked-man fumbled with the elevator, which requires the use of a key fob to operate.

The footage shows the victim collapsing to the ground as the elevator doors opened directly into Saleh's full-floor apartment. The doors then closed and obscured the camera's view of what happened next.

Autopsy results released on Thursday revealed that Saleh was tasered and then stabbed multiple times before being dismembered.

Haspil (pictured) handled Saleh's finances as his personal assistant. He reportedly owed the victim a 'significant amount' of money before his murder

Investigators believe Haspil returned to Saleh's apartment on Tuesday to dismember the tech entrepreneur's body after first stabbing him on Monday afternoon.

Law enforcement officials say the alleged killer may have been waiting for the victim's blood to coagulate before dismembering him.

When police arrived at the scene, Saleh's torso was found in the corner of his living room and his head, arms, and legs had been separated into plastic bags.

An electric saw that was still plugged in, a vacuum cleaner and cleaning products were found nearby.

Police declined to specify the cause of death, saying the investigation was ongoing.

They have also refused to reveal why only second-degree murder charges have been brought against Haspil, despite the grisly nature of the crime and their assertion that he was caught buying supplies beforehand.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said Haspil, who handled Saleh's finances as his personal assistant, owed the victim a 'significant amount' of money before his murder, and there are reports that Haspil may have been embezzling from his employer.

Police sources told the Daily News that Saleh discovered his assistant had allegedly stolen $100,000 from him, and that he set up a payment plan for Haspil to repay the money instead of reporting him to authorities.

Detectives started investigating Haspil after finding text messages in which Saleh accused Haspil of stealing the money, according to police sources.

Prior to his arrest, Haspil was reportedly residing at a luxury condo not far from the victim's apartment.

Haspil appears to have been hiding out in an apartment on Crosby Street in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, less than a mile from the murder scene.

New surveillance video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com shows Haspil on Wednesday around 12.30pm leaving the Crosby Street building where he was later arrested.

Neighbors say Haspil had moved into the building as recently as this week, after Monday's murder a mile away, and was possibly staying there through a short-term vacation rental

Haspil is seen walking out of the Crosby Street building in the company of an unidentified woman and strolling casually down the street. There is no indication that the woman had knowledge of the murder, and the NYPD declined to offer further information when asked if the woman was being sought for questioning.

A property manager in a neighboring building told DailyMail.com that he believed Haspil had taken up residence at 172 Crosby Street as recently as this week, possibly through a short-term vacation rental service.

On Friday morning, detectives led Haspil away in handcuffs after his arrest in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan.

Hours later, Haspil was also caught on camera being escorted out of the 7th Precinct wearing a surgical mask and Tyvek coveralls for transport to central booking.

Haspil, who is from Elmont, New York, had worked for Saleh at his investment firm Adventure Capital.

It appears he attended Hofstra University where he studied arts and marketing. It is not yet clear how he came to work for Saleh.

Hours after he was first taken into custody, Haspil was escorted out of the 7th Precinct by detectives for transport to central booking, wearing a surgical mask and Tyvek coveralls

The coveralls, typically used by police for evidence collection, are routinely provided to suspects whose clothes are confiscated to be processed for potential evidence

Saleh was the chief executive officer of a ride-hailing motorcycle startup called Gokada that began operating in Nigeria in 2018.

The firm, Gokada, recently faced severe setbacks after being banned earlier this year by the Nigerian government. It was forced to lay off staff and pivot from being a ride-sharing service to a delivery courier.

The ban came at a difficult moment for Gokada which had just raised $5.3 million in funding from Rise Capital, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, in May 2019.

After the ban was enacted, the firm stopped bringing in money and around 800 bikers working for Gorkada were also immediately laid off.

Saleh was working on new ideas and a new direction for the firm.

Saleh was the chief executive officer of a ride-hailing motorcycle startup called Gokada that began operating in Nigeria in 2018

Whilst living in New York, Saleh resided in a number of luxury apartments. He is pictured at one of the residences in a photo taken in June 2018

At the time of his death, Saleh was also being sued by a former prison guard turned criminal who was jailed for using his app PrankDial, which he founded in 2015, to secretly record and listen to employees' phone calls.

The app let Kirk Eady, the former deputy director of Hudson County Correctional Facility, place a call between two employees without them knowing he was behind it, then listen to whatever they said.

He listened to their complaints about him and about their jobs then retaliated against them in the workplace, according to prosecutors.

He was jailed for 15 months and in 2017 and sued Saleh for fraud, claiming the app made him think what he was doing was legal.
Rajesh Asnani By

JAIPUR: The conjectured factionalism within the Rajasthan BJP over the Gehlot-Pilot spat is slowly tumbling out of the closet.

On Saturday, Vasunndhara Raje broke her silence, lambasting the Congress for blaming the BJP for its own misdeeds, even as she rambled on about her loyalty to the party.

That was thought to be essential in the face of charges that the former CM was, in fact, trying to save the Gehlot government.

Over the past few days, the BJPs feigned acquiescence to the virtual split in the state Congress was largely attributed to the fluid situation and inability of Sachin Pilot to switch to the saffron camp.

Raje attempted to be direct  on the one hand, she attacked the Congress and, on the other, she took on her critics within and outside BJP that she was in any way in cahoots with Gehlot.

It is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan are paying for the discord within the Congress at a time when Covid-19 has killed over 500 people, said Raje.

This has also come at a time when locusts are attacking agricultural fields There is no point in dragging BJP leaders into this.

Then she tweeted: Some people are repeatedly spreading rumours. I have been a loyal worker of the party for 30 years and I stand firmly with the party and its ideology.It was this statement that sought to stoke the political embers that first drew sustenance from Pilots remark of a hidden nexus between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Raje. Besides, a few days ago, RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal had alleged that Raje was trying to save the minority government.

ALSO READ | Pilot trying to topple Rajasthan govt since 2019, haven't spoken in 1.5 years: Ashok Gehlot

Beniwal also claimed that Raje had advised Jat MLAs of Sikar and Nagaur districts not to join Pilot. Sources say Beniwal is backed by the anti-Raje camp within the BJP.

A section of the party believes that the nascent Pilot-BJP bonhomie has not gone down well with the Raje camp that sees it as a barrier to Rajes prospects of becoming the CM again.

Kailash Meghwal, former Assembly Speaker, too waded into the controversy. It is disgraceful to remove an elected government through unethical means. The BJP is a party of character. I reject any plot to bring down the government.

This prompted Gehlot to repeat his charges on Twitter, citing Meghwal. The Pilot episode has, thus, exposed intra-party rivalries within the BJP.

Mayawati demands Presidents rule

BSP supremo Mayawati said on Saturday that Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra should recommend Presidents Rule in the state.

She alleged that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot had openly violated the Anti-Defection law and cheated the BSP for a second time by getting its MLAs included in the Congress.

It is also evident he did an illegal and unconstitutional thing by phone tapping, Mayawati said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

The governor must take cognisance of the political deadlock and instability prevailing in Rajasthan, and should recommend imposition of Presidents Rule in the state, she said.
Felicity and Adam Moreau tried to conceive a baby for 10 years before becoming one of a growing number of families to adopt a child from foster care in NSW last financial year.

The couple from Erskine Park near Penrith became foster carers through Barnardo's for Christian, now 3, when he was a baby and the paperwork for his adoption was finalised in March this year.

Felicity and Adam Moreau with their adopted son, Christian. Credit:Steven Siewert

"There are these little kids that need a loving home and the end result is that we've got Christian here with us," Ms Moreau said. "We're very lucky to have the support of his birth families as well, so he's just got this amazing extended family that love him to bits."

All adoption in NSW is now open adoption whereby the children grow up knowing their birth families. There are very few local adoptions where the birth parents proactively give up the baby at birth.
A small group of visitors waits eagerly at the entrance to a single-storey building in Ghana's capital Accra, looking to explore the literary treasure inside.

This is the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora -- a passion project launched by Ghanaian-British writer Sylvia Arthur.

Based around Arthur's personal book collection, the library provides a remarkable opportunity to bring literature from the global black community to a country considered a cradle of African civilisation, and which was once a hub of the transatlantic slave trade.

"Our work has been neglected, it's not been showcased, it's not been respected, it's not been archived and that's the purpose of this library," Arthur said as she guided her visitors around.

The library was founded in 2017 when Arthur moved to Ghana after working in Europe.

It was renamed and relaunched this year, welcoming its first guests again in July as restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus were eased in the west African nation.

The library boasts around 4,000 books, from almost every country on the African continent.

Many names will be familiar to those who have seen the growing international acclaim for African writers such as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ben Okri, Mariama Ba and Ngugi wa Thiong'o.

But this collection is a rarity in Africa.

It not only spans the entire continent, including authors such as Assia Djebar from Algeria and Naguib Mahfouz from Egypt, as well as white authors from southern Africa such Doris Lessing, Nadine Gordimer and J.M. Coetzee -- it also includes black writers from across the world including the US, Caribbean and Europe.

It also has a special collection of rare and out-of-print books, drawing historical links between the works of African and diaspora writers, and offers residences for authors from abroad.

"We started off in one room and now we are in a whole house," Arthur said.

Black Lives Matter

The library's aims have been made even more relevant by the Black Lives Matter protests that have swept the globe and sparked renewed debates on history and equality.

"I definitely think what we do is very empowering," said Arthur.

"It shows people that no matter what they've been taught in schools, and in Western schools, we actually come from a race of people who are intelligent, smart, literate."

Ghana -- a beacon in Africa's struggle for independence -- has long played a role as a hub of thought and memory for the broader black community.

American writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou lived in Accra in the early 1960s and the government has tried to attract black people to move to the country.

In 2019 the authorities staged the "Year of Return" -- four centuries after the first slave ship landed in what is now the US -- urging African Americans to "come home".

Don't lose our identity

But despite those official efforts, there is often little knowledge of writers from across Africa and the black community.

Visitors said that the library, while small in the numbers of books it has compared with others, is a seed that can grow, filling those gaps.

For an annual fee of 600 cedi ($100, 90 euros), members can borrow books or simply peruse the shelves lined beneath portraits of renowned writers of African descent.

"I'm truly overwhelmed by the trove of materials I've seen here, especially such a brilliant and classical collection of pan-African writers," said Appiah Kusi Adomako, who works on regional integration.

"These are great materials everyone should come and read to add to their knowledge of African history so we don't lose our identity."

Young writer Nasirudeen Jabbaru agreed the collection offered a fantastic window into an often-neglected area.

"Having all these books together in one place is special," he said.

"Most of them are scarce on the market and this is a whole inspiration for me."

Researcher Jeffrey Boadu described the library as a "good foundation for future writers".

"I've really been inspired and I'll definitely come back to read some more," he said.

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Are phones of state leaders being tapped in Rajasthan: BJP demands CBI probe

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, July 18: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday demanded to know f the phones of state leaders in Rajasthan are being tapped. The allegation by the BJP comes amidst the alleged conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.

The BJP also demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations made by the Congress in Rajasthan that it has audio tapes to prove that the BJP was in collusion with rebel Congress leaders to bring down the Gehlot government.

Rajasthan crisis: This is not my voice, ready to face probe: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on audio tape

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

Is phone tapping not a legal issue. Were the standard procedures laid down followed for phone tapping? The CM should answer if the state machinery was misused and if there is a veiled emergency in the state, BJP spokesperson, Sambit Patra said at a press conference.

On Friday Congress spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala had briefed the media about the existence of tapes where BJP leaders including Union Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat can be heard conspiring with rebel MLAs from the Sachin Pilot camp to topple the state government.
Jammu, July 18 : Three civilians were killed overnight in Pakistan shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said on Saturday.

Police said three members of a family including father, mother and son were killed when their house was hit by a shell fired by Pakistan Army in Khari Karmara sector of the LoC in Poonch district on Friday evening.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said at around 7.20 p.m. on Friday, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Gulpur sector by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars.

"Pakistan also resorted to heavy unprovoked shelling in Khari Karmara sector. Indian Army gave befitting response to Pakistan ceasefire violation," the spokesman said.

Pakistan has made over 2,400 ceasefire violations on the LoC and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir since January this year.

Frequent shelling by Pakistan has thrown lives of hundreds of border residents in J&K out of gear.
By PTI

JAMMU: A Pakistani intruder was arrested by the Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Saturday. The intruder was found moving into this side in Nowshera sector late Friday night and was immediately arrested, he said.

The official said the man was being questioned. This is the second such arrest along the LoC in the past four days. On July 15, Abdul Rehman (28), a resident of Nakyal village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was arrested when he sneaked into this side from across the LoC in Balakote sector of Poonch district.
On July 22, 1988, after the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, the party nominee, Gov. Michael Dukakis, enjoyed a 17-point lead over Vice President George H.W. Bush.

Five weeks later, on Labor Day, Dukakis was down eight points, the same margin by which he would lose the election. He had lost 25 points in one month.

What had happened? During August, Republican attack groups elevated and relentlessly pounded what might be called Dukakis' Bay State radical liberalism.

He had proudly called himself a card-carrying member of the ACLU. He had vetoed a bill requiring the Pledge of Allegiance in Massachusetts' schools. He was against imposing the death penalty. He had issued weekend passes to convicted killers such as the infamous Willie Horton, who had used his get-out-of-jail-free card to go to Maryland and rape and murder.

Vice President Bush ended up winning 40 states.

Is this possible today? Because a turnaround of that magnitude appears to be needed by Donald J. Trump.

Last weekend, the bad news on the virus front turned awful, for the country and Trump.

The U.S. dead from the coronavirus hit 135,000. COVID-19 deaths, whose weekly average had been falling since April, began to rise again.

New cases of the infection began appearing in previously unseen numbers across the Sun Belt. Florida set a U.S. record with more than 15,000 new cases in one day.

This surge in infections is occurring as the nation debates whether to send its young back to schools. Children, teachers and students could arrive in classrooms in the millions in late summer only to be sent home in a new shutdown as a second wave of COVID-19 hits this fall.

Were that not enough to concentrate the mind, an economy that was as strong as any in modern history last winter now looks to be in a depression. The good news of the May-June revival could be canceled out by shutdowns mandated by the new infections.

Beyond this, America's racial divide has reopened. The attacks on cops and their demonization in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, has led to demoralization, resignations and retirements, and, from there, to an explosion of shootings and killings in major cities.

And we have witnessed the outbreak of a cultural revolution, which holds that as America has, from birth, been a slave-owning society whose policies toward the native-born amounted to cultural and ethnic genocide, the statues of those generations of men who produced such a history should all be pulled down and smashed.

A medical crisis, an economic crisis, and a cultural and social crisis, have hit us all at once, raising some fundamental questions.

Does America retain the unity, strength and sense of purpose to lead the world? Is American democracy still the model for mankind?

Trump is not responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. And the shutdowns that induced today's depression were as much the decisions of governors and mayors as of the president. Yet, he is the one whose fate is tied to the state of the economy in November 2020.

And, politically, Trump is the one paying the price.

Several national polls have Joe Biden up by 10 points or more, and polls in swing states, as well as must-carry states for Trump such as Florida, have Biden leading. In the money primary, Biden and the Democrats turned May and June into winning months. Their Senate candidates are awash in cash in states where they had been seen as sacrificial lambs.

The pundits, following the polls, are giddily predicting a Biden win, a recapture of the Senate and the retention of Democratic control of the House.

What can Trump do? What should Trump do?

In 1948, Harry Truman looked like a certain loser to Gov. Tom Dewey. So he sent a raft of liberal legislation to the Hill and challenged the Republican Congress to enact it. When Congress airily dismissed his proposals, Truman barnstormed the country, calling on America to help him rid the nation of this "no-good, do-nothing 80th Congress."

Which the country proceeded to do, as it elected Truman and threw out the first Republican Congress to sit since before the Depression.

What the Trump folks must do now is to zero in on Biden's vulnerabilities, personal and political.

First among these is Biden's transparently diminished verbal and mental capacity. He is no longer the man who bested Paul Ryan in the vice presidential debate of 2012. Even during controlled appearances where he reads from a teleprompter, Biden emits a sense of unease that he will lose control of his ghostwritten script.

Second, the Biden campaign has embraced an agenda that is, in part, Bernie Sanders-AOC-Black Lives Matter.

The Trump folks need to force Biden to come out of his basement and either embrace or renounce the radical elements of his agenda. They need to do for Biden what Lee Atwater & Co. did for Dukakis.

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TDT | Manama

Bahrains most powerful weapon against the virus is the unity of the people here, said LMRA Chief. In an article published by Arab News yesterday, Ausamah Abdulla Al Absi called this as one of the most important lesson taught by the COVID-19 pandemic. When people are united to respect social distancing and protect the vulnerable, we realise that it our most powerful weapon against the virus.

He also reminded that to prevent the spread of COVID-19 the whole community must come together as a united force. Thanks to the efforts of HRH Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Chief Executive Officer of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority said, all of Bahrain is responding to the outbreak as a team.

We are all on Team Bahrain. The article which gives a comprehensive outlook on the measures adopted by Bahrain to combat the COVID pays respect to expatriate workers for their tremendous role in nation-building. Bahrain, he said, is committed to honouring expatriate workers and has rolled out several measures to ensure their safety amid the pandemic.

Ensuring proper space to practise social distancing at labour accommodation is one amongst them, Alabsi writes. He points out that the LMRA has directed employers to provide an additional 10 per cent space for migrant workers in accommodations. Free treatments, free meals, which now exceeds 250,000, temperature testing at worksites, field visits, multilingual awareness campaigns, he said, are ongoing.

Bahrain, Al Absi said, has circulated 900,000 multilingual pamphlets among foreign workers to ensure their safety. Contact tracing is yet another facility that is currently supporting the efforts of Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Health in their battle, he wrote. The article which speaks about the need to respond to economic impacts in a flexible and responsible manner also outlines Bahrain efforts in this regard.

Stimulus packages, the threemonth moratorium on fee renewals and work permits for private sector establishments are some amongst them. Bahrain, he points out, also extending the measures to further three months, providing 45,000 workers with new opportunities.

The nine-month amnesty introduced for migrant workers, he said, will allow workers to regularise their status or return home without legal consequence. He also assured that the authority will overlook all previous work and residency violations and issue new work permits without penalty.

He said:  Migrants are also free to leave the Kingdom without any obstacles affecting their departure or desire to return for work in the future. He also expressed his pride in the accolades showered by international organisations on the LMRAs work guaranteeing the rights of the migrant workers and in combating human trafficking.

The action we have taken to protect expatriates during the COVID-19 pandemic shows that this praise is not misplaced, he wrote. While pledging not to rest on the laurels, he expressed confidence in the ability of Team Bahrain to prevail against COVID-19.
In January, after watching my hometown Wuhan crumble from afar as it grappled with the novel coronavirus, I thought I was better prepared for the pandemic than most people in the United States.

Visitors wear masks at Disney World, which reopened in Florida despite climbing COVID-19 cases. Credit:AP

Little did I know this country would struggle so much  or that six months later I would contract the coronavirus, too.

Since news of the virus began to emerge, I've been living with extreme vigilance. I've worn masks everywhere, despite being coughed at and made fun of. "Thank you, China. God bless America," a lady shouted at me at a supermarket near Washington in late March. But the mocking didn't bother me. I've seen what it takes for 11 million people in Wuhan to get the coronavirus under control, and I knew eventually everyone would have to come to terms with it.

In June, as months of lockdown fatigue crept in, my husband wanted to celebrate his father's 70th birthday in Marco Island, Florida. Although the thought of travelling on a plane was stressful, I let down my guard after seeing the curve flatten and multiple states reopen.
Laxmikant Bhardwaj, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Rajasthan, has filed a police complaint against Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and new state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra for naming Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in an alleged bid to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government.

On Friday, Surjewala at a press conference had alleged that three audiotapes, which had surfaced the previous evening and quickly went viral on social media, had unmasked the BJPs bid to unseat the democratically elected government.

He said in the audiotapes revealed that the rebel Congress member of legislative assembly (MLA) Bhanwarlal Sharma, who has since been suspended, BJP leader Sanjay Jain and Union minister Shekhawat were making deals to topple the Gehlot government.

Also read: BJP demands CBI probe into audio tapes released by Congress amid Rajasthan crisis

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the three audiotapes.

The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police filed two first information reports (FIRs) against Shekhawat and the other two leaders, who have been accused by the Congress and on the basis of a complaint filed by the chip whip of Rajasthan assembly Mahesh Joshi, shortly after Surjewalas allegations.

The BJP has consistently denied any role in the horse-trading or a bid to overthrow the Gehlot government and has maintained that its the Congresss internal power struggle for which the opposition party has needlessly been dragged into.

Shekhawat, too, has denied that it was his voice caught on the audiotape and offered to co-operate for any probe.

On Friday night, Bhardwaj, along with BJP leaders Surendra Singh Naruka and Ashok Shekhawat, filed a complaint in the Ashok Nagar police station in Jaipur against Surjewala, Dotasra, and Joshi, alleging that they were making provocative and insulting statements against BJP leaders on the basis of which the SOG had filed fake cases under section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Shreemohan Meena, station house officer (SHO), Ashok Nagar police station, said that the complaint was received on Friday night and it is being looked into.

Bhardwaj has demanded that the Congress leaders arrest under Sections 469 (forgery for the purpose of harming reputation), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 195 (giving or fabricating false evidence), 500 (punishment for defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505 (statements conducting to public mischief), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 166A (public servant disobeying law) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Also read: Mayawati wades into phone tapping row in Rajasthan, seeks Presidents rule

In the complaint, Bhardwaj said Surjewala, Dotasra, and Joshi have been making baseless and provocative statements to tarnish the BJPs reputation.

He alleged that the Congress is deliberately blaming the BJP to divert the peoples attention from the partys ongoing internal power struggle.

He further alleged that a conspiracy was hatched by Lokesh Sharma, officer on special duty (OSD) to Gehlot with the intent to tarnish BJPs reputation and fake audiotapes were made, depicting that his party leaders were enticing rebel Congress lawmakers with crores of rupees to switch sides.

Bhardwaj said MLA Sharma had shared the three audiotapes with media persons through WhatsApp at around 8:25 pm on Thursday.

A report in a local daily had also reported that the audiotapes were released by Sharma, said Bhardwaj.

Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said: The BJP was conspiring to overthrow the Gehlot government. Now, it has resorted to making all kinds of allegations against us because it has been exposed.

The Gehlot government has plunged into a political turmoil following a revolt by Sachin Pilot, who has since been sacked from the dual posts of deputy chief minister, Rajasthan, and state Congress president.

Pilot and 19 rebel Congress lawmakers, who owe allegiance to him, have been camping at ITC Grand Bharat Hotel in Manesar, Haryana that has emerged as a playground for political parleys.

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With 1,078 residents dead, the coronavirus pandemic has now taken a greater toll on the lives of South Carolinians than car crashes did in 2018.

Given a 3.9 percent death rate for those who contract the disease in the United States, the chances of dying of COVID-19 are low. And at a 1.6 percent mortality rate in South Carolina, an even smaller ratio of COVID-19 patients in the Palmetto State have succumbed.

Yet, as reports of new cases have surged upward in South Carolina, so have the number of people dying of the disease. And, like wearing a seatbelt and obeying the speed limit, wearing a mask and socially distancing can prevent the deaths from ever happening.

Stack up the ten leading causes of death in 2019 and coronavirus disease would already rank eighth, ahead of kidney failure, sepsis and suicide. The pandemic has been present in South Carolina for fewer than five months.

While the raw number of deaths from coronavirus disease has risen with the thousands of additional cases announced in South Carolina every day, the rate of people dying from COVID-19 has actually decreased nationwide.

Michael Schmidt, a research microbiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina, said patients' chances of living are getting better because doctors now have access to two key drugs, remdesivir and dexamethasone.

"It was simply because clever infectious disease physicians were pulling out all of the stops, trying to understand how they could preserve the life of their patient," Schmidt said.

The good news of better outcomes for people who fall ill with the disease shouldn't distract from the fact that more than 100,000 individuals in the U.S. have lost their lives when they might have otherwise lived, Schmidt said.

"138,000 people dying isn't something we should tolerate in a health care system like the United States," he said.

When the odds of dying from an opioid overdose overtook that of motor vehicle crashes, the National Safety Council made a point to spread the message. The council says it is too early to know for sure what the chances of dying from COVID-19 truly are.

President Donald Trump even mentioned deaths from automobile accidents in late March, noting the numbers "are far greater than any numbers we're talking about" with the coronavirus. Nationwide, 135,807 people had died during the coronavirus pandemic by Thursday, according to the World Health Organization. That is far beyond the roughly 40,000 people who died in a motor vehicle accident in the United States in 2017.

According to new data made public by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Thursday, the average number of people dying every day has been rising steadily in recent weeks. The daily high is 25 people on July 3. Two-thirds of deaths have been in people age 71 and older; 40 percent have been nursing home residents.

DHEC verifies COVID-19 deaths by cross-referencing death certificate information that funeral directors are required to provide. The number of deaths attributable to coronavirus disease is far lower than those who die of each cancer and heart disease every year  more than 10,000 apiece.

But it is also more than totals for other avoidable causes of death in recent years, including assaults, suicides by firearm and unintentional drug overdoses. South Carolina has long since surpassed the number of deaths from influenza in 2018: 444. So far in 2020, DHEC records 149 people having died from the regular flu.

Dr. Chris McLain, chief physician officer at Roper St. Francis Healthcare, said hospitals will begin to face shortages in resources if the disease continues on its track in South Carolina. And if that happens, the mortality rate could jump, because hospitals won't be able to care for patients as well.

The state also announced its first pediatric death last weekend, McLain said.

"Even though the death rate might be 1.6 percent ... if it's you or your family member, it's 100 percent for you. And that's always helped people kind of understand, you know, the very real personal impact of this and it connects people back to the understanding that these are real people.

"What's very clear in the data is that there's a lot of behavior we can do to avoid this risk in our own lives," he said.
Rep. John Lewis was present at so much civil rights history  has made so much civil rights history  that his stories would fill several memoirs.

Almost 20 years before his award-winning graphic-novel trilogy MARCH would be completed, Lewis co-authored an autobiography in 1998 with Michael DOrso called Walking with the Wind.

Here are a few surprising moments from that earlier memoir, all taken from the years before Lewis became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, before his fateful crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and before his decades of service in Congress  in other words, when much of his own personal history was ahead of him.

1) He was a notable preacher at age 15. Lewis gave his first public trial sermon in 1956 at Macedonia Baptist Church in Troy, Alabama, just a few days short of his 16th birthday. He writes that the sermon was inspired by the courage of Autherine Lucy, who at that time was attempting to become the first black student at the University of Alabama. Lewis sermon that day was so popular that The Montgomery Advertiser took his photo and wrote about the emerging boy preacher. That reputation followed him when he became a student at American Baptist Theological Seminary, so much so that when Lewis met Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time, King said to him, I just want to meet the boy from Troy.

2) He intended to integrate Troy State. That first meeting with King had a purpose. Months earlier, the 18-year-old Lewis wrote to King about his intention to apply to Troy State University. After seeing what Autherine Lucy had experienced at the University of Alabama, Lewis knew hed need backup. He met with King and Ralph David Abernathy in Montgomery, Alabama, to request support, public and financial, in his quest to integrate Troy State. Lewis writes that King promised the necessary support but advised him to discuss it with his parents. At home, his parents agreed at first, but they eventually changed their minds as they considered the possible repercussions. Lewis reluctantly abandoned the plan.

91 John Lewis

3) His parents were ashamed of him. At first, anyway, when they learned he had been arrested during the 1960 student protests in Nashville, Tennessee. I lost my family, Lewis writes. The stigma of their son going to jail was too great for them to bear. Their disapproval was a schism that would take years to close, Lewis writes. The movement became my family. And although he would remain close to his parents, Lewis writes that his time in the movement was something they never understood. To them, it was as if I was living in a foreign country, he says.

4) He missed his bus to the Freedom Rides. In the spring of 1961, Lewis was to join 12 other riders  black and white  who would board a Greyhound bus in Washington, D.C., and attempt to ride it to New Orleans. The organizer of this dangerous mission was the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE, which had accepted Lewis application and sent him a bus ticket to Washington. Two of Lewis friends in the Nashville movement, James Bevel and Bernard LaFayette, drove him to the bus station only to learn that the bus from Nashville to Washington had already left. Lewis writes, We threw my bag back in Bevels car, floored it east and caught up in Murfreesboro.

5) He missed graduation because he was in Parchman prison. Lewis and other Freedom Riders had already experienced exceptional violence in Alabama when their bus drove through Mississippi in May 1961. Despite having a state trooper escort, the group was arrested when they arrived in Jackson. Lewis in particular was arrested while using a white mens room at the bus station. This arrest, one of 45 in Lewis lifetime, is immortalized in his most famous mugshot, one that shows him smirking mischievously. The Riders were kept on a prison farm for two weeks. Then they were transferred in the dead of night to the Souths most notorious prison  Parchman Farm Penitentiary. Lewis was held at Parchman for three weeks, during which time he was able to send a letter to the registrar at American Baptist Theological Seminary. He explained to the registrar that he wouldnt be attending commencement because, as he wrote in his memoir, there was no better place for me to be than right where I was.

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This is not an issue that needs to divide us, he said.

Case counts have also ticked in the state as a whole.

In the seven-day period that ended Friday, the state tallied 1,584 new cases, according to the state dashboard. That worked out to an average of 226 new cases a day over that period, up from an average of 159 cases a day for the preceding seven days. Previous weeks had ranged between 130 and 170 new cases a day on average.

On Tuesday, the state recorded 318 new cases. That was the largest single-day increase since late May. Nebraskas highest one-day count was 677 on May 7.

Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Centers College of Public Health, tweeted Thursday that he hopes that the uptick is noise and not a prelude to a surge like Texas has experienced.

But he said the state is at risk of a new surge until the virus is controlled, which he described as fewer than 97 new cases a day. He would consider the virus contained at a rate of fewer than 10 cases a day.
WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers and Department of Veterans Affairs officials clashed Thursday over the end to a decades-old practice allowing veterans service representatives to review decisions about benefits for accuracy before they're finalized.

While lawmakers said the practice saved time and aided veterans, VA officials contended it was "legally suspect" and "no longer appropriate."

The argument occurred during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs -- part of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. VA officials went to Capitol Hill to give their opinions on several measures, including one to reinstate the practice known as the "48-hour review process."

As outlined in a VA manual, representatives accredited by the VA had 48 hours to review new rating decisions on behalf of their clients. The decisions determine the level of compensation for service-connected injuries and illnesses.

The VA ended the practice at the end of April -- a decision that prompted blowback from veterans service organizations and the National Association of Attorneys General. Forty-two attorneys general sent a letter to the VA earlier this month, arguing the 48-hour review window was "critical" to the claims process.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, which employs about 300 representatives across the country, immediately argued that the change will lead to more problems  and paperwork  for veterans. The representatives check for inadvertent errors that could save veterans from having to file appeals or to request VA reviews.

Senate Democrats introduced legislation in May to reinstate the practice. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, introduced a companion bill in the House this week. Under the legislation, veterans service organizations, as well as attorneys and claims agents, would be permitted to review decisions before they are final.

After Thursday's discussion, the bill will go to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for consideration.

Allred, as well as Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., and representatives from VFW, Disabled American Veterans and the National Organization of Veterans' Advocates argued Thursday in favor of reinstating the 48-hour review.

"What the 48-hour review process is capable of and what it did for veterans is almost incalculable," said Shane Liermann, a leader with Disabled American Veterans. "It could correct something so much faster than the appeals process could. Veterans should not have to wait months or years to get their correct benefits they're entitled to right now."

Laurine Carson, deputy executive director of compensation service at the VA, defended the department's decision to eliminate the review.

The review process created a disparity between the veterans who were represented and those who weren't, Carson said. About 32% of veterans take advantage of the review process, she said.

Carson also argued the 48-hour review was more necessary when the claims process was done on paper, rather than electronically. In addition, reinstating the two-day review period back into the process would cause delays in payments to veterans, she said.

In written testimony provided to Congress, the VA said working the review into the claims process would invite "comments of all varieties" that would "delay every type of benefits determination."

The department estimated it would need tens of millions of dollars to implement the legislation. The mandate would require additional staff, new information technology and a new program office, the VA argued. The agency wrote that it would need at least $65 million the first year after the bill takes effect.

"We don't disagree that we want claims to be done well and accurately," Carson said. "But we do believe that with our national quality system, we have the mechanism that [veterans service organizations] can work with. We've taken nothing away as far as representation."

In response, Allred said the VA's opposition was "wholly inadequate" and "very hard to make sense of."

"These organizations that exist solely for the purpose of benefitting veterans have come to you, told you this decision would make it harder for them to get veterans the benefits they're owed," Allred said. "You're aware of that and did it anyway."
The Shiv Sena on Saturday praised BJP leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying that he has been effectively carrying out his role as a Leader of Opposition.

The ruling party also said that as Fadnavis has expressed satisfaction over the public health machinery in the state in the fight against Covid-19, it has boosted the morale of the government and the coronavirus patients.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis is as much young and dynamic as he was when he was the chief minister of the state. His recent statement has come to light in which he told a close party colleague that if tests coronavirus positive he should be admitted to a government hospital for treatment, the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana.

Although Fadnavis should be praised for this statement, he is being trolled, which is not right. We have time and again said that he has been doing a good job as a leader of opposition, it said.

The Sena said that Fadnavis has been touring the state to monitor the Covid-19 relief work and the health facilities and has expressed satisfaction over the work being carried out by the state government against coronavirus.

His statement that he should be admitted to a government hospital cannot be called a stunt. He has expressed confidence that the government health machinery will keep him safe if anything happens to him.

This confidence is a morale-booster for the government and the Covid-19 patients in the state and he should be praised for that, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.
The National Convention of the progressive Peoples Party (PPP) will tody elect its national officers.

The PPP had originally set June 27, 2020 to hold the convention but postponed it to today.



The event will see new crop of leaders taking over the administration of the party ahead of the 2020 general election.



National executive



A representative of the Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to introduce for acclamation the newly elected national officers.



The virtual meeting will also affirm the officers nominated for appointment as per the partys constitution, such as the executive director and the director of operations.





The PPP had over the past one month conducted the elections via electronic means, where the only person who went unopposed was the National Chairman, Nana Ofori Owusu.



Elected positions



The officers elected are Nana Ofori Owusu as National Chairman; Felix Ograh, Berlinda Bulley and Ban Saliah as First, Second and Third National Vice Chairpersons respectively.



The incumbent Communications Director, Paa Kow Ackon, is the new National Secretary, with Ms Abena Acheampomaah as Treasurer.



Presidential elections



The party will open nominations for the election of a presidential candidate on July 21, 2020 and close it on August 18, 2020.



It is unclear whether Dr Nduom, who has always been the partys flag bearer since the party was formed in 2012, will contest.



He is currently in the United States of America.



Virtual meeting



Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention will be held via zoom at the partys new headquarters located at Avenor Junction in Accra where 70 people, including selected media houses, will be present.



Unlike previous national conventions were the party executives and supporters congregated at a place, all regional chairpersons and their executives are to participate in the virtual meeting from their homes or convenient places while constituency executives will follow the proceedings via the partys social media platforms such as the partys facebook page and YouTube handle. It will also be broadcast on ATV/GNTV and a number of radio stations.



The Founder and Leader of the party, Papa Kwesi Nduom, and the National Chairman, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, who are currently held up in the United States of America (USA), will participate in the meeting via Zoom.



Hour-long



Per the schedule of activities, the meeting is expected to last one hour.



After the purpose of gathering, the EC representative is expected to officially declare the national officers as duly elected.



That will be followed by remarks by the newly elected chairman and followed by the closing prayer and departure.



Due to its determination to keep to the one-hour schedule, the party might not take goodwill messages from other political parties.



The Africa Liberal Network, of which the PPP is a member, will follow the programme on zoom.



Appointed positions



The National Committee has also appointed Mr Richard Nii Amarh as Executive Director; Mr Divine Nkrumah as the Director of Field Operations, with Mr Felix Mantey as Director of Communications, Mr Kofi Asamoah-Siaw as Director of Policy and Mr Kwaku Bio as Director of Research.



The National Committee also approved the appointment of Mr Faisal Abu as National Youth Co-ordinator and Jessica Manuel as National Women Co-ordinator.



All persons approved by the National Committee to occupy deputy positions shall be announced after the election. #Ghanavotes2020#

Source: Daily Graphic









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A fire has broken out at the Gothic gem of Nantes cathedral in France, CNN reported.

"I can confirm that we are not in the Notre Dame of Paris situation, rooftop is not affected," Fire Chief Laurent Ferlay told CNN affiliate BFM on Saturday.

"The damage is concentrated on the organ, which seems to be completely destroyed. Its platform is very unstable and could collapse," he said.

"After Notre-Dame, the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral, in the heart of Nantes, is in flames. Support to our firefighters who take all risks to save this Gothic gem of the city of the Dukes," French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.
Citywide, Oakland

Photo: Comedy Oakland

The Bay Area's shelter-in-place order has brought countless events usually held as in-person gatherings online. We're aiming to support local businesses in San Francisco and Oakland by highlighting five of these events each day.

Got a suggestion for an online event based in SF or Oakland? Email our events reporter, Teresa Hammerl.

Here's your San Francisco and Oakland online event calendar for Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19. Get an introduction to the benefits of meditation, join a family cartooning session or tune in to a comedy night.

San Francisco Zen Center Meditation Session

Photo: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco/Facebook

Learn how to meditate together with the San Francisco Zen Meditation Center. With this virtual session for beginners, you will be introduced to the benefits of meditation, which can help settle the body and mind amid the ups and downs of daily life.

Sitting in a balanced posture creates a steady calm that, with training, can become the way you meet whatever arises. Participants should wear loose, comfortable clothing and find a good place to sit, or lie down, at home.

When: Saturday, July 18, 10:30 a.m.

How to join: RSVP online

Price: $0  $25

Family Cartooning: Wondrous Warrior Women

Image: Asian Art Museum/Facebook

Later, head over to the Cartoon Art Museum for a session for creative kids and their grown-ups. Learn how to capture the power of Hera, the wisdom of Athena, and the skill of Artemis, using ancient family legends and personal determination to design and draw teams of powerful heroines.

No experience is necessary, and there's no special software to install  just click and join.

When: Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m.

How to join: No special software to install, just click and join. RSVP online

Price: $15 per child, $20 per adult

Elio Villafranca

Tune in for Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Elio Villafranca, who will talk about the creation of his latest suite entitled Cinque, celebrating the roots of the Afro diaspora in the Caribbean.

The music for this album was created to honor the story and bravery of Joseph Cinque, who became a symbol of the fight for freedom, not only in the U.S. but also in the Caribbean, for leading a revolt on the Spanish slave ship Amistad.

Story continues

Villafranca will also share research videos from his own personal archive, audio files, and live performance of some of the pieces composed for this suite.

When: Saturday, July 18, 4 p.m.

How to join: Via Zoom

Price: Free

Comedy Oakland

As the year gets crazier and crazier, many need laughter more than ever before. Comedy Oakland is here to help, by "zooming laughter to your living room" with livestreamed comedy sessions every weekend.

Organizers ask that you join with audio and video on, as this helps the comedians to see your faces and hear your laughter.

When: Saturday, July 18, 7 p.m.

How to join: Via Zoom

Price: Free, donations are welcome

July 19th Sunday Celebration Online

Kick off your Sunday with a community celebration hosted by Glide Church. Through shelter-in-place, to keep the congregation safe and to slow down the spread of COVID-19, the church is hosting its regular Sunday Celebration online. All are welcome to join.

When: Sunday, July 19, 9 a.m.

How to join: Via Facebook Live

Price: Free
" " California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses the press the day after winning the office in a recall election in October 2003. Carlo Allegri/ Getty Images

No, it isn't just your imagination. The steady stream of news reports and protests that have dominated the airwaves lately makes it clear that Americans have recall fever. Consider this: In 2011 and 2012, there were 11 recall elections for state legislators, mostly in Wisconsin. To give you some perspective, there have only been 36 recall elections for state legislators total since the first was held in 1913 [source: NCSL]. In 2010, 57 mayors across America faced recall elections -- more than twice the amount of mayoral recalls in 2009 [source: Holeywell].

Recalls have become a popular tool of grassroots activism in an age of extreme political divisiveness. The message is clear: if you don't like the mayor, the governor or the chairman of the local school board, you don't have to wait for the next election. Kick the bums out!

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A political recall is the process by which a public official is removed from office before his or her term is over. The recall process is designed to provide a check on the sovereign power of elected officials. If officials fail to represent the will of their constituency, then the voters have the power to take back their vote through a recall election.

Citizens can't recall federally elected officials like members of the U.S. Congress or the President. But at least 29 states have rules on the books for the recall of elected local officials like mayors, school board members and county commissioners, and 19 states allow for the recall of state elected officials like state legislators and governors [source: National Conference of State Legislators].

Every state that allows recalls has its own set of rules governing the recall process. Before a politician can be yanked from office, there are petitions to be signed, signatures to be certified and special elections to be organized. But before we get into the nitty-gritty details of the recall process, let's take a look at the colorful history of political recalls in the United States.
New Delhi:

Spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has released a message for the nation requesting everyone to not panic after demonetization of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes by the Narendra Modi-led government on Tuesday.

Statement from the spiritual leader said, "I request everyone not to panic. The demonetising of high value currency is good for the country. It will curb corruption, black money and terrorism.

"There is no need to worry. No one will lose their hard-earned money since the government has made provisions for exchanging the 500 and 1000 notes easily with other legal notes, Statement added.

It further said, "This move from the government will only impact those who have hoarded money illegally. The government is taking all efforts to see that the common man is not inconvenienced. In fact, this decision has brought a sigh of relief for all of us who have been fighting corruption all these years.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also applauded PM Modis bold step to curb black money. He said, "I congratulate the PM for taking this bold move and ushering in Artha Kranti."

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Samsung Health is definitely one of the more comprehensive apps on Android for tracking your various health and fitness-related activities, thanks to a robust set of features that the app contains.

But that robust set of features is about to be thinned out a little bit. A new report from SamMobile states that Samsung is looking to get rid of a few features from its Samsung Health app.

This likely includes the variations of Samsung Health that are available across different devices like its TVs, its phones, and other smart devices like wearables.

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Samsung will get rid of features from its Samsung Health app this month

According to the report Samsung will get rid of these features starting this month with a new update.

The features in question that are getting dropped are the weight, calorie, and caffeine tracking options. As noted these will be removed once the app update is pushed out to users. Although the update is supposed to be out sometime this month, there is no definitive date thats been mentioned yet.

Users of Samsung Health on their smartphones and wearables should keep an eye out for any updates though. Its already midway through July so there are just under a couple of weeks left before the month is over. Which means the update could happen anytime within those two weeks.

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Also worth noting is that only smartphones and wearables appear to have been mentioned at this time in regards to the update. So the version of the app on Smart TVs may still have access.

Samsung will eventually delete any data associated with these features

Not only is Samsung removing these three tracking features, but it will eventually remove the data associated with them too.

The alert it sent out to users mentions that any data related to calorie, weight, and caffeine tracking will be able to to be stored for a limited amount of time. Eventually though it will end up removing the ability to store that data since the features themselves can no longer be used or accessed.

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This means you may need to find another app to track those particular parts of your health and fitness. Or find another app that you can use to replace Samsung Health with entirely.

Officially these different tracking features will be removed with version 6.11 of the smartphone app, and version 4.1 of the wearables app. Double check on which version you have if youre worried about losing them with this next update.
Some 25 million Iranians have probably been infected with coronavirus, Hassan Rouhani has said, warning that an additional 30 to 35 million more could contract the infection in the coming months.

The president revealed the unprecedented figure  which would account for nearly a third of Irans population  in a televised speech in which he sought to ensure citizens of what is widely believed to be the hardest-hit country in the Middle East that the pandemic was being taken seriously.

Claiming that the countrys death toll sits at around 14,000, he cited a new study by the Iranian health ministry. Officials have not explained what their estimates are based on and the study has not been made public.

Lockdown restrictions were reimposed in Tehran on Saturday, with authorities placing a one-week ban on religious and cultural functions, closing boarding schools, cafes, indoor pools, amusement parks and zoos.

Twenty-two other cities and towns in the southwestern Khuzestan Province will also see restrictions tightened for three days, including in Behbahan, where police fired teargas into a crowd protesting over economic hardships on Thursday.

Iran has so far identified 270,000 cases and at least 13,979 deaths, and has seen daily death tolls spike to their highest levels in recent weeks. Health officials have reported 2,166 new cases and 188 deaths in the last 24 hours.

However, the official death toll remains based on cases where people died in coronavirus wards in hospitals, and it is believed that many more have died at home. Some families have reportedly asked doctors not to mention their loved ones died of the virus to avoid an associated stigma

A parliamentary report in April said Irans death toll is likely nearly double the officially reported figures. Given insufficient testing, the report said the number of people infected at the time was probably eight to 10 times higher than the reported figures.

In his speech on Saturday, Mr Rouhani said that more than 200,000 people had been hospitalised with Covid-19 and that the health ministry expected that number to soon be twice as many as we have seen in the last 150 days.

Before Iran reported its first cases of the virus in February, authorities denied it had reached the country for days, allowing the virus time to spread.

The nation marked the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with mass demonstrations and then held a parliamentary election in which authorities desperately sought to boost turnout.

Additional reporting by agencies
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.




Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has been finding her own way since she left the royal family. Ever since she married Prince Harry, shes had to abide by a certain set of rules and hasnt been free to do as she pleases. Though she is still married to Prince Harry, the two stepping down from their roles as senior royals has opened them both up to more opportunities and given them a lot more freedom. Now, Meghan has even used her maiden name again.

Meghan. Duchess of Sussex | ABC News/Frame Grab via Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle break away

Tensions had been reportedly running high in the royal family for a while. Harry even admitted to having issues with his brother, Prince William.

We dont see each other as much as we used to because we are so busy, he said in the documentary Harry and Meghan: An African Journey. But, you know, I love him dearly. You know, the majority of the stuff is probably  well, the majority of the stuff is created out of nothing. But, just as I said, as brothers, you know, you have good days and you have bad days.

After a particularly tumultuous year in the press, Meghan and Harry were ready to step away from the spotlight.

After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution, they captioned a photo on Instagram. We intend to step back as senior members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.

RELATED: Meghan Markle Holds Nothing Back in Speech Addressing George Floyds Murder

Unfortunately, the two werent able to work out a deal with the queen to become part-time working royals so they had to leave their positions altogether. Since then, the pair have been working on becoming financially independent, taking on speaking gigs, and signed with the Harry Walker Agency which represents the Obamas.

Meghan Markle using her last name

Meghan is formally still the Duchess of Sussex but for the first time since stepping down from her job as a working royal, she was credited by her maiden name.

While speaking at the Girl Up Summit, she was introduced as The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.

She had stopped using her maiden name in official capacities in 2018 when she married into the royal family. She is even listed as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex on her sons birth certificate, according to Insider. So, this is quite the deviation from the norm.

RELATED: Meghan Markle Is Completely Embarrassed by Jessica Mulroneys White Privilege Scandal, Source Reveals



What does this mean?

One could credit this naming to a slipping of the announcers tongue, however, she was also credited with her maiden name on Girl Ups YouTube video of the speech, so its clear that it wasnt an accident. It could have been the organizers decision to credit her with her maiden name. Meghan hasnt spoken on the decision, so its hard to know for sure.

Well have to wait to see how she refers to herself in future engagements to see if the use of Markle is back and here to stay.




Russia Categorically Denies Meddling in UK Elections, Warns of Negative Consequences for Relations

Sputnik News

09:51 GMT 17.07.2020(updated 11:00 GMT 17.07.2020)

On Thursday, London hurled a string of accusations at Moscow, accusing it of trying to interfere in the UK's 2019 general election, and of using hackers to try to steal British coronavirus vaccine research. The same day, a parliamentary intelligence committee promised to release a report on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Russia categorically rejects any claims about its alleged attempts to interfere in the elections of any country, including the UK, and warns that there will be "negative" consequences for bilateral relations between Moscow and London, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

"We consistently and categorically deny any possible involvement of Russia in interference in the elections of any country, including those of the UK. And we categorically reject any accusations regarding the 2019 elections in the UK," the spokesman said, speaking to reporters on Friday.

Peskov warned that "of course," London's latest claims "will negatively affect bilateral Russian-British relations. But it should be admitted that the British side can hardly do anything that would further aggravate the current state of bilateral relations."

On Thursday, just hours after a parliamentary intelligence committee promised that it would soon release a report on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2017 general election, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced that certain unnamed "Russian actors" 'almost certainly' tried to interfere in the December 2019 UK general election by leaking secret documents on a planned UK-US trade deal to Reddit.

The same day, Raab and Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) accused 'Moscow-linked cyber actors' of trying to steal British coronavirus vaccine research, an allegation which Russia immediately denied.

In his comments Friday, Peskov reiterated that Moscow "does not accept these accusations."

"We don't know who tried to hack the UK and what they were trying to hack, but Russia certainly had nothing to do with it. We ourselves constantly encounter similar attempts to carry out cybercrimes in relation to the computer databases of our institutions. Our institutions consistently defeat these attacks. This is a common problem, but we categorically disagree with the baseless allegations made against us," the spokesman said.

Asked specifically about whether the 'Cozy Bear' hacker group is connected with Russian intelligence, as claimed by the NCSC, Peskov said "we do not know what this group is and to whom it belongs."

On Thursday, the Russian Embassy in London dismissed the NCSC's coronavirus vaccine hacking claims as "propaganda," and said that the Russian side's previous attempts to establish contacts between UK cybersecurity officials and Russia's FSB-affiliated National Computer Incident Coordination Centre had been rebuffed.

Back and Forth 'Meddling' Claims

In his remarks Thursday, Foreign Secretary Raab pointed to an alleged Russian campaign to 'amplify online' illicitly acquired and leaked government documents on UK-US trade negotiations, citing the dissemination of a government report on Reddit which suggested that the state might sell off part of the National Health Service to US companies. During the 2019 election campaign, then-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn publicized the report and used it to attack the Tories and the Johnson government. The prime minister and his allies dismissed Corbyn's claims as "pure Bermuda Triangle"-style conspiracy theories, while the Labour politician insisted that the document and its revelations were "real."

In a separate development, the UK parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has promised to release a report on alleged 'Russian influence' operations during the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2017 general election in the coming days. The Johnson government's domestic critics have accused No 10 of deliberately delaying the publication of that report for months due to alleged embarrassing revelations for the Conservative Party. It remains unclear what if any new allegations the Committee's report will contain, although previous claims about a 'Russian social media influence campaign' on Facebook and Twitter were dismissed by both companies following lengthy internal investigations.

A Sputnik

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Lockdown stress? Iceland offers people to record screams, country to play it in open spaces

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, July 18: People around the world are coping up with the ongoing circumstances and trying to release stress in their own ways during the lockdown induced by the coronavirus infection.

While the globe sees deaths tend to 6 million number citizens have to be cautious about the restrictions imposed by their respective countries.

More stress, suffering for migrants as lockdown is extended

But it is not easy staying indoors all the time with little hopes of improvement during a pandemic. Long periods of lockdown have already taken a toll on people's mental health.

In a bid to help its citizen, Iceland's tourist board comes with an innovative idea which is encouraging people to scream to relieve pent up frustration. Even people from other countries also can scream into their device and the voice will be broadcast throughout the empty Icelandic countryside.

Looks like youve been through a lot. It looks like you need to let it out. It looks like you need Iceland. Record your scream from anywhere in the world at https://t.co/sTLs7Fafhi and well release it in Iceland. Youll feel better, we promise! #LetItOutIceland pic.twitter.com/YFoZeMIMNi  Inspired by Iceland (@iceland) July 15, 2020

"Screaming allows your amygdala to release the stress stored there and move forward," the 'Let it Out' campaign said on its website. The country has even installed seven such speakers.

The website shows yellow loudspeakers playing the screams of people from around the globe in front of the country's peaceful scenery like glaciers, caves and waterfalls. There is a button at the top of the site invites users to join in with the phrase, "Tap to scream."

"You've been through a lot this year and it looks like you need the perfect place to let your frustrations out," Promote Iceland says. "Somewhere big, vast and untouched. It looks like you need Iceland. Record your scream and we'll release it in Iceland's beautiful, wide-open spaces. And when you're ready, come let it out for real. You'll feel better, we promise", tweets the campaign.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

"Prolonged indoor living, loneliness, endless teleconferencing and disruption of daily life, as well as restrictions on travel between countries, have increased people's stress. The campaign is intended to highlight the advantages of Iceland as a destination", the promotion says.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18)  Some hotels in Metro Manila that will serve as temporary isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms are now ready for occupancy, an official said Saturday.

Among these are the Go Hotel in Timog Avenue and the Go Hotel in North EDSA, both in Quezon City.

The facilities have a total of 950 rooms which would be allotted to the local governments of Caloocan, Navotas and Malabon, COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon said in a special meeting with some Metro Manila mayors and other government officials.

Kailangan nalang po lagyan ng magbabantay, Dizon added, noting that the LGUs still need to deploy personnel to attend to the patients in the isolation sites.

Three more hotels in Metro Manila are being eyed as temporary isolation facilities.

Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday that ongoing efforts to transfer asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, as well as mild cases, to temporary treatment and isolation facilities were meant to decongest hospitals.

The move comes after some hospitals in the National Capital Region reported that they can no longer accept coronavirus patients as all of their COVID-19 beds are currently occupied.

Dizon also noted that operational quarantine facilities at the World Trade Center and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium have no more available space for new patients
New York, July 18 : US schools scrambling to finalise hybrid reopening plans for the Fall session are largely silent on what to do if even a single person in the school community actually gets sick with Covid-19 even as millions of students are learning this week that they are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the Fall as the coronavirus death toll reached record highs across the country.

As the chaos spirals out of control, the White House has blocked top officials of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from testifying next week before the US Congress on reopening schools. All this is happening at a time when US death toll crossed the 139,000 mark Friday with more than 3.6 million people sickened by the virus. The US death rate has been steadily ticking upwards from the high 30s to 42 deaths per 100,000 population.

Fearful of schools becoming petri dishes for Covid-19, the Los Angeles and San Diego school districts, the two largest in California with a combined K-12 student population of about 720,000, announced they won't bring students back to classrooms next month because of rising hospitalizations and infection rates.

In Texas, public schools covering 5 million children got the green light to stay closed well into the fall, with online-only instruction for up to the first eight weeks. Chicago, the third largest school system in the US, is tentatively planning to have two days a week of in-person lessons and three days of remote learning. Most schools have informed parents that final decisions will be announced sometime in August.

In New Jersey, school superintendents have begun circulating letters preparing the community for "difficult decisions" based on guidance from the state, Centers for Disease Control, and local officials. "Our first priority is the health of our children, staff, and community as we work to develop the best options for our schools", said a letter from a Union County school system in New Jersey.

Schools are finding themselves in the middle of an intensely politicised debate as parents and educators weigh the risks of in-person classes. Doctors are waving red flags on reopenings saying they are learning more each day about the virus' behaviour in children and the patterns are grim.

Wherever reopening protocols have been finalised, one crucial piece is largely missing: What happens if anyone in the school community contracts Covid-19? The federal government is offering no clear paths forward except to keep repeating that schools must reopen. Public health experts are warning of dire consequences if school reopenings go against the mandated guidelines. America's top infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci has said this should be a hyper local decision based on the infection patterns at the county level.

Part-time school with staggered schedules and face coverings for all or a fully online curriculum are the two broad categories of the currently raging debate after the Donald Trump White House inserted itself into the issue over a week ago. Online petitions, mudslinging and surveys are flying thick and fast across America's school districts, the cultural divides are stark and the bad news is unstoppable.

Some parents have threatened to pull their children from school if masks are required, others are ready to go for a full gap year if schools are not willing to offer online-only education.

"My child's life is more precious. If he has to forgo a year of school, so be it", Uttara Kumar, mother of a middle schooler in New York's Battery Park area, told IANS.

At least 13 plans from policy organisations are floating around in the public domain and run into many pages each of detailed guidance on everything from cleaning protocols to desk spacing but at best vague on what to do in a real emergency and what happens next.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said this week that "science should not stand in the way of" schools fully reopening for the upcoming academic year. McEnany's comments come as the Trump administration has pushed for schools to fully open for students five days per week.

Trump's push to reopen schools is largely seen as a gamble to win white suburban voters, especially women whose support was flagging, who could return to work and are cracking under the pressure of homeschooling and child care.

Trump's moves have largely been met with defiance. A majority of polls show that voters are opposed to the Trump administration demand that K-12 schools be opened for in-person instruction. These are the same polls where 7 in 10 Americans say the country is out of control.
Protests persisted in Portland, Oregon Tuesday night as federal law enforcement officers in camouflage again discharged tear gas in response to ongoing civil unrest following the May 25 death of Minneapolis man George Floyd.

Why it matters: While most of the U.S. has seen a slowdown in demonstrations after weeks of Black Lives Matter protests, Portland has shown continued momentum for the cause.

The state of play: Following criticism the Trump administration's action in Portland amid reports that federal law enforcement officers in unmarked vehicles detained Portland protesters without explanation, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said federal agents "will not retreat" from the city.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon called for an inspector general investigation into those reports Friday. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said Friday night that her office opened a criminal investigation into the events that surrounded one protester's injuries. She filed another suit in Federal District Court in pursuit of a restraining order, accusing federal agents of unlawful tactics.

A look at the scene:

Federal officers operate amid tear gas while clearing the street in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on in Portland, Oregon, on July 21. Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Protesters chat gathered in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 20. Photo: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Protesters in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 18. Photo: Ankur Dholakia/AFP via Getty Images

Protestors gather en masse to express outrage over federal interference on July 18. Photo: Ankur Dholakia/AFP via Getty Images

Federal officers preparing to disperse a crowd of protestors on July 18. Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images

A protester spray painting in front of the the U.S. District Court building on July 18. Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images

Protesters stationed outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 18. Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images

Tear gas being deployed on the steps of the U.S. District Court building on July 18. Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images
Black Lives Matter protests took place across the world on Saturday, including in central London where Oxford Circus was blocked by activists.

The global movement against racial injustice continues nearly nine weeks after the death of Minnesota resident George Floyd who died at the hands of police brutality in the United States.

On a warm afternoon in London, demonstrators held up signs and chanted in the streets, with some wearing face masks to protect themselves in London.

Black Lives Matter protests took place across the world on Saturday, including in central London (pictured)

The Black Lives Matter activists in the English capital were joined by a pro-Palestine movement (pictured) opposing Israel's annexation plan in the West Bank

Protestors wore face masks (pictured)during the march due to the coronavirus pandemic across the world

The Black Lives Matter activists in the English capital were joined by a pro-Palestine movement opposing Israel's annexation plan in the West Bank.

The two separate movements came together peacefully and ended up blocking Oxford Circus in the heart of London's shopping bubble.

Black Lives Matter protests also took place in France as thousands of people gathered in a town outside Paris in honour of 24-year-old Malian-French man Adama Traore, who died due to police brutality four years ago this week.

Traore died in the town of Val-d'Oise on 19 July 2016 after being restrained and apprehended by police and fainted on the way to a police station where he later died.

Protests also took place in march for the four-year anniversary of the death of Adama Traore

Traore died in the town of Val-d'Oise on 19 July 2016 after being restrained and apprehended by police and fainted on the way to a police station where he later died

Adama's sister, Assa (pictured middle), gave a rallying speech during the march, saying: 'No man, no person should die like that, at that age'

Thousands of activists marched through the same town on Saturday in a event organised by an Adama support group and environmental group Alternatiba fighting against social inequality.

The march comes as French judges ordered a new medical inquiry to study the cause of Traore's death, with members of the victim's family calling for the officers who restrained the 24-year-old charged with voluntary homicide.

Adama's sister, Assa, gave a rallying speech during the march, saying: 'No man, no person should die like that, at that age.'

Family members of other victims of alleged police violence spoke at the event, as crowds were heard chanting, 'I can't breathe' - the words Mr Floyd ushered during his police struggle in Minnesota.

In Germany, meanwhile, thousands of protestors took to the streets of Berlin to take part in a demonstration named 'Solidarity takes no summer break'.

Activists held up placards in the march to 'denounce racism and police brutality' across the world.

Around 1500 participants marched from the Victory Column in the German capital to the JVA Moabit prison.

In Berlin, housands of protestors took to the streets of Berlin to take part in a demonstration named 'Solidarity takes no summer break'
South Africa Super Rugby teams back in training on Monday

South Africas Super Rugby franchises will be allowed to start training next week, officials confirmed as things move a step closer to a return to the playing field after a frustrating four months.

The game has been suspended in the country since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with South African Rugby having to sit idle as domestic competitions took flight in New Zealand and Australia.

"This is an important first step back to playing, and we have taken it carefully to ensure full compliance and having thoroughly interrogated the regulations with government," SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said in a statement.

"Contact training will not be permitted for the moment but the players will be allowed back onto the field with a rugby ball and back into the gym  while observing strict protocols in both areas  which comes as a great relief to the sport."

Only the eight teams that are likely to feature in a domestic competition later this year will train  Super Rugby franchises the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers, PRO14 teams Southern Kings and Toyota Cheetahs, and provincial Currie Cup outfits Griquas and Pumas.
HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is easing its COVID-19 restrictions to allow visitors back inside nursing homes.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nova Scotia's provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Friday July 3, 2020. Nova Scotia is easing some visitor restrictions in long-term care homes, but is making masks mandatory on public transportation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is easing its COVID-19 restrictions to allow visitors back inside nursing homes.

Premier Stephen McNeil said Friday the restrictions were put in place to protect some of the most vulnerable people in the province, but it's time to bring back some normalcy to the lives of those in long-term care.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang said residents in long-term care will be able to have more visitors starting July 22.

"We are moving from two up to five visitors per resident for outdoor visits," he said at a news conference in Halifax.

"Visitors will need to keep physical distance or wear a mask. So if they want to go in and have a hug or put a hand on a shoulder, they can do that, but they need to wear a mask, otherwise they need to stay back that six-foot distance."

Strang said up to three people can be designated as indoor visitors, but they can only visit one at a time and must book in advance.

Strang used much of the news conference to stress the importance of wearing a mask in controlling the spread of COVID-19.

He announced the province is making masks mandatory for drivers and passengers on public transit as of July 24.

"The reality is there are very few valid reasons not to wear a non-medical mask. They are mainly related to anxiety," Strang said.

While masks will be mandatory on buses, Strang said the province won't be taking a "policing approach" to enforce their use.

He did say the province is looking at examples from other locations and could extend the mandatory mask order to other locations and situations.

Nova Scotia reported no new cases of COVID-19 Friday. There are still two active cases in the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2020.

 By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton.
Rooftop solar power, an idea whose time has come in Vietnam

An increasing number of companies are installing rooftop solar systems at their factories to save power costs.

Industrial land developer Sonadezi Corporation recently announced it would begin installing solar panels with a total capacity of 50 MWp at its industrial parks this year.

In June it began installation at two of its parks in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

In Ho Chi Minh City, textile and garment producer Viet Thang is installing 10 MWp of solar panels at its factories.

Dong Nai Port in the namesake province began operating a one MWp solar panel this month, while factory leasing firm Tan Can Can in the southern province of Binh Duong will have its 2.5 MWp rooftop solar system generating power from next month.

These are among the growing number of businesses that have installed rooftop solar panels or plan to as the government seeks to reduce reliance on coal-fired power plants and boost renewables.

Over 17,100 customers have installed solar panels, 3,000 of them businesses, according to national utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN).

Nationally, rooftop solar capacity rose by 82 percent in the first six months of the year to 782 MWp, it said.

Industry insiders said it is estimated that a company could reduce its monthly electricity bills by 30-40 percent by using solar power.

Some 70-80 percent of rooftop solar power is used for the business needs, and the rest could be sold to EVN at a price of 8.38 U.S. cents per kWh.

As this incentive price could be reduced next year, many businesses are scrambling to complete the installation this year.

Another reason is that the cost of installation has dropped by 80 percent from VND60-70 million ($2,600-3,000) in 2013, and more and more companies are providing installation services.

"We also benefit from the lower temperature in the factory thanks to the solar panels on the rooftop," said Nguyen Duc Khiem, chairman of Viet Thang.

Others said using renewable energy is one way they could promote their brands, especially in Europe and the U.S., where customers are interested in green energy.

Luu Hoang Ha, chairman of Nami Solar, said some buyers from the E.U. and the U.S. require Vietnamese textile and footwear producers to meet certain criteria in terms of sustainable energy development.

But some hurdles remain. For instance, authorities have not determined standards for solar power equipment, which means users do not have a reference point for quality.

Prices are up to 50 percent different between companies, while some users have complained about equipment malfunction within three years though solar panels often have a life span of 25 years.

Tran Thanh Hai, deputy CEO of Sonadezi, said there also needs to be regulations on how solar panels should be disposed of at the end of their lifespan to ensure minimum damage to the environment.
In fact, Gaylor Baird said the mask mandate is key to keeping businesses open and boosting economic recovery and to allowing schools to reopen.

No other restrictions, such as restricting restaurant occupancy or closing bars, are being implemented at this time. Instead, health officials have focused on educating businesses.

"It is our hope this one new action will prevent us from having to pursue these further actions," she said.

In Omaha, Chris Rodgers, president of the Douglas County Board of Health, said the county health department does not have the authority to pass a new directed health measure without the governor's approval.

But Rodgers said in a statement that the health board is ready to pass a resolution asking all cities in Douglas County to pass a mask ordinance based on the increase in COVID-19 cases in the county over the past 10 days, the increased positive rate for the last week and high levels of community spread.

The Lincoln-Lancaster department's move also has support within the city's business, education and medical communities.
Patience and love will bring wonderful things in life."

This is the motto of Nguyen Thi Thuy, a teacher of the Binh Khe 1 Primary School in Dong Trieu Town, the northern province of Quang Ninh, for teaching students with autism.

Nguyen Thi Thuy in her class.  Photo baoquangninh.com.vn

Thuy also has a child with autism so she understands the feelings of parents of autistic children.

With the vehement belief that autistic children can study and have normal lives, Thuy has spent five years working with autistic children.

Thuy uses all her love and experience to take care of and teach them.

Better than anyone, I understand parents worries while having children with autism so I always pay a lot of care to the children, love them and consider them as my own children, said Thuy.

My love and patience have been repaid with their improvement day by day, she said.

Thuy was assigned to work at Binh Khe 1 Primary School in 2012.

So far, she has spent five years teaching and caring for children with disabilities and autism.

With her help, five students with autism have integrated and can now study in regular classes. They can read, write and do mathematics well.

To learn how to teach autistic students, Thuy bought books and documents to study. She also went to centres for children with autism to learn from their experience.

Thuy always spends lots of time talking to and playing with children with autism, keeping a close watch on them to understand them better and help them be more self-confident.

Thuy prepares different lessons for different autistic students to suit their abilities.

Thuy said children with disabilities and autism often have an inferiority complex and understand lessons slower than others.

So besides teaching, the teacher must encourage and support them.

When the students are tired or cannot urinate by themselves, the teacher will also have to help them.

Thuy said to have suitable teaching methods for each student, the teacher should understand their character and guide their parents to help the students practise at home, as well as have suitable meals for them.

Thuy also regularly talks to other students in the school who aren't autistic to create an inclusive environment.

Le Thi Thu Huong, principal of Binh Khe 1 Primary School, said Thuy had been an outstanding teacher.

She always paid special care to poor students and students with disabilities and autism, said Huong.

Thuy is creative and always searches for different measures to connect students with disabilities, their families and the school.

She was close to them, loved them and enthusiastically helped them integrate and study, said Huong.

Thuy received a certificate of merit from the Quang Ninh Province Peoples Committee for her work supporting people with disabilities and autism in 2015-18.

Seeing the students make progress day by day, know how to read, write and do mathematics, Im very happy. Its the motivation for me to continue my path with hope that they will develop in the best way, she said. VNS

Japanese teacher breaks barriers with autistic Vietnamese children Ito Mai, a 40-year-old Japanese teacher for children with autism in the central city of Da Nang, starts each day with a special cup of coffee.
Traders in the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region have been urged to observe highest hygienic standards to avoid selling contaminated food to the public.



They have also been urged to strictly adhere to the coronavirus protocols to prevent them from contracting and spreading the virus.



The Environmental Health Officer of the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly, Joseph Quarcoo gave the advice yesterday when the assembly handed over a 24-unit bio-gas toilet facility with 10 bathrooms and urinals to traders at the Borkye International Market near the Redco flats in the municipality.



The GH250,000 facility constructed by IFLUSH Ghana Limited is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between the assembly and the company aimed at promoting good sanitary conditions in and around the market.



The market handed over to the traders last year without a place of convenience had become a bother to the assembly as some traders and squatters used unoccupied portions of the market as places of convenience.





According to Mr Quarcoo, the municipality has become the central point of trading in the region hence the need for the adopting of strict hygienic practices in the handling of food stuff.



He explained that the environmental sanitation policy of government directs that such facilities are built and operationalised with significant participation of the private sector hence the desire to provide the traders with the standard sanitary facility to give the public the confidence to continue doing business in the area.



We are entering the major rainy season while COVID-19 is also causing its own trouble, it therefore behooves the residents to abide by all rules governing good sanitary, COVID-19 protocols by wearing the nose masks, use of sanitisers and regular washing of hands under running water to be safe from the pandemic, he added.



Mr Quarcoo appealed to the traders to put the facility to good use to serve the purpose of its construction.



The Operations Manager of IFLUSH Ghana Limited, Daniel Lovejoy Osei-Aboma said the facility would support the fight against open defection for a cleaner environment.



He indicated that the structure would later be upgraded to produce bio-gas for both domestic and commercial purposes and urged individuals and organisations that have parcels of land for public toilet to partner with the company to construct the facilities to end open defecation.



The Borkye Market Queen, Naa Oduna warned the traders against open defecation and warned that anyone caught would not be spared.



She also appealed to the government to provide the traders with a hostel to attract more traders to the market.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









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Featured Video
A conservative radio show host lost her job after she filmed herself telling landscapers to speak English.

Dianna Ploss, a supporter of Donald Trump and conservative talk radio host in New Hampshire, filmed herself berating a man for speaking Spanish while he was working.

Ms Ploss was on the way to her radio station when she overheard a landscaper speaking Spanish. She began filming herself and started harassing the workers.

"It's America. You should be speaking English," Ms Ploss said. "Is anybody here illegal? Are these guys illegal?"

She continued to berate the workers, and claimed the local government was engaged in "communism".

"Your tax dollars up here in New Hampshire, that's what's going on here," Ms Ploss said. "So now they have people who don't speak English who are putting in this stuff that taxpayers are paying for and look what they're doing. This is communism."

At one point during the video, a man stops to ask Ms Ploss why she's harassing the workers. Ms Ploss calls him a "social justice warrior" for wearing a face mask and directs her response towards her viewers.

"He's a black man, and he's going to protect the brown man from this white woman who's practising white privilege because she happened to walk by and heard this guy talking to all of these guys doing this work in Spanish," she said.

The broadcasting company Ms Ploss worked for issued a statement on Sunday announcing she was no longer associated with the company.

"Dianna Ploss is no longer associated or affiliated in any way with WSMN or Bartis-Russell Broadcasting, LLC. We at WSMN value freedom of speech, freedom of expression and assembly.

"We will not tolerate discrimination, racism or hatred. We continue to present and offer on-air opportunities for discussion, education and the exchange of opinions and ideas," the statement said.

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. 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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

Ms Ploss recorded a new harangue after losing her job. In the footage captured on Monday, she stood in front of a cardboard cut-out of Mr Trump and a poster that read "MA 4 Trump 2020" while she made ominous promises and referred to herself in the third-person.

"You have not silenced Dianna Ploss. I am not going away," Ms Ploss said. "Patriots, we have a country to save." The radio host lamented the "commies" and "leftists" who were trying to "shut us down" and "destroy our country" during her response.

She tried to paint her situation as ridiculous and cast herself as the victim of leftist mob mentality gone mad.

"So, if you want people in America to speak English, that makes you a racist," she said, apparently incredulous.

The men harassed by Ms Ploss posted a statement on their company's Facebook page thanking the community for supporting them after the video was shared widely online.

"The numerous phone calls, social posts, emails, voice messages and overall kind words are extremely encouraging and heartfelt," Tom Morin, the owner of the landscaping company, wrote. "I believe that we can all take immense pride in how quickly the community rallied to demonstrate that this type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
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MASK, MASK, MASK. Wear it and wear it properly each time you leave your home. If you are really interested in playing a part in helping Kingdom beat this deadly pandemic, says a new report from the universitys Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

Widespread use of masks, the new report says, has the potential to change the course of the pandemic and prevent a second wave from happening. This work supports the growing scientific consensus that cloth masks, whether homemade or commercial, can reduce respiratory virus infections by 33 per cent and slow community spread of COVID-19.

Dont follow this and we would end up raising the death toll in Bahrain from Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to 253 or more by November 1, says the University of Washington model. As of now, we have over 120 causalities to the deadly virus, thanks to the strong precautionary measures. This projection assumes that the current pattern of easing social distancing mandates continues and no new mandates imposed.

However, the death toll could be reduced by 37 per cent to 159, if nearly all of the residents and expatriates here wore masks in public, IHME confirms. This reduction would happen only if 95 pc of the population here always wore a mask when they were in public, the report suggests.

So, if we do nothing and continue to flout the restrictions, the daily death rate in the Kingdom will continue to increase and reach up to 10 per day. Wear the masks and follow the precautionary measures religiously, the rate would come down to less than 1. What matters here most is our way of life in society and our choices.

The report also shows how people wont following social distancing measures will contribute to increasing the infection rate here. Daily infections IHME projects the daily infection and testing will touch 2,093, with ongoing easing and failure to follow precautionary measures by November 1. Wear face masks, and we could bring that number down to 171 per day, IHME says.

The report also projects how the increases are going to affect the hospital resources here. With no change in social behaviours, the report which identifies Bahrain as having 41 ICU beds and 992 beds in hospitals, requires to add up to 88 ICU beds and up to 451 beds in hospitals.

Invastive ventillators The Kingdom, IHME projects, would also requires up to 76 invasive ventilators by November 1, unless masks are worn properly, and social distancing measures a r e practised religiously. The report which points out that the mask use has increased dramatically globally reminds that its yet to reach a desirable level, citing the increases in reproductive number (R-value) as recently as two weeks ago.

Need R-value less than 1 If R-value is greater than 1, every person infected with COVID-19 will produce more than one additional infected person. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R needs to be less than 1.

IHME, as per this calculation, warns, several countries in the Middle East, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as Turkey and Iran, also had R values greater than 1 as recently as two weeks ago. The IHMEs projections have been cited in the past by the White House and are watched closely by public health officials.

So, as the report proves, the little covering over our nose is the key to saving many lives around us, until scientists provide an effective cure. Practise wearing mask and practice wearing it on the face. Remember, it should be on the nose, not on your neck, to help reduce the spread of the pandemic.
It was a simple drug bust but how Meghalaya Police informed about it on Twitter has caught the public eye. The state's police recently caught a truck carrying about 500 kgs of marijuana. Later, the law enforcement agency took to Twitter and used a tweet filled with puns.

Here's what it says:

Weed like to inform the general public that, of all the Essential items permitted in the times of

, Marijuana ain't one of them. Sorry for our bluntness, but that's just how we roll!" the post from Meghalaya Police said, thanking the Ribhoi Police for successfully carrying out the bust.

The tweet, that was posted hours ago, has garnered over 1800 likes and over 700 retweets and counting.

Law enforcement agencies of different states have been using interesting, creative tweets to get people's attention on public safety issues.

Mumbai Police leads the pack as it consistently comes up with tweets that capture people's attention and go viral.

Earlier this year, Pune Police had also come up with an interesting tweet while issuing a challan to a traffic rule violator.

Bangalore Police also came up with cheeky reply to someone's query on dry days during if Section 144 is imposed.

In a similar style, Assam Policy, sent out a tweet on July 4th last year, asking if anyone had lost their cannabis/weed: "Anyone lost their Cannabis/Ganja and a truck in and around Chagolia Checkpoint last night... don't worry we found it", the police handle tweeted.

As far as the incident is concerned, the police acted on a tip they received where a vehicle was flagged off from Silchar at Byrnihat sometime close to midnight.

As per the police report, around 456 kilos of smuggled marijuana have been recovered, said Ri Bhoi SP Nazarius Lamare, the Sentinel Digital reported , adding that the lockdown enforced in Assam-bordering areas could be one of the ways that led to police finding the illegal shipment of marijuana.
The Electoral Commission (EC), has dismissed two registration officials in the Savannah Region for allegedly illegally registering residents in a community in Tamale.



The Commission said it had also commenced investigations into the alleged illegal activity of the two temporary officers to ensure that they faced the full rigors of the law.



In a statement issued by the Commission and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, the Commission expressed concern over the acts of misconduct on the part of two temporary Registration Officials.



The Commission is currently working with the Security Agencies to ensure that the suspects are made to face the full rigorous of the law, the statement said.



Meanwhile, it said the said the Registration Kit used for the alleged illegal registration remained in police custody.



The Commission assured the general public that it would not shield any staff, temporal or permanent, who would find themselves on the wrong side of the law.



It called on the general public to expose acts, which were aimed at undermining the integrity of the 2020 Voters Registration Exercise.

Source: GNA









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The Minsk agreements remain the only basis for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

This is said in the EU statement on Russias ongoing aggression against Ukraine and illegal occupation of Crimea, which was made public at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"The Minsk agreements remain the only basis for a peaceful settlement, ensuring respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders," the statement says.

The European Union noted that Russia, as a party to the Minsk agreements, claims responsibility for a stable political settlement of the conflict and the implementation of these agreements.

"We call on the Russian Federation to fulfill its obligations through constructive dialogue within the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy format," the statement notes.

The report also recalls that the EU economic sanctions against certain economic sectors of the Russian Federation are tied to Russia's full implementation of the Minsk agreements.

In this regard, the EU called on Russia to use its great influence on the armed formations that it backs in order to fully comply with the Minsk commitments.

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A Trenton man was killed in a shooting in the city Friday night, marking the citys 21st homicide of the year, authorities said.

Police received calls of shots fired at 8:53 p.m. and responded to the area of South Broad Street, Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor Kathleen Petrucci said in a statement. When officers arrived, they found a man in the middle of the street with gunshot wounds, the statement said.

The man, who was identified as city resident Luis Gonzalez, 37, was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead, the statement said.

The Friday night shooting is the latest round of violence in Trenton, coming two days after the last fatal shooting in the city.

Early Wednesday morning, Trenton police found Jahson Phillips, 23, in Niagara Alley in the West Ward, suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. Philips died a short time later at a city hospital, the Mercer County Prosecutors Office said.

On July 8, two Trenton men were found fatally shot in a car, the prosecutors office said.

The capital city has seen an increase in homicides this year compared to previous years. In 2019, the city had 15 murders and 16 in 2018, according to New Jersey State Police statistics. The citys numbers are on trend to be the highest in the last few years, with 21 homicides reported in 2016 and 23 in 2017.

The county homicide task force and Trenton Police are investigating the shooting and ask anyone with information to call (609)989-6406 or email mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com.
The Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) supports the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, the two MLAs of the regional party said in a joint press conference with state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara on Saturday.

BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president and other leaders have agreed on extending support to the Gehlot government on the condition that demands related to development of the state are fulfilled.

The party had on Monday issued a whip asking Roat and Ramprasad to be neutral and neither support the Congress nor the BJP. It had also told them to neither support Chief Minister Gehlot nor Sachin Pilot in case of a floor test in the assembly.

"BTP MLAs and their party leaders held discussions with the chief minister. They were already with us and have reassured their support to the Ashok Gehlot government," Dotasara said at the press conference outside a hotel on the Delhi highway where the Congress has kept MLAs amid the political crisis.

The MLAs were shifted to Hotel Fairmont on Monday soon after a Congress legislature party meeting, where Congress lawmakers expressed support for Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Pilot, whose rebellion threatens the state government. Pilot was stripped of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted informing about the support by the BTP. He tweeted a photo with the BTP's MLAs and office bearers giving him a demand letter, and said that they have announced to support the government.

"We had supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections (last month) on the condition that our demands related to the development of our areas will be met. We have again held discussions with the chief minister on those demands and we have been assured that the demands will be fulfilled," BTP MLA Roat said. He said that the BTP president had issued a whip directing them to stay neutral but now the party is in support of the government.

Roat, who recently issued two videos alleging that policemen were not allowing him to go from his Jaipur MLA residence to his constituency in Dungarpur district, said it happened due to misunderstanding by the police.

"I do not know what they had in mind. They said it was a misunderstanding. It's okay now," he said.

In the videos, one police inspector was seen taking away the keys from his car, which was surrounded by two police vans.

Ramprasad said that the BTP is against any attempt to topple an elected government. "We are into issue-based politics. Toppling an elected government by BJP is not fair," he said, while reaffirming support to the Gehlot government.

In the house of 200, Congress has 107 MLAs, including 19 of those who have been issued notices of disqualification by the assembly speaker on complaint by chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

The party claims that the Gehlot government has 109 MLAs, including Congress, independents and other supporting party legislators, in its support to run the government.

(With inputs from agencies)
Iran's decision to keep India out and welcome China to the scene is a huge strategic setback for India, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.

IMAGE: In 2017, India sent its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port in Iran. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter

When the news of Iran shunting India out from the key Chabahar port rail project, citing that India was delaying funding and other associated aspects surfaced, the strategic community in India quickly saw a hidden Chinese plot behind this.

Seen from a larger perspective, one cannot miss reading the ever-expanding Chinese footprint on Iran's decision if one joins the dots of China's other expansionist activities in many sectors of Asia and against the background of the impending China-Iran deal involving a colossal package worth $400 billion, to be spread over the next two decades-and-a-half.

Understandably, this unexpected development that came four years after India and Iran had reached an agreement to construct the 628 km rail line along the Iran-Afghanistan border was a clear surprise.

Though Iran has left the door open for India to join at a later date, while deciding to fund and develop the rail link under the second phase of the Chabahar port on its own, the Iranian decision is a huge strategic setback to India-Iran ties.

As part of the deal, India had developed the first phase of the project to modernise Chabahar port, and now operates it.

India was also to be part of the second phase from Chabahar port to Zahedan, but was constrained to go slow due to sanctions imposed by Unted States President Donald J Trump after annulling the nuclear deal signed by the Obama administration.

India had to strike a delicate balance between its ties with the US and Iran and preferred to go slow despite Iranian push.

Given China's aggressive push to expand its influence globally by either flexing its military muscle and intimidate its smaller Asian neighbours on territorial issues and by digging historical claims with no legal basis or by offering money on concessional terms with tougher conditions with intentions to create debt trap and thereby economic domination, its latest warming of ties with Iran has the same imprint.

It is a matter of regret that Iran has failed to see China's hidden agenda and been trapped to its design by negotiating a large economic package and junking the high-profile, big-ticket and much-touted project it signed with one of its oldest allies, India.

That China pulled the strings behind the scene cannot be doubted.

IMAGE: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inaugurates the first phase of Chabahar port, December 3, 2017. Photograph: Kind courtesy president.ir

As per available reports, Iran has already inaugurated the track-laying process.

The line, which as per the plan will eventually reach Zaranj in Afghanistan, is supposed to be completed by March 2022.

Indian public companies, IRCON and Rites, were awarded the second phase of the project to develop the rail link connecting the south-eastern port city of Chabahar to Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan-Baluchestan region, and from Zahedan to Sarakhs at the border with Turkmenistan.

This strategic transit is part of Iran's International North-South Transit Corridor, which will significantly reduce the traditional trade routes between the markets of India and the European and Commonwealth of Independent States countries.

The link was intended to boost the Iranian economy.

With India out for now, China shall have a free rein to make its own space and expand its larger strategic designs.

The Chabahar pact was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi's visit to Iran in 2016.

The primary objective was to set up a new trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia -- a transit and transportation corridor.

As per the tie-up between the Indian Railways Construction Ltd. (IRCON) and Iranian Railways as part of a trilateral project among Iran, Iran and Afghanistan, India had promised to provide $1.6 billion for 'all services, superstructure work and financing'.

Iran now announces it will pool $400 million from the Iranian National Development Fund to go ahead with the rail line without Indian help.

It was not that India had shown lack of commitment to its obligations.

In fact, Indian engineers visited the site many times to start its work on the second phase of expansion.

However, things slowed down after Trump imposed sanctions and India was apprehensive of possible US reprisals and halted the project.

This, despite the US had agreed to a waiver for the Chabahar port and the rail line.

This was because IRCON feared that equipment suppliers and project partners would not be able to meet their requirements, thereby adversely impacting the project's execution.

China judged the situation and quickly took advantage to enter the scene and exploited Iran's vulnerability by offering an attractive economic package that Iran could not refuse.

As per the deal China entered with Iran, China will assist Iran in Chabahar's duty free zone, an oil refinery nearby and possibly a larger role in Chabahar port as well.

Promises of investment in infrastructure development, manufacturing and upgrading energy and transport facilities, refurbishing ports, refineries and other installations would bind Iran in such a way that it would be difficult for it to get out if it wishes to do at a future date.

The Chinese stranglehold on Iran and its economy would have been enhanced a great deal, a typical strategy it has adopted with many African countries in executing its BRI projects.

The deal also commits Iran to supplying oil and gas to China for the whole duration, thereby Iran falling into Beijing's trap.

The possibility of Iran leasing out the Chabahar port to China at a later date cannot be ruled out. If that happens, China would have extended its strategic reach to the Pakistan-Iran coast.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi inspects a guard of honour at the Saadabad palace in Tehran, May 23, 2016. Photograph: pmindia.gov.in

Since Iran has said that India is still welcome to join the project, how India will play its cards -- should it circumvent US sanctions and compete with China in the same project? -- remains to be seen.

Earlier, China had refrained from commenting when India and Iran launched the Chabahar port, though it noticed the project's strategic importance as it allowed India to trade directly with Afghanistan, besides rivalling Pakistan's Gwadar port.

It also reflected the growing convergence of interests among India, Iran and Afghanistan.

Chabahar Port in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nation's southern coast is easily accessible from India's western coast and was increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar port, developed with Chinese investment, which is located around 80 km from Chabahar.

Chabahar port was being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with Central Asian countries besides ramping up trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi.

Iran's decision to keep India out and welcome China to the scene is a huge strategic setback for India.

Iran's strategic worldview showed signs of change after tensions between the US and Iran increased after Trump annulled the nuclear deal and imposed sanctions.

It was then that Iran reached out to China.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has made several trips to China in the past year.

Tehran's reaching out to Beijing was seen as an attempt to strengthen the perception that Iran has a 'solid international partnership' with China when Iran confronts international isolation and pressure.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Modi at talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the Saadabad palace in Tehran, May 23, 2016. Photograph: pmindia.gov.in

During his visit to Tehran in January 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed that both sides establish their ties based on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Soon after, discussions began to conclude the 25-year bilateral pact.

The proposal was backed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has said the agreement was 'wise'.

Though details of the agreement have not been revealed, critics have started comparing the proposed deal to the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay between Persia and Tsarist Russia, under which the Persians ceded control of authority in the South Caucasus.

China has taken advantage of Iran's weakness -- its economy is under strain because of the harsh US sanctions -- and negotiated a pact from a position of strength.

China will have easy access to Iran's natural resources for many years to come.

China has been flooding markets in Iran with its products, thereby crippling domestic manufacturers and pushed out Iranian businesses.

Photograph: Reuters

Former Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinejad highlighted the manner in which the China-Iran pact was being negotiated, keeping the Iranian people in the dark.

The US state department referred to the planned agreement as a 'second Turkmenchay', accusing the Iranian government of being afraid to reveal details of the pact with the Iranian people as the terms are probably not beneficial to the people.

It would be in Iran's long-term interest to rethink and reconsider the pact with China before it is too late.

Failing to do so would leave the country entangled with an arrangement that could drive the Iranian nation into a perilous future.

Dr Rajaram Panda, former Senior Fellow at IDSA, was until recently ICCR India Chair at Reitaku University, Japan.

He is currently the Lok Sabha Research Fellow, Parliament of India, and member of the governing council, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.

Feature Production: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Florida and Texas, the two states leading the current surge of coronavirus infections, are also seeing shocking increases in COVID-19 infections in nursing homes, similar to the increases seen in states affected by the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, like Michigan, New Jersey, and New York.Politico reports that Florida has seen a 74% increase inand NBC News notes that Texas, where the virus has largely affected people under 35, is seeing its own uptick in nursing home cases.NBC News reported Thursday.the outlet adds.Those numbers are still far below those posted by New York, where more than 6,000 nursing home residents died after governor Andrew Cuomo ordered nursing homes and other adult care facilities to take in recovering coronavirus patients, often without regard for whether those patients remained contagious, and while threatening those facilities that did not take in recovering COVID-19 patients with state action.In recent weeks, Cuomo has tried to deflect blame for the deaths away from the state policy, suggesting that responsibility for the spike in deaths lies with everyone from President Donald Trump to nursing home workers who provided patient care while sick with the virus themselves. A report from the New York State Department of Health tried to back up Cuomo's claims but experts largely consider that report flawed, according to US News and World Report.Florida and Texas, unlike New York, say they're taking measures to keep the virus out of nursing homes, but that facilities' elderly population is among the groups most vulnerable to the deadly virus, and workers can, in fact, bring in the virus from outside.a Florida official told Politico.Patty Ducayet, Texas' "long-term care ombudsman," told NBC News that the state is trying to learn from where other states, like New York, went wrong.she said.
Rajasthan crisis: Gehlot meets Governor after 2 BTP MLAs pledge support to Congress

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, July 18: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday met Governor Kalraj Mishra at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur shortly after two MLAs of the Bharatiya Tribal Party handed over their letter of support to him.

As the political crisis broke out in the state, the Congress counted both BTP MLAs as supporters of the Gehlot government.

The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes. A Raj Bhavan spokesperson said it was a courtesy meeting during which the chief minister briefed the governor about the efforts being taken to protect the state from the coronavirus pandemic.

BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president and other leaders have agreed on extending support to the Gehlot government on the condition that demands related to development of the state are fulfilled.

Breather for Gehlot as tribal party MLAs extend support to Rajasthan CM

In the house of 200, Congress has 107 MLAs, including 19 of those who have been issued notices of disqualification by the assembly speaker on complaint by chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

The party claims that the Gehlot government has 109 MLAs, including Congress, independents and other supporting party legislators, in its support to run the government.

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Story first published: Saturday, July 18, 2020, 21:31 [IST]
On the night 17-year-old Myah Larmond was fatally shot, she was one of a handful of people to gather and party at the St. Matthews Avenue residence of Devante Skye-Davis.

Before the night was through, police allege the 21-year-old man, whom she had a relationship with, shot her around 4 a.m. on July 15.

The shooting wasnt intentional, but it would also be too far to say it was accidental, said Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk of the major crime unit.

Its possible there was the belief that the gun was unloaded, he said. But obviously it was not unloaded.

Its an easy out for someone to claim they didnt know a gun was loaded, but the bottom line is you dont handle a firearm recklessly and carelessly, he added.

Skye-Davis, who rented the semi-detached central Hamilton home, had invited a few people over that night. It wasnt an out-of-control party, but drugs and alcohol were involved, Hamilton police allege.

She didnt go there knowing there would be a gun there, Berezuik said of the young victim. She was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Its possible anyone could have been shot, he added.

After the gun went off, Skye-Davis stayed at the scene, Bereziuk said. But there was confusion about what happened and police did not initially have the grounds to arrest him.

But around 2:30 a.m. the next day, he returned to the scene where police were continuing to process evidence. By that point homicide investigators had enough grounds to make an arrest.

Skye-Davis is charged with manslaughter. He briefly appeared in court by video Thursday and is scheduled to be back in court July 23.

The legal definition of manslaughter is a homicide that is not intentional.

In the chaos after the shooting, two men were described as running away down an alleyway. Those men were initially described as suspects, but police now say theyre witnesses.

Bereziuk encouraged those men to come forward, noting police will find out who they are.

Other witnesses have been co-operative and police have received many tips on Crime Stoppers, he added.

On Friday, forensic investigators were finishing up processing the scene. Then police were expected to go back in for a more thorough search, looking for the murder weapon, which has not yet been found.

Its believed to be a handgun. How and why the accused allegedly came to possess the handgun is part of the investigation.

Bereziuk would not comment on what, if anything, Skye-Davis said when interviewed after his arrest.

The Hamilton man was previously known to police.

There are a lot of posts on social media  mourning Larmond, speculating about what happened that night and condemning Skye-Davis. Investigators are aware of comments on social media and the Hamilton police technical crime unit has an officer assisting with the case.

However, Bereziuk cautioned that rumours spread fast and not all information shared is necessarily good information.

We want direct information from people at the house and those who had direct contact after the incident, he said.

Larmond was a 17-year-old high school student who lived with her mom in Hamilton. Her devastated family has asked for privacy, police said.

Bereziuk confirmed that Larmond and Skye-Davis had previously been in a relationship, but declined to provide details.

Friends and people online have said they dated.

Makayla Baranowski described Larmond as having the sweetest soul and her intentions were always pure.

She really was just so sweet, she added. She was just glowing, always.

Baranowski, 18, said she met Larmond through a friend in Grade 6. Although they didnt go to the same school  Larmond attended Our Lady of Peace Catholic Elementary  they would often hang out in large groups.

Theyd go to the movies and the Winona Peach Festival, and Baranowski said they loved to go to public skating and dances at the Valley Park Community Centre in Stoney Creek.

My favourite memories of Myah was when we were kids just having fun, she said.

Over the years, Baranowski said they remained in close contact and frequently checked in on one another. She considered Larmond to be the aunt of her son Kaydence, despite them not actually being sisters.

She never gave up on me, said Baranowski. I loved Myah with all my heart.

Baranowski said she and Larmond had planned to get together this past Friday night but those plans fell through. When she got the news of Larmonds death, she was nearly hysterical.

The first thing I did was drop to my knees and screamed and cried, said Baranowski.

Remembering Larmond, Baranowski said she was a down to earth, outgoing and blissful girl that never judged anyone. Baranowski said she was a hard worker, having worked at the Dairy Queen in Stoney Creek for years.

She was just that type of person who had an impact on your life no matter how many times you talked to her, she said. You wont be able to find a single person on this planet that would say anything negative about Myah.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Geoffrey Burbidge at 905-546-2288.

To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. - City officials on Friday demanded the Trump administration remove what they called a heavy-handed army of federal agents who have been grabbing protesters off the streets - tactics that federal officials defended as legal and necessary to quell ongoing unrest.

The fight between the White House and the left-leaning city government intensified Friday amid videos and firsthand accounts of mysterious federal agents driving around in unmarked rental minivans and detaining protesters.

Friday night saw additional clashes as federal agents used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to disperse a group of protesters. At least one person was arrested.

The unrest intensified in the early morning hours, as some protesters hurled water bottles and set off smoke bombs and fireworks aimed at courthouse and police buildings.

"I wonder what country I'm living in," protester Beth Fernandez said. "Having the feds come in and try to quench this anger is not the right approach and we want them out."

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called the federal agents Trump's "personal army" and said they should leave the city.

"This is part of a coordinated strategy of Trump's White House to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data, and it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials," Wheeler said. "As we were starting to see things de-escalate, their actions last Saturday night and every night since have actually ratcheted up the tension on our streets."

Portland, a city with a long history of clashes between protesters and law enforcement, has been gripped for roughly 50 days by unrest since the death of George Floyd after he was arrested by police in Minneapolis. While other cities saw flashes of such conflict, Portland's clashes have been more intense and persistent.

Acting secretary of homeland security Chad Wolf traveled to Portland this week to supervise the federal actions there, and he sharply criticized local law enforcement for not getting tough with "violent anarchists."

Wolf told Fox News on Thursday night that he offered law enforcement assistance to the mayor and local leaders but was asked to "pack up and go home," which he said is "just not going to happen on my watch."

He accused local leaders of "fostering an environment that continues to breed this type of lawlessness."

One widely shared video showed two men in military garb on the street at night taking a young man wearing all black into custody. On the video, the two agents do not answer shouted questions before putting the man into an unmarked minivan and driving away.

On Friday, Customs and Border Protection issued a statement taking responsibility for the apprehension and asserting its agents were wearing gear that identified them as CBP personnel.

CBP agents went after that person because they suspected he was involved in "assaults against federal agents or destruction of federal property," the statement said. "Once CBP agents approached the suspect, a large and violent mob moved towards their location. For everyone's safety, CBP agents quickly moved the suspect to a safer location for further questioning."

The agency said the CBP agents identified themselves and were wearing CBP insignia during the apprehension.

One protester, 29-year-old Mark Pettibone, described being grabbed by several men in green military fatigues and generic "police" patches on their clothing in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Pettibone said he did not know whether the men were police or far-right extremists, who frequently don militarylike outfits and harass left-leaning protesters in Portland.

"I was terrified," Pettibone said in an interview. "It seemed like it was out of a horror/sci-fi, like a Philip K. Dick novel. It was like being preyed upon."

Pettibone was taken to the city's federal courthouse and placed in a holding cell. Two agents eventually read him his Miranda rights and asked whether he would waive those rights to answer questions. He declined, and the agents let him go. The federal agents who detained him did not tell him why he was being held or provide any record of an arrest, he said.

The federal law enforcement response in Portland has prompted a debate among current and former law enforcement officials about whether DHS and Justice Department law enforcement agencies are being misused by the Trump administration.

"The idea that they are leaving the perimeter of that federal property and going out in the streets of Portland gives me a lot of personal angst about their concept of policing in general," said David Gomez, a former FBI official. "Policing is essentially a contract with the community. That's why a lot of these communities are erupting, because they feel the police have effectively violated the contract. When you have the federal government coming in there, acting as state police, you're effectively pushing the community away."

CBP's acting commissioner, Mark Morgan, tweeted Friday that his agents are not hiding their affiliation and are "clearly marked as federal [law enforcement officers] & have unique identifiers."

The incident and others like it have sparked widespread criticism of the DHS, particularly after an unidentified federal agent outside the courthouse fired a nonlethal round into a protester's face over the weekend. That protester was badly injured and suffered facial bone fractures.

Oregon's U.S. senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici, all Democrats, asked the Justice Department and DHS inspectors general to investigate what they called "the unrequested presence and violent actions of federal forces in Portland." The U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon, Billy Williams, said he had referred the shooting of the protester to the inspector general in the Justice Department.

A U.S. Marshals Service spokeswoman said Friday that the agency was not involved in the arrests and apprehensions described by Pettibone and others, adding that its agents always wear identifying insignia. However, nearly a week after the event, Marshals officials will not say whether the person who fired the impact munition into the protester's face was one of their employees.

On Friday night, Oregon state law enforcement officials said they and the local district attorney's office had opened an investigation into the July 12 incident.

"It's painfully clear this administration is focused purely on escalating violence without answering my repeated requests for why this expeditionary force is in Portland and under what constitutional authority," said Wyden.

Blumenauer, who represents part of Portland, said the "jarring reports of federal law enforcement officers grabbing peaceful protesters off the street should alarm every single American. This is not the way a government operates in a functioning democracy."

Civil liberties advocates said they will keep fighting in court against the use of federal agents to police the streets of Portland.

"The Trump administration has added escalation on top of escalation in our community," said Kelly Simon, the interim legal director of the ACLU of Oregon. "We won't stand for it, and we will see them in court more than once in the near future."

Jo Ann Hardesty, a Portland city commissioner, said in a statement that she was proudly "among the loud chorus of elected officials calling for the federal troops in Portland's streets to go home."

She said their presence "has escalated tensions and put countless Portlanders exercising their First Amendment Rights in greater danger."

Hardesty also called for the Portland police "to immediately disengage in any coordination or collaboration with the federal officers," saying they should not be "a subsidiary of [Trump's] federal forces."

The police bureau did not respond to a message seeking comment Friday about its involvement in the federal response and whether its officers had any role in the detention or questioning of anyone by federal officials.

Portland has a history of disagreement with federal law enforcement; the city council has voted to pull its police detectives out of the FBI's joint terrorism task force, out of concerns about the civil rights of Muslim residents.

An FBI spokeswoman said the agency is not responsible for crowd control, and she declined to say whether it is investigating any actions of law enforcement surrounding the unrest.


Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle joined civil rights leaders and other leading figures in paying tribute to Rep. John Lewis, who died on Friday at age 80.

What they're saying: Former Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden wrote in a statement Saturday: "We are made in the image of God, and then there is John Lewis. How could someone in flesh and blood be so courageous, so full of hope and love in the face of so much hate, violence, and vengeance?"

"We spoke to him a few days ago for the final time. His voice still commanded respect and his laugh was still full of joy. Instead of answering our concerns for him, he asked about us. He asked us to stay focused on the work left undone to heal this nation. He was himself  a man at peace, of dignity, grace and character."

"He was our bridge  to our history so we did not forget its pain and to our future so we never lose our hope," Joe and Jill Biden said.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

What else they're saying: Former President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement on Friday night, "We have lost a giant. John Lewis gave all he had to redeem America's unmet promise of equality and justice for all, and to create a place for us to build a more perfect union together."

Former President Barack Obama wrote in a blog post on Saturday morning the civil rights icon had made his life's work to "challenge an unjust status quo, and to imagine a better world."

wrote in a blog post on Saturday morning the civil rights icon had made his life's work to "challenge an unjust status quo, and to imagine a better world." The NAACP said in a statement late Friday: "His life-long mission for justice, equality and freedom left a permanent impression on our nation and world."

said in a statement late Friday: "His life-long mission for justice, equality and freedom left a permanent impression on our nation and world." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) said in a statement Friday night that "America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history."

"In the halls of the Capitol, he was fearless in his pursuit of a more perfect union, whether through his Voter Empowerment Act to defend the ballot, his leadership on the Equality Act to end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans or his work as a Senior Member of the Ways and Means Committee to ensue that we invest in what we value as a nation."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement early on Saturday, "our nation will never forget this American hero."

(R-Ky.) said in a statement early on Saturday, "our nation will never forget this American hero." House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) tweeted early Saturday, "We have lost a legendary leader, civil rights icon and change agent extraordinaire. John Lewis altered the course of history and left America a much better place."

(D-N.Y.) tweeted early Saturday, "We have lost a legendary leader, civil rights icon and change agent extraordinaire. John Lewis altered the course of history and left America a much better place." Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a Twitter post on Saturday morning, "John Lewis was a true American hero and the moral compass of our nation. May his courage and conviction live on in all of us as we continue to make good trouble for justice and opportunity."

(D-Mass.) said in a Twitter post on Saturday morning, "John Lewis was a true American hero and the moral compass of our nation. May his courage and conviction live on in all of us as we continue to make good trouble for justice and opportunity." Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), tweeted Friday night, "A civil rights icon, freedom fighter, and beloved Georgian ... Our nation will never be the same without him."

(R), tweeted Friday night, "A civil rights icon, freedom fighter, and beloved Georgian ... Our nation will never be the same without him." Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said in a statement early on Saturday, "Congressman John Lewis was an American hero  a giant, whose shoulders upon many of us stand. Throughout his life, he showed unending courage, generosity, and love for our country. ... He carried the baton of progress and justice to the very end. It now falls on us to pick it up and march on."

(D-Calif.) said in a statement early on Saturday, "Congressman John Lewis was an American hero  a giant, whose shoulders upon many of us stand. Throughout his life, he showed unending courage, generosity, and love for our country. ... He carried the baton of progress and justice to the very end. It now falls on us to pick it up and march on." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a Twitter post on Saturday morning, "John Lewis was an extraordinary man  a patriot in the truest sense. And he was my friend."

(R-Calif.) said in a Twitter post on Saturday morning, "John Lewis was an extraordinary man  a patriot in the truest sense. And he was my friend." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted early on Saturday, "Tonight, the world grieves for the great John Lewis. In my 1st yr in the Senate, I had the privilege of traveling w/ John & much of the Congressional Black Caucus to Nelson Mandelas funeral. The entire trip to Johannesburg, John regaled us w/ stories of being alongside Dr. King."

(R-Texas) tweeted early on Saturday, "Tonight, the world grieves for the great John Lewis. In my 1st yr in the Senate, I had the privilege of traveling w/ John & much of the Congressional Black Caucus to Nelson Mandelas funeral. The entire trip to Johannesburg, John regaled us w/ stories of being alongside Dr. King." Julian Castro, the former HUD Secretary and 2020 candidate, tweeted late Friday, "John Lewis was a giant among men. A Civil Rights Icon, an indefatigable champion for justice, and a hell raiser known for making 'good trouble.' In mourning his passing, let us aspire to build the nation that Congressman Lewis believed it could be."

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
Laura Anderson has returned to social media to share a sizzling bikini snap, hours after revealing her boyfriend Tom Brazier was attacked by a mugger during the first night of their trip to Barcelona.

The Love Island 2018 star, 31, displayed her bronzed physique in the jaw-dropping post as she documented her sunny getaway on social media.

On Friday, Laura urged her followers to stay safe after she and her boyfriend Tom were targeted by a thief who attempted to steal his watch.

Scroll down for video

Jaw-dropping: Laura Anderson, 31, has returned to social media to share a sizzling bikini snap, hours after revealing her boyfriend Tom Brazier was attacked by a mugger in Barcelona

Laura displayed her incredible figure in the revealing blue bikini as she posed under the crystal clear Barcelona skies.

The star also shared a video of her jovially dancing up the promenade, ensuring she had a face mask close to hand which perfectly matched her blue outfit.

Following the romantic stroll, Laura indulged in a pina colada or two as she and beau Tom relaxed in a cocktail bar.

Fun: The Love Island 2018 star displayed her bronzed physique as she enjoyed a stroll along the promenade, which she documented on social media

Protected: Laura's all-blue outfit with a skimpy bikini top, shorts and shirt also perfectly matched her face mask, to her delight

Delicious: Following her walk Laura indulged in an ice cold pina colada as she continued to enjoy the Barcelona sunshine

Hunky: The star also shared a snap of her hunky shirtless beau gazing around the stunning city views

On Friday Lauren revealed she and her boyfriend Tom had been left extremely shaken after they were targeted by the thief as they enjoyed a late-night walk in the Spanish city.

Taking to her Instagram stories, the emotional star urged her followers to be safe as she recounted the terrifying incident.

She said: 'So last night was horrible. Me and Tom decided to walk for a bit, try and get a photo and basically got mugged

'Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. You just get this gut feeling these two guys were watching us. Tom kept saying "it's fine, it's fine" and we hailed a cab to go home.

'Tom opened the door for me and was like "in you go" and I was like "it's fine, I'll go round to the side" which I'm glad I did because when Tom went to get in, the guy came from nowhere and pushed him.'

Horrifying: On Friday Lauren revealed she and her boyfriend Tom had been left shaken after they were targeted by the thief as they enjoyed a late-night walk in the Spanish city

Shaken: Taking to Instagram stories Laura urged her followers to keep safe after thieves targeted her boyfriend and tried to steal his watch

Laura revealed she had intervened when she saw her boyfriend fighting off the attacker, saying: 'Tom pushed him because he was coming at him.

'The guy was trying to get his watch off his arm and I ran round the back of the cab and yelled "f**k off" and whacked him on the shoulder with my phone.

'He sort of scuffled off. It was horrible. Tom told me to get in the car and we didn't know where this guy's friend was or if he was going to come from behind me or if they had any weapons.

'All of that for a watch. Tom was attacked. They didn't get the watch. I think my swearing is what scared them off, I am loud.'

In the aftermath of the attack, Laura said she and Tom had been left uneasy about going out to public places.

She said: 'I think we both reacted pretty well but I just couldn't sleep. We feel like we can't go out without looking over our shoulders. We wanted to go to the beach and workout and I don't feel like we can do that, leave our stuff unattended.'

Upsetting: Laura said the couple were getting into a taxi when a man ran at Tom, pushed him and tried to steal his watch

Laura later revealed a cut on her hand from striking the attacker with her phone.

The star also posted a snap taken shortly before the incident, writing: 'Keep your eyes open . This was about 10 minutes before Tom and I got mugged last night.

'Moral of the story If youre travelling abroad just have your wits about you and look out for each other. . We were one of the lucky ones, minus a bit of rough & tumble #staysafe.

'P.s The low life didnt get what he was after.'

Horror: She said: 'The guy was trying to get his watch off his arm and I ran round the back of the cab and yelled "f**k off" and whacked him on the shoulder

MailOnline has contacted Laura's representative for comment.

Tom also wrote: 'Dinner at @bocagrande on our first night in Barcelona....

'Right before we had an attempted mugging whilst getting a taxi back to the @wbarcelona

'They wanted my watch but thankfully we managed to fight off the dirty scoundrels. Myself and my @lauraanderson1x are fine and well.'

Laura recently voiced her excitement about going away with her new boyfriend after uploading a sizzling bikini snap alongside a caption that read: 'This is how excited I am to have our first holiday booked.'

Brave: Laura later revealed a cut on her hand from striking the attacker with her phone

In May the pair revealed their romance in a couple's workout video.

They performed a series of lunges and planks before hunky personal trainer Tom used his girl as a weight on his shoulders to engage in some squats.

The TV personality's clip ended with the pair sharing a sweet smooch after working up a sweat at her home.

Candid: The star also posted a snap taken shortly before the incident, writing: 'Keep your eyes open . This was about 10 minutes before Tom and I got mugged last night'

Since then they have been spotted enjoying quality time together as well as having a romantic picnic in a London park and more recently a swanky date night in Mayfair.

After leaving the Mallorcan villa in the summer of 2018, the bombshell dated series one winner Max Morley in October.

The duo were in an on-off relationship, with the stars splitting in December, reuniting in May 2019, and eventually calling it quits for good in July last year.
In a statement, Roque said the inter-agency coronavirus task force on Thursday approved the decision, while foreign nationals must comply with the conditions set by the task force before they can enter the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

Manila, July 17 (IANS) The Philippines will allow the entry of foreign nationals with long-term visas into the country from August 1, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday.

"They must first have valid and existing visas at the time of the entry. This means no new entry visa shall be accepted," Roque said.

He added that foreign nationals are "subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry, as returning overseas Filipinos will be given priority".

Moreover, he said they "must also secure a pre-booked accredited quarantine facility and a pre-booked coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing provider".

Foreigners, except accredited foreign government and international organization officials and their dependents, had not been allowed entry into the country since March 22.

The Philippines imposed a strict lockdown in mid-March to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The declaration of lockdown restricted land, air, and sea travel and suspended mass transportation.

Airport closures have led to the suspension of all incoming and outgoing flights, except for international and domestic sweeper flights to repatriate foreigners out of the Philippines and to bring in Filipino workers stranded abroad.

The country is still under varying levels of lockdown as it grapples with a steady increase of COVID-19 cases.

The Philippines now has 61,266 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,643 deaths and 21,440 recoveries.

--IANS

ksk/
An Australian model who was jailed in America after a mid-air meltdown on a flight from Melbourne to LA says she was 'innappropriately touched' by an air marshal and it triggered the memory of her rape.

Adau Mornyang, 26, boarded the United Airlines on January 21 last year, with a visa not set to expire until December 2021.

The South Sudanese-born model told The Herald Sun she was 'exhausted' after a heavy working week and took an antidepressant, Prozac, and pain medication, Oxycodone, before take off.

Pictured: Australian-South Sudanese model Adau Mornyang arrives at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, July 15, 2019

Mornyang, who was jailed in America after a mid-air meltdown on a flight from Melbourne to LA, says she was 'innappropriately touched' by an air marshal and it triggered the memory of her rape

Mornyang said she had two wines and slept for about eight hours. When she woke, she was being arrested by air marshals.

'I was so confused. What happened? What did I do? From what I heard in court, I kept blacking out. I was in and out, my mouth was foaming. I was in a frightful panic,' she said.

Prosecutors described how Mornyang ordered several glasses of wine on the flight, but was cut off when her behaviour deteriorated.

She slapped a flight attendant, struck other passengers as she walked down the plane's aisles, yelled vile racial taunts at a black air marshal who tried to restrain her and called another flight attendant 'dumb white trash'.

Audio recordings of her ranting were played to jurors.

Judge Cormac Carney described it as 'a nightmare flight' but opted against a prison sentence after considering her troubled life as a child refugee from Sudan and being the victim of sexual assault aged 17 in Adelaide.

Adau Mornyang, 26, boarded the United Airlines on January 21 last year, with a visa not set to expire until December 2021

The model, who immigrated to Sydney with her family in 2004, ran away from home at 16 and was living with her cousin in Adelaide when she was raped, aged 17

She was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and three years probation.

While arrested mid-air, Mornyang said the air marshals followed her to the bathroom and one of them used their foot to block the door from shutting properly.

She said one of the officers became frustated when Mornyang took her time in the toilet.

Pictured: Adau Mornyang

'He got angry and dragged me off the toilet seat with my pants down. He pinned me down, with his knee on my back. I couldn't breathe. The more I pleaded with him, the more pressure he applied on my back,' she said.

Mornyang screamed 'I don't consent' when the air marshal allegedly touched her private parts.

'When he pinned me down, and touched me inappropriately, that triggered me. It triggered my rape,' she said.

The model, who immigrated to Sydney with her family in 2004, ran away from home at 16 and was living with her cousin in Adelaide when she was raped, aged 17.

Mornyang said she asked the female flight attendants for help but claimed they just stared at her with looks of disapproval.

It was then Mornyang alleges she became verbally abusive to the airline staff as she was in 'emotional distress'.

The model was kept in prison until she was convicted in March last year. After her trial, Mornyang went to New York to resume her life.

On September 17 - while reporting to her parole officer - she was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who had revoked her visa without notice.

She was taken to Bergen County Jail in New Jersey and on December 21 Mornyang was deported back to Australia.
Rep. John Lewis is seen near the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Capitol Rotunda before a memorial service for Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Oct. 24, 2019.

Rep. John Lewis, the sharecroppers' son who battled against segregation  getting his head bashed by an Alabama state trooper in Selma on "Bloody Sunday" 1965  and later became a 17-term congressman from Georgia, has died. He was 80.

He died Friday, his family said. He was diagnosed with cancer in December.

Lewis moved his fight from the lunch counters, schools, bus stations and streets of the South to the halls of Congress, where he was the Democrats' senior chief deputy whip and member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

He waged his fight against Jim Crow segregation laws by advocating nonviolent change despite being physically attacked and arrested numerous times. In Congress, he voted against the Gulf War and the Iraq War, led a sit-in on the House floor to demand gun control legislation, pressed for improved health care for the poor, tried to strengthen voting rights laws and fought a rearguard effort to protect welfare benefits from cuts.

In his final tweet exactly a week before his death, he railed against the Trump administration's aborted plan to rescind the visas of international students if their colleges provided only online classes during the coronavirus surge.

final tweet

The White House on Saturday ordered that all U.S. flags "at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions" be flown at half-staff in Lewis' honor.

"You have been a moral compass for the nation and a voice for freedom and democracy in the world," Margaret Renkl wrote in an opinion piece in The New York Times in January.

Days before she wrote that open letter to Lewis, the congressman announced that doctors had discovered he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

"I have been in some kind of fight  for freedom, equality, basic human rights  for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now," he said in a statement at the time. "I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross. ... With God's grace I will be back on the front lines soon. Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this journey."

While battling cancer, he ran for reelection to an 18th term in Congress, and during the protests following the police killing of George Floyd, he visited a 2-block-long asphalt canvas on Washington's 16th Street that says "BLACK LIVES MATTER" in giant yellow letters.

'It's very moving. Very moving. Impressive," he told a local Fox TV reporter. "I think the people in D.C. and around the nation are sending a mightily powerful and strong message to the rest of the world that we will get there."

Ramirez tweet

John Robert Lewis was born Feb. 21, 1940, to Willie Mae and Eddie Lewis in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on the family's cotton farm in Troy and attended all-Black public schools.

As a boy, he dreamed of becoming a minister.

"With the help of my brothers and sisters and cousins, we would gather all of our chickens in the chicken yard, and I would start preaching to the chickens. They never quite said 'Amen,'" he said in a StoryCorps segment that aired on NPR.

At 15, he was inspired by Rosa Parks' refusal in 1955 to sit in the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in defiance of Jim Crow practices. After graduating high school two years later, he wrote a letter to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and the leader of the nascent civil rights movement accepted Lewis' offer to help in the struggle. King sent him a bus ticket to Montgomery and they met there.

"I was so scared. I didn't know what to say or what to do," Lewis recalled on StoryCorps. "And Dr. King said, 'Are you the boy from Troy? And I said, 'Dr. King, I am John Robert Lewis.' I gave my whole name. But he still called me the 'boy from Troy.'"

He received a B.A. in religion and philosophy from Fisk University and was a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary, both in Nashville, Tennessee.

As a college student, he organized sit-ins against segregated lunch counters in Nashville, and in 1961 he joined the Freedom Rides against segregation at bus terminals across the South, according to his congressional website.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 23:49:48|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal to address inequality across the world.

COVID-19 is a human tragedy. But it has also created a generational opportunity to build back a more equitable and sustainable world, said Guterres in his Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture address, which was delivered virtually. "The response to the pandemic, and to the widespread discontent that preceded it, must be based on a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal that create equal opportunities for all and respect the rights and freedoms of all."

This is the only way that the world will meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development -- agreements that address precisely the failures that are being exposed and exploited by the pandemic, he said.

A New Social Contract within societies will enable young people to live in dignity, will ensure women have the same prospects and opportunities as men, and will protect the sick, the vulnerable, and minorities of all kinds.

However, he said, the global political and economic system is not delivering on critical global public goods: public health, climate action, sustainable development, peace. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought home the tragic disconnect between self-interest and the common interest, and the huge gaps in governance structures and ethical frameworks.

"To close those gaps, and to make the New Social Contract possible, we need a New Global Deal to ensure that power, wealth and opportunities are shared more broadly and fairly at the international level."

A new model for global governance must be based on full, inclusive and equal participation in global institutions, he said. "Without that, we face even wider inequalities and gaps in solidarity, like those we see today in the fragmented global response to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Guterres' address was delivered on Mandela Day, an international day in honor of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on July 18, Mandela's birthday. Enditem
A 14-year-old girl was arrested Friday after she told deputies she accidentally shot her friend while they and several others were playing with stolen guns at a home in West Bexar County.

The girl, who was not publicly identified because she is a minor, is charged with manslaughter in the death of 16-year old Moses Reyes, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

All indications are that she did not mean to, and we certainly understand that she did not mean to. We have no reason to doubt that, Salazar said. But, with that being said, it is still a criminal offense.

About eight teens, between 14 and 16 years old, were taking photos, posing with at least two handguns about noon Thursday at a home in the 11000 block of Lands Pond.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the girl was curious about a laser sight attached to the gun when she pointed it at Reyes.

She accidentally discharged the handgun, firing a bullet into Reyes shoulder, he said.

Emergency medical staff rushed him to University Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Salazar said the teens spent the night before at the home in celebration of one girls birthday. When deputies arrived at the scene, the teens initially said Reyes shot himself.

The girl arrested Friday had later confessed to detectives that she shot Reyes accidentally, Salazar said.

The sheriff said deputies are investigating whether other people may face charges.

Salazar said Reyes parents are heartbroken.

Being at the scene myself, theyre truly devastated as any parents would be, Salazar said. Their world is coming apart.

The handgun used in the shooting is stolen, but was not reported stolen as of Friday, the sheriff said.

He said it may have been stolen during a burglary by one of the teens who were in the room. The teen was involved in several burglaries that occurred around Potranco and Loop 1604, the sheriff said.People who believe their handguns were stolen are asked to contact the sheriffs office at 210-335-6000.

Salazar is also asking anyone with tips as to where the two teens who stole the weapon are to call as well, or email bcsotips@bexar.org.

Jacob Beltran is a reporter covering San Antonio and Bexar County. To read more from Jacob, become a subscriber. jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA
Sherryl Jacquot always wore red lipstick. She wore her long, dark hair teased and hair sprayed as high as possible. Her designer cowgirl, bootcut jeans were always starched so stiff they could stand up on their own.

It was the early 1990s, and Sherryls young daughter, Lindsey, sat by her side, looking on with admiration as her mother carefully applied her makeup like an artist. She was fascinated by her mother's beauty.

Sherryl Jacquot

I loved watching her as she was getting ready to go out, Lindsey told Dateline. She always wore red lipstick. And wore her hair real big. She had an affinity for the finer things in life. Even when things got bad. Even when she didnt have money.

Lindsey Long was only seven years old when she moved from Sallisaw, Oklahoma to live with her father in Pennsylvania. A couple of years later, Lindsey moved back with her mother. But it didn't last long.

Lindsey told Dateline her mother's boyfriend at the time was abusive and that her home life was not safe anymore. Sherryl also had an older son and daughter, who was younger than Lindsey. Both went to live with other family members.

Lindsey moved back to Pennsylvania to live with her half-sister, Wenda Butler, who raised her.

The years passed and as Lindsey entered her teenage years, she and her mother drifted. But on July 3, 1999, at age 14, Lindsey decided she wanted to call her.

We didnt have her number so I called my gram to find out how to reach her, Lindsey said. She gave me a number and I called. But I never got the chance to speak to my mom that day.

Lindseys grandmother, Martha Purves, who is Sherryls mother, had given her the number to a local grocery store in the town of Stilwell, Oklahoma, near where Sherryl was living at the time.

Sherryl didnt have a phone, so she made and received calls from the store.

Later that same day, Sherryl called her mother from an unknown number in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She told Martha she would be heading back to Oklahoma City to repay money she had borrowed just a week earlier.

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But Sherryl never made it to her mothers house and hasnt been seen or heard from since.

Wenda, who stayed in contact with Martha throughout the years as she was raising Lindsey, told Dateline that Sherryl was last seen by Martha and her sister Judie at Marthas house on June 23, 1999, just a week before she disappeared.

She went to her moms house to borrow money, Wenda said, about that day in June. And from what we were told, she showed up in pretty bad shape. Sherryl believed in always looking your best, so it was unusual for her to show up unkempt like she did on June 23. And she was injured.

Wenda told Dateline that Sherryl told her mother and her sister that she had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend and had stumbled into a glass-top coffee table.

She had a big cut on her back, like a flap of skin. It needed stitches, Wenda said. And she had a really bad cut on her foot. Her mom told her to go to the hospital. But she refused.

Martha, who is now 91 years old, has expressed to her family that she wished she had made Sherryl seek medical attention that day.

Its killing her every day, Lindsey said. And we've been fighting hard for years for answers. But theres no closure for her. For any of us. Not yet.

Months passed without any word from Sherryl. Her family told Dateline it wasnt unusual for them not to hear from Sherryl for long periods of time, but eventually they would.

"Sherryl had a grand laugh and laughed often," Wenda said of how she remembers Sherryl. "She had an infectious personality. She had a lighthearted approach to life, that it would eventually all work out."

Wenda said Sherryl loved the racetrack and was known around the racetrack scene.

"Sherryl believed in a hard days work and was not afraid to work laborious hours in caring for her animals or the farm she once lived on," Wenda added.

Her family said Sherryl had hit a rough spot in life, and started hanging around the wrong crowd in an area Wenda said was known for drug trafficking.

Something just changed in the years prior and she was with some not-so-great people. But she was a spitfire and independent and just lived life her own way, Wenda told Dateline. She knew how to handle herself. So we just figured she was OK.

But in January of 2000, her mother received a call from a family friend who owned a ranch nearby. He offered his condolences because he heard Sherryl was dead.

The rumor prompted her family to search for Sherryl, but when she couldnt be reached, they reported her missing to the Adair County Sheriffs Department.

Sherryl's sister, Cande, and her then-husband, Charles Bill Graham, who lived in the area, showed up to the last known address for Sherryl, a trailer on Highway 100 in Stilwell, Oklahoma.

Wenda said they were told by Cande that when they arrived, a couple of dogs, who the sister believed to belong to Sherryl, came running up to them and acted like they hadnt eaten in a long time.

"I was told her trailer was dilapidated and it was obvious someone hadnt been there in a long time," Wenda said, adding that the condition of the trailer was unusual. "Its not a place she would live.

The vehicle Sherryls was known to drive, a rusty red or light brown Datsun-style pickup truck, was also missing. But her personal belongings were all left behind.

"Discovering she was missing was a surprise to the family because of her strong-willed spirit," Wenda said. "Everybody believed she could take care of herself and unfortunately we believe she met with the wrong kind of evil. Her life did a complete spin when she became involved with some shady actors."

Deputies with the Adair County Sheriffs Department launched a weeks-long search around the area of Stilwell, but there was no trace of Sherryl. The case has since been turned over to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit.

Vicky Lyons, a former investigator with the unit worked on the case for years. She now works part-time as an investigator with the Adair County District Attorneys Office, dedicating her time to cold cases like Sherryls.

We have a lot of missing people in this area, Lyons told Dateline. And many fall by the wayside because of current ones. It becomes more difficult after so many years have passed. But we havent given up on finding Sherryl.

Lyons told Dateline that she believes Sherryl is missing under suspicious circumstances.

It was unusual for her to go weeks without communicating with her family, but after months it became apparent that something was wrong. Her disappearance is most definitely suspicious, Lyons said. She added that Sherryl was involved in a crowd known for its drug activity and there were reports of domestic abuse in her relationship.

Lyons said she continues to work on Sherryls case and follows up on every tip that comes in, with the hope one will lead to the answers and closure they have been looking for.

Any bit of information could help, she said.

Sherryls family is also convinced foul play was involved in her disappearance because of the crowd with which she was involved.

At this point, were looking for a body, Wenda said. We dont think shes alive. But we still want closure.

Sherryls daughter, Lindsey, Lindseys older half-sisters, Wenda Butler and Barbara Shade, and other members of the family, have dedicated the past two decades to finding answers.

Its been 21 years and this is what were dealing with, Wenda said. I know we have come across someone who knows what happened to her. But now we just need that person to come forward.

A Facebook Page Missing: Sherryl Lynn Jacquot - Stilwell, OK was created to bring awareness to Sherryls case and as a place for tips to be shared.

Sherryl Jacquot and John

Sherryls daughter, Lindsey, is now married and has a son, who is 7 years old, the same age she was the last time she lived with her mother.

Hes so young. I cant imagine something like that happening to him, Lindsey said. He even asks about her. He asks, How did she just disappear? And thats the same question we ask every day. But were resilient. Were tough. My dad used to always tell me that Im just like her when I get mad. The same spitfire.

Lindsey said she treasures the memories she has of her mom, like her artistic ability when she drew Snow White on her bedroom wall, and her patience and determination in teaching her how to ride horses.

But her memories end there.

Someone took away my mom. She wasnt there for my proms, my wedding or the birth of my child, Lindsey said. Ive felt the loss for so many years. I just try to live in the now. Wed just like to find her so we can put her to rest.

At the time of her disappearance, Sherryl was described as being 5'8 tall, 125 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She is of Native American descent. Sherryl has a Harley tattoo on her left forearm and a Harley wings tattoo on her right hip. She would be 63 years old today.

Anyone with information that could help solve Sherryls case is asked to call the Adair County District Attorneys tip line at (918) 772-7568 or the OSBI Cold Case Unit at (405) 330-6724, or by email at cold.case@osbi.ok.gov.
Mumbai: Maharashtra on Saturday (July 18, 2020) recorded 8,348 new coronavirus cases that took the State's total to 3,00,937. The death toll in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours surged by 144 to 11,596.

There are 1,23,377 active patients in the State as of Saturday evening.

The current count of COVID19 patients in the state of Maharashtra is 300937. Today,newly 8348 patients have been identified as positive.Also newly5306 patients have been cured today,totally 165663 patients are cured & discharged from the hospitals Total Active patients are123377.  Rajesh Tope (@rajeshtope11) July 18, 2020

Maharashtra's capital Mumbai on Saturday breached the 1-lakh mark of coronavirus confirmed infections as the city reported 1,199 new cases in the past 24 hours.

Mumbai's total has now surged to 1,00,350, while the death count was increased by 65 to 5,650.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai still has 24,039 active cases.

Mumbai's Dharavi area recorded 6 new cases and the total in India's largest slum has now surged to 2,444.

In the last 24 hours, 352 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Navi Mumbai metropolitan area, that took the total number of coronavirus positive patients in the area to 8,072. With 10 more COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, the Navi Mumbai metropolitan area's death count has risen to 340.

Kalyan Dombivali metropolitan area, registered 475 new confirmed infections in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive patients increased to 15,480. So far, 240 people have died of COVID-19 in the Kalyan Dombivali metropolitan area.
Document Destruction Day --- Less clutter, more protection against fraudulent activity Having this service free and open to the public will hopefully encourage people to reflect on how they can better protect themselves from the dangerous and exhausting consequences of identity fraud

As part of a sustained effort to encourage strong identity security practices, WyHy Federal Credit Union will open its doors to offer free document shredding services to the surrounding community on August 1st, 2020 from 9:00am-12:00pm. Known as Document Destruction Day (DDD), all residents are welcome to bring up to two banker boxes of documents for convenient, secure removal of sensitive papers.

Having this service free and open to the public will hopefully encourage people to reflect on how they can better protect themselves from the dangerous and exhausting consequences of identity fraud, said Bill Willingham, President and CEO of WyHy. Our team at WyHy believes it is our responsibility as a financial institution to lead by example. We want to encourage local businesses and individuals to think of defense against fraudulent activity as an ongoing, holistic process.

From ATM receipts, to boarding passes, to even junk mail, there are countless pieces of information in ones home that can be exploited. If you are an individual, small business, or remote worker interested in Document Destruction Day, WyHy asks each party to limit their shredding to black and white and color paper. Although paper clips and staples are acceptable, the resources available for DDD do not cover newspapers, magazines, glossy paper, black binder clips, or spiral binding.

WyHy encourages everyone, not just its members, to keep a keen eye open for fraudulent financial activity. More information and resources on fraud protection can be found on WyHys website.

For over 60 years, WyHy Federal Credit Union has served its members with a singular promise: to provide individualized, trusted guidance in wealth management. Today, it is the fourth largest credit union in the state of Wyoming and is the 957th largest credit union in the nation. Additionally, it is proud to rank among the Top 200 Healthiest Credit Unions in the US according to independent financial analysts at DepositAccounts. Headquartered in Cheyenne, WyHy is proud to assist each of its 15,000 members on their unique paths to financial health. WyHys reputation as a stalwart, Wyoming-minded institution comes from a dedication to member satisfaction and economic responsibility.
New Delhi:

The government's desicion to scrap old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 resulted in a frenzied rush of customers thronging jewellery shops in many parts of the country.

The jewellery industry too welcomed on Tuesday government's move saying gold demand will rise as people will have more faith in the precious metal than the currency notes.

"It will create havoc for a little while and the economy will also destablise. But overall, it is going to be good for the country. In fact, the jewellery industry will thrive as people will have more trust on jewellery than currency notes," Gitanjali Gems chairman and managing director Mehul Choksi told PTI.

Choksi said there will be crisis for some time. "If you want to buy vegetables tomorrow and you will not have notes in lower denomination, what will you do?"

Stating that there could be short-term impact, PC Jewellers managing director Balram Garg said, "This is a very good decision for long term especially for the organised sector. There could be impact on pure gold demand, which is good for jewellers."

Echoing these views, All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) chairman Sreedhar GV said: "This affects all industries, it will also affect the jewellery industry. We are in favour of the decision announced by the Prime Minister."

He noted: "There may be some problems for unorganised jewellers, but this will help them get organised." About 70-75% of jewellers in the country are unorganised. But 25% of the organised jewellers are contributing more than 80% business, he added.

Sreedhar said the industry body will not seek more time to implement this decision. India is the world's largest gold consumer and imports a sizeable chunk of its total annual consumption of around 900-1,000 tonnes.
Emily Ratajkowski looked like a 10 while she walked around New York City with her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard and their dog on Saturday.

The model/actress turned heads wearing a tiny knit triangle top which put her flat abs front and center.

Letting her midriff get the spotlight in the top designed by the brand Stone, she paired the top with baggy Danielle Guizio jeans slung low across her hips.

Model behavior: Emily Ratajkowski looked like a 10 while out in NYC with her husband on Saturday

Emily had her caramel locks pulled up into a sleek bun with two loose strands elegantly framing her face.

She lead rescue dog Colombo while Sebastian strolled at her side.

The film producer looked laid back in teal shorts and a black tee shirt.

Abs-olute stunner: The model/actress turned heads wearing a tiny handkerchief style top by Stone which put her flat abs front and center

How low can you go? Letting her midriff get the spotlight, she paired the top with baggy Danielle Guizio jeans slung low across her hips

Emily and Seb are back in the Big Apple after a bit of traveling.

In April, Emily and her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard caught a flight out of JFK to continue their quarantine in Los Angeles.

The flight occurred 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.'

Now the pair - who have been married since 2018 - are back at their New York City home with their darling dog Colombo.

Soaking up the sun: Emily and Seb are back in the Big Apple after traveling to California

Emily previously told British GQ that she and her husband had 'been a little bit on the fence' about traveling amid COVID-19.

'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,' she explained.
Patrice Washington became a real estate broker her senior year of college.

After graduating from USC in 2003, Washington opened a boutique real estate and mortgage brokerage with a team of employees to keep up with demand. By 2007, she had made millions and parked her earnings into 13 investment properties.

Then the housing market crashed.

Today, the 39-year-old Washington is a successful entrepreneur, best-selling author and podcast host. Check out this video to learn how she rebuilt her life after losing everything and to hear her advice for anyone struggling in the coronavirus economy.

More from Invest in You:

'Predictably Irrational' author says this is what investors should be doing during the pandemic

Coronavirus forced this couple into a 27-day quarantine amid their honeymoon cruise

How to prepare for a family member with COVID-19

Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.
Messiah Lutheran Church is joining forces with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to provide community members a chance to help patients in need of blood in the Greater Houston area while testing donors for antibodies against COVID-19.

On Aug. 9, Messiah Lutheran Church, located at 11522 Telge Road, Cypress, is hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in their fellowship hall. All participants will receive free Blue Bell ice cream and free COVID-19 antibody testing.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Hidalgo wants a Harris County shutdown. Abbott has resisted. Hospital executives? Theyre silent.

According to Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, the antibody test will show if the patients immune system has responded to the disease, even for asymptomatic people who may have had COVID-19.

This test is authorized by the FDA for detecting the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and is not intended for diagnosis of COVID-19, states the GCRBC Antibody Testing webpage. The Blood Center will invite donors who test positive for the antibodies to return and give convalescent plasma to help patients recover in local hospitals.

All donors will have the option to receive the test if they are able to donate blood and all tests are free.

This is our second (blood drive) since COVID, said Laura Goodwin with Messiah Lutheran. We had one on May 17 that went beautifully. People made appointments. People came in for appointments and we did walk-ins. We do this four times a year anyway so after COVID (hospitals) needed blood badly so we said wed keep doing it.

The blood drive will be indoors, although the space for the blood drive inside of the church will enforce social distancing.

There is plenty of room for everyone to separated, Goodwin said. Its inside with air conditioning and no one is sitting in their car waiting to get into the mobile bank.

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center also clarified that having a positive antibody test does not mean the donor is resistant to COVID-19. Plasma with COVID-19 antibodies could still prove useful and can possibly boost the immune systems of current COVID-19 patients fighting the disease.

Donors can find an appointment by availability at https://www.commitforlife.org/donor/auth/signin with the sponsor code 1476.

chevall.pryce@chron.com




Several local governments are planning to dole out a second round of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to help residents cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, informed officials said Saturday.



The government of Daegu, the city hit hard by the outbreak months earlier, announced a plan earlier this week to pay 100,000 won (US$83) each to all its 2.42 million residents this fall, as part of a second disaster relief package.



The city, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said it will raise 243 billion won, including 51.2 billion won from state coffers, to finance the new package, noting the actual payments will begin after the central government's ongoing emergency relief program ends Aug. 31.



"All citizens will receive relief money of 100,000 won per person," said Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin in a news conference Thursday, expressing hope that the payment will be completed before Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, which falls Oct. 1 this year.



In April, Daegu implemented its first disaster relief program, paying 500,000 won to 900,000 won each to about 450,000 households earning less than the median income.



Kwon explained that the local government decided to expand the scope of relief beneficiaries to all residents this time to ease the economic damage from the prolonged coronavirus pandemic and give comfort to citizens who have "endured extended suffering."



The provincial government of Jeju is also reportedly looking to extend a second disaster relief package to its residents, according to officials in the southern resort island.



The Jeju government said it has secured 23 billion won in a supplementary budget to pay 100,000 won each to all residents, possibly during September.



Gov. Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province recently proposed that the central government make a second disaster relief paymeny of 200,000 won to all people nationwide.



Lee has also asked for special budgetary support from the central government to first implement the 200,000 won relief money plan in the province, but the Moon Jae-in government and the ruling Democratic Party have yet to give a clear response.



In related moves, several lower-level local governments, such as Wanju County in North Jeolla Province, the city of Jecheon in North Chungcheong Province, the city of Wonju and Yeongweol County, both in Gangwon Province, and Ulju in North Gyeongsang Province, have already paid or are planning to pay disaster relief money of between 80,000 won and 200,000 won each to their residents.



In May, the Moon government began paying out 1 million won each to households with four or more members, 800,000 won to three-person households, 600,000 won to two-person households and 400,000 won to single-person households, as part of an emergency disaster relief package.



The payments from the central government started May 4 and recipients must spend the money given as vouchers or credit card additions by Aug. 31 or it will be taken away as a donation. (Yonhap)


Daimler AG (OTC: DDAIF) will report better-than-expected second-quarter earnings next Thursday, July 23. But job cuts are a big part of the brighter picture.

"We took proactive decisions on costs and spending and focused intensely on working capital management," said CEO Ola Kaellenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.

"But, there is still much to do. Our systematic efforts to lower the break-even of the company by reducing costs and adjusting capacity will need to continue."

The company is seeking 2 billion euros in annual savings through staff cuts. That is equivalent to more than 20,000 jobs, Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper reported Friday.

Daimler has said it is seeking to save more than 1.4 billion euros from annual staff costs, according to Reuters.

The parent company of Daimler Trucks & Buses and Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles said it spent 129 million on buyouts and early retirements in the second quarter.

Daimler will stop building the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. But it will continue to produce sport utility vehicles (SUVs). It also will stop making a variant of the compact Mercedes-Benz A-Class in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Reuters reported.

Still At A Loss

The German automaker expects a second-quarter operating loss of 1.68 billion euros ($1.91 billion). The company released the projection Thursday. Analysts called for a -2.3 billion loss. Cash flow and liquidity also are expected to top forecasts.

"Daimler pre-released better-than-consensus second-quarter numbers," Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois said.

Daimler Trucks & Buses is expected to report adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of -747 million. Consensus is -823 million. Freightliner and Western Star truck brands are sold by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) It is the leading manufacturer in North America.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Alan Adler.

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Related articles:

Daimler, PACCAR join rivals in suspending truck production

Sliding sales prompt restructuring at Daimler Trucks

Daimler to lay off at least 10,000 workers worldwide

See more from Benzinga

 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, assessing the technical equipment of Moscow schools, noted that the capital, in comparison with other regions, was one of the most prepared for the online-education format.

He noted that amid Covid-19 pandemic, the city administration was forced to transfer all education in Moscow to the online-format within a week.

It is clear that not everything was perfect. But in comparison with other regions and even countries, Moscow was one of the best prepared, "Sobyanin said in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda radio published on the website.
New Delhi: Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday (July 18, 2020) participated in the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Saudi Arabian Presidency through video conferencing to discuss the global economic outlook amid evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis along with other G20 Finance Track priorities for the year 2020.

The Finance Minister, in the first session of the meeting, talked about the G20 Action Plan in response to COVID-19 which was endorsed by the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in their previous meeting on April 15, 2020.

Finance Minister Smt @nsitharaman participated in the 3rd Meeting of G20 Finance Ministers today to discuss global economic outlook amid evolving #COVID19 crisis & other #G20 Finance Track deliverables for 2020. (1/n)@g20org @IndianEmbRiyadh #G20SaudiArabia #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/aviutAdSkf  Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) July 18, 2020

This G20 Action Plan lays out a list of collective commitments under the pillars of Health Response, Economic Response, Strong and Sustainable Recovery and International Financial Coordination, aimed at co-ordinating G20 efforts to fight the pandemic.

Sitharaman emphasized that it is crucial to ensure that this action plan remains relevant and effective.

The Finance Minister also shared her perspective on the way forward on the action plan and highlighted the need for international coordination required in addressing the spill-over effects of exit strategies. Emphasising that the Action Plan needs to reflect how the economies are balancing their supply side and demand side measures in response to COVID-19, Sitharaman shared with her counterparts how India is working on ensuring this balance through credit schemes for greater liquidity, direct benefit transfers, and employment guarantee schemes.

She specifically referred to Indias comprehensive economic package to address recovery and growth amounting to over $295 Billion, about 10 per cent of Indias GDP. Adding to this, Sitharaman also spoke about the procyclicality of credit rating downgrades by the rating agencies and its deterrent impact on policy options, particularly for EMEs.

In the second session of the meeting, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed the developments on G20 Finance Track deliverables under the Saudi Arabian Presidency.

In her intervention, Sitharaman discussed two such deliverables. First, enhancing access to opportunities for Women, Youth and SMEs is a priority agenda under Saudi Presidency and a Menu of Policy Options on Access to Opportunities has been developed by G20 under this agenda. The Menu presents country experiences of G20 members related to policies aimed at: Youth, Women, Informal Economy, Technology & Adult Skills, and Financial Inclusion. The Finance Minister noted that this agenda has assumed even greater importance now as the pandemic has most impacted the vulnerable sections.

Second, referring to the International Taxation agenda and the intended deliverable of formulating a solution for addressing challenges related to digital taxation, Sitharaman noted the progress on the agenda and said that it is imperative that this consensus-based solution should be simple, inclusive and based on a robust economic impact assessment.

During this session, the Finance Minister also shared some of the policy measures taken by the Government of India to fight the pandemic, including direct benefit transfers, special support to agriculture and MSME sectors, rural employment guarantee measures etc.

Sitharaman particularly highlighted how India has successfully employed technology-based financial inclusion by harnessing the nationwide digital payment infrastructure that India has built in last five years, to make contactless cash transfers of over $10 billion into the bank accounts of 420 million people.

She also referred to the swift measures to provide free food grain to over 800 million people for eight months till November 2020.
Iranian authorities say the black box of a Ukrainian passenger plane shot down in Tehran in January has been sent to France, a world leader in the field of black box analysis.

All 176 people on board were killed when Ukrainian passenger jet PS752 was hit by two Iranian-fired missiles shortly after take-off on 8 January.

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Mohsen Baharvand, told ILNA media that the black boxes were transported to Paris on Friday, accompanied by Iranian civil aviation and judicial officials, and would be read on Monday.

The victims came from seven countries, including 82 Iranians, 55 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians.

Iran has been in intense negotiations with Ukraine, Canada and other nations whose citizens died in the crash and who have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

Iran maintains it was the product of human error, which families of the victims in Ukraine and Canada in particular, refute.

'Unforgiveable mistake'

Iran initially denied responsibility for the crash, insisting it was due to engine failure.

But a few days later the country admitted responsibility, after Western intelligence officials said evidence pointed to Iranian involvement.

Teheran said it had mistaken the Ukraine International Airlines flight for a cruise missile.

President Hassan Rohani described the error as an "unforgivable mistake".

Iran's air defences had been on high alert at the time, amid heightened tension in the region.

Hours before the crash, the country had launched ballistic missiles at two US military bases in Iraq in response to a US drone strike that killed Iranian general al Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

French expertise

The black box contains the very latest data and communications from the cockpit, crucial in determining what happened.

Iran had delayed its release after disagreements with countries who lost citizens over where it should be decoded.

Under global aviation regulations, Iran is entitled to lead the investigation, but manufacturers would usually be involved.

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Iran had refused, however, to release the black box to the US, where manufacturer Boeing is based.

Despite the fact no French citizens were among the dead, Iranian authorities have called on French technical assistance.

Experts at the BEA (French Air Accident Research Centre) in Le Bourget north of Paris, will set about analysing the recordings on Monday.

BEAs laboratory is very modern, complete and efficient, Alain de Valence, a legal expert who worked with BEA on the 2009 Rio-Paris crash and 2014 Air Algerie crash in Mali, told Le Parisien.

BEA deals with some 100 French investigations each year, but is also regularly called upon to help in international enquiries. In 2017, it conducted some 279 foreign enquiries.

Canada and Ukraine are to send their own experts to take part in the investigation.
Ee Huei Sin, vice president, Keysight Technologies General Electronic Measurement Solutions

Telehealth is developing rapidly around the globe and in Vietnam amidst the 5G rollout. What major telehealth trends can you foresee?

The telehealth industry is projected to reach $266 billion by 2026 with a compound annual growth rate of 20 per cent. COVID-19 has definitely accelerated the rise of telehealth, during which we have also seen broader investment in 5G infrastructure development, AI, and big data analytics for healthcare, as well as regulatory changes offering funding and incentives.

In the US, which is actually the largest telehealth market right now, the preference for teleconsultation, favourable health reimbursement, and also support from government and major players actually encourage the quick adoption of telehealth solutions. In Europe, we are seeing a high adoption of wearable remote monitoring devices, while in the Asia-Pacific, telehealth is growing due to the high population  and this is particularly true for China.

Evidently, 5G enables the full scale of telehealth. South Korea, China, and the US are leading in building and deploying this technology. Mobile operators, including AT&T, Korea Telecom, and China Mobile all have been racing to build the 5G network in their countries. As more devices are connected to the internet, the need for high speed, high bandwidth, and low latency increases.

In addition to these three countries, about 34 countries globally are actually trialling 5G right now and more are jumping on the bandwagon. By 2025, 5G adoption is expected to reach 20 per cent of global connection.

In Vietnam, we are seeing issues shared by many other developing countries  lacking access to quality healthcare. As 70 per cent of the Vietnamese population is living in rural or remote areas, telehealth actually can help increase access at these remote areas and also address the medical personnel shortage while reducing overall healthcare costs by cutting down on actual hospital visits. In late 2015, state-owned telecom operator Viettel introduced its telehealth solution to some Metropolitan hospitals in the northern part of Vietnam, offering critical diagnosis consultation and medical education research, but not including treatment.

This Viettel solution is actually quite widely adopted in Vietnam and services have been extended to include remote patient monitoring. For example, in late 2016, the Quang Ninh Department of Health had a great initiative to create a telehealth network that combined access to 24 hospitals and community healthcare centres to provide medical care to remote communities. Just a few months ago, National Hospital of Paediatrics in Hanoi has also rolled out its telehealth system.

How can technology companies like Keysight contribute to driving the growth of telemedicine? What technologies and solutions do you have that could serve this purpose?

Keysight, as a technology leader, enables and helps accelerate innovations to connect and secure the world. We have 1,700-plus patents, and that's where our intelligence and expertise are lying. We offer an end-to-end 5G solution to network operators, chipset and device makers from early design to development, validation, and manufacturing all the way to deployment right now.

Keysight solutions support the development of 75 per cent of the several hundreds of 5G devices that have been announced from design process validation and conformance phases. We work with all the leading mobile operators, from China Telecom, SK Telecom, Korea Telecom (KT), NTT Docomo and to Verizon and other top chipset device manufacturers like Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, and many more to accelerate the 5G commercialisation.

There are some important changes and the important new standards in 5G that are going to help telehealth. 5G enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), offering higher speed and high bandwidth, and speeds of up to 100 times faster than 4G systems with very high definition video for online calling. The next important standard is that it is ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC). Low latency means minimum or no delay in the whole process, which is critical for mission-critical applications such as remote surgery.

The other important standard is massive machine type communication (mMTC). This is to support what we call the internet of medical things (IoMT). Right now, with the current 4G we can talk of only supporting about 4,000 devices per square kilometre, but with 5G mMTC, we are talking about one million devices per square kilometre. This standard is important to ensure that everybody gets a share and ensure connectivity. The new 5G standard is important to ensure that we can execute our vision for the future, with effective and efficient telehealth services.

In addition to 5G contribution, Keysight is involved in a lot of research. There are a lot of new devices were working on. We are working with some key innovative healthcare companies on using radio frequency (RF) and microwave technology in sensing and imaging for healthcare applications and other new applications. We have recently announced our collaboration with EMVision in Australia to develop a portable brain scanner for the rapid assessment of stroke and brain injury. The scanners are now in clinical trial and if it works, it will see wide adoption in hospitals and ambulances.

We're also cooperating with a number of research companies and universities in Europe to advance telehealth services.

The third area of Keysight contribution is in IoMT. Keysight works with many companies for testing mission-critical devices. We do what we call the 5Cs of IoT. In 5Cs, the first C is connectivity, making sure that wireless communications, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections are realiable. The second C is continuity, making sure that the device can last, the battery works and can last for as long as required  five or 10 years, normally. The third C is about compliance, ensuring that these IoMTs meet regulatory requirements in every country. The fourth C is co-existence. With so many IoT devices around, we have to make sure that they can co-exist with no interference. And we're going to see a lot more of these new standards coming out to make sure that co-existence is a consideration for all IoMT devices. The last, but nevertheless a very important C, is cybersecurity. With this telehealth process, teleconsultation, transfer of huge data and so on, patient privacy and data security become very important. In this area, we provide customers with not just the network visibility test but also cybersecurity test. We usually come up with a lot of software test automation and data analytical tools to help improve healthcare and telehealth and connectivity efficiency, as well as overall performance.

Just recently, we announced the acquisitions of UK-based company Eggplant, which works on AI-powered test automation software. This new acquisition also has a lot of hospitals as customers and has helped them conduct user-centric performance testing to check on the user interface and optimise digital experience.

The Vietnamese government has approved the master plan on digital diagnosis and treatment in 2020-2025. What are the opportunities and challenges for Vietnam? What lessons should Vietnam learn from to succeed with digital transformation in healthcare?

It is a good initiative and good timing for the Vietnamese government to promote this digital transformation in the healthcare sector. We see that there is actually a growing interest among a lot of startups in this area in Vietnam. We also recognise that Vietnam is definitely one of the fastest-growing medical device markets in Southeast Asia with an estimated growth rate of about 9.6 per cent annually. All these are very positive trends. With this, rural areas are going to see a lot of benefit with better quality healthcare moving forward.

Vietnam currently has thousands of hospitals spread across rural and urban areas. Therefore, 5G would be ideal to connect them and to apply telehealth.

The key thing is the large short term investment that will be needed. Currently, Vietnam is focusing on key medical hubs in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and some Tier Two cities, but it will definitely reach out to the smaller cities and towns over time.

For 5G deployment, one of the challenges is the huge investment in the early stage because the demand and economies of scale for 5G services are still not clear. We don't see a lot of 5G applications yet.

Vietnam has its strengths and opportunities. The country definitely has a long way to go in developing its software system and applications or supporting telehealth services. The country also needs to push for more innovation in the development of medical and wearable devices with cellular capability for remote monitoring, which is very important in readying it for 5G. And when 5G will be ready, it will encourage a lot of more startups in the area.

Besides helping the startups, the government should encourage more collaborations among industry players and stakeholders to grow telehealth applications for diverse needs, as well as have a very clear policy and create incentives.

Hospitals should work with mobile operators, partnering to create the infrastructure for healthcare. Insurance companies, meanwhile, could also join to make sure that telehealth expenses are reimbursable and could support telehealth expenses and advancements. Meanwhile, medical device companies should continue to innovate and figure out new applications on a 5G network.

There are some areas where Vietnam could look to other countries or areas to prepare and set itself up for success. I also want to highlight that telehealth services can be scaled based on need. You don't need 5G to start telehealth like Vietnam is doing because already some level of telehealth services are being offered by teleconsultation.

It should be made sure that the current telehealth services, the software, the application, the end-to-end clinical process is being considered and readied. The country can begin implementation under the current 4G  maybe it will not be able to do a lot of critical missions or handle critical real-time and high-quality services, but it will be a first step. Getting ready for 5G step by step will take time and it's very good that Vietnam has already started but it needs to continue moving ahead so that the country can fully capitalise on the 5G network when it is ready.
A Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court (HC) has observed that there is no impediment in releasing persons convicted under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, on parole in a bid to decongest prisons and correctional homes amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

Considering the language of the notification dated May 8 and particularly in view of the fact that the offence under POCSO Act, 2012, is not mentioned in the proviso, which bars for grant of parole, there should not be any impediment for releasing the petitioner on parole, said a two-member HC bench, comprising Justice AS Chandurkar and Amit Borkar, while granting 30-day parole to a convict (27), who is a lodged in Central Jail, Amravati, Maharashtra.

The bench was referring to the notification issued by Maharashtra home department by which Rule 19 of the Maharashtra Prisons (Bombay Furlough and Parole) Rules, 1959, has been amended to allow decongestion of prisons by granting certain convicts parole and furlough following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The bench saw merit in the argument made on behalf of the convict that under the proviso to the amended rule conviction under the POCSO Act, 2012, it is no longer a disqualification for availing parole or furlough.

The proviso to Rule 19 states that prisoners convicted for serious economic offences or bank scams or offences under special Acts (other than Indian Penal Code) such Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999; Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002; Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act (MPID), 1999; Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985; and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 2019, which provide for additional restrictions on grant of bail, shall not be released on parole or furlough.

The bench said there was no impediment for the convict to avail of the relief

considering the language of the proviso and particularly in view of the fact that the offence under the POCSO Act, 2012, is not mentioned in the proviso which bars for grant of parole.

The bench also noted that some other POCSO convicts have been released by the jail authorities on parole that further bolstered the petitioners case.

The convict had moved the HC after his plea for parole was rejected by the jail authorities.

He had sought parole to attend to his critically ill sister, but the jail authorities rejected the plea on the ground that he had not submitted any proof that substantiated her illness.
Dean Vagnozzi, who was fined more than $500,000 by federal regulators this week for selling unregistered securities, has a bold new plan for his next venture: selling stock in his own publicly traded company.

Vagnozzi believes this settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission paves the way for the company to restructure as a public company, which will alleviate advertising restrictions in the future, said his lawyer, John Pauciulo.

Pauciulo said that there are no filings yet regarding an initial public offering of a planned life settlement fund, but that the timeline is six months to a year. It would be for a newly created fund similar to those in Europe.

That development surprised Lisa Braganca, a former SEC attorney and branch chief who handles securities cases.

If her mom were thinking of investing with Vagnozzi, Braganca said, Id tell her to read up on this person, read the SEC settlement, and then I would steer her elsewhere.

The SEC fined Vagnozzi and his King of Prussia firm, A Better Financial Plan, over $500,000, and ordered that he cease and desist from selling what are known as viatical investment funds.

The problem wasnt the product, according to the settlement, but that he never registered with the SEC. Also, he had too many clients in the funds who didnt have a high-enough net worth for such a vehicle.

Vagnozzi did not admit wrongdoing. In an email to investors, he said, My staff and I feel that the results of this investigation are the absolute best reason someone should invest with us.

This is his second big penalty. Last year, the Pennsylvania state securities and banking regulator exacted a $490,000 fine, a record amount for that agency. In total, thats $1 million in fines in two years.

Viaticals, also called life settlements, are life insurance policies that investors buy, mostly from older people who want to cash them out while theyre still alive. When the policyholders die, investors get the money.

Theres nothing inherently wrong with viaticals. What the SEC charged Vagnozzi with was failing to register his funds. (Read the settlement here: shorturl.at/fhoL7.)

Vagnozzi encouraged the public on the radio, websites, and at free-meal seminars to invest like the big boys, and touted his firm as a place to buy life settlements, claiming these are the highest yielding, safe investments in the market, according to the SEC.

One of Vagnozzis principal marketing techniques was to broadcast frequent radio advertisements on Philadelphia radio stations. He recorded variations of these ads using his own voice, where he promoted double-digit returns without the volatility of Wall Street, and invited listeners to call a toll-free number to learn about an extremely secure investment that guys like Warren Buffett and other institutional investors have been using for decades.

His audience? Mom-and-pop investors, many desperate to generate income at a time of historically low yields. With the volatility of the stock market, the coronavirus, and other worries, its an appealing pitch.

However, callers were asked to leave their contact information only if they had at least $50,000 in hand and the ability to invest if you like what you hear. They were not asked to provide information about their net worth, income, or investing acumen.

So what should investors be aware of when dealing with someone who offers multiple lines of business? Vagnozzi sells life settlement funds, life insurance, disability insurance, annuities, and other insurance products.

The confusing part is that each product  stocks, annuities, funds, and insurance  is regulated by a different agency. The SEC regulates investment funds, the state regulates insurance, another agency regulates brokers, and so on.

Vagnozzi can still sell insurance products, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance website (www.insurance.pa.gov). The Insurance Department declined to comment, saying it cant confirm or deny any investigation.

How long was the SEC looking into Vagnozzi? Three years. On Friday, Vagnozzis attorney sent along a release explaining the fine, censure, and 12-month suspension.

The SEC had no problem with what we feel is the most important thing  the investments themselves, Vagnozzi said in the statement. What they mainly had a problem with was the way we promoted them, such as offering free steak dinners as an incentive to hear about our investing strategies.

Not exactly, said Braganca, the former SEC lawyer, who reviewed both the settlement and Vagnozzis news release. The SEC had a problem with Vagnozzi selling unregistered investment funds to small investors who werent accredited.

Hes just dead wrong, said Braganca of Vagnozzis statement. He was selling unregistered securities. If I were still with the SEC, Id be angry that he said this. He cant deny the terms of the settlement.

CFPB database

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the addition of an updated Consumer Complaint Database, which lets Americans see information about complaints over time. Its easy to search  whether you have a complaint about a student loan, a car note issuer, or a credit card company, bank, or other financial product.

For years, the database has provided the public with the ability to filter complaints by date, product, issue, and company name, and search by keywords. We found over 1,000 complaints just in Pennsylvania alone.

These powerful new capabilities allow users to gain deeper insight into changes in the location, type, and volume of complaints over time, which provides valuable context, said CFPB director Kathleen L. Kraninger.

Since 2011, the bureau has handled more than 2.3 million consumer complaints. Complaints are published after the company responds, confirming a commercial relationship with the consumer, or after 15 days, whichever comes first. The Consumer Complaint Database is at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/.
The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has expressed utter dissatisfaction with the State Broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), for seeking the intervention of the National Media Commission (NMC) on the blind side of the supervising ministry.

As opposed to copying the ministry a letter sent to the NMC, the sector minister believed the state broadcaster could have engaged the ministry first before heading to the regulator over the directive from the Ministry of Communication for GBC to forgo three of its channels.

They have not come to me for a discussion that there are job losses or anything of that natureI work with GBC on a daily basis. On a matter like this, I expect them to come to me and not to whip up the minority sentiments, he said.

The minister who made the statement on Citi FM in Accra yesterday further disclosed that the ministry has written to the NMC drawing its attention to GBC's letter.

He indicated that no broadcaster has been asked to shut down as purported by the GBC in its letter to the NMC as the state broadcaster could decide to create more television channels and operate on other transmission such as the Terrestrial 1 (T1) platforms aside from the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.

If transmission platform has engaged them in a conversation that they would have to create redundancy and rationalize some channels on it, first of all it should not be categorized as a directive to shutdown TV channels because once you do that nobody will listen to the conversation again, he said.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders to deliberate on the issue and resist attempt to whip up unions, public sentiments against something that according to the minister there has been engagement on.

In a letter dated July 7, GBC informed the NMC under the heading GBC asked to lose Three of its Six channels of the National DTT platform that the commission should intervene in saving the broadcaster from the consequence of having to operate with only three channels.

This followed a June 26 letter from the Ministry of Communication giving the state broadcaster a 60-day grace period to decide which of its three channels will be taken off the DTT platform.
Film director Rod Lurie graduated from West Point in 1984 and never saw combat. But The Outpost, his latest film, pays stirring homage to the 53 intrepid soldiers who against Custer-level odds defended a military camp situated hellishly low in a valley encircled by mountains dotted with over 300 Taliban fighters. Its a true story, as captured by Jake Tapper in his book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. It is thus far the bloodiest battle of the war in Afghanistan.

War movies with tiny budgets can be distractedly bad, such as the abominable sequels to Sam Mendess Jarhead. Or, with a skilled filmmaker, a poignant story, and A-list actors, $11 million can translate into a Best Picture winner and a decade-defining gem  Kathryn Bigelows The Hurt Locker. To be sure, Luries film does not break into that caliber. But he does overcome a shoestring budget (for a war film), some cringeworthy dialogue, and a few terribly awkward editing choices to deliver a COVID-19-era tour de force.

Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasys script, much like Full Metal Jackets, features two stark halves: one of relative tedium, and one of bloodier mayhem. The first hour of rinse, wash, repeat, brief flashes of Taliban fire  a mortar here, couple rounds popped off there  forebodes the climactic battle, which looms over the unsuspecting soldiers. Chummy banter is interspersed throughout these moments, as Lurie invites us into the militarys hardcore frat humor. Soldiers played by Orlando Bloom, Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, and others exchange crass jokes and f-words in nearly every line of dialogue, and no low-hanging fruit escapes a foul twist. As we creep toward the halfway mark, however, the dread builds. One solider, who on a patrol witnesses a gruesome death, must be evacuated owing to his deteriorated mental health, while a local named Mohammad warns the American commanders that the Taliban plot a larger assault on the camp. The ominous atmosphere draws you in  until Scott Eastwood, Clints son, delivers a silly line mimicking his fathers iconic guttural voice. Then the tension loses its sting. Why is Dirty Harry Callahan decked out in military gear, gazing dramatically off frame?

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But whatever flaws bog down the first half  namely, clunky acting and transitions, and the cheesy indie-budget aesthetic  to nitpick here is to overlook the poignant moments the film provides amply in hour two. Prior to the climactic battle, a simple montage of the soldiers speaking on the camp phone with friends, family, and loved ones back home humanizes them, providing the best opportunity in the entire film for the audience to understand the characters who are about to stand before the gates of hell. You also begin to suspect that the longer we linger with a humorous and likable solider, the likelier it is he will die.

This montage is also when the films overall quality significantly improves. From the acting to the editing to the cinematography, the second half becomes riveting. Taliban insurgents cascade down the mountainside as the sun rises, and the American soldiers frantically form something of a defense strategy despite being outnumbered. If the atmosphere was fraught before, even in the monotonous hours frittered away with cigarettes and bench presses, it goes haywire here.

Though what is truly remarkable about these scenes is their coherence. There is still a precision to the actors blocking and a pointedness to the cameras framing  all achieved on such a tight budget. Each transition becomes more seamless than the next, while the physical stakes of the battle ramp up, with setback after setback, injury after injury, death after death. Its as if the editing team were collectively drunk as they cut the first half, and in the second, everyone sobered up and brought a level of sophistication rarely seen in indie-budget films, let alone blockbusters. Lurie and his cinematographer Lorenzo Senatore capture the battle with tight-tracking long shots that keep the nerves jangling and the action scintillating, achieving what film critics like to call gritty realism. This is no pioneering wizardry, like that found in Battle of Algiers or 1917, but the effect remains the same  it is breathtaking, stretching for 45 minutes unabated.

Then again, the wizardry is borne of the simple budgetary dilemma. Give Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins $90 million (as was the case with 1917), take a few Oscars in return and a spot in the canon for films that pushed the boundaries of technical achievement in Hollywood and elsewhere. Give Lurie and little-known Senatore a shoestring budget, and theyll see to it that the technical virtuosity remains, if hidden by a sorry lack of both star power and tens of millions of dollars. Having had its festival premiere at South by Southwest and its theatrical release nixed owing to COVID-19, The Outpost is a true underdog, even if on-demand sales spike domestically.

Yet money isnt the ultimate or sole validation in Hollywood, even if studios operate like investment banks. The most important quality of the film  and what will likely be its lasting legacy  is its faithful treatment and re-creation of Camp Outpost Keating, the combat, and, most important, the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their brothers and their country. Writing in the New York Times about his experience in battle and on The Outpost set, Captain Stoney Portis praised Luries willingness to embrace the realism not only physically, through the production design, the cinematography, and sound design, but emotionally, by investing screen time in the characters whose lives were tragically lost. Several veterans from the battle, including Captain Chris Cordova, visited the set and consulted for the crew, adding to the films emotional veracity.

During the credits, the audience gets their first glimpse of the eight real-life heroes who laid down their lives in the conflict: Justin T. Gallegos, Christopher Griffin, Kevin C. Thomson, Michael P. Scusa, Vernon W. Martin, Stephan L. Mace, Joshua J. Kirk, and Joshua M. Hardt. There are also documentary interviews with the surviving soldiers that leave the audience deeply moved. It is custom for true-story war films and biopics to feature such credit sequences. This time around it is no less stirring, especially as angry mobs seek to erase our collective memory of American heroism and sacrifice.

Editors Note: This article originally claimed on the basis of an IMDB estimate that the budget of The Outpost was $18 million. It also claimed that the movie had grossed $200,000 internationally, an outdated figure. Both claims have been removed.

More from National Review
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If you love The Daily Beasts royal coverage, then we hope youll enjoy The Royalist, a members-only series for Beast Inside. Become a member to get it in your inbox on Sunday.

Meghan Markle is likely to be a prominent advocate of get-out-the-vote messaging in the run-up to the presidential election in November, a friend of the duchess tells The Daily Beast.

Meghan is likely to focus her formidable celebrity firepower on enthusing young people in particular to make the all-important trip to the polls.

Meghan Markle: I Was Unprotected by Royal Family and Prohibited From Defending Myself

Intriguingly, sources would not be drawn on whether Meghan will or will not publicly endorse Joe Biden or criticize Donald Trump. However their unwillingness to rule either out suggests Meghan, who criticized Trump in forceful terms before she met Prince Harry, could yet be pondering the option of making a bombshell partisan intervention in the American presidential race.

The friend said she will, however, be using her influence to urge young people to engage in and use their civic power, to use their voices, to advocate on issues they care about, in the run up to the election.

The fresh insight into the couples increasingly overtly politicalin the broadest sense of the wordpublic stance, came after a week which saw Meghan deliver her most activist speech yet, telling teenage attendees at the U.N.s Girl Up conference that world leaders were not listening to young people fighting against climate change and racial injustice, and saying that young people were setting the tone for an equitable humanity.

In a pre-recorded message filmed in her Hollywood home, Meghan urged girls to drown out negative voices even when they were painfully loud.

Her remarks echoed the sentiments she expressed in a speech to graduating students at her old high school last month, when she urged pupils: Youre going to use your voice in a stronger way than you have ever been able to because most of you are 18or youre going to turn 18so youre going to vote.

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The source said that going forward Meghan is likely to continue to support the racial justice movement, as well as women and girls equality movementsand underline again the importance of voting for young people.

Indeed, it is the focus on encouraging participation in the November election which is likely to prove most controversial, especially given Meghans well-known views on Trump (before she had met Harry, in the run-up to the 2016 election, Meghan called Trump divisive and misogynistic and said she might move to Canada if her were elected. Trump called her nasty.)

While urging people to use their vote is not exactly a controversial position, the freedom to speak out on an issue like this is one of the most important dividends of her and Harrys decisive split with the royal family.

As a British princess, even one of American birth, there is no way Meghan could have got involved, however tangentially or non-controversially, in any commentary around a foreign election.

Harry and Meghan have, however, made it clear in recent days that they no longer consider themselves in any way bound by the conventions of the royal family they left at the beginning of the year, despite having agreed to effectively not embarrass the Queen in their terms of departure.

Just last week, for example, Harry criticized the Queens beloved Commonwealtha loose grouping of Anglophile nations, many of which were once colonial possessions of the crown.

During a video call with some youth leaders from their home in Los Angeles, the couple appeared to take a swipe at the Commonwealths racial history.

Harry said: When you look across the Commonwealth, there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past. So many people have done such an incredible job of acknowledging the past and trying to right those wrongs, but I think we all acknowledge there is so much more to do.

Meghan remarked: Were going to have to be a little uncomfortable right now, because its only in pushing through that discomfort that we get to the other side of this.

The critical intervention caught the palace by surprise, and was all the more remarkable because Harry and Meghan retained their positions as president and vice-president of the Queens Commonwealth Trust, a youth grouping within the organization.

Sources have previously told The Daily Beast that Meghan was consistently infuriated by being told that she was not allowed to voice or express opinions as a royal. Indeed, Meghans frustration at her silencing in another contextthe right of reply to critical stories in the presshas now become a feature of her legal action against Associated Newspapers, the publishers of the Mail on Sunday.

Meghan, who is suing Associated for invasion of privacy and breach of copyright over a private letter to her father which the paper published, said in a recent filing that when she wished to defend herself against false stories appearing in the media she was effectively banned from doing so by the palace machine, which left her feeling unprotected.

But could Meghan really come out for Biden?

While it might seem unlikely, Harry and Meghan have certainly shown a remarkable facility to deliver shock after shock to the expected order of things.

Having sacrificed so much to be able once again to express her opinions and to have her voice heard, it would be unwisein this critical year for Americato bet too much against her now making the most of it.

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They enjoyed quality time together in Essex, during months of lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

And, Michelle Keegan, 33, looked incredible in a pretty bardot mini dress as she stepped out with husband Mark Wright, 33, for a family dinner at Olivia's in Marbella, Spain, on Friday night.

The soap star paraded her bronzed pins in the white frock, which boasted a red floral pattern and voluminous off-the-shoulder sleeves.

Wow! Michelle Keegan, 33, looked incredible in a pretty bardot mini dress as she stepped out with husband Mark Wright, 33, for a family dinner at Olivia's in Marbella, Spain, on Friday night

Michelle's tailored mini dress highlighted her slim physique, and left a glimpse of cleavage on display.

The sky-high hemline on the mini meant Michelle's staggering legs were on full display while the bardot also flaunted her gym-honed arms.

The Our Girl actress boosted her height with a pair of tan coloured heels and carried her belongings in a woven basket bag adorned with large gems.

Accessorising with delicate gold jewellery, Michelle styled her raven tresses into a dishevelled low-ponytail for an effortlessly-glam look, and finished off her make-up look with a pop of pillar-box red lipstick.

Gorgeous: The soap star paraded her bronzed pins in the white frock, which boasted a red floral pattern and voluminous off-the-shoulder sleeves

Stunning: Accessorising with a woven basket bag adorned with large gems, Michelle styled her raven tresses into a dishevelled ponytail for an effortlessly-glam look

Mark was clad in Navy shorts and a light blue, unbuttoned, shirt for their outing, with brown loafers completing his ensemble.

The genetically blessed pair joined Mark's sister Jess Wright and her fiance William Lee-Kemp, as well as his cousin Elliott Wright and wife Sadie Stuart.

Mark's mum, Carol, was also spotted at the family gathering as she stood with her daughter and friends for an excited discussion.

Family time: The genetically blessed pair joined Mark's cousin Elliott Wright and wife Sadie Stuart at their restaurant, Olivia's

What's up? Michelle sipped on champagne while having a chat with Sadie Stuart

Checking out the sparkler: Meanwhile, Jess Wright showed off her diamond engagement ring to cousin Elliott

As Jess and William gear up to tie the knot, Michelle admitted she is feeling 'frustrated' by constant baby questions after five years of marriage to husband Mark.

The actress hit out at sexist double standards - admitting queries about when she is going to have a baby do 'bother' her now.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine last month, she said: 'A few years ago it didn't bother me and I answered the question, but now I think, "I don't need to answer that because nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors".

All smiles: Mark's mum, Carol, was also spotted at the family gathering as she stood with her daughter Jess and friends for an excited discussion

'I remember when I finished Our Girl people were like, "Is it because you're going off to have a baby?"

'I know for a fact if Mark finished a job, nobody would ask him if he was going to have a baby. It's not fair. It does make me feel frustrated.'

On starting a family after moving into their dream home, Mark previously said: 'We say we're going to try [for a baby] every year but something comes up with work...

'So it'll be Michelle filming in South Africa and then I got the job in Los Angeles  so we think, right, we'll try next year. It'll be around December or January, we'll talk about it and we'll go from there.

'With kids, I used to want three or four. But now, I'm 31, we're not having kids any time before 32. I think we could have two or three.

'Twins would be great because you're getting two out of the way at once!' he added
Suspected Nigerian fraudster, Ramoni Abbas a.k.a Hushpuppi has been transferred from Chicago to California, weeks after hiring top Chicago lawyer, Gal Pissetzky of the Pissetzky & Berliner law firm as his attorney.

LIB reported earlier that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accused Hushpuppi of funding his extravagant lifestyle from hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise frauds and other scams.

Hushpuppi who was recently denied bail by a Chicago court which ordered that he remains in detention till his next trial date later in the year, has now settled for a government lawyer after his case was transferred to another district.

Justice Gilbert who presided over his case in Chicago had said;

Accordingly, Defendant is ordered removed to the Central District of California in the custody of the U.S. Marshal forthwith. As provided by 18 U.S.C.  3142(f), Defendant is remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal and shall remain in custody until further order of the Court.

The suspected Nigerian fraudster was moved to California on Tuesday July 14, as confirmed by transfer documents signed by Thomas G. Bruton, the Clerk of the U.S Court in Chicago.
TEHRAN, Iran, July 18

Trend:

Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) has agreed to accelerate the release of necessary goods and basic materials used in production, said IRICA deputy head for customs affairs.

"Iran's customs and ports have currently stored more than 3.5 million tons of necessary goods while there are also 3.3 million tons of unnecessary goods kept in warehouses, and 80 percent of them belong to the production sector," said Mehrdad Jamal Arvanaghi, Trend reports citing IRNA.

"The imported goods in ports are stored in more than 30,000 containers, and the country's customs services are seeking to reduce customs formalities in commodity declaration and release," Arvanaghi said.

"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been informed about the issue, and corresponding orders will be announced in the coming days. It is expected that related organizations and the Central Bank of Iran will cooperate with customs to accelerate the release of necessary goods and basic materials for productive units," the official added.

"The governors and MPs earlier asked for facilitating the process to support production leap, and the customs will implement necessary measures to release the necessary goods in the coming days," he said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Israel is trying to limit the spread of the coronavirus by closing non-essential businesses and tourist spots on weekends.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the new restrictions, which includes closing beaches and restaurant dining, as an attempt to avoid a more general lockdown like the one the country imposed during the early days of the crisis. And they represent the latest unique approach to the pandemic.

U.S. states and other countries are testing lots of ideas, from moving school outside to allowing alcohol at restaurants only when diners eat meals.

Critics wonder how effective Israels half-measure could be. While shopping areas and tourist spots may be less crowded during the week, the virus could still spread Monday through Friday, University Hospitals infectious disease specialist Dr. Amy Edwards said.

I think its a compromise on the economic side, Edwards said. When it comes to public health, it doesnt really matter what day of the week it is.

The head of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians is also skeptical of the strategy, telling The Times of Israel that it doesnt make any logical sense because people could just gather in private homes on weekends.

The trajectory of the pandemic in Israel is similar to Ohio, which is also seeing an increase in cases over the last few weeks. Gov. Mike DeWine has urged Ohio residents to take precautions to limit the spread of infections, but has taken a more hands-off approach compared to the decisive actions that earned him national recognition in the early days of the pandemic.

The situation in Ohio is not as dire as Israel, a country of 8.6 million people that reported more than 1,800 new coronavirus infections on Thursday. But Ohio, which has a population of 11.7 million, reported its highest single-day total of 1,679 new cases on Friday, and nearly 60 percent of Ohio residents live in counties where the risk of transmission is high enough that theyre required to wear a face mask.

Public health experts say the best approach to limiting the spread of the coronavirus is a combination of social-distancing, the use of face masks, good hand hygiene, robust testing and contact tracing. Countries that have been particularly effective in implementing those strategies, such as South Korea and New Zealand, have largely contained the spread of the virus.

Here are some of the other strategies that have been tried in the United States and internationally.

Denmark

In Denmark, schools limited the size of their classes and moved much of the school day outdoors, where public health expert say the risk of transmission is lower. The strategy -- which began in April -- worked; the country did not see a rise in cases linked to its schools, according to The Guardian.

Edwards complimented Denmarks approach, but noted it would be difficult to replicate in Ohio. Denmark allocated more money to its schools so they could make changes and hire more teachers, but DeWine announced $300 million in cuts to cuts to K-12 public-school funding in order to balance the state budget.

And while Great British Baking Show-style tents sound great, holding classes outside becomes impossible once the weather turns colder.

Thats not going to be feasible throughout the calendar, when its cold and snowing outside, Edwards said.

United Kingdom

The U.K. is among a host of countries that have used drones to enforce coronavirus lockdowns. Law enforcement in the English city of Derbyshire defended their use of drones to shame people into not traveling into a national park, according to The Guardian.

France, the Netherlands, China and India have all used drones to monitor crowds and issue social-distancing orders. Several U.S. states have also used them to monitor public spaces; the city of Fairfield in southwest Connecticut used them at beaches and parks.

However, critics say using drones to monitor crowds is an invasion of privacy. A Paris court suspended the use of drones until civil liberties questions could be addressed.

The Netherlands

Scientists at the KWR Water Research Institute found the virus that causes COVID-19 in a local sewage system in February, three weeks before the Netherlands confirmed its first infection. Detecting a high number of COVID-19 particles in wastewater could give officials some time to warn the public and corral supplies in an area expected to see a spike in hospitalizations caused by the coronavirus, public health experts say.

State and federal officials have launched a pilot program in Ohio to test wastewater in Cincinnati and Marion. Officials told cleveland.com the program could expand statewide, but an EPA spokeswoman could not immediately provide an update Friday afternoon.

South Korea

South Korea required international travelers into its capital, Seoul, to download a cellphone app and self-report any symptoms every day. The app tracks a persons movements, and sends alerts to other nearby users, according to Foreign Affairs.

But like drones, the use of cellphone apps to track people raises civil liberties concerns, especially because many tech companies scrambled to create the tracking software as quickly as possible, according to The New York Times.

Canada

Canadas four maritime provinces are taking a regional approach to travel restrictions. Anyone living in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island can travel freely among the four. But each province has its own rules for other travelers.

Manitoba is the only other province with domestic travel restrictions; officials have lifted them in Quebec, Ontario and elsewhere.

Travel restrictions could limit the spread of the virus, but only if theyre guided by science, Edwards said. If cases exploded in New Brunswick, for example, it would not make sense to allow free travel to the other maritime provinces.

What you dont want to do is allow places with high transmission to travel to places with low transmission, Edwards said. Thats what you want to avoid.

Pennsylvania

Ohios eastern neighbor is also seeing a recent increase in cases, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has responded by issuing a statewide face-mask mandate. Hes also encouraging businesses to transition to a work-from-home model whenever possible.

Pennsylvania is also rolling back some of its efforts to reopen its economy. The state is reducing indoor dining to just 25 percent of a restaurants capacity, and only diners having meals can consume alcohol on-premise.

Edwards said reducing dining capacity could be a worthwhile strategy, but restaurants must ensure tables are kept 6 feet apart for social distancing.

The whole point of this is to limit the number of people you come into contact with, and particularly close and prolonged contact, Edwards said.

Indiana

Like Ohio, Indiana has yet to issue a statewide face-mask mandate. But Gov. Eric Holcomb responded to a recent uptick in coronavirus infections by hitting the pause button on the states efforts to reopen its economy.

The state will remain in Stage 4.5 of reopening plan for at least two more weeks, Holcomb said this week. The final stage of the plan, Stage 5, allows most businesses to operate at full capacity and government offices to re-open to the public.

Massachusetts

As the debate over whether to re-open schools in the fall rages across the U.S., Massachusetts teachers are proposing the same type of phased approach that most states used to re-open their economies. The states Department of Elementary and Secondary Education previously released guidelines asking school districts to prepare three plans: one for in-person classes, another for online classes and a third for a hybrid approach.

The state teachers union countered by releasing a four-part plan. It begins with an initial period of setting up classrooms and learning health guidelines. Thats followed by meetings with students and their families, either in-person or virtually. The third phase would involve a six-week period of lessons in-person, virtually or a hybrid model. The final phase is an assessment period.

Cleveland.com reporter Robin Goist contributed to this story.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 18:51:47|Editor: huaxia

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-- As of June 2, China has sent a total of 148 medical workers to 11 African countries.

-- Since March, massive medical supplies donated by the Chinese government, companies and individuals have been distributed to over 50 African countries and regions.

-- The joint efforts to combat COVID-19 illustrate the enduring relationship between China and Africa.





NAIROBI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The past few months have witnessed an ever-growing brotherhood and solidarity between China and Africa, which are joining hands in tackling the still-unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.

When the first case was confirmed on the African continent on Feb. 14, China, despite being ravaged by the virus then, rushed forward to help its African brothers by unreservedly providing medical supplies, sharing experience, as well as sending expert teams.

So far, Africa's anti-epidemic efforts have achieved gratifying results despite the growing number of confirmed cases, maintaining a mortality rate far below the global average, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Members of a Chinese medical team pose for a photo upon their arrival at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)





SUCCESSIVE MISSIONS WIN ACCLAIM

On April 16, a 12-member team of health experts from the Chinese city of Tianjin arrived in Burkina Faso.

Visiting the Tengandogo University Hospital in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou twice, the Chinese experts shared their experience in fighting the virus with their local counterparts, who are caring for an increasing number of COVID-19 patients.

Alexandre Sanfo, director-general of the hospital, told Xinhua that the experience shared by the Chinese experts boosted the country's COVID-19 prevention and control work, as well as its response system.

A Chinese medical expert is welcomed by locals upon her arrival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, April 16, 2020. (Xinhua)

According to the Chinese Embassy in Burkina Faso, the team made a total of four field visits, and held eight training workshops, 14 interdisciplinary meetings, and 40 technical sessions during their stay in the West African country.

After the heavy workload in Burkina Faso, the team went to Abidjan, the capital city of Cote d'Ivoire, on a similar mission at the invitation of the Cote d'Ivoire government.

As of June 2, China has sent a total of 148 medical workers to 11 African countries, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

Furthermore, 46 Chinese medical teams already stationed on site are also mobilized to help African nations contain the pandemic.

The Chinese medical workers are shuttling back and forth on the continent to race against the virus, which has won admiration from local medical staff and officials.

"It is a great show of solidarity," said 57-year-old Legesse Alemu, a medical doctor at a public health facility in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Staff members unload the medical supplies from China at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)

"They brought with them highly needed know-how and first-hand experience, without which we would not be able to effectively respond to the virus," said Alemu.

Grateful to the Chinese experts, Burkina Faso's Minister of Health Claudine Lougue said their help will allow the country to minimize the risk of the COVID-19 spread.

"The mission was fruitful and the Chinese experts made relevant recommendations which we will contextualize according to our realities," said the health minister.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa wrote to the leader of the visiting Chinese medical team a letter, which read, "I write to express to you, and your colleagues, my deep personal gratitude, and that of my government and the people of Zimbabwe, for your unwavering support by sharing the expertise garnered from China's victorious battle against the COVID-19 pandemic."

Members of a Chinese medical team visit Mvurwi Hospital in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, May 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)





CHINESE DONATIONS PROVIDE TIMELY HELP

Since March, massive medical supplies donated by the Chinese government, companies and individuals have been distributed to over 50 African countries and regions.

The timely donations, including face masks, disposable protective clothing, forehead thermometers as well as other equipment, have helped alleviate the continent's shortage of medical supplies in the face of the epidemic.

The latest donation was made on July 14, when the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) donated a consignment of medical supplies, including 20,000 masks and 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizers, to African labor unions to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus among African workers.

Staff unload donations from Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation at the Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, March 28, 2020. (Photo by Eddy Peters/Xinhua)

ACFTU's donation to the Organization of African Trade Union Unity also included office equipment, such as printers and laptops, to support the work of the union across the continent.

On June 30, the Communist Party of China (CPC) donated various medical supplies to Zambia's governing party, the Patriotic Front (PF), as part of the efforts to help the country deal with the pandemic.

The materials were donated to the PF by the Chinese Embassy in Zambia on behalf of the CPC International Department. The donated items included 30,000 surgical face masks, 500 protective clothing and 240 thermometers.

Meanwhile, Chinese companies and individuals are also making their own contributions.

Jack Ma, Chinese tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, has donated three batches of medical supplies to 54 African countries via the Jack Ma and Alibaba foundations.

A worker transfers boxes of medical supplies provided by Chinese government at Khartoum International Airport in Khartoum, Sudan, June 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Ma Yichong)

Following Ma's announcement of donating the third batch of medical supplies, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said "I thanked Jack Ma for the donations of supplies to the AU Commission. This includes 4.6 million masks, 500,000 test kits, 200,000 personal protective equipment, as well as 300 ventilators."

The chairperson of the 55-member pan African bloc also stressed that "these vital supplies will enhance the Africa CDC's strategic stockpile to assist member states in the COVID-19 fight."





LONG-LASTING SOLIDARITY

The joint efforts to combat COVID-19 illustrate the enduring relationship between China and Africa.

Since 1963, more than 22,000 Chinese health professionals have been sent to Africa to support local programs, which benefited about 220 million patients, according to Chinese Ambassador to Togo Chao Weidong.

The outbreak has boosted bilateral collaboration in the health sector between China and Africa, which will certainly enhance their shared vision of win-win cooperation.

Djiboutian Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed (C) awards the Independent Day Medals to members of the Chinese medical team in Djibouti, capital of Djibouti, May 10, 2020. (Chinese Embassy in Djibouti/Handout via Xinhua)

When chairing the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 in June, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the two sides should work together to build a China-Africa community of health for all and take their comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to greater heights.

Noting that China and Africa have withstood the immense challenge of COVID-19, Xi said the two sides must mobilize necessary resources, collaborate to protect people's lives and health, and minimize the fallout from COVID-19.

Xi called on both sides to stay committed to fighting COVID-19 together, saying that China will continue to do whatever it can to support Africa's response.

The Chinese president's remarks were echoed by African leaders, who agree that solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa are the key to ultimately defeating COVID-19.

Chinese medical team members visit the Pasteur Institute in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, May 5, 2020. (Photo by Liang Liang/Xinhua)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at the meeting that the summit "demonstrates the depth and resilience of solidarity between China and Africa."

"Sino-African solidarity and better multilateral cooperation is key to winning the battle against this pandemic," he said, calling on both sides to continue to strengthen the bonds of solidarity and take collective action to secure the future of humanity.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that joint success in combatting COVID-19 was the result of years of bolstering ties under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, whose 20th anniversary will be marked later this year.

"The strength of the bond between Africa and China is clear," Kagame said.

(Video reporter: Liu Ruijuan; Video editor: Yang Zhixiang)
Switzerland to run random checks of travelers' quarantine compliance

Bern, July 17 (Sputnik) Swiss authorities will conduct unannounced random checks of compliance with self-isolation regime among travelers arriving in the country amid high rate of imported COVID-19 cases, Patrick Mathis, the spokesman of Switzerlands Federal Office of Public Health, said on Friday.

The government is going to request passenger lists for some 20-30 flights arriving in Switzerland every week and then randomly check if people are adhering to self-isolation rules, as the country has no capacity to control every traveler. Switzerland currently requires travelers from high-risk COVID-19 countries to stay in quarantine for at least 10 days.

"About 10 percent of coronavirus cases are imported by those who return from abroad," Mathis said.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

NORWALK  Following the footsteps of other area towns, the city announced Friday that its beaches would be closed to non-residents this weekend.

Mayor Harry Rilling issued an executive order Friday night which completely restricts non-resident access to Calf Pasture Beach and Shady Beach.
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The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Reconciliation Committee, Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger, on Friday met with the partys governorship aspirants with a view to reconciling their differences ahead of July 20 primary election.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the meeting, Bello said the main objective of the committee in the state was to reconcile party members and all APC faithful.

According to him, the reason we are here is for the reconciliation in Ondo State.

We have met with the aspirants.

Our paramount objective is to ensure victory in the forthcoming election.

 We have met with the stakeholders on what we should do to have peace in the party.

 We members of the committee would do everything we can to reconcile all members of the party to resolve any crisis.

Success of the APC is what we must seek. We should not take action that will make us lose the election, the committee chairman said.

Speaking on agitation for direct primary, Bello explained that the committee would recommend whatever the members wanted

If direct primary is what the stakeholders want, we will recommend to the national headquarters, he said.

The only six aspirants that attended the meeting were: Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Mr Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Mr Bukola Adetula, Ambassador Sola Iji, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose and Mr Jimi Odimayo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, who is the Chairman of Election Committee for Ondo State, had on Friday in Abuja said that the Monday primary would be conducted through indirect mode.

However, one of the governorship aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke, who came late said that he managed to come and see the chairman because he did not get the notice on time.

Oke, therefore, frowned at the adoption of indirect mode of primary and the committees visit, saying that he might likely challenge the decision if the committee stuck to its gun

He described the committees visit as a wasted effort because there was nothing new the meeting could bring.

He promised that he would not boycott the primary election on Monday, so that he could have locus standi to challenge it.

I dont boycott any election. It is not in my character and is not advisable.

Under the electoral law if you boycott or you dont participate, you cannot challenge, he said.
Ethiopia has dismissed reports that it's filling a massive reservoir behind a new hydroelectric dam, as the colossal infrastructure project strains ties between three African nations that all rely on the River Nile for water. Egypt has previously threatened to go to war over the dam.

Almost 10 years of negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt over Ethiopia's construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have failed to resolve the conflict. Recent satellite images from the European Space Agency show water filling the reservoir behind the dam, but Ethiopian officials insist it's just "natural pooling" from rainfall, not the start of filling operations.

A July 12, 2020 satellite image shows the reservoir filling behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile river in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. / Credit: Maxar Technologies via AP

All three nations share the water of the Blue Nile, one of the two tributaries of the River Nile. Sudan and Egypt insist an agreement on how Ethiopia will operate the new dam should be reached before the reservoir is filled.

The countries have been at odds since 2011, when Ethiopia started building the dam, at an estimated cost of $4 billion, across the Blue Nile. The tributary originates in the Ethiopian highlands, flows north through the country and then through Sudan before eventually crossing into Egypt and joining the Nile on the way to the Mediterranean.

The dam is reportedly about 70% complete, but Ethiopia has long said it intended to fill the reservoir over the summer, during the rainy season, as work on the dam continued.

"Certificate out of poverty"

"The construction of the dam and the filling of the water go hand in hand," Ethiopian Water Minister Seleshi Bekele said in televised comments this week. "The filling of the dam doesn't need to wait until the completion of the dam." He later told reporters that as the rains are falling, "it's an ideal time to fill the dam This is very well known to everyone involved. They [Egypt] know it. They have to explain it to their people."

Story continues

A general view of the the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, December 26, 2019. / Credit: EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP/Getty

The World Bank ranks Ethiopia's economy as one of the fastest-growing in the world, but it is also one of the most power-starved countries on the planet. More than half of its 110 million people have no access to electricity.

"It's a source of national pride, an iconic achievement of my generation," Omar Redi, an Ethiopian political analyst, told CBS News. "The dam is considered Ethiopia's certificate out of poverty, hence the huge importance the people and government attach to it."

The width of Manhattan's Brooklyn Bridge and standing 50 storeys high, it is hoped the dam's 16 turbines will generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity; enough to meet not only Ethiopia's needs, but also excess power to sell cheaply to the country's impoverished northern neighbor, Sudan.

Sudan, while enthusiastic about the potential new power supply, also has serious concerns about Ethiopia unilaterally controlling the flow of the Blue Nile, using a dam less than 10 miles from their shared border.

Hundreds of miles further downstream, however, Egypt, with an area and population similar to Ethiopia's, is dead against the new infrastructure project.

"Existential" threat

The Nile has remained the lifeline of Egypt's civilizations since the ancient times. The country's 102 million inhabitants still rely almost entirely on the river to sustain life across the arid landscape.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called the dam "a threat of potentially existential proportions." He vowed that Egypt would "uphold and protect the vital interests of its people," adding that "survival is not a question of choice, but an imperative of nature."

Addressing troops last month, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi didn't mention Ethiopia or the dam specifically, but pointedly said Egypt's military stood ready to defend national security, as he told Air Force personnel to, "be ready for any mission inside our borders, and if necessary, outside the borders."

Moustafa El Gendi, the self-proclaimed "Son of The Nile," is a member of Egypt's Parliament who sits on its African Affairs committee.

"The River Nile for us is our only source of life," said El Gendi, who built a successful river cruise business on the Nile.

Egyptian politician Moustafa El Gendi (right) meets then-Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in a 2011 file photo.

He first saw the looming dam project as a threat during the 2011 "Arab Spring" uprising that toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He led an Egyptian "public diplomacy" delegation to Ethiopia at the time, asking the government there to delay construction until the tumult in Egypt was over and his country, "got back on its feet."

El Gendi told CBS News that his delegation wanted to hear outside engineering consultants assure his country, "that this dam is not going to kill the Egyptians. I want to hear this from a specialist, not from a politician."

"I don't want politicians to give me promises," El Gendi said. "I trust science. This is a dam. This is an engineering project."

"Plenty of water"

At least one expert isn't convinced that Egypt is facing an "existential" threat, at least not any time soon.

Dr. Kevin Wheeler, a researcher at the Environmental Change Institute at Britain's University of Oxford, has been following the negotiations over the GERD project since 2012. He told CBS News that the technical issues between the parties have already been largely resolved.

"I would say, this year, there's really no concern at all of any [water] shortage. There's plenty of water stored within Egypt," Wheeler said. "The subsequent years would be of more concern if there's a drought, or an extended drought over the next several years. That could be a reason for concern."

A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, December 26, 2019. / Credit: EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP/Getty

"Technically, there are very sound solutions, and ultimately if there is an agreement, the GERD can provide a safety net during drought times for Egypt," he added.

But with so much distrust between the two sides, Wheeler acknowledged that a deal still must be struck, and one, "that's verifiable and implementable."

The main sticking point has been Egypt and Sudan pushing for an agreement that would be binding on Ethiopia, effectively forcing it to guarantee a certain downstream flow through the new dam. Ethiopian officials have refused to make that concession thus far.

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Former Health Minister Alex Segbefia says the recent Interpol Red Alert on Mr Samuel Adam Mahama (Samuel Adam Fosters) in relation to the Airbus bribery scandal, is a calculated plot by the Akufo-Addo government to embarrass the suspects brother, former President John Mahama, who is the flag bearer of the opposition the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 7 December 2020 polls.

This so-called arrest warrant is a red herring, Mr Segbefia said in a statement, adding: It is an extension of their game plan to embarrass President John Mahama because of the impending elections.

The former Presidents brother has been accused of allegedly accepting a bribe to influence a public officer and acting in connivance with a public officer for the public officers private gain.

Interpol said Mr Mahama is liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 25 years for the offence.

The arrest warrant, which was issued on 10 July 2020, said once Mr Adam Mahama is traced, assurances are given that extradition will be sought upon the arrest of the person, in conformity with national laws and/or the applicable bilateral and multilateral treaties.

On January 31, Ghana was cited as one of five countries in which global aerospace group, Airbus SE, allegedly bribed or promised payments to senior officials in exchange for business favours between 2009 and 2015, according to the UKs Serious Fraud Office.

This led to a record 3 billion in settlement by Airbus with France, the United Kingdom and the United States to avoid corporate criminal charges.

Mr Segbefia, however, said: A Red Notice is usually issued against a criminal fugitive on the run who seeks actively to evade justice.

It is a notice published by Interpol to law enforcement agents across the world requesting them to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending his extradition.

When it is published, it is not Interpol seeking the location and arrest of the person, but rather the country that requests the publication, he noted, adding: Procedurally, Interpol would publish a Red Notice at the request of a member country provided the request meets the constitutional requirements of Interpol.

A Red Notice is, however, a voluntary system, he asserted, pointing out that: A state is, therefore, not obliged to make an arrest based on its publication, and can decide to ignore it.

This is because it is not an arrest warrant, and countries can themselves determine what weight to give such notice.

What is unusual about this particular Red Notice, he observed, is that the Ghana government knows where Samuel Mahama lives in the UK up to his exact residential address.

One needs to bear in mind that all the hullabaloo about Airbus emanated from the UK courts, who have dealt with it and settled it. And yet, even though he and the other persons named in the Red Notice are British nationals, the UK government has not thought it fit to prefer any charges against them, mentioned.

The ex-presidents brother, Mr Segbefia insisted, is not considered a flight-risk, so, no restrictions have been imposed on him and he has not been asked to hand over his passport.

Why would the UK government, based on the same facts as are narrated in the Red Notice, arrest him for Ghana government? he wondered.

Besides, Ghana has an extradition treaty with the UK. It also has a Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement with the UK, so, Why publish Red Notice when the Ghana Government can formally ask for his extradition through regular channels?

Mr Segbefia said the Special Prosecutor must be aware that it is forlorn hope that the UK government would extradite the three named persons.

It is interesting, he noted, how recently, the scurrilous story found its way onto the front pages of the controversial Sun newspaper in the UK.

Individuals behind that publication are suspected to be closely tied to the family of Akufo-Addo, he alleged.

--classfmonline
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 05:02:32|Editor: huaxia

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ALGIERS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad stressed Saturday the need to assess socio-economic effects caused by the COVID-19 "objectively and without overstatement," the official APS news agency reported.

The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting in capital Algiers with social and business representatives, aimed at setting up a safeguard committee in charge of evaluating the repercussions caused by the pandemic on the national economy.

He pointed out that the committee will draw up a report that will be examined at the government meeting on July 26.

The prime minister stressed that the socio-economic revival and recovery couldn't be achieved without "balanced companies and sufficient purchasing power for the households" in order to boost the economic momentum.

Algeria on Saturday reported 601 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases to 22,545 with 1,068 deaths.

China and Algeria have offered mutual help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Chinese medical expert team arrived in Algeria on May 14 for a 15-day mission to help fight the coronavirus, through sharing China's experience in controlling the virus' spread. Enditem
NSW Health authorities are still searching for a link between a new cluster of cases at a Thai restaurant and the Crossroads Hotel coronavirus outbreak in south-western Sydney.

The Crossroads Hotel cluster has grown to 45 cases, as NSW Health confirmed 16 new cases of COVID-19 had been identified in the state.

Three cases are connected to the Thai Rock restaurant, located in the Stockland Mall in Wetherill Park. Credit:Steven Siewert

Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Jeremy McAnulty said contact tracers were searching for "crossovers" between the hotel cluster and the three cases connected to the Thai Rock restaurant, located in the Stockland Mall in Wetherill Park.

"They are closely related in geography and time, so we are continuing to look for potential contact and crossovers, but at this point we haven't found that," Dr McAnulty said on Saturday.
At the working session (Photo: VNA)



At the meeting on July 16th at the Frelimo Party's headquarters, Hoang conveyed the greetings of Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and other high-ranking Vietnamese officials to Frelimo leaders and the Mozambican government on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Mozambiques Independence Day and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The two sides looked into measures to tighten the relations between the two Parties and States, including preparations for visits to Vietnam by President Filipe Nyusi, and other high-ranking delegations of the Mozambican government in the time ahead.

Hoang used the occasion to share Vietnams experience in fighting COVID-19, affirmed Vietnams solidarity and support to Mozambique.

For his part, Rogue Silva lauded Vietnam for the achievements the country has recorded in multiple areas, including poverty reduction and pandemic combat, and expressed his hope to strengthen solidarity and cooperation between the Frelimo Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam and the two countries as well.

The two parties signed a cooperation agreement for 2018-2022 during the visit to Mozambique by Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong in December 2018./.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 23:24:52|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The work resumption of enterprises in Beijing has returned to the level in early June, local authorities said on Saturday.

As of Thursday, most of the major commercial buildings, construction sites, industrial enterprises and supermarkets in Beijing had resumed operation, Li Sufang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, said at a press conference.

The resumption of major restaurants had reached 91.1 percent, while that of offline stores, such as fruit and vegetable shops, convenience stores, and hair and beauty salons, had reached 91.9 percent.

Beijing reported no new confirmed or suspected domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Friday, the municipal health commission said Saturday. This means that the city had reported no new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases for 12 consecutive days. Enditem
Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has appointed a new head of the army to replace General John Numbi, state television said on Friday.



Both Numbi and his designated successor, General Gabriel Amisi Kumba, are under U.S. and European Union sanctions for repression and abuses directed against opposition figures and protesters under former president Joseph Kabila.



Tshisekedis office did not give a reason for the reshuffle.



The last month has seen rising tensions in the ruling coalition between supporters of Tshisekedi and those of Kabila, who maintains extensive power through his parliamentary majority, control of most cabinet ministries, and influence in the army.



Until now, Kumba was Numbis number two and head of territorial operations of the Congolese Armed Forces. Both were promoted to their posts by Kabila in mid-2018.



The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Tibor Nagy, said: We welcome that U.S.-sanctioned General John Numbi is no longer in his post. The United States supports President Tshisekedis commitment to improving human rights and professionalising the Congolese armed forces.



In the post on Twitter, Nagy did not comment on the choice of Kumba as Numbis successor.



Tshisekedi also nominated three new members to the constitutional court, according to state television.



He has been struggling to prove he has the political strength to follow through on election promises to modernise the country and stamp out corruption since coming to power in 2019.

Source: reuters.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 13:36:45|Editor: huaxia

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Lawmakers and lawyers in Hong Kong expressed strong opposition to the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act," which was signed into law by the U.S. days ago. #nationalsecurity
A Fordham University student says he's being forced to undergo "political re-education" after running afoul of campus administrators after posting a picture of himself holding a rifle and referencing the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Andrew Tong tells the Epoch Times that officials at Fordham declared that he had violated the university's regulations "relating to bias/and or hate crimes" as well as the school's policy against "threats/intimidation" with two social media posts.

The first post was simply a picture of retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn, who was murdered during riots in St. Louis a few weeks ago. Beneath Dorn's picture, Tong simply wrote "Y'all a bunch of hypocrites." In the second post, Tong posed with a rifle, captioning the picture "Don't tread on me #198964" with emojis of the U.S. and Chinese flags.

Tong says that was a reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre, which took place June 4th, 1989. As the son of Chinese immigrants, you can imagine that Tong might have some strong opinions about the massacre of students and pro-democracy demonstrators at the hands of the Communist government, but I don't see anything threatening at all in his Instagram post.

According to the college student, however, the complaints about his picture began almost immediately after it was posted to the social media site. .....
MANILA, July 18 (Reuters) - The Philippines' foreign ministry has told the U.S. Congress that political freedoms and human rights will be respected as concerns linger over an anti-terrorism law that takes effect on Saturday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte early this month signed a stricter anti-terrorism bill, condemned by critics and rights groups as a weapon to target opponents and stifle free speech.

"The Philippines remains committed to the protection of civil and political liberties as well as human rights," its embassy in Washington said in a letter to 50 U.S. representatives dated July 16 and made available to the media on Saturday.

"The Anti-Terrorism Act itself strongly mandates that human rights be absolute and protected at all times," it added.

Duterte has defended the law, saying law-abiding citizens should not fear as it targets terrorists including communist insurgents.

The legislation creates a council appointed by the president, which can designate individuals and groups as terrorists and detain them without charge for up to 24 days. It also allows for surveillance and wiretaps, and punishments that include life imprisonment without parole.

Lawyers have questioned the law before the Supreme Court, saying the legislation could be abused to target administration opponents and suppress peaceful dissent.

"What the law signifies is the Philippine government's strong resolve to combat terrorism and to implement a more effective and comprehensive approach to such a serious threat that knows no borders," the embassy said, adding that the previous anti-terror bill, signed in 2007, resulted in the conviction of only one person. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
A 19-year-old man has suffered serious injuries after striking a tree and falling at least 8 feet while zip lining in Essex, officials said Saturday.

The man was zip lining at a Choate Street home around 5:45 p.m. Friday when he struck the tree and fell 8 to 10 feet, according to the Essex Police Department.

Authorities stabilized the man at the scene before he was flown to a Boston hospital with serious injuries.

No further information was immediately available.

Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364.
Slight and generally soft-spoken, Mr. Lewis routinely led bipartisan congressional trips to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., where he was beaten and bloodied as he fought for voting rights. As the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington, he was for many people  and for African-American politicians in particular  a living link to a powerful and painful past.

We have lost a legendary leader, civil rights icon and change agent extraordinaire, tweeted Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, who is Black. Mr. Lewis, he added, had altered the course of history and left America a much better place.

Congressman John Lewis was an American hero  a giant, whose shoulders upon many of us stand, Senator Kamala Harris, Democrat of California and a former candidate for the partys 2020 presidential nomination, said in a statement. Mike Espy, a former Democratic congressman and agriculture secretary who is running for Senate in Mississippi, called Mr. Lewis a hero as well as a human saint.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, another former candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, echoed the sentiment.

John Lewis was a true American hero and the moral compass of our nation, she tweeted. May his courage and conviction live on in all of us as we continue to make good trouble for justice and opportunity.

In an increasingly polarized Washington, Mr. Lewis managed to gather  and maintain  admirers of all political stripes. Representative Justin Amash, independent of Michigan, who left the Republican Party last year, remembered Mr. Lewis on Twitter as gentle and strong and kind. Mr. Amash added: His message was justice, and his voice was powerful. May his memory be eternal.

Mr. Lewiss personal history paralleled that of the civil rights movement. A son of sharecroppers, he grew up in dusty Troy, Ala., one of 10 children who picked cotton. He liked to tell the story of how he preached the Gospel to his chickens, often comparing that situation to his time in Congress. (At least the chickens listened to him, he liked to joke.)
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While lots of summer events around the world are opting to go online due to the coronavirus crisis, the Filming Italy Sardegna fest will be holding a physical edition on the island of Sardinia in the Forte Village resort near the capital city of Cagliari, where all guests will undergo complimentary COVID-19 tests upon arrival.

We consulted with a medical committee and decided to follow a protocol combining two very fast non-invasive [coronavirus] tests to all our guests, says Tiziana Rocca, the former Taormina Film Festival chief who two years ago launched this international event, which combines film and TV with a strong accent on women in the biz.

More from Variety

Rocca says she never really considered canceling and talked to lots of U.S. talents during the lockdown.

Among these is Matt Dillon, who this year is the fests honorary president and, luckily is in Italy, so will be able to attend. Other guests expected to be present for the July 22-26 Sardinian shindig include Isabelle Huppert, Naomie Harris, who will be traveling to Sardinia from the U.K., and Rossy De Palma, arriving from Spain.

I have more European actors coming because they are the ones who can travel [to Italy], says Rocca. Its tough getting talents to come from the U.S. since they are quarantined once they get to Europe.

Travel restrictions did not get in the way of Rocca luring Disney Plus for an opening-night gala that will feature pop star Arisa perform the Italian version of Hes a Tramp (E un briccone) for a special screening of the live-action Lady and the Tramp thats part of the platforms global launch. The Sardinia fests family-friendly kickoff will also see Disney and Pixars animated suburban adventure fantasy Onward unspooling.

Story continues

More esoteric fare with greater gravitas will unspool as part of a curated Variety Critics Picks section. Those films are Taiwanese director Chung Mong-Hongs A Sun, about two sons: one an ace student poised to attend med school, the other a raging delinquent; Hong Kong actor-director Derek Tsangs youth drama Better Days about bullying in Chinese high schools; and horror-tinged social drama Jallikattu from Indias Lijo Jose Pellissery.

These are films that had been making the rounds on the pre-pandemic international festival circuit.

Then there are the Italian premieres of more recent U.S. studio and indie titles such as Ben Affleck drama The Way Back, from Warner Bros.; Nicolas Cage action thriller Primal, from Lionsgate; and time-travel sci-fier Synchronic by directorial duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, to be released by Notorious Pictures in Italy.

The Italian selection is geared toward pics that were forced to skip a theatrical outing and were released online locally due to the pandemic, most notably Ginevra Elkanns If Only, a sentimental comedy about kids of divorced parents that earned strong reviews at festivals. In May, the debut feature scored a strong 450,000 views during its first week on pubcaster RAIs RAI Play platform.

I want to support Italian films that were released in streaming during the pandemic by bringing over the cast to boost their visibility, Rocca says. This is the festivals mission this year.

As for TV series making their way to the fest, HBOs The Plot Against America, based on the Philip Roth novel that reimagines an America during WWII with President Charles Lindbergh steering the nation toward fascism; Kevin Costner drama Yellowstone, which centers on a powerful family of ranchers; and the final installment of hit French TV series The Bureau will all have their Italian launches prior to airing locally on Sky Italia.

Sardinia will also host two panels/webinars (part physical, part virtual), one featuring film world players and the other centered on TV talk. Both

topics will take in post-pandemic restart efforts.

On the film side, U.S. producers Bill Gerber (A Star Is Born) and Charles Roven (Wonder Woman) will be joined by Paolo Del Brocco, chief of Italys RAI Cinema.

The TV webinar will mark the first public appearance by former RAI head of drama Eleonora Andreatta, who recently left the pubcaster to join Netflix as VP of Italian Original series.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Qatar Airways has become the first international airline to resume flights to the Maldives, with the first daily service touching down at Velana International Airport on July 15, marked with a water cannon salute. With the airlines network never falling below 30 destinations throughout this crisis, Qatar Airways expects to expand its network to over 450 weekly flights to more than 70 destinations by the end of July.

With the resumption of services to the Maldives and Antalya and Bodrum in Turkey commencing next week, Qatar Airways growing network includes a number of popular summer holiday destinations that are open to visitors now.

Also Watch:

Qatar Airways is one of the few global airlines to have never stopped flying throughout this crisis and continues to utilise its full fleet of 30 Boeing 787 and 49 Airbus A350 aircraft. Due to COVID-19s impact on travel demand, the airline has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market.

Qatar Airways onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and a complimentary protective kit and disposable face shields for passengers.

To ensure travellers can plan their travel with peace of mind, the airline has also extended its booking policies to offer even more choice to its passengers. The airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original destination. The airline will not charge any fare differences for travel completed before 31 December 2020, after which fare rules will apply. All tickets booked for travel up to 31 December 2020 will be valid for two years from the date of issuance. For full terms and conditions visit qatarairways.com/RelyOnUs.
A spokesman for Mr Hunt told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald his advice on masks had been consistent. "What has changed, and continues to evolve, is the level of community transmission in Victoria, and the need to respond to that." Then on Sunday, Mr Andrews announced wearing a mask while outdoors would be mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, and those who fail to do so could face $200 fines as of Thursday unless they have a reasonable excuse. According to Andrews, it may be reasonable not to wear a mask if a person: is going for a run; has medical issues that make mask-wearing difficult; has a job that is not amenable to mask-wearing; or is a child under 12.

Dr Sharma said the official advice on when or if to wear masks is "just the latest incarnation of messages that are late and confusing. Loading Experts in health and emergency communication agree. They say information from the federal and state governments is often muddled, contradictory, and hard for the average person to read and understand. A federal Health Department spokeswoman said monitoring indicated the vast majority of Australians are confident they can recognise the symptoms [of coronavirus] and know how to reduce their risk. But one survey of 4362 Australians from April found 40 per cent could not list three COVID-19 symptoms and 30 per cent could not describe three government-recommended prevention methods.

Those numbers were greater for people with poor health literacy. We have to recognise its challenging times for everyone, said Professor Kirsten McCaffery, the director of the Sydney Health Literacy Lab. But I feel like we could do a better job. She cited confusing messages around why schools were staying open. People found it very hard to understand why they should send their kids to school, but not have a family birthday. That undermined peoples understanding of what was going on."

Dr Barbara Ryan, chair of Emergency Media and Public Affairs, Australias peak emergency-communication association, said the problem in part stemmed from a decision to have health bureaucrats run COVID-19 messaging rather than emergency communications experts. Health communications is not geared towards an emergency, she said. Its more about covering someones backside. And she criticised federal and state governments decision to use politicians as key spokespeople. Politicians are the least-trusted people, she said. I dont understand why theyd put themselves up as spokesmen in this. Its the trusted people who are going to generate the behaviour change we need in the pandemic.

She was also critical of Mr Andrews decision to play the blame game. He told media COVID-19 spread in Victoria partly because people were not taking the virus seriously enough. It is really not helpful to be blaming people, she said. For Dr Sharma, the most confusing message from the Victorian government was recommending everyone wear a mask except those under 18. That advice mirrors scientific evidence showing children are at far lower risk of getting COVID. But for the general public its just confusing, Dr Sharma said. If you have low health literacy, it is 100 per cent impossible for you to figure out if you should be putting a mask on a child or not.

The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services said it was engaging "with vulnerable communities with face-to-face conversations, on-the-ground translators and messages tailored to specific communities". In a study uploaded to medRxiv two weeks ago but not yet peer reviewed, a team of researchers from University College Cork ran government COVID-19 websites through a tool known as SMOG which quantifies what the academics call a "Simple Measure of Gobbledygook". Loading SMOG measures a websites readability by counting the number of words on the site that have three syllables or more. After putting 30 sentences of the the federal governments COVID website through the tool, it scored 19.1  meaning reading it comfortably needs a university-level education.
Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 18.07.2020:

Since last night, the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border has remained relatively calm, Armenian defense ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan wrote on her Facebook.

According to her, "the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, using firearms, shot indiscriminately in the direction of our bases positioned near the villages of Movses, Zangakatun, and Khndzorut."

In the meantime, resident of Chinari village Aramayis Hovakimyan was wounded after being struck by Azerbaijans unmanned combat aerial vehicle. He is currently at the hospital, and doctors say his condition is stable.

In his interview to the Armenian Unified Information Center, he noted that "we have brave men who proved that they are stronger than us. Ill always stand with them, even in this condition, if necessary.

"Ive said it before and Ill say it again  theres no turning back. This is our sacred place, our village," he added.

Pashinyan visited Saturday the Ministry of Defense headquarters, where he met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, headed by Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Onik Gasparyan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan attended the meeting, government's press service reported.

During the meeting, the PM referred to the Azerbaijani threat to strike an Armenian nuclear power plant.

According to him, this should be considered a crime against humanity.

"Armenia is capable of ensuring its own security, including the Metsamor nuclear power plant, but this is a statement that should be unequivocally considered a crime against humanity because such an action is a threat to commit terrorism against humanity, it should be given an appropriate international response and probe," he noted.

The PM also noted that the state that the governments army development policy has fully justified itself.

Presenting the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan told his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin that the reasons why Azerbaijan decided to attack the Armenian military positions remain unclear.

According to him, the events on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border are taking place on the background of the provocation of a third party.

News about trucks filled with Armenian goods being brought out of Moscows Food City market at midnight was posted on social networks Friday. Some suppliers reported that the food was already rotten.

The Food City market belongs to the Food City group of companies, which is owned by natives of Azerbaijan, entrepreneurs God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev.

However, Armenian social media users launched a flash mob. To support goods, Armenians from different Russian cities have come to the sites to buy agricultural products.

The trucks have been offered alternative locations in Moscow to sell goods. The owner of Tashir Group Samvel Karapetyan has earlier today offered a point where farmers from Armenia could sell the product free of charge.

Air defense units of the Artsakh Defense Army shot down the opponent's UAV ORBITER-3.

The vanguard units of the Artsakh Defense Army fully oversee the frontline and continue to confidently carry out their combat duty.
Asish Mehta By

Express News Service

KENDRAPARA: An 85-year-old cancer patient and his 78-year-old wife have won the battle against coronavirus in Cuttack, making them the oldest couple from Kendrapara to beat the infection.

Doctors and staff in Cuttack's Ashwini college, cheered for the couple as they were discharged after recovering from the virus.

The send-off was an emotional moment, said Krushna Chandra Luha, deputy manager of the district headquarters hospital at Kendrapara.

Surendra and his wife Sabitri belong to Bagada area on the outskirts of Kendrapara town. They were discharged from the quarantine centre on Friday as their test reports came negative in two consecutive tests.

Surendra was undergoing treatment at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre for throat cancer.

Sabitri was tending to him at the hospital. Both tested positive on June 29 after which they were shifted to Ashwini Hospital.

Both recovered after a 10-day long battle, raising hope among others fighting with the disease in the district.

Later, the couple spent a week in a quarantine centre in the village and on Friday, reached their home. They were greeted by villagers and relatives.

Though they have recovered, the couple will have to stay in home quarantine for a week, added Luha.

We won the battle by our sheer willpower. We did not give up. Doctors said never be afraid and follow whatever is prescribed, said Surendra. The Covid-19 tally of Kendrapara is 333 of which 291 have already recovered.
Putting nature above business considerations has the potential to generate 395 million jobs and $10.1 trillion in business opportunities by 2030, the latest report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) suggests.

Unprecedented job losses and economic uncertainty following the outbreak of COVID-19 have governments looking into ways to stimulate growth in a safe manner. According to the WEF experts, the answer can be found in what they call a nature first approach.

The global economy is inextricably linked to the health of our planet, the report says. How we produce, manufacture, consume and ultimately manage our waste is straining natures ability to cope.

When it comes to mining and power generation, the authors said that nature-positive business those that add value to nature  could generate an estimated $3.5 trillion worth of annual value and create 87 million jobs by 2030.

Accounting for an estimated 23% of global GDP and 16% of employment, the extraction, production, manufacturing and generation of energy and materials is both a major contributor to global economic growth and a major threat to biodiversity, the report reads.

The WEF adds that the sectors negative effects  air pollution and carbon emissions  account for $9 trillion annually, or around 10.5% of global GDP.

Reversing the costly impact, the report asserts, involves improving consumption efficiency to reduce the amount of resources that need to be extracted. It also involves improving how those resources are extracted to minimize their impact on ecosystems while shifting to more renewable energy.

Supportive regulations  such as those that encourage and support environmentally sound extractives project design, systematic rehabilitation of mining sites, and waste collection and reuse  will be significant in unlocking the value of nature-positive businesses.

Circular economy

The study is built on real-world examples, where business outcomes have been enhanced by nature-positive outcomes. British multinational automaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) collected and reused around 300,000 tonnes of aluminum between 2013 and 2019.

It translated into a 30% recovery of the 180,000 tonnes of aluminum (JLR) used annually in the six-year period. The initiative has resulted in an overall drop of 46% of carbon emissions in JLRs global vehicle production operations.

Elion, the first Chinese company to commit to 100% renewables in its operations by 2030, started as a salt chemical engineering business in the Kubuqi Desert of inner Mongolia. Frequent sandstorms damaged production and increased costs in its early years of operation. To combat desertification and sandstorms, Elion developed a comprehensive ecological restoration-based economic system.

The company has already restored nearly 650,000 hectares of desert land, thanks to the construction of sand-protecting barriers, afforestation and the closure of land for natural regeneration. This has allowed the formation of an ecological microclimate in the desert, which is attracting eco-tourists and companies focused on growing medicinal plants.

Source: The Future of Nature and Business report

We can address the looming bio-diversity crisis and reset the economy in a way that creates and protects millions of jobs, Akanksha Khatri, Head of the Nature Action Agenda at the WEF, said in a statement.

The transition to a green economy is being fuelled by minerals, with demand for resources projected to double by 2060. It means that the mining sector will play a critical role in the massification of technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels.

Improving resource recovery in extraction can save up to $225 billion by 2030, the report says. Mining and oil and gas operations often do not fully utilize all the resources in one site before moving on to new areas, increasing damage to biodiversity. New technologies and more mechanization could enhance material recovery rates by up to 50%.

Investing in environmental, social and governance (ESG) is currently estimated at over $20 trillion in assets under management, according to Deloittes estimates. Companies that fail to deliver value beyond compliance could face financial consequences and a blow to their reputations.

By Mining.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 17:32:17|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A major fire broke out earlier on Saturday in a cathedral in the western French city of Nantes. Firefighters have contained the blaze, according to local emergency services.

Images from the scene show fire and smoke billowing from inside the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, which was built in the 15th century. The main stained glass windows between the two towers of the cathedral were badly damaged.

Around 60 firefighters were dispatched to fight the fire, according to local media reports. The surrounding area of the cathedral was sealed off and local authorities have warned people to stay away from the scene. Enditem
FAIRFIELD  A Shelton woman was killed in a crash involving a tractor-trailer early Friday morning, according to Connecticut State Police.

Around 12:45 a.m., troopers from Troop G barracks responded for a report of a tractor-trailer on fire in the area of Interstate 95 south, south of Exit 19, in Fairfield.

State police said troopers found that the tractor-trailer, being driven by a 36-year-old Florida man, collided with a Hyundai Veloster.

The driver of the Hyundai  identified by state police as 26-year-old Cathi Anne Silva, of Waverly Road in Shelton  was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained in the collision, state police said.

The Connecticut State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad responded to investigate.

As crews investigated, the highways southbound traffic was diverted off I-95 on to Route 1. Travel time between Bridgeport and Norwalk was nearly two and a half hours.

With many opting to avoid I-95s traffic as the fatal crash investigation continued, the Merritt Parkways southbound lanes of travel quickly grew crowded, with speeds hovering around 30 mph at 7 a.m.

These traffic incidents were among the many across the states highways Friday morning, with a vehicle fire on Route 9 north in Shelton and many fender-benders on I-95 between Norwalk and the Bridgeport area.

By around 9:30 a.m., the traffic incidents cleared up and traffic was flowing normally again.
Actress Swastika Mukherjee took to her Instagram account on Friday and shared that she had been receiving rape and acid attack threats on social media. After filing a complaint with the Cyber Crime Department of Kolkata Police, she revealed that a man was arrested and that he accepted the charges in court. Swastik also revealed in the post that the threats began after she was falsely quoted on a website by a reporter saying that, "suicides are now in fashion".

According to Swastika Mukherjee's post on social media, the journalist who falsely quoted the actress on his website www.smritinews.in, has also been arrested from Galsi, Bardhaman. Sharing the ordeal she wrote, "On June 26, days after my co-actor in the upcoming movie 'Dil Bechara' Sushant Singh Rajput's tragic death, there was a media report that falsely quoted me saying that suicides are now in fashion. Following this, there were fierce online attacks on me, including rape and death threats."

Mukherjee shared screengrabs of the news article and the threats she received on Instagram, and added in the post, "I would like to inform you that the person behind the fake news posted on www.smritinews.in, Shuvam Chakraborty from Galsi, Bardhaman, Bengal has been arrested by the Kolkata Cyber Crime Department. He has accepted that he carried the false quote on the news portal and circulated it on social media."

Swastika's Instagram Post Swastika captioned her Instagram post urging people to come forward with social media threats and have faith in the police department. She wrote, "Cyberbullying is not acceptable. Rape threats, acid attack threats are heinous crime & it needs to be addressed. It's time people think before attacking someone because there will be repercussions. Thank you @kolpolice cyber crime department for taking such prompt action. " Swastika Has Also Worked With Sushant In Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! Talking about the Kolkata man arrested for the acid attack and rape threats, Swastika revealed, "Along with this, Koushik Das from Hooghly, who had sent me acid attack and rape threats based on this fake news, has also been arrested. Both of them have surrendered in court. Many of us, irrespective of our gender, face vicious cyber attacks which can sometimes snowball into real threats. At the least, this causes a great deal of mental agony and harm to the individuals and their families. I would urge people to muster courage and report such situations to law enforcement." Dil Bechara Will Release On July 24 Recently, other Bollywood celebrities have also opened up about receiving rape threats from strangers on social media. After Sushant Singh Rajput's untimely demise girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was also attacked on social media along with other star kids like Alia Bhatt and her sister Shaheen Bhatt.

Rhea Chakraborty On Getting Murder, Rape Threat Post Sushant Singh Rajput's Death: Enough Is Enough

Pooja Bhatt Comes Out In Support Of Shaheen Bhatt As The Latter Receives Rape Threats!
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday sought a detailed report from Rajasthan government over the alleged phone tapping issue in the state, said sources.

The ministry has asked Rajasthan Chief Secretary to submit the report by next week over the issue after the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Rajasthan on Friday lodged a case against Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for trying to destabilise the Ashok Gehlot government by attempting to offer money to the MLAs.

The development comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into all the aspects of the alleged phone tapping.

The Congress on Friday suspended two rebel MLAs -- Bhanwar Lal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh -- from party's primary membership after alleged audio clips of a conversation between the two and Shekhawat surfaced on social media. They were allegedly talking against the Gehlot government.

Shekhawat, however, denied that it was his voice in the alleged clips and said that he was ready to face any inquiry.

In a press conference earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the events around the unfolding of the political crisis in Rajasthan were a mix of "conspiracy, lies and illegalities by the state Congress government in the state".

He then asked five questions on the alleged tapes made public by All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Randeep Surjewala on Friday.

"Phone tapping can only be done by authorised agencies as per due process of law and subject to approved safeguards and SOPs. Each case is also reviewed by a committee chaired by a Cabinet Secretary in case of Centre and State Secretary in case of a State government," Patra said.

"These are serious questions that we want to ask the Rajasthan Congress and Ashok Gehlot. Was phone tapping done? The Congress government in Rajasthan must answer. Secondly, is it not a sensitive and legal issue, if phone tapping has been done? Assuming that you've tapped phones, was the SOP followed? The people of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised. Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered? And finally is the phone of any person who is related to politics being tapped," asked Patra.

"We demand a CBI probe into all the illegalities of this alleged tapping," he said.

The BJP's aggressive stance comes after the case against Shekhawat and after the Haryana Police rushed to regulate the ingress of an SOG from Rajasthan at the Manesar hotel where rebel Congress MLAs loyal to Sachin Pilot are lodged.

An FIR was filed by the SOG in Rajasthan against Shekhawat and two others on the basis of a complaint by Congress whip Mahesh Joshi soon after three audio clips with alleged conversations on toppling of the Ashok Gehlot government were released by the ruling party.

The clips have recorded purported conversation between Shekhawat, Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma and Jaipur resident and BJP leader Sanjay Jain while discussing plans and actions to topple the Congress government.




The number of visitors to Korea coming from Indonesia dropped sharply in the first half of the year, the nation's tourism agency said Saturday, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.







An estimated 44,000 people visited South Korea from Indonesia in the first six months of the year, down 68.3 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Jakarta branch of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).







In particular, the number of inbound tourists from Indonesia plummeted in the second quarter after the Southeast Asian nation reinforced its travel restrictions following its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 2.







The number of Indonesian arrivals stood at only 5,600 in the April to June period, down 93 percent from a year earlier, it said.







As of Friday, Indonesia has confirmed 81,668 cases of COVID-19 with 3,873 deaths, according to data from the World Health Organization.







South Korea has so far reported 13,711 cases of the novel coronavirus, with its death toll reaching 294. (Yonhap)


A bond hearing Thursday in Roanoke Circuit Court wouldve surprised and likely disturbed anyone who, back in January or February, had somehow managed to peer a few months into the future to observe it.

Every single person in the courtroom wore a mask of some sort, all 17 people on hand:

The defendant and his interpreter, the prosecutor and a pair of defense attorneys, two bailiffs and a victim-witness coordinator, plus the clerk, the reporter, a half-dozen spectators, and the judge on his bench.

Facial coverings in court are commonplace during the pandemic and the resulting state of judicial emergency, which was recently extended a sixth time by the Virginia Supreme Court and now runs through Aug. 9.

But uniformity of mask-wearing in local courtrooms is by no means the norm.

Its difficult to know whether that 100% rate Thursday was a result of the news that a day earlier, a ranking official in the Roanoke Valleys 23rd Judicial Circuit, Judge Hilary Griffith, had tested positive for COVID-19. In the local legal sphere, Griffiths illness gave the potential for coronavirus infection far fewer degrees of separation, advancing the threat beyond the daily statistics.

That first announced infection of a judge also underscored a key difficulty the pandemic presents: How does justice move forward when its primary elements  gathering in public and interacting  are limited, often discouraged or, as with jury trials, currently prohibited?

And while the benefits of masks and issues of personal freedoms have become increasing topics of both debate and noisy viral videos, in courthouse terms theyre made moot by one key fact: By Virginia Supreme Court order, anyone over age 10 whose health allows must wear a face covering to enter the halls of justice.

In the Roanoke Valley, localities provide surgical masks and hand sanitizer at court entrances.

Most civilians have been very easy to work with. Most people have been very cooperative, said Assistant Division Commander Lt. Jeffrey Jenkins, who supervises operations at Roanokes Oliver W. Hill Justice Center for the Roanoke City Sheriffs Office.

But the high courts order also allows for leeway within the building, leaving mask requirements within courtrooms themselves largely up to the discretion of the judges.

The individual judges run their courtrooms, so we do what they tell us to do, we adhere to whatever they want, so that part is not hard at all, Jenkins explained. If they want masks, we mask up. Some judges are like, Hey, whatever youre comfortable with. 

According to the Supreme Court, the presiding judge may authorize removal of a face mask to facilitate a proceeding,

The requirement to wear a mask shall not apply to judges or magistrates to the extent they determine it inhibits their ability to effectively communicate, the order says.

In Roanoke General District Court, Judge Skip Burkart typically takes the bench by advising those in attendance who are not family members to observe social distancing, and he points out the blue tape on the benches that indicates the proper gap.

I am not wearing a mask, Burkart acknowledged in court last week. The Supreme Court has indicated they want judges to be heard.

Also, he pointed out, The bailiffs arent going to let you get any closer than 6 feet.

General district court has faster turnover and more traffic than circuit or juvenile and domestic relations courts, but in Roanoke a noticeable percentage of its visitors and spectators appear to opt for facial coverings. Its bailiffs and attorneys increasingly are masking up as well.

Others have shown less inclination to take those precautions.

At Tuesdays 9 a.m. criminal docket in Burkarts courtroom, roughly a dozen uniformed officers were seated closely together to appear as witnesses; only two wore masks.

We have guidelines that officers are encouraged to follow when applicable and practical, Roanoke police spokeswoman Caitlyn Cline said Friday.

We advise officers to follow CDC [Center for Disease Control] and even VDH [Virginia Department of Health] guidelines and best practices, even when they are not operating in the official capacity of a law enforcement official, Cline said.

Burkart didnt respond to a request to talk about his courtroom policies.

On Monday in Montgomery County General District Court, people seated in the spectator area all wore masks. But in the front of the court, the judge, court staff, bailiffs and other law enforcement officers waiting for their cases all had bare faces. Most of the attorneys in the front of the court also were without masks.

While both of those observations in Roanoke and Montgomery County are anecdotal, they still indicate instances of non-compliance among individuals who tend to have extensive interaction with the general public.

Radford seemed to have the New River Valleys strictest COVID-19 protocol, requiring everyone entering the courts building to not only wear a mask, but also to fill out a questionnaire about possible symptoms, contacts and travel.

On Thursday in Radford General District Court, everyone from defendants to Judge Erin DeHart wore a mask and kept it on for the entire hearing, including attorneys who went without them in other courts.

My preference would be for everybody to have a mask, to wear a mask as the governor has ordered, said Roanoke County General District Court Judge Jacqueline Talevi, who wears a face covering on the bench and requires others to do the same.

I worry about the deputies that are sometimes in very close contact with people. I worry about the court staff, Talevi said.

For the most part, I keep the mask on because I think its important to set that example, to set the tone in the courtroom. And its important to keep people safe.

Staff writer Mike Gangloff contributed information to this report.

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In Coles When No One Is Watching (Morrow, Sept.), gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood pushes out the longtime Black residents, many of whom disappear without a trace.

How influential were the movies Rear Window and Get Out, echoes of which permeate the plot?

Its difficult to write a social thriller about race now without being influenced by Get Out. But having been a 90s kid, I was also influenced by many of the same things as Jordan Peele: Black horror films like The People Under the Stairs and Tales from the Hood, and Hitchcock films in general, which were always playing on television and my family had on VHS as well. The works of Ira Levin, like Rosemarys Baby and The Stepford Wives, and the many historical research works Ive read over the years were also influential.

How is this different from your romance novels?

Its not super different in theme from many of my historical romance novels, which often explore historical inequality and the effects of white supremacy. The biggest differences are that I got to play around more with moral ambiguity than I usually would in a romance. The books themes will be taken more seriously because its not categorized as genre romance.

How much research did you do into Brooklyns history and in devising the character of your lead, Sydney Green?

Part of the inspiration for Sydneys character was that Ive written historical romances set in many different eras of American history, including the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and the civil rights movement, and in each era there was state-sanctioned mistreatment of Black people. This book was a way of processing the effect of immersing yourself in this kind of history while seeing and experiencing that injustice continue today. Sydney, while not me, definitely is the result of that particular frustration.

Have you lived in a neighborhood going through gentrification?

Yes. The neighborhood where I grew up and where my family lives has been heavily gentrified. Everywhere Ive lived in Brooklyn has been in the process of gentrification. While I did research heavily, I also drew from my own lived experience.

Youre considered a romance and sci-fi writer, yet why do none of your novels fit into a neat label?

Because my brain is chaotic and doesnt actually understand genre rules anywayapart from romances happily ever after.
By Trend

A telephone conversation was held between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on July 17.

Zalkaliani extended congratulations to Bayramov on his appointment.

The parties exchanged the views on a wide range of strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia and stressed that the efforts to develop these relations will continue.

Having informed his Georgian counterpart about the Armenian armed forces' attempt to attack the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and the suppression of this attempt by Azerbaijan, as well as about the difficult situation in the region, Bayramov emphasized the importance of ending Armenias aggressive policy, the withdrawal of all occupation forces from the territory of Azerbaijan and ensuring the integrity of internationally recognized borders of the countries.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The multi- agency team probing the Kerala gold smuggling case on Saturday raided multiple locations in the state and detained many for questioning, a senior officer familiar with the probe said on Saturday, adding the scope of the inquiry will be widened.

Without strong patronage such a thriving syndicate cant function in the state. Our inquiry will cover terror angle, hawala and political and bureaucratic patronage also. This time we will get to the bottom of the racket, said the official.

The opposition parties in the state slammed the Left Democratic Front government in the state. The BJP said that the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was taking anticipatory bail since the probe reached his doors. Role of two high-ranking officials in the CMs office, his former secretary M Sivasankar and former IT fellow Arun Balachandran, are out. Now the CM cant wash off his hands, said Bharatiya Janata Party state president K Surendran. The state government suspended Sivasankar and Balachandran was also removed from his post as CMs IT fellow earlier this week.

Kerala Congress chief Mullapally Ramachandran also said, Since powerful aides have gone it time for him to follow.

Facing heat from the opposition parties over the case, Vijayan said, We have nothing to fear. Let the guilty be punished. Some people are in a race to arrive at a conclusion but their designs will be short-lived, adding that there was a concerted bid to tarnish the image of the state government.

The customs had seized 30 kg gold from a baggage addressed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5. On July 10, the probe was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and many other central agencies are assisting it. It filed a First Information Report against four-- P Sarith Kumar , Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair and Fazil Fareed, an alleged smuggler from Ernakulum but based in the UAE . On July 15, it added one more name to the FIR: an alleged gold smuggler named KT Ramees.

The NIA has so far arrested four people -- Kumar, Suresh, Nair and Ramees-- under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act while the customs department has arrested 10 persons , the official said adding Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Intelligence Bureau and Income Tax are part of the ongoing investigation.

The NIA on Saturday requested Interpol to issue a blue corner notice against Faisal Fareed, another accused in the high-profile case.

Meanwhile, a magistrate took the statement of the gunman of the UAE consulate who was found with his wrist slashed on Friday. But the customs suspect that his suicide bid was aimed at covering up his alleged link with the gold smuggling racket. A senior official of the customs said he will be questioned after his discharge from the hospital and his bank accounts and other details are under scrutiny now.

He was working at the consular office for last three years and before this he was posted at the immigration department in Thiruvananthapuram airport. In the leaked call details of Swapna Suresh, second accused in the case, there were many calls to him.

The state police had filed a cheating case against Suresh, PricewaterHouseCoopers (PwC) and a placement agency Vision Technology on July 13. During investigation it was found that Suresh had produced a fake degree certificate to secure at job at the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited, a state government undertaking. PwC and Vision Technology were authorised agencies responsible for verifying her educational documents, said the police. The case was registered under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) 465 forgery and 471 (using as genuine a forged document).

When the case surfaced the PwC had distanced itself from Swapna Sureshs appointment saying that they were no way related to her appointment.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Cardiac arrest survivor wants women to be aware of the signs which show their heart might be in trouble

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Jul 18th, 2020

A heart attack and cardiac arrest survivor wants women to be aware of the signs which show their heart might be in trouble.

Tracy Healey is a fit and health 55 year old who eats well, doesnt smoke and generally leads a healthy lifestyle.

But earlier this year she suffered both a heart attack and a cardiac arrest after not recognising early warnings signs.

Tracy, who lives in Corwen, is now joining cardiac nurses at the North Wales Cardiac Centre to urge other women to keep an eye out for the telltale signs that their health could be in danger.

While both men and women can both experience the same common symptoms when experiencing a heart attack, early indications that youre unwell tend to be different for each gender.

Tracy said: I ignored the indigestion type pain that occurred in the night. It was only when the worsening discomfort started to move down one arm, and I awoke feeling very unwell with clammy skin and worsening pains around 4am that I decide to seek medical help and it was a good job I did.

Heart attack symptoms vary from person to person, and can include chest discomfort or tightness, pain that spreads to left or right arm, neck or jaw, back or stomach, unexplained sweating or shortness of breath.

Only around half of the women who have heart attacks, experience the constrictive chest pain typically associated with a heart attack. Typically, women tend to more commonly experience heartburn-like discomfort, neck or back pain, or nausea.

Tracy said: I never thought that I would ever have a heart attack at 55, I am generally fit and healthy I dont smoke and had been out for a nice walk the day before the incident with my family.

I do have a family history of heart disease but I have never had any symptoms suggesting I had a heart problem until now. I did not have the classic symptoms of a heart attack that you see on TV, like a crushing type chest pain.

My symptoms were different to that, having a heart attack never crossed my mind. My pain felt like mild indigestion at first, I went to bed but did not sleep for long as the pain got worse and kept waking me up. I began to feel hot and It was only when I started to get an odd discomfort in my arms that I thought something was not right and Id better seek medical help. Im still shocked about the whole thing.

After struggling with the digestive pain she experienced for around four hours, Tracy visited Wrexham Maelor Hospital Emergency Department to seek help.

On arrival to hospital my chest discomfort got worse, I began to feel generally unwell and this is when my heart stopped beating and I had a cardiac arrest, she said.

Luckily I was in the emergency department at the time and the staff began CPR. I was then transferred by ambulance to the North Wales Cardiac Centre at Glan Clwyd where I was told that one of my coronary arteries, which is a blood vessel that feeds blood and oxygen to my heart muscle had blocked and was restricting blood flow.

Thankfully the team at the North Wales Cardiac Centre were quickly able to unblock the coronary artery by inserting a stent through my wrist, allowing blood to flow back to the heart muscle.

Anne-Marie Angel, Coronary Care Nurse at the North Wales Cardiac Centre, said: Heart attack symptoms vary from person to person. Common signs include chest discomfort that feels like pressure or tightness, pain that spreads to left or right arm, neck or jaw, back or stomach and some may feel sweaty or short of breath.

Women are more likely to get symptoms including back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn or nausea. These symptoms are often easy to ignore and are passed off as something else.

We also know that women may be less likely to seek medical help or treatment despite all the warning signs and this unfortunately can dramatically reduce the chances of survival.

Luckily Tracy decided to seek medical help in time to receive rapid treatment, which is essential for a good recovery.

Tracy added: I am so very grateful to the staff at both Wrexham Maelor, Glan Clwyd Hospital and the North Wales cardiac centre, for the care I have received.

Everyone has been so reassuring, kind and supportive and I cant thank them enough.

If I could send one message out to the public of North Wales, it would be dont ignore your chest pain like I did, call 999 and get medical help as soon as you can, I almost left it too late.
Amala wants better support for women in such situations

An Irish citizen dramatically escaped a forced marriage after being taken from Dublin to Bangladesh in the first known case of its kind in the State.

The 21-year-old woman endured emotional abuse and sexual violence at the hands of her "husband" during the two-month ordeal.

In an exclusive interview with the Herald, Amala - not her real name - detailed how she managed to make her way back to Ireland through an international rescue mission involving the Irish and British governments.

The high-risk escape involved an elaborate ruse, a bulletproof car, background work at two different embassies and online detective work by Amala's Irish boyfriend.

Amala is now calling on the State to offer better support for other women who may be in similar situations. She believes there are other unknown cases of forced marriage happening in Ireland today.

When Amala was 20, she was taken to Bangladesh by her family, who claimed they were visiting her sick grandmother.

When she arrived, her passport and phone were taken off her and she was pressured into a marriage by her family.

Amala did not speak the same language as her "husband" and was pressured into sex by both the man and her own family.

"I didn't let him rape me for as long as I could," she said.

"It was horrifying. I remember having almost an out-of-body experience. I wasn't even sobbing or anything, there were just tears as I lay there. I felt totally numb.

"This happened a lot, very frequently. Every day."

Screaming

Shortly afterwards, her parents went back to Ireland and left her alone in Bangladesh with no passport.

Amala said she started screaming when she realised what had happened.

"I thought, 'This is it. I'm going to be here forever'. I remember being pretty suicidal at that time as well," she said.

Amala found ways to contact her boyfriend back in Ireland.

He started to do research on forced marriages, and found out about the UK government's Forced Marriage Unit. Ireland does not have its own such unit.

The British government contacted the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and alerted it to Amala's case.

British officials came up with a ruse to get Amala safely on her own in Bangladesh, before she was taken to a secure building.

She was covered and escorted out of the back of the building before being put in a bulletproof car to take her to the airport.

When she landed, she was met by a garda and taken to a women's refuge.

Amala said there needs to be better understanding of, and State support for, forced marriage survivors in Ireland.

"These things happen a lot more because of tradition and culture, rather than religion," she said.

"Religion does play a role, but a big part of this is just tradition."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 09:11:22|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, July 18 (Xinhua) -- An Uzbekistan military aircraft carrying COVID-19 protective medical equipment for Pakistan arrived in Islamabad on Friday, the embassy of Uzbekistan said.

The embassy said in a statement that the military aircraft of Uzbekistan's air force brought 25 tons of humanitarian aid to Pakistan on behalf of the president of Uzbekistan.

The aid was delivered by a senior diplomat of the Uzbekistan embassy to Pakistani officials. The humanitarian aid consisted of medical masks, protective costumes, medicines and other medical items and equipment against the pandemic.

"This cargo is given as a sign of support for all efforts of the esteemed Government of Pakistan in its wide range struggle against the coronavirus," the statement said.

"Uzbekistan always supports brotherly Pakistan and such kind of action once again evidences sincere friendship, trust and respect of each other," it added. Enditem
NEW HAVEN  The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for New Haven and Middlesex counties, as temperatures are expected to rise into the 90s in Connecticut this weekend.

The heat advisory is set to begin at noon Sunday, as the heat index  which takes humidity into account  is expected to peak at 103 in southern Connecticut.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Amidst reports from across the country about people not adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, one idea in the Northeast has taken off  suspect yourself instead of others.

The COVID-19 Adaptive ResponsE or CARE model programme introduced in Nagalands Mon district motivates people to switch the onus of being a COVID-19 carrier from others to themselves.

The district has a population of around 2.5 lakh with some 53,000 households. The authorities are seeking to reach out to every individual and want them to behave as if they have COVID-19.

Suppose, you have COVID-19 and you are at home. We want your behaviour to be such that you dont pass the virus on to any of your loved ones. We want our people to exhibit the same behaviour no matter where they go. We want them to take their cautiousness and behaviour to a different level, Mon District Magistrate Thavaseelan K told The New Indian Express.

He said the situation would continue unless a vaccine was discovered and could get worse.

The only way you can protect yourself is by considering yourself as someone who has the virus. You are carrying the virus but you dont want to infect anyone else. So, we want to reach out to every single individual of Mon district to ensure that behavioural change. Thats the whole idea. We are involving the Church and apex organisations such as Konyak Union (KU), Konyak Nyupuh Shekho Khong (KNSK), Konyak Students' Union (KSU) and Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjum (KBBB), the 34-year-old Thavaseelan said.

To create awareness among people, the district authorities are going to take a test of people involving FAQs on the pandemic.

We want to make people aware and take the message right down to the last person. We will have a pool of officers who will train the ward and village level task forces. We will have a system like a warden for every four-five households. That person will continuously monitor the behaviour of the people and their activities vis-a-vis the SOPs, Thavaseelan said.

He is a product of the College of Engineering, Guindy, and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His ingenious efforts towards ensuring maximum financial inclusion, jobs to the unemployed youth and basic approach towards fighting COVID-19 earned him the SKOCH Award recently. It recognises people, projects and institutions that go the extra mile to make India a better nation.
A still from a video apparently released by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel showing the group's military power: CJNG

Mexicos top security official has said authorities are investigating a video which showed dozens of uniformed troops with military-grade weapons and armoured pickup trucks apparently connected to a major drug cartel.

The video, which circulated on social media on Friday, appeared to be a show of power by members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) - one of Mexico's most powerful criminal groups.

Alfonso Durazo, secretary of security and civilian protection, said the propaganda video was being analysed to confirm its authenticity.

He added that there is no criminal group with the capacity to successfully challenge the federal security forces.

Many of the vehicles parked on a dirt road in the video have improvised gun turrets or plate-steel armour welded onto them.

Several dozen masked men, wearing bulletproof vests and wielding assault rifles, are also heard shouting they are people of Mencho - a nickname used by Jalisco New Generation Cartel head Nemesio Oseguera.

The release of the video coincided with a visit by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexicos president, to the groups heartland.

Mr Lopez Obrador has favoured a less confrontational approach to security than his predecessors and supported measures to address social issues, such as poverty and unemployment, which he has argued contribute to crime.

The so-called hugs, not bullets strategy has been controversial and some security analysts have warned it has emboldened criminal groups.

They are sending a clear message... that they basically rule Mexico, not Lopez Obrador, Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told Reuters.

Mr Vigil warned the presidents approach had only led these cartels to operate with more impunity.

Falko Ernst, a senior analyst on Mexico for the International Crisis Group, said the video sent a clear warning over potential retaliation against the government by the cartel.

Story continues

This [video], taken yesterday in the Jalisco Sierra as I'm told, is more than clear in its message toward the fed gov: You come after us, and we will strike back, Mr Ernst wrote on Twitter.

He added: Rather than a declaration of war, from my perspective it's primarily geared at guarding the status quo, at a crucial time where the fed gov has to define its future posture regarding the CJNG.

CJNG is regarded as Mexicos strongest gang, along with the Sinaloa Cartel formerly led by jailed drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

In late June, the cartel was quickly identified as the probable culprit in an attack on Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico Citys security head, which took place in broad daylight in a wealthy neighbourhood in the capital.

Additional reporting by agencies

Read more

Fearing 'losing ground' to cartels during pandemic, US sends military

Mexican cartel boss who beheaded 12 people dies from coronavirus

Project Python: 600 suspected Mexican cartel members arrested in US

Mexican cartels are recruiting American children to smuggle drugs

How one of Mexico's deadliest assassins turned on his cartel

Who is the Mexican drug baron and Sinaloa cartel kingpin El Chapo?
In retrospect, that line of study sounds like a luxury, made possible by the economy of the era, which allowed many young people  not all  to believe that theyd find a decent job come what may. But the economy, like most everything, has changed. In the past dozen years, many colleges and students have moved away from the humanities and into science and technology. By one 2019 count, the number of English majors had declined by 25% since the Great Recession of 2008.
A final year student of Sammo Secondary Technical School in Cape Coast has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend to death.



The incident happened at Ekon, a suburb of Cape Coast. The 25-year-old student, Enoch Mensah appeared before a Cape Coast District Court on Friday, July 17, and was remanded in police custody for two weeks.



His girlfriend is a 23-year-old hairdresser.



Information gathered by Kasapa FM indicates that the suspect visited her girlfriend on Wednesday, July 15 but decided to spend the night with her despite orders from her mum for him to leave.



However, the lady was found dead nearby in a pool of blood the next day. The police immediately launched investigations into the incident, resulting in the arrest and immediate prosecution of the student boyfriend.



The body of the deceased, Agnes Amoah has been deposited at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital morgue.







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.

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Chennai, July 18 : Two employees of a rocket port in Sriharikota have tested positive for coronavirus, an official confirmed on Saturday, adding that they might have contracted the infection from their residential locality at Sullurpetta.

"There are quite a number of persons in Sullurpetta in Andhra Pradesh who have been infected with corornavirus. Perhaps virus spread is due to their connection with Koyembedu Market in Chennai," an official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) working at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh told IANS.

He said the distance between the rocketport and Sullurpetta residential locality is about 18 km.

The official said as a matter of precaution the places where they worked has been sanitised though the centre is working with skeletal staff.

According to the official, the contact tracing of the two employees are on now.

The official said all the COVID-19 related guidelines are being followed.
J ustine Greening deployed the now-famous phrase levelled-up Britain back in 2015 in an acceptance speech on winning her Putney seat.

The Conservative politician, who was the partys first fully comprehensive school-educated Secretary of State, used the speech to set out her own "national priorities, which included the need to deliver "a levelled-up Britain where everyone can achieve their potential wherever they start, wherever they're born".

Once one of the most senior women in government, the Rotherham-born politician later became a leading agitator in the band of Tory rebels attempting to stop a no-deal Brexit, and stood down ahead of the last election after saying the Conservative Party was becoming the Brexit Party.

Today, the UKs first gay female cabinet minister believes she can make more of a difference outside parliament than in the corridors of power.

During lockdown, when not walking her new nine-month-old puppy Cooper in St Georges Park, or watching boxsets with her partner, the 51-year-old has been working with businesses on her long-term campaign, the Social Mobility Pledge. It is a drive to make workplaces in London and around the country more diverse, and open up opportunities for disadvantaged young people.

The campaign's website frequently repeats Ms Greenings levelling up mantra - though it is a phrase now more often thought of as synonymous with Boris Johnson.

Today Justine Greening says she believes she can 'make more of a difference' outside parliament than in the corridors of power / Leon NealGetty Images

Adressing the nation as the UK left the European Union on January 31, the Prime Minister said this is the moment when we really begin to unite and level up. It had also been a motif on his campaign and has popped up in several major speeches in recent months.

Speaking from her Putney home, Ms Greening explains that the term becoming a slogan for the current government proves that in a way my initial mission of getting it to the top of the agenda in parliament is one I have managed to do.

Part of setting up the social mobility pledge was to raise levelling up up the agenda. It was one of the things that Ive talked to all the prospective Conservative Party leaders about, and of course Boris Johnson has adopted that language and that agenda, and so in a way my initial mission of getting it to the top of the agenda in parliament is one I have managed to do, she says.

But fundamentally, for me, it was more about practical change on the ground that could transform young peoples lives. I think I can do more on social mobility outside Parliament than in. Politics was the way to do it... But I think now I just felt that you have more impact working outside of parliament on the ground with businesses and communities and organisations and thats where I could really make a difference, which is why I decided to leave.

As a politician she was well-liked on both sides of the house. Perhaps her most controversial policy came during a period as equalities minister in 2017 and 2018: Greening oversaw changes to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) to allow self-identification of gender without a doctor's approval - a move the current government is looking to drop.

Greening is reluctant to discuss the current, male-dominated cabinet, or her own trailblazing role in government. But she does think that Westminster is changing for the better, but that change is too slow.

Greening 'raised the levelling up agenda with all the prospective Conservative Party leaders' (Photo: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images) / AFP/Getty Images

She is also adamant that, although Boris Johnsons stated mission to quash regional inequalities is the right idea, it cannot focus entirely on deprived northern regions but must continue to see efforts to make the capital a more equal place.

"A levelling up strategy that doesnt have London as a part of it will fail," she explains. I dont think youre going to have a levelled up Britain until you have a levelled up London, and so what we cant see is a government agenda that just focuses on the north, because actually levelling up is something the whole country needs, not just part of it.

When I came up with the phrase levelling up, the reason I chose those words is because you dont improve opportunities for other young people by taking it away from those who have already got it.

I grew up in Rotherham. I never felt my life would be fixed by taking away someone elses opportunity and giving it to me. What I wanted was more opportunity."

She says Londoners have no time to lose. I think what happens with Covid is that the opportunity gap that was already there gets a lot wider, a lot faster, so its even more urgent now for us to get our act together."

Education minister between 2016 and 2018, Greening is still a regular commentator on the sector. In a column for the Daily Mail in May, she called for creative solutions to get disadvantaged children back into classrooms during the lockdown, such as repurposing unused office space and meeting rooms.

The former education secretary had some suggestions for Gavin Williamson / Sky News

Today she is critical of the governments Covid-19 education response. She believes secretary of state Gavin Willamson needs to invest in youth provision and mentoring for disadvantaged pupils in the coming months, and says there is still not enough detail from ministers about how they are going to make sure that children can catch up".

The need is greatest for those who will not have been receiving sufficient homeschooling, and she argues there is a need for a "longer term strategy".

I very much welcome that billion pounds put into education, but the disruption to childrens schooling and young peoples education has been much more profound and will require not just a short but a longer term strategy, and thats what I want to see brought forward by the government sooner rather than later," she says.

Putting investment into youth provision and mentoring will become really important over the coming months.

Additional tutoring is absolutely crucial. That doesnt just need to be for the short term - potentially we should look whether that is a long term benefit we can bring to children and young people in state schools from underprivileged backgrounds.

The Department for Education told the Standard its 1billion Covid catch-up fund "will support schools to tackle the impact of lost teaching time as pupils return" and include "350m for a new National Tutoring Programme for the most disadvantaged".

`Beagle Spaniel cross Cooper, nine months, has been making lockdown a joy for the former minister and her partner / Justine Greening

Despite her criticisms, the politician is confident some positives can come from the crisis: Covid has been a massive challenge for young peoples education, but it could also be the moment where we take a decision to run it differently in the future.

Now that she is no longer a politician, relaxing is easier. Greening admits that you dont realise just how much being an MP dominates life until you quit, adding: Its just been nice being more at home and seeing more of Tess and having a normal life. Ive really enjoyed doing that.

The politician first started out in the City, but unlike other former ministers says she now has no set career goal - although she will not rule anything out.

She explains: For me, getting into politics was never about me being something, it was always about achieving things and doing something, and that is how my brain will always work.

Now she is longer holding surgeries, she is excited to have managed to find a new way of meeting loads of people - taking Cooper, a Beagle Spaniel cross, for walks around St Georges Park.
Patients proceed through a new drive-thru test site for COVID-19 at the Anaheim Convention Center, in Anaheim, Calif., on July 15, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Trump Administration Authorizes Pooled COVID-19 Testing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued the administrations first emergency use authorization for a new method of COVID-19 testing known as sample pooling.

In what is called pooled or group testing, several samples are tested as a batch, rather than checked individually. If the whole batch tests negative for the presence of the disease, testers move on to evaluate another batch. This minimizes the need to test each individual sample because only if theres a positive indication of the virus at a batch level is there a need to test individual samples.

The FDA said in a July 18 news release that it was granting the emergency authorization to a Quest Diagnostics test (pdf), which can be used with pooled samples containing up to four swab specimens.

The advantage of this new pooled testing method is that fewer tests can be run overall, using up fewer testing supplies while allowing more tests to be carried out at the same time and typically delivering results more quickly.

This EUA for sample pooling is an important step forward in getting more COVID-19 tests to more Americans more quickly while preserving testing supplies, FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said in a statement.

Sample pooling becomes especially important as infection rates decline and we begin testing larger portions of the population.

The FDA said that group testing strategies such as the newly authorized Quest SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR test are most efficient in regions with relatively few COVID-19 cases, or when testing larger numbers of people who show no symptoms.

This method works well when there is a low prevalence of cases, meaning more negative results are expected, the FDA said in an earlier statement announcing steps to facilitate sample pooling.

The FDA noted that, because samples are diluted, there is a greater likelihood of false negatives with pooled testing, especially if samples are not properly validated.

Pooling samples is a method that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently said health officials were seriously considering as a way to ramp up COVID-19 testing in the midst of a pandemic characterized by a high degree of asymptomatic spread.

What you need to do is find the penetration of infected people in your society, Fauci told The Washington Post in late June. And the only way you know that is by casting a broad net.

Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told lawmakers in recent Congressional testimony that pooling samples had the potential to expand testing.

Were looking at ways that can really substantially enhance testing by potentially pooling samples, Redfield said, noting that currently between 500,000 and 600,000 tests per day were being done across the United States and that the administration was seeking solutions that would increase this several-fold.

If we can pool samples five to one, that would bring it to 3 million tests per day. So were continuing to try and enhance testing; its a critical underpinning of our response.
For example, in early June we were experiencing a census of around 17 positive COVID patients per day within the health system. In early July, that number was around 45 (positive patients), the statement said. Last week, we were running in the 60s and this week we are running in the high 80s. This will soon become unsustainable if we  as a region  are not able to flatten the curve again in our community.

The states rolling seven-day average for new cases has climbed again, to a new high of 754.

The new rolling average high in Oklahoma comes as several municipalities mull mask mandates to slow spread of the virus. Tulsa city officials voted Thursday to implement a mask ordinance. Oklahoma City officials approved on Friday a similar measure.

COVID-19 is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets, so public health officials encourage people to wear a mask or cloth face covering and to stay at least 6 feet from people who dont live with them.
Actor Bhumi Pednekar is an oddity in Bollywood - a person who went from casting other people for roles in Yashraj Films to being cast herself as a leading lady in a film. Bhumi is a classic instance of never letting go of ones dreams. On her birthday today, heres a look at how the actor has dramatically changed her look to suit her characters onscreen.

In Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bhumi got a break that most aspiring film actors would run away from - playing an overweight bride. For the role, the actor had to put on as much as 30 kilos, not a mean achievement for even the most seasoned of performers. Yet, Bhumi chose to do so. Playing a character ridiculed by society for her weight and unloved by her under-confident husband, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi was a hit.

In her short career, Bhumi has a number of interesting roles, many of them based in rural India. The first of these was her role in Akshay Kumar-starrer Toilet Ek Prem Katha. Playing a woman in an Indian village, she wore cheap saris and had her ghunghat, pallu and sindoor in place, Bhumi not only looked the part, she understood the mind of rural and semi urban India.

Bhumi Pednekar in Sonchiriya.

With Zoya Akhtars Lust Stories, Bhumi Pednekar sprung a major surprise playing an urban poor (she appears as a domestic help). Wearing a worn-out salwar kameez with no make-up, with the camera not really focussed on her but always sensing her, Bhumi was meant to be ubiquitous in the short film, but unseen by the other characters in it.

Abhishek Chaubeys Sonchiriya, which also starred late Sushant Singh Rajput and Manoj Bajpayee, was her proper rustic role. Playing a Thakur woman on the run from her own family, Bhumi was all grime and soot. Her look aptly mirrors her characters resolve and helplessness. The mud-laden sari and long blouse are as uneventful and dull as the nondescript badlands of a dust-bowl like Chambal valley.

With Saand Ki Aankh, Bhumi went into Jat heartland of western Uttar Pradesh. Playing an octogenarian shooter named Chandro Tomar, popularly dubbed as Shooter dadi, Bhumi was all spunk in a rural way. With liberal dose of both silver hair and wrinkles and sporting skirt-and-shirt combination, worn by Jat woman in the hinterland, Bhumi sat pretty in her character.

Also read: Ankita Lokhande approaches Ekta Kapoor to make Pavitra Rishta 2 as tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput: report

It is to her compliment that though brought up in Maximum City Mumbai, Bhumi can understand the milieu and context of semi urban and rural North India to play the characters that she does. However, a desire to break free of being typecast, led her to a more glamorous role of a middle-class but contemporary wife in Pati Patni Aur Woh. Though often seen in saris, Bhumis Vedika Tripathi of Lucknow was a girl from the city (with the songs definitely showing her in a glamorous avatar).

In her kitty is Karan Johars Takht too, which will see her transform again, this time going back 300-odd years back in history. Knowing Bhumi, she will be comfortable in the skin of her character, all over again.

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Amber Heard made fraudulent allegations of domestic violence against Johnny Depp to extort and blackmail him, a long-standing friend of the actor has told the High Court.

Isaac Baruch, an artist who has known the Hollywood star for 40 years, said Mr Depp told him that Ms Heard likes to argue and likes to hit and said: Im not gonna hit her, I love her.

Giving evidence by video-link from the US, Mr Baruch said he saw Ms Heards face and did not see a single mark on May 22 2016, the day after Mr Depp, 57, allegedly threw his ex-wifes mobile phone at her and hit her in the face.

Mr Baruch  who lived rent-free in one of five penthouses in the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles owned by Mr Depp  described the Hollywood star as an ubermensch and an ultimate good guy.

He also told the court that Mr Depp called Ms Heard, 34, a c*** in a text to him because she filed for a fraudulent domestic violence claim to push her hand and extort and blackmail him.

Mr Depps blockbuster libel action against The Suns publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) continued on Friday over an April 2018 article by the tabloids executive editor Dan Wootton which labelled him a wife beater.

In his evidence, Travis McGivern  a member of Mr Depps security team  said the Aquaman actress spat at, punched and threw a can of Red Bull at the actor during a heated row in March 2015.

The court heard from actress and #MeToo activist Katherine Kendall, who claims she was completely misquoted and misused by The Sun, and Alejandro Romero, a concierge at the Eastern Columbia Building, who claims Elon Musk regularly visited Amber Heard late at night.

Ms Heards former interior designer Laura Divenere also gave evidence and said she felt pressured to sign a declaration in separate libel proceedings in the US  brought by Mr Depp against Ms Heard  to say things that were unfavourable about the actress.

On Friday, the ninth day of the trial, the court heard a text message sent by Mr Depp to Mr Baruch in October 2016 which read: I hate it but Ive got to lose those f****** penthouses. That c*** ruined such a f****** cool life we led for a while. I cant even look at the building anymore.

F***** up. I really loved that spot.

Expand Close Actress Amber Heard at the High Court (Victoria Jones/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Actress Amber Heard at the High Court (Victoria Jones/PA)

NGNs barrister Sasha Wass QC asked if Mr Depp was referring to Ms Heard when he said that c***.

Mr Baruch laughed and replied: Yes.

Mr Romero gave evidence that Mr Musk visited Ms Heard regularly late at night from March 2015, with the Tesla founder later being given a remote control for the buildings garage and a fob to enter Mr Depps penthouse.

The concierge told the court he remembered that it was in March 2015 because it was around the time Mr Depp lost the tip of his middle finger in disputed circumstances on a trip to Australia.

Expand Close Johnny Depp arriving at the High Court (Yui Mok/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Johnny Depp arriving at the High Court (Yui Mok/PA)

Ms Divenere was played a recording of a conversation between her and Ms Heard, recorded without the designers knowledge, after she was allegedly forced into signing a declaration by Mr Depps American lawyer Adam Waldman.

In the conversation, she described Mr Waldman as the biggest asshole under the sun and asked Ms Heard to get her lawyers to get me to do a declaration, too, and question me, so then I can say something in your favour.

Ms Divenere can also be heard to say: I didnt know any of this knowledge beforehand, I mean it was literally afterwards  you always hid it from me.

Ms Heard responds: Its not your fault, you didnt know  I hid it from everyone. Its what people do.

She added: But after, you know, after the divorce, you know, right, immediately after that incident, my eye was  did you see my face?

The final witness of the day, Ms Kendall, told the court that calling out disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein was one of the scariest, most difficult things I have ever done.

In her witness statement, she said she was contacted by an extremely persistent journalist from The Sun called Zoe  who she claimed had stalked her  and only spoke to her out of politeness.

Ms Kendall said that, after reading the April 2018 article, I immediately understood that The Suns purpose was to present the appearance of a #MeToo backlash.

Expand Close Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Ms Heard is due to be called as the first defence witness on Monday and is expected to give evidence over three days at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Mr Justice Nicol is also expected to hear an application by NGNs lawyers to call expert evidence about whether images apparently showing injuries to Ms Heard have been manipulated or edited in some way.

Mr Depp 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?

His lawyers say the article bore the meaning there was overwhelming evidence Mr Depp assaulted Ms Heard on a number of occasions and left her in fear for her life.

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.
- Mwangi Kiunjuri said he offered himself to lead Mt Kenya region because there existed leadership vacuum

- The former Agriculture Cabinet secretary said the region had become conscious of its economy especially in agribusiness

- The politician recently launched his party in June which he hoped to use as the political vehicle to drive away from Uhuru

Ex-Agriculture Cabinet secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has declared nothing will stop him from succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta as Kikuyu political kingpin.

Kiunjuri said there was a leadership vacuum in the Kikuyu community which needed to filled up as soon as possible as Uhuru was ending his presidential term in 2022.

READ ALSO: List of Ruto's critics rewarded with powerful committee positions in Parliament

Mwangi Kiunjuri speaking during the launch of his party, The Service Party on June 24. Photo: Mwangi Kiunjuri.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Haji vs Kinoti: Court bars DCI from instituting criminal charges without DPP's nod

Speaking in Kenol in Murang'a county on Friday,July 17, the former Laikipia East lawmaker used analogy of a bull whose absence in the herd would mean insecurity to the other cows.

"You know very well if someone asks me if I am a Kikuyu, I will raise both hands to say yes. We only have two years to 2022. If a village lacks a bull, it is not safe. Let the young men be. You have told us not to engage in politics and time is almost over. Tomorrow is planned today," he stated in apparent reference to Uhuru.

READ ALSO: Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja spends night in police cell after he was arrested in a nightclub

READ ALSO: We have a lot to talk with you - Excited 20-year-old Nakuru lady tells Uhuru on phone

At the same time, Kiunjuri without justifying his position, also said he had been praying to God to block ODM leader Raila Odinga from actualising his presidential ambitions forever.

"The next person in power should know that the elephant already knows its trunk is money. Even if it is Raila, Ruto and may God help that Raila never rules Kenya. I have prayed Raila never becomes president," he added.

READ ALSO: Leeds United promoted to Premier League after 16-year absence

The politician recently launched his party, The Service Party, which he hoped to use as the political vehicle to drive away from Uhuru in readiness for 2022 General Election.

The process of forming the new political outfit began in January 2020, just days after being kicked out of the Cabinet in a mini reshuffle.

Addressing the press on Wednesday, June 24, he said he had been consulting with many political players across the country regarding the formation of the new party.

"I would like to introduce the entry of The Service Party of Kenya into Kenyas politics We have made the commitment to bring forth a platform that will be unequivocal about service delivery to our people as our name suggests," he said.

Kiunjuri is a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto and speculation have started surfacing that the new party could be linked to the DP.

His relegation from the Cabinet was greatly attributed to his political ties with Ruto and both were rumoured to be working on a possible 2022 lineup.

Immediately he was fired, he met a group of youth from Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties to chart the way forward.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Babies with babies : The sad life of single teenage mothers in Kenya | Tuko TV.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17



By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend:

Turkmenistan can participate in number of 'EU Investment Facility for Central Asia' projects, the representative of EU delegation to Turkmenistan told Trend.

These are such projects launched in late 2019 as:

Among such projects launched in 2019 are: Support to Investment, Competitiveness and Trade in Central Asia; (ii) European UnionCentral Asia Water, Environment and climate change Cooperation (WECOOP) and the Central Asia Energy Water Development Programme (CAEWDP); (iii) EU-Central Asia Rule of Law Programme; (iv) Strengthening financial resilience and accelerating risk reduction in Central Asia.

Regarding the cooperation of Turkmenistan with EU, the official noted that the bilateral relations between the EU and Turkmenistan are governed by an Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters, which entered into force in August 2010.

"The EU bilateral development cooperation focuses notably on consolidating the general and professional education systems, on capacity-building of the Turkmen public administration, further improving public finance management, supporting the development of the private sector and agricultural and rural policies," said the representative.

The EU Delegation in Turkmenistan was opened in July 2019.

"The number of official and business delegations visiting Turkmenistan over the past years, and the opening of a fully-fledged EU Delegation in Turkmenistan in July 2019 signals a mutual strategic interest to intensify relations," added the EU delegation.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva
One more Russian expert infected with Covid-19 in Vietnam

One more Russian expert who recently arrived to work in Vietnam has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of patients in the country to 382, according to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

Vietnamese people check in for a repatriation flight at the airport in Moscow on May 12.

The new patient is a 64-year old man who landed at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport on July 11 on flight IO4405 which carried 69 passengers from Russia. He is the 9th Russian passenger infected with the virus in Vietnam.

With this new patient, the number of imported cases has risen to 241, or over 63% of the total patients.

As of Saturday morning, Vietnam has gone through more than three months without any community transmissions, the committee said.

Of the patient tally, 357 or 93.5 percent have been cleared of the virus. There is no death from the disease.

The remaining 25 patients are being treated at hospital in stable condition, with five tested negative once and four at least twice.



At present, 10,133 people who had close contact with patients or entered from virus-hit areas are being quarantined at hospitals, centralised quarantine areas or at home.


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Beaches and car parks are bracing for an onslaught of visitors as London and the south is set for 82F (28C) sun hotter than Mexico today - but rain will keep things cooler further north.

The Met Office forecast a weather front to bring a split in temperatures between the two regions with a 'fairly grey' day for northern England and north Wales but scorching conditions towards the south-east.

It follows police saying UK motorways looked like a 'cross between a caravan and a boat show' yesterday after millions hit the roads ahead of this weekend as the official school holidays begin for many families.

The busy roads heading southbound towards Cornwall, South Devon and Plymouth were piled up with traffic and delays were reported on the M5 southbound, from Gloucestershire all the way down to Somerset.

Most schools are set to break up for the summer holidays between July 20 and July 22, after months of home schooling due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Sun-seekers flocked to the seafront in Brighton today to bask in glorious sunshine as temperatures reach 82F

Sun-seekers flocked to the seafront in Brighton today to bask in glorious sunshine as temperatures reach 82F (28C)

People are pictured enjoying the glorious sunshine in Victoria Park in east London today as temperatures rocket to 82F

Britons make use of the outdoor seating at Northcote road in Battersea, London, which has been pedestrianised so that customers can maintain social distancing rules following the easing of lockdown restrictions

People drink on a pedestrianised street in Soho, London, as restrictions are eased following the coronavirus outbreak

Beachgoers in East Sussex on a sunny start to the weekend as families with children that have already broken up from school arrive at Camber Sands to enjoy the golden fine sands and miles long beaches

Two people at Bournemouth beach as most schools are set to break up for the summer holidays between July 20 and July 22, with the mercury possibly hitting 82F (28C) towards the south-east over today

Two people sunbathe on Bournemouth beach today, as the south-east is set for sweltering 82F (28C) temperatures today

Two people take to the sea on paddleboards and a third on a jet ski as they enjoy the sunny weather at Bournemouth beach

The beach at seaside resort West Bay, Dorset, was packed with sunbathers and people paddling in the sea this afternoon

Sunbathers in Hyde Park, London, brought along deck chairs to make the most of the glorious sunshine

Forecasting today's weather, Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: 'For northern England, north Wales it looks fairly grey with outbreaks of rain especially to the west of the Pennines, at times some of that rain could just trickle into mid-Wales and eventually maybe into parts of the Midlands too.

'But looks like most of the Midlands, most of southern England into East Anglia, dry, bright and very warm once more. Should brighten up a little bit across the far north of England but there is, as I say, quite a bit of uncertainty about the position of this weather front.

'It could be a bit further north, it could be a little bit further south. But it will definitely bring that contrast in temperatures again, another warm one across the south-east, 28C (82F) is possible, whereas it will be cooler further north but still pleasant enough in the sunshine where we see it across eastern Scotland, north-east England, 20C (68F) is possible.

'If you're stuck under that cloud and rain from that weather front though it will feel pretty cool. Now that weather front may pep up again on Saturday evening across parts of Wales especially and again north-west England, staying fairly soggy, the rain could expand as we go into Sunday too.'

The scorching highs of 82F (28C) make Britain hotter than Mexico City, which is currently at 55F (13C) and set to reach highs of 77F (25C) throughout today.

Towards the end of the weekend, many areas will see 'sunny spells' with any rain across the south slowly clearing away.

Families and large groups gathered at West Bay, Dorset, while the temperatures soared across the south of England

Customers in Northcote Road, London, were reminded of how to avoid spreading coronavirus as they gathered outside in the warm weather

Young boys play with a football in Northcote Road, London, which will be pedestrianised at weekends until further notice

People sat outside cafes and bars in Northcote Road, London, for drink as the scorching temperatures rose

As the sun beat down on London today people took to Northcote Road in Battersea for some drinks with friends

People enjoy the glorious weather by the River Thames on another day of glorious sunshine as temperatures hit 82F (28C)

People enjoy the glorious weather by the River Thames on another day of glorious sunshine as temperatures hit 82F (28C)

Sunseekers headed to Hyde Park, London, with towels and books for a day of sunshine as the temperatures reached 82F

Families hopped on pedalos in Hyde Park, London, and took to the water surrounded by swans and ducks

A host of activities took place in Hyde Park, London, as the sunshine came out, including rollerskating, cycling and reading

People enjoy the glorious weather on the first weekend of the summer holidays by the River Thames in Oxford

People enjoy the glorious weather by the River Thames on another day of glorious sunshine as temperatures hit 82F (28C)

People relax on canoes at Browning's Pool as they enjoy the sun in London as temperatures rocket to 82F (28C)

A group of people enjoy bathing and swimming in the ponds in Hampstead Heath in north London as temperatures hit 82F

A couple lean in for a kiss as they bathe and swim in Hampstead Heath's waters on another day of glorious sunshine

One family feed the swans near Kensington Palace at Hyde Park in London as the south-east is hit by 82F temperatures

A woman dons a cap as she sunbathes in London's Hyde Park as the capital sees glorious sunshine today

Large crowds in social bubbles enjoyed a sunny warm afternoon on Wimbledon Common this afternoon

As the sun appeared, people took to their bike for an ride as the temperatures began to rise at Wimbledon Common

Wimbledom Common was filled with groups of people socialising and enjoying the sunny outdoors this afternoon

People took to their boats and barges and travelled down the River Thames in Little Venice, London this afternoon

The sunshine beat down on visitors at Painshill, an 18th century landscape garden in Cobham, Surrey

Bournemouth beach starts to become rather busy this morning as scorching temperatures are forecast for the rest of today

Crowds gathering on Brighton beach today in Sussex to enjoy the weekend heatwave as temperatures hit 82F (28C)

Families pictured enjoying the sunny weather at Branksome beach in Dorset this morning as the temperatures heats up in southern parts of the UK

Beachgoers take a dip in the sea at Branksome beach in Dorset today. Towards the end of the weekend, many areas will see 'sunny spells' with any rain across the south slowly clearing away

A woman takes a stroll by the lake near Kensington Palace in London's Hyde Park today as temperatures hit 82F (28C)

Two people treat themselves to an ice cream at a parked-up van in London's Hyde Park during the sunny weather

Families sit on benches outdoors while enjoying the sunshine in London's Hyde Park today, as summer holidays begin

People go for a stroll and with one pushing a pram as they enjoy the sunshine at Hyde Park in the capital city

Two people walk along Bournemouth beach as the area has steadily become busier throughout today

One member of the public prepares to take to the sea for water sports at Branksome beach in Dorset today. Coral bookmaker has made it odds-on at 1-2 for 86F (30C) or higher being recorded this weekend in the UK

A group of people enjoy the sunny weather and set up a tent at Branksome beach in Dorset this morning. Busy roads heading southbound towards Cornwall, South Devon and Plymouth were piled up with traffic yesterday

Three people walk along Bournemouth beach with two carrying boxes of beer as they enjoy the sunny conditions

One family set up camp and take a bodyboard as they prepare to enjoy the scorching temperatures on Branksome beach in Dorset

One member of the public goes roller-skating at Branksome beach in Dorset, with cyclists also seen in the background. It follows yesterday becoming the hottest day so far this month as the mercury hit 83.3F (28.5C) at London's Heathrow

A cyclist pictured at Branksome beach in Dorset this morning. The sunny weather follows police saying UK motorways looked like a 'cross between a caravan and a boat show' yesterday after millions hit the roads ahead of this weekend

Two people have a drink by the waterside as they enjoy the sunshine in London's Hyde Park this afternoon

Two sunbathers soak up the rays in London's Hyde Park this afternoon as scorching temperatures hit the south-east

Mr Deakin added: 'That weather front then slowly chugging south into Sunday, still a lot of uncertainty about the timing although it kind of stalls, again though further north the cooler air for Sunday but a fresh bright day for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

'A few showers, some drifting inland. But across England and Wales that weather front still likely to be around, certainly initially bringing cloud and rain, it should start to clear away though through the day.

'We could though see some heavier showers breaking out across East Anglia and the south-east later on but there's a lot of uncertainty about how quickly that weather front scoops away.'

Coral bookmaker has made it odds-on at 1-2 for 86F (30C) or higher being recorded this weekend in the UK.

Coral's John Hill said: 'We are set for one of the hottest weekends of the year so far, with our betting indicating 30C or higher could be reached in the UK.

'With more sizzling temperature on the horizon, we think we could still get a record hot summer this year.'

People take drinks down to the beach in Bournemouth and enjoy the sunny weather as temperatures hit 82F (28C) today

Bournemouth beach has steadily become busier throughout the day as high temperatures are forecast

People took advantage of the rising temperatures over the weekend and rushed to Bournemouth beach

The high temperatures saw large numbers of people taking to Bournemouth beach this weekend

People stand in a queue by Bournemouth beach today with one man holding drinks as Britons enjoy the sunny weather

Bournemouth beach has become busier throughout today as temperatures are forecast to reach 82F (28C)

Hundreds of sunseekers and families flocked to Bournemouth Beach to make the most of the scorching temperatures

Seagulls pictured flying over Brighton beach in Sussex as people don their swimsuits to sunbathe in the hot weather

Two people take drinks to the beach in Bournemouth with a queue seen standing nearby in the scorching heat today

Two people sunbathe in the sunshine at Hyde Park in London today as high temperatures hit the south-east

A man rides his scooter in London's Hyde Park today as he enjoys the sunny weather and 82F (28C) temperatures

Two people take a stroll near the lake in London's Hyde Park today as the capital sees scorching sunshine

A woman goes jogging at Hyde Park in London today as people walk nearby enjoying the sunshine

People admire the view of Kensington Palace as they visit London's Hyde Park in the glorious sunshine today

A family read signs in front of the gate at Kensington Palace in London's Hyde Park this afternoon

People enjoying the sun and drinking from cans in Little Venice, London, today as they take a boat onto the water

People pictured in London's Hyde Park today as temperatures are forecast to reach 82F (28C) in southern parts

People enjoy the glorious weather on the first weekend of the summer holidays by the River Thames in Oxford today

A couple don their sunglasses and a hat as they go for a stroll in the sunshine at London's Hyde Park this afternoon

People enjoy the glorious weather and socially distance as they dine al fresco in Henley on Thames, Oxford, this afternoon

Groups take out their boats as they enjoy the sunny weather on the River Thames in Henley on Thames, Oxford, today

Visitors to Cambridge enjoy the warm spell of weather by taking rides on Punts in the River Cam this afternoon

The firm also made it odds-on at 10-11 for a hosepipe ban this summer and 5-4 for the hottest summer on record in the UK.

It follows yesterday becoming the hottest day so far this month as the mercury hit 83.3F (28.5C) at London's Heathrow.

The Met Office tweeted: 'It was the warmest day so far this July as temperatures reached 28.5C at Heathrow.

'A cold front brought cloud and rain further north, where it was much cooler. Fresher air will spread south this weekend as the cold front clears through.'

Meanwhile, a swarm of flying ants so large it can be seen from space was spotted over the south-east coast yesterday.

While the sun shone in large parts of the south of England today, Cumbria experienced an overcast morning with large clouds forming above Lake Windermere

In Gamblestown, County Down, Northern Ireland, the weather was mixed with a breeze mixed with some sunshine and light showers

While the sun shone in the south, the second cricket Test match between England and the West Indies at Old Trafford, Manchester, was abandoned due to rain

West Indies' captain Jason Holder and his teammates left holding an umbrella and with their hoods up as the rain poured in Manchester

Members of ground staff at Old Trafford in Manchester had to clear rain water off the field covers as Day Three of the second Test match was called off

Queuing traffic on the M5 near Bristol with caravans as people head off for the start of the summer holidays this morning

Queuing traffic on the M5 near Bristol today as the official school holidays begin for many families and millions hit the roads

Strensham services on the M5 in Worcestershire were busy with traffic taking a break on their journey to the South West

The Met Office's weather radar picked up the cloud of ants, around 50 miles wide, over Kent and Sussex. Smaller swarms can be seen over London.

The forecaster tweeted a video of the swarm and said: 'It's not raining in London, Kent or Sussex, but our radar says otherwise... The radar is actually picking up a swarm of #flyingants across the southeast.

'During the summer ants can take to the skies in a mass emergence usually on warm, humid and windless days #flyingantday'.'

A spokesman for the weather service said there are likely 'thousands' of ants within the swarm.

A busy Strensham services with people sat on benches outdoors as motorists journey to the South West of England

Multiple caravans seen parked up at Strensham services as people make their weekend getaway to the South West

Met Office's Alex Deakin, above, forecast a 'fairly grey' day for northern England and north Wales but scorching conditions towards the south-east today as a weather front brings a split in temperatures between the two regions

Towards the end of the weekend on Sunday, many areas will see 'sunny spells' with any rain across the south slowly clearing away, but 'uncertainty' surrounds how quickly the front will last

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner has warned that there may be more domestic visitors to Cornwall and Devon than ever this year due to foreign travel restrictions. Pictured, the M1 near Worksop

Traffic pilled up on the M1 near Worksop (above) yesterday and delays were reported on the M5 southbound, from Gloucestershire all the way down to Somerset

Drivers have been asked to avoid travelling in peak times and check how busy the roads are before setting off for long trips

He said: 'It's not unusual for larger swarms to be picked up. A similar thing happened almost exactly a year ago on flying ant day.

'When it is sunny, the radar detects the swam but we are able to see they are not the same shape as water droplets, and in fact look more insect-like.'

Flying ant day occurs when males and new queens leave the nest to mate, with many ant colonies doing so on the same day.

According to the Royal Society of Biology, there is not always one flying ant day, but as many as 96 per cent of days between June and September flying ants are spotted.
On the day that would change her familys life forever, as Rooj Ali stepped out to greet her relatives in the dappled light of early summer, she had no way of knowing it would also be their goodbye. So it is all the more precious that this is what she remembers: the last time she saw her dad, he was laughing.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On the day that would change her familys life forever, as Rooj Ali stepped out to greet her relatives in the dappled light of early summer, she had no way of knowing it would also be their goodbye. So it is all the more precious that this is what she remembers: the last time she saw her dad, he was laughing.

His name was Nour, which in Arabic means "light," and that is the same word friends reach for to describe him. He was tall, with a sturdy build hed inherited from his father. He had a presence, a way of drawing everyones eyes to him. At 42 he was "a ball of energy," one of his friends says, always smiling, always in motion.

That afternoon was no exception. The family had rented a cabin in Lester Beach, close to the rolling waves of Lake Winnipegs eastern shore. In the nearly eight years since theyd come to Manitoba, the first Syrian family to arrive as refugees, they hadnt always had much time to spend all together; theyd had to work so hard.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rooj Ali, 16, with a portrait of her father, Nour Ali, who died in a Lake Winnipeg boating accident on June 13.

But in recent months, Rooj says, Nour had tried harder to find time to spend with his two daughters. After work, hed ask if they wanted to go fishing, or go to Birds Hill Provincial Park. To the girls delight, just the night before, he announced that next year, they were going to buy a cabin of their own; he already had the boat to go with it.

Hed bought the boat a few weeks earlier, at auction. It wasnt anything grand, just a shallow fiberglass fishing boat, but he spent hours fixing it up with his younger daughter, 13-year-old Naya. One of his friends was skeptical, joking that hed kill himself if he tried driving it, but Nour only laughed.

That was Nour, though. He was an optimist. He didnt worry about things like that.

So now, on a blissful Saturday afternoon in mid-June, Nour was getting the boat ready to take out on Lake Winnipeg. He loved the water, and spent as much time around it as he could, and liked to invite others. This time, his brother, a cousin, his father-in-law and his father, Hamza, were coming along for the ride.

Outside the cabin, Rooj saw Hamza arrive, and went to greet him. The 16-year-old hesitated, not knowing if it was OK to give him a hug, given the pandemic, so she awkwardly shook her grandfathers hand instead. At this, Nour laughed, and the three spent a few minutes chatting, until Rooj turned and went back inside the cabin.

In the days that followed, she would be grateful for that last happy moment together. In truth, the teen and her dad often butted heads; shes so much like him, friends say, and also like her mother, Maysoun Darweesh, all of them imbued with the same sharp minds, the same strength of will, the same firm convictions.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rooj displays the pendant given to her following the loss of father.

"Just like him, I dont hold onto things very much," she says. "I dont really hold grudges or take things super, super personally. That makes me always return back to positive thinking and having a good relationship with the person. Because of that, I was able to have my last memory of him be a happy one."

As she speaks, she absentmindedly toys with the delicate silver chain that hangs around her neck, twisting it in her fingers. It was a gift from a friend, after everything that happened next, and from it dangles a tiny pendant studded with sparkling faux gems in the shape of a letter "N."

To understand Nour Ali, to understand how he did what he did and became what he became, maybe one has to start by looking at the points in his life where he had to become something new, and start all over again. There were many junctures like this, but in the arc of this story, none were more pivotal than Dec. 13, 2012.

That night, the Ali family landed in Winnipeg, ready to begin a new life in Canada.

Already, theyd walked a long road to get to that point. Nour had grown up in northeastern Syria, the second of six kids in a big Kurdish family. He met Maysoun at university in Damascus, where they both studied journalism. They were drawn together and, within days of meeting in 2001, they knew they would someday marry.

Maysoun is ethnically Arab, and it isnt common in Syria for the two ethnic groups to intermarry, but their bond soon proved unshakable. They were both outgoing, with a deep passion for human rights. In December 2002, they were married; Rooj was born in 2004, and Nour started a logistics business to support their young family.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Nour Ali was always gracious with his time, and always willing to help others.

But he was also becoming politically active, invested in calling for human rights in Syria, particularly for Kurds and other ethnic minorities. For this, he was arrested by Syrian police, and held as a political prisoner. He never talked about that time in his life much, Rooj says. It must have been a dark one.

By 2006, Nour knew it was too dangerous for him to stay. He fled to Macau, a glittering resort city on Chinas southern coast. The next year, as pressure from Syrian authorities mounted, Maysoun and the girls followed. Rooj was three years old at the time; her sister Naya, just a baby.

They would spend more than five years in Macau, where the girls learned Cantonese. Life was challenging, Rooj recalls: her father was gone a lot, working hard to build an import-export business. The risk of deportation to Syria loomed; they needed to find a safe third country where they could settle for good.

Then, a ray of hope. In Macau, Maysoun befriended a bible study group from a local Mennonite church. One of the pastors there, Tobia Veith, learned of their plight; her cousin, Don Boschman, was pastor at the Douglas Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, and she reached out to ask if that congregation could help the Ali family.

The answer came back quickly: yes. The church already had extensive experience sponsoring refugees, and the personal connection made it even easier. They started the paperwork to bring the family over, and settled in for a months-long wait: it would take over 2.5 years to complete the process, Maysoun says.

Finally, the day came: the family was approved to travel to Winnipeg, where the Douglas congregation was waiting.

Rooj remembers that first drive from the airport, staring wide-eyed out the van at their new country, marvelling at the snow and the single-family houses, so different from the soaring skyscrapers of Macau. She was excited, though she didnt fully understand why, but she saw the hope in her parents faces.

"Our lives were saved from having to go back to Syria," she says. "My parents knew this is where we could start completely fresh, and we knew that we had support. They were very happy to be here and I thought, if my parents are comfortable, and they feel safe, then I do too."

Church members had spent days fixing up the familys apartment, a two-bedroom on Edison Avenue. Heidi Reimer still remembers meeting Nour for the first time that night. The van pulled up and he hopped out, beaming: "You must be Heidi," he said, and pulled her into a thankful embrace.

"I knew right from the minute I saw them that this is a really special family," she says. "There was a warmth about them that was very visible. For people who are completely exhausted from travel, and theyve been halfway across the world, and theyve been through so much to get here, and yet, they seemed to embrace everything."

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Nour Ali (from left) in 2017, with his employee, Yahya Kazmouz, and Kazmouzs family. Ali gave Kazmouz a job with his company Thank You Canada after his support ran out.

In Winnipeg, the family hit the ground running. Within days, Reimer recalls, Nour and Maysoun had mastered using Winnipeg Transit, which they took to a blood donation clinic. They came regularly to church, where Maysoun joined the congregation and Nour, an agnostic, happily helped out around the building.

Soon, Nour found a job working for Winnipeg Building and Decorating, a restoration company owned by another member of Douglas Mennonite, Henry Thiessen. He had little experience in restoration, but he threw himself into learning the trade, asking for as much work as they would give him, often 70 hours a week or more.

Thiessen, who is now retired, identified with that drive. His own family had come to Canada as immigrants when he was 11 years old, having fled Russia during the Second World War. He knew how hard it was to build a life in a new country, and Nours determination impressed him. Within days, Thiessen was singing the mans praises.

"He wont work for us that long, hell be owning his own business soon," Thiessen recalls telling Boschman.

Years later, Nour did just that. In 2017, he started his own restoration company, calling it Thank You Canada. He focused on hiring other newcomers, so that they could get work experience in Canada, and he kept close ties with Thiessens business, which hired Nours company as a contractor.

By then, he was also becoming deeply immersed in community work. As the devastation of civil war spread across Syria, the local Kurdish community held rallies to draw attention to the crisis. Nour was quick to get involved; thats how Allan Emre, who is originally from Turkey, first met him around 2013.

"It caught my eye how quickly he could gather people together," says Emre, who became a close friend of Nours. "We did several protests at the Legislative building, and he would just jump in and get things done. Things were unfolding unbelievably fast when he was attached."

At the time, Nour and his family were, as far as Emre knew, the only family of Syrian Kurds living in Winnipeg. That didnt last for long. When asked to describe the local Kurdish community, Emre divides it into "before Nour, and after Nour." Before Nour, it was a small community; after him, it had surged by the hundreds.

He became a key voice at the Kurdish Association of Manitoba, where he often urged them to think more broadly. Their mandate was to help Kurds in crisis, but Nour thought they should expand that to help refugees from every ethnic background. Emre encouraged him to take that drive and create something new, of his own.

The seed of that idea would later grow into a non-profit, the Kurdish Initiative for Refugees.

It was remarkable how Nour found his voice in the city. Only a few years in Canada himself, by 2015 he had met multiple times with then-premier Greg Selinger, pressing for more provincial support for refugees, including from Yazidi and Arab communities. Nour was "very passionate and very committed," Selinger recalls.

SUPPLIED Nour, in traditional Kurdish clothing, on the steps of the legislature at a rally to raise awareness of the plight of Kurds in Syria.

Meanwhile, with the help of Douglas Mennonite and other organizations, Nour threw himself into trying to bring more families to Canada. He started reuniting his and Maysouns own family, and advised groups from across the province on how to sponsor refugees; not only from Syria, but from all over the world.

Nour took an active role in building these connections. Sometimes, hed be at the airport at 5 a.m. to welcome one family, and go back at night to pick up another. He and Maysoun travelled all over Manitoba to attend weddings or celebrations, or just to be present to give advice to the community they were working to grow.

"We would finish one sponsorship of someone and hed be like OK, onto the next! What can we do next?" Reimer says. "Its hard work to always be hospitable, and always be generous, and always be working to the next goal. But they very much lived out that ideal that you dont build a wall, you build a bigger table."

This approach, sometimes, caused a little friction. At Douglas, Nour always thought they could do more, go bigger; Boschman tried to talk him down to earth. Nour encouraged newcomers to start working, sometimes within days of their arrival, even though sponsorship afforded them time acclimatize to Canadian life.

"Wed say to them: weve committed to sponsoring you for a year. So take that year to recertify, or to get your qualifications," Boschman says. "But Nour was all about no, get off the churchs payroll as quickly as possible, so then the church has money left over to sponsor the next family."

Through it all, Nour was focused on what he thought was right. He never thought of himself as the leader of it all, Rooj says. But with every family he helped bring to Canada, and every program he started, and every person he helped, others began to see him that way, calling him at all hours of the day and night.

About seven months after Mohamad Bakrs family came to Canada from Syria in 2016, they met him at a party for Newroz, the Kurdish New Year. Bakr, now 24, describes Nour as "the head" of the Kurdish community in Manitoba, and they discovered a special connection: Bakrs mother came from the same Syrian town as Nour.

The Bakrs lived in Portage la Prairie, but Nour visited them whenever he could. When Bakr told Nour about how he struggled using English at work, Nour urged him to stick with it. "It will come," he told Bakr, "youre doing really good." The family hoped to sponsor Bakrs older siblings to Canada; Nour started planning a fundraising party.

"He had a group pretty much, he said I can bring them, I can do the party, I can raise the money, I can help you guys," Bakr says. "We are really thankful. He was always trying to help us. But I know he helped lots of people... When I go to Winnipeg, or to see friends, I always hear stories about Nour, always."

It had been only a handful of years since Nour arrived in Canada with nothing but his family, his vision and his mind. Now a growing community of people were turning to him for advice, for support. Looking to him as the one to lead, the one to build. The one to light the way.

"He just became a figure of importance and care because honestly, his whole life became the people," Rooj says. "And I think that people could tell that. Because he was always there for them. He was always supporting them."

Hadassah Maendel photo Nour (front centre, kneeling) and Mohamad Bakr (right of Nour) welcome Bakr brothers family to Canada at the Winnipeg airport.

That Saturday, around 4:20 p.m., Chris Feakes and his friend, Trevor Hargren, were relaxing on Hillside Beach, nestled into the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg. Their Sea-Doos bobbed on the water nearby. The friends were just about to head out for a ride when they were paged: a boat had capsized, not too far away.

"We were in the right place, at the right time," Feakes says.

The pair, both volunteer firefighters, sprang onto their Sea-Doos and started racing towards the scene.

Feakes knows Lake Winnipeg. A year-round resident of Victoria Beach, he has spent much of his life on the water, and he knows what it can do. The lake is beautiful, but it can also be tempestuous, changing moods from flat-glass water to crashing waves within minutes, whipped by the winds that race across its vast surface.

That day, he recalls, the lake was angry. A brisk southeastern wind would gust up to 60 km/h, raising four-foot swells tinged with white froth. The water was frigid, which meant immediate danger for anyone stuck in it; they might have as few as 10 minutes before they started losing the ability to control their limbs.

Arriving at the scene, the rescuers found a small fishing boat upside-down in the water. A man was sitting on top, and Feakes surmised he would be OK to stay there for a moment. Two others were floating nearby, one clinging to a life jacket; in the distance, a kayaker was helping another man to shore.

The rescuers focused on the two men in the water. One of them, Feakes realized, had already died. The other, he saw, was in dire condition, struggling to move and almost blue from the cold. Feakes hauled him onto the Sea-Doo, then took off racing for the shore, where rescue crews were gathering.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The monitor for the VideoRay Mission Specialist Pro 5 ROV, which was used to pinpoint the recovery location on Lake Winnipeg.

That man, Maysouns father, was rushed to hospital in critical condition, but he survived. A few minutes more in the water, and the story might have been different. Nours father, Hamza, perished; but with the help of the rescuers his cousin and brother made it safely back to the shore.

Soon, Feakes learned there was another man who went into the water and hadnt come out. He turned back to the waves, scouring for signs of life. In his five years as a local firefighter, it was the most devastating water rescue hed witnessed; he would stay out on the lake until dark, searching for Nour.

"At the time you dont think about it. You just do what needs to be done," he says.

On the other side of the lake, RCMP S/Sgt. Bob Chabot heard the mayday call come in over the marine radio, and pulled his team together. As RCMP Manitobas inland water transport co-ordinator, he was readying his crew to fill in for the Gimli-based Coast Guard, which was preparing to head to the lakes north basin the next day.

Now, they found themselves rushing their boat across the lake.

When he arrived, Chabot and his team assessed the situation. In some water emergencies, information is sporadic; they might know only that a boater never came back. This time, the information was clear: witnesses told them how the boat capsized about 700 metres from shore, and that Nour had disappeared in the water.

Chabot knew the odds of survival were slim. But in his 29 years on the force, including the last four in his current position, hed seen miracles before. His team towed the capsized boat to shore, and began co-ordinating a search with the Coast Guard and the Victoria Beach rescuers. Above them, a military C-130 Hercules aircraft circled.

"You always hope for the best," Chabot says.

As they searched, news began to spread that Nour was missing. It spread in phone calls and texts sent in English, and Arabic, and Kurdish, and probably other languages too. It spread from Winnipeg to small towns in Syria, from Germany to China, and many of those who received it struggled to believe it was true.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Chabot co-ordinated the search for Nour after his boat capsized.

"I thought there must have been a mistake," Reimer says. "It just seemed so surreal, like a bad movie."

At home in Winnipeg, Emre was hosting a few friends in his backyard when he got the news. Stunned, he turned to his guests, who came from different communities, different backgrounds, and told them that one of his friends was missing, a man originally from Syria.

One of his guests looked up. "Is it Nour?"

That was how Emre found out that his guests also knew Nour, but he wasnt surprised. By then, it felt as if everyone in Winnipeg knew Nour, no matter who they were, no matter where they came from. Thats just who Nour was, Emre explains, someone who connected people together.

"Winnipeg is small, but this guy was making it even smaller," Emre says.

By 2018, the Ali family had fully settled into their life in Canada. Nours business was going well, even as much of his and Maysouns time was consumed by community work. They became citizens that year. Theyd bought a house in North Kildonan the year before, which was often filled with friends theyd invited for dinner.

The two were a "powerhouse couple," one friend says, cut from the same cloth. Nour was most public  a spokesman for their endeavours, but Maysoun was always beside him, often handling the details and helping newcomers; she would soon take a job at the Mennonite Central Committee as a refugee settlement co-ordinator.

"She was the brains of the operation," Rooj says. "And he was the heart and the soul and the face of it all."

Their work made regular headlines. Journalists went to Nour for story ideas about the refugee community, and he always came back with several. He joined the board of the Ethnocultural Coalition of Manitoba. He organized big community BBQs, where Syrian families served food and chatted with hundreds of neighbours.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Nour and his wife Maysoun Darweesh drop off prepared meals at Grace Hospital in April in support of health-care workers during the pandemic.

Of all of these efforts, the one Nour was perhaps the most proud of was the summer program for refugee children, which the Kurdish Initiative for Refugees had launched in 2016. It was an ambitious idea, bringing hundreds of kids together to practise English, take in human rights workshops, and even act in short films.

It was important to Nour that the camp show kids the breadth of cultural life in Canada. In 2018, he took them to a powwow at Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, where they met Chief Deborah Smith and learned about the struggles Indigenous people had faced in Canada, and got to dance along to the beat of the drums.

At that event, Nour met Clayton Sandy, a Dakota powwow dancer and knowledge-keeper. The two got to talking, and realized they shared many of the same values in bringing communities together. Before long, Sandy says, Nour was helping plan almost all of Sandys projects, including a North End party to mark National Indigenous Day.

For that event, Nour announced he knew the owners of a local ice cream shop. A few calls later, hed enlisted their help too. Sandy can still picture the scene: all of these kids running around, some Indigenous and some born clear across the world, gleefully mingling over little paper cups of ice cream.

"I just think that Nour was one of the people that thought from the heart," Sandy says. "We just do things sometimes even if it costs us our own money, our own time, our own family time. We just do it because we grew up like that. We know what its like to be in poverty, to have people be mean to you."

As the search for Nour stretched into hours, and then days, the process fell into a sober pattern. Every morning, Chabot mustered his RCMP team to go over the days mission, and at night theyd guide the boat back to Gimli, without finding any trace of Nour. Theyd assess what they had accomplished, and what to try next.

Its tedious work, and it can be psychologically draining, but the team committed to staying positive.

"Well be in the boat and say hey, this looks great, the winds going to be calmer today, itll be a better day today," Chabot says. "Were always hopeful, always. We never say its never going to happen. We know thats a possibility, but... if its not that day, were saying, OK, its going to happen tomorrow."

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Members of the Kurdish community gather along the shore to support the family and assist in the search.

For Chabot, the search had taken a personal twist. Friends of his knew Nour, because Nour knew everyone, so as the search went on he got messages from them, saying they knew he was trying his best. Every day, he and other RCMP members met with Maysoun to keep the family updated, which drove them to keep searching.

"When you see the hurt thats happening, and the sadness, you really do your best to try and bring closure," Chabot says. "Our team would have stayed as long as we had to... I think lots of police officers, were type-A personalities. We want to be the person who stays to the end and gets the job done."

It wasnt always easy. For the first several days, the wind and the waves didnt let up, making it unsafe for divers. Instead, the RCMP team marked any sites of interest that popped up on their sonar, and continued on in the search pattern, cutting kilometre-long lines up and down the lake.

They werent the only ones searching. At the beach, dozens of people converged to support Nours family, and to help where they could. Every day, around 30 people split into groups to search on the lake in their own boats, or comb the woods along the shore, sometimes playing Nours favourite music as they looked.

On land, an Indigenous group held a ceremony, laying down tobacco to pray for his return. The Douglas Mennonite congregation rallied around the Ali family, organizing to keep them supplied with everything from food to emotional support. Bakr and his friends came out hours after the accident, and returned every day to search.

Every night, when they returned to the city, they longed to do more. "Wed say, if we walked two more miles, maybe well find him," Bakr says, "always we hoped." And they marvelled at the diverse group of people that had gathered for Nour, united in this effort from a multitude of faiths and cultures.

"I was really surprised about the people too," Bakr says. "I saw people from everywhere. Not only Syrians. There were Arabs, Kurdish, Canadians, lots of other communities. They came and they asked about him, and they really cared about him."

The searching was hard, especially for those closest to him. Each time Emre went out looking for Nour, he came back feeling as if hed lost part of himself in the search. But he kept doing it, because he kept thinking what Nour would have done if the roles had been reversed.

"I told my wife, Im going to look at the mirror straight and feel good, because he would have done 10 times bigger," Emre says. "He would have rented a cottage there and say were not going anywhere until we find our buddy. Until we were done with our mission."

At the cabin, Nours daughter Rooj tried to stay focused, coming to terms with what was unfolding.

"The second day is when I woke up and I realized, theres no getting away from this," Rooj says. "This is happening and this could very well would be it. That was the day I started to prep myself for what I would be doing for if I would be to return to Winnipeg without him, if he wasnt in my life anymore."

Even in the midst of that realization, she was struck by one fact. As the days wore on, messages would come in from all over the world, a new country almost every hour: someone in England sending their love, or Macau, or rural Syria. Many had never even met Nour, but theyd heard about him from others.

"The fact that some of them had never met him before shows how many people he reached," Rooj says. "Because of their lives changing, it just rippled outwards. I honestly could not give you a number of how many people were trying to help him. And it just blew me away."

On the fourth day of the search, a friend of Nour and Maysouns called Chabot. There was a team of Hutterites who wanted to help, she explained. Theyd just returned from Alberta, where theyd spent days searching for the last of three Hutterite girls who drowned in a river, and now they wanted to try again for Nour.

Chabot was intrigued by the offer. The Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team (HEART) had a better type of sonar than the one mounted on the RCMP boat, he learned; they also had a remote-operated vehicle, one of only a handful in all of Western Canada, and theyd successfully recovered eight bodies before.

After getting official approval to bring a civilian team on board, he invited them to meet at the Yellow Brick Road boat launch just after noon the next day. It was a good decision, he said later, because the search was about to change.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipegs Douglas Mennonite Church sponsored Nours family. Pastor Don Rempel Boschman says Nour has taught him that we can probably do more than we think we can.

The thing about Nour, his friends say, is that he was always on the go, always going somewhere, always doing; as a result, everyone who knew him had a story, or a few, or a dozen. So in the days and weeks after the accident, these Nour stories became a sort of currency of grief, passed from one person who loved him to another.

In a way, these stories hold his legacy more than anything that made the news.

There is the story about how he once showed up shoeless at a Winnipeg grocery store, casually explaining to his family that hed given his shoes to a homeless man, right after buying him a meal.

Theres the time in 2016, when a church group in South St. Vital needed to help a refugee family from Syria move apartments. "Call Nour," someone said, so they did, and he just asked what they needed and when, and they were amazed when he soon showed up with moving boxes, a truck and a whole bunch of people.

They finished the move in a couple of hours. Church members asked Nour what they owed him: "Nothing," he said.

There are all the times that, learning someone was in trouble, he jumped in his car and drove to Saskatoon, or to North Dakota, or to somewhere in small-town Manitoba. The times when a group in Arborg, which had sponsored around 20 refugee families, called Nour and put him on speaker phone so he could translate for them.

Once, a young man wanted to get married but couldnt afford a wedding, so somehow Nour rustled up a venue in the North End and filled it with 150 people. Once, someone from the Syrian community woke up after surgery, surprised to find Nour right there in the room, working on his laptop beside the hospital bed.

When immigrant youth needed help to navigate conflicts with more conservative parents, they called Nour, and he called the parents, and within hours he had fixed the problem. When a young gay man from Syria felt excluded by that community, he reached out to Nour, who took him under his wing.

And there were all the times when his friends were left bemused or flabbergasted at the audacity of his efforts. He was unflappable, even when his plans seemed to escalate to what others perceived as unmanageable levels, and those stories too say a lot about who he was.

Once, pastor Boschman remembers, Nour asked if he could host the Kurdish New Year party in the gym at Douglas Mennonite Church. At first, he said it would be just 100 people, which the pastor thought would be fine; a week later, Nour revised that number upward, closer to 250, which Boschman thought would still be OK.

On the night of the event, Boschman was out for supper when his phone rang.

"All of a sudden (an organizer) phones and says theres some problems, theres a fire alarm, and plus theres a lot of people here," Boschman says, and shakes his head, laughing. "It was like 500 people. But this is how life goes with Nour. He comes to you with a small idea, and it grows."

This spring, as the pandemic put Winnipeg into lockdown, Nour started looking for ways to help. Along with school trustee Jennifer Chen and KIFR volunteer Magi Hadad, he launched an initiative to deliver food from local refugee and immigrant-run businesses to health-care workers; at one point, he called Emre to chip in.

"He would call me for donations," Emre says. "And he would say, (Allan), were going to give food to all those front-line workers for COVID-19 at Grace Hospital. I put you down for $500. I said buddy, if youre going to do that, you may as well pay it, because youre not asking me, youre obliging me.

"He says OK, no problem. This is how he got things done."

That sort of thing happened all the time, Emre says. But he never could get mad at Nour.

"You never got upset, because you knew the jewel that he was after," Emre says. "You knew what he was trying to polish. So when he was trying to polish a diamond, obviously you would give him a rag or youd give him a tool. He needed a tool... and money was just a tool for him, a simple tool."

Through all of this, his friends say, its important to remember that Nour wasnt a saint. He wasnt perfect. Nobody is, and besides, if he was he wouldnt have been such a compelling figure. He was abundantly and exuberantly human, and thats why friends marvelled at how he kept finding new ways to help.

He was never reckless, they say, but he was confident, which is what allowed him to keep going. The confidence to start life over in a new country, and within just a few years be leading a community. The confidence to try a new trade and start his own business. The confidence to call friends up at all hours to enlist their help.

Or, the confidence to take a shallow fishing boat onto Lake Winnipeg, not really realizing the danger.

On the fifth day of the search, brothers Paul and Manuel Maendel arrived at the edge of the water, ready to load their gear into the RCMPs boat. It was the 23rd time theyd set out to find a body, and they had a connection: some Manitoba Hutterites knew Nour, and had asked the Maendels if they were helping.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manuel (left) and Paul Maendel started the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team (HEART), which specializes in search, rescue and recovery of missing people. They were instrumental in finding Nours body.

The journey that brought the brothers to Lake Winnipeg that day had begun more than 20 years earlier at their home in Oak Bluff Hutterite Colony, when a young boy drowned in a pond. His body was recovered by an RCMP dive team, and that effort struck the Maendel brothers; they soon took up recreational diving.

As the years turned, there were other drownings, and the brothers offered their dive skills in the searches. At first, they didnt have much success, but that just intensified their desire to learn more. In 2016, they made their first recovery, finding the body of a teen whod drowned near Plum Coulee.

"That inspired us even more that yes, we are a capable team, we can do this," Paul says. "Its not just the equipment and the ability, its also the mental preparedness. You have to have the right attitude. Its black-water diving, you cant see anything, you have to overcome claustrophobia. Theres a lot of emotions that you go through."

In late 2018, tragedy struck Sagkeeng First Nation. A snowmobile crashed through the ice, carrying two victims with it. It was too dangerous for RCMP divers; the Maendels reached out to a search expert from Minnesota named Tom Crossmon, who arrived with a special remote-operated vehicle.

Within days of starting their search in January 2019, theyd found and recovered both of the victims.

Inspired by that experience, the Maendels decide to take HEART to the next level. They began calling managers at other Hutterite colonies across Canada and the United States, asking for donations. At last, they raised $160,000 to buy an ROV equipped with sonar and a camera, called the VideoRay Pro 5 Mission Specialist.

That summer, a man from Netley Creek Hutterite Colony went missing. The community feared hed drowned in the pond, and called HEART to search. Guiding the ROV beneath the surface, they found the victim quickly. It was the first recovery ever made with the brand-new Pro 5 model; their fundraising efforts had been worth it.

Now, as they set up their equipment in the RCMP boat, they focused on the mission. Their tow-behind sonar  the Maendels call it The Fish  followed along, attached by a tether and swimming about seven feet from the bottom. On the screen, the texture of the lake bed spread out in stark relief, dotted by shadows of fish.

With Chabot in control of the boat, the searchers ran a pattern. They guided the boat north about a kilometre, then turned 70 metres closer to shore, before heading back south; this way, the sonar covered every area at least twice. Manuel watched the screen closely, marking any unusual sonar shadows on the GPS as they went.

They scanned for hours, until a vicious lightning storm howled over the lake, forcing them off the water.

The next day, the team suggested a new approach. In speaking with Maysoun, the Maendels had learned that Nour was a strong swimmer, so strong that his wife still struggled to understand how he didnt make it out of the water. As they thought about that, they wondered: could he have fought his way closer to shore?

With that, they decided to start the days search closer to land, bringing the boat about 200 metres from shore, in sight of the trees, and the sand, and the spines of jagged rock that jut out into the water. At 1 p.m., they set out.

An hour into scanning, an anomaly caught Manuels eye. It wasnt much to look at, just an irregular dark shadow almost directly underneath the boat, but it was so different than the lake bed splayed out all around it. Manuel pointed it out to Chabot, and clicked the spot on the screen to mark it with GPS.

Chabot guided the boat around to pass by the anomaly again. This time, the image was even more clear, almost unmistakeable. There on the screen stretched a long dark shadow, and near it a brightness rising from the lakes bottom, about six feet long and narrow, like a jewel nestled into the silt.

Or: like a light, shining up from the watery dark.

The Maendel brothers readied their ROV and set it in the water, remotely guiding it down. As it neared the target, an image came up on the screen from the vehicles camera, and now it was certain what theyd found. For a few sacred minutes, they were the only people in the world who knew Nour was no longer missing.

In the boat, the RCMP members and HEART crew turned to each other, and shared relieved hugs.

"Its an intimate moment," Manuel says. "Its a moment where we do stay professional, we are able to complete the task... You stay focused, and you stay strong for the family because they need us to be strong. I always tell myself, youll have time afterwards, youll grieve with the family."

Using the ROVs remote-controlled arm, they carefully lifted his body to the surface. They brought him into the boat and checked his pockets to find his identification. With confirmation it was Nour, they gently placed him in a body bag and began the process to bring him back to shore where Maysoun was waiting.

In the RCMP boat, Manuel took a minute, and felt the weight of all that had happened welling up inside him. He thought of Nours family, and of everything that had brought them together in this exact moment, where love, technology and training had come together to bring Nour back into the light.

He prayed for them then. He has prayed for them ever since.

"I thank God for the family, I thank God for this opportunity, and I give Him glory for that, thank Him for letting us find him," Manuel says, as his voice catches in his throat. "It wasnt the technology. I believe it was God leading us to be able to help in this situation. I did have to take a moment and give thanks to God for that."

On a hot, cloudless afternoon in mid-July, a group of about 30 youth sit in a circle inside the Douglas Mennonite Church gymnasium, listening while KIFR volunteer Magi Hadad, 19, explains in Arabic the next group activity. Downstairs, in the basement another group of about 20 kids, all under age 10, sit cross-legged in a recreation room, watching their group leader with eager bright eyes.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Nour embraced the concept of paying it forward, working tirelessly to improve the lives of others.

The youth program that Nour started for refugee and immigrant kids still goes on, a little smaller this year than most because of the pandemic, but still infused with the dream that Nour held for it.

Three weeks earlier, theyd buried Nour and his father, Hamza, together. On their coffins were draped two flags: one Kurdish, one Canadian. They held a small funeral at Douglas Mennonite, and then a community visitation at the funeral home, where people from every background gathered to say goodbye.

At the graveside, Nours sister Shler thanked Indigenous people for welcoming them onto their territory. There were Yazidi prayers, and Muslim prayers, and Sandy sang a prayer song from his Dakota tradition, and Boschman gave a Mennonite invocation, and all of these prayers mingled together in the sweltering heat of late June.

And as the days passed, signs of Nours ongoing legacy worked their way into the world. Even in death, he brought people together. Chabot was impressed with HEART, and the missions success has them exploring the possiblity of working together more in the future.

Still, the hole that Nour left behind will take a long time to fill. Or maybe it never truly will. He was a "hero for the community," Emre says, and now that hero is gone, and you cant really replace someone so unique. Even now, weeks after the accident, they are still not sure what they will do without him.

"Im afraid we will never find a person like him for our community," Bakr says. "To be human, to care about people, like he was doing always."

And sometimes, his friends wonder what Nour could have been, had he lived long enough to bring more of his and Maysouns plans to fruition. He could have made a lot of money if hed wanted, friends say, but he didnt. But given more time, he could have built something to help the whole world.

So that legacy falls to those around him to carry forward. In one way or another, the work of Nours life will continue. His family and friends are determined to carry the banner, and keep many of the initiatives he championed going, including the youth programs, dance groups and mens support groups.

"We started this," Maysoun says, via email. "It is a legacy. It needs to continue. We have been through hardship all our lives, but we never forget that this is not about us, or one person. It is about giving it forward, always remembering that we are all connected and supporting each other and our communities."

To Reimer, Nours life stands as "a challenge to all of us" to seek out ways to help. To his daughter Rooj, he taught her to "work with what you have, and make the absolute best of it." When asked what he learned from Nour, pastor Boschman sits quietly for a moment and then, with a smile, finds his answer.

"That we probably can do more than we think we can," he says.

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Sometimes, Rooj thinks about the search, and the funeral, and about all of those prayers that mingled over the water and the earth that held her father. She thinks about everyone who helped, and everyone who stood with them, and in those times it seems to her that theres a sort of sense to the tragedy. A symmetry in it, even.

Once, a child was born to a family in northeastern Syria, and he started a journey that took him to the other side of the world. He gave all he could give to that community, and then he gave more, reaching out across the fissures of language or ethnicity or religion, until he slipped into the waters of a lake so vast it can dance like the sea.

There, at the end, a world of prayers found him, uttered by thousands of voices and to many different versions of God, and also to none. The prayer that is a search. The prayer that is a hug. The prayer that is dozens of people converging on the shore, until he was at last carried home by two Hutterite men in an RCMP boat.

"I think it happened for a reason, because of how many people came together," Rooj says. "He worked his whole life to bring people together, and suddenly at his disappearing and his passing, people all came together. This one thing he really, really wanted to happen, happened. They all came, and it was just mindblowing.

"If he was able to be here and see that, he would be smiling a lot."

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Bengaluru, July 18 : The tech-savvy Karnataka government has set up 112 charging stations in the city for electric vehicles (EV) and to encourage citizens switch over from fuel-based cars, an official said on Saturday.

"Of the 112 stations, 12 are DC (direct current) fast charging points and 100 are AC (alternate current) points for EVs, including scooters, autos and cars," an official of the state-run Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom) utility provider told IANS here.

The charging stations have been located in the parking lots of Bescom offices, traffic transit management centres (TTMC) buildings, Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) complexes, KSRTC terminals on the Mysuru road and Peenya terminals, city civic ward offices, RTO offices and KIADB office at Jigani.

"Though the city only 12,000 EVs compared to 70-lakh fuel-based vehicles, the charging points will enable more denizens to opt for them (EVs), as they have zero-emission and are cheaper than petrol or diesel," asserted the official The state transport and police departments are extending support to promote EVs in the city and across the state for the multiple advantages they have in driving around the city at 60km per hour.

"Besides helping EV users, the battery charging points will generate awareness and educate the people on their advantages, especially in reducing the carbon emission across the city," noted the official.

Tariff for AC slow charging is Rs 7.30 per unit, Rs 7.42 per unit for DC charging and Rs 7.99 per unit for fast charging.

"The rates have been fixed as per the state's EV policy of September 2017 for charging stations with the approval of the regulator Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) under low tension and high tension supply," recalled the official.

To reduce dependence on the imported and depleting fossil fuels, the central government has been providing incentives under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) for making and using EVs.

"The state government has also given tax exemption for EVs to promote alternative energy automobiles in the state," the official added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
President Donald Trump said he would not require all Americans to wear masks to combat the spread of the coronavirus, because he wants 'people to have a certain freedom.'

Trump's response came after he was asked about issuing a nationwide facial covering mandate for all Americans during an interview to be broadcast on Fox News this weekend.

'I don't believe in that, no,' the president told Chris Wallace for a segment of Fox News Sunday.

NEW: "I want people to have a certain freedom."

President Trump says he would not issue a national mandate requiring masks to be worn at all times. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/kIvOCTUwyC  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 17, 2020

Trump's response came after he was asked about issuing a nationwide facial covering mandate for all Americans during an interview to be broadcast on Fox News this weekend

'I don't believe in that, no,' the president told Chris Wallace (right) for a segment of Fox News Sunday

The president, answering Wallace if he had any regrets not wearing a mask sooner before wearing a facial covering in public for the first time during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Saturday, also said, 'No.'

The president also dismissed a CDC recommendation that if all Americans wore masks, the virus could be contained within a matter of weeks.

The agency this week urged people to continue wearing masks to stop the spread of the disease, citing studies which showed they are a 'critical tool' in the pandemic.

'I don't agree with the statement that if everybody wear a mask, everything could disappear,' he told Wallace.

Trump also threw in a jab at Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading epidemiologist and member of the White House's coronavirus task force, who the president's administration has split with on the debate over facial coverings.

'Hey Dr. Fauci said don't wear a mask. Our surgeon general, terrific guy, said don't wear a mask,' the president said in a reference to US Surgeon General Jerome Adams.

The president's references to Fauci and Adams were made in a rebuke of mixed messaging over facial coverings.

Trump also threw in a jab at Dr. Anthony Fauci (pictured), the nation's leading epidemiologist who the president's administration has split with on the debate over facial coverings

'Everybody was saying don't wear a mask. All of a sudden, everybody's gotta wear mask, and as you know, masks cause problems too.'

Fauci admitted to NPR that conflicting advice offered early on in the pandemic was to blame for the debate that now rages over whether people should wear masks.

'We have to admit it, that that mixed message in the beginning, even though it was well meant to allow masks to be available for health workers, that was detrimental in getting the message across,' Fauci said. 'No doubt about it.'

So far, there have been more than 3.6 million cases of the coronavirus in the US, which has been blamed for more than 138,000 deaths.

Fauci said that he is 'walking a tightrope' in his relationship with Trump, but also bluntly told an interviewer that he cannot be removed from his job.

Appearing on the cover of InStyle magazine in an interview conducted by CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell, Fauci said that he was an 'apolitical person' but that the 'real and perceived built-up conflict' with the Trump White House was making things 'very stressful.'

The interview was released amid mounting internal White House attacks on Fauci, the nation's foremost expert on infectious diseases, but also division among Trump courtiers on whether they should get into a public battle with the doctor.

Trump last week said that Fauci had 'made a lot of mistakes,' which was followed by unnamed White House officials releasing a 'dirt file' of those alleged mistakes, the file being disowned by the White House press secretary, and the president insisting on Monday that relations were good.

Fauci is pictured during a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this year as the outbreak was beginning to spread across the US

But then on Tuesday night Peter Navarro, Trump's trade advisor, published an op-ed in USA Today accusing the expert of being 'wrong about everything' - and then that too was slapped down, with the president saying Navarro should not have written it.

Fauci was asked by O'Donnell if he could be fired from the coronavirus task force, or his job as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Of the taskforce he said: 'Well, I see myself in that role as long as I feel that I'm being useful, and I'm valued in it, and the White House wants me. If any of the above change, then I would step down.'

But asked if the president could fire him as director of the NIA, he bluntly said: 'No.'
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 63-year-old disabled woman was hospitalized after being shot in the back Friday evening in the citys Woodhill Homes neighborhood, police say.

The shooting happened about 6 p.m. at Woodhill Estates on Morris Black Place near Mount Carmel Road, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Police found the woman in a stairwell just inside the door of the complex, Ciaccia said.

Paramedics took her to University Hospitals where her current condition was not immediately available Saturday afternoon.

Ward 6 Councilman Blaine Griffin said in a statement that he is angry and sad to hear about a disabled resident being shot.

This is unacceptable, Griffin said in the statement. It is never acceptable to harm and participate in violent acts (intentionally and unintentionally) against anyone including women, children, the elderly and innocent bystanders. As a city, we must protect our most vulnerable citizens.

Read more crime stories on cleveland.com:

Car crashes into home in Clevelands Cortlett neighborhood and drives off, police say

Driver injured after crashing into Cleveland bus shelter, concrete median, police say

Officials identify man killed in Bedford shooting

Shooting in Bedford leaves 1 male dead, police say

$5,000 reward for information about man accused of killing Akron man, 1-year-old daughter in fatal crash
European Union leaders were due to meet for a third day Sunday to try and agree on a giant post-coronavirus economic recovery plan as the global death toll climbed to more than 600,000, an AFP tally showed. The pandemic, which has spawned economic mayhem worldwide, also saw the G20 -- the world's most industrialised nations -- consider extending debt relief for coronavirus-hit poor countries in the second half of 2020. EU leaders in Brussels remained deadlocked Saturday over the COVID-19 recovery plan due to resistance from the Netherlands and its "frugal" allies: Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. European Council president Charles Michel was expected to propose another plan to the 27 leaders at noon (1000 GMT) Sunday after his blueprints for a 750-billion-euro ($850 billion) package were refused by the richer northern member states. Michel's latest proposal would keep the total recovery budget at 750 million euros, but shift the balance slightly from grants -- down from 500 million to 450 million -- to loans, which rise from 250 million to 300 million, according to a document seen by AFP. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has insisted member states retain final approval of any funding -- an effective veto -- for recipients. He says EU oversight is necessary to oblige countries like Spain and Italy to reform their economies to handle future crises better. Michel's latest plan includes a "super emergency brake" that gives any country a three-day window to trigger a review by all member states of another's spending plans. - 'It's a disaster' - Meanwhile Barcelona, one of Europe's most visited cities, effectively went back into lockdown Saturday. Spain's COVID-19 death toll of 28,420 is one of Europe's worst and the country has identified more than 150 new virus clusters across the country. The regional government of Catalonia urged nearly four million residents of metropolitan Barcelona to stay home unless absolutely necessary, banning gatherings of over 10 people and shutting cinemas, theatres and nightclubs, after the number of new cases tripled in a week. The virus has now killed 600,523 people and infected over 14.2 million worldwide, an AFP count based on official data showed, as the disease continues to surge across the globe despite months of unprecedented lockdowns. The number of deaths linked to COVID-19 has doubled in just over two months, and more than 100,000 new deaths have been registered in the three weeks since June 28. The US, the hardest-hit country in the pandemic, on Saturday added more than 60,000 new cases, raising its total to 3.7 million, with almost 140,000 deaths. - Watching clusters - France, where masks will be compulsory in indoor public spaces from Monday, was closely watching coronavirus clusters in neighbouring Spain, Prime Minister Jean Castex said, less than a month after the border between the two countries was reopened. When asked about possible border closures, Castex responded: "It is a real issue that we also need to discuss with the Spanish authorities". India hit one million cases on Friday, the day Brazil topped two million -- although the World Health Organization said Brazil's contagion has "plateaued" with the rate of infection stabilising after 77,000 deaths. World Bank President David Malpass on Saturday called for a debt suspension initiative for poorer coronavirus-hit countries to be extended through the end of 2021, while multiple charities said it needs to be stretched through 2022 to avert a "catastrophe for hundreds of millions of people". In their final statement after virtual talks hosted by Riyadh, G20 ministers and bankers said they would "consider a possible extension of the (debt suspension initiative) in the second half of 2020." So far, 42 countries have applied for the initiative, asking for a cumulative $5.3 billion in debt to be deferred. Addressing the impact of the virus on the world's poorest, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the pandemic had revealed the "fragile skeleton" of societies and could push 100 million people into extreme poverty. "Entire regions that were making progress on eradicating poverty and narrowing inequality have been set back years, in a matter of months," he warned. In Israel, police fired water cannons to disperse anti-government protests attended by thousands on Saturday, as public anger mounted over the handling of the coronavirus crisis. Demonstrators outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem and at a park in Tel Aviv voiced frustration over the government's response to a growing epidemic that has taken a devastating economic toll. With Israel recording more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections a day in recent weeks, the government on Friday announced a broad range of new restrictions. Shops, markets and other public venues have closed on weekends, while restaurants have been restricted to take away and delivery. burs/ach/acb/bfm
As the global pandemic continues for the sixth consecutive month, classrooms, universities, and workplaces have online.

While this is a change we have to adapt to, it puts people living in rural places at a disadvantage, owing to low Internet connectivity.

Despite efforts by the government to seek out all options for online education, television classes via community radio, online education hasn't received the desired response due to weak internet access in the remote areas of the states.

In Rajasthan, a young boy called Harish, who is a student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidhyalay from a small village Darura in Barmer district has started to climb a mountain every day in pursuit of internet access so he can attend online classes, Dainik Bhaskar reported.

"From last month and a half, Harish climbs the mountain at 8 a.m. and returns home at 2 p.m. after the class ends," Harish 's father Veeramdev told Dainik Bhaskar.

Earlier, a student from Dhanpura had to climb trees and roofs now and then in search of internet connectivity so he could attend classes. "We can't study online as due lack of internet connectivity we tend to miss our classes," he had said.

According to government statistics, only 15% of rural India students have access to the digital medium to attend online classes.

This also highlights the growing need for data for both the work-from-home and online classes, and the low availability of it, especially in rural India.
The Supreme Court has ordered for the DNA test of an 84-year-old man to ascertain paternity of a child born after the octogenarian allegedly raped a minor girl.

The man is in jail for allegedly raping the 14-year-old girl, who gave birth to the child on July 5.

Booked under the POCSO Act, the accused has maintained that his advance age is itself a proof in medical science that he is incapable of sexual intercourse. He called himself impotent and sterile.

But the report, submitted by the police officials in the top court, has held there is nothing to establish the accused is incapable of sexual activities.

Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal represented the accused before a bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, in the bail petition.

He contended that the man is 84, and is medically and biologically incapable of sexual activities, especially in the wake of several ailments that he has.

Sibal said his client was willing to undergo any medical test, including the DNA test and the paternity test, to prove his innocence.

Advocate Liz Mathew, appearing for the West Bengal government, referred to the status report submitted by the Matigara police station.

The report stated that the accused is capable of sexual intercourse and that his DNA has been taken for profiling and cross matching with the baby.

Sibal stressed that the test should be done as soon as possible since his client was in jail since May 12, and that his health has been deteriorating. He added that his client has been clearly framed since his advanced age was itself a proof of the sham charges.

Mathew, on her part, submitted that the court should wait for DNA and paternity tests. The bench then directed for the tests to be conducted on the accused, and adjourned the matter for three weeks.

"We have noted from the status report that sample for DNA test of the petitioner has already been taken. Let DNA test be conducted to determine the paternity of the child. List the matter after three weeks during which period the DNA report be brought on record.

The Calcutta High Court had on June 5 dismissed the bail plea, considering the gravity of the crime. The accused has claimed that the 14-year-old girl and her family are tenants, and had disputes over payment of rent because of which the false charges were slapped against him.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following article contains an image and the name of a deceased person.

An art mural capturing the essence of the late Aboriginal activist Sam Watson, fighting for the rights of Indigenous Australians with a microphone in hand, is being painted at a Brisbane park where he spoke so often.

The mural-in-progress at West End's Bunyapa Park will honour the proud Wangerriburra and Birri Gubba man, who died at the age of 67 in 2019.

Gabba councillor Jonathan Sri (left) and artist Warraba Weatherall in front of an art mural dedicated to the late Brisbane Aboriginal activist Sam Watson. Credit:Facebook

Mr Watson began his life of advocacy at 16 handing out how-to-vote cards for the 1967 referendum to allow the Commonwealth to make laws and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and include them in the census.
Only one civil servant in five has returned to work in the office, the Government admitted last night.

Boris Johnson yesterday urged employees to stop working from home in a bid to get the economy moving again. But in some Whitehall departments barely 10 per cent of staff are back at their desks.

The Daily Mail asked every Whitehall department for details but received no answers. When pressed last night, the Cabinet Office admitted the proportion back at work was around 20 per cent.

 Slide me  The sparsely-populated plaza in Canary Wharf is seen left four days ago. That same square is seen right packed with workers in July 2014

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: Civil servants need to get back to the office, do their job and stop creating panic among the general public. We need the civil service to get back to the office to encourage others and to help the economy.

What we have now is a public which is scared stiff of going back to work; scared stiff of travelling on public transport.

Dave Penman, of the FDA civil service union, gave an estimate of 25 per cent of staff back at work. At HMRC, where flexible working was already the norm, the figure is around 10 per cent.

 Slide me  A panorama of London, taken from the Royal Observatory this week, is seen left, compared to that same panorama showing the Isle of Dogs, Greenwich and the O2 shining out in September 2018

City of London official daily visitor numbers to the Square Mile are barely up on the 5,000 at the height of lockdown. The normal figure is 500,000.

Only 4 per cent of professionals want to go back to spending four or five days a week in the office, according to research by recruitment agency Stanton House.

Almost a fifth want to work from home permanently while a further 54 per cent want to go to the office only one or two days a week.

A Government spokesman said of the return to work: As we reopen our society and economy, its right that we give employers more discretion while continuing to ensure employees are kept safe.
July 18 : Priyanka Chopra Jonas turns 38 today. This globally acclaimed actress has proved herself in every frontbe it her Bollywood career, establishing herself as an A-list star in Hollywood or as an international social activist. When it comes to fashion, the diva is a true-blue fashionista. While the Quantico actor loves monochrome dresses, at times she steps out in a striking printed number. Lets peep into her wardrobe and see her penchant for prints.

The Sky is Pink actor grabbed attention in this printed mini dress by Dior at an event in Miami. The short hemline outfit featured abstract prints and balloon sleeves, making the diva standout in the crowd. She styled her outfit with a pair of black heels by Sergio Rossi.

The Bajirao Mastani actress opted for a navy blue dress with gold floral prints for an event in Delhi. The ensemble featured voluminous sheer sleeves and the big gold prints added a feminine touch to her look. Chopra paired her dress with golden heels and styled her look with gold hoop earrings.

The fashionista made an appearance at The Ellen Show in a stunning grey floral midi dress by Vivienne Westwood. The midi dress featured white micro florals and the plunging neckline added the sultry touch to her outfit. The asymmetric and folded hemline made her dress unique. The star accessorised her dress with a pair of metallic heels by Jimmy Choo.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom issued new rules on Friday that could force K-12 school campuses across much of California -- including all of the greater Los Angeles region -- to remain closed until their counties see declining rates of coronavirus cases.

Under the state's new directive, both public and private schools cannot hold in-person classes if their county has been on California's coronavirus monitoring list at any point in the past 14 days.

Schools must offer "distance learning only" until COVID-19 metrics improve and the county has been off the watchlist for at least 14 days, the state rules say.

Most of the state's counties -- including Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, plus the Inland Empire -- are currently on that monitoring list. Basically, unless conditions improve in Southern California in the next two to three weeks, any plan to start a new school year with in-person instruction might have to be set aside.

"We all prefer in-classroom instruction for all the obvious reasons," Newsom said in a virtual press briefing, "but only if it can be done safely. As a parent, I believe that, and as someone who has the responsibility to support the education of six-plus million kids in California, and have the backs of [school] staff."

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Three of the state's four largest school systems -- L.A. Unified, San Diego and Long Beach Unified -- have already said they won't reopen campuses for the foreseeable future.

But a few of Southern California's largest school districts -- including Irvine and Capistrano Unified -- had hoped to provide parents the option of sending students back to campuses, at least part-time. Both districts have since announced that they will follow the guidance and start the school year online.

"We understand that many CUSD families prefer to return to school," Capistrano Unified Superintendent Kirsten Vital wrote in a letter to district families, "and when the Governor lifts the order, the plans we have developed over the last three months will allow us to quickly adapt to reopening our classrooms and campuses."

The governor's move also comes as some local officials push to reopen schools with fewer restrictions. Orange County's Board of Education recently approved a non-binding set of school-reopening guidance that casts doubt on the value of masks and social distancing.

In Orange County, one resident who was critical of the county Board of Education's push to write relaxed reopening guidelines said she appreciated the clarity Newsom's order brings. Rather than a district-by-district patchwork of reopening plans, Newsom's order will offer some uniformity.

"I think it does make sense to have a centralized strategy," said Lyn Stoler, who gathered more than 600 signatures on a letter criticizing the O.C. Board of Education.

Stoler had feared the county board's vote would give cover to Orange County districts hoping to reopen schools without precautions, such as masks or social distancing, in place.

Now, she hopes Newsom's order doesn't supercharge the politics around public health orders in schools.

"Especially given how the board of supervisors meetings have gone," said Stoler, "I'm definitely concerned about local enforcement or local pushback."

WHEN AND HOW CAN SCHOOLS REOPEN?

Once a county has been off the watch list for two weeks, the order says districts and schools in that county can consider reopening.

The other way? Apply for a waiver, though that's an option only available to elementary schools.

Either way, once schools do reopen, there are pretty specific guidelines to follow.

All staff and students in third grade or older must wear masks. The state Department of Health also recommends younger students wear masks, too, though it's not technically required for students in second grade or younger.

There are pretty specific guidelines about handwashing and cleaning, too.

The state recommends that all school staff get tested for COVID-19 on a rotating basis every two months.

You can read the full guidance here.

WHAT IF SOMEONE GETS SICK?

If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the guidance says the individual would not be allowed on campus for 10 days. And their close contacts -- including the students in their class, lunch, or recess "cohort" -- would have to quarantine for two weeks too. The guidance requires notifying the school community about the case, but the school wouldn't have to close in this circumstance.

There are a number of scenarios where an individual school would have to close, though, like if 5% of the students and staff had confirmed cases within a two-week period, or if ordered to by local public health authorities.

An entire district would have to shut down again if more than a quarter of its schools close due to COVID-19 within a two-week period.

WHAT ARE COUNTY EDUCATION, CHARTER, AND DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAYING?

Both L.A. County Superintendent Debra Duardo and Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares said they support the state guidance.

"Once everybody is following the orders of wearing a mask -- physical distancing, washing our hands frequently, doing everything that we can as individuals to prevent the spread of this virus -- the sooner we'll be able to open our schools," Duardo said.

Duardo said she recognizes how distance learning impacts parents' ability to work, and said the L.A. County Office of Education is working with county parks and nonprofits to create "learning centers" where students who need the most help getting online and connecting with educators can do so "in small numbers."

WHAT ABOUT ENFORCEMENT?

We've reached out to the Los Angeles County Department Public Health and the governor's office for clarity on enforcement. We'll update if we hear back.

ANY PUSHBACK?

In a statement, the California Federation of Teachers said the guidelines "fall short":

"Schools may still be allowed to physically operate in counties with rising infection rates if granted waivers, insufficient capacity or resources for testing may result in unsafe conditions and fail to prevent further spread, and there is no directive to require effective social distancing and testing for students. Moreover, once re-opened, schools would not be required to close if the COVID-19 cases in the county spiked, causing it to be placed on the monitoring list."

We are continuing to gather reaction to the guidance and schools' reopening plans. If you have a perspective you'd like to share, you can email reporter Carla Javier.

KPCC/LAist K-12 education reporter Kyle Stokes contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 00:05:18|Editor: huaxia

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BUDAPEST, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the pole position ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix here on Saturday, setting a new lap record in Hungaroring by more than one second.

Hamilton will start the 35th Hungarian Grand Prix from the lead. The first line goes to Mercedes, the second to Racing Point, and the third place on the starting grid went to Ferrari.

Hamilton's lap record of 1:13.447 beat that of Verstappen (2019) by more than one second.

This win is the 90th pole position of the 35-year-old pilot's career, and the second in 2020. Hamilton can start from the lead for the seventh time during his career in Hungaroring, and might defend its Hungarian Grand Prix title for the eighth time.

"Hungary has always been a good hunting ground for me, but also I'm aware that there's a long run down to Turn 1," Hamilton said after the qualifying race, calling it "surreal" to have won the pole 90 times.

The 70-round Hungarian Grand Prix will start at 03.10 pm on Sunday, behind closed gates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem
Federal officers prepare to disperse a crowd outside the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

Border Patrol Confirms It Made Arrest With Unmarked Van in Portland

Officers had markings on uniforms, video shows

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed it made an arrest in Portland captured on video, which was later widely circulated. Agents did have markings on their uniforms, despite claims otherwise.

CBP officers had information indicating the person in the video was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of federal property, the agency said in a statement late Friday.

Once agents approached the suspect, a large and violent mob moved toward them.

For everyones safety, CBP agents quickly moved the suspect to a safer location for further questioning, the agency stated.

The officers in the video wore insignia, the agency noted. Mark Morgan, CBPs acting commissioner, said that the personnel were clearly marked as federal law enforcement officers.

Because of recent doxing incidents, or people disclosing personal information like addresses, the names of agents were not displayed, he added in a statement. The same violent criminals who agents have arrested are doing the doxing, according to Morgan, putting the officers lives and families at risk.

Demonstrators set off smoke grenades on the steps of Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

CBP is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Video footage showed two officers walking in Portland this week and detaining a person dressed in black.

The officers took the person and guided them into a minivan that was not marked. After the trio entered, another officer drove the vehicle away.

One person can be heard saying during the arrest: What are you doing? Use your words. As the situation unfolded, she added, NLG will get you out.

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) has promised to bail out anyone involved in protests.

After the footage went viral, a number of Democratic lawmakers and media outlets claimed the officers were not wearing any identification. The officers both wore CBP markings and patches that said Police.

Demonstrators with shields stand in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

Unidentified stormtroopers. Unmarked cars. Kidnapping protesters and causing severe injuries in response to graffiti. These are not the actions of a democratic republic, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), called on the inspector generals of the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to investigate the actions of federal forces in Portland, citing the arrest seen in the video.

These agents are snatching people off the street with no underlying justification, Merkley said in a statement.

The jarring reports of federal law enforcement officers grabbing peaceful protesters off the street should alarm every single American. This is not the way a government operates in a functioning democracy, added Blumenauer.

Violent demonstrations have taken place in Portland on a nightly basis since late May, according to police officials, reports, video footage, and photographs. The groups, which include members of the far-left Antifa, repeatedly cause damage to the Justice Center, which houses a police precinct, and the nearby Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse, a federal building.

Demonstrators try blocking a door to the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

At least nine people were arrested in recent days for charges including destroying federal property and assaulting federal officers. One man was shown on video hitting a federal officer with a 4-pound construction hammer while others allegedly used high-intensity lasers in attempts to blind officers.

Video footage from Friday night showed the group putting fencing in front of an exit at the courthouse and an exit at the Justice Center. The group also shot commercial grade fireworks and smoke bombs, the Portland Police Bureau said. Several people were arrested.

Violent demonstrators caused $23 million in damage and lost customers to businesses downtown as of July 8, Portland Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis said during a briefing.

Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said in a briefing Friday that officers have a line of communication with federal agents because theyre operating in close proximity.

We do communicate with federal officers for the purpose of situational awareness and deconfliction, Lovell said. Were operating in a very, very close proximity to one another.

Federal officers use tear gas and other crowd dispersal munitions on violent demonstrators in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images)

Oregon Lawsuit

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit in federal court against several agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for allegedly engaging in unlawful law enforcement in violation of the civil rights of Oregonians by seizing and detaining them without probable cause.

The tactics undertaken by federal officers not only make it impossible for people to assert their First Amendment rights to protest peacefully, Rosenblum said, they also create a more volatile situation on our streets.

Rosenblum cited the July 16 arrest. The person arrested was identified as Mark Pettibone.

The state Department of Justice Criminal Justice Division also opened a criminal investigation into the use of force on July 12, when a man was struck by a a round after hurling a canister towards officers.

The Multnomah County District Attorneys Office is also investigating the recent use of force, a spokesman said.

Donavan La Bella, 26, required facial reconstructive surgery, his mother told The Oregonian.

Mannequins are seen through shattered glass at an H&M store in downtown Portland, Ore., after violent demonstrations the night before, on July 13, 2020. (Gillian Flaccus/AP Photo)

DHS Protection

A DHS task force to help protect monuments and federal facilities was created in response to the activities in Portland and elsewhere, with rioters trying to topple statues and breach federal buildings.

The Protecting American Communities Task Force was meant to coordinate assets inside the department, Acting Homeland Secretary Chad Wolf said.

We wont stand idly by while violent anarchists and rioters seek not only to vandalize and destroy the symbols of our nation, but to disrupt law and order and sow chaos in our communities, he said in a statement.

Rapid deployment teams were pre-positioned across the country ahead of July 4.

A separate task force created to stop violent anti-government extremists of all persuasions was formed last month at Attorney General William Barrs direction.

Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf meets with federal officers in Portland in an undated photograph released July 17, 2020. (Department of Homeland Security)

Some pretend to profess a message of freedom and progress, but they are in fact forces of anarchy, destruction, and coercion, Barr wrote in a memo.

Wolf traveled to Portland on July 16 to meet with federal officers and tour the damage to the courthouse there.

Wolf called the people gathering on a nightly basis lawless anarchists and praised the law enforcement officers seeking to protect the building.

The siege could end if state and local officials decide to quell the demonstrations, Wolf asserted, adding that he will not order the withdrawal of federal troops.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat who is also the citys police commissioner, refused to meet with Wolf. He and a number of local and state officials want federal troops to leave the city, blaming them for the violence.
New Delhi: Mumbai police summoned two doctors in connection with the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput on Friday, July 17, 2020. The actor was reportedly battling depression for the past few months and took treatment for it.

According to sources, it has been learnt that in October 2019, Sushant was admitted to a renowned Mumbai hospital for deep depression for about a week. The 34-year-old actor met as many as 5 psychiatrists in the last few years.

ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput death: Mumbai police questions 4 doctors who treated actor in last six months

Out of these, Mumbai police quizzed two doctors on July 17, 2020, and the interrogation continued for hours.

One of the doctors who recorded his statement last evening told cops that he had been treating Sushant Singh Rajput for last one year. Girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty introduced him on a friend's recommendation.

ALSO READ: No need for CBI inquiry in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

The actor was in a state of depression, trauma and had tension over something during that time. The doctor revealed, "Lack of sleep, anxiety, always having a doubt on something" were the early symptoms seen in Sushant.

Actor's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty always accompanied Sushant during counselling sessions.

The police have now asked for all the medical notes, files and other documents prepared during counselling sessions with him. According to sources, the psychiatrist has also made some other important revelations related to Sushant's life but the police can't share it right now.

The cops will cross-check all the information with other doctors and Sushant's family members.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging from his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty finally broke her silence and pleaded for a CBI enquiry writing a social media post tagging Home Minister Amit Shah recently.

The Mumbai police have questioned over 35 people in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput as of now.
The Royal Air Force Museum has just announced an exciting new program which offers members of the public the opportunity to adopt one of over 50 objects within their collection.

Adopt an Artefact is a unique opportunity for everyone to be part of the RAFs story, while raising funds for the RAF Museum. With a collection of more than 1.3 million items, spanning more than a century of RAF history, Adopt an Artefact highlights a selection of iconic objects, each with their own fascinating story to tell.

Adopt online at rafmuseum.org, where you can explore the Museums unique collection and browse through more than 50 items up for adoption, including everything from lapel badges, lucky mascots and a Red Arrows flying suit, to aircraft and even fragments of the Mohne Dam and an Operation GRAPPLE commemorative beer mat, there really is something for everyone! Available to adopt across three tiers (Standard, Enhanced and Exclusive), starting at 25.00, adoptions last 12 months from the date they are adopted. Adoptees can make their adoption go even further by opting to add Gift Aid which will increase their donation by 25% for no extra cost.

All adoptees will receive a digital adoption certificate and a photo of their adopted artifact, along with exclusive updates and information on your chosen object throughout the year. Recognition of your adoption will feature alongside the object on Collections Online, the Museums new digital collections system. If purchased as a gift, or in memory of a loved one, you have the option to include a dedicated message along with the name of adoptee. Artifacts can be adopted on an individual or corporate basis and those adopting one of the Exclusive tier items will receive additional benefits tailored to their adoption.

Within the Standard tier, objects can be adopted by several people and include many unusual items such as a pack of Playing Cards with Hidden Maps. Used by RAF prisoners of war in Germany during the Second World War, playing cards were often used to smuggle maps into prison camps. Or how about the small but mighty Twinkletoes the Cat, the lucky charm of Arthur Whitten Brown. Twinkletoes flew alongside Brown and Captain John Alcock on the first ever, non-stop transatlantic flight in a Vickers Vimy in 1919, quite an adventure for a pocket size cat. A Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery Coupon Card is the perfect guilt free chocolate adoption for anyone with a sweet tooth  thank goodness sugar rationing ended in 1953! If accessories are your thing, step into the world of RAF 1940/50s sweetheart fashion by adopting an RAF Evening Bag, theres not a Prada or a Gucci logo in sight but the opportunity to adopt a one-off adorned with a pair of pilots wings on fabric from the skies. Other items in the standard tier include a Jamaica Uniform Badge, Burma Star and even Powdered Egg!

Items in the Enhanced tier are exclusive to one adoptee and include the Uniform of Avis Hearn. After refusing to leave her post at an RAF radar station while under devasting attack by German dive bombers, her actions were to see her awarded one of only six Military Medals given to WAAFs during the Second World War. Or how about adopting a small dish containing links to one of the most infamous Second World War stories, The Great Escape. Sand from Stalag Luft III Parade Ground, The Great Escape, is a small but fine testament to the 76 Allied prisoners, the majority RAF aircrew, and their legendary feat of engineering. Other artefacts in the Enhanced tier include a Red Arrows Flying Suit, RAF flying ace Douglas Baders Log Book and a Fordson Balloon Winch.

The Exclusive tier consists of thirteen aircraft, each available to only one adoptee and includes aircraft such as the Hawker Siddeley Gnat T1, previously flownas Red 3 by the world-famous Red Arrows, thrilling crowds with their precision formation aerobatics! The Gnat T1 was the RAFs standard advanced training aircraft for some time, and the initial equipment of the Red Arrows until replaced by Hawk T1s in 1980. Or how about adopting something with a royal connection? The Westland Sea King HAR3 was flown in 2011 by HRH The Duke of Cambridge, while serving as a Search and Rescue pilot at RAF Valley. It was the very first in RAF service, providing search and rescue cover for both military and civilian personnel across the UK, and only retired in 2015. Other aircraft in this tier include the Panavia Tornado GR.1B, Avro Lancaster B.Mk.I and Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I.

To celebrate the launch, the Museum is offering up to 20 people the chance to adopt the iconic Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb. Ordinarily, this item would feature within the Exclusive tier, however for the launch of Adopt an Artefact, you can adopt this item for 200 within the Standard tier, the ultimate gift for any aviation fan.

View your adopted artefact during a visit to the Museum, where each object can be found on display at either the Museums Cosford or London site, with the exception of just one  Douglas Baders Log Book. Stored in the archives, a private viewing of the log book can be arranged for the adoptee of this item.

Edward Sharman, Head of Development RAF Museum, said:

Support from adoptees will help the Museum continue sharing the RAF Story, past, present and future, to engage, inspire and encourage learning for current and future generations. Whether youre adopting an artefact for yourself, as a gift for an aviation fan, or someone currently serving in the armed forces, it may even be a personal tribute to honour and remember a loved one, this is a fantastic opportunity to be part of the RAFs history and to receive something unique in return for your support.

Each item tells its own fascinating RAF story, whether its a cute stuffed toy with an adventurous past, clothing that tells more than just a fashion statement, from tiny badges with major honours to large iconic Battle of Britain aircraft, there is something to inspire and connect everyone. Support the RAF Museum and adopt today, and share your special adoption story.

For more details on how to Adopt an Artifact and to browse the items available, visit rafmuseum.org.uk/support-us/adopt-an-artefact

The Museum is now open daily with a range of measures in place to ensure a safe and great day out for the whole family. While still offering FREE entry to all, visitors are kindly asked to pre-book their arrival time online at rafmuseum.org.
Ben Thomas was a presenter for BBC Wales (Picture: BBC)

A former BBC presenter has pleaded guilty to 40 sex offences against adults and children.

Ben Thomas, 44, admitted the crimes at Mold Crown Court on Friday.

They included sexual activity with a child, sexual assaults, indecent assaults, voyeurism and making indecent videos of children.

The ex-BBC Wales presenter committed the offences in north Wales, London, Shropshire and Romania over a span of 30 years.

The most recent crime was committed last year.

Read more: Shamima Begum should return to UK to face justice

Ben Thomas admitted 40 sex offences (Picture: Police)

Thomas left his role at the BBC presenting a show aimed at young people in 2015 to become a preacher.

He had been based at Criccieth Family Church in Gwynedd until last year.

North Wales Polices DC Lynne Willsher said: Ben Thomas' offending involved the serious sexual abuse of vulnerable young children by a religious leader.

It is an awful breach of the trust placed in him by the victims and their families, and I cannot begin to imagine what impact the revelation of his offending has had on them.

Today in court, Ben Thomas has admitted perpetrating 40 sexual offences.

Read more: Man accused of raping and murdering barmaid also attacked 16-year-old girl

As a result of this, his victims have been spared the harrowing ordeal of a lengthy trial.

North Wales Police are very grateful for the strength and courage shown by all victims and their families; this has greatly assisted our investigation to ensure justice has been done today.

I am also grateful to the Evangelical Church and their safeguarding team for their assistance during the investigation.

Judge Niclas Parry warned Thomas he was going to be jailed for a significant amount of time when he is sentenced at the same court on 18 August.
New Delhi, July 18 : Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Yuva Sena President Aditya Thackeray has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the UGC decision to hold final-year examinations before September 30.

Speaking to IANS, Yuva Sena Secretary Varun Sardesai said: "In support of students across India, the Yuva Sena has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the of University Grants Commission's (UGC) decision to conduct final-year exams." He added that the Yuva Sena has challenged the UGC guidelines on the matter and requested the Supreme Court that each university may be allowed to chart out its own plan of action with respect to terminal semester/final-year examinations depending on the conditions in their respective states so as to provide relief to students.

"Even in this highly worrying time, the Human Resource Development Minister and the UGC have announced that final-year examinations be conducted in India by universities in September 2020, keeping in mind its guidelines, but ignoring the physical and mental health, anxiety and safety of students across the country", said the Yuva Sena in a statement.

Sardesai asserted that Covid-19 is a "national disaster" in view of which the UGC should have cancelled the final-year examinations and arrived at a fair and uniform criteria for declaration of results and also circulated it for adoption by all universities in India.

"However, it seems the UGC has not understood the full extent of the dilemma that the country is currently facing and it's using its power and authority to make it mandatory for universities to conduct examinations, which can be avoided", he added.

According to the Yuva Sena, in these unprecedented times of Covid-19 pandemic when the provisions of both the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, are amended from time to time, the UGC's stance of insisting on conducting final- year examinations/semester examinations and not to grant relief to these students is "very sad" and -- if the UGC goes ahead with it -- may also prove to be difficult to implement and not be safe as well.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 19:37:13|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran reported 2,166 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases to 271,606 on Saturday, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said during her daily update that out of the new cases, 1,293 have been hospitalized.

Since Friday, 188 people died from the viral disease, taking the total fatalities over the virus to 13,979 in Iran.

So far, 235,300 people have recovered and 3,529 remain in critical condition, said Lari.

According to the health spokeswoman, 2,123,518 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Saturday.

The Iranian health official said that 10 provinces are still in high-risk condition over the virus resurgence.

Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on Feb. 19.

Iran and China have offered mutual help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

In mid-February, at the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak in China, Iran lit up the Tehran Azadi (Liberty) Tower to show its solidarity with China, and donated 3 million masks to China.

In return, China has delivered several shipments of medical supplies to Iran. On Feb. 29, a five-member Chinese medical team visited Iran for a month-long mission to help Iran fight the pandemic. Enditem
A vanguard of young democrats are raring to get on ballot, but the risk of disqualification overshadows their prospects.

Hong Kong formally kicked off on Saturday a two-week registration period for candidates to run in a key legislative election in September, amid fears authorities might try to disqualify an assertive young generation of democrats.

The poll will be a crucial battleground for the citys democratic opposition to try to reclaim some political influence in the wake of tough national security laws China imposed on June 30.

These laws have been decried by critics, including the United States, as a death knell for the citys freedoms and autonomy from China.

Chinese and Hong Kong officials, however, say the laws will bring stability to the financial hub after a restive year, and only affect a very small minority of troublemakers.

A vanguard of young democrats is raring to get on the ballot, having stormed to big wins in an unofficial primary election earlier this month.

These young firebrands, or localists, who often embrace a more confrontational anti-China stance, have appealed more broadly to younger, disaffected voters who no longer believe the moderate rhetoric of veteran democrats.

For every candidate in the pro-democracy camp, we must unify at this time, to avoid attacking ourselves and to consolidate our strength to challenge the tyranny, Sam Cheung, one young democratic hopeful, said on Facebook.





Overshadowing their prospects, however, is the risk of disqualification.

In the past four years, authorities have barred 18 democrats from running in local elections, including prominent activist Joshua Wong, according to a report by the rights group Civil Rights Observer.

Critics say the disqualifications  on grounds including a dissenting ideology, or support for Hong Kong independence  are meant to curb the ascendancy of this new crop of democrats. At least six young candidates were barred from the previous legislative poll in 2016, including pro-independence leader Edward Leung, who has since been jailed on rioting charge.

Al Jazeeras Adrian Brown, reporting from Hong Kong, said mass disqualifications could stoke fresh social unrest in the city.

What we are looking at is a scenario in which we could have, on the one hand a dysfunctional legislative assembly or a discredited legislative assembly, he said.

Dysfunctional because if the pan-democratic camp achieve their 35-plus or a majority in the 70 seat legislature, theyd then be able to block the budget, public funding and that would then lead to the dysfunction that Beijing fears. But on the other hand, if so many of these popular young candidates from the pan-democratic camp are disqualified or prevented from running, youre going to have a discredited parliament.

Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise of a high degree of autonomy and broad freedoms, including the right to stand for and take part in elections.

The imposition of the national security law, however, grants China wide-ranging new powers to clamp down on civil society and dissenting voices in the city, and to override local laws to take jurisdiction over certain big and complex cases.

Under the new security legislation, all candidates for local elections must swear allegiance to Hong Kong and pledge to uphold Hong Kongs mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

Some have refused to make such a pledge, though others say it is more important to get on the ballot.

About 4.47 million of Hong Kongs 7.5 million residents are eligible to vote on September 6.
Foreigners can apply for visa extensions after July 31

BANGKOK: Foreign visitors still stranded in the Kingdom by the COVID-19 pandemic will be allowed to apply for an extended short stay after their visas expire on July 31, the Immigration Bureau chief said on Friday (July 17).

immigrationCOVID-19

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 18 July 2020, 10:14AM

Long queues of foreign nationals at the Immigration Bureau office at the Government Complex in Nonthaburi on March 23, seeking visa extensions after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their travel plans. The bureau later declared a visa amnesty until July 31 to reduce the risk of crowding at its offices. Photo: Bangkok Post / file

Foreign tourists who are unable to leave Thailand would be given a grace period from Aug 1 to Sept 26 to apply to stay for a specified period, said Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang, the bureau commissioner. However, if they do not obtain extensions and are still in the country after Sept 26, they would face legal action and be blacklisted.

He urged foreigners to contact the bureau as soon as possible to prepare for their next steps in order to avoid crowding as the Sept 26 deadline approached, reports the Bangkok Post.

Foreign visitors must specify their reasons and submit necessary documents when seeking to renew short-term visas, which will be granted for 30 days, he said.

If they are unable to return because there are no flights or due to lockdown measures in their countries, they must submit proof. The granting of a short-stay visa will be made on a case-by-case basis, Pol Lt Gen Sompong said during a visit to Phuket, a province with a high number of stranded foreigners.

He said the bureau had asked the Council of State about the proposed short stay and it had advised that the Interior Ministry could issue an announcement.

He said the Interior Ministrys visa relief measures for foreign visitors would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval next Tuesday. The bureau would later issue guidelines on how to apply for a visa extension.

He said those who planned to return to their home countries did not need to contact the bureau but also had to leave Thailand by Sept 26.

He estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 foreigners were stranded in the Kingdom due to the lockdown.

The government earlier automatically extended their visas until July 31, but they must still inform authorities where they are staying.
Police officers (L and R) visit residents who live in remote areas in Altay, in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to promote the awareness of the virus, Feb. 19, 2020.

Authorities in Urumqi, the capital of northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have ordered a lockdown, cancelling nearly all flights in and out of the city, after confirming at least 17 cases of infection from the coronavirus.

According to official figures, the city of 3.5 million has recorded only six symptomatic cases of COVID-19the disease caused by the coronavirusand 11 asymptomatic cases, but official media reports said nearly 90 percent of flights into and out of the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport were cancelled and public transportation was shut down Friday as part of strict measures to contain the spread of the virus.

The new infections are the first to be detected in the XUAR for months. A 24-year-old woman tested positive on Thursday after displaying symptoms, while three of her friends were also found to be infected, although they were asymptomatic. A man who had recently traveled from Urumqi to Zhejiang province in eastern China was also discovered to be infected.

Residents have been ordered to stay within their housing compounds, state-owned Caixin reported, citing a government notice. Authorities have also ordered the closure of shopping malls and hotels, while visitors from other provinces will be quarantined for a week. City dwellers have scrambled to buy groceries and other essentials in anticipation of a lasting lockdown.

Beginning Friday, air travelers are being required to display evidence of having tested negative within seven days and must show a safe health code status on an app used to identify virus carriers.

The official Global Times newspaper cited XUAR party chief Chen Quanguo as calling for the region to take strict measures to curb the virus spread, prevent imported cases and strengthen testing in densely populated areas during a Communist Party meeting on Thursday.

He also urged local departments to improve information dissemination to the public in a timely manner.

Social media posts indicated that people were also being prevented from entering or leaving Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) city in southern XUAR.

RFAs Uyghur Service spoke with an officer at Urumqis Tengritagh (Tianshan) District Police Station who said official vehicles could be arranged through neighborhood committees to pick up residents who need to go to the hospital.

No personal cars are allowed to travel anywhere right now, he said.

We dont know how long the measures will last, but we will keep residents informed through their neighborhood committees.

A worker with the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport medical unit said it was unclear whether more cases might be discovered.

We dont know if there are more people going to the hospitals for examinations, he said.

RFA also spoke with hotel staffers in the city who said they were not accepting guests and referred further questions about the outbreak to the authorities.

Efforts to reach other parts of the region went unanswered Friday.

Detainees at risk

It is unclear when Fridays restrictions in Urumqi might be lifted. Chinese authorities have instituted strict measures throughout the country as part of a bid to eradicate the virus after initially drawing criticism for a lack of transparency in handling the outbreak which emerged in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei province, in late 2019. China has an official total of slightly more than 85,000 cases of COVID-19, but the coronavirus has gone on to infect nearly 14 million people worldwide.

Rights groups and experts have expressed particular concern about the potential impact of an outbreak in the XUAR, where authorities are believed to have detained more than 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a vast network of internment camps since April 2017. They say limited access to health care and cramped conditions in the camps could allow the virus to spread virtually unchecked.

The XUAR has so far only recorded 77 cases resulting in three deaths. The source of the new infections remains unclear, officials say.

Beijing describes its 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 poor conditions, where they are forced to endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination.

As evidence of abuses in the XUAR continues to mount, Western governments have increasingly called out China for its policies in the region.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trumps administration leveled sanctions against several top Chinese officials deemed responsible for rights violations in Xinjiang, including regional party secretary Chen Quanguo, under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

The move, which marked the first time Washington had sanctioned a member of Chinas powerful Politburo, followed Trumps enactment last month of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 (UHRPA), which passed nearly unanimously through both houses of Congress at the end of May. The legislation highlights arbitrary incarceration, forced labor, and other abuses in the XUAR and provides for sanctions against the Chinese officials who enforce them.

Earlier this week, Chinas Foreign Ministry announced retaliatory sanctions targeting 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.

Reported by Mihray Abdilim. Translated by Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Explore Kushinagars historic Buddhist sites Kushinagar Airport gets international status View(s): View(s):

Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh has been declared an International Airport by the Union Cabinet of India, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.

Considered one of the four main sacred places of Lord Buddha, Kushinagar is believed to be the site where Lord Buddha attained parinirvana. A colossal reclining statue of Lord Buddha from the 5th Century at the Mahapa-rinirvana Temple pays homage to this. The Ramabhar Stupa, also known as the Mukutbandhan Chaitya is said to be the cremation place of Lord Buddha, and is located in the vicinity of the Mahaparinirvana Temple.

The Kushinagar district is also home to numerous other monasteries and Buddhist cultural sites. The decision to declare Kushinagar airport as an international airport, will provide Buddhist pilgrims, historians and cultural enthusiasts the opportunity to comfortably explore not only Kushinagar, but also other historically significant locations such as Lumbini, Kapilavastu and Sravasti, which are in close proximity, a press release from the Indian High Commission stated.
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: India's spaceport Sriharikota is facing a COVID-19 scare as two of its employees working in the Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) have tested positive for the virus. Two of their family members also tested positive.

The infected employees are residents of Swarnamukhi Nagar, which is one of the three housing colonies of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-Shar) located in Sullurpeta about 18 km away from Sriharikota island.

A member of the Contact Tracing Committee confirmed this to The New Indian Express. "Both are working as technicians in SPROB. We have identified about 50 primary and secondary contacts, who have been tested. The results are expected by Saturday evening. The infected have been shifted to a private hospital in Nellore."

Both the infected employees attended duties in SPROB, leading to fears that they may have passed it on to others. The place has been sanitised completely. As of now, there are no positive cases inside Sriharikota, access to which has been highly restricted.

Meanwhile, SDSC Shar Controller V Kumbakarnan has ordered the constitution of multiple task force teams to stop the spread of the disease. Separate eight-member task force teams were formed for Sriharikota, Pulicat Nagar, Swarnamukhi Nagar and Pinakini Nagar to make arrangements for shifting COVID-19 cases to hospitals and ensure disinfecting of their houses/locations and surroundings.

The office order, a copy of which is with The New Indian Express, says the task force teams will also assist the contact tracing team in finding out the primary and secondary contacts of the confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases and recommend if it should be a containment zone based on the guidelines.

Besides, immediate quarantining of the high-risk exposure contacts, in order to contain the likely spread of COVID-19 in the Shar community, and identifying the group of persons for carrying out the surveillance medical tests are among the terms of reference given to the task force.

"The COVID-19 task force teams shall immediately come into action, if any cases are reported/suspected/confirmed in SDSC Shar housing colonies. Welfare Clubs shall support the task force teams in the respective housing colonies. Based on the need, the task force teams can co-opt additional members, whenever essential," the order reads.

A senior official of SDSC Shar told The New Indian Express that all preventive measures have been taken. "The Centre is operating with only skeletal staff for emergency and essential services. Only operations and maintenance contract employees who are residing in SDSC Shar housing colonies are allowed to attend duties. Persons from hotspots and containment zones are not permitted," he said.
Joint Statement by the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation in view of the decision by the United States of America to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies

On July 6, 2020, at the initiative of the depositary States of the Treaty on Open Skies  Hungary and Canada, the States Parties to the Treaty will hold a conference in video format, during which will consider the consequences of the United States of America withdrawing from this document.

The event will bring together all the States Parties of the multilateral mechanism.

In connection with the conference, the delegations of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation distributed the following Joint Statement:

JOINT STATEMENT

By the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, group of States Parties to the Treaty on Open Skies, on the decision by the United States of America to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies

The Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation express their regret concerning the decision by the United States of America to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies (OST). This step can seriously damage the architecture of common European security and the system of agreements in the field of arms control.

The Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, that form a group of OST States Parties, stand ready to engage in equitable, mutually respectful dialogue aimed at seeking a comprehensive solution to the Treatys implementation issues, without ultimatums and with all its parties taking into consideration interests and concerns of each other.

When defining and implementing our future line regarding the Treaty, we will closely co-operate within the group of OST States Parties, guided by the goals of maintaining international stability, improving effectiveness and viability of the Treaty by strengthening confidence among its States Parties and taking into account the promotion of the interests of Belarus and Russia.

print version
MOSCOW (Reuters) - At least 10,000 people marched in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Saturday, demanding the release of a popular regional governor detained last week on suspicion of murder, in a second week of protests.

Sergei Furgal, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, was the governor of the Khabarovsk region where he swept to power in 2018 after defeating a rival from the ruling United Russia party that backs President Vladimir Putin.

Furgal was taken to Moscow last week, where he is now in pre-trial detention after being charged with involvement in organising the murder of multiple businessmen 15 years ago.

He could face up to life in prison if found guilty of the charges, which also include involvement in attempted murder. He denies the charges.

Demonstrators packed a city thoroughfare on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, carrying posters in support of Furgal, some demanding his release, others calling for an open and transparent trial, with the column of marchers stretching into the horizon.

Svetlana, a middle-aged woman wearing a face mask, said residents were not put off by the accusations against Furgal. Many Russian politicians have a dark past, she said, as the final years of the Soviet Union were riddled with corruption and crime.

"People came out here to defend their voting rights: We elected him, so return him to us," she said.

The protests come barely three weeks after a landslide referendum victory for the Kremlin on amendments to the constitution, allowing Putin to remain in power for another 16 years. Dozens were arrested in Moscow last week after a few hundred protested against the amendments.

Last Saturday, between 10,000-12,000 people took part in an unsanctioned march in Khabarovsk, the local branch of the interior ministry said in a statement. The city is a seven-hour flight east of the capital.

This Saturday, fewer than 10,000 marched, the city mayor's office said in a statement, adding that the protest was peaceful and there were no detentions. Some local news outlets estimated the number was significantly higher.

(This story has been refiled to remove extraneous word in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Yury Zolotarev and Polina Ivanova; Editing by Clelia Oziel)
Since a competing lower-priced newspaper, The Bugle, was started five [ #permalink

The following appeared in an announcement issued by the publisher of The

Mercury, a weekly newspaper.

Since a competing lower-priced newspaper, The Bugle, was started five years ago,

The Mercurys circulation has declined by 10,000 readers. The best way to get

more people to read The Mercury is to reduce its price below that of The Bugle, at

least until circulation increases to former levels. The increased circulation of The

Mercury will attract more businesses to buy advertising space in the paper.

Discuss how well reasoned... etc.



MY ESSAY

In his argument, the author reasons that after the inception of a lower-priced newspaper, The Bugle, five years ago, The Mercurys circulation has declined by 10,000 readers. He also suggests that the best way to increase the circulation of The Mercury is the reduction of its price below that of the Bugle. He argues that, by doing so, the circulation levels of The Mercury would increase to at least the former levels. The author also concludes that the increased circulation of the newspaper would attract more businesses to buy advertising space in the paper. The argument of the author can be questionable in several of its premises and can be criticized based on the optimistic causal relationships assumed by the author.

To begin with, the author assumes that the introduction of a new newspaper, The Bugle, is responsible for the decline in the circulation of The Mercury. This assumption is critically flawed as there might be several other reasons for the decline in the circulation of The Mercury. For example, it might be possible that the newspaper started reporting false news over the past five years and this event coincided with the introduction of The Bugle, leading the author to fallaciously assume a causal relationship between the introduction of The Bugle and the decline in circulation of The Mercury.

Moreover, the author suggests that the best way to increase the circulation of The Mercury is to reduce its price to below that of The Bugle, at least till the circulation increases to former levels. This is a questionable premise of the authors argument in that this premise assumes that the price is the only factor that determines the popularity of a newspaper. It might be possible that The Mercury has lost its brilliant editors and the quality of the news reported has decreased dramatically. Therefore, even if the price of the newspaper is lowered to below that of The Bugle, there is only a bleak chance that the circulation of the newspaper will increase to its former level or a level greater.

In addition, the author claims that the increased circulation of The Mercury will attract more businesses to but advertising in the paper. This is also a critically questionable statement as we are given no information about the reach of the newspaper to the business circle. For example, it might be possible that The Mercury is targeted at a different set of audiences in that the newspaper reports only political related news. Thus, the assumption that more businesses will buy advertising space in the newspaper comes under serious criticism because of the underlying reason.

To conclude, the argument of the author is questionable in several of its fallacious assumptions. To strengthen his argument, the author needs to provide the basis for each of his assumptions and prove the causal relationship drawn by him with the help of suitable evidences.
Canada Awaits Arrival of Hong Kongers With Canadian Passports

By Craig McCulloch July 17, 2020

More than 300,000 Hong Kongers are believed to hold Canadian passports, and while Canada has yet to join Britain, Australia and Taiwan in making it easier for Hong Kong residents to immigrate or seek asylum because of a harsh new security law for the partly autonomous Chinese territory, Ottawa is waiting to see how many will show up.

The Canadian government has so far not proposed any changes to its immigration policies for Hong Kong residents, but it has joined other countries in their criticisms of the new security law. Ostensibly meant to combat terrorism, separatism and sedition, the new law could be used to criminalize almost all dissent in Hong Kong, its critics say.

The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also suspended an extradition treaty between Canada and Hong Kong, to the dismay of China's embassy in Ottawa.

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents took advantage of favorable Canadian immigration laws in the mid-1990s, investing in property and starting businesses to secure citizenship as a hedge against an uncertain future after Britain returned its former colony to China in 1997. Both those programs have since been canceled, Canadian immigration attorney David Cohen said.

For younger people, the laws offered a chance to finish high school in Canada and continue a sought-after English-language education at a university in the West on a study visa, a lengthy route to citizenship. After becoming established in Canada, many returned to Hong Kong to pursue business opportunities and raise families of their own.

Many of those who remained settled in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, where large communities of Hong Kong expatriates are thriving. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, there have been multiple flights every week from Hong Kong to Vancouver and Toronto.

Although it has been just weeks since the new security law took effect on June 30, Richard Kurland, a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer and policy analyst, said some of those who acquired the right to live in Canada in the 1990s or earlier are beginning to look into selling property in Hong Kong to finance the immigration of their children to Canada.

"People are making plans to dispose of some property assets that were acquired 30, 40 years years ago, which today are worth a lot more, as capital to bring the child or children to Canada," he said. "The feeling now is with the introduction of Beijing's new security law, that the future is brighter in Canada in terms of lifestyle, and long-term goals for the Hong Kongers who do not want to live in an all-China Hong Kong."

But Kurland said he does not expect to see a massive influx from Hong Kong unless the current situation there deteriorates. However, in the short term, he sees more students coming to Canada to study, unless the coronavirus pandemic makes that impossible.

Wenran Jiang is an adviser for the Asian Program at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy in Toronto. Speaking from his Alberta Province home in Edmonton, he said that if the purpose of the new security law is simply to reduce foreign influence in Hong Kong, the flow of immigration across the Pacific may not change much.

Jiang said that immigration from Hong Kong, and more recently from mainland China, has given Canada an economic boost, particularly in the Vancouver and Toronto real estate markets.

"The immigration from Hong Kong and (in more) recent years from the Chinese mainland have contributed significantly  to both the growth of Vancouver and Toronto real estate markets, among other cities, and the economic contributions are significant," Jiang said. "But at the same time, we also know after 1997, many of the immigrants from Hong Kong, although they are having the Canadian passports, they do not really invest here or even live here. They go back to Hong Kong."

But now, he said, many of those may come back to Canada to stay if the new security law results in a significant shake-up in Hong Kong, which reverted to Chinese control in 1997 after 156 years of British rule.

One of the early immigrants from Hong Kong was Vancouver talk show host Ken Tung, who came to Canada with his wife in 1980. Since then, Tung said he has seen Hong Kong residents follow him across the Pacific for a host of reasons, most importantly the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 and the handover to China in 1997.

A frequent critic of the Chinese government and its new security law for Hong Kong, Tung says Canada should speed up the process of granting asylum to those claiming to be hurt by the law.

The "government of Canada should open the heart, open the arms to have the background check," Tung said. "And (it) should accept them as a resident of Canada rather than waiting one and a half years to go through the board, go through our process. I think if this (is for) young people, (there's) a good chance that they will become a contributing Canadian, too."

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Britain's coronavirus jobs massacre has continued with another 1,200 roles set to go at the Zizzi and Ask Italian restaurant chains.

Azzurri Group, which owns both franchises, announced around 75 sites will have to close as the impact of the pandemic takes its toll on business.

More than 65,000 workers across some of the UK's biggest firms are already facing unemployment and many expect the landscape to look even bleaker over the coming weeks.

Britain's coronavirus jobs massacre has continued with another 1,200 roles set to go at the Zizzi and Ask Italian restaurant chains

More than 65,000 jobs are at risk across the UK amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis Below is a table showing how many jobs are at risk in British businesses Southbank Centre - 400

DFS Furniture - 200 Centrica - 5,000 Johnson Matthey - 2,500 Accenture - 900 Airbus - 1,700 Arcadia - 500 BA - 12,000 Beales - 1,052 Bentley - 1,000

Burberry - 150 at risk 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 The Guardian - 180 at risk

BBC - 520

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

Skyscanner - 300 (84 in Edinburgh) SSP Group (Upper Crust, Caffe Ritazza) - 5,000 Ted Baker - 160 TM Lewin - 600 Tui - 8,000 Victoria's Secret - 800 at risk

Zizzi/Ask Italian - 1,200 Advertisement

Azzurri Group said on Friday it has been sold out of administration to TowerBrook Capital Partners in a deal which will see around 225 restaurants and shops continue to operate, protecting about 5,000 jobs.

However, the 75 sites which fall outside the scope of the deal are set to subsequently shut.

It is unclear which restaurants will be affected.

The dining sector has been knocked hard by the lockdown and pandemic, with a raft of restaurants having announced closures and jobs losses in recent weeks after seeing sales decimated.

Frankie and Benny's owner The Restaurant Group put up to 3,000 jobs on the line after announcing it was going to close 125 sites, and Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge owner Casual Dining Group said it would close 91 restaurants after calling in administrators.

Pizza Express is reportedly planning to axe around 75 sites across the UK.

Steve Holmes, the chief executive of Azzurri Group, which also owns the Coco di Mama and Pod fast-food chains, said the Covid-19 crisis had had 'a profound impact on the casual dining sector, bringing many businesses like ours to a standstill'.

'Despite being a successful operator, the immediate loss of revenue during lockdown meant that we have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions to protect the business for the long term,' he said.

'It is with deep sadness that this process will result in the permanent closure of a number of sites and that we must say goodbye to greatly valued employees across our brands.

'Looking forwards, TowerBrook is a strong new partner who shares our ambitions for the future.

'Their additional investment has enabled us to preserve the majority of our restaurants, stores and jobs and I am confident that, under TowerBrook's ownership, Azzurri will navigate the period ahead successfully.'

TowerBrook will invest around 70 million to support Azzurri Group and plans to reopen 40 pizza restaurants next week, followed by its Coco di Mama chain and more Ask and Zizzi sites later in the summer. Pod will switch to delivery only.

A series of big names in other industries revealed job cuts this week, including luxury fashion firm Burberry, which unveiled plans to lay off 500 workers after the coronavirus lockdown slashed its revenues by half.

It is axing 150 office jobs in the UK, where it is headquartered, and a further 350 jobs overseas as it looks to save an extra 55million in annual savings.

Retail sales plunged by 45 per cent in the three months to June 27 due to lockdown closing stores, while retails revenues fell by 49 per cent.

Meanwhile the world-famous Eden Project in Cornwall has said that job losses for up to 40 per cent of its staff are 'sadly inevitable', with bosses warning the equivalent of 150 full-time jobs would be lost as visitor numbers plummet.

Earlier on Friday, London's Southbank Centre said it may have to cut two-thirds of its staff and Canterbury Cathedral are asking workers to take voluntary redundancy after they lost 3million during lockdown.

The Southbank, which is the biggest arts complex in Europe, warned that 400 of the 600 jobs at the centre in Waterloo are at risk, despite the Government providing 1.57billion worth of financial aid to the arts sector as a whole.

Also this week, The Guardian announced plans to cut up to 180 jobs, including 70 journalists, telling staff that the pandemic had created an 'unsustainable financial outlook for the Guardian' with revenues expected to be down by more than 25million on the year's budget.

The owner of Ask Italian (pictured, a restaurant in Stratford upon Avon) has announced hundreds of job cuts due to coronavirus

And the BBC revealed The Andrew Neil Show is ending as the corporation slashes a further 70 jobs in BBC News, taking the total number of redundancies to 520.

World-famous shoemakers Loake, who have held a Royal warrant since 2007, have also announced jobs are to go.

It comes as nearly 63,000 jobs to date are set to be axed by companies including Airbus, British Airways, easyJet, Harrods, TM Lewin and Ted Baker, with Boris Johnson saying that the Government cannot save every job.

Fiscal watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility grimly warned that unemployment could rise to four million by next year as the lockdown and a precipitous fall in demand for air travel cause the UK economy to crash.

It comes as the number of job postings in Britain reached more than a million this week, with a significant increase in job adverts for IT professionals, recruitment specialists have said.

Unemployment increased by 34,000 reaching 1.3 million in April while the total figure for workers on British company payrolls fell by 649,000 between March and June, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows.

But demand for web designers and developers has surged by 15.5 per cent over the last month, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has revealed.

The industry group says large and small British firms now realise digital skills are essential to all components of business - such as online sales through websites, improving marketing efforts and increasing productivity.
A cheering crowd welcomed Kosovo's president on Friday upon his return from The Netherlands, where he was questioned by prosecutors at a special international court on alleged crimes during the 1998-1999 war that led to his country's independence from Serbia.

Hashim Thaci's supporters gathered at the Morine border crossing to neighboring Albania included hundreds of former members of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, who hailed their former commander holding flags, blasting patriotic songs and chanting Thaci's name.

A visibly moved Thaci spoke briefly to supporters and soon returned to his car, waving.

Many cars tried to follow his convoy.

Thaci came by plane to neighboring Albania before driving to Kosovo after four days of questioning at The Hague by prosecutors at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutors Office.

The court, which has international staff working under Kosovos law, is mandated to look into allegations that KLA members committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

I assure you that no one can re-write our history, Thaci wrote in his Facebook page upon landing at the Albanian capital of Tirana.

Prosecutors have charged him, Kosovo's former parliamentary speaker Kadri Veseli and others with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, enforced disappearances, persecution and torture.

A pretrial judge hasnt made a decision on whether to proceed with the case.

At the end of questioning on Thursday Thaci told journalists he answered prosecutors with information about my role, my responsibilities during the war and the period covered by the mandate of the Specialist Court and denied committing any crimes during the war.

The fighting killed more than 10,000 people - most of them ethnic Albanian civilians - and 1,641 are still unaccounted for. It ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops.

Kosovo, which is dominated by ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade doesnt recognize.

Thaci will address a rally in Pristina on Saturday.
The Sun article had labelled Johnny Depp a 'wife beater.'

Actress and #MeToo campaigner Katherine Kendall said on Friday she was deliberately misquoted and misused by Britains The Sun newspaper in an article which labelled Hollywood star Johnny Depp a wife-beater.

Depp is suing News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and the papers executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London over the April 2018 article. He strongly denies abusing his former wife, Amber Heard.

(Also read on Firstpost: Amber Heard 'twisted' sexual assault story 'for own use,' claims ex-assistant at Johnny Depp libel trial)

In a written witness statement, Kendall said she spoke in April 2018 to a woman she later learned was a Sun reporter. She said she had been completely misquoted and misused by The Sun to accomplish their goal.

Kendall was quoted in The Suns original article as saying: I dont stand behind hitting people or abusing people. It seems that Amber got hurt.

The Sun article had mentioned Kendalls advocacy for the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault, and her accusations that disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed her.

Although it was true that I was a victim of Harvey Weinstein, the rest was a lie, Kendall said. I was not going public on behalf of #MeToo or myself, to criticize JK Rowlings decision to cast Mr Depp, nor did I accuse Mr Depp of hurting Amber Heard, about which I have no first-hand knowledge.

Kendall also said she had heard several times that Heard was abusive to Depp.

(Also read on Firstpost: Johnny Depp denies claims of domestic violence against Amber Heard; a timeline of their legal battle)

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 filed for divorce the following year, and the divorce was finalized in 2017.

The Suns defense relies on 14 allegations made by Heard of violence by Depp between 2013 and 2016, in settings including his private island in the Bahamas, a rented house in Australia and the couples downtown Los Angeles penthouse.

He denies them all and claims Heard was the aggressor during their volatile relationship, which he has likened to a crime scene waiting to happen.

In nine days of testimony at the High Court in London, judge Andrew Nicol has heard from Depp and from several current or former employees who have backed his version of events.

Before Kendalls appearance, a friend of Amber Heard said one of Depps lawyers had pressured her to say unfavourable things about Heard in a US court declaration.

In her written statement, interior designer Laura Divenere stated she had not seen any injury to Heard in the days after Heard alleges Depp threw a phone which struck her face.

Asked by Sasha Wass, lawyer for The Suns publisher News Group Newspapers, if she had come under enormous pressure to make the declaration, Divenere said: Correct.

Earlier the court heard from Depps long-time friend, artist Isaac Baruch, who said a distraught Depp had come to see him in 2013, and told him Heard likes to hit, and that she would punch him after starting fights.

In his witness statement, Baruch said Depp had told him,I dont know what Im gonna do, because Im not gonna hit her, you know me Im not gonna hit her, I love her.

Baruch, who lived in one of the Los Angeles penthouses owned by Depp, also said Heard had no visible injuries in the days after she alleges that Depp threw a mobile phone during a heated argument in May 2016.

One of Depps security guards, Travis McGivern, said Friday that Heard spat at Depp and threw a can of energy drink Red Bull at him during an altercation at the couples Los Angeles penthouse in March 2015.

Heard claims that Depp hit her and pulled her hair, but McGivern said this did not happen and at no point did Mr Depp hit Ms Heard.

Two of Depps former romantic partners, Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis, have submitted witness statements saying they could not reconcile Heards accusations of violence with the kind and loving man they knew.

Heard is due to give her side of the story when she enters the witness box on Monday.

On Friday Alejandro Romero, a concierge at the Los Angeles building where Depp and Heard lived, testified that tech billionaire Elon Musk visited Heard regularly late at night from March 2015, while she was married to Depp.

Heard and the Tesla founder had a relationship after she and Depp separated.

The Suns lawyer suggested Romero had got the date wrong, but he said he remembered well because it was just after Depp had hurt his finger.

Depps fingertip was cut off while he and Heard were in Australia, where he was filming a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, in March 2015. Depp alleges that Heard severed it by throwing a vodka bottle at him, a claim she denies.

Romero said a friend of his was a big fan of Mr Depp and he was concerned about him not being able to play the guitar. Thats how I remember, and then the same day I saw Mr. Musk.

(With agency inputs)
A gang of armed dacoits on Friday looted gold ornaments weighing around 29.5 kilograms from the office of a gold loan firm in West Bengals Purba Bardhaman district and shot at a man who tried catching one of them, police said.

The dacoits managed to flee on motorbikes while the injured man was admitted to the Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital here.

Senior officials and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel visited the spot and efforts are on to nab the culprits, police said.

A gang of six to seven men, all carrying firearms, entered the office of the gold loan firm located on the first floor of a building on BC Road and overpowered the security guard, police said.

They made the employees sit in one corner of a room and snatched the key of the vault from the manager after putting a handgun in his mouth, they said.

When they were placing ornaments stored in the vault in bags, a person identified as Hiraman Mondal tried to enter the office but was stopped by one of the dacoits guarding the entrance. The duo had an altercation and during the heated exchange of words, the dacoit fired at Mondal. The bullet destroyed his mobile phone.

The sound of the gunshot alerted his associates inside the office. They scrambled down the stairs and fled on their motorbikes with the looted ornaments, police said.

Mondal tried to catch hold of one of the bike riders, who hit him on the head with the butt of a handgun while another fired at him. As the bullet struck him in his back, he fell down and the dacoits fled through Pilkhana Lane.

It was found out later that the looted gold weighed around 29.5 kilograms.

Senior police officers including Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay visited the office and talked to the employees.

Mukherjee said, Naka-checking is being conducted across the district. We hope to nab the dacoits soon. The police collected CCTV footage from nearby areas.
Vietnam and South Korea are witnessing their heyday in multi-faceted and bilateral co-operation.

Nguyen Van Xuong, former Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea, talked about how the two nations can boost their trade and investment ties fuelled by a bilateral free trade agreement.

Nguyen Van Xuong, former Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea

How has the Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) impacted both countries trade and investment ties since it was signed and took effect in 2015?

The VKFTA has had huge impacts on the trade and investment relation between Vietnam and South Korea. South Korea is now Vietnams second-largest trade partner after China. Vietnam was South Koreas eighth-largest trade partner in 2014, but has become the fourth-largest trade partner since the VKFTA went into effect in December 2015.

Figures from Vietnams General Statistics Office (GSO) showed that two-way trade turnover hit a record $67.1 billion last year, with Vietnam earning $19.8 billion  up 8.3 per cent on-year  from exporting goods to South Korea, and spending $47.3 billion  down 0.6 per cent on-year  importing goods from this market.

In fact, before the VKFTA appeared, investment from South Korea into Vietnam increased strongly because both nations had big demand for their respective goods. South Korea has limited land area but a big population, so its investors find it difficult to cultivate investments in their homeland, while Vietnam proves to be of great potential for them in many sectors.

Moreover, Vietnam and South Korea also share many cultural similarities, making it quite favourable for South Korean financiers to expand their presence in Vietnam.

The VKFTA has served as an additional impetus for South Koreas investment in Vietnam thanks to its removal of barriers and offered tax cuts.

Figures from the GSO also showed that as of June 20, South Korea had registered $68.3 billion in Vietnam in various projects, making itself the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam. We can see South Korean projects in many localities and industrial sectors nationwide. This has and will continue contributing greatly to Vietnams socio-economic development. South Korean investment in Vietnam has demonstrated a spectacular success in the two countries bilateral ties.

However, it is said that since the VKFTA entered into force, Vietnam has annually witnessed a trade deficit with South Korea as many of its investors like Samsung and LG have developed their projects in Vietnam, and then import materials on a large scale from their homeland into Vietnam. What is your view on this?

The trade deficit is a problem that the two nations will have to deal with in the time to come. However, to reach equal trade, it would need lots of time. Now one of the important things is how to improve the quality of projects, boost technology transfer, and better human resources in service of South Korean projects in Vietnam.

To this end, both sides should discuss the projects thoroughly before implementing them. The two governments should be in charge of this job, and what benefits the projects can produce will depend on the calculation of enterprises of both sides, if the projects are joint ventures. This will help improve the quality of products, which will benefit both economies.

Currently, South Korea is the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam. What is your view on the quality of South Korea funding here?

The quality has improved recently. Any ineffective investment will not be able to contribute to development. Samsung has been contributing remarkably to Vietnams socio-economic development and it is a type of high-quality investment.

However, what is also needed from Samsung in Vietnam is that the giant should boost technology transfer in the country. So will other South Korean projects in the time to come. Vietnam is in critical need of high-quality human resources and high technologies.

One of the Vietnamese governments prime targets is to lure high-quality investment, but not all South Korean are of high quality  some have even caused environmental pollution. What should be done to limit such ventures?

It is necessary to strictly supervise the quality of contracts and how the projects are implemented. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has reaffirmed many times that Vietnam does not sacrifice the environment to achieve economic benefits.

By nature, all investment projects are aimed firstly to reap as much benefit as possible, so authorised agencies must boost their supervision over the projects. Any environmental pollution comes from the lack of awareness of violators and lax management of authorised agencies.

South Korea has been implementing its New Southern Policy. How will this policy affect relations between the two countries?

Vietnam is the central co-operation partner of South Koreas New Southern Policy. South Korea has been expanding its investment in so many nations, but investing in Vietnam seems to be more favourable to South Korea investors due to geographical proximity and Vietnams increased improvement in its business climate. VIR

Khoi Nguyen

Seaports struggle as imports drop from Europe, South Korea, ASEAN Seaports are bearing negative impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic as the major partners of Vietnam are reducing orders. However, experts still see positive prospects.
By Trend

About 700 wagons of cargo were transited by railway of Astara county in Gilan Province (northern Iran) from the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2020) to June 30, Director General of Astara Customs Office Rasoul Omidi told IRNA, Trend reports.

According to Omidi, this is an increase of about 30 percent compared to the same period last Iranian year.

Omidi added that the number of wagons transited products via the Astara railway was less than 6,000 in the last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020).

"Given the growth in product transit in the current Iranian year, the number of wagons is expected to increase to 8,000-9,000 by the end of the year," he said.

The director general stressed that 41,000 tons of products worth a total of $182 million were transited through Iran's Astara customs water, land and rail borders during the three months of the current Iranian year (March 20-June 20, 2020).

Omidi noted that the product transit through Astara customs increased by 22 percent in terms of weight and by 189 percent in terms of value compared to the same period last Iranian year.

"Construction of the Rasht-Astara railway will further improve transportation via the North-South International Railway Corridor, and cargo that transported by trucks through the Astara railway terminal will be transported by railway in a shorter time and at a lower cost," he said

The director general said that currently, many customs, which are located in southern Iran, export their products to Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and EU countries through Astara customs.

The Astara-Astara railway between Azerbaijan and Iran was put into operation in March 2018.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
ISTANBUL, July 18 (Reuters) - Turkey's central bank raised required reserve ratios on forex deposits, the country's Official Gazette showed on Saturday.

The ratio on forex deposits of up to a year was raised to 22%, and those on deposits longer than a year to 18% for banks that do not meet credit growth targets.

For banks that do meet the credit growth target, the ratio for deposits of up to a year was raised to 15% and that for deposits longer than a year was raised to 11%. (Reporting by Can Sezer; writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; editing by Jason Neely)
EVART -- The South Evart Free Methodist Church is hosting Southeast Asia missionaries Seth and Hlawn Hlawn VanTifflin at its 11 a.m. Sunday service.

Seth and Hlawn Hlawn work extensively to help orphans who are at high risk for human trafficking and those who have already been rescued from trafficking in that part of the world.
A 29-year-old man was arrested yesterday afternoon after around 2.5m worth of drugs was seized when gardai raided a west Dublin apartment being used as a drugs factory as part of an investigation known as Operation Tara.

There was no one present when officers based at Ronanstown garda station raided the property on Thursday and found what is described as an "Aladdin's cave" of multiple different types of drugs.

Operation Tara was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in April, meaning that divisional drug units now combat local drug gangs while working with divisional asset profilers, trained by the Criminal Asset Bureau.

The suspect in custody last night is from the Clondalkin area but has also been based in Co Westmeath. He was picked up following a manhunt.

He is suspected of "controlling" the drugs factory and he has a number of previous convictions for offences such as driving matters and drug possession.

Confirming the 2.5m drugs seizure, a Garda spokesman said: "During the course of this search, gardai discovered an assortment of suspected controlled drugs, including 34kg of vacuum-packed cannabis with an estimated value of 680,000.

"They also found MDMA with an estimated value of 40,860, pink Upjohn tablets valued at 22,146, blue ecstasy tablets valued at 176,190, pink powder for Upjohn tablets valued at 168,000 and 3,550 respectively, white ecstasy tablets valued at 66,240, ketamine valued at 60,000, Xanax tablets valued at 81,700 and further ecstasy valued at 1,187,500."
Getty Images

Dozens of babies have contracted the coronavirus in one Texas county alone, officials said, as the state continued to hit record numbers of daily deaths.

Health officials made the grim announcement as the state reported a record 174 new coronavirus deaths on Friday, numbers that are expected to climb further still. It was the third consecutive day the state recorded more than 100 deaths.

We currently have 85 babies under the age of one year in Nueces County that have all tested positive for Covid-19, said Annette Rodriguez, director of public health for Corpus Christi Nueces County.

"These babies have not even had their first birthday yet. Please help us stop the spread of this disease," she added.

More than 3,700 Texans have died so far of the coronavirus. Some hospitals are now reporting shortages of intensive care unit beds for infected patients.

Dr Alison Haddock of the Baylor College of Medicine told the Associated Press that the current situation is worse than after Hurricane Harvey, which swamped Houston with floodwaters in 2017.

"I've never seen anything like this COVID surge," said Dr Haddock, who has worked in emergency rooms since 2007. "We're doing our best, but we're not an ICU."

Patients are waiting "hours and hours" to get admitted, she said, and the least sick people are lying in beds in halls to make room for most seriously ill.

Texas was one of the first states to reopen following a nationwide shutdown implemented to contain the virus. Governor Greg Abbott gave the go-ahead for businesses, including bars and restaurants, to reopen in May.

After initially resisting mandates for people to wear masks, Mr Abbott issued a statewide order earlier this month that requires Texans living in counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear one while in frequenting a business and public buildings.

Texas is not alone in struggling to contain the spread of the virus. Eighteen US states were this week classified as being in the red zone  areas reporting 100 new cases per 100,000 people per week.

Story continues

According to a leaked document, which was prepared by the White House coronavirus task force and obtained by the Washington, DC-based nonprofit Centre for Public Integrity, the classification requires those areas to implement stricter public health measures to stop the spread.

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah were named as red zone states.

The same document listed 11 states with positivity rates above 10 percent, which would also classify them as red zones: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.

More than 3.5 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. And more than 137,000 have lost their lives.

 With agencies
Even as Mumbai's Covid-19 case count is nearing the one lakh-mark, the recovery rate of the country's financial capital is nearly 70 per cent, which is seven per cent more than the national average, official data has revealed.

A release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Friday said that there were 3,42,756 Covid 19 cases in the country (till Friday) and the number of recovered patients was approximately 6.35 lakh, which was 63 per cent of the reported cases. Mumbai's recovery rate is nearly 15 per cent more than that of Maharashtra, which is 55.62 per ...
As Twitter grapples with the worst security breach in its 14-year history, it must now uncover whether its employees were victims of sophisticated phishing schemes or if they deliberately allowed hackers to access high-profile accounts.

On Wednesday, some of the world's most prominent names, including former President Barack Obama and Democratic candidate and his former vice president, Joe Biden, along with Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett, had their Twitter accounts post invitations for an apparent Bitcoin scam. Twitter reacted by blocking further posts from all verified accounts on the service and said it had detected "a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools."

The company's explanation has ignited speculation over the identity of the perpetrators and what they were actually targeting in the attack. The scale of the endeavor and its timing -- months before the November U.S. elections -- have given rise among cybersecurity experts to theories that the attack masked a more nefarious campaign to seize sensitive data.

In its investigation of the incident, Twitter will now likely focus on employee logs, email and phone records. At question will be any failures in authentication processes that might have allowed hackers to hijack verified accounts, and also what other information, such as direct messages, might have been compromised in the breach. The Bitcoin wallets promoted in the tweets collected around $120,000 in cryptocurrency.

A social engineering attack means "leveraging the human element of security" and there are many different ways to do that, said Rachel Tobac, Chief Executive Officer of San Francisco-based SocialProof Security.

"I can phish someone who has administrative access and try and gain access to their credentials and log into their account," she said, or the less technical method would be to develop "a relationship with someone who works on those panels and convincing them to do your bidding for you."

Security awareness at companies like Twitter would be mandatory, but ultimately it's hard to track insider attacks when it's the employees rather than the technology who fall under the microscope, Tobac said.

"It used to be the Nigerian prince letter with a bunch of spelling mistakes, and now it's something that almost looks legitimate, but it always starts with a person," said Frances Dewing, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Rubica Inc., based in Seattle.

"There's a playbook for doing this, there are cybercriminal organizations that make millions of dollars. It's the fastest growing business in the world," she said.

And there is no accounting for disaffected workers, as Twitter learned in 2017 when an employee deactivated President Donald Trump's account before it was quickly restored.

Identifying potential Twitter employees to target wouldn't be difficult for the hackers, given the way most smartphone apps hungrily vacuum up location and other contextual data from users -- data which is often then sold on to marketing companies. Anyone frequenting the same coffee shops and businesses or entering and leaving a workplace at particular hours can give away clues about themselves.

Cybersecurity experts can only speculate until Twitter itself reveals what happened and where the failures occurred, but even this kind of show of force -- a demonstration by hackers to earn credibility or gain infamy -- isn't convincing them that a Bitcoin scam was all there was to the operation.

With U.S. elections looming, the cyber landscape is ripe for a major attack. Stas Protassov, co-founder and president of global technology firm Acronis said the attack was "too prepared to be just a cryptocurrency scam."

"We don't believe that's all the hackers went into once they got access," he said in an email. "The attack is too big and too noisy and likely covering a bigger play. We've yet to see the full impact of what this was about."

Tobac also raised the possibility that the attack could have been a distraction while hackers harvested private direct messages and any other confidential data to be able to deploy at a more critical time. So while the initial disruption to Twitter's service appears to have been patched over and the company is gradually restoring normal operation, the lingering effects of this breach might have much wider effects than Wednesday's spectacle.

"Maybe they were doing something insidious and this was just a cover up," she said. "There's no way for us to know, we can just speculate."

Whatever happened, Twitter must be completely candid about the cause of attack once it's established, Tobac said. "This was such a public meltdown that if they're not completely transparent it would damage their brand further."
The following editorial appeared in Saturday's Japan News-Yomiuri:

- - -

It can be said that the latest tweak of a government policy has spotlighted how difficult it is to balance preventing the spread of infections and reopening the economy.

The government has decided to exclude Tokyo from the "Go To Travel" tourism promotion campaign. This means subsidies will not be provided for trips to Tokyo or for trips out of the capital by its residents.

In Tokyo, the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus has been on the rise again, recently hitting record highs. There were concerns that if the travel campaign were implemented everywhere in the nation and the number of cases increased in regional areas, local medical services would be put in peril.

The nation's tourism industry has been dealt serious blows, such as the number of visitors staying overnight at accommodation facilities having dropped to less than 20% of last year's number.

It must be unavoidable for Tokyo to be excluded from the Go To Travel campaign, so that the campaign can be implemented to help tourism service operators while at the same time containing infections.

The problem is that the start of the promotion campaign has been moved forward. It was originally scheduled to be implemented after the anticipated containment of the coronavirus outbreak. However, its start has been set in time to include a four-day weekend later this month, even though the number of cases is still rising.

Confusion is expected over the campaign as there are many problems such as how to confirm travelers' addresses. Tourism service operators in Tokyo, which cannot enjoy the benefits of the campaign, are greatly disappointed, while some travelers have already made bookings in anticipation of subsidies from the scheme. The government must accelerate efforts to provide easy-to-understand details on the campaign and to offer explanations to the public.

Measures against infections are indispensable in implementing the promotion campaign. Accommodation facilities and travel agencies should make sure to check the temperature of customers and ventilate guest rooms, among other steps.

The government is urging both elderly and young people to refrain from traveling in groups because the elderly often develop serious symptoms if they contract the virus, while infections among the young have been conspicuous. The government is also calling for people to refrain from travel that involves attending large parties. Cooperation from travelers is also essential.

The number of cases is also increasing in Tokyo's neighboring areas, as well as in Osaka Prefecture and elsewhere. The government is urged to make a flexible decision over the scope of areas eligible for the promotion campaign, based on opinions from experts and other factors.

Most important right now is not to spread infections any further. In Tokyo in particular, the percentage of positive results is rising, and more new cases have been reported in places outside nightlife districts, such as at workplaces and nursery schools.

At a theater in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, a cluster recently occurred among performers and members of the audience. There are more than 800 people who may have had close contact with infected people there. The theater reportedly was not adequately ventilated and its dressing room overcrowded. Businesses are urged to thoroughly follow guidelines compiled for various industries.

In the wake of the spike in infection cases in the capital, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga called it a "Tokyo problem," a comment over which Gov. Yuriko Koike later shot back.

It is important for the central and local governments to closely cooperate to overcome the virus crisis. They are urged to take this to heart once again.
New findings in the death of Merve Kacms, an archeologist who committed suicide in January in the southeastern province of Diyarbakr, shed light on a huge omission  or even possible historical artifact smuggling by officials  at the famous Zeugma museum.

Kacms took annual leave and went to her brothers house in Diyarbakr from Gaziantep. On Jan. 13, she jumped off from the houses balcony. After her suicide, her brother and friends claimed that she had been exposed to mobbing, which drove her depression and eventually caused the incident. It was known that Kacms insistently rejected attempts of museum officials handing over the responsibility of artifacts to the museum workers.

According to a report prepared by the Culture and Tourism Ministry over her death, it was revealed that 10 artifacts had gone missing in one of the world's largest mosaic museums. The reports also uncovered that Kacms was forced to take responsibility for the 10 missing pieces, along with thousands of other precious artifacts.

Following Kacmss death, the Culture and Tourism Ministry launched a large-scale investigation resulting in a museum manager and two servicemen being dismissed. The ministry also carried out an inventory accounting for 8,729 artifacts, but found out that only 8,719 exist. The investigators decided to deepen the probe.

The Zeugma Mosaic Museum is home to unique ancient artifacts, such as mosaics, Roman-era fountains and the bronze sculpture of Mars  the god of war in Roman mythology. The famed "Gypsy Girl" mosaic, which was returned by the U.S. to Turkey after 52 years, is among the most famous pieces on display at the 30,000-square-meter museum.

According to official ministry data, the museum attracted a record number of visitors with 340,569 people in 2019, becoming the most-visited site in Gaziantep.
Latin America has seen its fair share of conflict. Outside of real, active official war zones, Latin America is considered to be the most violent region in the world. How much violence is taking place varies from country to country. Overall, however, there is a lot of bloodshed. In 2016, there were about 400 murders taking place each day, adding up to about  of all homicides on Earth. To put that in context, Latin America is home to just 8% of the worlds population.

According to Pew Research, people living in Latin America consider crime and corruption to be the biggest problems in their countries. The majority of people living there also consider inequalities in accessing healthcare, good schools, clean water, clean air and safe food to be problematic.

Here are five factors that are contributing to Latin Americas overwhelming levels of violence.

Prevalent Poverty

A poor residential area in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Image credit: Julian Peters Photography/Shutterstock.com

Statistics show that about 30% of the population in Latin America was living in poverty in 2017, and a further 10% in extreme poverty. People living in extreme poverty have trouble finding and keeping a home, and having enough food to eat.

The inequalities that exist between the well-off and those without in Latin America is something that pushes people into lives of crime, in order to feed their families.

Poverty exists in part because Latin Americas cities have grown very quickly compared to those in other parts of the world in the past 50 years. More than three-quarters of the regions population now lives in cities, which is double the proportion found in other growing areas such as Africa and Asia. It took Brazils Sao Paolo just 25 years to add 8 million people to its population. In comparison, it took New York City 150 years to reach a size of just 1 million people.

This rapid boom has made it hard for local economies in Latin America to keep pace. The result is not enough jobs and a lack of necessary infrastructure to support everyone.

A lack of government support via organizations like food banks also leaves poor people in desperate situations. Governments in Latin America are also known for not yet supplying reliable electricity, clean water, and roads to all areas of all countries. This is leaving people living in rural areas stuck.

Sometimes the only way out of poverty seems to be through supporting violent schemes like the illegal drug trade. In this way, violence is contributing to the violence in Latin America.

A Lack of Equal Access To Education

Poor people in Latin America have a harder time accessing good education than those with good family incomes. The majority of the poor in Latin America are illiterate or barely literate. In Brazil, for example, the poorest 40% of teenagers aged 15 to 19 have an average of just four years of schooling.

Brazilian children playing street soccer. Image credit: Natee K. Jindakum/Shutterstock.com

It is to be celebrated that about 9 in 10 children in Latin America enroll in the first grade, but very few in poverty continue on to finish highschool. Most poor children must enroll in lower-quality schools, and have a harder time attending on a regular basis. Children in poverty generally miss more school than their wealthier counterparts due to health problems, they have less support at home for completing homework, and they miss more school due to family and economic needs.

Some reports indicate that up to 17% of students in Paraguay and Guatemala actually said they had missed school for more than three months in a row.

These inequalities in equal access to an equal education is perpetuating poverty, which in turn perpetuates violence in Latin America.

The Drug Trade

View of houses burned down by drug traffickers in the town known as Cidade de Plastico in the Periperi neighborhood of Salvador. Image credit: Joa Souza/Shutterstock.com

In 2015, about 90% of the cocaine seized in the US originated in Colombia. In addition, about 90% to 94% of the heroin consumed in the US has come from Mexico. Not every country in Latin America is a heavy participant in the illegal drug trade, but some play a large role. It is hard to figure out exactly how many deaths and other acts of violence can be directly attributed in Latin America to the illegal drug trade, but it is widely agreed that the answer is many.

According to one BBC report, during Pablo Escobars reign as a drug lord in Colombia the murder rate was about 80 people for every 100,000 per year. In the UK at the same time, it was 1 person for every 100,000 and in the US, five people for every 100,000. Thats pretty dangerous.

Organized Crime

The proliferation of organized criminal gangs in Latin America is a huge factor contributing to violence. Unemployment runs up to highs of 30% throughout some regions of Latin America. And a lot of people who do have a job still cannot pay their bills. With high rates of youth unemployed, more turn to organized crime to survive.

The organized crime gangs in Latin America include Mexicos Sinaloa cartel. This group is said to be connected to about 150,000 intentional homicides since 2006. The Sinaloa cartel gains somewhere between $19 billion and $29 billion in illegal drug sales each year.

Mexican Motorcyle Police Riding Down a Colorful Street in Oaxaca Mexico. Image credit: Mark Stephens Photography/Shutterstock.com

Brazils Red Command and First Capital Command gangs rule many neighborhoods in Latin America and gangs like MS-13 now dominate areas in Central America such as Honduras and El Salvador, all aiming to get a piece of the pie.

Rio de Janeiro's Special Force battalion secures an alley at the Rocinha shantytown as residents runs under the fire of druglords. Image credit: Antonio Scorza/Shutterstock.com

Gangs are so powerful in places like Brazil that they can take the place of the military and police. In Rio de Janeiros favela City of God, (an unofficially-constructed neighborhood that constitutes a slum), gangsters even took it upon themselves to inflict a curfew on residents to keep the coronavirus from spreading during the pandemic. In some ways, the presence of organized crime in Latin America helps to keep order in lawless areas. It also contributes to high levels of violence.

Corruption

Officials accepting bribes to keep their nose out of fishy, illegal business is common practice in many Latin American countries. So is the practice of elites spreading the wealth among their friends. Little is shared with the commoners who need it most. These forms of corruption help to keep crime going, and the poor disadvantaged.

Corruption is seen as the second biggest problem behind crime by those living in Latin America, according to Pew Research.

When officials in government and the police do not stand up to criminals, this allows the violence to keep on going. It also leads people to find their own solutions. Private security is hired, and perpetrators go free. The consequences for murder remain low compared to other places in the world. Because of this, violence is allowed to continue and grow.

Latin America is making some small strides towards becoming less violent. The decriminalization of illegal drugs in North America could contribute to lowering the levels of violence in Latin America. Other steps need to be taken as well for a brighter future. Organizations like the World Bank have conducted studies that seek to examine crime and violence in these countries and how people living there encounter these phenomena at different points in their lives. The goal is to redirect individual and government efforts into programs and policies that will lead to a safer future. Hopefully, this will allow crime rates to drop and people in Latin America to enjoy more carefree lives.
Faced with investors demanding "results" in the fight against Amazon deforestation, Brazil's government seems to be performing something of an about-face, although it will have to work to convince skeptics. The simple fact that Vice President Hamilton Mourao committed on Wednesday to cutting deforestation and forest fires "to an acceptable minimum" was a mini-revolution in the administration of far right President Jair Bolsonaro. Less than a year ago the international community watched in horror as the number of forest fires in the Amazon soared to their highest levels since 2013. Ireland and France threatened to scupper a trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur -- of which Brazil is a member -- unless Bolsonaro acted to protect what French President Emmanuel Macron described as a "common interest." Macron called the fires an "international crisis" and Bolsonaro fired back at his counterpart's "colonialist mentality." "Europe is an environmental cult," Bolsonaro said Thursday on Facebook. "They haven't preserved their environment, almost nothing... but they hit us all the time over this, and unfairly." "We have problems because Brazil is an agribusiness power." But at the end of June, investment funds from Europe, Asia and South America that collectively administer close to $4 trillion in assets cranked up the pressure in an open letter to Bolsonaro, urging the end of projects that threaten to accelerate destruction of the world's largest rainforest. That seems to have hit home. "The fact that the pressure comes from investors and not from heads of state, that gives it a different tone," Andre Perfeito, an economist at Necton consultants, told AFP. Last week those investors held a video conference with the government, after which Mourao admitted words were not enough. "At no time did investors commit with resources, they want to see results... to do with the reduction in deforestation," said Mourao, who heads the National Amazon Council. - 'Much more serious consequences' - The threat from foreign investors is taken very seriously by a government that needs capital to reignite an economy ravaged by the coronavirus. "Brazil is banking on foreign investments to emerge from the crisis. These foreign investments are important for a number of areas: sanitation, infrastructure," said Rubens Barbosa, former Brazilian ambassador to the United States and now director of an international relations and foreign trade institute. Several former finance ministers and ex-presidents of the Central Bank stressed in an open letter this week that failure to take action against climate change "could have much more serious consequences than the pandemic." Environmental campaigners are not holding their breath though, given the government's history of wanting to remove protections afforded to indigenous land and natural reserves to help expand mining and farming. "What is the goal? It doesn't exist. What is the budget? It doesn't exist... What is the method? It doesn't exist. There's no change in conduct that gives us the minimum hope that the government will change its behavior," said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, a collective of NGOs fighting against global warming. The numbers certainly make grim reading, with record deforestation in the first half of 2020, up 25 percent from the same period last year. In May, the government sent the army to the Amazon to battle forest fires with the dry season fast approaching, but Mourao admitted those operations were launched "too late." The result was the worst June for forest fires in 13 years, with the blazes often started by farmers in deforested areas looking to create pastures for their cattle to graze on. - 'Swimming against the current' - Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina recently said Brazil doesn't need to deforest the Amazon to develop its huge agricultural potential. Cristina, an ardent supporter of Brazil's agribusinesses, knows her sector depends on exports to countries increasingly reticent about buying products from deforested land. A report in Science magazine Thursday claimed a fifth of beef and soybean exports to the EU was produced on illegally cleared land. "The main thing to recover external credibility is to present results. Rhetoric isn't enough," said Barbosa. The government has signed the trade deal between the EU and Mercosur, which includes a chapter on sustainable development. "The Bolsonaro government accepted, so it will have to demonstrate with results that it is fulfilling those agreements," added Barbosa. Some remain unconvinced, though, that a leopard can change its spots. "The world has changed, the Bolsonaro government hasn't and is swimming against the tide," said Astrini. Brazilian farmer Helio Lombardo Do Santos walks through a burned area of the Amazon rainforest near Porto Velho, Rondonia state on August 26, 2019 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (L) and his Vice President Hamilton Mourao, photographed on April 29, 2020 Smokes rises from forest fires in Altamira, Para state, Brazil, in the Amazon basin on August 27, 2019
Samsung may have teased the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but Evan Blass has now revealed a full render of the Galaxy Note 20. Unsurprisingly, the Note 20 looks like its predecessor. Seemingly arriving on August 5, the Note 20 may be powered by the unpopular Exynos 990 chipset.

Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! English native speakers welcome! News Writer (AUS/NZL based) - Details here

Evan Blass is on a roll, with the prominent leaker publishing renders of not just the ASUS ROG Phone 3 today but also of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20. Samsung has already teased the design of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but this is the first sighting we have seen of the entry-level model.

From the 360 render below, we can deduce that the Galaxy Note 20 will have a flat display, unlike the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. It will also have a single front-facing camera like the Galaxy Note 10 and miniature display bezels. The render appears to show the Galaxy Note 20 with a larger bottom bezel than competing iPhones, though. Overall, the front of the Galaxy Note 20 looks clean, but there are hardly any differences between it and its predecessor.

The back of the device does not look all that different from the Galaxy Note 10, either. There are still three rear-facing cameras and an LED flash, although these are now contained within one camera unit along with a microphone. The Samsung logo has moved towards the bottom of the back panel, but this is not much of a change in of itself. We imagine that the back panel is made of glass, to which Samsung has applied a matte finish.
Over the last few days, a Delhi court has granted a spree of bails plea bargaining in connection with the Tablighi Jamaat congregation that took place at Markaz Nizamuddin during mid-March amidst the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Plea bargaining is a pre-trial negotiation between the accused and the prosecution where the accused agrees to plead guilty in exchange for certain concessions by the prosecution. The Criminal Procedure of Code allows for plea bargaining in cases where the maximum punishment is 7-year imprisonment; offences dont affect the socio-economic conditions of the society and the offence is not committed against a woman or a child below 14 years.

Delhi court grants bail to 34 Thai who attended Tablighi Jamaat event

The Metropolitan magistrate in Delhi today allowed 34 Thai nationals to walk free on plea bargaining and imposed a fine of Rs 6000 each. The foreign nationals from Thailand were represented by advocate Ashima Mandla. The fine has been paid to PM Cares Fund as per the direction of the court.

The court had earlier observed that there was sufficient prima facie material on record to proceed against the accused persons under Section 14(b), Foreigners Act, 1946, under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, and the Indian Penal Code.

The Delhi Court had recently granted bail to foreign nationals in connection with the cases related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation this year in March, which had later turned out to be a coronavirus hotspot. The Delhi Police had booked around 955 foreign nationals in this matter.

Here are other instances in the last few days when the Delhi Court have allowed the bail of foreign nationals accused in the Tablighi Jamaat congregation to walk free in lieu of payment of fine:

Delhi Court allows 200 Indonesians and 22 Nepalese Tablighi to walk free

A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to 92 Indonesians who were charge-sheeted for attending Tablighi Jamaat event here allegedly in violation of visa norms, indulging in missionary activities illegally and violating government guidelines issued in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. The relief was granted to the foreigners on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 10,000.

Besides Indonesians, 22 Nepalese having a connection with the Muslim seminary and who had attended the controversial event at Markaz Nizamuddin were also allowed to walk free on payment of fine Rs 4,000 each.

Foreign nationals from Djibouti, Mali, Kenya and Sri Lanka granted bail

Earlier this week, the Delhi Court had allowed foreign nationals from Djibouti, Mali, Kenya and Sri Lanka to walk free on payment of Rs 5,000 as fine after the accused accepted mild charges under the plea bargain process, related to various violations including visa norms while attending Tablighi Jamaat congregation here during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Thai and Nepalese Tablighi Jamaat members granted relief

On July 11, the Delhi court allowed a different set of Thai and Nepalese Tablighi Jamaat members, who had attended the gathering at Markaz Nizamuddin in Delhi in mid-March, to walk free on furnishing the surety of Rs 10,000 each.

Bail granted to 82 Bangladeshi Nationals

Last week, the Delhi court had granted bail to 82 Bangladeshi nationals who had attended the controversial Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi for allegedly violating visa norms, indulging in illegal proselytising activities, and infringing government guidelines, mandated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur provided bail to the foreigners in exchange of paying a fine of Rs 10,000 each.

Tablighi Jamaat members from China, Brazil, Australia, Fiji and the Philippines granted bail

Earlier this month, the Delhi court granted relief to members of Tablighi Jamaat from China, Brazil, Australia, Fiji, and the Philippines, who were accused of gross violations after they were found attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation that had devolved into a potent coronavirus hotspot in the country.

Hearing the plea bargaining application, the Delhi Court ordered their bail on payment of fine of Rs 10,000 each. The accused had agreed to mild charges under plea bargaining.
As a Hollywood multihyphenate, Andy Samberg reads  and rejects  a lot of scripts. But about 30 pages into Palm Springs, he started thinking that the answer was going to be a rare yes.

I get sent things all the time, and sometimes I get sent really good things, Samberg said. But I dont very often get sent very good things that I think I would actually be good in, and would want to spend two-plus years working on, which is what it basically means when you take on a movie as a producer.

In the romantic comedy, Samberg plays Nyles, a devil-may-care wedding guest with a secret who, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and a knowing smirk, saves the reception with a toast for the ages. But when a hookup with Sarah (Cristin Milioti), the maid of honor, goes awry, the consequences surprise them both.

With Palm Springs, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the Golden Globes, a Bash Brothers visual poem and the first Lonely Island tour stuffing his schedule, 2019 was Sambergs busiest stretch since his Saturday Night Live days. So he was content at home earlier this year when the pandemic locked him in for real. Calling from Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, indie musician Joanna Newsom, and their 3-year-old daughter, Samberg elaborated on the 10 things that help each day from feeling like the one before it.

1. Crip Camp

There was a camp on the East Coast that people with disabilities were sent to as kids and teens in the 70s, and it was magical for a lot of them. The documentary chronicles them with this incredible footage and follows their paths as they get older and learn how they can and cannot acclimate into society. A lot of it ends up in Berkeley, where I grew up. So that was really fun, not only because the story was cool, but also to see footage of that era.

2. Watchmen

I remember I watched the first episode, and I was like, I dont know what this show is. And then, by the end of it, I was like, That might have been one of the best seasons of TV Ive ever watched. It was just so creative and so inspired and so bizarre, while also going straight at some of the social issues in our country surrounding race and policing  even though it was taking place in an alternate universe with goofy jokes.

3. New Music

It Is What It Is by Thundercat: Id been a fan of Thundercat already, then I met him at a party last year, and he was just such a treat as a dude. He told me: Im working on an album right now. You should check it out when it comes out. So I was like, You got it, Thundercat.

And sure enough, its fantastic. I throw it on when Im wanting to get creative.

4. Dark

Oh, my goodness. That is one of the strangest and most dense shows that Ive ever watched. Theres something exciting about the fact that a lot of people are watching Dark in German with subtitles. I feel like theres so much less resistance to something like that now, hopefully, in our country. It speaks to the Reddit generation of television, where people want to hatch conspiracy theories and guess what things mean.

5. Queer Eye

Its one of the most life-affirming shows, for me anyhow. Its that rare thing thats fun and funny, and you want to see the makeover aspect of it. But they say it right in the title: Its so much deeper. They find people that you are immediately in there with and rooting for. Theres such an emphasis on kindness and thoughtfulness and self-reflection and growth. And some of the scenes with Karamo (Brown), where hes talking people through their personal struggles  I just feel like if you really do pour your energy into something to try and improve it and make it more meaningful, it can actually work.

6. Heat Waves in a Swamp: The Paintings of Charles Burchfield

I find myself flipping through it a lot and getting whisked away. Theres a surrealism that I love, and I dont know how Charles E. Burchfield would feel about this, but it takes me to the place of the covers of the old Lord of the Rings books. Theres something supernatural and fantastical that really opens my brain when I look at it.

7. Portrait of a Lady on Fire

It blew me away. And I feel like its a good movie for men to understand, energetically, how when they show up, it can really change things. Its not a spoiler to say this. You get lulled into this amazing space of there being no men for a long time in the movie, then a random guy does show up. Hes a nothing character; hes there to do an errand. Hes not being a jerk or being weird. But him just sitting there eating some slop, youre like: Ugh, whats this guy doing here? Get him out of here. Hes ruining the vibe.

8. Older Music

All for You by E.T. Mensah & the Tempos: Its a genre thats sometimes called Highlife  more traditional music from Ghana, mixed with Western instruments that had become available in that region at the time. I listen to it front-to-back a lot. It makes everything feel happy and crackly.

The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky: My daughter has been obsessed with The Nutcracker since over a year ago, and were still listening to it. Its her Frozen. And Ill say this: The Nutcracker has some bangers.

A Tribe Called Quests The Low End Theory vs. Midnight Marauders: My buddy Chester cold-texted me: Midnight Marauders or Low End Theory? It started as a joke. It was Fathers Day, and I was like, I get to listen to whatever I want to, and I put on Low End Theory, and started blasting it in the house. Then he texted me that and Ive been listening to both a lot, trying to decide if I can choose. And I really cant. So its more just to say its crazy how good those two albums are, and they still hold up.

9. Bourbon Bramble

At the end of the day it is nice, if you can, to have something to drink as long as its not too much. And one of the drinks that we found when scouring recipes was a Bourbon Bramble, which is really delicious. Ive been told I have to give credit to the modifications of my wife. What she did was she doubled the bourbon and amped up the lemon. And those two things turned it from something that I think maybe you could argue is a little too sweet into something that we have been finding to be euphoric.

10. Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters

Any time I can talk about Chez Panisse, I like to, because its Berkeley pride and also because its probably my favorite restaurant on Earth. And Alice Waters is a hero of mine. This was given to us after the birth of our daughter because it takes the fundamentals of the farm-to-table idea  eating whatever is most fresh, letting the ingredients do the talking for your food  and applies it to really simple dishes that you can make for and with kids.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has commiserated with the family and people of the United States of America over the death of civil rights icon, John Lewis.



The President recalled the civil rights icons visit to Ghana a few months ago to commemorate the government's ''Year of Return''.



The civil rights movement leader who later became a congressman died at the age of 80.



Lewis was one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders consisted of Martin Luther King Jr and helped organize the historic 1963 March in Washington DC, USA.



He was a Georgia Democrat and represented an area that covered most of its capital Atlanta.



''I have received the sad news of the death of one of the icons of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America, Congressman John Lewis. He dedicated his life to helping to realise the goals of the Movement, i.e. to end legalised racial discrimination, disenfranchisement and racial segregation in the United States. Ghana played host to him and a delegation from the US Congress last year, as part of activities to commemorate the 'Year of Return'. His was a life well-lived. The Ghanaian people and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, and to the Government and people of the United States of America. May his soul rest in perfect peace'', President Akufo-Addo wrote on his Facebook.

















I have received the sad news of the death of one of the icons of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America, Congressman John Lewis. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/wW8G1AhPTQ





 Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) July 18, 2020













I have received the sad news of the death of one of the icons of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of...





Posted by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, July 18, 2020



Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Good Governance Platform-Ghana (GGPG) says the refusal of President Akufo-Addo to reverse hks leave order to the Auditor General Daniel Yaw Domelevo is pernicious to the countrys fight against corruption.

On Monday, June 29, 2020, President Akufo-Addo ordered the Auditor General to take his accumulated leave of one hundred and twenty-three (123) days starting from July 1, 2020.

Weeks later, the Good Governance Platform-Ghana took interest in the matter. The Group noted that it is strange that the President gave such a directive and deceptively claim to have taken a cue from a similar action taken by late President Prof John Evans Attah Mills.

Good Governance Platform-Ghana (GGPG) has learned with utter shock an unimaginable directive by the President, Nana Akufo Addo to the Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo to proceed on a supposed accumulated leave, a press release from the Group has said.

They explain per standard labor practice, accrued leaves which are not taken are accordingly forfeited and as such the AG must not be forced to proceed on leave especially in the manner it was carried out since the constitution does not support the action.

GGPG insists that the seeming connivance to variously frustrate the current AG and his work at a time corruption has engulfed Ghana leaves a lot to be desired.

Read the full statement from Good Governance Platform-Ghana below:

For Immediate Release

July 14, 2020

FRUSTRATING THE AUDITOR GENERAL IS INIMICAL TO GHANA'S SUCCESSFUL CORRUPTION FIGHT

GOOD GOVERNANCE PLATFORM-GHANA (GGPG) has learnt with utter shock an unimaginable directive by the President, Nana Akufo Addo to the Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Dormelevo to proceed on a supposed accumulated leave.

Taking cognisance of the fact of good governance practices, it is strange that the President would give such a directive; deceptively claiming to have taken a cue from a similar action taken by Prof John Evans Attah Mills (late).

Per standard labour practice, accrued leaves which are not taken are accordingly forfeited and as such the AG must not be forced to proceed on leave especially in the manner it was carried out since the constitution does not support the action.

The records as we have under the late Prof. John Atta-Mills, the then Auditor General (AG), Edward Duah Agyemang who the action was directed was due for retirement and was asked to take his accumulated leave into retirement and not a leave to later return as we are witnessing in Mr Daniel Domelevo's case.

Again, it appears very troubling, unbelievable that the same Edward Duah Agyemang who among other things as an outgoing AG accused others of unfair treatment, will today as Board Chair of the same Audit Service connive with others to frustrate a succeeding Auditor General(AG) and his staff.

The natural expectation would have been that the former Auditor General (AG) would in the larger interest of Ghana, give his successor all the needed support to work but that is not to be.

GGPG has gathered that the by-force Presidential directive to the AG partly had to do with an indication to begin the Government's COVID-19 expenditures audit which the Government is seemed not prepared for.

One other thing which has now become a public knowledge; only 2 days into AG Daniel Domelevo's by force leave, Kroll & Associates and Senior Minister, Osafo Marfo are being given a clean bill of health by an Acting Auditor General.

As to whatever the real motives however are, we of GGPG do not believe it sends a good signal about a President who wants to fight corruption.

That this seeming connivance to variously frustrate the current AG and his work at a time corruption has engulfed Ghana, leaves a lot to be desired.

It is important to remind us that per article 187 of the 1992 Constitution prawns upon interferences in the work of the AG and accordingly provides as follows: "In the performance of his functions under this Constitution or any other law (including the labour law) the Auditor-General (a) shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

GGPG which believes in good governance practices would like to indicate that it has taken a keen interest in the handling of the office and person of AG Daniel Yaw Domelevo in the past years to present and calling on the current and future governments to uphold the dictates of the constitution to ensure good governance and an appreciable democracy.

Signed

Group Advocates

Koku Dabi

0244088623

Fefemwole Senyeabor

0245885445
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Despite massive cuts to the city budget amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, one Staten Island lawmaker was still able to secure crucial funding to aid local businesses.

On Saturday, Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) announced that he has allocated $225,000 in discretionary funding for various Mid-Island-based small business organizations.
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Steve Wilcox is a PhD candidate in theEnglish department at the University of Waterloo where he studies empathy, videogames, comics, and rhetoric. His focus is on the use of media for translating knowledge between bodies, communities, and cultures. He is alsoone of the25 grad students across Canada to win a $3000SSHRCaward in the "Research for a Better Life: The Storytellers" competition..

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Just a short time ago, it seemed unlikely that the VA would take the lead on any medical standards, let alone infection control. But the secretary said that unlike his department, many state-run veterans hospitalssuch as the Holyoke Soldiers Home in Massachusetts, where 100 residents have died since March 1did not have emergency operations in place when the crisis hit. We were giving them advice on infection control as late as Feb. 1.

And not only advice. Wilkie noted that the VA helped rescue a lot of state veterans homes and their patients when they became overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.

VA press secretary Christina Noel told the Military Times that the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 at the VA is at its lowest point of the pandemic and down more than half since March. She added that 261 veterans are currently in intensive care, with another 440 receiving acute care out of nearly 6,000 active coronavirus cases.
English lessons are being taught over the radio instead of in the classroom because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In Zimbabwe, schools have remained closed following an increase in coronavirus cases.

For now, children in poor households who do not have access to the Internet, are listening to their lessons on the radio.

Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa reports from Harare.
MIAMI - Social media of Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Dan Sullivan of Alaska mistakenly posted photos of the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings with comments meant to honour the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

The posts were quickly revised with photos of Lewis, a Democratic lawmaker who died Friday at the age of 80.

Rubio acknowledged the Twitter error and displayed a video of himself with Lewis.

Earlier today I tweeted an incorrect photo, he wrote in the updated post. John Lewis was a genuine American hero. I was honoured to appear together in Miami 3 years ago at an event captured in video below. May God grant him eternal rest.

Sullivans initial Facebook tribute to Lewis featured a photo of Sullivan and Cummings at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. The revised tribute omitted the reference to the museum, and the photo of the pair was replaced with a picture of Lewis alone.

The changes were made without comment. In response to an email, Sullivan spokesman Mike Anderson wrote: Senator Sullivans staff made a mistake trying to honour an American legend.

Lewis, a Democrat from Atlanta, was the last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He was best known for leading 600 protesters in the 1965 Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by state troopers. Televised images forced the countrys attention on racial oppression.

Cummings, a fellow civil rights activist who won 12 terms in Congress representing a district in the state of Maryland, died in October at age 68.
If you have been using the Gboard keyboard app, you must be familiar with the process of long pressing the comma button to access the emojis and inserting it. This change will likely solve the issue.

During the World Emoji Day, we saw Apple previewing some 13 emojis that will be coming later this year as a part of iOS 14. Google also revealed 5 new emojis (from several others) that will be arriving to Android devices soon. However, the search giant is doing something more to make communicating with emojis easier. The firm has been spotted testing a new emoji bar on its Gboard keyboard app. The bar can be seen over the word suggestions, making it easier to insert it and send.

If you have been using the Gboard keyboard app, you must be familiar with the process of long pressing the comma button to access the emojis keyboard and using it. This change, as shown by Engadget, will likely solve the issue. It is not for sure though when this will be coming to the masses.

Gboard Emoji Bar Gif. (via Engadget.)

For now, you can become a beta tester of the Gboard app by applying here.

Also read: World Emoji Day: Heres a look at all the new emojis coming to Apple, Android devices

In addition to this, Google has said it is adding 117 new emojis to Android 11 this year. Some of the emojis include man in veil, woman in tuxedo, and person bottle feeding baby. The new set has 62 new characters, 55 skin tones and gender representations. Others include tamales, pinata and anatomically correct heart. We have seen this in Apples emoji preview as well for iOS 14.

New emojis coming in for Apple include - a dodo, anatomical heart, nesting dolls, pinched fingers, pinata, tamale, boomerang, ninja, beaver, transgender symbol, bubble tea, coin and lungs. Apple is going to add more emojis, like people hugging, a disguised face and a smiling face with a tear, but for now it has previewed these 13.
Re-entry ban causes foreign firms and talent to question long-term plans in Japan

That is exactly the situation that many non-Japanese residents of this country have found themselves in due to the current pandemic. As governments around the world imposed travel restrictions in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19, Japan was been unique among the G7 nations in treating its foreign residents differently from its citizens, who are allowed to enter the country as long as they submit to a PCR test at their port of entry and agree to isolate themselves for two weeks afterward.

The policy has left some foreign residents who were outside of Japan when the borders closed stuck wherever they are, even though their obligations in Japan a rent, bills, work, family a continue as normal.

In the past week, the government has said that it intends to expand the scope of which foreign residents will be allowed to re-enter the country. However, it is still unclear exactly who will be able to return to Japan, and when. The uncertainty of the situation, as well as the length of time this uncertainty has continued, have begun to damage Japans image as a place where people can do business and has caused non-Japanese entrepreneurs and highly skilled workers to re-evaluate their long term plans to invest in this country.

Businesses are hamstrung

Business leaders in the international community stress their appreciation for the steps that the government has taken to protect the country, and Japanas relative success in controlling the virus is in part due to that effort.

At the same time, as Japan looks to strike a balance between preventing infections and keeping the economy running, aa reasonable level of travel by businesspeople becomes a critical issue,a according to Christopher LaFleur, chairman for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. He points out that many foreign businesses here rely heavily on the global nature of their footprint, and not being able to bring people to Japan who have specific expertise can significantly hamper operations.

Similarly, Valerie Moschetti, executive director and chief operating officer at the European Business Council in Japan, points out that foreign businesspeople based here need to be able to leave the country to sign contracts and attend board meetings, things that are best done in person.

The impact of the restrictions is substantial. A recent survey conducted by the German Chamber of Commerce of its members showed that 78 percent of them regard the entry ban as a significant burden to their businesses. In addition, 79 percent of the affected companies say their turnover is endangered because ongoing projects cannot be completed and new projects cannot be initiated.

If such disruptions continue, Moschetti says it could affect the wherewithal of international firms to maintain employment at their Japanese subsidiaries. In turn, this could have negative implications for the Japanese economy.

LaFleur emphasizes the fact that foreign nationals are being treated differently from Japanese citizens in terms of re-entry rights is a key concern for businesses.

aThere should not be any discrimination based on nationality, from the standpoint of basic fairness and equity, he says. There is no obvious reason why travel in and out of Japan by foreign nationals who have been living and working long-term in Japan poses any more risk to the community than travel by a Japanese person.

aItas quite disturbing, Moschetti adds. Itas a question of equal treatment.a

Foreign talent has qualms

The entry ban situation has also raised questions among many long-term residents of Japan, including those that are highly educated and highly skilled a the kind of immigrant that the government has said it wants to attract.

Amelie Le Boeuf, a seven-year resident originally from France who works as a study program coordinator, says that the situation is causing her and her Japanese husband to rethink their lives here.

aI resent having all the obligations of a Japanese citizen when it comes to paying tax etc., but not the same protection, she says. Seeing how my fellow foreign residents are being treated makes me feel like well always just be pawns,#8217; second-class residents, that can be discarded whenever Japan enters into a crisis period.a

Joe Van Alstyne, who has lived in Japan since 2018 and works in Tokyo as a human resource consultant, agrees.

aWhile I havenat been impacted directly, because so far I havenat had a need to leave and come back to Japan, Iave started reconsidering my residency in Japan, he says. Many of us are committed to living here and do everything we can to positively contribute to Japanese society. But this situation feels like weare being treated no differently than basic tourists, despite the work weave put in to live here.a

For many, the uncertainty created by the entry ban is layered with other issues in which foreign residents experience discrimination, including difficulty obtaining credit cards and housing, racial profiling by police and lack of legal recognition for same-sex partnerships. Some have said this issue feels like the last straw, and believe it is likely to have an impact on Japanas ability to attract foreign talent in the future.

aThere are people, especially in tech, who really like Japan and, if there were good opportunities, would love to work here, says Coral Capital CEO and founding partner James Riney. So much talent could be accessed if Japan were more welcoming,a but the re-entry ban is a bit of a red flag.

Riney adds that as Japan is trying to vie for the regional headquarters that are expected to leave Hong Kong as that city weathers crises separate from that of the pandemic, more competitive regional hubs might win out.

aIf foreign residents are treated unfairly in times of crisis, itas kind of a deal breaker,a Riney says.

Another group that Japan has sought to attract in recent years are non-Japanese entrepreneurs looking to set up new companies. However, the atmosphere of uncertainty created by the current entry ban acts as a counterweight to such efforts. Serial entrepreneur Ollie Horn, who until recently lived in Fukuoka, says that aincentives offered to non-Japanese entrepreneurs such as commercial rent subsidies, VC intros, fast-tracked visas and whatnot are meaningless if you are one day unable to run your company due to the whim of an immigration official.a

Additionally, non-Japanese entrepreneurs currently in the country are rethinking their own situations. One American entrepreneur who asked not to be named says, aThese moves from Japan really drive home the point that Japan wonat be a long-term home for me and the family. It shifts the scale of my investment in Japan. Now, I donat know about scaling a team in Japan so much and will be looking at other locations to establish an international headquarters.a
The latest episodes of racial violence across America prompted a much-needed gut check for the nation and forced leaders to consider if their current policies were adequate to prevent the next tragedy from happening. For instance, is Missouri doing everything it can to hold police officers accountable? Are we reassuring Missourians that communities are being policed in a manner that reflects their distinct values?

What policing should look like is possibly the most exhaustive decision any state can make, and it is a responsibility I take personally. Growing up in Ferguson, I endured the humiliation of being racially profiled. I cannot help but see myself in Mike Brown and countless others whose lives have been snatched by those sworn to protect them.

Missouri has a long road ahead to refine the checks and balances between local officers and communities. Several neighboring states have introduced bills to improve police oversight and accountability after the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and Missouri must follow suit.
Long March-5 rocket in position for China's first Mars probe

Global Times

By Deng Xiaoci Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/17 10:12:20 Last Updated: 2020/7/17 12:12:20

China has taken another major step toward its first Mars probe mission, Tianwen-1. The Long March-5 Y4, the carrier rocket commissioned for the probe, was vertically transported to the launch area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in South China's Hainan Province on Friday morning ahead of the launch scheduled to take place between the end of July and the beginning of August, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA.)

According to a CNSA press release the Global Times attained on Friday, the Long March-5 Y4 rocket arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in late May this year, and has completed preparation work including assembly and pre-launch tests.

On Friday Morning, the carrier rocket was transferred to the launch area after a smooth roll-out from the assembly building, which took around two hours, the CNSA said.

Propellant will be injected into the rocket after further functional checks and final inspections. And then the rocket will be launched according to schedule.

The minimum distance between Mars and Earth is about 55 million kilometers, and the two planets only come that close every 26 months, state-owned space giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the mission's contractor, told the Global Times in June. The Mars exploration window is open between July and August.

The final launch date of China's Mars probe mission will be determined by environmental factors including weather conditions, the distance between Earth to Mars and the launch center's overall condition, as well as a small but more decisive factor, the technical readiness inspection before launch, Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of the Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Friday.

There must be no rainfall, with a ground wind speed of below 8 meters per second and horizontal visibility above 20 kilometers, Beijing-based space expert Pang Zhihao told the Global Times.

Moreover, from eight hours before launch until one hour after launch, 30 to 40 kilometers of surrounding areas should have no thunder activity, and wind speeds should be weaker than 70 meters per second in skies 3 to 18 kilometers above the launch area, Pang said, noting that winds at 8 to 15 kilometers above ground would affect the rocket's flight form.

A wind speed difference in the lower and upper air could twist the rocket's body, leading to failure, he said.

The UAE's mission to Mars has been rescheduled for launch between July 20 and 22, the UAE government announced on Thursday.

The launch of Japan's Hope probe was postponed twice this week due to unstable weather at its launch site on Japan's Tanegashima island.

"Weather conditions in Hainan are in general better than those in Japan. That was one of the factors China took into consideration when deciding to construct the launch center in the southern island of Hainan," Wang said.

The mission will mark the first application launch of the Long March-5, currently the strongest member of the Chinese carrier rocket family. It will be China's first rocket launch into the Earth-Mars transfer orbit.

The Tianwen-1 Mars probe mission was approved by Chinese authorities on January 2016, and aims to achieve orbiting, landing and roving on the Red Planet in a single mission.

The upcoming launch will be the fourth flight of the Long March-5, following the successful comeback of the state-of-the-art rocket at the end of 2019, more than two years after a July 2017 launch failure on the rocket's second test flight due to engine problems.

Earlier on Tuesday, media reported that spacecraft developer, the China Academy of Space Technology, had revealed the Mars probe which had arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center.

Space experts expressed confidence in the success of China's Mars mission as the country has amassed rich experience from previous lunar probe missions, with the Chang'e-4 landing on the far side of the moon being the major highlight.

"The relay communication technology applied in the Chang'e-4 mission will be particularly valuable for the Mars mission, overcoming the distance challenge for interplanetary spacecraft communication," Wang said.

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Thirty years ago, it was generally thought that conservative evangelicalism in Britain was a spent force. But this is no longer so. The editor of the 1955 edition of Crockfords Clerical Directory, in his traditional prefatory survey of Anglican affairs, noted that Evangelicalism has had a great revival in recent years, particularly among young people, and went on to refer with some regret to the growth of Fundamentalism in the universities and theological colleges. All the Protestant denominations have been more or less affected in this way. The Inter-Varsity Fellowship and other interdenominational evangelical youth movements have grown rapidly in numerical strength since 1945. Billy Grahams work, too, has made its own contribution towards putting evangelicalism back on the map.

For the first time in many decades, a point is being reached at which it becomes possible for evangelicals to think in terms of a planned strategy of theological advance. Liberalism seems to have shot its bolt, and Anglo-Catholicism to have lost its way; and with the impetus of both these theological pacemakers slackening, indigenous British theology is at present not far from the doldrums. The situation calls evangelicals to throw off the defensive and isolationist mentality, which has inevitably been built up during the lean years of endless rearguard actions, and to make a constructive re-entry into the field of theological debate.

In a challenging series of articles in CHRISTIANITY TODAY (JuneJuly, 1957, since published in fuller form under the title Evangelical Responsibility in Contemporary Theology), the Editor called for a serious reconsideration of the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy. Such an appeal is at least as relevant to the British situation as to that in America; particularly in view of the fusillade of sniping commentsometimes patronizing, sometimes pompous, sometimes hystericalthat has been sustained during the past two years against fundamentalism. (The word is placed in quotation marks because, though it is the term which critics habitually use, the majority of British conservatives have never espoused it, do not like it, and prefer, with Dr. Carl F. H. Henry, to call themselves evangelicals, on the ground that this term is more scriptural, meaningful, and less encrusted with unhelpful associations.)

Before 1914

The closing decades of the nineteenth century saw liberal ideas seeping steadily into British Protestant thought. Rationalistic criticism and humanistic theology flourished in the pantheizing atmosphere which a dominant philosophical idealism had generated. Young Robertson Smith stuck out his neck over the Graf-Wellhausen hypothesis and as a result was removed from his chair at Aberdeen for heresy in 1881; but his teacher, A. B. Davidson, a more prudent man, continued quietly propagating higher criticism in Edinburgh without let or hindrance. C. H. Spurgeon waged the Down Grade Controversy during 1887 in hope of rallying his fellow-noncomformists to the historic Evangelical faith, on which he feared they were losing their grip. But the controversy revealed that the damage was already done, and the majority of Free Church ministers had ceased to be with him.

In the Church of England, the theological running was mostly made by liberal Anglo-Catholics, with Charles Gore at their head. Evangelicals in all the denominations found themselves outnumbered and bypassed. Lacking champions of the calibre of Warfield and Machen, they tended simply to withdraw from the theological battlefield, comforting themselves with the thought that liberalism must sooner or later discover its own inadequacy and burn out, after which there would surely be a return to the old paths. Meanwhile, they would dig in where they were, conserving the traditional evangelical positions, and stay put. They were not in a position to know, as we do, how demoralizing and enervating is the Maginot line mentality. It is not surprising to find that the literature produced by evangelicals during the generation after 1914 was almost all poor, and the impact made on the life of the churches was negligible.

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Between The Wars

The fundamentalist crusade of the twenties in America had no British counterpart, although Machens What is Faith? aroused some discussion when it appeared in a British edition in 1925. Generally, the attention of evangelicals during these years was taken up with missions, conventions and adventist speculations. The most vigorous protagonists for evangelicalism were the conservative leaders in the Church of England. A group of these produced a symposium, Evangelicalism, which was intended as a manifesto; but it was a disappointing volume which bore no comparison with the comparable Anglo-Catholic book, Essays Catholic and Critical, which appeared in 1926.

During the twenties, the self-styled liberal evangelical party within the Church of England announced its arrival with two volumes of essays, Liberal Evangelicalism and The Inner Life. This group took the position that evangelicalism is essentially an ethosone stressing the experience of conversion and personal fellowship with Codand that this ethos be wedded to liberal theology, not merely without loss, but with positive profit. It should be pointed out that, if one takes the word evangelicalism in its historic sense, as denoting loyalty to the doctrines of the Reformation creeds on a basis of biblical authority, liberal evangelicalism is simply a contradiction in terms. The proper name for this standpoint would be pietistic liberalism, or something of that nature. On the whole, however, this group has made little significant contribution to current theology, and none to the debate between authentic evangelicalism and its opponents.

The Present Position

British evangelicalism is now regaining strength, theologically and numerically. The opening in Cambridge of the Inter-Varsity Fellowships own residential library and research center, Tyndale House, and the growing band of scholars who work in association with this movement, are encouraging signs of the times. The evangelical resurgence has forced itself on the notice of the rest of the church and evoked a good deal of comment, as we observed earlier.

The most serious critical discussion appearing so far is Fundamentalism and the Church of God, by an Anglo-Catholic, Gabriel Hebert (1957). Dr. Hebert professes to deal specifically with conservative evangelicals in the Church of England and other churches, and with the Inter-Varsity Fellowship (p. 10). What he writes makes clear that in his view it is among Anglicans and the I.V.F. that the main strength of the movement lies. His book, however, though conscientiously charitable and sober, disappoints; he misses the major issues at stake altogether, and this I have tried to show in my own Fundamentalism and the Word of God (I.V.F., 1958). Here, however, all that is possible is a brief commentary on the main criticisms which he and others have made.

The Doctrinal Debate

The chief complaint relates to the evangelical view of Scripture. Hebert describes this as belief in the factual inerrancy of biblical assertions, from which, he supposes, evangelicals infer that exegesis should be as literalistic as possible; that is to say, that every narrative should be treated as having the character and style of a modern prose newspaper-report. He is, of course, right to insist that a hermeneutical canon which arbitrarily imposes on Scripture a modern norm, rather than seeking to appreciate the narrative methods of Scripture for what they are, is theologically indefensible. But he is wrong in thinking that British evangelicals espouse any such canon. No one disputes that the Bible itself must be allowed to fix the criteria of the inerrancy to which it lays claim. Hebert here attacks a man of straw.

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Moreover, Heberts account of the evangelical view is incomplete, and reflects a defective critical standpoint. Evidently he has stopped short at asking how far empirical evangelicalism differs from his own position, and has not considered the further question of what evangelicalism is in terms of itself. Otherwise, he could hardly have failed to notice that what is fundamental to the fundamentalism which he is examining is not one particular hermeneutical principle, but an uncompromising acceptance of the authority of all that Scripture is found to teachincluding its witness to its own character and interpretation. The constitutive principle of evangelicalism is the conviction that obedience to Christ means submission to the written Word, as that whereby Christ rules his Church; whence arises the evangelical determination to believe all that Scripture asserts, as being truth revealed by God, and to bring the whole life of the Church into conformity with it.

Some excuse for Heberts misunderstanding may lie in the fact that during the past decades British evangelicalism has been in serious danger of misunderstanding itself. Evangelicals have thought and spoken as if the essence of evangelicalism was the maintaining of a distinctive exegetical tradition, which was itself above criticism and could be taken as a yardstick for judging the expository work of others. But such optimism, of course, is not warranted. It does not follow that, because ones approach to the Bible is right, ones exegesis therefore will be skillful. It may be that at some points current evangelical interpretation is inferior to that of other schools of thought. It may be that evangelicals merit some censure for their past unwillingness to criticize their own exegesis and to learn from other sources outside their own constituency. (Not that they would in that case be the only guilty parties in Christendom, by any means.) But all this has nothing to do with the question of what evangelicalism is. The most that it can show is that modern evangelicalism has on occasion failed to be true to itself. If the present outburst of criticism helps British evangelicals to see this, and to realize more clearly what kind of a position evangelicalism really is, it will do immense good.

The other doctrinal point of substance that has been raised concerns the atonement. Evangelicals are criticized for adhering to the doctrine of penal substitution. This criticism comes, not from liberals of the older school, which rejected this doctrine on rationalistic grounds while admitting that the Bible taught it, but from representatives of the modern biblical theology movement (notably, Hebert, the Archbishop of York, and Professor G. W. H. Lampe), who profess to reject the doctrine on exegetical grounds, doubting whether the Bible teaches it, at any rate in the form in which evangelicals assert it. (Hebert would gloss the penal idea in terms of Aulens classic theory; Professor Lampe and the Archbishop, following Maurice, think that Scripture teaches an atoning death which was representative, but not substitutionary.) The issue here, therefore, is a purely exegetical one; for Biblical Theology, however inconsistently, does not dispute the binding character of any doctrine taught in Scripture, except the doctrine of the unerring truth and unqualified authority of Scripture itself. To the question, whether we should hold the biblical doctrine of the atonement, Hebert and his fellows would say yes, though to the logically prior question, whether we should hold the biblical doctrine of the trustworthiness and authority of biblical teaching as such, they seem, if not to say (for they avoid the question), at any rate to mean no. It would be tempting to reflect on the oddity of this, if space permitted.

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Practical Issues

Critics are generous in praising the evangelistic zeal and personal devotedness of evangelicals, but complain, with some justice, of two prevalent weaknesses in their outlook: one ecclesiastical, the other ethical. Both recognizably derive from the somewhat flabby pietism that spread through the evangelical constituency via the convention movement at the end of the last century. The effect of this pietistic conditioning was to focus concern exclusively on the welfare of the individual soul, and to create indifference both to the state of the churches and to the ordering of society. These tendencies were reinforced by reaction, on the one hand, against liberal control of the denominations, and, on the other, against the social gospel which liberalism purveyed as its own alternative to the evangelistic message. In addition, dispensational adventism, widely held during the first half of the century, insisted that the growing apostasy of Protestant Christendom was a sure sign of the imminence of Christs return, and so tended to destroy all interest in trying to remedy the situation. This type of adventism is now, if not exploded, at least out of fashion, and it is to be hoped that the apathetic pessimism which it fostered is on the way out too.

The first weakness specified may be described as the undenominational mentality. The complaint here is that evangelicals regard inter-denominational organizations as filling the center of the ecclesiastical stage. True, these profess to serve the churches; but, it is said, what they do in fact is to divert the energies of their adherents into non-denominational channels, to such a degree that worship, sacraments and service within the local congregation are crowded into second place. There seems to be some truth in this. The strength and attraction of the inter-denominational movements rest in part on the deep sense of brotherhood and mutual loyalty generated within them (English evangelicalism has happily been free from the rancorous temper and fissiparous tendencies which have disfigured parallel movements elsewhere); but this very warmth of fellowship makes evangelicals understandably reluctant to plunge back into the chillier streams of local church life and work for Christ there.

In the writers judgment, the reinvigorating of the local church as an aggressive witnessing community is strategic priority number one in the present British situation, and evangelicals will fail miserably if they do not direct their chief efforts to this end. In this connection, large-scale inter-church evangelistic campaigns must be judged a mixed blessing, for, however much immediate good they do, they tend to distract attention and effort away from the long-term priorities.

The second complaint is that evangelicals live in the world as if they were out of the world, showing a sublime insensitiveness to the implications of the Gospel for social, political, economic and cultural life, and shirking the responsibility of bearing a constructive Christian witness in these fields. Here, again, there is truth in the accusation. The antinomian tendencies which always hang around pietism have led in this case to a deplorable ethical shallowness; evangelicals today are not noted for personal integrity, public spirit and passionate love of righteousness in the way that (say) Shaftesbury and Wilberforce were. In this connection, perhaps the healthiest current sign is a widespread reawakening of interest in Puritan theology. This, with its profoundness and passion, its clear-cut delineation of grace and godliness, its broad world-view and consuming concern for the glory of God in all things, is perhaps better adapted than any other part of the evangelical tradition to restore spiritual depth and moral fibre to British evangelicals today.

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The present revival of evangelical fortunes is heartening. But it comes at the end of three-quarters of a century of moral, spiritual and intellectual decline, during which evangelical influence in the churches and the country has grown steadily less till now it is very small; and though many non-evangelicals have recently acquired an evangelistic veneer, evangelicalism proper does not seem as yet to have regained any of its lost ground. Rather, its inner resurgence has coincided with the exertion of new pressures, ecclesiastical and ecumenical, designed to squeeze it into an alien mold and thereby terminate its distinctive existence. These pressures seem likely to increase; no doubt some gruelling years lie ahead. Our hope is that the strength of God may be made perfect in the weakness of his servants.

James I. Packer is Tutor at Tyndale Hall, Bristol, England. A scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, he graduated in classical studies, philosophy, and theology. In 1954 he received his D.Phil. degree for a thesis on the soteriology of Richard Baxter. He was curate at St. Johns Church, Harborne, Birmingham, from 195254, when he was called to Tyndale Hall as Lecturer. He is the author of Fundamentalism and the Word of God, published by the Inter-Varsity Fellowship.

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Slowly, life is returning to our high streets. It won't be quite the same as it was before lockdown, but most bars and restaurants have reopened and many shops are ticking along quite nicely despite restrictive (and understandable) social distancing rules.

In my new home town of Wokingham in Royal Berkshire, the town centre is now livelier than it has been since March. The Saturday market is back in style although the fruit and vegetable seller  complete with a foghorn for a voice  has never been away. Business as usual for him  and the town has backed him to the hilt.

Yet there have been retail casualties. The Courtyard restaurant, situated in the town hall, is no more (I'll miss its spiced lamb kofta with yogurt) while the independently owned coffee shop Oslar is closed and up for sale. Hays Travel has also decided to close the branch it acquired from the receivers of Thomas Cook last year when it bought the collapsed travel company's entire property portfolio.

Closing down: One interesting feature that has been apparent over the past couple of months is the strong demand for bank branch services

One interesting feature that has been apparent over the past couple of months is the strong demand for bank branch services  a fact most banks don't like to admit because they would prefer to close yet more branches and push us all online.

I've yet to go into Wokingham during the day (weekend or during the working week) without seeing queues outside Barclays or Santander. The same goes for bank branches on Kensington High Street in London, my place of work. At times, the line of customers outside Barclays snakes down the high street like an anaconda.

Of course, social distancing restricts the number of customers that banks allow into their branches at any one time. But the queues point to a continued demand for face-to-face service  understandable given the financial pressure many households are under.

Given this 'lockdown' demand for personal banking services, it is timely that the country's financial regulator has fired a warning shot across the bows of the big banks with regards to future branch closures  and removal of free-to-use cash machines. A few days ago, the Financial Conduct Authority said banks would now have to inform it of their intention to shut branches or ATMs  or convert cash machines to pay-to-use.

It also said they must look at alternative arrangements to ensure continued access to cash  such as cash delivery services, installing a free-to-use ATM (if a branch is shut) and most interestingly 'sharing services with other providers'.

'Access to cash is a priority for the FCA,' it added.

This is music to the ears of The Mail on Sunday and many of our readers.

With our 'Keep our Cash campaign, we have long banged the drum for continued access to cash  a vital financial lifeline for many people and small businesses.

We have also campaigned tirelessly for the banks to agree to sharing branches rather than closing them, in the process often leaving communities bankless.

It was a concept we backed 21 years ago when it was first suggested by the indefatigable Derek French of the Campaign for Community Banking Services  and it's an idea we support as vigorously today.

So far, the banks have baulked at the idea of sharing branches, but maybe now with a little bit of pressure from the regulator its time has finally come.

As my colleague Toby Walne reports opposite, some communities are desperate to see a shared bank branch open on their high street. Rest assured, we will not stop until such banks are as much a feature of our high streets as Costa Coffee outlets.

......................................................................................................................................

At last, a little bit of good cheer for savers. The Government has given National Savings & Investments the green light to attract billions of pounds of new money from savers.
By ANI

DHAKA: Protests erupted in Bangladesh against Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's recent comments on Ayodhya and Lord Ram.

Activists of Hindu Dharam Suraksha Parishad and Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance made a human chain outside Jatiya Press Club to protest against Oli's remarks that Lord Ram belongs to Nepal and not India.

Protesters said that "invisible forces" were instigating Nepal to issue misleading statements on Lord Ram. The Nepali Prime Minister created a controversy on July 13 stating that real Ayodhya lies in Nepal, not in India and that Lord Ram was born in Thori in southern Nepal.

On July 17, Jagrato Hindu Samaj activists also carried out a human chain at Dhaka Press Club to protest against the remarks of the Nepali Prime Minister.

Subsequently, the Nepali Foreign Office went into a damage control mode. It stated" "As there have been several myths and references about Lord Ram and the places associated with him, the prime minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram, Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilization".

"The remarks were not meant to debase the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears", it added.

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 Oli's resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were "neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate."

Nepal's anti-India and pro-China stand seems to have backfired severely as along with mounting pressure on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, people have now taken to the streets against Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqi even as the Chinese mission in Kathmandu intensified engagements with the ruling Nepal Communist Party to save Oli's post.
Representative image

The Railways terminated the contract of a Chinese firm for signalling and telecommunication work on the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor due to "poor progress", an official said. The work was to be executed on a 417-km section of the corridor between Kanpur and Mughalsarai.

"The termination letter was issued today (Friday)," Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL)'s Managing Director Anurag Sachan told PTI.

The DFCCIL is the implementing agency for the project.

He said the termination letter was issued after a 14-day notice to the Beijing National Railway Research and Design Institute of Signal and Communication Group, which had bagged the Rs 471-crore contract in 2016.

The process to oust the Chinese firm from the project had started as early as January 2019 as it had failed to complete its work within the given time frame, officials had earlier said.

The firm had only managed to finish 20 per cent of the work by then, they said.

The DFCCIL approached the World Bank, which is funding the project, in April this year informing them of their decision to terminate the contract.

"We have terminated the contract of the Chinese firm due to poor progress which led to immense delay in our work. We are yet to receive the NOC from them (World Bank), but we have conveyed to them (World Bank) that we are terminating the contract and will fund this work on our own," Sachan said on Friday.

The work entrusted with the Chinese engineering major includes design, construction, supply, testing and commissioning of signalling, telecommunication and related works for the 417-km section.

Officials said apart from performance issues, the Chinese company had also shown reluctance in furnishing technical documents, as per the contract agreement, such as logic design of electronic interlocking, officials had told PTI earlier.

They also said the company did not have engineers or authorized personnel at the project site which was a serious concern.

The company also failed to have tie-ups with local agencies which harmed the physical progress of the work, officials pointed out.

"There is no improvement in progress despite repeated meetings with them at every possible level," an official said.

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor or Eastern DFC is a freight specific railway corridor under construction from the northern to eastern part of India and is scheduled to be completed by 2022.

The move to terminate the contract comes in the backdrop of strained ties between India and China after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh last month.

Earlier another Railway PSU, RailTel had scrapped a tender for its coronavirus surveillance thermal cameras after Indian vendors complained of favouritism towards a Chinese firm.
The Running Mate to the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is urging the party members to turn the enthusiasm for her into reality.

According to her, the feeling of excitement that has greeted her selection as the running mate of the NDC flagbearer, ex-President John Dramani Mahama, is not lost on any of us.

I urge that we turn that enthusiasm into reality and we all know we can; yes we can, she said confidently when the Minority Women Caucus in Parliament paid a courtesy call on her.

The NDC Women's Organizer, Hannah Bisiw, also came in with some NDC women groups to grace the event.

Mr. Mahama made a surprise choice of his former Education Minister as his running mate on Monday, July 6, 2020, adding a politically unknown person to the presidential ticket, with the belief that she could help him appeal to women voters.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stated, There will be time for us to talk about many things, adding that we know there are many things that we have to get done. When we talk about the youth, we are talking about the men and women. The time will come for me to make my maiden statement, and maybe we will have a sense of where we are coming from.

Today will not go ahead of myself. I just want to thank you, and I want to recognize the work you have been doing.

The Minority in Parliament is like the minority of the minorities and look at what they do. They get things done because they are women, she claimed.

The NDC running mate also used the opportunity to tell 'kayayies' not to allow themselves to be disrespected because they also play a role in society.

The Leader of the Minority Women Caucus, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah, said the NDC MPs had visited her to officially congratulate you on your selection as the running mate to the flagbearer of the great (NDC) party, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama.

As women, words cannot describe our joy that finally a major political party in Ghana and a highly possible party to form the next government has selected an accomplished female running mate like your good self for the upcoming election, she added.

According to her, although it is said that what men can do women can do better, women always have to quadruple the efforts of men before they are recognized.

Therefore, we are not surprised at your selection because of your hard work in both private and public life. We have no doubt that bringing on board your rich experience in leadership and intellect, you will deliver to the admiration of all as Vice-President should Ghanaians give the NDC the mandate to govern the country in December, she pointed out.

Doyoe acknowledged that the journey to the high office will be arduous and fraught with many obstacles, but we encourage you to remain focused, strong and courageous until we make that history of electing the first female Vice-President of this country.

Please bear in mind that we as female parliamentarians are looking up to you, young ladies are looking up to you as a role model, and all women of this country are looking up to you to represent their interest in the governance of this country, she stressed.

---Daily Guide
By PTI

LONDON: A Scotland Yard officer has been suspended after an "extremely disturbing" footage emerged that appears to show him kneeling on the head and neck of a Black man during an arrest here.

The video recorded in Islington area of the UK capital shows two officers holding the handcuffed suspect on the pavement.

A second Metropolitan Police officer has been removed from operational duty following the arrest on Thursday evening.

The UK has seen widespread Black Lives Matter protests following the death of 46-year-old African American George Floyd in Minneapolis in the US on May 25 while he was in police custody.

Deputy Met Police commissioner Sir Steve House said the footage was "extremely disturbing" and had been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

"The video footage that I have seen today and is circulating on social media is extremely disturbing. Some of the techniques used cause me great concern , they are not taught in police training," he said.

"One officer has been suspended and another officer has been removed from operational duty, but not suspended at this time. This decision will be kept under review," he added.

The Met Police confirmed it had charged a 45-year-old man with possession of a knife in a public place.

Marcus Coutain will appear in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "I'm deeply concerned about this distressing incident and we have raised this with senior officers at the Met Police as a matter of urgency.

"I welcome the fact the incident has been reviewed quickly by the Met and it's right that they have referred it to the IOPC."

In the footage, shared with the BBC, one of the officers appears to be using his knee to control the suspect and has his hand on the man's head.

The man on the ground, who is in handcuffs, repeatedly shouts: "Get off my neck."

He is eventually released from the ground and continues to talk to officers after they sit him up.

Several police cars arrive at the scene after the arresting officers are confronted by onlookers, who drew parallels with the police custody death of Floyd that triggered worldwide Black Lives Matter protests.

An eye witness told the BBC: "I was worried he was going to get executed. That's just how George Floyd got killed.

"If not for the crowds filming the police they could have suffocated him or broken his neck. He was on the floor and in handcuffs, what's the reason for a kneeling on his neck?"
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The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford



Let me tell you about my first pickup truck.

It was a 1980s-vintage Mazda B2200. It had a five-speed manual, a single plastic bench seat, crank windows, and an AM/FM radio.

High luxury it wasn't. But it was my truck, and I loved it. I used it for ... well, you name it. Hundreds of miles driving back and forth to college, cleanup jobs, camping trips, helping friends move. The I gave it to my brother and he drove the wheels off.

Fast-forward a few decades and the world has changed. Pickups were utilitarian vehicles when I was a youngster. You found them on farms and ranches, not in the driveways of homes in the well-heeled communities.

These days, a full-size pickup from the Detroit Big Three can easily hang with a sedan from Audi, BMW, or Mercedes when it comes to luxury appointments. That's a good thing for pickup truck makers, as all those extras have led to historically high transaction prices for vehicles that already sell in the millions of units annually. A top-line Ford F-150 can go for more than $70,000, and the entire F-Series brings in over $40 billion in annual revenue for the Blue Oval.

That has translated into historic profits since the financial crisis, enabling General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to fill their coffers with cash.

Let's take a closer look at the markets' current roster of full-size pickups and review some of their more luxurious features, from interiors to exteriors, from infotainment systems to cool extras:

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Let's start with the king of the hill: the Ford F-150! Intent on keeping its crown as the bestselling vehicle in the US since 1982, Ford loaded the already upscale trim levels of the truck with even more extras.

The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford

Take a look back at the truck's humble beginnings. Here we have the F1 from 1948. You'd have been hard-pressed to find one of these anywhere but on a farm or ranch.

Ford F 1 1948

Ford

What a difference more than half a century makes! The top trim levels of the F-150 aren't quite equal to Mercedes-Benz when it comes to interiors, but they're definitely competitive. This my number-one feature, on this pickup.

The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford

My second-favorite feature is this retractable step and handle, located in the tailgate.

Ford F-150

Matthew DeBord/Business Insider

Makes getting in and out a snap.

Ford F-150

Matthew DeBord/Business Insider

In the new F-150, the front seats can actually recline to a lay-flat configuration. Sort of like flying business class.

The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford

The new F-150 also has a center console that can be turned into a mobile office.

The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford

And Ford's SYNC4 infotainment system, running on an available 12-inch touchscreen.

The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford

The new F-150 can also tow 12,000 pounds, so if your idea of luxury is being able to haul a small house on wheels, Ford has you covered.

The 2021 Ford F-150

Ford

Now let's examine the rather upmarket RAM 1500. This full-size pickup can be crammed with luxurious appointments, if you go for the right trim levels.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The 2019 RAM 1500 Crew Cab I tested was a Western-themed Laramie Longhorn edition, which was $54,000 before the addition of many extra features. As tested, it ran for $68,500. That not-insane price paid for a primo interior.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The 12-inch center touchscreen is stunning. FCA's excellent infotainment system, Uconnect, is a showstopper.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The panoramic moonroof is also impressive.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The comfort of the RAM 1500's front seats carries over to the back. Combined with an independent rear suspension, this pickup delivers a plush ride.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

My tester had a luxurious interior, great infotainment, a huge moonroof, and a limo-like back seat. The cabin was also full of high-end touches, such as the carbon fiber detail on the leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

An overlooked feature in full-size pickups is the vast amount of interior storage they provide  and how designers have thought through every detail. Sure, luxury SUVs can carry a lot of stuff, but the RAM takes it to a new level.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

In the old days, pickup customers were happy with steel wheels. But luxury buyers expect to have plenty of options  and so the RAM 1500 offers a range of styles.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Finally, my Ram 1500 test truck had an exquisite paint job: deep black, with gorgeous chrome flourishes.

Ram Truck

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

On to the Chevy Silverado!

Chevy Silverado Z71 Duramax

Matthew DeBord/Insider

The most recent Silverado I tested was a $62,515 model pickup truck from the 2020 model year that featured a 3.0-liter diesel engine. It also had the Z71 off-road package.

Chevy Silverado Z71 Duramax

Matthew DeBord/Insider

For a truck intended for rugged use, it was quite premium. Check out that leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Chevy Silverado Z71 Duramax

Matthew DeBord/Insider

The infotainment screen was on the small side, but Chevy's system is among the best in the industry, giving luxury brands a run for their money.

Chevy Silverado Z71 Duramax

Matthew DeBord/Insider

Wireless charging! Many luxury vehicles I drive now have this feature. But quite a few don't, and it's often a demerit, in my book. I was glad to find in on the Silverado.

Chevy Silverado Z71 Duramax

Matthew DeBord/Insider

The "Cajun Red Tintcoat" is among my favorite automotive colors on the market, period. It outdoes what's on offer from plenty of upscale nameplates.

Chevy Silverado Z71 Duramax

Matthew DeBord/Insider

Moving right along, let's sample the venerable Toyota Tundra.

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

Here's the thing: I tested the "1794 Edition," well-appointed and well-optioned at almost $53,000. The luxurious aspects of this Tundra have stayed with me.

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

The 1794 backstory is intricate: The oldest cattle ranch in Texas, near San Antonio, dates to 1794. The property is where Toyota built its US pickup-truck factory.

Lovely leather and real wood trim filled the cabin.

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

That steering wheel! I Haven't been able to get it out of my head.

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

If Bentley or Aston Martin made pickups, they'd look like this on the inside: tooled butterscotch leather and upscaled bunkhouse timber. I was a real suburban cowboy for the week I tested this Tundra.

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

Like the RAM 1500, the Tundra combines considerable legroom and cushy seats ...

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

... with a ride that, among pickups, was second only to the RAM 1500.

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

The JBL audio system in my tester wasn't high end, but compared to the AM/FM radio on my first pickup, a 1980s Mazda, it was symphonic. These days, it's not usual to find the best audio setups a carmaker has to offer in its pickups.

Toyota Tundra

Matthew DeBord/BI

Finally, we have the Nissan Titan.

Nissan Titan

Matthew DeBord/BI

OK, I'll be honest, the Titan is both the least-updated and least-luxe full-size pickup truck I've tested of late.

Nissan Titan

Matthew DeBord/BI

That said, at $50,000, my 2020 Nissan Titan Pro-4X tester was reasonably well-appointed for a truck that's optimized for off-road action.

Nissan Titan

Matthew DeBord/BI

The knobby General Grabbers suggest that this 4x4 might be able to do some damage in the mud, on rocks, or over dirt roads. But have a gander at those nicely-styled wheels!

Nissan Titan

Matthew DeBord/BI

A dual-pane moonroof was a bonus. And yet again, a feature that we used to see mainly in luxury vehicles that's migrated to the mass-market  and to pickup trucks.

Nissan Titan

Matthew DeBord/BI

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The Indian Army, along with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited(BSNL), will soon bring 3G services to border areas in Arunachal Pradesh. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has reviewed the project and was happy about the progress despite harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain, The Economic Times reported, adding that Mein congratulated the Indian Army and BSNL for their efforts.

Mein even urged them to expedite the process since it is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to bring internet to the most remote parts of the country, as a part of Digital India Mission, the report said.

Speaking to Economic Times, Mein spoke about the importance of internet connectivity, especially to hold meetings to prevent the spread of coronavirus. "Due to difficult terrain and disruption of surface road communication in various places, it has become more essential to have internet connectivity, particularly in remote and border areas," he said.

Mein also urged all his Deputy Commissioners to coordinate with the Indian Army and BSNL to expedite the implementation.

Major General Sanjiv Chauhan, General Officer Commanding (HQ), 2 Mountain Division, Dinjan has assured that the process will be expedited, according to the report, adding that they will continue to share and update the state government of their progress on the project.

Colonel Milan Patnaik, Commanding Officer, 2 Mountain Division Signal Regiment, said inclement weather and blockades in the surface road communication in some sectors has hampered the work. He, however, informed that the civil administration and the police can avail their V-Sat Services in remote places like Kibithoo, Walong, Chaklagham and Anini for disaster management and other administrative services.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
She rose to fame in 2016 when winning the seventh series of The Great British Bake Off.

And, Candice Brown showcased her slim frame in a floral mini dress and wedge heels as she attended the launch of Giz & Green Pizza Pies Pop-Up at Passo in London, on Friday.

The Bake Off star, 35, paraded her toned pins in the bodycon frock, which boasted an Asymmetric neckline and short puffed sleeves.

Gorgeous: Candice Brown, 35, showcased her slim frame in a floral dress and wedge heels as she attended the launch of Giz & Green Pizza Pies Pop-Up at Passo in London, on Friday

Candice flaunted her bronzed body in her summery ensemble, boosting her height with a pair of black wedges.

Her long blonde locks were styled into effortless waves for the occasion, with her brunette roots proudly on display.

The baker enhanced her natural beauty with a heavy make-up look, complete with a dark red lip.

The TV star mingled with a host of well-heeled guests at the bash, including Jessie Ware, Daisy Lowe, Jack Guinness, and Professor Green.

Glam! The Bake Off star's long blonde locks were styled into effortless waves for the occasion and she enhanced her natural beauty with a heavy make-up look, complete with a dark red lip

Candice grew up in a pub run by her parents in North London, and last year opened her own tavern, The Green Man in the scenic village of Eversholt, Bedfordshire.

The star previously admitted she will be taking a leaf out of Dame Barbara Windsor's EastEnders landlady of the Queen Vic Peggy Mitchell book when it comes to pub management.

The baker claimed she is 'dying' to use Peggy's famous words 'Get out of my pub' when tossing out any rowdy customers.

Leggy! Candice paraded her toned pins in the bodycon frock, which boasted an Asymmetric neckline and short puffed sleeves

She told BANG Showbiz: 'I've just bought a pub, I want to do the best Sunday lunches, and comforting, warming and hearty food. I'm an ambassador for Love British Food, so I work with the farmers to promote that seasonal and local produce is when food is at its best.

'It's called The Green Man in Eversholt, I'm hoping it will be open in mid-February, it's so exciting. I was brought up in pubs with my brother and I want this to be a real family affair.'

Candice's husband Liam Macaulay threw his support behind his wife's business venture, and her brother Ben and his girlfriend Sophie also got on board.
THE Health Alliance for Democracy (Head)-Cebu Chapter expressed grave concerns over the decision of the government to have police find and take persons infected with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to isolation facilities.

In a statement sent to SunStar Cebu, the health group said this house-to-house style of tracking Covid-19 patients is "uncalled for at this crucial point when health crisis response in the Philippines is obviously failing."

The country has 61,266 total Covid-19 cases with a total of 1,643 reported deaths as of 2 p.m. of July 17, 2020, the group noted.

It said it hit the 60,000 end of July projection of the experts of the University of the Philippines even earlier than July 31st.

"These numbers do not need more police and military presence and intervention. Rather, a proactive, inclusive, and pro-people response in the Covid-19 health crisis," the group said.

Head-Cebu Chapter said it demands those in power to stop "sowing fear" in the communities.

"It is disturbing to arm law enforcers and give them the power to intrude into peoples homes given the fear of Covid-19 infection and the infamous Oplan Tokhang of the government in its bloody war on drugs. And this, after all the human rights violations committed by the police during the pandemic, including arrests of people for minor infringements," read a portion of their statement.

With the alleged abusive records of the police in a recent United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report, the health group said the house-to-house visit "could be used as an instrument to target those who are critical about the anti-people policies and incompetence of the government in handling the Covid-19 pandemic."

It said it is even more alarming with the looming effectivity of the newly signed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 or the Anti-Terror Law of the Duterte government.

The group called on the government to "step up" its efforts instead in ending the suffering of the people due to the pandemic.

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What the people need, it said, is empowerment through education and information dissemination about Covid-19, health system and sector support, crisis intervention with first responders who are trained to respond to health crises, certainly not the police.

It is important to focus on community-based services that would decrease the desperation and suffering of the people. Give them the resources they need without criminalizing them for going out. No guns and human rights violations needed, the group furthered.

The group also reiterated its call to the national government to urgently act on the public health emergency by giving the most needed support to the "degrading health system" and sector through mass testing that targets the medical frontliners, essential workers, people with comorbidities and communities with a high number of Covid-19 cases; hiring more nurses and doctors, and giving of the intended nurses and doctors salary in accordance to the law-in addition to the hazard pay and additional benefits that must be given to them on time whether public or private institution.

All these efforts do not require violence and police intervention, or a new law in the face of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, the group said.

The Philippines, the group said, is not winning in its Covid-19 response.

It is still a long battle and until the government realizes its "incompetence and does its actual mandate," the people will continue to suffer, it said.

"We demand action, accountability, and transparency from the government, therefore," it said. (WBS with PR)
Asylum seekers wait in line to purchase bus tickets in McAllen, Texas, on May 30, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Appeals Court Upholds Block on Trump Administration Policies Narrowing Asylum Criteria

The Trump administration suffered a setback after a federal appeals court upheld a block on several immigration policies that sought to narrow the criteria for asylum for illegal immigrants.

The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals in a 21 ruling on July 17 upheld a lower courts decision to block the Trump administration from enforcing several key policies that made many individuals running from domestic abuse or local criminal activity ineligible for asylum. The case is cited as Grace v. Barr.

In 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a decision in a case called Matter of AB (pdf), in which an El Salvadoran woman was seeking asylum based on domestic violence she experienced for years in her home country. He reversed the grant of asylum to the woman and established a rule that closed the door for asylum to individuals claiming well-found fear due to domestic abuse or gang violence perpetrated by non-governmental actors.

His decision essentially reverted the asylum criteria to what it was before 2014, when the Obama administration opened it up to include private criminal cases, including domestic violence.

Sessionss decision didnt change the definition of asylum, but rather made it more difficult for individuals to show credible fear of persecution so that they would not be removed under the expedited removal process.

The Department of Homeland Security issued new guidelines shortly after Sessionss ruling, requiring asylum officers to follow the new standards in all removal proceedings and credible fear determinations.

The 12 asylum-seekers, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the administration in 2018, claiming the policies raised the standard to meet certain criteria for asylum beyond what Congress had intended.

They also claimed that Sessionss policies violated federal laws such as the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution.

The district court ruled in favor for the asylum seekers, declaring the challenged policies unlawful and blocking the administration from enforcing them.

The court on July 17 upheld part of the lower courts ruling by blocking the administration from enforcing two key policiesone where the asylum seeker needs to show that their home government either condoned the private behavior or demonstrated a complete helplessness to protect them, and another policy where officers must apply the law of the circuit where the credible fear interview occurs.

Meanwhile, two other policies that were previously blocked were overturned in the July 17 decision.

An ACLU attorney who argued the case, Cody Wofsy, called the ruling a major defeat for the administration.

This ruling is a major defeat for the administrations assault on asylum rights and the law, Wofsy said in a statement.

A Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement to The Epoch Times that its carefully evaluating the courts decision.

The Attorney Generals decision in 2018 simply reaffirmed what had been settled law for decadesand rejected the single decision issued by the Board of Immigration Appeals during the Obama Administration that broke from settled law, the statement said.

Indeed, in a decision last year, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit noted that the Attorney Generals decision in AB was not only permissible under the statute, but was a much more faithful interpretation of the INA [Immigration and Nationality Act] than the 2014 Board decision it overruled.

We will continue to defend the Attorney Generals and the Administrations efforts to restore integrity to our asylum system, the spokesperson said in the statement.

Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.
Boris Johnson has ordered his Cabinet to stop working from home as an example to the nation, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The Prime Minister has summoned his top team to Westminster next week for their first in-person meeting since March  erecting a special giant table for social distancing.

Mr Johnson hosted the first ever digital Cabinet meeting while self-isolating with Covid-19 symptoms and they have continued weekly since.

Boris Johnson has ordered his cabinet into a large room in the Foreign Office where they can conduct the business of government while keeping well apart

Mr Johnson believes that by getting his cabinet in the same room will inspire workers who are afraid of risking contracting Covid-19 to go back into their offices and use public transport

Ministers have patched in to meetings from across the country or from their desk in Whitehall using Zoom video conferencing, despite concerns about security.

Usually, Ministers are crammed around the famous coffin-shaped table in 10 Downing Street, but on Tuesday morning they will be two metres apart and allowed to wear masks if they wish.

The vast Locarno Suite of the Foreign Office will be converted into a temporary Cabinet Room after Ministers urged Britons to get back to the office.

Nicknamed the drawing room of the nation, the ornate gold-painted staterooms usually play host to visiting world leaders, but will house Mr Johnsons 26-strong team until the Covid-19 crisis is over.

On Friday, Mr Johnson urged workers to get back to the office as long as Covid-secure measures are adhered to, and said bosses should be encouraging people to get back to work, where that is right for that employee.

The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference: It is not for the Government to decide how employers should run their companies and whether they want their workforces in the office or not  that is for companies.

However, there was confusion, with Mr Johnsons remarks coming just a day after the Governments chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance said there was absolutely no reason to change the advice about working from home.

But last night a No 10 source confirmed that Mr Johnson wanted to send a message that his Government were practising what they preached.

At the end of last weeks Cabinet meeting, the PM told colleagues it would be the last one to be held virtually and it had been too long since they had seen each other.

On Tuesday, he will convene both a formal Cabinet meeting as well as a political Cabinet where plans to tackle Nicola Sturgeon, and the SNP will be put front and centre of the conversation.

Ministers will be briefed on new polling and strategy amid concerns over a surge in support for Scottish independence and tricky Scottish Parliament elections north of the border next May.

The partys Scottish director Lord Mark McInnes will present data gathered by new No 10 polling guru James Kanagasooriam, who helped mastermind Scottish Tory success in 2016. Mr Kanagasooriam has been commissioned by the Government to do a huge amount of research about the future of the United Kingdom, as part of an effort to combat aggressive moves by Ms Sturgeon, alongside work on Covid-19. He runs the data operation for political consultancy Hanbury Strategy, which has been awarded contracts understood to be worth up to 1 million for the data research.

In advance of the meeting, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has accused Scottish nationalists of undermining the co-operation at the heart of our UK, adding: Rather than standing taller in our family of nations, theyd prefer an expensive divorce.

Writing in todays Scottish Mail on Sunday, he adds: The coronavirus crisis requires us all to unite to put the care of the vulnerable and the security of peoples jobs first.

I hope wiser heads in the SNP will prevail, dial down the noise on the constitution, set aside this headlong drive for separation and work in the best Scottish, and UK, traditions of solidarity to strengthen both devolution and our economy.
Scranton, PA (18503)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 41F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Snow likely late. Low 24F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg criticised the Trump administration over their response to the coronavirus crisis and said that he was disappointed with the government for undermining advice from scientists on public health measures such as wearing face-masks in public places. He also highlighted that there was inadequate testing.

In an interview with the US' top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, Zuckerberg said, "It's really disappointing that we don't have adequate testing, that the credibility of top scientists and the CDC are being questioned." Zuckerberg and Dr Fauci were speaking live on the Facebook CEO's page.

Not only this, Zuckerberg also kickstarted the live Q&A by pointing out the Trump administration's regular downplaying of the coronavirus threat over the past four months and praising his administration's efforts to control the contagion.

Zuckerberg said, "While every other developed country in the world, or almost every other country has had a relatively smaller number of new infections, we now face a record number of new infections everyday." He also highlighted the fact that although many other countries have worked hard to contain the deadly disease, the coronavirus trajectory in the United States is clearly off the charts and "this government and our administration have been considerably less effective at handling this."

Also read: Coronavirus wreaks havoc in US: Over 77,000 cases reported in 24 hours

Dr Fauci also talked about how many US states had rushed too quickly to reopen without having adequate safety measures in place, which led to the more fatal resurgence in states across the US.

The techpreneur has been doing a series of interviews with scientists and health experts in order to provide verifiable information to users on Facebook.

Also read: Coronavirus pandemic: 1 million cases recorded in 100 hours globally
They're the star-crossed lovers who stole each other's and our hearts in AAMI adverts from 2012.

And on Friday, 'Ketut' - played by actor Kadek Mahardika - gave an update on how he and 'Rhonda' - played by Mandy McElhinney - are fairing through the insurance companies Facebook page.

'Hi Australia, it's Ketut here. I hear you all wanted to know how me and my beautiful wife Rhonda are doing,' he said, confirming the pair have married.

Still together! Ketut from the iconic AAMI adverts delighted fans on Facebook on Friday by sharing by sharing that he and Rhonda have married and have children. The star-crossed lovers were portrayed in the ads by actors Mandy McElhinney and Kadek Mahardika

Ketut explained Rhonda wasn't able to join him as she was in the middle of a very important job.

'She's in the other room homeschooling the kids,' he said.

'I hope you guys are all doing well on lockdown and keep it hot, like a sunrise,' he finished with a wink, using the famous catchphrase he used to seduce Rhonda when she first visited Bali.

But where is Rhonda? Ketut explained Rhonda wasn't able to join him as she was in the middle of a very important job. 'She's in the other room homeschooling the kids,' he said

Fans of the iconic couple flooded Facebook, admitting this was exactly the good news story they needed.

'The type of love story I need right now,' wrote one woman.

Another added: 'Not everything in 2020 is bad. Rhonda and Ketut are still together'.

Just what we needed! After a rough year, fans of the couple were delighted, exclaiming this was just the good news story we all needed right now

'2020 is reinstated,' shared another.

AAMI was able to coax Ketut out for another appearance after a fan expressed concern for how the couple was holding up amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a Facebook exchange, which has since gone viral, an AAMI spokesperson offered a cheeky response when asked by a fan how the pair were doing.

'Hi there so it's 2020 and I just wanna know if Rhonda and Ketut are still together during COVID,' the fan asked.

AAMI replied: 'Hey there Matt, thanks for checking in on them! Rhonda and Ketut are still together and doing well.

'Naturally, they've had to cancel some holiday plans but are using the time to relax at home. Stay safe!'

'Still together and doing well': In a Facebook exchange, which has since gone viral, an AAMI spokesperson offered a cheeky response when asked by a fan how the pair were doing

Actors Mandy and Kadek portrayed Rhonda and Ketut in the famous AAMI commercials.

Mandy, 49, is also known for her roles in television shows including Love Child and Bad Mothers.

Kadek, 34, is a family man these days. He shares two young children, Mila and Lenny, with his wife, Laura Jack.

He also has an older son, RJ, from a previous relationship.

Remember this? The Rhonda and Ketut adverts first appeared in 2012 to promote AAMI's safe driver insurance. In the series of ads, Rhonda meets her younger lover while on holiday in Bali, before their summer fling becomes a long-term relationship

Working actress: Mandy, 49, is also known for her roles in television shows including Love Child and Bad Mothers. Pictured at the Logie Awards in Melbourne on May 8, 2016

The former actor is believed to be working as a building site administrator in Melbourne, where his family is based.

The Rhonda and Ketut adverts first appeared in 2012 to promote AAMI's safe driver insurance.

In the series of ads, Rhonda meets her younger lover while on holiday in Bali, before their summer fling becomes a long-term relationship.
KITCHENER  Twelve days after an unarmed Black man was arrested in a violent takedown in Kitchener, witnesses are still asking why the situation escalated the way it did.

Footage obtained from a Husky gas station corroborates eyewitness accounts of the events around the violent arrest of Abdisalam Omer, 38, a Black-Somali man in Kitchener.

Laura Mae Lindo, MPP for Kitchener-Centre and community activists are calling for an independent review outside of the policing system. Waterloo Regional Police Services have asked Peel Regional Police to review the case.

Peel Regional Polices Professional Standards Unit has agreed to assist Waterloo Regional Police Service by conducting an external investigation concerning an excessive force allegation by officers during an arrest of a man on Sunday, July 5, 2020, said Bancroft Wright, media officer with Peel Regional Police Service. Our investigators were assigned to ensure that this incident is investigated in a fair, transparent and impartial manner.

On July 5 around 1 a.m., Omer was driving a car and pulled over by two officers at Karn Street and Westmount Road for a headlight issue. Abdishaqur Ali, an eyewitness to the arrest and longtime acquaintance of Omer, recalled that two, three days ago [Omers] left rear light was broken.

Officers say they left and drove to a nearby community centre to debrief the traffic stop. The closest centre to where the stop took place is Victoria Hills Community Centre. The Record has submitted a Freedom of Information request for security footage from the centre.

The officers reported seeing flashes of light and hearing what sounded like gunshots, so they drove off while calling for backup. They also said the man in the car drove at them aggressively threatening to crash into them. In a later media release, police said the sounds might have been fireworks.

It is not clear what happened immediately after the community centre stop. But at 1:40 a.m. Omer pulled into the nearby Husky station.

Bashir Mohammed, who witnessed the arrest at the gas station, said he was sitting at Wendys patio Sunday morning with a group of friends. Around 1:30 a.m. Bashir said he saw a police cruiser drive down Westmount Road toward Victoria Street, and make a U-turn to park in front of his group.

Ismail Ibrahim, another eyewitness, said he thought this officer intended to ticket the group for breaching rules around COVID. Minutes later, witnesses saw another cruiser driving down Westmount toward Victoria, followed by a white Mazda.

Ibrahim and Bashir said they recognized the driver behind the Mazda was Omer, as he had recently purchased that vehicle. Abdirizak Mohammed, another eyewitness, said he saw Omer driving down Westmount. There was one cruiser behind [Omer], one ahead of him at Victoria to cut him off.

Footage shows Omer turning into the gas station, parking in the far corner of the lot. The officer driving in front of Omer can be seen driving past the entrance of the gas station. At one point, Omer can be seen exiting his car briefly, waving and motioning across the street before returning to his vehicle.

Bashir says that he was not surprised to see Omer drive to the gas station. Thats where he feels safe.

The parking lot of the Tim Hortons and Wendys across the street from the gas station is a well-known meeting place for people in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Another eyewitness, Hamsa Abdullahi, said the gas station parking lot was a safe zone for Omer. He knew where he wanted to park. He knew he would be safe with the cameras and lights. He did not move at any point. He did not move his car.

At a police board meeting on July 7 Waterloo Region Police Chief Bryan Larkin told board members every use of force is reviewed by multiple levels of the service.

The officers believed that they were under attack, that shots were fired at them, Larkin said at the time.

This particular arrest was flagged to undergo an additional review by an external police service. The decision was made in response to heightened concerns around policing, Larkin said. Over the past month there have been calls across the country to defund police services and review issues of systemic anti-Black racism within levels of government and police forces.

But Abdullahi doesnt understand this reaction. There was no reason to be afraid of [Omer].

After Omer had parked his car, another witness Abdishaqur Ali said more officers showed up right away. They brought big guns.

As they approach Omer, two officers can be seen raising their guns at the side of the building, one stands behind an ice machine with a handgun and the other officer uses a blue sandwich board to rest a rifle on. Other officers take position beside a gas pump; one crouches pointing his gun at the car, and three stand behind an officer holding a shield, also training their weapons on the parked car.

We were screaming in our language telling him to be calm, come out easily, listen to the officers. The officers told us to shut up, said Ali.

Bashir and many others watching from across the street feared for Omer. We tried to cross the street but they blocked us. Officers can be heard on videos from the scene commanding bystanders to disperse. The group remained at the scene to capture it on video.

In one of the videos taken by a witness, an officer in his car tells the group who are demanding a reason for the police involvement: Two shots fired at our cruiser.

When asked someone asked it was Omer who shot, the officer said yes.

On the day after the arrest, a police spokesperson said they did not find a weapon. Omer was taken to hospital to remove conductive weapon prongs and held in custody until Wednesday, July 7. He has been charged with dangerous driving. Police say Omer was driving aggressively, threatening to swerve into the officers cruiser.

At 1:51 a.m. video footage shows police rushing Omers vehicle. Abdullahi said officers smashed his window and took him down quickly.

Witnesses said they could hear Omer screaming, and multiple people can be heard yelling, Stop beating him.

Footage shows police holding Omer down, with one officer appearing to hit him multiple times.

The force used to arrest Omer upset Ibrahim. They put him in an ambulance, he said, closing his eyes. They damaged him, he had to go to the hospital. The ambulance arrived around 2 a.m. and left with Omer after about 40 minutes.

Witness, Said Omar, was really frustrated about how police handled the situation.

They [police] knew he was mentally ill. The police should have known. Everyone who hangs around here is known by the police. Its impossible for the police to not know about Abdisalam.

RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2020/07/08/waterloo-regional-police-asking-for-external-review-of-arrest-of-black-man-caught-on-video.html

Said noted that the communities who frequent this area are heavily policed. Theyve stopped [Omer] before. Theres a microscope on him.

Local resident Rida Khan said she took a picture of Omer speaking with police officers on June 16 from her apartment building behind the Husky gas station. She said when she saw a Black man talking to two police officers, she felt it was important to take a picture.

I took my phone out to be vigilant in case things went south.

After Omer was released from bail, his friends say that he is not the same as he was before the incident.

Hes totally off, said Mohammed, shaking his head. He doesnt have a lot of close family here.

Ali said that Omer used to socialize with others, asking for food or coffee. Now, I dont know, hes not the same. This guy needs big help.

The Special Investigations Unit is not investigating. Larkin said Omers injuries were not serious enough to meet the SIUs threshold.

Said has tried connecting with Omer, but says that he is withdrawn. I talked with him on Sunday (July 12). Since being released from police custody, many in his social network say they are concerned for his well-being.

I dont know what happened to him, but hes not in a good shape. Hes not in a good way.

Abdullahi said most of Omers belongings were in his car, which remains impounded. Now hes walking around with only his T-shirt. If you see him now, he has bruises all over his face.
Public health protocols may seem at odds with the culture of kindergarten classrooms, where students learn by sharing toys, singing songs and doing messy crafts  but new provincial guidelines suggest otherwise.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Public health protocols may seem at odds with the culture of kindergarten classrooms, where students learn by sharing toys, singing songs and doing messy crafts  but new provincial guidelines suggest otherwise.

Manitoba Education has released a resource for early-years educators that outlines ways to safely promote play-based learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It remains unclear if kindergarten, which isn't compulsory in Manitoba, or any grade level will resume in physical classrooms in September. The province is expected to announce a decision half-way through the summer, with the options being continued remote learning, mixed learning or a standard return.

In any case, the province is asking kindergarten teachers to consider ways to implement individualized play and outfit classrooms with visual prompts and without plush toys, dress-up clothes, and other items difficult to sanitize.

"Banning play due to the challenges of social distancing is not in childrens best interests," states the document, Learning and Joy in the Pandemic, which backs the provinces existing stance in support of play and in opposition to the use of worksheets in kindergarten.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kindergarten classrooms at Sage Creek School in Winnipeg.

"Play is a powerful antidote to stress and can be very therapeutic for children who may have experienced trauma related to the impacts of COVID-19 on their family."

The document acknowledges maintaining a strict two-metre distance between four- and five-year-olds isnt always practical; instead, it suggests teachers minimize physical contact. Among the suggestions on how to do so: teaching outside; dividing items such as modelling clay into personalized bags; and encouraging pretend play or story acting with figurines rather than physical touch.

Play is a powerful antidote to stress and can be very therapeutic for children who may have experienced trauma related to the impacts of COVID-19 on their family.  Learning and Joy in the Pandemic

Jennifer Iverach-Brereton said shes hopeful the emphasis on play-based learning will extend beyond Manitobas youngest students, as she has both a soon-to-be-kindergarten and third grader. A mother and classroom teacher, Iverach-Brereton said she recognizes no scenario is 100 per cent risk-free, but still wants her children to be able to return to "something resembling the old normal" in the Winnipeg School Division in September.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kindergarten classrooms at Sage Creek School in Winnipeg on Friday, July 17, 2020. For Maggie Macintosh story.Winnipeg Free Press 2020.

According to Learning and Joy in the Pandemic, "young learners continue to need lots of emotional guidance and support in order to feel safe enough to learn"  so much so, it suggests teachers consider whether foregoing a hug as a safety precaution is worth the social-emotional risk of not providing physical connection to a child.

"To introduce children to the school environment is important, but it needs to be done cautiously, and in a way thats safe so kids are comfortable going to school and they can do so without being fearful," said Jennifer Protudjer, a local epidemiologist and scientist at the Childrens Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

Protudjer declined to comment on whether she thinks schools should reopen for in-person instruction in the fall, however, she noted existing research indicates COVID-19 infection rates are lower for children than adults. Approximately two per cent of Manitoba's total positive cases have involved children aged nine and under.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kindergarten classrooms at Sage Creek School in Winnipeg on Friday, July 17, 2020. For Maggie Macintosh story.Winnipeg Free Press 2020.

To introduce children to the school environment is important, but it needs to be done cautiously, and in a way thats safe so kids are comfortable going to school and they can do so without being fearful.  Jennifer Protudjer, a local epidemiologist and scientist at the Childrens Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba

In the Louis Riel School Division, teachers are testing ways to facilitate educational play during a pandemic with the children enrolled in its summer programs, using pool noodles and designated seating arrangements. The assistant superintendent of student services said the division plans to emphasize recess as a time for play-based learning and give students individual kits for hands-on activities in September.

"While we know children learn primarily through play, we know that play also builds resilience and supports the overall well-being of a child," said Marlene Murray. Student well-being, she said, is top of mind as the division plans for September.

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.

Meantime, Winnipeg mother Lindsay Toset remains undecided about whether her children will go back to school in the fall.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kindergarten classrooms at Sage Creek School in Winnipeg on Friday, July 17, 2020. For Maggie Macintosh story.Winnipeg Free Press 2020.

The mother of six said she wants to know how school staff will thoroughly sanitize classrooms throughout the school day, as children  her five-year-old included  tend to touch everything they see.

"Is there going to be a teacher behind (students) wiping everything down?" Toset said, adding she has to be especially cautious because one of her children is immunocompromised.

Toset added she could be swayed, but only if class sizes are halved, teachers implement strict handwashing procedures, and COVID-19 cases in Manitoba remain low.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
In order to resolve the inundation problem faced by India and Nepal, the latter's Water Minister Barshaman Pun has instructed his officials to make arrangements to start talks with the Indian side. Both countries have been facing the inundation problem during monsoon season in which hundreds of people lost lives in the past. The Terai region in the south, of the Himalayan Nation, particularly has been facing serious inundation problems in the last few days in the wake of incessant rainfall.

In a meeting held on Friday, Pun has directed officials to prepare for the 'Nepal-India Joint Committee on Inundation and Flood Management' (JCIFM) where the issue of flooding will be raised.

"Due to the inundation, the Terai region is facing a problem. We would need to call on Indian sides to resolve on the problem created by the dams constructed on their side by calling on the meeting of JCIFM. Start preparations for it," the Minister said.

READ | Nepal ruling party's meeting to decide PM Oli's future postponed for fifth time until Sunday

The annual JCIFM meeting between the two countries is usually conducted in the month of November. However, this year the Nepal Ministry has started on preparations to inform the Indian side with immediate effect after receiving a direct order from the Minister. The Joint Commission formed by India and Nepal to discuss on the issue will be led by Director General of Nepal's Irrigation Department Madhukar Prasad Rajbhandari.

"Annual meeting is held in the month of November but this time we have got the direct order from Minister so we will be informing the Indian side with immediate effect," Secretary at the ministry, Rabindrathan Shrestha said.

READ | Nepal ruling party's meeting to decide PM Oli's future deferred by few hours



Nepal blames India for inundation in Terai region

Earlier this week, Nepal's Minister for Home Affairs had blamed India for the inundation of Terai region during the annual monsoon season. Nepal's Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa further blamed India for constructing structures along the border, which he claimed blocked the flow of water and resulted in the inundation of various places of the country. Thapa had also informed about some diplomatic steps undertaken by the Nepal government in order to solve the issue but said it did not work out well. "Agreements over it were signed at the time of Indian Prime Minister's visit to Nepal but all of them are yet to be implemented," he said.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Water Resources Minister had said last month that Nepal had stopped all repair work of river embankments in Bihar on the India-Nepal border by erecting barriers and effectively putting a stop to work done by India to prevent flooding of its low-lying areas.

READ | Shiv Sena slams KP Oli for 'Ayodhya in Nepal' remark, asks 'did your ancestor trick Babur'

Nepal flood situation

The flooding in Nepal has killed at least 60 people and 41 people have been reported as missing in floods and landslides situation over the last four days in various parts of the country. With 27 deaths Myagdi in Western Nepal becomes the worst affected district.

READ | Bollywood celebrities baffled by Nepal PM's 'Lord Ram isn't Indian' statement, poke fun

(With inputs from ANI)
Scientists report a change in why men seek help for sexual problems, with fewer men complaining about impotence (erectile dysfunction) and premature ejaculation, and more men, especially younger men, complaining about low sexual desire and curvature of the penis (Peyronie's disease).

Presenting the work at the European Association of Urology (virtual) Congress, after recent acceptance for publication, research leader Dr Paolo Capogrosso (San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy) said:

"Over a 10 year period we have seen a real change in what concerns men when they attend sexual health clinics. This is probably driven by greater openness, and men now accepting that many sexual problems can be treated, rather than being something they don't want to talk about".

The success of erectile dysfunction treatments such as Viagra and Cialis, and the availability of new treatments, means that men facing sexual problems have now have treatments for sexual problems which weren't available a generation ago. Now researchers at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan have studied why men come to sexual health clinics, and how this has changed over a 10-year period.

In what is believed to be the first research of its kind, the scientists questioned 3244 male visitors to the San Raffaele Hospital Sexual Health Clinic in Milan over a 10 year period (2009 to 2019), and classified the main reason for the visit. They found that the number of patients visiting with erectile dysfunction problems increased from 2009 to 2013, then started to decrease.

There were comparatively few patients complaining of low sex drive or Peyronie's disease in 2009, but complaints about both of these conditions grow from 2009 to the end of the study. In 2019 men were around 30% more likely to report Peyronie's disease than in 2009, and around 32% more likely to report low sexual desire.

The amount of men complaining of premature ejaculation dropped by around 6% over the 10-year period. The average age of first attendance at the clinical also dropped, from a mean of 61 to 53 years.

"Erectile dysfunction is still the main reason for attending the clinic, but this number is dropping, whereas around 35% of men attending the clinic now complain of Peyronie's disease, and that number has shown steady growth" said Paolo Capogrosso. "Our patients are also getting younger, which may reflect a generational change in attitude to sexual problems".

Dr Capogrosso continued "We need to be clear about what these figures mean. They do not indicate any change in the prevalence of these conditions, what they show is why men came to the clinic. In other words, it shows what they are concerned about. The changes probably also reflect the availability of treatments; as treatments for sexual conditions have become available over the last few years, men are less likely to suffer in silence".

These are results from a single centre, so they need to be confirmed by more inclusive studies. "Nevertheless there seems to be a growing awareness of conditions such as Peyronie's disease, with articles appearing in the popular press**. In addition, we know that the awareness of this condition is increasing in the USA and elsewhere, so this may be a general trend*** " said Dr Capogrosso.

Commenting, Dr Mikkel Fode (Associate Professor of Urology at University of Copenhagen), said:

"Although these data are somewhat preliminary as they stem from single institution they are interesting because they allow us to formulate several hypothesis. For example the drop in men presenting with erectile dysfunction may mean that family physicians are becoming more comfortable addressing this issue and that the patients are never referred to specialized centres. Likewise the simultaneous drop in age at presentation and increase in Peyronie's disease and low sex drive could indicate that both men and their partners are becoming more mindful to optimizing their sex lives. I will be very interesting to see if these trends are also present in other centres around the world."

Dr Fode was not involved in this work, this is an independent comment.

###

Notes

*This work has recently been accepted by the peer-reviewed journal, International Journal of Impotence Research, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41443-020-0324-7

**For example, see recent newspaper articles in the Daily Star, and The Guardian.

***See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26907743

The 35th European Association of Urology conference takes place online from 17-19 July, 2020. This replaces the physical conference which was scheduled to take place in Amsterdam. The EAU conference is the largest and most important urology congress in Europe, with up to 14,000 attendees. Conference website https://eaucongress.uroweb.org/

Type of study: peer-reviewed*/observational study/people
One night in central Kenya, I accompanied rangers on a patrol around the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Methodically we traced the border fence, checking for any breaches or signs of forced entry. Suddenly, out of the darkness, vast shapes loomed towards us.

The rangers, who were not carrying weapons, motioned for us to crouch down completely still as a herd of black rhinoceroses moved past. We remained unmoving for 30 tense minutes. This was their land  not ours.

Over the past five months, as public health systems and economies around the world have buckled under the strain of Covid-19, another crisis has gone largely unnoticed. From the forests of eastern India to the grasslands of Kenya, there is a new conservation emergency.

Lending a hand: Conservation charity patron Evgeny Lebedev in Kenya

We have been told that Botswana has lost 10 per cent of its rhinoceroses since March. Lions have disappeared across Ugandas national parks. Niger has seen a massacre of Dorcas gazelles. And seizures of pangolin scales in Asian ports suggest the animal believed to be ground zero of Covid-19 is still being poached in huge numbers.

My publications  the Independent and Evening Standard  are campaigning in partnership with the Space For Giants charity to stop the illegal wildlife trade.

This is the trade at the heart of Covid-19, which is believed to have emerged from an illegal wet market in China. But the impact of Covid-19 over the past few months has done more damage to the natural world than we had known. Our campaign is thus more urgent than ever.

The tourism freeze has had a disastrous impact on conservation. The implementation of strict quarantine measures in Africa has deprived the continent of the $50 billion ecotourism industry on which many national parks and conservation initiatives rely. Governments are diverting resources away from conservation to manage the effects of coronavirus.

The worldwide economic crisis has deprived many NGOs of the funding they sorely need to protect biodiversity across the world. The head of one prominent international NGO told me last week that his organisations finances were in dire shape, and it may not be able to continue its work.

Space For Giants chief executive Max Graham believes that illegal international wildlife trade gangs are taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to cash in. The Uganda Wildlife Authority said wildlife crime cases had doubled in the past five months, in comparison to last year.

Many locals in South Asia and Africa have also been driven to destitution and forced to hunt wildlife to feed their families. These people, unlike the criminal syndicates, should not be condemned. We are working to help them find alternative sustainable and reliable sources of income.

Rangers: Members of the Maasai tribe in Kenya head out on patrol in May

The Great Plains Foundation, which supports rangers across sub-Saharan Africa to combat poaching, told me it had also heard of a conservation disaster since February.

The foundation has a new concern for the giants of the forest  giraffes. Tanzania has seen a spike in poaching. Giraffes are now believed to be extinct in seven countries and likely number fewer than 50,000 across the African continent.

And this crisis is not limited to Africa. The Habitats Trust reports a 150 per cent increase in poaching in parts of India. Russia has laudably enforced conservation of big cats in the Far East, but I remain fearful for the Amur tigers, which numbered just 500 in 2015.

We may never know the extent of the damage that this public health and economic crisis has wreaked upon the world. It is grotesque and tragically ironic that a crisis with its origins in the illegal wildlife trade has also exacerbated it.

But one thing is now clear to every household in Britain, having endured four months of lockdown. The natural world and the human world are intrinsically linked.

The illegal wildlife trade can no longer be ignored. If we dont stop it now, the worst is yet to come.

Evgeny Lebedev is a newspaper owner and patron of conservation charity Space For Giants.
Everyone knows youre not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but many of us do it anyway. In the case of Joan Bauers 14th novel, RAISING LUMIE (Viking, 288 pp., $16.99; ages 10 to 13), you might see the jacket photograph of a fuzzy yellow Labrador retriever puppy and assume youre in for a cozy, heartwarming tale. You would be wrong. Sort of.

Bauers story of a 12-year-old girl training a guide dog contains plenty of touching and gratifying moments. In fact, its so jam-packed with inspiring canine cuteness I kept having to excuse myself to dole out treats to my exuberant mutt. But Raising Lumie is a wolf in sheeps clothing  a sad story wrapped in an uplifting one whose core you never quite forget, no matter how tickled you are by its woolly exterior.

Like Walt Disney, Bauer wastes no time dispensing with parents. Olive Hudson doesnt remember her mom, who died in a car accident when Olive was 2; her dad, a plumber named Joe, has just died of cancer. (To her credit, Bauer avoids euphemisms like passed.) Olives grandmother is alive and appears to have all her marbles (as my grandmother used to say), but the orphaned middle schooler is dispatched to a different New Jersey town to live with Maudie, a half sister she barely knows. Olive is a list-maker  its how she keeps grief at bay  so in her honor here are some facts about Maudie: She works as a graphic designer. Shes engaged to Roger, whose best asset is a fancy car. Shes unflappable and unfailingly cheerful.

Either Olive is the most amenable adolescent on the planet or the ones in my orbit are just unusually crotchety. Shes sad to leave everything and everyone she has ever known, but also totally game to relocate with Maudie to the Stay Awhile, a big yellow boardinghouse shared by a cast of charmingly quirky residents including a free-range rabbit named Bunster. Olive even performs a plumbing miracle mid-move; she fixes a spraying faucet in the home of a complete stranger, leaving behind a note: This repair is in honor of Joe Hudson, the best plumber in America.
Hyderabad, July 18 : Hyderabad police on Saturday claimed to have busted a kidney racket with the arrest of a youth who cheated a family after collecting Rs 34 lakh from them for arranging a kidney transplant surgery in Sri Lanka or Turkey.

Police arrested 25-year-old D.S. Pavan Srinivas, a native of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and a resident of Hyderabad, who himself had donated a kidney and after realising the huge money potential, started arranging kidney donors.

Joint Commissioner A.R Srinivas told reporters that the accused, a MBA graduate, facilitated around nine kidney transplants.

For each transplant, the accused used to earn a commission of around Rs 6 lakh.

The Banjara Hills police had registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against Pavan in June last year on a complaint by a family which had paid him Rs 34 lakh towards the cost of a kidney transplant surgery, accommodation and payment to a kidney donor.

The police said after collecting the money, the accused had cut off contacts with the family and was missing.

Bijjala Bharathi had lodged a complaint with Banjara Hills police station that they came in contact with Srinivas at a hospital in the city where her husband, a dialysis patient, was undergoing treatment. He promised them to provide donor and get the transplantation done through his known sources in Sri Lanka or Turkey for which he collected the money.

The police investigations revealed that the accused spent the amount lavishly in Casino games in Sri Lanka and cheated the family by not arranging the donor and transplant.

The probe also revealed that after incurring loss in share market, the accused went to Sri Lanka in 2013 where he sold his kidney to get money and developed contacts with some doctors. In order to earn easy money he hatched a plan to work as an agent to provide donors for needy patients. He started to lure poor people through social media and made them ready to donate their kidneys for money.

He used to get the kidney transplants done through his contacts in some hospitals in Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Pavan was involved in three cases registered in the two Telugu states. He had also spent nearly one and half years in jail in Sri Lanka for overstaying.
Joe Biden's campaign bought ads in swing states tomorrow during Chris Wallace's feisty "Fox News Sunday" interview with President Trump.

What he's saying: The minute-long ad, "Tough," will air in the major markets in the six core swing states  Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida and North Carolina.

"I will not abandon you," Biden says in the ad. "We're all in this together. We'll fight this together. And, together, we'll emerge from this stronger than we were before we began."

Between the lines: The ad never mentions Trump's name, but the intention is a stark, dramatic contrast in approach to the virus ("Wear a mask. Wash your hands"), laced with a positive, hopeful message.

In a clip from the hourlong "Fox News Sunday" interview on the steamy patio outside the Oval Office, President Trump tells Chris Wallace that Democrats "want to defund the police, and Biden wants to defund the police."

"Sir, he does not," Wallace counters firmly.

Wallace counters firmly. "Look, he signed a charter with Bernie Sanders ..." Trump begins.

Wallace interrupts: "It says nothing about defunding the police."

Trump responds: "Oh, really? It's says 'abolish.'" He slaps his knees. "Let's go! Get me the charter, please."

The clip ends there. But Wallace told Fox News' Bill Hemmer that Trump "couldn't find any indication  because there isn't any  that Joe Biden has sought to defund and abolish the police."
You studied the way of peace. You studied the way of love, he answered. You studied the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence. We had been taught  by Lawson and King and by each other in the school of nonviolence  never to hate or become bitter, never to lose the sense of hope. And in the process, you may get arrested a few times. You may be beaten and left bloody, left unconscious. In Montgomery, I was hit in the head with a wooden crate, and in Selma, I had a concussion on that bridge. I saw death: I thought I was going to die.
The Executive Director of the National Population Council (NPC), Dr. Leticia Appiah, has called for more and enhanced awareness creation on reproductive health rights and services.

According to her, the country cannot afford to lose the gains made in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has presented the world a chance to address the imbalance to build strong and resilient health system and equitable development of all including women and girls. Healthy and empowered women can bring about the change needed to create a sustainable future for all, she said.

Dr. Appiah noted that as a nation, the NPC and its partners are committed to safeguarding the hard-fought gains and ensuring that SRHR and services stay on the local agenda and maintain the momentum towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.

She was speaking at the launch of the 2020 World Population Day commemorated on July 11 every year to raise awareness on population issues.

The theme for this year: 'putting the brake on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now' seeks to raise awareness on ending maternal deaths, unmet needs for family planning and sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices.

Dr. Appiah indicated that almost one out of three married women who wanted to space or limit the number of children to have do not use any family planning method leading to many unintended pregnancies.

She, thus, urged the media to help the NPC create the needed awareness on family planning in order to generate demand for the service.

The Deputy Director Operations & Advocacy, Marie Stopes Ghana, Patricia Antwi-Boasiako, pledged to support the NPC and called for the need to prioritize and invest in the health of women and girls.

Our ability to achieve the SDGs in 10 years, to safeguard the future of our girls and ensure our development gains are indeed progressive and sustainable depends largely on the investments we make today as a country, she stated.

The UNFPA Deputy Country Director, Dr. Agnes Ntibanyurwa, called on the government to put in place necessary measures to ensure the achievement of the formative goals which are necessary in meeting the SDGs.

---Daily Guide
Republican U.S. Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Michael McCaul, and Democratic U.S Representative Abigail Spanberger have introduced legislation to impose sanctions on Turkey over the purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems, according to a press release by Kinzinger on Friday, Ahval reports.

The bill introduced by the representatives, Countering Russias Export of Arms Act, would designate this acquisition by Turkey as a significant transaction pursuant to Section 231 of the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), the statement read.

NATO members must uphold principles, duties and obligations of the alliance, Kinzinger said. Turkey has continued to make questionable decisions that do not reflect leadership of a NATO nation.

Last year Turkey purchased S-400 systems from Russia, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the country would have liked to purchase the U.S.-made Patriot systems, but that had not been possible. With bipartisan support, the U.S. congress pushed for sanctions against Turkey over CAATSA, but U.S. President Donald Trump halted the efforts at the time. However, Turkey was removed from the F-35 stealth fighter jet programme led by the United States.
A cluster of Covid-19 cases have been detected in the Limavady area (Andrew Milligan/PA Images)

University of Ulster economists have suggested that reducing social distancing from 2m to 1m could save up to 30,000 jobs in Northern Ireland.

The research suggested that 240,000 to 280,000 jobs could be at risk if 2m social distancing remained in place. When the guidance is adjusted to 1m the projected job losses change to 215,000 to 250,000. The research found that the sectors most at risk are retail and hospitality.

Meanwhile, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged Queen's University graduates to believe in the science around the Covid-19 pandemic.

The QUB Chancellor was speaking to graduates via a video for remote graduation ceremonies.

The BBC has reported Mrs Clinton praised graduates for their resolve during the pandemic. "We can solve more problems together than we can alone and that's never been truer than right now," she said.

"Check the source of everything you read or share, vote in every single election," she said.

"Believe in science, including in vaccinations. Wash your hands and if all else fails try meditation or even alternate nostril breathing - seriously, google it."

Read More

Here's how Saturday unfolded:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 23:29:50|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese seafarers and vessels have been exempted from a mandatory 14-day quarantine in Bangladesh, a senior official said here Saturday.

Captain KM Jasim Uddin Sarker, chief nautical surveyor of the Bangladesh's Department of Shipping, told Xinhua in an interview that the decision has been made following the remarkable improvement of COVID-19 situation in China.

"We've amended a circular of February that made mandatory 14-day quarantine for Chinese vessels and seafarers before berthing at our seaports," Sarker said.

They issued a fresh circular last week to make Chinese vessels and seafarers free from quarantine restrictions in Bangladesh waters, he added.

"We've regularly conducted screening of Chinese seafarers onboard Chinese vessels but did not get anyone infected with the virus till date," he said.

Against such circumstances, he said Bangladesh decided to relieve Chinese seafarers and vessels from mandatory quarantine in order to help bolster bilateral trades.

Meanwhile, Sarker said that Bangladesh is in dire need for clearing quickly import consignments at its seaports from China to keep its supply chains uninterrupted and cost effective.

The Chattogram port is so far the country's premier seaport and the gateway for about 90 percent of Bangladesh's and China's bilateral trade, which is expected to hit 20 billion U.S. dollars by 2021 against the backdrop of China's recent announcement to provide tariff exemption for 97 percent of exports from Bangladesh.

With the new announcement, the number of Bangladeshi products with zero duty access to Chinese market has risen to 8,256 this month. Enditem
Since zoning of political offices has become the order of the day in Nigeria, an equitable consensus would follow that Southern Nigeriathe Igbo in particularwill produce the next president of the country, come 2023. But such zoning convention has begun to beg the question: Would the candidacy be open to the entire Igbo nation or would such opportunity be limited to the South-East zone of Nigeria?

The answer is a no brainer: The ticket ought to be open to the entire Igbo nation of the Southern extraction. Here is why.

The proponents of rotational presidency argue that the concept would ensure a sense of belonging among Nigerias disparate ethnic groups. Of the three Nigerian major tribes, namely, the Igbo, Hausa-Fulani, and the Yoruba; only the Igbo are yet to lead the country under a democratic setting.

The Igbo nationthat is, people sharing similar heritage, including culture, names, language, and religionis beyond the South-East zone. But many political pundits understandably like to paint a marginal picture, and the gullible society, the Igbo not excluded, never hesitates to buy the gambit. This distortion has perpetuated because of the fleeting nature of memory in the Nigerian state, where true history has been tabooed.

Besides Igbo indigenous communities in other states; the Ohaneze Ndigbo, the umbrella Igbo socio-cultural group, is a seven-state structure, denoting areas with sizeable Igbo population, namely: Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states. The key offices are also distributed and rotated among the member states.

For example, while the current President General of Ohaneze, Barrister John Nwodo, is from Enugu State of South-East zone, the General Secretary (Barrister Uche Okwukwu) and Vice- President General (Dr. Sylvanus O. Ebigwei) hail from the South-South states of Rivers and Delta, respectively. Needless to mention that Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, an indigene of Delta State, was the Ohaneze President-General between 2009 and 2013.

A defining muddle is that, of the seven Ohaneze states, only Delta and Rivers are in the South-South zone. The implication is that the Igbo indigenous communities have found themselves in the minority among the ethnic nationalities that make up the South-South zone. Therefore, if the presidency is to be zoned based on the existing six zone-structure of Nigeria, a South-South Igbo of this generation cannot realistically aspire to lead the country, his or her credentials notwithstanding.

The foregoing hypothesis was tested in 2007 when the South-South zone lobbied for the presidency. The South-South Igbo, remember, were told in unmistakable terms to explore such ambition whenever it is the turn of their kith and kin in the South-East.

It is on such backdrop that Pa Edwin Clark, the Leader of the South-South zone, made the infamous (or rather the rational) statement that Dr. Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers state, had no moral right to encroach on the turn of the zone. Even though Mr. Odili was arguably the most compelling presidential aspirant of in the 2007 electoral season, he was blackballed mainly because of his Igbo heritage.

The South-South Igbo must not be allowed to suffer a double political whammy. Having been sidelined by their South-South neighbors in 2007, based on ethnic orientation, it behooves the South-East Igbo to accommodate their kith and kin in the race for the 2023 presidency.

Make no mistake about this: The South-East is the only zone in Southern Nigeria that is yet to produce a democratically elected president. Therefore, embarking on the presidential project solely through prism of the South-East can be superficially plain. But the Igbo must be careful not to tempt a pyrrhic victory.

Politics is a game of number. We can take a cue from the political genius of our Hausa-Fulani counterparts. Despite their vastly disparate ethnic origins, the Fulani and the Hausa groups in the three Northern zones have molded into a seemingly homogeneous political block. It is not surprising, therefore, that they show a united front in the different political parties whenever it is the turn of the North to produce the president.

Though the North-West zone has dominated over the years, the people go the extra mile to ensure that the inherent zoning arrangement does not foreclose the aspirations of the Hausa or Fulani-speaking people from the North-East. That is how recent doyens of the North-East politics, such as Adamu Ciroma, Bamanga Tukur, Atiku Abubakar, and Nuhu Ribadu, were able to mount respectable presidential bids.

Broadening the Igbo political map is a win-win. It will offer Nigerians a larger pool of aspirants to choose from. Besides a galaxy of presidential aspirants from the South-East, it would also address the aspirations of the South-South Igbo, particularly those in their prime, for example, Patrick Utomi, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Ifeanyi Okowa, Tony Elumelu, Peter Odili, Mike Okiro, Chibuike Amaechi, and Nyesom Wike, to name a few.

Unity is power. A united Igbo front has a better chance of winning the zoning debate, to begin with. Further, a Nigerian presidential project anchored through the entire Igbo nation has the potential to unite the people towards common purpose. It can halt the defeatist trajectory of postwar politics and de-Igbonization policy of successive national governments, which have combined to fracture the Igbo unity to the point where some never hesitate to deny their Igbo heritage either for post-war survival or in exchange of political porridge. It can equally instill commonsense to those who use mere political affiliations or boundaries to assume superior Igbo heritage over the others.

Igbo bu Igbo! The hint is that the South-East and South-South Igbo share a common destiny in the Nigerian experience. And they ought to share good fortunes, as they did past misfortunes. For instance, the South-East Igbo bore (or have continued to bear) the brunt of the first Nigeria coup, led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, a South-South Igbo. Similarly, the South-South Igbo were not spared by the actions of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a South-East Igbo, who led the Biafran war. The bond between the two Igbo groups is not lost in the fact that they have sustained similar voting patterns in national elections, despite postwar feuds, orchestrated by successive national governments.

A Nigerian president of Igbo extraction will not only heal the wounds of the past, it is also a bold step in harnessing the countrys abundant potential towards the greater good. It is an opportunity for equity and justice. It is an opportunity to assuage the long-standing distrust against Igbo-speaking people of Nigeria. It is a profound opportunity for the Igbo to reverse the downward spiral of distrust created among themselves by artificial post-civil war boundaries.

Dr. SKC Ogbonnia, a former presidential aspirant, writes from Ugbo, Awgu, Enugu State.

Twitter: @ SKCOgbonnia


Special Forces sniper teams have targeted British jihadis in fierce cave battles in the mountains of northern Iraq, killing at least 100 fighters in a secret war to crush an Islamic State resurgence.

In scenes similar to the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan after 9/11, elite SAS troops have tracked IS killers, including British volunteers, to their hideouts in the remote highlands.

They have then taken them out using sniper rifles, artillery rounds and precision airstrikes launched from RAF Typhoon jets and unmanned UK Reaper drones.

Elite SAS troops have tracked IS killers, including British volunteers, to their hideouts in the remote highlands

Defence sources last night confirmed that there have been at least ten battles in northern Iraq in the past three months, with further secret operations in neighbouring Syria.

Several UK jihadis are understood to have been killed in the fighting, many of whom had escaped from desert prison camps and returned to their military units.

They took shelter in rugged terrain in northern Iraq where Islamic State uses a network of caves and tunnels to avoid capture.

The renewed assault began on April 10 when UK ground troops, accompanied by British-trained Kurdish soldiers, forced fanatics to take refuge in a building before an SAS radio operator called in two Typhoons based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and a drone flown by controllers at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

How elite troops waged secret war' 1) April 28 Two RAF Typhoons destroy caves in the Hamrin mountains, in the north-east of Bayji, Iraq, where Islamic State fighters are hiding, killing ten militants. Six caves are targeted with Paveway IV bombs in the night-time attack, with British jihadis among the dead. 2) May 8 An unmanned Reaper drone (pictured, top), controlled from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, strikes an IS bunker in northern Iraq using a laser-guided bomb. 3) May 10 Two Typhoons are sent on a reconnaissance mission patrol. US Special Forces are notified of IS fighters in caves near Lake Tharthar, south-east of Hatra. Three militants are killed. 4) May 13 An RAF Reaper drone strikes two IS bunkers in northern Iraq, west of Tuz Khurmatu. It is not known how many are killed. 5) May 23 A Reaper drone kills IS fighters found hiding in woods in northern Iraq. Military equipment and explosives belonging to the fighters are also destroyed. 6) May 31 IS fighters tracked to a mountain lair 17 miles west of Tuz Khurmatu are hit by a GBU-12 bomb and Hellfire missile. 7) June 3 A pair of Typhoons are involved in a coalition Air Force attack on an IS headquarters, 35 miles north-west of Kirkuk. 8) June 22 An IS IED storage facility is identified 35 miles north-west of Tikrit. Two Typhoons drop four bombs on a cave network. 9) June 24 Another cave network in the Makhmur Mountains is destroyed by four Paveway bombs. Advertisement

A dramatic night battle between the SAS and Islamic State followed on April 28. At least ten militants were killed when Special Forces soldiers found jihadis hiding in caves in the Hamrin mountains.

Again, the RAF was called in to provide cave-busting firepower. According to debriefing reports, Paveway IV laser-guided bombs were dropped on to six caves before SAS and Kurdish troops cleared the entire complex.

The attacks in April were followed by five battles in May where the RAF launched fighter jets and drones. Last night, a defence source said: The regiment has been having a field day. Its been hard soldiering in tough conditions, very hot and mountainous, and Islamic State fights to the death.

Around 100 militants have been eliminated. There was a major battle every few days in May followed by some big clashes in June too.

The RAFs bombing has been very accurate with no civilian casualties and there have definitely been British jihadis among the deceased. Theyve been identified during the battle in communications intercepts and afterwards from ID cards and by DNA.

It is imperative that IS doesnt get a foothold in the region again.

According to official Ministry of Defence accounts, the RAF dropped ordnance on IS bases on May 8, 10, 13, 23 and 31. The Typhoons and Reapers have fired GBU-12 guided bombs, Paveway IV missiles and Hellfire missiles. There have been no reports of any SAS casualties.

Further engagements were noted on June 3, 22 and 24, says the MoD.

IS lost its deadly stranglehold on Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2018 but its fighters have been reforming, triggering a response from British and Coalition special forces.

Earlier this year, its leaders also called on followers to exploit the global Covid pandemic to launch attacks.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: The use of RAF jets and Reaper aircraft to deliver successful strikes against terrorists and their hideouts demonstrates that the UKs defence never sleeps and we will always do what is necessary to protect our people.
Kangana Ranaut starrer Queen, which has been remade in four southern languages, is all set for direct-to-OTT release, according to a report by Cinema Express. Queen was the story of self-exploration of a young girl, played by Kangana, who embarks on her honeymoon to Paris alone after her fiance calls off the wedding.

The Tamil version, which has been titled Paris Paris, stars Kajal Aggarwal in the lead. Tamannaah Bhatia plays the lead role in the Telugu version of the remake, which is titled That Is Mahalakshmi. The Kannada version has been titled Butterfly and stars Parul Yadav. Manjima Mohan features in the titular role in the Malayalam version of the film, which has been titled Zam Zam.

As per the report, all the four versions of the films are most likely to release on Amazon Prime soon. The films which were completed long back have been lying in the cans for a long time.

Both Kajal Aggarwal and Tamannaah Bhatia have pinned high hopes on these projects. On signing the project, Tamannaah had said in a media interaction that the original Queen will be recreated in its Telugu version. Its an exciting project and I love doing roles that talk about women empowerment. Im confident we can recreate the magic of the original. At the same time, not make our film look like a frame-to-frame remake. Well adapt it to suit Telugu sensibilities.

Also read: Shekhar Kapur reacts to R Balkis find me better actors than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor comment: Just saw Kai Po Che again

A huge fan of Queen, Tamannaah said she always wanted to be part of its remake. I wasnt even sure if it was going to be remade. What makes Queen special is that its one of those rare women-centric films which succeeded in reaching out to everybody, across all sections of the audience.

Kajal Aggarwal, on the other hand, had told Hindustan Times that shes very particular that the original will be adapted to Tamil sensibilities. The makers of the film and I are very clear that we want to adapt Queen to Southern sensibilities, and do it our own way. While the script will essentially remain the same, the treatment will be personalized. I will also add my own touch to the role, she said.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Overall, the domestic FMCG market bounced back to levels of 98 in June compared with 75 in May and 101 in March before the nationwide lockdown was announced. The pre-Covid March index for foods was 103, and for non-foods, it was 99.

IMAGE. Actress Samantha Akkineni trying on beauty aids. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Courtesy, Samantha Akkineni on Instagram.

Indias Rs 4.3-trillion fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market rebounded in June to pre-Covid-19 sales levels, but a big surprise was that the revival was led by the beauty category.

The data shared by market research agency Nielsen on Friday showed that the category saw a sharp recovery in June versus other contributors to growth, including food, hygiene and rural.

On an index of 100, non-foods, led by beauty, stood at 104 in June as against 72 in May, Nielsen said. In foods, the index was 94 in June versus 78 in May. And in rural, it was 109 in June versus 84 in May.

Overall, the domestic FMCG market bounced back to levels of 98 in June compared with 75 in May and 101 in March before the nationwide lockdown was announced. The pre-Covid March index for foods was 103, and for non-foods, it was 99.

Within hygiene, toilet soaps, a large category, rebounded to levels of 114 in June versus 96 in May. It was constant at 100 in March. Floor cleaners revived to levels of 118 in June versus 86 in May and 111 in March, said Nielsen. April was not considered for the study because it was a period of complete lockdown, the researcher said.

Prasun Basu, president, South Asia, Nielsen, attributes the growth in the beauty segment in June to hoarding behaviour visible in the category.

In the initial phase of the lockdown, the emphasis was mostly on stockpiling essential products, Basu said.

As the country moved into the Unlock phase in June, non-essential services began opening up. At the same time, consumers wanted to break free to some extent from their restricted living, wanting to lay their hands on products they had missed during the lockdown. The surge seen in the beauty category is on account of this," Basu said.

While hoarding behaviour typically does not last long, Basu says the uptick in the beauty category augurs well for the overall FMCG market. "Not everything is in recession, he said.

At a time when consumers remain cautious of their purchase basket, it is heartening to note that there is some spending outside of daily-use items. We are watching this trend closely," he said.

Yet, most experts warn that the financial year 2020-21 (FY21) will not be easy for businesses in general. On Thursday, ratings agency ICRA revised its forecast for contraction in the country's gross domestic product in FY21 to 9.5 per cent from 5 per cent earlier, as local lockdowns have affected recovery, it said.

Basu said the impact of these localised lockdowns would be limited, in line with what some other brokerages such as Motilal Oswal and Sharekhan have said in their recent reports. "Local lockdowns are mostly in big cities. As of now, the impact will be limited to these places, as lockdowns have not moved to small towns and cities.

But, as the infection spreads, we would have to keep an eye on the impact on business," Basu said.

India has crossed the 1-million mark in terms of Covid-19 cases and remains the third most affected country in the world due to the disease, after the US and Brazil.

A survey by Nielsen done in June shows that consumers remain bearish about travelling, dining out and spending on luxury products, choosing to indulge in these passions after the health crisis has eased.

As far as the beauty category goes, looking and feeling good matters, prompting segments such as deodorants to jump to levels of 120 in June from 19 in May. It was constant at 100 in March.

Hair colour, on the other hand, has moved to levels of 102 in June from 43 in May and 100 in March.

Skin care stands at 82 in June versus 48 in May and 87 in March.
WESTBROOK, Maine - Workers at a red-brick factory called American Roots had to decide amid a pandemic whether to come back to work. Instead of the usual sweatshirts and knit caps, they would churn out masks to protect front-line workers from the novel coronavirus. Or they could take the safer route: Stay home and collect unemployment.Almost all were immigrants from Africa or the Middle East, and workers said none of them flinched when they gathered on the factory floor that morning in March. Everyone voted to keep stitching.

"I'm not scared," said Maria Lutina, 42, an asylum seeker from Angola and the factory's head stitcher who helped design the masks. "Americans, they need it."

Immigrants and refugees help power Maine, America's oldest and whitest state, by picking blueberries, packing meat and tending to the elderly far from the fancy resorts on Vacationland's rocky coast. But in a state that has one of the lowest rates of coronavirus infections, a pattern has emerged: Black Mainers - many of them immigrants - have been infected at disproportionate rates, accounting for approximately 23% of the cases in a state where they are less than 2% of the population. American Roots has not been spared; state officials announced Thursday that 11 employees have tested positive for the virus.

Two of the state's 115 coronavirus deaths have been among black Mainers, who health officials said tend to be younger and less likely to exhibit symptoms of the virus's disease, covid-19. But advocates for immigrants say many have been ill, and a state lawmaker warned that black residents in Maine and nationwide are facing the "twin pandemics" of systemic racism that hinders access to health care, and a virus that has disproportionately infected people of color.

The most recent state data show that at least 836 of more than 3,600 Mainers who have had the coronavirus are black. Maine does not collect data for immigrants, following federal guidelines, but officials said contact tracing showed that many of those affected are immigrants or their children. Latinos account for a smaller number of cases, about 145 infections.

Leaders of immigrant organizations said Maine initially was slow to offer testing, provide bilingual contact tracers and directly invest in immigrant organizations that know the communities best. Much of the initial funding went to mostly white-led organizations who that subcontract with immigrant groups.

State officials say they are scrambling to address the racial disparity by expanding testing and health care, and finding ways to provide direct aid to immigrant groups to prevent the virus's spread. Officials are also hiring more bilingual staff members and have translated coronavirus information into at least 11 other languages.

"We know we've had long-standing racial disparities in our health-care system, and we know that racism is a problem in Maine, as it is elsewhere," said Jeanne Lambrew, the state's Health and Human Services commissioner. "So we are trying to obviously act with urgency because we are trying to prevent what we're seeing from getting worse."

Nationwide, the vast majority of black people are native-born U.S. citizens, according to the Census Bureau, but in more than a dozen states including New York, Massachusetts, the Dakotas and Minnesota, large shares of the black population are immigrants. They face racial discrimination and language or cultural barriers that can impede efforts to stop the coronavirus's spread, such as public briefings about the pandemic that are only in English.

Almost half the black people in Maine are immigrants, the highest share in the nation. Most are from African nations including Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Although the spread of the coronavirus among black residents has slowed in recent weeks, advocates for immigrants warn that conditions in Maine are ripe for a spike in infections if officials do not reach immigrants directly.

Ines Mugisha, a 34-year-old immigrant from Burundi, said her husband, a home health-care aide for people with mental disabilities, caught the virus in recent weeks and spread it to her and their small children, including an 18-month old son. She said the couple had fevers and headaches, and they have recovered.

"We're still scared," she said.

Fatuma Hussein, a Somali refugee and community leader in Lewiston, a city of 36,000 about an hour's drive from Westbrook, said advocates knew instantly that the fast-spreading coronavirus "would be a disaster" for immigrants - one reason they urged the state to ramp up efforts to prevent the virus's spread. Many immigrants have large families with eight to 10 children packed into tenements in the state's cities. They carpool to work and to the grocery store, and some wrongly believed the virus would not affect them.

"Both sides, they weren't working for us," said Hussein, the executive director of the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine, based in Lewiston. "And then it was too late."

The criticism overshadowed a new gubernatorial administration that has attempted to strike a more welcoming tone for immigrants, who account for less than 4% of Maine's population. But immigrants are increasingly filling jobs as home health-care aides and grocery store clerks in a state that had more deaths than births last year.

Former Gov. Paul LePage, a white Republican who left office last year after term limits kicked in, had attempted to block refugees from coming to Maine, and called asylum seekers the state's biggest problem.

Mainers replaced him with Gov. Janet Mills, a white Democrat who had defended immigrants as the state attorney general and welcomed hundreds of asylum seekers from Africa last year after they showed up at the southern U.S. border with Mexico.

Mills said she would meet with representatives of immigrant, racial and ethnic groups about the coronavirus and pledged to "work to reduce these inequities."

"It is deeply disheartening, and, frankly, unacceptable to me that Maine is confronting such significant racial disparities," Mills said in a statement, adding that the pandemic "has laid bare the deep-seated inequities and racism in our society that deserve our attention."

On a warm summer afternoon last week in downtown Lewiston, on a street lined with Somali shops and groceries that some call "Little Mogadishu," Hussein and an assistant used some of their funding to canvass the neighborhood to hand out masks and information about where to get a coronavirus test.

As soon as Hussein stepped into the street, traffic stopped. Drivers waved. Pedestrians shouted hello. A woman stuck her head out a first-floor window and said she did not have any masks for her family.

"How many do you need, my sister?" Hussein called out.

"Ten, all of us. Thank you," said Makia Djidrine, a 35-year-old who fled the Central African Republic and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. She has two children. Her brother has six.

Hussein said it is this type of direct canvassing that can make the biggest difference for immigrants. Many fled violent regimes and do not trust the government. But they trust Hussein.

As she made her way to Kennedy Park, three maskless young Somali women tried to dodge Hussein as they glided down the street.

"I'm your auntie," Hussein scolded them in English and Somali. "You can't just walk away."

Wishing they were at the beach, instead of listening to a lecture about covid-19, they rolled their eyes at Hussein and her bag of masks.

"We can't breathe in the mask," said one who declined to give her name.

Each took a mask and put it on, and some extras to bring home.

"You know we've had a lot of coronavirus," Hussein said seriously. "Please tell your relatives."

In Westbrook, a city of 19,000 on the banks of the Presumpscot River in southeast Maine, the textile industry had all but dried up when Ben Waxman moved back to his home state in early 2013. He had spent years as a top official with the AFL-CIO in Washington and dreamed of following his mother, Dory, who ran a woolen goods company, into the textile business.

Waxman said the skilled labor that disappeared with the textile mills was difficult to find, and he and co-owner, his wife, Whitney, could not have opened his company two years later without immigrants eager to learn how to stitch. Immigrants are now 80% of the staff.

"If this isn't what America is all about, I don't know what is," he said.

A naturalized citizen from Iraq is the union president. Other employees hail from Congo, Ethiopia and Vietnam. They have a prayer room for Muslims. Many of the company's employees weathered unspeakable violence and war before they guided the Waxmans through the roller-coaster ride of owning a business.

The Waxmans faced financial ruin in 2018 after a big order of sweatshirts disintegrated in the wash. Lutina, the head stitcher, prodded the couple to keep going, telling the Waxmans their company would one day be bigger than L.L. Bean, whose headquarters are about 30 minutes from American Roots.

"We will get through this," Lutina said.

American Roots did.

"That really resonated with me," Waxman said. "They walked out of war-torn countries with the clothes on their backs. ... If they could get through something horrible, why couldn't Whitney and I lead the company through something horrible?"

Now the crisis is the coronavirus. American Roots had fewer than 30 employees when the virus hit. Once the company switched to making masks, the staff expanded to more than 100, creating jobs for immigrants and native-born Americans alike.

"I'm scared," said Ragad Abo Al Jaaz, a 35-year-old floor supervisor and refugee from Iraq who came to the United States with her family in 2011. They were fleeing threats because her husband had worked for the U.S. Embassy. But, she said, "it's what I do. These masks can help a lot people in America."

Waxman said he has tried to keep everyone safe. Everyone's temperatures are checked before each shift, sewing machines are spaced six feet apart, and the factory is cleaned daily.

But, last week, Waxman learned that one worker had tested positive for the coronavirus. Then a second. They shut down the factory for sanitizing and testing, and discovered that 11 employees in all had the virus, although Waxman said none had symptoms of covid-19.

The stitchers and cutters who did not have the virus had to decide once more whether to come back to work.

They started Friday.
The European Union is warning the Trump administration to hold off threatening trade sanctions against EU companies involved in the completion of new German-Russian and Turkish-Russian natural gas pipelines and instead discuss differences as allies. This week, the Trump administration warned companies involved in the projects they will be subject to US penalties unless they halt their work.

The move has further increased tension in already fraught US-European ties.

I am deeply concerned at the growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the United States against European companies and interests," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement, adding similar attempts had already been made in cases involving Iran, Cuba and the International Criminal Court.

Where policy differences exist, the European Union is always open to dialogue. But this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions," Borrell said. European policies should be determined here in Europe, not by third countries."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this week the administration is ending grandfather clauses that had spared firms previously involved in the pipelines' construction from sanctions authorized by the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a 2017 law aimed at punishing Russia, in particular, for interference in U.S. elections and other matters.

The move opens the door for U.S. economic and financial penalties to be imposed on any European or other foreign company over the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream piplelines, including those that had been working on the projects before the passage of the act and had been previously exempted from the penalties.

Borrell said that as a matter of principle the European Union opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business."

The Trump administration has lobbied Europe, particularly Germany, to abandon the pipelines, which it believes put Europe under greater influence from Russia, which has used its energy exports as political leverage.

Pompeo called the pipeline projects the the Kremlin's key tools to exploit and expand European dependence on Russian energy supplies, which he said ultimately undermine trans-Atlantic security.
When will a coronavirus vaccine be ready? That is perhaps one of the most pertinent questions right now. While most experts seem to believe that a COVID vaccine could only be available by mid-2021, some are still optimistic for some positive news by the end of this year. For instance, analyst Goldman Sachs believes that a coronavirus vaccine could be approved by the end of the year. According to Goldman, chances of success in 2020 is enhanced by multiple vaccine programmes currently under trial -- Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford University-AstraZeneca, Inovio Pharma and Sinovac. Goldman Sach's forecast predicts Moderna and Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine candidates to be the first ones to pass regulatory hurdles. It said that multiple COVID vaccines would be required to treat the global population.

Here are the latest coronavirus vaccine updates:

Bharat Biotech: The company on Friday announced that Phase I clinical trials have been initiated on 15 July for "India's first Indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, COVAXIN." This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 375 volunteers in India, the company said. It further puts the estimated duration of trials as one year and three months. Experts believe that it may be reasonable to assume that the company's COVID vaccine would be ready in 2021. Bharat Biotech said that "the study is designed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, tolerability, and immunogenicity of three groups of healthy volunteers who receive two intramuscular doses of BBV152 vaccine formulations."

Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: Zydus Cadila expects early-2021 release; Oxford hopes for 'human challenge trials'

Zydus Cadila: Company Pankaj Patel said that they expect the coronavirus vaccine candidate to be out in the market by March. "We are looking at about seven or a little more than seven months for the vaccine, provided the data is encouraging and the vaccine is proven to be effective during the trials. We are also open to discussing partnerships with pharma companies in various geographies, but it is a bit premature right now, and we will be doing so at the end of Phase 1 and 2 trials," he said.

Serum Institute of India-Oxford University: CEO Adar Poonawalla said that the manufacturer aims to produce millions of doses in the next three months. In an interview to Indian Express, Poonawall said, "I cannot comment on the amount of doses we have made so far, but we plan to make millions of doses over the next three months after we get the manufacturing license. We have committed hundreds of millions of dollars in Capex and Opex to start producing the vaccine." Poonawalla said that it will be long before everyone gets a dose of the vaccine due to the number of doses required per person. He also said that there is no guarantee that the first coronavirus vaccine would be the best one.

Meanwhile, David Carpenter, Chairman of the Berkshire Research Ethics Committee said that the Oxford University vaccine team is 'absolutely on the right track'. "Nobody can put final dates... things might go wrong but the reality is that by working with a big pharma company, that vaccine could be fairly widely available around September and that is the sort of target they are working on," he said.

Serum Institute of India would manufacture the Oxford University COVID vaccine candidate. Oxford is collaborating with AstraZeneca for the vaccine.

BioNTech: China will begin conducting tests for the German company's COVID-19 vaccine candidate. China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) accepted an application submitted by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical's unit Fosun Pharmaceutical Industrial for the trials. The candidate is already undergoing trials in Germany and the US.

The European Union is negotiating advance purchase deals of COVID-19 vaccines with drugmakers Moderna, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson and biotech firms BioNtech and CureVac. The EU plans to purchase 400 million doses for all 27 EU nations.

Also read: COVAXIN's phase-1 trials start; COVID-19 vaccine likely by 2021 end
Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Medard Chouart Des Groseilliers were French explorers and beaver-fur brokers who made their challenging and precarious living in remote Canada in the 1600s. Thats a very long time ago and trustworthy personal accounts of that time are thin at best.

As kids we studied them in school in the 1950s, but were more inclined to play with their names than to delve into their extraordinary stories. Our history books told us that they were lesser figures compared to explorers like Champlain, Cartier and Cabot.

Now, however, Mark Bourrie, an Ottawa journalist and university professor, has put together an eye-opening study. Its called Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson (2019). It was published by Biblioasis in Windsor, Ontario and won the prestigious RBC Taylor Prize this past spring.

Bush Runner is not an easy book to read (I found the editing sloppy at times and the situations highly complex), but it offers many rewards, especially to a reader keen to know more about early Canadian history. It takes you not only into the intricacies of royalist capitalism and big business in Europe but, more importantly it focuses on the early days of European contact with the Indigenous peoples and tribal confederacies along the St. Lawrence River, as well as in the Great Lakes and Hudsons Bay regions.

Bourrie sees the resilient and resourceful Radisson as the Forrest Gump of his time. He ventured widely and crossed paths with the most interesting people of the day. He was on good terms with numerous Indigenous peoples in North America, had connections with Louis XIV and his court at Versailles, and with Charles II of England (and his court of scoundrels, traitors, and ex-pirates); he also spent extended periods in Spain, the Caribbean and the sub-Arctic.

For Bourrie, Radisson was a more interesting figure than his brother-in-law Groseilliers. He sees him as wide-eyed and attractive while Groseilliers is grumpy and disagreeable. Radisson was no hero in the way we usually measure such things, but he was a literate Frenchman and a business strategist who did not shy from daunting challenges. As an enterprising fur-trader, he was able to win financial support from those in high places, but had to rely always on his wits and toughness when facing life-and-death situations. For Bourrie, he was, at best, an eager hustler with no known scruples; yet, in all his undertakings he was utterly without fear of anyone and he travelled when and where few people were willing to go.

Though he was not a major explorer, he left his mark in many ways, not least as a founder of the Hudsons Bay Company  and, remember, he was a Frenchman and a Catholic in an era of religious war and strife.

Radissons French roots were perhaps a little more privileged than Bourrie allows for. His self-presentation and his spectacular language skills set him apart. However, in all his writings he provided no account of his parents or his education. Nor does he explain why in 1652, at age 15, he found himself living with his half-sister at the little fur trading fort at Trois-Rivieres.

There in 1652, while out duck-hunting with two friends, he was captured by an Iroquois hunting party. They killed the other two, but adopted him, treating him at first as a closely-watched prisoner and then as an adoptive brother. He admired the Mohawks as much as they did him; they made him one of their own and effectively gave him, as a teenager, a new self; ever restless, however, he escaped his Mohawk family in October 1653 and took refuge with the Dutch forces who were selling guns to the Iroquois Confederacy from Fort Albany. With Dutch support and Jesuit financial help he got back to Europe and ended up in New Rochelle, France, whence he managed to return to Canada.

Radissons movements and motives are not easy to trace and depend mostly on accounts he later wrote for King Charles II and King James II in England. Back in Trois-Rivieres in 1854 he met the older Groseilliers. Radisson was then employed by the Jesuits in their missionary outreach and was later financed by the French government who wanted control of the fur trade as a means of securing their now vulnerable footing in the new world. The two traders, aided by the Cree and the Odawa, made impressive inroads into the vast fur-trading potential around the Great Lakes.

Careful not to antagonize the powerful Iroquois, they travelled by canoe to Lake Superior and ventured into what is now Michigan and Wisconsin. The trip proved highly successful. By canoe they brought back thousands of packs of beaver pelts; however, while their French investors were thrilled, the bureaucrats in Montreal slapped heavy taxes on Radisson and Groseilliers. Infuriated by this treatment, their only recourse was to seek reparation back in France. So much work and exhausting travel for so little profit and recognition!

Angered by the lack of French support, the two turned to the English government under Charles II. In Charless court Radisson was a particularly striking and popular personage. While his stories charmed the king, new investors were encouraged to finance a fresh fur-trading approach, one that would change forever control of the land that we call Canada.

From 1665 to 1667 Radisson spent time in and around London convincing authorities to take advantage of Fort Nelson in Hudsons Bay as a new access point for fur-trade activity. These were the years of The Plague in London while in Canada the Iroquois had effectively closed off the Ottawa River route to safe trading. A new route was essential and it proved highly successful. However, when in 1670 the Hudsons Bay Company was granted a royal charter, Radisson and Groseilliers received neither stocks nor recognition from the Company.

Under such circumstances loyalty mattered little. The two traders then turned back to the French but met with little success. Shunned again, it was back to England and the support of James II for whom Radisson wrote about his Hudsons Bay voyages. But political instability in Europe remained his enemy; James II was overthrown in 1688. Radisson later sued the HBC to preserve the gratuity that the Company had granted him; he won, but the Company would not grant him founders status, a recognition he felt he deserved. He died in London in 1710, his path-breaking work in the fur trade mostly forgotten.

There is much more to Radissons incredible story. Little is known about the lives of his several wives and children. There is the issue of the reliability in his written accounts. Can we trust Radisson, Bourrie asks. His answer is Yes and no. Then there were his many interactions with the Indigenous peoples of North America, involving torture, murder, and cannibalism. But, as the book makes clear, Radisson was an invader into a sophisticated and complex Indigenous world that spread along North American waterways. He especially admired the Iroquois from whom he learned so much.

While Bourries book does not promise a deep examination of the culture and beliefs of Indigenous people, it brings that many-faceted, once-self-sufficient world alive for readers today.
Nine out of 12 Pakistani pilots with a valid working contract with Vietnamese airlines have been confirmed by the Pakistani government to be using legal and authentic licenses, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) said on Friday.

The other three pilots are still pending verification, according to Ho Minh Tan, head of the aviation safety standards department at CAAV.

The CAAV said it had received confirmation from the Pakistani Embassy in Hanoi.

The confirmation came more than three weeks after the CAAV asked Pakistani authorities to verify the legitimacy of the licenses carried by 27 Pakistani pilots working for Vietnamese airlines over fake qualification concerns.

As of June 25, 15 of the 27 pilots had left their jobs at the Vietnamese carriers, so the Pakistani side only verified the credentials of the remaining 12 Pakistani pilots, the CAAV said.

The Pakistani Embassy in Hanoi also affirmed that all CPL/ATPL licenses administered by the Pakistani aviation regulator are legitimate and valid.

No licenses issued by Pakistani authorities are fake, contrary to previous media reports, the embassy said.

CPL stands for commercial pilot license while ATPL is air transport pilot license. They allow flying for a hire and as an airline pilot, respectively.

Earlier, upon hearing about Pakistani authorities revelation that over 250 pilots had been fraudulently granted licenses, the CAAV directed all Vietnamese airlines to review their Pakistani pilots.

There had been 27 Pakistani pilots licensed to work in Vietnam by the CAAV by June 25, of whom six were registered to work for Vietnam Airlines, 17 for Vietjet Air, and four for Pacific Airlines, formerly known as Jetstar Pacific.

Twelve were still working for Vietjet and Pacific Airlines as of June 25, while the remainder had either finished their contracts or returned home due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

At that time, the CAAV grounded the Pakistani pilots while the Vietnamese carriers said they had not assigned the pilots in question on any recent flight.

None of the pilots has been involved in a flight incident or flight safety threat while flying for Vietnamese airlines, the CAAV noted.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) once again lowered its economic growth forecast for the Middle East - North African region, with a warning of a recession of 5.7% this year, possibly even as high as 13% in certain countries experiencing conflict. This is double the 2.4% recession rate forecasted in April. This is the worst forecast in 50 years. Economies that rely heavily on energy revenue from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are forecast to see recession reductions of 7.1%, while the previous forecast was 4.4%. In oil importing countries, a deep budget deficit will cause public debt to soar to 95% of GDP by the end of this year. Oil importing countries also face a decline in foreign currency sent home by migrant workers, which is a significant source of revenue.

The consequences of the economic downturn are increased unemployment, poverty, budget deficit and public debt, and the risk of social outburst. In the context that about 25 million foreign workers living and working in GCC countries make up half of the population of these countries, the economic downturn is seriously affectingthese workers. It is forecast that the number of employees in the GCC will decrease by 13% this year, depriving about 1.7 million people in Saudi Arabia and 900,000 people in the UAE of work.

Iraq is facing a liquidity crisis after oil prices plummeted, forcing the country to drastically reduce social benefits that provide the backbone for millions of government employees and reduce the budget burden. Saudi Arabia has had to postpone large-scale projects. Additional cuts came after the country's foreign exchange reserves were estimated to have a deficit of about US$500 billion. Kuwait's foreign exchange reserves are also expected to decline, while Bahrain is expected to shoulder a debt of 105% of GDP in 2020 despite receiving a US$10 billion bailout package from neighbouring countries.

Countries in the Middle East have suffered heavy losses as most of their economic activities have been delayed. Oil prices fell by two-thirds, sometimes even resting at negative levels, causing oil exporters in the region to expect a loss of about US$270 billion in their "black gold" revenue. Meanwhile, GDP per capita in countries with instability is forecast to decrease from US$2,900 in 2018-2019 to US$2,000 this year. According to the IMF, this is a catastrophic decline, aggravating humanitarian and economic challenges and increasing poverty, leading to the risk of social unrest if governments do not effectively control the situation. Rising unemployment, poverty and injustice pose great challenges for governments in the region.

In addition to the economic stimulus packages that have been offered by most countries, easing restrictions on oil production is considered key to offseting the declining revenue in the oil powers, including many countries in the Middle East - North African region. However, according to analysts, the relaxation of oil production cuts still faces risks because the unpredictable developments of the pandemic could continue affecting global oil demand.

Countries in the region have taken many measures to overcome the crisis period, however, numerous challenges are still facing economies in the Middle East - North African region as there still remain many hot spots of conflict in the region.
Dusty Lego-style toys are scattered in the playground of an elementary school in Los Angeles (Jae C Hong/AP)

Millions more children in the US learned on Friday that they are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in autumn because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The countrys two most populous states each reported roughly 10,000 new cases and some of their highest death counts since the pandemic began, while big numbers in Florida and Arizona are also helping drive the US resurgence that is forcing states to rethink the school year.

California Governor Gavin Newsom laid out strict criteria for school reopenings that makes classroom instruction unlikely for most districts.

The Democrats rules mandate that students above second grade and all staff wear masks.

Expand Close Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, joined by Chicago Public Schools chief Dr Janice K Jackson, left rear, announce a preliminary reopening framework for public schools (E Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune via AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, joined by Chicago Public Schools chief Dr Janice K Jackson, left rear, announce a preliminary reopening framework for public schools (E Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune via AP)

Texas gave public schools permission to stay closed for more than 5 million students well into the fall.

Under the guidelines, schools can hold online-only instruction for up to the first eight weeks, potentially pushing a return to campus in some cities until November.

Most Chicago children would return to the classroom just two days a week and spend the other three days learning remotely under a tentative plan outlined by officials from the nations third-largest school district.

A final decision for fall classes for the districts more than 300,000 students will not come until late August.

Meanwhile Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced she will override school districts and require students to spend at least half of their schooling in classrooms, drawing criticism from the state teachers union.
The theme of a book just published in English with the intriguing title Humankind, written by the Dutch historian and writer Rutger Bregman is, the radical idea that most people deep down are pretty decent. If this realisation does represent reality, it could give new meaning to the slogan minimum government maximum governance. If we felt able to trust in each others decency, then there would be less space for governments.

The Commons are an example of trust in each others decency which Bregman has quoted. They are assets which are common property shared democratically and managed by a community. The American political economist Elinor Ostrom set up a database to establish the extent of functioning Commons throughout the world. Among those she found were shared pastures in Switzerland, cropland in Japan, communal irrigation in the Philippines and water reserves in Nepal. Her work was considered so significant that she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2009.

In India, village common land is an example of an asset which is theoretically common property, and should be managed by the community, but all too often, is not. I once attended a meeting in a Rajasthan village organised by the non-governmental organisation, Seva Mandir, at which villagers were discussing getting together to reclaim their common land and manage it democratically. A local politician, in collusion with local officials, occupied much of the land, but it was proving difficult to persuade villagers to trust each other sufficiently to establish a Commons.

When common assets are not managed on a community basis of mutual trust, either the government or the market steps in to take them over. The market has no place for trust or the social equality that goes with it. The Covid-19 crisis, I would suggest, explains why the government so frequently does a bad job of managing common assets. The crisis calls for a united stand against the spread of the virus.

What are the politicians who are elected by the people to govern their common assets doing? They are dividing parties and undermining governments in pursuit of their interests. They do not even try to hide the selfishness which motivates them. Politicians are constantly shifting party allegiances to enhance their power. One such example is the search for appointments to corporations and State enterprises, which manage so much common property. It is a problem I discussed in this column two years ago with regard to the blatant nepotism of a politician chairing a state Khadi and Village Industries Board.

Jawaharlal Nehru was committed to the cooperative movement for managing Commons, but he insisted that party politics be excluded from cooperatives. Unfortunately, politicians not only got involved, they took the movement over and that is one of the main reasons the cooperative movement has not achieved its potential. Politicians have ensured that the people who should have run cooperatives on the basis of mutual trust, the weavers and farmers for instance, have been excluded.

The Covid-19 pandemic has once again shown that we do indeed need less government if that means taking more government out of the hands of self-seeking politicians. But that does not mean Commons based on trusting each others decency are always the best form of governance. Bergman quotes the historian Tine de Moors fitting summary of the place for trust. She calls for institutional diversity and goes on to say, while markets work best in some cases and state control is better in others, underpinning it all there has to be a strong communal foundation of citizens who decide to work together. Communal, of course, here means shared by all members of a community.

The views expressed are personal
In Portland, Federal law enforcement officers were seen dragging protesters into unmarked vehicles amid the demonstrations, said a protester to reporters.

Hidden forces

According to USA Today, Video recordings of the incident shows the officers driving their vehicle near other people and arresting them without offering an explanation before quickly speeding off. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on Friday in an attempt to stop the apparent lawlessness seen in Portland.

The lawsuit marks the first of several lawsuits the ACLU filed against Trump and his administration in the city of Portland and aimed to bar the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies from unjustly mistreating journalists and legal observers during demonstrations.

In a post on Twitter, the ACLU stated that Federal agents were acting like terrorists within the community, threatening and continuously attacking protesters fighting against police brutality. It continued to say that the authorities' actions were unjust and must be stopped immediately.

A resident of Portland, 30-year-old Conner O'Shea, has frequently been attending protests for nearly two months since they began with the death of George Floyd. He also revealed that he and his friend were going back to their vehicle after joining a protest downtown when they noticed men who were pursuing them that they suspected to be Federal agents.

Other protesters had previously warned O'Shea that some Federal agents were wandering around inside unmarked vehicles and were "snatching people." O'Shea stated he witnessed a van pulling over near the sidewalk before about four or five men in camouflage clothing started rushing towards them.

O'Shea and his friend decided to flee in separate directions, and he noted that he failed to see any distinguishable marks on the pursuers, nor did he see any badge, number, or writing on their uniforms. Fortunately, O'Shea was able to shake the unidentified men and was later picked up by his friend who drove him back home.

Also Read: Kayleigh McEnany Says 'Science Should Not Stand In The Way' of School Reopening

The friend, 29-year-old Mark Pettibone, said federal agents detained him during the encounter, a claim that O'Shea confirmed.

O'Shea noted he had never experienced a terrifying experience as with the camouflaged men and that nothing he saw at protests scared him as they did.

A recent development

Unmarked vehicles have been used by Federal agents previously to drive around the city since at least July 14, as reported by OPB. Multiple Federal officials and United States President Donald Trump have previously announced they planned on stopping the demonstrations as the unmarked vehicle tactic seems to suggest that Federal agent deployment is being escalated in the streets of Portland.

Federal officers have arrested and charged at least 13 individuals relating to the protests while others, similar to Pettibone, have been released. One protester was also left in the hospital with skull fractures after agents allegedly shot him in the face on July 11 with non-lethal ammunition.

Several officers have been sent to Portland from the US Marshals Special Operations Group as well as the Customs and Border Protection's BORTAC to assist in protecting federal property during violent protests and demonstrations.

Related Article: 'Professional Hitman' Used Electric Saw to Dismember, Scatter Body Parts of Tech CEO

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U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden says he is now getting regular intelligence briefings and has been told that Russia is continuing in its attempts to meddle in the upcoming U.S. election.

"We know from before, and I guarantee you that I know now, because now I get briefings again. The Russians are still engaged in trying to delegitimize our electoral process. Fact," Biden said on July 17.

Biden, the former vice president under President Barack Obama, is the presumptive Democratic nominee to face Republican President Donald Trump in the November 3 election. If Biden wins, he would assume office in January 2021.

Traditionally, the nominee for the leading opposition party begins receiving intelligence briefings ahead of the vote so that the candidate will be fully informed on the first day should he or she win the election.

Biden, speaking during an online fundraiser with supporters, warned that, if Moscow maintains its efforts to interfere, there will be "a real price to pay" if he wins the presidency.

Multiple U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Moscow acted to help Trump in the 2016 election.

Russia denied the allegation. Trump has repeatedly called an investigation into whether his team colluded with Russia in the effort a "hoax."

Biden also said that China was conducting activities "designed for us to lose confidence in the outcome" of the 2020 election.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Biden's statement.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters




ARCHIVED - Covid Spain Friday10th July; huge rise in new cases to 333



The majority are in the areas which are already known to have major outbreaks

On Friday the Spanish Ministry of Health announced a huge rise in the number of new cases during the last 24 hours, the figure of 333 the highest recorded since the 22nd May when Spain had just started its de-escalation process.

The majority of the cases are mainly centred in Cataluna (+81), Aragon (68), Andalucia (32) and Madrid (30), with other areas as follows; Navarra (26); Extremadura (25); Galicia (20); Comunidad Valenciana (17); Castilla-La Mancha (13); Basque Country (11); Castilla y Leon (4); Murcia (3); Asturias (1); Canarias (1) and La Rioja (1), bringing the national total to date up to 253.908 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Total cases to date: Andalucia 13.386; Aragon 6.632; Asturias 2.437; Balearic Islands 2.249; Canary Islands 2.450; Cantabria 2.369; Castilla-La Mancha 18.343; Castilla y Leon 19.787; Cataluna 63.888; Ceuta 163; Comunidad Valenciana 11.740; Extremadura 3.106; Galicia 9.431; Madrid 72.532; Melilla 126; Murcia 1.726; Navarra 5.523; Basque Country 13.939 and La Rioja 4.081.

The total number of deaths has risen by two in the last 24 hours, with 10 deaths recorded in the last 7 days, bringing the total deaths by Covid-19 in Spain to 28,403.

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By Friday afternoon growing concern amongst the 17 autonomous regions of Spain has resulted in the regions of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura and the focal points in the Basque Country to insist on masks being worn in public at all times, both inside and out, regardless of whether there is the opportunity to social distance or not, and other regional governments are also said to be considering taking the same measure.



The situation in Catalonia, which locked down 200,000 residents on Saturday in Segria has worsened in recent hours. The Generalitat has recorded 338 new positive cases in the Lleida health area, which is where the majority of new cases are focused. In total, Catalonia has 20 active outbreaks: 15 in Lleida, three in Tarragona, two in the Upper Pyrenees and Aran area and another registered in an agrifood company in Avinyo (Barcelona)

The latest outbreak to appear in Lleida has forced the quarantine of fifty police agents from the Mossos d'Esquadra. On Wednesday one person died in Segria.

Galicia (Lugo lockdown)

The Xunta de Galicia has announced an increased confinement in Burela, with no movement permitted for the next five days. The residents of Viveiro, Xove, Cervo, Foz, Barreiros and Ribadeo are only permitted to move within their own municipalities.

In seven other municipalities the lockdown restrictions have been removed.

There are now 182 cases in the A Marina outbreak in Lugo, of which the majority are asymptomatic or are mild cases, those concerned must stay in quarantine. Four more cases have been detected in Beariz, which is considered an outbreak.

The Xunta has said that no-one with symptoms or a positive diagnosis is permitted to vote in the Sunday elections in the region.

The Basque Country regional Government has also announced that Covid positives and those in quarantine will not be allowed to vote in the regional elections there either, which are also being held on Sunday.

BOAT IN ALGECIRAS IMMOBILISED DUE TO COVID CASE The Singapore registered oil tanker from New Orleans 'Bow Elm', has been immobilised in the port of Algeciras (Cadiz), as there are suspicions that one of the crew members has been infected by the Covid-19 virus.

FINES OF 100 TO 600,000 EUROS FOR FAILING TO ABIDE BY SANITARY MEASURES IN THE BALEARIC ISLANDS. The Balearic Government has approved a decree establishing fines of between 100 and 600,000 euros for failing to comply with sanitary protection measures in the region. Amongst the most serious of these is the holding of a gathering which exceeds the maximum number of people permitted, such as parties either in public or private spaces. There have been many cases of botellon drinking parties, illegal raves, groups gathering such as on the Night of san Juan and private family gatherings such as birthday parties which have lead to recent outbreaks.







REGION OF MURCIA ON FRIDAY

Friday: 79 active cases, 61 in home isolation, 18 in hospital, 2 in intensive care, 151 dead (has not changed all week). The principal source of these cases is the outbreak related to three Bolivian nationals who landed at Barajas airport in Madrid on June 3rd and later developed Covid symptoms. Due to the contacts they made there are now 54 cases directly relating to this one outbreak and one dead. 13 of the positives work at the Fruveco frozen foods plant in El Raal which is currently closed. The regional health service said on Friday that it would be testing all 150 residents of the Moratalla municipality using swab tests after six residents tested positive. One person died in relation to this outbreak in the pedania. There are three positive cases in both Torre Pacheco and Cartagena in minor outbreaks which are now controlled.

TWO OF EVERY THREE BUSINESSES IN SPAIN OPENED DURING THE STATE OF ALARM CAUSED BY CORONAVIRUS. 66.1% of businesses remained open during the state of alarm due to the coronavirus crisis, and of these, approximately two in three saw their sales decrease, according to data published this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE)

MORE THAN 550,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM CORONAVIRUSES AROUND THE WORLD. The COVID-19 pandemic registered a new world record for new cases on Thursday, with 227,000 new cases in 24 hours.

There are now more than 12.2 million cases worldwide, with more than 550,000 deaths. The outbreak has now spread to 188 countries and the United States remains the country with the highest cases, now with more than 3.1 million infected and more than 133,000 deaths.

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Following the decision by the government to retain the cap at outdoor events to 200, until August, GAA President, John Horan has called for the decision to be changed saying the guidelines to retain the 200 attendance figure is "a hammer blow to the organisation."

Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland this morning, the President said the GAA "had put the return to the club game first to benefit our members and help county boards survive but our county boards were relying on an increase to 500 as a way of being able to cater for the demand from our supporters."

The President added that if you take those involved in the teams and stewarding out of it, you're probably looking at 120 supporters going to a game; adding "if you work out the dimensions of a GAA pitch, that allows for social distancing of four metres between everybody attending a game."

The GAA have encouraged everyone attending to wear face masks "so I think these figures are a bit sever on us as an organisation, and I openly call on the Taoiseach and Tanaiste to go back and review those figures for us as an organisation."
Two machine guns and ammunition were seized in a raid on a premises in Matt Talbot Court

A 48-year-old man, considered a "nobody" in terms of organised crime, remained in garda custody last night, being questioned about the seizure of two machine guns.

The suspect was arrested in the Matt Talbot Court area of the north inner city on Thursday night as part of a massive ongoing investigation into the Kinahan cartel.

Deadly

It is understood the deadly weapons were found by detectives in a lock-up linked to the suspect, who was brought to Mountjoy Garda Station for questioning.

"This individual is typical of the type of person that the Kinahan cartel are using to store guns and drugs for them," a source told the Herald.

"He is absolutely not on the garda radar and only came to attention before for minor public order and driving matters.

"However, he is suspected of being in control of highly sophisticated weapons which would do major damage to anyone unfortunate enough to be targeted by the guns.

"This man, who is from the north inner city, was arrested as part of a lengthy surveillance operation targeting the cartel and he seems to be used for this job because he was not known to gardai.

"The belief is these weapons were to be used in the ongoing Hutch/Kinahan feud, which has claimed 18 lives."

Gardai yesterday announced details of their latest successful operation against the cartel.

"In the course of investigations being undertaken relating to organised and serious crime, personnel attached to the garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau searched a premises located in Dublin's north inner city," a spokesman said.

"In the course of this search, two firearms, believed to be machine guns, and a quantity of ammunition were located and seized.

"One man, aged 48, was arrested in the course of this investigation. He was conveyed to Mountjoy Garda Station, where he remains detained," he added.

Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, who heads Organised and Serious Crime, said: "An Garda Siochana, through Organised and Serious Crime and the garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau in particular, continues in its unrelenting determination to take lethal firearms off the streets of Ireland in its ongoing efforts to keep people safe".
Lewis Hamilton broke the circuit lap record and drew level with Michael Schumacher for another feat on Saturday as he claimed a record-increasing 90th pole position for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. The six-time world champion clocked a stunning time of one minute and 13.447 seconds on his second run in final qualifying to finish just ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes reeled off their 65th front-row lockout. It was Hamilton's second successive pole of the COVID-19 delayed season and a Schumacher-equalling seventh pole at the Hungaroring, where he seeks his eighth victory to draw level with another Schumacher achievement for wins on the same track. Schumacher won eight times at the French Grand Prix. "I have to pinch myself," said Hamilton. "It doesn't register. It's quite humbling because I work with an incredible bunch of people who do an amazing job here and back home. "And Valtteri doesn't make it easy for me. It takes perfection to do laps like that so this is one of the things I enjoy most." Bottas said he expected it to be close. "We seem to be on another level, pretty far ahead of the others. My laps were ok, but I couldn't go faster really." Behind the two 'black arrows', the controversial 'pink Mercedes' of Racing Point were third and fourth with Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez ahead of a much-improved showing by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari. "I am very happy at the moment," said Stroll. ?Was strong all the way through qualifying, the whole weekend, really." - Red Bull disappoint - Max Verstappen was a disappointed seventh for Red Bull, Lando Norris eighth ahead of his McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz with Pierre Gasly, in his 50th Grand Prix, 10th for Alpha Tauri. On a cool, damp afternoon at the Hungaroring, where blazing sunshine has been the norm over 35 years, the air temperature was 19 degrees and the track 28.6 as the session began. The Q1 action produced drama and suspense, the track evolution ? as the temperature fell -- creating faster times right to the final seconds. This resulted in the two Racing Points snatching first and second places ahead of Hamilton's Mercedes, with Perez leading Stroll in the 'pink panthers' private duel. Out went Kevin Magnussen of Haas, Daniil Kvyat of Alpha Tauri, Romain Grosjean in the second Haas, Antonio Giovinazzi and his Alfa Romeo team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, four of them powered by Ferrari engines. For the first time since the 2018 Italian Grand Prix, Williams saw both cars through to Q2, George Russell winding up in ninth place. "That's a lap! That's a lap!" he shouted aloud on team radio. In Q2, Hamilton was soon on top with 1:14.261, pursued by Bottas, two-tenths adrift, both running on medium compound tyres while behind them, on softs, Vettel and Verstappen led the chase. Leclerc jumped to third in the final seconds as Daniel Ricciardo of Renault failed to make the top-10 shootout along with the two Williams of Russell and rookie Nicholas Latifi, Esteban Ocon in the second Renault and Red Bull's Alexander Albon. The luckless London-born Thai driver complained on team radio: "Sorry, guys, but I told you 'Don't put me in traffic'." He had earlier struggled with his car's balance and handling, problems that the team intended to solve during a 'night' shift on Friday. In Q3, Mercedes again set the pace with Hamilton breaking the track lap record and the 1:14 barrier with a lap in 1:13.613 and Bottas three-tenths adrift on their opening runs. Stroll was third quickest ahead of Verstappen and Norris before the ultimate laps saw Vettel and Leclerc move up to fourth and fifth for Ferrari ahead of the final dramas. Stroll and his Racing Point team-mate Perez managed to jump the Ferraris, but Hamilton and Bottas reasserted Mercedes' supremacy. Hamilton claimed his second straight pole position Stroll qualified third fastest as Racing Point impressed again
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Bono Region is accusing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of being behind what they describe as fake news about the registration of foreigners in the ongoing Voter Registration exercise in the region.

There has been disturbing news coming from the Region involving the death of a 28-year old man who was killed by thugs.

Also, there have been reports of nationals from the Ivory Coast caught registering for the Voter ID Card in the region This led to the arrest of five ladies.

The Ghana Immigration Officers in the area alleged that they were brought in by Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda Constituency.

But at a press conference, the NDC in the Bono Region has stressed the accusations against the NDC was hatched by an employee of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, a well-known NPP member and self-acclaimed National Security Operative called Prince who recorded the video clips of these vulnerable young ladies.

The party, after uncovering that the ladies in question are residents of Bongase in the Banda District are calling on the Attorney General's office to prosecute them alongside all their perpetrators who connived with them to frame the fake story.

We call on the Interior Minister and the Attorney General's office to prosecute these five Young Ladies alleged to be Nationals of Ivory Coast together with their landlord/landlady, including their alleged accomplices who led them to the registration center or better still repatriate them, a press statement signed by the NDC Regional Secretary Dennis Yeboah Twumasi has said.

We assure the NPP, that any lie perpetrated against the NDC will be appropriately rebutted with adequate hard fact evidence and truth as we have just done, the press statement concluded.

Find full statement below:
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Spice exports from India have gone up by 23 per cent in dollar terms and 34 per cent in rupee terms in June

Spice export growth was only 4 per cent in volume and 8 per cent in value in April-December 2019

Exports were mainly to Vietnam, China and the US in 2018-19

Add spices to your mix of healthy food to improve immunity and ward off coronavirus, suggest health experts across the globe. Thanks to their advice, spice exports from India have gone up by 23 per cent in dollar terms to $359 million (Rs 2,721 crore) in June 2020, compared to $292 million (Rs 2,030 crore) in the same month last year. Thanks to the forex advantages, the growth is 34 per cent in rupee terms, says industry body ASSOCHAM, quoting trade data.

According to data from Spices Board of India, India had exported 857,400 tonnes of spices in April-December 2019, as compared to 825,340 tonnes during the corresponding period in 2018, a growth of just 4 per cent. In value terms, India exported spices worth Rs 15,882.20 crore in the same period, a growth of 8 per cent from Rs 14,665.77 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

During 2018-19, a total of 1,100,250 tonnes of spices and spice products worth Rs 19,505.81 crore ($2,805.50 million) were exported from India, as against 1,028,060 tonnes valued at Rs 17,980.16 crore ($2,789.35 million) in 2017-18, registering an increase of 7 per cent in volume, 8 per cent in rupee terms, and 6 per cent in dollar terms.

Traditionally, pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, celery, fennel, fenugreek, nutmeg, spice oils and oleoresins, and mint products are the major spices shipped abroad. Biggest buyers of Indian spices in 2018-19 were Vietnam (123,673 tonnes), China (93,649 tonnes) and the US (82,204 tonnes). Other major destinations were Bangladesh, Malaysia, UAE, Indonesia, Thailand, the UK and Iran.

The US was the largest importer of pepper at around 5,465.19 tonnes in 2018-19, followed by the UK with 1,375.34 tonnes.

While UAE and Kuwait accounted for maximum cardamom exports, Indian chillies were in great demand in China and Vietnam. Ginger exports were mainly to the US, Morocco and Bangladesh, whereas turmeric was mainly exported to Iran, the US, Bangladesh and Morocco. Indian coriander had biggest demand in Malaysia, while cumin was mainly exported to Vietnam. The US was the biggest consumer of Indian celery and fenugreek, and second to Vietnam in case of fennel. Indian garlic had huge demand in Malaysia and the US. Curry powder was mainly exported to the UAE and the US.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said a couple of weeks ago that the entire world was focussed on increasing immunity and the immunity ingredients are linked to India, citing increasing spice exports from India.

Increase in spice exports during June is in contrast to a decline of 12.41 per cent in the country's overall merchandise export basket during this period, said an ASSOCHAM dipstick study. "The Prime Minister noticed how demand for spices, of which India is among the main producers, is increasing as more and more people rush to strengthen immunity. Thanks to the efforts of the AYUSH Ministry and traditional knowledge about spices being a strong immunity builder, an increasing number of Indians are taking to higher consumption of spices," said Deepak Sood, General Secretary, ASSOCHAM.

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Canadian cuisine meets German-Austrian flavours at Sams Restaurant and More Canada, which is set to open Monday at the corner of Ferry Road and Ness Avenue.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canadian cuisine meets German-Austrian flavours at Sams Restaurant and More Canada, which is set to open Monday at the corner of Ferry Road and Ness Avenue.

Formerly Robins Donuts, the family restaurant has been renovated, refreshed and is ready to feed a hungry crowd.

Supplied Schnitzel smothered with gravy and mushrooms is among the items on offer at Sams. North American favourites like chicken wings and burgers are also being served.

Inside the space, the walls are painted bright-red and retro metal signs hang from the wall, including one over the kitchen that reads "this kitchen is seasoned with love."

From schnitzel to spaetzle, the menu is inspired by owner Gabriel Rosenfelds Austrian and German heritage, but also features some North American favourites like mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, and burgers.

While Rosenfeld will be managing the front of house, his wife, Naomi will be in the back of house cooking up cherished family recipes with love and fresh ingredients.

"We make everything ourselves," said Rosenfeld.

"Our own sauces, our own recipes, our own spaetzle recipes... its Austrian style and the people will love it."

Rosenfeld said he hopes his 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry in Germany will help make it a success in Canada.

"I do my job with all my heart," said Rosenfeld.

"Its not only a job for me, its my inspiration. And I think thats very important, if you do something, you have to do it properly."

Approximately two years ago, Rosenfeld decided to move his family to Canada from Germany to open the restaurant. After many months of studying English, he submitted his application as a business immigrant and arrived in December 2019.

Shortly after his arrival, Rosenfeld acquired the St. James property and said the location felt like a natural fit.

"It was not too big, not too small, and it was where the traffic was because we need the population," he said.

The restaurant can serve up to 50 diners, however under current circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosenfeld said he will be operating at half capacity.

To ensure customer safety, guests are asked to wait to be seated by a hostess, sanitize their hands upon entry, and are also seated two metres away from other parties.

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"Its a problem but its unprecedented times, so we have to," said Rosenfeld, adding the drive-thru will also be operating.

With opening day around the corner, plans for expansion are already underway. Not only does Rosenfeld hope to add more vegan and vegetarian options to the menu, he also is considering building a patio and expanding the restaurant into a chain.

"My goal is to start with this restaurant and for the future, I will offer more restaurants," said Rosenfeld, adding that for now, he is focused on a soft opening to ensure he can train staff properly.

"The first impression is the most important impression."

Sams Restaurant and More will be open from Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

nadya.pankiw@freepress.mb.ca


The top court for the European Union (EU) has cancelled a data-sharing agreement between the EU and the United States.

The Court of Justice of the European Union announced the ruling Thursday.

Thousands of companies share data with U.S. computers under the agreement, called Privacy Shield. The court noted that the U.S. government is able to use the agreement to collect personal information.

The Associated Press reports the ruling will complicate business for about 5,000 companies. It could require government agencies to carefully examine any new data transfers. The goal would be to make sure Europeans' personal information remains protected under the EU's data protection rules.

The ruling means that EU and U.S. officials will likely have to negotiate a new agreement. The new one will have to guarantee that Europeans' data gets the same privacy protection in the U.S. as it does in the EU.

Privacy activists praised the court ruling as a major victory. But business groups are worried about its effects. Companies like Facebook move personal data between their servers around the world. These transfers underpin billions of dollars in business activity.

Max Schrems is an Austrian activist whose criticism of how Facebook data is processed led to the court case. He said, "It is clear that the U.S. will have to seriously change their surveillance laws."

Schrems first brought the case to court in 2013. He did so after former U.S. National Security Agency worker Edward Snowden reported that the U.S. government was spying on people's online data and communications. The revelations included details on how Facebook gave U.S. security agencies the personal data of Europeans.

Although the court case resulted from concerns over Facebook, it could affect technology companies, finance and even the automobile industry.

Experts say the ruling would not affect things like email and flight and hotel plans at this time. Cloud computing services by providers like Microsoft would also continue unless government officials intervene.

Companies use legal methods, called standard contractual clauses, that require businesses to follow EU privacy rules when transferring messages, pictures, and other information. The clauses  which are terms and conditions  are used to ensure that EU rules are obeyed when data leaves the European Union.

The Court of Justice of the EU ruled that, as a general rule, those clauses are still valid. However, it cancelled the Privacy Shield agreement on data transfers because the U.S. government can demand personal data for national security reasons.

The court said that in cases where there are concerns about data privacy, EU officials should vet, and if needed block, the transfer of information. That means EU officials could block Facebook, for example, from transferring any more European data to the U.S.

Government surveillance of personal data is one of the issues in the dispute between the U.S. and the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. Data is extremely important to many of the world's biggest companies, like Facebook, Google, Alibaba and Amazon. National security officials also want personal data to help them guard against extremist attacks. Mining large amounts of people's data has also become important to winning elections.

Alexandre Roure is a top official at the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a not-for-profit group. He said the decision "creates legal uncertainty for the thousands of large and small companies on both sides of the Atlantic.

He said all sides hope that EU and U.S. officials can find an answer in line with EU law, to ensure the continuation of data flows which underpins the trans-Atlantic economy."

Im Mario Ritter Jr.

Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this Associated Press story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

invalidate v. to make something invalid or to cancel its effect

vet v. to investigate to find out if someone or something meets certain requirements

surveillance n. observing someone or something, especially for security purposes

revelations n. something that is made known that was surprising or secret before

valid adj. something that meets legal requirements

underpin n. to support something from below, to provide a basis
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has requested the next sitting fortnight of the federal parliament be cancelled because of growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in parts of the country.

In a statement on Saturday, Mr Morrison says he has received medical advice from the acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly expressing concern at the risks posed by holding the planned sitting.

He has advised Mr Morrison that there are 'significant risks' associated with a meeting of parliament in the context of the increased community transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria and the trends in NSW.

'The entry of a high-risk group of individuals could jeopardise the health situation in the ACT and place residents at unnecessary risk of infection,' Professor Kelly told the prime minister.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has requested the next sitting fortnight of the federal parliament be cancelled because of growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in parts of the country

It comes as Melbourne battles a second wave of coronavirus infections. Pictured: People wear face masks in front of Flinders Street Station on Friday

'In addition, the health risk to Members and Senators and their staff from other jurisdictions is a material concern.'

Prof Kelly said despite proposed mitigation measures, these risks would be significantly higher in the context of a parliamentary sitting period because of the number of persons travelling from Victoria.

'The government cannot ignore the risk to parliamentarians, their staff, the staff within the parliament, and the broader community of the ACT that holding a parliamentary sitting would create,' Mr Morrison said.

'I have written to the Speaker to request that the sitting fortnight commencing August 4th, 2020 not be held.'

He has also consulted with the leader of the opposition and the president of the Senate and provided them with a copy of the advice.

Parliament was due to sit from August 4 to 13 and would not meet again until the next planned sitting fortnight starting on August 24.
By Express News Service

Many companies are finding ways to keep us engaged at home as we grapple with the pandemic. Curiously enough, Airbnb India has curated a list of experiences and called it At Home With Airbnb, where you can enjoy paid sessions at home with Indian personalities from fitness, food, fashion, calligraphy and yoga at home.

kitchen cocktails with Mixologist Pankaj

Amanpreet Bajaj, GM of Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Taiwan, informs that the list of experiences and hosts are curated keeping in mind the diverse ways in which guests can connect with people across cultures and hone their skills through the platform. The experiences allow guests to visit the hosts personal spaces to learn their craft in small groups that allow for personal connections and conversations virtually. Bajaj says,

The hosts include Indias leading influencers, celebrities and artists such as designer duo Shivan and Narresh, Devika Narain and Pankaj Balachandran  India Brand Ambassador for Monkey Shoulder, and so on, who have gained fame as experts in their respective fields.

These online experiences will give our guests a platform to interact with their favourite personalities whilst learning a new skill within the comfort of their own homes. Bajaj feels these sessions can instil positivity as with a simple purpose of offering a unique way to travel and learn, people across the globe have been able to connect with likeminded individuals, hone their skills and grow via this platform.

While people have been staying at home to protect their health, this unique platform has brought together people from across the globe over their shared passions and hobbies. Ranging from workout sessions with celebrity trainer Nam Wook who is the brand ambassador for Under Armour India, to Zero wastage cooking with Sandeep Sreedharan for food fanatics, each experience offers the opportunity to learn something new and interesting, adds Bajaj.

TIME TABLE
Rainfall and freezing temperatures are forecast for parts of the country following a welcome downpour in drought-affected farmland.

Tropical moisture combined with a low front on Friday to bring some of the highest rainfall in years to parts of Western Australia.

Wooramel Station, in Gascoyne, recorded 40mm of rain overnight - its highest rainfall total since 2015.

'It was very nice, waiting and then hoping that it keeps going, which it did, so here we are with puddles of water everywhere, which is always a spirit-lifting sight,' owner Justin Steadman told ABC.

Extreme weather conditions will continue along the coast of New South Wales as the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a hazardous surf warning all the way from Byron Bay to Eden (pictured, locals at Clovelly Beach watch the massive waves pummel the Sydney coastline on Wednesday)

Perth will shiver through a maximum of 18C with chances of showers later in the day (stock image of rain in Perth)

Rainfall and freezing temperatures are set to brace part of the country following a welcome downpour in drought-affected farmland (pictured, a graphic of the forecast across Australia for Saturday)

The wet weather is expected to continue in parts of the state throughout Saturday.

Perth will shiver through a maximum of 18C with chances of showers later in the day.

Karratha, in the Pilbara region, is also expected to be in for a soaking with forecasts for rain.

Extreme weather conditions will continue along the coast of New South Wales as the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a hazardous surf warning all the way from Byron Bay to Eden.

'A low over the northern Tasman Sea continues to bring a large swell to the New South Wales coast,' BoM warns.

'Surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming in the following areas.'

Bimal KC from the Bureau of Meteorology said the NSW coastline has been battered by huge waves and heavy rainfall in the last few days.

'On Wednesday morning we were seeing waves as high as 11.5metres off the coast of Sydney,' he said.

High levels of rainfall on the southern areas of NSW were seen in Bega with 144mm over Monday and Tuesday while wind gusts of 85km/h were recorded at Sydney Harbour on Wednesday.

However the city is expected to enjoy eased conditions over the weekend with a maximum of 18C and partly cloudy skies on Saturday.

'Winds are forecast to increase on Sunday ahead of a cold front, which will deliver a vigorous southwesterly change early Monday,' BoM warns.

Melburnians will need to rug up with a maximum of 13C forecast for Saturday.

Brisbane will enjoy a warm and pleasant high of 23C while Darwin will continue its sunny run with a maximum of 31C.

Canberrans will continue to shiver through freezing temperatures with a maximum of 13C with early morning fog clearing to a partly cloudy day.

Bimal KC from the Bureau of Meteorology said the NSW coastline has been battered by huge waves and heavy rainfall in the last few days (pictured, a Wamberal home teeters on the edge after huge waves smashed against the coast and tore down part of the shoreline)
Kangana Ranaut has said that if she is unable to prove the claims she has made about actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide, she will return her Padma Shri award. Kangana was honored with the Padma Shri award for her film Panga earlier this year.

Kangana Ranaut has said that if she is unable to prove the claims she has made about actor Sushant Singh Rajputs suicide, she will return her Padma Shri award.

Kangana was honored with the Padma Shri award for her film Panga earlier this year.

Apart from Padma Shri, the Queen star, Kangana, has also received three National awards.

Also read: Rajasthan Rumble: Mayawati hits out at Cong, seeks Presidents rule

Also read: Hackers used employee credentials to gain access: Twitter on Bitcoin hack

After Sushant Singh Rajputs death, Nepotism debate in Bollywood has been a trending topic on social media. On June 14, Sushant was found dead at his Bandra apartment. The cause of his death was asphyxia due to hanging, as per the autopsy report.

Few videos were posted on Kanganas Instagram account after Sushants death. In those videos, she had talked about the pressure and rejection Sushant Singh was facing from Bollywood and the media. She accused several B-town members of propagating nepotism.

Kangana also mentioned how Sushant was ignored despite doing successful films. She also questioned whether Sushant Singh Rajputs death was a suicide or a planned murder.

Kangana had bashed journalists for writing blind items on celebrities without taking names.

Manikarnika actress, Kangana, found support from many other celebrities like Shekhar Kapur, Abhay Deol, as outrage grew against the star kids and nepotism and favoritism.

She was summoned in Sushants case by the police, Kangana revealed recently.

Kangana said that Mumbai Police summoned her, and she asked them too, that she is in Manali, that they can send somebody to take her statement, but she has not received anything after that.

Ever since the actors demise, people along with some celebrities and politicians have claimed that Sushant Singh Rajput had been a target of Bollywoods nepotism.

Also read: Assam floods: 76 dead, 54 lakh affected in 30 districts

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Kuwaits 91-year-old ruler was admitted to the hospital Saturday for a medical checkup and the countrys crown prince temporarily took some of his powers in his absence, the oil-rich nations state-run news agency reported.

Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah was in good health, the KUNA news agency said, citing a statement from the countrys royal court minister.

The brief report did not elaborate. A later statement said Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah had assumed some of Sheikh Sabahs powers temporarily, without explaining why that was necessary.

However, the visit comes as the tiny nation fights the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen over 58,000 cases and 400 deaths in the country of 4.1 million. Its Health Ministry says over 49,000 people have recovered from the virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes.

In August 2019, Kuwait acknowledged the emir suffered an unspecified medical setback that required him to be hospitalized. That came after visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter that he was praying for Emirs speedy recovery, without elaborating.

Sheikh Sabah has ruled Kuwait since January 2006. Hes pushed for diplomacy to solve regional issues, such as the ongoing boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations, and hosted major donor conferences for war-torn nations like Iraq and Syria.
UN Dispensary Physician, Abuja, Nigeria

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

Country: Nigeria

City: Abuja, Nigeria

Office: UNDP Abuja

Grade: NO-C

Closing date: Sunday, 26 July 2020

Job ID: 31570

Practice Area - Job Family: HIV and Health - PHYSICIAN

Vacancy End Date: (Midnight New York, USA) 26/07/2020

Duty Station: Abuja, Nigeria

Education & Work Experience: I-Masters Level Degree - 5 year(s) experience

Languages: English

Grade: NOC

Vacancy Type: FTA Local

Posting Type: Common System

Bureau: Africa

Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

Background

UN field personnel are exposed to various health and security hazards that may result in disease; psychological trauma and life threatening injuries. Dedicated, effective primary health, occupational health and emergency medical services may mitigate negative outcomes of trauma, injuries and health complications providing better chances for saving lives as well as for faster and better recovery.

The UN Clinic Physician, is part of the UN common services of the UN country team in (duty station) and administered by UNDP.

The UN Clinic Physician will attend to the UN Clinic on a full time basis and provide medical services to staff members and their dependents. In addition, he/she will facilitate for medical evacuations and cooperate with headquarter offices on all related matters and ensures consistent delivery of high quality medical services to the UNCT.

The UN Clinic Physician will also be responsible for medical examinations of staff, a responsibility he/she will share with other designated UN Physicians. (The UN Clinics operate, with regard to technical matters only, under the general supervision of the UN Medical Director and with UNDP on regards of all administrative matters).

Reporting structure and partners

Under the overall supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator with regards to all administrative matters and the general supervision of the UN Medical Director with regards to technical matters, UN Clinic Physician, will provide clinical services including medical consultations and emergency care, and supervise the work of the medical staff (including nurses, lab technician and pharmacist).

The incumbent will promote proactive occupational health policies and best practices and procedures in the medical services in conjunction with Administration. This will include outreach to staff and dependents in the areas of preventative health. The UN Clinic doctor is expected to take part in the HIV work in the UN work place as outlined in UN One for All. S/he is part of the emergency response team and will as such work closely with DSS in implementing case-vac and mass casualty response.

Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Duties

Attend the United Nations Clinic on a full time basis.

Respond to acute emergencies in line with international protocols such as advanced trauma life support management and advanced cardiac life support or Pre Hospital Trauma life support.

Be able to do triage and primary stabilization.

Undertake day-to-day clinical duties, e.g. walk-in clinic, pre-placement and periodic medical examinations and immunizations.

Provide health education.

Participate in addressing work environment and occupational health issues.

Undertake medical examinations for UN Agencies international and local staff and dependents.

Diagnose and recommend treatment to all staff visiting the Clinic on a daily basis.

Be on call during and outside office hours to observe and treat emergencies in the UN Clinic. Undertake house calls when required.

Responsible for entry and periodic medical examinations for United Nations staff members who choose to use the UN Clinic for their examinations.

Medical Administrative Duties

Liaise with other UN Clinics, host-nation medical facilities and medical facilities abroad to coordinate medical evacuations.

Follow the United Nations established policies and procedures regarding medical clearances, sick leave and medical evacuations.

Recommend medical evacuation when required to RC (the doctor recommend as the medical expert, submit evacuation request to UN Clinic Health Manager for authorization and facilitate medical evacuations of UN staff and their dependents). Responsible for all paper work and reporting procedures for medical evacuations in line with UN Rules and procedures.

Ensure proper follow up on all cases

Application of terms of reference in UNDP POPP for rules and regulations regarding UN Clinic operations

Responsible for establishing good relations with reliable hospitals, private medical facilities and blood banks and local physician, including UNEP if available.

Keep constant contact with the United Nations Designated Examining Physicians to facilitate their availability as and when required;

Ensure that proper medical records are kept in a strictly confidential manner.

Maintain emergency medical supplies and equipment to be used in case of emergency situation;

Replenish first aid kits and other essential medical supplies kept in other duty stations within the country

Recommend procurement of vaccines, medical supplies and equipment, and ensure that inventory is kept.

Maintain medical records of all United Nations personnel thru Medgate (Electronic Medical Records System) and advise health precautionary steps to new staff members; already include above

Prepare and send periodic (quarterly) reports of functions, visits, medical evacuations and treatments at the UN Clinic to the United Nations Medical Service; included below.

Advise on health precautionary steps to be undertaken at the duty station, and perform any other duties as considered necessary by the United Nations Medical Director and/or the UN Resident Coordinator.

Supervisory Administration

Tags emergency medical services emergency situation gender perspective health education immunization medical care medical equipment medical supplies nurse occupational health pharmacist physician procurement reporting procedures

Supervise, distribute work to the nurse (s) and other staff of the United Nations Clinic; included below

Manage day-to-day mission medical support operations by ensuring availability of supplies and proper functioning of medical equipment;

Ensure that appropriate training programs are implemented in order to maintain and develop the medical capabilities (e.g. health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, First aid and CPR).

Responsible for regular reporting on clinic activities, medical facilities available locally and other statistical information as may be required.

Responsible for the supervision and distribution of work for the nurse(s) and other staff of the UN Clinic.

Coordination of UN One for All Activities

Planning and organization of training of focal points and peer educators;

Arranging the dissemination of UN policies on HIV/AIDS.

Conducting an education and information campaign.

Competencies

Core

Professionalism:

Knowledge of clinical, occupational and tropical/travel medicine. Formal training in CPR and, preferably in BCLS and ACLS or equivalent emergency medical care.

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.

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.

Teamwork:

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning and 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.

Accountability:

Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Technical/Functional

Primary

Creativity:

Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks outside the box; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Technological Awareness:

Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Commitment to Continuous Learning:

Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession; actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally; contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates; shows willingness to learn from others; seeks feedback to learn and improve.

Secondary

Client Orientation:

Considers all those to whom services are provided to be clients and seeks to see things from clients point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University Degree in Medicine from an accredited University and currently licensed to practice within home country or other national jurisdiction;

Valid certification in Advanced Trauma Life support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Or Prehospital trauma life support is required;

Certification in HIV care or VCCT is desirable.

Experience:

At least five (5) years progressive experience and practice in general medicine in developing countries or countries in conflict, of which at least one year should be in Trauma and Emergency care and two years in Internal Medicine;

Surgical, ICU, aeromedical or anesthetic experience is an advantage; Experience in Tropical Medicine, Occupational health experience is an asset

Previous UN medical system/international medical experience is desirable.

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is expected

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

*QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
LOS ANGELES (AP)  The U.S. Justice Department has filed a series of lawsuits seeking to recover at least $104 million in funds allegedly embezzled by former officials in Kuwait's Ministry of Defense.

The seven lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles claim the laundered funds were used to purchase real estate, including a hilltop property in Beverly Hills that was once listed on the real estate market for $1 billion, a private jet, a yacht, sports cars and memorabilia of boxer Manny Pacquiao.

According to the complaints announced Friday, three unnamed individuals who were high-level officials in Kuwait's Ministry of Defense opened six unauthorized bank accounts between 2009 and 2016 and used the accounts to facilitate the transfer of more than $100 million in Kuwaiti public funds to California bank accounts connected to a convicted felon. Some of the transfers were falsely described as for Kuwaiti military purposes, U.S. prosecutors said.

Court papers identified the felon as Victorino Noval, 58, a Los Angeles man who was convicted in 2003 of mail fraud and tax evasion in connection with a multimillion-dollar loan fraud committed against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Noval was sentenced to federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $25 million in restitution.

Khaled al Sabah, a member of Kuwaits ruling family who served as defense minister from 2013 to 2017, last year filed a $163-million lawsuit against a group of California businessmen that includes Noval and two of Novals sons, Victor Franco and Hunter.

Bobby Samini, a lawyer for al Sabah, told the Los Angeles Times his client denies any wrongdoing related to the federal complaints and maintains his claim that he was defrauded by the Noval's.

Any suggestion that my client was involved in any illegal activity is incorrect, Samini said. "Mr. al-Sabah will continue to pursue his legal claims against Mr. Noval in the civil action.

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Federal prosecutors said al Sabah joined with the Noval's to develop the Mountain, a 157-acre undeveloped property that made headlines in 2018 when it was listed for $1 billion. The Times said it eventually sold for a mere $100,000 at a foreclosure auction.

Ronald Richards, an attorney for companies associated with the Novals, said in an email to the Times that the foreign national who transferred the funds at the center of the dispute had been verified as a member of the Kuwait royal family.

My client vetted the person and confirmed his/her stature, Richards said. Any improprieties relating to funds wired to the United States would be something that my client would have no way of knowing about nor was it shared with him. My client has no need nor interest in retaining any improperly distributed funds.
After years of fighting for incremental progress in the White House and the halls of Congress, police-reform activist Nkechi Taifa finds herself leapfrogged by protesters in the streets calling to "defund the police" and reimagine law enforcement across the country.

It's a position she never expected to find herself in. And she's not complaining.

"It's a huge moment. Two months ago, three months ago, four months ago, when we were talking about reform, we were dealing with piecemeal issues," she says. "Little did we know that the activists in the streets would take some of (the) things we've been saying for years and go much further, be much bolder."

Across the country, street protests and confrontations that erupted following the May 25 death of George Floyd after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes have prompted a broad and lasting discussion about the state of policing in America -- and how communities could or should change it.

Longtime activists like Taifa see this moment as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dramatically reshape police departments and what happens when people call 911 or encounter an armed officer in their community.

Multiple studies show Black people are killed are much higher rates than whites during encounters with police. Black men in particular are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white men, according to a University of Michigan, Rutgers University and Washington University study released last year. The study found that about 100 Black men and boys per 100,000, and 39 white men and boys per 100,000, are killed by police during their lifetimes.

Decisions being made now by city councils and mayors may have generational impacts, not just on how Black communities are policed, but how drug addiction, evictions and community relations are handled.

Aside from sweeping reforms like hiring social workers or mental-health counselors, removing military-grade equipment and abolishing the qualified immunity that protects officers from being sued personally, communities are also grappling with more basic questions like how many officers they should have patrolling the streets.

Story continues

"We hear poor and Black communities across this country saying, 'we want a different system in place because this isn't working for us,'" says Arisha Hatch, the vice president and chief of campaigns at the online-based racial justice group Color Of Change. "I don't think it's that radical."

Experts say changing policing in America requires far more than slogans and marches, and demands communities address longstanding issues of violence, drug use and poverty, along with ending structural and systemic racism.

Communities will also have to contend with strong opposition to reform from police unions and politicians like President Donald Trump, who in a tweet Monday urged police to "take a stronger stand" against the elected officials to whom they are ultimately responsible. Reform advocates say many police departments operate with little effective oversight from politicians or the public.

Never in history have Police been treated so badly as they are in Democrat run cities - and these cities are a mess. Police must take a stronger stand with the Radical Left politicians that are treating them so badly, and so disrespectfully!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2020

In June, Trump also signed an executive order calling for more social workers to assist police, studying ways to better address mental health, homelessness, and addiction, and discouraging the use of chokeholds.

"All Americans are entitled to live with the confidence that the law enforcement officers and agencies in their communities will live up to our Nations founding ideals and will protect the rights of all persons," the executive order says. "Particularly in African-American communities, we must redouble our efforts as a nation to swiftly address instances of misconduct."

An appetite for change

Those conversations are taking place as a wave of violent crime is plaguing some of our largest cities, with significant increases in violent crime being reported from New York to California. In Chicago, there were 13 fatal shootings last weekend, and 15 fatal shootings during the Fourth of July weekend, and hundreds more have been injured by gunfire.

Hatch says a good starting point would be to start policing Black neighborhoods like white ones, where teenagers who break the law are far more likely to get a second chance than a mandatory minimum, where police officers defer politely to armed Second Amendment protesters instead of shooting them, and where schools are staffed with more nurses than cops.

"Policing in this country is a failed experiment for Black people. We don't need to tweak the hypothesis any. We are very clear there needs to be a very different set of priorities and investments in our communities," says Hatch. "White people are given the benefit of the doubt in the way that Black people and other people of color are not."

More than half of Americans want some change to policing or law enforcement, with 55% of Americans wanting either major change or to redesign it completely, according to a June 29 Public Agenda/USA Today/Ipsos snapshot survey. Just 7% of Americans want it to stay the same, the survey found. Separated by race, the demand for change is more dramatic: nearly 80% of Black/African Americans and 70% of Hispanic Americans want major change compared to 47% of white Americans.

Not everyone believes the country's police departments need wholesale reform. Heather Mac Donald, a researcher with the conservative-leaning free-market think tank Manhattan Institute, argues talking about police violence in Black neighborhoods, particularly shootings of Black men by officers, obscures a more important conversation about why there's so much violence in those neighborhoods already.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani adopted many of the institute's policies as he presided over a significant drop in violent crime during the 1990s, a drop that many critics say was accompanied by racist policing tactics, including stop-and-frisk.

Mac Donald argues that police will inherently stop and question more Black men in a community in which Black men are accused of committing violence: "What do people think that police activity should look like?"

She added: "It's a lot easier to talk about phony police racism than it is to talk about the uncomfortable issue of Black crime. It is easier to blame the police, and the police are the messenger."

Mac Donald argues that calls to defund the police will cause lower morale and make hiring even harder, ultimately forcing communities to lower their standards in order to hire officers, prompting taxpayers who can leave urban areas to flee to the safer suburbs, hollowing out the tax base further.

Romann Chavannes uses a megaphone to lead chants during a March for Justice in June between the Florida cities of Rockledge and Cocoa.

Going 'where the crime is'

Police union leader Joe Gamaldi says policing necessarily involves being where crimes are occurring, and if crimes are occurring in Black neighborhoods, "we go where the crime is. If we want to have a larger discussion about crime in America, then let's have that." Gamaldi is the national vice president for the Fraternal Order of Police, and is the president of the police union in Houston, where he's also an officer.

Like many police union officials, Gamaldi argues that the vast majority of officers nationwide are honest and fair, and that deaths like those of George Floyd are an "abhorrent" aberration, not a systemic problem. But like many reform advocates, Gamaldi says police officers are being asked to do too much  from handling neighbor disputes to dealing with the mentally ill or drug addicts.

"Basically over the past 30 years, police officers have become a dumping ground for every other problem," he says, criticizing the idea that funding should be cut from police departments so it can be reallocated to other social programs. "Why are these things mutually exclusive? Why can't we find the money elsewhere? We can't even provide the level of basic police service the community is already asking for."

Gamaldi says police morale across the country is the lowest he's seen in 15 years as an officer, and things are going to get worse the longer protesters attack and criticize officers.

"Who is going to be left to take it? The bottom of the barrel," he says. "The people who we don't want to be police officers."

Former Burlington, Vermont, police chief Brandon del Pozo echoes the same concern: Hiring qualified officers is hard already. Add widespread community criticism and smaller departments, in particular, are going to struggle to hire to meet even basic policing needs.

"If we let the pendulum swing without deliberation, the communities that will suffer most will invariably be the poorest communities, and communities of color," said del Pozo, who is now a postdoctoral researcher focusing on the consequences of substance use and addiction at Rhode Island's The Miriam Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A native New Yorker, del Pozo served 19 years in the New York Police Department before becoming chief in Burlington.

As an example, del Pozo said, his department had to go through 1,200 applications to hire 60 police officers over his four years as chief. Hiring diverse applicants to better reflect the city's demographics  a basic step many reform advocates say could help change the tenor of policing  was a challenge because few Black applicants want to join departments led primarily by white, conservative men.

"How do you tell a young Black or Hispanic applicant to come to this department where everybody superior to you is white and maybe more conservative and then expect them to take the lead? It's a lot to ask anyone to be a diversifier, especially in an industry like policing," del Pozo said.

The need for a 'cultural' change

In rapidly changing cities like Aurora, Colorado, where 20% of residents were born outside of the United States, leaders like newly elected Mayor Mike Coffman face a constant challenge in trying to make the police department's diversity match that of the community.

Starting in 2018, the city has dispatched mental health workers on certain calls with police but that's an effort complicated by a legally binding deal between the city and the police union that requires funding two uniformed officers for every 1,000 residents. Even if Coffman and other city leaders wanted to shift funding from cops to mental health, they'd face a legal challenge because the deal requires uniformed officers, not desk clerks, 911 operators or frontline social workers.

Coffman said the city has worked hard to hire diverse officers but knows more can be done.

"The discussion here is no different than the discussion in the rest of the country. It's not just about more cops on the street. It's about the alternatives to prevent people from going in this direction in the first place, in terms of crime," he said.

Aurora is further along in that discussion than other cities, however, because both state and federal officials are reviewing the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who was arrested while walking down the street after police received a report of a suspicious person in a mask  a mask his family says he often wore to stay warm due to a blood condition.

Three officers confronted the young man carrying iced tea, threw him to the ground during a struggle, and then one of them wrapped his arm around McClain's neck in what was officially called a "carotid control hold." Medics then injected McClain, a massage therapist, with the sedative ketamine, after which he had a heart attack and died at a hospital several days later.

Prosecutors declined to file charges against the three officers, sparking widespread protests and clashes with police in late June, exacerbated by revelations that three other Aurora officers had taken and shared mocking photos at the site where McClain died.

"We've got a lot of sets of eyes looking into the case. More reforms will come from this. I think we're on a good path, in terms (of) realizing the need for change," Coffman said.

Taifa, the reform activist, says the tragedy in Aurora highlights the need for changes in the overall law-enforcement culture.

"Until there's really a change in police culture, it doesn't matter if you have officers of color," she says. "We have got to take a step back. We need to try what we can, evaluate, and take whatever the best solutions are and move forward. And it's not going to happen overnight. We need to accept that we might make mistakes, but you've got to start somewhere in making a change. And that's the moment we are in right now."

Follow Trevor Hughes on Twitter @TrevorHughes

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Black activists say 'defund police' movement is unprecedented moment
A GLOBAL binge on comfort food during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns is boosting the prospects for a type of Canadian wheat already in heavy demand from pasta lovers.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (549 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A GLOBAL binge on comfort food during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns is boosting the prospects for a type of Canadian wheat already in heavy demand from pasta lovers.

Canadas durum exports in the 10 months ended May 31 surged 17 per cent from a year earlier amid lacklustre crops in Europe and North Africa. The grain is used in everything from pasta and flatbreads to couscous. Just as output sank in major markets, the coronavirus sparked a wave of panic buying as shoppers filled their carts with staples such as pasta, flour, cereal and crackers.

Exports are likely to continue to rise in the coming months, Neil Townsend, chief market analyst at FarmLink in Winnipeg, said in a telephone interview. Canada is the worlds top exporter of durum, which is milled into semolina flour for spaghetti.

"Ultimately, it wouldve been a good year anyway, but that extra pasta being sold at the supermarkets is helping," Townsend said. "People are buying a bit more flour and they are buying a bit more pasta."

Adverse weather is expected to curb output of durum in Italy, the worlds biggest pasta consumer, while drought in countries such as Morocco have cut yield forecasts. While Canada usually exports some durum for livestock feed, the majority of recent shipments were aimed for human consumption, suggesting that "pantry preparedness" is boosting demand and prices, Townsend said.

U.S. pasta sales rose 54 per cent in the 16 weeks ended June 20, Nielsen data show.

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Canadian durum exports in April surged to the highest in a year, Canadian Grain Commission data show. From August to May, shipments tripled to Turkey and Nigeria and almost doubled to Italy. Durum prices in Saskatchewan are trading close to a three-year high, according to data from Farmers Advanced Risk Management Co. in Winnipeg.

Global demand for pasta is rising, and countries in Europe facing reduced harvests are buying to meet greater consumption, said Jim Meyer, treasurer of the National Pasta Association in Washington and president of St. Louis-based Italgrani USA, the largest semolina and durum flour miller in the North America.

Farmers in Canada sowed 5.69 million acres of durum in 2020, up 16 per cent from a year earlier, according to government data.

"Were seeing people eat more at home, so they are eating more pastas," said Michael ODea, a risk management consultant at StoneX in Kansas City, Mo.

Canada is sending large volumes to Italy that are approaching levels before country-of-origin labelling rules effectively hampered trade, said Cam Dahl, president of Winnipeg-based industry group Cereals Canada. As supplies dwindle in other countries, exports from North America will probably continue to climb, he said.

 Bloomberg




Haiti - Europe : Donation of 72 tons of emergency medical equipment and protective equipment





Friday, as part of the European Union emergency envelope of 15 million euros, a humanitarian flight from the Directorate General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission (ECHO) is arrival at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.



The cargo plane carried 72 tonnes of medical equipment, emergency equipment and personal protective equipment, donations from several organizations and entities, including the Ministry of Europe's Crisis and Support Center (CDC) and of Foreign Affairs in France, Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) and other NGOs



Fully funded by the EU, this is the second humanitarian flight to Haiti. It is part of the air bridges currently organized between the Union and several critical areas around the world. It was organized thanks to the joint efforts of France, the EU and the Haitian authorities.



Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said in this regard "[...] With this airlift, the EU is providing vital aid, notably in the areas of medical equipment, water supply and sanitation equipment, to help Haitians. The EU is ready to provide additional humanitarian aid to Haiti."



While it is true that any help is appreciable and appreciated, this donation of 72 tonnes cannot help but ask certain questions. According to European officials Haiti in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the critical countries whereas, if the Ministry of Public Health's figures are to be believed (27 new cases in 24 hours) Haiti in its last report https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31308-haiti-flash-only-27-new-cases-in-24-hours.html ) and hardly more than 3,000 active cases nationwide, the Covid seems rather marginal and does not require such substantial medical aid for so few cases.



Note that in addition to France, India has also sent 4 tonnes of medical equipment and medicines https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31290-haiti-news-zapping.html and Taiwan (Republic of China) has also his share https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-31166-icihaiti-covid-19-important-donation-of-materials-and-medicines-from-taiwan.html ...



Unless the modest figures of confirmed cases of Covid-19 published by the Ministry of Public Health do not exactly reflect the reality of the contagions in the country ...



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31308-haiti-flash-only-27-new-cases-in-24-hours.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31290-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-31166-icihaiti-covid-19-important-donation-of-materials-and-medicines-from-taiwan.html



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre


















On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do

Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there...
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has set up emergency funds to support the economy through the CCP virus pandemic. Mr Sunak is seen standing outside No 11 Downing Street. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo)

100 Billion Unsustainable Debt Owed by UK Businesses by Q1 2021: Report

As a result of the CCP virus pandemic, UK businesses could have debts of close to 100 billion pounds by the end of the first quarter of 2021 that they are unable to repay, a new report warns.

By March 2021, a predicted 97 billion pounds ($122 billion) to 107 billion pounds ($135 billion) in loans could become unsustainable, according to a report (pdf) by TheCityUK, a group representing UK-based financial and related services.

If measures are not taken to prevent businesses from becoming insolvent over the next 12 to 18 months and defaulting on government-backed loans, the government could be responsible for around 35 billion pounds ($44 billion) of the debt, with public finances incurring a huge cost, TheCityUK warns.

Currently, HM Treasury has guaranteed around 43 billion pounds ($54 billion) of emergency loans to businesses through a number of initiatives and platforms that target businesses of different sizesthe Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), and Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS).

This amount is predicted to grow to up to 123 billion pounds ($154 billion), with around 2.3 million businesses estimated to have received a CBILS or BBLS loan by the end of March 2021 when loan-holders will need to start making repayments. Given the economic conditions, roughly a third of these businesses could struggle to repay, putting an estimated 3 million jobs at risk, TheCityUK report states.

There are regional disparities, with three-quarters of the unsustainable debt estimated to be held by companies outside of London. Conversely, currently three-quarters of equity investment goes to London-based businesses.

Based on the groups analysis, the private sector, including insurers, pension funds, and private equity firms, is still holding substantial capital, which could be invested in a business recapitalisation scheme.

TheCityUK proposes setting up a government-backed UK Recovery Corporation (URC) to oversee the unsustainable government-guaranteed loan debt. The URC would gradually take on the debts through securitising or transferring the loans, with longer-term repayment options for businesses, and invite the private sector to invest.

The group suggests converting BBLS and small CBILS loans under 250,000 pounds ($314,000) into a tax obligation to be repaid through the tax system. Much like student loans, it would be means-tested, allowing business to only pay what they can afford.

For companies with a larger CBILS loan of up to 1 million pounds ($1.25 million), the group proposes that the loans be converted into longer term subordinated debt or preferred share capital with no voting rights so business owners will not lose control of their business.

There is a need to move quickly, the report states. The Chancellors Summer Statement provides welcome stimulus to ease the transition as the furlough other support schemes unwind. Nonetheless we estimate that the need for the proposed options is likely to start to crystallise in late autumn 2020 and increase in early 2021.

Pressures on businesses will increase as operational losses continue and the government furlough scheme tapers off, rent deferrals come to an end, and deferred VAT payments become due in full by March 31, 2021.

The Bank of England estimated in May that the UK economy could shrink by close to 30 percent this summer and that GDP for the whole of 2020 could fall 14 percent with the unemployment rate hitting 9 percent.

According to KPMGs outlook (pdf) on the economy released in June, to fight the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus and support the economy, the governments borrowing for 2020 is expected to reach the highest proportion of GDP in peacetime, at 15.2%, even larger than that seen during the global financial crisis in 20089 when borrowing reached 10.2% of GDP.

Over 200 professionals from 50 firms in the financial industry contributed to TheCityUK report, which was compiled in consultation with HM Treasury, the Bank of England, and the Financial Conduct Authority.
A n arson probe has been launched after a fire broke out in a 15th-century Gothic cathedral in the French city of Nantes.

More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze in St Peter and St. Paul cathedral and the surrounding area was cordoned off.

The fire on Saturday morning destroyed the 17th-century organ and shattered the main stained glass windows between the two towers of the 15th century cathedral.

Prosecutor Pierre Sennes told reporters three fires had been started at the site and authorities were treating the incident as a criminal act, giving no further details.

Nantes St Peter and St Paul Cathedral fire 1 /14 Nantes St Peter and St Paul Cathedral fire French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes JEAN BARENTON via REUTERS French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes LUDOVIC STANG via REUTERS French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes REUTERS French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes AFP via Getty Images French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes REUTERS French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes AP French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes AP French Police officers stand ready as firefighters work to put out the fire AFP via Getty Images French firefighters gather at the scene of a blaze REUTERS A man reacts as onlookers gather at the scene REUTERS Onlookers gather at the scene of the fire REUTERS

Black plumes of smoke were pictured billowing from between the historic building's towers while raging flames were seen inside.

Some 104 firefighters have since brought the flames under control, but smoke was still rising from the building hours later.

The cathedral has suffered extensive damage inside / REUTERS

The fire brought back memories of the devastating blaze in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last year that destroyed its roof and collapsed its spire and threatened to topple the medieval structure.

"After Notre-Dame, the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral, in the heart of Nantes, is in flames. Support for our firefighters who take all risks to save this Gothic jewel of the city," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter.

The fire evoked memories of the Notre Dame blaze / AP

Gen. Laurent Ferlay, head of the firefighters in the Loire Atlantique area, said in a press briefing: "The damage is concentrated on the great organ which appears to be be completely destroyed. The platform on which it is located is very unstable and risks collapsing."

Local fire chief Laurent Ferlay said the fire had broken out behind the grand organ, which was completely destroyed. Stained glassed windows at the front of the cathedral were blown out.

But he told reporters: "We are not in a Notre Dame de Paris scenario. The roof has not been touched."

Crowds watched on aghast as the flames were gradually extinguished / AP

An eyewitness told the LCI 24-hour news network that he could see the fire from his home, not far from the cathedral and was woken up by "a very strange sound of bells".

"From what I can see, there is more and more smoke," he said.

Cecile Renaud, who works in a bakery facing the cathedral and alerted the fire services early on Saturday, said she had seen huge flames inside the building.

"It was a huge shock. It's extremely sad," she said.

St Peter and St Paul cathedral also suffered a serious fire in 1972, which ravaged its roof. It was finally rebuilt 13 years later with a concrete structure replacing the ancient wooden roof.

Notre Dame Cathedral fire - In pictures 1 /64 Notre Dame Cathedral fire - In pictures Aerial image if Notre-Dame Cathedral fire AP An image taken from a television screen shows an aerial view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral engulfed in flames. AFP/Getty Images The steeple of the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral collapses as the cathedral is engulfed in flames AFP/Getty Images Smoke rises around the alter in front of the cross inside the Notre-Dame Cathedral AFP/Getty Images A man watches the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral burn AFP/Getty Images People kneel on the pavement as they pray outside watching flames engulf Notre Dame Cathedral AFP/Getty Images Security forces evacuate artifacts from inside the Notre Dame cathedral Franck Riester Security forces evacuate artifacts from inside the Notre Dame cathedral Franck Riester Notre Dame cathedral burning in Paris AP Seen from across the Seine River, smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris AFP/Getty Images General view of the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral after a massive fire in Paris EPA French President Emmanuel Macron (C) speaks with firemen as they fight against a fire burning the roof of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris EPA Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris AFP/Getty Images Flames on the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images The cathedral entrance shows smoke rising around the alter in front of the cross inside Reuters People pray as Notre Dame cathedral burns in Paris AP The Notre Dame cathedral spire collapses EPA Flames as a fire engulfs the world famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images Smoke and flames billows into the sky as the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images Flames on the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris EPA Smoke billows into the sky as a fire rips through the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images The gothic cathedral attracks millions of tourists every year AFP/Getty Images Smoke billows from the Notre Dame Cathedral after a fire broke out Reuters Bright orange flames lick the air during a fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images People kneel on the pavement as they pray and sing while flames engulf Notre Dame AFP/Getty Images Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral Reuters A fire fighter uses a hose as Notre Dame cathedral is burning in Paris AP Smoke billows across Paris following the Notre Dame fire Reuters Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns. AP General view of the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral after a massive fire in Paris EPA French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and his wife Brigitte Macron (R) pay a visit to firemen fighting against a fire burning the roof of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, France EPA A statue of Saint John is removed from the spire of Notre Dame cathedral by a crane before restoration work last week Reuters Smoke billows as flames burn through the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral AFP/Getty Images Flames are doused through the scaffolding erected on the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral AFP/Getty Images Firefighters douse flames billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images Firefighters douse flames billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images People react as they watch flames engulf the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral AFP/Getty Images A firefighter uses a hose to douse flames and smoke billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris AFP/Getty Images Firefighter douse flames billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images People look at smoke and flames rising during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral AFP/Getty Images Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral AFP/Getty Images People stand on the banks of the Seine river as they look at a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral AFP/Getty Images The steeple collapses as smoke and flames engulf the Notre-Dame Cathedral AFP/Getty Images A woman reacts as she watches the flames engulf the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images Paris Fire brigade members are seen at an entrance that looks into the Notre Dame Cathedral Reuters Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris AFP/Getty Images The steeple engulfed in flames collapsing as the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral burns AFP/Getty Images

The cathedral had been built over five centuries and completed in 1891. The main organ had previously survived a serious fire in 1972, which annihilated much of its wooden structures.

Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland told reporters: "We all have these images [of 1972] in mind, this story in our hearts, but at this stage the situation does not seem to be comparable to that of 1972."

French Prime Minister Jean Castex and French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin were among the officials planning to visit Nantes Saturday afternoon following the blaze.
New study by researchers from the University of Konstanz, the co-located Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (both in Germany) and the University of Texas at Austin finds that groups led by subordinate males outperform those led by dominant and aggressive males

Being the strongest, biggest and most aggressive individual in a group might make you dominant, but it doesn't mean you make all the decisions.

A new study of fish behaviour published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that dominant individuals can influence a group through force, but passive individuals are far better at bringing a group to consensus. The study, published by an international team from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, the University of Konstanz and the University of Texas at Austin, overturns assumptions that dominant individuals also have the greatest influence on their groups, and sheds light on the potential of domineering individuals to obstruct effective communication in organisations.

"The same traits that make you powerful in one context can actively reduce your influence in others, especially contexts in which individuals are free to choose who to follow," says senior author Alex Jordan, a group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and at the University of Konstanz's Cluster of Excellence "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour."

"Dominant individuals can force their will on the group by being pushy, but that also makes them socially aversive. When it comes to bringing peers to consensus during more sophisticated tasks, it is the least aggressive individuals that exert the greatest influence. Our results illustrate that although domineering individuals most often ascend to positions of power, they can in fact create the least effective influence structures at the same time."

Separating dominance and influence

To disentangle the effects of dominance and influence, the researchers studied groups of a social cichlid fish, Astatotilpia burtoni. "This species form groups with strict social hierarchies, in which dominant males control resources, territory, and space," says Mariana Rodriguez-Santiago, co-first author on the study and a doctoral student in the lab of co-corresponding author Hans Hofmann at UT Austin.

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"We ask if the colourful dominant males, which are aggressive, central in their social networks, and control resources, are most influential? Or if drab subordinate males wield the greatest influence, despite being passive, non-territorial, and having little or no control over resources."

The researchers separated the effects of social dominance from social influence by examining how information flows between either dominant or subordinate males and their groups in two different contexts: routine social behaviour, or a more complex social learning task. In the more complex social learning task, dominant or subordinate male fish were trained that a certain coloured light on one side of the tank meant food would soon arrive at that location. These "informed" individuals were then placed into new groups of uninformed individuals and researchers asked which group -- those with informed dominant or subordinate males -- more quickly learned to associate a coloured light with food.

The cost of being domineering

The researchers observed the movement of the fish and found that in routine social interactions the dominant males exerted the greatest influential by chasing and pushing the group around. But in the more complex task, where influence was not forced on the group, but rather individuals had a choice about who to follow, it was subordinate males who wielded the greatest influence in their social groups. In groups with a subordinate male as demonstrator, fish quickly came to a consensus about which light to follow, moving together as a coherent unit to succeed in the task. With a dominant male as the informant, groups were far slower to reach consensus, if they did at all.

Breaking down behaviour with machine learning

By using additional machine-learning based animal tracking, employing cutting edge techniques developed in the computer sciences, researchers were able to break down the behavioural differences between dominant and subordinate males: dominant males were central in behavioural social networks (they frequently interacted with others) but they occupied peripheral locations in spatial networks (they were avoided by others). The technology provided insights never before available, revealing the mechanisms of influence as well as the outcome.

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"By capturing behavioural data that are impossible to be measured with the naked eye, our automated tracking methods revealed that it was not the difference in social position between dominant and subordinate per se, but rather in the way they moved and interacted with others," says co-first author Paul Nuhrenberg, a doctoral student at the Cluster of Excellence "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" at the University of Konstanz. "These behavioural differences lead directly to differences in social influence."

Rethinking leadership

This result touches on the evolution of animal societies as well as leadership structures in organisations. "In many societies, whether animal or human, individuals in positions of power all possess a similar suite of traits, which are aggression, intimidation and coercion," says Jordan. "But effective communication requires the presence of a diversity of voices, not just the loudest. Our results from a natural system show that allowing alternative pathways to positions of power may be useful in creating stronger advisory, governmental, and educational structures."

Background
07/16/2020

Photo (c) piranka - Getty Images Reports from various sources claim that the Twitter accounts of several high profile celebrities, politicians, and business leaders were hacked as part of what appears to be the hyping of a cryptocurrency scam.

The accounts were a whos who of the rich and famous: former President Barack Obama, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, Bill Gates, and Mike Bloomberg. Collectively, they all posted similar tweets asking for donations via Bitcoin. An example would be Mike Bloombergs situation, in which the hacker played up the con that the money was going to an organization called CryptoForHealth.

Inside job

The interesting thing about this hack is that all signs point to it starting from the inside with one of Twitters own employees. Purportedly, that employee gave the hacker(s) access to an admin tool which, in turn, gave them access to any Twitter account they wanted.

"We used a rep that literally done (sic) all the work for us," an anonymous source told Motherboard. Another source said they paid the Twitter insider to do the dirty deed.

We are giving back to our community, is how the tweets started off. We support Bitcoin and we believe you should too! All Bitcoin sent to our address below will be sent back to you doubled! Only going on for the next 30 minutes.

If theres a sucker born every minute, you can imagine how many suckers the hacker found in that half-hour. In its reporting of the incident, TechCrunch tracked down someone in the underground hacking scene who said the hacker was able to make off with more than $100,000.

Once the hacker was happy with their haul, they used the same admin tool to reset the email addresses of the hacked accounts, making it darn near impossible for the account holders to reclaim control of their accounts.

Twitter is scratching its head

As of Thursday afternoon, Twitter was still trying definitively to find out what happened.

It tweeted that its internal investigation is continuing, but the platform says its taken significant steps to limit access to internal systems and tools while our investigation is ongoing.

Update

Business Insider asked cybersecurity experts to take a deeper dive into the Twitter hack and those experts reported back with the possibility that the attack could have been a sign of a broader, more nefarious scheme.

"If you suddenly had access to some of the most prolific, powerful people, what would you do?" Kevin O'Brien, CEO of the cloud email security company GreatHorn, told Business Insider. "Would you say that you wanted to get some bitcoin? That's a bizarrely small use of this level of access."

In OBriens estimation, taking the route of posting the cryptocurrency request tweets might have been the hackers way of testing the water to see how far into Twitters systems they could go. One of OBriens peers, Ryan Olson, vice president of Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks, agreed.

"Noisy attacks are a great way to distract security teams from other malicious activities," Olson said.
A prominent Houston preacher and activist for marginalized Christians died last week from COVID-19.

Rev. Vickey Gibbs died on July 10, a few days after she was taken to an emergency room, diagnosed with pneumonia and placed on a ventilator, the church said.

She was 57.

Gibbs was born on Dec. 1, 1962 in Beaumont to a Baptist family and later received a masters of divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, Calif.

Nearly four decades ago, when Gibbs was 18, she started attending Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, a northside congregation thats historically been a place of refuge for marginalized Christians, namely those who are LGBTQ.

She essentially grew up here, said Rev. Troy Treash, the churchs lead pastor.

Gibbs was not ordained at the time, but helped grow the congregation substantially in her first few years of membership. She was a fervent crusader for social justice issues, and wanted the congregation to reflect her commitment to accepting any and all people.

She often helped organize protests and prayer vigils, including for immigrants at the Texas border and for Sandra Bland, the Black woman who was found dead in a jail cell in 2015.

A few weeks before her death, Gibbs gave an impassioned rebuttal against white supremacy during a vigil for George Floyd, the Black man who was killed by Minnesota police officers.

"White supremacists, often wearing and sullying uniforms, holding public office and pretending to be allies, attack black, brown, read and yellow communities of color," she said at the time.

Her foray into church life also came amid the AID epidemic. Gibbs brother died from the virus.

We crossed each others paths the first time during the AIDS crisis, as we were burying people, said Treash, who was at the time the pastor of a United Methodist church nearby.

Treash also said that Gibbs had been diagnosed with Lupus at an early age and told she wouldnt live past 30. That prompted her to live every day like she was running out of time, Treash said.

She got so much done, and met people where they were, with grace but pushing them to do more, be better, he said. It was like that song from Hamilton.

In 2014, she was officially ordained and called to pastor Resurrection. Current members said it was obvious that she was meant to pursue a career in ministry.

You just sensed that about her, said Raymond Mitchell-Turner, who has attended the church and known Gibbs since the early 1990s. It just kind of made sense.

He remembered her as a warm and kind person who never shied away from disagreements, uncomfortable truths or saying what was on her mind.

But she did it with kindness and respect, Mitchell-Turner said. She showed anyone she encountered respect. She was a friend. She was someone that was easy to talk to. She was comforting.

In 2016, Gibbs married Cassandra White, the congregations gospel director.

Gibbs was the second longtime member of Resurrection to die from coronavirus. Treash said the church is heartbroken over her death.

We still had more ministry to do, he said. We had lots of plans. Vickey had lots of plans. I was happy to go along for the ride.

robert.downen@chron.com
India on Saturday summoned the charge daffaires of the Pakistan high commission to lodge a strong protest over the death of three civilians in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC).

A total of 21 Indians have been killed and 94 more injured in 2,711 unprovoked violations of the ceasefire along the LoC by Pakistani forces this year, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

The Pakistani charge daffaires was told three civilians, including a child, were killed and another child was injured in an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani forces in Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. The dead belonged to the same family.

India condemns, in the strongest terms, the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Pakistan forces, the statement said.

India also protested Pakistans continued support to cross-border terrorist infiltration into India, including supporting cover fire provided by Pakistani forces, it added.

The statement said Pakistan was called upon to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC and the international boundary.

The LoC has witnessed intense exchanges of fire after bilateral ties have fallen to new low. India has also accused Pakistan of backing the infiltration of terrorists across the LoC.
The Lucknow police, however, said the women were instigated by Congress leader Anoop Patel to set themselves on fire.

Uttar Pradesh police is once again in the line of fire. (Representational image)

Amethi/Lucknow: The Amethi police suspended three policemen after a woman from the district and her daughter set themselves on fire outside the chief minister's office in Lucknow alleging inaction in a land dispute case, officials said Saturday.

The Lucknow police, however, said the women were instigated by Congress leader Anoop Patel to set themselves on fire as part of a "criminal conspiracy" and a case has been filed against him and three others.

Meanwhile, the BSP and the SP attacked the UP government over the immolation bid, saying it should take the incident seriously and act against the officers responsible for it.

According to Lucknow civil hospital authorities, the woman suffered 90 per cent burns and is on life support, while her daughter is stable.

"Three policemen including the in-charge SHO of Jamo police station in Amethi have been suspended. The matter is being probed by the additional superintendent of police and action will be taken once the report comes," Amethi Superintendent of Police Khyati Garg said.

No suicide note was recovered from Safia or her daughter Gudia, she said.

Garg and Amethi District Magistrate Arun Kumar said Safia (55) had a dispute with her neighbour over a drain and the two had even exchanged blows in the past.

Safia and her daughter set themselves on fire outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office in the state capital Friday evening, police said.

The police personnel posted there swung into action when they saw the women engulfed in flames and rescued them. The two were taken to the civil hospital for treatment, they said.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

Dr. Ashutosh Dubey, medical superintendent of Shyama Prasad Mookerji Civil Hospital, Lucknow, told PTI, "The mother has suffered 90 per cent burns and is in a serious condition. Her daughter suffered 15 per cent burns and is stable. The mother has been put on life support."

Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujeet Pandey said prima facie it appears that the incident was part of a conspiracy.

"It is a criminal conspiracy as part of which some people instigated them (Safia and her daughter). A case has been registered against four people -- Aasma, Sultan, Kadir Khan (Amethi district president of AIMIM) and Anoop Patel (former Congress spokesperson) -- in this regard," he said.

The women were told to come to Lucknow and try to set themselves on fire so that their grievances can be highlighted and the dispute resolved, he said.

Pandey said, "We have evidence to show that these women went to the UP Congress office and met Anoop Patel."

A reporter in Lucknow was contacted and asked to highlight the issue. The reporter has also admitted to this, he said.

"Anoop Patel clearly instigated them to make an effort to set themselves afire so that their matter could be heard," he said.

Hitting out at the UP government, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said the mother and her daughter were "compelled to set themselves afire" as they did not get justice from the Amethi administration. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the incident should "wake up" an "insensitive government".

"UP government should take this incident seriously, and deliver justice to the aggrieved. Action should also be initiated against the officers who showed laxity in this regard, so that such incidents do not happen in future," Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

"Is the attempt made by two women to set themselves afire not enough to wake up a sleeping government or is it that an insensitive government and chief minister are waiting for any other major incident? Is there something known as a government in Uttar Pradesh?" SP president Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.
EDMONTONAlberta is reporting another jump of more than 100 new COVID-19 cases in one day.

The province says there are 105 new infections and two more people have died from the illness.

On Thursday, it announced 120 new cases  the first daily count over 100 in more than two months.

The total number of cases in the province sits at 9,219, with 859 active infections.

Albertas chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, has said she is concerned about the increase, but doesnt feel it warrants another shutdown of businesses and services.

She said the biggest problem is social gatherings at which people are not physically distancing.

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The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye has disclosed the total number of COVID-19 cases recorded in various schools nationwide.



A total of 14 SHSs in six regions out of the 16 in the country have so far recorded cases of the virus.



The Member of Parliament who was speaking on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' said out of the total number of cases in schools, 2 are from the JHSs.



Listen to the video below for the total figure





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18) The government will focus on providing livelihood assistance instead of cash aid for returning overseas Filipinos, an official said on Saturday.

Its time to shift to livelihood assistance, at yan po ay gagawin natin sa darating na buwan, itong Agosto at Setyembre (and we will do this in the coming months, this August and September), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration head Hans Cacdac said in a media briefing.

Cacdac explained that social amelioration was earlier prioritized since it was the immediate need as more than 300,000 overseas Filipino workers lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the Labor departments AKAP program, more than 200,000 OFWs received cash assistance worth a total of 2.5 billion, Cacdac said.

In May, the Department of Budget and Management granted an additional 1 billion fund for the one-time cash aid program of 10,000 each OFW.

Cacdac said scholarship assistance will also be given for one college dependent of every returning OFW.

To date, more than 100,000 OFWs have come home, majority or 95,000 have been sent to their hometowns, Cacdac said.

Amid travel restrictions due to COVID-19, Filipinos can return as long as they test negative for the infection through an RT-PCR test.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18 2020

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has urged regional administrations to set up preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in schools as students start to return to their classrooms.

Although school reopening is only allowed in green zones, we still need to think about the risks. As long as there are new cases, there is a risk of transmission, PMI secretary-general Sudirman Said wrote in a statement released on Thursday, as quoted by tempo.co.

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Maura Moynihan, a China activist and the daughter of the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, says she is "disgusted" and "sick to death" over how government, powerful U.S. media companies and others serve as China apologists.

"The mainstream media is so beyond downplaying this, it's irresponsible," Moynihan said on a new John Solomon Reports podcast about the media's recent coverage of China's treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority.

Among the reported atrocities are members being taken in the middle of the night, forced into labor camps, sterilized and having their organs harvested.

Moynihan was joined on the podcast by longtime China watcher Ethan Gutmann to discuss human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party.

Moynihan argues that U.S. media companies have been minimizing the severity of China's human rights abuses, even as the Trump administration imposes increased sanctions on the country over the last six weeks.

She says coverage of the recent protests over the death of George Floyd has kept the China atrocities "virtually out of the news."

"I am sick to death of seeing the China apologist gang, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Committee of 100, the Asian Society, it goes on and on," she said. "They always get out front on the narrative on China. We have no resources in the Tibet movement. ... They've got tons of funding, because they're on the Chinese payroll."

When asked what the United States government can do to hold China accountable for their atrocious behavior, Moynihan said that a key move would be for the administration to continue cracking down on "these front media companies" that act "as agencies of espionage of the Chinese Communist Party."

"Seize their assets, seize their real estate," Moynihan said. "Ban visas for Chinese communist officials."

Moynihan commended Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Trump for taking action recently on the matter of Hong Kong, on which Beijing recently imposed a sweeping national security law, effectively ending democracy in the world's third largest capital market.

"You can be damned sure that if Hillary Clinton was president, none of this would be happening, because she was such a China apologist, all the way," Moynihan added.

She emphasized the importance of committing American funds toward rooting out those in the pocket of the CCP working in America. Specifically, Moynihan believes the New York Stock Exchange's leniency when it comes to audits of Chinese companies is absurd and unjust.

"We've also gotta still hunt out the moles, the appeasers, and the spies that have infected our government, media, and academia  and if some people in American business don't like it, well tough. Deal with it," she said.

Gutmann spoke about the market giveaways that he thinks indicate some of the abuses taking place against the Uyghurs, which he says include the explosion of the human hair wig market from China.

Recently, China has changed the balance of the global wig market by providing hugely increased numbers of valuable human hair wigs, in colors like chestnut brown and reddish hues that are very different than Chinese hair.

According to Gutmann, we know this is an indicator of abuse because we know from the testimony of survivors that Chinese officials shave the heads of Uyghur women when they are admitted to work camps in the Xinjiang region.

The wig collection process, though, pales in comparison to the broader abuses taking place against the Uyghurs, he says.

According to Gutmann, about 18% of young Uyghurs are being sent to work camps, where they are kept alive but held against their will, subjected to ideological and behavioral re-education and forced to labor without pay.

He also said that as many as 5% of Uyghurs, age about 28 years old, which Chinese doctors consider to be the best age for the use of organs, disappear in the middle of the night to become a part of the Chinese Communist Party's harvesting network.

Gutmann estimates that roughly 25,000 Uyghurs a year have their organs harvested, yielding a Chinese organ transplant industry worth between $10 to $20 billion annually.

China is currently conducting 60,000 to 100,000 transplants a year, which is far more than anywhere else in the world.

Moynihan and Gutmann believe the country is getting away with it because of the failure of American and global institutions to confront them in a meaningful way.
Students, parents, and colleges have been left scrambling as the fallout from the decision to delay publishing this year's Leaving Certificate results added to the chaos and confusion engulfing the education sector.

Despite attempts by Norma Foley, Minister for Education, and Simon Harris, Minister for Further Education, to play down the knock-on effects, there is growing anger and frustration over a lack of clarity as the start of the academic year looms.

This year's Leaving Cert results will be published on September 7, three weeks later than usual, and only four days before first round CAO offers are sent out. Second round offers will be issued to students on September 23.

From Monday, students can opt-in to receive calculated grades, this year's alternative assessment model after this summer's exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 450,000 individual results have to be prepared and checked before September 7.

In the face of growing criticism, Minister Foley defended her decision claiming the delay is required to keep the integrity of the system intact.

"It was not feasible or possible for the traditional Leaving Cert to take place," Ms Foley said.

"It is hugely important to me that the integrity of the calculated grades for the class of 2020 will have a similar integrity to the Leaving Cert of 2019 or 2018."

When asked if colleges and universities might consider pushing back commencement dates to facilitate students, Ms Foley said she was confident that third-level institutions would make arrangements about start dates.

However, students and parents are still in the dark about the implications of the unprecedented move with confusion around:

the timing of the appeals process, which is due to open for applications on September 14

securing accommodation before the beginning of college

the arrangements for students who opt to sit the exams if they are not happy with their results

The seven universities represented by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) expressed surprise and disappointment with the decision.

They have been forced to begin actively revising plans for receiving first-year students this year and warned it may not be possible for first-year students to attend induction and orientation ahead of the main body of students due to this delay.

The Union of Students Ireland (USI) and the Irish Second-Level Students' Union both expressed frustration with how the announcement has been handled.

Many students have raised concerns about the financial implications this could have, according to the ISSU.

"We expect the department to work to address and find remedies to these impacts so students may progress to the next stages of their lives," a spokesperson said.

The USI fears this delay could have implications for all students, and called for immediate clarity around start-dates.

"Students just dont know what is happening. We need to know when the new year will start," said Lorna Fitzpatrick, USI president.

The seven universities represented by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) expressed surprise and disappointment with the decision.

Last night, Simon Harris moved to reassure students that grant payments will not be affected, and SUSI remains open to applications.

"I also wish to assure people we are doing everything we can to get our third level sector up and running," he said.

"The public health officials are working with the Department to finalise guidance for the sector."

Labour's education spokesman Aodhan O Riordan has called on Norma Foley to return to the Dail to answer further questions on the matter.

Sinn Feins education spokesman Donnchadh O Laoghaire said the minister has not got to grips with the growing sense of chaos in her department. He also hit out that there is still no published plan on re-opening schools next month.

There is no roadmap, there is no funding. She is missing her own departments timetable. She came into the Dail to discuss her revised estimate but with no clarity of what is needed.

"She is only three weeks into her role but she has not got to grips with the scale of the crisis, he said.
Mumbai, July 18 : Amidst the growing chorus of 'Vocal for Local' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', toy industry players have thrown light at the grim reality of Indian manufacturing in the segment.

The All India Toys Federation (AITF) in a statement said that the sector requires substantial government support to ramp up production to cater to the domestic demand in case the government thinks of import substitution in the sector.

"While we fully endorse and support Indian goods, we are not ready to handle India's toy demand. India right now manufactures only 15 per cent of its total demand. It imports the rest from other countries," said Rehan Dhorajiwala, the spokesperson of the All India Toys Federation (AITF).

"If we don't augment our production capabilities and build a toy arsenal right now, we may face anarchy, where children would have nothing except board games," he said.

AITF is the apex body of toy manufacturers, traders and sellers in India.

Dhorajiwala said that amid the current crisis domestic producers cannot provide an alternative to imports.

He said although the government has announced many initiatives to uplift the Indian toy industry in the last few years, there has not been a corresponding growth in supply.

"We request the commerce and industry ministry to help boost production and logistics so that we can improve sales and distribution of locally made toys, without impacting the needs of India's children", Dhorajiwala said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Turkey sent between 3,500 and 3,800 paid Syrian fighters to Libya over the first three months of the year, the U.S. Defense Department's inspector general concluded in a new report, its first to detail Turkish deployments that helped change the course of Libya's war.

The report comes as the conflict in oil-rich Libya has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country. The U.S. military has grown increasingly concerned about Russia's growing influence in Libya, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries backed a campaign to capture the capital, Tripoli, in the country's west.

The quarterly report on counterterrorism operations in Africa by the Pentagon's internal watchdog, published Thursday, says Turkey paid and offered citizenship to thousands of mercenaries fighting alongside Tripoli-based militias against troops of east Libya-based commander Khalifa Hifter.

Despite widespread reports of the fighters' extremist links, the report says the U.S. military found no evidence to suggest the mercenaries were affiliated with the Islamic State extremist group or al-Qaida. It says they were ``very likely'' motivated by generous financial packages rather than ideology or politics.

The report covers only the first quarter of the year, until the end of March _ two months before a string of Turkish-backed victories by the Tripoli forces drove Hifter's self-styled army from the capital's suburbs, its stronghold at Tarhuna and a key western airbase.

The reversal for Hifter and his foreign backers, including Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, trained the spotlight on Turkey's deepening role in the proxy war.

The latest report says the Turkish deployments likely increased ahead of the Tripoli forces' triumphs in late May. It cites the U.S. Africa Command as saying that 300 Turkish-supported Syrian rebels landed in Libya in early April. Turkey also deployed an ``unknown number'' of Turkish soldiers during the first months of the year, the inspector general adds.

To the consternation of regional rivals and NATO allies like France, Turkey is staking its hopes for greater leverage in the eastern Mediterranean on the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli. Ankara's open military intervention stands in contrast to covert support from foreign backers on the other side of the conflict.

The inspector general had reported in its last quarterly review that Russia brought in hundreds of mercenaries to back Hifter's months-long siege of Tripoli. A private Kremlin-linked military company known as the Wagner Group first introduced skilled snipers and armed drones last fall, inflicting ``significant casualties'' on Tripoli forces struggling to fend off Hifter's assault, the report said.

This year, in response to Turkey's new shipments of battle-hardened Syrians, Wagner increased its deployment of foreign fighters, also including Syrians, with estimates ranging from 800 to 2,500 mercenaries. Russia and the Syrian government agreed to send 300 to 400 former opposition rebels from the southwest village of Quneitra to Libya in exchange for a $1,000 per month salary and clemency from President Bashar Assad, the report added.

In May, the Pentagon accused Russia of sending at least 14 warplanes to a central Libyan airbase, which it claimed were repainted in Syria to hide their Russian origin. Earlier this week, it alleged Russian mercenaries planted land mines and other booby-trap explosives around Tripoli that have killed 52 people and wounded 96, including civilians and mine clearance workers, by U.N. estimates.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the U.S. military's accusations Thursday, insisting ``the Russian military is not involved in any processes in Libya in any way.''

The warring sides are mobilizing now around the edges of Sirte, a strategic gateway to Libya's central and eastern oil crescent, where most of the country's production of 1.2 million barrels a day flowed before Hifter-allied tribes choked off pipelines in January to protest unequal distribution of oil revenues to the long-neglected east.

Following Hifter's retreat from Tripoli, his backers pushed for a cease-fire and proposed a political settlement. But Turkey refused to back down. The Tripoli government, eager to regain access to Hifter's blockaded oil fields, has pledged to retake the coastal city, where longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi was born and then killed after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising.

Egypt, a bitter rival of Turkey that shares a porous desert border with Libya, has threatened to intervene militarily if Turkish-backed forces try to seize Sirte. On Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi hosted dozens of tribal leaders loyal to Hifter in Cairo, where he repeated that Egypt will ``not stand idly by in the face of moves that pose a direct threat to security.``

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit back, criticizing Egyptian and Emirati support for Hifter.

Military tensions increased further this week after the collapse of a deal to end the blockade of Libyan oil fields, which has deprived the country of its most important economic resource and the National Oil Corporation of over $7 billion in revenue.

Oil has long been a key factor in the conflict, with militias and their foreign backers jockeying for control of Africa's largest reserves.

On Friday, the National Oil Corporation warned that international powers were pulling the country toward an escalation likely to extend to the oil and gas facilities. A ``large number'' of Syrian, Sudanese and Russian mercenaries are occupying oil installations, most recently Libya's largest port of Es Sidra, the corporation said.

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COVID-19 has changed health care and will not go away soon. A perfect storm of quarantine fatigue, summer weather and no vaccine set up conditions for rapid resurgence based on the rate of business reopening. Resurgence puts our vulnerable healthcare system at risk. We have two choices: succumb to this pandemic or tame it.

As a nurse, who comes from a family of nurses, I choose to tame this. The best way to attack the novel coronavirus right now is to address health care provider burnout.

Provider burnout is the result of excessive demand on energy, strength, and resources. Work overload, lack of control, insufficient rewards, breakdown of community, absence of fairness, and conflicting values are compounding factors that contribute to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. Health care has been impacted by escalating rates of burnout far before COVID-19 hit but the impact of the current pandemic has been staggering. In a study of health care providers in China, 72 percent reported distress, 50 percent reported symptoms of depression, 45 percent reported anxiety, and 34 percent reported insomnia. Nurses, women and front line health care providers were most impacted.

Most health care providers, myself included, face an innate challenge that puts us at risk for burnout: taking time to care for ourselves. We value the opportunity to walk with patients through their pain and challenges yet struggle to ask anyone to walk with us through ours. We remain steadfast by anothers side but dont ask for anyone to stand by ours. We listen to the vulnerability of others but forget to speak of our own.

This pandemic doesnt change that. Instead, our silence is further muffled by a mask. Our eyes are weary from long shifts or the challenges we face at home. We have been deemed warriors and heroes but the cape is heavy or missing. Our armor is lacking and our stamina is waning.

There arent many effective specialized resources for health care providers because theres such a stigma attached to seeking mental health care for this group of professionals. Studies have found that slightly over one third of physicians wont seek regular health care for themselves. Its worse for women. Almost 50 percent of female physicians refused to seek treatment despite feeling they saw symptoms of mental illness in themselves. It should be no surprise that the suicide rate among physicians is 1.4 to 2.3 times higher than that of the general population. Female nurse suicide rates of 10 per 100,000, male nurse suicide rate of 33 per 100,000 are also significantly higher than the general population at 7 per 100,000 people.

A survey by mental health provider Ginger found that nearly 7 in 10 health care employees reported the coronavirus pandemic is the most stressful time of their entire professional career. This survey, and the evolution of the pandemic, parallel a dramatic national increase in antidepressant, antianxiety, and sleeping medication prescriptions. The risk is heightened by the uncertainties of another spike or wave in COVID-19.

Health care providers of all types, from all disciplines, specialties, locations, and practices have been impacted by COVID-19. Those deemed warriors on the front line have been providing in-person, face-to-face care to patients in skilled nursing facilities, ICUs, emergency departments, correctional facilities, and the myriad of hospital and community-based delivery systems. They have worked with limited PPE compounded by the breathlessness of that which protects them. The American Nurses Association recently reported nearly 9 out of 10 nurses say they are fearful to go to work because of the lack of protective equipment. There have been more medical unknowns compounding the containment and treatment of this virulent enemy.

Health care providers have lived away from their families, worked long hours, and engaged in complicated self-disinfection rituals after each shift to protect those we love from the invisible enemy. For these individuals, the potential for trauma is great, with a breadth and depth the world of psychiatry and mental health has yet to directly address and help heal.

Health care providers need an anonymous hotline to assist health care providers during the pandemic. That way the fear of stigma wont prevent them from seeking assistance, especially now when so much of mental health care is delivered through telemedicine. No chance of running into colleagues at the therapists office.

Hotlines in general have mixed results; theyre not magic, especially in suicide prevention. But interestingly enough, the reason hotlines have spotty efficacy has been boiled down to two culprits: lack of training or, predictably, burnout among the people who staff the phones.

Luckily, we have one in Connecticut now that professional organizations and community members have banded together. Were aware of the pitfalls of staffing a hotline and were prepared to help. The dedicated network of organizations and trained professionals are here to help sustain the health care workforce.

Meagan McGuire is the lead mental health nurse for the Connecticut Nurses Association. She is part of a team of professionals that established the HealthCare Providers First hotline which provides confidential, free phone support to healthcare providers impacted by the pandemic.
Iran Vows To 'Deal Decisively' With Protests

By RFE/RL July 17, 2020

Iran has vowed to "deal decisively" with further protests, a day after police fired tear gas to disperse antiestablishment demonstrators in the southwestern city of Behbahan.

Accusing "enemies" of whipping up discontent, police on July 17 urged people to "vigilantly refrain from any gathering that could provide a pretext for the counterrevolutionary movement."

"The police force has an inherent and legal duty to deal decisively with these desperate moves," a statement said.

The official government news agency IRNA quoted Behbahan's police chief Mohammad Azizi as saying that "a small number of people" had gathered to protest against "the economic situation."

He said that the protest was broken with "firmness" after the demonstrators shouted "norm-breaking chants," a term usually used by Iranian authorities to refer to slogans against the clerical establishment.

Videos posted online showed protesters in Behbahan chanting slogans such as "Don't be afraid, we're all together," and "No Gaza, no Lebanon, my life for Iran."

Azizi said calm was restored without providing further details. It was clear if any arrest was made.

Netblocks, a website that monitors Internet disruptions, said Internet access was restricted and disrupted in Khuzestan Province, where Behbahan is located, for about three hours around the time of the protest.

The rally in Behbahan came amid a social-media campaign calling on Iranian authorities to overturn death sentences handed to three men who participated in protests last year.

On July 14, Iran's judiciary announced that the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences against Amir Hossein Moradi, 25, Saeed Tamjidi, 27, and Mohammad Rajabi, 25, for criminal actions during the November 2019 protests sparked by a sudden hike in the price of gasoline.

Also on July 16, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced they had arrested a number of "agitators" and also broke up a "terrorist group."

Those arrested in the northern city of Mashhad were "connected to anti-revolutionary groups" and had made calls for street protests, it said.

In the southwestern city of Shiraz, members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), an exiled group which Tehran considers a terrorist group, were also detained, the IRGC said, adding that the move prevented a "subversive operation."

Iran's economy has deteriorated since 2018, when U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers, and reimposed crippling economic sanctions on the country.

The coronavirus epidemic has exacerbated Iran's economic woes with a temporary shutdown of the economy and reduced exports.

With reporting by IRNA, Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-vows-to-deal- decisively-with-protests/30733815.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Even before John Lewis was a young civil rights fighter trying to cross a bridge in Alabama, he tried to open doors in South Carolina.

The place was a Rock Hill bus station in May 1961. Lewis was 21, part of a dozen Freedom Riders organized by the Congress of Racial Equality to travel the South from Virginia to New Orleans to see if integration in interstate travel was being enforced locally.

He and another from the group walked into the "whites only" waiting room and were set upon by Klansmen and beaten, leaving Lewis bruised and bloodied.

But mob violence here and in other Southern states couldn't stop the Freedom Riders in their fight for desegregation. The effort made civil rights history.

Lewis died Friday. He was 80 years old. A cause was not immediately announced, but in December he disclosed he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

South Carolinians on Saturday reacted with sorrow at the passing of the civil rights icon and Georgia congressman, remembering him as a pioneer who took an early and courageous path in the face of threats and danger.

"The country lost a hero last night," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who first met Lewis in 1960 in Atlanta for an organizing meeting of what became known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, commonly known as SNCC.

"The movement lost an icon," Clyburn said. "And I lost a personal friend. But I do believe that as the sun set on John Lewiss life last night, the sun rises on a movement that will never die."

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., added "One of the great honors of my life was co-chairing the trip to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge with John, on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday. He was a giant among men; his life and legacy will continue to serve as an example for the generations to come."

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison said just being in Lewis' presence was to step back into another time.

"As a congressional staffer, I would often go into the office of Congressman John Lewis and sit on his couch, enamored by the history hanging on his walls," he said. "It was like working in a museum. I am grateful to have known him, to learn from him, to be mentored by him, but most importantly to have been his friend."

He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Lewis was in Charleston as recently as 2016 and spoke in the wake of the Emanuel AME Church shootings. He told the story of one of the Klansmen who beat him in Rock Hill, Elwin Wilson, who years after the beating visited Lewis to ask forgiveness.

He hugged me, I hugged him back, and I cried, and he cried, Lewis recalled, speaking directly to the handful of survivors and the victims family members seated in the front row of Circular Congregational Church. You are so right. Its better to love.

But Lewis also spoke of the need for parts of the nation to change its thinking.

Were not there yet, Lewis said, aiming his talk at other members of Congress. We have a role to play, and we must play it, and play it well.

That was part of the message as those who worked with Lewis from South Carolina reacted.

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"Mr. Lewis was not just my first boss, but someone I was honored to call a friend, a mentor, and a hero," said Sam Skardon, a Democratic candidate for the state Senate from Charleston, who was a legislative aide for Lewis.

"He took a chance on me and changed my life forever. He changed our country forever. He was the rare leader whose dignity, determination, and values were the exact same behind closed doors as they were in public. For me, his legacy will always be a special source of hope, inspiration, and solemn pride."

U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-Charleston, added that even in the short time they were in Congress together, Lewis was a presence.

"He was even more remarkable than you have heard and more humble than you can imagine," Cunningham said. "He was the conscience of our nation and the angel on our shoulder."

Lewis made several more trips to South Carolina over the years and continued to have an impact on its residents.

In 2013, the YWCA of Greater Charleston honored him with the Harvey Gantt Triumph Award, given to people who have made a positive impact on civil rights.

That January, Clyburn presented the award to Lewis, who delivered the keynote address.

He told the gathering at Morris Street Baptist Church that its important to celebrate the victories of the 1960s. But there are other battles that we must fight and that we must conquer, in spite of all the progress. The U.S. has seen dramatic changes in recent decades, but there is still an unbelievable amount of poverty.

Those of us who came out of the movement, we have an obligation to continue to teach and preach ... the way of peace the way of love, the way of respecting the dignity of every human being.

In August 2007, Lewis visited Charleston to pick up an elaborate iron bench commemorating civil rights activist Rosa Parks refusing to give up her bus seat in 1955.

The work, a creation representing patience and perseverance, was made by renowned local blacksmith Philip Simmons and a collection of other master craftsmen.

"It is my hope and my prayer that this 'Seat of Defiance' would inspire other people who have an opportunity to view it," Lewis said at the send-off party hosted by the Philip Simmons Foundation.

Lewis planned to donate the iron bench to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, the recently opened museum in Washington that he worked to make happen. The Penn Center on St. Helena Island commissioned the project.

The back of the bench features an outline of a bus that has "1955" written on its side. The seat has five wooden slats, and the words "Seat of Defiance" were burned onto the middle slat.

After the ceremony, Lewis and Simmons took a seat on the bench together, two Southern icons enjoying a peaceful moment.

Cleve O'Quinn contributed to this report.
Kremlin denies UK allegations of vote meddling, COVID-19 vaccine hacking

Global Times

Source: CGTN Published: 2020/7/17 21:07:40

The Kremlin on Thursday denied claims by Britain that "Russian actors" sought to meddle in last year's general election and that Russian intelligence services most likely hacked coronavirus vaccine research.

"We have no information on who could have hacked pharmaceutical companies and research centers in Britain," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the TASS news agency.

"We can only say this: Russia has nothing to do with these attempts."

Britain's cyber-security agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said "almost certainly" operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal information on coronavirus vaccines.

The National Cyber Security Center said targets include UK, U.S. and Canadian vaccine research and development organizations.

But Peskov said: "We do not accept such accusations."

The same applied to "the latest groundless allegations of interference in 2019 elections", he said.

The British government accused "Russian actors" of seeking to disrupt last year's general election by circulating leaked trade documents between London and Washington.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier mocked the British claim, saying it was "so hazy and contradictory that it's practically impossible to understand".

"On the one hand, there's no evidence. On the other hand they are talking about some retaliatory measures. These things are mutually exclusive," she said.

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- The soldiers' band released a song dubbed Corona through which they sensitised Kenyans about the novel coronavirus

- Many Kenyans who sampled the two versions of the song; rhumba and reggae, agreed indeed it is a hit song

- Corona, the song has garnered impressive viewership, a clear indication the soldiers did a commendable job

Kenyan soldiers drawn from the Kenya Defense Force (KDF) have always been there for us, in times of sorrow and in times of happiness, but mostly the former.

Many are times when we have seen them protect our borders, distribute relief food and a host of many other good things when misfortunes befall Kenyans.

READ ALSO: Christian show TV host divides netizens after saying buying alcohol with tithe money is not a sin

Kenyans praised the soldiers for the nice songs about coronavirus. Photo: Maroon Commandos/Facebook

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Journalist Stephen Letoo tests positive for COVID-19

Well, during the coronavirus pandemic, a group of soldiers making up the famous Maroon Commandos Band gave Kenyans every reason to smile with a very special gift.

Since they are musicians as well, the band ht the studio and recorded a lovely song dubbed Corona.

TUKO.co.ke has learnt the song, which comes in two versions; rhumba and reggae, was recorded in July and was uploaded on YouTube where it has fast gained popularity.

In the song, the melodious soldiers sing about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected many people across the globe.

READ ALSO: Serge Aurier: Brother of Spurs star Christopher shot dead in France

READ ALSO: Mwanamke Mkenya afariki dunia baada ya kugonjwa na lori Marekani

The song then touches on the importance of observing all the necessary safety measures to curb the virus such as social distancing, wearing face masks and washing hands or sanitising.

Kenyans were greatly touched by the song and duly expressed their feeling through various social media platforms.

On YouTube alone, Kenyan music enthusiasts thronged on the comments section of the video where they lauded the Maroon Commandos for such an exemplary song.

Judging by comments and sentiments about the song seen by TUKO.co.ke, it is clear the song is a hit and it is just a matter of time before it becomes a ''national anthem''.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

I married a man every woman wanted - Pastor Joan Chege | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
She is an advocate for body confidence and uses her social media platform to encourage other women to love the skin they're in.

And Malin Andersson was doing her bit for the cause once again with a light-hearted video uploaded to Instagram on Saturday.

The former Love Islander, 27, showcased her incredible curves as she slipped into a bright orange lingerie set which boasted lacy floral detailing.

Flawless: Malin Andersson showcased her incredible curves as she slipped into bright orange lingerie for a sizzling body-confidence video uploaded to Instagram on Saturday

She stood in front of camera with tousled brunette locks as she flaunted all of her angles in front of the camera.

Speaking to fans, the TV personality said: 'Just a quick one a lot of you are saying "you've got a really flat stomach, Ma".

'And I'm like "well, I mean I do and I don't, I do and I don't, and it doesn't matter".'

Strike a pose: The former Love Islander, 27, stood in front of camera with her tousled brunette locks flowing loosely

Light-hearted: Malin uploaded the video alongside a caption that read: 'For those telling me I have a flat stomach. It DOES NOT MATTER!'

It comes after Malin spoke about her own struggles to find strength in the face of major personal challenges.

She wrote in a recent Instagram post: 'The strength was always in her, almost like fire waiting to be ignited. We all have an inner-flame of power which we can tap into whenever we want.

'I remember when going through trauma and pain I would feel so weak and vulnerable.

Body-confidence: Speaking to fans, the TV personality said: 'Just a quick one a lot of you are saying "you've got a really flat stomach, Ma". And I'm like "well, I mean I do and I don't, I do and I don't, and it doesn't matter"'

'I didn't even know what strength was, but I was actually using it the whole time. I kept going and now I realise that was it.

'The willpower was real. Although at times I wanted to give up, the strength over-ruled and I carried on.'

Malin spoke of her drive to carry on after tragically losing her one-month-old daughter Consy in January 2019.

Heartfelt: It comes after Malin spoke about her own struggles to find strength in the face of major personal challenges

The reality star is now an ambassador for the SANDs Charity, which raises awareness of and supports those affected by stillbirth and neonatal death.

The mental health campaigner wrote: 'Whenever I have lost control of a situation whether it be my baby girl dying after 4 weeks of life, and me not wanting to give up for her battle, or my 2 years of emotional abuse; I had to actually realise that somethings aren't in my control.

'I had to let go and let be. I had to understand that this was part of the process how painful it was... but the thing I did have control of was my STRENGTH to carry on.'
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiquis estranged wife, Aaliya aka Anjana, has issued an open letter to him, amid their ongoing public divorce. Aaliya has accused Nawaz and his family of emotional and physical abuse.

In a message shared on Twitter, she wrote, Every single thing or right I have sought in the family towards my own lifes existence and self respect .....& I have only well planted mouthpieces having replied to me Every time for longest of my 10 years of my married life. Your brother in particular or then other brothers .. only faces changed. Your manager? Your hired PR machinery led fake news doing my character assassinations  time n again? Or your hired legal Councilors Or wives of those very brothers and their notices ... (sic).

Also read: Nawazuddin Siddiquis wife Aaliya told him not to write controversial autobiography, says he thought he was being mahan

She wrote that Nawaz is staying silent on the matter because at stake is his career or stardom or fame, money & power. She accused him of trying to assassinate her character, but wrote that this time, she is more firm, more adamant and that she refuses to bow down against him and his malicious ways.

To A STAR who boastingly thinks he is INVINCIBLE under his own created enigma of stardom but failed miserably as a human being. ( let alone being a husband or a dotting father.) pic.twitter.com/a4rpohCbqO  Anjana Anand kishor pandey (@ASiddiqui2020) July 16, 2020

She continued, While you believe In Quantity in the number of ill directed notices riding on misplaced sensibilities under the realm of your stardom .. I will only serve you with more quality and evidences in this fight ... as we go along ! & Thats a Promise of ... A fight of a mother ... A fight of a Wife .... A fight of a resurrected soul against all the tortures which I have faced at the hand of you /your family for 10 long years . With my heart where it belongs for the love of my kids. Anjana Kishore Pandey or Aaliya Siddiqui as the world might be knowing me , just as yet ! (sic).

Aaliya in a recent interview to Pinkvilla had also accused Nawaz of infidelity. She had said, When I was pregnant, I had to drive all by myself for check-ups. My doctor used to tell me that Im mad and Im the first lady whos come alone for delivery. My labour pain started and Nawaz and his parents were there. But when I was in pain, my husband is not with me. He was talking to his girlfriend on calls. I knew everything because there used to be itemised statement of phone bills.

Also read: Nawazuddin Siddiquis wife Aaliya accuses him of infidelity, claims he had girls over while she was in labour

Aaliya filed for divorce on May 6, and Nawazs lawyer, Adnan Sheikh, has said that his client responded on May 15. Nawazs lawyer told Indian Express that the actor had responded to the divorce filing well within the time legally allotted to him. The lawyer said that Aaliya has constructed a slander campaign against the actor in the media.

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Fund manager Jonathan Curtis has made some serious money for investors in the recent past.

And while he believes it might get harder to make returns from here on in because of inflated company valuations, he is adamant that the case for investing in technology stocks remains a compelling one.

Curtis, based in California's Silicon Valley  the home of many global tech companies  is manager of Franklin Technology, a 3.7billion investment fund that invests across the globe.

Over the past year, he has generated a return of 32 per cent for investors while over the past five years he has turned a 1,000 investment into 3,300.

Like other investment experts, Curtis accepts that many technology stocks  especially those in the United States  are trading at a premium compared to other big listed companies.

'Are we paying a fair price for tech companies at the moment?' he asks. 'Maybe, they are higher than I would like but they are not crazy. Share prices do not feel out of control.'

Yet he concedes that with a US presidential election in November, stock markets will be volatile, triggering sharp price movements on leading tech shares.

But unlike some he is not fazed by the prospect of Democratic candidate Joe Biden winning. 'Yes, Trump has been business friendly,' he says, 'but Biden would probably pave the way for an enormous spend on infrastructure. That, in turn, would be good for many technology stocks.'

The Franklin fund has 75 holdings, 65 of which are listed. The rest are private companies that make up 2 per cent of the portfolio.

The fund is heavily US-centric and has key holdings in traditional tech stocks  the likes of Amazon, Apple and Microsoft.

But Curtis says there is 'lots of action' elsewhere. He points to a number of below-the-radar US holdings that have been key recent drivers of the trust's overall performance  electronics agreement company DocuSign, website security specialist Cloudflare and software company ServiceNow.

All three, he says, have thrived as a result of the surge in digital-based services during the coronavirus pandemic.

'DocuSign has helped businesses move from paper-based documents to those that can be digitally stored and signed,' says Curtis. 'It's a super powerful service in the current environment.

Cloudflare offers security software that has been invaluable to many companies which have turned to the internet to do business. ServiceNow has also helped firms become more efficient by digitalising certain business processes.'

Although private companies are normally off the radar of most investment funds, Curtis says such investments provide an important insight into the use of technology to create new services.

'These companies are often trying to develop a new market. It allows us as managers to stay ahead of the curve,' he adds.

Curtis believes the pandemic has speeded up digitalisation  'we've seen two years of digital transformation take place in little over two months'  and he sees nothing that will inhibit its growth. 'It will continue to throw up new opportunities,' he predicts.

The fund's ongoing annual charge is 0.9 per cent and shares  denominated in dollars  can be bought through platforms such as Hargreaves Lansdown.

Fund Calibre's two top technology fund recommendations are Axa Framlington Global Technology and Smith & Williamson Artificial Intelligence.
The term slapdash also was used by Melissa Owen to describe the Fisher Sand and Gravel wall project that sprang up suddenly a few miles south of her house in Sasabe.

Owen said nobody wants a secure border more than I do and welcomes Border Patrol agents on her 640-acre property. She described the wall project as a slapdash, knee-jerk, nonsolution that didnt take into account the enormous improvements in border security achieved by agents and the existing 15-foot-tall fence.

Owen said she first learned about the rough outline of the wall project near Sasabe in mid-June. Since then, she tried to get more specific answers from Customs and Border Protection officials, resulting in a meeting with several CBP officials at her house on Thursday.

After the meeting, she told the Star she was angry the officials were put in the position to cover up for their higher-ups and the highest up.

Tommy Fisher, the head of Fisher Sand and Gravel, which is based in North Dakota and has offices in Tempe, told the Star he had an agreement with federal officials not to comment on his companys border wall contracts in Arizona. The Texas project was privately funded and not part of a government contract.
As a result of a pirate attack on the Curacao Trader ship in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria, 13 out of 19 crew members have been abducted, there are four Ukrainian citizens among the captured sailors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported.

"On July 17, 2020, as a result of a pirate attack on the Curacao Trader ship in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria (200 miles southwest), 13 out of 19 crew members were kidnapped. Four citizens of Ukraine were among the seamen," the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry told Interfax-Ukraine agency.

Embassies of Ukraine in Nigeria and the United Kingdom have established contact with the shipowner, the operator of the vessel and are clarifying the circumstances of the case, the Foreign Ministry noted.
The accused has now himself tested positive for COVID-19.

Mumbai: The Panvel taluka police has arrested a man for sexually assaulting a 40-year-old woman, who was admitted to a COVID-19 quarantine centre, in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. The officials said that the accused, who had come to visit one of his corona positive relative quarantined there, has now himself tested positive for COVID-19.

The officials said that the accused had offered help to bring anything that the woman would need after he met her at the centre. After the acquaintance developed, the accused went on to take advantage and allegedly targeted her sexually. The officials have, however, not shared any information about the location of the crime scene.

The complaint was lodged by the victim and the accused was arrested by the police soon after. The probe is on based on the details shared by the victim, said a police officer, adding that a case of rape has been filed against the accused.

The woman has been found to be negative in the latest COVID test whereas the accused has tested positive. The accused has been placed under surveillance and he will be produced in a court after his quarantine period ends.
The council of Hairenik Party today held a session during which it discussed Azerbaijans military aggression. Leader of Hairenik Party Artur Vanetsyan suggested respecting the memory of the deceased Armenian soldiers with a moment of silence and expressed his support to the soldiers and leadership of the invincible Armenian army.

Upon the decision of the political partys council, a task force was set up to organize assistance to eliminate the consequences of Azerbaijans military aggression through meetings with the population on the spot.

The members of the political party will be in Tavush Province starting from the early hours of July 18.
Nearly two months ago, Gov. Kate Brown acknowledged she has done too little as governor to root out entrenched racism, including making inroads to end the disproportionate whiteness of top officials across Oregon government.

I count myself as one of the many white politicians whose good intentions havent done enough to tackle the scourge of systemic racism, the governor said. Its my expectation that we stop talking and start taking action.
New Delhi: Amid the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, the much-revered Somvati Amavasya Snan 2020 has been cancelled. The Uttarakhand police issued a notice urging devotees to not come for the holy bath on July 19 and 20 this year.

Urging everyone to co-operate with the police authorities to fight the deadly pandemic, the notice states people should not travel to Haridwar this time for the holy bath. On July 19 and 20, all the borders of Hardiwar will remain sealed and no one will be allowed. During the auspicious occasion of Sovwati Amavasya, holy bath at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar is strictly prohibited.

If anyone visits Haridwar then he/she will be sent for mandatory institutional quarantine of 14 days. If at all, it is found that rules are not being followed, strict action will be taken against the person guilty.

Somvati Amavasya 2020:

The term 'Amavasya' stands for the new moon as per Hindu calendar. This day holds utmost significance as you can perform several pujas and rituals. When the Amavasya falls on a Monday, then it is called 'Somvati Amavasya'. You can even observe a fast on this day, as very rarely an Amavasya falls on Mondaymaking this one more special. This year, Somvati Amavasya is on July 20, 2020 - this Monday of Shravan or Sawan month which makes it even more auspicious.

Lord Shiva is worshipped on a Monday, and that makes this Somvati Amavasya dedicated solely to the lord. If you can't take a holy dip in river Ganges on this day, or in any nearby river or pond, you can supplement it by simply taking a bath at home with pure mind and soul offering your prayers to Lord Shiva, Maa Parvati and Goddess Tulsi.
Microsoft president Brad Smith. Photo: Getty

Microsoft (MFST) president Brad Smith says global unemployment may reach a quarter of a billion people in 2020.

His stark warning comes as the US Congressional Budget Office estimates a 12.3 point increase in the unemployment rate putting 21 million employees newly out of work.

"It is a staggering number. The pandemic respects no border. Many other countries and continents face similar challenges, Smith told the BBC.

Millions will need to learn new digital skills to get jobs or retain their existing employment, according to the tech giant boss.

Microsoft recently announced plans to deliver skills and training to 25 million people across the globe with the help of its subsidiary company LinkedIn.

It will spend $20m (19.6m) on the programme. The software company estimates the global workforce can absorb around 149 million new technology-oriented jobs.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Up to 1,200 job losses as Zizzi and ASK Italian close 75 branches

But Smith admitted many global jobs would be beyond the reach of digital retraining.

"It's true that the nature of work varies widely around the world. Not all jobs can be digitised, particularly in the developing world.

"We live in a world of internet inequality - if we don't do something about it we are going to exacerbate all the other inequalities that we all worry about. This is a task beyond any one company or any one government but if we can reach 25 million people we will feel like we are doing our part."

He emphasised that it was a crucial moment for technology which could be a formidable weapon in the wrong hands.

"To ensure that technology is a force for good, governments need to move more quickly to develop technology-focused laws. While tech companies need to exert some self-restraint," he added.

But there are concerns that advances in technology could lead to greater job losses as automation takes over.

"Fundamentally the responsibility of companies and countries is to make sure that people have the skills to ensure they reap the benefits rather than suffer from the consequences of the changes unleashed, added Smith.
Insurance fraud seems like it might be an easy thing to do. Insurance companies are often so huge, one wonders how they might not even notic...
Putin Orders Massive Snap Russian 'Combat Readiness Check'

By RFE/RL's Russian Service, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 17, 2020

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a snap "combat readiness check" involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels to ensure security in Russia's southwest, where he sees a "serious threat" from terrorism.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on July 17 that the "check" had already begun and will test the readiness of Russian armed forces for the Caucasus-2020 military maneuvers scheduled for September.

"In accordance with the decision of the commander in chief of the Russian Armed Forces [Putin], a snap combat readiness check is being conducted by troops of the Southern and Western military districts," Shoigu said.

The southern and western military districts of Russia border Ukraine, in the east of which Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian armed forces since April, 2014..

The "check" is taking place in several areas, including the Black and Caspian Seas, and involves airborne troops and marine infantry from the Northern and Pacific Fleets.

More than 400 aircraft and over 100 vessels will also take part in the military event, according to Shoigu.

After forcibly seizing Crimea and the outbreak of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia conducted a large number of snap military exercises in its western and southwestern regions.

In Ukraine, Defense Minister Andriy Taran said on July 17 that Ukrainian armed forces will also conduct military drills in September.

"As [Russian] troops accumulate under the pretext of preparing for the Caucasus-2020 strategic drills, the leadership of Ukraine's Defense Ministry and the armed forces plan to conduct Joint Effort-2020 strategic command exercises... at the same time, namely in the last part of September," Taran said.

Taran added that Kyiv expects representatives from NATO countries to take part in the exercises, adding that, according to Ukrainian data, Russia is not preparing any armed offensives during the Caucasus-2020 drills.

Some 13,200 people have been killed since April 2014 in Ukraine's east, where Moscow has been supporting to pro-Russian separatists there.

With reporting by UNIAN, AFP, TASS, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin- orders-massive-snap-russian-military -drills-ukraine/30733189.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Jammu: A Pakistani intruder was arrested by the Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Saturday (July 18).

The intruder was found moving into this side in Nowshera sector late Friday night and was immediately arrested, he said.

Officials said the man was being questioned.

This is the second such arrest along the LoC in the past four days.

On July 15, Abdul Rehman (28), a resident of Nakyal village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was arrested when he sneaked into this side from across the LoC in Balakote sector of Poonch district.
A looming court battle pitting Warren council members against Mayor Jim Fouts over a millage levy has been avoided after both sides reached an agreement on a disputed tax rate.

In separate but identical prepared statement issued Friday night by the council and the mayors office, both said: In the best interests of Warren residents and in a spirit of cooperation, the Mayor and City Council avoided court action and agreed that the library tax rate for fiscal year 2020/2021 will be .6014 (mills). Their work has cleared the way for the issuance of the summer tax bills and generating the revenues necessary to operate.

The statement continued: They have agreed to negotiate in good faith in the hope that they will resolve their remaining differences. Representatives of both sides will be meeting in the coming days to continue their discussions on a range of the issues. They will be offering no further comment regarding their negotiations at this time.

This particular battle of wills occurred when the council on June 30 made a series of 11th-hour changes to the city budget submitted by the mayor for approval for the fiscal year that started the next day. Part of that included a library millage levy set lower than what Fouts had recommended.

The city administration had proposed a rate of 0.8275 mills for library operations, but the council trimmed it to 0.6014 mills. Council President Pat Green explained the full levy was no longer needed because renovation projects to two branch libraries in the southern half of the city had been completed.

But on a document signed by Fouts showing the various city tax rates that help fund city services, the higher rate was written. That document is used to by the Warren Treasurers Office and the citys assessing department for preparation of tax bills.

The council cried foul. In a rare, weekend special meeting held at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 11, council members voted unanimously to authorize their own hired special legal counsel  a hiring that itself was surrounded in political finger-pointing for circumventing the City Attorneys Office  to prepare legal action against the mayor and anyone else involved in forwarding a different library millage rate. Councilman Garry Watts said the matter should be submitted to the Macomb County Prosecutors Office for a review.

The millage controversy delayed the mailing of summer property tax bills. That reduced the time before the Aug. 31 deadline to pay those taxes. Treasurer Lorie Barnwell asked council members to create a grace period allowing property owners to pay during that period without being hit with the normal 1% late fee. The new due date to avoid a late charge is Sept. 15.

I know residents were eager to get their bills, but waiting to ensure the tax bills were correct potentially saved the taxpayers thousands, Barnwell said Friday.

Earlier in the week, Barnwell said she would submit documents to the Michigan Attorney General for review and direction on which library millage rate should be applied to the taxable value of all privately owned parcels in the city.

A lawsuit against Fouts by council members who have been increasingly at odds with the four-term mayor since they were elected last November election would have marked an unusual chapter in Warrens decades-long history of bare-knuckled politics.

Another budget move that riled Fouts was the councils surprised decision to cut the position of executive administrator from the mayors departmental budget. The job, with a salary of $90,857, is the No. 2 job in the Mayors Office behind Fouts himself, and had been vacant for years.

Amanda Mika, who has used the title of executive assistant (salary $78,494) publicly and in emails and documents  and identified by Fouts with that title  both say she was promoted last January to the higher paying role. The mayor and Mika insist the scope of the job duties she carries out extend beyond that of executive assistant and that she deserves and earns the larger paycheck.

Titles dont matter to me, Mika told The Macomb Daily on July 2.
As the Black Lives Matter global movement comes into full swing, there is a lot to be learned from and built in partnership alongside the most recent movements working toward gender equity.

In 2020 and beyond, if success is to be achieved, there must be no anti-Black racism initiative without gender parity in its leadership, and likewise there should be no gender equality initiative that doesnt include combating anti-Black racism as a part of its mandate.

There are countless coalitions and organizations forming across industries and civil society that are evolving to meet the demand for a global reckoning on racial equity. This is a great thing, but the most promising of these initiatives are those that are truly inclusive in their design, both intergenerationally and from a gender perspective.

As we build on from the successful models of funding and organization from gender equity initiatives past, we must ensure there are seats at the table reserved for Black women. If we do not prioritize diverse decision making forums, we will only create more of the same.

Much like the #MeToo movement, we are shifting from a whisper network to a shout-it-from-the-rooftops network calling for change. There is a completely justified impatience for the corrections that need to be made, and leaders who have difficulty understanding this new climate, both in the private and public sectors, will be swiftly replaced by a generation of leaders who are prepared to act.

No matter what function is being carried out: from freeing up capital, engaging partners, or planning for improved economic and justice related outcomes, the minimum standard should be equity among those shaping the path forward.

When we consider the foundational challenges faced by our communities, it is always women at the forefront of ensuring those basic human needs are met.

Not-for-profit organizations that respond to the fundamentals of human well-being (housing, food security, and child care, especially) are seeing an increased demand for their services. There are growing localized calls to see public budgets dramatically reshaped to ensure these areas of need are appropriately funded through the COVID-19 crisis.

This week, the London, Ont., city council passed a unanimous motion to bring an anti-racism lens to the city budget and all service areas and policies. This is not the norm across the country (though it should be). There are still municipalities grappling with the idea that this work is important at all. What was unique about this case was that city councillor Arielle Kayabaga was able to lead the initiative with the full support of allies on council, rather than the other way around.

Black women have always needed to fight twice as hard to secure a seat at decision-making tables. We all reach better outcomes when they are properly supported rather than eclipsed.

2020 has been a year where, just when you didnt think you could endure another feather of weight, a piano comes down and flattens you. Somehow, even under these conditions of grief and uncertainty, women all around the world endure this unbearable weight and keep moving forward.

We need to ensure that those who have carried the load the longest are fully included in each phase of movement work. The women who built and powered both movements, with lifelong commitments, should be centred in how they move forward.

Journalist Julia Leeb perfectly described the reality faced worldwide by women in leadership: Its the women who keep life going; its the women who forgive first and focus on the future. Yet, somehow, women are never sitting at the table.

This generation of young people will accept nothing less than fundamental change as we navigate this unprecedented terrain.

We have a responsibility to make gender diversity an organizing principle for any anti-Black racism initiative. We build better solutions when everyone who is impacted is empowered. Success will be achieved if our movements are intersectional in both word and deed.

The tomorrow we are creating includes diverse women, nonbinary, and differently abled people in the decision-making process. Should you find yourself at a table that is not inclusive, ask questions, and initiate the change.

In the words of Maya Angelou, I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.
Representative John Lewis, a son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality, and who then carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress, died on Friday. He was 80.

His death was confirmed in a statement by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, announced on Dec. 29 that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and vowed to fight it with the same passion with which he had battled racial injustice. I have been in some kind of fight  for freedom, equality, basic human rights  for nearly my entire life, he said.

On the front lines of the bloody campaign to end Jim Crow laws, with blows to his body and a fractured skull to prove it, Mr. Lewis was a valiant stalwart of the civil rights movement and the last surviving speaker from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

More than a half-century later, after the killing in May of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis, Mr. Lewis welcomed the resulting global demonstrations against police killings of Black people and, more broadly, against systemic racism in many corners of society. He saw those protests as a continuation of his lifes work, though his illness had left him to watch from the sidelines.
Paris, 17 July UNESCO and the European Union are launching an awareness-raising project to strengthen the resilience of states in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project will help societies address the challenge of the lack of reliable information on the coronavirus. This lack of trustworthy information has far-reaching consequences not only for public health but also for good governance and for peace.

The UNESCO project will establish national or regional online information resource centers for media professionals, providing journalists with content, information and verified statistics on the pandemic. In addition, it will implement awareness-raising campaigns on social media platforms, reinforce national and regional fact-checking networks, support public broadcasters and local radio stations to produce content on the pandemic, and run online training programs for journalists.

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, welcomed the signing of this agreement, highlighting the fact that since the onset of this pandemic, societies have become especially vulnerable to fake news and rumors. Our efforts to guarantee access to reliable, high-quality information not only protect people from a life-threatening disease, they are also a critical component of peacebuilding.

The project funding of 2.5 million over a period of 12 months will be allocated primarily to Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal and Zimbabwe. It is provided by the European Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, part of the EUs Exceptional Assistance Measures in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. The project is intended to bolster UNESCO's work defending freedom of expression and access to quality, verified information. It further builds on the Organization's initial efforts to counter disinformation about the pandemic.

Soon after COVID-19 became a pandemic, UNESCO launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC),  Journalism in a pandemic: Covering COVID-19 now and in the future , which 9,000 journalists in 160 countries have participated in to date. Developed with the UNESCO Chair at the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Program, this MOOC is delivered in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, and will also shortly be available in Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
Lewis, called the conscience of US Congress, had announced in December he had advanced pancreatic cancer.

John Lewis, a pioneer of the civil rights movement and longtime member of the United States House of Representatives, died on Friday.

Lewis, a member of Congress from Atlanta who had announced in December that he had advanced pancreatic cancer, was 80.

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise, former President Barack Obama said in a statement.

And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example.

Former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement, We have lost a giant. John Lewis gave all he had to redeem Americas unmet promise of equality and justice for all, and to create a place for us to build a more perfect union together.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation.

In the Congress, John Lewis was revered and beloved on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol. All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing, Pelosi said in a statement.

Rest in Heavenly peace Mr. John Lewis. Thank you for your service, for your committment to change and your courage. You did great with your time on this earth. "Goodnight sweet Prince. May flights of angels sing the to thy rest." Andpour some blessings on us down here  pic.twitter.com/9ZBSnLYmMa  Viola Davis (@violadavis) July 18, 2020

Civil rights pioneer

Lewis was a protege of Martin Luther King Jr, whom he met after writing to him when Lewis was just 18. He was the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington, having stood beside King when he made his I Have a Dream speech.

Two years later, Lewis nearly died while leading hundreds of marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on a peace march to Montgomery when state troopers, seeking to intimidate those demonstrating for voting rights for Black Americans, attacked protesters.

Lewis suffered a fractured skull on the day that would become known as Bloody Sunday.

Fifty years later, in 2015, he walked across the bridge arm in arm with Obama, the nations first Black president, to mark the anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march.

Lewis first entered Congress in 1986 and quickly became a figure of moral authority, with Pelosi labelling him the conscience of the Congress.

Lewis kept up the fight for civil rights and human rights until the end of his life, inspiring others with calls to make documentary Good Trouble.

He made his last public appearance in June, as protests for racial justice swept the US and the world.

Using a cane, he walked with Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser on a street by the White House that Bowser had just renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza, which had just been dedicated with a large yellow mural  large enough to be seen from space  reading Black Lives Matter.

What A Day now, John Lewis. Sometimes its Good to meet a Hero I was blessed every time we met. RI POWER, Sir.#thestrugglecontinues#BLM#VOTE  Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) July 18, 2020

Tributes

Tributes quickly began pouring in from other politicians.

John Lewis was an icon who fought with every ounce of his being to advance the cause of civil rights for all Americans, said Senator Kamala Harris, the first African American to represent California in the Senate, on Twitter. Im devastated for his family, friends, staff  and all those whose lives he touched.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on Twitter, John Lewis was a true American hero and the moral compass of our nation. May his courage and conviction live on in all of us as we continue to make good trouble for justice and opportunity.

Our conscience, he was a griot of this modern age, one who saw its hatred but fought ever towards the light, said Stacey Abrams, a Democratic activist and founder of Fair Fight, a voting rights group in Lewiss home state of Georgia. And never once did he begrudge sharing its beauty. I loved him & will miss him.
Health Board urgently working to implement new Welsh Government hospital visiting guidance

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Jul 18th, 2020

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board says it will not be able to introduce new hospital visiting guidance for all patients from next week.

It comes after the Welsh Government announced a series of new changes to the visiting guidance to hospitals across Wales.

The guidance, which is effective from 20 July 2020, includes a partner, friend or family member can now accompany you to:

 12 week pregnancy scans

 Early pregnancy clinics

 Anomaly scans

Yesterday the Welsh Government said: We want to ensure that people can visit friends and family in hospital as much as possible.

But, COVID-19 is still spreading in our communities and we need to prevent and control its spread in our healthcare settings. This is to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of patients/service users, staff and visitors.

We need to restrict the number of visitors in healthcare settings to ensure that we adhere to the social distancing guidance.

Virtual visiting should continue where possible. There is immense value in cards, phone calls, e-mails, social media as well as video calls.

We have updated this guidance to assist health boards and trusts in striking a balance between allowing visiting with a purpose, whilst maintain robust infection control measures. The safety of patients, visitors and staff must be paramount.

The guidance remains that health boards and trusts should not return to business as usual in relation to visiting.

Visiting, with agreement from the ward sister/charge nurse/nurse in charge, can be facilitated as follows; as long as visitors do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 or are recovered from COVID-19 and have not been knowingly exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

However Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board confirmed that it will not be able to introduce the measures for all patients from next Monday.

In a statement, the health board said: The Welsh Government have updated their guidance to NHS Wales regarding visitors coming onto our sites including those accompanying patients to appointments such as scans.

Before we can implement this guidance, we must ensure that it is as safe as possible for everyone to maintain social distancing.

We are urgently working on how we will implement this latest guidance safely but regret that we will not be able to do this for all patients as of Monday 20 July.

We hope to be able to introduce the new arrangements in a phased way and further information will follow.

If you have an appointment, please contact your midwife or ultrasound department to discuss this.

The full Welsh Government guidance on updated visiting can be found here.
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela  Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday, but was unable to win the release of several Americans jailed in the South American nation.

Richardson said he and Maduro talked about the potential release of American prisoners, as well as coronavirus humanitarian issues.

The Trump administration and Maduros socialist government maintain tense relations.

We regret that we were not able to secure the release of the Americans, Richardson said in a statement, adding that he met in person with Maduro after talking with the president by phone Tuesday and meeting three times with Jorge Rodriguez, Maduros chief spokesman.

Richardson said several families of Americans held in Venezuela had contacted him, prompting his visit to the South American nation that started Monday.

Among the U.S. citizens jailed in Venezuela are former Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who were arrested in May while participating in a botched raid organized from neighboring Colombia seeking to oust Maduro.

Also being held are six executives from the U.S. oil company CITGO  five Venezuelan Americans and one permanent U.S. resident. They were lured to Caracas for a meeting in late 2017 at the offices of the Houston-based CITGOs parent, the Venezuelan state-run oil giant PDVSA, when masked security agents swarmed into a boardroom and hauled them away.

Richardson, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and as energy secretary in the administration of President Bill Clinton, made the private humanitarian mission in coordination with the U.S. government. Richardson also thanked the Qatari government for its assistance.
Hermosillo, Mexico--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2020) - Peal Mexico S.A de C.V. ("Peal") announces that on June 30, 2020 it acquired 11,000,000 common shares of Magna Gold Corp. ("Magna") under the terms of a settlement agreement between Peal and a subsidiary of Magna entered into to settle an existing arbitration proceeding between the parties in relation to Magna's San Francisco gold mine located in Sonora, Mexico (the "Settlement"). The common shares were issued at a deemed price of $0.35 per share for aggregate deemed consideration of $3,850,000.

Before giving effect to the Settlement, Peal had ownership and control over 3,266,6183 common shares of Magna representing approximately 4.44% of the issued and outstanding common shares. After giving effect to the Settlement, Peal has ownership or control over 14,266,618 common shares of Magna representing approximately 16.87% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares.

Peal has no current intention to increase its beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, securities of Magna. Peal may, depending on various factors including, without limitation, market and other conditions, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership, control or direction over common shares or other securities of Magna, through market transactions, private agreements, treasury issuances, exercises of convertible securities or otherwise.

Peal has prepared an early warning reporting in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues that will appear under Magna's profile on www.sedar.com.

For additional information, or to obtain a copy of the early warning report, please contact:

Peal Mexico S.A. de C.V.

Blvd. Eusebio Francisco Kino, N 315

Edificio Grand Kino, suite 905

Colonia Lomas del Pitic, CP 83010

Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

Attn: Rosana Perez Vega

Email: rperez@peal.es

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60031
Tehran warns Seoul over 'unacceptable' freezing of Iranian oil money

Iran Press TV

Friday, 17 July 2020 9:48 AM

Iran has issued an official warning to the "rude" government of South Korea over its "unacceptable" and "unjustifiable" move to block the Islamic Republic's oil money.

In comments on Friday, Vice-Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Amir-Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi said it is a source of regret and surprise that the South Korean government is blocking the Iranian nation's money under the US pressure.

Iranian authorities have been pressing South Korea to release between $6.5 billion and $9 billion in frozen funds so that Tehran could use them for purchase of basic goods.

Qazizadeh Hashemi slammed Seoul's "rude" behavior and said it shows South Korea is not committed to any ethical or legal principle.

South Korea is violating another nation's rights under the pressure of the US bullies, he said, urging the Iranian Foreign Ministry to actively pursue the return of the Iranian money.

Earlier on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Tehran has already given an official warning to Seoul over the frozen assets.

South Korea is citing the US sanctions as an excuse for not releasing Iran's money, Mousavi told a press briefing in the city of Ardabil in northwestern Iran.

However, he added, relations between South Korea and the US have nothing to do with Iran.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told a meeting with Iranian parliamentarians that countries like South Korea have not responded positively to Iran's repeated requests for release of funds that have reportedly been blocked because of the US pressure.

"Some countries like Oman and China have acted positively on return of these funds but South Korea has not taken any significant action in this regard," said Zarif, according to remarks published by Iranian parliament's news service.

Zarif said South Korean government claims it has "certain problems" in transferring the money it owes to Iran mainly because of the US sanctions.

"On the one hand, we are negotiating for the return of the blocked funds and on the other, there has been some proper legal actions," said the top Iranian diplomat without elaborating on what legal path Iran has taken to secure the release of funds.

Business sources said last week that Seoul had agreed to allow Iran use part of the funds for purchases of drugs and medical equipment.

Iran is struggling to return the funds frozen by foreign banks amid a shortage of hard currency in the country which has been contending with the coronavirus pandemic over the past months.

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Her cousin, Mr Lawrence John, who reported the case to the police, said the family suspected foul play.

File photo

A 28-year-old woman, Mrs Clara Vincent, has allegedly committed suicide by drinking sniper after quarrelling with her husband, The PUNCH reports.

City Round learnt that the deceased, who lived on Ebewi Street at Agodo area of Lagos State with her husband, was rushed to the General Hospital, Isolo, Lagos where she was confirmed dead.

Her cousin, Mr Lawrence John, who reported the case to the police, said the family suspected foul play, alleging that the husband had a hand in her death.

He said, My cousin, Clara, was said to have taken her own life after drinking sniper. She was rushed to the General hospital, at Isolo, where she died.

We were surprised that the husband had packed up the body and ready to take her to his hometown in Umuezeala in Imo State for burial without the knowledge of her family members. We suspect that the husband killed her based on the misunderstanding they had in previous times.

Our correspondent learnt that the husband was in police custody for interrogation.

John added, Her remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy. The husband has been arrested by the police and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, for further investigation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana told our correspondents that investigation was ongoing.

He said, I am aware of the case and I can tell you that investigation is ongoing while we await the result of the autopsy.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced Friday that she is being treated for a recurrence of cancer, this time on her liver, but says she is able to maintain her workload on the Supreme Court and has no plans to retire.

"I have often said I would remain a member of the court as long as I can do the job full steam," Ginsburg said in a written statement. "I remain fully able to do that."

Still, the cancer recurrence and the question of how long the 87-year-old Ginsburg might remain focused new attention on how the Supreme Court's future could be controlled by the winner of November's election.

President Donald Trump has pitched the prospect of replacing the court's liberal justices as a selling point for his reelection, and said adding another conservative to the court will transform its abortion jurisprudence and protect gun rights.

Ginsburg, the court's oldest member, has battled cancer four previous times and has had other health concerns. She was in Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland earlier this week for an unrelated infection related to her gallbladder.

Her past resilience caused doctors not involved in her treatment to hedge their reactions to what clearly was bad medical news.

James Cleary, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said that Ginsburg's age and extensive cancer history make it difficult to predict whether she will fare better or worse than the average person.

"This is a patient whose cancer has been an outlier," he said. Still, he described Ginsburg's cancer battles as inspirational, saying she has "given my cancer patients a lot of hope, how well she's done."

In her statement, Ginsburg said doctors discovered lesions on her liver in February. She started immunotherapy, but it proved unsuccessful, so she began chemotherapy in mid-May, she said. A subsequent scan, on July 7, indicated "significant reduction" of the lesions and no new disease, she said.

"I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment," Ginsburg said. "I will continue bi-weekly chemotherapy to keep my cancer at bay, and am able to maintain an active daily routine. Throughout, I have kept up with opinion writing and all other court work."

Ginsburg's description of the cancer as a "recurrence" and the use of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine indicated that the newly discovered lesions on her liver are the result of the pancreatic cancer with which she was diagnosed last year, several oncologists said.

"The treatment she is getting is typical for pancreatic cancer. That would fit," said John Marshall, director of the Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. "But her cancer history is very unusual, from a good perspective. She's always done much better than one would have anticipated."

People with the disease Ginsburg is battling typically live another 12 to 18 months, Marshall said. But because Ginsburg's cancer history is so unusual, she may defy those expectations, he said. The justice has endured two battles with pancreatic cancer 10 years apart - a rare course for that disease - as well as colon and lung cancer.

Another oncologist, Mark Lewis, director of gastrointestinal oncology at Intermountain Health Care in Salt Lake City, noted that gemcitabine should have no impact on Ginsburg's mental acuity as she continues working.

Lewis said he was encouraged by Ginsburg's announcement that the lesions on her liver have shrunk because of the chemotherapy. He said that occurs in perhaps 25 percent of these cases.

Ginsburg's health has been a continuing source of concern during recent years. If she were unable to do her job, it would leave the court's four liberals without its leader. It would also give Trump a chance to name a third member of the court, and cement its conservative majority for a generation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blocked then-President Barack Obama from making an election-year appointment to the Supreme Court in 2016. He denied Obama's nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, even a confirmation hearing, saying the next president should make the choice.

But McConnell has said he would push through a Trump nominee this year should an opening occur. The difference from 2016, he maintains, is that now the same political party controls the White House and Senate.

Trump has named Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the high court.

Ginsburg resisted calls to retire when Obama was president, to give him a chance to name her replacement. During the 2016 campaign, she expressed her disdain for Trump - remarks she later said were inappropriate from a justice. But it has been clear she is not eager to have the president name her successor, and Democrats and other liberals have called on her to hold on through the election.

Should Trump's presumptive opponent, former vice president Joe Biden, win the presidency, his replacement of Ginsburg and perhaps Justice Stephen Breyer, who turns 82 next month, would not change the court's ideological balance. But it would replenish the liberals with a new generation. Biden has said he would nominate the Supreme Court's first female African American justice.

Ginsburg has bounced back from each of her health scares in the past. During an appearance at the end of August, Ginsburg said that her work on the Supreme Court has "kept me going" through her battles with cancer and that she was "on my way to being very well."

She kept up her share of opinion writing during the term just concluded, and was an active questioner during the court's oral arguments. She participated in one teleconferenced hearing in May from her hospital bed.

Supreme Court justices choose what they reveal about their health. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. recently confirmed he was hospitalized overnight after a fall last month only after The Washington Post learned about the incident separately.

Ginsburg said she was disclosing her new cancer diagnosis because she is "satisfied that my treatment course is now clear."

In August, Ginsburg said that she had completed a three-week course of stereotactic ablative radiation therapy - a highly focused treatment that concentrates an intense dose of radiation on a tumor - after a malignancy was discovered on her pancreas.

That had been the second treatment for cancer in nine months for Ginsburg. She had a portion of her left lung removed in December 2018 and in past decades was treated for colon and pancreatic cancer. She broke ribs in a fall in November 2018, which resulted in the discovery of the lung cancer.

But before a roaring crowd at the National Book Festival in Washington at the end of last summer, she declared: "This audience can see that I am alive."

Earlier this week, Ginsburg was admitted to Hopkins after experiencing a fever and chills. The court said she was given an endoscopic procedure "to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August." It is unrelated to the cancer, and Ginsburg went home earlier than had been predicted.

Ginsburg was nominated to the court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. She is the second-longest-serving justice, after Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the court's five conservatives.
Borrowers who took loan repayment 'holidays' at the height of the coronavirus crisis are struggling to obtain mortgages despite assurances the breaks would not affect their credit score.

Sources told The Mail on Sunday that banks were turning away customers who had taken payment holidays on home loans, credit cards and car finance, months after the Government and credit agencies said there would be no impact.

The sources said applicants could often get a provisional loan agreement from a bank, but were then rejected by the bank's credit checkers over fears they were not reliable borrowers.

Suffering: Many customers are struggling as they try to take out a mortgage or remortgage with a new lender

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said in March that banks had negotiated the rules around payment breaks with the financial watchdog, and that they would not affect a customer's credit score.

He said at the time: 'The FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) has talked to banks and lenders about this issue, particularly those who may need to delay payments on credit card bills. And I think the advice that's gone out is any changes need to be properly documented and it shouldn't affect your credit score.'

Credit agency Experian also reassured customers they would not be hit by taking advantage of the blanket payment freeze.

Jonathan Westley, chief data officer at Experian, said in a statement in March: 'Many lenders are offering payment holidays or other arrangements to help people who have been affected by the outbreak.'

He said Experian  and also credit agencies TransUnion and Equifax  'will then make sure that the agreement is reflected in your credit reports so that your score is not changed by any payment holiday you agree'.

But now many customers are struggling months later as they try to take out a mortgage or remortgage with a new lender.

One mortgage industry source admitted questions were being raised about those on Government support schemes, saying: 'Banks are asking if people have taken a payment holiday or if they are on furlough.'

Another said: 'It's reasonable that people looking to remortgage, or switch their mortgage will be asked if they have maintained payments or if they have missed any payments. Individual lenders might look at that in a negative way as a potential new borrower. They will say, 'Well, this person chose to take a payment holiday, did they do it because they needed one, or because they were lazy?' That person might be less of a good risk than someone who continued paying their mortgage regardless.'

But Siobhain McDonagh MP, who sits on the Treasury Select Committee, said: 'When the banks were in trouble, the taxpayer was there for them. Now the taxpayer is in trouble  it's time the banks step up and live by their promises.

'If they promised it wouldn't have an impact on your credit-worthiness, you generally expect the Government to tell the truth. When the banks weren't process ing loans to businesses, the Government was certainly in a position to put pressure on the banks, and you'd hope they do that for individual homeowners.'

McDonagh plans to write to the Chancellor raising the matter this week.

Banking lobby group UK Finance said lenders would consider a 'range of factors' before approving a loan. It has urged consumers to consult their bank before taking a payment holiday.

A UK Finance spokesperson said: 'Under FCA rules lenders must lend responsibly and consider the affordability of the mortgage or loan in the long term. It would not be in the customer's interest to lend more than they can reasonably afford.'

A Treasury spokesperson said: 'The FCA has been clear that payment holidays should not have a long-term impact on people's credit rating  and that where additional help is needed, lenders must be clear about the possible implications.'

But consumer experts said customers should be able to get payment holidays deleted from their credit histories. James Daley, at Fairer Finance, said: 'At the beginning of the crisis, it was an incredibly uncertain world and I don't think it would have been wrong to take a payment holiday. The lenders should be totally blind to these payment holidays  and lenders should not have been marking them on people's credit files.

'I don't see why they can't put that right, it's not impossible to change credit files when companies make mistakes.'
KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, if signed, could contribute to the post-pandemic recovery in the region, with China's economic growth in the recent quarter being a "convincing reassurance" for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an expert has told Xinhua.

Ong Tee Keat, founding chairman of the Center for New Inclusive Asia Studies, a think tank based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said that the recently concluded 36th ASEAN Summit further reaffirmed the commitment of ASEAN and its partners to upholding an open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system through the RCEP.

"This is particularly timely and crucial to ASEAN against the backdrop of a gloomy global economy in the post-COVID-19 era on one hand; and in the wake of rising de-globalization on the other," he noted.

Ong said he believes that this mammoth economic partnership will further transform the region into a global ASEAN, enhancing its significance in creating resilient supply chains worldwide.

"Optimistically, this may contribute to the challenging post-pandemic recovery," said the expert.

Once it takes effect, the RCEP could also bring benefits to ordinary people in ASEAN, Ong said, stressing that free trade market access with lower tariffs for the entire ASEAN is "all set to grow by leaps and bounds."

"This would hopefully translate into more job creation, higher GDP growth, and speedier poverty reduction to the ASEAN of 650 million people," he added.

The economic ties between ASEAN and China will also be further strengthened, as countries across the region are seeking recovery from the COVID-19 shock, the expert said.

According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, China's trade with ASEAN stood at 2.09 trillion yuan (299 billion U.S. dollars) in the first six months, up 5.6 percent year-on-year, making ASEAN China's biggest trading partner in this period.

China had posted a positive growth of 3.2 percent in the second quarter this year, which "clearly signifies that China is now on the threshold of economic recovery," while the rest of the world, including the United States and the developed West, still remains in the economic doldrums with negative growth, Ong said.

Noting that the region is now endeavoring to usher in a strong and resilient economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 period, Ong said "this could only be facilitated through enhanced cooperation and coordination as well as sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth following the crisis."

"Undeniably, China is the only partnering nation which is now ready with economic prowess to meet ASEAN's aspirations," the expert added.
Virtual talks come as surging pandemic keeps battering the global economy and experts warn of a looming debt crisis.

G20 finance ministers and central bankers are set to hold talks aimed at spurring global economic recovery from a coronavirus-triggered recession amid growing calls to widen debt relief for crisis-hit poor countries.

The virtual talks, hosted by Saudi Arabia, on Saturday come as the surging pandemic continues to batter the global economy and campaigners warn of a looming debt crisis across poverty-wracked developing nations.

The ministers and bankers will discuss [the] global economic outlook and coordinate collective action for a robust and sustained global economic recovery, G20 organisers in Riyadh said in a statement.

The talks, to be chaired by Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan and central bank Governor Ahmed al-Kholifey, come a day after the European Union held its first face-to-face summit in five months to discuss a post-virus economic rescue plan.

Kristalina Georgieva, the International Monetary Funds managing director, has warned that despite some signs of recovery, the global economy faces sustained headwinds, including the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19.





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We are not out of the woods yet, Georgieva said in a message to G20 finance ministers, warning the pandemic was likely to increase poverty and inequality.

Downgrading its growth forecasts, the Washington-based crisis lender last month said it expected global gross domestic product (GDP) to fall by 4.9 percent this year due to a deeper contraction during lockdowns than previously anticipated.

The $11 trillion stimulus offered by G20 nations has helped to prevent a worse outcome, but these safety nets must be maintained as needed and, in some cases, expanded, Georgieva said.

Impending catastrophe

In April, G20 nations announced a one-year debt standstill for the worlds poorest nations.

Campaigners have criticised the measure as grossly inadequate to stave off the knock-on effects of the pandemic.

France said on Friday it would ask the G20 to extend the debt service suspension.

The economic crisis will persist in 2021 throughout the world, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in a statement.

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France calls on the G20 countries to extend the moratorium on debt servicing to give the poorest countries the means to overcome the crisis.

So far, 41 out of the worlds 73 poorest nations have applied for the G20s debt service suspension initiative, saving them up to $9bn this year, according to charities Oxfam, Christian Aid and Global Justice Now.

But the 73 countries are still required to pay up to $33.7bn in debt repayments through the end of the year, the charities said in a research report released on Thursday.

The global economy has been hit harder by the coronavirus than the already dire predictions we saw in April  the G20 finance ministers have the mandate to avert an impending catastrophe for hundreds of millions of people, said Chema Vera, Oxfams interim executive director.

They must make [the initiative] legally binding to cancel all debt payments, including private and multilateral, through the end of 2022 and also include middle-income countries, he added.

An eight-month freeze on bilateral debt alone does not come close to freeing up enough cash or time for the worlds poorest countries to cope with the pandemic and its effects.

Hundreds of thousands of laid off workers have applied for unemployment benefits in the United States [AP Photo]

Glaring inequalities

Amnesty International also called on G20 nations to cancel the debt owed by the poorest countries for at least the next two years.

COVID-19 has exposed the glaring inequalities that exist in our world, said Julie Verhaar, Amnestys acting secretary-general.

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If we are to build resilience to future crises, we need to make long-term structural changes that will require courage and leadership from G20 countries.

Argentinas Foreign Minister Felipe Sola said he would urge the G20 to set up a global solidarity-based fund to address the increase in poverty in virus-battered countries.

We want decisions on debt, not only for the poorest countries but also for middle-income countries that are impoverished due to the pandemic, he told reporters in Buenos Aires.

But it was unclear how receptive the group will be to such demands.

The worlds 20 most industrialised nations are themselves scrambling to defend their virus-wracked economies amid forecasts of a deepening recession.

Last month, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said measures to curtail the disease caused a record 3.4 percent drop in GDP for G20 economies in the first three months of 2020.

That marks the biggest decline since the Paris-based agency began compiling data in 1998.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday objected to interventions by lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal in the judicial representation of cases on the northeast Delhi riots and anti-citizenship amendment act (CAA) protests even as the L-Gs office sent a letter to the CM saying the government must decide if the police proposal to appoint six lawyers was acceptable to it.

Baijal said in the letter that despite the police justifying its choice of lawyers, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia rejected the proposal.

Since the difference of opinion still persists, I would request the chief minister to expeditiously refer the matter to the Council of Ministers under Rule 49 of TBR of GNCTD, 1992 with Section 45 (c) of the Government of NCT Act, 1991. In view of urgency and sensitivity of the matter, it is requested that the decision of cabinet be communicated expeditiously, preferably within a week, stated the contents of the letter as read out by an official in Sisodias office.

If the Delhi Cabinet decides to hold on to its stand of appointing its own panel of lawyers led by Delhi government counsel Rahul Mehra, then the L-G is likely to refer the matter to the President exercising his powers in the event of a difference of opinion with the elected government, said an official in the L-G office.

Reacting to the letter, Kejriwal in an interview to HT on Saturday said the decision to frequently use gubernatorial powers in cases of difference of opinion with the elected government was against the spirit of a Supreme Court judgment dated July 4, 2018. The latest disagreement has been over the appointment of public prosecutors, most recently in the hiring of lawyers to represent the state in the northeast Delhi riots cases.

I personally feel that the Centres decision to use this extraordinary power in the matter of deciding the advocates is not in the correct spirit of the SC judgment, according to me. Deciding on lawyers does not account for a rarest of rare case. But, still, they keep using that power, Kejriwal said.

Officials said there was a meeting between Baijal and Sisodia through video conference on Friday to settle differences, but the matter could not be resolved.

Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, The AAP government in Delhi is committed to providing the strictest possible punishment to all those involved in these riots. But for that to happen, an independent investigation by the police and a free and fair trial are a must. The L-G and the central government are insisting on the appointment of a panel of special public prosecutors chosen by the central government.

This is happening when there are very serious allegations on the response of Delhi Police to these riots as well as how the investigation process is going on... If they are under the central government and appointed by Delhi Police itself, their independence is under serious question.

The L-G office in a statement said the cases pertaining to the northeast Delhi riots and the anti-CAA protests involved large scale communal violence and require careful handling in view of their gravity and deep impact on the society.

As such, effective prosecution in these cases is the need of the hour. Since the cases are of highly sensitive nature, very large in numbers and there are several petitions including bail matters, other applications and writ petitions, these require constant monitoring and coordination across different courts. It was felt that a dedicated team of prosecutors is needed and senior law officers/senior advocates/advocates may also be appointed as Special Public Prosecutors to ensure that the cases are handled properly and in a focused manner, the L-G office said.

On July 10, the Delhi police had sent a proposal to the Delhi government recommending the names of six special public prosecutors including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi to fight 85 cases related to the riots and the anti-CAA protests in the high court.
Protests have taken place in the city for nearly two months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Federal agents in green camouflage uniforms have reportedly arrested and detained protesters in the city, after being sent solely to protect federal property.

Mayor Ted Wheeler told reporters: Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city.

Democratic Governor Kate Brown said Mr Trump is looking for a confrontation in the hopes of winning political points elsewhere and to serve as a distraction from the coronavirus pandemic, which is causing spiking numbers of infections in Oregon and the nation.

Mrs Browns spokesman, Charles Boyle, said that arresting people without probable cause is extraordinarily concerning and a violation of their civil liberties and constitutional rights.

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Federal officers have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported on Thursday.

Some have been detained by the federal courthouse, which has been the scene of protests, but others were grabbed streets away.



It is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials

Mr Wheeler said: This is part of the core media strategy out of Trumps White House: to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data.

And it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials.

One video showed two people in helmets and green camouflage with police patches grabbing a person on the pavement, handcuffing them and taking them into an unmarked vehicle.

Who are you? someone asks the pair, who do not respond. At least some of the federal officers belong to the Department of Homeland Security.

The US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that its agents had information indicating the person in the video was suspected of assaulting federal agents or destroying federal property.

On Thursday night, federal officers deployed tear gas and fired non-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters.

Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell told reporters on Friday that his officers are in contact with the federal agents, but that neither controls the others actions.

We do communicate with federal officers for the purpose of situational awareness and deconfliction, Mr Lovell said.

Were operating in a very, very close proximity to one another  so its important for us to know if theyre going to take some type of action and its important for them to know if were going to take some type of action.
The Government today announced it has gazetted specifications to impose conditions on travellers who visited specific high-risk places within 14 days before arriving in Hong Kong to reduce the number of imported cases.

The specifications under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation (Cap 599H) were made in view of the development and severity of the COVID-19 epidemic situation in the city.

A traveller who, on the day which they board a civil aviation aircraft that arrives at or is about to arrive in Hong Kong, or during the 14 days before that day, has stayed in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa must provide documents showing they tested negative for COVID-19 and their room reservation in a hotel in Hong Kong.

The operator of the specified aircraft should submit to the Department of Health, before the aircraft arrives in Hong Kong, a document confirming that each relevant traveller has produced such documents.

The specifications will come into effect on July 25.

People who are in transit in Hong Kong and those exempted by the Chief Secretary from compulsory quarantine under section 4(1) of either the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap 599C) or Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap 599E) will not be affected.

If any of the conditions are not met in relation to any relevant traveller on the conveyance, the conveyance's operator is liable to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

An operator who fails to comply with the requirement to provide information, or knowingly or recklessly provides any information that is false or misleading, is also liable to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

Any traveller coming to Hong Kong who fails to comply with the requirements to provide information is liable to a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for six months.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 09:37:21|Editor: huaxia

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A boy plays at a reopened playground in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, on July 17, 2020. The majority of Ontario moved into Stage 3 of the provincial government's COVID-19 recovery plan on Friday, with fitness centers, movie theaters, playgrounds and restaurants' indoor service allowed to reopen. The Greater Toronto Area will remain in Stage 2. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)
Hyderabad, July 18 : With over 150 employees in the offices of district collectors and revenue department in Telangana infected with Covid-19, 'Prajavani' or the weekly public grievances redressal day is giving jitters to the staff.

Collectors, Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs) and Thesildars or Mandal Revenue Officers (MROs) are in a dilemma whether to go with the programmes held every Monday or cancel them.

Fifteen employees each have been tested positive in the offices of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district collectors in the last couple of days. Twelve employees in six other district collectorates have also contracted the virus.

Several employees in the offices of RDOs and MROs have already tested positive. A MRO died of coronavirus in Mancherial district.

'Prajavani' is conducted every Monday at the offices of district collectors, RDOs and MROs. District collectors, additional collectors, deputy collectors and other district officials attend the programme held at the offices of all 33 district collectorates.

People submit applications to the officials about their problems and seek their redressal. The applications pertain to correction in land records, pensions, ration cards, caste certificates and benefits under various government schemes.

Hundreds of people turn up at collectorates, RDO and MRO offices to lodge their complaints. Employees concerned receive the complaints and upload them on the website. After the applicants call on the officials concerned, orders are issued on the action to be taken. At least 7-8 staff members have to speak to the people while registering their grievances.

Some employees in the revenue department say this was leading to the spread of the virus. Concerned over the recent spike in cases, the officials have installed boxes at MRO offices so that the people can drop in their complaints.

The Covid-19 cases in the offices of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district collectors have sent the other staff members in tizzy. Several top officials have stopped coming to offices and few have gone into home quarantine as they had come into contact with those who tested positive.

Three drivers and 12 other employees at Hyderabad collectorate tested positive during the last couple of days.

Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy are the two worst affected districts, accounting for over 70 per cent of more than 42,000 cases reported so far in the state.

The state secretariat and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) recently saw many employees testing positive for Covid-19.

The staff at RDO and MRO level are scared as they not only have to attend the meetings but also make field visits to conduct an inquiry into land related matters or identify beneficiaries for schemes like double bed room houses for poor.

RDOs and MROs at few places in the state have already asked people not to come to the office but either drop in their applications in the boxes installed outside the offices or contact the village revenue officers on WhatsApp.

Some district collectors are considering the proposal to conduct 'Prajavani' through video conferencing to avoid assembly of large number of people at their offices.

Telangana Revenue Employees Services Association (TRESA) president V. Ravinder Reddy has demanded that the government cancel all the meetings and public interaction programmes till Coronavirus is completely contained.

"Several employees who tested positive are facing severe hardships as they are unable to pay the hefty bills at private hospitals. To save the employees from further inconvenience the government should cancel all meetings and such programmes where they have to interact with people," he said.
A key meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will be held on Saturday evening to discuss the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. A tentative date for Bhumi Pujan of the construction area will also be discussed during the meeting, which will be held at the Circuit House at around 3 pm.

While most members of the trust have reached Ayodhya for the meeting, three members are likely to attend the discussion via video conferencing. According to sources, the date for Bhumi Pujan is likely to be set for August 5, however, it has not been finalised yet.

An invitation letter is likely to be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gracing the occasion of Bhumi Pujan.

Speaking to News18, Mahant Raju Das of Hanumangarhi said that PM Modi's security advisor is also likely to attend the meeting on Saturday.

"All the Trust members along with Head of Mandir Nirman Samiti will be present in the meeting today. Also people related to the security of the Prime Minister and his security advisor are also likely to be present in the meeting. We all just have one request that a Grand Temple should be built as people from all over the world will be coming to see the temple of Lord Ram," he said.

It is being speculated that during his visit to Ayodhya, PM Narendra Modi may announce some development schemes for the city as well. According to sources, the proposal for a 251-metre high statue of Lord Rama along with a proposal from all concerned departments of tourism and city administration is being sent to New Delhi for immediate approval and the Prime Minister may announce it on the day of Bhumi Pujan.

Earlier, preparations had begun during an informal meeting of the trust members and PM Modi's former principal secretary Nripendra Mishra, also the chairman of the construction committee of the temple trust, who visited Ayodhya on Thursday along with BSF's former director general K K Sharma, the security adviser of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held with the local security officials at the Circuit House to discuss the arrival of PM Modi. It is believed that the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the temple construction during the first week of August. It is also speculated that several other Union Ministers along with RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat may also visit Ayodhya. The Temple Trust and local administration have already started with their preparations.
Steve Jobs in 2010.

Paul Sakuma/AP

This week marked the 10th anniversary of "Antennagate," one of the biggest scandals in Apple history.

The scandal began when Apple's iPhone 4 went on sale on June 24, 2010. Customers who bought the phone quickly realized its bars disappeared or calls were dropped altogether when held in the left hand.

Apple downplayed the problem as a miscalculation of signal strength, and then CEO Steve Jobs told customers they were simply holding the phone wrong.

Apple eventually admitted that the problem was hardware flaw due to a change in the phone's antenna design and offered customers a free bumper case to solve the issue.

Two years later, Antennagate was officially put to bed when Apple settled a class action lawsuit over the issue.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Ten years ago this week, the scandal now known as "Antennagate" game to a head.

Weeks earlier, Apple's latest iPhone, the iPhone 4, had gone on sale worldwide, leading to lines around the block and excited customers showing off their new purchase. But almost immediately, those same excited customers started noticing something strange: The phone seemed to lose its network connection and drop calls when you held it in your left hand.

What seemed like an odd fluke quickly turned into one of the biggest scandals in Apple's history.

Now, 10 years later, we look back on how the issue arose and how Apple responded.

On June 7, 2010, Apple unveiled the iPhone 4 at its annual Worldwide Developer's Conference. At the time, Apple described the device as the "thinnest smartphone ever." It featured a high-resolution Retina display and FaceTime for the first time ever.

iPhone 4

In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images

Source: Apple

The iPhone 4 started at $199 and went on sale on June 24, 2010. Like iPhones before it, the release of the device drew crowds down the block at Apple stores worldwide  in the first three days, the company sold 1.7 million iPhones.

Story continues

iPhone 4 launch line Apple store

Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images

Source: Apple, Bloomberg

But almost immediately, users noticed something odd about their new iPhones: when held in the left hand, the bars that signaled a connection to a wireless network seemed to vanish, and occasionally, calls were dropped entirely.

iPhone 4 Steve Jobs

Paul Sakuma/AP

Source: The New York Times

Frustrated users took to internet forums to attempt to diagnose the problem. A user called FFArchitect seems to have been the first person to identify the issue, posting about it in a forum on MacRumors.

iPhone 4

Alan Diaz/AP

Source: The New York Times, MacRumors

Apple was quick to acknowledge the issue, but downplayed its severity. "Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone." an Apple spokesperson told The New York Times at the time.

iPhone 4 Steve Jobs

Paul Sakuma/AP

Source: The New York Times

Then Apple CEO Steve Jobs also downplayed the issue, placing the responsibility on the user, not Apple. "All phones have sensitive areas. Just avoid holding it in this way," Jobs wrote in an email to Ars Technica at the time. Jobs' condescending response that essentially stated "You're holding it wrong" eventually became a meme in itself.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev looks at an iPhone 4 with Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

RIA-Novosti, Dmtiry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service/AP

Source: Ars Technica, Macworld, CNN

But early on in the design process, Apple's most senior antenna expert, Ruben Caballero, had reportedly warned the company's management that there would be issues with the antenna.

iPhone 4 antennagate

MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images

Source: Bloomberg

Apple had chosen an antenna design that surrounded the outside of the device, overlaid with a metal band in order to make a thinner, lighter phone. The crux of the problem was the gap between the two antenna bands on the lower corners of the device: Holding the phone in a way that covered those seams resulted in the low signal strength.

iPhone 4 antennagate

Kiichiro Sato/AP; Business Insider

Source: Bloomberg, CBS News

But Apple was slow to acknowledge the real problem. On July 2, it put out a letter to customers saying it had discovered the cause of the drop in bars: "Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong," Apple said. The company said this error meant the iPhone 4 was displaying two more bars than it should have been. Apple said the issue would be fixed with a software update.

iPhone 4 Steve Jobs

Paul Sakuma/AP

Source: Apple

But things got worse for Apple. On July 12, Consumer Reports announced that it could not recommend the iPhone 4 to customers because of the antenna issues. While the publication quickly found that using a $29 bumper case solved the issue, it refused to back down, saying Apple was obligated to "offer a product that works consistently and reliably out of the box."

Steve Jobs iPhone 4

Paul Sakuma/AP

Source: The New York Times, PC World, Computer World

Apple scheduled a last-minute press conference for July 16, where Jobs admitted that the device had a hardware issue. "We're not perfect. We know that. You know that. And [our] phones aren't perfect either. We've been working our butts off to understand what the real problems are," Jobs said at the time, describing the problem as "Antennagate."

Steve Jobs iPhone 4 antennagate

David Paul Morris/Getty Images

Source: Wired

While critics at the time may have been anticipating a redesign of the phone, or possibly a recall, Jobs stood by the iPhone 4, but offered customers their choice of a free bumper case. Customers who had already purchased the case would get a refund, Jobs said.

iPhone 4 antennagate Steve Jobs

Paul Sakuma/AP

Source: Wired

While Jobs reiterated the company's refund policy, he noted the only 0.55% of iPhone 4 buyers had called Apple to complain.

iPhone 4 antennagate Steve Jobs

Paul Sakuma/AP

Source: Wired

Still, Antennagate remains one of Apple's biggest scandals, given that it happened under Jobs' tenure and elicited such a public response from the company. The saga was finally put to bed in 2012, when Apple settled a class action lawsuit that entitled anyone who bought the iPhone 4 to free bumper case or $15 in cash.

Steve Jobs iPhone 4

AP

Source: CNET

Read the original article on Business Insider
Diane Kruger wore a mandated COVID-19 mask to carry her 20-month-old daughter - whose name has not been disclosed over 'safety concerns' - to a park in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

The German-born 44-year-old - sporting an Elmo T-shirt - gushed of her life on Thursday: 'What angel kissed my forehead that I deserve such happiness?'

On Wednesday, Diane's babydaddy Norman Reedus publicly wished her a 'very happy' 44th birthday with a bizarre couple snap captioned: 'Love u rabbit!'

Diane Kruger wore a mandated COVID-19 mask to carry her 20-month-old daughter - whose name has not been disclosed over 'safety concerns' - to a park in Beverly Hills on Saturday

The German-born 44-year-old - sporting an Elmo T-shirt - gushed of her life on Thursday: 'What angel kissed my forehead that I deserve such happiness?'

Kruger (born Heidkruger) celebrated her special day with the Florida-born 51-year-old by projecting Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film The Outsiders in their backyard.

The Cannes best actress winner - who boasts 1.6M Instagram/Facebook followers - wrote: 'A perfect night in an imperfect moment in time. Thank you for all the birthday wishes!'

Among the celebrity well wishers commenting on Diane's post was Norman's prior babymama, nineties supermodel Helena Christensen.

Reedus and the Danish 51-year-old - who split in 2003 - amicably co-parent their 20-year-old son Mingus Lucien.

'Love u rabbit!' On Wednesday, Diane's babydaddy Norman Reedus publicly wished her a 'very happy' 44th birthday with a bizarre couple snap

'A perfect night in an imperfect moment in time': Kruger celebrated her special day with the Florida-born 51-year-old by projecting Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film The Outsiders in their backyard

'Happy birthday beautiful girl!' Among the celebrity well wishers commenting on the Cannes best actress winner's post was Norman's prior babymama Helena Christensen

'We're so proud of you!' Reedus (L) and the Danish 51-year-old (R) - who split in 2003 - amicably co-parent their 20-year-old son Mingus Lucien (M, pictured in 2018)

Kruger and the Death Stranding star - who officially went public in March 2017 - originally met back in December 2015 while portraying lovers on the set of their film Sky.

At the time, the Operative actress was still in a decade-long relationship with Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson.

Norman next resumes his role as crossbow-wielding tracker Daryl Dixon in the 10th season finale - titled 'A Certain Doom' - of AMC's post-apocalyptic zombie drama.

'A Certain Doom': The Death Stranding star next resumes his role as crossbow-wielding tracker Daryl Dixon in the 10th season finale of AMC's post-apocalyptic zombie drama

Excited? Showrunner Angela Kang just revealed the postponed air date will finally be unveiled during the virtual Comic-Con panel streaming next Friday at 4pm EST via YouTube

Showrunner Angela Kang just revealed the postponed air date will finally be unveiled during the virtual Comic-Con panel streaming next Friday at 4pm EST via YouTube.

Diane will next play Joyce Holt in Quibi's upcoming gender-swapped reboot of George Huang's 1994 flick Swimming with Sharks alongside Kiernan Shipka and Donald Sutherland.

Kruger will also act in Simon Kinberg's all-female spy thriller 355 - hitting US/UK theaters January 15 - alongside Penelope Cruz, Jessica Chastain, and Lupita Nyong'o.

'Coming soon!' Kruger will next play Joyce Holt in Quibi's upcoming gender-swapped reboot of George Huang's 1994 flick Swimming with Sharks alongside Kiernan Shipka and Donald Sutherland (posted April 5)
New York:

After the victory of Donald Trump, an advocacy organisation for "Hindu-Americans" has said it hopes that the newly elected president should focus on the issues such as Kashmir, terror fomented by radical Islam and America's ties with "nations that sponsor terrorism".

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) congratulated the 70-year-old Republican on being elected the 45th President of the United States and said it looks forward to working with his administration to address "issues that are of deep concern to many in the Hindu-American community".

"In carrying out our nation's foreign policy, of utmost concern to HAF continues to be: gross human rights violations borne by Hindus and other religious minorities around the world, especially in countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, where radical Islam is fomenting terror and violence, Pakistan's proxy war in Kashmir and violence against Hindu minorities in Kashmir, as well as bilateral ties of the United States with nations that sponsor terrorism," the group said in a statement issued here today.

The group said it looks forward to engaging the incoming Trump-Pence administration on various economic and security issues "to ensure a safe and prosperous future for all Americans".

Encouraged by Trump's call to "bind the wounds of division", HAF expressed hope this commitment would extend to issues like monitoring and combating hate crimes, comprehensive immigration reform with specific attention to religious worker visas, equitable H-1B policy, and accommodation for Hindu refugees fleeing persecution.

The group also lauded the success of "Hindu-American" lawmakers in the 2016 elections. Joining Democrat Tulsi Gabbard in the House of Representatives are first time winners Pramila Jayapal from Washington State, Ro Khanna from California and Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois.

Other Indian-Americans also made significant strides in state-level races, including Niraj Antani, a Republican from Ohio and Prasad Srinivasan from Connecticut along with Jay Chaudhuri of North Carolina and Ash Kalra of California, who were elected as first time winners in their respective state legislatures.

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SL company to repay COVID-19 induced, reduced staff salaries By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

Would you believe it? There is a company in Sri Lanka which will repay COVID-19 induced, reduced salaries of staff. It is probably the only one in the world to do so.

WSO2, an open-source technology provider will remit the salary portion which was cut from staff for the past three months back to them in the July salaries, Sanjiva Weerawarana, Founder and CEO of WSO2 told the Business Times in an interview.

He said the company had prepared for losing up to 50 per cent in the quarter salaries were cut but the company had made money during these months to the effect that salaries could be reset. WSO2 has 650 employees out of which 100 work outside the country.

Mr. Weerawarana noted that WSO2 is returning into a growth phase where US$10 million will be invested within a year and then another over 100 employees will be absorbed within the next 12 months.

The coronavirus pandemic has shifted attitudes about working from home, altering the dynamics of the work environs.

But now that work-from-home has been shown to be possible for millions of workers, odds are that when the COVID-19 crisis is over, more employers will let some employees do it some of the time. Employees all over the world have increasingly sought out positions with remote working capability in addition to flexibility and generous amounts of time off in order to achieve a better work/life balance  but it has been  more often than not  wishful thinking.

Mr. Weerawarana added that Sri Lankan companies should embrace the work-from-home concept. He said that since his was a global business, it forced them to work from home. We used to always work from home but the preference was to come to office when there was a need  for example a meeting, he said.

With the pandemic settling in, working from home had a non- negative impact on the $50 million-worth companys productivity, he stressed. Mainly the commuting time was eliminated. Some employees travel from Gampaha and that takes a good 1 1/2 to 2 hours commute.

Mr. Weerawarana also noted that unlike most other similar companies, most of WSO2s sales team are based in Sri Lanka. We have done half of the $1 million sales over the phone without ever meeting the customer, he said noting that WSO2 has been selling online for the last 15 years that it has been in existence.

So, the pandemic forcing firms to work from home was a familiar phenomenon in for the company.

Mr. Weerawarana added that the entire world all of a sudden fits into what they have been doing all the while.

He noted that company management should shed the wear-a-tie and arrive in the office that they have been wired into for generations. I find that employees are being more efficient in this context. In any work which revolves around digital sphere, one should be able to do from home.

Shifting their focus to how they can create sustainable business models so they can better adapt to the new realities of working and doing business at an unpredictable time should be the focus, he said. This is partly because staffers demand it after having worked remotely successfully. Partly, itll be to reduce the cost of the employers space and related costs in office.

Tech giants including Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Twitter announced that most of their staff is mandated to work remotely due to the coronavirus. Twitter told its employees that many of them will be allowed to work from home in perpetuity, even after the pandemic ends. These moves signaled a growing shift in attitudes in certain industries toward remote working  a change that could have lasting implications, Mr. Weerawarana said.
Californians handwriting is getting worse and its causing increasing problems for election officials.

More than 14,000 mail ballots were rejected in the March 3 primary because the signature on the vote-by-mail envelope didnt match the one on the voter registration card. Thousands more were counted only after voters were required to provide a new signature for scrutiny.

For voters in their 60s, the signature they put on that ballot envelope might be compared to the one they signed when they registered to vote at age 18. For younger voters, that comparison could be with an electronic signature they never really use, having replaced it in day-to-day transactions with a squiggle on a touch pad or just the tap of a phone or an Apple watch.

The quality of signatures we get is a real concern, said Jim Irizarry, assistant elections officer for San Mateo County. Electronic signatures are also one of our biggest challenges.

A survey released last week by Secretary of State Alex Padilla found that 102,000 mail ballots were never counted in March for a variety of reasons. While ballots arriving late or postmarked after election day made up 70% of the rejections, mismatched signatures were the second-highest reason mail votes were not tallied.

Although thats not a huge percentage of the more than 7 million mail ballots cast in the primary, its still an embarrassment to a state where the 2018 law that set many of Californias newest voting rules was titled the Every Vote Counts Act.

A Stanford Law School case study on signature verification and mail ballots, released in May, found that procedures for checking signatures vary from county to county. While state law bars a ballot from being rejected for mismatched signatures without an election official signing off, counties come to that final decision in different ways.

Theres no set standard, said Tom Westphal, a lead author of the study. Each county has developed their own protocols.

The secretary of states office is in the process of creating updated regulations on signature verification, a spokesman said, but that hasnt happened yet.

Theres a lot of criteria we look at, said Evelyn Mendez, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County registrar of voters. Its not one look and if it doesnt match its rejected.

Those differing standards mean rejection rates vary dramatically between counties.

In March, Los Angeles County, with 1.1 million mail ballots, rejected 267 for mismatched signatures. San Mateo County, with just under 200,000 mail ballots, eliminated 1,169. It was a similar story in Sonoma County, which rejected 969 of its 154,000 mail ballots for bad signatures.

The number of rejections means were doing our job. Were not rejecting signatures whimsically, said Irizarry of San Mateo County. Were doing as good a job as anyone in the state.

The county looks at the signatures in a very straightforward manner, he added, with at least five steps involving different people checking before deciding the signatures dont match.

For many years, that final review was the end of it. If election officials rejected the ballot, it wasnt counted and the voter wasnt notified.

But in 2018, Peter La Follette of Sonoma County, joined by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the secretary of state, arguing that he should have been given a chance to fix his mismatched signature before his mail ballot was rejected in the 2016 presidential election. A San Francisco judge agreed, saying the state and its counties had to allow ballot fixes.

Those cure notices, which let voters fix their signature problems with a postcard, havent solved all the woes. About half the voters who received the letters, emails and phone calls in San Francisco in the March primary fixed their problem, while in San Mateo County only about 142 of the more than 2,000 voters with unsigned ballots or mismatched signatures replied.

We really didnt have that many responses, Irizarry said.

The signature problem is only going to get worse in November, when mail ballots will go out to every active voter in the state. The huge anticipated turnout, most of it coming by mail, is likely to include many young voters, a group that has the highest percentage of rejected ballots.

In the Stanford study, election officials complained that many young people never learned or dont use cursive writing, which doesnt make matching signatures easier.

I cannot compare a printed name to a signature, said an anonymous official quoted in the study.

Then there are the electronic signatures, many of them written on a touch pad with a stylus or even a finger. While the Department of Motor Vehicles touch pads were updated in 2016 to make it easier for people to sign their name and standardize the size of the signature, they still can be very different from a wet signature on paper.

Since online voter registrations rely on that signature in the DMV records, there now are 2.8 million active voter records with only that electronic signature. The number is growing each year.

A number of counties are reaching beyond that signature on the registration card or DMV computer file. San Francisco, for example, uses copies of signatures from earlier vote-by-mail envelopes and other signed state and local documents to give election workers more examples for comparison, said John Arntz, the citys elections director.

Since everyones signature changes over the years, using a variety of documents allows election officials to look across time in an effort to make the matches, said Westphal of the Stanford study.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
darkLightning BHPian

Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Bhopal Posts: 168 Thanked: 423 Times

Re: Hero develops Xtreme 200R with a sidecar bed for Covid-19 duty Quote: WorkingGuru Originally Posted by

Say for example, the person should be safely belted when in that sleeping position.



Or, say the shade covering the face could be made foldable.

Quote: lightning535 Originally Posted by And there goes the patient flying on the road Quote: Thilak29 Originally Posted by Wonder if a sick person can clutch on to anything





And as for the folding cover please see again the feature list



Quote: It is equipped with a full-stretcher with a foldable hood mounted on the side, essential medical equipment such as a detachable first-aid kit, oxygen cylinder, fire extinguisher and other safety features such as LED flasher lights, foldable beacon light, emergency wireless public announcement system and siren.



Before bashing the idea just see the benefits from overall point of view



1. Xtreme 200R is BS4 so this will definitely help in reducing BS4 inventory of Hero even by a smallest margin.

2. Do we always give space to ambulance in India ? No we don't and if you have seen auto rickshaws ply on the road you will understand why this vehicle is way more maneuverable.

3. This is for community health centers not for the privileged people who can afford their own vehicles or private ambulances. We have had enough share of stories all over India of people carrying their ailing kin on their shoulders, this contraption as people are calling it is to address that issue.

4. For those who are questioning the engineering or the vehicle coming from a manufacturer please let me know if you have never ridden above legal speed limits in India.



Don't want to be rude here but it is this mindset of people which contempt more than any corporate strategy.



Quote: Thilak29 Originally Posted by If Hero or any 2W companies want to help, they should convert their bikes or scooters into something useful courier boys can use, i pity them struggling with oversized bags and rain coats.



Again I apologize if it hurt anyone but we Indians do have a habit of bashing without understanding. Did you guys notice the seat belt in center of bed ? I think that solves the most basic worry.And as for the folding cover please see again the feature listAnd as far as I understood Hero is not asking people to use it, Hero is going to provide it to Health authorities across the country.Before bashing the idea just see the benefits from overall point of view1. Xtreme 200R is BS4 so this will definitely help in reducing BS4 inventory of Hero even by a smallest margin.2. Do we always give space to ambulance in India ? No we don't and if you have seen auto rickshaws ply on the road you will understand why this vehicle is way more maneuverable.3. This is for community health centers not for the privileged people who can afford their own vehicles or private ambulances. We have had enough share of stories all over India of people carrying their ailing kin on their shoulders, this contraption as people are calling it is to address that issue.4. For those who are questioning the engineering or the vehicle coming from a manufacturer please let me know if you have never ridden above legal speed limits in India.Don't want to be rude here but it is this mindset of people which contempt more than any corporate strategy.Very noble idea sir, but unfortunately this is not in control of any manufacturer, there are enough official accessories available to solve this issue, the problem is with these delivery services who don't want to spend a single penny more than absolute requirement. It should be the duty of delivery service to provide all gear to it's employees.Again I apologize if it hurt anyone but we Indians do have a habit of bashing without understanding.
Dilday, a member of a longtime Long Beach family, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in his sleep at his home Jan. 10, according to his wife, Diane.
US schools scrambling to finalise hybrid reopening plans for the Fall session are largely silent on what to do if even a single person in the school community actually gets sick with Covid-19 even as millions of students are learning this week that they are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the Fall as the coronavirus death toll reached record highs across the country.

As the chaos spirals out of control, the White House has blocked top officials of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from testifying next week before the US Congress on reopening schools. All ...
Arun Banskota Appointed CEO

OAKVILLE, ON, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("APUC" or the "Company") (TSX: AQN) (NYSE: AQN) announced today the retirement of Ian Robertson as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and the appointment of Arun Banskota as the incoming CEO. This transition has been a multi-year initiative by APUC's Board of Directors to support a smooth transition to new leadership while maintaining the Company's strong track record of growth and delivering long-term shareholder value.

"Ian has been a pioneer in the renewable energy business and brought to the Company an entrepreneurial spirit that will endure," said APUC Chairman Ken Moore. "As a driving force behind the Company's extraordinary growth, the Company's performance is a direct result of Ian's passion and dedication which has resulted in APUC becoming a blue chip TSX60 company delivering essential utility services while also being a global leader in renewable energy."

Mr. Robertson co-founded the Company in 1988, focusing initially on developing hydroelectric facilities, followed by expansion into other generating modalities, including wind and solar energy, as well as leading the Company to become a large North American regulated utility delivering water, natural gas and electric services. APUC has grown to approximately U.S. $11 billion of total assets including over 2 GW of installed renewable generating capacity and has over 800,000 regulated utility customers.

"We are immensely grateful for Ian's countless contributions over the years, and his legacy of strong business performance, operational excellence, and commitment to sustainability. We wish Ian well in his future endeavours," Moore said.

Arun Banskota, who joined APUC as President in February 2020, officially takes over the role of CEO today. Mr. Banskota was previously Managing Director, Global Power, El Paso Corporation, where he had P&L responsibility for a 6,500 MW global portfolio of 32 power plants, project development and approximately 10,000 employees. Most recently, Mr. Banskota led the planning, engineering, and execution of datacenter capacity, globally, for Amazon Web Services. Since his appointment as President, he has been working closely with Mr. Robertson to facilitate a seamless transition.

Mr. Moore further commented: "Under Arun's leadership, together with the Company's executive team, APUC plans to continue executing and building upon its current five-year strategic growth plan. With its strong financial position and entrepreneurial culture, the Company is also positioned for continued growth and success as the utility sector evolves in the future."

About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

APUC is a diversified international generation, transmission and distribution utility with approximately U.S.$ 11 billion of total assets. Through its two business groups, APUC is committed to providing safe, reliable and cost effective rate-regulated natural gas, water, and electricity generation, transmission and distribution utility services to approximately 805,000 connections in the United States and Canada, and is a global leader in renewable energy through its portfolio of long-term contracted wind, solar and hydroelectric generating facilities representing over 2 GW of installed capacity and more than 1.4 GW of incremental renewable energy capacity under construction.

APUC strives to deliver continuing growth through an expanding global pipeline of renewable energy, electric transmission, and water infrastructure development projects, organic growth within its rate-regulated generation, distribution and transmission businesses, and the pursuit of accretive acquisitions. APUC's common shares, Series A preferred shares, and Series D preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D, respectively. APUC's common shares, Series 2018-A subordinated notes and Series 2019-A subordinated notes are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQNA and AQNB, respectively.

Visit APUC at www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain written statements included herein constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws in each of the provinces of Canada and the respective policies, regulations and rules under such laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws in the United States, including Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). The words "will", "expects", "intends", "plans", "should" and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to statements regarding the expectations regarding the CEO transition; the expected performance of APUC, including the execution of and building upon APUC's strategic growth plan, the delivery of long-term shareholder value; and APUC's positioning for future success in an evolving utility sector. These statements are based on factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including assumptions based on historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and conditions, by their nature they rely upon assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. APUC cautions that although it is believed that the assumptions are reasonable in the circumstances, actual results may differ materially from the expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. Material risk factors and assumptions include those set out in APUC's most recent annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis and most recent Annual Information Form, filed with securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States. Given these risks, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of their dates. Other than as specifically required by law, APUC undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

Related Links

http://www.algonquinpower.com


Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison has cancelled the next planned sitting of the federal parliament in Canberra due to the growing spread of COVID-19 cases, especially in the countrys two largest cities of Melbourne and Sydney.

Mr Morrison announced on Saturday he was cancelling the sitting on the advice of the chief medical officer who warned of a significant risk in allowing politicians to come to Canberra, due to increased community transmission of the virus in Melbourne and Sydney.

The government cannot ignore the risk to parliamentarians, their staff, the staff within the parliament and the broader community, Mr Morrison said in a statement.

In Canberra, the number of COVID-19 cases was zero for weeks, until several arrivals from Melbourne brought new cases in July.

The parliament, due to return on August 4, will now return on August 24.

Opposition Labour Leader, Anthony Albanese, accepted that the prime ministers decision was based on medical advice, but said he is disappointed the government will be avoiding scrutiny.

On Thursday, the government plans to lay out its post-pandemic economic recovery plan, which would have been a topic of discussion in the parliament.

Victoria, the state of which Melbourne is the capital, on Saturday reported 217 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths  both people aged in their 80s  Premier Daniel Andrews said.

The new figures come a day after the state reported three deaths and 428 new virus cases, which was the highest ever single-day increase in the country since the pandemic began.

The states outbreak, which has been mostly community transmission, started late last month and health authorities are testing more than 20,000 people a day.

The increase is said to have been due to security lapses in hotel quarantine for people returning to Melbourne from overseas.

A total of 405 health care officers have been infected, including 11 that tested positive overnight, health authorities said on Saturday.

More than 150 police officers have also been put in self-isolation after potentially being exposed to the virus.

While other parts of Australia have been relaxing restrictions, Victorias borders have been shut from other states.

About five million Melburnians have been asked to stay home unless for essential work and to wear a mask in public.

Overnight, there were 15 new cases in New South Wales, with most cases in Sydney, state health authorities said on Saturday.

A man from Melbourne is responsible for increased cases in Sydney, which are largely related to a cluster at a pub in the citys south-west.

So far, at least 45 cases have been linked to the venue.

The latest spike forced the New South Wales government to ban dancing, singing and mingling at weddings with caps at 150 people.

Restrictions have also been re-imposed for funerals and places of worship, which can now only have 100 people.

The latest spikes in Melbourne and Sydney have dampened Australias status as one of the countries on the way to eradicate COVID-19.

Australia has recorded more than 11,000 coronavirus cases and 118 COVID-19-related deaths. (dpa/NAN)
A grim milestone arose in our community as we have crossed the threshold of 4,000 documented cases of the deadly coronavirus, COVID-19. Both the New York Times and NBC News have declared Chattanooga/Hamilton County a national leader in one unglamorous category, a COVID-19 hotbed. Many of our local representatives have failed to listen to the models that were given by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which in June projected a vigorous resurgence" of COVID-19 by mid-August. It is also worth noting, in May Biobot conducted a wastewater study that projected 12,500 coronavirus infections in the county. We must rely on the data, science and recommendations by our medical officials in order to avert worsening a growing health crisis.

In March, 2020 doctors across the state urged the governor to issue a stay-at-home order and close nonessential businesses in order to mitigate infections. By April these same doctors, including Aaron Milstone, spoke out against reopening too soon by saying, We have to have an expanded, rapid contact tracing and isolation of cases so that we can break the train of transmission." Likewise, earlier this month, the doctors outlined three areas that might help bend the COVID-19 curve: (1) Issue a mandatory mask requirement and make it enforceable; (2) Ensure businesses are in compliance with Tennessee Pledge and public safety protocols; (3) Grant cities more autonomy in public safety decisions.

As reported in the Nashville Tennessean and several other state media outlets this week, the PROTECTMYCARE Doctors urged against physical school re-openings. One perspective given by Dr. Amy Gordon Bono stated, "We should not rush to reopen our schools without a cautious and comprehensive community plan to reduce the spread of coronavirus." She continued, "More than half of all Tennessee counties have an unacceptable rate of coronavirus transmission. Our state is now experiencing the worst we have experienced under the coronavirus crisis ... to reopen schools is insane and irresponsible."

More proactive strategies are now needed to meet this ever deepening challenge. The Rockefeller Foundation has developed a new testing strategy to not only safely reopen our communities and workplaces, but to keep them open this fall. The plan outlines four recommendations:

1. Resolve diagnostic testing shortages and implement widespread screening testing.

2. Increase the use, speed, public trust, and support services for contact tracing.

3. Strengthen the data infrastructure and use data to drive testing and tracing.

4. Focus public communications on the value of personal safety measures, testing, and tracing.

The intent of this plan is to help map the necessary steps in order to enact robust testing, tracing, and coordination to more safely reopen our economy  starting with a dramatic expansion of testing.

A central issue of the growing pandemic crisis is if it is safe to physically open schools? The Center for American Progress has outlined three principles for school re-openings.

1. Set an ultimate goal of returning safely to in-person instruction based on public health data

2. Make physical reopening decisions based on local health conditions and school-specific information

3. Develop a comprehensive plan for remote learning that includes plans for full-time remote learning and hybrid approaches.

Likewise, the Southern Education Foundation has stressed that equity is a primary consideration during this time when distance and remote learning are being relied upon more now than at any time in history. Those considerations should include:

1. How is your district reaching students and families who dont have internet access?

2. Do students have access to technology equipment and the internet to engage in distance learning?

3. How is your district supporting students with special needs and English language learners?

4. Are there wraparound services and support your district offers that students and families are no longer receiving?

5. Are teachers given the support they need to adopt developmentally appropriate digital learning practices?

6. What impact is COVID-19 having on students and teachers' mental and emotional health?

7. What expectations do you have of parents for distance learning?

The lack of empathy, engagement and empowerment deriving from government agencies is a key contributor to a response that is often muddled and lackadaisical, if not outright startling. On last Sunday, when one Fox News host asked the Secretary of Education about the ethical nature of withholding public funds if schools don't reopen, she replied, "American investment and education is a promise to students and their families. If schools arent going to reopen and not fulfill that promise, they shouldnt get the funds. Then give it to the families to decide to go to a school that is going to meet that promise.

The Unity Group renews our call that we could not be more emphatically opposed to these type sentiments professed by the Secretary of Education. They are draconian, inequitable, unjust, and just like the Payment Protection Program, which saw very much needed funds go to publicly traded firms and businesses instead of local and minority businesses, thus this type decision-making favors the rich and affluent or the poor. Why is it that those who need the most always receive the least? Where is the CARE in the CARES ACT for all our schools, students and teachers who are doing their best to bring a sense of normalcy under unparalleled circumstances? The U.S. Department of Education should not use this pandemic as a way to orchestrate school prioritization schemes, which includes siphoning public school funding by passing them off as micro- grants, CARES ACT stipends or education savings accounts and other neo-vouchers.

As COVID-19 continues to surge across our nation and region, we have little choice but to concur with growing public sentiment that this is a failed government response on a variety of levels. We should only rely on the research, data and recommendations of medical officials to help us navigate through this difficult time. We also agree with the assessment of the 2000 PROTECTMYCARE doctors, "Our state is now experiencing the worst we have experienced under the coronavirus crisis ... to reopen schools is insane and irresponsible."

It is a very real probability that the beginning of the school year will be one that is dependent upon remote and distance learning, and we must ensure that each and every teacher and student has the technological and digital resources needed in order to meet this transition. Unlike the approach that has been advocated by Secretary Devos, whose intent is to divert public school funding to private and parochial schools, and whose threats to withhold other funds is coercive in nature, we advocate that schools in fact need an immediate interjection of funds and capital to address the needs of students while they learn remotely, and provide resources such as PPE and deep cleansing materials when it is safe to permit physical attendance again.

This is a time not for politics and patronizing, but to prioritize principles and the needs of all our people and students.

Unity Group of Chattanooga

Sherman E. Matthews Jr., Chairman

Eric Atkins, Corresponding Secretary
Four million residents of Spain's second city Barcelona were told to stay at home Friday, as virus cases rise, while EU leaders met in Brussels seeking to rescue Europe's economy from the ravages of the pandemic.

"We must take a step back to avoid returning in coming weeks to a total lockdown of the population," Catalan regional government spokeswoman Meritxell Budo said.

Spain's Covid-19 death toll of 28,400 is one of Europe's worst and the country has identified more than 150 new virus clusters across the country.

Barcelona, one of Europe's most visited cities, issued its plea as EU leaders met fand as India became the third country to record one million cases after the United States and Brazil.

The virus has now killed more than 5,90,000 people and infected over 1,38,00,000 as it continues to surge across the globe despite months of unprecedented lockdowns to stop its spread.

A growing number of countries and cities have been forced into reimposing restrictions, with Barcelona only the latest example.

India hit the million mark the day after Brazil's number of virus cases topped two million -- although the World Health Organization said Friday that Brazil's contagion has "plateaued" with the rate of infection stabilising after 77,000 deaths.

For latest updates on Coronavirus outbreak, click here

The mood was sombre in Brussels as European Union leaders met in person ls for the first time in five months, hoping to overcome divisions about a planned 750-billion-euro ($855 billion) stimulus package.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, celebrating her 66th birthday in the Belgian capital, said there were still large differences so she expected "very, very difficult negotiations".

"It's our European project which is in play here," French President Emmanuel Macron warned before meeting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who leads a group of northern European countries holding out against handing cash to southern nations without strict conditions.

World Bank chief economist Carmen Reinhart on Friday urged the G20 group to extend debt relief for the poorest nations battling the pandemic.

The Group of 20 in April agreed to a one-year moratorium to help the world's 76 most vulnerable economies but Reinhart said this step, though "useful", hasn't "gone as far as it was hoped."

The International Monetary Fund warned meanwhile that the United States, with more than 35,60,000 cases, must do more to support households and boost demand after GDP contracted 37 percent in the second quarter.

The IMF warned "tremendous uncertainties" hang over the country's outlook.

The top US infectious disease specialist, Anthony Fauci, called on America's youth to take the virus more seriously.

"The sooner we put this down, the sooner we're going to get back to normal and you'll be able to freely have fun, go to the bars go with the crowds, but not now. Now is not the time to do that," he said.

Lockdowns have been imposed on millions of people in India, where more than 600 are dying every day.

India's main hotspots had previously been the megacities of Mumbai and New Delhi, but smaller cities and rural areas -- where 70 percent of Indians live -- have recently begun to raise the alarm.

With per capita spending on health care among the lowest in the world, India's hospitals are reeling.

"The fear of catching the infection is very real as I am in a high-risk zone almost round the clock," Showkat Nazir Wani, a doctor in an intensive care unit at Sharda Hospital just outside the capital New Delhi, told AFP.

"It's not going to go away till a vaccine comes... I have to keep fighting and trying to save every single life."

The three governments pointed the finger at the Kremlin, saying that the hacking group involved was "almost certainly" linked to Russian intelligence.

Moscow rejected the accusations as "groundless".

In the US, the state of Florida has become the country's new epicentre as well as a key battleground in a partisan-tinged national fight over reopening schools.

Florida's governor Ron DeSantis has insisted schools reopen next month despite his state registering 156 Covid-19 deaths and nearly 14,000 new infections on Thursday alone.

Despite fears of a second wave, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his country could expect to return to "significant normality" by Christmas, as a study revealed that Europe's hardest-hit nation may be overestimating its death toll.

However, Israel said stores, markets and other public spaces would be closed on weekends as its number of cases surges.

In China -- where Covid-19 first emerged late last year -- flights were curtailed and public transport shut down in Urumqi, the capital of the far-western Xinjiang region, after new infections were detected.

Authorities in Australia's second-biggest city Melbourne meanwhile warned that its lockdown could become even tougher after a record 423 new cases were registered there on Friday.
Joan Murray had been home with Covid-19 for about a week when she ran into trouble. She had a fever of 103 degrees and chills that sent shivers up and down her spine. Her oxygen levels were dropping, and the tightness in her chest felt as if somebody had bound up my lungs with string.

But the 77-year-old, a retired registered nurse who lives alone in Westbury, N.Y., was adamant that she wanted to fight the illness at home. As a nurse, maybe I knew too much, she said. The last place I wanted to be was the hospital.

So the hospital came to her.

Northwell Health, which has cared for thousands of coronavirus patients in its network of facilities in New York State, sent a nurse manager to Ms. Murrays home in May. Covered head to toe in protective gear  gown, gloves, mask, shield and disposable bootees  she spent nearly eight hours doing an assessment.

Ms. Murray was dehydrated and in need of supplemental oxygen. Within hours, she was hooked up to an intravenous line, set up in her bedroom to replenish her fluids. A phlebotomist in an N95 mask came to draw blood, an oxygen machine was delivered to her home, and Ms. Murray was prescribed a powerful blood thinner to prevent clots.
A black social worker from California is suing American Airlines for violating her civil rights after she was accused of kidnapping a one-year-old white boy that she was accompanying.

Shannon Murphy, of Riverside County, filed the lawsuit on June 17 in Los Angeles Court Superior Court.

Murphy is described as being a middle-aged African American woman, according to the court documents, who has worked for the Department of Public Social Services' Children's Services Division since 1999.

She had been flying with an unidentified boy who had been to Arkansas for a court-ordered, two-week visit with his father, the Mercury News reports.

Shannon Murphy, of Riverside County, filed the lawsuit against American Airlines on June 17 in Los Angeles Court Superior Court

While on a return flight from Forth Worth, Texas, to the Ontario International Airport, another passenger onboard the flight told an attendant 'that Ms. Murphy was holding a kidnap victim,' the suit reads.

It was not specified when the flight occurred.

The boy - who was white with blond hair - was mistaken for a five-year-old Hispanic child who has dark hair and was reported missing from New York, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that airline employees took the boy from the social worker and threatened her with force if she didn't comply.

'During this time, the baby was reaching for me and crying,' Murphy explained to Business Insider. 'One of the flight attendants had grabbed the bottle out of my bag to give the baby, but I said not to. It was my last bottle.

'Everything just started upsetting me then because we get these kids, and we take them where they're supposed to be. We're supposed to provide safety for these children because they're ours when we have them. I just didn't know what to do. I was scared.'

Murphy was detained for roughly an hour before she was allowed to re-board the flight. The flight was delayed by about 45 minutes because of the entire ordeal, the lawsuit states.

While on a return flight from Forth Worth, Texas, to the Ontario International Airport, another passenger onboard the flight told an attendant 'that Ms. Murphy was holding a kidnap victim,,' the suit reads

'I'm so sorry, you guys. I know you guys have connections,' Murphy said she told other passengers as she got back on the plane.

'I wanted to just burst out in tears, but I still had the baby with me, so I had to keep my emotions in,' Murphy said. 'There was a man next to me and he kept saying, 'You're OK; you're OK

The social worker not only had her ID on her at the time of the incident, but she also had the boy's birth certificate and court order on her person.

'Had American Airline(s) (researched the matter) first prior to hauling Plaintiff, Ms. Murphy off the plane and detaining her and the one year old Caucasian male dependent Ms. Murphy would not have suffered the mental, physical and psychological harm flight personnel inflicted upon her,' the lawsuit declared.

Murphy has had to seek help from a psychologist, after suffering from nightmares and insomnia as a result of the accident, the lawsuit reads.

She is seeking unspecified damages and compensation for past and future medical expenses.

'I just wanted to get that baby back. I've been with the company for 21 years, and I've never experienced anything like that before in my life,' she said. 'I've been transporting kids from state to state for years. I work overtime. I do all kinds of things for these families because I love my job.'

American Airlines released a statement and said that they are investigating the incident.

'We are reviewing the lawsuit and the details of the flight. We take the safety and comfort of our customers very seriously and we're committed to providing a positive experience for everyone who travels with us,' the statement read.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 13:23:08|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's postal industry registered robust growth in revenue and business volume in the first half of the year as the sector gradually shrugged off the impact of COVID-19, the latest official data showed.

The business revenue of the sector totaled 502.82 billion yuan (about 71.79 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-June period, up 11.03 percent year on year, according to statistics released by the State Post Bureau.

Business volume expanded 22.45 percent from the same period last year to about 876.53 billion yuan.

In the first half of the year, China's express delivery firms handled 33.88 billion parcels, up 22.05 percent from one year earlier, with their business revenues up 12.57 percent year on year to 382.38 billion yuan. Enditem
With 174 fresh Covid-19 cases reported on Saturday, Uttarakhands active case tally once again breached the 1000 mark with the states total case tally increasing to 4,276, said state health department officials.

A 52-year-old man undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh who tested positive for Covid-19 on July 15, died on Saturday. The health bulletin issued by the state health department stated that the cause of death was cardiac arrest due to respiratory failure.

With this death, 52 Covid-19 positive people have died in the state so far. However, only seven deaths out of 52 have been attributed to Covid-19 infection by state health department officials, while in the rest of the cases, the cause is either co-morbidly or other ailments.

Of 174 fresh cases reported on Saturday, maximum 50 were from Dehradun district, followed by Almora (7), Haridwar (27), Nainital (36), Pithoragarh (3), Tehri Garhwal (3) US Nagar (45) and Uttarkashi (3).

With 50 fresh cases in Dehradun district, the tally of overall positive cases crossed the 1000 in the district, the maximum for any district in the state.

Thirty-one cases reported on Saturday were found to be close contacts of earlier detected positive cases. Eight healthcare workers from different districts and 10 army personnel from Dehradun tested positive. Others had returned to the state from places like Delhi-NCR, West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab, Goa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh.

On Saturday, 60 Covid-19 patients were also discharged from hospitals in different districts with maximum 38 patients in US Nagar district.

The rate of doubling of cases based on the last seven days now stands at 25.74 days, while the infection rate is 4.09%. The state has so far tested 1.16 lakh samples of which results of over 8100 are awaited.

The state currently has 97 containment zones in four districts, with maximum 61 in Haridwar district, followed by 25 in US Nagar district, 7 in Dehradun and 4 in Uttarkashi district.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) state spokesperson Prakash Rawat and Nainital party district president Pradeep Bisht tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. They have been isolated at Sushila Tiwari Government Hospital in Haldwani informed officials.

Dr. Rashmi Pant, additional chief medical officer of Nainital said BJP leaders Prakash Rawat and Pradeep Bisht tested covid-19 positive on Saturday. They had recently complained of fever and were tested subsequently. The leaders have been isolated at Sushila Tiwari Hospital and we have also started the process of tracing their close contacts.

Senior officials from the party are assessing the situation after which any decision on closing the Kumaon region party office will be taken.
DANBURY  U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy visited an expanded coronavirus testing site in downtown Danbury to praise the citys recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and to caution against complacency.

We shouldnt take for granted how much work it took for us to go from a hotspot to a success story in such a short period of time, Murphy told a group of administrators from the city and the federally funded Greater Danbury Community Health Center, during a mid-morning drizzle on Friday. But we cant pat ourselves on the back because given the numbers in other parts of the country it seems like a matter of time before it starts to creep back up here.

Murphy, a Democrat who was vising the GDCHCs expanded free testing site in the parking lot behind its Main Street headquarters, said he would use the information he gathered during Fridays visit to push for more federal assistance to ensure ample testing and infection-control equipment.

So your restriction right now is not supply, but demand? Murphy asked a GDCHC administrator, as another car behind the senator rolled into small white tent, where health care workers performed a five-minute, COVID-19 test.

Danbury is trending the right way, said Shinu Simon GDCHCs administrative director. I think across the nation with the spike of cases, the supply (of tests) is dwindling. We have a reserve but we are dipping into our reserve.

Murphys visit comes during a relative calm in Danbury,in Connecticut and neighboring NewYork as a whole, where the coronavirus surge in April and May was among the most pronounced in the country. Today, Connecticut is making headlines for having one of the nations lowest rates of COVID-19 infections, as other states in the south and west are in a battle to stop the spread of the highly infectious disease.

Military medics in California and Texas were deploying on Friday to help hospitals overrun with a deluge of COVID-19 cases, and one county in Florida passed an emergency order to levy fines of up to $500 for people violating mask and social-distancing guidelines, the Associated Press reported.

In Danbury, which has had three straight days without a single case, the city has teamed up with two federally funded community health centers to expand free testing to those most vulnerable, to stop infections before they can spread.

City Hall believes now is the time, with the worst of the coronavirus crisis behind Connecticut, to expand testing  especially to traditionally underserved communities where the virus has hit the hardest.

The GDCHC and the citys other federally funded health center are leading the push to expand testing among the citys poor and immigrant communities with pop-up testing sites at storefront churches, mobile testing teams in city neighborhoods, and expanded hours for free tests at their two downtown Danbury locations.

Longtime Republican Mayor Mark Boughton, who met with Murphy briefly on Friday at the GDCHC site, said he was excited about plans to organize a free testing day in Danbury.

We are going try to leverage all the community providers, Boughton said of the back-to-school testing event. Were working for a date in the middle or end of August.

Murphy spent part of his visit Friday thanking a dozen workers at three testing tents behind GDCHCs Main Street headquarters.

Thanks so much for everything youre doing, the junior senator said as he approached one tent. Workers in blue hospital gowns, booties, gloves, hairnets, masks and face shields were sanitizing after helping a man prepare for his drive-through test. With people like you who are committed, we can beat this.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
P oliticians, musicians and film stars have paid tribute to John Lewis, after the congressman and civil rights leader died aged 80.

The Georgia congressman was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by Martin Luther King Jr.

He announced in December that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Mr Lewiss death on Friday night, calling him one of the greatest heroes of American history.

John Lewis / Getty Images

Ava DuVernay, Samuel L Jackson and Viola Davis were among celebrities who paid tribute to Mr Lewis.

Ms DuVernay, who directed the film Selma about the 1965 march, wrote on Twitter: Thank you for your care and kindness, your advice and understanding.

Will never forget what you taught me and what you challenged me to be. Better. Stronger. Bolder. Braver. God bless you, Ancestor John Robert Lewis of Troy, Alabama. Run into His arms.

Ms Davis tweeted: Rest in Heavenly peace Mr. John Lewis. Thank you for your service, for your commitment to change and your courage.

You did great with your time on this earth. Goodnight sweet Prince. May flights of angels sing the to thy rest. Andpour some blessings on us down here.

Mr Jackson wrote on Twitter: What A Day now, John Lewis. Sometimes its Good to meet a Hero I was blessed every time we met. RI POWER, Sir.

Rapper and producer Diddy shared a photo of him with Mr Lewis adding: Thank you King John Lewis for your lifetime of service for our community. We will finish what you started ON GOD!

Director Rob Reiner chimed in, writing: John Lewis stood for everything America should be. And, God willing, will be.

Mr Lewis was perhaps best known for leading around 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, at the age of just 25.

Mr Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police after walking at the front of the march. His skull was fractured, and images of the beating beamed into living rooms around the country forced people to pay attention to racial oppression in southern states.

President Lyndon Johnson soon pressured Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act, which when passed in 1965 secured the right for people of ethnic minorities to vote.

Mr Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981. He won his Congress seat as a Democrat in 1986 and would go on to spend much of his career in the minority.

John Lewis with president Barack Obama on the 50th anniversary of the Selma march / Getty Images

After his party won control of the House in 2006, Mr Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip - a job which involved keeping the party unified.

Mr Lewis said he had been arrested 40 times in the 1960s - and five more as a congressman.

But he told a rally at the age of 78 he would do it again to help reunite immigrant families torn apart by the Trump administration.

Mr Lewis added in June: There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free.

He went on: If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

Mr Lewis explained the importance of the Congress vote on the impeachment vote President Trump,

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say?

We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Lillian Miles, Mr Lewiss wife of more than 40 years, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington  Sat, July 18, 2020 10:15 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066749f87 2 World Georgia,face-mask,united-states,Atlanta,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free

The governor of Georgia sued officials in the US state's largest city Thursday, seeking to block a mandate that would require Atlanta residents to wear face masks in public as part of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The lawsuit, filed by Republican governor Brian Kemp, alleges that Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms does not have the authority to require stricter public health measures than the state, which has encouraged mask-wearing but not required it.

"The City of Atlanta may only exercise powers granted to it by the state, and Mayor Bottoms' attempts to exercise an undelegated power against the state are ultra vires" or not allowed, the suit says, asking a Fulton County judge to block the executive orders Bottoms issued last week.

The suit also claims that Bottoms does not have the authority to move the city back to a "Phase 1" state of lockdown reopening.

"This lawsuit is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times," Kemp tweeted.

"I refuse to sit back and watch as disastrous policies threaten the lives and livelihoods of our citizens," he said, claiming that Bottoms's moves endanger Atlanta's economy.

"We will fight to stop these reckless actions and put people over pandemic politics."

Bottoms, who herself has tested positive for the virus, hit back on Twitter, saying, "3104 Georgians have died and I and my family are amongst the 106k who have tested positive for COVID-19.

"Meanwhile, I have been sued by @GovKemp for a mask mandate. A better use of tax payer money would be to expand testing and contact tracing," she tweeted.

Read also: 'Wear a mask if you care', task force says as WHO warns of aerosol transmission

Bottoms has framed the disagreement as a public health policy dispute, while state authorities have said they are focused on the technicalities of their parallel mandates.

"The State of Georgia continues to urge citizens to wear masks. This lawsuit is about the rule of law," Georgia state attorney general Chris Carr tweeted Thursday evening.

Public health officials have for months urged face coverings as a means to limit the outbreak, with studies highlighting that even cloth masks can reduce oral particle dispersion between 50 and 100 percent.

States such as Alabama, California, Texas and Colorado have instituted state-wide mask mandates to try to curb surging infection rates.

But mask requirements have led to friction in stores around the country, spawning numerous viral videos of irate customers clashing with retail employees.

And US President Donald Trump has mostly declined to wear a mask in public, donning one for the first time last week.

There have been more than 131,000 COVID-19 cases in Georgia, with 3,105 deaths -- one of the worst-hit states in the US, itself the worst-hit country in the world.
Beijing Warns Travel Ban on CPP Members Would Put US at Odds 'With 1.4 Billion Chinese People'

Sputnik News

18:15 GMT 17.07.2020(updated 18:20 GMT 17.07.2020)

On Thursday, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration was considering introducing across-the-board travel restrictions against members of China's Communist Party and their families, with the reported proposal targeting as many as 270 million people.

China's Foreign Ministry has dismissed the contents of a report suggesting that Washington is preparing to introduce travel restrictions against members of the Chinese Communist Party (CPP), saying the idea as "absurd" if the report is accurate.

"If the report is true, then the US is publicly choosing to be in opposition with 1.4 billion Chinese people," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters at a press briefing on Friday.

"This completely violated the will of the people in the US and China and the trend in the 21st century, and is very absurd," she added.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that the Trump administration was considering its strongest travel restrictions yet against Chinese nationals, with 'officials with knowledge' of the proposal saying the ban may target CPP members and their families.

If implemented, the proposed executive decision would revoke CPP member Chinese nationals' visas to the US and lead to their expulsion.

In addition to CPP members, the White House is reportedly also considering entry bans for members of China's military and senior executives of state-owned companies.

NYT stressed that there would be practical and technical challenges in enforcing a travel ban of this size, given that the CPP has over 90.5 million members, and when accounting for families, as many as 270 million people may be affected. An estimated 3 million Chinese nationals are said to visit the US each year.

US officials have repeatedly singled out China's Communist Party in Washington's ongoing spat with Beijing on everything from trade and technology transfers, to Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea and the coronavirus. Last week, for instance, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Americans to stop downloading the popular Chinese video sharing app TikTok unless they wanted their "private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party."

Late last month, the US slapped travel restrictions on senior CPP officials over Beijing's alleged 'evisceration' of Hong Kong's autonomy.

A Sputnik

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Andhra Pradesh recorded a staggering 3,963 new Covid-19 cases and 52 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the southern states coronavirus count to 44,609, the state health department said on Saturday. The fresh coronavirus cases have registered the highest single-day spike so far in the state.

With the 52 new fatalities, the death toll due to the viral infection in Andhra has now risen to 586.

In the last 24 hours, 23,872 samples were tested, of which 3,963 turned positive, close to 18 per cent.

Among the fresh cases reported on Saturday, none of the patients were from other states or countries, according to figures released by the Medical and Health Department of the state.

ALSO READ | Indias Covid-19 tally surges past 10.38 lakh, death toll at 26,273

Nearly 994 new cases were detected in East Godavari district and another 550 patients were found in Kurnool district, taking their total to 5,499 and 5,681.

Twelve deaths were reported from East Godavari district, the highest in a single day in a district till date, according to the medical bulletin.

On Saturday, 1,411 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals across the state.

Andhra Pradesh currently has 22,260 active Covid-19 cases after a total of 21,763 coronavirus patients recovered from the infectious disease.

Indias Covid-19 count surged to 10,38,716 on Saturday, while 6,53,750 patients having recovered from the disease so far, according to data by the Union Health Ministry.

The death toll due to Covid-19 in the country climbed to 26,273 with 671 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

At present, there are 3,58,692 active Covid-19 cases in the country, while 6,53,750 people have recovered so far and one has migrated.
Monika Shergill talks about how the lockdown has benefited streaming, and how they maintain inclusivity and quality control at Netflix India.

Editor's note: With the world in varying stages of lockdown during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, streaming services have seen a surge in consumption and consequently, commissioning of content. Firstpost engaged the content heads of three platforms in a conversation about how they're meeting the challenge.

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Netflix India has announced eight new titles that have spruced up its slate for 2020 to 17 titles, including films surpassing theatrical release to premiere directly on the platform, and long-awaited series from India and the rest of the world.

In an exclusive interview, Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India, discusses the year that has been for the streaming giant so far, treating inclusivity and diversity as the pillars while filtering content, and the mechanism to ensure quality control on the service. Edited excerpts below.

Streaming sites have come to the rescue of cinephiles during lockdown. What has changed in the way your team operates while acquiring and positioning content since the lockdown came into effect?

Fundamentally, there hasn't been a dramatic difference, if I were to be honest. But one important thing I can share with you on what has helped us inform our choices is that people are more willing to experiment now. Whenever they get an opportunity, as they have gotten in the past three or four months, they've been exploring all kinds of stories, from different parts of the world and in different languages. There have been users from around the world who are consuming content in Hindi and other Indian languages. I think people are ready to travel through stories. Indian films are language-agnostic so they're also travelling the world.

The slate now includes a number of films initially scheduled for theatrical release that have chosen Netflix as their home because of the theatre shutdown. Do you think that will bring more subscribers to the platform who were previously hesitant to do so?

We had a lot of films that were already doing very well on the platform, like Kabir Singh, Love Aajkal, Malang, and Article 15. We have a strong catalog of great titles from India in the film space, and also global libraries like Jurassic Park and Mission Impossible. People know that we're the home of big cinema just like we're the home of big series and other formats like the unscripted. Fundamentally, a lot of people have acquired the taste of streaming in this period, and I hope that grows when more such films come on the service.

There is a viewpoint that with more content moving to streaming platforms, stardom will gain a new definition  of bringing more people to the platform, similar to putting more bums on seats in case of theatres. Do you believe that argument holds merit?

I think it's always a mix of emerging talent and known talent. It's more important to see that the talent fits into the story well, and there are no false notes. Streaming services, by the virtue of having licensed content, have always had all kinds of talent. We're just looking at it uniquely now because a lot of films are directly coming to the platform. But all those stars have, in any case, already been on the platform with their licensed films.

In specific terms, what do you believe have been the most crucial achievements of Netflix India in the first half of 2020? And what remain key areas of development that you hope to achieve in the next half?

We've got a lot of critical acclaim with films like Choked, Guilty, and Bulbbul, and series like She and Jamtara. Yes, we've also had titles that have been enjoyed by the users but haven't been talked about that much, like Betaal and Taj Mahal 1989. What has worked for us in the first half is the range of stories, and how different stories work for different people. In the second half, we're dialling up diversity and lighthearted content. We're not moving away from hardcore immersive thrillers and dramas we have on the service. We're also dialling up on series adapted from books, like Mismatched and A Suitable Boy.

Netflix has gained critical acclaim recently for its films, Da 5 Bloods and The Old Guard, for their Black stories, characters, and technicians. Is there a mechanism in place to vet stories through the lens of inclusivity for Netflix India?

Yes, absolutely. Axone (the film represents the Northeastern community living in Delhi) had come on the service a while ago, and has been doing so well. We bring a lot of diverse films through the licensing route. Even in terms of the Original content, we bring different stories in terms of both genre and scale. If you look at Jamtara, it's set in a very small town and has a very local flavour. Even the cast is authentic, and has all new people. Such a story finding such huge number of eyeballs and critical acclaim proves that people come to Netflix for diverse stories.

Netflix India has encouraged new directors, like most recently Anvita Dutt (Bulbbul). In the experience of your collaboration with them, what have been the advantages of teaming up with new voices, like Renuka Shahane (Tribhanga)?

We're always focused on finding new voices. We work with seasoned storytellers, and also believe in collaborating with new voices. Anvita Dutt's Bulbbul and Ruchi Narain's Guilty have been doing so well. Not just directors but there are so many new writers and producers in these titles. We've been able to tell diverse stories only because we're tapping into fresh talent.

You have also picked up festival-favourite films like Dolly, Kitty Aur Chamakte Sitare and Bombay Rose for your future slate. How much do you factor in the festival buzz and visibility factor before acquiring films?

We're always looking for distinctive stories. A lot of our consumers have that taste also. It's not something we seek out, and say you have to have them, but whenever such great stories come into our notice, we try to get them because it caters to a section of our consumers.

Netflix beyond India is huge on non-fiction content. What are your plans to build the non-fiction library of Netflix India?

Unscripted is a very exciting place that we're planning to expand into. Yes, a lot of unscripted titles like Floor Is Lava, Tiger King, Too Hot To Handle, and Love Is Blind are doing really well. In India, everything is in the works. You'll hear about them soon. (A documentary on Ma Anand Sheela, produced by Karan Johar's Dharmatic and executive produced by Shakun Batra, has already been announced.)

Since Netflix has stood for the belief that everything on the platform caters to one taste if not the others, how do you ensure quality control? How does the filtering take place?

We do filter in terms of the stories, how unique they are, and how many lives can get represented on screen, how authentic the stories are, and most importantly, what the vision of the storyteller is. We don't want to keep repeating stories so diversity becomes very important.

How important are reviews for Netflix, since a critic's opinion may not always be in line with that of the audience?

It's important to understand that there's a difference between high-watch and heavy-talk. In certain titles, it's true that they go hand-in-hand. Some titles that aren't being watched may be getting talked about a lot, and vice-versa. It really depends on the topic. Some are just meant to be entertaining titles. The reviews and opinions matter for us because every person giving that is a Netflix member. Their views really matter to us. We take that learning, and try to better our quality. But those don't inform choices. Tastes can't be determined only by the critical appeal of the title. If you see the top 10 row on Netflix, there are a lot of Indian titles there for weeks. They may not be particularly liked by critics, but are loved by the audience.

Images from Twitter.
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China has urged the United States to stop suppressing specific Chinese enterprises unreasonably, stop abusing the concept of national security, and stop smearing China maliciously, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday.



Hua's remarks came as the U.S. government is reportedly set to implement regulations on Aug. 13 that will prohibit its agencies from purchasing equipment and services from any company that uses products made by Huawei and four other Chinese firms.

Huawei's biggest fault in the eyes of the United States is that it's a Chinese company which is more advanced in the 5G field, Hua told a press briefing.

"It seems that the United States cannot tolerate other countries having something better, so it abuses its state power to suppress Chinese enterprises, such as Huawei, under flimsy excuses," Hua said, stressing that it is an act of economic bullying and blatant denial of market economy principles that the United States has always boasted it upheld.

"All countries in the world are clearly aware of this," she said, urging the U.S. side to provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises to conduct business.
A group of Queenslanders witnessed a shark repeatedly jumped out of the ocean off the coast of Queensland, Australia, on July 12.

Karly Nolan captured the moment the shark breached the water in several spectacular leaps, one of which almost landed the large fish in a passing boat.

Commenting on amazed online reaction to the footage, Nolan told Storyful: This is actually insane, a few Aussie bogans out on a Sunday doing what they love: spearing and filling eskies, and the video gets shared on Facebook to have this outcome.

Nolan suspected the animal was a shortfin mako shark, the fastest shark in the world. Mako sharks have a reputation for impressive leaping, according to marine conservation organization Oceana. Credit: Karly Nolan via Storyful
Here is one way to make a first impression.

A car pulled up outside my apartment and out came Brigid, topless, wearing a red sarong around her waist and a toy stethoscope around her neck, and carrying a fake alligator doctors bag filled with amphetamines and a giant syringe. She came up and chased me around the room trying to poke me with the needle.

We became everyday friends.

That was how Danny Fields, a member of Andy Warhols inner circle, remembered meeting Brigid Berlin, a former socialite who became one of Warhols closest friends and a figure in the New York art world of the 1960s and 70s.

She acted in Warhol films. She recorded the Velvet Underground. She befriended Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, John Chamberlain and Larry Rivers, who all embraced her as a fellow artist, even as she rejected the label for herself.

As near as you can get to the genesis of the art of the 60s, Mr. Fields said in an interview, she was there.
[Editors note: You can now read this tribute in Arabic, in addition to the six languages linked above.]

James Innell Packer, better known to many as J. I. Packer, was one of the most famous and influential evangelical leaders of our time. He died Friday, July 17, at age 93.

J. I. Packer was born in a village outside of Gloucester, England, on July 22, 1926. He came from humble stock, being born into a family that he called lower middle class. The religious climate at home and church was that of nominal Anglicanism rather than evangelical belief in Christ as Savior (something that Packer was not taught in his home church).

Packers life-changing childhood experience came at the age of seven when he was chased out of the schoolyard by a bully onto the busy London Road in Gloucester, where he was struck by a bread van and sustained a serious head injury. He carried a visible dent in the side of his head for the rest of his life. Nevertheless, Packer was uncomplaining and accepting of what providence brought into his life from childhood on.

Much more important than Packers accident was his conversion to Christ, which happened within two weeks of his matriculation as an undergraduate at Oxford University. Packer committed his life to Christ on October 22, 1944, while attending an evangelistic service sponsored by the campus InterVarsity chapter.

Although Packer was a serious student pursuing a classics degree, the heartbeat of his life at Oxford was spiritual. It was at Oxford that Packer first heard lectures from C. S. Lewis, and though they were never personally acquainted, Lewis would exert a powerful influence on Packers life and work. When Packer left Oxford with his doctorate on Richard Baxter in 1952, he did not immediately begin his academic career but spent a three-year term as a parish minister in suburban Birmingham.

Packer had a varied professional life. He spent the first half of his career in England before moving to Canada for the second half. In England, Packer held various teaching posts at theological colleges in Bristol, during which he had a decade-long interlude as warden (director) of Latimer House in Oxford, a clearinghouse for evangelical interests in the Church of England. In that role, Packer was one of the three most influential evangelical leaders in England (along with John Stott and Martyn Lloyd-Jones). Packers move to Regent College in Vancouver in 1979 shocked the evangelical world but enlarged Packers influence for the rest of his life.

Although Packer was a humble man who repudiated the success ethic, his life nonetheless reads like a success story. His first book, Fundamentalism and the Word of God (published in 1958) sold 20,000 copies in its first year and has consistently been in print since. In 2005, Time magazine named Packer one of the 25 most influential evangelicals.

When Christianity Today conducted a survey to determine the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals, Packers book Knowing God came in fifth. His fame and influence were not something that he set out to accomplish. He steadfastly refused to cultivate a following. Instead, he made his mark with his typewriter (which he used to compose his articles and books throughout his life).

J. I. Packer filled so many roles that we can accurately think of him as having had multiple careers. He earned his livelihood by teaching and was known to those who were his students as a professor. But the world at large knows Packer as an author and speaker.

Packers fame as a speaker rivaled his stature as an author. In both spheres, his generosity was unsurpassed. No audience or venue was too small to elicit Packers best effort. His publishing career was a case study in accepting virtually every request that was made of him. His signature book, Knowing God (which has sold a million and a half copies), began as a series of bimonthly articles requested by the editor of a small evangelical magazine. His first book, Fundamentalism and the Word of God, began as a talk to a group of students (the publisher requested a pamphlet but Packer wrote a book). Perhaps no one in history has written more endorsements and prefaces to the books of others than Packer did.

In both his publishing and speaking, Packer was famous as a Puritan scholar, but he was also a dedicated churchman who said that his teaching was primarily aimed at the education of future ministers, and he spent countless hours serving on church committees. For a quarter of a century, Packers involvement with Christianity Today gave him a platform as an essayist who frequently turned to topics of cultural critique. Packer had a career as a controversialist (by necessity rather than choice, he confided to me). Despite this range, Packer consistently self-identified as a theologian, which we can therefore regard as his primary vocation.

When we speak of the legacy left by a deceased person, we think misleadingly in terms of a speculative posthumous legacy that is impossible to predict. J. I. Packers primary legacy is the influence he held over events in Christendom and over peoples lives during his lifetime. That is his indisputable legacy, and I will highlight what I believe to be the most important ways in which Packer affected the direction of Christianity during his life.

Packers first book was a defense of the authority of the Bible, and this became both a lifelong passion and one of Packers most significant contributions to the evangelical church. Packer had an extraordinarily strong commitment to the view that the words of the Bible are the very words of God. He championed the out-of-vogue doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture. He published books on the reliability of the Bible. He served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible, calling that project the greatest achievement of his life.

J. I. Packer gave evangelicals a place to stand in regard to the authority of the Bible. Personally, no Packer legacy has been more important to me than this one, starting from the moment I pulled a paperback copy of Fundamentalism and the Word of God off a bookshelf in a Christian bookstore in my hometown as a college student.

The way in which Packer became a spokesman for conservative evangelicals in the face of liberalizing trends and assaults is another important contribution that he made during his lifetime. When Packer looked back with satisfaction on his decade of leadership with the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, he spoke of holding the line for inerrancy. That metaphor applies to multiple causes to which Packer devoted his best efforts. Packer helped to hold the conservative evangelical line on numerous theological issues, such as the nature of Scripture and its interpretation, womens roles in the church, and the churchs position regarding homosexuality. He was a traditionalist who looked to the past for truth. In Knowing God, he quoted Jeremiah 6:16, with its image of the ancient paths  where the good way is, claiming that his book was a call to follow those old paths.

Another unifying theme in Packers life was his elevation of the common person, and this, too, is part of his legacy. Packer never lost the common touch that he absorbed in his upbringing, and the same spirit was fostered by his identity as a latter-day Puritan. Although Packer could write specialized scholarship with the best, his calling was to write mid-level scholarship for the layperson. He was utterly devoid of careerism. The title of a Festschrift published in his honor got it exactly right: Doing Theology for the People of God.

When Alister McGrath labeled Packer a theologizer rather than a theologian, Packer experienced it as quite a discovery that led him to conclude that he was an adult catechist, dedicated to the systematic teaching of doctrine for the ordinary Christian. Packer was not as pained as some scholars have been by never having completed or published his systematic theology because he regarded his informal theological writings for the layperson to be his calling.

Another part of Packers legacy during his lifetime was his exemplary Christian character that served as a model and inspiration to those who knew him. His godliness was apparent at every moment, and his presence was a benediction on people who spent time with him. His words were words of wisdom. He was hardworking, but at the same time generous with his time. Like the Puritans he loved, Packer believed that the Christian faith is based on clear thinking while at the same time engaging the heart. Packer spoke with precision in the best British manner but he also exuded spiritual warmth. For those fortunate enough to have met him, we immediately experienced Packer as a kindred spirit in the faith and a fellow traveler of the Way. The authentic spiritual note was apparent.

Packers writings show what mattered most to him, and what he also thought the church must value most. Part of Packers legacy was thus helping Christians set the right agenda and concern themselves with the right things. Packers list of priorities included the Bible, the church, correct theology, holiness in life, and vocation. The reason Packer wrote on such a broad array of subjects is not only that he had an active and capacious mind but also that he was concerned that Christians think correctly on all subjects that relate to life. Packer had a passion for truth in every sphere.

J. I. Packer was also a man of paradoxes. He was a lifelong, devoted Anglican, but he moved with equal ease among the nonconformist wing of evangelicalism and was perhaps most influential in Reformed circles. He was quintessentially British but lived half of his adult life in Canada, and in an additional twist, the sphere of his greatest influence was the United States. Packer became one of the most famous evangelicals of his day, but he never held a prestigious post at a major university and never filled a high-visibility pulpit on a permanent basis. He was a mild man with a peaceable disposition, but he consistently found himself at the center of controversy and was often maligned.

If we ask how a quiet person who minded his own business became so famous and influential, the answer is that Packers publishing was the vehicle by which his ideas were disseminated. His life therefore stands as a tribute to the power of the written and published word. On the strength of his writings, Packer became a widely known speaker as well. In both writing and speaking, his content was always thoughtful, logically packaged, clear, and substantial, and he routinely overestimated the amount of time he had available to present the extensive amount of material he had prepared.

Packer himself ascribed the fame and success that he achieved to divine providence, and it is obvious that this is the case. He did not set out to be famous. He simply did the task that was placed before him and left the outcome to God. Speaking to teenagers in a living room was as likely an assignment for him as addressing a packed auditorium. J. I. Packer was above all serviceable to the kingdom and its King.

His ministry concluded in 2016, when he became unable to read, travel, or speak publicly due to going blind from macular degeneration.

When asked late in life what his final words to the church might be, Packer replied, I think I can boil it down to four words: Glorify Christ every way. That can serve as an epitaph for what Packer did in his lifetime and what he is doing now.

Leland Ryken is Emeritus Professor of English at Wheaton College, where he taught for half a century. He has written a biography of J. I. Packer, titled J. I. Packer: An Evangelical Life.

Portuguese, You can now read or share this obituary in Spanish French , Chinese ( Simplified or Traditional ), Korean Indonesian , and Arabic

J. I. Packer wrote often for Christianity Today, most recently on living joyfully.

In his memory, weve compiled a list of articles, including:

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Ann Arbor Art Center launches Murals project

Crowdfunding campaign aims to fund 10 new murals

by Maggie McMillin

Published in July, 2020

With a newly launched crowdfunding campaign, the Ann Arbor Art Center is planning to bring more public art to downtown Ann Arbor.



"Since the creation of the Ann Arbor Art Center's Art in Public program [in] 2018, the committee has had many conversations with downtown Ann Arbor business and property owners about the importance of, and opportunity for, more public art," says Mike Wolf, exhibitions coordinator at the A2AC. The center's newest project aims to install 10 murals on the west side of downtown Ann Arbor, an area that it identifies as an "emerging creative district."



Wolf hopes that watching the murals go up and enjoying the finished works will "allow people to connect with others through a shared experience" even if they're not painting together in person. Mural locations include the parking structure at Ann and Ashley, Circ Bar, the Blind Pig, and a wall of the Art Center itself.



To fund the project, the Art Center is crowdfunding $50,000. Donations will be matched by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for a total of $100,000. Donations will go towards artist fees, paint and supplies, safety equipment, and more; a full run-down of expenses can be found on the project's Patronicity page. A2AC CEO Marie Klopf knows that this is a lot of money, especially in the current economic climate, but believes in the importance of creating "a sense of place and belonging" in Ann Arbor neighborhoods. "Public art has the ability to shape the conversation and showcase cultural movements through placemaking," adds MEDC Senior Vice President of Community Development Michele Wildman.



Ten local, national, and international artists will participate. U-M mural-painting group Live in Color has completed work on the U-M campus as well as in Blom Meadworks, RoosRoast on Liberty, and other local businesses. Ann Arbor-born, Pittsburgh-based painter and designer Gary Horton recently completed a mural honoring essential workers in Ypsilanti. Ann Arbor artist Chris Dokebi, known for the goblin-like characters he paints, is slated to work on a wall outside of 8 Ball Saloon. Dearborn-based M.A.S Murals was just added to the lineup, and the rest will be revealed on social media in the coming weeks.



[Originally published in July, 2020.]








Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Saturday (July 18, 2020) praised BJP leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying that he has been doing a good job as a Leader of the Opposition.

The ruling party also claimed that as Fadnavis has expressed satisfaction over the public health machinery in the state in the fight against COVID-19, it has boosted the morale of the government and the coronavirus patients.

Fadnavis had told Girish Mahajan that if the former contracts coronavirus then he should be taken to the government hospital.

"This confidence is a morale-booster for the government and the COVID-19 patients in the state and he should be praised for that," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"Although Fadnavis should be praised for this statement, he is being trolled, which is not right. We have time and again said that he has been doing a good job as a leader of opposition," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

The Sena said that Fadnavis has been touring the state to monitor the COVID-19 relief work and the health facilities and has expressed satisfaction over the work being carried out by the state government against coronavirus.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds updates the state's response to the CCP virus outbreak during a news conference at the State Emergency Operations Center, in Johnston, Iowa, on April 23, 2020. (Charlie Neibergall/ pool/AP Photo)

Iowa Governor Overrides Schools Plans, Orders In-person Learning in the Fall

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday that schools in her state must make sure students spend at least half of their learning time in classrooms, a decision that will override some districts plans to rely primarily on remote learning in the fall.

In a proclamation signed Friday afternoon, Reynolds ordered all Iowa schools to focus on preparing to safely welcome back students and teachers to school in-person for the new school year, which starts next month.

Iowa law says that in-person instruction is the presumed method of instruction for the school year, the Republican governor said at a news conference announcing the proclamation, reported Des Moines Register. Schools must prioritize in-person learning for core academic subjects including science, math, reading, and social studies. And the Legislature has made it clear that most schools cannot provide more than half of their instruction to any student through remote learning unless I authorize remote learning in a proclamation.

According to the proclamation, schools may only shift to primarily remote learning under specific circumstances, including when parents decide its the best option for their family, when Iowas education and health departments shut down entire schools due to public health concerns, or when severe weather forces a school to close.

The governors order comes as some school districts offer a hybrid reopening model, with students going to school a few days a week for traditional in-person learning and learning from home the rest of the week. Des Moines Public Schools, the largest school system in Iowa, is planning to allow elementary and middle school students to come to school two days per week, or once per week for high school students. Every student in the district will also have the option to exclusively take online classes.

Reynolds emphasis on in-person learning echoes recent remarks from the U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who continues to push schools to return to the pre-pandemic normalcy.

Ultimately, its not a matter of if schools need to open, its a matter of how, DeVos said during a call with governors, reported The Associated Press. School[s] must reopen, they must be fully operational. And how that happens is best left to education and community leaders.

A choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all, she said.

As of Friday, Iowas health department reported some 37,000 positive COVID-19 cases, with more than 400,000 Iowans tested. That means every one of eight Iowans have been tested and one of 84 tested positive.
Civil servants have complained to their superiors that they do not feel comfortable with a room in the Treasury being named after Winston Churchill.

Reigniting attacks by Black Lives Matter protesters and Left-wing critics on Britains wartime hero, some staff at the vast Whitehall department have demanded that its Churchill Room be confined to history.

It was named after the former Prime Minister because he used the rooms balcony to give an address to the crowds below on VE Day in 1945.

Civil servants say they do not feel comfortable with a room in the Treasury being named after Winston Churchill (pictured in speaking from his balcony in 1945)

A number of junior officials raised their concerns during an official Treasury equalities team question-and-answer event, sparking panic among senior mandarins.

The Mail on Sunday understands the issue has been raised all the way up to Treasury Permanent Secretary Tom Scholar, but has been met with derision by Ministers.

An insider said: This has received a robust no from the politicians but there was a concerted effort to get it going.

As Chancellor Rishi Sunak explained in a Treasury video released on the 75th anniversary of VE Day in May: It is called the Churchill Room because it is the balcony where Winston Churchill stood and addressed the crowds.

He spoke to a sea of people stretching all the way down Whitehall and into Parliament Square.

After six years of horror, hardship and grief when so many sacrificed so much, people came together in a collective moment of joy and relief.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured) defended the choice of name for the room as it is the balcony where Winston Churchill stood and addressed the crowds in 1945

And comparing the situation to the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Sunak added: Today we are fighting a very different kind of battle but one thing is the same: we will get through this together.

As Churchill said from the balcony 75 years ago, This is not victory of a party or of any class. Its a victory of the great British nation as a whole. 

The row comes after calls to tear down the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square that was defaced during unrest last month.

Mr Sunak also comparing the situation to the coronavirus pandemic to the sacrifice made by so many during the Second World War

At the time, Boris Johnson criticised the calls as being the height of lunacy.

The Prime Minister said he would resist any attempt to remove the statue with every breath in my body.

And he described his wartime predecessor as one of the countrys greatest ever leaders adding he was extremely dubious about the growing campaign to edit or photoshop the entire cultural landscape.

The Treasury declined to comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 11:21:48|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he won't issue an order at the national level mandating the use of masks, even as the United States continued to break its single-day coronavirus case record amid a pandemic far from being contained.

Asked by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace if he would consider issuing a national mask mandate to slow the spread of the virus, Trump said: "No, I want people to have a certain freedom and I don't believe in that, no," according to a clip of the Fox News Sunday show, the full version of which will be aired on Sunday.

"I don't agree with the statement that if everyone wore a mask, everything disappears," the president added, as Wallace pointed out that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the virus would be brought under control if everyone wore a mask.

"Dr. (Anthony) Fauci said don't wear a mask, our surgeon general -- terrific guy -- said don't wear a mask. Everybody was saying don't wear a mask, all of a sudden everybody's got to wear a mask," Trump said. "And as you know, masks cause problems too. With that being said, I am a believer in masks. I think masks are good."

Trump has been refusing to wear a mask himself since the pandemic broke out, citing his good health and frequent negative tests for the virus.

He was seen wearing a mask in public for the first time on July 11 while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, some three months after the CDC recommended that Americans do so because asymptomatic bearers of the virus could still transmit it to others. Enditem
US Representative John Lewis, a pioneer of the civil rights movement and long-time member of the US House of Representatives, has died, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Saturday.

Lewis, who had announced in December that he had advanced pancreatic cancer, was 80.

"John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation  from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years," Pelosi said in a statement.

In the Congress, John Lewis was revered and beloved on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol. All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing."

Tributes poured in from other politicians. "John Lewis was an icon who fought with every ounce of his being to advance the cause of civil rights for all Americans," said Senator Kamala Harris, the first African American to represent California in the Senate, on Twitter. "I'm devastated for his family, friends, staff - and all those whose lives he touched.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on Twitter, "John Lewis was a true American hero and the moral compass of our nation. May his courage and conviction live on in all of us as we continue to make good trouble for justice and opportunity."
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA is targeting 7:50 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 30, for the launch of its Mars 2020 Perseverance rover on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch window is approximately two hours, with a launch opportunity every five minutes.

Live launch coverage will begin at 7 a.m., on NASA Television and the agency's website.

The mission  designed to better understand the geology and climate of Mars and seek signs of ancient life on the Red Planet  will use the robotic scientist, which weighs just under 2,300 pounds (1,043 kilograms) and is the size of a small car, to collect and store a set of rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth by future Mars sample return missions. It also will test new technologies to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by Caltech in Southern California, built the Perseverance rover and will manage mission operations for NASA. The agency's Launch Services Program, based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

Mars 2020 Perseverance is part of America's larger Moon to Mars exploration approach that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with sending the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA's Artemis program.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, media participation in news conferences will be remote. Only a limited number of media, who already have been accredited, will be accommodated at Kennedy. For the protection of media and Kennedy employees, the Kennedy Press Site News Center facilities will remain closed to all media throughout these events.

The deadline for media to apply for accreditation for this launch has passed, but more information about media accreditation is available by contacting [email protected].

To participate in the Kennedy briefings by phone, reporters must e-mail [email protected] no later than one hour prior to each event.

Questions also may be asked via social media with the hashtag #CountdownToMars.

Full mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Monday, July 27

1 p.m.  Mars 2020 Prelaunch News Conference. Participants include:

 Mars 2020 Prelaunch News Conference. Participants include: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine



Thomas Zurbuchen , associate administrator, NASA's Science Mission Directorate

, associate administrator, NASA's Science Mission Directorate

Omar Baez , launch director, NASA's Launch Services Program

, launch director, NASA's Launch Services Program

Matt Wallace , deputy project manager, JPL

, deputy project manager, JPL

Tory Bruno , CEO, United Launch Alliance

, CEO, United Launch Alliance

Jessica Williams , launch weather officer, 45th Space Force

3 p.m.  Mars 2020 Mission Engineering/Science Briefing. Participants include:

 Mars 2020 Mission Engineering/Science Briefing. Participants include: Lori Glaze , NASA Planetary Science Division director

, NASA Planetary Science Division director

Jennifer Trosper , deputy project manager, JPL

, deputy project manager, JPL

Farah Alibay , mobility engineer, JPL

, mobility engineer, JPL

Ken Farley , project scientist, Caltech

, project scientist, Caltech

Tanja Bosak , science team member, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tuesday, July 28

2 p.m.  Mars 2020 Mars Sample Return Briefing. Participants include:

 Mars 2020 Mars Sample Return Briefing. Participants include: Thomas Zurbuchen , associate administrator, NASA's Science Mission Directorate

, associate administrator, NASA's Science Mission Directorate

David Parker , director of human and robotic exploration, ESA (European Space Agency)

, director of human and robotic exploration, ESA (European Space Agency)

Jeff Gramling , NASA Mars Sample Return Program director

, NASA Mars Sample Return Program director

Julie Townsend , sampling and caching operations lead, JPL

, sampling and caching operations lead, JPL

Chris Herd , returned sample science participating scientist, University of Alberta

, returned sample science participating scientist,

Lisa Pratt , NASA planetary protection officer

4 p.m.  Mars 2020 Mission Tech and Humans to Mars Briefing. Participants include:

 Mars 2020 Mission Tech and Humans to Mars Briefing. Participants include: Jeff Sheehy , chief engineer, NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate

, chief engineer, NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate

Jim Watzin , NASA Mars Exploration Program director

, NASA Mars Exploration Program director

Michael Hecht , MOXIE principal investigator, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

, MOXIE principal investigator,

Mimi Aung , Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager, JPL

, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager, JPL

Amy Ross , lead spacesuit engineer NASA's Johnson Space Center

, lead spacesuit engineer NASA's Johnson Space Center

Michelle Rucker , Mars Integration Group lead, NASA's Johnson Space Center

Wednesday, July 29

Noon  Administrator Briefing. Participants include:

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine



NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard



Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana



NASA astronaut Zena Cardman

No phone bridge will be available for this event. In-person media at Kennedy's Press Site countdown clock may ask questions.

Thursday, July 30

7 a.m.  NASA TV live launch coverage begins

 NASA TV live launch coverage begins 11:30 a.m.  Postlaunch News Conference

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," the launch conductor's countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.

On launch day, a "clean feed" of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, heard within Brevard County on Florida's Space Coast.

For more information, visit:

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

NASA's Mars 2020 press kit:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/mars_2020/launch/

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov






The Baishui River flows through the 1,000-household Miao ethnic villages of Xijiang in Leishan county, Guizhou province. [Photo by Fu Tao/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Located in the foothills of Leigong Mountain in Leishan county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province, the 1,000-household Miao ethnic community, Xijiang, is the biggest Miao ethnic community in the world. It consists of more than 10 villages nestled amid green mountains, with terraced fields rising up along the slopes and the crystal-clear Baishui River flowing through.

Che Weiwei contributed to this story.
Amala's wedding day was horrible. As her family gathered around her to help the beautiful 20-year-old bride get ready, she was sobbing.

"They were dressing me up but I was crying the entire time. It was traumatising," she said.

Amala, not her real name, is now 21. Last year she was taken to Bangladesh for a forced marriage. She is only able to talk about the ordeal now because she survived a dramatic escape.

Read More

In the first known Irish case of its kind, Amala managed to free herself from her 'husband' and flee halfway across the world with the help of her Irish boyfriend and both the Irish and British governments. Documents seen by the Irish Independent reveal how both governments worked together to stage an elaborate ruse to help Amala escape.

Amala endured a two-month ordeal at the hands of her 'husband' in Bangladesh, including sexual and emotional abuse. In an exclusive interview with the Irish Independent, she is calling for better awareness of the tradition of forced marriage among South Asian families and improved State support for survivors.

In late 2018, Amala was 20 and leading a normal life. She went with her family to Bangladesh, where her parents are from, for a number of weeks. They started talking about an arranged marriage. Amala was totally against the idea. She had a brother with her at the time of the trip. Amala believes she was able to return home without being married because her brother had objected.

"In South Asian families, they give boys a lot of value. Because he was with me, I ended up not getting married," she explained. Once she returned home, relations with her family were a little strained but manageable.

A few months later, Amala arrived home after meeting her boyfriend and was told that her grandmother in Bangladesh was very sick, and she had to go visit her immediately. The plan was for Amala to go to Bangladesh for a week, and then come home to Ireland. "But that never happened," she added.

Once she arrived in Bangladesh, things were very weird. First of all, her grandmother seemed fine. Her family were whispering a lot, and eventually Amala realised they were talking about marriage again. But she wasn't worried, she decided she'd just tell them no again and they'd leave her alone. "I thought, 'It's not going to get that bad, I'll get to go home'," she said. But then her wifi, her devices and her passport were taken away.

The tone and the intensity of the pressure to get married changed dramatically. She had no siblings with her this time, and felt very alone. She was isolated from younger family members, put in a room on her own for hours and told by her family that she was "too westernised". She was told how the family had heard that she had boyfriends in Ireland, and how she would never be allowed to go home until she got married.

"I was just bawling my eyes out. I remember when I finally agreed, in my head I was like 'OK I just need to agree to this, get married, go home.' And that was just not the case," she said.

During this time, she was trying to find ways to communicate with her boyfriend to tell him what was happening.

"It was very rare that I would manage to get wifi but when I did I would send him texts as fast as I could to give him quick updates. And when that wasn't possible, I would give my cousin letters that he could take pictures of and send to him. That was the only way I could find," she said.

A week after "agreeing" to get married she was brought to see this man, a complete stranger. Amala remembers asking: "What if I don't like him?" She was told: "Well, you'll have to like him." It was made very clear to her that if she objected to the first 'husband', there would be many others. And she would have to meet all of them until she agreed to one.

"And I just wanted this to be over with, so I just said yes to the first guy," she said.

"During the wedding, it was horrible. I remember everyone came to see me, you know, before the wedding? They always come to see the bride and what she's wearing. It was horrible. And then, yeah, I got married."

Amala couldn't even speak the same language as the man. She hated spending time with him and would just sit there silently, saying nothing.

"The way my family made me spend time with him was literally by isolating me with him all the time. They saw that I didn't want to talk to him, so their solution was to stick me in a room with him," she said.

After she was married, she was put under pressure to have sex with her 'husband'.

But the man complained to Amala's family that she was refusing to have sex, who then put pressure on her.

"I was crying all the time, I didn't want to touch him or do anything. It would be very bad at night. He would just be forceful," Amala said.

"It was horrifying. I remember having almost an out-of-body experience. I wasn't even sobbing or anything, there were just tears as I lay there. I felt totally numb. This happened a lot, very frequently. Every day." Amala was also put under pressure to get pregnant. One day, her family sent her away to a hotel with her 'husband'. She was suspicious, and had a bad feeling her family were about to leave her.

"Even though they were the ones that put me in that situation, they were all I had at the same time. It was so toxic," she said.

The next morning, she kept calling where her parents had been staying but there was no answer.

"I remember I was just screaming in the hotel, and I thought: 'This is it. I'm going to be here forever with this guy who is abusing me every single day.' I remember being pretty suicidal at that time."

Amala was eventually able to tell her boyfriend back home everything that had happened. He was devastated.

"It was hard being in that position, I felt there was nothing I could do. I could only just imagine what she was going through," the boyfriend said.

Amala's "husband" had found out about her boyfriend, and started sending him messages and pictures on social media. The 'husband' used to force Amala to send messages as well.

"He used to make me take pictures with him, he used to make me smile. And he sent them to my boyfriend as well. He made me send voice notes to my boyfriend. He made me say things like, 'I'm married now, and I'm happy,' and 'I want to have children and do my duties as a wife.' Obviously, my boyfriend knew it was completely out of character," Amala said.

Her boyfriend could hear in Amala's voice that she was emotional, and was likely being forced to send the messages. Her 'husband' would also use emotional abuse to try to control her.

"He started threatening to hurt himself, and he did. I don't know what kind of abuse this was. He'd cut himself in front of me, and burn out cigarettes. I was horrified. I didn't feel guilt, I was just disgusted. It was scary, it didn't make me feel anything for him," she said.

This entire time, Amala's boyfriend was trying to find a way to help her escape. They would try to communicate whenever she could get access to the internet, which was not often. Because of the time difference, her messages would often come through to her boyfriend when he was asleep. He started setting alarms every half hour throughout the night, determined not to sleep through any of her messages.

Amala's boyfriend and a mutual friend were distraught and extremely worried about her. They started doing whatever internet research they could, and the friend discovered the UK government's Forced Marriage Unit.

When they first contacted the unit looking for help, they were told the request would have to come from Amala herself. This was frustrating, as the forced marriage had restricted her freedom and use of the internet so it was almost impossible for her to do so.

Her boyfriend was able to use geolocation on Amala's Twitter page to prove where she was, and also provided social media evidence of her 'husband's' identity. But it wasn't enough. Eventually, he was able to log into Amala's email, and write to the Forced Marriage Unit on her behalf. Ireland does not have its own Forced Marriage Unit, so the UK government contacted the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to alert them to Amala's situation.

The Irish Independent has deliberately omitted details of the tactics used to help free Amala in order to protect other women who might benefit from the same escape plan.

The day of the escape attempt, Amala only had a handbag with her.

"I remember leaving a lot of stuff out of it because I thought I would probably have to come back. I tried to not have too much hope, because I'd be too broken afterwards," she said.

She had no idea if the plan would work, but it did. She suddenly found herself in a large building, owned by the UK government, explaining to a woman working there who she was and what had happened.

"I could see it kind of clicked in her face who I was. That was the first time someone looked at me that way in a long time," she added.

"She gave me a hug and I started crying. It was so emotional. There were just lots of hugs and lots of people there. And they're just giving me a lot of support. And it was just the nicest thing to happen to me after so long."

Amala was covered with a jacket and escorted out of the building, before being placed in a bullet-proof car with tinted windows. She was immediately taken to the airport to be put on the next flight back to Ireland. The flight home was the first time Amala had ever been on a plane by herself.

"It was a relief but also, extremely scary. My parents probably didn't know what was happening to me. I didn't know what was going to happen when I got to Ireland," Amala said.

At this point, she still only had a handbag with her. She didn't even have a coat. After being in Bangladesh for two months, the spring chill in Dublin Airport felt freezing.

When she landed, a garda was waiting for her. He escorted her to a women's refuge in Dublin. Amala was starting from zero. She had no job, no money and no home.

She described staff at the women's refuge as "lovely".

"They gave me a little space to myself. It was very hard to settle back in because I didn't have any family support, I didn't have any money, I didn't have any clothes, I didn't have anything. It was very hard at first," she explained.

Eventually, she was put on Housing Assistance Payment to help her to find somewhere to live. She was also on Jobseeker's Allowance, but on a reduced rate of 203 because of her age.

"That was very hard to live on for a while. It was something, and I was grateful for it, but it was hard," she added.

One year later, Amala is now living with her boyfriend and his family and preparing to go back to education later this year. She has been working hard on her relationship with her parents.

"Since then, my relationship with my parents is still a work in progress. I didn't talk to them for a very, very long time. Months. Eventually, when I did, they were hard work at first. I really did have to educate them and make them see what they were doing, which took a lot of time. And it's sad that such a major event had to happen for them to realise how wrong they were," she said.

Since then, her parents have even met her boyfriend, a move she described as a "major turnaround". Amala is conscious that she doesn't want to paint her parents as villains in this story. The "tradition" of forced marriage is a complicated one, which is tied up in historic cultural norms and the huge pressure on young women in South Asian families to maintain honour.

"Being a girl and South Asian means you hold all the honour in the family. You're under constant prying eyes. It's essentially why they tried to marry me off, to save their reputation," Amala explained.

"These things happen a lot more because of tradition and culture, rather than religion. Religion does play a role, but a big part of this is just tradition.

"The reason my parents didn't hear me crying about how I didn't want to get married was because their parents never heard them crying about getting married."

It's understood that Amala's story is the first known case of its kind in Ireland. The Department of Foreign Affairs said that forced marriages here are "extremely rare". But Amala's fear is that her case is only known about because she managed to escape. The worry is that there may have been other women sent abroad for forced marriages which nobody ever hears about.

"I feel like there's more brown people in Ireland than there used to be. Obviously, the more brown people there are the more cases like this are going to start coming up," she said.

She believes there needs to be more services and resources to help people escape forced marriage and potentially start their lives over again once they have.

"These things happen, but people aren't aware of it. We don't hear about it. It's very taboo. There's no awareness," Amala said. "Because people don't know that there's help, they might not ask for help."
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Handout

Furious that the National Organization for Women has yet to remove President Toni Van Pelt over allegations of racism, a group of state chapter leaders have started a social media campaign to push her out of office.

Over the month of July, the California NOW chapter is hosting Facebook live streams with 20 other state chapter leaders who will demand Van Pelts resignation and discuss their experiences with racism in the organization more broadly. The point of the campaign, California NOW president Kolieka Seigel said in a recent broadcast, is to address systemic racism within our own ranks, to uplift the experiences of women of color and to collectively tell our story.

This is about state and grassroots leadership beginning to hold ourselves and our organization accountable and charting a path forward,  she said, adding that the chapters are also calling for an oversight committee to monitor the leadership and for a revision of NOWs bylaws.

Dont Forget the White Women!: Members Say Racism Ran Rampant at NOW

Six chapters, including Washington state, Florida, Minnesota and Nevada, have already posted videos, and Seigel told The Daily Beast that the remaining 15 chapters will post theirs before the months end. Twenty-five of the organizations 36 chapter presidents have also signed onto a letter to the NOW board demanding Van Pelt step down or be removed.

The campaign comes after a Daily Beast investigation revealed dozens of allegations of racism within the iconic feminist group, from the state chapters all the way to the national organization. Among other things, former employees accused Van Pelt of sidelining and disparaging women of color, including by telling them, I dont care about your opinion. Both her previous vice president, a Native American woman, and her current vice president, a Black woman, have accused her of discrimination.

In a statement last month, Van Pelt told The Daily Beast that she understood it was critical to acknowledge my own privilege and strive to be a better ally.

Story continues

As the leader of NOW, and a leader within the intersectional feminist movement, I must hold myself and our organization accountable to do more, she said. (NOW did not respond to a request for comment on the latest campaign.)

Many of the organizations leaders were not satisfied by the response. In addition to the state chapter presidents, nine national board members signed into a letter asking Van Pelt to resign. After a vote to remove her failed to go forward, the entire D.C. NOW board resigned their positions. On Friday, the executive board of the NOW Twin Cities chapter also resigned en masse.

Instead of acting swiftly to condemn and weed out racism and transphobia within NOW, much of the organization has worked to protect and defend this leadership, the executive board wrote in a letter announcing their departure. It is now clear that the problems within NOW are systemic and that the institution as a whole is unwilling to do the work to change.

In the livestreamed videos, chapter leaders described why they signed onto the letter demanding Van Pelts resignation. Jerri Burton, the Nevada state chapter president and a national board member, said her chapter signed on after hearing complaints from members and from political candidates they had endorsed. Marquita Anderson of Minnesota NOW said her board decided Van Pelts behavior was unacceptable after reading a 22-page complaint signed by 15 former NOW staffers.

Here in Minnesota we believe that feminism is intersectional, and if one of those pieces is falling off, youre really not qualified to lead a feminist organization, she said.

Van Pelt has shown no signs of stepping aside, and the national board would need at least two more votes to forcibly remove her. But Victoria Steele, an Arizona state senator and one of the nine board members calling on the president to resign, told The Daily Beast they would not stop fighting until she was gone.

For God's sake, were a womens group, she said. Were a feminist organization. Why should we have to scream this loud?

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Michael Jackson, winner of the Diamond Award (Photo by Tony Barson/WireImage)

X-Men executive producer Ralph Winter has revealed that music icon Michael Jackson wanted to play Professor X in the comic-book adaptation.

Winter worked on X-Men for several years before it was eventually turned into a blockbuster in 2000. During this time dozens of actors and celebrities approached him about playing a variety of characters, something that he recently recalled to Observer.

Read More: 'X-Men' at 20: The cast of the iconic 2000 Marvel movie, then and now

I have lots of warm memories of people that came in wanting to be in the movie. Michael Jackson was a big comic fan and wanted to play Charles Xavier. Shaquille ONeal showed up at the offices and wanted to play Forge, who wasnt in the movie.

The list of people that turned down roles in X-Men is nearly as long, too. Not only did Russell Crowe pass on playing Wolverine, but so did Viggo Mortensen, while Charlize Theron also rejected the part of Jean Grey, too.

Patrick Stewart ultimately got the role of Professor X, but he needed a lot of convincing (Image by 20th Century Fox)

It turns out that Patrick Stewart was just as adamant about not staring as Charles Xavier, too, with screenwriter David Hayter saying that it took them a long time to convince the English actor to sign-up. So much so that numerous other actors approached him about playing Professor X.

Terence Stamp told me, You know why Patrick doesnt want to do it? Because of the chair. He doesnt want to be stuck in the chair. But I dont mind. In fact, I also look excellent bald.

Read More: Ryan Reynolds crashes the 'X-Men' charity reunion

Everyday I was surprised by the faces coming in. Like, Id find Mariah Carey sitting in my office wanting to go talk to Bryan about being Storm or something. So thats always shocking.

Ultimately, the X-Men cast was confirmed as Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park, and Dougray Scott, only for the latter to drop out and be replaced by Hugh Jackman three weeks into filming.
Thala Ajith aka Ajith Kumar is the new entry into the list of celebrities to receive a fake bomb threat, after Thalapathy Vijay. As per the credible reports, an anonymous call was made to the police control room on July 18, 2020, Saturday, suggesting that a bomb has been planted in Ajith's residence in Injambakkam, Chennai.

As per the reports, the police team and bomb squad rushed to the actor's residence immediately after receiving the phone call. The sources suggest that the police team and bomb squad conducted a thorough search in Ajith's house for almost two hours, and finally concluded that there is no planted in the building or surroundings.

However, the reports suggest that the police team has already traced the location from which the threat call was made, and it is from Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. The investigation team is confident that the exact location from which the phone call is made and the real culprit will be found out very soon.

To the uninitiated, bomb threat calls were made in a similar way to the house of Vijay recently and to Rajinikanth's residence a couple of months back. Coming to the bomb threat in Vijay's house, the call was reportedly made by a person named Bhuvanesh from Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu. However, it is yet to be revealed whether this call has a connection with Ajith's case.

When it comes to his career, Ajith will be next seen in the highly-anticipated action thriller Valimai. The movie will mark the actor's second collaboration with the young filmmaker H Vinoth, after the success of Nerkonda Paarvai. The shooting of the movie, which is produced by Boney Kapoor, is expected to be resumed once the lockdown comes to an end.

Also Read:

Thala Ajith's Valimai: This Popular Actor To Play The Antagonist!



Darbar Settlement Is Delayed: Is This The Reason?


The flight, on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, is scheduled to depart at 10.20pm on Sunday at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and land at Incheon International Airport at 6am (local time) the next day.

The special flight aims to meet the RoK citizens wish to return to their homeland in the context that many international air routes are currently restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing RoK citizens, tourists and entrepreneurs to become stranded in Vietnam.

Earlier, Bamboo Airways successfully carried nearly 1,000 passengers of EU, African and Asian nationalities home on its flights from Vietnam to the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Italy, Kuwait, Egypt and Qatar, using the wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, as well as safely repatriating nearly 200 Vietnamese citizens from the Philippines.

Ahead of the outbreak of COVID-19, the RoK was among the major markets of Bamboo Airways in Northeast Asia. The firm has officially launched three direct routes to the RoK, connecting Da Nang, Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa province) and Hanoi with Incheon. These routes are scheduled to be resumed when the COVID-19 situation in the RoK is brought under control and suits the airlines situation.

According to a representative of Bamboo Airways, all the affairs related to the flight will strictly comply with regulations on pandemic prevention and control. All crew members will be equipped with protective medical suits, including protective clothing, gloves, face shields, face masks and antiseptic solution.

Bamboo Airways will implement body temperature measurement and health declarations for passengers prior to the flight, and ensure social distancing requirements in line with regulations. Passengers will be asked to wear face masks throughout the flight.

The aircraft will be disinfected in accordance with the regulations, and the flight crew will also be quarantined before the flight and upon their return from the RoK.
Some provincial schools throwing caution to the winds, charge unions By Tharushi Weerasinghe Exam-results-driven behaviour to the fore, health guidelines flouted View(s): View(s):

Teachers in some provincial schools have been summoned even when there was no work while other schools were teaching multiple grades and holding parent-teacher meetings despite the Government shutting down educational institutions again this week, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union Joseph Stalin said.

Education Ministry orders were being openly flouted in the quest for better examination results for their individual schools, another unionist claimed. Some principals wanted all their teachers to be at work while others asked all students to be present when the Government had directed only those in Grade 5, 11 and 13 to come.

There was no point in the Education Ministry issuing a circular if it wasnt enforced, Mr Stalin said. His union had tried to alert authorities when guidelines were broken but the violators werent even reprimanded.

The guidelines were even relaxed to allow masks to be removed inside schools. To ignore the remaining few rules would be to risk the lives of more than four million children, he claimed. As for temperature checks at the school gates, prominent schools like Royal College and Visakha Vidyalaya have them in place. But many lesser known institutions have not put in place such precautions.

This could be linked to affordability. But it also points to clear discrimination, Mr Stalin said. There is a problem here, he added. Special programmes and mechanism were pointless if they are not enforced.

The Principals Association of Sri Lanka had also received reports of members breaching the Education Ministry health guidelines, its President Mohan Weerasinghe said. The majority of principals, however, were under the authority of Zonal Education Offices. He denounced the violations and called for stricter enforcement.

The absence of primary precautions like masks and temperature checks made no sense, he held. Government offices employing thousands of people have those measures in place. Why, then, dont our schools have them? he asked.

Education leaders like principals and zonal directors need not be told again and again to follow simple guidelines, Mr Weerasinghe stressed: Their exam-results-driven behaviour has made matters worse and children and teachers are paying the price.

A student of Rajanganaya Track 01 Vidyalaya tested positive for COVID-19 while a teacher from Saralankara Vidyalaya, Galle, was quarantined after they came into contact with staff at Kandakadu Drug Rehabilitation Camp.

It was found that the principal of Rajanganaya Track 01 Vidyalaya had asked students of all classes to report to school, Mr Stalin said, explaining the risk. This is despite the Education Ministry having instructed only Grade 5, 11 and 13 to return. Separately, the principal of Saralankara Vidyalaya had directed all teachers to report to work despite the Ministry having said only relevant instructors are required to be present.

Had the principals followed orders, the infected people would not have come to school, Mr Stalin said.

The Education Ministry issued instructions before the staggered opening of schools starting July 6. In the first stagefrom July 6 to 17only teachers with class timetables and duties such as management, disciplinary and health activities were to report.

Principals were also asked not to call teachers who have no duties or teaching timetables during the first and second stage (July 20-24). Teachers who were required to be present must report at 7.30 am and be allowed to leave when the allocated tasks were done.

However, there was confusion in some areas such as the Gampaha District where the Zonal Education Office issued a notice with conflicting instructions for principals. It said all teachers must come to school.

The purpose was to inform principals that teachers who had duties beyond immediate academic responsibilities should be summoned, clarified Gampaha Zonal Education Director of Gampaha S K Mallawarachchi. A teachers work is not limited to teaching now. There are other responsibilities like dengue and Covid-19 prevention programmes, so on.

There was enough work in schools, necessitating all teachers to be present. However, if there is a teacher who has nothing to do after all those duties are taken care of and he or she has no reason to be called in, we are fine with that, he said.

Union claims of insubordination by Zonal Officers were false, rejected Education Ministry Secretary N H M Chithrananda. The Ministry and Provincial Councils were cooperating. But the Ministry did not wish to meddle with the finer administration of schools at the grassroots level as these were under the Provincial Councils. There would be no punishment for principals under current circumstances, he said.
Worcester Public Schools officials are holding two public meetings next week to discuss possible reopening plans as at least some students and educators prepare to return to classrooms just weeks from now amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The school district, which serves more than 25,000 students in New Englands second-largest city, is examining options that keep students between 3 and 6 feet apart in classrooms. Three feet is the minimum that has been set by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Guidelines released by DESE last month require students and staff to wear face masks among other safety measures. The department has asked districts in Massachusetts to create three plans for the upcoming school year: One for in-person classes, another for a hybrid method of in-person and online learning, and third, for fully remote education. Worcesters School Committee on July 2 requested school administration focus on the latter two choices.

On Monday and Wednesday, the Worcester School Committee will hold virtual meetings scheduled to discuss reopening plans. Mondays meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom and information on how to join is available online.

Next week there will be TWO WPS reopening plans public information sessions: (dates fixed; thanks, Amy!) Monday, July... Posted by Tracy O'Connell Novick for School Committee on Friday, July 17, 2020

Worcester Public School documents detail the options. The Massachusetts School Building Authority with the support of CannonDesign architects developed a parametric dashboard to allow school administrators to study social distancing measures on school capacities. The tool analyzed spacing and facility use assumptions, calculating effects on capacity, by using data collected for the MSBAs 2016 School Survey and 2019-2020 official enrollment counts.

If students are kept 6 feet apart, no district schools would be able to reopen at 100% capacity; students at 11 schools would be able to attend no more than 50% of the time and participate in remote learning 50% of the time; and students at 28 schools would able to attend school no more than 33% of the time and participate in remote learning 67% of the time.

However, with students 3 feet apart, 25 schools would be able to accommodate all students in-person at the same time and 16 schools would be able to have students attend 50% of the time and participate in remote learning 50% of the time.

At 4 feet between students, all schools could accommodate in-person learning 50% of the time and remote learning 50% of the time, according to the documents.

Several schools were not included in the analysis, including the Alternative School (at St. Casmirs); Caradonio New Citizen Center; Challenge and Reach Academies; Fanning Building; Gerald Creamer Center; Nelson Place; North High; Worcester Technical High School; Head Start Locations; and Central Massachusetts Special Education Collaborative locations.

But, how many students can ride buses will greatly impact Worcesters plan, Binienda said. About 11,500 students take public school transportation daily. Binienda is waiting for guidance from the state regarding transportation. Limits on how many students can ride a bus will impact how many kids can get to their schools.

Right now, the district is looking at two models for back to school:

One week rotation 50% model: With about 50% of students occupying a school building at a time, students would have two days each week of in-person learning at their schools either Mondays and Tuesdays or Wednesdays and Thursdays. Then, remote learning the other three days each week either Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays or Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.

One week rotation 1/3 model: Based on about  of students occupying a school building at a time, students would have learning on Mondays with their teacher/s while at home, one day per week of in-person learning at their schools either Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, and remote Learning the other days each week when they are not in school.

The 50% model keeps children 4 feet apart while the 1/3 model has children at a distance of 6 feet.

Binienda said she prefers the 50% model that allows students to touch base with teachers two days a week. That plan would also allow some students, like special education students, English language learners and some alternative programs, to see teachers four days a week.

We really want to have kids and teachers interacting with each other in as regular a basis as we could, Binienda said.

Both models can be easily converted to a fully remote learning model if needed, according to Binienda.

We just really want to build a very successful program so were going to be starting teacher curriculum teams, to look at standards of curriculum and their resources so that our teachers will have all that, she said.

If school is all online, there would be both direct instruction time with educators and time for students to work independently, as well as daily help sessions with teachers, educators regularly checking in on student progress, office hours for families and grading of student work, school documents indicate.

The plan for the year calls for a nurse at every school and an isolation room in each building in case someone needs to distance from others in the school.

There will not be temperatures checks to get into the building and coronavirus tests or antibody tests are not required, school documents say.

A 12-week supply of personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer has been ordered, according to school documents.

Parents who want to keep children home will have the option to choose remote learning, Binienda said. Whether teachers will have that option is an ongoing conversation.

Right now were hoping to get all teachers to come in, Binienda said, adding that even if teachers are instructing remotely, she wants them to have the ability to communicate and plan in the building.

A survey for staff went out earlier this week asking if teachers plan to come back to school buildings. Responses will impact how the hybrid and remote learning plans are finalized, the superintendent said.

Parents and families can email Covid19@worcesterschools.net with questions or concerns.

Related Content:
A longtime San Antonio Fire Department employee lost his life due to COVID-19 complications Friday night.

Fire Apparatus Mechanic Hector Rodriguez had been hospitalized in recent days for COVID-19, according to fire officials.

Rodriguez served the SAFD and the city of San Antonio for 29 years. The fire department said in a statement that Rodriguez had kept our fire trucks and ambulances running so that the firefighters and paramedics of the SAFD could continually work to serve the people of San Antonio.

The department ended the statement by asking the community to honor Rodriguezs memory by doing everything you can to protect yourself and others from the disease.
(Natural News) The same drug giant that once faced serious criminal prosecution for illegally testing experimental drugs and vaccines on innocent Nigerian children has more recently been awarded fast track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to produce a new vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

Along with German biotech firm BioNTech, Pfizer has been told that it can now proceed in testing two potential candidates, BNT162b1 and BNT162b2, which mainstream media reports claim are the most advanced of at least four vaccines being assessed by the companies in ongoing trials in the United States and Germany.

Following the announcement, Pfizers shares jumped up two percent, while BioNTechs skyrocketed to the tune of six percent. The two companies had earlier in the month claimed that the BNT162b1 vaccine candidate in particular was showing great promise against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) as part of early-stage human trials.

The earliest data from the German trial of BNT162b1 is expected to be released sometime in July, the two companies have indicated. If the results show success, then the next step is for the vaccine candidate to receive regulatory approval, which we all know is likely to happen without a hitch thanks to industry collusion with the FDA and other regulatory bodies.

When all is said and done, Pfizer and BioNTech could end up producing upwards of 100 million doses of the vaccine before the end of 2020. By the end of 2021, that number could jump to 1.2 billion doses, which will ensure that as many people are vaccinated as possible, as quickly as possible.

Pfizer also has its hands in pushing contact tracing on the masses

If the two companies can receive the go-ahead from regulators, they are also planning to launch a large-scale vaccine trial later this month that would include upwards of 30,000 participants, all made possible by the FDAs fast-track status for prospective Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines.

As we reported earlier in the month, Pfizer is in bed with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as George Soros Open Society. Pfizer directly funds a group called Partners in Health, or PIH, that is one of the first organizations to offer a statewide contact tracing program.

So in addition to working on a lucrative new vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), Pfizer is financially supporting contact tracing programs that, when implemented, will abolish all remaining traces of freedom and liberty in this country, and replace them with tyranny for your own good.

All of this is a dream come true for Bill Gates, by the way, who has been aggressively pushing for both new vaccines and contact tracing programs as the cure for the plandemic. If it all comes to fruition as planned, America and the world at large will become a totalitarian medical police state, the likes of which this world has never before seen.

Please note that apart from developing a coronavirus vaccine, Pfizer is also screening antiviral compounds and has confirmed a lead compound based on the results of initial screening assays, a report from Zacks Equity Research notes about Pfizers other plans for addressing the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

The company plans to start a potential clinical study of the lead molecule in the third quarter of 2020. It is also evaluating azithromycin for its antiviral properties. Moreover, an independent, investigator-initiated phase II study to evaluate Pfizers JAK inhibitor, tofacitinib, in patients with SARS-CoV-2 interstitial pneumonia in Italy has also been planned.

To learn more about the dangers and ineffectiveness of vaccines, including these prospective candidates for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Vaccines.news.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

CNBC.com

NaturalNews.com

Finance.Yahoo.com
Armed with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, C-SPAN testimonies and a former Lincoln-Douglas debater's penchant for arguing, Phil Cochetti has spent months wading into Facebook groups created to oppose covid-19 shutdowns and mask mandates.

To many, he's a "troll" with too much free time. He posts links and keeps comment chains going until others peel off - or until he gets kicked out by administrators, which tends to happen swiftly. He pleads: "Do me the honor of hearing me out, and I will listen to you all day."

He's a 36-year-old research coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine - department of biostatistics, epidemiology and informatics - who's made a stay-at-home hobby out of defending states' pandemic-era restrictions and combating coronavirus misinformation on social media. Posting resources for his friends and diving into the online communities where misinformation thrives, he's part of an everyday line of defense against the deluge that's overwhelmed even professional fact-checkers - comments from family, friends or total strangers on the lookout.

The efforts can feel futile, even as research suggests that average citizens of the Internet are a real force in correcting misperceptions. One person's trusted source in the crisis is another's political hack.

"My biggest thing is, there is this outright rejection of science and what our best scientific knowledge is able to impart," Cochetti said in an interview.

Lots of people have been using social media during the pandemic to provide "observational correction," where others are watching and potentially benefiting, said Emily Vraga, an associate professor in health communication at the University of Minnesota. She co-led a March survey in which more than 1 in 5 Americans reported having told someone during the previous week that they shared misinformation on the coronavirus.

That's slightly higher than other research has found for corrections in general, according to Vraga - maybe because there's simply so much to debunk with covid-19, or maybe because "any decision you make is inherently about your community."

"Any choice you make has implications for everyone you might come into contact with," Vraga said. "And so that could be motivating people to engage in more correction than they might on other issues or topics."

Those kinds of fact checks have an impact, she said - along with social media platforms' efforts to debunk and remove falsehoods - and are usually most effective when people point to a credible expert.

However, she notes her latest data is from early on in the pandemic. The politicization of the country's main tools against virus, from face masks to mass testing, was just getting started.

"I don't know how well the CDC, for example - which has long been that gold standard, trusted-across-party-lines organization - I don't know if that's still the case with how political this has become," she said.

Some people are trying to create online bubbles where "NO POLITICS" is the explicit rule. Discussion in a roughly 2,700-member public Facebook group called "COVID-19: Scientific Sources and Reputable News" is filled with Nature articles, trackers and a pinned "hoax post" thread. Comments below a Sunday post promoting a "fireside chat" with infectious-diseases expert Anthony Fauci made no mention of the drama unfolding as the White House moved to discredit its own adviser.

Creator Elizabeth Lilly, a 56-year-old Santa Cruz-area resident, said she wanted to attract and benefit people "across the aisle," though admins say they're reevaluating whether "NO POLITICS" is possible when scientists are under political attack.

She says she made the group with two friends after watching another online group - despite a similar mission - struggle to weed out posts about unproven miracle cures. She's given up trying to convince the few anti-vaxxers on her timeline, and one of her fellow admins has had people in an environmental Facebook group dismiss news articles from a variety of countries as "corporate media" with an agenda.

"You always have to consider that you're talking to the people who are listening quietly," Lilly said.

She explains her ideal approach to a fact check: "If you can be diplomatic and reasonable - " then pauses.

She's a newly laid-off library worker with extra health concerns, a history enthusiast who's read extensively about pandemics.

"It's sometimes hard to be diplomatic when you're really frustrated, when you really feel that there is a lot riding on this."

Cochetti, the medical school employee - he works on clinical trials, sometimes interacting with patients and other times analyzing the data - quickly became a member of "Scientific Sources and Reputable News" in March. The coronavirus had been on his radar early, he said, thanks to an epidemiologist friend who posted Jan. 3 on Facebook about a mysterious respiratory disease emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

In April, he ventured into a much more political online space that sprung up around covid-19.

He read about the pro-gun activist siblings behind some of the biggest Facebook groups calling for protests of stay-at-home orders in the United States, including "Pennsylvanians Against Excessive Quarantine" in his home state. Cochetti started Googling, joined the Pennsylvania group and recalls he was eventually kicked out after posting articles about rising infection rates in Kentucky and about the siblings. (Administrators did not respond to inquiries from The Post.)

That was the start of a crusade to bring the quarantine-critical crowd around to his views - maybe an exercise in "self-flagellation," as he admits, all while he worried: about his mom, his dad, his stepmom whose elementary school-aged niece told her she valued her life too much to come visit.

It was "a way to vent my own anxiety about what's going on and hopefully to change some minds about the root of what we need to do next," Cochetti said as he worked from home.

Next came Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland, where he has family, friends or work connections. In "Marylanders Against Excessive Quarantine," instead of being barred, he found members willing to engage.

Much of Cochetti's disagreement with members came down to policy and the right course of action. How much risk justified shutting down society? How serious was this?

"I feel like we have, you know, no voice, no advocacy, no lobbying," Mike Stewart Jr., a 36-year-old martial arts teacher who co-founded the Facebook group, said in an interview when his academies were still suffering under closure orders. "I think some of the shutdown protocols have been pretty heavy-handed and unfair to small businesses while allowing the bigger businesses to stay operational."

But Stewart's group was also, like many of its counterparts in other states, a freewheeling forum containing falsehoods and distortions: conspiracy theories about vaccines; a video about "murder" at a hospital that YouTube took down; accusations that a federal health official's statements are just meant to distract from the woman behind a viral, debunked film called "Plandemic."

"This is chock-full of half truths, fraud, bad medical advice, and just poor quality," Cochetti wrote below the hospital "murder" post.

It was the start of a four-paragraph response, but if it swayed anyone, it's not clear. Victory, to Cochetti, looked like someone saying they watched the video he posted, or having a polite back-and-forth in the comments ("I agree to a point . . . ") or messaging privately and eventually agreeing they'd be fine to one day "have a beer" together.

Stewart affirmed that virtually no content would be removed, saying he's not there to police viewpoints or determine accuracy: If you're an adult on the Internet who drinks Lysol because someone told you to, he said, "I don't have a terrible amount of sympathy for you."

Asked about Cochetti, Stewart said he was unimpressed with someone "reposting any article you have" and "just repeating everything that you've been hearing." He's not sure he'd trust even a scientific study, though he'd listen to an infectious-disease specialist friend of his at Johns Hopkins.

"I do not trust the police. I don't trust the media. I don't trust doctors. And I don't trust the government," Stewart said. "I trust my friends and my family."

It's a common sentiment in "Marylanders Against Excessive Quarantine" - no longer publicly visible because it was archived a few weeks ago, after restrictions lifted - and in other groups that have persisted as states with spiking cases tighten back up, in some cases swelling to more than 100,000 members. It's also an outlook that's stymied Cochetti again and again.

Once, in the Maryland group, Cochetti shared a link to a report about a "superspreader" choir practice in Washington state. One person went with coronavirus symptoms; 87% of the other 60 people in attendance ended up as confirmed or "probable" covid-19 patients, the report stated. Two died.

"Median age was 69," someone commented, directing some profanity at Cochetti.

"This was in Washington state what exactly does it have to do with Maryland?" said another further down. "Also i don't believe this is a true article more propaganda BS by the snowflakes."

"Trump's CDC released it . . . " Cochetti wrote below.

There was no reply.
Tensions between India and China spiked after violent clashes between soldiers in the Galwan valley on 15 June in which 20 Indian troops were killed.

New Delhi: Indias defence minister said on Friday he hoped talks could bring some sort of resolution to a border standoff with China that led to a deadly clash last month, though India would not cede an inch of territory.

Top commanders have been holding lengthy talks near a stretch of disputed Himalayan border in the Ladakh region, where Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in confrontation since early May.

Tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours spiked after soldiers fought with nail-studded clubs and rocks in the desolate Galwan valley on 15 June.

Twenty Indian troops were killed and there was an unspecified number of casualties on the Chinese side.

Given the progress of the negotiations so far, the matter should be resolved. But to what extent it would be resolved, I cannot guarantee, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told troops in Ladakhs Luking area on his first visit to the region since the June clash.

But I want to assure that no power in the world can capture even an inch of Indias soil, said Singh, who attended a battle drill involving special forces and air force helicopters, accompanied by the army chief, General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

On Thursday, the army said negotiations with the Chinese side were advancing, but a disengagement process was intricate and required verification on the ground.

Earlier in the week, China said there had been progress in defusing the crisis and it urged India to maintain peace.

Both countries have blamed each other for triggering the clash in the Galwan valley, the deadliest between the neighbours in at least five decades.

India and China share a 3,488-km-long border that runs along the Himalayan mountain range, but have been unable to agree on its exact alignment despite several rounds of talks.

They fought a border war in 1962 and the dispute has remained largely peaceful since then.
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Nidan Singh Sachdeva, a leader of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan, who was kidnapped in Paktia province on 22 June 2020, was released from captivity followed by efforts made by Afghanistan government and community elders, ministry of external affairs said on Saturday.

While expressing its appreciation for the efforts made for his release, the foreign affairs ministry reiterated its concern over continued targeting of minorities by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters.

We convey our appreciation to the government of Afghanistan and tribal elders from the area, whose efforts secured the return of Nidan Singh. Targeting and persecution of minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters, remains a matter of grave concern, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted, without explicitly naming Pakistan.

Nedan Singh, a helper at a local gurdwara, was kidnapped by unidentified persons in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan last month leading to a strong condemnation from the Indian government.

The government had since been in touch with authorities in Afghanistan for his release and also to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the minority community in Afghanistan.

The abduction followed the killing of around 30 members of the Sikh community in a terror attack on a place of worship in Kabul on March 25. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State, though Indian officials pointed out the role of Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Afghanistans Sikh minority has dwindled to a few hundred families after being targeted by the Taliban and other groups in recent decades. Most of the Sikh minorities in Afghanistan live in Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghazni

Post his abduction, the Afghan Sikh community in the United States had also urged for his release and requested the Indian government to grant them legal entry with long-term residency multiple-entry visa.

In a letter on May 4, Congressman John Garamendi, co-chair of the Sikh Caucus, and 25 others stated that the Sikh community continues to be under grave threat from Islamic State terrorist attacks directed at Sikhs.

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Transforming Sri Lankas agriculture View(s):

If there is one topic that attracts the attention of governments, politicians, policymakers and economists, its agriculture. Be it an election, a village fair or reaching out to the poor; agriculture is the one sector that binds people.

And this was the topic of discussion when the trio of friends gathered one morning under the margosa tree for their morning tea-cum-chat. Ape govinge thathwaya den tikak hondai. Meeta pera, vairus prashnaya hinda, paladawa vikunan-da beri hinda vinasha karanna wuna (The plight of the farmers after they were forced to sometimes destroy their crop during the COVID-19 crisis has now improved), said Kussi Amma Sera, sipping piping-hot tea from her mug. Ape game inna aiyata hariyata padu widinna wuna, elavalu wikunaganna beri wela. Den-nam tikak hondai, eth thawa serayak rata wehuwoth, govinta evarai (Our brother in the village suffered heavy losses as he couldnt sell his vegetables. The situation has got better but another lockdown will be disastrous for our farmers), noted Serapina.

Palathuruth labeta wikunanna wuna nethnam vinasha karanna wuna, markat wahala thibba nisa (Even fruits had to be either sold cheap or destroyed as markets were closed during the lockdown), added Mabel Rasthiyadu.

Todays topic is not about how vegetable and fruit farmers suffered heavy losses during the COVID-19 but arises out of comments made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a recent election rally in Anuradhapura. There he is reported to have said that agriculture will be the countrys priority after resolving a number of persisting issues and shortcomings affecting it. He had lamented the absence of a proper market and a proper price for farmers produce.

Like every leader in the past, the President is focusing on a key sector that impacts millions of Sri Lankans living in the countryside. Yet like every leader, he is confronted by a state machinery, knowledge and know-how unwilling to change and pursue new technology and newer farming methods which can dramatically alter the farming community and improve their incomes and lifestyles. Embracing new technology and modern agriculture methods which include greenhouses, drip irrigation and sprinkler systems is the way forward, but is the President willing to rock the boat and swim against the tide of policymakers who create the policies and officials who implement them?

As I pondered on these issues, the phone rang. Interestingly, it was comrade Pedris Appo (short for Appuhamy), a retired agriculture expert who does some farming.

Hello..I havent spoken to you for a while, he said. Yes....I remember our conversation a few months ago and coincidentally, I was about to write on agriculture when you called, I said, asking whether he had seen the Presidents speech. Yes I saw it in the newspapers but I doubt whether he would be able to do much as officials are not willing or are not bold enough to transform Sri Lankas agriculture to a thriving sector. Look at our paddy production; its far below the productivity achieved by other countries. The same applies to tea and even though this is in the hands of the private sector, productivity is very low, he said.

As we conversed on agriculture, I recalled a statement issued by the Sri Lanka Agripreneurs Forum, a group representing all stakeholders in agriculture including agriculture experts, farmers, producers, private sector companies among others, on the way forward in transforming the agriculture sector.

In a letter to the President, the group recommended the creation of a National Agri Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, which would function as a holistic system for the entire Sri Lankan agricultural fraternity. This unit was expected to address among other issues, national demand forecasting and crop/yield planning; ensure a minimum guaranteed price for the farmer; be a conduit between the producers, local wholesale buyers and exporters; facilitate pre-bookings and online trade facilitation (this will not omit the wholesalers); integrate agricultural-value-chains; integrate and introduce a performance and contribution-based Farmer Pension Scheme; channel existing loan schemes, grants, and subsidies (including fertiliser) through the system to attract and influence farmers to embrace the change/system; upgrade existing storage facilities preferably near the economic centres, and convert them into cool rooms; permit the import of best quality seeds available in the global market; and allocate one compartment on trains of several railway lines for the transportation of agricultural produces, in order to reduce transportation cost.

These proposals, in which the private sector would have a significant stake, are very timely, I told Pedris Appo who then listed some points based on his experience and discussions with other experts on the way forward. This is what he said:

The biggest deterrent to improving agriculture is the absence of new technology. You need more greenhouses and new irrigation systems which include drip irrigation and sprinklers.

Fertigation  described as the injection of fertilisers, used for soil amendments, water amendments and other water-soluble products into an irrigation system  needs to be encouraged.

Use of precision agriculture  drones for pest control; proper fertiliser use and high-yielding seeds. Sri Lankas main problem is that productivity is very low. Although some experts say the problem is due to farmers owning small lots which are uneconomical, there are countries with similarly small plots where productivity is 4-5 times more than what is achieved in Sri Lanka. So if you improve productivity with better yielding seeds and new farming techniques, farmers can once again be kings in their villages.

Farmer subsidies amounting to billions of rupees need to be scrapped. Under this, poor quality fertiliser is imported and distributed. There is indiscriminate use of fertiliser and since its cheap, double the amount is used on crops. Importing good fertiliser will have a positive impact on the environment and is also cost-effective.

Use nano technology. There is a need to use second and third-generation fertiliser products that have a high content of nutrients.

Sri Lanka needs to concentrate on rice-growing in areas where yields can be improved and transform other uneconomical lands and abandoned paddy lands to produce other crops and flowers like orchids which can be grown on platforms (to avoid flooding) for export. Thailand has been successful in transforming abandoned paddy lands to orchid-growing areas. Paddy lands perform a dual role of water retention during floods and should not be filled up even if unused.

Pedris Appos suggestions are spot on and can take Sri Lankas agriculture to unbelievable heights if only the political leadership has the commitment and courage to implement new techniques, use high-yielding seed varieties and resort to drip irrigation and sprinkler systems which include the controlled release of fertiliser (avoiding overuse) and other nutrients.

Whewwhat a wonderful discourse on agriculture with an expert showing the way forward. And I am sure there are many other ways Sri Lanka can progress to a more sustainable future in agriculture guided by expertise.

As Kussi Amma Sera brought my second cup of tea, I reflected on Sri Lankas agriculture and realised that policymakers over many decades havent come up with a more sustained and equitable model, but are still relying on the irrigation systems created and built by the kings of yore. There needs to be adaptation for the agriculture sector to survive.
Tuna Beklevic's heart sank as he logged on to Twitter to find a deluge of rape and death threats from hardline supporters of the Turkish government.

"These people should be strangled," said one message from "GumustepeF", referring to the 43-year-old human rights activist and his family. "They being alive is haram [forbidden]."

"It's a duty to send this guy to death or behind bars," wrote "kayaorhann".

Two other messages threatened to rape Mr Beklevic's mother and his wife.

While foul abuse is all too common on Twitter, Mr Beklevic felt there was something unusual about the messages. All had been sent within an hour, in response to a single tweet that was mildly critical of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president.

On June 12, Twitter published an investigation that confirmed his suspicions. The platform said it had suspended 7,300 pro-Erdogan accounts for breaking its rules, including those which had sent death threats to Mr Beklevic.

Twitter said the accounts all appeared to have been co-ordinated by the youth wing of AK Parti, Turkey's ruling party. This has been strongly denied by AK Parti officials.

"After Twitter's decision, I looked again, and almost all of them were closed. You can easily guess that these threats are organised," Mr Beklevic told 'The Telegraph'.

The threats sent in 2018 and 2019 were so extreme that Mr Beklevic said they were a key factor in his being forced to leave Turkey and live in exile in Washington DC, where he continues to campaign against the government.

"It has become impossible to continue resistance from inside Turkey, because the country is not free, it is captive," added Mr Beklevic, who said he was also attacked by the Turkish government and its supporters for raising awareness of Kurdish rights.

Since sweeping to power in 2014, Mr Erdogan has been accused of steering the country towards authoritarianism, and eroding its reputation as a pro-Western, secular democracy. Around 80 Turkish journalists are in jail, many of them critics of his policies. In 2017, an opposition MP was given a 25-year prison sentence for leaking sensitive information to the media.

Mr Erdogan says these are necessary measures to protect Turkish citizens in the wake of the 2016 attempted military coup. But his critics have warned that he is now looking to expand his influence by taking control of the online world, which for many is the last remaining activist platform.

Shortly after Twitter's investigation was published, Mr Erdogan pledged to introduce a bill to ban both Twitter and Facebook, or at least put them firmly under state control, vowing to also target Netflix for its "immoral" content.

A Turkish government official rejected suggestions the bill would crack down on free speech.

Twitter said the suspended accounts were "being used to amplify political narratives favourable to the AK Parti, and demonstrated strong support for President Erdogan". "The company's allegations are untrue," said Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish government's director of communications, describing the reasons Twitter gave for its decision as "unscientific, utterly biased and politically motivated".

However, Emma Sinclair Webb, Turkey director at Human Rights Watch, said: "The president's plan to rein in social media is about increasing the ability to limit the circulation of news and commentary critical of the government - in other words, censorship."

Fashion designer and LGBT activist Barbaros Sansal claimed his nose was broken by pro-Erdogan thugs.

"The attacker was never found, and it is even worse now. I get death threats, homophobic messages, everything," he said.

Both Mr Sansal and Mr Beklevic vow to continue to campaigning, even if it's only safe to so is online, and beyond Turkey's borders.

"I'm safe now, I've lived in Washington DC for two years," said Mr Beklevic. "I'm not afraid of Erdogan."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
'Without doubt, there are businesses who want you to promote their product without saying you were paid," says Sue Jordan, a blogger and creative consultant with the social media handle @ItsCherrySue. Jordan has been blogging for a decade and has more than 18,000 Instagram followers and over 12,000 on Twitter.

"I always say no," she says. "There are brands that ask for a 'positive review' in exchange for money, or they ask if they can send products or tickets in return for coverage. The 'in return for' makes it an ad, needing disclosure. Some brands don't understand the difference; a smaller percentage don't care."

As followers of the Fyre Festival debacle will have noted, influencer posts can lead followers into trusting companies that prove very untrustworthy indeed.

Now, the Programme for Government has signposted a crackdown on non-compliance in the industry. "We will direct the CCPC [Competition and Consumer Protection Commission] to focus on ensuring that there is full disclosure in relation to partnerships and that the obligations on social media influencers and the consequences for non-compliance are clearly set out and enforced," the document says.

Expand Close Need for labelling: Jen Walsh of Zenith / Facebook

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This is not entirely unexpected. The EU has digital marketing in its sights as part of a drive to toughen up consumer protection by 2022.

"It's really reforming consumer law in a similar manner to reforming privacy law with GDPR, to strengthen the legislation and give more power to regulators," says John Farrell, commercial partner at the law firm Mason, Hayes and Curran (MHC). "There's a feeling that EU consumer law isn't quite strong enough and doesn't have enough teeth to tackle bad behaviour."

Part of this involves reforming the regulations on misleading commercial practices and raising penalties for rule-breakers.

"As we've seen with GDPR, when someone has a direct responsibility and there's the potential for a very large fine, it quickly focuses minds," Farrell says.

Influencing is big business. Its value will reach $15bn (13bn) by 2022, according to Business Insider Intelligence estimates. Ratuken's 2019 Influencer Marketing Global Survey found that 65pc of consumers discover a brand through an influencer at least once a week and 87pc were inspired by one to make a purchase. Put simply: where influencers go, money often follows.

'VERY ACTIVE'

The sector is mainly monitored by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, (ASAI), an independent self-regulatory body. "We started working in this area very strongly in 2016," says Orla Twomey, its chief executive. "We issued guidance notes, we've attended blogger conferences. We've been very active."

Not all complaints were about marketing communication, she adds, so they were not issues that the authority could deal with.

So far this year, only 4pc of ASAI complaints concerned influencer marketing. The question is whether the entire picture is being captured.

"Story content is a challenge because it tends to be temporary and it's not searchable retrospectively," says Stephen O'Leary, founder of Olytico, a social media analysis firm.

"If you share on Twitter, you want as many people to see as possible. On Instagram, it can be a little bit different. Sometimes people will share content through a private account; they don't necessarily want it to be public."

Twomey says this can be a problem. "If we're looking at social media - particularly media that has expired - it might be already gone by the time we're looking for it. But we don't let this be an impediment to taking up a complaint. We ask the parties for a copy of it."

If a complaint is upheld, the details are published in the ASAI bulletin, where it can be picked up by the media.

Back on your phone, when you see a post exhorting you to try a product, how do you know whether a sample has been dispatched to the influencer with conditions attached? Even experts admit it is not straightforward.

"In some cases [influencers] can be sent samples; sometimes that is just for review and that's not advertising," says Marie Lynch of Carr Communications. "But there are cases where a script is sent with the sample. So, it's hard to know how much advertising is actually out there."

Sue Jordan agrees this can be the case. "I often see products and scripted wording shared without disclosure after I've said no to the same offer," she says.

"Ultimately it's up to the content creator to do the right thing."

The CCPC has some remit in this area. It said it was "aware of the proposal in the Programme for Government and will engage... when the initiative is progressed".

It points out that its relevant legislation is the Consumer Protection Act, which relates to "misleading, aggressive or unfair commercial practices". It can be difficult to prove a case under this law, says John Farrell of MHC.

"You need to show that a person made a transactional decision," he says. "But it's tricky to make a case. We don't really see a lot of misleading and commercial practices prosecutions in Ireland. So the consequences don't appear to be strong enough to make people sit up and take notice."

How exactly the new regulations will work remains to be seen, but the announcement in the Programme for Government has been welcomed by the industry. Maeve Governey of Walsh PR says she would like to see the CCPC being given more power in this field.

"I feel that creates more of a level playing field and more transparency," she says. "For those of us on the right side of things, it's good to know that we're all going to be treated the same way."

Michael Coyle of the Influenced.ie agency maintains fake followers are still a problem. "The quality of content is fine - it's very good - but some influencers have clearly bought followers, because you scroll through and you see all these blank profiles."

There are some instances where additional regulation could be applied more straightforwardly, particularly where heavily edited images and video are concerned.

"Some [ASAI] complaints have highlighted the use of photo or video-editing - filtering or Photoshopping images is common and can negatively impact the authenticity of the brand or influencer," says Jen Walsh, head of digital at Zenith, part of Core, the marketing and advertising company. "The need for labelling and any instructions relating to how to showcase a product is agency-led, in my experience," she says.

The drive for greater regulation should be aimed at "fairness", says O'Leary at Olytico.

"What's important is that the public knows the person promoting the product has been paid," he says. "For me, it's as simple as that."
Civil rights icon John Lewis, whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers at Selma in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, has died at the age of 80 after battling pancreatic cancer.

The Georgia congressman had been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer since December and died after receiving hospice care in Atlanta.

Lewis kept up the fight for civil rights and human rights until the end of his life, inspiring with others with calls to make 'Good Trouble.'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis' passing late Friday night, calling him 'one of the greatest heroes of American history.'

'All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing,' Pelosi said. 'May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make 'good trouble, necessary trouble.''

Civil rights icon John Lewis has died at the age of 80 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer

'Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America,' Lewis said at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 1, 2020

John Lewis is pictured (left) with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (center)

John Lewis looks over a section of 16th Street that's been renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington on June 7. The Washington Monument and the White House are visible behind

Lewis' family said in a statement: 'He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother.'

'He dedicated his entire live to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed,' the statement continued.

Tributes quickly poured in for the fallen icon, including from former President Barack Obama, who said in a statement: 'Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did.'

'When I was elected President of the United States, I hugged him on the inauguration stand before I was sworn in and told him I was only there because of the sacrifices he made,' Obama said.

'And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders  to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise.'

Lewis announced in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

'I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,' he said. His announcement inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement.

He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965.

At age 25 - walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat - Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police.

His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had prevented black people from voting.

John Lewis (in vest) joins Martin Luther King Jr and his wife, Coretta Scott King on the podium before the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March rally on the steps on the Alabama State Capitol

Wilson Baker, left foreground, public safety director, warns of the dangers of night demonstrations at the start of a march in Selma, Alabama in 1965. Second from right foreground, is John Lewis of the Student Non-Violent Committee

Seen at a march in Selma in 1965: an unidentified priest and man, John Lewis, an unidentified nun, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King Jr, Ralph Bunche

A state trooper swings a billy club at John Lewis, right foreground, then chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, to break up a civil rights voting march in Selma

John Lewis, third from left, marches between President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in 2015 across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama

'John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence,' House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal 'I Have a Dream' speech.

A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a 'scorched earth' march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy.

It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: 'By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.'

It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.

President Barack Obama presents a Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rep. John Lewis in 2011

Obama hugs Lewis at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The bridge is named for a former Confederate Army officer who served as a grand dragon in the Ku Klux Klan

John Lewis in his own words: quotes from a lifetime of activism 'As I was growing up in rural Alabama, I saw all around me the system of segregation and racial discrimination. The visible signs in the little town of Troy, the population of about 7,000, we saw the sign that said `colored only. White only. Colored waiting. .... In a little 5&10 store was a civil fountain, a clean fountain for white people to come and drink water, but in another corner of the store there was a little spigot, a rusty spigot, (that) said `colored drinking. And I became resentful of the sign and all the visible evidence of segregation and racial discrimination.' - Interview conducted for 'America, They Loved You Madly,' a precursor to the 1987 documentary 'Eyes on the Prize.' Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) speaks against the nomination of John Roberts as U.S. Chief Justice during the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in 2005 'You saw these men putting on their gas masks and behind the state troopers are a group of men, part of the sheriffs posse, on horses. They came toward us, beating us with nightsticks, trampling us with horses, and releasing their tear gas. I was hit in the head by a state trooper with a nightstick. My legs went from under me. I don't know how I made it back across the bridge but apparently a group just literally took me back.' - Recounting the Bloody Sunday confrontation of March 7, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, in an oral history interview conducted by the House historian, Dec. 11, 2014. 'Selma is a place where we injected something very meaningful into our democracy. We opened up the political process and made it possible for hundreds and thousands and millions of people to come in and be participants.' - Oral history interview conducted by the House historian, Dec. 11, 2014. 'He was my friend. He was my hero. I loved him. He was like a big brother.' - Reflecting on his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during interview on Jan. 17, 2015. 'Our goal was true freedom for every American. Since then, America has made a lot of progress. We are a different society than we were in 1961. And in 2008 we showed the world the true promise of America when we elected President Barack Obama.' - Campaign speech for Obama in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 6, 2012. 'My dear friends: Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.' - Speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 6, 2012. 'Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.' - Remarks atop the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 1, 2020. Advertisement

Lewis was born on February 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools.

As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years.

He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first black student at Alabamas segregated Troy State University.

He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.

Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age.

The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP.

All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.

The 'big six' civil rights leaders pose at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York in 1963. From left, they are are: John Lewis, chairman Student Non-Violence Coordinating Committee; Whitney Young, national director, Urban League; A. Philip Randolph, president of the Negro American Labor Council; Martin Luther King Jr., president Southern Christian Leadership Conference; James Farmer, Congress of Racial Equality director; and Roy Wilkins, executive secretary, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fourth from left, locks arms as he leads a march of several thousands to the courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama. From left are: an unidentified woman, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, James Foreman, King, Jesse Douglas Sr., and John Lewis.

The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didn't come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabamas capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.

Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his party's senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

John Lewis, front left, and his wife, Lillian, holding hands, lead a march of supporters from his campaign headquarters to an Atlanta hotel for a victory party after he defeated Julian Bond in a runoff election for Georgia's 5th Congressional District seat in Atlanta in 1986

Rep. John Lewis and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus line up as they wait to enter as a group to attend the memorial services for Rep. Elijah Cummings in 2019

In an early setback for Barack Obama's 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming black support.

Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.

'We have lost a giant. John Lewis gave all he had to redeem Americas unmet promise of equality and justice for all,' President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton said in a statement following his death. 'Always true to his word, his faith, and his principles, John Lewis became the conscience of the nation.'

Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill - but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis is seen with then presidential candidate Obama in 2007. Lewis initially endorsed Hillary Clinton in the race but reversed when he saw Obama's overwhelming black support

US President Barack Obama walks walks hand-in-hand with John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches in Selma in 2015

Lewis refused to attend Trumps inauguration, saying he didn't consider him a 'legitimate president' because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from 's***hole countries,' Lewis declared, 'I think he is a racist... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.'

Lewis said he'd been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally he'd do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

'There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free,' Lewis said in June, recalling the 'good trouble' he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

'If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us,' he shouted. 'I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.'

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

'When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us `what did you do? what did you say?' While the vote would be hard for some, he said: 'We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.'

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

Timeline of the life of John Lewis Feb. 21, 1940: Born the son of black sharecroppers near Troy, Alabama. Fall 1959: Long interested in civil rights and inspired by the work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis participates in a series of workshops on nonviolent confrontation while attending college in Nashville, Tennessee. He goes on to participate in sit-ins, mass meetings and the landmark 'Freedom Rides' of 1961 that tested racial segregation in the South. January 1963: Serving as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis arrives in Selma, Alabama, to help register black people to vote. Eight months later and just days after helping Martin Luther King Jr. organize the March on Washington, Lewis is arrested for the first of more than 40 times, for civil rights activities in Selma. March 7, 1965: Lewis is beaten by an Alabama state trooper while attempting to lead an estimated 600 voting rights marchers out of Selma on the way to Montgomery in an violent confrontation now known as Bloody Sunday. He spends two days in a hospital. March 21-25, 1965: Lewis joins thousands of others during the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march. 1971: Lewis takes over as executive director of the Voter Education Project, a program of the Southern Regional Council. April 5, 1977: Lewis, making his first bid for Congress in metro Atlanta, loses to a popular white politician in a runoff. Later that year he is appointed by President Jimmy Carter to direct ACTION, a federal volunteer agency. Oct. 6, 1981: Lewis wins his first political office with his election as a member of the Atlanta City Council, where he serves until 1986. Nov. 4, 1986: Lewis is elected to Congress representing Georgias 5th District, which includes much of Atlanta. He was re-elected 16 times, most recently without opposition in 2018. Only once did he receive less than 70% of the vote. 2001: Lewis receives the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for Lifetime Achievement, one of a multitude of honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, presented by President Barack Obama in 2011. April 27, 2009: Lewis and four others are arrested in Washington during a demonstration at the embassy of Sudan, where they were protesting the expulsion of aid workers amid a humanitarian crisis. March 8, 2015: Lewis joins Obama, former President George W. Bush and thousands of others in Selma at the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. June 22, 2016: Lewis leads a Democratic sit-in on the House floor to protest inaction on gun control measures. Dec. 29, 2019: Lewis announces he has been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. July 17, 2020: Lewis dies at the age of 80. Advertisement
PHILADELPHIA, July 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that it is investigating Velocity Financial, Inc. ("Velocity") (NYSE: VEL) on behalf of the company's shareholders. The investigation seeks to determine whether Velocity and/or the company's executive officers and directors violated the securities laws.

On or about January 16, 2020, Velocity commenced its initial public offering ("IPO") of common stock, selling 7.25 million shares of stock to investors at $13.00 per share. Since the time of the Company's IPO, shares of Velocity's common stock have significantly declined in value, and currently at approximately $4.00 per share.

Velocity shareholders are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.) at (484) 258  1585, or by email at [email protected] or online at http://kaskelalaw.com/case/velocity-financial-inc/, to discuss this investigation and their legal rights and options.

Kaskela Law LLC represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com. This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions.

CONTACT:



D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.

KASKELA LAW LLC

18 Campus Boulevard, Suite 100

Newtown Square, PA 19073

(484) 258  1585

(888) 715  1740

www.kaskelalaw.com

[email protected]

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Akash Kumar Baglekar And G B Reddy By

The apex court on 13 July 2020 in Sri Marthanda Varma vs. State of Kerala correctly settled the decade-long controversy regarding the management and administration of the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, holding that the erstwhile former Travancore royal family is the manager (shebait) of the temple properties. The top court has decided on the management of the religious institution based on diverse facts of the case and by emphasising on the origins of that particular institution.

This appeal was against the 2011 judgment of the Kerala High Court, which directed the state government to take over the management of the Padmanabhaswamy temple on the grounds that the Travancore ex-royals lost control over its management after the death of the last ruler in 1991. The apex court examined the royal familys management in the past and after the princely states of Travancore-Cochin (now Kerala) were brought into the Union of India in 1949, and set aside the decision of the Kerala High Court.

This article analyses the different circumstances which the Supreme Court considered before ruling in favour of the former royals by comparing it with a few judicial precedents. In Durgah Committee vs. Syed Hussain Ali (1961), the Khadims of the tomb of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti of Ajmer challenged the validity of the Durgah Khwaja Saheb Act, 1955, which took away their right of management of the Durgah, by arguing that the Act hindered their right to freedom of religion, among other fundamental rights. A Constitution Bench decided that the management of properties of the Durgah was always in the hands of the state and the denomination never had the right to manage the properties endowed in favour of a denominational institution. Consequently, Articles 26(c) and (d) of the Constitution also never came to the rescue of petitioners.

In Tilkayat Shri Govindlalji Maharaj vs. State of Rajasthan (1963), the Tilkayat challenged the validity of the Nathdwara Temple Act, 1959, which took away his right to manage the temple properties on the grounds that it was his private property and its deprivation violated his rights under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. The Constitution Bench analysed the historical background of the temple and held that though the idols of the deities of the Nathdwara Temple belonged to the Tilkayat and his family, the temple land was granted to him by a firman. Hence his management rights could be taken away by the state though his ceremonial rights were upheld. Noted jurist H M Seervai hailed this decision as a secular decision.

Similarly, in Seshammal vs. State of Tamil Nadu (1972) and A S Narayana Deekshitulu vs. State of AP (1996), the Supreme Court upheld the abolition of the hereditary appointment of archakas (priests) as an instance of a secular act for ensuring social reforms. In many other cases, the management of religious institutions, as a secular act, was handed over to the state by the courts in India. Then what is distinctive about the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala that the apex court held that the management would lie in the hands of the former Travancore royals? Firstly, it is the antecedents of the temple.

During ancient times, the Padmanabhaswamy temple was administered by the Ettarayogam (Council of eight and a half priests). Then, Raja Marthanda Varma, after becoming the king of the erstwhile Travancore State, took full control of the Padmanabhaswamy temple and administered the entire kingdom as a servant of Lord Padmanabhaswamy by describing himself as Padmanabhadasa. After the merger of princely states into India, an agreement was entered into between the then Maharaja and the Union of India, represented by V P Menon, to ensure that the management of the Padmanabhaswamy temple remained with the royal family.

Secondly, Article 290A of the Constitution stipulates that certain sums of money have to be charged on and paid out of the consolidated funds of Tamil Nadu and Kerala every year for the maintenance of Hindu temples and shrines in those states. This provision inserted through the Seventh Constitution Amendment Act, 1956, relating to reorganisation of states, makes an exception only in the case of temples under control of the erstwhile Travancore-Cochin rulers, since they used to allocate money for the maintenance of shrines and the revenues from the temples would go into their treasury. The 1949 covenant between the Maharaja and the Union recognises that the temples in these two states would be funded out of the consolidated funds of the respective states. Article 290A still remains in the Constitution, even after Mrs Indira Gandhis successful attempt to do away with privy purses, which lends credibility to the claim of the ex-royals.

The apex court also directed the setting up of administrative and advisory committees to ensure fair and transparent administration of the temple by involving the district judge and chief tantri. It is particularly interesting to see the consistent stand of the ex-royals that they dont need any remuneration for managing the temple or its properties, and the state governments stand that the wealth found with the temple belongs to the temple only. The court left the decision to open the Kallara B (cellar/secret vault), which is estimated to have a total of Rs 1.5 lakh crore wealth, to the discretion of the committees. This is one area where the apex court appears to have failed to do complete justice in the matter brought before it. The court has rightly refused to take cognisance of the controversy around essential religious practices, if any, over the management of the temple affairs by the shebaits, though it was raised by one of the interveners. Therein lies the pragmatism, much needed in the present era.

G B Reddy

Professor, University College of Law, Osmania University

Akash Kumar Baglekar

Student, University College of Law, Osmania University

(gbredlaw@gmail.com)
On Nicholson Street in Hyattsville, in Maryland, the US, stands the outlandishly decorated house of Clarke Bedford, a retired art conservator at the Hirshhorn Museum. Every square-inch of the exterior is decorated with pieces of metal that Bedford has salvaged or bought. There are old metal fans, statues, fenders and headlights. On the white fence surrounding his house hang more objects that have been bent and shaped. His steampunk cars parked on the street in front of his house have underwent the same kind of treatment.

An artist all his life, Bedfords home improvement began in 2000 when he began experimenting with his Saab convertible. He ripped off the bumpers, and with other replacements, made his car look more like a 30s roadster. He then began incorporating the unused parts into the fencing around his property. Once he was done with the fence, he began working on his house.

Bedford calls his site "As-sem-blage Co-ttage," pronounced in rhyming French. His best-known vehicle, called Vanadu, is an 88 Ford Econoline van.

via Baltimore Sun and Spaces Archives
A fired New Mexico police officer was charged on Thursday with second-degree murder after a Latino man died in his custody, whom he put in a chokehold.

Prosecutors upgraded the charges from manslaughter to second-degree murder.

State Attorney General Hector Balderas said he filed the charges against Las Cruces cop Christopher Smelser after police said Smelser performed the chokehold on Antonio Valenzuela.

Smelser had a foot chase after Valenzuela fled during a traffic stop in February.

Smelser can be heard on the video saying, "I'm going to (expletive) choke you out, bro."

Valenzuela was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner said he died from asphyxial injuries.

In a statement, Balderas said he was responsible for the prosecution of Smelser from the Third Judicial District Attorney's office in Las Cruces.

He noted that he is "focusing on appropriate charges for violent and dangerous chokeholds."

Amy L. Orlando, who is Smelser's attorney, said this was a political move aiming to grab headlines. She also called the charges "sad."

"Officer Smelser used a technique that was sanctioned by the department. He was trained in the technique. And of a sudden it's banned after and he's a criminal," Orlando was quoted in a report.

Smelser and Valenzuela in February

Valenzuela ran from officers during a traffic stop on February 29. Smelser was one of the police officers, who chased the Latino man.

Valenzuela was put in a neck restraint and was announced dead at the scene.

The Office of Medical Investigator said his death was a homicide due to asphyxiation. It also said that the methamphetamine in Valenzuela's system contributed to his death.

The Las Cruces Police Department said the neck restraint applied by Smelser has been prohibited after the Latino man's death.

Smelser: Alleged Death Threats and Clean Record

On June 8, reports said Smelser has been released without bond ahead of his trial.

Prosecutor Bryan Gelecki did not seek to hold Smelser ahead of trial but asked for a $50,000 secured bond.

Orlando has filed a motion seeking an expedited first appearance after Smelser allegedly received death threats following the released of the medical examiner's report publicly.

Gelecki said the death threats and publicity, including the gravity of the charge deserve a high cash bond.

Orlando highlighted Smelser's clean disciplinary record, lack of criminal history, and family ties in the community.

Smelser was named as an officer of the month twice and graduated from LCPD Academy in March 2016.

LCPD Sgt. Sean Terry testified and said that Smelser was one of his top performers.

In 2019, Smelser and Jesse Gonzales were named officers of the month after arresting a man in possession of 27 grams of methamphetamine and two grams of heroin.

Smelser was also the officer of the month in December 2019 based on arrests made during the whole month.

In December 2016, Las Cruces man Samuel Pirtle filed a complaint against four officers, including Smelser for dislocating his shoulder. Smelser's part in the incident wasn't clear.

According to Pirtle, he and his wife had an argument one night. He was sitting on a curb having trouble breathing, when the cops arrived.

Pirtle claimed that one officer pulled his arm so far up that he could feel his hair. He was let go with a criminal citation.

He was taken to Mesilla Valley Hospital for treatment.

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There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So, the natural question for Mali Lithium (ASX:MLL) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

See our latest analysis for Mali Lithium

How Long Is Mali Lithium's Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. In December 2019, Mali Lithium had AU$3.8m in cash, and was debt-free. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$5.3m. So it had a cash runway of approximately 9 months from December 2019. That's quite a short cash runway, indicating the company must either reduce its annual cash burn or replenish its cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Is Mali Lithium's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Mali Lithium didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. We'd venture that the 62% reduction in cash burn over the last year shows that management are, at least, mindful of its ongoing need for cash. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Mali Lithium due to its lack of significant operating revenues. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

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How Easily Can Mali Lithium Raise Cash?

While we're comforted by the recent reduction evident from our analysis of Mali Lithium's cash burn, it is still worth considering how easily the company could raise more funds, if it wanted to accelerate spending to drive growth. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$40m, Mali Lithium's AU$5.3m in cash burn equates to about 13% of its market value. As a result, we'd venture that the company could raise more cash for growth without much trouble, albeit at the cost of some dilution.

So, Should We Worry About Mali Lithium's Cash Burn?

On this analysis of Mali Lithium's cash burn, we think its cash burn reduction was reassuring, while its cash runway has us a bit worried. We don't think its cash burn is particularly problematic, but after considering the range of factors in this article, we do think shareholders should be monitoring how it changes over time. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Mali Lithium you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

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.
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Milan, City of

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

Paris, July 17, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Milan, City of and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

The credit profile of the city of Milan (Baa3) reflects its strong budgetary performance supported by a large and wealthy economic base and a strong commitment to fiscal consolidation through effective spending-control mechanisms and good tax collection rates. The city also benefits from comfortable treasury position complemented by valuables assets such as real estate properties or shares of private companies. While the coronavirus outbreak and the associated deterioration in the economic outlook will impact the city's budgetary results in 2020, ad hoc financial support from the central government will limit negative credit implications. Moody's notes that Milan has an ambitious capital expenditure programme focusing mainly on transport infrastructure, the funding of which remains a challenge as the city leverage is already high, albeit slowly declining. Milan's rating incorporates its baseline credit assessment (BCA) of baa3 as well as Moody's assessment of a moderate likelihood of extraordinary support from the government of Italy (Baa3) in the event that the issuer faced acute liquidity stress.

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The credit profile of Metropolitana Milanese (MM) S.p.A. (issuer rating Baa3) reflects the very high likelihood of extraordinary support from Milan, City of (Baa3), MM's sole shareholder, due to the very strong institutional and operational links -- as MM primarily manages Milan's integrated water business -- and its status of an in-house provider of local public services. The rating also reflects the predictable cash-flow of MM thanks to a supportive regulatory framework for Italian water network, while strong operating results are sustained by a dynamic and wealthy local economy.

This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodologies used for this review were Regional and Local Governments published in January 2018 and Government-Related Issuers Methodology published in February 2020. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Elise Savoye Vice President - Senior Analyst Sub-Sovereign Group Moody's France SAS 96 Boulevard Haussmann Paris 75008 France JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Mauro Crisafulli Associate Managing Director Sub-Sovereign Group JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Releasing Office: Moody's France SAS 96 Boulevard Haussmann Paris 75008 France JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454

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South Africa: Government reduces COVID-19 isolation period

Government has revised the recommended isolation period for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.

We wish to inform South Africans that the recommended isolation period for patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection is reduced from 14 to 10 days, said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

The Minister said the recommendation to reduce the number of days in isolation is based on evidence that most patients with a mild COVID-19 infection continue to shed the virus from their upper airways for approximately seven to 12 days.

Furthermore, the presence of detectable virus when testing does not necessarily imply infectiousness. It has been proven that in mild cases, virus cultures are generally only positive for 8-9 days after symptom onset, said the Minister in a statement on Friday.

The Ministers comments come as South Africa recorded 13 373 new COVID-19 cases bringing the cumulative total to 337 594 on Friday.

The country also reported a further 135 COVID-19 related deaths.

The duration of infectiousness in patients with severe disease (i.e. requiring admission due to clinical instability) is less well established. In general, patients with severe disease may continue to shed [the] virus at higher levels for longer periods than patients with mild disease.

To provide a buffer, it is recommended that such patients be de-isolated 10 days after clinical stability has been achieved, rather than 10 days after symptom onset.

To illustrate this in simple terms, if a patient was admitted and placed on oxygen, we advise that when they oxygen supplementation is discontinued, the patient must remain in isolation for another 10 days. This continued isolation provides clinical comfort that the patient is no longer infectious.

The Minister advised that asymptomatic patients must remain in isolation for a period of 10 days following the date of their positive results.

I must mention that these guidelines have been provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Ministerial Advisory Committee has also submitted an advisory in this regard. Their advisory proposed that the isolation period should be reduced to eight days.

After considering this advice and the guidelines by the WHO, the National Coronavirus Command Council, on recommendation by Health, resolved to adopt the WHO guidelines.

The recommended isolation time is the period during which a patient is still considered infectious. This should be distinguished from the point at which a patient is medically well enough to return to work.

Some patients, especially those who have had severe disease, may require to be booked off sick for longer than the above isolation periods. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
In Connecticut, we saw the COVID-19 tidal wave approaching from New York. We prepared. And then the patients came, at first like the drizzle before the hurricane that followed. As an infectious diseases specialist, I took care of our first COVID-19 patient in the ICU, intubated and in prone position. We tried multiple therapies, but my patient and his spouse, both in the ICU, died.

At Yale New Haven Health, we cared for over 3,700 COVID patients, discharging over 3,100. For months, I treated patients, educated hundreds of doctors, and feared for the lives of my friends and family. Finally, we could breathe again, of course, behind masks. We had weathered the storm. Today, Connecticut has 67 COVID patients hospitalized.

Now, health care workers in other parts of America are in the same emotional despair. Theyre at a breaking point, hospitals filled to the rim. It feels like deja vu. This was avoidable. So far, over 3 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and over 136,000 have died. Prioritizing a full reopening of the economy, including crowded indoor establishments, has inadvertently fueled the death care industry.

By following scientific principles while opening the local economy in a phased approach, we can control this pandemic nationwide and get back to a new normal life. But the virus will force state closures again where COVID-19 is rampant.

When the pandemic first hit the tri-state area, Govs. Cuomo, Lamont and Murphy worked together to prevent spread of COVID-19. Citizens of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey drove down the actual reproductive rate, or Rt, meaning the average number of people who get infected from one person carrying the virus. Hospitalizations and deaths have stabilized. These states did not have identical reopening plans, but all three continue to work together, most recently on instituting 14-day quarantine orders for travelers from states with high coronavirus rates. As a result, our people are safely enjoying some semblance of summer.

Rt below 1.0 means the rate of transmission of COVID-19 is low. When Rt is above 1.0, COVID spreads quickly. Rt in Connecticut was well below 1.0 for 47 days before we reopened. Since Connecticut has reopened, Rt has risen, but it has stayed below 1.0. In Arizona, Rt was above 1.0 and rising when they reopened. In Florida and Texas, Rt was just below 1.0, increasing, and rose further after reopening. Its no surprise that COVID spread like wildfire.

With a low Rt, Connecticut schools now have the ability to plan for in-school instruction this fall. With a raging pandemic, in many corners of America a safe transition back to in-person learning seems impossible. Some summer schools tried to open, but were forced to close as the virus raged on. All the ground gained with stay-at-home orders was lost with early state re-openings. That experiment failed. Heat and humidity did not kill the virus this summer. In many parts of the country, the virus is winning. States in the greater New York area played the long game, taking early economic hits that have helped health, the economy and education in the long run.

The lockdown in Wuhan, China, drove Rt down from almost 4.0 to 0.3. Six months into this pandemic, we know what works - early recognition of coronavirus circulation, timely lockdown, masks and distancing, widespread testing, contact tracing, economic stimulus, and consistent public messaging. Our six-month experiment across the world reveals who has done well and who hasnt.

To be sure, many in the Northeast have COVID fatigue and are tired of social distancing and wearing masks. Beaches, pools and house parties are full of people without masks, often with distance between them, but sometimes not. We are getting away with this behavior because Rt is low. If we arent careful, we will be in trouble before school starts, especially with exposure to people returning from other states.

It is painful as a doctor and as an American to watch patients and hospital workers around the country suffering. I worked for two months straight, hoping to save people in Connecticut, only to now see the tsunami of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths around us. A vaccine will not be a panacea. We cannot mass produce health care workers. We are buying time until we have more effective therapies. My prescription is simple: drive down Rt, then open slowly.

We can still save lives. We were able to control the pandemic right here in our little corner of America. The rest of the country and world can, too.

Dr. Manisha Juthani is an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine as well as director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program, and an infectious disease physician at the clinical practice, Yale Medicine, in New Haven.
New Delhi:

The size of the Rs 2,000 note is 66mm X 166mm and will be available in a magenta base colour. It will have a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi in the front and a motif of the Mangalyaan in reverse, depicting the country's first venture in interplanetary space.

Now that Rs 2000 note shall find a place in your wallet soon enough, time to know ten most interesting things about India's first mission to planet Mars - Mangalyaan.

Mangalyaan - Indias First ever mission to Mars

1. Indias Mars mission or also known as Mangalyaan is the cheapest Mars mission, ever.

2. Mangalyaan mission was made at the cost of approximately a450 Crore (US$73 million).

3. PSLV rocket carrying Mangalyaan left for its 300 -day journey to Mars which was developed and deployed in just 15 months.

4. USA pioneered the Mars mission by sending out its first mission in 1960, then several countries tried but failed. Only 3 countries have sent successful Martian missions. India joined the elite League of Nations to have sent out a successful mission to Mars onNov 5, 2013.

5. Mangalyaan was developed by ISRO from technology tested during the Chandrayaan-I mission.

6. Mangalyaan also known as MOM was responsible to determine levels of water and methane in Martian atmosphere, both key elements for sustenance of life.

7. Mars is so far away that once MOM sends any data, it will take around 14 minutes for it to reach ISROs communication panels. Similarly, for any instruction sent to MOM or Mangalyaan, it will take 14 minutes.

8. Mangalyaan has a formidable itinerary: a 300-day, 780 million-kilometer (485 million-mile) journey to orbit Mars and survey its geology and atmosphere.

9. At the end of the orbit insertion, MOM was left with 40 kg (88 lb) of fuel on board, more than the 20 kg (44 lb) necessary for a six-month mission

10. More than half the worlds attempts to reach Mars - 23 out of 40 missions have failed, including missions by Japan in 1999 and China in 2011 where as Mangalyaan was successful in its maiden attempt.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests and the fight for social justice, the conversation on reparations for slavery has resurfaced.

THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: Even during a pandemic, protests are still going strong

In Asheville, N.C., a measure was passed that will provide funding to promote home ownership and business opportunities-- but the new measure stopped short of actual direct payments.

The city will provide funding to these programs as apart of a reparations initiative.

The measure was unanimously approved by the Asheville City Council on Tuesday night in a 7-0 vote.

The city in western North Carolina has about 93,000 residents, and Black people make up about 12 percent of the population. The city apologized for its participation in slavery, as well as other historical injustices against Black people.

Councilman Keith Young is one of two Black people on the council, and was also the leader of the measure. "Hundreds of years of black blood spilled that basically fills the cup we drink from today," Young said.

The conversation and execution of reparations hasn't only been felt in North Carolina. In California, a bill creating a task force to develop reparation proposals for African-Americans was passed in the Assembly in June. In Providence, R.I., the mayor signed an executive order to commence a "truth telling and reparations process."

Asheville's other Black council person, Sheneika Smith, received questions from citizens on why they should pay now for what happened during slavery.

"(Slavery) is this institution that serves as the starting point for the building of the strong economic floor for white America, while attempting to keep Blacks subordinate forever to its progress," said Smith.

What about Houston?

Here in Houston, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee called for a study to be done on the validity of reparations, stating that it's "long overdue," last year.

In her statement before Congress, Lee said "The role of the federal government in supporting the institution of slavery and subsequent discrimination directed against Blacks is an injustice that must be formally acknowledged and addressed. I just simply ask: Why not and why not now?"

Former city councilman and Houston activist Jew Don Boney said in an interview with Chron.com: "Reparations could look like different things. I think the fundamental issue is economic. Well, one is political and the other is economic. Reparations would need to include programming that would create the opportunity for economic independence."

Boney's biggest focus would be on wealth creation, and not just for individuals.

"Three primary institutions that have advanced agenda for the black community, the family, the church and education," he said. "I don't mind individual wealth, but we have to build up the community. Build collective communal wealth, and sustaining that within the community."

Houston is home to only one Black-owned and operated bank, Unity National Bank.

"We have one black owned bank in Houston. Think if we had none. Unity National Bank. It's undercapitalized. There isn't enough capital for major economic projects. That needs to be addressed. The way I understand it is, banks are able to make those kinds of investements, it's not by individual accounts. So if you look at the major banks, Chase and other banks like it, they're national institutions."

Reparations are achievable, but according to Boney, it would take a lot of work and a collaborative effort within the community.

"The point I would suggest, the best minds, and individuals and groups with business capital, should come together to ask the question how do we create these institutions in the african american community? There has to be a collaborative conversation, and community support," he said.

REPARATIONS ISN'T NEW: When slaveowners got reparations

In American history, people have been compensated for historical injustices. Japanese-Americans who were interned during World War II and victims of police brutality in Chicago.

It's only a matter of time before we see what becomes of the reparations conversation, and hopfully, the momentum will spread across the country.
The Kasoa District Police Commander, Superintendent Samuel Odame has confirmed the alleged shooting of a Nigerian known as Precious at Gomoa Buduburam in the Central Region to be true.



The Kasoa District Police Commander in an interview with Joy News Saturday said that the shooting was not meant to kill the deceased but to disable him as Precious chased the police patrol team with a machete.



He stressed that the police fired in an attempt to defend the patrol team on the ground from the victim who wanted to harm the police officer who wanted to calm the deceased down.



Superintendent Samuel Odame narrated that the police received intelligence that a man in parade of a cutlass was behaving without control in a dangerous manner and was threatening to slash anyone who came his way.



A police patrol team therefore was dispatched to engage him upon the information it received; thus, upon the encounter, Precious who now deceased pursued the officers and in their defence shot the man but could not survived the gunshot wound.



The victim attacked my men with a machete. When the police officers got there, they wanted to talk to him to calm down but the Corporal who made that attempt was chased by the victim so my men had to run [for their lives].



But the thing is, the shot was fired to disable him, it is just unfortunate that he passed on later. But the attempt was not to kill him, the attempt was to disable him, he stressed.



When asked to disclose where the bullet hit, Superintendent Odame declined with the explanation that it could jeopardize the post mortem examination.



Nigerian man allegedly shot and killed by police at Gomoa Buduburam



In spite of the explanation given by the police, the news of Precious death has caused tension as an angry mob from the Nigerian Community has besieged the Gomoa Buduburam Police Station on Saturday morning seeking answers as they do not understand why the man was shot to death.



To the Nigerian Community, Precious was shot to death by the police patrol team on purpose but, Kasoa Divisional Police Commander dispelled the allegation noting that such information is false.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Security researchers at Cyble reported that Nefilim ransomware operators allegedly targeted the mobile network operator Orange.

Researchers from Cyble came across a post of Nefilim ransomware operators which were claiming to have stolen sensitive data of Orange S.A., one of the largest mobile networks based in France.

The discovery was made by the experts during their regular Deepweb and Darkweb monitoring activity.

Orange S.A. is a French multinational telecommunications corporation founded in 1988. The telco operator has 266 million customers worldwide and employs 89,000 people in France, and 59,000 abroad. The company is currently the tenth-largest mobile network operator in the world and the fourth largest in Europe.

According to Cyble, the hackers claim to have compromised the Orange Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Orange S.A,. and have published a portion of the sensitive data as proof of the attack.

Orange confirmed to BleepingComputer that the Orange Business Services division was victim of a ransomware attack on the night of Saturday, July 4th, 2020, into July 5th. The gang gained access to twenty Orange Pro/SME customers data.

A cryptovirus-type computer attack was detected by Orange teams during the night of Saturday 04 July to Sunday 05 July 2020. Orange teams were immediately mobilised to identify the origin of this attack and has put in place all necessary solutions required to ensure the security of our systems. reads a statement issued by Orange.

According to an initial analysis by security experts, this attack has concerned data hosted on one of our Neocles IT platforms, Le Forfait Informatique, and no other service has been affected. it adds.

However, this attack seems to have allowed hackers to access the data of around 20 PRO / SME customers hosted on the platform. Affected customers have already been informed by Orange teams and Orange continues to monitor and investigate this breach. Orange apologises for the inconvenience caused.

Oranges Le Forfait Informatique is a software platform that allows enterprise customers to host virtual workstations in the cloud while Orange Business Services provides IT support for them.

Nefilim ransomware operators leaked a 339MB archive file titled Orange_leak_part1.rar that contained data that was allegedly stolen by the hackers.

The Cyble research team analyzed the data leaked by the Nefilim ransomware operators consisting of various sensitive and corporate operational documents of Aero Technique Espace (ATE), a well-established French aircraft painting company that had been acquired by Air works.

The data also includes data sample documents of Avions de transport regional (ATR), a Franco-Italian aircraft manufacturer based in France.

The leaked documents related to ATE seem to include checklists reports before the presentation of aviation planes, observation of technical faults reports, aviation painting reports, and much more. reads the post published by Cyble.

The leaked documents related to ATR seem to include multiple aircraft architecture designs, email conversations, transfer of responsibility documents, and much more.

Nefilim ransomware operators claim that both ATE and ATR have a business relationship with Orange Business Services.

The ransomware gang is now threatening the company of releasing the stolen data if it will not pay the ransom.

Orange has immediately notified the customers of the security breach.

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs  hacking, Nefilim ransomware)

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The Centre has identified four Chinese firms operational in India that have links with the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) of China. These Chinese companies have reportedly been providing overseas intel to the Chinese army.

A 2017 Intelligence Law in China allows government authorities to conduct raids on suspects and the intel for such monitoring exercises is provided by Chinese companies such as Huawei, ZTE and TikTok. These companies are bound to provide information to Chinas intelligence undertakings, regardless of where they operate from, reported India Today.

Listed below are Chinese companies that have links with the PLA.

Xindia Steels Limited

Xindia Steels  a joint venture between India and China  has recently commissioned an iron ore pelletisation unit in Karnataka at the cost of over Rs 250 crore. Its main investor is the Xinxing Cathay group, which was originally a part of the General Logistics Department of the PLA.

Xinxing Cathay International Group

Xinxing Cathay has a manufacturing unit in Chhattisgarh. The company is supposed to send a team to examine the site and quality of iron ore in the state soon. The group has already supplied nearly 30,000 tonnes of iron pipes to India.

China Electronics Technology Group Corporation

The CETC pledged a $46 million investment in a 200 MW PV manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh two years ago. CETC is also Chinas leading military electronics maker. Several of their research institutes have been under the scanner of the US government over security reasons.

Huawei

Smartphones of the brand are popular in India, but what most Indians do not know is that Ren Zhengfei, who founded the company, is a former deputy director of the PLA engineering corps. Huawei earned a revenue of Rs 12,800 crore from its India operations in the financial year 2018-19.
Days after the grisly murder of tech CEO Fahim Saleh, a suspect has been arrested. He was identified as Tyrese Haspil, who works as an assistant in Saleh's company. Both had a misunderstanding regarding money.

Tyrese was regarded as someone who could be trusted by the murdered CEO, so his arrest came as a shock. He was apprehend by police for the gruesome murder of Saleh in the latter's Lower East Side apartment. According to New York Post, the two had a disagreement when the assistant was not able to return $100,000 in embezzled cash.

Disgruntled employee caught embezzling funds

NYPD charged Haspil, age 21, is facing a second degree murder charge for chopping up the body of Saleh with a power saw in his apartment. NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison reveals the information in a weekend press briefing.

The NYPD detective stresses that the accused owed money to the deceased. It was Haspil who stole the money from his boss. The deceased CEO earned a fortune with his Gokada firm, that shifted to delivery in the pandemic.

The suspect was the chief of staff of the Adventure Capital investment firm owned by Saleh. Despite all the chances given to him by his boss, it was not enough to stop him from embezzling thousands of dollars from his boss.

Saleh, 33, instead kept quiet by not reporting the embezzlement to the company staff, sources noted. A scheme was done to return the stolen money, but the murderer decides to take the easy way out and kill Saleh instead.

An unknown sourced added that charity was repaid with blood and death. Evidence found connected Hasphil to the mutilation. According to police, a taser was used to knock out the victim.

After being fired off, tasers will eject confetti that is used to identify markers. That was a lead used by the NYPD.

Also read: Suspect Who Dumped Bodies of Two Sisters With Bags on Their Head Arrested

Further investigation by detectives shows that the taser was bought by Tyrese Haspil with his card. Other evidence revealed that he also used the victim's card to buy the supplies needed to mutilate and dismember Fahim Saleh.

The store had a CCTV that captured Haspil getting the supplies. He disposed the corpse by quartering it with a heavy-duty electric saw, and body parts were placed in bags.

Events of the Saleh's mutilation

It was 1:45 p.m. on Monday when the CEO was attacked using the taser on his apartment. PM News reported that the victim and the suspect were seen entering the building.

A report came in from Saleh's sister who found the body chopped up in pieces the following day. Detectives speculate that Haspil was scared off when the witness came, so he escaped via a hidden staircase.

Haspil got nabbed by the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force at 8:45 a.m. at 172 Crosby St., as mentioned by Yahoo.

The accused has been hiding out in an expensive Airbnb from Wednesday, but he was traced with his credit card activity.

The arrest was heard by the building supervisor, Byron Allen, who said that Haspil went without a fight and was even handcuffed with no fuss. Investigators got a warrant to search the premises and pulled out expensive handbags from the apartment.

Later, detectives went to his residence in Brooklyn. Martin Romero, a neighbor, said they arrived at 11 a.m. and they were answered by a young woman who left with them. Tyrese Hasphil was charged and was brought to the 7th Precinct station house while waiting for a court hearing.

Related article: Vanessa Guillen's Killers Burn, Pour Cement on her Corpse to Cover Up Their Crime

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Weather Alert

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST THURSDAY... * WHAT...Southwest winds 15 to 25 kt with gusts up to 30 kt. * WHERE...Long Island Sound east of Port Jefferson and New Haven, Peconic and Gardiners Bays, and South Shore Bays from Jones Inlet through Shinnecock Bay. * WHEN...Until 1 AM EST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions. &&
Tokyo, July 18 : Japanese Defence Minister Taro Kono said that he has urged the US to conduct coronavirus testing for all American military personnel before and after arriving in the Asian country following COVID-19 outbreaks at the bases in Okinawa prefecture.

Addressing the media on Friday, Kono said that the Defence Ministry has requested that Japan-bound US military personnel should take one test before leaving Washington and another when they arrive in the Asian country, reports Xinhua news agency.

"With so many asymptomatic people, PCR testing is a must," Kono said, adding that tests needed to be carried out without exception.

Kono said the US side has said it was considering the request.

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki has also asked the US side to clarify whether or not they were taking the necessary COVID-19prevention measures, including a two-week quarantine.

Tamaki has also called for the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to be reviewed as American military personnel are exempt from Japan's quarantine rules and travel bans.

On Thursday, the US Marine Corps Camp Hansen in Okinawa reported 58 new coronavirus cases, the prefectural government said.

Meanwhile, 73 cases have been linked to US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, five were confirmed at Kadena Air Base, and one each at Camp McTureous and Camp Kinser, officials said.

The total number of COVID-19 cases at US military bases in Okinawa stood at 138 on Thursday, the prefectural government said, adding that amid fears of the virus spreading to the local population, an elderly taxi driver had tested positive for COVID-19.

The driver, in his 80s, was known to have had contact with US military personnel, officials said.

Tamaki has urged the central government to suspend US military transfers to Okinawa as soon as possible.

Okinawa hosts the bulk of US military facilities in Japan.
Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi has promised to enhance strategic ties with Central Asian countries and help them tackle economic and security challenges in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

At an inaugural virtual meeting on Thursday with five foreign ministers from the region, namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Wang also said Beijing would continue to push forward Chinas signature Belt and Road Initiative despite delays caused by the pandemic.

His renewed pledges came as Central Asia, a key energy source and a vital region for its belt and road plans, has seen intense competition for influence in recent months between China and the United States.

Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.

Without mentioning the US, Wang said China attached great significance to forging strategic partnerships with Central Asian countries and their cooperation was based on common interests instead of geopolitical calculations.

It does not target any third party, nor does it affect bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the region, he said, according to the foreign ministry website.

We are opposed to any attempts by external forces that may lead to colour revolutions or zero-sum rivalry in Central Asia, or the meddling of domestic affairs in the region under the pretence of human rights.

Colour revolutions refer to the anti-government movements that swept through a number of former Soviet republics, including Kyrgyzstan, a decade or so ago, which Beijing, Moscow and others have blamed on interference from the West.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the Central Asian countries voiced support for Beijing in fighting against what they described as Washingtons stigmatisation and politicisation of the deadly virus and also expressed their readiness to expand economic, trade and security cooperation with China.

Story continues

Observers said the meeting was in part a direct response to Americas attempts to push back against Chinas growing clout in the region and develop a global anti-Beijing coalition, especially in the wake of Chinas use of internment camps for Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

It was also aimed at securing Chinas western borders in the midst of a prolonged border standoff with India and increasing Chinas leverage in competing with other major players, such as Russia, the European Union and Japan, according to Li Lifan, a specialist in Russian and Central Asian affairs at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

Geopolitical competition in Central Asia between major powers is gathering pace, especially when the US and China have seen a steep decline in bilateral ties, which is basically all about rivalry with little cooperation left, he said.

As the US has more or less created a worldwide geopolitical encirclement of China, Beijing has no choice but to come up with a counter-strategy to avoid being further isolated. The harder Washington pushes, the more robust Beijings response is expected to be.

For China, security and geopolitical elements are also important considerations in its Central Asian investment strategy, which includes more than 200 projects ranging from energy, infrastructure to the hi-tech, telecommunications and agricultural sectors.

Wang met his counterparts via videolink. Photo: Xinhua

However, Chinas rapid inroads in Central Asia have also attracted criticism, with simmering anti-Chinese sentiments spreading across the region.

Chinas mass internment of a reported one million mainly Uygur Muslim has also triggered large public protests in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Beijing denies claims the detainees are mistreated and says the camps are for re-education and training.

After President Xi Jinping officially unveiled the belt and road scheme in Kazakhstan seven years ago, the US began to expand its presence in the region, launching its own five-plus-one foreign ministers dialogue in 2015.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held two meetings with the five foreign ministers in the space of six months: one in New York in September and the other one during the top US diplomats February visit to the two most populous Central Asian nations  Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Just days later, Xis top diplomatic aide Yang Jiechi also paid a visit to the two countries and Tajikistan in late February and early March.

In February the US State Department also unveiled its new Central Asian strategy, which promised strong support for countries in the region to strengthen their independence from malign actors along with political, economic, and security partnerships.

Apart from moves to counter China, Washington is also trying to outcompete Moscow in the former Soviet republics and tackle an increased synergy between China and Russia in economic and security coordination in the region.

Given its vast energy resources, strategic location and uncertainties in the shifting world order, Central Asia will be one of the most important battlegrounds for major powers to vie for influence, Li said.

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In this age of Covid-19 coronavirus, the world isnat exactly our oyster. Although Japanas sweeping entry ban is still in place, those of us already here are being encouraged to explore our own backyard and see everything the country has to offer.

To promote domestic travel and to help boost local businesses, the Japanese government has set up the Go to Travel campaign, which provides subsidies of up to 50 percent on your costs for transportation, hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and shopping, all within Japan.

Unfortunately, Tokyo is excluded from the campaign, due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the city. This means Tokyo residents and those travelling to and from Tokyo will not be eligible to receive the discounts.

Currently, Tokyo is on a level four coronavirus alert (the highest on its rating scale) and Governor Yuriko Koike is advising residents to avoid unnecessary outings. Domestic travel might not be an option for Tokyoites right now, but if the rate of infection slows down, the government will consider adding Tokyo to the campaign in the future.
Representative Image

The BJP on Saturday asked if the Congress government in Rajasthan resorted to "unconstitutional" methods to tap phones of politicians and demanded a CBI probe into what it called a "saga of illegalities and concocted lies".

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit back at the Congress a day after it cited some audio clips to accuse some saffron party leaders, including Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, of conspiring to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in the state.

Patra said senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Gehlot, have been claiming that these audio clips are authentic even though the FIR registered by police does not say so.

"These are serious questions that we want to ask the Congress high command and Ashok Gehlot. Was phone taping done? Assuming that you've taped phones, was the SOP followed? Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered?" Patra asked at a press conference.

People of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised, he said, asking if phones of people related to politics are being tapped?

Patra demanded an immediate reaction from the state government and called for a CBI investigation into this "saga of illegalities and concocted lies".

The Congress on Friday demanded the arrest of union minister Shekhawat and rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma after two audio clips surfaced pertaining to an alleged conspiracy to topple the Gehlot government.

Shekhawat has denied the charge, saying his voice is not in these clips. He said he was ready to face any probe.
(L) President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on July 15, 2020. (R) Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks in Dunmore, Penn., on July 9, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images; Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Trump Says Biden Wants to Defund the Police

Biden's campaign says he 'does not believe that police should be defunded'

President Donald Trump accused former Vice President Joe Biden of wanting to defund the police, a charge Bidens campaign challenged.

Biden wants to defund the police, Trump, a Republican, said in an interview with Fox News Chris Wallace.

He signed a charter with Bernie Sanders, Trump added before being interrupted by Wallace.

Bidens campaign said in June the presumptive Democratic nominee does not believe that police should be defunded.

Biden has signaled support for redirecting money from police departments.

The 77-year-old was asked by an activist about whether some police funding needs to be redirected. Yes, absolutely, Biden said.

According to Rayshawn Ray, a governance studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, defunding the police means reallocating or redirecting funding away from the police department to other government agencies funded by the local municipality.

While the word reallocate may be a more palatable, digestible word on the House floor or at a city council meeting, defund surely gets more attention on a protest sign. And more importantly, it seems to be having an impact, Ray wrote in a blog post.

Police officers stand guard as protesters gather in front of the 120th NYPD precinct on the sixth anniversary of Eric Garners death in Tompkinsville, Staten Island, in New York City on July 17, 2020. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Biden Campaign

Biden and his campaign have said he does not support defunding the police.

Biden supports the urgent need for reformincluding funding for public schools, summer programs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policingso that officers can focus on the job of policing, Andrew Bates, a campaign spokesman, said in a statement sent to news outlets.

This also means funding community policing programs that improve relationships between officers and residents, and provides the training that is needed to avert tragic, unjustifiable deaths.

Biden was asked during an interview with CBS whether he supports defunding the police.

No. I dont support defunding the police. I support conditioning federal aid to police based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honorableness, and in fact, are able to demonstrate they can protect the community and everybody in the community, Biden replied.

A worker makes repairs to the damaged Berkeley police headquarters in Berkeley, Calif., July 15, 2020. (Ben Margot/AP Photo)

Charter

Trump was referring to a set of policy recommendations from task forces that include Biden supporters along with people who support Sanders, a senator who was running for the Democratic presidential nomination before quitting the race earlier this year.

A task force on policing recommended dispersing federal funding to create a civilian corps of unarmed first responders.

The corps would include social workers, mental health professionals, and others who can handle nonviolent emergencies including order maintenance violations, mental health emergencies, and low-level conflicts outside the criminal justice system, freeing police officers to concentrate on the most serious crimes, according to the recommendations.

The document doesnt explicitly say the formation of the corps would lead to the defunding of police. But many similar proposals, such as ones in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Berkeley, California, are funded by diverting funds that would have gone to police departments.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, a Democrat, told reporters that funding for new department comprised of unarmed workers would be taken from money originally designated for hiring more police officers. The unarmed workers are going to be sent to 911 calls that dont involve violence, officials said.
In the case of the United States and China, the two powers are selectively but rapidly decoupling from each other.

Tensions are mounting by the day between the United States and China, leading to talk of a new Cold War. Analysts see important historical differences but believe the two powers are entering dangerous territory.

US President Donald Trumps administration has increasingly gone global against China, pushing other nations to reject its strings-attached aid and telecommunications titan Huawei, and siding unreservedly with Beijings rivals in the dispute-rife South China Sea.

Trump has made China a major campaign issue as he heads into the November election, but the relationship looks unlikely to change in more than tone if he loses to Joe Biden, who has accused the president of not being tough enough.

Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs at Harvard University, said the worlds two largest economic powers were engaged in a long-term competition over incompatible strategic visions, including Chinas desire to dominate Asia.





China sees Trump as a weak and error-prone leader and likely believes the disastrous US response to the coronavirus pandemic presented opportunities to press its advantage, he said.

It resembles the US-Soviet Cold War in certain respects, but it is not yet as dangerous as that earlier rivalry, Walt said.

One key difference is that the two states are still closely connected economically, although that relationship is now under considerable strain.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is taking stern warnings about Beijing around the world, did not reject the Cold War comparison in a recent radio interview.

He also noted the US was never as economically intertwined with the Soviet Union, and said the West, therefore, needed to separate from China, especially its technology, which Washington fears will be used for espionage.

Chance of hot war?

Writing in an opinion piece on Saturday, Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council think-tank, said Beijing has become increasingly belligerent amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the cover of the coronavirus fog, China has stepped up its repression of its ethnic Muslim minorities, tightened its grip over Hong Kong, increased its pressure on Taiwan, stepped up tensions in the South China Sea, escalated attacks on Australia for seeking a coronavirus investigation, heightened pressure on Canada for detaining a Huawei executive, unleashed fatal force on the border of India and ratcheted up its propaganda against the United States, Kempe wrote.

Peoples Liberation Army sailors march to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing [Mark Schiefelbein/AP]

Oriana Skylar Mastro, an assistant professor at Georgetown University and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said it was dangerous to speak of a Cold War with China.

The situation with China is nothing like the Cold War, she said. On the positive side, we have extensive engagement. On the negative, there is a real possibility of a hot war between the two sides to a degree that never existed with the Soviet Union.





She said using a Cold War lens leads to ineffective responses, including Washington incorrectly seeing Beijing as an ideological threat.

Mastro said China had plenty of options to alleviate US concerns, such as pulling back weapons systems in the South China Sea.

But Beijing wont do this because it fundamentally misunderstands the drivers of US policy. It thinks the US is responding to its own decline in power  that no matter how Beijing acts, the US will lash out, she said.

So there is no impetus to try to moderate its ambitions and how it attempts to achieve them. This is a mistake. And Chinas failure to do so, to try to assure the US, could lead us into a war.

Sharp hardening

In a shift from a few years ago, US businesses, stung by what they see as rampant theft of intellectual property, are rarely asking for de-escalation.

David Stilwell, the top State Department official for East Asia, said he learned as US defence attache in Beijing that China responded to demonstrable and tangible action.

Personally, I was of that school that you could work with these folks. But my epiphany came 10 years ago when I went to Beijing, he told a recent think-tank event.

The US has also pressed China over its clampdown in Hong Kong and mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims, each time triggering retaliatory measures by Beijing.

Trump has still voiced hope of preserving a trade deal with China, which promised before the coronavirus pandemic to ramp up purchases of US goods.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said both sides knew China would no longer be able to carry out the agreement in full. He said he expects relations will keep deteriorating.

The old Cold War was a very fierce confrontation and competition between two great powers, driven by ideology and strategy, Shi said.

In the case of the US and China, the two powers are selectively but rapidly decoupling from each other, he said.

Using this definition, it can be said that China and the United States have begun to enter a new Cold War.
The one-count criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges ComEd with bribery. Madigan, who is also chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, is not criminally charged.

Madigan, 78, who came up under the political machine of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and considered him a mentor, was elected to the House of Representatives in 1970. He took over as speaker in 1983 and has held the gavel for all but two years since.

His influence, canny strategizing and patience was on full display during the 2015-2017 state budget standoff with former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Madigan outwaited and outwitted Rauner for two years without an annual budget. In the end, Madigan convinced even some Republicans to cross over and vote for a tax increase and annual budget in July 2017, leaving Rauner with nothing.

The next month, the unflappable Madigan bested the 32 -year record held by a midcentury South Carolina Democrat to become the nations longest-serving state House speaker in U.S. history.

Madigan's influence also has been felt at the ballot box. He controls four campaign funds and millions in contributions  money used to support his favored candidates, or oppose others.
Belarusian Opposition Rallies Behind Tsikhanouskaya In Presidential Race

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service July 17, 2020

The united campaigns of three opposition figures involved in Belarus's presidential election next month have called on Belarusians to vote for registered opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

At a press conference in Minsk on July 17, Tsikhanouskaya and representatives of two opposition candidates who were denied registration as presidential candidates, former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka and prominent businessman Valer Tsapkala, said that their campaigns had united to "defeat" the "long-time dictatorial regime."

"We all have one goal, we all want a change of power on August 9, we want Belarus to wake up. For this goal, we are uniting our efforts and call on all Belarusians to unite in their efforts too," Maryya Kalesnikava, a coordinator of Babaryka's campaign, told the news conference.

She said that from the very beginning, Babaryka's campaign strategy was to unite around an opposition candidate who manages to get official registration.

The upcoming election comes as President Alyaksandr Lukashenka faces mounting public opposition to his rule. The country has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic with more than 65,000 confirmed cases as of July 16, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Lukashenka ignored calls to institute any lockdown measures, dismissing the virus as nothing more than a "psychosis." Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers, have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations despite calls for restraint from Western governments and institutions, including the United Nations.

Tsikhanouskaya said that she became a presidential candidate because of her jailed husband, well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, who was incarcerated after he openly expressed his intention to run for president.

"We are ready to call people to protect their rights by any means that Belarusian citizens choose as right," Tsikhanouskaya said, adding that in case the election results are rigged as has happened in the past, street protests could be possible as well.

Veranika Tsapkala, who represented the campaign of her husband Valer Tsapkala, told the press conference that the campaigns decided to unite in response to the "shameless way" authorities blocked the three "most powerful candidates" from the election, referring to Babaryka, her husband, and Tsikhanouskaya's spouse.

The press conference was held a day after the three campaigns announced they would unite to present a joint program.

Five Candidates Registered

Tsikhanouskaya, Tsapkala, and Kalesnikava reiterated at the press conference that their program included urging Belarusians to vote in the upcoming election, calling for the release of all "political and economic prisoners" and new trials for each of them, a pledge to hold "an honest repeat election after August 9," and a pledge to cooperate on creating a program to combat electoral fraud and to monitor the presidential poll.

The three women said that a more detailed program will be issued later.

On July 14, the Central Election Commission registered five candidates for the presidential poll, including Tsikhanouskaya and incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Babaryka, who was viewed as a potentially potent rival to Lukashenka, was denied registration. He was jailed in June on suspicion of money laundering, bribery, and tax evasion. He denies the charges and says they are politically motivated. The government took over Belgazprombank on June 15.

Amnesty International has proclaimed Babaryka and his son, Eduard, who was arrested with his father on June 18, to be prisoners of conscience.

Tsapkala's attempt to register was foiled after election officials disqualified at least 38,000 of the signatures he had submitted in support of his candidacy.

After the registrations were announced, a wave of protests rocked the country and hundreds of people have been detained, including at least 17 members of the press covering the demonstrations.

Events in Belarus have drawn criticism from the United States, the European Union, and international rights groups.

On July 17, Amnesty International urged the Belarusian authorities to "halt their crackdown on all dissent" ahead of the presidential election, and "immediately end their vicious campaign of targeting women activists and family members of political opposition representatives using tactics fueled by misogyny."

In a new report, the London-based human rights watchdog exposes the authorities' "playbook of targeting women with gender-specific reprisals, which include threats to take their children into state custody and threats of sexual violence."

"With the election just a month away, women activists not only pose a formidable challenge to the incumbent but also face Lukashenka's openly misogynistic remarks broadcast on prime-time national television. Women also face disproportionate and politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment and reprisals in Belarus today," said Amnesty International's Eastern Europe and Central Asia director, Marie Struthers.

Lukashenka has rejected Western criticism of the government's violent dispersal of the demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates.

The 65-year-old Belarusian leader, who has ruled the country since 1994, is currently serving his fifth term as president. Belarus abolished presidential term limits in 2004.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/united- belarusian-opposition-rally-behind-tsikhaouskaya- in-presidential-race/30733627.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Lynda Lowery was 14 when she and hundreds of civil rights marchers were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, an event known as Bloody Sunday. She got seven stitches over her right eye and 28 on the back of her head.

The memories of the emergency room  the needle, a nurse telling her many of the injured were treated without anesthesia  came back to her recently.

After all these years, the bridge, Bloody Sunday and so forth brings back bad memories, Lowery, a Selma resident, said in a phone interview Saturday.

Lowery wept Friday evening, learning of the death of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, whose skull was cracked on the bridge that day. But she opposes efforts to name the bridge after him.

Congressman John Lewis stands on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Selma, Ala., during the Faith and Civil Rights Institute Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage.

I left my blood and tears in the cement of that bridge, she said. So did John. So did a lot of other people  if were going to try to fix things that are broken, then fix the things that are broken.

Appreciation: For John Lewis, a lifetime of making 'good trouble' left scars and a legacy

More: Rep. John Lewis, who 'risked his life and his blood' as a giant of the civil rights movement, dies of cancer at 80

Lewis death brought new attention to efforts to rename the Selma bridge that was the stage for a turning point in the civil rights movement. Leaders of those efforts stressed that any decision to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge, named for a Confederate general, need to be left to the people of Selma.

Were working with the community on the ground to foster discussion, said Michael Starr Hopkins, a political consultant who organized a petition drive to place Lewis name on the bridge. At the end of the day, this effort has to be led by people on the ground.

In 2015, the Alabama Senate approved a resolution from then-Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, calling for the bridge to be named the Journey to Freedom Bridge. The state House did not take up the measure.

The calls became stronger after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers in late May, a death that led to widespread discussions of systemic racism and renewed efforts to take down monuments to the Confederacy, a racist government.

Story continues

From a strict legal standpoint, renaming the bridge would be difficult. In 2017, the state Legislature passed the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, which makes it all but impossible for governments to rename, alter or remove monuments or memorial structures 40 years old or older. The Legislature would have to repeal the law or pass a separate bill addressing the name of the bridge.

State troopers advance on marchers, from left, Hosea Williams, John Lewis, Albert Turner and Bob Mants at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965.

In Selma, whose population is 82% Black, renaming the bridge has long been a divisive idea. Few outside Confederate heritage groups show any interest in defending Pettus, a white supremacist and major figure among the late 19th-century Bourbon Democrats who robbed Black Alabamians of their civil and voting rights through fraud and violence.

Lowery and some other veterans of the march expressed unease about renaming the bridge. Some said its civil rights legacy overshadows any honors intended for Pettus.

What happened on that bridge changed the whole meaning of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, of Edmund Pettus, to me, Jo Ann Bland, Lowery's sister who marched on Bloody Sunday in 1965, told The Associated Press this month. I bet hes rolling in his grave every time we walk across that bridge.

Selma commemorates Bloody Sunday every year with an event known as the Bridge Crossing Jubilee. Lewis regularly led bipartisan congressional delegations to the event. Lowery said the terror she and so many others faced on the bridge that day gives them a deep connection to it.

"Most people coming to Selma at the Bridge Crossing Jubilee celebration  there's smiles, and they want to have to their picture taken," she said. "Most of the people dont understand what it means to cross that bridge, what that day means to us."

'Conscience of Congress': Alabama leaders mourn the passing of John Lewis

Selma Mayor Darrio Melton said Saturday that he was wary about naming the bridge for one person. Many activists, such as Selma resident Amelia Boynton, who was beaten into unconsciousness during Bloody Sunday, played a role in the events before and after the protest.

"What they exemplified for us was the system needed to be changed, more than the symbols needed to be changed," he said. "I believe to get bogged down in a conversation about symbols is to miss the entire struggle for which they fought. They werent marching to change a symbol. They were marching to change a system."

Lewis said in 2015 that any move to rename the bridge should come from local leaders. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., a Selma native whose district includes the city, said in June she supported renaming the bridge, though in an interview on MSNBC on Saturday, she stressed that the decision needed to be made by residents.

I just want to reiterate I cant think of a better name than that of John Lewis, she said. But thats a community discussion, not something to be decided by me.

Hopkins said there was more interest in renaming the bridge after Lewis death, but the immediate focus should be on honoring his legacy. Conversations over the fate of the bridge, he said, would continue.

A wreath honoring civil rights icons John Lewis and C.T. Vivian sits outside the Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, July 18, 2020.

Were trying to be extremely respectful and thoughtful on how this affects them and how we approach this, he said.

Sewell and many of her Democratic colleagues, including U.S. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, said the best way to honor Lewis would be restoring provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. Lowery shared that feeling.

To restore the Voting Rights Act to its fullest would be a way to honor and memorialize John, Lowery said.

When discussing the bridge, Melton cited Chapter 4 of the Book of Joshua, in which God commands the Israelites to place 12 stones to commemorate the crossing of the Jordan.

"For those foot soldiers that come back to the bridge, that is a stone to remind us how far we have come and how much further we have to go," he said.

Follow Brian Lyman on Twitter: @lyman_brian

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Rename Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge for John Lewis? Some activists say no
PALO ALTO (BCN)

A vibrant mural that spells out 'Black Lives Matter', painted in front of Palo Alto City Hall in June, is causing controversy.

The 'e' in 'Matter' is in question because a contentious figure is painted on it in the form of Assata Shakur. The National Police Association is demanding it be removed because of Shakur's involvement in the 1973 killing of a New Jersey state trooper. Shakur remains on the FBI's most wanted list for the killing.

Cece Carpio, a local artist, painted the mural.

The police association made the demand because Justice Vanguard, a local social justice organization, held a press conference Thursday in Palo Alto to defend the mural.

"We have to defend Assata, a righteous woman. A woman who fought for her people and fought to make America better," JT Faraji from Hood Squad said. "We have to defend her against a racist police association and it's a shame."

Shakur is a hero for some and a villain for others. She was a member of the Black Panther Party before she escaped from prison and sought political refuge in Cuba in 1979.

"As a resident of Oakland, with a rich history of this movement, birthing the Black Panther party, it is important to educate young people like my niece because its legacies give hope for us today," Carpio said in a statement read at the press conference.

Carpio's statement said Shakur was unfairly targeted by police and would have never received a fair trial to prove her innocence.

"In 2020, Assata is still in political asylum in Cuba. Police are still killing and targeting Black people and communities and people are rising up and continuing to resist to build a new world," Carpio said. "As police organize to target, delegitimize and destroy our movement, I will continue to do my part to defend, amplify that and celebrate us."

The mural was commissioned and approved by the Palo Alto Public Art Program.

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.
A Buddha statue, which was discovered while digging the foundation for a house in Pakistans Pashtun-dominated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces Mardan district, was smashed into pieces by local construction workers on Saturday because they considered the relic to be unIslamic, drawing the ire of the authorities concerned.

The statue was discovered in Mardans Takht Bhai area, which was a part of the Gandhara civilisation, while the workers were digging to lay the foundation for the under-construction house.

A video, which has since gone viral on social media, showed the construction workers smashing the Buddha statue using a sledgehammer and expressing their resentment against the unIslamic relic.

Local media quoted an official of the Pakistan tourism department, who said that the authorities have taken note of the incident and are looking into the matter.

Abdul Samad, director, archaeology and museums, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the authorities have located the area, where the incident occurred and those involved in vandalism would be held accountable. We have located the area and we will have those involved arrested soon, he said.

Takht Bhai is known for its relics since it was a part of the Gandhara civilisation.

Excavated in 1836 for the first time, archaeologists have dug out hundreds of relics made of clay, stucco, and terracotta in the area.

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Around 400 delivery workers staged a demonstration in Sao Paulo on Tuesday to demand a response from delivery app companies for better working conditions. The demonstration was called by the Motoboys Union of Sao Paulo (SindimotoSP), which is vying for the leadership of a growing movement among this section of Brazilian workers.

It is estimated that the number of workers for delivery app companies like Uber, Ifood and Rappi had tripled by June 2020 in Brazil, largely due to layoffs resulting from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delivery workers strike in Recife, Pernambuco [Credit: WhatsApp]

Meanwhile, almost 70 percent of those already working for these companies before the pandemic saw their earnings fall. More than one-third of the delivery workers earn no more than minimum wage (US$200), while 62 percent work more than nine hours a day and are often forced to work 14-hour workdays. Among the demands of delivery workers are better delivery fees, improved safety conditions, including PPEs and the end of punitive scoring systems.

Despite having a completely peaceful character, the demonstration was constantly followed in an intimidating manner by the Military Police, and one of the workers participating in the protest, Jefferson Andre da Silva, 23, was brutally assaulted by the police. In a video of the assault, Silva is heard saying I can't breathe!, after one of the soldiers placed him in a headlock, choking him.

The police claimed that Silva was covering his motorcycle plate and that he offered resistance. In an interview with the Ponte website, Silva reported that he had parked on a sidewalk to post a video of the demonstration and that he offered no resistance to the police.

In the same interview, he said that the cops continued to assault him even after he was already inside the police car, having surrendered. The policewoman threatened me, wanted to take a picture of me to show me as a bandit, a trophy. I didn't let her. She pepper-sprayed me in the face, he declared.

The police abuse of Silva exposes the routine harassment by the Military Police, which was one of the catalysts for the delivery workers strike movement.

The strike gained momentum after dozens of delivery workers joined the wave of demonstrations stemming from the murder of George Floyd and thousands of other victims of police brutality in Brazil and around the world. They later protested against the unjust arrest of a delivery workerEmerson da Silva Munizwho fled police because he was forced to work without proper documents and was framed for drug trafficking.

At the same time, the July 14 demonstration stood in stark contrast to the massive strikes that swept the entire country and other parts of Latin America on July 1, and which found widespread sympathy among the population. In addition to being called solely by the union, the latest action was virtually restricted to Sao Paulo. Its ostensible purpose was to apply pressure on the companies that own the delivery applications, like iFood, Uber and Rappi, in the context of a hearing at the Regional Labor Court, where demands would be presented by the SindimotoSP union.

Predictably, the meeting was interrupted after only an hour and a half, with the public justification that the judge in charge of mediating a deal between the union and the companies was having problems connecting to the internet.

The lack of results from the meeting only confirmed the mistrust of the vast majority of the delivery workers toward the union and its proposals.

This mistrust played a major role in the decision of most of the organizers of a second strike, originally scheduled for July 12, to change the date to July 25, in order to avoid any association between the strike and the hearing promoted by the union. This decision led to the low turnout at Tuesday's demonstration.

While the union sought to divert the spontaneous movement of the delivery workers into the safe channels of appeals to the capitalist state with the labor court hearing, a similar effort has been mounted by the pseudo-left Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) whose members in the House brought representatives of the delivery workers to an audience with House Speaker Rodrigo Maia. The PSOL's House leader, Fernanda Melchionna, claimed that this meeting resulted in an accomplishment by the workers, supposedly securing from the corrupt and right-wing leader of the House a commitment to mobilize the legislature to guarantee rights.

This stunt provoked an angry response from the SindimotoSP: What the noble deputy of the PSOL seems not to know is that there are already three federal laws, statutes 12,009 (moto-freight regulations), 12,997 (mandating extra hazard pay for delivery workers) and 12,436 (prohibiting pressing or rewarding workers in deliveries to exceed targets). In other words, the PSOLs spectacle in Congress was criticized by the union in the name of a struggle for laws that have been ignored for years, with their decisive collaboration, as well as that of the left parties such as PSOL.

The so-called dismantling of labor laws, the recurrent theme sounded during working class upheavals by trade union bureaucrats like Ricardo Patah, leader of the UGT union federation, to which SindimotoSP is affiliated, has been led by the UGT itself.

Together with the CUT and other unions, it echoes the rhetoric of Brazils fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro that workers must choose between many rights, but no jobs, or employment and fewer rights. For decades, the unions have imposed upon workers endless wage cuts and destruction of working conditions with the justification that companies would leave the country if concessions were not offered, resulting in the race to the bottom exposed by the delivery workers' strike.

From the beginning of the strike movement, workers have insisted that they have no political links with anyone, expressing their thoroughly justified hostility to the existing unions and parties, among them those on the left and self-declared workers' representatives like the PSOL.

The mobilization of the delivery workers had originally emerged from an international wave of strikes that spread from country to country in the face of the widespread neglect of the COVID-19 pandemic by capitalist governments and that involved most of the sectors that did not shut down during the quarantines: health care professionals, call center workers, automotive workers and finally the delivery workers who work for the multinational companies that control the apps.

This international character is precisely what the unions and petty bourgeois parties like the PSOL are determined to suppress. Internationally, all such parties and unions have promoted concessions as the only means of combatting unemployment. This is the essential motivation behind the unions attempt to direct workers to place their trust in moribund national labor laws and PSOLs promotion of Brazils discredited bourgeois political establishment as their savior.

As the messages exchanged by delivery workers internationally prove, all over the world, regardless of national labor laws, all of them are subject to poverty, excessive working hours, devastating accidents and the risk of coronavirus.

At this crucial juncture of their movement, delivery workers face a fight for genuine political independence, which can be achieved only through the formation of new organizations of struggle formed in a conscious break with the unions and petty bourgeois nationalist forces such as the PSOL.

At the same time, it must be clear that this course of action is thoroughly opposed by the autonomist and anarchistic elements among the organizers of the protests, who invite the unions and pseudo-left parties participation in an undercover manner, or with banners lowered in order not to provoke divisions among the workers. Their goal is to provide these unions and parties with a left cover for their maneuvers, thus avoiding a thorough examination of their role and a conscious political break with them.
Several hospitals in Delhi have been seeing children infected with Covid-19 experiencing symptoms akin to those associated with a rare illness called Kawasaki disease, over the last few months.

Kawasaki disease results in a fever and mainly affects children under the age of 5 years, and is a syndrome of unknown cause. It is a form of vasculitis, where blood vessels become inflamed throughout the body. The fever typically lasts for more than five days and is not affected by usual medications.

Children's Hospital Kalawati Saran has now seen fix to six cases of children - who tested positive for coronavirus - experiencing fever, respiratory and gastrointestinal issues, rashes, the Indian Express reports.

Department head, Kalawati Saran, Dr Virendra Kumar said that these were the most common symptoms described globally and that while other viruses could lead to the syndrome, in the middle of the pandemic it was likely that the disease was related to Covid-19.

Kumar said that while it could not be clearly stated that the children were infected with Kawasaki, but that they had the Kawasaki-like symptoms, he told IE.

According to him, the kids had unexplained tachycardia and some of them were in a state of shock. He said all these positive cases were taken care of in the Covid care area, and that one of the patients had died.

Previously, in two studies in the New England Journal Medicine, Nearly 300 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), which is a rare, life-threatening syndrome in children and adolescents associated with coronavirus were identified in the United States.

MIS-C, shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, including fever, rashes, swollen glands and, in severe cases, heart inflammation.

Dr Rachna Sharma, in-charge of the paediatric intensive care unit at BLK hospital told IE that it was not a direct effect of Covid-19 but instead an abnormal immune response induced by it. She said the multisystem inflammatory syndrome caused many digestive issues - there were children who had just pain in the abdomen, vomiting and loose motions.

However, she said, that if the symptoms were not recognised early on then the result could be fatal. BLK has seen two such cases in the last few months. Sharma added that some kids may also experience kidney failure.

Six such cases have seen at Sir Ganga Ram hospital. Four were infected with Covid-19 and the other two had not developed any antibodies against the disease.

Dr Dhiren Gupta, a paediatric intensivist at the hospital said that the syndrome disregulated the immune system and could affect the heart, intestine, live and kidney, adding that three of the said six cases required ICU admissions.

According to experts, timely diagnosis and intervention were key to recovery from the disease. When a 13-year-old boy, who was experiencing high fever and rashes, came to BLK hospital, he tested positive for Covid-19. He began to have increasing fever spikes with pain in the abdomen, vomiting and poor oral intake, the report states.

Dr Sharma recounts how the child became drowsy, with his blood pressure dropping. She said his hands and feet became cold and bluish; the disease had progressed into a serious situation situation where it was affecting his heart and kidney.

She said his blood reports for coronavirus were showing signs of severe disease, adding that in the "Covid multisystem inflammatory syndrome" the heart becomes affected in 50% to 60% of the cases, resulting in the kid going into shock.
17.07.2020 LISTEN

The Bono Regional branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of orchestrating the registration of foreigners in the Banda Constituency.

While addressing the press on Friday, the Bono regional secretary of the NDC, Dennis Yeboah Twumasi, explained that their investigations show that the NPP orchestrated the registration of some alleged foreigners in the Banda constituency.

According to the NDC, a few days ago, Ghana Immigration Service Officers in Banda District arrested five Young Ladies accused of being foreigners from Ivory Coast and allegedly brought in by Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, Member of Parliament for Banda Constituency.

The incident was planned and executed by some well-known members of the NPP in the constituency in attempts to make the NDC unpopular, it added.

The NDC further explained that the accusation was first hatched by an Employee of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana, a well-known NPP Member and a self-acclaimed National Security Operative called Prince, who recorded and directed this video clip of these vulnerable Young Ladies and made a voiceover commentary accusing Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim and the NDC for bringing ForeignersfromIvoryCoasttoregisterinBandaConstituency.

A known NPP Woman Activistled these Ladies with the promise of being one of their Guarantors, in an attempt to register at D/A Primary School Bongase-Kramoline Registration Center(J100602), as Voters in Bongase, Banda Constituency.

The NDC also alleged that the five ladies alleged to be foreigners are actually Ghanaians from the Upper West Region.

These vulnerable Young Ladies are from Pofia in the Nandom Municipality, Upper West Region and are residents of Bongase, Banda District. Their Landlord and Landlady are also known New Patriotic Party(NPP)Members; Yaw Zugu and Madam Akua Donkor respectively, all of Bongase.

It called on the Minister of Interior and the Attorney Generals office to prosecute all the individuals involved in the setup.

We call on the Interior Minister and the Attorney General's Office to prosecute these five Young Ladies alleged to be Nationals of Ivory Coast together with their Landlord/Landlady, including their alleged accomplices who led them to the registration centre or better still, repatriate them.

The NDC further described the incident as an attempt to cover up the murder of one Silas by some members of the NPP. This the NDC said is a disrespect to the family of the deceased.

Interestingly, just yesterday, Thursday, July 16, 2020, the NPP Government through its Ministers approved entry passage for Forty-two (42) alleged Ghanaians from Ivory Coast through Sampa Boarder post in the Jaman North District without the 14-days COVID-19 mandatory quarantine requirement and test for individuals coming from outside Ghana on the blindside of other Stakeholders, especially the media the NDC alleged.

The NDC finally assured the NPP of exposing them should they fabricate more lies.

They have been approving entry clearance for alleged Ghanaians and other nationals at a pace that has never happened, since the closure of the Ghana-Ivory Coast border post all in the name of the ongoing Voter Registration Exercise. We assure the NPP, that any lie perpetrated against the NDC particularly in the course of this registration exercise will be appropriately rebutted with adequate hard facts, evidence and truth as we have just done.

 citinewsroom
Coronavirus cases are rising at a North Texas federal prison as over 1,000 inmates tested positive for COVID-19, with at least one death.

The Federal Correctional Institute at Seagoville has 1,798 inmates. At least 1,072 are positive for COVID-19.

Only 668 cases were recorded as COVID-19 positive there last week. The figures made it the prison with the largest number of coronavirus cases in the nation, as per NBC Dallas' reported.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons had an official count of 10 staff members, who tested positive for the coronavirus, and four recoveries.

Inmate James Giannetta, 65, died Thursday from COVID-19, the bureau said. Giannetta first tested positive for the coronavirus last June 26 and was hospitalized two days later after having a hard time breathing.

Giannetta was put on a ventilator, while treated. He had long-term, pre-existing medical conditions, said the prison bureau.

He was serving a 14-year sentence on drug and conspiracy to launder money charges. He died on July 16.

According to the bureau's count, about 3,600 federal inmates and over 300 prison staff have already tested positive for COVID-19. The death count includes 97 inmates and one employee.

When it comes to recoveries, there are 5,434 inmates and 631 staff included.

Virus Activity in Texas Prisons

As of Monday, the Stiles Unit near Beaumont also found 672 inmates with active infections. The number is already half of the prison's population, reported the Texas Tribune.

The Coffield Unit at East Texas also had 753 COVID-19 positive inmates. That makes up 19 percent of the prisoners there, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice data.

Three other state prisons and jails said they have at least 25 percent inmates with COVID-19, as of Monday.

Dominguez State Jail in San Antonio had 472 cases, and both the Daniel Unit in Snyder and the Hamilton Unit in Bryan had 250 cases each.

The recent numbers indicated that the virus is very active in the Texas prison system.

While some of the most affected prisons for May and June reported fewer cases, their inmates have also not gone through tests in recent time and on a large scale.

Loved Ones are Concerned

In another NBC report, it was said that prisoners were confined to their cells since March and the prison's air conditioning system was very poor.

The inmates had been complaining to their loved ones about the conditions in the prison.

One of the loved ones affected is Michelle Trevino, a wife of a prisoner. "My biggest fear is that COVID will get him," she said. She's also worried that her husband, who only has a year left in his sentence, will get the coronavirus in the prison.

According to Trevino, her husband was denied home confinement even if he reportedly qualifies. Trevino also said her husband is experiencing hot days in the prison.

"He says it feels like it's about 110-degrees," she noted.

The families of those inside the prisons are planning to protest near the jail facility on Saturday. This is to bring attention to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the prison system.

"There are people who qualify who've done very well, who really want to turn their lives around," Trevino said.

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Women experiencing domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis are still struggling to access help, advocates say, amid revelations almost half of the federal government's promised $150 million in funding will not be distributed for more than a year.

Announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in March as "initial funding to support Australians experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence due to the fallout from coronavirus", the cash has been slow to reach service providers who say they are being "slammed" with a spike in demand.

Family violence support services say the number of women needing help is on the increase. Credit:Gabriele Charotte

A Coalition of Australian Governments communique, from the COAG womens safety council meeting on May 19, reveals state governments, which are earmarked for $130 million of the federal funding, plan to spend just $61.8 million by July 2021. Of that, $4.7million is to be spent by July 31 and $29.3 million in the rest of the financial year; $27.8 million was handed over by May 19.

Women's Safety NSW chief executive Hayley Foster said governments were failing to "treat the domestic violence as the crisis that it is ... a response that takes three, six or 12 months; that's not good enough".
Schools lockdown until 2020 parliamentary election concludes View(s):

Health Ministry gives Education Ministry green light to recommence classes for exam grades, if necessary

The Health Ministry has recommended schools throughout the country remain closed until the parliamentary election scheduled for August 5 concludes.

However, Health Ministry officials said the Education Ministry can recommence classes for Grades 11 and 13 prior to the election, if necessary. Education Ministry sources said a decision on either recommencing classes for these students or keeping schools closed for all students until after the election, would be announced on Monday (July 20).

Schools will not open for all grades immediately after the election. The Education Ministry had decided to follow the procedure of reopening schools in various stages, as it had planned before the recent closure of schools, the sources added.

Meanwhile, a high level committee of Education Ministry officials had been appointed to look into any health related issues for schools arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee will be headed by Education Ministry Secretary N.H.M. Chitrananda, and will include several Education Ministry additional secretaries.

A new hotline  1988  will be introduced for people to inform the Ministry of any issues they had related to schools and COVID-19.

The new committee will meet on a daily basis to review the current situation. It also has the authority to give directions to zonal education directors and school principals regarding steps they need to take to prevent the spread of the virus.

- DW
A week before Donald Trumps inauguration in 2017, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) laid down his marker: Trump would not be his president, and Lewis would not afford him any of the respect that comes with the office.

I dont see this president-elect as a legitimate president, Lewis said in an interview with NBCs Meet the Press a week before Trump was sworn into office. I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected and they have destroyed the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

Lewis, a congressman from Georgia since 1987, passed away on Friday, and leaves behind a legacy as one of the nations leading civil rights activists.

He was the first prominent Democrat to question Trumps legitimacy as president. Though Lewis was referencing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, his comments were also a response to Trumps birtherism: For years, Trump was one of the leaders pushing the racist conspiracy theory, which falsely claimed that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

Some Democrats supported Lewis, but plenty also distanced themselves from him and said he had gone too far. They wanted to give Trump  who had received fewer votes than Clinton  a chance.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) called Lewis remarks nonproductive and Denis McDonough, Obamas chief of staff, said Trump was freely elected. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called them just words, praising Lewis for calling out Trumps racism but refusing to go as far as saying he was an illegitimate president.

But Lewis was willing to stick his neck out against Trump, both as the conscience of the Congress and as a member of the Democratic leadership.

Trump turned his ire on Lewis in return, tweeting out a characterization of his district (the same one he would later use against another black civil rights leader in Congress, the late Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings), saying it was in 
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Saturday said Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra should take cognisance of the instability in the state and recommend President's Rule.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, she said, had openly violated the Anti-Defection law and cheated the BSP for a second time by getting its MLAs included in the Congress.

"And it is also evident he did an illegal and unconstitutional thing by phone tapping," Mayawati said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

"The governor (of Rajasthan) must take cognisance of the political deadlock and instability prevailing in Rajasthan, and should recommend imposition of President's Rule in the state, so that the condition of democracy in the state does not deteriorate," she said.

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Its unconscionable to see my own government try to run interference on behalf of my torturer instead of protecting its own citizen, Soltan said. And in doing so, they have put my family and me at greater risk of harm...This is far from over, we knew it was going to be a long fight, and a blow like this isnt going to knock us out of our pursuit of justice. 
The 1918 'Spanish' flu, unlike Covid-19, struck hard at people in their prime. "This new flu was an uncanny plague, scything down swathes of men and women in the full bloom of their youth," explains the narrator of Emma Donoghue's new novel, "and wasn't this flu infamous for expelling babies before their time?"

Pregnant women were at a high risk from the "grip" and it is into this perilous setting The Pull of the Stars takes us. Death, by influenza, or "the influence of the stars", is the motif of this absurdly pertinent book.

Written before the pandemic, though publication was moved forward to this month, Donoghue's 13th novel is set in Dublin during three exceptionally dramatic days in the small lying-in maternity ward looked after by Nurse Julia Power, a 30-year-old "spinster". The country is also in the grip of war, and Nurse Power has a wounded brother at home, returned from the front.

Outside, a "tarnished city" comes to life in observation that is sharp and painterly, forensic and dreamy. Propaganda notices such as "COVER UP EACH COUGH OR SNEEZEFOOLS AND TRAITORS SPREAD DISEASE" create unsettling parallels with a modern state breathing down the necks of its citizens in efforts to control the spread. You may get a kick of deja vu from the handwashing, opened windows, 14-day quarantines, visitor bans and signs like "SPIT SPREADS DEATH".

Arriving at work in the short-staffed hospital, Nurse Power meets a young volunteer, Bridie Sweeney, and the formidable Dr Kathleen Lynn - the only character drawn directly from history (she was a 1916 rebel and pioneer of children's health who founded St Ultan's hospital). The three women's relationships unfold as they tend to a group of quarantined pregnant women in various states of febrile terror. Imagine Call the Midwife in ragged period dress, with masks and a massive body count.

We know from the Booker-nominated Room that Donoghue loves to tell stories inside an enclosed space, and the book's most engrossing passages are set in Maternity/Fever, where everything happens from the removal of cadavers to latching newborns. The women drink a lot of hot whiskey. Donoghue describes the "clockwork torture" of birth almost in real time, with protracted, claustrophobic scenes set out in eye-popping detail. She reports meticulously the treatments, poultices and procedures dealt out during the period, from heroin syrup to the abusive symphysiotomies that tore up women's pelvises in Catholic Ireland.

This is childbirth at a knife edge, with fine drama made of its pickings, but the book comes from a place of profound sensitivity and respect for women and their little ones. We are told about the horrors of multiple childbirths, stillbirth and maternal death, the mortal shaming of unmarried women, all mediated through one nurse's shrewd understanding of everything that can go wrong. If pregnant, don't even think about reading this book now.

One of the complications of the 1918 virus was cyanosis of the liver. Sufferers developed tell-tale red spots in their cheeks before their skin turned brown, blue and finally black. The book is divided into four quarters named after each colour, a formal device that causes tragedy to mount up with scientific inevitability.

Donoghue, a cultural historian of no minor stature, understands the superstitions and religiosity that permeated everyday life. "The bone man", death, is alluded to with chilling repetition. People drop like flies and Donoghue is fearless in killing them off one by one, which might be hard to read, say on a beach in post-pandemic Ireland, but is probably an accurate portrayal of the mortality rates of the time.

We are never allowed forget about the turbulent historical context of war, revolution and its aftershocks. Between saving lives on the wards, Nurse Power has passing discussions about the Rising, suffrage, industrial schools and mother-and-baby homes. Information is pushed into the story, action piles up, and a stranger-than-fiction number of things start to happen.

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This is not unproblematic as the story reaches fever pitch. Among the twists and turns are a tragic lesbian love affair, arrests, and a chase scene involving a nun and a swaddled baby.

At times it feels like there is a passionate if didactic impulse to teach the reader some history instead of letting the characters live in their historical setting. A blockbuster tale begins to be implausible. But this is Emma Donoghue, giant of letters. It is rare for such a fast-paced story to be told so beautifully, and the writing is comical and exquisite. There is something terrifically real about a nun with a "bulging eye", or an underfed working-class girl with "monkeyish" movements.

The Pull of the Stars is also, if briefly, a love story set under the stars, as Donoghue continues her work reclaiming queer characters from history. But it's death, not romance, that is the abiding theme here. In a way the more relentless death becomes, the less frightening.

At a moment of attrition, Dr Lynn reassures her nursing comrades that the virus will pass: "The human race settles on terms with every plague in the end. Or a stalemate, at the least. We somehow muddle along, sharing the earth with each new form of life." By life, she means the virus. Plus ca change.
Islamabad, July 18 : A three-storey wedding hall building collapsed during renovation in Pakistan occupied Kashmir's Mirpur district, injuring at least 15 labourers and leaving dozens of others trapped, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner of Mirpur Raja Tahir Mumtaz told Xinhua news agency that the labourers were renovating the marriage hall when it came crashing down on Friday, pinning them beneath falling slabs of concrete.

More than 40 people mostly labourers are feared to still be trapped inside the collapsed building including the owner and manager of the marriage hall, said the official, adding that "a search and rescue operation is currently underway".

There was not any wedding event at the building as it was closed for all kinds of ceremonies as part of the government's measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Mumtaz added.

Following the incident, rescue teams along with local authorities reached the area and are working to rescue those who are stuck under the collapsed building.

Local residents are also assisting authorities in the rescue operation.

Pakistani army troops and helicopters have also been sent to the area to help with the rescue activities.

Police told local media that the reason behind the collapse is not clear yet.
The Nepal government has planned to lift the ongoing suspension on domestic and international flights starting from August as the Himalayan country has witnessed a drop in new COVID-19 cases, a senior official said on Friday. "The Ministry on Thursday decided to recommend COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre for lifting the suspension of domestic flights from August 5 and international flights from August 17," Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, told Xinhua news agency.

The COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwar Pokharel was formed to coordinate efforts against the pandemic. Based on the recommendation of this centre, the cabinet will decide whether to lift the suspension order.

Both domestic and international flights have remained suspended in Nepal since March 22, except chartered flights for humanitarian purpose or delivery of medical goods. Although the Nepali government decided on July 10 to relax the lockdown, allowing the most of the economic activities to resume, flight services, schools and theatres have remained suspended.

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Nepal on Thursday reported 167 new COVID-19 cases in a day, a sharp drop from the record high 740 cases on July 3 as the total cases stood at 17,344. Due to COVID-19, Nepal's tourism sector is estimated to lose around $332 million by July 21, with an extended lockdown imposed since March 24, according to the Ministry.
You cant teach a misbehaving black bear a lesson through a Zoom conference call.

That takes boots on the pine needles or some firecrackers. But Steve Searles, one of the most well-known ursid wranglers, the bear whisperer of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., is out of the job, yet another of wildlife conservations coronavirus victims.

In this mountain town in Californias Eastern Sierra, Mr. Searless gravelly timbre was usually all the bears needed to straighten up. The ponytailed former surfer and construction worker, who appeared in an Animal Planet television show that carried his nickname, worked as the wildlife specialist for the town of Mammoth Lakes for decades. He had no training in biology or animal behavior, but used nonlethal tactics to help some bears change their ways, inspiring or training other communities to try similar approaches.

Hey, bad bear! hed often growl. You get out of here.

As the coronavirus pandemic wears on, Mammoth Lakes, like municipalities nationwide, has faced budget shortfalls and started looking for cuts. Mr. Searles was recently asked to work six months, through the busy summer bear season, instead of year-round, cutting his salary in half. So he turned in his badge and uniform and resigned last week.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited a key forward post along the Line of Control in the Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir.





Singh, who was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, visited the North Hill post and was apprised about the situation at the border by senior officials.

"Visited a forward post near LoC in Kupwara District of Jammu-Kashmir today and interacted with the soldiers deployed there," Singh tweeted along with photographs of his interaction with the soldiers.



"We are extremely proud of these brave and courageous soldiers who are defending our country in every situation," the defence minister said.

SEE: Defence Minister among troops during his visit to a forward post near LoC in Kupwara





Earlier in the day, Singh visited the holy cave of Amarnath and offered prayers.



His trip to the cave shrine came on the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.





On Friday, Singh reviewed the overall security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with the top military brass, officials said.

SEE: Rajnath Singh inspects arms and ammunition during his visit to a forward post near LoC in Kupwara





He asked the armed forces to give a fitting reply to any "misadventure" by Pakistan.



At a high-level meeting, the defence minister had also asked the armed forces to maintain a strict vigil along the Line of Control with Pakistan.
As the country witnesses a surge in crime post lockdown, the incidence of sexual offence and rape continues to be the top-most concern for the safety of women and children. For the first time ever, prominent voices from across civil societies are demanding a step up in the use of DNA evidence in rape investigation. Marking the Day of International Criminal Justice, July 17th, also known as the International Justice Day, #DNAFightsRape carries the sentiment of people pledging to make India rape free! The initiative stands to be significant as it calls upon attention of our country leaders to set a target year to free the nation of the rape menace.

In a compelling video, writer, anchor & actor, Gitikka Ganju Dhar shares her message saying, Hurrah to the Prime Minister's vision of building a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024. Alongside, the Quality of Life Index for women in India, must also go up. We must set a target for ending the barbaric menace of rape by 2030 and transform India into a rape-free nation,   . I believe this will happen if and when the number of convictions equal the number of rapes, and speedy and just convictions can only be achieved by using DNA as clinching evidence.

View this post on Instagram India's leading live host, anchor, writer & actor and Founder of the content studio, Ministry of Talk, @gitikkaganjudharofficial minces no words as she talks about setting a target for ending the barbaric menace of rape by 2030 and transforming India into a rape-free nation,   ! To mark the Day of International Criminal Justice she stresses the fact that higher convictions in rape and speedy justice are possible only by using DNA as clinching evidence. #DNAFightsRape #WherestheDNA #rapeawareness A post shared by #DNAFightsRape (@wheresthedna) on Jul 16, 2020 at 10:10pm PDT

The most conclusive evidence is the rapists DNA, but the awareness of DNA forensics is very low in India and its collection a massive problem. Because in India the woman who gets raped is shamed and considered dirty. She is asked to cleanse herself of the sin by her family. She is washed and her clothes are cleaned or burnt, leading to loss of crucial DNA evidence even before the case is reported. #DNAFightsRape reinforces the message, Do Not Wash, Do Not Clean, SAVE THE EVIDENCE. To get justice, we need DNA and for that we need to save bodily evidence in every sexual offence and rape investigation.

Dr Pinky Anand, Sr Advocate said, The initiative #DNAFightsRape  Save the Evidence started two years ago and has since then come a long way and gained tremendous momentum. I am happy that I could play a role in this drive trying to create awareness amongst the populace, masses on the importance of DNA evidence, especially in cases of sexual assault and rape. Today, DNA profiling has become one of the most important evidence for detection of crimes like rape and murder, simplifying and easing not just the process of investigations, but often forming clinching evidence in cases where conviction would otherwise have been difficult. Many courts in India are now able to quickly deliver concrete and effective judgments in cases of sexual offences, especially rape because of the veracity and the absolute nature of DNA evidence.

DNA remains the worlds best crime fighting technology as public figures and subject matter experts from legal, law enforcement, forensics, medical, and public policy fields validate the merit of scientific evidence over ocular evidence in court. The Nirbhaya case is a landmark case as it hugely qualifies the success of DNA evidence. It was effectively used to convict all accused in this case. The law was duly upheld, and justice delivered!

As a matter of fact, more and more courts today are relying on DNA evidence to convict the offender in cases of sexual offence and rape of minors. Law enforcement and medical forensic experts too are realising the need to step up protocols related to DNA collect & test in rape investigations.

In the last six months, the judiciary has treated forensic DNA results as conclusive evidence. The process is today becoming successful only due to proper and timely collection of biological evidence by the police and medical examiners from the crime scene and the victims body following an incident. Over the last two years, owing to the increased awareness of the importance and the impact of DNA evidence, the testing of DNA in criminal incidents has doubled. We must take care of two things, preserve the evidence in a rape case and second, demand for DNA testing. And if we can do this, we will be able to make this city and this country, a safe place for our women and children, Dr Anand added.

However, despite growth in the number of profiles being tested, the absolute volume remains low, especially in crimes against women and children. Rising crime, declining conviction rates, and an unprecedented backlog of cases in courts, clearly establishes huge unmet potential for DNA casework in India. Official statistics show a dramatic increase in the number of crimes against women, which have shot up from 24,923 in 2012 to 33,356 in 2018  a jump of 34 per cent! As per NCRB data, one woman is raped every 15 minutes in India, whereas only one in four reported rape cases result in conviction.

Speaking from a global point of view, Tim Schellberg, Founder & President, Gordon Thomas HoneywellGA noted, I am proud to endorse the #DNAFightsRape on the International Justice Day. This campaign will bring much needed awareness of the power of DNA in delivering justice to rape survivors. This awareness will create the expectation in India that when a rape occurs, DNA will be collected and tested quickly. In the United States and many other countries who were early to mainstream DNA forensics, rape survivors and their families have a general understanding of DNA evidence and they know its value to a criminal investigation. As a result, the culture in these countries is not to clean or wash evidence and pursue medical examination at the earliest. India too would see greater utilization of DNA in sexual assaults if people here made it a top priority. This would not only bring sexual offenders to justice but also act as a strong deterrent to the act of rape.

Stating the sense of urgency and call to action, Arneeta Vasudeva, Senior Vice President Ogilvy adds, Rape is a malice that has permeated into this nations fabric and is spreading at an alarming rate. With only 1 in 4 rape cases leading to conviction, the future looks grim unless we do something about it. So lets all on this Day of International Criminal Justice take a pledge to do our part in making India a rape-free country, and a safer community for our women and children.

To join the movement, use #DNAFightsRape #WherestheDNA and post a picture along with a message to spread the word, MAKE INDIA RAPE FREE!
Kim Strassel has tweeted out the Wall Street Journal editorial The FBIs dossier deceit. It bears the hallmarks of her excellent work on the Russia hoax.

The editorial is based on the declassification via the Senate Judiciary Committee of the FBIs interviews over three days in January 2017 with the primary source for the infamous Steele dossier. Strassel reminds us: The bureau used the dossiers accusations as the basis for four warrants to surveil Trump aide Carter Page during the 2016 campaign and early months of the Trump Presidency. Long story short: The 57 pages of notes from the source interviews make clear that the FBI knew the dossier was junk as early as January 2017.

Strassel elaborates:

Former British spy Christopher Steele, whose dirt-digging was financed by the Hillary Clinton campaign, based nearly all of his dossier allegations on information from one unidentified primary subsource. The FBI didnt corroborate the Steele dossiers claims prior to its first application to surveil Mr. Page in October 2016, and it didnt get around to interviewing the source until nearly four months later. When agents finally got around to it, the source made clear that there was no factual basis to the dossiers claims. The source noted he had mainly provided business intelligence to Mr. Steele, so he was uncomfortable when Mr. Steele in March 2016 asked him to investigate Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, and later Donald Trump. The source said his friends and contacts were too far removed from these matters, but that he felt like he had to report something back to Steele. The sources attorney insists the source didnt have a network so much as a social circle. The source didnt take notes, and he couldnt remember which information came from whom. He acknowledged that he even passed along information derived from a telephone call from an anonymous Russian male who never identified himself. The source said he warned Mr. Steele that his info was rumor and speculation. The FBI interviewer writes: Steele pushed [the source] to try and either follow-up with people or corroborate the reporting but [the source] wasnt able to do so.

Why, its almost enough to make us think that the FBIs investigation of the Trump campaign was based on a patently ludicrous pretext. More via Twitter below, including Peter Strzoks astute assessment of a New York Times story peddling the hoax  the biggest scandal in American political history by far.

'Inaccurate and misleading': FBI tore apart "bombshell" New York Times story about Trump-Russia contacts, according to newly declassified memo. Peter Strzok flagged 14 errors in the NYT report from Feb. 14, 2017. https://t.co/uyhqejudSL  Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) July 17, 2020

Primary Sub Source interview memo confirms that the FISA relied on Steele, Steeles Primary Sub Source, six of his sub-sources and Stefan Halper. Thats it. https://t.co/80QVHcamC8  Undercover Huber (@JohnWHuber) July 18, 2020
Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

An order issued Saturday by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overruled a federal judges ruling that the Texas Republican Party could hold an in-person convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center, after Mayor Sylvester Turner vowed to appeal the case.

On Friday, Judge Lynn Hughes of the Southern District of Texas said the city of Houston had infringed on the partys constitutional rights by canceling the in-person convention.
Supermodel Megan Gale's brother has now been missing for five days, with the alarm raised when he didn't show up for work.

Jason Gale, the star's 49-year-old older brother, went missing from his home in the Perth suburb of Bibra Lake on Tuesday morning.

Police launched an urgent search amid concerns for his welfare after he didn't arrive at work five days ago, according to The West Australian.

Mr Gale is believed to be driving a 1999 silver coloured Honda CR-V station sedan, registration 1BOI107.

He was last seen at 9.40am on Tuesday, when he bought petrol and water in the Wheatbelt town of Pingelly, about 158km from Perth.

Loved ones of Mr Gale say he was known to take trips by himself, but never for this long.

Jason Gale, (pictured) the star's 49-year-old older brother, went missing from his home in the Perth suburb of Bibra Lake on Tuesday morning

The brother of supermodel Megan Gale (pictured) has gone missing in Western Australia

His family are urging anyone with information to call the police.

Little is known about the supermodel's brother, but in 2018 the star shared an emotional tribute to her late father, who died in 2014, saying she had 'lit a candle' for herself and her two older brothers.

'I lost my dear Dad four years ago today. I've lit this four wick candle every year for him on this day since his passing - one wick each for my Mum, my two brothers and myself,' she wrote on Instagram.

'On days like today I remind myself how precious life is, how we should never take it for granted and cherish your loved ones while you still have them.'

She also detailed talking to her two brothers and mum before their father's death, which prompted her to urgently fly home to Perth.

He was last seen at 9.40am on Tuesday, when he bought petrol and water in the Wheatbelt town of Pingelly (pictured)

He was last seen at 9.40am on Tuesday, when he bought petrol and water in the Wheatbelt town of Pingelly, about 158 kilometres from Perth

'Pregnancy was definitely not what I'd always envisioned it to be I found out my dad had lung cancer when I was 12 weeks pregnant with (son) River,' she told Mamma Mia in March.

'That was particularly hard because my family were in Perth and I wanted to be with my dad as much as I could, but it got to a point when I couldn't fly anymore.'

'There was a point when my mum and my brothers said, "look, we don't know how long he's got". So I packed up 14-week-old River and we got on a plane to Perth. Two days later, he was gone. It was obviously pretty devastating.'

Ms Gale, who is now engaged to former AFL star, Shaun Hampson, grew up in Perth with her two older brothers and parents.

Ms Gale (pictured, right, with fiancee Shaun Hampson) grew up in Perth with her two older brothers and parents

The 44-year-old model (pictured) has featured in a string of high profile fashion magazines like Marie Claire, Vogue Italia, Cosmopolitan and GQ

The 44-year-old model has featured in a string of high profile fashion magazines like Marie Claire, Vogue Italia, Cosmopolitan and GQ.

Her career started at the ripe age of 18 after winning a modelling competition in her hometown.

In 1999, she featured in a series of ads for Italian telecommunications company Omnitel - leading to her European success.

She has starred as a judge on Australia's Next Top Model along with hosting Project Runway Australia.

Gale has also played roles in Australian movies such as I Love You Too, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Water Diviner featuring Russell Crowe.

She is a mother to son River, five, and daughter Rosie, two.

The 44-year-old is a mother to son River, five, and daughter Rosie, two (pictured, together)

Megan Gale's (pictured) career started at the ripe age of 18 after she won a modelling competition in her hometown

The mother-of-two (pictured) has starred in several Australian films including Mad Max: Fury Road that also featured Charlize Theron

Gale had previously dated Andy Lee, most known for his radio show with Hamish Blake, Hamish and Andy.

The pair dated for four years before calling it quits in 2010.

She began her new relationship with Hampson just one month later and revealed she copped a lot of backlash due to him being 12 years younger.

'I was very aware of the fact that a lot would be made of not just how quickly I happened to move on, but the age difference,' she previously said on Ahn's Brush with Fame.

'I knew, I knew people would eat that up and make that a negative.'

The model explained that she received intense criticism about the age gap, saying she 'hated it'.

'A lot of people thought differently of me, they wrote differently about me,' Gale said.
Rep. John Lewis, who died on Friday at the age of 80, made history when he delivered a speech at the 1963 March on Washington, an event that also included the iconic I Have a Dream speech by his mentor and friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Lewis spoke to TIME in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the March, and said he vividly remembered being introduced to hundreds of thousands of people who had gathered for the historic March and were eager to hear from the 23-year-old who was quickly taking a leadership role in the civil rights movement.

I stood up and I said to myself, This is it, Lewis told TIME. I looked straight out and I started speaking.

At the time, Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which was one of the major organizations during the civil rights movement. Their actions included participating in protests, sit-ins and many of the marches and campaigns during the fight for civil rights.

Those of us in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee wanted the speech to speak for the hundreds of thousands of young people and people not so young that we were working within the horde of the Deep South, Lewis said. We prepared a speech that we thought reflected the feelings, the ideas of the people.

Bob Zellner, who was then the field secretary for the SNCC, said the organization was likely the most militant out of all the organizations involved in the March  and there was pressure on Lewis to censor his comments.

They wanted to temper that speech and we thought that it was the time not to temper the speech, Zellner told TIME.

The speech starts with Lewis immediately telling people what the March is about. He also noted that many more people were not present because they were trapped working for starvation wages.

While we stand here, there are sharecroppers in the Delta of Mississippi who are out in the fields working for less than three dollars a day, twelve hours a day, Lewis said during his speech.

Story continues

Lewis also criticized both parties during his speech, saying that neither one was helping the cause.

Where is the political party that will make it unnecessary to March on Washington? Lewis implored at the time.

The speech also used the word revolution. Lewis remembered that some people were against the term, while others felt it was the right word for the moment.

He talked about what was actually happening in the field, Doris Derby, a volunteer with SNCC, told TIME. People being beaten and the bombingsso he was talking about things that we knew about.

While most of the speech was viewed as radical by many, Lewis felt it was the end of the speech that people really didnt like.

Lewis recalled that he intended to end the speech by saying, If we do not see meaningful progress here today the day will come when we will not confine our marching on Washington, but we will be forced to march through the South the way Sherman did  nonviolently.

He was referring to Shermans March to the Sea, a Civil War march led by Union General William T. Sherman in 1864 in Savannah, GA. The goal of that march was to scare Georgias citizens and convince them to leave the Confederate cause.

They [other volunteers] said John, you cant use that, Lewis recalled. They said, John, that doesnt sound like you. Thats what Dr. King said.

Lewis said he could not say no to Dr. King. This man that I admired and loved. He was my inspiration, my hero.

Ultimately, the ending of the speech was changed before Lewis delivered it.

If we do not get meaningful legislation out of this Congress, the time will come when we will not confine our marching to Washington, Lewis said in the conclusion of the speech. We will march through the South through the streets of Jackson, through the streets of Danville, through the streets of Cambridge, through the streets of Birmingham. But we will march with the spirit of love and with the spirit of dignity that we have shown here today.

Correction, July 21 The original version of this story misstated the names of two civil rights activists. They are Bob Zellner and Doris Derby, not Zeller and Derry.
Several US businesses have expressed their intention to expand their investment and business activities in Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

Washington D.C - An online discussion took place recently in Washington D.C. to look into post-COVID-19 investment opportunities throughout ASEAN, with some companies saying they will soon announce investment and business expansion plans in Vietnam.

Held by the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and Ernst & Young on July 15, the discussion saw the presence of representatives from the US Department of State, some ASEAN embassies, and more than 100 US companies and business associations in industries such as finance, energy, technology, e-commerce, health care, and insurance.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc highlighted the favourable factors for US investors in Vietnam, including the two countries flourishing comprehensive partnership, the free trade agreements Vietnam has joined and, especially, its success in fighting COVID-19 and the Governments resolve to attract foreign investment and bolster the countrys role in restructuring global supply chains.

He noted that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently set up a working group to promote foreign investment, adding that the country will resume several commercial air routes and facilitate the entry of foreign experts, investors, and skilled staff.

Vietnam, other regional countries, and the US are scrutinising economic cooperation initiatives, including the Economic Prosperity Network, to encourage joint projects in manufacturing hi-tech products and developing the digital economy, Ngoc said.

USABC President Alex Feldman and representatives from US companies expressed their appreciation of the investment opportunities available in ASEAN and Vietnam, emphasising the blocs important standing in the Indo-Pacific region and that ASEAN has become the fourth largest trade partner of and the leading investment destination for the US.

US companies said that in the time to come, investors would further consider the Governments response to external shocks before making investment decisions, and Vietnams achievements in controlling COVID-19 and boosting economic recovery efforts have been positively assessed by foreign investors.

Others proposed that Vietnam and other ASEAN countries continue to improve the business climate, reform administrative procedures, enhance transparency, issue concrete support policies for businesses, and pay greater attention to human resources and infrastructure development.

The USABC added that it is ready to coordinate with Vietnam to successfully organise the Indo-Pacific business forum, scheduled to take place in the country later this year.
Almost 20 coronavirus cases have been linked to the same Emirates flight sparking speculation that people were infected mid-air.

West Australian Health Minister Roger Cook said 19 confirmed cases are linked to Emirates flight EK420 which arrived in Perth from Dubai on July 1.

The latest confirmed case is a 43-year-old Romanian technical engineer who was on the aircraft as part of a maritime crew swap-over.

Almost 20 coronavirus cases have been linked to the same Emirates flight sparking speculation that people were infected mid-air (stock image)

Three of the confirmed cases travelled from Ethiopia to Frankfurt to Dubai and finally, Perth.

Seven infected passengers travelled directly from Dubai.

Four passengers who tested positive travelled from London to Dubai to Perth.

Another four boarded in London, flew to Dubai and landed in Perth.

One passenger travelled from Kabul to Dubai and Perth.

All of the passengers on the flight are serving quarantine in the same hotel.

The Emirates flight cluster is WA's worst outbreak since the arrival of Al Kuwait live export ship on May 26.

The ship docked after sailing from the United Arab Emirates, with 48 multinational crew on board- which includes two Australians.

There were 20 confirmed cases aboard including a three-year-old boy who had contact with a known case.

The Emirates flight cluster is WA's worst outbreak since the arrival of Al Kuwait live export ship (pictured) on May 26

Officials are investigating whether any of the passengers were infected by other passengers during the flight.

'It does give you some cause for concern about what happened on that particular flight,' Health Minister Cook said. .

'What I'm comforted by is the strong quarantining arrangements we have for people coming in on international flights, so I'm not worried about the public health risk.'

Emirates have been contacted for comment.

Mr Cook said the importance of the state's 'hard' border was highlighted by a 45-year-old West Australian man who flew in from Victoria and was one of Friday's two confirmed cases.

The latest confirmed case is a 43-year-old Romanian technical engineer who was on the aircraft as part of a maritime crew swap-over (Pictured: New Zealand passengers from the Vasco Da Gama cruise ship arrive in Perth on March 28)

WA is now immediately testing the few workers granted an exemption to travel to the state from NSW and Victoria, as soon as they land.

And from 11.59pm on Sunday, the criteria for exemptions for people from NSW is being tightened to match those for Victoria.

Mr Cook said the state government understood the measures were inconvenient and distressing for some West Australians who wanted to return home but could not.

'We understand these are tough decisions and we don't take them lightly,' he said.

'It is judged on a case-by-case basis.

'We understand that these tight arrangements will capture people who would otherwise, you would think, have a reasonable case to enter the state.'

There are now 26 active cases of COVID-19 in WA.
People flock to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden on the Children's Day June 1, 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Vietnams population might peak at 107.25 million in 2044, a decade earlier than forecast by the U.N. last year, according to a recent study.

The study, published on medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday, forecasts population scenarios from 2018 to 2100 for 195 countries and territories using estimates from the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), an observational epidemiological study that describes mortality and morbidity from major diseases, injuries and risk factors to health at global, national and regional levels.

Vietnam would reach its peak population the fifth quickest among 13 countries and territories in Southeast Asia, after Thailand (71.97 million) in 2028, Mauritius (1.3 million) and Sri Lanka (22.34 million) in 2031, and Seychelles (110,000) in 2042.

The region is expected to reach its peak population of 786.84 million in 2052.

The U.N. last year forecast Vietnams population to peak at 109.795 million in 2054.

The Lancet study said by 2100 Vietnams population would shrink to 72.85 million, a 24.2 percent reduction from 2017 (96.14 million), the fourth highest reduction in the region behind Sri Lankas 51.6 percent (21.6 million to 10.45 million), Thailands 50.9 percent (70.63 million to 34.66 million) and Mauritiuss 43.3 percent (1.27 million to 0.72 million).

Only four countries in the region, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, would see their populations increase by 2100, it said.

The U.N. last year said Vietnams population would be 97.437 million by 2100.

The Lancet study also predicted the world population to peak at 9.732 billion in 2064, before falling to 8.785 billion by 2100 amid declining fertility rates and graying populations.

Out of 195 countries and territories in the study, 183 would have fallen below the replacement threshold needed to maintain population levels by 2100.

"These forecasts suggest good news for the environment, with less stress on food production systems and lower carbon emissions, as well as significant economic opportunity for parts of sub-Saharan Africa," AFP quoted Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and lead author of the study, as saying.

"However, most countries outside of Africa will see shrinking workforces and inverting population pyramids, which will have profound negative consequences for the economy."

Vietnam reached a turning point in 2015 when it started to become one of the countries with the fastest aging populations in the world, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said in a 2016 report.

Several localities have seen birth rates fall way below the ideal replacement fertility rate of two children per woman. For instance, in Ho Chi Minh City women are having around 1.36 children on average, while the rates in the southern provinces of Dong Thap, Hau Giang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau are 1.34, 1.53 and 1.37.

Low fertility rates would result in a quickly aging population, straining social welfare systems, including pensions, health insurance and social security, experts have warned.

The government has urged people to marry before 30 and bear children early, with women having their second child before 35.
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A week ago, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) came out with a strong set of second-quarter numbers that could potentially lead to a re-rate of the stock. The company beat both earnings and revenue forecasts, with revenue of US$7.3b, some 6.9% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at US$0.30, 147% ahead of expectations. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.

Check out our latest analysis for Abbott Laboratories

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Abbott Laboratories' 20 analysts is for revenues of US$32.8b in 2020, which would reflect a reasonable 4.5% increase on its sales over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to bounce 28% to US$2.22. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$31.5b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$1.63 in 2020. So it seems there's been a definite increase in optimism about Abbott Laboratories' future following the latest results, with a sizeable expansion in the earnings per share forecasts in particular.

Despite these upgrades,the analysts have not made any major changes to their price target of US$104, suggesting that the higher estimates are not likely to have a long term impact on what the stock is worth. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. There are some variant perceptions on Abbott Laboratories, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$116 and the most bearish at US$80.00 per share. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable.

Story continues

One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that Abbott Laboratories' revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues next year expected to grow 4.5%, compared to a historical growth rate of 11% over the past five years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 10% per year. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than Abbott Laboratories.

The Bottom Line

The biggest takeaway for us is the consensus earnings per share upgrade, which suggests a clear improvement in sentiment around Abbott Laboratories' earnings potential next year. They also upgraded their revenue estimates for next year, even though sales are expected to grow slower than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.

With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Abbott Laboratories. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Abbott Laboratories going out to 2024, and you can see them free on our platform here..

You still need to take note of risks, for example - Abbott Laboratories has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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.
Venezuela slams 'sneaky' entry of US destroyer as 'provocation'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 17 July 2020 6:33 AM

Venezuela has lashed out at Washington for the "sneaky" entry of a US destroyer into the Latin American country's territorial waters, denouncing the move as an "act of provocation."

The US Southern Command claimed on Wednesday that the guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney had conducted a "freedom of navigation" operation more than 12 nautical miles off the Venezuelan coast and in international waters in the Caribbean Sea.

The Southern Command also said the warship had been deployed to "challenge" what it called the Latin American country's "excessive maritime claim in international waters."

The Venezuelan foreign ministry countered the US claims on Thursday, saying that the USS Pinckney had violated maritime laws by entering the Contiguous Zone, which extends for 24 nautical miles off the South American country's coast.

"The sneaky way the US boat entered Venezuelan territorial waters was a clear violation of International Maritime Law and can only be described as an inexcusable act of provocation, albeit erratic and childish," said the foreign ministry.

The Southern Command had also referred to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as "illegitimate."

The violation was the second time in three weeks after the US Navy deployed the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze off the Venezuelan coast on June 23. Venezuela called the operation a provocation and said it would respond forcefully if the US warship conducted any military operation against Venezuela.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has been attempting to overthrow the democratically-elected government of Maduro, including with harsh sanctions and threats of military action.

Back in May, a group of mercenaries attempted to intrude into the northern Venezuelan state of La Guaira on speedboats in a gung-ho operation to kidnap Maduro. Venezuela's military foiled that attack, killing eight of the armed men and arresting several others, including two who were US citizens.

The contract under which the mercenaries carried out the attack bore the signature of Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido, who plunged the country into political turmoil after he unilaterally declared himself the "interim president" of Venezuela in January last year.

Guaido, with Washington's assistance and receiving help from a small number of rogue soldiers, later launched a botched putsch against the elected government.

Washington has so far imposed several rounds of sanctions against Venezuela.

UN report on judicial independence 'biased'

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan foreign ministry rejected as "biased" a United Nations report claiming that the independence of the Latin American country's justice system was undermined by insecurity and a lack of transparency.

The 15-page report by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, claimed that Venezuelan offenders were victims of human rights violations and had difficulty obtaining justice in the country's courts.

"This biased report... is a palpable example of the double standards, manipulation and shameful political use of international mechanisms by a small group of countries," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also accused the United States and other nations of "aggression" towards Venezuela, which has been in political turmoil since last year when Guaido declared himself acting president and rejected Maduro's 2018 re-election.

Guaido, denounced by Caracas as a "US puppet", has so far defended Washington's sanctions against the Venezuelan people, and on Thursday backed the UN report.

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ATLANTA - John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, has died. He was 80.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, file photo, with the Capitol Dome in the background, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lewis, who carried the struggle against racial discrimination from Southern battlegrounds of the 1960s to the halls of Congress, died Friday, July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson, File)

ATLANTA - John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, has died. He was 80.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis passing late Friday night, calling him one of the greatest heroes of American history.

FILE - In this July 2, 1963, file photo, six leaders of the nation's largest black civil rights organizations pose at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. From left, are: John Lewis, chairman Student Non-Violence Coordinating Committee; Whitney Young, national director, Urban League; A. Philip Randolph, president of the Negro American Labor Council; Martin Luther King Jr., president Southern Christian Leadership Conference; James Farmer, Congress of Racial Equality director; and Roy Wilkins, executive secretary, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Lewis, who carried the struggle against racial discrimination from Southern battlegrounds of the 1960s to the halls of Congress, died Friday, July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Harry Harris, File)

All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing, Pelosi said. May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make good trouble, necessary trouble.

The condolences for Lewis were bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Lewis was a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles. 

Lewiss announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer  I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now, he said  inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.

The announcement of his death came just hours after the passing of the Rev. C.T. Vivian, another civil rights leader who died early Friday at 95.

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, file photo, civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., is extolled at an event with fellow Democrats before passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act to eliminate potential state and local voter suppression laws, at the Capitol in Washington. Lewis, who carried the struggle against racial discrimination from Southern battlegrounds of the 1960s to the halls of Congress, died Friday, July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and its blood so that it might live up to its promise, President Barack Obama said after Lewis' death. Early on, he embraced the principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as the means to bring about real change in this country.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal I Have a Dream speech.

A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a scorched earth march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.

It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.

Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his familys farm and attended segregated public schools.

FILE - In this March 17, 1965, file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fourth from left, foreground, locks arms with his aides as he leads a march of several thousands to the courthouse in Montgomery, Ala. From left are: an unidentified woman, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, James Foreman, King, Jesse Douglas Sr., and John Lewis. Lewis, who carried the struggle against racial discrimination from Southern battlegrounds of the 1960s to the halls of Congress, died Friday, July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/File)

As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the colour of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabamas segregated Troy State University.

He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while travelling around the South to challenge segregation.

Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.

The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didnt come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Selma to Montgomery, Alabamas capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.

Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.

In this June 7, 2020 photo provided by the Executive Office of District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, John Lewis looks over a section of 16th Street that's been renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington. The Washington Monument and the White House are visible in the distance. Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died. He was 80. (Khalid Naji-Allah/Executive Office of the Mayor via AP)

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

In an early setback for Barack Obamas 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honoured Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.

President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday praised Lewis as a giant who became the conscience of the nation.

Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill  but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defence of young immigrants.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis refused to attend Trumps inauguration, saying he didnt consider him a legitimate president because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from s---hole countries, Lewis declared, I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.

Lewis said hed been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally hed do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Lewis said in June, recalling the good trouble he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

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If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say? While the vote would be hard for some, he said: We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

___

Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.
The U.S. military says Turkey sent more than 3,500 Syrian fighters to Libya during the first three months of 2020 to help the North African countrys internationally recognized government in its civil war against a rebel commander.



The Defense Departments report, seen by the Associated Press on July 17, was the U.S. militarys first to detail the Turkish deployments that helped change the course of the war in Libya.



The country has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed popular uprising ousted and killed the North African countrys longtime dictator Colonel Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.



The current struggle pits rebel Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east of the country against the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), based in Tripoli.



Turkey has provided support for the GNA. Qatar and Italy have also backed the Tripoli-based government.



Russia has supported the rebels, mainly through the Kremlin-connected military contractor Vagner Group. France, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates also back Haftar.

Both Russia and Turkey have been criticized by the UN and Western officials, who say their efforts to arm their allies have led to an intensification of the violence.



The United States has accused Moscow of deploying military jets to Libya to provide support for the Russian mercenaries



Moscow has denied the Russian state is responsible for any deployments of the Vagner group and denied sending aircraft to Libya.



The new Pentagon report says Turkey paid and offered citizenship to thousands of mercenaries fighting alongside Tripoli-based militias against Haftar's forces.



The report said no evidence was found to indicate that the Syrian fighters were affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) extremist group or Al-Qaeda, saying instead that they were very likely motivated by financial reasons than by ideology.



A string of Turkish-backed victories by the Tripoli forces has driven Haftar's troops from the capitals suburbs and other strongholds since Ankara's deployment of forces.



The UN has been pressing the sides in the conflict to push forward with peace talks.

On July 18, Germany, France, and Italy warned that they were prepared to apply sanctions on those violating the UN embargo on arms flowing into Libya.



"We are prepared to consider a possible use of sanctions if infringements against the land, sea and air embargo continue," the three heads of government wrote in a joint statement on July 18, without naming a state or entity which could be the target.



"We therefore call on all Libyan parties as well as their international backers to put a stop to combat activities and the acquisition of arms in the entire country," said the statement, drawn up during a summit in Brussels, by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

With reporting by AP
R apper Big Sean has paid tribute to his former fiancee Naya Rivera.

The Glee actresss body was found in Lake Piru on July 13, four days after she went missing while on a boat trip with her four-year-old son Josey.

The 33-year-olds death was ruled an accidental drowning. Police said Naya "mustered enough energy to boost her son back onto the rental boat, saving his life, before he saw her disappear beneath the surface.

Big Sean, 32, has now broken his silence as celebrities and fans across the world mourn the stars loss.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram, liked more than 300,000 times, he wrote: Rest In Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul!

Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. you are a hero!

Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldnt achieve that on their own.

I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person. Im still grieving and in shock, I cant believe this is real.

Im praying for you and your family and I know your watching over them and protecting them. Rest In Peace Naya.

The rapper, who was engaged to Naya in 2013, accompanied the post with two pictures of Naya, one showing her cradling her young son, whom she shares with ex Ryan Dorsey, 36.

Stars including Macklmore and Snoh Aalegra left heart emojis under the emotional post.

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

Big Sean and Naya began dating in 2013 after Seans split from Ashley Marie.

Naya told Access Hollywood at the time: I had followed him, and he sent me a little message like, Im a fan. We went to dinner and the rest is history.

During their relationship, Sean featured on Riveras debut single, Sorry, released in September 2013.
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Saturday accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of acting illegally and called for President's rule in the state over the phone tapping row.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also accused CM Gehlot of openly violating the Anti-Defection law and cheating the BSP for a second time by getting its MLAs included in Congress.

"Rajasthan Chief Minister first violated the anti-defection law and betrayed the BSP by admitting its MLAs into the Congress. And now he apparently made another illegal decision by tapping phones,' the BSP supremo tweeted on Friday.

"The Governor of Rajasthan should take effective cognizance of the continuing political deadlock, mutual disturbance and instability in the government and recommend imposition of President's rule in the state to save democracy," she wrote in another tweet.

"The governor (of Rajasthan) must take cognisance of the political deadlock and instability prevailing in Rajasthan, and should recommend imposition of President's Rule in the state, so that the condition of democracy in the state does not deteriorate," she said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

On July 16, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police registered two FIRs alleging a conspiracy to topple the Gehlot-led government in the state after the Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a complaint claiming that three audiotapes, purportedly of conversations detailing the plot.

Earlier in the day, the BJP hit back at the Gehlot government when it not only denied charges of alleged bid to break the Congress party but also alleged that the dessert state is witnessing an indirect emergency. The BJP was referring to purported phone conversations that were leaked by Gehlot camp.

"Is the phone of every person in Rajasthan, who has any concern with politics, is being tapped? Is Emergency not being imposed indirectly in Rajasthan?," asked BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra in a press conference today. Calling the Rajasthan political crisis a "drama", Patra alleged it was a brazen cocktail of conspiracy, lies, fraud and defiance of law.

"The whole conspiracy is being hatched in their house and through some audio tapes it is being alleged that the BJP is trying to sabotage the Congress party," said Patra. He demanded a CBI probe into this matter, to ascertain whether phone tapping was done or SOPs were followed. He also questioned if the voice in the leaks are authentic, why the FIR states it as "purported".

Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. The pilot was sacked as Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief on July 14.

Gehlot blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.

Pilot was miffed after the SOG sent him a notice to record his statement in a case of alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state.
Geneva, July 18 : Covid-19 threatens to exacerbate many issues the world is facing, such as years of conflict and other humanitarian crises, the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, while calling for continuity of essential health services.

Although Covid-19 has rightly captured the world's attention, many countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East, are still reeling from years of conflict and other humanitarian crises, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday at a routine briefing, Xinhua reported.

He said the pandemic, and the restrictions put in place to suppress it, are taking a heavy toll on 220 million people in protracted emergencies. While it is too early to assess the full impact of so-called lockdowns and other containment measures, up to 132 million more people may go hungry in 2020, in addition to the 690 million who went hungry last year.

According to the WHO chief, deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty caused by the pandemic could force at least 9.7 million children out of school forever by the end of this year, with millions more falling behind in learning.

Meanwhile, the economic impact of the pandemic in humanitarian settings can aggravate already dire living conditions, such as more displacement, food shortages, risk of malnutrition, decrease in access to essential services, and mental health problems, said Tedros.

"The pandemic is teaching us that health is not a luxury item; it's the foundation of social, economic and political stability," he said. "The impacts of the pandemic go far beyond health, and so do the needs, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable countries." The WHO chief called on the international community to use Covid-19 as an opportunity to build health systems that are more resilient and more able to withstand the impact of health emergencies.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
No infections among loved ones who visited Kandakadu By Kumudini Hettiarachchi, Ruqyyaha Deane and MeleezaRathnayake Schools and airport reopening postponed View(s): View(s):

Several major decisions including the postponement of the reopening of schools and the airport were taken this week, as a top health official said that none of the family members who visited the Kandakadu Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre on July 4 has tested positive for COVID-19 so far.

It is difficult, however, to predict when the Kandakadu cluster will flatten out, said Health Services Director-General (DG) Dr. Anil Jasinghe, assuring that all possible measures including wide-scale testing, are being carried out.

The reopening of schools has been pushed back further as students were due to come back to class on a staggered basis from tomorrow (July 20). The opening of the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, which was initially scheduled for August 1 and then after the parliamentary election, has now been put off until further notice. All flights including those bringing back returnees have been cancelled.

Dealing out facts and figures, Dr. Jasinghe said that a majority (about 70%) at the Kandakadu centre are infected. But it will not take long for the disease to manifest itself in this group, unlike in the navy cluster, which dragged on, while at the Senapura centre it may take a little while longer.

The Kandakadu cluster encompasses those who are being rehabilitated from substance addiction; the staff and their contacts; and the families who visited the inmates on July 4, the Sunday Times learns.

According to Dr. Jasinghe there are 543 positive cases in this cluster of which only 34 who have gone out (mainly staff) or had close links with these staff members who have gone out are included. These 34 positive cases include 18 from Rajanganaya and this is where there could be a few issues, ehe-mehe wenna puluwan because a positive person had gone to a funeral and an alms-giving. No family member who visited the inmates has been diagnosed as positive so far.

When asked how the Kandakadu cluster would have got triggered, he said that the origin of the disease would have been from around 100 substance abusers from Suduwella in Ja-ela and Bandaranayakepura in Keselwatta being sent in batches for rehabilitation to Kandakadu. Remember their behavioural patterns are different and the virus could spread.

Rejecting allegations that the health authorities were hiding the actual numbers, Dr. Jasinghe underscored that there was no community spread of COVID-19 in the country. There may be one or two cases without an epidemiological link (where the origin of the disease could not be traced), but this does not mean that there is community spread. If there is such a spread, more and more numbers should surface. If people are sick they will go to hospitals across the country and if doctors suspect COVID-19 they will order testing and we will know. There is not a single person in the ICU, so how can facts and figures be hidden?

Linked to the Kandakadu cluster, 5,000 RT-PCR tests have been conducted so far and it is from them that we were able to identify the 543 positive cases. We have tested a large number of people in Rajanganaya alone and this weekend we will be doing the second round of testing here to net in any who may have been missed out, the DG said.

Reiterating that all family members who visited the centre on July 4 have been tested with not even one of them being positive, the DG said that 120 tests have been performed in Rantembe, 123 in Tantrimale and 101 in Pallekelle which included one staff member. Since some staff members had gone back home to Diyagama (close to Homagama), they had done 201 tests in the area and found eight positive cases.

With a rehabilitation meeting held in Colombo bringing in some staff members from Kandakadu, tests had also been performed on 78 people from Nikawewa and 74 from the Kotugoda church where a staff member had gone, with all bringing forth negative results. With a member of the private Melsta hospital in Ragama visiting Kandakadu for lectures, 69 hospital staff members were tested, all being negative. The results of tests done in Kurunegala are awaited.

On Thursday, Dr. Jasinghe said, 2,406 RT-PCR tests were done in 24 hours from all over the country, with the bulk being at Rajanganaya.These tests included 812 random samples from the community; 476 from quarantine centres; 407 from private laboratories and 44 from the airport.

Call goes out to get tested without fear in Rajanganaya As the second round of RT-PCR testing was to be carried out next week in Rajanganaya, a request went out from a high-level health official for people not to worry or be scared but to respond voluntarily. There is nothing to fear. Come and get tested in the second round and cooperate with our Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) and Public Health Inspectors (PHIs), said the Provincial Director of Health (North Central Province), Dr. W.M. Palitha Bandara, explaining that people should take health precautions such as hand-hygiene, social distancing and face-mask wearing and gather at the 5th Post pola in Rajanganaya. It is an illness and if a person is ill, he/she will be treated and there is no cause for concern. Of 815 RT-PCR tests conducted in the first round within five days after a staffer from the Kandakaducentre attended a funeral and alms-giving in Rajanganaya, only 18 are positive. The positive cases include three children, aged 1 years, 10 years and 12 years. Some areas in Rajanganaya  Tracts 1, 3 & 5 and 5th Post  have been shut down with around 1,400 in quarantine in their homes. Unawatuna Railway Station opened This week also saw the new coronavirus compelling the little Unawatuna railway sub-station coming under the Galle railway station on the southern line to put up its shutters. The station office was closed and the platforms deserted on July 13 (Monday) after the neighbour of its Station Master who lives in Habaraduwa was tested positive for COVID-19. The neighbour is a staff member from the Kandakaducentre. While the Station Master is in self-quarantine, the Unawatuna station was disinfected and re-opened on July 15 (Wednesday).

Visits to quarantine centres and new army hospital in the north The Head of the Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 and Army Commander, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva paid a visit to the quarantine centres being managed by the tri-forces on Friday to check out their needs while lauding the staff for the good work being done. He also inspected the newly-built 75-bed Kilinochchi army hospital, the work of which had been handled by the 11 Engineer Services Regiment within four months.
New Delhi: Mumbai police is leaving no stone unturned to investigate the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The 34-year-old actor was dating model-actress Rhea Chakraborty, who has been receiving a lot of backlash after his demise. Now, police will probe her monetary expenditures.

According to sources, in 2019, Rhea Chakraborty went to Europe for an advertisement shoot. Reportedly, barring the ticket price, all other expenses were borne by Sushant Singh Rajput. Besides, in the last 11 months, Rhea has been spending a whopping amount of money on herself from Sushant's account.

ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput case: Rhea Chakraborty accompanied actor during counselling sessions with psychiatrist

The Mumbai police will now probe the exact amount of expenditure done by Rhea in this period.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging from his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. His girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty finally broke her silence and pleaded for a CBI enquiry writing a social media post requesting Home Minister Amit Shah recently.

The Mumbai police have questioned over 35 people in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput as of now. Actor's fans and a few Bollywood celebrities such as Shekhar Suman, Kangana Ranaut and Roopa Ganguly are pressing for a CBI probe to ensure a fair inquiry into the case.
Francis recalled that Mr. McCarrick told him that boys could begin traveling with him at age 13. But when Francis was 12, a rare family trip to Ireland happened to coincide with one of Mr. McCarricks visits to the old country. During that trip, Francis said, Mr. McCarrick took him and his brother to an estate owned by a wealthy Irish-American, where they spent the night together.

After that, Francis said, traveling with Mr. McCarrick became a fairly regular occurrence. According to Francis, the eagerly avuncular priest took him fishing in upstate New York, dined with him at the Tonga Room in San Francisco, treated him to a visit to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles and even took him to Walkers Cay, a privately owned island in the Bahamas.

McCarrick introduced the boys as nephews, Francis recalled, and they called him Uncle Ted. Ted told us that these wealthy people were generous to him, he explained, but they wouldnt be generous to some random group of unrelated boys. They had to stick to the script or he wouldnt be able to bring us along.

Perhaps enlisting the boys in that ruse was a kind of overture for what would follow, habituating them to a climate of silence and fear. Mr. McCarrick routinely booked single hotel rooms, Francis said, and at night Mr. McCarrick would peel out of his clothes to T-shirt and underwear, and energetically jump onto a bed, where he would arrange himself in a cross-legged position, usually next to one of the nephews. The familiarity made Francis uncomfortable: We came from these typical Irish Catholic, working-class households. You still shook hands with your dad. After Mr. McCarricks exuberant displays in the evenings, Francis remembered, he would recruit one of his traveling companions to sleep in bed with him.

It was hard for Francis to describe what happened when it was his turn to sleep in Mr. McCarricks bed, which he estimated happened a dozen or more times, starting when he was 12 and trailing into his early adulthood. Francis looked down and spoke quietly when he said that Mr. McCarrick would usually offer to scratch his back and that he would sometimes press his body against Francis and slip his hands under the boys shirt or slide his fingers underneath the waistband of Francis underwear. While Mr. McCarrick was touching him, Francis said, he would murmur little entreaties: You have to pray for your poor uncle, Francis recalled his saying, as though it were Francis responsibility to reconcile the priest to God, even as he lay helpless and confused against him.

Brendan L., one of Francis cousins, shared a similar account. Ted would say, when youre old enough, you can come travel with me, Brendan remembered, and that became a highly anticipated privilege. Brendan said he traveled with Mr. McCarrick up and down the East Coast and occasionally overseas. But when night came, he recalled, the anxiety set in. It was an accepted norm, nobody talked about it, you just kind of did it. You would think, Ah, [expletive], its my turn tonight. I was always very anxious.

In bed, Brendan said, Mr. McCarrick would be in his underwear, he would snuggle up to you, put his legs over your hips, Brendan recalled uneasily. A couple of times, he slipped his hand under the back of my underwear and I kind of slapped his hand away. Sometimes, Brendan said, he would climb out of bed and sleep on the floor; on those occasions, he told me, Mr. McCarrick would become angry. He estimated he had slept in bed with Mr. McCarrick more than two dozen times, beginning when he was around 12.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 05:04:55|Editor: huaxia

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The U.S. national flag is seen at half-mast at the White House in tribute to John Lewis in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 18, 2020. U.S. civil rights pioneer and Congressman John Lewis died at age 80. The White House issued a presidential proclamation earlier on Saturday ordering flags to be flown at half-mast throughout the day in commemoration of the late congressman. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was saddened by the death of John Lewis, congressman representing the state of Georgia and a revered civil rights leader.

"Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing," Trump tweeted, offering his first public remarks about the death of Lewis, which was announced late Friday. The president said that first lady "Melania and I send our prayers to (him) and his family."

The White House issued a presidential proclamation earlier on Saturday ordering flags to be flown at half-mast throughout the day in commemoration of the late congressman, who died at the age of 80 after having battled with pancreatic cancer since December 2019.

Trump was criticized by his opponents for making a statement on the death of Lewis too late.

Public feud between the two dated back to Trump's inauguration in 2017, which Lewis refused to attend, calling Trump not a "legitimate president." In return, Trump attacked Lewis by saying the district he represented was "horrible."

Born into a family of sharecroppers in 1940, Lewis was hailed as a civil rights icon for his leadership in the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

A founder and early leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis led protests against racial injustice in an era in which apartheid was still rampant in the American South.

He was the youngest and longest surviving speakers at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom movement, which culminated in Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Tributes have been pouring in for Lewis since his passing.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, called him "a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, lauded him as a "pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles."

Calling Lewis "a giant walking among us," presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he wished that Lewis's life and legacy may continue inspiring those in pursuit for "justice, equality and what is right."

Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States, awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, calling him the "conscience of the United States Congress" on the occasion. "I stood on his shoulders," the former president wrote in words commemorating the revered figure.
Unlike Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Bardish Chagger isnt being investigated by the Ethics Commissioner. There is no allegation of misbehaviour on her part.

But the Waterloo MP is Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth.

So she is the person who accepted the advice of the public service to partner with WE, the massive youth-oriented charity, in the $912-million Canada Student Service Grant program.

She also agreed to a quick decision, without inviting bids from other organizations, so that grants could be distributed and volunteer work commence as soon as possible.

It was her name that was on the memorandum to Cabinet proposing that plan.

She presented it to her colleagues, and got their agreement to move forward with it.

Now, of course, the plan has been abandoned. Trudeau and Morneau have apologized to the public and are both under investigation for not having removed themselves from the discussion, since they both have family members who are, or have recently been, paid by the charity.

And so Chagger was grilled by opposition MPs Thursday when she appeared before the House of Commons Finance Committee.

Their job: To discover any evidence that the charity may have had an unfair advantage when being considered.

Her job: To show that the decision was made in the public interest, and that the lack of competitive bids was because there wasnt time for that. The programs had to be up and running within a few weeks for students to take advantage of them this summer. Public servants said that only WE Charity had the national reach, familiarity with youth, and comfort with technology to roll it out.

The first questioner was Pierre Poilievre, Conservative MP for Carleton.

Had she discussed this with anyone in the Prime Ministers Office or finance ministers office? he asked.

I personally did not have those conversations, she said.

Did anyone in your office speak to anyone in the Prime Ministers Office about this proposal before it was brought to Cabinet? he asked.

I know that it is a substantial amount that was budgeted, so I would hope that all offices would have been having conversations to ensure the program was delivered in a meaningful and successful way, she said.

So thats a yes, Poilievre said. Your office did discuss this with the Prime Ministers Office prior to introducing it at Cabinet.

Chagger wasnt having that. Mr. Chair, she appealed to committee chair MP Wayne Easter, the member continues to put words in my mouth.

After a second try much like the first one, Poilievre tried a different line of questioning. Yes or no? he said. Did your office discuss this with the Prime Ministers Office before you introduced it in Cabinet?

If you cant answer, I can move on to another question.

There was a short silence.

OK. She does not want to answer that question, Poilievre said before moving on to financial details of the plan.

New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus of Timmins-James Bay was more aggressive, suggesting that Chagger was responsible for Trudeau and Morneaus behaviour.

This happened on your watch, minister, because you brought this $900-million program to Cabinet. When you brought it forward for discussion, were you aware of the family links between the Trudeau family and WE, and the Morneau family and WE?

Chagger responded that her focus had been on making sure there was additional support for young Canadians, for students ... and thats why it was part of the suite of programs we put forward...

Thats not the question! Angus said, interrupting her.

It should be known the Prime Minister prior to myself was Minister of Youth... she continued.

Yeah, OK, sorry! Thats not the question! he said again.

He continued by saying Chagger had failed her colleagues.

This is astounding. We now have a serious scandal and it happened on your watch.

He asked if, during the period of due diligence when the proposal was being vetted, if the question of family ties had been raised.

Yes, said Chagger. These questions were posed. .... Yes, I asked tough questions of the public service when we made this decision.

Angus responded, I think I heard you say it was raised, it was a problem. Someone raised it and yet you failed to bring this to Cabinet, and this thing blew up in your governments face.

Later, in a short interview with Chagger, I asked what she had been thinking during the Cabinet discussion.

My focus was on the people I was representing at the Cabinet table, she said. I always look around the table, and Im always looking at whos not being represented around the table.

The people not being represented around that table, of course, are the students who  thanks to Trudeau and Morneaus poor judgment  are currently unable to access opportunities to volunteer, and funds to help them through the next year of post-secondary education.

Right now it sounds like the public service is going to have to find a way to make that program work, Chagger said.

As for Trudeau and Morneau, and how they handled their conflict of interest, that wasnt my focus, she said. The Prime Minister acknowledged he should have recused himself.

In other words, despite attempts to pin the blame on her, Chagger put it back squarely where it belongs. On the people with the most power in the room, who are surely in charge of their own behaviour.

Earlier Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said: I think all of us, everyone in our government, everyone in cabinet, bears responsibility for this situation.

Thats an odd statement.

After all, it doesnt matter what anyone else said or did at that meeting.

It was up to Trudeau and Morneau to leave the room during the discussion.

The fact that they didnt reflects poorly on them, and them alone.
A masseuse has spoken of a session she had with a 'chatty' Prince Andrew while she worked on Jeffrey Epstein's 'Paedophile Island'.

Heidi Windel, now 75, has claimed to have given several non-sexual massages to the Duke of York when she was working on Jeffrey Epstein's Caribbean island from 1999 until 2004.

She said Prince Andrew, 60, once had her in stitches by jokingly complaining about a mosquito bite on his 'royal arse', the New York Post reported.

Heidi Windel, now 75, claimed to have given several non-sexual massages to the Duke of York when she was working on Jeffrey Epstein's Caribbean island (above)

Ms Windel said the Duke of York had her in stitches during one massage session, as he joked of having a mosquito bite on his 'royal' backside

'When the massage was over he got very chatty and had me in stitches talking about the errant mosquito that had evaded its net the night before and bitten his royal arse,' Ms Windel told digital news weekly Air Mail.

Epstein bought Little St James, a spot in in the US Virgin Islands, for $7.95million in 1998.

Ms Windel added that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's alleged procurer, was always on Little St James island with the billionaire.

During one work trip to the island, Ms Windel said she watched a thrill-seeking Maxwell, 58, struggle to land a helicopter, without a pilot's license.

She said: 'I'm watching in absolute horror a helicopter coming in from Tortola flying incredibly low  they're not supposed to fly that low!'

Ms Windel added that she was waiting for the helicopter to 'graze the tops of the many sailboats' in St Thomas's Christmas Cove, as the aircraft endangered the sailers.

She said when the helicopter finally landed, Maxwell came 'up the road, giggling'.

Ms Windel said she worked as a masseuse on Little St James island (above) from 1999 until 2004

The masseuse said that she 'lost it' with Maxwell and 'let her have it with both barrels', as she was so angry.

Earlier this month, Epstein's ex-girlfriend Maxwell was dramatically arrested in New Hampshire and charged with procuring underage girls for him to abuse.

Maxwell denies any wrongdoing, but is set to stay in custody until a trial next year, after she was denied bail by a federal judge.

Convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was accused of forcing young women, including some who were underage, into participating in sexual orgies on the US Virgin Island.

Epstein took his life in jail last summer just weeks after New York prosecutors announced he would face multiple child sex charges.

Epstein is thought to have hosted a number of society's elite on the Caribbean island.

Bill Clinton is known to have flown on Epstein's 'Lolita Express' airplane and one alleged Epstein victim claims she saw the former president on the island.

Newly resurfaced footage from 2015 shows Donald Trump telling reporters to ask Prince Andrew about Jeffrey Epstein's 'pedophile island'.

Jeffrey Epstein bought Little St James (above), a spot in in the US Virgin Islands, for $7.95million in 1998

Ms Windel also claimed that, during a work trip, she watched 'in horror' as Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured with Jeffrey Epstein) unsteadily land a helicopter on the Caribbean island

In in an interview with Bloomberg, Trump said: 'That island was really a cesspool, there's no question about it. Just ask Prince Andrew, he'll tell you about it. The island was an absolute cesspool.'

Andrew has acknowledged that he visited Epstein on the Caribbean island and is under growing pressure to give evidence to US authorities, but says he never witnessed or suspected any of Epstein's crimes.

He has been at loggerheads with US prosecutors for months after they claimed he was failing to co-operate with their Epstein probe.

The Duke's lawyers say he has offered to help on 'at least three occasions this year' but US officials claim he has 'repeatedly declined our request' for an interview.

Royal commentators say the discrepancy may lie in the nature of the offer, with Andrew's lawyers offering a 'witness statement' while former US attorney Geoffrey Berman made it clear he was seeking an 'interview'.

Prince Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations against him.

MailOnline has contacted palace representatives in regards to these claims.
Need proper policies for tobacco business

Despite the extensive efforts and measures to prevent cigarette smuggling, these activities remain rampant, especially in locations like Long An, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh, Kien Giang, An Giang, Binh Phuoc, Ho Chi Minh City, and Quang Tri.

As many as around 400,000-500,000 packs of cigarettes are smuggled into the country every day through border provinces. This causes a loss of around VND8.5 trillion ($369.57 million) to the state budget, with $500 million leaving the economy through this channel every year.

At yesterday's (July 17) workshop on the prevention of cigarette smuggling, Nguyen Manh Hung, chairman of Vietnam Consumers Protection Associationsaid that smuggling cigarettes, which takes place on both maritime and road ways, is hugely profitable (second only to drugs) with a margin of up to 400 per cent, as legally sold cigarettes are subject to 100-202.5 per cent import tax, 10 per cent value-added tax, and 2 per cent contribution to the fund for preventing and controlling tobacco-related harms.

These high taxes along with the country's topography  with long borderlines to numerous countries are very conducive to cigarette smuggling.

Sharing this opinion, Rodney Van Dooren, head of ITP for Philip Morris International (PMI) for the Asia-Pacific, said that illicit trade is an international phenomenon that knows no borders. Illicit trade in tobacco is a clear and direct funding source for terrorism and organised crime, as well as facilitates crimes in local communities, disrupts civil society, and fosters corruption.

Through smuggling, counterfeiting, and tax evasion, governments are losing billions of dollars in tax revenue, legitimate businesses are being undermined, and consumers are being exposed to poorly-made and unregulated products.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the volume of international trade in counterfeit and pirated products could amount to as much as $509 billion. This represents up to 3.3 per cent of world trade. A recent report by the Munich Security Conference highlighted that illicit flows resulting from cross-border criminal operations  such as the smuggling of arms, tobacco, or pharmaceuticals  are estimated between $1.6 and $2.2 trillion annually.

According to the World Health Organization and the World Bank, illicit trade in tobacco makes up 10-12 per cent of global tobacco consumption, with an estimated volume of up to 600 billion illicit cigarettes. Cigarettes are among the most illegally trafficked goods in the world. Criminals are increasingly attracted to the high profits and minimal risks associated with trafficking illicit cigarettes.

"At PMI, we believe that we have a responsibility to address the illicit trade problem and help foster an inclusive approach for public and private sectors to build innovative programmes against illicit trade in its many forms. This is why in 2016 we decided to launch PMI IMPACT, a global initiative supporting public, private, and NGO projects aimed at tackling illicit trade and related crimes, such as corruption, money laundering, and organised crime  an initiative that PMI allocated $100 million for," Dooren said.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Triet, general secretary of the Vietnam Tobacco Association proposed market surveillance authorities to strengthen reviewing and checking the market to prevent illicit tobacco trade. He also recommended amending the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms that moves the Funds for Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms under the management of the Ministry of Finance, as well as proposed this ministry not to raise special consumption tax in the next years.
Bahrain's Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP), operated by APM Terminals Bahrain, said it had recently welcomed MV Safeen Tiger during her maiden voyage to the port on July 16.

This is the first vessel to be deployed by Safeen Feeders on the new UIG service which is a partnership between Abu Dhabi Ports and Bengal Tiger Line.

Ports on the rotation of this service include Khalifa Bin Salman Port (Bahrain)  Dammam  Jubail  Khalifa Port  Jebel Ali  Karachi  Kandla  Mundra  Nhava Sheva  Khalifa Port  Jebel Ali.

The UIG service Bahrain to the Indian sub-continent providing direct access for exporters and importers to new markets making trade more competitive, while also promoting transshipment and hinterland opportunities through KBSP.

Welcoming the new service, Bader Hood Al Mahmood, the Assistant Undersecretary for Ports Affairs, Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications for Bahrain, said: "Safeen Feederss services will not only position the kingdom in international markets, but also contribute to the growth of trade and commerce in line with Bahrains 2030 Vision through creating a steady and sustainable diversified economy."

APM Terminals Bahrain CEO Susan Hunter said: "We believe that Safeen Feeders will significantly improve trade between the fast-growing markets in the region and broaden the services offerings to our valued clients thus enhancing our contribution to the kingdoms economy."

To mark the vessels maiden call at the port, a plaque exchange was held between Hunter and Al Mahmood in the presence of representatives from APM Terminals Bahrain, Ports Affairs-Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication and Seahorse Shipping Agency.-TradeaArabia News Service
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread unabated, cumulative cases in India breached the one million-mark on Thursday. With little or no signs of the pandemic slowing down across large parts of the world, the race for developing experimental vaccines is progressing at a breakneck speed that has not seen before. In just six months since the virus came into existence, 140 vaccine candidates (vaccines under experimentation) are in the pre-clinical trial stage and 23 are in the clinical evaluation stage, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In normal times, vaccine development takes years as research is largely dependent on grants and funds. The widespread impact of the pandemic has spurred governments, pharmaceutical companies and global alliances to fund vaccine research more liberally, thus contributing to a speedy development in a big way. The types of vaccines also differ, ranging from ones that use an inactivated or dead virus to trigger an immune reaction to non-replicating viral vectors which involves using a different, harmless virus to deliver the pathogens into the body for generating an immune response.

Among the 23 vaccine candidates that have entered the human trial stage, News18.com delves into the progress of four experimental vaccines; two Indian and two international ones.

Moderna

US-based Moderna was the first company to be off the blocks with a vaccine candidate. The company created the first doses of its mRNA-1273 (messenger RNA) vaccine in 42-days flat and sent it to their partner, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for testing. It was the first vaccine to enter the preclinical animal studies stage and first to examine the vaccine on humans.

According to clinicaltrials.gov, a US-government registry of clinical trials, Modernas vaccine will start the crucial Phase-III of clinical trials at the end of July. Around 30,000 participants aged 18 years and older will be enrolled for this trial that will evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity or immune response of the body after the vaccine is injected.

The randomised, stratified, observer-blind, placebo-controlled study will see one group receiving one intramuscular injection of 100 microgram and one group will be administered a placebo or dummy injection.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the national medical research agency of the United States, mRNA vaccine directs the bodys cells to express or create a virus protein to spur an immune response. The Phase-I studies, meant to test the vaccines safety, began from March 16. The results of this phase, involving 45 healthy people aged 18-55 years, were published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The results were encouraging and the vaccine induced anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in all participants, and no trial limiting safety concerns were identified, the paper published in NEJM stated. Three-doses were administered to the trial participants and a strong immune response was seen. However, there were side-effects seen after the third dose.

The most commonly reported side-effects or adverse events were fatigue, chills, headache, myalgia. Some also experienced pain at the injection site and these effects were mild or moderate in severity, the paper stated.

Oxford University  AstraZeneca vaccine

If Moderna was the first to be off the blocks with the experimental vaccine, then the vaccine developed at Oxford University in collaboration with AstraZeneca has been touted as one which is the most advanced stage of clinical trials. The vaccine has been developed by a team at The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford and Phase-I trials had begun in England to test safety and efficacy in late April. On April 30, the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca announced an agreement for the global development and distribution of the universitys potential vaccine.

Under the agreement, AstraZeneca would be responsible for the development and worldwide manufacturing and distribution of the vaccine, the companys press release on the agreement read.

The Oxford vaccine is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and it is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and it has been genetically changed so that it is impossible for it to replicate in humans, the University of Oxford said.

The vaccine type is known as a viral vector type since it uses a harmless virus as a carrier to deliver the genetic material of a pathogen into cells to create an immune response. Even though the Oxford team has not released any data on the trials so far, pre-clinical trials on monkeys showed that the vaccine was effective in stopping the coronavirus infection from progressing to pneumonia.

The vaccine protected the monkeys from pneumonia and other serious symptoms but it did not kill the virus, said a preprint published in bioRxiv, a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences.

The phase-I trial, carried out in England, involved 1,112 participants. Currently, Phase-III trials have begun in South Africa and Brazil. These countries were chosen for the trials to enable adequate participation in trials.

The phase III part of the study involves assessing how the vaccine works in a large number of people over the age of 18. This group will allow an assessment of how well the vaccine works in preventing people from becoming infected with COVID-19, the University of Oxford had said.

Reports in the British press have stated that there will be positive news soon on the initial trials of the Oxford vaccine.

The Oxford vaccine has an Indian connection on the manufacturing end of the vaccine. Serum Institute of India, Pune, has entered a manufacturing partnership with AstraZeneca to produce and supply one billion doses of the vaccine.

As a partner Serum Institute of India, will distribute the vaccine to middle and low-income countries across the world. In addition to this, we will also facilitate human trials in India, which are expected to commence in August 2020, Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India told News18.com over email.

An experimental batch of the vaccine has also been sent to a government lab in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh to test its sterility, the company confirmed.

Bharat Biotechs Covaxin

On June 29, Bharat Biotech Limited obtained the central drug regulators approval to go ahead with human trials of one of the two indigenous vaccines named Covaxin. The Hyderabad-based company received a strain of the virus from National Institute of Virology, Pune, to grow and replicate the vaccine candidate.

Phase-I of the human clinical trial of Covaxin began on July 15. The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial will include 375 volunteers in India and trials have reportedly begun at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak.

Bharat Biotech has developed an inactivated virus vaccine. This involves a heat-killed or dead virus that is used to generate an immune response. The company has used this platform in the past to manufacture Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis and Rotavirus vaccines. A company representative told News18 that BBV 152 vaccine was evaluated in animals on Schedule Y guidelines from India and WHO. It was reported to be safe and immunogenic in all animals.

As per the Clinical Trial Registry of India, 12 centres have been identified for the human trials of the vaccine. The Phase-I studies will look at the occurrence of immediate adverse events or side-effects following vaccination. Whether there are adverse reactions will be checked within hours, during the days of vaccination and through the duration of the study. The company intends to enrol 1,125 people for Phase-I and II of the trials.

Zydus Cadilas ZyCoV-D vaccine

Gujarat-based Zydus Cadilas plasmid DNA vaccine initiated Phase-I/II clinical trials earlier this week. Partially funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, the vaccine did pre-clinical studies on animals and found an immune response in mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits. In rabbits, up to three times the intended human dose was found to be safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic, the company claimed in a press release issued along with the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The antibodies produced by the vaccine were able to neutralize the wild type virus in virus neutralisation assay indicating the protective potential of the vaccine candidate. No safety concerns were observed for the vaccine candidate in the repeat dose toxicology studies by both intramuscular and intradermal routes of administration, the release read.

The company said that the adaptive Phase I/II dose-escalation, multi-centric study will assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the vaccine. The clinical trials registry  India website showed that the company has aimed to enrol 1048 volunteers for the trial.
On a sandy lot at Ridge Avenue and Jefferson Street, just across from the glass-and-steel gleam of the Philadelphia Housing Authoritys new $45 million headquarters, a smattering of tents sit in defiance, strung up with adamant signs. PHA is a SLUMLORD, one reads.

Their occupants, both activists and the homeless, have spent months in an increasingly contentious series of protests against the authority, which serves as the landlord for about 80,000 people in Philadelphia. This summer, it could tack on a few extra families to that figure: Some activists, protesting under the moniker Occupy PHA, had begun moving homeless families directly into unused public housing units that had sat vacant for years. By mid-July, 11 families, or about 40 people, were living in vacant, PHA-owned housing. (PHA also posted notices this week telling people to immediately vacate the Jefferson and Ridge encampment.)

 READ MORE: Encampment outside Philadelphia Housing Authority headquarters also given notice to vacate by Friday

PHAs aggressive, short-sighted response  to threaten the organizers with legal action, and intimidate protesters off the property with its private police force  has crystallized what those facing housing instability have said for years. Neither it, nor Philly lawmakers, have a sound plan for helping low-income or homeless residents find safe housing, or for keeping Black and brown residents in the neighborhoods theyve long called home.

In other words, chasing people away wont get them a place to live.

The PHAs efforts to disband encampments and, in some cases, execute evictions, comes as two populations face greater housing instability: renters and the homeless. The best available data indicates that, as over 135,000 people in Philadelphia lost their jobs, nearly 5,000 renters could face eviction.

Shelters were full, and families had nowhere to go, says 34-year old Jennifer Bennetch, a longtime critic of the authority and the founder of Occupy PHA, who spent five months last year living in a tent outside its headquarters in protest of the agency. Bennetch says PHAs general counsel issued two cease-and-desist letters against her for placing families in PHA housing, claiming that she was engaging in criminal trespassing. Im not sure what else [PHA] would have them do.

Occupy PHAs subsequent demonstrations with the Workers Revolutionary Collective and the Black and Brown Workers Cooperative  over what housing advocates call the PHAs cowboy cop culture and the brutality of its police force, its use of eminent domain to gobble up and develop hundreds of parcels of private land, and its perpetration of illegal evictions  is emblematic of decades worth of pain from the Black and brown communities that have seen generations worth of families displaced.

 READ MORE: Homeless encampment on Parkway ties Black Lives Matter to housing | Editorial

Instead of threatening to sue organizers for desperate attempts to find housing for people who would otherwise be literally homeless  and in all likelihood living in one of the encampments officials are actively trying to disband  the PHA should work with Philadelphia lawmakers to keep vulnerable populations safe and socially distanced. That should include the temporary use of otherwise vacant hotels or vacant dorm rooms to house the homeless, not to mention vacant luxury apartments taking up valuable space downtown.

PHA also has plans to use grant money allocated by the city to rehabilitate 25 units of its vacant or blighted housing for the homeless. (As of 2017, there were at least 986 units of vacant or uninhabitable units; a spokesperson for PHA did not respond to The Inquirers request for an updated count.) This program should be expanded, immediately and without hesitation. In the meantime, PHA should also suspend evictions at least one year beyond Pennsylvanias eviction moratorium that will go until Aug. 31.

After effectively criminalizing homelessness and disconnecting families from critical social interventions, housing officials shouldnt be surprised when residents take it upon themselves to find a place to live. Squatting in vacant public housing isnt an organizing failure  its a sign that PHA, and local lawmakers, have failed to protect some of Philadelphias most vulnerable.

Morgan Baskin is a D.C.-based reporter. She writes about housing, homelessness, and social services. @mhbaskin

The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.
Another batch of more than 100 Nigerians who had been stranded in Saudi Arabia due to the restriction of movements caused by coronavirus disease, will on Saturday arrive in the country.

A source at the Nigerias embassy in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who craved anonymity, told PREMIUM TIMES that Azman Air Services Limited has been contracted to airlift the evacuees.

The first batch of 292 evacuees which included students and those who had travelled for lesser hajj before the lockdown, had been successfully brought to the country by the Saudi authorities in May.

They were then said to be part of the 11,600 Nigerians the government of Saudi Arabia had expressed its intention to airlift back home due to the biting effect of the dangerous coronavirus disease.

But more than 300 Nigerian students, who are on scholarship in various universities across Saudi Arabia, have blamed the Nigerian authorities, particularly the countrys embassy in Saudi Arabia, for what they described as their unfair treatment by the embassys officials.

The students, who made the trip in May, were from about six universities including the University of Qosseem, University of Dammom, University of King Abd Azeez, among others.

But about 149 of them from Islamic University, Medina, who had earlier been scheduled to join the first flight could not make the journey as they could not travel from Medina to Jeddah due to the ban on intercity movements. They said the embassy could not facilitate their intercity pass to enable them make the journey.

Meanwhile, since May, both the 149 students and about 200 others have remained stranded in Saudi, even as their various institutions had prepared their visa ahead of their resumption in August for another session.

They had also been officially disengaged by the universities at the end of the session in May, with the institutions no longer responsible for their feeding and welfare until when they would resume for another session in August.

The students blamed their plight on what they described as the poor response to their request for a pass and a letter of assurance for a landing permit from Nigerias embassy in Saudi Arabia to Saudi Airline.

However, PREMIUM TIMES finding revealed that the embassy authorities eventually wrote the Saudi Airline on July 16.

New evacuees

Meanwhile, the latest evacuees, who are billed to arrive Nigeria on Saturday night, are other categories of Nigerians who were stranded in the Kingdom but had to pay for their evacuation back home.

According to sources including a student of Al-Imam University, Riyadh, Mahmoud Zakariyah, about 10 of the stranded students who could afford to pay for their tickets, made the Saturday trip.

Mr Zakariyah said; We were expected to pay about N285,000 for tickets and as students who are on scholarship, we dont have such money. We are entitled to return tickets from the government of Saudi Arabia through our various universities but the Saudi Airline needed a letter from our embassy that its aircraft would be allowed to land upon arrival in Nigeria.

But since we finished our examinations between April and May, we have continued to appeal to our embassy to help us facilitate the process. Many prominent Nigerians intervened. The embassy officials would keep telling our representatives that the letter had been sent, but we would eventually find out that nothing was done, until we received another fresh letter on Thursday, which has been addressed to the Saudi Airline.

Oluwo intervenes

After more than two months that the students had been stranded in Saudi Arabia, the Oluwo of Iwo, AbdulRasheed Akanbi, during the week intervened on behalf of the distraught students.

Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi

Some of the affected students are believed to be from Iwo.

In a telephone interview with our reporter, the monarch said he was disturbed when he learnt that the students had remained stranded for more than two months.

He said; Since 6a.m today, I had been on the phone speaking to relevant authorities including the foreign affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, the chairman of Nigerians in diaspora commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and Nigerias ambassador to Saudi Arabia. They have all promised to fast track the process of their evacuation.

Head of the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa

Please, tell the students that their matter is now being taken seriously and I can assure you that the government has promised that they would soon be brought back home. I know what it means to be held down in a foreign country. I know they will live to their expectations.

Meanwhile, in what seems a confirmation of the traditional rulers promise, a letter addressed to Saudi Airline and signed by Nigerias deputy ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saheedu Tigi, has demanded the airline to choose three days from which the embassy could pick one for the students evacuation.

The letter, which is dated July 16, a copy of which PREMIUM TIMES obtained, advised the airline to choose convenient dates before the Muslim festival which is billed to hold on July 31.

It reads in part; The embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Riyadh presents its compliments to the management of Saudi Arabia Airline and has the honour to request Saudi Airline to arrange for evacuation of flight for Nigerian students in various Saudi institutions and other interested Nigerians stranded in the kingdom. The number of students interested in the evacuation is about 335, while the number of other interested Nigerians cannot be ascertained as of now.

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Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos

Furthermore, the embassy wishes to request your esteemed airline to propose three different dates before eid-al-adha for the arrival of the aircraft either at Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, Abuja, or Murtala Muhammed international airport in Lagos. This is to enable the embassy liaise with relevant authorities in Nigeria, accordingly for necessary flight and landing permits and arrange as well, airport reception.

Students still unsure

Meanwhile the students have also appealed to meaningful Nigerians to keep up with the follow-up on their matter, saying this would not be the first time the embassy would show them such a letter but that the airline would deny receiving such.

One of the leaders of Nigerian students in Saudi Arabia, who does not want to be named, accused the embassy officials of deliberately victimising them, saying because they did not pass through the embassy in securing their scholarships, the officials feel unconcerned about their matters.

But the spokesperson for Nigerias foreign affairs ministry, Ferdinand Nwoye, said the embassy must follow required protocols in getting the issue resolved, and appealed to the students to calm down.

I am sure the embassy officials know what to do and they are doing it. It is not just about letters but there are other conditions that must be met. So, I appeal to the students that their matter is being addressed.
Social distancing guidelines were thrown to the wind in Jind as thousands of people, including two independent legislators - Mehrams Balraj Kundu and Dadris Sombir Sangwan, protested against the sacking of 1,983 physical training instructors after a Supreme Court order on June 1.

The trainers organised a statewide rally and got support from around three dozen khaps. Not only did people not mainatain social distancing, they also did not wear face masks. Independent MLA from Dadri, Sombir Sangwan, who is also head of Sangwan Khap said chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar should use his legislative powers and reinstate the services of the sacked PTIs.

 If our demands are not met. I will not hesitate to protest against the chief minister and his government for the sake of our brotherhood and society, he said.

Sarv khap national president Nafe Singh Nain said the Khap bodies had extended their support to the protesting instructors and the government cannot ignore the voice of the teachers. If the government does not reinstate the services of PTIs , the khap bodies will launch a stir against the BJP- JJP government across the state from July 25, he added.

Meham MLA Balraj Kundu urged the protesting teachers not to demand their rights, he asked them to snatch their rights by defeating BJP-JJP candidate in the upcoming Baroda byelection.

 I urge you all to defeat BJP-JJP candidate in the Baroda byelection, the chief minister himself will come to you and ask you to rejoin services, Kundu added.

PTI union vice-president Vazir Gangoli said they had violated the social distancing protocol by organising the rally as the government had snatched their job.

If we will not protest, we will die of hunger rather than the virus. The khaps have extended support to us and they will launch a stir in our favour. The government betrayed us by taking our jobs after ten years and stopped the pension of widows, he said.

POLICE, ADMN MUTE SPECTATORS

As per information, the police and Jind district administration tried to convince teachers to not hold the rally but their appeal was ignored. The police and administration remained mute spectators as thousands of people took part in the packed rally.

Jind tehsildar Manoj Ahlawat said the protesting teachers had violated social distancing norms and strict action will be taken against those who had taken part in the rally.
China announced its preparation for rocket launching. Its first Mars rover is set between July 20 to 25, or the latest by early August. They had just placed a rocket in place for the upcoming launch, one of three missions to Mars with the other two from the United States and the UAE.

The Long March-5 carrier rocket was used three times experimentally but without payload. The first payload the rocker carrier will formally launch is the Tianwen-1 Mars rover. The rocket will launch in late July or early August from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on southern China's Hainan Island, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center reported.

The rocket will launch in late July or early August from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on southern China's Hainan Island, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center reported. They will deploy their Mars rover, Perseverance before the United States does.

Li Benqi, a member of Team Long March-5, said the team completed the testing for all the technical items on the rocket. Before the launching procedures, Li said they are filling fuel into the missile and ensuring it is in good condition.

ALSO READ: Is It Possible For Us To Quickly Determine Colliding Exoplanets? This Artificial Intelligence Could Be The Answer

First Mars Probe

China's space program, which started in the 1950s, will eventually have its first Mars mission for scientific data collection. They had previously partnered with Russia in the creation of a military missile program.

China collaborated with Russia in 2011, to complete a Mars mission but failed. Tianwen-1 will land on Mars by February 2021, if it succeeds. They have sent astronauts to an experimental space station ever since their first flight with a crew in 2003.

China's team also landed a probe, the Yutu-2, on the far side of the Earth. It had been part of the 2019 Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and the first soft landing on the Moon's far side.

Preparation for the latest interplanetary space mission comes after China launched its final Beidou navigation system satellite, which is competing with America's Global Positioning System (GPS). This will be their most ambitious trip to space yet.

In addition, they have plans to launch the lunar probe Chang'e 5 before the end of the year. Through 2022, China plans to build a permanent space station, the Modular Space Station Experiment II or Mengtian, which translates into 'dreaming of the heavens.'

ALSO READ: New Horizons Reached Pluto Five Years Ago; Will The Scientists Fly Again To The Dwarf Planet?

As their rovers arrive next year, the United States, United Arab Emirates, and China will all conduct scientific work on Mars. They'll also explore the Red Planet with astronauts for future flights.

Landing on Mars

They're looking for a time window before August 15 is because of the alignment of Mars and Earth is every 26 months. If they miss this window, everyone will have to keep their Mars missions until 2022, when the Red Planet will again be closer to Earth.

Scientists expect to find water signs on the Red Planet and potentially create whole civilizations there. The UAE has already started working in a desert near Dubai on its Martian city.

In partnership with the University of Colorado at Boulder Colorado, the Emirati will launch Amal, or 'Hope' in Arabic, by July 20. As with China, this is the first interplanetary mission of the country.

"The Mars probe is the first step of China's planetary exploration project," Engineer Ge Xiaochun from the China National Space Administration said. He added the coming launching mission has been highly recognized and supported by the international community.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
: WangLimin (), : Chinese

 : Ask President Trump A Question: Many Kinds of Injuries to Me

: Ask POTUS Trump,Limin Wang,Injuries,Campaign

: BBS  (Fri Jul 17 22:27:34 2020, )



Ask President Trump A Question: Many Kinds of Injuries to Me

Limin Wang

July 17, 2020, 14:01



[Preamble: President Donald J. Trump and his re-election campaign emailed me

with an online opportunity to fill in a simple online form to ask him a

question. The following is what I dared to write, and I expect his federal

administration to do something for workers, especially workers intentionally

ruined by vicious employers and then the many other parties of a failing

system.]



How you may protect workers from being murdered or murder-attempted via

their employment and then later medical "diagnoses" and "treatments"?



I was injured from falling a 8-ft stepladder meticulously tampered with to

be broken by the perpetrators while working at B.Q. Wide Auto Body Parts

Supply, Inc., in Queens, NY, on January 16, 2018. The employer had been very

vicious toward me for quite a long time and had attempted multiple times to

seriously hurt or even kill me during work. Immediately after the Jan. 16,

2018 fall, the employer at all their levels was avoiding, fabricating,

denying, and taunting. The New York State Workers' Compensation System has

been proved, through my two and a half years interactions with all other

parties, to be a VICIOUS, MURDEROUS, and CORRUPT system. "All other parties"

include the NYS Workers' Compensation Board itself, the almost untouchable-

even-by-email-or-fax Workers' Compensation insurance CCMSI, the almost

INVISIBLE defense law firm Jones Jones, my former "representative" law firm

Bangel, Cohen & Falconetti, the many interacted-with "treating" or "IME"

medical practices, and medical imaging "services". The medical professionals

may be brandished as truth-representing scientists or human-saving 

angels, but in my case, many of them are professional human-blood

suckers, because they can professionally deny, fabricate, twist, mislead,

fraud, injure, and even attempt murders. Through their INTENTIONAL actions

at the employment and later workers' compensation case stages, I have

sustained SERIOUS head and spine injuries, and the WHOLE body has shown

SERIOUS symptoms. What I have traumatically experienced in real life makes

me decry such an EVIL SYSTEM and so many HUMAN SCUMS.



I hope President Donald J. Trump revolutionizes many facets, such as labor

laws, criminal laws, health care, of American system to be Trump-like

workable. I hope the perpetrators in this case of premeditated and

coordinated murder-attempts to me to be JUSTICE-D, instead of be JUSTIFIED.

The current so-called ridiculous NYS Workers' Compensation Law and its

practices practically make the murderous perpetrators free from punishment.



--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2604:2000:b808:]


PHILIPSBURG:--- The meeting set to take place at 5 pm on Friday, July 17, 2020, between the Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson and the leadership of St. Maarten police union NAPB, St. Maarten and Windward Islands Civil Servants Union/Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU) to discuss the grievances expressed by union members, did not take place as the unions sent a notification via e-mail at 5:05 pm, advising the minister that they would not be in attendance.

Minister Richardson, her Cabinet members, department heads and legal counsel were present at the agreed time to update the unions on the status and the process to formalize the function books of all the departments within the Ministry of Justice, the placement of personnel thereafter and the role of the unions therein. In addition, department heads were also present to directly hear the grievances expressed by their staff members through the unions. In light of the events of this week with the unions and members in a full demonstration, the objective of Minister Richardson was to ensure the proper legal structure was followed. Minister Richardson finds it unfortunate that in an attempt to open dialogue with the unions and reach a consensus on a clear path forward, the unions decided not to attend.

In their e-mail response to Minister Richardson, the NAPB and WICSU noted that after statements made by the Minister advising the unions to seek legal counsel and their review of article 112h of the National Ordinance Substantive Civil Servants Law (LMA) and counsel from their legal team, that going forward all matters concerning the rights and legal position of civil servants are to be held within the platform of the Committee of Civil Servants Union (CCSU).

The unions further informed Minister Richardson that they would be submitting a letter to the CCSU to request a meeting with the minister. The unions, however, did not indicate the timeframe in which this would take place.

Minister Richardson said that she was pleased to see that the unions decided to work in accordance with the legal procedures, as suggested, and stated that she looks forward to receiving their letter and continuing the dialogue within the platform of the CCSU.
Tirupati: As many as 170 staff members of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) have tested positive for coronavirus, on July 18, 2020. Reportedly, the Jeeyar (seer) of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple turned out to be the latest to be diagnosed Image Source: IANS News

Tirupati: As many as 170 staff members of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) have tested positive for coronavirus, on July 18, 2020. Reportedly, the Jeeyar (seer) of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple turned out to be the latest to be diagnosed Image Source: IANS News

Tirupati, July 18 : Finding fault with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) for keeping the Tirumala temple open to devotees despite its 140 employees testing positive for coronavirus, police on Saturday suggested discontinuation of 'darshan' in the interest of public health.

"In the interest of public health safety, the 'darshan' needs to be closed as it doesn't come under the emergency department (activities)," a senior police official wrote to TTD, which manages the affairs of the world's richest temple atop Tirumala hill.

TTD Trust Board Chairman YV Subba Reddy said that a decision on whether to continue with 'darshan' or not would be taken soon by the body.

In his note sent to the TTD, the Tirumala Additional Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) suggested that if discontinuation of 'darshan' was not possible, the pilgrims from containment zones should not be allowed in, or at least the pilgrims from the worst-affected states be avoided.

The ASP also suggested various other strict measures, including restricting the number of pilgrims per hour to 250.

The note was sent amid growing demands for closure of the temple in view of the rising number of COVID cases among TTD employees, including priests.

"To sum up, knowing the fact that a large number of corona positive cases have been reported in employees working in Tirumala, the TTD authorities are continuously permitting 'darshan' for 12,000 pilgrims per day, saying that not a single pilgrim has reported positive. If that's the case, they are forgetting the transmission of virus from the employees to the innocent pilgrims coming for 'darshan'," the officer wrote.

"Further, the spread of the virus started only due to the reopening of the temple on June 8, 2020 but not otherwise, and employees working in Tirumala are the worst- affected. It can incur a huge loss if a decision is not taken immediately," he added.

Only two days ago, Reddy had ruled out closing the temple to devotees. He had also found fault with the temple's honorary chief priest A.V. Ramana Dikshitulu for allegedly voicing concern over the temple remaining open despite growing number of corona cases among priests.

The chief priest had even warned of a disaster. He tweeted again that 'darshan' should be stopped for devotees for a few weeks.

His latest tweet came after a priest who heads the conduct of 'Kainkarya' rituals at the temple tested positive. The priest was shifted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai.

Subba Reddy said the priest's condition is 'stable'.

The TTD Chairman had earlier said that since the reopening of the temple for 'darshan', 140 TTD employees have tested positive, including 14 priests.

The TTD head said 60 of them are security personnel drawn from Andhra Pradesh Special Police battalion. Those infected also include 16 employees who prepare 'prasadam'at the temple.

Subba Reddy said 70 of the affected employees have since recovered, even resuming duties.

He claimed that none of the pilgrims visiting the temple was infected by the virus.

Tirumala temple had reopened for pilgrims on June 8 after remaining closed for 80 days due to COVID-induced lockdown.

Initially, the temple was allowing only 6,000 pilgrims per day with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol. The number of pilgrims was later doubled.
David Mitchell is a writer who loves to hop around in time and space. Cloud Atlas, his best-known novel, begins in the 19th century in the Pacific, sweeps through 1930s Bruges, Seventies California, early 21st-century Britain, a future dystopian Korean state, a post-apocalyptic Hawaii, then back again. In later works, he has visited 18th-century Japan, the early Eighties England of his childhood and West Cork - where he now lives - in 2043.

His latest is set in the British music scene in the hippy heyday of 1967 and the comedown of 1968 (although he can't resist a final leap forward to the present day). It tells the story of Utopia Avenue, a psychedelic group that is somehow more than the sum of its unlikely parts: Jasper de Zoet, a faintly aristocratic, socially awkward virtuoso guitarist who suffers from "aural schizophrenia"; Elf Holloway, a "folk-scene doyenne" who now specialises in Hammond organ pyrotechnics; Peter 'Griff' Griffin, a gruff Yorkshireman who used to drum in a jazz band; and Dean Moss, a leering rock bassist from working-class Essex. They are brought together by Levon Frankland, a shrewd, sharp-suited Canadian manager with boundless patience.

Their name is conjured by de Zoet to sum up the band's "paradoxical" nature. "Utopia is unobtainable. Avenues are everywhere," he explains. It also encapsulates the nature of the Sixties as experienced here. On one level, there is the grand dream of peace, love and understanding; on the other, there's the cold reality of life: boring family meals, grotty service stations, sexism, infidelity, estrangement and untimely death. This may be the most mythologised decade of all time, but Mitchell does not look at it through rose-tinted John Lennon specs.

The band start out with a sparsely attended gig at a students' union and are attacked by mods in the car park afterwards. They will go on to have two hit albums and reach their zenith at a Californian music festival, but the journey there is less magical mystery tour, more mundane misery slog. The Summer of Love it may be, but the band's prevailing emotions are anxiety, jealousy and frustration.

We know this is the Sixties, though, because of the procession of luminaries who pop up like guest stars on a TV Christmas special: "Chuffin' Heck! It's Jimi Hendrix!" We also get cameos from Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Francis Bacon, a pre-fame David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, Allen Ginsburg and, in a sour reminder of Mitchell's refusal to airbrush this decade, Jimmy Savile.

Chapters are named after Utopia Avenue song titles. If this were an album, it would be a lengthy and patchy compilation, more Beatles Anthology than Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Some 'tracks' are charming, some affecting, some strangely familiar (both in plot and character), some workaday. But if you don't like this one, don't worry, there'll be another in a few minutes. The author seems to enjoy pitching his characters from one challenging situation to another: being imprisoned unfairly; having a psychotic episode; getting blackmailed by a friend.

Some exchanges border the cartoonish, especially when the forces of anti-hippy reaction are embodied by a harrumphing brigadier, complete with medal and regimental tie. "We didn't smack the Nazis for six just for a mob of guitar-twanging oiks to turn Great Britain into a land of yeah-yeahs and ooh-babys," he intones. The dialogue can be hammy ("I detected a whiff of the Cockney barrow boy about you from the first," Dean's landlady tells him). At other points, Mitchell fires off the novelistic equivalent of a head-turning guitar fill: on the same landlady's wallpaper's "once floral pattern has sunk into a jungle gloom"; the Soho cafe where Dean works is "hot dank and dark as armpits"; a darkroom is "quiet as a locked church".

All told, this is a diverting if not entirely convincing detour on Mitchell's time-travelling odyssey.
Lueck was just the third director of the regional Mid since the agency was founded nationwide by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 as part of the War on Poverty. Mid receives government funds to help the elderly and disadvantaged in 27 counties in Nebraska and two counties in northern Kansas. Its 2019 budget was $12.2 million.

Mids current board president, Jack Yant of Minden, described Lueck Friday as not only a wonderful person but a fantastic administrator.

Yant had known Lueck since they both worked at the old Dick Hill Ford dealership 50 years ago. They went separate ways from there, but after she joined Mid, Lueck called Yant and asked him to serve on a committee. They worked together for Mid since.

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Karen was one of the reasons our board doesnt have a lot of turnover, he said when she retired. She also had a knack for hiring good people.

Kyla Martin, Mids director of development, said Lueck encouraged her to try creative fundraisers, such as the agencys first hay lift, fundraising for the Food Bank and the old Beads in a Box. Lueck also asked her to organize large craft shows at the fairgrounds. Martin still does that today, holding Holiday Splendor in November and Signs of Spring in April.
Vietnam organised 55 flights bringing 13,323 citizens home from overseas from April 10 to July 16 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Nearly 280 Vietnamese citizens in Russia and Belarus were repatriated on a flight that landed at Van Don International Airport, the northern province of Quang Ninh, on July 17.

They include children under 18, pregnant women, people with illnesses, workers with expired visas or labour contracts, and students without accommodation due to COVID-19-induced school and dormitory closures.

The flight was arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, authorised agencies of Vietnam, the Vietnamese embassies in Russia and Belarus, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and relevant agencies of the host countries.

As many countries have imposed travel restrictions for fear of the pandemic, the embassies had actively worked with the host countries authorities to prepare necessary procedures and instruct the citizens to move to airports in Moscow and Minsk. They had also sent staff to the airports to coordinate with the airlines and local authorities to assist the citizens in handling relevant procedures.

Disease prevention measures had been carried out during the flight. Upon landing at Van Don airport, the passengers received health check-ups and were sent to quarantine centres in line with regulations.

In the time ahead, authorised agencies of Vietnam, the countrys overseas representative bodies and domestic airlines will conduct more repatriation flights on the basis of pandemic developments, overseas citizens aspirations, and local quarantine capacity.

From April 10 to July 16, Vietnam organised 55 flights bringing 13,323 citizens home from overseas in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang.
Atlanta residents paid their respects for civil rights activist and longtime Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who died at age 80 on Friday, July 17 after a six-month battle with cancer.

This video shows the quiet scene on Saturday in downtown Atlanta at the corner of Auburn Avenue and Jessie Hill Junior Drive, where a 65-foot-tall mural honors the lifelong activist.

Lewis, the son of sharecroppers, was brutally beaten on March 7, 1965 during a civil rights march as it crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis marched that day alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., Hosea Williams, and hundreds of demonstrators.

Lewis suffered a skull fracture as a result of the attack but survived, dedicating his life to civil rights, social justice, and politics, serving Georgias 5th district for 17 consecutive terms since 1987.

Lewiss family announced his death on Saturday morning.

It is with inconsolable grief and enduring sadness that we announce the passing of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, his family said in a statement. He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother. He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed. Credit: Sylvester Johnson III via Storyful
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 13:22:57|Editor: huaxia

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ABUJA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian military on Friday confirmed a leader of an armed group had been killed and 32 kidnapped victims rescued in a raid in central Nigeria.

The operation on Monday was launched at Tomayin village, a "notorious hideout for criminal elements" in the north-central state of Benue, military spokesman John Enenche said in a statement made available to Xinhua.

Zwa Ikyegh, a leader of a gunmen group in Benue, was killed in hot chase by troops, and other gunmen escaped with gunshot wounds, said Enenche.

The encounter led to the rescue of 32 kidnapees who had since been reunited with their families and some of whom had been in captivity for over one month, according to the spokesman. Enditem
These past few months have presented our nation and our community with tremendous challenges and I want to update you with the latest on what I am doing to help during these difficult times.

First, the historic flooding and dam failures that occurred in mid May came at a time when our state was already reeling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The historic nature of this devastating event is unparalleled in my lifetime as a Midland resident. I knew immediately that we would need more assistance than could be provided by state and local resources and I was in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on the night of the dam failures. When FEMA Regional Administrator James Joseph came to the area a couple of days later, I insisted we go to Sanford so he could see the damage on the ground first-hand. He was profoundly moved by what he saw and he praised our community for its leadership.

I have been in contact with federal officials every day since, and on July 9, I spoke with President Trump and urged him to cut through the red tape and expedite the process. He approved the declaration that same day, and residents will now be able to receive assistance from FEMA. Residents who need help can start the process at disasterassistance.gov, or call 1-800-621-3362. My team and I are also working to help, and we can be reached at 989-631-2552.

None of this would have been possible without the bipartisan cooperation of my colleagues in our states congressional delegation, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, our state legislators serving us in Lansing, and our county and local leaders. Together, our communities will rebuild, and I have already been impressed by the incredible efforts of individuals, businesses and non-profits in mid Michigan who are working to help those in need. I know we will not let this event keep us down.

Second, our nation continues to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic. Tragically, more than 6,000 Michiganders have lost their lives to this virus. While mid and northern Michigan have fared better than other parts of the nation, we must remain vigilant. I encourage residents to take precautions when possible. The coronavirus is worse than the flu and health experts are learning more about it each day. While many who test positive show little to no effects, others face a long road to full recovery.

There has also been an economic toll from this crisis. In February, Michigan workers were enjoying a strong economy, with low unemployment and rising wages after years of rebuilding from the previous recession. Now, unemployment is double-digits, and many are worried about the future. I supported the Paycheck Protection Program, which, true to its name, is protecting the paychecks of thousands of small business employees in mid and northern Michigan. I have also co-sponsored legislation to bring more medical manufacturing back to America. Keeping people safe and re-opening the economy is critical, and in the weeks ahead, I will be considering additional ways to help Michigan families during this crisis.

Finally, people across the country are working to address the issue of racial bias. In 1986, I worked on the campaign of Republican nominee Bill Lucas to be the governor of our state. If Lucas had won that race, he would have been the first elected African-American governor in American history. Since then, I have worked with leaders of all races, from my time on the Midland City Council all the way to Congress, where in 2018, I voted in support of historic criminal justice reform.

Of course, there is more to do, particularly in law enforcement practices and training. The death of George Floyd while he was in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department was an injustice, not only for him and his family, but for all of us who want our nation to live up to the high ideals the Founders set more than two centuries ago.

To address this issue, I supported the JUSTICE Act led by Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and Congressman Pete Stauber of Minnesota. As an African-American, Scott has been stopped by police 18 times in his life, including by the Capitol Police when he was on his way to work. Stauber is a former police officer from Duluth who understands the challenges of modern policing.

Their legislation makes lynching a federal crime, funds better training for police officers, and bans police departments that receive federal funding from using chokeholds. Unfortunately, most Senate Democrats voted to block debate on this bill and stopped the Senate from passing it. They should let it advance so the Senate and House can reconcile the bills passed in each chamber and create a bipartisan solution that moves our nation forward.

These challenges have tested our nation, but we have come together as a community and as country. Incredible people have stepped up and made a difference  from the neighbors helping each other dig out their flood-damaged homes to those on the frontlines of the pandemic, Americans are making a difference. These challenges are tough, but Michiganders are tougher, and well make it through this together.

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar represents Michigans Fourth Congressional District, which is all of Clare, Clinton, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Osceola, Roscommon, Shiawassee, and Wexford counties, and parts of Montcalm and Saginaw counties.
AccuWeather meteorologists say that temperatures will soar to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit across one region of the country by the middle of the week.

While parts of the southwestern United States and all the way to the Northeast have been hit by heat waves already this season, the Northwest has gone through the warmer months rather unscathed.

This area of the country has managed to escape the brutal summertime heat so far this summer. Cities like Seattle, Medford, Oregon and Great Falls, Montana, reported average temperatures near or below normal for the month of June and the first half of July.

A change in the pattern over the weekend has prepped the region for more summertime warmth this week.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

"High pressure dominating over the region will allow temperatures to start climbing in the Northwest, with the peak in the heat coming Monday or Tuesday, depending on where you are," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Max Gawryla.

The highest temperatures could last anywhere between two or three days, rising as much as 10 degrees above normal for mid- to late July.

More moderate temperatures are typical near the Pacific Ocean, where a place like Seattle is more akin to a high in the mid-70s in July, while a place farther inland, like Boise, Idaho, will see average temperatures in the lower 90s for this time of year.

"Spokane, Washington, is likely to see multiple days over the 90-degree mark during the week and near 100 degrees, while Seattle could make a run towards 90, a feat yet to be reached this year" said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller.

So far, Spokane has seen two such days, with a high temperature of 90 degrees on Monday and 94 degrees on Tuesday.

Boise, Idaho and Medford, Oregon are each forecast to hit the 100 degree at least one day this week.

While the highest temperature so far during this stretch in Boise has been 99 degrees on Tuesday, Medford reached 101 on both of the first two days of the week.

Story continues

On Sunday, Portland, Oregon, reached the 90 degree mark for the first time since June 23 and the city surpassed that on Monday, with a high of 93 degrees.

Under mainly cloudless skies, the hot July sun may bring AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures a few degrees higher than the actual reading on the thermometer.

The sunshine and lack of rain is also anticipated to worsen the already dire drought situation in the region. Moderate-to-severe drought conditions have spread from Northern California through Oregon and into the Columbia River Valley of central Washington. Pockets of Oregon, including near Medford, are even under extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Heat-related illnesses will be a concern for residents in the region, especially those who spend time outdoors or live in a residence without air conditioning.

"The signs of heat exhaustion include cool, pale skin and they can also be flushed. They can also be nauseous or dizzy," said Greta Gustafson from the American Red Cross in an interview with AccuWeather Chief Video Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

When it comes to heat stroke, Gustafson warned that it can be life-threatening, and anyone experiencing those symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

There are several ways to beat the heat and protect yourself from these heat-related illnesses, including staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous outdoors activity during the hottest part of the day.

A change in the pattern will arrive and cities such as Seattle and Portland are likely to experience lower temperatures on Wednesday as a dip in the jet stream begins to move into the region from the Pacific Ocean. This cooler air will advance farther inland by Thursday and Friday, although locations such as Boise and Medford could still experience temperatures in the lower 90s.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
10:15 | Lima, Jul. 17.

In remarks to El Peruano official gazette, Reusche analyzed the situation of Peru under the new Cabinet , which has the responsibility to reactivate the country's productive activity and overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
JOHN LEWIS was not really an icon, although that overused term was often applied to him. He was a living, breathing, bleeding human being, whose savage clubbing at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, with news cameras recording it all, shocked millions of people into no longer ignoring the violent system of racial oppression and segregation that prevailed in a large part of this country. A good many other marchers were beaten and firehosed on that day in 1965, but it was Mr. Lewis who caught the conscience of the nation. Though young, he was by then a well-known leader in the civil rights movement and had been roughed up and jailed many times. Through all of it, he adhered to the principles of nonviolence, which he never abandoned over his many years in public life.
Chardon police have arrested a man in connection with a shooting July 18 outside a city bar that sent a 35-year-old man to the hospital.

The Chardon police and fire departments responded just before 2 a.m. outside the Chardon Tavern and Grill at 405 Water Street in the city where a shooting had reportedly taken place in the parking lot, according to a police news release.

Upon arrival, first responders found the 35-year-old victim, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to University Hospital Geauga Medical Center by the Chardon Fire Department. He was later transferred by medical helicopter to University Hospitals in Cleveland.

According to the release, the victim is currently in the hospital and his condition has not been updated.

The alleged suspect fled the scene of the shooting in a vehicle and was apprehended by officers a short distance from the scene shortly after the shooting had occurred.

The suspect is currently being held in the Geauga County Jail and charges are pending. The department has not yet released the name of the suspect and stated more information will be released once the suspect is likely to be formally charged on Monday, July 20 in Chardon Municipal Court.

Chardon police received assistance from members of the Geauga County Sheriffs Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation Crime Scene Unit. The investigation is ongoing, according to the release.
DeVries, a resident of Jackson, New Hampshire, served on the Municipal Budget Committee for the town of Conway in the Granite State.

In addition to child abuse charges, he was also charged for falsifying physical evidence after he threw his cellphone from his porch when law enforcement arrived.

The child abuse images allegedly show underage girls either in lewd exhibition of private parts, or engaging in sexual activity. He was also charged for possession of psilocybin mushrooms, a Class B felony, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Defund Police Protest Leader Arrested For Child P-rn Chris DeVries, 37, had 60 child sex abuse images on his cell phone, charged with 6 countshttps://t.co/DYcFTfqAPu  An Open Secret (@AnOpenSecret) July 16, 2020

The Skate Away the Hate protest took place on June 21st and involved fellow protesters riding bikes and skateboards down Route 16 in New Hampshire.

Throughout the protest, DeVries utilized a loudspeaker where he rattled off demands that he claimed were conveyed to him by local chapters of Black Lives Matter:

If we divest funds from police and prison systems we all benefit, said DeVries.

Jackson Police Chief Chris Perley stated after the arrest: generally speaking, people should be very cautious about listening to voices suggesting defunding of the police because their motives are not always in the best interest of society.

One comment from a local news site running the story said: Gee, why does he want the police defunded? Particularly the cybercrimes forces. When the police go away, no one will find the pedophiles until its too late.

Another noted: Of course the pedophile wants to defund the police department.. Also, why are white people from a small mountain community speaking on behalf of the local black lives matter chapter.

Each count of possession of child sexual abuse images, which is a Class A felony, is punishable by up to 15 years in state prison and a $4,000 fine. DeVries faces an up to 90-year stint in state prison if found guilty on those charges alone.

A Father of two, DeVries arranged for the protest to take place on Fathers Day as it would be one of the best things I can do as a Father on Fathers day.

DeVries pleaded not guilty, and the case remains active. Police are encouraging anyone with information to call Police Chief Perley at (603) 383-9292.
'The Himmatsinghji Report is still 'missing'.'

'It is a great loss for the knowledge of India's borders.'

'It would have an immense value at a time China is bound to shift its attention to other border fronts in the Himalayas,' notes Claude Arpi.

IMAGE: Indian soldiers in Ladakh during the 1962 War with China, November 1962. Photograph: Radloff/Three Lions/Getty Images

It was recently reported that 144 veterans of the Indian armed forces had signed a joint statement on the situation at the border, pointing to the failure of the 'political, civil and military establishments' which lead to the loss of 20 soldiers' lives in the Galwan Valley.

Without going into the necessity of such statement at a time when the nation should, in a unified manner, face the onslaught of the Chinese expansionism, I would like to discuss one of the veterans' requests.

Point 7 says: 'We also strongly urge that the un-redacted Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Report concerning the 1962 War against China be released into the public domain, so that the military-bureaucratic-political system and the public can learn from the mistakes of the past. There can be no sensible reason for this Report remaining secret even after 57 years.'

It is true that report prepared by Lieutenant General Henderson-Brooks and Brigadier Prem Bhagat mentioned some of the reasons for the defeat of the Indian army in 1962.

Discussed in Parliament in 1963, the report has since then been unnecessarily kept under wraps, though there is no doubt that it is not the government which opposed its release, but some officers at army headquaters.

In 2012, Sandeep Unnithan wrote in India Today: 'Officials who have read it say this is because the report squarely indicts senior army generals for the country's worst-ever military defeat...'

'The crux of the report in a 40-page summary by General Chaudhary (General J N Chaudhary, the army chief appointed after the war) says the army gave a better account of itself in the Ladakh sector by resisting the Chinese advance, because of better leadership.'

According to the same source, the three main findings of the report were the failure of the army's higher command, the organisation of the army and finally the appointment of 'the glib but militarily unsound corps commander Lt Gen Brij Mohan Kaul.'

Only two copies of the report are said to exist: One is with the defence secretary; the other deep in a vault at the directorate general of military operations.

If the Henderson-Brooks-Bhagat report is the symbol of the over-zealous attitude of those in power, it is not the only 'secret report' to remain in the drawers of the ministries of defence or external affairs.

IMAGE: Then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and V K Krishna Menon, right, at the United Nations. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Wikipedia Commons

Perhaps more crucial in the present tense days is the Himmatsinghji Committee Report of 1951.

This committee, known as the North and North East Border Defence Committee, sent its findings in two parts.

The first interesting aspect of the committee was that all the branches of the Indian State dealing with the borders were represented.

Besides Major General Himmatsinghji, Deputy Minister of Defence (Chairman), it included Lieutenant General Kulwant Singh, K Zakaria, head of the ministry of external affairs's historical division, S N Haksar, joint secretary, MEA, Group Captain M S Chaturvedi from the Indian Air Force and Waryam Singh, deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau.

B N Mullik, the intelligence chief, wrote in his China's Betrayal: My Years with Nehru that the decision to form a committee followed a note 'New Problems of Internal Security' sent by the Intelligence Bureau as well as Sardar Patel's letter, which 'were considered by all the ministries concerned within the next seven days.'

Mullik's words often need to be taken with a pinch of salt, having the habit to justify his own wrong decisions. In this case, however, there is no reason to doubt that Sardar Patel initiated the process before passing away on December 15, 1950.

The first part of the main Report consisted of recommendations regarding Sikkim, Bhutan, NEFA and the Eastern frontier bordering Burma; it was submitted in April, 1951.

The second part contained the recommendations on Ladakh and the frontier regions of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal; it was submitted in September, 1951.

Mullik wrote: 'The Himmatsinghji Committee also had before it the recommendations which had been made by a smaller Committee formed in Assam to assess the dangers in NFFA and suggest the possibility of pushing the Assam Rifles Posts as far towards the frontier as possible.'

According to Mullik, it was decided that 'a small committee of military experts with a representative of the IB in Shillong would visit the NEFA agencies and propose the places near the frontier at which the Assam Rifles units should be posted.'

It is probably this 'smaller' Committee which decided to occupy Tawang.

The Himmatsinghji Committee further recommended an important increase in the Assam Rifles and the Civil Armed Police 'in larger concentration at strategic points from which effective patrolling could be regularly undertaken.'

The Committee also suggested the construction of new roads and the improvement of existing ones to link the Assam Rifles posts with headquarters, something which took 65 years to start.

The state governments were to extend modern administration right up to the frontier and this without interfering with the customs and the ways of life of the tribal people.

IMAGE: An Indian soldier stands guard over makeshift forts hastily built in Ladakh during the India-China war in 1962. Photograph: Radloff/Three Lions/Getty Images

Now, where are these reports, which included findings on the trijunction between India, Tibet and Nepal, near Kalapani, which was recently in the news or the territory north of Harsil in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, today disputed by China?

In November 2011, one Anil Mukherjee applied under the Right to Information Act to get a copy of the Report of the Himmatsinghji Committee as well five other reports.

In its order, the Central Information Commission recorded that appearing on behalf of the ministry of defence, P K Gupta (Director, Vigilance) made the submission that most of these reports were not traceable.

'It is, thus, clear that the reports mentioned at Serial Nos 01 to 04 and 06 (The Himmatsinghji Committee report was No 1) of the RTI application are not available with the MoD and the question of supplying them to the appellant does not arise.'

Practically, it meant that the Himmatsinghji Committee Report is lost forever.

For the CIC, the conclusion was: 'The MoD has not denied existence of these Reports; it has simply indicated their non-availability. Needless to say, the Reports deal with sensitive national security related issues and their 'non-availability' in the MoD is a serious matter.'

'In the premises, it is ordered that a copy of this order be sent to the defence secretary for information and appropriate action at his end.'

As usual, the defence ministry's babus did not do anything.

The takeover of Tawang

It is in all-probability the first Committee, based in its findings, who ordered the takeover of Tawang.

At the end of 1950, the entire area down to Dirang Dzong (South of the Sela Pass) was still under some vague Tibetan administration, with the Tibetan Dzongpon of Tsona in Tibet, collecting 'monastic' taxes from time to time in and around Tawang.

It is there that then Assam governor Jairamdas Daulatram and Major Bob Khathing entered the scene.

Summoned by Daulatram, Khathing was asked, 'Do you know Tawang?' He was then given a 'secret' file to study and told to 'go and bring Tawang under Indian administration.'

On January 17, 1951, Khathing, accompanied by Captain Hem Bahadur Limbu of the 5th Assam Rifles and 200 men, left Lokra, the Assam Rifles headquarters, for the foothills and Tawang, which they reached on February 9, 1951. The rest is history.

It appears that Sardar Patel and Sir Girja Shankar Bajpai, the MEA's secretary-general, decided the operation on their own and ordered Jairamdas Daulatram accordingly.

One can imagine what would have happened if Khathing had not 'liberated' Tawang and the areas around it in time.

IMAGE: Wives and families of Assam Rifles soldiers in Tezpur during the 1962 War with China. Photograph: Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images

On February 9, Nehru wrote to the foreign secretary: 'The Committee appointed recently to tour the North East Frontier etc, has taken some action which I consider of doubtful value.'

It was about Bhutan, he also commented on the takeover: 'Tawang has now been occupied. Probably the step taken was justified. But it was an important step and I should have been consulted about it. The instructions issued to the Officer Commanding (Major Khathing) should also have been placed before me before issue.'

'This is a frontier matter involving possibly some complications and no step should be taken without full consultation.'

Retrospectively, it was perhaps a grace that the prime minister was not consulted.

Today, the Himmatsinghji Report is still 'missing'. It is a great loss for the knowledge of India's borders. It would have an immense value at a time China is bound to shift its attention to other border fronts in the Himalayas.

Claude Arpi is one of the earliest contributors to Rediff.com.

Feature Production: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The states rolling seven-day average for new cases also climbed again to a new high, of 721, on Friday. Across the state, 604 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Jenks Mayor Robert Lee issued a statement Thursday in support of Tulsas mask mandate. But while he is open to exploring the possibility of adopting such a policy as the situation progresses in the future, his city is not currently making any moves in that direction.

Jenks had a large spike in cases a few weeks ago, and we managed that spike. We are now back to where we have otherwise been for the duration of this pandemic, with one of the lowest numbers of cases in the state, Lee said. I personally wear a mask when Im in public, and I urge Jenks citizens to do the same. It is my hope that many Jenks businesses choose to require masks for their employees and customers before entering their establishment. This will protect their staff, as well as the community they serve.

Like Thurmond in Broken Arrow, Lee cited the difficulty for local police to enforce a mask ordinance.
The Department of Health has launched COVIDConnect, governments official COVID-19 support service.

Recently, South Africans would have received SMSs from the Department of Health giving them vital information, including their COVID-19 test results.

They may also have received an alert that they have been identified as a contact of a COVID-19 positive patient.

This is part of the COVIDConnect system, which helps to detect positive cases early, track and trace their contacts, and refer them for appropriate management  immediate testing, isolation or quarantine.

The digital system that the Department of Health is currently using, called COVIDConnect, brings an easy-to-use self-service portal to your cellular phone, said Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize.

It is freely accessible through WhatsApp and SMS. What also makes it more accessible is that it does not require for a user to have a smartphone  it works on any mobile phone.

This system enhances the physical effort of contact tracking and tracing which is done by our community health workers and volunteers. It automates this traditional process and continuously engages with the affected user.

When a patient conducts a test for Coronavirus, their information is picked up from the lab form and they will be informed of their test result, whether positive or negative, by SMS.

If the result is positive, the system prompts the patient for further information in order to identify their contacts.

The system then immediately dispatches alerts via SMS to those contacts without disclosing the index patients details.

The nondisclosure of the patients name is to ensure that their privacy is protected.

The system can also geo-locate the nearest quarantine and isolation facility for the user and the nearest health care facility for patients or their contacts who are experiencing symptoms requiring medical attention.

Users can get the latest COVID-19 news and information, prevention tips and wellness advice through COVIDConnect.

There is also a simple risk-assessment tool which will screen users for COVID-19 symptoms and give them advice on whether they should self-isolate or seek professional clinical assistance.

To access COVIDConnect, you can add 0600123456 to your phonebook and say hello on WhatsApp. If you do not have a smartphone, you can dial *134*832# and follow the prompts.

When you test for COVID-19, supply your healthcare worker with your correct date of birth, physical address and cellphone number.

You can then use COVIDConnect to retrieve your test results via your cellphone or you will receive an SMS once your test results are ready.

To receive your results on WhatsApp, just add LetsTalk to your phonebook on 0820468553. Type in Results on WhatsApp and follow the prompts.
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. Head of Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov issued a statement over the situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border. ARMENPRESS reports, citing the Telegram channel of Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic noted that his people know the price of peace better than anyone else, but they also know the grief caused by war.

We know from our own experience that its better to prevent the war and spare no efforts for peacefully solving complicated issues. Today we see escalated situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Both are brotherly countries for us. The tragic developments taking place there touch not only Russia, but they are painful for the entire Caucasus and CIS countries, Kadyrov said, calling on the conflicting sides, as well all the allied countries, to take measures for preventing this conflict.

Everything must be done so as the sides achieve peace. Otherwise, if God forbid, this confrontation turns into a large-scale war, the tragic consequences will go beyond Caucasus. We remember the developments in Karabakh, how many lives that war claimed. And today again there are victims and the situation is escalated, Kadyrov said.

Referring to the possible eruption of a large-scale war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Head of the Chechen Republic said, There will be no winners. I am ready to kneel and ask the sides for the sake of peace, he said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Disney might be the largest company yet to join a growing ad boycott against Facebook. Wall Street Journal sources say the media and theme park giant has dramatically reduced its ad spending on Facebook. Its not clear just how deep the cut is or how long it will last, but Disney reportedly made the move quietly rather than making a public announcement. It also froze Hulu advertising on Instagram, according to the sources.

Weve asked Disney and Facebook for comment. In a response to the WSJ, Facebook reiterated its statement that it has more work to do on curbing hate speech.

If this is tied to the boycott, it could represent the largest financial blow yet to Facebook over claims its hate speech and misinformation policies are inadequate. Pathmatics estimated that Disney was Facebooks top US advertiser in the first half of 2020, according to the WSJ. While it wont necessarily cause significant hardship for Facebook, it may be noticeable than ad cuts for other companies, including Ford, Starbucks and Engadgets parent company Verizon.

Facebook previously said it would alter its policies to address concerns. Civil rights leaders behind the boycott have complained that meetings with the social network have been disappointing, though, and have vowed to maintain boycotts until there are more substantial changes. The company failed its own audit of civil rights and hate speech issues.

Its too soon to say if Disney participation in the boycott would prompt Facebook to reconsider its position. High-profile advertisers like this are harder to ignore, though, and may prompt other companies to follow suit.
Twin sensations in Manipur after affidavit levels accusations against top politicians

IPS officer Arvind Kumar is the additional DGP in charge of law and order in Manipur. (Representative image)

Guwahati: A highly placed IPS officer of Manipur allegedly shot himself with his service revolver on Saturday and has been admitted to hospital in a very critical condition.

Arvind Kumar is an additional director-general of police in-charge of law and order. He is from the 1993 batch of the Indian Police Service and belonged to the Bihar cadre. Prior to moving to Manipur on deputation, he had put in long stints in the Intelligence Bureau.

While fellow officers of the Manipur police were tight-lipped about the incident, security sources said Arvind Kumar shot himself in his official quarters at the 2nd Manipur Rifles Complex in Imphal. He was rushed to a private hospital for treatment in the state capital.

Top brass of the Manipur police and senior bureaucrats, including chief secretary J Suresh Babu, visited the hospital where Arvind Kumar is being treated.

Chief secretary Suresh Babu told reporters that Arvind Kumar's condition was serious but he was responding to treatment. He will be sent to Delhi once his condition improves, Babu said.

This incident comes close on the heels of a sworn affidavit filed by an additional superintendent of police in the state Narcotics and Affairs of Border Bureau (NAB) in which Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and a top state BJP leader were accused of pressurising the department to drop the case against a person who is an accused in a a drug case dating back to 2018.

That case came to light when police conducted a drug rain and confiscated narcotics and cash amounting to more than Rs 28 crore.

The accusation against the Manipur chief minister came in the form of a sworn affidavit filed by additional superintendent of police Thounaojam Brinda in the Imphal High Court on July 13. According to affidavit, the prime accused in the drug case, Lhukhosei Zou, was the kingpin of a drug cartel and also a local BJP leader in Chandel district.
American Actor Michael Schoeffling is best known for his role as Jake Ryan in the 1984 American Comedy film Sixteen Candles. Schoefflings portrayal of Jake Ryan left many fans crushing on the then 24-year-old actor. However, the teen heartthrob retired from his movie career in 1991 when he was just 31 years old.

In 2020, Jake Ryan actor Michael Schoeffling will be turning 60. Read on to find out, Where is Jake Ryan actor, Michael Earl Schoeffling Now?

Source: @stephykinggg (Twitter)

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Why did Jake Ryan actor in 16 candles quit acting?

Eighties heartthrob actor Michael Schoeffling was born in Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania in 1960. Over the course of his 7 years long acting career, Michael Earl Schoeffling starred in films such as Sixteen Candles, Wild Hearts Can't be Broken, Vision Quest, Mermaids and Pretty in Pink. Sadly for the fans of Jake Ryan from 16 candles, they didnt get to see their favourite actor Michael Earl Schoeffling playing more iconic roles. The actor retired from acting in 1991. According to the reports of a media portal, Schoeffling quit acting as he couldnt find many roles and needed to support his wife and children. The actor instead turned to Carpentry.

In an old interview given to a media portal, Michael Earl Schoeffling said that in Hollywood many actors spend most of their time out of work, hence he decided to spend more time making furniture instead. The 16 Candles actor claimed that furniture making turned out to be better than acting for him. He claimed that in carpentry, there is no director and no script. Hence, the concept of the furniture depends on him and he is free to use his creativity.

Read | Beyonce, Rihanna & other Hollywood divas show how to style all-white outfits; see pics

Where is Michael Earl Schoeffling Now?

Michael Schoeffling got married to model Valerie Robinson in 1987. The couple was still in Hollywood spotlight at the time. However, after Michael Earl Schoeffling retired from acting, he moved back to his home state of Pennsylvania with his wife and children. Michael and Valerie have two children together, a son named Zane Schoeffling, who is and a daughter named Scarlett Schoeffling.

But, the Jake Ryan actor from 16 candles is back in the spotlight, because of his daughter. Scarlett Schoeffling is a 29-year-old model who has an Instagram following of over 11,000 and is currently living in New York City. Michael Schoeffling is trending since his daughter posted a few childhood pictures with the actor on her Instagram handle.

Read | Miley Cyrus to Sophie Turner: These Hollywood stars are slaying in Daisy Dukes

According to the reports of a media portal, while their children are out and about living their own life, Michael Earl Schoeffling and his wife Valerie still live a very private and quiet life in Pennsylvania. Michael Schoeffling is currently serving as the CEO of his furniture store in Pennsylvania. According to the reports of a media portal, at his furniture store, they sell hand-crafted furniture to his customers. However, the name of this store is not publicly known yet.

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Jake Ryan turns 60 trends on Twitter

In a 2014 interview given to a media portal, Valerie Robinson revealed that Schoeffling is a very different kind of person. The former model described her husband as very reclusive and private. Michael Schoeffling will be turning 60 this year and hence the former actor is currently trending on twitter. This is how netizens are reacting to this news.

Jake Ryan turns 60 this year...in case you havent felt betrayed enough by 2020. pic.twitter.com/uxrzTChIUQ   Cat Jacques  (@CatJacquesESPN) July 12, 2020

I just learned that #JakeRyan would turn 60 this yearas if I havent been traumatized enough by 2020. pic.twitter.com/W0weIdnWvR  Nancy Botwin (@RealNancyBotwin) July 17, 2020
Update: A defendant who told officials they had tested positive for the coronavirus, setting off a scare at the Washington County courthouse, in fact tested negative, said Philip Bransford, a Washington County spokesman. He said public health officials confirmed the negative result over the weekend.

Original story: A defendant who showed up to the Washington County courthouse Monday has stated that they tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday, according to county officials.

The defendant appeared in court along with several others in connection with domestic violence allegations, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Beth Roberts told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an email. The defendants were in court for most of the afternoon, Roberts said.

County health officials said that they were notified that the defendant tested positive but had not received any formal record of the test Friday to confirm if it was true.

The court received word of the defendants test from the probation office after hours on Tuesday, Roberts said. Roberts said that masks are required in the Washington County Courthouse, but she has not been informed if anybody involved in the July 13 docket did not abide by this requirement.

Beside requiring those in the courtroom to wear masks, the Washington County Courthouse has taken a variety of safety precautions since the pandemic began. These include marking the hallways for physical distancing, providing hand sanitizer throughout the building, and posting signs that caution people from entering the building if they are feeling sick.

The court has also significantly reduced the number of people coming in and out of the building since the pandemic began, Roberts said.

The court will be cooperating with Washington County Public Health as contact tracers try to track the spread of possible infection.

Let me also say that I understand that the potential of being exposed to the COVID-19 coronavirus is a scary prospect and that people want to know information that affects them as soon as possible, Roberts said. We are working with attorneys and many others to continue to protect their health while providing people the access to justice to which they are entitled.

-- Bryce Dole; bdole@oregonian.com; 541-660-9844; @DoleBryce
With trains emptied, shopping districts shuttered and tourism on an indefinite timeout, Bay Area residents had some cause for relief during their pandemic-induced isolation: Crime, in many areas, stayed home too.

But while reports of robberies, rapes and smash-and-grab auto burglaries fell in the regions largest cities, the most serious of violent crimes  homicides  crept up 14% during the first half of 2020, stalling a broader historical trend of fewer killings, a Chronicle analysis found.

Some of the increase can be traced to bloodshed in Vallejo. By the end of June, that citys 13 killings were nearly triple the five recorded over the first six months of last year and had eclipsed the 12 total people slain there in all of 2019. On Thursday, the city recorded its 14th killing of the year when a 21-year-old man was shot to death.

Overall, killings in the regions 15 largest cities increased to 112 from the 98 reported from January through June of last year. But while cities like San Francisco, Hayward and Berkeley witnessed more deadly violence, nowhere in the region experienced a spike as stark as Vallejos.

I think its the chickens coming home to roost, said Hakeem Brown, a Vallejo councilman running for mayor. I think its a lack of investment in our youth, a lack of opportunities ... systemic racism in Vallejo and generations of poverty among poverty.

Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle

In a city with a notoriously frayed relationship between residents and law enforcement, Vallejo police killings in recent years have drawn outrage and attention from residents, civil rights advocates and now California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who last month announced a probe of the citys force.

The Chronicles homicide counts do not include killings by police or those deemed by authorities to be in self-defense, which aligns with state and federal figures and allows for historical comparison.

Amid calls to reform and defund police in Vallejo and other cities, this years pace of violence, despite the pandemic, underscores an urgent need for more community resources, said Phil Maui Wilson, who founded the anti-violence community group Vallejo Peace Project.

Shelters, our schools system  our education system is in pretty rough shape right now, and that has a lot to do with that crime in general, Wilson said.

Wilson said he believes the violence reflects a lack of funding to underserved communities. He said diverting tax dollars away from the police force and into public services could help root out the gangs and retaliatory shootings that helped fuel this years spike in Vallejo.

You can have as many police as you want in an area, Wilson said, but if people are still competing for resources, there are still going to be drugs and murders.

Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle

According to police crime data compiled by The Chronicle, six of the areas largest cities experienced an increase in homicides in the first half of 2020, five cities recorded a decrease, and four cities counts stayed the same as the first six months of 2019.

San Franciscos killings rose from 19 to 24, Haywards went from three to eight, and Berkeley jumped from zero to three. Homicides in Oakland fell from 37 to 34 during this time period, and San Jose remained steady at 17 for both years.

Preliminary research suggests that the rise in Bay Area homicides is consistent with the rest of the country, even as other types of crime have fallen.

David Abrams, a University of Pennsylvania Law School professor who has studied crime trends during the pandemic, found significant drops among several types of crime in many major cities.

Homicides are the exception, he said, noting that the crimes have either climbed or stayed flat in most cities he studied. COVID has definitely had a major impact on crime, with the exception of homicides and shootings.

Killings in California have been trending down for decades, with the most recent decreases coinciding with a drop in violent crimes committed by young people, according to data from the California Department of Justice. The state had 1,679 killings in all of 2019, representing a 3.5% decrease from the previous year.

Homicide arrests among people under 18 in 2019 fell to 5% of the total, while adults 40 years or older made up 23.7% of those arrests  the highest rate among that age group for any year over the past decade.

Vallejo is now on pace to top the 25 homicides reported in 2013, the highest figure in the last 10 years. Contributing to the body count were two unrelated multiple-victim shootings  tragedies that are often difficult to link to a single trend.

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 April, 50-year-old Raymond Jackson shot his domestic partner and her 14-year-old daughter before turning the weapon on himself, police said. Then in June, a group of shooters opened fire at a toddlers birthday party, wounding three  including a 10-year-old child  and killing two women.

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams and other high-ranking officials in the department declined to be interviewed for this story.

In addition to homicides, Vallejo saw reports of auto burglaries, rapes, robberies and shootings climb in the first half of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. The only categories of crimes that fell were arson and residential burglaries.

In a statement released this month, Williams noted that the increase in crime was coming during a time of assessment and reform for the department.

There is a lot asked of the men and women of the Vallejo Police Department, and we are doing everything we can to meet the current needs of our community while working toward our vision of exceptional service, Williams said.

Robert Weisberg, a Stanford law professor and co-director of the schools Criminal Justice Center, said that while Vallejo is an outlier this year, its homicide percentage increase appears more dramatic because the total numbers are comparatively small.

Vallejo is a very troubled city right now, with a very troubled and controversial Police Department, he said. And its got a crime problem.

But, Weisberg cautioned, the Bay Area and many other parts of the country have enjoyed historically low homicide rates over the past few years. Its too soon, he said, to tell whether the historic events of 2020 have impacted crime.

The irony is there are so many things going on now with policing and COVID  all kinds of interesting speculative explanations get raised, Weisberg said. But the very fact that you have a confluence of factors means no social scientist could draw conclusions in a short term.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
Indonesia overtook China on Saturday as the country with the most confirmed coronavirus cases in East Asia with 84,882 infections, and authorities said the actual infection rate could be higher due to undetected cases.

Data from the country's COVID-19 task force showed 1,752 new coronavirus infections on Saturday and 59 fatalities, taking the coronavirus-related death toll to 4,016.

China, where the first cases of the coronavirus were reported late last year, has had 83,644 cases as of Friday, with 4,634 deaths.

"There are possibility of undetected positive cases without symptoms," said task force spokesman Achmad Yurianto, adding that authorities would continue to prioritise contact tracing.

Epidemiologists have criticised the government for imposing milder restrictions than its neighbours to control the pandemic and for the limited scope of testing.

Some restrictions were eased in early June, even as cases continued to rise, to allow for resumption of some economic activity.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan this week delayed further loosening of curbs, including postponing the reopening of cinemas. The capital city reported 346 new cases on Saturday, its highest daily increase, with eight new fatalities.

The country's most populous province, West Java, will begin awho are not wearing face masks in public places starting July 27, its Governor Ridwan Kamil said on Twitter.
LGBTQ flag in New York

Almost half of Britons believe changing gender should not be made easier, a YouGov poll has suggested.

Later this summer, the Government is expected to make announcements about changes to the rules around how transgender people can self-identity.

The issue of self-identification has been the subject of a highly-charged debate in recent years. This would mean a trans person could legally change their gender without a medical diagnosis.

However, a new survey from the polling company YouGov has revealed that Britons oppose simplifying the legal process of changing gender, with 47 per cent believing it should not be made easier.

In contrast, just 28 per cent said it should be made easier.

The statistics have prompted alarm from trans rights and support organisations, who say they prove there is a long way to go "before everyone in Britain is equal".

Dr Jane Hamlin, the president of the Beaumont Society, the largest transgender support group in the UK, said the survey was "totally distressing".

"It is really sad that the people in Britain are apparently so far behind in their thinking compared with those in other countries," she said.

"How can it be that those in Ireland, for example  where they recognise that the best person to decide how you should identify is yourself  are more enlightened than so many people in this country?

"If everyone had to go through the current process to confirm their own gender identity I am sure that there would be a very different response."

Dr Hamlin added that, in 2018, the Government had recognised that the process is "intrusive, bureaucratic and expensive" and set up a consultation to plan the way forward.

"Unfortunately, a torrent of misinformation and scaremongering has been generated by those who are lucky enough never have to go through the process themselves," she added.

Story continues

"No one chooses to be trans. Why would they? It is how we are born, it is who we are. It must be so much easier to be cis gender. No one is equal until everyone is equal. If this survey is accurate, it will be a long time before everyone in Britain is equal.

"There is a danger that our country will slip further back into the dark ages of bigotry and intolerance."

The YouGov poll, which surveyed 1,688 adults between June 22 and June 23, also found that Britons are split on whether they recognise the new gender of transgender people  40 per cent agreed a transgender woman is a woman, in comparison to 36 per cent who disagreed, and 41 per cent agreed a transgender man is a man, in comparison to 36 per cent who disagreed.

The poll also found that men and women hold opposing views, with almost half (47-49 per cent) of women accepting the new gender identity of transgender men and women. This is in contrast to about three in 10 (29-30 per cent) who do not.

Meanwhile, men refuse to accept the new gender identities of transgender men and women by 43 per cent to 33 per cent.

Furthermore, YouGov said a "sizeable minority" of Britons are undecided when it comes to the trans rights debate.

For every question out of the 17 in the survey, between 21 per cent and 30 per cent of people answered "don't know".
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. The military-political situation in the region has become aggravated due to Azerbaijans aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, Prime Minister of Armenia NIkol Pashinyan said in a meeting with the top leadership of army.

'' Late on July 12, Azerbaijans armed forces launched an attack and attempted to take control of the Anvakh (Fearles) border post of Armenias armed forces. It is important to note that this post is located within the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and the actions of Azerbaijan can be assessed as an aggression and nothing else'', ARMENPRESS reports the PM as saying.

He reminded that Azerbaijans armed forces also targeted the villages of Movses, Aygepar, Chinari, and Nerkin Karmiraghbyur in the Tavush region of Armenia with artillery fire and drones, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure and residential houses.

'' We also have evidence and factual data which indicates that Azerbaijans armed forces have deployed artillery and armored vehicles in the courtyards and between residential houses in the village of Aghdam, which faces Armenias Chinari village. It is from these positions that they targeted our villages, in order to make it appear that Armenia retaliated against Azerbaijani civilian targets'', Pashinyan emphasized.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
The two US astronauts who reached the International Space Station (ISS) on board the first crewed US spacecraft in nearly a decade will leave for Earth on August 1, NASA's chief said Friday.

"Splashdown is targeted for Aug. 2. Weather will drive the actual date. Stay tuned," tweeted the US space agency's administrator Jim Bridenstine.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley took off from Florida aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule on May 30, becoming the first astronauts to hitch a ride to the ISS on board a commercial spaceship, which is under contract with NASA.

It was the first time a crewed spaceship was launched from the United States since 2011 when the space shuttle program was ended.

Between then and this mission, American astronauts travelled exclusively on Russian rockets.

Eventually, Dragon will regularly bring four astronauts to the ISS at a time, from NASA and partner space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe and potentially Russia.

This will be the first time the SpaceX capsule will make the journey to Earth with astronauts, having successfully completed an uncrewed test run last year.

It will splash down in the Atlantic, like the Apollo capsules did in the 1960s and 1970s.
A former Algerian cabinet minister detained in a corruption case has died from the COVID-19 illness, his brother said Saturday.

Ex-telecom minister Moussa Benhamadi, 67, who was close to ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, contracted the novel coronavirus earlier this month and died on Friday, his brother Abdelmalek Benhamadi told AFP.

He had contracted the disease in prison and been transferred to an Algiers hospital where he died.

Another brother, Hocine Benhamadi, told the website of French-language daily Liberte that the ex-minister had fallen ill on July 4 and was only hospitalised nine days later.

Algeria has declared some 22,000 cases of COVID-19, including more than 1,000 deaths.

Moussa Benhamadi had been held in pre-trial detention at El Harrach prison since September 2019 as part of an investigation into corruption involving the Algerian high-tech firm Condor Electronics.

Bouteflika, who was Algeria's longest-serving president, was forced to resign in April last year after losing the backing of the army amid massive street protests against his decision to seek a fifth term.

Following his departure, authorities launched a string of graft investigations into members of his entourage accused of abusing their power.

Bouteflika's powerful brother Said and two former intelligence chiefs have been jailed, as have powerful businessmen and former government ministers.

Benhamadi's brother and head of Condor Electronics, Abderahmane Benhamadi, was released in April from provisional detention on suspicion of corruption.

Another brother, Omar Benhamadi, director general of the family business Condor, is still behind bars.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 17) - The number of COVID-19 cases in the country may surge to at least 85,000 by end of the month, with a total of 2,000 deaths, according to the projection by a group of researchers from the University of the Philippines (UP) and University of Santo Tomas.

UP OCTA Research noted that this is a 15,000 to 25,000 increase from the initial projection of 60,000 to 70,000 cases by end of July.

The group calculated the possible number of additional infections based on the R naught, or the reproduction rate of the virus. This represents the number of people who may be infected by a confirmed case. Ideally, this should be one or less, as anything higher means there is still significant community transmission.

UP OCTA Fellow Professor Guido David said the projection has changed when the reproduction rate of the virus increased in the past two weeks.

From 1.28 back in June, the reproduction rate jumped to 1.75. David said a small difference in R naught could cause a big impact.

It may seem like 0.3, 0.4 pero (but) this could cause change of tens of thousands of cases, David said.

The main factor is increased transmission, community transmission in NCR and also some new hotspots, emerging hotspots like parts of CALABARZON nagiging hotspots ulit (becoming hotspots again), sa Leyte, nagiging hotspots (becoming hotspots again). NCR is the main driver of this.

Metro Manila projection

The researchers also presented scenarios to the governmentif Metro Manila will remain under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ), or if it will revert to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

Under GCQ, UP OCTA said the cases in Metro Manila may reach 40,000 by end of July and over 80,000 by end of the following month. Death toll could hit 2,800 by August 31.

But Metro Manilas Covid-19 cases could be less if it is placed under a stricter quarantine like the MECQ. Researchers said the reproduction rate could go down to 1.1 by end of July, resulting in 35,000 cases by end of the month and 56,000 cases with only 1,900 deaths by end of August.

Researchers also warned that lifting the quarantine will very likely increase the community transmission. Without restrictions, cases in Metro Manila will hit 45,000 this month and over 120,000 with 4,200 deaths by end of August.

Kasi (because) in Cebu the R was about 2, thirty days ago, at ngayon nasa 1.14 na (it is already at 1.14). So theyre close to flattening the curve. So the surge is not happening now in Cebu, its actually slowing down. The surge is happening in NCR, David said.

We presented two scenarios: GCQ but with deaths and then we can have the economy running, or MECQ, well slow it down but the economy will be compromised a little bit.

In an interview with CNN Philippines News.PH, David noted that restricting the movement of people is not the only way to fight the spread of the virus.

We can solve this in other ways like having social cooperation. We all do our parts. Wearing face masks is important, it is not just a government advise, but it is important to protect ourselves and in case we carry the virus, it helps us not spread the virus to other people, he said.
July 18 (Reuters) - Iran has sent the black boxes from a Ukrainian airliner that it had accidentally downed in January to France for analysis, a Foreign Ministry official said on Saturday.

Some 176 people were killed when the Revolutionary Guards, Irans most powerful military force, fired missiles at the Ukraine International Airlines mistaking it for a hostile target while on high alert during a confrontation with the United States.

The black boxes were transported to Paris yesterday by officials of the Civil Aviation Authority and a judge, Mohsen Baharvand, Irans deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs, was quoted as saying by the the semi-official ILNA news agency.

He said France will begin reading the flight recorders on Monday and praised the French government for its very good cooperation with the Iranian delegation.

Frances BEA air accident investigation agency is known as one of the worlds leading agencies for reading flight recorders.

The fate of the cockpit voice and data recorders was the subject of an international standoff after the plane was shot down on Jan. 8, with Ukraine demanding access.

In an interim report last week Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation blamed a misalignment of a radar system and lack of communication between the air defence operator and his commanders for the downing. (Editing by Frances Kerry)
A popular Western Massachusetts brewery received a cease and desist order from the Massachusetts Department of Labor accusing the business of operating in violation of Massachusetts COVID-19 orders.

Brew Practitioners, a craft beer brewery in Florence, received the letter on Friday and was ordered to shut down immediately.

Upon receiving the letter, majority owner Tanzania Cannon-Eckerle and co-owner and head brewer Joe Eckerle closed their patio and indoor seating for the weekend to determine their next steps.

Is this reserved for black brewery owners or just female brewery owners. I cant figure out which of my labels has upset the health department so much, Cannon-Eckerle wrote on the Brew Practitioners Facebook page regarding the cease and desist letter. Especially since I just passed their Covid-19 Safety Inspection with flying colors.

Speaking with MassLive, Cannon-Eckerle expressed concern that her business was being held to higher restrictions by local health authorities than are outlined in the Massachusetts reopening plans.

Brew Practitioners opened on Main Street in Florence five years ago with half its space dedicated to brewing operations and half featuring a taproom with indoor seating. One of the smallest breweries in the region, the business has a maximum capacity of 49 people inside and seating for about 25 on its patio.

After three years of operation, the business was asked in 2018 to seek a retail food permit to accommodate brewing beer on site and the sale of small food items, such as chips and pretzels.

What felt like an unnecessary permit at the time initially was considered a blessing upon viewing the states reopening plan.

I saw the perameters for Phase 2 reopening and low and behold, I have a retail food permit, its sticking on my wall, Cannon-Eckerle said, who - in addition to serving as a co-owner of the brewery - is a an attorney with experience in labor and employment law.

The Massachusetts reopening plan features four phases: Start, Cautious, Vigilant and The New Normal.

In the start phase, construction, manufacturing and places of worship were among the first to allowed to resume, with significant restrictions to encourage social distancing. Doctors and dentists were allowed to start seeing patients again and beaches reopened on Memorial Day.

In the Cautious phase, retail, outdoor dining, hotels and other industries were allowed to reopen as early as June 8 under strict restrictions.

The Cautious phase, or Phase 2, was divided into two parts. The first part allowed outdoor dining to resume. Indoor dining was allowed again on June 22.

Restaurants are required to socially distance tables at least six feet apart and seat parties of no more than six people with no people seated at the bar. Face coverings are required for all workers. Customers may remove face coverings while seated at tables.

While initially bars were categorized as allowed to reopen in Phase 3 of the state plan, they were moved to Phase 4, joining nightclubs as among the last to reopen. The state will enter Phase 4 after a vaccine and/or treatment for COVID-19 is developed.

Brew Practitioners argues that the business is not a bar that only serves drinks, but brews on site in addition to serving small food items. The business recently added popcorn, homemade salsa and chips to its menu.

I bought a popcorn machine. Im creating food on site. Theres nothing in the regulations that says I need to create a gourmet meal, Cannon-Eckerle said.

The more popular option for customers is to order meals from Cafe Evolution, a vegan cafe with which the brewery shares a parking lot, or the pizza shop across the street which offers table service delivery for Brew Practitioners customers.

Cannon-Eckerle said theyve attempted to partner with food trucks to offer additional food options on site, though believes its an unsustainable option for breweries, especially one as small as hers.

I cant control if they come or go or if they get a better offer, said Cannon-Eckerle, who said theyve had food trucks lined up only for them to rebook for larger breweries.

If Brew Practitioners isnt allowed to welcome customers back, Cannon-Eckerle fears her business wont survive. She estimates their canned beer sales make up about 5% of their business.

She has appealed the cease and desist with state officials. I can sit down and be quiet and wait for someone to tell me I cant run my business or I can actively fight to keep my business open.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 06:29:51|Editor: huaxia

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by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, July 18 (Xinhua) -- With coronavirus cases spiking nationwide, corporate America pushed political leaders toward mandating mask wearing this week, while vocal conservatives protested their loss of civil liberties in their opposition.

The corporate avalanche mandating mask wearing began last Wednesday with mega-retailer Walmart's announcement, followed by grocer giant Fred Meyer, Kohl's, Best Buy, and Starbucks.

"To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all the shoppers to wear face covering starting Monday, July 20," Walmart U.S. chief operating officer Dacona Smith said in a blog.

BACKPEDALING

This week, a host of conservative states reversed course and mandated mask wearing, including Republican governors Kay Ivey and Asa Hutchinson from Alabama and Arkansas on Thursday.

On Friday, Colorado became one of the first western states to make mask wearing mandatory, as the western state hit COVID-19 case totals not seen since May 1, with hospitals filling fast.

The order for wearing a face mask applies to everyone in the state who is age 11 and older whenever they're anywhere in public and indoors. People who have medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from wearing face masks are exempt.

Colorado saw 618 new coronavirus cases Friday, with 39,344 cases and 1,751 deaths confirmed since the pandemic broke, according to the Colorado Department of Health.

"We have a choice in Colorado: either more mask wearing and more attention to social distancing, or more damage to our economy and loss of life," Colorado Governor Jared Polis said at a news conference on Thursday.

Polis, a Democrat, has been aggressive about steps to reopen Colorado, but like in many states, has backpedaled as a resurgence of cases has swept from coast to coast.

Polis was immediately attacked by local Republicans on Twitter.

"The governor is on a power trip and his mask mandate is a clear violation of our civil liberties. I retained counsel with the intent to see you. Stay tuned," Patrick Neville, a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, said Friday on Twitter.

CONSERVATIVE WEST OPPOSITION

Unlike Colorado, Republican-run states in U.S. West are still resisting mandating mask wearing, although many governors are telling citizens to cover up.

"More personal contact among people, as the state economy reopens, and more available testing has contributed to new COVID-19 cases hitting record highs that began at the end of June," KTVH-DT television station in Montana said this week.

The COVID-19 spike had been tied to the Fourth of July weekend, health officials said in Montana, reported Montana Public TV (MPTV) on Friday.

"While most of the newest Covid-19 cases have come from the more populous Missoula and Yellowstone counties, health officials in Northwest Montana see a steep rise in case it stems from July 4 holiday gatherings," MPTV said.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock's statewide mask mandate came after hundreds of Montana residents, business owners, and healthcare leaders demanded the move as viral cases mounted in the state.

As of Friday, Montana confirmed 137 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 2,366, according to Montana Free Press.

In Wyoming, "a visibly angry" governor Mark Gordon urged residents on Wednesday to wear face masks.

"When somebody sends me a note that says, 'well, these people are going to die anyway they're just dying sooner,' I got to say, I'm offended," he said at a news conference.

But the Republican governor, who represents a state that went to President Donald Trump by 46 points in the 2016 presidential election, still has not made mask wearing the law so far.

BACKLASH

On Thursday, in Utah, "a public meeting about a school mask policy was postponed moments after it began because dozens of people not wearing masks showed up to protest," USA Today reported.

Utah Republican Governor Gary Herbert had announced July 8 he was considering a statewide edict on face coverings, and, despite record numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state, anti-mask forces took to social media to stage the hostile act, NBC News reported.

A similar scene of chaos erupted in Utah's northern neighbor Idaho, where a meeting by health department officials on a mask mandate was canceled Thursday morning after "a large number of protesters" turned up at the building and forced their way inside, according to several media sources.

Health departments in several Idaho counties mandated mask wearing this week, as coronaviruses cases soared with more than 4,400 as of Tuesday, according to health department data.

But political analysts said it's unlikely that conservative Governor Brad Little would put a mask order in place, following the standard Republican line, according to local 104.3 Country Radio.

SOUTHWEST TURMOIL

In Arizona on Friday, Governor Doug Ducey ramped up public health funding and offered free masks for the elderly, according to KTAR News.

Meanwhile, doctors in the Grand Canyon State said Arizona needs statewide mask mandate, and the message from the Republican governor was mixed, similar to the president of the United States, who just wore a mask in public this week for the first time.

Despite pressure from local leaders and health professionals, Republican Ducey has not issued a state-wide mask mandate amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The governor is telling us to wear masks and he recommends them, yet there is no mask mandate," tweeted Natasha Bohan, a family physician at One Medical.

"So that is a little bit of a mixed message to the public," she said.

As of Saturday, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported more than 141,000 COVID-19 cases in the state with 2,730 deaths.

In Arizona's neighbor to the east, New Mexico, open hostility continued from the few who opposed the mask wearing protective measure.

One woman was slapped in a New Mexico convenience store after confronting a non-mask wearing woman, according to KRQE News this week.

In the state's largest city Albuquerque, hundreds gathered for a protest against quarantining, masks, and how the Democratic governor is handling the coronavirus crisis.

"America is just so easily manipulated and told what to do without even a fight and today we were fighting," Steve Smothermon, pastor at Legacy Church which had a lawsuit over the public health ordinance thrown out, spoke at the protest.

The Land of Enchantment state, run by Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, mandated mask wearing in public on May 14, but phased back the restriction in June, only to make the measure mandatory again last Monday.

Local health officials told the media the uptick is the result of Fourth of July celebrations. Enditem
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official on Friday required greater efforts to handle public complaints and safeguard people's legitimate rights and interests, as well as social harmony and stability.

These efforts are needed to create a favorable environment for securing a decisive victory in the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, said Guo Shengkun, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Guo, who heads the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, was speaking at a plenary meeting of the central joint conference on public complaints and proposals.

He said convenient and efficient channels should be put in place for public complaints to be addressed.
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Linkedin (Reuters) Amsterdam  Sat, July 18, 2020 22:02 549 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667769a0 2 Art & Culture carriage,Dutch,slavery,colonial-era,colonialism Free

Dutch King Willem-Alexander may stop using a ceremonial horse-drawn carriage with images celebrating the Netherlands' former rule over colonies, he said on Friday, following an upsurge in criticism of the "Golden Carriage".

The gilded wooden carriage was built in 1898 and is decorated on one side with a panel called "Tribute of the Colonies", which shows Black and Asian subjects bringing offerings to a white woman on a throne representing the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in June he was aware the carriage, which has been undergoing restoration since 2015, "summons emotions", but added: "it's all part of our history."

The carriage, along with statues of naval heroes from the country's 17th century golden age, has become a hot topic of debate in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests.

"We're following the discussion, I'm listening to it," King Willem-Alexander said during an annual meeting with the press, when members of the royal family pose for pictures.

"As long as there is implicit and explicit discrimination in the Netherlands, we must tackle that as a society," he added.

Read also: Statues are just the start  the UK is peppered with slavery heritage

The carriage traditionally transports the king to address parliament every September, but is not due to be back in service until 2021.

The king said there would be no move to change the decorations during its repairs.

"It's part of our cultural heritage, so we're not going to be re-writing history with the restoration," he said.

"Once the restoration has been completed, then we'll see."
More than a quarter of Australian households suffer from energy poverty, risking their health and comfort during winter to avoid "billing anxiety".

Energy stress was "clearly worsening" during the COVID-19 crisis, said Sara Wilkinson, professor of sustainable property at the University of Technology Sydney, as people spent more time indoors.

Julianne Tice, who lives in Melbourne's Fitzroy, has struggled with her higher energy bills during lockdown. Credit:Joe Armao

"People are spending almost all their time at home, which is obviously pushing up their energy consumption," she said. "And [their] ability to hang out somewhere warm in the mall or community centre has gone."

Data from energy company Jemena showed households were using 16 per cent more electricity amid the pandemic than in the same period last year.
Where is the Palestinian Mandela? is a question I have often heard from Israels defenders. What they are really asking is: Where is the Palestinian equivalent of Nelson Mandela  a man who, they believe, offered only olive branches and dialogue? Where is the Palestinian version of Mandela, who  in their imagination  adored his oppressor so much that he was prepared to forgive and reconcile with them unconditionally?

Israels lobbyists  both in South Africa and around the world  have resurrected my grandfather as a liberal pacifist who benevolently made peace with his enemies. To reduce the life of Rolihlahla (Nelson Mandelas middle name, meaning the uprooter) to peace-maker and reconciler is a deliberate distortion of his legacy.

President Mandela lived up to his middle name. He was a revolutionary, intellectual and freedom fighter. His life was dedicated to resisting oppression and restoring dignity. The form of resistance that he advocated was determined by the oppressor. It is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and non-violence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks, Mandela warned in May 1961, seven months before he became the first commander of the newly-formed armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC) called uMkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation).

Yet, when Israels supporters talk about Nelson Mandela, they focus exclusively on his message of dialogue and reconciliation. Consequently, the story of Madiba, as he was known, and South Africas transition to democracy has been reduced to a fairy-tale of forgiveness, rather than a long, hard  often angry  chronicle of justice and freedom. Dialogue, forgiveness and reconciliation must be put back into its proper context and place in Mandelas story and South Africas history.

Mandelas cause was not peace and reconciliation; it was justice and liberation. Reconciliation and forgiveness only came after liberation was achieved. Before that, Madiba considered any kind of reconciliation with the oppressor as submission and a weapon of co-option to blunt the liberation movement.

South Africas allies in the global anti-apartheid movement also never asked us to make peace with our oppressors before our liberation was achieved. Asking South Africans to engage in dialogue with the apartheid government within the context of a brutal police state characterised by relentless dispossession, restrictions on freedom of movement, violent crackdowns on protest, and detention without trial, was asking us to collaborate with our oppressors. The world never asked  or expected  this of South Africans, yet it is demanded of Palestinians who live under the same  if not worse  conditions.

Mandela the Forgiver is especially adored by Israels lobbyists. They love recounting how he earned the trust of his enemies and had tea with Betsie Verwoerd, the widow of apartheids architect, Hendrik Verwoerd. Israels apologists want the world to believe as soon as Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was released, he abandoned the armed struggle and quietly entered into negotiations with the apartheid government, having no demands or pre-conditions. Even after 27 years in prison, when he was released, Mandela offered dialogue, not violence, says South African writer, Benjamin Pogrund. This is not the reality.

On the day he was released from prison, Nelson Mandela said: The factors which necessitated the armed struggle still exist today. We have no option but to continue. We express the hope that a climate conducive to a negotiated settlement will be created soon so that there may no longer be the need for the armed struggle.

Mandela did not enter into negotiations while Black South Africans were being violently dispossessed and persecuted, or while our liberation leaders were being imprisoned, tortured and assassinated. The carrying on of negotiations and rhetoric on peace while at the same time the government is conducting a war against us is a position we cannot accept, Madiba declared at the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in September 1990.

There were basic conditions that needed to be met before Mandela began negotiations. These included an end to the dispossession and state-sponsored violence against Black South Africans, the release of political prisoners, and the return of exiles. When Palestinians ask for the same conditions before they come to the negotiation table, they are called unreasonable and stubborn.

Israels advocates have convinced themselves that Palestinians are the opposite of what Mandela stood for. Whenever Palestinians resist Israeli co-option, they are told that Madiba would never have behaved like that.

In their mind, Mandela  unlike Yasser Arafat  would have accepted checkpoints, illegal settlement construction, and seven years of fruitless negotiations during Oslo and the Camp David Accords.

In their imagination, Nelson Mandela  unlike Mahmoud Abbas  would have agreed to Ehud Olmerts 2008 secret Palestinian Bantustan deal that was hastily scribbled on a napkin. The Madiba that they have created would never have rejected Israels deal of a lifetime of a demilitarised Palestinian state with its main centres severed from each other and Israel controlling movement between the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Palestinian airspace, economic and foreign policy, water resources, and borders.

The Mandela that exists in the heads of Israels advocates was always willing to compromise justice and dignity. The real Mandela, however, rejected several generous offers from the apartheid government including an early release if he renounced the armed struggle, surrendered his peoples rights and confined himself to the Transkei Bantustan.

Proponents of Mandela the Forgiver forget that Madiba never conceded on any issue that would compromise his end-goal: The liberation of South Africans. During negotiations, he and his comrades  like the Palestinians  often chose no agreement over one that did not meet their bare minimum in terms of dignity and human rights.

Israel has never gone into peace talks in the last 20 years to actually negotiate with the Palestinians. It has used the peace process as a toy to keep Palestinians occupied (literally and figuratively) while it violently entrenches the occupation of the West Bank, and intensifies the siege on Gaza. But, as long as the peace process continued, Israel could silence the boycott calls. That will be more difficult to do now that Israeli leaders openly discuss annexation, admitting that there will never be a Palestinian state.

We need Nelson Mandelas legacy more than ever in Palestine-Israel  not to preach about forgiveness and reconciliation  but to craft political solutions rooted in justice and dignity. The greatest lesson that Israel and its supporters can learn from Nelson Mandelas life is that peace, forgiveness and reconciliation will only come when all people enjoy justice, freedom and dignity.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Employees of the City University of New York (CUNY) are voicing their concerns about the return to teaching this fall.

On Saturday, members of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), the union representing 30,000 faculty and staff at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the CUNY Research Foundation, participated in various simultaneous caravan protests across the city.

The demonstrations, one of which took place on Staten Island, were held in protest against the recent lay-off of 2,900 adjunct employees, potential state cuts to CUNY funding and the possibility of what the organization perceives to be a dangerous, premature return to in-person instruction.

The members of the PSC refuse to normalize cuts and layoffs at CUNY. And we will not allow the University administration to put the lives of our members and students at risk by returning to campus before it is safe, said Barbara Bowen, president of the PSC. Thats why were demonstrating in the communities where our students live.

The caravans kicked off simultaneously this morning in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, with demonstrators covering their cars and bicycles in protest signs and honking their horns as they drove through communities heavily populated by CUNY students and alumni.

The various protests were simulcast using Zoom and can be viewed online at the PSC CUNY Facebook page.

The PSC recently filed a lawsuit against CUNY in the wake of the adjunct lay-offs, alleging the institution has not used its $132 million in CARES Act federal funding to maintain all workers to the greatest extent possible, as required by law.

Potential state funding cuts to CUNY could reach up to $95 million, according to the union, and at least 46 CUNY faculty members have died during the pandemic, escalating existing safety concerns regarding a potential return to the classroom.

The union stands with CUNY students in our fight to save lives, save jobs and save CUNY. Its now or never for the legislature and the governor to step up and demand that the rich pay their fair share in taxes. Any agenda for justice in rebuilding New York must include full funding of the university, its working people and communities of color, Bowen said.

CUNY issued the following statement in response to the protests:

Part-time faculty are valued members of the CUNY community who make important contributions inside and outside of our classrooms. As is customary in making reappointment decisions for adjuncts, the University and its colleges relied on the best fiscal information and enrollment projections currently available and endeavored to protect as many jobs as possible."

Unfortunately, CUNY is not immune to the challenges and uncertainties engendered by the COVID-19 crisis, and in the absence of federal funding to support New York State and New York City through this crisis, our fiscal outlook is dim and uncertain. This uncertainty is why we reached out to PSC leadership to seek a third extension to sending appointment letters, but they would not agree to it. As a result, colleges are informing a large number of adjunct professors that their reappointment for the Fall 2020 semester cannot be guaranteed. If the federal government acts as it should, and the fiscal outlook improves, many could be re-hired to teach in the fall, the statement continued.
WANT CUOMO CHIPS WITH THAT? Outdoor dining extended; latest coronavirus numbers. (Hot Zone) Posted by Staten Island Advance on Friday, July 17, 2020

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The coronavirus pandemic has turned our world upside-down. We need information like we never have before.

How many new cases were there on Staten Island today? How many deaths? How many people have been released from the hospital?

What did President Donald Trump say about the pandemic? What about Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio?

More importantly, when is this pandemic going to be over? When are we going to get back to normal, whatever normal is?

Its almost too much to keep up with.

So twice a day, Mark Stein and I take to Facebook Live to give you all the Island information you need. Look for us around 2 p.m. and again at around 5:30 p.m. Then look for this wrap-up on SILive.com at the end of the day.

Well give you the numbers and all the latest news. Well answer your questions. Well follow up on your news tips.

Well share the good news too, the way that the Staten Island community is coming together in this time of crisis. Or well just share this strange and unique pandemic moment with you, as fellow Staten Islanders.

On Friday, we talked about the continuing fallout from the decision by Cuomo and de Blasio that indoor malls, indoor dining and gyms would not re-open in New York City as part of Phase 4 on Monday.

Cuomo and de Blasio are concerned about coronavirus spikes being seen in other states, but many Staten Islanders were disappointed by their decision on malls and indoor dining.

One upstate pub owner also began offering Cuomo Chips on the menu after the governors edict that alcohol could not be served to any patron who was not also buying food and sitting down.

See the video above for those conversations.

In the video below, Mark and I talked about how the Staten Island Mall would not be able to open on Monday as hoped even though the Mall had complied with Cuomos edict to install high-tech filters in its air conditioning system to filter out potential COVID-19 particles.

Were all in this together. Well all get through this together.
Poignant story of Italian frontline nurse was reported around the world.

A nurse who became a symbol of Italy's battle against coronavirus after her story was reported by the international media in April says that being able to hug her child again after two months was like a "rebirth."

Pasqualina Conte, a frontline nurse at S. Carlo hospital in Milan, had been afraid to go near her nine-year-old boy Andrea for two months, for fear of infecting him with covid-19.

Andreas father left them when he was a three-month-old baby, Pasqualina said. When Italy's coronavirus emergency began she planned to send her son to his grandparents in the town of Lavello in the southern Basilicata region.

In the meantime however Italy went into lockdown and travel was forbidden. Pasqualina and her son remained in Milan throughout the darkest days of the covid-19 emergency.

As the situation in Italy intensified, with Lombardy the epicentre, Pasqualina decided to maintain as much distance as possible from her little boy, despite testing negative repeatedly for the virus.

Pasqualina's greatest desire every time she returned home after traumatic shifts in the hospital was to be able to embrace her son but she resisted, for his sake.

At the start of the crisis, Andrea was angry towards his mother however he eventually changed his mind, telling AP reporters: Im proud of her, Im very proud. Shes on the front line.

On 17 July, Andrea joined his mother in Lavello where the mayor presented Pasqualina with a civic merit award in a public ceremony in the town hall, reports Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

Pasqualina accepted the recognition on behalf of all healthcare professionals in Italy and paid particular tribute to the "strength of the community" who rushed to her side during the emergency, helping her support Andrea by "giving him those hugs and kisses that I could not give him."
Jack ODonovan in the walking frame he is using to complete his challenge

A determined and strong-willed young man from Swords has taken on a challenge against all odds to raise funds for two charities close to his heart.

Seventeen-year-old Jack O'Donovan, who has cerebral palsy, is walking 5km to raise funds for CRC and Family Carers Ireland, pushing his stamina and sense of resolve to the limit.

Jack, who attends CRC in Clontarf, took on the challenge on Saturday, July 4, with his neighbours on Glen Ellan Avenue, Swords rallying around to cheer him on in his incredible feat.

Jack's mum, Lynsey, spoke of Jack's progress so far: 'Jack has a walker, and it started as a 2km walk and we've upped it to 5km because he's flying, so 5km in the space of two weeks. Every day he's doing so much, he can't last an awful long time, so that's why we did it over two weeks, but he's flying! We've raised I think over 2500 already in the few days.

'He started it, we kind of posted it on Saturday on Independence Day, so he started walking kind of Sunday. He's doing it for two charities, so the CRC which is the school, and for Family Carers Ireland.'

Lynsey says: 'He's doing great, it's giving him a bit of purpose so he's enjoying it every morning getting up and he's dying to get out for his walk, so he's enjoying it.

'He's absolutely flying it, he's not really able to stay in the walker too long, but he's pushing through and staying in the walker longer than he normally would be.'

Jack's three sisters, Robyn, Katie and Sophie have joined him on the 5km walk, which, though challenging, he has taken in his stride.

Jack crosses the line on Saturday July 18, where Irish rugby legend Mick Galwey and representatives from Family Carers Ireland will cheer him over the finish line.

Lynsey says: 'It's tough on him, but he's pushing through. I'm reading him all the messages every day that people are sending him, there's so much support so that's pushing him on, he loves listening to that.

'We're so proud of him and his sisters, because they're doing it with him every day as well, they're cheering him on, it's brilliant.'

She says: 'We're putting up videos every day of how much he's walking every day so people can see what he's doing, so we're so proud of him.

'It was a tough lockdown, so this is something nice to do coming out of it.'

Lynsey says she has done a lot of charity work for CRC in the past, but this is the first time Jack has taken on a fundraiser himself, which she is 'delighted' for.

Lynsey herself was awarded Family Carer Ireland's North Dublin Netwatch Carer of the Year 2019 last year, a title she holds with modest pride.

She says: 'My mam nominated me, so then I got a phone call to say I won North Dublin Carer of the Year.

'It was brilliant, my mam put in a lovely piece about me, Jack and the family and they rang me to say that I won out of all the applicants that were sent in.

'I got a lovely new bridge clock, and we had a little ceremony for me the family and the family carers, we had that in the Betsy's in Swords, and then there was a big one in town for the overall carer of the country, so that was lovely, we had a meal there and everything.'

Lynsey says: 'I was an emotional wreck, I couldn't believe it, I didn't know my mam had nominated me so it was amazing, I wouldn't have expected it at all. It was lovely, it really was.'

Family Carers Ireland are set to launch the Netwatch Carer of the Year Awards 2020 as Jack crosses the finish line on July 18, but the limelight will without question be on the young man from Swords himself.
Protesters demanding jobs in Tunisia's marginalised south have blocked a key pipeline carrying half the country's oil production after hundreds stormed a crude production site, the energy ministry said Friday.

On Thursday demonstrators pushed their way past military forces to enter the remote El-Kamour production site in the desert south of the southeastern town of Tataouine, an AFP journalist had reported.

Some of the protesters shut down a valve blocking the flow of crude oil in the pipeline that runs into Tataouine, effectively stopping the delivery of half of Tunisia's production, the energy ministry said.

"The oil that runs in the pipeline linking oil fields in the Tataouine desert to the Skhira terminal has been interrupted," said Hamed Matri, an advisor to the energy minister.

He told AFP "the lost productivity is very significant" and that the procedure needed to reopen the valve and resume the flow of oil to its previous level was complex.

Negotiations were underway with the protesters to resolve the standoff, Matri said.

The Tunisian oil sector is modest, producing on average 38,000 to 40,000 barrels per day.

Fifty-five percent of it is extracted from the Tataouine region where Austria's OMV, Italy's ENI and Anglo Tunisian Oil & Gas have exploration rights, according to the energy ministry.

Tataouine has been gripped by weeks of unrest, with protesters staging sit-ins and demonstrations to demand the government honour a 2017 pledge to invest millions to develop the region.

Tunisia's south is one of the countries most marginalised regions, burdened with above-average unemployment, failing infrastructure and a stunted private sector.

"There is a real problem of development in Tataouine," Matri said.

Earlier this month dozens of demonstrators set up a protest camp in the desert near El-Kamour before hundreds forced their way into the oil production site on Thursday, pushing their way past troops deployed to guard it.

"The military forces acted responsibly, professionally and calmly to avoid causing any victims and aggravating the situation," the defence ministry said in a statement late Thursday.

But it warned that the army was "responsible for protection security... and our national wealth, and will not accept any destructive bids".

The latest unrest come as Tunisia is mired in a political crisis following Wednesday's resignation of prime minister Elyes Fakhfakh, amid a political row with the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, the largest in parliament, over allegations of conflict of interest.
Long lines form every morning in one of the Bolivian cities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic as desperate people wait to buy small bottles of chlorine dioxide, a toxic bleaching agent that has been falsely touted as a cure for Covid-19 and myriad other diseases.

The rush in the city of Cochabamba to buy a disinfectant known to cause harm to those who ingest it comes even after the Bolivian Health Ministry warned of its dangers and said at least five people were poisoned after taking chlorine dioxide in La Paz, the capital.

Dr. Antonio Viruez, who is treating the five at a hospital, said one incorrectly believed he had Covid-19 and developed pneumonitis, an inflammation of lung tissue, after taking chlorine dioxide and a medication used to treat parasite infestations. The other patients are improving, he said.

The Health Ministry cannot risk recommending something that doesnt have a scientific basis, said Miguel Angel Delgado, a senior ministry official.

However, Bolivias opposition-controlled congress is promoting the use of chlorine dioxide.

Last week, the Senate approved a bill authorizing the emergency manufacture, marketing, supply and use of chlorine dioxide solution for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus. The bill would require the approval of interim President Jeanine Anez, who is in quarantine after testing positive for the new coronavirus. She has sparred with opposition lawmakers loyal to Evo Morales, the former leader who was forced to resign last year after an election marred by irregularities.

Many fearful residents in Cochabamba, where opposition support is strong, are giving chlorine dioxide a try. Cochabamba has reported about 440 deaths from Covid-19, or one-quarter of the total number of reported deaths in Bolivia. The real toll is believed to be higher.

I am afraid. I have to try it, said Andres Poma, a 34-year-old teacher who is skeptical that beleaguered health services can help him if he gets sick. What am I going to do? Wait to die at the door of the hospital or at the door of my house? Federico Anza, who sells chlorine dioxide at his Cochabamba store, said thousands of people have bought it, consuming it in drops.

My wife and I took it and nothing happened to us, he said.

He said his clients had not fallen ill after taking the agent, though provincial health authorities reported 10 cases of poisoning from chlorine dioxide in the past week.

The governor of Cochabamba state, Esther Soria, said she supports a plan for a state law authorizing the use of chlorine dioxide and traditional medicine to treat Covid-19.

Cochabambas mayor, Jose Maria Leyes, said he favors the free distribution of the bleaching agent to treat patients.

But Fernando Rengel, president of the Cochabambas scientific association, said there are old beliefs that the toxic substance is miraculous and cures cancer, AIDS, malaria and other diseases, but there is no scientific study that proves that it cures any disease. Chlorine dioxide is one of a number of fake cures that have been promoted, often by fringe groups online, since the pandemic began.

In April, a federal judge in South Florida ordered a Colombia-based group, the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, to stop selling a related product, Miracle Mineral Solution, in the US Prosecutors said Genesis marketed the solution as a treatment for Covid-19, autism and other ailments.

The US Food and Drug Administration has previously issued public warnings that MMS can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe dehydration.

In April, US President Donald Trump mused about whether disinfectants could be injected or ingested to fight Covid-19, prompting intense blowback from doctors and other health officials.
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New Delhi:

Donald Trump on Wednesday updated his Twitter bio to reflect his new position after winning the US presidential election. The 70-year-old real estate tycoon, who took to Twitter quite early  in 2009, three years after the microblogging site was launched, has updated his bio to President-elect of the United States.



His Twitter handle @realDonaldTrump has around 13.5 million followers, over 2 million more than President Barack Obama.



His first tweet after the election result said: Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama on Wednesday called Donald Trump to congratulate him and invited the President-elect to White House on Thursday, the White House said.

ALSO READ | US Election Results Declared: PM Modi congratulates Donald Trump on being elected as 45th US President

The controversial billionaire, who is also a reality TV star, has been very active on the site and threw political correctness out of the window in the presidential campaign, making personal attacks on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, including her stamina, and invented a new hashtag of #CrookedHillary.

Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2016

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India has recorded nearly 35,000 new cases in the last 24 hours, stated the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday morning. The country saw the biggest spike of and 671 deaths and 34,884 new cases in a day. India has now reported 10,38,716 cases including 3,58,692 active cases, 6,53,750 discharged and 26,273 deaths. India is currently the third worst-affected country in the world after the US and Brazil.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that it has conducted 1,34,33,742 tests so far, with 3,61,024 tests being conducted on July 17 alone. As testing increases across the country, the number of cases is also likely to shoot up.

Maharashtra with nearly 3 lakh cases is the worst-affected state in the country. Maharashtra has reported 2,92,589 cases with 1,20,780 active cases, 1,60,357 discharged and 11,452 deaths. With 1,60,907 cases, including 47,785 active cases, 1,10,807 discharged and 2,315 deaths, Tamil Nadu is the second worst-impacted state.

The national capital has reported 1,20,107 cases with 17,235 active cases, 99,301 discharged and 3,571 deaths.

Meanwhile, a Lancet report has said that a large number of districts in nine states including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and Gujarat have high vulnerability to the infection. Madhya Pradesh, on the basis of housing, hygiene, and health system, was assessed as the most vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19. Bihar and Telangana followed suit.

Also read: Coronavirus pandemic: 1 million cases recorded in 100 hours globally

Also read: Coronavirus pandemic: June vehicle registrations nosedive 43%; tractors up 10%
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Rennes Metropole

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

Paris, July 17, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Rennes Metropole and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

The credit profile of Rennes Metropole (Aa3) reflects its sound operating performance supported by the tight control over its operating expenditure. While the coronavirus outbreak and the associated deterioration in the economic outlook will weigh on the metropole's tax revenues, its strong fundamentals provide some shock absorption, limiting credit implications. The credit quality of Rennes Metropole is also underpinned by its sound financial management and governance and strong liquidity metrics. Credit challenges include the rising debt burden due to a large infrastructure programme. Additionally, although dynamic, its economic base is small compared with peers. Rennes Metropole's ratings incorporate a baseline credit assessment (BCA) of aa3 as well as Moody's assessment of a moderate likelihood of extraordinary support from the government of France (Aa2) in the event that the issuer faced acute liquidity stress.

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This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodology used for this review was Regional and Local Governments published in January 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

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The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday objected to "constant intervention" of Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal in the appointment of special public prosecutors for cases pertaining to Delhi riots and anti-CAA protests.

The party insisted that only a panel of lawyers selected by its government should be appointed and not the one recommended by the police or the Centre as the force has faced "serious allegations" on its response to the riots.

Citing difference of opinion with the AAP dispensation, Lt Governor Baijal has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him to decide within a week on the Delhi Police''s proposal to appoint six senior advocates for arguing on its behalf in cases related to riots and anti-CAA protests.

Baijal, in his letter to Kejriwal, said that acting Home Minister Manish Sisodia did not agree to the Delhi Police proposal despite the force providing detailed justification for it.

"The Aam Aadmi Party expresses its strong objection to the constant intervention of the Lt. Governor in the appointment of Special Public Prosecutors for cases pertaining to Delhi riots and anti-CAA protests," the AAP said in a statement. Calling Delhi riots a "blot" on Delhi and the entire country, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the AAP government is committed to ensure strictest possible punishment to all those involved in the violence.

"But for that to happen, independent investigation by the police and a free and fair trial are a must. The LG and the central government are insisting on the appointment of a panel of Special Public Prosecutors chosen by the central government. This is happening at a time when there are very serious allegations on the response of Delhi Police to these riots as well as how the investigation process is going on," he said.

There are reports that the "police is busy implicating some people, while at the same time trying to save others," he claimed.

"It is therefore extremely important that the public prosecutors for these cases are independent. If they are under the central government and appointed by Delhi Police itself, their independence is under serious question.

"Therefore it is important that the panel of lawyers chosen by Delhi government represent these cases in the courts, he added.

AAP leader and MLA Raghav Chadha said under the law, specifically the CrPC, it is very clear that the Public Prosecutor is a representative of the State and not the Police.

"The same principle has been upheld by the orders of the High Court of Delhi in 2016 and Supreme Court (Division bench) in 2017, and the power to appoint Public Prosecutors has been granted solely to Delhi government.

"Delhi Police being the investigating agency therefore, should have no role in deciding the lawyers," Chadha said.

However, under the Constitution, the Lt. Governor of Delhi has special powers to overturn any decision of the elected government. The Supreme Court has made it clear that this power has to be used in the rarest of rare cases. Last month, the LG used these extraordinary powers to appoint 11 central government lawyers to represent cases pertaining to Delhi riots in the lower courts, he said.

"Now, the LG wants to appoint central government lawyers to represent these cases in the High Court and Supreme Court too.

"When Delhi's Home Minister Manish Sisodia, strongly objected to appoint the panel of lawyers recommended by Central government, LG yesterday wrote a letter to the chief minister conveying his disagreement with the decision of Delhi's Home Minister and directing the Council of Ministers to consider this matter and give its recommendation within a week, he added.
A 22-year-old man has appeared in court charged with spraying CS gas in Selfridges which left 14 members of staff and customers needing treatment.

Tyan Tulloch, 22, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court accused of possessing the toxic substance at the Oxford Street department store.

He is also charged with affray after allegedly scattering the gas within the store on Thursday.

Tyan Tulloch, 22, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court accused of possessing CS gas at Selfridges (pictured) on Thursday

Tulloch was also charged with affray after allegedly scattering the gas within the store leading to 14 members of staff and customers needing treatment from paramedics

The charge says he 'used or threatened unlawful violence towards other persons', with his conduct allegedly 'such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety'.

No indication of pleas were entered during the short hearing on Saturday.

Tulloch, of Trim Street, Lewisham, south-east London, who appeared from custody by video-link wearing a camouflage jumper, was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court on August 14.

14 people were treated by paramedics at the store after the CS gas was allegedly released in Selfridges by Tulloch.

The medics believe the gas was a 'non-harmful irritant'.

A Selfridges spokesperson said 'a few team members and customers were checked over by the ambulance service for an irritated nose and throat'.

Tulloch who appeared from custody by video-link wearing a camouflage jumper, was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court on August 14. Pictured: The scene outside the department store on Thursday

All but one customer, who continues to be monitored, were 'given the all clear', a statement added.

The London Ambulance Service attended the incident with hazardous area response teams and have so-far treated 14 people.

A statement said: 'We were called at 1:44pm today to reports of an incident on Duke Street, Marylebone.

'We dispatched a number of resources including an incident response officer, ambulance crews and our hazardous area response teams (HART).

'The incident is ongoing and we are working with other emergency services. We have currently treated fourteen people at the scene, with more updates to follow.'
Bosses who have failed to navigate the coronavirus crisis face an onslaught by activist investors, experts warn.

Consultants at Alvarez & Marsal are predicting a 'tidal wave' of attacks from powerful shareholders who take stakes and force change at companies  often by ousting directors.

So far activists have been quiet during the pandemic with only one major campaign launched  at education giant Pearson.

On the offensive: So far activists have been quiet during the pandemic with only one major campaign launched

And while A&M said activity had dropped during the outbreak, it predicts a surge as investors begin to identify targets to pursue once the fallout from the crisis becomes clear.

Paul Kinrade, senior adviser at A&M, said: 'All the indicators we are seeing are that there's this great tidal wave of activism waiting to happen.

'They're not here yet, but they're looking to come. And when they come, they'll come big.'

Managing director Malcolm McKenzie said the coronavirus disruption would 'separate the wheat from the chaff' with directors at under-performing companies at risk of an activist assault.

'We think it's going to be quite interesting when the half-year results start to come out [in the coming weeks],' he said. 'We think there will be quite a pick-up.'

In June, Europe's biggest activist investor, Cevian Capital, took a stake in British education company Pearson. The Sweden-based firm has already warned that the successor to chief executive John Fallon must realise the firm's 'full potential'.
Reported sales nil

Net profit of Amit International declined 88.89% to Rs 0.03 crore in the quarter ended March 2020 as against Rs 0.27 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2019. There were no Sales reported in the quarter ended March 2020 and during the previous quarter ended March 2019.

For the full year,net profit declined 67.74% to Rs 0.10 crore in the year ended March 2020 as against Rs 0.31 crore during the previous year ended March 2019. There were no Sales reported in the year ended March 2020 and during the previous year ended March 2019.

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Dispelling fears View(s):

Dispelling Myth of Unethical Conversion for Historically Swelling Numbers of Ceylon Moors/

Sri Lankan Moors

Under this section, we need to examine the historical context in which the Muslims of Sri Lanka acquired the label and classification of Ceylon Moors (Lanka Yonaka) in the census records of Sri Lanka. Census taking was introduced by the Dutch first and fine-tuned later by the British. Under our monarchy, all were subjects of the king. Our allegiance to the king determined our loyalty and fidelity to the Buddhist faith of the king who allowed us to practice our faith without hindrance. The colonial administration introduced census classifications by ethnicity and religion. The colonial project had specific needs from the different groups of the native population. Pearl fishery for example was the exclusive preserve of Muslims as Leonard Woolf (1962) describes in his meticulous diaries. While the native king demanded allegiance, the colonial masters demanded varied services from the different categories. It started with the VOC (Dutch East India Company) merchants whose mercantilism totally reshaped the islands economy that rested on subsistence agriculture. The British civil servants in the service of the empire further transformed it. Indentured Indian labour supported the plantation economy and the Muslims provided the special skills needed in pearl fisheries, and as a pivotal intermediary trader class needed in urban settlements.

The census reflected the increase and decline of various groups according to habitat occupation and migration from one part to another  that was unheard of before the colonial order. The demographic profile mirrored the changes and fluctuations of the profit-driven colonial enterprise. The process of census taking according to classification commenced with the first census of 1881. Whatever increase or decline would have been either due to natural causes or the census takers discretion in reclassifying and switching from one category to another. For example, the distinction between Indian Muslim and Ceylon Moor was for practical purposes a distinction without a difference. Electoral representation in subsequent years and political compulsions made the acquisition or shedding of the newly recognised Ceylon Moor identity as a matter of great importance. In the early years, the new Muslim merchant class constituted an elite that collaborated with other elite classes. When identity politics replaced class politics in the post 1956 era, the comparative headcount began in earnest.After the Indo-Lanka accord and the 13th Amendment to the constitution, the ethno-religious head count became an absolute imperative for the Muslims. Due to post-war triumphalism Muslim population numbers have become a politically charged issue and hence this book.

As we know, Arabian seafarers and traders reached these shores and settled down from pre-Islamic times (Kiribamunne 1986; Dewaraja 2019; Arasaratnam 1964). The Ceylon Moor identity of the Muslims of Sri Lanka is essentially a British colonial device that institutionalised a differentiation that started with the Portuguese occupation followed by the Dutch. The Portuguese dismantled the trade of the Coastal Muslims and the Dutch made them intermediaries to trade with the native Sinhalese. The British made the Ceylon Moors a reliable native segment in their administration. Under colonial rule the Coastal Muslims quietly relinquished their age old organic links with the Sinhalese people. In contrast, Muslims of the hill country remained an integral part of Kandyan society that included Uva Wellassa and the Eastern Province.

The Crown Colony of Ceylon in 1833 had a quasi representative council that advised the governor. It included representatives of British, Burgher, Low-country Sinhalese and Tamil communities appointed by the governor (Mohan 1987: 21). Around this time, Tamil Leader Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, a member of the Executive Council in 1871, put forward the proposition that Muslims of Ceylon were Tamil by ethnicity and Muslim in faith. He articulated this in his presentation made to the Royal Asiatic Society of Ceylon in his Ethnology of Ceylon Moors (Ramanathan 1888: 234-64). This was a pivotal point wherein the Muslims of then Ceylon under the British Crown Colony irreversibly laid claim to a faith based identity as an exclusive ethno-religious group, tribe and community. They carried this legacy to the post-independent nation state of Sri Lanka.

Ponnambalam Ramanathan, the astute politician, understood what the British Census -takers were after. The colonial administrators wanted the census to serve as an instrument of administration to define the subjects into useful administrative categories. Ramanathan wanted a larger Tamil speaking category, while the Muslims wanted a smaller exclusive faith-centric category. Both Ramanathan, the Tamil leader and Wapchi Marikar Abdul Rahman, the Ceylon Moor leader, were reaffirming Michel Foucaults dictum: power and knowledge intertwined through their actions (Keenan 1987: Kritzman 1988). Categorisation of people and the information generated about such categories in a country formed the basis of power and knowledge for the colonial master and also native interlocutors such as Ramanathan and Wapchi Marikar Abdul Rahman, the ex-Members of the Legislative Council.

Colonial and post-colonial compulsions, the need to establish a culturally secure place for communities with cultural identities and local electoral political realities and the internal dynamics of the Muslim community itself (McGilvray 1998: 435) could be other historical events that led to the swelling of numbers of Ceylon Moors in statistical data in subsequent years.

With the introduction of a new piece of legislature there were a vast number of Muslims of Indian origin (of Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and other domiciled Muslims, i.e., some Malays of Java Island and communities of Memons from Pakistan and many families of Afghan, Bengali and Gujarati origin and other numerically small Muslims who were absorbed into the Ceylon Moor category in the subsequent years. This was one reason for the unnatural swelling of the numbers of the Ceylon Moor population. The others risked losing citizenship and identity should they have opted to retain their original identities. Hence, the Ceylon Moor identity was much sought after by Muslims of different nationalities. Ramanathans categorization of the Coastal Moors versus Ceylon Moors is another reason for the preference of scattered Musalmans/Mohammadans as they were earlier called to take on the Ceylon Moor identity over the Coastal Moors/ Indian Moor identity that was becoming established.

As discussed in the previous section, it is the ethnicised legislative system that one has to blame and not the fertility behavior of Muslims or an imaginary strategy by Muslims to increase their population. They simply had no strategy or scheme. It was a requirement for survival.

Although many reprehensible rumours were spread by politically motivated groups about the rising population of the Muslims, the recent rumours that spread like wildfire kept lingering for the last few years did create some negative impact. It changed the perception of Muslims by Sinhalese in irreparable ways. Some shocking gossip and concocted stories began circulating much to the chagrin of the ordinary Muslims. Muslim men were portrayed as eternal child producers, women as uneducated, emaciated chid bearers whose sole intention is to increase the Muslim population in the country.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeems book We Are A Part Not Apart to be released early next month seeks to address, in his own words other communities overarching concerns with regard to Muslims and be a socio-political covenant for self-reflection for the Muslims of Sri Lanka.Published here is an exclusive extract from the chapter Demystifying Perceived Threats: Muslim population and Sinhala fears. The book published by Vijitha Yapa Publishers will be priced at Rs 1,500.

When language feeds fear and hysteria It is here that we must take note of the militant anti-Muslim rhetoric used by politicians and political monks. Their language is intended to feed fear and hysteria. The neighbour who has lived alongside you in timeless harmony can be made to seem like an enemy who has cunningly duped you all along. He or she becomes a symbol of all that is wrong with the Marakkala Menacea convenient scapegoat (This is in contrast to an earlier reference to Marakkala/Moor, derived from the Sinhala phrase maa rekka lae meaning the blood that saved me, invoking a Sinhala folklore that narrates about a Muslim woman who gets slayed by enemies for saving the King).Language can be used to feed fear and hysteria. A neighbour can be made to seem like an enemy, a threatening one at that, by changing the language. ( From the chapter Demystifying Terrorism: Ethno-religious Extremism or Economic Rivalry?)
TEHRAN, Iran, July 18

Trend:

India's sixth batch of wheat for Afghanistan arrived in Iran's Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar on July 17 and will be unloaded for further transshipment, said Director-General of Ports and Maritime Department of Sistan and Balouchestan Province.

"Kashan ship has delivered 8,875 tons of wheat from India in 355 20-foot containers to be transited to Afghanistan," said Behrouz Aqaei, Trend reports citing Fars News Agency.

"India has pledged to deliver 75,000 tons of wheat as humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and this shipment was the sixth batch," he said adding that since the beginning of the current Iranian year (began March 20, 2020), India has delivered five cargo ships through Chabahar Port containing a total of 38,500 tons of wheat.

"The cargo was transferred directly to Afghanistan via Milak-Zaranj border," Aqaei noted.

"Import and export in Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar are flourishing despite the coronavirus pandemic," he added.

"The latest batch of wheat will be transited to Afghanistan after customs formalities are done. Then the containers will be used to transit export from Afghanistan to India via Chabahar, and this reduces transportation costs," Aqaei said.

"Chabahar is the best choice for trade between India and Afghanistan due to its location, and goods to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) can also be transported via the port," he added.

India pledged to deliver 75,000 tons of wheat as humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and sent its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan through Chabahar Port back in 2017.
The upcoming trials in 30,000 volunteers in a real-world setting will give experts a comprehensive look at its effectiveness and feasibility.

Since the first recorded use of 'immunisation' in humans to prevent smallpox (in 1796), the development and scope of vaccines has seen some, incremental progress. A new technology in development  messenger RNA vaccines  holds the potential to disrupt the entire approach to vaccine development.

An mRNA molecule developed by American firm Moderna Therapeutics  mRNA-1273  is among the leading candidates in human trials for a working vaccine against the COVID-19-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus. Since the start of the pandemic that has brought the world to a halt, the company's stock price has tripled.

Moderna isnt the only company focused on mRNA, but it is currently the front runner in developing the technology, with over 20 different mRNA vaccines in their pipeline.

In 2010, the company saw the biggest initial public offering (IPO) on record for a biotech company, raising a whopping $600 million for 8 percent of the company's shares. In the ten years since, Moderna has come to be the most valued biotechnology company in the world. All because it has gone further than any other venture in developing a game-changing platform for mRNA vaccines in medicine.

Experts, trial volunteer advise cautious optimism

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna became the first mRNA candidate to began human trials on 16 March. It is now one of many mRNA candidates in COVID-19 clinical trials.

German companies BioNTech (in partnership with Pfizer) and CureVac, US firm Translate Bio (with Sanofi) and Shanghai-based Fosun Pharma, all have an experimental mRNA vaccine in different stages of approval and trials. If one or more of these vaccines prove effective, it will be the first proof-of-concept for the development and use of mRNA vaccines in infectious diseases.

According to the listing by Moderna for its mRNA-2173 COVID-19 vaccine in the US government clinical trial registry, the company has been given approval for final (Phase 3) trials in 30,000 healthy volunteers starting 27 July.

This comes after the vaccine saw promising results in Phases 1 and 2, but it wasn't without its hitches. In the 45-person Phase 1 human trial, four participants reported having "Grade 3" adverse events  side effects that are severe or medically-significant but not life-threatening, according to a STAT News report.

One of them, 29-year-old Ian Haydon, went public with his experience. Twelve hours after the booster dose of the mRNA vaccine was given to him, Hayden had a fever over 103 degrees, called for medical assistance, and fainted in his home after being released from an emergency care facility that day. While the experience was all but pleasant, he recovered within a day and hasnt reported any side-effects since.

Hayden decided to speak out, according to STAT News, hoping that his experience counterbalances the desperation from the public to push a working vaccine to market without much regard for consequences. A similar sentiment has been expressed by many experts in their comments about the experimental mRNA vaccine trials.

"I would agree with [Hayden] in that human trials are meant to take the time they take. The Moderna vaccine has sought approval to combine Phase 1 and 2, now on its way to starting Phase 3 trials by 27 July," says Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist and Chief Executive Officer of the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance.

But there are still questions about the released results that need answering.

For instance, over 90 percent of patients in Phase 1 trials are white Caucasians. This indicates that race wasn't a key factor in the earlier trial stages. Research has shown time and again that race is a key determinant in the effectiveness of a vaccine intended for a diverse range of people. In the case of a COVID-19 vaccine, it's even more important, due to its global relevance.

A fair mix of different racial groups is something that can  and should  be accounted for in the upcoming Phase 3 trials, according to Dr Jameel. "The upcoming trials in 30,000 volunteers in a real-world setting should give us a more comprehensive look at [the vaccine's] feasibility."

The medical research community is eager to see Moderna's Phase 3 trials. A successful Phase 3 will be a big endorsement for the mRNA vaccine platform, which promises to improve speed, reduce costs, and revive the limited scope of vaccine development as it stands today.

Jonathan Watts, an associate professor at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, who doesn't have ties to Moderna, told Biopharma Dive, "I'm cautiously optimistic that this could be a game-changing technology for things that have been really hard until now."

Moderna's mRNA vaccine for COVID-19

The first published results released from Phase 1 and 2 this week show that Moderna's experimental mRNA vaccine did what it was designed to: produce COVID-19 antibodies that can direct the immune system to the SARS-CoV-2. The published study also says a booster shot  given four weeks after the first one  was needed to produce a strong enough immune response against the virus.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which conducted the Moderna clinical trial, said the results, nonetheless, were promising enough to give the company a go-ahead for the next phase of trials.

"The hallmark of a vaccine is one that can actually mimic natural infection and induce the kind of response that you would get with natural infection. And it looks like, at least in this limited, small number of individuals, that is exactly whats happening, Dr Fauci told STAT News. The data really look quite goodthere were no serious adverse events."

mRNA vaccines  a key that opens many doors

The mRNA vaccine platform Moderna has been developing for a decade now is a single platform that gives researchers the tools to tackle a diverse range of diseases. The company's mRNA platform can theoretically be applied to any potential infection  be it in the case of persistent threats from infections like HIV and influenza, or addressing unmet needs in future encounters with viruses (like SARS-CoV-2) and bacteria that are unknown today.

Moderna, for one, is working on around 25 mRNA vaccines and therapies for a range of conditions including rare metabolic disorders, cancers, heart failure, and a host of pathogens including the Zika virus, the Epstein-Barr virus, and now the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The technology is also guaranteed to slash the costs and time it takes to manufacture vaccines since it leaves the tedious task of manufacturing viral proteins to the cell instead of biotech companies.

"The major benefit is that it's easy to produce (and) it will also probably be relatively easy to do an upscaling of production, which of course, is very important if you think about deployment [throughout] the world, Professor Isabella Bekeredjian-Ding, head of the microbiology at Germanys Paul Ehrlich Institut, which provides scientific advice to companies (including CureVac) on vaccine development, told Horizon.

With promising results to show for its Phase 1 and 2 trials, Moderna is now on its way to do just that  scale up production and test its experimental mRNA vaccine in 30,000 healthy volunteers.
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.

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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, 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."
AND WE'RE BACK!!!

Kansas City Saves Time

Kansas City Museum wants help preserving 2020 items Hide Transcript Show Transcript CRISIS. IT IS A YEAR THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED IN HISTORY. NOW, THE KANSAS CITY MUSEUM WANTS YOUR HELP, TO PRESERVE THIS MOMENT IN TIME, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 2020 WILL OF COURSE BE REMEMBERED FOR THE PANDEMIC. WHEN COVID-19 VIRTUALLY SHUT DOWN THE CITY.

Kansas City Fights To Save Another Embattled Park

Petition aims to save Watts Mill Park KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- A new petition aims to save Watts Mill Park, a scenic overlook along Kansas City's Indian Creek Greenway Trail near 103rd Street and State Line Road. Business owners and neighbors have said used needles, empty alcohol bottles, fights, and nudity are making the park unsafe.

School Daze Cont'd

Hickman Mills' new superintendent talks bond issue, reopening plans KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Every school district in the country is working on plans right now to safely reopen. The Hickman Mills School District shared its plans, with a new face leading the district. Dr. Yaw Obeng is the district's newest superintendent.

Fashion Expertise Reported

Sara Sampaio soaks in the weekend sun in a skimpy leopard bikini She's an expert at wearing a bikini. And Sara Sampaio certainly looked in her element as she modeled a skimpy cheetah print swimsuit on her Instagram Saturday. The Portuguese model, 28, was aglow as she soaked in the sun in the photo captioned: 'Who's ready for the weekend?

Russia Scare Redux

Joe Biden says Russians are trying to meddle in 2020 election The Russians are coming - again. Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee, warned Americans on Friday that Russia would again try to interfere in the presidential election, just as they did in 2016. The former vice president said he is now receiving intelligence briefings on the matter, Reuters reported.

World Remembers Civil Rights Legend

Politicians and civil rights leaders pay tribute to John Lewis "Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did. And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders - to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise."

The Real Wall Fight

The Israel-Palestine Debate Is Expanding-but the Options Are Only Shrinking Longtime Mideast negotiator Aaron David Miller, writing in Foreign Policy, once referred to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process as a " religion," in that it's "driven by propositions that bind or adhere the believer to a compelling set of ideas that satisfy rationally or spiritually, but always obligate."

Iran From More Cases

Iran estimates up to 25 million coronavirus cases since outbreak; nearly doubling the total worldwide caseload: report Iran's President Hassan Rouhani estimated that up to 25 million people in the country have been infected with coronavirus but despite this tally and urging from Rouhani himself to take precautions to protect against the virus' spread, the country will not reimpose lockdown restrictions.

Prez Trump Talks Checks

Depleted Trump Economic Team Faces Major Test Over Extending Coronavirus Relief Efforts The White House's freewheeling approach to policy-making faces a key test next week as negotiations begin with Congress over extending emergency economic relief measures during the coronavirus pandemic. The stakes are high. Economists say the next aid package will be critical in shaping the pace of recovery from the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Golden Ghetto COVID Comeback

Overland Park EMS chief back to work after he and entire family had COVID-19 OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Overland Park's EMS chief is back on the job. Jason Green and his wife were both hospitalized with COVID-19. Doctors didn't think the man responsible for putting together Overland Park's COVID-19 response would survive that very disease. The ordeal started in March with one of Green's daughters, then the other shortly [...]

Local Cash Kindness

KCPD thanks woman who gave her last dollar to help injured officer KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, police are working to help a woman who went out of her way to help an officer. Police tweeted the story on Friday. According to the department, a woman called who wanted to help the officer that was shot on July 2.

NEWSFLASH: IT'S HOT!!!

Excessive Heat Warning in effect Saturday with heat index well over 100 degrees Hide Transcript Show Transcript ALRIGHT, HOT ONE TODAY, IT LOOKS LIKE. KATIE: NO DOUBT. VERY HOT AND HUMID. ALREADY FEELING WARM AND MUGGY. WHEN THE SUN COMES UP LATER, IT WILL HEAT US UP FAST. WE ARE AT 80 ALREADY. THE DEW POINT AT 72. THE WIND WILL ALSO IMPACT YOUR DAY TODAY.

Forgive the pause in posts but we think that protesters trashing the police station was an appropriate place to "reflect" for a moment on life in this town.Nevertheless, fashionista goodness via hottie Sara inspires us to take a peek at pop culture, community news and info from across the nation and around the world . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
July 17, 2020

Release

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper Guidance on Public Display or Depiction of Flags in the Department of Defense

Today Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper provided guidance to Defense senior leaders and commanders on the public display or depiction of flags in the Department of Defense. The Secretary noted that flags are powerful symbols, particularly in the military community for whom flags embody common mission, common histories, and the special, timeless bonds of warriors. The Secretary also noted that the flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols.

In addition to honoring the American flag, which is the principal flag that DoD is authorized and encouraged to display, the Secretary provided a list of other flags, or representational depictions, that service members and civilian employees are authorized to display that promote unity and esprit de corps.

Secretary Esper remains committed to fielding the most powerful military force the world has known by strengthening the bonds of our most valuable resource  our people.

Secretary Esper's full guidance memo can be seen here.

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2278101/

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 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday, with both sides voicing support for strengthening coordination and cooperation.



The strategic guidance of the two heads of state is the biggest political advantage of China-Russia relations, Wang said.

After Russia successfully carried out a referendum last week, the two heads of state spoke to each other again by phone, confirming their firm support for each other and stressing that they regard the China-Russia relations as the top foreign policy priority of the two countries, Wang said.

The two sides should further implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, maintain the momentum of exchanges at all levels, deepen anti-COVID-19 and practical cooperation, and strengthen strategic coordination in major international and regional affairs, Wang said.

Wang stressed that the United States is practicing its policy of stark "America First" and pursuing its egoism, unilateralism and bullying policy to the extreme.

By shifting its own responsibilities, the U.S. side has used the epidemic to smear other countries and shift the blame in every possible way, and even created hot spots and confrontation in international relations, Wang said, adding that Washington has lost its sense of reason, morality and credibility.

Wang said that the U.S. side has revived its notorious McCarthyism and outdated Cold War mentality in its policy toward China, deliberately provoked ideological confrontation and crossed the bottom line of international law and basic norms governing international relations.

China will not be misled by a small number of anti-China forces in the United States, but will firmly defend its legitimate interests and dignity, Wang said.

Wang said that as major responsible countries, China and Russia should not only push their bilateral relations to a higher level, but also stand by all countries with an objective and fair stance to reject any actions destructive to international order and against the historical trend, jointly safeguard world peace and stability, maintain the international justice and preserve global development.

For his part, Lavrov said Russia is willing to follow the guidance of the consensus reached by the two heads of state, support the strengthening of pragmatic cooperation between Russia and China in the context of the regular epidemic prevention and control, and promote the synergy between the Eurasian Economic Union and the construction of the Belt and Road.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major responsible countries, Russia and China should further strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs and safeguard international law and common interests of the two countries, Lavrov said.

He said that the United States has always believed in the American exceptionalism and egotism, adding recently, it stripped off its pretence and was ready to threaten or wield sanctions against others.

Russia opposes unilateralism in international affairs, he said.

The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on holding a summit of the five permanent members of the Security Council, maintaining international strategic stability, as well as the development of regional situation and international hotspot issues of common interest.
The suspect

One Oluwatosin Abowaba has been arrested for allegedly being the leader of a group responsible for stealing of motorbikes in Mowe and Ijebu axis of Ogun State.

Abowaba was arrested by the Ogun State security agency, the So-Safe Corps.

In a statement on Friday, the Spokesperson of the So-Safe Corps, ACC Moruf Yusuf said the State Commander of the Corps, Soji Ganzallo, had few weeks back ordered the Redeemed Division of the corps to ensure that this notorious robber be apprehended and transfered to the nearby jurisdiction of Nigeria police immediately.



According to Yusuf, the suspect is alleged to have involved in different cases of stolen motorcycles in both Mowe and Ijebu axis.

Abowaba, Yusuf said, had been mentioned by a gang of apprehended criminals, in police custody.

He said the gang claimed that he (Abowaba) used to receive any stolen motorbike, while assisting in selling same to interested buyers.



The gang further confessed that the suspect, Abowaba is the kingpin that used to successfully take every motorbike stolen in Mowe for Ijebu-Ode for sale, Yusuf informed.

He said, The So-Safe Corps, Redeemed Division, with proper intelligence gathering techniques, successfully got the crime suspect Oluwatosin Abowaba (a.k.a Maja), who has been declared wanted for one crime or the other by the Ijebu-Ode and Mowe Divisional Police Headquarters, arrested at Olowotedo, Mowe at about 06:00hrs on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.

Items recovered from him are cutlass, cleaver knife, iron rods, a crow bar and different charms he may be using to support the weapons.

It was gathered that the suspect has been transferred to Mowe Police Divisional Headquarters for further investigation and likely prosecution.
Seafarers ahoy! View(s):

Marine recruitment agencies and a union representing seafarers (ships crew) are appealing to the Government to come up with a cheaper accommodation rate in hotels for returning Sri Lankan seafarers who have to undergo a compulsory 14 days in quarantine.

The charge at these hotels is prohibitive and needs to be reduced, said Palitha Athukorale, President of the National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka. While returnee migrant workers are accommodated in government shelters at no cost, seafarers have to check in at designated hotels which charge $55 per person per day or $90 for shared accommodation.

Officials at recruitment agencies said that only the bigger companies pay for these charges on behalf of their recruits while in the case of others, the individual seafarer has to pay the charges.

At least 700 to 800 have returned to the country accommodated on flights coming to the country empty, as per an arrangement with the authorities. There are still around 3,000 Sri Lankan seafarers stranded in various parts of the world who have completed their contracts and want to return.

Industry officials said that in the case of security marshalls (security personnel on board vessels), they are housed at Galle in cheaper accommodation costing $35 per day and suggested that the same rates be applied to Sri Lankan seafarers as the current cost is unaffordable to both companies and individuals. All we are asking is a hotel at a nominal rate and decent accommodation, one official explained.
Havana (AFP) - Six decades on from Cuba's proclamation of equality and despite three top government officials being black, the Caribbean island nation has made little headway on racism.

"Racism in Cuba is very hypocritical ... No-one says they're racist, even if they are," researcher Tomas Fernandez, 79, an author of several books on the subject, told AFP.

Cuba used to have an open problem with racism until the communist revolution of 1959.

Some buildings had signs saying "no dogs or blacks" while there was also racial segregation that saw black people barred from some clubs and schools

The government has enacted policies to address centuries of inequality due to slavery, which was abolished in 1886, and to promote access to higher education and public office.

But racism persists. In local jargon, a white woman with a black boyfriend is "burning oil" or "holding back the race" while he is "advancing" his.

Ethnologist Jesus Guanche has identified around 20 definitions to describe skin color, including "blue-black" for someone with very dark skin, while Cubans often describe frizzy hair as "bad."

"There's something that is a burden, it's very subtle, but it's a prejudice that keeps going," said painter Salvador Gonzalez, 71, who exhibits his work in El Callejon de Hamel, a bastion of African heritage in the capital Havana.

Black activist Alexander Holl, 22, says skin color has a "huge influence" on relationships in Cuba.

"It's common for white families to tell (their daughters) not to get involved with that (black) lad," said the history student.

"When you want to be with a white girl, sometimes you realize this is an impediment."

- 'Hidden' racism -

Recognizing the magnitude of the problem, President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced in November a program to "definitively eliminate the vestiges of racism."

Story continues

In Cuba, 9.3 percent of the 11.2 million population identify as black, 26.6 percent say they're mixed race, while 64.1 percent claim to be white, according to a 2012 census.

Manuel Cuesta, 57, an Afro-Cuban government opponent, says "there are the vestiges and remnants of symbolically cordial racism, structurally hidden, installed in the economic, institutional and political dynamics" of the country.

The racial debate gained a new impulse following the murder of George Floyd in the United States, and the recent death of Afro-Cuban Hansel Hernandez.

The 27-year-old was accused of theft and died during an alleged confrontation with police.

"Both events have once again pushed the racial theme into the discussion, although the true debate is on social media," said Cuesta.

Those critical of the government find a link between the cases of Hernandez and Floyd. Fernandez however believes that's a mistake and that the Cuban's death "cannot be associated or analyzed as if it was a racial crime."

He says "racial hatred doesn't exist" in Cuba, but underlying racism does.

Roberto Zurbano, a black researcher into issues regarding race, says an "itinerary of deficiencies" as well as "his social environment and low level of expectations" contributed to Hernandez's death.

- 'We are romantics' -

In 1962, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro considered racial discrimination over, but while active discrimination was outlawed, prejudice lingered.

According to the German institute GIGA in 2019, 50 percent of white Cubans said they had a bank account compared to just 11 percent of blacks; 31 percent of whites had traveled abroad compared to three percent of blacks. And whites control 98 percent of private businesses.

"We were romantics and we didn't realize that racial discrimination was much deeper (and) didn't disappear through one law," said Fernandez.

In 2003, Castro admitted there was underlying racism "associated with poverty and a historic monopoly on knowledge" in various fields by whites.

In parliament, 40.5 percent of deputies are black or mixed race, including the president Esteban Lazo.

The country's Vice-President Salvador Valdes and the Deputy Prime Minister Ines Chapman are also black.

But Holl says no-one should fall into the trap of "counting the number of blacks and mixed race people in parliament or the government to demonstrate that racism doesn't exist.

"The true racism is in the streets, in the feeble structural and economic conditions of the black and mixed race population.

"You guaranteeing me a right by law doesn't mean that I have all the economic and social conditions to validate that right."
Police in Germany have arrested a man - nicknamed "Rambo" - five days after he disarmed four officers at gunpoint and fled into the Black Forest wearing camouflage clothing and carrying weapons including a bow and arrow.

On Sunday, police had received reports about an armed man acting suspiciously in the town of Oppenau, in the south-west of the country.

Detectives released a picture of Yves Rausch and described him as being around 5ft 7in tall, bald, with a goatee beard and needing glasses, and appealed for the public's help to find him.

Media reports dubbed the 31-year-old "Rambo" after the fictional Vietnam War veteran portrayed by actor Sylvester Stallone in the film franchise.

Officers found Rausch in a hut he was using illegally, and officials say he initially cooperated.

But he then suddenly pulled a gun on the four - threatening them and forcing them to hand over their service weapons. No one was injured.

It triggered a huge manhunt - involving hundreds of officers, helicopters and sniffer dogs - while residents were warned to stay indoors.

"He lives in the forest, he feels safe here," regional police chief Reinhard Renter said this week, according to German news agency dpa.

"The forest is simply his living room."

Following his arrest on Friday, four firearms were seized, police said in a brief statement.

Prosecutors have described Rausch as a "weapons enthusiast", but said he was banned from possessing them and ammunition in 2010, and had never been in a shooting club.

He lost his apartment last year and has had no permanent address since then, according to authorities.

Officials have said they do not know what prompted Rausch's actions.
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Linkedin Reza Mardian (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18, 2020 14:49 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406675e39a 3 Entertainment Filosofi-Kopi,coffee,aceh,documentary Free

Around 80 percent of Starbucks coffee is purchased from the Gayo, an Acehnese tribe thats been farming coffee way before the Dutch colonization. What is it about the land of the Gayo? How do they produce such world-class coffee beans?

A short documentary narrated by actor Rio Dewanto titled Filosofi Kopi: Aroma Gayo (Coffee Philosophy: The Aroma of Gayo) attempts to examine these simple yet mysterious questions. Produced by Visinema under the franchise of Filosofi Kopi, the documentary is part of bioskoponline.coms video-on-demand offering to stream legally for a reasonable price to support the Indonesian film industry during the pandemic.

The film follows Rio as he tries to unravel what makes Gayo coffee inviting for people across the globe. It focuses on the land of the Gayo, its people and their interaction with coffee. The narrative is so structured that seems scripted. Having said that, a scripted documentary is also a legitimate method. The filmmaker could focus on taking more relevant and beautiful shots, quotable dialogue and, most importantly, create a powerful message.

The documentary looks at four elements of the Gayo coffee philosophy: social justice, gender fairness, conservation and humanism, which also determines the structure of Rio Dewantos journey. His first encounter with a coffee farmer and fisherman reveals that most coffee farmers of the area are far from prosperous, as most dont possess enough knowledge to process the coffee. This might explain why most of them have two jobs. And when Rio praises his coffee, the man responds that it is nothing unusual. This not only shows how little appreciation the farmers have for their own product but also suggests that they fail to take full advantage of their coffee's value.

As Rio explores other coffee plantations, he finds that there are small and medium enterprises led and run by women. This section explores the Gayo coffees second philosophy: gender fairness. Unlike his previous adventure, this second encounter gives him refreshing knowledge. Womens involvement in a land run by sharia law could still demonstrate quality leadership.

His third and fourth encounters prove that the more people appreciate Gayo as an aspect of their lives, the more their coffee businesses prosper. With conservation as its third philosophy, Rio witnesses a family business that has lasted for three generations and has expanded into the processing of coffee beans. Lastly, to prove that Gayo coffee has a humanist element, Rio meets people who have become inspired to experiment and reinvent Gayo into something new every day: scientists and artists. The documentary ends with Rios ultimate message: Gayo has a bright future. He is optimistic, as the four philosophies of Gayo are still held dearly and respected.

Filosofi Kopi: Aroma Gayo is beautifully shot and written and enjoyable for all, whether or not you're a coffee connoisseur. Yet, as a documentary with interview expositions, the filmmaker could have examined more aspects to provide more crucial information. The four philosophies are discussed, but there is no elaboration on how these outlooks could bring out the best of Gayo coffee. The closest is probably when Rio meets the farmer-fisherman who says that social injustice would happen if one of the philosophies was not respected. But over the course of the documentary, there is no proof or suggestion of a successful business that adheres to the philosophies.

The most blatant shortcoming is how it fails to explore how Gayo coffee could support gender fairness. Though Rio meets female farmers and conducts interviews about their culture, the film does not show any female baristas, artists or scientists that could make meaningful contributions to Gayo coffee. Could this be the root cause as to why Gayo coffee businesses and farms remain unequal across the land? The documentary should have done more to examine these questions. (wng)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

We saw a fraternal and friendly attitude on the part of Turkey yet again these days, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

I would like to note one more issue, which is related to the reaction of international organizations. First of all, I want to express my deep gratitude to fraternal Turkey and its President, my brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We saw a fraternal and friendly attitude on the part of Turkey yet again these days, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that from the very first hours, the official bodies of Turkey supported the fair position of Azerbaijan and made statements on this issue.

The President made a very important statement yesterday. His statement followed those of the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Presidential Administration, MPs and public activists. The whole world, the peoples of both Turkey and Azerbaijan were further convinced that we are real brothers. We are next to each other both on happy and difficult days. Citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan probably remember the words I said many times and see how right I was when I said that on a global scale there are no two countries as close to each other as Turkey and Azerbaijan. The current situation shows this once again. Therefore, once again, on behalf of the Azerbaijani people and on my own behalf, I want to express my deep gratitude to the people of Turkey and its President, said President Ilham Aliyev.
With Mumbais Covid-19 tally hovering close to the one lakh-mark, the recovery rate of the countrys financial capital has increased to nearly 70 per cent, which is 7 per cent more than the registered national average, Union health department data has indicated.

Mumbais recovery rate is nearly 15 per cent more than that of the state of Maharashtra, which is low at 55.62 per cent.

In mid-June, the Covid-19 recovery rate in Mumbai stood at 50 per cent, when civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched its Mission Zero under the Rapid Action Plan to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The recovery rate improved to 57 per cent on July 1 and to around 70 per cent on July 15, the official statement said.

Data from the Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) on Friday said, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Mumbai currently stands at 24,307, while 67,830 patients have recovered from the viral infection till date.

According to the BMC, the number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai city on Friday rose to 98,979, while the death toll due to the Covid-19 pandemic touched 5,582.

Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia with a population of around 6.5 lakh, had emerged as one of the Covid-19 hotspots in the city. However, it only had 102 active cases on Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had last week praised the efforts taken by the BMC to contain the spread of the Covid-19 infection in Dharavi.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had also said last Saturday that 82 per cent of patients in Dharavi have recovered from the viral infection.

With a record 34,884 people testing positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, Indias Covid-19 count surged to 10,38,716 while 6,53,750 patients have recovered from the disease so far, according to data by the Union Health Ministry.

The death toll due to Covid-19 climbed to 26,273 with 671 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

At present, there are 3,58,692 active cases in the country, while 6,53,750 people have recovered so far and one has migrated.

Around 62.94 per cent of patients have recovered so far, an official said.
In early June, the United States awoke from a months-long nightmare.

Coronavirus had brutalized the north-east, with New York City alone recording more than 20,000 deaths, the bodies piling up in refrigerated trucks. Thousands sheltered at home. Rice, flour and toilet paper ran out. Millions of jobs disappeared.

Related: US records highest one-day coronavirus case total as Trump slumps in new poll

But then the national curve flattened, governors declared success and patrons returned to restaurants, bars and beaches. We are winning the fight against the invisible enemy, vice-president Mike Pence wrote in a 16 June op-ed, titled, There isnt a coronavirus second wave.

Except, in truth, the nightmare was not over  the country was not awake  and a new wave of cases was gathering with terrifying force.

As Pence was writing, the virus was spreading across the American south and interior, finding thousands of untouched communities and infecting millions of new bodies. Except for the precipitous drop in New York cases, the curve was not flat at all. It was surging, in line with epidemiological predictions.

Now, four months into the pandemic, with test results delayed, contact tracing scarce, protective equipment dwindling and emergency rooms once again filling, the United States finds itself in a fight for its life: swamped by partisanship, mistrustful of science, engulfed in mask wars and led by a president whose incompetence is rivaled only by his indifference to Americans suffering.

With flu season on the horizon and Donald Trump demanding that millions of students return to school in the fall  not to mention a presidential election quickly approaching  the country appears at risk of being torn apart.

I feel like its March all over again, said William Hanage, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. There is no way in which a large number of cases of disease, and indeed a large number of deaths, are going to be avoided.

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The problem facing the United States is plain. New cases nationally are up a remarkable 50% over the last two weeks and the daily death toll is up 42% over the same period. Cases are on the rise in 40 out of 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico. Last week America recorded more than 75,000 new cases daily  five times the rate of all Europe.

We are unfortunately seeing more higher daily case numbers than weve ever seen, even exceeding pre-lockdown times, said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. The number of new cases that occur each day in the US are greater than weve yet experienced. So this is obviously a very worrisome direction that were headed in.

Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on 10 July to head to coronavirus-stricken Florida as he ramps up public appearances ahead of the election. Photograph: Shawn Thew/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The mayor of Houston, Texas, proposed a two-week shutdown last week after cases in the state climbed by tens of thousands. The governor of California reclosed restaurants, churches and bars, while the governors of Louisiana, Alabama and Montana made mask-wearing in public compulsory.

Today I am sounding the alarm, Governor Kate Brown said. We are at risk of Covid-19 getting out of control in Oregon.

As dire as the current position seems, the months ahead look even worse. The country anticipates hundred of thousands of hospitalizations, if the annual averages hold, during the upcoming flu season. Those hospitalizations will further strain the capacity of overstretched clinics.

But a flu outbreak could also hamper the countrys ability to fight coronavirus in other ways. Because the two viruses have similar symptoms  fever, chills, diarrhea, fatigue  mistaken diagnoses could delay care for some patients until its too late, and make outbreaks harder to catch, one of the countrys top health officials has warned.

The fall and the winter of 2020 and 2021 are probably going to be one of the most difficult times that we have experienced Robert Redfield

I am worried, Dr Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), said last week. I do think the fall and the winter of 2020 and 2021 are probably going to be one of the most difficult times that we have experienced in American public health because of  the co-occurrence of Covid and influenza.

Other factors will be in play. A precipitous reopening of schools in the fall, as demanded by Trump and the education secretary, Betsy DeVos, without safety measures recommended by the CDC, could create new superspreader events, with unknown consequences for children.

We would expect that to be throwing fuel on the fire, said Hanage of blanket school reopenings. So its going to be bad over the next month or so. You can pretty much expect it to be getting worse in the fall.

The list of aggravating circumstances goes on and on. A federal unemployment assistance program that gave each claimant an extra $600 a month is set to expire at the end of July. A new coronavirus relief package is being held up in Congress by Republicans accusations that states are wasting money, and their insistence that any new legislation include liability protections for businesses that reopen during the pandemic.

Customers shop for fruit at a street vendor in the Corona neighborhood in Queens, New York, on 27 June. Photograph: Amir Hamja/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Cable broadcasts and social media have been filled, meanwhile, with video clips of furious confrontations on sidewalks, in stores and streets over wearing facial masks. In Michigan, a sheriffs deputy shot dead a man who had stabbed another man for challenging him about not wearing a mask at a convenience store. In Georgia, the Republican governor sued the Democratic mayor of Atlanta for issuing a city-wide mask mandate.

The partisan divide on masks is slowly closing as the outbreaks intensify. The share of Republicans saying they wear masks whenever they leave home rose 10 points to 45% in the first two weeks of July, while 78% of Democrats reported doing so, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll.

Another divide has proven tragically resilient. As hotspots have shifted south, the virus continues to affect Black and Latinx communities disproportionately. Members of those communities are three times as likely to become infected and twice as likely to die from the virus as white people, according to data from early July.

The raging virus has prompted speculation in some corners that the only way out for the United States is through some kind of herd immunity achieved by simply giving up. But that grossly underestimates the human tragedy such a scenario would involve, epidemiologists say, in the form of tens of millions of new cases and unknown thousands of deaths.

I dont want to strive for herd immunity, because that will mean many, many more deaths Jennifer Nuzzo

I think that every single serology study thats been done to date suggests that the vast majority of Americans have not yet been exposed to this virus, Nuzzo said. So were still very much in the early stages.

Which is good, thats actually really good news. I dont want to strive for herd immunity, because that means the vast majority of us will get sick and that will mean many, many more deaths. The point is to slow the spread as much as possible, protect ourselves as much as possible, until we have other tools.

But the ability of the US to take that basic step  to slow the spread, as dozens of other countries have done  is in perilous doubt. After half a year, the Trump administration has made no effort to establish a national protocol for testing, contact tracing and supported isolation  the same proven three-pronged strategy by which other countries control their outbreaks.

Critics say that instead, Trump has dithered and denied as the national death toll climbed to almost 140,000. The Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, who is hoping to unseat Trump in November, blasted the president for refusing until recently to wear a mask in public.

He wasted four months that Americans have been making sacrifices by stoking divisions and actively discouraging people from taking a very basic step to protect each other, Biden said in a statement last weekend.

A healthcare worker talks to a patient in the ER at Oakbend medical center in Richmond, Texas, on 15 July. Photograph: Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images

Meanwhile the White House has attacked Dr Anthony Fauci, the countrys foremost expert on infectious diseases whose refusal to lie to the public has enraged Trump, by publishing an op-ed signed by one of the presidents top aides titled Anthony Fauci has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on and by releasing a file of opposition research to the Washington Post.

Trump claimed the number of cases was a function of unusually robust testing, though experts said that positivity rates of 20% in multiple states suggested that the United States is testing too little  and that in any case closing ones eyes to the problem by testing less would not make it go away.

Weve done 45 million tests, Trump said this week, padding the figure only slightly. If we did half that number, youd have half the cases, probably around that number. If we did another half of that, youd have half the numbers. Everyone would be saying were doing well on cases.

Such statements by Trump have encouraged unfavorable comparisons of the US pandemic response with those in countries such as Italy, which recorded just 169 new cases on Monday after a horrific spring, and South Korea, which has kept cases in the low double-digits since April.

The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, walks to his office from the Senate floor on 13 May. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

But the United States could also look to many African countries for lessons in pandemic response, said Amanda McClelland, who runs a global epidemic prevention program at Resolve to Save Lives.

Weve seen some good success in countries like Ghana, who have really focused on contact tracing, and being able to follow up superspreading events, said McClelland. We see Ethiopia: they kept their borders open for a lot longer than other countries, but they have really aggressive testing and active case-finding to make sure that theyre not missing cases.

I think what weve seen is that you need not just a strong health system but strong leadership and governance to be able to manage the outbreak, and weve seen countries that have all three do well.

Factory workers produce personal protective equipment for coronavirus frontline health workers at a factory commissioned by the government, in Accra, Ghana, on 17 April. The US pandemic response compares unfavorably with a number of African countries. Photograph: Nipah Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

But in America, the large laboratories that process Covid-19 tests are unable to keep up with demand. Quest Diagnostics announced on Tuesday that its average turnaround time for test results was a minimum of seven days for most patients.

We want patients and healthcare providers to know that we will not be in a position to reduce our turnaround times as long as cases of Covid-19 continue to increase dramatically, the lab said.

You cant have unlimited lab capacity, and what weve done is allow, to some extent, cases to go beyond our capacity, said McClelland. Were never going to be able to treat and track and trace uncontrolled transmission. This outbreak is just too infectious.

Public health experts emphasize that the United States does not have to accept as its fate a cascade of tens of millions of new cases, and tens of thousands of deaths, in the months ahead. Focused leadership and individual resolve could yet help the country follow in the footsteps of other nations that have successfully faced serious outbreaks  and brought them under control.

People tend to be shuffling very quickly between denial and fatalism. Thats really not helpful William Hanage

But it is clear that the most vulnerable Americans, including the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, face grave danger. Republicans have argued in recent weeks that while cases in the US have soared, death rates are not climbing so quickly, because the new cases are disproportionately affecting younger adults.

That is a false reassurance, health experts say, because deaths are a lagging indicator  cases necessarily rise before deaths do  and because large outbreaks among any demographic group speeds the viruss ability to get inside nursing homes, care facilities and other places where residents are most vulnerable.

If we dont do anything to stop the virus, its going to be very difficult to prevent it from getting to people who will die, said Nuzzo.

A United States flag flies at half-mast outside the Hammonton center for rehabilitation and healthcare in Hammonton, New Jersey, on 19 May. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

There is a question of whether the United States, for all its wealth and expertise  and its self-regard as an exceptional actor on the world stage  can summon the will to keep up the fight. People are tired of fighting the virus, and of fighting each other.

I think unfortunately people are emotionally exhausted from having to think about and worry about this virus, said Nuzzo. They feel like theyve already sacrificed a lot. So the worry that I have is, what willingness is there left, to do what it takes?

It is as if the country is treading water in the middle of the ocean, Hanage said.

People tend to be shuffling very quickly between denial and fatalism, he said. Thats really not helpful. There are a number of things that can be done.

What I would hope is that this marks a point when the United States finally wakes up and realizes that this is a pandemic and starts taking it seriously.

Folks tend to look at what has happened elsewhere and then they make up some kind of magical reason why its not going to happen to them.

People keep making these excuses, and the virus doesnt care about the excuses. The virus just keeps going. If you give it the opportunity, it will take it.
James Durbin

Midlands Little Woodrows has reopened despite Gov. Greg Abbotts executive order for bars to close amid rising coronavirus cases. The location on Holiday Hill Road opened July 9, according to a Facebook post.

When reached by phone, an employee said they were able to open after reclassifying their business license as a restaurant rather than a bar. A different employee said they could not provide further information without consulting their lawyer.
Omjasvin MD By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: TN has recorded 88 more COVID-19 deaths and 4,807 fresh positive cases on Saturday, taking the total toll to 2,403 and cases to 1,65,714.

Among those whose deaths were announced on Saturday, 82 had co-morbid conditions, primarily diabetes and hypertension. Close to 80 percent of the patients were aged above 60.

Thirty-one of those who died were from Chennai. There were nine deaths in Madurai, seven in Tiruvallur and five in Kancheepuram.

The COVID curve in Chennai, meanwhile, seems to have stabilised for now with the city accounting for 1219 positive cases, which is 25 percent of the State's total cases. The daily number of cases in Chennai has been hovering around this mark for the past one week, after falling from a high of around 2,400 cases.

A small surge in the number of cases was observed in many districts, especially in the two neighbouring Chennai, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram, where 323 and 370 cases were recorded.

Encouraging recovery rates

Three thousand forty nine people were discharged on Saturday, which took the total number of those discharged to 1,13,856 (68 percent). This is more than double the number of active cases - 49,452 - in the State.

Chennai's discharge rate stands even higher at 80 percent with 68,193 out of the 84,598 total positive cases having recovered.

ALSO READ | COVID-19: Madurai doctors say rapid progression, delayed hospitalisation reasons for spike in deaths

At the moment, Chennai is conducting about 12,000 COVID tests daily. In all, the state conducted 48,195 tests on Saturday.

The total number of COVID tests done in 111 labs in TN stands at 18,04,177. Corporation Commissioner G Prakash told The New Indian Express that the overall tests done in Chennai is close to five lakh.

With five lakh overall tests, Chennai's cumulative positivity rate stands at 16 percent, while the daily positivity rate recorded on July 17 was 10 percent.

The daily test positivity rate for the State and city is almost the same at 10 percent, while the cumulative positivity rate for the State is at nine percent.

The State's mortality rate is at 1.45 percent, lower than the city's mortality rate of 1.63 percent.

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Finance Minister says only qualified MPs appointed heads of GLCs, govt agencies

Only qualified MPs were appointed to helm companies under the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) and other government-linked companies (GLC), said Finance minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

He said the appointments of the lawmakers as members of boards of directors (BOD) or chairpersons were made based on their qualifications, experience, and expertise.

To join the BOD of the Minister of Finance (Incorporated), Tengku Zafrul (photo, above) said a candidate would have to be considered by the nomination and remuneration committee as well as members of the BOD themselves.

Once approved, the Securities Commission would then assess the candidate before their name would be presented to Bursa Malaysia for the announcement.

For companies not listed on Bursa Malaysia, the nomination of an individual for the chairperson or a BOD member would only have to go through the nomination and remuneration committee and the BOD.

Besides that, in accordance with the Company Act 2016, Tengku Zafrul said the candidates for companies under the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) would be vetted by various agencies such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Malaysia Insolvency Department, and the Federal Court Chief Registrar's Office before they were appointed.

For the appointment of the chairperson and BOD member for GLCs, he said the Green Book on Enhancing Board Effectiveness had outlined several criteria to appoint individuals who are qualified.

On the appointment of politicians to replace corporate figures on various BOD, Tengku Zafril said they were not uncommon cases.

"It has been a practice since the previous government," he said.

He added that the appointment of politicians as non-executive chairpersons was so that there would be a limitation of power (pembatasan kuasa) between the BOD and the management in accordance with the Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance 2017 and as a check and balance mechanism.

"In conclusion, the appointments of BOD members in the companies under the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) were not merely filling the positions.

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"But rather, the appointments were matched based on the needs of the companies while taking into consideration the individual's background and capability.

"Therefore, only qualified MPs or those fulfilling the proper criteria would be appointed."

Zafrul said this in a written parliamentary reply to Anwar Ibrahim (Harapan-Port Dickson) who asked him on the policy of the appointments of MPs into GLCs and the relevance (kewajaran) of replacing professionals with them.

Since Perikatan Nasional came into power, numerous MPs were appointed as heads of GLCs and government agencies.

Most of the positions were filled by technocrats in the past.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has denied reports making the rounds that he is planning to run for president come 2023.

Lawan made the denial in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, on Saturday, July 18, 2020, while reacting to speculations that he could run for the highest office in the land, after President Muhammadu Buharis second term in office elapses.

The Senate President said it was too early for anyone to start harbouring ambitions for 2023. The statement partly read:

The attention of the office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to a rather puerile media report that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is making plans to run for president in 2023. The report was first published by the Daily Independent newspaper of Friday, 17th July, 2020 and reproduced later by the Sahara Reporters. The report apparently has its source in beer parlour gossips and should be treated with the contempt which it and those who concocted it deserves. It is true that the Senate President was involved in the consultations that President Muhammadu Buhari held prior to the last emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress. But there was nothing extra-ordinary in his involvement in such consultations, given his status as holder of one of the highest political offices in Nigeria and on the platform of the APC. Such is required of any concerned member of the party. The Senate President believes that it is premature for anybody to be talking now about 2023 when all hands should be on deck against the myriad of challenges that faces our nation in this period.

Meanwhile, the Governor of River State, Nyesom Wike said he would support his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, if he decides to contest for President in 2023.

Wike, however, noted that he would only support Amaechi it he runs for presidency on the platform of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to Nick Iacovella, a spokesman for Mr. Rubio, the mix-up with the photo of Mr. Rubio and Mr. Cummings happened because of a mislabeled photo. The original photo, taken in February 2014 by the Philadelphia Inquirer photojournalist Lauren Schneiderman, was removed from Ms. Schneidermans personal website.

Screenshots show that caption information indeed identified Mr. Cummings as Mr. Lewis.

Senator Sullivans staff made a mistake trying to honor an American legend, Mike Anderson, a spokesman for Mr. Sullivan, said in an email on Saturday.

Twitter was quick to criticize Mr. Rubio for confusing the congressmen.

Mr. Lewis died at 80 Friday. He announced in December that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. One of the original 13 Freedom Riders, he was a powerful force in the U.S. civil rights movement, helping organize the March on Washington and other demonstrations.

Mr. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, died in Oct. 17 at 68 in Baltimore. At the time of his death, he was serving his 13th term in the House of Representatives.

Amid the nationwide unrest that grew out of the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in May after an encounter with the Minneapolis police, the treatment of Black Americans has been brought to the front of the countrys political consciousness. Black employees, for instance, have been subject to indignities such as being mistaken for a fellow Black co-worker.

For all its prestige, Capitol Hill is still just another workplace, and the senators posts were far from the first instances of Mr. Cummings and Mr. Lewiss having been confused for each other.

In late December, CBS News apologized for incorrectly showing a photo of Mr. Cummings when referring to Mr. Lewis. In June 2019, a Fox News anchor, Eric Shawn, apologized for confusing the congressmen, even with Mr. Lewiss nameplate being in the news clip.
Jaipur: Rajasthan 12th Varishtha Upadhyay Result 2020 Declared: The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) has formally declared the RBSE 12 Varishtha Upadhyay Result 2020 on Saturday (July 17, 2020).

The Varishtha Upadhyay Parisksha for the Sanskrit Sikshan is conducted by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education the exams for which were held from March 7 to March 30.

Students can now easily check their Rajasthan 12th Varishtha Upadhyay Result 2020 from the official website rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in.

How to check your Rajasthan 12th Varishtha Upadhyay 2020 result:

* Visit the official result page at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in

* Enter your Roll Number

* Click on submit to view your result

* Check your Rajasthan 12th Varishtha Upadhyay 2020 result and download the same for future reference.

Students who were unable to score passing marks in the exam can give supplementary exams. Detailed information about the supplementary exams 2020 can be obtained from the official website.

The Board of Secondary Education Rajasthan (BSER) conducts yearly Secondary School examinations, Senior Secondary School examinations and other associated examinations such as Rajasthan Varishtha Upadhyay for Class 12 and Rajasthan Praveshika for Class 10.
It was a neat device  cynical, some might say  to shield Princess Beatrices wedding behind the greater event, the knighting of Sir Tom Moore.

But the Covid-19 crisis, and the 100-year-old Army captains colossal act of gallantry in raising 33 million for NHS charities, happily combined to spare the Royal Familys blushes over what to do about the beleaguered Duke of York.

Importantly, it also opened the door to change in the scale of royal celebrations  a change which has been urged by the Prince of Wales for many years.

The secret wedding, arranged at short notice, eradicated the gnawing problem of how to handle the public profile of Prince Andrew as he comes under increasing pressure in the Ghislaine Maxwell affair.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo posed together as their engagement was announced. This photograph was taken in Italy by Princess Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie

The idea of replicating the full bells-and-whistles affair her younger sister Eugenie (pictured) enjoyed two years ago at St Georges Chapel would have been to risk a PR disaster

Princess Beatrice married her fiance, property developer, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony at Windsor Castle. Pictured on July 9, 2019 in London

Her fathers fall from grace had left Beatrice in a no-mans land.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo at a wedding in Paris last year

And while no one could deny her wish to be married, the idea of replicating the full bells-and-whistles affair her younger sister Eugenie enjoyed two years ago at St Georges Chapel would have been to risk a PR disaster.

And so the ideal compromise was reached  an unannounced and private wedding with around 20 guests in the out-of-the-way Chapel of All Saints on the Windsor estate  with Captain Tom invited to the Castle for the higher-profile ceremony.

This choreographed coincidence of events deftly concentrated the public mind on the old soldiers remarkable achievement, happily allowing Beatrice her day in church, untouched by controversy.

Most would agree she deserved that much at least.

And in any case, another royal wedding with carriages, guards of honour, and all the pomp would not have been to the public taste in the current pandemic crisis.

Prince Charles, who was pointedly not present on Friday, would nod his head in agreement with that.

For years, the future King has argued for a streamlined family, concentrating the public gaze on core members only.

The Covid-19 crisis, and the 100-year-old Army captains (pictured) colossal act of gallantry in raising 33 million for NHS charities, happily combined to spare the Royal Familys blushes over what to do about the beleaguered Duke of York

The secret wedding, arranged at short notice, eradicated the gnawing problem of how to handle the public profile of Prince Andrew as he comes under increasing pressure in the Ghislaine Maxwell affair

In one sense, hes already achieved that ambition, with the retirement from public life of his younger brother, and the defection of his second son, Prince Harry, to America.

Others might claim the trend has gone too far, with insufficient Royals to go around.

Charles  who wants smaller Royal events  was pointedly not present

But in Charless mind, change had to come.

Inevitably, this led to tension between him and Andrew, who was very concerned that his daughters  the only two blood princesses of their generation, he often stressed  might be deemed surplus to requirements and rudely sidelined.

Indeed, it was claimed that Andrew wrote to the Queen asking her to intervene on behalf of the girls.

He even went so far as to issue an unprecedented and angry rebuttal, on Palace writing paper, to reports that his family was being phased out or that hed asked for earldoms for his future sons-in-law.

Now, at last, Beatrices secret wedding (pictured) seems finally to have broken the trend of more and more costly public celebrations

It came after a photograph showing the future face of the House of Windsor  the Queen, Charles and Camilla, and William and Kate, laden down in sashes and garters, presenting themselves to the worlds diplomatic corps  did not include him.

It was a wake-up call to the Duke that he was no longer part of Royal Central, and he didnt like it.

It was also reported  long before his recent ignominy  that Andrew faced losing his status altogether as a working royal when Charles becomes King, or more brutally, have the funding he receives from the Sovereign Grant to run his private office removed.

And long ago, the round-the-clock security provided by the Metropolitan Police at the taxpayers expense for Beatrice and Eugenie was taken away.

The Queen has gone out of her way to keep Beatrice and Eugenie close, as proved by her beaming presence at Fridays wedding (pictured)

But Andrews future public role in the Royal Family has become academic in view of him stepping down as UK trade envoy, being named in legal papers during the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, the closure of the Prince Andrew Charitable Trust, his disastrous Newsnight interview and his withdrawal from public life.

Yet throughout all these troubles, the Queen has gone out of her way to keep Beatrice and Eugenie close, as proved by her beaming presence at Fridays wedding.

She got every brides wish  to be walked up the aisle by the father she loves

The Queen absolutely adores a wedding, her late cousin Margaret Rhodes once explained to me. She is, at heart, a romantic, and her own wedding day was perhaps the happiest of her life.

Of late, however, Her Majestys fondness for nuptials seemed to have stretched the definition of who qualifies as Royal.

When in May last year she granted permission for Lady Gabriella Windsor  a virtually unknown sprig of the House of Windsor and ranking 52nd in the order of succession  to be accorded the full St Georges Chapel treatment, many were surprised.

Significantly, Prince Charles was an absentee from that event, too.

Now, at last, Beatrices secret wedding seems finally to have broken the trend of more and more costly public celebrations although as one observer wearily pointed out this weekend, there arent many Royals left to marry off.

For Beatrice, it allowed her an untroubled day in the presence of close family.

It also gave her every brides wish: to be walked up the aisle by a father who, for all his indiscretions, she still loves.
The man who is rumored to be Ghislaine Maxwell's husband is said to have once bragged to his parents that he was dating a 'high profile woman' but they had no idea at the time about her links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Scott Borgerson, 43, a tech entrepreneur from Boston is said to have left his wife Rebecca, with whom he had two children with in 2014 in order to be with Maxwell.

Borgerson's relatives have not revealed whether she is part of the family despite being approached by a number of media outlets over the last week.

The man who is rumored to be Ghislaine Maxwell's husband, Scott Borgerson, right, is said to have once bragged to his parents that he was dating a ' high profile woman' but they had no idea at the time about her links to Jeffrey Epstein

Borgerson's estranged father Chris (pictured) said he had been unaware of any marriage and expressed both surprise and disbelief at the news when he was approached by DailyMail.com at his home in Missouri on Wednesday

Borgerson's estranged father Chris had said publicly that his son is 'very private' man but hinted that he knew of the supposed relationship.

One source is said to have told The Sun that Borgerson had in fact spoken about her but that any kind of marriage would have been a 'complete surprise.'

The source said: 'I knew the [Borgerson] family a while ago, and I met Scott once or twice. I knew he was dating someone new after he split from his wife.

'When he told his parents of his relationship, I didn't know who she was. I don't think he told them of her background or what she'd been accused of.

'I just know he described her as a high profile woman - I thought she was a model or something.

'He said she spoke different languages and seemed very impressed by her.

'I've been out of the Borgerson family circle for some years, so I don't know if they got married.'

Borgerson is believed to have met Maxwell six years ago through speaking engagements connected to ocean preservation.

They both were pictured speaking at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik in 2014.

Borgerson is believed to have met Maxwell six years ago through speaking engagements connected to ocean preservation. They both were pictured speaking at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik in 2014

Last summer, Maxwell was tracked down by DailyMail.com to Manchester-by-the-Sea in Massachusetts, living at a $2 million home owned by Scott Borgerson, 43, a multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur (pictured)

Records also revealed Maxwell's $1 million New Hampshire home was purchased by a company that reportedly has ties to Borgerson.

The buyer is listed as Granite Reality LLC - a mysterious corporation that was set up just weeks prior the purchase.

Prosecutors revealed on Tuesday that Maxwell was married and had toured her Bradford, New Hampshire hideaway with a man named 'Scott'.

DailyMail.com previously revealed Maxwell and Borgerson were a couple, and until last December, she had been living at his $2 million Manchester-by-the-Sea property.

Ghislaine Maxwell cried as she was denied bail on Tuesday and learned she must stay locked up until her trial next summer, as Jeffrey Epstein's accused madam pleaded not guilty to the sex trafficking charges brought against her

Prosecutor Alison Moe said when Maxwell bought her $1 million Bradford, New Hampshire home (pictured), she toured the home back in November of 2019 with a man named 'Scott'

The bombshell marriage revelation came when US Prosecutor Alison Moe detailed Maxwell's alleged lack of transparency when it came to her court filings, during her detention hearing earlier this week.

She said Maxwell 'makes no mention whatsoever about the financial circumstances or assets of her spouse whose identity she declined to provide to Pretrial Services.'

Moe did not say who she believed Maxwell's spouse was or give any indication as to how long they had been married.

A source told ABC News disclosure of the marriage was intended to show the judge Maxwell has not been that forthcoming about her circumstances and finances.

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

Prior to the revelation in court, there had been no previous suggestions that she had been married, with the attention focused on her romantic relationship with Epstein in the mid-1990s, when the alleged grooming is said to have taken place.

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.

She faces up to 35 years in prison if found guilty of the charges to which she has pleaded not guilty.

Maxwell is being closely watched in her cell at the fortress-like Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as the Department of Justice wants to ensure she does not kill herself like Epstein, who hanged himself last August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the Georgian parliament for what it calls measures restricting media freedom less than four months before legislative elections in the South Caucasus nation.

In a July 17 statement, the media watchdog accused the parliament -- led by the ruling Georgian Dream party -- of attempting to "control radio and television channels" under the guise of a crusade against disinformation.

Reporters Without Borders denounces the attack on the independence and pluralism of the media, the Paris-based organization said.

A few months before an election deadline with high stakes, the atmosphere is stifling for the Georgian opposition media. Under the cover of the fight against disinformation, they are subject to increasingly strict legislation and to judicial pressure directly threatening their editorial choices, it said.

Georgia ranks 60th out of 180 nations in RSFs 2020 World Press Freedom Index.

Georgians are set to vote in parliamentary elections in October, but lawmakers have approved several measures that have angered the opposition ahead of the vote.

Georgian Dream, led by billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, holds three-quarters of the legislature's seats, even though it won just under half of the popular vote, because of an election format that opposition parties insisted unfairly favored the ruling party.

RSF said an amendment to the law governing electronic communications, adopted on July 17, shows a desire to control radio and television channels by allowing the appointment of a special manager at the head of companies in the audiovisual sector.

RSF said the manager is authorized to take control of companies deemed to not be in compliance with the decisions of the National Communications Commission and has the right to appoint and dismiss managers.

'Surveillance And Censorship'

It said the commission was originally designed to be a strictly operational organization but has gradually seen its prerogatives extended to surveillance and censorship.

RSF said the commission has recently tried to discredit Netgazeti.ge and Batumelebi, two opposition media, accusing them of disinformation.

The watchdog also cited the case of TV channel Mtavari Arkhi, led by opposition figure Giorgi Rurua.

Rurua was arrested on November 18 and charged with illegally purchasing, possessing, and carrying a firearm, which he and his supporters have denied. Opposition parties insist that Ruruas arrest was politically motivated.

RSF said the Georgian secret service has also accused Mtavari Arkhi journalists as part of a "sabotage" investigation of endeavoring "to misinform the population and discredit" those in power.

The Georgian government must not interfere with the work of newsrooms," RSF Eastern Europe and Central Asia office manager Jeanne Cavelier said.

Less than four months before the legislative elections, the independence and pluralism of the media are essential for holding a democratic debate.

We call on the authorities to immediately drop the criminal proceedings against Mtavari Arkhi and promote the reliability of the information rather than attempt to censor the content, she said.

On July 15, Georgian lawmakers extended amendments to the Law on Public Health through the end of the year, allowing the government to impose restrictions without declaring a state of emergency.

Opposition parties and groups assert that by extending the amendments, the ruling Georgian Dream party is trying to use public health issue to gain control over the parliamentary elections.

The chairman of the parliamentary committee for health care and social issues, Dimitri Khundadze, who presented the amendments, said the decision to prolong these measures s was based on what he called a possible more devastating second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in the South Caucasus nation.

With reporting by RFE/RLs Georgian Service




Protesters in North Portland lit the Portland Police Association building on fire and police declared a riot while demonstrators in downtown Portland targeted fences on the 52nd straight night of protests in the city Saturday.

In North Portland, the PNW Youth Liberation Front, an organized group that has been leading demonstrations over the course of the past two months, hosted a protest to demand the abolition of the Portland Police Bureau and decry violence against people of color. After an evening gathering at Peninsula Park, marchers headed south on Interstate Avenue, stretching out for about five blocks.

They stopped outside the bureaus North Precinct, chanting, Quit your job. The majority of the crowd dispersed from the precinct around 9:30 p.m., after officers announced demonstrators would be subject to arrest, and headed north on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Demonstrators traveled to the Portland Police Association, the Portland Police Bureaus union. They then began flipping dumpsters around the building to form a barricade.

Police arrived at the building around 10:45 p.m., telling demonstrators they were subject to arrest and threatening to use crowd control munitions if people attempted to enter the Portland Police Association building.

Stop criminal acts now and move to the east, police said.

Two dumpsters that had been tipped onto their sides in the street were set on fire. Portland police declared the event a riot around 10:50 p.m. and told demonstrators to leave the area or be subject to arrest. They then charged protesters, throwing some demonstrators on the ground.

Several protesters entered the building and set it on fire, according to the police and social media posts. The fire was extinguished, police said.

Around 11:15 p.m., police began pressing protesters to the east. Most protesters did not resist. Police took multiple people into custody.

In downtown Portland, one early speaker urged demonstrators to come out every night to prove strength in numbers.

They cant stop you if you come out here as a cohesive group every single night, the speaker said.

Around 9:30 p.m., demonstrators dismantled fencing surrounding Chapman Square Park. The fencing been repaired after protesters dismantled it Friday night. Protesters began to barricade the entrance to the Justice Center with part of the dismantled Chapman Square fence.

They stacked some of it against a new fence placed earlier Saturday around the Hatfield Federal Courthouse.

Oregons U.S. Attorney, Billy Williams, had tweeted earlier Saturday, If you are downtown tonight, you may notice a new fence around the Hatfield Federal Courthouse. The purpose of this fence is to de-escalate tensions between protesters and federal law enforcement officers, and to allow much-needed building repairs to begin.

Around 10 p.m., smoke briefly dispersed protesters. It was not clear where the smoke came from.

Officers appeared near the federal courthouse around 10:40 p.m. and deployed tear gas. It was unclear whether they were federal officers or Portland police.

Soon after, officers retreated into the courthouse building and protestors began barricading the doors of the building again. Some began flooding the courthouse steps, banging on the doors as they barricaded them.

A reporter from The Portland Tribune posted a social media video of federal officers striking a protester repeatedly with a baton and spraying pepper spray in his face. The protester did not seem to engage with the officers in any way and stood still as he was hit.

Close to midnight, some protesters began throwing firecrackers at the courthouse. They continued to barricade the doors of the federal courthouse.

By 12:30 a.m., demonstrators had largely abandoned the federal courthouse, instead holding a rally in the intersection of Southwest Third Avenue and Main Street, where people were giving speeches from the bed of a truck.

Demonstrations in Portland began almost two months ago following the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died after a police officer pressed his knee on Floyds neck for over eight minutes.

Saturday, protesters began gathering in several parts of the city around 6 p.m.

A week after 18-year-old ShaiIndia Harris was shot and killed in Southeast Portland, hundreds gathered downtown to demand justice and celebrate her life at an event hosted by Dont Shoot PDX, a local nonprofit, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

Holladay Park, across from the Lloyd Center, was the site for an event named March For Justice. From there, people marched through the Lloyd District and crossed the Burnside Bridge into downtown.

President Donald Trump recently deployed federal officers to Portland, where they met nightly protests with munitions and gas.

Local and state leaders have vocally opposed the presence of federal officers in Portland, Oregons Attorney General has plans to sue several federal law enforcement agencies over their actions, and the states U.S. Attorney has requested investigation into reported arrests of Portland protesters picked up in unmarked vehicles.

Earlier Saturday, the Portland Police Bureau announced that command from the Federal Protective Service would not work in the Portland Police incident command center.

-- Celina Tebor

ctebor@oregonian.com

@CelinaTebor

Eder Campuzano and Fedor Zarkhin contributed to this report.
2 1 of 2 EMMANUEL DUNAND, Contributor / AFP via Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less



Technology company Apple has teamed up with Prairie View A&M University to create a coding and creativity hub within the Greater Houston and Waller County region, according to a university release.

The partnership, part of Apples Community Education and Tennessee State Universitys HBCU C2 initiatives, aims to bring coding and programming experiences to historically black college and university communities.
Cork East TD Sean Sherlock pressed the new Government to commit to the Mallow Relief Road in the Dail on Tuesday night this week.

Speaking at a midnight session on Topical Issues, Deputy Sherlock stressed the importance of the road for Mallow and the region, along with the M20 motorway.

"What the people of Mallow need and require now is an assurance from the government that this will not slip down the political agenda," he told the Dail. "And what I'm seeking from the Government is an assurance that monies will be put behind this project after the consultation process is over so that the project can be delivered.

"It's an absolutely essential project in respect of giving relief for the N72 and the N73. The N73 is in a deplorable state at the moment."

He said for many years the town of Mallow has been asking for monies to be made available for this relief road. "It's important that it dovetails into any project in respect of the M20 in a way that ensures that there's a seamless joining of the two projects, to give that relief."

He said he appreciated that the design preparation is underway but noted: "we've been there before". "Route corridors have been assigned before and that's why we want to remain vigilant about ensuring that the town of Mallow is not left behind in respect of any capital investment for roads infrastructure because it's a key reference tone in the province of Munster."

Responding for the Government, Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics Hildegarde Naughten said the government will be carrying out a review of the National Development Plan later this year, taking account of the priorities of government set out in the programme.

"The scheme is at an early stage of development and therefore it's not possible at this time to indicate a likely timeframe for construction of the project," she said.

She added that the timeframe for delivery of any major or minor works or projects that require statutory approval, whether for environmental impact assessments or compulsory purchase orders or both, is between eight and 13 years. "As this project is in the early stages of planning it's not yet possible to provide an accurate estimate of the total cost, the estimate of costs, cannot be finalized until the project reaches the business case stage of the process," she added.

Deputy Sherlock stressed that the Government allocate monies to the project to protect it.

"I am hopeful and optimistic that this government will recognize the relief road for Mallow as being a key project, given Mallow's location and its centrality in the province of Munster," he said.

"And it's not just Regional Development, we're talking about inward investment. If we're talking about opening up the southwestern region and if you're talking about a keynote project, the Mallow Relief Road fits that bill."
India on Saturday conveyed its appreciation to the Afghanistan government and tribal elders for their efforts in ensuring the release of a Sikh leader who was kidnapped last month.

Nidan Singh Sachdeva, a leader of the Hindu and Sikh minorities of Afghanistan, was kidnapped in Chamkani district of Paktia province on June 22. He was released from captivity on Saturday, according to a statement from the external affairs ministry.

The statement didnt give details about the circumstances of Sachdevas release or who had abducted him.

We convey our appreciation to the government of Afghanistan and tribal elders from the area, whose efforts secured the return of Mr Nidan Singh, the statement said.

The targeting and persecution of minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters remains a matter of grave concern, it added.

The statement also noted that through a recent decision, India has decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India.

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A surprising new study suggests two-thirds of Australians have been exposed to a potentially mind-altering cat parasite.

Toxoplasma gondii is famous for manipulating the brains of infected mice so they run towards cats, instead of away from them  raising questions about what it could be doing to human brains.

New research from a team of Edith Cowan University scientists found 66 per cent of the 150 people they studied had antibodies to the parasite.

Dr Aus Molan led the study into the effects of cat parasite Toxoplasma Gondii. Credit:Graham Miller

It blew us out of the water, said Dr Aus Molan, the Edith Cowan University researcher who led the study.
Colin Farrell was in summer mode while getting coffee in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of LA on Friday.

The In Bruges actor, 44, used the warm Southern California weather as an opportunity to show off his muscular arms.

He beat the heat in a black tank top which he teamed with grey jeans.

Scroll down for video

Flex appeal: Colin Farrell's brawny arms got some sun when he went on a coffee run in LA on Friday

Continuing the monochrome theme, Colin topped things off with a backwards ball cap and face mask in similar shades.

Though it was a hot day, it looked like the True Detective actor opted to get his caffeine fix via a warm shot of espresso.

Colin may be best known for his career on the big screen, but his number one role is always that of doting dad.

Sunshine day: The In Bruges actor, 44, was making the most of the warm Southern California weather

Pause: He took a second to relax outside before heading elsewhere

Last year, the Irish star revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that his children couldn't wait for him to return to work when he enjoyed a year's break from acting.

The talent opened up about missing his two sons James and Henry when he works away for six months of the year, but said the boys 'got sick of looking at him' when he enjoyed an extended break from films.

The Lobster star said: 'Last year I think I worked for about a month. Gainfully unemployed for about 11. It was lovely, I was just home with the boys.

Family man: Colin may be best known for his career on the big screen, but his number one role is always that of doting dad (pictured 2019)

'It's hard because I travel six or seven months of the year. It's tough on them.

'It's tough on me. I miss them so much. I just get home and get in their faces to the point they're actually sick of looking at me. Truly.'

Colin shares Henry with his ex-girlfriend, Polish actress Alicja Bachleda-Curus, and also has James from his relationship with American model Kim Bordenave.
GENEVA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from a group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in China have participated in the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council through videos links, voicing their views on a series of topics including the rights to health, education and poverty alleviation.

During a dialogue on the rights to physical and mental health, Ma Jingjing, from China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) , told the Council that the pandemic has taught the international community a serious lesson about the importance of health, and making the sense of living in one community sharing the same destiny all the more real.

Wang Xingzui, from China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, said that health and well-being is a basic right and need for people living in poverty. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health situation of vulnerable population requires urgent attention.

During the dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Ma said due to the outbreak of COVID-19, about 1.5 billion children and youngsters worldwide have to stay at home. Chinese NGOs have been assisting the government to ensure the quality of education, in the hope of mitigating the impact of COVID-19 as much as possible.

"We hope that our efforts can bring about more education opportunities, address education inequality and help people to better cope with their life thereafter," Ma said.

Noting that quality education is not only crucial to children's lifelong development, but also an effective intervention to break inter-generational transmission of poverty, Wang told the Council that the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation has launched a series of education programs both domestically and internationally.

In a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Wang said the Chinese government is on target to eradicate absolute poverty in rural China by the end of 2020, and that mobilizing social forces to participate in this battle against poverty is an important practice in China.

In the dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Hong Ping, from China Family Planning Association, said China has a total of 236 million migrant workers, and the country has made great efforts in providing health services for them, especially for women and children.

During dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Wang Yanbin, from Beijing Zhicheng Migrant Workers' Legal Aid and Research Center, told the Council that in the process of doing the job to protect the rights of vulnerable groups, "no one ever affects our independence."

"On the contrary, we often felt the support of all sectors of society, which encourage us to do our job better to help those people in need," Wang added.

The 44th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council started on June 30 and closed on Friday.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited a sensitive forward post at a height of over 12,000 feet along the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir's volatile Keran sector that has been witnessing frequent incidents of unprovoked firing by Pakistan Army and cross-border infiltration bids by terrorists.

The defence minister's visit to the area came a day after he directed the top military brass in Jammu and Kashmir to strongly retaliate to any Pakistani "misadventure" along the LoC and foil all attempts by the "adversary" to push terrorists into the Indian side.

Singh was accompanied to the high-altitude North Hill post by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi and Commander of Chinar Corps Lt Gen BS Raju among others.

Before arriving at the post, Singh visited the holy cave of Amarnath and offered prayers.

The troops of North Hill battalion confront the constant threat of enemy action on a daily basis, said a senior official, adding the units have not only foiled repeated attempts by terrorists to sneak through but have also inflicted heavy losses onto Pakistani forces abetting such bids.

At the post, the local Army commander briefed Singh about the overall situation in the area and how Indian troops are relentlessly foiling Pakistan Army's attempts in the sector to push terrorists into the Kashmir Valley.

"The visit by the defence minister and the top Army brass to Keran sector is a clear message to Pakistan that India will appropriately respond to its attempts to create problem in Kashmir," said the senior official.

Singh spent around an hour at the post during which he interacted with the soldiers and hailed them for guarding the LoC round-the-clock despite the harsh weather and other trying circumstances.

"The whole country is proud of you all," Singh told them during the impromptu interaction.

Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in the region, Pakistan has been resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push militants into Kashmir.

The Pakistani hostilities increased after India announced its decision to withdraw special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two union territories in August last year.

The Keran sector has particularly been witnessing significant rise in number of ceasefire violations and cross border infiltration attempts. The area was the scene of a deadly operation in April in which five elite army commandos laid down their lives while eliminating a group of infiltrating terrorists.

The Pakistan Army resorts to border shelling as a cover to help Pakistan-based terrorists infiltrate into Kashmir.

"Visited a forward post near LoC in Kupwara District of Jammu-Kashmir today and interacted with the soldiers deployed there. We are extremely proud of these brave and courageous soldiers who are defending our country in every situation," Singh tweeted,

"Smiling through the hardships of life fraught with danger on the Line of Control, the morale of troops reflects the unflinching resolve of the Indian Army to safeguard the nation's borders at all costs," said the official.

At a security review meeting with top Army officials in Srinagar on Friday, Singh asked them give a befitting reply to any "misadventure" by Pakistan.

Fourteen Indians were killed and 88 sustained injuries in more than 2,432 incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations carried out by Pakistani forces till June this year, according to official data.

In 2019, Pakistani troops resorted to 3,200 ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir which was highest in the last 16 years, according to the data.

Of these, 1,565 ceasefire violations took place since between August and December after India reorganised Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2018, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 2,936 instances of violation of the 2003 ceasefire by Pakistan.

Singh arrived in Srinagar on Friday afternoon on a two-day visit to Kashmir.

Earlier on Friday, he had visited forward posts in Stakna and Lukung in eastern Ladakh amid the LAC standoff with China.
Vietnam is facing the unbalanced sex ratio at birth (SRB), with about 40,800 female births estimated to be missing every year, according to the State of the World Population Report 2020.

A village-based midwife gives health care guidance to a mother in Muong Nhe district, the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien.

The report was launched on July 17 in Hanoi by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Gender equality has improved in Vietnam over the years, but gender-biased sex selection remains persistent and has been identified as the major cause of an imbalance in the SRB in the country, it found.

The skewed SRB in Vietnam was first identified in 2004, and since 2005, the imbalance towards more boys has rapidly increased and reached 111.5 boys per 100 girls in 2019 as indicated in the 2019 Census, against the biologically normal SRB of 105.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Pham Ngoc Tien, director of the Gender Equality Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said: Vietnam has always considered gender equality as both a goal and a driving force for sustainable development. We have built and continued to improve the legal framework to better work in this important and relatively unfamiliar area.

Bringing SRB to the natural balance is one of the goals of the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2021 - 2030 period which is being developed to submit to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for approval this year, he said.

Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, said: We must put an end to son preference and the undervaluing of girls in our efforts to promote gender equality in the country. Vietnam is making progress, but the progress must be accelerated within the context of the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development Goals.

In this regard, men have a special role to play. I call on Vietnamese men to raise the value of girls and demand equal treatment and equal rights. In particular, we need men and boys to support this effort, she added.

At the launch, the Government and UNFPA affirmed their commitment and called for urgent action to end this harmful practice.

In the world, an estimated 4.1 million girls will be subjected to female genital mutilation this year. As many as 33,000 girls under age 18 will be forced into marriages, usually to much older men. Also, an extreme preference for sons over daughters in some countries has fueled gender-biased sex selection or extreme neglect that leads to their death as children, resulting in 140 million missing females.

UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem said: We must tackle the problem by tackling the root causes, especially gender-biased norms. We must do a better job of supporting communities own efforts to understand the toll these practices are taking on girls and the benefits that accrue to the whole of society by stopping them.

UN official calls for end to preference for sons in Vietnam

Naomi Kitahara, chief representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, has called for an end to the preference for boys over girls in the country, to promote gender equality.

She made the appeal at the launch ceremony for the State of the World Population Fund Report 2020 in Hanoi on July 17.

Titled Against my will, defying the practices that harm women and girls and undermine equality, the report was released worldwide on June 30 and highlights at least 19 rites - ranging from breast ironing to virginity testing - that are considered human rights violations.

The report published in Vietnam focuses on gender selection on the basis of gender bias, which has existed for decades with a preference for boys over girls, according to the UN official.

She pointed to social problems resulting from a gender imbalance, such as rape, forced sex, sexual abuse, human trafficking, and early marriage.

She also cited figures of the national population and housing census in 2009, which found that the sex ratio at birth in Vietnam remains high, with 111.5 boys per 100 girls, as compared with the natural or normal rate of 105-106 boys per 100 girls.

The State of the World Population Report estimates that every year, 40,800 female births are missing in Vietnam. It means that 40,800 girls are not born every year in Vietnam because they were found to be a girl.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pham Ngoc Tien, head of the Department of Gender Equality at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the Vietnamese Government considers gender equality a goal and a driver of sustainable development, adding that it is completing a legal framework to better the work. VNA
Three people were arrested after protesters splashed paint on statues of Egerton Ryerson and John A. Macdonald in downtown Toronto on Saturday morning, police said.

Around 35 protesters surrounded the statue of Ryerson at Ryerson University, near Bond and Gould Streets, and hurled pink paint at it. A banner placed around the base of the statue said, Tear down monuments that represent slavery, colonialism, and violence.

A statue of John A. Macdonald, Canadas first prime minister, was also defaced by a group of around 60 protesters at Queens Park. A photograph posted to social media showed Black Lives Matter protesters pouring pink paint on the statue.

A video posted online on Saturday morning appeared to show demonstrators being detained by police at Queens Park.

Toronto police later confirmed that three people had been arrested and charged with mischief.

Rodney Diverlus, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto, told the Star that protesters under the banner of Black Lives Matter were calling for the defunding of police, and an end to white supremacy and anti-black racism.

As protesters, were concerned that these statues and emblems of racism are still taking up space in our city.

The protest moved to Toronto polices 52 Division to demand the immediate release of the those arrested, Diverlus said. Around 150 people were staging a peaceful sit-in next to the station on Saturday afternoon, with a big banner in front of the station reading, Let them go now.

On Twitter, lawyer Saron Gebresellassi said she had been unable to consult with, or even locate, the detained protesters in the hours after the arrests.

My client is being detained without charges and without a lawyer, she wrote.

Black Lives Matter Toronto announced at around 4 p.m. that legal contact had been made with the three people detained, nearly four hours after they were arrested.

Police said Daniel Gooch, 35, and Danielle Smith, 47, both of Toronto, were later released, while Jenna Reid, 35, also of Toronto, was detained and will appear in court Sunday. But Gebresellassi told CP24 late Saturday that all three were still in custody.

Minutes later, police tweeted the three individuals declined to sign the release forms to leave custody. They will be released as soon as they sign, and we would like them to do so.

In 2018, Victoria, B.C., city council voted to remove a statue of Macdonald from outside city hall, citing the decision as a gesture of reconciliation.

Ryerson, for whom the downtown Toronto university is named, was a proponent of residential schools that sought to, often violently, force Indigenous children to assimilate into Canadian culture.

A petition popped up earlier this summer imploring the universitys administration to remove the statue. The petition now has nearly 9,000 signatures.
CAIRO  Every day now, seasonal rain pounds the lush highlands of northern Ethiopia, sending cascades of water into the Blue Nile, the twisting tributary of perhaps Africas most fabled river.

Farther downstream, the water inches up the concrete wall of a towering, $4.5 billion hydroelectric dam across the Nile, the largest in Africa, now moving closer to completion. A moment that Ethiopians have anticipated eagerly for a decade  and which Egyptians have come to dread  has finally arrived.

Satellite images released this week showed water pouring into the reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam  which will be nearly twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Ethiopia hopes the project will double its electricity production, bolster its economy, and help unify its people at a time of often-violent divisions.

#FillTheDam read one popular hashtag on Ethiopian social media this week.

Seleshi Bekele, the Ethiopian water minister, rushed to assuage Egyptian anxieties by insisting that the engorging reservoir was the product of natural, entirely predictable seasonal flooding.
The writing has been on the wall for Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., for weeks after losing his primary to progressive insurgent Jamaal Bowman last month. Today, The Associated Press called the race against the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman.

Three lawmakers have already shown interest in becoming the next Democratic leader of the venerable committee in a race that is quickly starting to echo Bowmans foreign policy attacks against Engel.

Reps. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., and dark horse candidate Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, are already pitching their cases to their colleagues as to why they should chair the committee should Democrat maintain control of the House in the November elections.

A coalition of progressive groups led by Demand Progress and Win Without War are pushing Democrats to nominate a foreign affairs leader who will take the committee in a more progressive direction, echoing many of the foreign policy grievances Bowman raised against Engel in the primary election.

For years there has been a disconnect between [the House 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 [and] President Obamas diplomatic agreement to limit Irans nuclear program, the 70 progressive groups wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Democratic whip James Clyburn, D-S.C.,

The progressive organizations are lobbying for Castro, while stipulating a series of foreign policy criteria that they want the next chairman to uphold, ranging from Israel to Iran to Iraq to Saudi Arabia.

It is widely expected that Sherman and Meeks  the two most senior members on the committee  would continue Engels pro-Israel legacy, though Sherman has a history of taking a harder line on Iran than Meeks. And while House Democrats generally favor seniority when allocating leadership positions, 70 progressive and anti-war groups have lined up behind Castros candidacy, demanding a substantial overhaul of the committees foreign policy.

Our foreign affairs committee needs to catch up with where Democrats are in terms of foreign policy, Castro told The Washington Post earlier this week. Over the years, there have been too 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 weve not always done that.

That includes leveraging the annual $3.8 billion in US military funding to Israel to end the occupation of the West Bank and the military blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Engel, who enjoys close ties with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has stringently resisted demands to restrict Israeli military aid. Sherman, another staunch pro-Israel stalwart, co-sponsored a 2016 House resolution calling for a robust, multibillion aid package to Israel over 10 years.

This is not Shermans first bid to lead Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee. He won an acrimonious primary against former committee Chairman Howard Berman in 2012 after redistricting in California. But Shermans colleagues opted to give the position to Engel instead. All three Democrats boasted strong pro-Israel credentials.

Both Sherman and Meeks have earned the support of the Pro-Israel America PAC for their 2020 reelection bids. Meeks also enjoys the support of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Neither Sherman nor Meeks are likely to clash with Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., another AIPAC-friendly Democrat who will likely maintain control of the committees Middle East panel. But when it comes to Iran and Iraq, Meeks record tracks closer with the progressive coalition that backs Castro than it does with Sherman.

Engel and Sherman vehemently opposed President Barack Obamas Iran nuclear deal  even though they subsequently condemned President Donald Trumps 2018 withdrawal from the accord  and voted in favor of the 2002 Iraq war authorization. Conversely, Meeks and Castro supported the Iran deal, and Meeks voted against the Iraq war. (Castro was not in Congress during the 2002 vote to invade Iraq).

And while the letter also calls on the next chairman to reassess blunt economic sanctions that deprive people of income, food, medicine and other essentials in countries such as Iran, all three candidates  including Castro  voted for additional sanctions on Tehran in 2013 despite opposition from the Obama White House.

The letter also asks Democrats to reject any candidate who opposed blocking sales of cluster bombs, precision guided munitions and other weapons to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates during their intervention in Yemen after their use was documented and recognized as war crimes.

Sherman joined Engel in voting against a ban cluster bombs to the Saudi-led coalition in 2016. The legislation, which Meeks and Castro voted for, narrowly failed to pass the House 216-204.

But like most lawmakers, Sherman has become increasingly outspoken against Saudi Arabia following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Specifically, he has led legislative efforts that would block the Trump administration from establishing a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the Saudis unless Riyadh agrees to a series of stringent nonproliferation precautions that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has so far resisted.
Around 34 people were arrested by the local crime branch (LCB), Palghar, on Friday morning for allegedly gambling at a vacant plot near a hotel on Maljipada highway. The police also seized 11.10 lakh from the accused.

After receiving a tip-off, Palghar superintendent Dattatray Shinde directed the LCB to conduct the raid.

The accused gathered from different parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as well as Gujarat.

The accused flouted social distancing norms and none of them were wearing masks. They also violated section 144 (unlawful assembly) imposed by the Palghar collector. On Saturday, the Vasai court granted all the 34 accused bail, said assistant police inspector Santosh Gurjar of LCB, Palghar.

Meanwhile, Shinde is to initiate an inquiry against the Waliv police for failing to conduct the raid in the alleged incident. Based on the inquiry, we will take action against Waliv police, said Shinde.

In a similar incident in September 2018, the then Palghar superintendent took action against five officers of Waliv police station, as they did not act against a gambling racket in a resort on the highway.
Rajasthan police has decided to send the controversial audio clips, allegedly containing evidence of the BJPs involvement in horse trading of state MLAs to destabilize Ashok Gehlot government, for forensic verification.

The move comes amid BJPs counter-offensive, demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to find out if the audio clips were recorded illegally through unauthorised phone tapping of legislators and politicians at the behest of the Rajasthan government.

The developments in the past 24 hours have put the limelight on the clips, played out by the Ashok Gehlot camp claiming it to be the evidence of the involvement of some MLAs supporting Sachin Pilot, in a plot to bring down the Gehlot government.

FIR has been registered under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The audio clips will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for verification. After the report comes and it is verified, we will make the alleged people undergo a voice test, Alok Tripathi, director general (DG) of Rajasthans anti corruption bureau (ACB) was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Also Read: Not on speaking terms with Sachin Pilot for last 18 months: Ashok Gehlot

The senior ACB official said Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi, on Friday, handed over the audio tapes to the ACB along with names of three individuals--Bhanwar Lal, Sanjay Jain and Gajendra Singhalleging their involvement in horse-trading attempts.

The attempts by the states special operation group (SOG) to question Sachin Pilot and 18 of his loyalist MLAs camping at a hotel in Haryanas Manesar town, failed yesterday since the MLAs had reportedly left the hotel by the time SOG was permitted by Haryana police to enter the premises.

The SOG wanted to take voice samples of a few MLAs in Sachin Pilots camp.

Earlier today, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra suggested that the police in BJP-ruled Haryana had blocked Rajasthan police helping MLAs to move out.

Rajasthan SOG team was made to wait by BJP governments Haryana police until the MLAs inside the resort in Manesar were moved out through a secret door, he said while addressing a press conference in Jaipur today.

Also Read: Even Rajiv Gandhi was handsome, spoke good English: Rebel Cong MLA takes jibe at Ashok Gehlot

The party had earlier demanded the arrest of Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat, alleging that he is heard in one of the audio clips discussing the plot to bring down the Congress government in the state.

Shekhawat has denied any involvement and said that the voice on the clip is not his. The BJP has sought a CBI probe to find out if phones of politicians and MLA were tapped illegally.

Former Rajasthan chief minister and senior BJP leader Vasundhra Raje, too, hit out at the Congress and said that the people of Rajasthan were made to bear the brunt of the infighting in Congress. She added that the Congress was attempting to put the blame on BJP for failure to keep its own house in order.

The battle on the legal front between the two factions will resume on Monday, with continuation of arguments in the Rajasthan High Court on a petition filed by Sachin Pilot seeking dismissal of disqualification notice served on him and 18 of his supporter MLAs. The court has barred the speaker from taking any action till 5:30 pm on Tuesday.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York City begins to reopen amid the coronvirus (COVID-19) pandemic, schools across Staten Island are making plans to safely reopen buildings in the fall -- preparing for increased cleaning and sanitization, face masks, temperature checks and what instruction will look like for students.

New York City public schools and Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of New York recently released plans for reopening schools in September on a staggered, split schedule -- with the option of full-time remote learning for families.
The late Spanish writer-philosopher George Santayana is generally accredited with the very sensible saying that "those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat its mistakes". He could have added that if you wanted people to ponder the present, it would help to look closely at the past, which is exactly what a number of talented TV makers have been doing.

One is David Simon (The Wire, Treme, The Deuce). His latest offering, The Plot Against America (2020), has been adapted from Philip Roth's pseudo-autobiographical novel published in 2004. Created with longstanding collaborator Ed Burns, the six-part series takes us back to the US during a two-year period between 1940 and 1942 when famed aviator Charles Lindbergh was elected as president ahead of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which, of course, never happened.

Nevertheless, Simon and Burns' alternative history surveys the social and political climate of those years, notes its similarity to the present day and reflects on how the unrest provoked by Lindbergh's fictional occupancy of the White House mirrors the disarray of Donald Trump's real-world tenancy.

The series' starting point is a simple tweak of historical fact: with Hitler's armies on the march in Europe, FDR loses the 1940 election to national hero Lindbergh, whose isolationist agenda opposes US entry into the war. How, it asks, would such an event affect the state of the nation?
A trio of hikers were rescued Friday night after becoming stranded on a steep cliff at Chedoke Falls.

Hamilton firefighters were called to the scene just before 11 p.m. for reports of lost hikers.

Two males and a female were unable to safely exit a trail near the falls.

Firefighters located the trio on a steep trail and initiated a rope rescue.

No one was injured in the incident.

Police say bylaw attended the scene after firefighters arrived and issued tickets to the wayward hikers.

The fire department incident notification Twitter feed says eight fire units were dispatched to the area of Colquhoun Court and Scenic Drive.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said that about 2,065 health workers have been infected with Covid-19.



It said 1,870 had recovered from the infection, while 183 were still being treated but added that six of the infected health workers had died.



The Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, made this known to the media at the Covid-19 press briefings in Accra yesterday.



According to him, the Greater Accra Region has the highest infected health workers, with 588 cases. He said 536 had recovered with no death recorded among the infected health workers in the region.



He said the Ashanti Region has about 245 health workers infected, with 228 of them declared recovered, with two deaths.



Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said about 24 health workers in the Ahafo Region had been infected, with five of them declared recovered.



Cases Count



The GHS has recorded additional 695 new cases of Covid-19, raising the total case count to 26,125.



Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said 10,465 of the positive cases were recorded through routine surveillance and 15,660 through enhanced contact tracing.



He said there is currently a total of 22,270 recoveries and the death toll still at 139.



He, however, added that about 25 patients were in severe conditions, eight in critical condition and four on ventilators.



He said 3,716 active cases were being managed in treatment, isolation centres and under home management and added that 339,491 tests had been conducted so far.



Face Shield



The Fellows and Members of the Ghana Chapter of the West African College of Surgeons and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) have kicked against the use of face shield as a replacement for the wearing of nose masks.



A statement jointly signed by the GMA President, Dr. Frank Ankobea, and 1st Vice-President and Country Representative, Prof. Peter Donkor, said the use of face shields alone (without a face mask) does not give the user the needed protection against Covid-19, especially in the light of potential air borne spread of the virus from emerging scientific evidence.



It explained that although face shields protect against splashes, and may be added to a mask it should not be used as a replacement for masks in protecting one against Covid-19.



This is a very dangerous trend that must be discontinued by the general public with immediate effect. Continuous use of face shields without mask by the general public will lead to increased cases of Covid-19 in the country. The public is advised to wear masks at all times, the statement said.



The two groups also debunked unsubstantiated reports on some social media platforms about a decrease in blood oxygen concentration as well as a buildup of carbon dioxide when one uses a mask.



As Medical Doctors (especially Surgeons), we wear face masks all the time in the course of work and no such derangements have been observed. We entreat the general public to disregard these social media report, it 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.

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The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has described as untrue and puerile, reports that he is planning to run for president in 2023.

He debunked the report in a statement by his media office.

He said the report has its source in beer parlour gossips and should be treated with the contempt which it and those who concocted it deserve.

A media report on Friday said Mr Lawan is making moves to contest for the presidency in 2023.

Consultations were ongoing among major stakeholders in the party to make Lawans goal to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in office a reality, Sahara Reporters had reported.

According to SaharaReporters, consultations were ongoing among major stakeholders in the party to make Mr Lawans goal to succeed President Buhari in office a reality.

Lawan is making moves for presidency in 2023 and this may be his first ambition in that direction.

He is a proponent of North-east producing the next President and that is his agenda if the zoning favours the region.

Though there are divergent views in the party as many are pushing for it to be zoned to the South, the outlet had quoted a source.

Not true

In the statement, the Senate President admitted to being involved in the consultations that the president held prior to the last emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

But there was nothing extra-ordinary in his involvement in such consultations, given his status as holder of one of the highest political offices in Nigeria and on the platform of the APC, the official said.

Such is required of any concerned member of the party. It is, therefore, sheer mischief for anyone to read ulterior motives to the Senate President joining hands with the President and other leaders in resolving misunderstanding in their own party.

READ ALSO:

We will like to stress that the Senate Presidents preoccupation is with advancing the agenda of the Ninth National Assembly to focus governance on the pursuit of the best interests of the Nigerian people and to support President Buhari in delivering his promises to Nigerians, part of the statement read.

The statement said, it is premature for anybody to be talking now about 2023 when all hands should be on deck against the myriad of challenges that faces our nation in this period.

This is even as he advised against corrupting journalism.
Two more Victorians have died from coronavirus as the state records another 217 cases.

Fears are also growing that Melbourne's deadly second wave has spread to New South Wales after 15 new cases were reported in the state on Saturday.

Premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria's number of fatalities rose to 34 after a man and a woman, both aged in their 80s, died overnight. The national coronavirus death toll sits at 118.

Of the latest infections, 11 are connected to known outbreaks, one is in quarantine and 205 are under investigation. There are 2,608 active cases across the state.

'This is not an ordinary weekend. Stay at home means just that. It means stay at home, unless you need to go out. And then only for the things that you absolutely need,' Mr Andrews said.

It comes as New South Wales health authorities warned McDonald's diners at a restaurant south of Sydney advised to keep a look out for symptoms after it was visited by two infected cases.

Victoria recorded 217 coronavirus infections on Saturday after reporting its highest daily total on Friday

Victoria's number of fatalities rose to 34 after a man and a woman, both aged in their 80s, died overnight. Pictured: Medical workers and police are seen at a Government Commission tower in North Melbourne on Saturday

There are now 45 COVID-19 cases connected to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak in Casula, Sydney's south-west, after an additional five people tested positive

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said three new aged care homes had reported coronavirus cases on Saturday, including two in regional Victoria.

'We continue to be concerned about the number of outbreaks that we across aged care facilities in Victoria,' she said.

'They have been to date concentrated in Melbourne, now having facilities in regional communities as well is concerning and just highlights the fact that all Victorians need to be vigilant about this highly contagious virus at the present time.'

The three aged care homes are Bethlehem Aged Care in Ballarat, Bill Crawford Lodge in Bendigo and Bupa in Edithvale.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said an additional 11 health workers had contracted COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected health care workers to 405.

Dr Sutton said 217 cases was a 'relief' after the state recorded its highest daily spike in coronavirus infections on Friday, with 428 cases.

'Certainly a relief to someone like me who has been watching the daily numbers for six months and has always had the health and wellbeing of Victorians in mind,' he said.

'217 is much better than a number above 400.'

There are currently 25 patients in intensive care in Victoria, with 18 on ventilators.

Pictured: A COVID testing sign is seen on the fence of the North Melbourne which remains under strict lockdown. The hard lockdown will end at 11.59pm on Saturday

The hard lockdown of the public housing tower at 33 Alfred Street in North Melbourne will end at 11.59pm on Saturday.

But Mr Andrews said about one third of residents from the tower will remain confined to their homes.

VICTORIA'S CLUSTERS: THE LATEST NUMBERS Al-Taqwa College in Truganina: 164 JBS abattoir in Brooklyn: 33 Glendale Aged Care in Werribee: 23 Northern Hospital in Epping: 21 Warringal Hospital in Heidelberg: 3 St. Basil's in Fawkner: 9 Clever Kids Child Care in Ashburton: 5 Estia Health in Heidelberg: 13 Advertisement

'There are a number of people, maybe as many as a third of those residents who are either close contacts of somebody who has tested positive or are someone who has tested positive while that lockdown has been in place,' he said.

'So they still have days where they need to be in their residence and nowhere else.

'That is, I know, very challenging but we will continue to provide grocery, perishable food, cooked meals, we will continue to provide all of the basics to at those residence in need as well as mental health support.

'It is a massive team down there doing their very, very best but whilst that 14-day lockdown ends tonight, the notion of quarantine, or the notion of being isolated in your residence, that will not end for a number of people for a number of days to come.'

Residents in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire are only allowed to leave their homes for food and supplies, receive or provide care, exercise, and study or work.

Premier Daniel Andrews advised Melburnians to stay at home on Saturday as his state continues to battle a second wave of infections

Dr Jeremy McAnulty said residents who live on the NSW South Coast should be on high alert after two people who tested positive to COVID-19 visited a bistro and a McDonald's restaurant. Pictured: Albion Park McDonald's

In NSW, one new infection was linked to Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, while four cases were recorded in hotel quarantine and five remain under investigation.

There are now 45 COVID-19 cases connected to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak in Casula, Sydney's south-west, after an additional five people tested positive.

NSW's Deputy Chief Health Officer Jeremy McAnulty said residents who live on the NSW South Coast should be on high alert after two people who tested positive to COVID-19 visited a bistro and a McDonald's restaurant.

The duo attended the bistro at the Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay on July 13 between 7 and 9.30pm and McDonald's at Albion Park on July 15 between 2 and 2.30pm.

Dr McAnulty said health authorities are asking residents who were at the bistro over the same time period to immediately self-isolate for two weeks.

McDonald's diners have also been advised to watch for symptoms.

'We're also asking anybody at Albion Park McDonald's on the 15 July between 2pm and 2:30pm to watch carefully for symptoms and if they develop any respiratory symptoms, coughs, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath or fever, to come immediately forward for testing and isolate themselves,' he said.

NSW Health workers dressed in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are seen at the Crossroads Hotel testing centre in Sydney on Friday

An additional positive test linked to the cluster at Planet Fitness Gym at Casula was recorded after 8pm on Friday.

'Just a reminder of a previous warning about Planet Fitness gym at Casula, if people were there between the fourth and 10 July to come forward,' Dr McAnulty said.

'And self isolate for 14 days regardless of the test result.'

There are now eight coronavirus cases linked to the gym.

Dr McAnulty said NSW is at a 'crucial point' with a number of cases still active.

There are currently 105 people being treated for COVID-19 in NSW. The state has reported a total of 3,361 cases and 51 deaths associated with coronavirus.

NSW Health authorities are asking residents who were at the bistro of the Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay on July 13 between 7 and 9.30pm immediately self-isolate for two weeks
Tamar Braxton reportedly alluded to her alleged suicide attempt in a message sent to various family members on Thursday, hours prior to her hospitalization.

In the message obtained by The Blast, the 43-year-old reality star lamented about being a 'slave' and suggested that the 'only way out' of her situation was 'death.'

'I am a slave. I do not own my life. My stories. My pictures. My thoughts or beliefs. Ive asked my massa to free me. Im threatened and punished for it.

'The only way I see out is death. I will choose that before I continue to [live] like this. please help me,' concluded Tamar, followed by a prayer emoji.

Chilling: Tamar Braxton reportedly alluded to her alleged suicide attempt in a message sent to various family members on Thursday, hours prior to her hospitalization; Tamar pictured

The message - sent to a list of unnamed family members - was a screenshot Tamar had allegedly taken of a drafted tweet that she never published to her Twitter.

But, the sister of Toni Braxton did publicly change her name on Twitter from 'Tamar Braxton' to 'Tamar "Slave" Braxton' at some point on Thursday.

According to sources, Tamar's heartbreaking words received a near immediate response from family members, including her devoted boyfriend David Adefeso, who discovered her 'unresponsive' in their hotel room at the Ritz Carlton in Downtown LA on Thursday night.

As of now, Tamar is reportedly in 'stable' condition and currently being 'held under 24-hour watch' at a hospital in the Los Angeles area.

Slave: In the message obtained by The Blast , the 43-year-old reality star lamented about being a 'slave' and suggested that the 'only way out' of her situation was 'death'; Tamar referred to herself as a 'Slave' in her Twitter name pictured above

Braxton's older sister Toni, 52, was seen arriving to the hospital on Thursday night, following Tamar's possible suicide attempt.

Toni met up with Adefeso who has 'been by [Tamar's] side the entire time,' according to The Blast.

The outlet also reported that David was the one who called 911 saying that Tamar had been drinking and had taken an unknown amount of prescription pills.

'Ambulances then arrived at the hotel and took her to the hospital. Sources have claimed that David believes that it was possible suicide attempt.'

The LAPD confirmed to The Blast that they had received a call around 9:45pm on Thursday night, reporting that a female had a medical emergency listed as a 'possible overdose.'

Stable: As of now, Tamar is reportedly in 'stable' condition and currently being 'held under 24-hour watch' at a hospital in the Los Angeles area; Tamar pictured in 2019

Response: According to sources, Tamar's heartbreaking words received a near immediate response from family members, including her devoted boyfriend David Adefeso, who discovered her 'unresponsive' in their hotel room at the Ritz Carlton in Downtown LA on Thursday night; Tamar and boyfriend David pictured in 2019

A spokesperson for Tamar said: 'Tamar has had a very tough and emotional day  more information will be coming in the next few days. Please pray for her.'

Her YouTube show that she stars in with David is called Coupled & Quarantined ad had been scheduled to air on Thursday night.

Instead, a message read: 'Hello Yall Unfortunately, Your girl Tamar is under the weather today and not feeling well so we need to postpone todays show (Dont worry its not Covid).

'Were sad because we had a great show lined up for you today, but next weeks show is going to be even bigger and better.

'So sorry for the inconvenience, we know many of you look forward to the show every week. well make it up to you next week.'

By her side: Braxton's older sister Toni, 52, was seen arriving to the hospital on Thursday night, following Tamar's possible suicide attempt; Toni and Tamar pictured in 2019

x
The name of Antonio Tejero Molina, a former lieutenant colonel in Spain's Guardia Civil may not trip off the lips of those stirred by the Cowen affair to coalesce to oppose or at least undermine the Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. They should acquaint themselves with his, and one of their own predecessor's, story.

After Franco's death in 1975, Spain struggled to be a modern democracy. Tejero opposed liberalisation, and he led a failed coup d'etat in February, 1981. He entered Spain's lower house, with 150 police officers, and held the parliamentarians hostage. When it was clear that the army would not support the putsch, King Juan Carlos denounced it. The following day, the rebellion's leaders surrendered. Tejero spent 15 years in jail and later created the Spanish Solidarity party. This group was resoundingly rejected by Spain's 1982 election  just as Kevin Boland's Aontacht Eireann had been a decade earlier. That Boland was a Fianna Fail malcontent who believed the party had abandoned its roots adds even more relevance to the Tejero comparison.
Ayodhya: The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested a SIM card retailer for fraudulently acquiring a large number of SIM cards and selling OTPs to facilitate the creation of fictitious WhatsApp accounts.

The arrest was made on the basis of inputs provided by the Military Intelligence (MI) to the Faizabad Cantonment Police Station.

In the second week of the month, the Military Intelligence came to know that several suspicious-looking WhatsApp messages with unwanted contents are being received by WhatsApp users, including Army personnel from various Eastern UP based mobile numbers.

A joint investigation was carried out by MI authorities, Ayodhya and Sultanpur Police.

After several days of analysis and ground verification, retailer Shiv Pujan Pandey was arrested by the UP Police. He hails from the Sultanpur district of Eastern UP. Pandey was arrested on Friday night.

Shiv Pujan Pandey used a software to create WhatsApp accounts and send messages in bulk to promote services of his clients. To send bulk messages, he used to acquire a large number of WhatsApp accounts from various people. Therein, he used to get a list of mobile numbers from such sellers and use them to create WhatsApp accounts using a software. The account creation OTPs used to go to the sellers, said officer associated with the investigation.

Creating fictitious WhatsApp accounts in bulk based on sold OTPs is vulnerable to exploitation by inimical groups that are desperately looking for Indian WhatsApp accounts to facilitate their organized effort towards espionage, subversion and terror-related activities in the country.

It was found that Pandey used four mobile numbers and stayed in a rented accommodation at Inayat Nagar in Faizabad (Ayodhya).

During the preliminary examination, Pandey confessed that he had managed to acquire more than 350 SIM cards illicitly, on the basis of existing customers with Aadhar credentials, which he used to link with the illegal mobile subscription by acquiring extra thumb impressions from them.

It is believed that while undertaking the online subscription for issuing SIM cards to genuine customers based on their Aadhar cards, he used to lure them to put an extra thumb impression on the machine and acquire extra SIM cards in their name.

The police recovered one laptop, five smartphones, eight non-smartphones, 25 Aadhar cards, two voter cards, 28 unused SIMs, 160 used SIMs etc of various telecom operators.

He has been booked under sections 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC/CrPC. He will be produced in court soon.
A security guard has admitted to stabbing his boss and friend in a Sydney apartment building, but will fight the charge of murder on mental health grounds, his lawyer said.

Jawid Jawid, 41, was taken into custody on Thursday evening following the brutal killing of Mohammed Bashir Zaheer, 44, who was the building manager at the Mirage apartment block in Pyrmont.

He was found slumped in a lift covered in blood after allegedly being stabbed, causing devastation in his tight-knit community.

Mohammed Bashir Zaheer (pictured) was stabbed to death on Thursday morning. He is pictured six months ago at a family wedding

Alleged killer Jawid Jawid, 41, (pictured) sparked a citywide manhunt before he was arrested on Thursday night and later charged with murder

Mr Jawid has been charged with his murder and faced the Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday wearing a white hospital gown.

Multiple sources told Daily Mail Australia the pair have known each other for more than 20 years, meeting in India after leaving Kabul in Afghanistan and moving to Australia in the late 1990s.

Mr Jawid's lawyer, Zemarai Khatiz, said he will contest the charge of murder on mental health grounds, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

'The charge of murder will be defended, his state of mind at the relevant time will be a very relevant factor,' Mr Khatiz said.

'My client's version, he was psychologically abused by the victim for about five years.

'We will also be relying on mental health defences in relation to the matter.

'He is admitting to the act of stabbing him but in relation to whether it will be murder or manslaughter that will be a matter for the trial.'

The lawyer also argued that Mr Jawid had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after fleeing war-torn Afghanistan.

Jawid (pictured) was arrested on Macquarie Street in Parramatta in Sydney's west on Thursday night

The court heard Mr Jawid had been admitted to hospital eight times over mental health issues, and two weeks earlier had tried to take his own life.

The revelation came after police claimed they found Mr Jawid unconscious and intoxicated on a Parramatta street before his arrest.

Mr Zaheer's family say he was a respected member of the Afghan community and ran Four Star Security since 2001 after arriving in Australia with barely a penny to his name.

His ex-brother-in-law Jamil 'AJ' Hefan told Daily Mail Australia he was a 'perfect man'.

'We are all so proud of him. Everyone loved him, no one had a bad word to say about him - I challenge anyone to say anything bad about him,' he said.

'You want perfect? He was the perfect man... He was the light of our family and our community.'

AJ said Mr Zaheer worked at Mirage for $10 cash-in-hand more than 15 years ago and worked his way up to management, and amassed a large property portfolio.

Police tape outside the unit block (pictured) where Mr Zaheer was found with multiple stab wounds at 8am on Thursday

Police tape is seen around the apartment block in Pyrmont, Sydney, on Thursday (pictured)

A body is wheeled out of the apartment block on Thursday afternoon (pictured) after Mr Zaheer's death

Tragedy also struck the family less than two months ago after Mr Zaheer's father died in New York he was unable to attend the funeral due to the coronavirus travel ban.

AJ told reporters Mr Zaheer was a pillar of the Afghan community who worked tirelessly as a penniless immigrant to build his 'empire'.

'Bashir started working here [at the Mirage] for $10 and hour cash, sleeping only four hours a night, working his way up,' he said.

'He started with nothing and did everything with hard work, now he owns more than 20 units all over Sydney.'

Mr Jawid did not apply for bail and the matter was adjourned until September 22 at Central Local Court.

Family said Mr Zaheer (pictured) was a pillar of the Afghan community who worked tirelessly as a penniless immigrant to build his 'empire'
On the day on which Dominion Energy and Duke Energy canceled the Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline, Dominion Energy said it would be selling substantially all of its gas transmission and storage assets to an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway. For Dominion Energy, the nearly US$10-billion deal, including debt assumption, is part of the companys push to zero-carbon electric generation by 2050.

For Warren Buffetts conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, it was the first major acquisition since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and the biggest acquisition in four years.

While there are growing calls from environmentalists that natural gas should follow coals fate and start being dumped from power generation because its not as clean as the cleaner-than-coal bridge fuel toward renewables narrative would like us to think, Warren Buffett is unfazed.

Buffett is looking at the asset the way he has always done with his investments  buy cheap assets that very few others are willing to buy. And betting that these assets will deliver returns.

Buffetts bet on natural gas comes at a time when U.S. natural gas prices slumped to a 25-year-low, while natural gas is set to continue to dominate utility-scale electricity generation for years to come.

In 2019, natural gas accounted for 38 percent of utility-scale electricity generation in the United States, followed by coal with 23 percent, nuclear with 20 percent, and renewables including hydroelectric with 17 percent, according to EIA data.

Natural gas continues to displace coal-fired electricity generation, and so do wind and solar, but still, natural gas is expected to be the biggest source of power generation over the next few years.

Buffetts US$10-billion bet on natural gas infrastructure shows that the billionaire investor believes that natural gas hasnt run its course, regardless of what environmentalists and climate-conscious investors think.

Related: Oil Market Tightens, But Second Wave Looms



Berkshire Hathaway Energy is buying Dominion Energys assets that include over 7,700 miles of natural gas transmission lines, 900 billion cubic feet of operated natural gas storage with 364 billion cubic feet of company-owned working storage capacity, and 25 percent in the Cove Point LNG export, import, and storage facility in Maryland.

We are very proud to be adding such a great portfolio of natural gas assets to our already strong energy business, Buffett said in a statement.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy will thus own 18 percent of all interstate natural gas transmission in the United States, up from 8 percent now, according to CNBC.

The fact that this acquisition was the first one that Buffett saw as attractive after the pandemic sent markets into turmoil in March suggests that the Omaha investor believes in the future of natural gas.

Thats despite growing calls from environmentalists that the world should be moving away from it as it is just another fossil fuel and not a bridge fuel as natural gas producers and traders pitch it.

Buffetts natural gas assets acquisition is a bet that the future doesnt come as fast as some people think, Jim Shanahan, an analyst who covers Berkshire Hathaway at Edward Jones, told Bloomberg.

Warren Buffets fortune is the worlds third-biggest with links to significant levels of greenhouse gas emissions, after the Koch family in the U.S. and the House of Saud, the rulers of Saudi Arabia, according to Bloomberg Green estimates.

Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal campaign, for its part, pointed out to Bloomberg that Berkshire Hathaway had made some bad calls on fossil fuel investments in the past.

Sierra Club, together with Earthjustice, published a report this month, saying that buildings account for nearly 40 percent of climate pollution in the United States, with much of that driven by the burning of gas for heating and hot water. The report refutes the idea that fossil gas alternatives are a viable alternative to building electrification.

Amid the increased environmental awareness toward natural gas, Warren Buffet looks at cheap assets with potential for good returns, and his first investment since the COVID-19 crisis suggests that he believes that natural gas will continue to be a dominant energy source in the United States.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
This week it was reported that China and Iran are in the process of signing a long-term, 25-year agreement valued at close to $400 billion. The agreement, proposed in 2016 by China, covers key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and telecommunications and is likely to considerably expand Chinas presence and influence in Iran.

As per the agreement, China will invest in building Iranian infrastructure, and in return, Iran will supply energy resources to China for the next 25 years. The closer relationship between China and Iran will add a positive dimension to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and has strategic implications for the geopolitics of the Middle East, balance of power in Asia and Indias security strategy.

Iran has been at the loggerheads with the United States and has been facing crippling sanctions owing to its nuclear program. Last year, the US decided to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015 and to apply maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. This has made it extremely difficult for Iran to export its energy resources. For example, since 2019, India has reduced energy imports from Iran significantly.

Iran and the US along with its regional allies such as Saudi Arabia are also engaged in a complex, proxy war in the broader Middle Eastern region including in civil wars and/or political competition in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The US sanctions and aggressive foreign policy towards Iran have now resulted in Iran and China coming closer to each other.

Overcoming contradictions

Iran and China share a similar outlook towards the US; both have an antagonistic relationship with it and are interested in reducing the US influence in world affairs. Both would like to challenge the existing balance of power in their respective regions and perhaps tilt it in their favour by kicking out the US. Glaring contradictions that exist in the political systems in China and Iran have not come in the way of the budding partnership. Iran is a theocratic state with a major role for religion in national affairs whereas China is a communist state and the Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist. Hard-nosed calculations of national interests always trump such contradictions as has happened in this case as well.

Chinas key partner in South Asia, Pakistan, and Iran have conflicting interests towards each other over the treatment of Shia Muslims, the question of Baluchistan and the political future of Afghanistan. Strengthening of the Sino-Iranian relationship is likely to influence the Iran-Pakistan relationship positively. Chinas stakes in the $ 62-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the promised investments in Iran are expected to provide the necessary glue for this relationship. India will not be pleased to see the cordial Iran-Pakistan relationship built with Chinas nudging.

Partnerships premised on opposition to US & West

It is interesting to note here that over the years, China has built closer ties with several states that have been at the odds with the US and the Western world such as North Korea and Myanmar. China has supplied these states with necessary economic, political and military support to ensure that Western sanctions and global isolation do not imperil their survival as a viable nation-state. In return, China has managed to gain immense strategic influence over these states. With Iran, China is likely to pursue a similar strategy.

China has also built closer ties with Russia, which has been facing biting Western sanctions since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. China and Russia have also invested in long term energy and economic partnership and are opposed to the US strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. Ostensibly, a closer relationship between China, Russia and Iran holds the potential to not just change the balance of power in the Middle East but also influence geopolitics in Central and Inner Asia. Moreover, their partnership and convergence of interests are not just limited to the Asian mainland but also extends to the maritime domain. Last year, these three states held maritime exercises in the Gulf of Oman. Such exchanges are likely to intensify in future.

Chinas overtures towards Iran could also be regarded as a part of its larger strategy to systematically increase its footprint in the Indian Ocean. China has already opened a military base at Djibouti in 2017 and is developing the port of Gwadar in Pakistan. It is rumoured that China would like to open its second military base at Gwadar. Along with Djibouti and Gwadar, significant politico-military presence in Iran will give China the ability to further solidify its footprint in the Indian Ocean and consequently, increase the capacity of the Chinese navy to operate in the region.

Indias challenges

For India, these strategic developments do not bode well. Closer Sino-Iranian partnership is likely to result in further deteriorating the security environment in South Asia and in the Middle East. The implications of it will be felt not just in the Indo-Iranian bilateral relationship but also in Afghanistan and towards Indias desire to establish and regularise overland connectivity to Central Asia and Russia.

Just as the news of Sino-Iranian partnership broke, it was also announced that Iran had dropped India from a key 623-km railway project that connected Chabahar port to the town of Zahedan and was expected to extend to Zaranj in Afghanistan. The timing of this announcement makes it even more remarkable. The railway project would have been crucial in facilitating Indias access to Afghanistan via Iran.

India is developing the port of Chabahar in Iran and managed to get the American waiver for the railway and the port project. However, Indias inability to build the railway in time has resulted in the exclusion of India from this project. Indias difficult balancing act between Iran and the US lies at the root of these tensions between the stated commitments and their actual implementation.

Iran moving into Chinas orbit is an ominous development for India at a time when India-China relations are undergoing significant change and the Chinese navy is expanding its presence in the Indian Ocean. Intensifying competition between China and the US is likely to strain many such relationships for India. The closer relationship between an energy-rich, geostrategically-located, significant Middle Eastern power like Iran with China complicates Indias external security dynamics. It is likely to test Indias ability to manoeuvre and respond to evolving strategic changes in its extended neighbourhood.

(Sankalp Gurjar is a Research Fellow with the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. Views are personal)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
One of the three suspects linked with serial killings in Akinyele area of Ibadan, Oyo State has said he got N500 and food for each of the six persons he murdered in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that no fewer than five persons were raped and murdered in Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan in June 2020.

NAN reports that the 19-year old suspect was among the 19 suspects paraded on Friday by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Nwachuckwu Enwonwu, for various offences ranging from armed robbery to defilement and motorcycle theft among others.

The suspect said he was sent on the mission by a 50-year-old herbalist, who, he claimed, was his master.

He said: Anytime Im to go for the killing, Baba will give me some charms and also teach me some incantation to be recited so that nobody will see me at the scene of the crime.

I will hit the victims with a shovel and recite the incantation immediately I see blood coming out of the victims body.

Baba instructed me to always move around the victims at the scene after killing them and then turn my back on them, staying there for like three minutes, which I did and nobody will see me.

Baba said the spirits of the victims will come to him after I have killed them.

Baba did not tell me the reason for the killings, but do buy me food and gives me N500 after each of the killings I carried out for him.

On his part, the herbalist denied ever sending the suspect on the mission to kill, but confirmed that the suspect was brought to him by his parents to learn about herbs.

He said: The boy was brought to me in 2016 and only spent six days with me and I sent him away and since then I have not seen him.

I only saw him some days ago when he came with the police, though I do give him food.

The Commissioner of Police said the 19-year-old suspect was arrested through a receiver on a phone he stole from one of the deceased victims, Azeezat Shomuyiwa.

Enwonwu said the modus operandi of the suspect was to target female victims and attack them with dangerous weapons, rob them before hacking them to death.

The CP said the suspect confessed to have masterminded various criminal activities within Ojoo, Akinyele and Moniya areas of Ibadan.

He said: He attacked and killed an 18-year-old, Barakat Bello, on June 1, attacked and killed 21-year-old Grace Oshiagwu on June 13, killed five-year-old, Mojeed Tirimisiyu on June 22, all in Akinyele.

His last operation was carried out on June 29, where he attacked Mrs. Adeola Azeez and her daughter with a shovel.

The duo were seriously injured on the head, carted away their phone and money.

The victims are currently responding to treatment at the hospital.

Enwonwu said the suspect led operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad to the hideout of the herbalist that engaged him for the killings.

NAN reports that the police also paraded two teenage boys for allegedly defiling a seven-year-old girl.
Paris, France (PANA) - France says that the European Union Naval Force's Mediterranean Operation IRINI, which is responsible for enforcing the arms embargo on Libya, is facing criticism from the United States and Turkey who consider the operation as biased and not serious
The Police administration says Interpols Red Alert for the arrest of Samuel Adam Foster, also known as Adam Mahama and three others was upon the request of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.



This comes to clarify earlier reports that suggest that Interpol had issued an arrest warrant for the said individuals.



Adam Mahama is being charged with accepting a bribe to influence a public officer and acting in collaboration with a public officer for the public officers private profit.



Following an arrest warrant approved by a Circuit Court in Accra, the Interpol subsequently placed a Red Alert for the capture and possible extradition of Mr. Adam Mahama and three other suspects over the role they allegedly played in the Airbus bribery scandal.



If arrested and prosecuted, Mr. Mahama could be facing a jail term of about 25 years.



According to the police, its Criminal Investigation Department (CID) facilitated the request for the Office of the Special Prosecutor with the Interpol General Secretariat to get other security agencies to help arrest the four persons described as fugitives.



In a statement, the police said the Red Alert on the said persons including one Philip Sean Middlemiss, Leanne Sarah Davis, and Sarah Furneaux is in connection with the Airbus scandal being investigated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.



Read the police statement below:



Following a request by the Office of the Special Prosecutor through the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Interpol General Secretariat, the latter has issued a Red Notice in respect of following individuals.



The individuals are:



Samuel Main Foster alias Adam Mahama



Philip Sean Middlemiss



Leanne Sarah Davis



Sarah Furneaux.



The above-mentioned individuals have been published on the INTERPOL Red Notice in connection with the Airbus scandal being handled by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.



Background



On January 31, Ghana was cited as one of five countries in which global aerospace group, Airbus SE, allegedly bribed or promised payments to senior officials in exchange for business favours between 2009 and 2015, according to the UKs Serious Fraud Office.



This led to a record 3 billion in settlement by Airbus with France, the United Kingdom and the United States to avoid corporate criminal charges.



President Akufo-Addo later referred the Airbus bribery scandal to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for investigations.



Meanwhile, some members of the opposition have described as bogus the said red alert issued for the arrest of the four persons including Adam Mahama who is a brother of former President John Mahama.

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
Actor Chris Evans arrives at the European premiere of "Captain America, Civil War" at a shopping centre in east London, Britain April 26, 2016. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Anthony and Joe Russo have cast Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling as the leads in The Gray Man, their upcoming adaptation of Mark Greaneys novel that is going to be Netflixs most expensive movie yet.

The Gray Man is set to cost the streaming service at least 175 million ($200 million) to make, with Deadline also reporting that its scale will rival that of the James Bond franchise.

Read More: The Russo Brothers explain why the 'Secret Wars' could bring them back to the MCU

Gosling will play Court Gentry, a freelance assassin and former CIA operative, who is hunted across the world by his former colleague, Chris Evans Lloyd Hansen. Released in 2009, The Gray Man became the first of a number of books, and it is believed that Gosling has signed up to play Gentry in a number of movies.

As you could have probably guessed, both Russos are rather excited about their new adventure, with Anthony teasing that it actually has a lot in common with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the first movie they directed for Marvel.

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 13: Ryan Gosling at The 24th Annual Critics' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 13, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

The movie is a real mano a mano between those two great actors who represent two different versions of the CIA, in what it can be, and what it can do. For those who were fans of Captain America: Winter Soldier, this is us moving into that territory in more of a real-world setting. Thats what this movie really means for us.

Meanwhile, Joe Russo says that he and his brother, as well as Netflix, Gosling, and Evans, are already looking beyond the first movie.

Read More: The Russo Brothers have no plans to direct another Marvel film after 'Avengers: Endgame'

The intention is for it to be competitive with any theatrical, and the ability to do with with Gosling and Evans is a dream for us. The idea is to create a franchise and build out a whole universe, with Ryan at the center of it. We have all committed to the first movie, and thats got to be great to get us to the second movie.

These are master assassins, and Goslings characters gets burned by the CIA and Evans character has to hunt him down. We have a great working relationship with Netflix, and we go back almost 20 years with Scott Stuber. We formed AGBO to be an agnostic storytelling company, where we figure out the best platform. We think Netflix is the perfect place for this film.
In 2017, when Sikh volunteers began distributing free meals to the homeless from a van in Tooradin and Frankston, they were curious: would people like their vegetarian Punjabi curries?

In the starting, we were thinking People will like it or not like it?, recalls Manpreet Singh, the vice-president of Sikh Volunteers Australia.

It was not just simple curries, it was very special curries we were making according to their taste. Because most of the people dont like hot food we were trying to make it milder.

Sikh volunteers Manpreet Singh, Gurkirapal Singh and Sukhwinder Kaur. Credit:Simon Schluter

They neednt have worried. The food vans, plastered with Love all & Share all stickers, have become famous in Melbourne south-east.
Black said she was hopeful that her former colleagues would support putting the question of town-specific representation to District 215 voters  the deadline for filing a ballot question is Aug. 3  but that she and her allies were prepared to collect the signatures necessary to bypass the board and get the item placed on Aprils ballot, if necessary.
Follow @latimes on Twitter and Facebook and join us weekly to chat live with a reporter about their job. (Ask a Reporter is the L.A. Times' weekly live chat with a reporter about their job.)

Being an L.A. Times journalist means going to interesting places, talking to fascinating people and seeing things that most people only ever read about. Many of those experiences are captured in the articles, videos and images we publish online and in print, but there's always more to the story. Our new live event series, "Ask a Reporter," is your chance to find out about the experiences journalists have that don't make it into their work. Each week, an L.A. Times reporter, photographer, columnist or videographer will answer your questions on our live video show. Visit our Twitter profile or our Facebook page to share your questions ahead of time and to sign up to receive an alert when the video begins. Here are the upcoming guests and topics for "Ask a Reporter."On July 28, reporter Ben Oreskes and columnist Erika Smith will discuss the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles. On August 4, reporter Sarah Wire will answer questions about the end of the U.S. congressional session and the upcoming election with moderator and audience engagement editor Adrienne Shih. Here are links to our "Ask a Reporter" events.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi will travel to Saudi Arabia and Iran back-to-back next week, carefully balancing ties to regional rivals in his first foreign trip as premier, officials said Saturday.

Baghdad has often found itself caught in the tug-of-war between Riyadh, Tehran and even Washington, which the premier is also set to visit within the next few weeks.

On Sunday, Kadhemi will host Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Baghdad, before travelling with Iraq's ministers of oil, electricity, planning and finance to Saudi Arabia the following day, Iraqi officials said.

They are set to stay in NEOM, an area in the kingdom's northwest that is currently under development, and are scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with whom Kadhemi is known to have warm personal ties.

Baghdad proposed a package of energy-focused development opportunities in Iraq to Saudi Arabia earlier this month, and the talks will likely focus on financing for those proposals, other infrastructure projects, and a reopening of the Arar border crossing between the two countries, the officials said.

They said the delegation will then travel directly to Tehran late Tuesday, where Kadhemi is expected to meet Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Kadhemi rose to the premiership in May after serving as the head of Iraq's National Intelligence Service for nearly four years, which helped him form a close relationship with Prince Mohammed.

He is also known to be respected by Iran's intelligence services and government circles, which prompted speculation he could mediate between the two regional foes.

And Kadhemi is well-liked in Washington, where he is expected later this month or in early August to pursue a strategic dialogue between Iraq and the US.

It would be the first visit by an Iraqi premier to the White House in three years. US officials never extended an invitation to previous prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, whom they saw as too close to Iran.

Tensions skyrocketed following a US drone strike on Baghdad in January that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

It appears Washington is now encouraging a rapprochement between Baghdad and Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this week, officials from Iraq, the US and the Gulf Cooperation Council discussed over teleconference an arrangement for Iraq to import electricity from Kuwait, a deal which was agreed last year but has yet to come into effect.

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Many Democrats, along with some in the press and a few Republicans, have expressed outrage at President Trump's commutation of political operative Roger Stone's jail sentence for lying to Congress and witness tampering. GOP Sen. Mitt Romney, the only senator ever to vote to remove a president of his own party, was particularly outraged.

"Unprecedented, historic corruption," Romney tweeted. "An American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president."

But Romney's claims aside, the commutation is simply not unprecedented. To look at one example, in 2007, President George W. Bush commuted the sentence of top White House aide Lewis Libby, convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the CIA leak affair. Back in those days, Romney defended the commutation as "reasonable."

But perhaps Romney wasn't counting that. So is the Stone commutation unprecedented because Stone was, in Romney's words, "lying to shield" the president? Perhaps Romney has forgotten the way-back time of 2001, when President Bill Clinton, on his last day in office, pardoned his old Arkansas business partner Susan McDougal.

In 1996, McDougal was convicted of fraud and other felonies in connection with the Whitewater business enterprise that she and her husband entered into with Bill and Hillary Clinton. President Clinton testified in the trial.

The Whitewater independent counsel, Kenneth Starr, raised the possibility of a reduced sentence for McDougal if she testified against the Clintons. Specifically, Starr's prosecutors asked McDougal, "To your knowledge, did William Jefferson Clinton testify truthfully during the course of your trial?"

McDougal refused to answer. She demanded that Starr resign. And then she lapsed into total, determined silence. A federal judge jailed her for 18 months for contempt of court. Starr later charged her with criminal contempt, a case which ended with a hung jury. Through it all, McDougal steadfastly refused to say whether Clinton had testified truthfully at her trial.

Then, on Jan. 20, 2001, the day he left the White House, Clinton pardoned McDougal. By the next year, she had written a memoir, "The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk: Why I Refused to Testify Against the Clintons and What I Learned in Jail." And then, in 2004, Hollywood made her a star of the documentary film "The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill Clinton."

The former president attended the film's premiere in New York, where he told the audience of his deep admiration for the woman who refused to testify about him.

"He [Clinton] said, there's an American hero in the audience, and I'd like to recognize them," McDougal recalled of the evening. "And then he said, 'Susan McDougal.' And I ... I couldn't believe it." Bill Clinton did a lot to recognize and reward the woman who refused to tell a grand jury whether he, Clinton, testified truthfully.

Of course, Clinton pardoned others, too. As the former prosecutor Andrew McCarthy has noted, Clinton "pardoned his own brother for felony distribution of cocaine. ... And three others convicted in independent counsel Ken Starr's 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."

Clinton acted in large part because he believed the investigations into his administration and White House had been unfair. Does that sound familiar? Rather than being "unprecedented," President Trump's commutation of the Stone sentence fits into a pattern of presidents granting clemency to those caught up in investigations targeting their administrations.

And it wasn't just Clinton. His predecessor, George H.W. Bush, did it too. In late 1992, Bush pardoned six figures who had been convicted or pleaded guilty in the Iran-Contra affair.

None of that makes what Trump did right or wrong. Voters can judge that for themselves. But people around Washington should stop acting like it's something they've never seen before.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.

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Pub punters on a rainy Friday night in Sydney were resigned to the possibility of further restrictions to contain coronavirus but determined to enjoy their (relative) freedom while it lasted.

There were lines outside a packed Hotel Bondi and Bondi Beach Public Bar at about 9pm, including four friends who said they were from Mexico but in Australia on temporary visas.

Revellers outside the Hotel Bondi on Friday night.

"When you go out, everyone's distanced, everyone's sitting at different tables," said one man, Fernando. But the friends were prepared to shutter themselves away again if the rules changed.

"We'll just play sport, watch TV and Netflix and stay inside," said another, Alonso. "It's sad, but at the same time it's good for health and especially after all the people who've died. It's very serious."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 53 times, Trend reports on July 18 referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles.

At present, relative calm is observed in the Tovuz district direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, our settlements are not being shot at, but in general the tension remains, the ministry 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 armed forces were silenced.

Azerbaijan lost sergeant Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov, who died repelling the attack. Another serviceman of Azerbaijan's army Khayyam Dashdemirov died from wounds, despite the doctors' efforts.

The tensions continued on the border, July 12-13 night. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, vehicles, as well as killed Armenian servicemen on the territory of Armenias military unit.

Azerbaijani senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles.

The battles continued on the night of July 13-14. Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzoyev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, Ensign Ilgar Zeynalli, Ensign Yashar Babayev and soldier Elchin Mustafazade became martyrs during the battles.

As a result of artillery shelling by the Armenian armed forces of the village of Aghdam, Tovuz district, on July 14, the village resident, civilian, 76-years-old Aziz Azizov was killed.

The battles continued on July 16, as one more serviceman of Azerbaijani army - Nazim Ismayilov - was also 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 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.
New Delhi, July 18 : Will the 2020 United States Presidential Election be the most divisive one in the past 100 years? Donald Trump may be the "most divisive major party candidate in the last 100 years" but the balance between the two parties has been "about as even" as in the last 70 years , says a respected US political analyst, adding that "things are bad this year", but 1968 was even worse.

"It depends on what you mean by 'divisive'. We have the most divisive major party candidate in the last 100 years in Donald Trump. Partisan loyalties are as strong as they have been in the last 100 years and the balance between the two parties is about as even as it's been in at least 70 years. On the other hand, you could make a good case that the most divisive election in the last 100 years was in 1968," John Mark Hansen, the Charles L. Hutchinson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago's Political Science Department, told IANS in an email interview.

In 1968, the American public was deeply divided over the Vietnam War, school desegregation, law and order, and other issues. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April and Robert F Kennedy in June.

President Lyndon Johnson gave up plans to run for re-election when a "peace" candidate, Gene McCarthy, got 42 per cent in the New Hampshire primary. Richard Nixon, "who got his big break in politics as a red-baiter", was the Republican nominee and he chose Spiro Agnew, a "clownish bully", as his running mate. George Wallace ran as a third party candidate on a racist platform and chose Gen. Curtis LeM("Bomb 'em back to the Stone Age" as his running mate); they won 13.5 per cent of the vote and five states, Hansen pointed out.

"Bad as things are this year, it doesn't come close to 1968, in my view," added Hansen, one of the nation's leading scholars of American politics and whose research focuses on interest groups, citizen activism, and public opinion.

It is said that Donald Trump owes his 2016 victory to the fact that working class White people, particularly the ones without a college education, rural voters and others who felt overlooked by the establishment and left behind by the coastal elite made their voices heard. Does this category, or the Middle American Malaise as some choose to describe it, still feel as strongly to vote in the same manner in 2020? "The wins Trump made in the Rust Belt were decisive, no question. He tapped into the resentment of white working class voters over the loss of their economic and social position, particularly resentment toward trade. That was real. Ironically, it required a Republican candidate to repudiate a bedrock principle of his party. Trump's trade war might have made some people feel good - take that, China! - but it really hasn't changed anything in any material way.

"The President's only major legislative achievement is a big tax cut for corporations and the wealthy. And now he's presiding over minus five per cent GDP growth and over 10 per cent unemployment. Voters in the Rust Belt have a lot more to worry about now than the trade balance with China," Hansen explained.

Be that as it may, he admitted that overall, the economy will be a major issue in the election.

"It was a solid point for him at the beginning of the year. It's a major negative for him now. He will be lucky if growth rises to zero per cent and unemployment falls below 10 per cent, and that will still be bad for him. He may well have made matters worse for himself by pressing so hard to reopen the economy late in the Spring. Given where things are heading with Covid, we may well be in full lockdown again by the beginning of the campaign season in September. He wanted a big bounce back but he may have gotten himself (and us) a prolongation of the pain," Hansen maintained.

Will the BLM movement sustain till Election Day and what will its impact be? "Yes. A lot of African American voters who turned out for Barack Obama in the Rust Belt and the South stayed home in 2016. The stakes are pretty clear in 2020. I expect the Democrats to benefit from higher Black turnout in key states," Hansen said.

Linked to this, what will the impact be of the anti-Confederate movement - removal of statues, changes in state flags et al -on the election? "This is pretty interesting. Trump has tried and tried to swing White voters back in his direction by activating racial divisions. At least so far, it's not working. It's not 1968 or 1988. As far as we have to go, Whites' racial attitudes have liberalized. Perhaps even more important, race baiting looks like an attempt at diversion when you're worried about your job or worried about getting sick," Hansen said.

At the bottom line, Trump's biggest asset is the loyalty of Republican voters as this is what kept him close enough to win some close states in 2016, Hansen said, adding: "He's had a hard time holding on to White suburban women in 2018 and it's no better now. His support among the elderly also seems to have eroded." "The biggest question mark for the fall is how Covid will affect theactual voting. If conditions in the South and West are as bad in October as New York, New Jersey, and Illinois were in May, there may be some Republicans who wish they'd gotten behind mail-in ballots (that give voters a chance to decide in advance on how they will cast their votes)," Hansen concluded .

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has discussed the current situation in South Caucasus during a phone call with his Azerbaijani colleague Zakir Hasanov, the Russian Defense Ministry informed reporters on Saturday, TASS reports.

"During an exchange of opinions, they have discussed the matters related to the general situation in South Caucasus," the ministry noted.

Shoigu and Hasanov also discussed current bilateral matters, namely the preparations for the VI International Army Games 2020 set to begin in August 2020. "Besides, Army General Sergei Shoigu has informed his colleague about the combat readiness check that has been launched under the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces," the ministry stated.

The phone call was held on the initiative of Azerbaijan.
Weiss observations hold true for most self-proclaimed liberal newsrooms across the world.

Last year on 5 August, when India mainstreamed its state of Jammu and Kashmir by taking away special status under Article 370, liberal western media erupted with war cries. An unending stream of articles started appearing, targeting India and nationalist Hindus.

None of those pieces took into account that India as a sovereign nation is entitled to grant a part of its territory equal, not inferior, status under law. Or that Article 370 was a tool to egg on separatism and Islamic terrorism in Kashmir. Or that it impinged on the rights of women, Dalits, migrant labourers, and even LGBTQIA persons.

After relentlessly attacking India in its op-eds, when The New York Times approached Indias nationalist governments ideological anchor organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), it was met with scorn.

On being told that it never carries the other view, NYT apparently agreed to carry a piece by RSS ideologue Manmohan Vaidya. But senior RSS leaders say that when the piece was submitted on the condition that portions would not be conveniently edited out, it never appeared.

The NYT apparently cited a lone piece by the Indian ambassador to the US to say it had done the needful, implying it would be an excess to give the Indian view any more space. It, however, continues to carry scores of articles from the Left and Islamist anti-India standpoint on Kashmir.

Most Indians, therefore, are not surprised to read Bari Weiss' scorching resignation letter to the NYT, accusing it of the most nauseating, oppressive censorship and bullying in the name of liberalism.

Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions, she writes. My own forays into Wrongthink have made me the subject of constant bullying by colleagues who disagree with my views. They have called me a Nazi and a racist.

She says her work and character are openly demeaned on company-wide Slack channels where masthead editors regularly weigh in. There, some coworkers insist I need to be rooted out if this company is to be a truly inclusive one, while others post ax emojis next to my name.

Weiss observations hold true for most self-proclaimed liberal newsrooms across the world.

Mainly because the very word liberal has been hijacked by the worlds two most illiberal ideologies: Islamism and Communism.

And these two ideologies have systematically taken over campuses in the West and democracies elsewhere, and are now baring their wolf fangs from under their sheep skin of sanctimony and political correctness.

In his piece The Rock That Broke Liberalism in the Dhaka Tribune after Narendra Modis 2019 election sweep, Shafiqur Rahman does some hard analysis on the failure of the liberal order.

Stubborn defence of group identity by Muslims of the world has made upholding group identity respectable for all groups, majority or minority, powerful or weak If Muslims can be unabashedly assertive about the sanctity of their religious identity and traditions, other groups can be unapologetic about their respective identities too, Rahman writes.

In established democracies, Muslims are generally politically allied with liberal progressives, and this alliance has opened liberals up to accusation of double standards in protecting a very illiberal minority identity. Abandoning universalism and embracing identitarianism is hollowing out liberalism from within. Either the principles of liberalism apply for all groups or none at all.

It is this hypocrisy that Weiss repeatedly dwells on while talking about the NYT newsroom.

If a persons ideology is in keeping with the new orthodoxy, they and their work remain unscrutinised. Everyone else lives in fear of the digital thunderdome. Online venom is excused so long as it is directed at the proper targets, she writes.

Indian journalists, students, academicians and intellectuals with a Right-leaning, Indic or nationalistic view have suffered this secular, liberal apartheid for over seven decades. They would be taunted, hounded, denied peer review of their books, called regressive or vernac, not hired in jobs, marginalised or sacked.

On TV, there would be a token dissenting voice in a large panel and the anchor would seldom allow that person to speak uninterrupted even for a short while.

The situation has changed in the last six years, but derogatory labels like sanghi or bhakt or fascist are widely used to cut them down to size and avoid genuine debate on issues.

Such is the intolerance of the Left activists that even basic conservative or nationalist ideas of capitalism, individualism, limited government, strong defence and pride in tradition are portrayed as tyrannical. The Wests new social justice warriors justify violence against those who hold such ideas.

American journalist Sasha Polakow-Suransky argues in his book Go Back To Where You Came From that failure [of liberals] to confront the real tensions and failures of integration, by pretending violent extremism and attacks on free speech were not problems, infuriated many voters and left them feeling abandoned by mainstream parties.

Alexis Levit elaborates on this violent, head-shrinking intolerance on campus in the Stanford Review: Ben Shapiro spoke at Memorial Auditorium in November, causing intense upheaval. Following the speech, Daily headlines asked, When will Stanford begin to protect its students? Activists portrayed Shapiro as a cockroach to be exterminated. A large crowd amassed outside Memorial Auditorium to harass attendees, shouting loudly about the lives that had come under attack as a result of Shapiros appearance. Does something so trivial as a speech by a conservative really warrant this type of hysteria and outrage?

Francis Fukuyamas 1989 prediction of the end of history and a permanent liberal order with the collapse of Soviet Union was grossly premature.

By sleeping with the worst illiberals and condoning them, liberals have set off something quite the reverse.
Several Trinamool Congress and BJP workers were injured in clashes between the two sides in

West Bengal North 24 Parganas district on Saturday, police said.

The clashes broke out in the Shyamnagar area in the evening during a rally led by BJP MP Arjun Singh over alleged corruption in cyclone relief distribution, they said.

Stones and crude bombs were hurled at the rally, said the BJP, pointing towards the ruling Trinamool Congress.

"Many people have sustained injuries in the attack. Mobile phones of several people have been snatched," Singh said.

TMC's district president and senior state minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said the allegations are baseless and it was workers of the BJP, who first attacked his party's members.

"The BJP goons attacked our party workers and threw bombs. We have lodged a police complaint" he said.

Police said they have received complaints from both sides about crude bombs being hurled and were probing the allegations.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 05:24:15|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian parliament is expected to hold a meeting this week to discuss the political and military situation in neighboring war-torn Libya, state-run Ahram Online news website reported.

The discussion is to be followed by a vote to mandate President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to intervene militarily in Libya to help defend the western neighbor against Turkish interventions.

On Thursday, President Sisi vowed that his country will not stand idle in the face of any direct threats to the security of Egypt and Libya.

His remarks came after tribal leaders allied to the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar authorized him, during a meeting in Cairo, to intervene militarily in Libya.

The tribesmen's authorization came days after the eastern-based Libyan parliament decided to allow the Egyptian army to intervene in the country's ongoing conflict to protect Egyptian and Libyan national security.

During the meeting with tribal leaders, Sisi said he needs to obtain the approval of the Egyptian parliament.

On June 20, Sisi threatened to send troops to Libya to protect "Egypt's national security" as fighting between the Libyan rivals intensified.

Sisi also warned that Libya's Sirte and al-Jafra, which are currently under the control of the Libyan National Army (LNA), are a "red line" in terms of Egypt's national security.

Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rivals with warring forces, namely the UN-backed Government of National Accord based in the capital Tripoli and the eastern-based LNA led by Haftar. Enditem
The ruling came the same week the administration and the state of Arkansas asked the Supreme Court to take two cases involving another cornerstone of the administrations efforts to tilt health policy in a more conservative direction. For the first time in the half-century of Medicaid as safety-net insurance, HHS has allowed states to compel some people to work or prepare for a job in exchange for the health benefits.
For weeks this summer, it was a seeming paradox of the coronavirus pandemic: cases in the United States were rising but deaths were falling.

To the Trump administration, this was evidence that its strategy for combating covid-19 was working. To medical experts, it was only a matter of time before the trajectory changed.

And now it has. Nationwide, deaths have begun to rise again. In some of the worst-hit states, especially across the South and the West, new death records are being set daily. As a virus-scarred summer wears on, public health specialists say the numbers are almost certain to continue to climb.

"Even if we could magically lock everyone in their room and no one transmits to anyone, we would still be seeing an increase in deaths for the next several weeks," said Catherine Troisi, an epidemiologist with UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston.

That grim assessment came as the United States on Friday set another record for total cases, with more than 76,000 - including a new high of nearly 15,000 in Texas alone.

More than 900 people died, matching a death count of recent days that has consistently hovered just below 1,000. That is well beneath the toll during the virus's most devastating stretch, in April, when 2,000 or more people were dying daily nationwide. But it is also well above the totals earlier this month, when the average number of daily deaths dropped below 500.

More than 136,000 people in the United States have died of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The recent increase in fatalities follows a nationwide surge in cases that has brought the country record numbers of new infections. Public health experts have long said that the death count is a lagging indicator - with patients typically taking two to three weeks after diagnosis to succumb - and that the number of new deaths would inevitably follow the case count higher.

But Trump administration officials - and the president himself - have repeatedly sidestepped that view and used lower mortality rates as an argument for why concerns about a coronavirus resurgence were overblown.

"When you look at the mortality rate, we're seeing that our efforts here at the federal government have been working," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said this week.

Experts say there are legitimate reasons mortality rates are lower now than in the spring, when covid ravaged New York City and other major urban centers.

For one thing, doctors have learned new techniques for attacking the virus.

"We've gotten better at treating patents," Troisi said, "so they're less likely to die."

For another, the latest spike of infections has been concentrated among younger people, many of whom have contracted the virus while at work, bars or restaurants. They are generally less vulnerable to severe consequences from covid-19 than older people, many of whom have continued to stay home despite economic reopenings.

But that phenomenon can only last for so long as working-age Americans meet up with their elderly parents or grandparents.

"Young people are not living in a vacuum," said Farshad Fani Marvasti, director of public health at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix. "They're interacting with people who are more susceptible."

That is likely contributing to the spike in deaths now, Marvasti said.

In Arizona, home to one of the nation's fastest growing coronavirus infection rates, the average daily death toll has risen by around 60% just in the past week, up to 91 on Friday. The cumulative number of dead in the state topped 2,500.

Worries have been rampant in Arizona that morgues could run out of room. The medical examiner's office has ordered more portable storage coolers. Funeral directors, meanwhile, have been busy ensuring they have sufficient capacity, said Heather Long, executive director of the trade group that represents Arizona funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoria.

"It's 115 degree in Arizona. So we want to make sure we have everything in place if there is a surge," Long said. That includes preparing for "the ability to cremate when we need to," she said. "If that means cremating 24/7, we can."

In other states, the rise in deaths has been even more dramatic than in Arizona.

Texas reported 174 new deaths on Friday, smashing its earlier record of 129 - which was set just a day earlier. The state has more than 10,000 coronavirus patients still in the hospital, and the strain is showing.

Ivan Melendez, who leads public health efforts in Hidalgo County, on the Mexican border, said the body of a patient may lie on a stretcher for up to 10 hours before it can be removed from an overcrowded intensive care unit.

"Before someone gets a bed in the covid ICU unit, someone has to die there," Melendez told the Associated Press.

Some hospitals in surging areas are also suffering critical drug shortages. Sergio Segarra, the chief medical officer for Baptist Hospital of Miami, said the 11 hospitals in the Baptist Health system ran out of their remdesivir supply on Friday.

"We were able to do a full-court press on everyone" thanks to that drug, Segarra said, "but now without our tools we just don't have that ability." The lack of remdesivir and the short supply of convalescent plasma, coupled with the older age of patients, contributes to the ongoing rise in mortality, the doctor said.

Florida's new reported deaths rose to 130 on Friday, an increase of 35% compared with the previous seven-day average. About two dozen people died in Miami-Dade, the county with the highest deaths, bringing that region's overall body count to almost 1,300.

Jackson Memorial Hospital, a public 1,550-bed hospital in Miami, needed at least one mobile morgue unit earlier during the pandemic but has not requested one recently, said spokeswoman Lidia Amoretti. The Jackson Health System had 445 coronavirus patients across its hospitals as of Friday afternoon.

Miami-Dade county officials enacted a new ordinance on Thursday that allows fines of $100 for residents who do not wear masks outdoors or inside public spaces. Statewide, however, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has not mandated wearing masks.

The governor told reporters on Friday that Florida was taking additional actions to halt the disease's spread, including accelerated testing for symptomatic people and expanding the number of coronavirus-only nursing homes.

Florida has also tested all 200,000 staff members at its 4,000 long-term care facilities within the last two weeks, DeSantis said. Slightly less than 3% of those workers tested positive - below the rate for the statewide population. Any staff who test positive are isolated.

Florida and other states are seeking to avoid the deadliest features of America's spring experience with coronavirus, when the virus ripped through nursing homes from New York to Seattle.

But some of the pandemic's most horrific aspects of the spring surge are recurring now: the virus is already spreading fast in Florida nursing homes, possibly via workers. Texas hospitals overwhelmed with bodies recently requested refrigerated trucks, just as New York hospitals stored cadavers in freezer trucks in March.

More than 20,000 people in New York City have died of covid-19, far more than in any other city. But the case numbers have dropped precipitously since the spring. This week, New York celebrated its first day in months without a coronavirus-related death.

States where numbers are surging will have to take dramatically more aggressive action if they, too, want to bend the fatality curve, experts say.

A number of states - including Alabama, Arkansas and Colorado - added mask mandates this week, pushing the national total to more than half of all states.

Companies have also contributed to the push for masks, with Lowe's on Friday joining Walmart, Target, CVS and other national retailers in announcing that shoppers will now be required to mask up.

Some governors, however, continued to resist the idea. Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has allowed municipalities to enact mask ordinances, but he has declined to issue one statewide or to reverse key pillars of the state's reopening.

Experts say the response has been insufficient to save lives.

"I don't think that's enough when you're a hot spot," Marvasti said. "A statewide [mask] mandate would make sense."

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has gone so far in his opposition to mask mandates that he struck down local rules on Wednesday, then on Thursday he sued to block implementation of Atlanta's requirement. Kemp has argued the rules are "unenforceable." But medical experts, including the head of the CDC, say masks are one of the most effective tools available in curbing the spread of a virus that has claimed more than 3,000 Georgians.

In an appearance on NBC's "Today" show, Atlanta Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms accused Kemp on Friday of "putting politics over people."

"I'm in quarantine as we speak, so I take this very seriously, and I will continue to do everything in my power to protect the people of Atlanta," said Bottoms, who with her husband and her son is one of more than 100,000 positive coronavirus cases in the state. "And the governor has simply overstepped his bounds and his authority, and we'll see him in court."

Trump has long been dismissive of the need for masks, as have many Republican governors. But not all.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, chairman of the National Governors Association, said Friday in an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" that masks should be mandated in states across the country, calling them "the most effective thing" to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"If everyone were wearing masks when they're in public and in contact, the virus cannot spread," Hogan said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Jacqueline Dupree, Hannah Denham, Teo Armus, Ovetta Wiggins and Brittany Shammas contributed to this report.
Damascus, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jul, 2020 ) :One person was killed and another wounded in two blasts Saturday in the Syrian capital, state news agency SANA said, on the eve of the country's third war-time parliamentary polls.

It said "one person was killed and another wounded in the explosion of two devices near Anis Bin Malik mosque" in the Nahr Aisha area of Damascus.
Authorities are concerned about the spread of coronavirus into nursing homes in regional Victoria, as a fall in overall case numbers eased the prospect of Melbourne being forced into stage four lockdown.

Victoria recorded 217 new infections of COVID-19 on Saturday, the state's lowest daily increase since last Monday. It was almost half the daily tally of 428 on Friday and just over a week after metropolitan Melbourne resumed stage three restrictions.

There are now 110 people in hospital, with 25 of those in intensive care, however a further three people died after contracting the virus. They were a man and woman in their 80s and a woman in her 90s, taking the overall death toll to 35.

The number of health workers who have contracted COVID-19 rose by 11 to 405. Dr Sutton said measures such as staying at home and wearing a mask were aimed at protecting those people.
A Professor of Law and Economics Kwame Nti Asare says the Supreme Court ruling which rejected the birth certificate as proof of citizenship raises concerns over the legitimacy of the Ghanaian passports.

According to him, the court judgment also displaces the value of the birth certificate of Ghanaians.

Speaking on the maiden edition of the Analyses on Starr FM Saturday, the economics expert said the law lords failed to consider the wider implications of the judgment.

I disagree totally with the Supreme Court on that. Through their ruling and actions, they have proven to Ghanaians that birth cert is nothing. If you dont trust the integrity of the birth cert why use it for passports. If the birth cert is not legitimate, then passports are also not legitimate. The ruling raises integrity issues for the passports and also the outcome of the 2016 polls, he said.

He maintained  I think that the birth certificate is a legitimate document that is indicative of ones nationality.

But the President of the Institute of Security Dr Ishmael Norman who also spoke on the show said the Supreme Court ruling was apt.

I think the Supreme Court was right but the EC must have exercised some restraint in the decision to compile a new register considering the variables involved, he said.

Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has described as absurd reason given by the Supreme Court for its judgment against the use of birth certificate as a proof of citizenship.

According to the NDC MPs, the judgment itself contains a grave error in which the main complainant, the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) is referred to as NDP.

The full judgment written by Justice Prof. Ashie Kortey held that the birth certificate does not offer an identity to a bearer as a proof of citizenship.

It adds that it provides no evidence of citizenship.

The court compares it to another document it has already rejected; the National Health Insurance Cards and concludes its actually better than the Birth Certificate.

But speaking to Starr News MP for South Dayi and a member of the committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Rockson Dafeamekpor said the seven justices were wrong.

According to him, the judgment has rendered status of passports issued with birth certificates as proof of citizenship questionable.

These are serious matters, this is how absurd if we subject the judgment of the court to interpretation it will lead us to. So the issue will have to be revisited.

---starrfmonline
Ly Son Island off the coast of Quang Ngai Province in Central Vietnam is said to be the azure island as the seawater is so azure and pure that it gives visitors a feeling of seeing through the seabed.
There is joy and whimsy in this painting. The freedom of the outdoors, of flowers and sky in the fullness of summer. The Love Juggler by Thomas La Pierre reminds us of the possibilities of serendipity, the twirling images help us reimagine letting go, something we have not been able to do in a while.

La Pierre was born in Toronto and taught at the Ontario College of Art (OCAD now) but lived in Mississauga for many years. He studied art in Paris in the 1950s and counted among the artists who influenced him Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Breugel and others from the old masters school, and Lucian Freud, Edvard Munch and others from the 20th century.

I began with an enthusiasm for nature, which took me into landscape painting. Then I had an innate curiosity about the nature of man, La Pierre said in an interview with David Somers, a curator at Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA), published in the catalogue that accompanied his 1993 exhibition La Pierre: The Arena of the Heart and Mind. I consumed the writers and painters who were preoccupied in this area. Ive always been fascinated by the light and the dark side of human nature. You cant have one without the other.

When Somers remarked that some of La Pierres work reflected his interest in the theatre, the artist remarked that Two quotes from Shakespeare are constantly in my mind. All the worlds a stage, and That flesh is heir to.

Many of his paintings are filled with people, but few as joyfully as in The Love Juggler. Much of his other work seems preoccupied with the darker nature of humanity  brooding landscapes, scenes with decapitated bodies and ghoulish nightmares  while this one represents, as current PAMA curator Sharona Adamowicz-Clements comments, a wishful representation of what human life should be.

A reminder that, even as were aware of the lifes dark side, we can, too, find joy, together, in its beauty and possibilities.
The United States administration has continued it's criticism of China, blasting companies like Disney, Google, Microsoft and Apple, for doing business with China while accusing Hollywood of censoring it's movies to please the Chinese government.



US Attorney General, Bill Barr, speaking at a speech in Michigan said Tech companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Disney were 'all too willing to collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party.'



He also accused China's Communist Party of committing 'economic blitzkrieg' and said the Chinese regime was intent on surpassing the U.S.



"China's Communist Party seeks to exploit the openness of our institutions in order to destroy them'



'They seek to raid the United States'

'I suspect Walt Disney would be disheartened to see how the company he founded deals with the foreign dictatorships of our day'



Barr said US companies bow to demands of the regime in Beijing to maintain access to the lucrative Chinese market, and noted the US has become overly reliant on face masks, medical gowns and other protective equipment produced in China, designed to curb the spread of coronavirus.



'The Peoples Republic of China is now engaged in an economic blitzkrieg - an aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government (indeed, whole-of-society) campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the worlds preeminent superpower,' Barr said.



'The CCP has launched an orchestrated campaign, across all of its many tentacles in Chinese government and society, to exploit the openness of our institutions in order to destroy them,' Barr said.



'The ultimate ambition of China's rulers isn't to trade with the United States,' Barr said.



'It is to raid the United States.'



'Globalization does not always point in the direction of greater freedom. A world marching to the beat of Communist Chinas drums will not be a hospitable one for institutions that depend on free markets, free trade, or the free exchange of ideas,' Barr said.



Barr's address at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is part of the Trump administration to denounce China.



Trump is trying to fend off criticism of his handling of the Coronavirus pandemic and the U.S. economic downturn in order shift the blame back on to China.













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
Shark Pulls 10-Year-Old Boy From Boat and Attacks Him Off Australian Coast

A 10-year-old boy is in hospital with injuries to the head and chest after a shark grabbed him from a boat and attacked him off the coast of Tasmania, Australia.

The shark swam away when the boys father jumped into the water, but the child suffered lacerations across his body, Ambulance Tasmania said on Friday.

He is in stable condition following the incident, which took place off Stanley on Tasmanias northwest coast.

The boy, from the North-West, was aboard a six-meter vessel on a fishing expedition about five kilometers from shore with his father and two other men when a shark grabbed him from the boat, authorities said.

The boys father jumped into the water at which point the shark swam off, they added. The boy, who was wearing a personal flotation device, suffered lacerations to his arm, and other cuts to his chest and head.

The attack is the latest in a number of shark attacks in Australia so far this winter.

A jet ski passes over a shark swimming along the coast of Kingscliff, New South Whales, Australia, on June 7, 2020. (ABC/CH7/CH9 via AP)

On Tuesday, Anika Craney, 29, was attacked while swimming off Fitzroy Island near Cairns, CNN affiliate Nine News reported. She was on her day off from filming a documentary about sharks when she was attacked, and is now recovering in hospital.

A 15-year-old boy died in a suspected shark attack while surfing in New South Wales, police said on Saturday, Australias fifth fatal shark attack this year.

Earlier in July, a 36-year-old man in the Australian state of Queensland died after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing. And in June, a shark killed a 60-year-old surfer at Salt Beach near Kingscliff on the far north coast of New South Wales.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18, 2020 10:20 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406674abd8 4 National am-hendropriyono,kasus-penghinaan,Kalimantan-Barat,former-BIN-chief,defamation,West-Kalimantan,police,Sultan-Hamid-II,Pontianak,summons Free

Retired army general and former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief AM Hendropriyono has been reported to the West Kalimantan Police for allegedly defaming Sultan Hamid II, the designer of Indonesia's national emblem, the Garuda Pancasila.

West Kalimantan Police Spokesperson Sr. Comr. Donny Charles Go said he had issued a summons letter for Hendropriyono.

"We're still investigating the case. We sent him a summons letter, but his lawyer has requested a reschedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Donny said on Thursday as reported by kompas.com.

Sultan Hamid II was the seventh sultan of the Pontianak Qadriyah Sultanate in West Kalimantan.

According to historia.id, Hamid was crowned Sultan in October 1945, shortly after Indonesia's Independence Day. A year later, he was appointed a special aide of Dutch Queen Wilhelmina.

In 1950, Hamid won the national emblem competition. After some revision, his design was used as the official national emblem of the Republic of the United States of Indonesia (RIS) on Feb. 11, 1950, and it is still used until now.

However, shortly after in April 1950, he was arrested for allegedly ordering two Dutch military officers to assassinate three RIS officials. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1953 but was released five years later.

In March 1962, he was arrested again for alleged treason and founding the Vrijwillige Ondergrondsche Corps (VOC), an underground organization that had allegedly planned a coup against President Sukarno.

Read also: 2 years sought for Medan woman who tried to recover debt from police officers wife

Hendropriyono was reported by the prince of the Pontianak Sultanate, Syarif Mahmud Alkadrie, who recently proposed that Hamid be officially named a national hero for his contribution to the founding of RIS and the design of the national emblem.

The prince reported Hendropriyono for a recent YouTube video published by the Agama Akal TV channel, where he could be heard calling Hamid a traitor who did not deserve a national hero title.

Hendropriyono also accused Hamid of being unhappy when Indonesia went back to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) in 1950 after the RIS system collapsed.

"In 1950, the people wanted Indonesia to be a unitary state, but he was not happy. He wanted the country to remain a federal state," Hendropriyono said in the video.

Donny said investigators were planning to question several expert witnesses in the case.

"We asked several expert witnesses to give their opinions on the case, such as Indonesian language experts, history experts and Electronic Information and Transactions [ITE] Law experts," he said. (nal)
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The Gambia on Saturday registered 15 new cases of COVID-19, the highest number recorded in a single day since the outbreak of global coronavirus, a senior health official announced The Director of Health Promotion and Education, Modou Njai, said the new cases bring the total number to 93
Many pediatricians are calling for the reopening of schools. They believe that the risks of sending kids back to school may be relatively low and outweighed by the benefits, even if there are still many unknowns about the spread of coronavirus among children.

We now have a situation where we have harms, these harms of educational lapses, of socialization opportunities lost, of nutritional opportunities (missed), said Dr. David Kimberlin, a pediatrician at Childrens of Alabama.

Kids whove missed out on going to school this year risk falling behind, experts say. Unequal access to internet, meals and parental support will increase the achievement gap and stunt social development, they fear.

At this point, we agree with the national academy that children should probably attend school for multiple reasons including nutrition, safety, and learning, said president Andrew Stubblefield of the states chapter of the American Society of Pediatrics, a national group that favors reopening schools.

Still, some doctors in Alabama are calling for the state to hold off on letting students return.

Right now we need to not be doing things that increase group environments, said Dr. Matt Lovado, a pediatrician at Northeast Alabama Pediatrics in Gadsden. He says if he had kids he would not send them back to school in person because some kids will have complications with COVID-19 or bring the disease home.

Even if (the children) are not at higher risk, theyre going to go home where (there are) parents, grandparents, who may be at higher risk of severe illness or complications or death, he added.

Some spread among children

Dr. Kimberlin points to some evidence that children are less likely to spread COVID-19 than adults, though experts acknowledge that question remains inconclusive.

We have never in history, well the last century anyway, been faced with what were facing right now, said Kimberlin, who added the degree of spread in the United States is much greater than in other countries that reopened schools worldwide.

Further complicating matters, the average age of COVID-19 patients has gotten younger in recent weeks, pointing to questions about how the disease could trend going forward.

Pediatrician Dr. David Gremse said he is seeing more children hospitalized with COVID-19 at the USA Health Childrens & Womens Hospital in Mobile.

Despite this increase, children are overall less likely to have severe reactions or die from COVID-19, said Dr. Gremse.Its a very controversial topic, he said, but added that he believes opening schools is the best choice.

If youre looking at whats best for children, there is a role that schools play in terms of social and racial equality in the country, he said.

Doing it safely

Among the biggest champions for reopening schools is President Trump.

This month, the president said in person school is critical to the economy. He went so far as to threaten to defund districts that remain virtual only, a move he may not have the authority to make. He also said recent CDC guidelines for schools are too strict. The White House is blocking the CDC from testifying to congress about reopening schools.

In a departure from CDC guidelines, Alabamas plan for reopening schools does not require students, teachers or staff to wear masks, leaving the decision to local school leaders.

Experts, however, say following CDC guidelines on class size, social distancing, sanitation, quarantine and facial coverings, will be key to success.

Thats really the catch, doing it safely, said Gremse.

Dr. Kimberlin says there must be state funding for PPE, sanitizer, thermometers, and nurses in every school.

What we cannot do, absolutely cannot do, said Kimberlin, Is simply throw open the doors to the schools and say come on back, and not be prepared for it.

Boiling point

In Selma, the debate about whether to reopen reached a boiling point. School staff threatened to walk out over concerns about COVID-19 spread, and the superintendent called for virtual only school.

Teachers and staff nationwide are among the most concerned voices, and many say they are preparing their own wills. Others plan to not return to work.

Were all very worried about the kids but we should also be worried or at least considerate of the risk that adults in schools will face, said UAB Professor of Public Health Dr. Bertha Hidalgo.

Hidalgo says there are still too many unknowns. Experts dont understand enough about this disease to predict what will happen in a school setting.

She believes decisions to reopen should be based on the degree of spread in a given community.

That's more or less what's happening now. Each school systems is charting its own course, although all seem to allow a virtual option. But Mobile, the state's largest system, just announced plans to move entirely online for the first 9 weeks. Other large systems, like Huntsville, are pressing ahead with plans to reopen classrooms.

The way that were trending, the numbers do suggest we will not see a decline any time soon, Hidalgo said of Alabama.

Alabama outbreak continues

Alabama appears to have the highest rate of COVID cases in children nationwide according to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The report is somewhat misleading, at least in terms of comparing rates between states. The Alabama Department of Public Health, unlike in most states, classifies children as ages 0-24, thus including college students and some even older in their infection rates.

AL.com has requested numbers just for minors, and ADPH on Friday said there were 4,282 confirmed cases among children age 5-18 . That drops Alabama down the list several rungs, but would still leave it somewhere in the top 15 states for the rate of COVID-19 among children as of July 9.

But within the state, just using Alabamas own measures for spread, most counties are currently in red for very high risk due to rising rates of infection.

Dr. Gremse acknowledges the current plan for schools could backfire if the disease gets out of control and another shutdown is needed.

The financial hardships (for parents) that could result from that may be as deleterious to the children as closing the schools, he said.

To Stubblefield, the president of the state pediatricians group, parents will have a role to play when schools reopen in Alabama this fall. They must be forthcoming about their exposure to the disease.

The entire system hinges on parents notifying teachers or the school system, he said, so proper measures can be taken.

Alabamas reemergence from lockdown this spring was not careful, said Kimberlin, who called it an example to avoid.

We did not do it in a data-based fashion. We said we were going to, but we didnt, he said. If we do the same thing again with schools, shame on us.

This story was updated at 11:16 a.m. on July 20 to reflect that Dr. Gremse works at the USA Health Childrens & Womens Hospital.
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The vast majority of out-of-work or furloughed state residents have received unemployment compensation benefits, according to state officials.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, 92 percent of eligible claimants who filed for benefits between March 15 and June 13  and who filed for continued claims  had received payment as of Friday.

Labor & Industry, which had been releasing unemployment compensation data on Mondays, recently bumped the release of information to Thursdays to better coordinate with federal agencies tracking similar data.

As many as 2.2 million Pennsylvania residents had filed unemployment compensation claims at the start of the month. The tally counts claims going back to mid-March when a statewide shutdown forced businesses to shutter operations.

PennLive continues to field correspondence from state workers who are desperate to receive their benefits.

Labor & Industry officials have repeatedly stressed that staff are working overtime to meet the unprecedented demand for benefits.

Pennsylvanias unemployment, which last year saw a record low of 4 percent, has in recent weeks stabilized after peaking in April amid the pandemic surge. According to data released Friday from Labor & Industry, Junes 13 percent rate was well above the national rate of 11.1 percent. The states unemployment rate peaked at 16 percent in April, the highest rate in more than four decades of record-keeping.

Staffing to the unemployment compensation service center has more than doubled, increasing 103 percent since March 15, officials said. New employees have been hired; staff from other agencies and state offices have been reassigning to meet the demands of the department.

Since March 15, when the Wolf administration issued a statewide shutdown amid surging cases of the coronavirus, the department has paid more than $28 billion in unemployment benefits.

Officials say they remain focused on improving customer service.

It is our goal to provide as positive an experience as possible to claimants filing for unemployment compensation benefits, department officials said in the written statement.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,032 new coronavirus cases Friday as the state approaches 100,000 infections.

The new report raises the statewide total to 99,478 cases since the first coronavirus case in Pennsylvania was reported March 6.

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.

Black-owned businesses, hard hit by racial injustices, bear the brunt of coronavirus pandemic

Hospitals must continue to report coronavirus data to Pa. amid federal shakeup

Three former Pa. governors voice support for Gov. Tom Wolfs COVID-19 mitigation efforts

Pa. winemakers call for clarity in new COVID-19 mitigation restrictions even as they look to comply
ROCKVILLE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / July 18, 2020 / LaVarne A. Burton, president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund, today issued this statement on the passing of Congressman John Lewis:

"The nation has lost one of its greatest heroes with the passing of Congressman John Lewis. I was honored to work with and know him personally, and to speak with him was to be touched by his unwavering passion for making our world a better and more just place. John Lewis was about actions, not words. He risked his life for civil rights; he served his nation in Congress for 33 years; and he never faltered in his belief that freedom wasn't an abstract state, but rather 'the continuous action we all must take.'"

"Congressman Lewis was a particular hero to the kidney community. He championed important legislation to improve the quality of care for kidney patients and to increase kidney disease education and prevention. He partnered with AKF on our very first Kidney Action Day screening and prevention event in Atlanta and attended several others, always demonstrating through actions his belief that it was possible to reduce the enormous health disparities that are prevalent in kidney failure. In 2009, AKF recognized Congressman Lewis as the honoree at our first national gala, The Hope Affair, an event that honors people who make an extraordinary contribution to improve the lives of persons affected by kidney disease.

"In all that he did, he remained full of optimism and love, and he reminded us that even in the darkest times, we can work together to build a better society. In his 2017 memoir, he called on each generation to 'do its part to create an even more fair, more just society,' and that challenge is particularly resonant today. In the midst of these extraordinarily challenging times for our nation, let us honor the life of John Lewis through concrete actions that elevate the equality, freedom and health of all Americans."

About Us

About the American Kidney Fund

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nation's leading kidney nonprofit. AKF works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease-from prevention through transplant. With programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy, no kidney organization impacts more lives than AKF. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and holds the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Alice Andors

Senior Director of Communications

aandors@kidneyfund.org

Work: 240-292-7053 Mobile: 703-609-6085

https://www.kidneyfund.org/



SOURCE: American Kidney Fund

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/597966/Honoring-the-Legacy-of-John-Lewis-American-Kidney-Fund-Statement
Protesters outside a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, carried chain link fences to block off a now boarded up entrance to the building, in defiance of orders from authorities to disperse, reports from the scene said.

According to eyewitnesses, authorities deployed tear gas in response to the barricades.

The court house and surrounding area have been a hot spot in the city, where protesters, drawn to the area for anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests, have repeatedly clashed with federal officers.

The Mayor of Portland Ted Wheeler has demanded US President Donald Trump remove federal agents from the city.

Federal agents were deployed to Portland to protect monuments and buildings after an executive order from Trump.

Despite the mayors focus on federal officers, protesters continue to clash with Portland police. Credit: Zane Sparling via Storyful
The Philippines foreign ministry reportedly told the US Congress that the stricter anti-terrorism bill signed by President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this month will respect political freedom and human rights. The statement by the Philippines embassy in Washington comes after several critics and right groups condemned the bill and said that the anti-terrorism law can be used as a weapon to target opponents and stifle free speech.

While concerns linger over the new law that takes effect on July 18, the Philippines embassy reportedly said that the country remains committed to the protection of civil and political liberties as well as hum rights. The officials further added that the Anti-Terrorism Act itself strongly mandates that human rights be absolute and protected at all times.

READ: South China Sea Dispute: Philippines Asks China To Comply With 2016 Arbitral Ruling

The Philippines President has repeatedly defended the bill and said that law-abiding citizens should not fear as it targets terrorists including communists insurgents. As per reports, under the new law, the legislation will create a council appointed by Duterte. The council will have the power to designate individuals and groups as terrorists and detain them without charges for up to 24 days. Further, the anti-terrorism law will also allow surveillance, wiretaps and punishments that reportedly include life imprisonment without parole.

READ: Philippines: China Should Comply With Sea Feud Ruling

Strong resolve to combat terrorism

The new law has raised concerned among many. Even the lawyers have reportedly questioned it before the supreme court and argued that the legislation could be abused to target administration opponents and suppress peaceful dissent. Meanwhile, the Philippines embassy in the United States said that the law signifies Philippine government's strong resolve to combat terrorism and to implement a more effective and comprehensive approach to such a serious threat that knows no borders.

The supporters of the legislation further argued that the law would help armed defence personnel control terrorist activity and will enable them to target individuals who indulge in such activities. Experts suggest that the law would help the country control radical Islamic terrorism that has seen an exponential rise in the past decade and was behind the 2017 capture of a southern city which was followed by a series of suicide bombings in the Philippines.

(Image: AP)

READ: Employees Protest Against Philippines Network Closure

READ: Philippines Lawmakers Close Largest News Station
The dramatic uptake in the use and application of digital tools during the Covid-19 lockdown in Ireland further motivates IE Domain Registry on its mission as a digital advocate for SMEs, citizens, and communities alike, the registry company says in its annual results for 2019, which were released today.

IE Domain Registry, which administers and manages the .ie country domain, reported strong financial results in its 2019 Annual Report & Review.

The company say that they will continue to carefully monitor the health and safety consequences and address the risks to the business arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company has also designed the concept of the Digital Town to promote awareness, knowledge, use and understanding of the internet in Ireland by its citizens, businesses and communities. It also

highlights the benefits and possibilities of the internet and celebrates the digital achievements of a local town.

SLIGO DIGITAL TOWN FOR 2019

Sligo was chosen as Digital Town for 2019, the second year of the initiative. As part of Digital Town, national and international business and technology experts provided advice, tools, and demonstrations on digital skills, e-commerce, and website development to Sligos business owners, community groups, and citizens.

During the months August, September and October, they worked closely with many groups in Sligo including the County Council,

Local Enterprise Office, Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement District (BID), South Sligo Smart Community and IT

Sligo. Eight digital events were held, focused around businesses, citizens and community groups.

These included digital storytelling and learning events where panellists gave very useful insights on

how to bring a business online and sharing their experiences from their own digital journey. Another event featured demonstrations of digital tools to help improve business efficiency and productivity

which attracted several hundred attendees.

A number of expert website healthchecks for small businesses also took place. The healthchecks provided the companies with a report and recommendations for improvements which they later implemented to improve their website offering.

The companys turnover increased by 8.7% from 3.32 million in 2018 to 3.61 million in 2019. New .ie domain registrations of 50,167 were in line with the record-setting year of 2018, which saw 51,040 registered.

IE Domain Registry recorded an operating profit of 84,796 (2018: 147,558) and unrealised gains on financial investments of 193,974. It ended the year in a strong financial position with 4.1 million in Members Funds (2018: 3.9 million).

The companys overall financial position remained solid in 2019, with a focus on excellence in customer service and upgrading the systems in place for the future security, stability, and resilience of the .ie domain namespace.
Brussels, July 18 : High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has said he was deeply concerned over the growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the US against European companies and interests.

"We have witnessed this developing trend in the cases of Iran, Cuba, the International Criminal Court and most recently the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream projects," Borrell said in a statement on Friday, Xinhua reported.

Emphasizing that "European policies should be determined in Europe not by third countries," Borrell said the EU opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business, and the bloc "considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law." He said the EU is always open to dialogue, but "this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions." On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected Washington's latest threat of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.

The Kremlin also said on Thursday that Washington's threat to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 as well as the second line of the TurkStream pipeline stretching from Russia to Turkey across the Black Sea is "unfair competition".

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent fresh warnings of possible sanctions to companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and the second line of the TurkStream pipeline.

Pompeo claimed that the projects are not commercial but serve as Moscow's tools to exploit European dependence on Russia's energy supplies.
(File) Taxi driver points towards an electoral poster where the road crosses into Buea, an anglophone region of Cameroon. (AFP or licensors)

Representatives of Cameroon's Government held talks this week with the main leaders of an Anglophone separatist insurgency for the first time since the conflict began in 2017, a separatist leader and two security sources said on Friday.

Vatican News

Julius Ayuk Tabe, the most prominent separatist leader who is currently serving a life sentence in prison for charges including terrorism, said the meeting took place on Thursday to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire.

Over 3 000 deaths and thousands forced to flee homes

Violence broke out in 2017 following a government crackdown on peaceful protests by Anglophone lawyers and teachers who complained of being marginalised by the French-speaking majority.

The fighting has caused more than 3,000 deaths and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

Last year, Switzerland mediated talks between the government and exiled separatist leaders, but those leaders are considered less influential than Tabe and the discussions did not produce any significant results.

Separatists want an independent state called Ambazonia

Tabe, the self-declared president of an independent English-speaking state the separatists call Ambazonia, said nine separatist leaders participated in the meeting, which followed calls by the United Nations for a ceasefire.

"Be reassured that we remain committed to the restoration of the independence of the homeland," he said in a statement, without providing further details about the substance of the talks.

A tired nation and a conflict that has no clear victor

Government officials were not immediately available for comment.

One of the security sources who confirmed the meeting said the authorities' openness to talks reflected the fatigue of the population after three years of conflict that have failed to produce a clear victor.

"This war has made us see the resilience of the Anglophones from an ideological point of view," he said, adding that international pressure to end the conflict had also forced the government's hand.

Cameroons linguistic divide harks back to the end of World War One, when the League of Nations divided the former German colony of Kamerun between the allied French and British victors.

(Source: Reuters)
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Friday declared a heat emergency for the city as temperatures are expected to climb to as high as 100 degrees in parts of Massachusetts over the weekend.

Walsh said 20 Boston Centers for Youth & Families community centers will open their doors to the public as cooling centers on Sunday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Monday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, when temperatures are at their hottest.

Temperatures are expected to climb to the mid- to upper 70s on Friday, followed by much hotter weather over the weekend. The heat index is expected to reach near or above 100 degrees in parts of the state.

The temperature will climb into the 90s on Saturday for many communities across the commonwealth, though much of the scorching heat is expected Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Please take the necessary steps to protect yourself from COVID-19 and from the heat and humidity that we expect over the weekend, Walsh said Friday, in a statement. Continue to practice social distancing, avoid crowds, wash your hands often, and wear a face covering.

On Sunday, the Pioneer Valley, eastern Worcester County, as well as Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties, should see the hottest temperatures of between 95 to 98 degrees.

The rest of the state, with the exception of Southeastern Massachusetts, will be hit with highs in the low to mid-90s. Temperatures on the Cape and Islands are expected to only climb to the 80s.

Monday should see highs hover around 100 degrees throughout the commonwealth, though Berkshire County and the Cape and Islands will feel cooler with temperatures in the low 90s and high 80s.

A full list of community centers that will open as cooling centers this weekend can be seen here.
Demonstrators in the south of Tunisia have blocked an oil pipeline as they called for more investment in the marginalised region, AFP news agency reports quoting the energy ministry.



Hundreds stormed the El-Kamour production facility, south of Tataouine two weeks after setting up a protest camp near the site, AFP says.



The blocked pipeline carries more than 50% of the countrys extracted oil.



"There is a real problem of development in Tataouine," Hamed Matri, an advisor at the energy ministry is quoted as saying.



In 2017, the government promised to put more money into boosting the fortunes of the region, but protesters say that this has not been honoured, AFP reports.



Officials are now speaking to the demonstrators to try and end the pipeline blockage, it adds.

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.

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If theres anyone you can trust for skincare advice, its a supermodel. So when we learned that a New Zealand-based skincare brand Cara Delevingne and Elle Macpherson both use is finally available on Amazon in the U.S., we had to know more.

The supermodel-approved brand is called Antipodes, and it offers clean skincare products boasting 100 percent natural ingredients. Moreover, many of the ingredients  including superfoods like avocado oil and Manuka honey  are sustainably sourced and grown in New Zealand and target specific skincare issues. As of this month, you can finally buy the brand on Amazon through the storefront Pharmapacks, Antipodes official Amazon partner.

Along with model customers, Antipodes also names Sam Smith as a supporter of the brand. With fans like these, it shouldnt come as a surprise just how popular the products are worldwide. In fact, someone buys Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream every 60 seconds, according to a brand rep. Its packed with vitamin C-rich kiwi fruit, antioxidant powerhouse Vinanza grapes, and nutrient-filled avocado oil. The vegan formula feels cool on the skin while moisturizing the area around the eyes.

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REED, Benny Gray, Capt., U.S. Army (Ret.), of Midlothian, pulled pitch for the last time on July 12, 2020. Known to friends as Ben or Buddy (depending on when they met), he was born in Tennessee on January 11, 1942, to Ben and Alycone Reed. He grew up in Blytheville, Arkansas and graduated from Arkansas State in 1963. He completed Army Aviation School (Officer Rotary Wing) at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 1964. He served with the Aviation Company of the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment in Hoppstadten, Germany where he met his future wife. Upon returning to the USA in 1966, he joined the Army National Guard and continued flying until his retirement in 1984. He also flew the WRVA traffic copter from 1966-'68. Ben earned his master's degree in education from VCU in 1973, and retired from Henrico Public Schools in 2001. After retiring he served as a docent at the Virginia Aviation Museum and as a reader for Virginia Voice for many years. Travel, bridge, dinner and socializing with friends, time spent with his grandsons or a good book were among his favorite activities, until Alzheimer's robbed him of those pleasures. A loving husband and a devoted father, who taught by example, he is survived by his wife, Marjorie; his son, Daniel and daughter-in-law, Louise; his daughter, Susan Elizabeth; his son, Matthew and daughter-in-law, Jennifer; five grandsons, Mitchell, Jackson, Tucker, Jacob and Gray. He is also survived by his brother, Philip (Jamie) Reed; sisters, Judy (Larry) Quillen and Susan (Van) Parker; seven nephews; his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Marquez; and nieces, Alison (David) O'Neill and Elizabeth Johnson. Special thanks to Encompass Hospice for providing care and comfort to Ben and the Reed family during his final days. Due to the pandemic, Ben's inurnment and memorial service will take place in the fall at Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia.
As law enforcement officials, activists and lawmakers debate aspects of a behemoth Senate police reform bill, labor leaders and immigrants are pushing for another provision to be incorporated into the legislation: a proposal to extend driving privileges to people without legal status.

Immigrant rights activists are pushing for legislators to incorporate language from a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain Massachusetts drivers licenses, rather than federally compliant REAL ID licenses, into the police reform bill, S.2820, that the Senate passed Tuesday morning after an all-night debate.

Our communities need drivers licenses. Black lives are under attack, and that includes Black immigrant lives, said Natalicia Tracy, executive director of Brazilian Worker Center and co-chair of the Driving Families Forward Coalition, in a video testimony submitted to House leaders. Our immigrant community includes Black immigrants from Brazil, Haiti, Cape Verde, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, just to name a few.

Tracy and Dalida Rocha, coalition co-chair and political director of the New England district of SEIU 32BJ, also led a news conference outside the Massachusetts State House around noon Friday after the window to submit testimony on the Senate bill closed.

Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, a Boston Democrat who heads the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Rep. Claire Cronin, an Easton Democrat and chairperson of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, accepted public comments between Wednesday and 11 a.m. Friday on the major policing bill the Senate passed.

The virtual hearing was announced after a Senate vote on the bill was stalled by Republicans and a handful of Democrats who said the bill lacked input from police unions and was taken up without a public hearing.

Police reform bills have been proposed for years on Beacon Hill but failed to gain traction. The Senate bill came out of a racial advisory group announced by Senate President Karen Spilka as she, House Speaker DeLeo and Gov. Charlie Baker pledged to address concerns about racism in the wake of George Floyds officer-involved death in Minneapolis.

A video captured Floyd, a Black man, lying on the ground telling a police officer he couldnt breathe as the officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The video went viral and sparked protests across the country, including several in Massachusetts.

Baker introduced a bill to certify police, including monetary incentives for officers who complete higher levels of training. The Republican governor said the bill was based on priorities outlined by the Black and Latino Caucus during conversations he had with the caucus over the past year.

The Senate bill includes a wide range of police reforms, including a certification process, a temporary ban on facial recognition, a ban on tear gas and choke holds and limits to qualified immunity.

The Senate bill does not weigh in on driving privileges for undocumented immigrants, but it includes other provisions affecting foreign-born residents. The legislation bars school employees and school resource officers from sharing personal student information with a law enforcement agency or database, including immigration status, citizenship, neighborhood, religion, national origin, ethnicity, native or spoken language and other details.

It also bars law enforcement from racial and other profiling, which the bill defines as differential treatment by a law enforcement officer based on actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, religion, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Senate President Pro Tempore William Brownsberger discusses the policing bill that came out of the racial justice advisory group he co-chaired with Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz. Senators unveiled the bill Monday, July 6, 2020 outside the Massachusetts State House.Sam Doran/State House News Service

The Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization that seeks to limit immigration into the United States, submitted testimony opposing the bill.

Shari Rendall, state and local engagement director at FAIR, wrote the provision for community policing includes shielding criminal aliens under the guise that those in the country illegally will not feel comfortable reporting crimes or acting as witnesses to a crime.

Rendall also described the bill as doorway for nonprofit groups to advance their policy agendas for police department, including mass immigration.

It will allow certain nonprofit groups to refashion police department objectives. Any law enforcement officer not abiding by its tenets could become a target, Rendall wrote.

Massachusetts legislators had advanced a proposal to create a two-tiered licensing system as part of the fiscal 2017 budget. Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, signed an amendment into law that ensured drivers licenses would be limited to residents with legal permission to live in the United States.

Efforts to expand access to drivers licenses have failed in previous sessions. Sen. Brendan Crighton of Lynn, Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield and Rep. Christine Barber of Somerville, all Democrats, re-filed legislation in early 2019 to expand access to standard licenses to immigrants without legal status.

The bill was favorably reported out of the Joint Committee on Transportation in April. If it passes this session, the bill would take effect Jan. 1.

Critics of the legislation argue giving undocumented immigrants access to drivers licenses would make the state less safe, while immigrant rights advocates argue that the state would be safer because fewer people who rely on cars for work would be driving unlicensed on local roads.

A 2017 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which analyzed the short-term impact of Californias law to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses, suggests that the policy did not lead to an increase or decrease of accidence or fatal accidents. It did reduce the likelihood of hit-and-run crashes, which the researchers argue improve traffic safety and decrease insurance costs for California drivers.

In Massachusetts, the bills do not give immigrants without legal status the ability to apply for a REAL ID license, which people can use to vote and board planes. Nor would it allow immigrants to obtain licenses without completing a drivers test or providing any documents.

Under the bill, people who do not provide proof of lawful presence in the country could apply for a standard license. The applicant would need to provide at least one document from two lists of records, as lone as one includes a photograph and one includes date of birth.

List A would include a valid foreign passport or a valid consular identification document as records these applicants could use in lieu of a Social Security card or a U.S. passport. List B would include a valid drivers license from any U.S. state or territory, a valid Massachusetts ID, an original birth certificate or certified copy or a valid employment authorization card, also known as a work permit, issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The registrar would not be allowed to ask about or take down information about an applicants citizenship or immigration status, whether the person is applying for a license, learners permit or car registration, according to the bill.

It is unclear how many immigrants without legal status live in Massachusetts, nor is it known how many of them are of legal driving age. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center estimates 185,000 undocumented immigrants would benefit if the bill became law.

Such a law would also benefit immigrants with temporary permission to live in the U.S., such as those with Temporary Protected Status. TPS offers some foreign-born residents work permits for two years due to natural disasters, civil strife or other crises in their home countries.

As a federal lawsuit over their fate dragged on, TPS recipients reported delays in their work permits and communication issues that prevented them from renewing their drivers licenses despite being authorized to drive legally in Massachusetts. In some cases, TPS holders said they were denied licenses even after the RMV said it had trained staff on how to renew license for people with TPS whose status was automatically renewed due to the lawsuit.

MassBudget submitted testimony urging lawmakers to incorporate the drivers license proposal into the Senate policing bill, adding that is has the support of the Major City Chiefs of Police Association, district attorneys, sheriffs and some police chiefs.

We know that for Black immigrants, over-policing has grave consequences as families and communities are torn apart through detention and deportation, wrote Monique Ching, a policy analyst. We know that for law enforcement this addition would promote trust between communities they serve and allow for officers to consistently identify who is behind the wheel.

Related Content:
Propagation de K7RA

July 18, 2020

It turns out last week's bulletin ARLP028 did not get posted to the ARRL web site and did not go out via the usual channels. If you need a copy, check the bulletin archive link given at the end of this bulletin (perhaps tomorrow), or email a request to the author, k7ra@arrl.net.

Over the past week, July 9 to 15, just one day had sunspot activity, and that was July 10 when the daily sunspot number was 12. The sunspot was number 2766, returning for a second appearance from old cycle 24.

On July 16 Spaceweather.com reported "a tiny proto-sunspot" exhibiting polarity indicating cycle 25. But later it seemed to be gone, and every time I thought I'd spotted something, it turned out to be dirt on my computer screen.

From the previous week to this week, average daily sunspot number declined from 3.3 to 1.7, but average daily solar flux stayed the same, at 68.5.

Predicted solar flux remains low, further evidence of this long, deep solar minimum. All flux values for the next 45 days are predicted to stay below 70. 69 is the predicted 10.7 cm solar flux on July 17 to 22, 68 on July 23 and 24, 69 on July 25 through August 1, 68 again on August 2 to 20, 69 on August 21 to 28 and 68 on August 29 and 30.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on July 17 to 30, then 8 and 10 on July 31 through August 1, 5 on August 2 to 8, 8 on August 9 and 10, 5 on August 11 to 26, 8 on August 27 and 28, and 5 on August 29 and 30.

Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period July 17 til August 12, 2020 from OK1HH.

"Geomagnetic field will be

Quiet on: July 17 to 21, 25 and 26, 28 and 29, August 4 to 7 Quiet to unsettled on: July 24, 27, 30, August 1 to 3, 10 to 12 Quiet to active on: (July 22 and 23, 31, August 8 and 9) Unsettled to active on: nothing predicted Active to disturbed: nothing predicted

Solar wind will intensify on: July (17 and 18, 21 and 22) 23 to 25, (26 and 27,) August 1 to 3 (4)

Remarks:

- Parenthesis means lower probability of activity enhancement.

- The predictability of changes remains in the long run lower as there are very few indications."

George Hall, N2CG reported, "I'm located in Northern New Jersey (FN20wv) and on July 11th starting around 8 AM EDT (1200Z) and for the next eleven hours the 6m band on FT8 mode was open to five continents.

All parts of Europe were coming in for over 10 hours and I managed to work 11 different DXCC entities, including JW7QIA in Svalbard for an ATNO.

In Africa the Canary Islands were coming in and there were a few Caribbean stations as well as many areas of the US and parts of northern South America workable with strong signals.

At 2200Z I had to go QRT due to an approaching thunderstorm. When I returned to the air at 2240Z in just a few minutes the HamSpots DX cluster was showing I had spotted over a dozen JA stations on 6m FT8! For the next 25 minutes I managed to work six Japanese stations, with received signals ranging from -06 to -18 dBm. So, working Japan not only gave me an ATNO, it also gave me Asia; the last continent I needed for 6m WAC which I'll be able to apply for when I receive a paper QSL card from one of the JA stations.

So lets hope the remaining weeks of this Summer 6m Es Season will bring more DX supersizes."

Mike Schaffer, KA3JAW of Easton, Pennsylvania wrote:

"On Sunday July 12, 1 pm local (1700 UTC) heard and worked Elye, KI5DLL from Malvern, Arkansas (95 miles away from the Texas state line in Texarkana) at a distance of 1,057 miles. Initially his signal report was 1x1, but later rose to 3x3.

On Thursday, July 14, 11 local (1500 UTC) heard Mark, KI4SWB from Melbourne Beach, Florida at a distance of 924 miles. His signal report was 4x7, peaking +30 db with deep QSB.

Both receptions were on the 10 meter FM simplex frequency of 29.600 MHz.

Considering operators on the lower segment 10 meter band (28 MHz) are having a rough time making DX contacts using SSB (J3E) - 3KHz bandwidth, which is four times narrower compared to FM (F3E) - 11.25 KHz bandwidth, so it is somewhat amazing that we are starting to hear these type of emissions.

Plus, keeping in mind that we are slowly exiting out of Solar Cycle 24, which was reported to be a deep century-class lull in solar activity.

I urge everyone to continue monitoring 29.600 FM simplex. Even if the frequency sounds closed, give a call out, you might be pleasantly surprised with an unexpected DX reply."

Mike sent an update on July 16:

"Today, at 11:53 am local (1553 UTC) heard Lloyd, KC5FM from Newkirk, Oklahoma, north of Oklahoma City, near the Kansas state line in a QSO when his signal was a 4x4 QSB. When he finished, I called him at 12:02 pm (1602 UTC), to my surprise he returned my call with a 3x3 signal report. Distance was 1,203 miles. Up to this point in time, this is my record distance using F3E modulation."

The latest from WX6SWW:

https://youtu.be/KK-kGMZe71Q

If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers, email the author at k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service at http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals.

For an explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see

http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere.

An archive of past propagation bulletins is at

http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation.

More good information and tutorials on propagation are at

http://k9la.us/.

Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation.

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins.

Sunspot numbers for July 9 through 15, 2020 were 0, 12, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a mean of 1.7. 10.7 cm flux was 68.7, 68.8, 68.7, 67.6, 68.2, 68.9, and 68.4, with a mean of 68.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 3, 3, 3, 6, 11, and 5, with a mean of 5. Middle latitude A index was 4, 3, 2, 3, 7, 9, and 6, with a mean of 4.9.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 21:00:39|Editor: huaxia

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KUWAIT CITY, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Saturday reported 683 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 58,904 and the death toll to 407, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Currently, 9,477 patients are receiving treatment, including 137 in ICU, the statement added.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 639 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 49,020.

Kuwait started on June 30 the second phase of restoring normal life, which will last for 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
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He said that the country is trying to eradicate tuberculosis by 2025 and other developing countries can learn from the scale and success of India's development programmes from the technologies and innovations deployed.Modi said, "Our motto is 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas, Sabka Vishwas' - meaning 'Together, for everyone's growth, with everyone's trust'. This resonates with the core SDG principle of leaving no one behind."On the Direct Benefit Transfer, he said "We have leveraged the power of technology for financial inclusion. This is based on the trinity of a unique identity number, a bank account, and a mobile connection for everyone."The Prime Minister said that through domestic efforts, "we are again playing a salient role in achieving Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. We are also supporting other developing countries in meeting their Sustainable Development Goals."The Prime Minister also recalled that India was among the 50 founding members of the United Nations immediately after the Second World War."A lot has changed since then. Today the UN brings together 193 member countries and this year the world will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations," he said.Source: IANS
All of Madigans toadies, from the politicos to friendly internet gossipmongers, must be washing themselves in holy water right about now. Some will shout theyre not part of it. Some have already tried distancing themselves. Others will tell their lawyers to cut a deal.
Chair of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly of Armenia Andranik Kocharyan has posted the following on his Facebook page:

I have addressed a letter of thanks to President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Attila Mesterhazy in response to the latters previously issued statement.

The text of the letter reads as follows:

Dear Mr. Mesterhazy,

On behalf of the Delegation of Armenia to NATO, allow me to express my deep gratitude to you for your statement on stoppage of military operations that were launched on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border recently. Armenia highly appreciates the international communitys attention and especially the calls of the NATOs leadership for peace.

The mandate for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is reserved for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and requires a solution through negotiations. Armenia is against a military solution to the conflict and the aggressive rhetoric.

I regret to state that, contrary to the international communitys calls, Azerbaijan is not only continuing the military operations, but is also threatening to target peaceful civilians through international terrorism at the state level, and this is nothing but a threat to universal and regional security.

I fully hope that the leading international organizations statements for peace will finally force Azerbaijans military-political leadership to soberly assess the grave health-related situation in the world and return to the negotiating table.

Dear Mr. President, once again, I thank you for your truthful words.
A priest holds a lamp as devotees pray at a temple during the Tamil holy month of Aadi in Chennai. India on July 17 became the third country in the world to record one million coronavirus cases, following Brazil and the United States. Experts said the number of cases is expected to shoot up to 2 million in barely another three weeks. (AFP).

For the third consecutive day on Saturday, India recorded over 30,000 cases of coronavirus, with 34,884 people testing positive in the last 24 hours. India's COVID-19 caseload has surged to 10,38,716 while 6,53,750 patients have recovered from the disease so far. The death toll due to COVID-19 has risen to 26,273, with 671 fatalities reported in a day.

At present, there are 3,58,692 active cases in the country, while 6,53,750 people have recovered so far. "Around 62.94 per cent of patients have recovered so far," an official said.

However, the real worry is about India crossing the next million cases in less than three weeks' time. According to health economist Rijo M John, total COVID-19 cases in India is projected to cross 2 million around August 10-11 and 3 million by 28-29. He said about 3.2 million cases are expected by August 31. He said that the projection is conservative and based on trends in growth. He had on June 8 said India would cross 1 million around July 22, which the country crossed on July 16th.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to July 17 with 3,61,024 samples being tested on Friday.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases at 2,92,589 followed by Tamil Nadu at 1,60,907, Delhi at 1,20,107, Karnataka at 55,115, Gujarat at 46,430, Uttar Pradesh at 45,163 and Telangana at 42,496.The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 40,646 in Andhra Pradesh, 38,011 in West Bengal, 27,789 in Rajasthan, 24,797 in Haryana, 23,589 in Bihar and 21,081 in Madhya Pradesh.

Assam has 20,646 cases of infections, Odisha 16,110 and Jammu and Kashmir 12,757 cases. Kerala has reported 11,066 novel coronavirus infections so far, while Punjab has 9,442 cases.

Of the 671 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 258 are from Maharashtra, 115 from Karnataka, 79 from Tamil Nadu, 42 from Andhra Pradesh, 38 from Uttar Pradesh, 26 each from West Bengal and Delhi, 17 from Gujarat, nine each from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, and eight each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Telangana has reported seven fatalities followed by Haryana with five deaths, Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha reported four each, Assam and Puducherry have registered three each, Chhattisgarh and Goa reported two each while Kerala and Uttarakhand have registered a fatality each.

Of the total 26,273 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest 11,452 fatalities followed by Delhi with 3,571 deaths, Tamil Nadu 2,315, Gujarat 2,106, Karnataka 1,147, Uttar Pradesh 1,084, West Bengal 1,049, Madhya Pradesh 697 and Rajasthan 546. So far, 534 people have died of COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh, 403 in Telangana, 327 in Haryana, 239 in Punjab, 231 in Jammu and Kashmir, 201 in Bihar, 83 in Odisha, 51 in Uttarakhand and Assam each, 46 in Jharkhand and 38 in Kerala.

Puducherry has registered 25 deaths, Chhattisgarh 23, Goa 21, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh 11 each, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura three each, Meghalaya and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two each while Ladakh has reported one fatality.

Officials of the health ministry said that the demand for hospital beds has reduced due to effective disease management strategy and now very few need ventilator or oxygen support compared to May and June.

India, being the second most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million. On the global scale, cases/million population in India are 4 to 8 times less than some European countries, said health ministry officials. They said that Russia has 8 times and the United States 16 times higher cases per million compared to India. Officials underlined the case fatality rate at 18.6 deaths/million of the country is one of the lowest in the world.

Timely detection of the infected persons has helped in early treatment too. The effective clinical management strategies have shown to yield positive results. Almost 80% of the asymptomatic and mild cases have been advised home isolation under medical supervision. The strategy of home isolation for the mild and asymptomatic patients has ensured to keep the hospitals unburdened, where the focus has been on treatment of the severe cases and reduction of fatality. It is also notable that less than 1.94 per cent of the cases are in ICUs, 0.35 per cent cases are on ventilators and 2.81 per cent cases are on Oxygen beds, said the officials.
Deputy Campaign Manager for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alex Segbefia has stated that former President John Mahama is the target in the Interpol Red Alert for the arrest of Samuel Adam Foster also known as Samuel Adam Mahama and three others over their role in the Airbus bribery scandal as it is meant to embarrass him ahead of the upcoming polls.



In a statement, Mr Segbefia said the Special Prosecutor still went ahead to trigger the Interpol alert even though Ghanaian authorities are aware of the residence of the persons being sort, making the situation worrying.



What is unusual about this particular Red Notice is that Ghana Government knows where Samuel Mahama lives in the UK up to his exact residential address.



Mr. Segbefia also could not fathom the basis for the arrest warrant issued since the UK government, where the scandal emanated from, did not find Samuel Mahama and the three others guilty of any offence that warranted their arrest.



One needs to bear in mind that the entire hullabaloo about Airbus emanated from the UK courts, which have dealt with it and settled it. And yet even though he and the other persons named in the Red Notice are British Nationals, the UK government has not thought it fit to proffer any charges against them.



He is not considered a flight risk so no restrictions have been imposed on him and he has not been asked to hand over his passport. Why would the UK Government, based on the same facts as are narrated in the Red Notice, arrest him for Ghana government? Besides, Ghana has an extradition treaty with the UK. It also has a Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement with the UK, Alex Segbefia wrote.



He also accused the family of President Akufo-Addo of masterminding media reports intended to draw attention to the case.







Below is the full statement



Hon. Alex Segbefia, a former Crown Prosecutor in the United Kingdom writes on the so called Interpol Red Notice on Foster Samuel Adam and two others.



A Red Notice is usually issued against a criminal fugitive on the run who seeks actively to evade justice. It is a notice published by Interpol to law enforcement agents across the world requesting them to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending his extradition. When it is published, it is not Interpol seeking the location and arrest of the person, but rather the country that requests the publication. Procedurally, Interpol would publish a Red Notice at the request of a member country provided the request meets the constitutional requirements of Interpol.



A Red Notice is, however, a voluntary system. A state is therefore not obliged to make an arrest based on its publication and can decide to ignore it. This is because it is not an arrest warrant, and countries can themselves determine what weight to give such notice.



What is unusual about this particular Red Notice is that Ghana Government knows where Samuel Mahama lives in the UK up to his exact residential address. One needs to bear in mind that all the hula-baloo about Airbus emanated from the UK courts, who have dealt with it and settled it. And yet even though he and the other persons named in the Red Notice are British Nationals, the UK government has not thought it fit to proffer any charges against them. He is not considered a flight risk so no restrictions have been imposed on him and he has not been asked to hand over his passport. Why would the UK Government, based on the same facts as are narrated in the Red Notice, arrest him for Ghana government? Besides, Ghana has an extradition treaty with the UK. It also has a Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement with the UK.



Why publish Red Notice when the Ghana Government can formally ask for his extradition through regular channels?



The Special Prosecutor must be aware that it is forlorn hope that the UK government would extradite the three named persons.



It is interesting how recently the scurrilous story found its way unto the front pages of the controversial Sun newspaper in the UK. Individuals behind that publication are suspected to be closely tied to the family of Akufo-Addo.



This so-called arrest warrant is a red herring. It is an extension of their game plan to embarrass President John Mahama because of the impending elections.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Olalekan Ponle, a Nigerian held in the United States for alleged fraud, came about his nickname, Woodberry, during his high school days, documents showed.

Mr Ponle was arrested in the United Arab Emirate on June 10 for multiple fraud charges after a raid by operatives of the Dubai crime unit.

According to the complaint, an unnamed Chicago company was tricked into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2 million. Companies based in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York and California also were victims of the fraud, prosecutors say.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nabbed Mr Ponle through details accessed from his WhatsApp, iPhone and Bitcoin transactions. He was extradited to the United States on July 2.https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/402004-how-we-tracked-woodberry-via-iphone-whatsapp-bitcoin-transactions-fbi.html

Woodberry

In a WhatsApp chat obtained by the FBI, Mr Ponle told an unidentified individual that the name Woodberry came from one his high school friend.

The friend, according to the alleged fraudster, awarded him the name because he was a comedian in high school.

Below is an excerpt from the said chat of June 18, 2019.

Individual: Now you know my full government. Tell me yours.

Ponle: Jacob Ponle.

Individual: Where did Woodie come from?

Ponle: It came from a friend awarding me that name cause I used to be a comedian in high school and ever since I retained it.

The 29-year-old is currently facing charges bordering on wire fraud conspiracy at a United States District Court sitting in Illinois.

His first appearance in court was on July 3, after which the preliminary hearing was set for July 16 before Judge Jeffrey T Gilbert.

Although Mr Ponle appeared in court for his detention and a preliminary hearing on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES cannot access the outcome of the proceedings as of the time of filing this report.

Also, he has been indicted by a grand jury, a group of lawyers empowered to conduct legal proceedings and investigate potential criminal conduct.

The jury summed up the allegations against Mr Ponle to an eight-count charge of wire fraud, which violates section 1343 of the United States criminal code.
Myanmar has discovered a China-Pakistan nexus in the arms supply to two rebel groups in Rakhine after arrests by Thai authorities.

The groups allegedly targeted Indian infrastructure such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, and are fuelling terror in Myanmar and Bangladesh, The Economic Times reported.

The Arakan Army (AA), an insurgent group in the Rakhine state, placed an order for Chinese-made weapons, a source told the publication.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story.

Also read: Why China's support to Myanmar's Arakan Army is bad for India

In June, Thai authorities intercepted and seized a shipment of weapons in Mae Sot, which is across the border from Myawaddy in Myanmar, ET reported. The weapons were meant to be sent to Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh.

Two Thai citizens have been detained, and additional arrests have been made after that, the report said. Thai authorities have shared the findings f their investigation with Myanmar.

AA has been targeting Kaladan multi-modal project, which connects connects Kolkata with Sittwe port in Rakhine State by sea. The project aims to improve connectivity between Kolkata and Mizoram in the Northeast via Myanmar.
Two persons have been sentenced to a total of 34 years for trafficking nine children in the Volta Region.

In two different cases before the Ho High Court, the two, Aku Kedevi, a fish monger, and Michael Boti, a fisherman, were sentenced to 18 and 16-year jail terms, respectively, after they had been found guilty of trafficking the nine children from different areas in the region to engage them in fishing activities on the Volta Lake.



In the first case, the two were accused of trafficking two brothers, aged 15 and 9 years, from Gbi Wegbe, near Hohoe, to Akpoklikope Island on the Volta Lake, while in the second, they were tried for trafficking seven children between the ages of 9 and 16 from Ehi, near Dzodze, to the said island for the same purpose.



Kedevi is said to have deceived the parents of the victims that she was sending them to school, only to hand them over to Boti for fishing activities for a fee.



In both cases, the two were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, to wit, human trafficking.



Boti, however, faced two additional charges of use of a trafficked person.



Prosecution case



According to the prosecution, led by a State Attorney and Focal Person for the Prosecution of Human Trafficking cases in the Volta and the Oti regions, Mr Andrews D. Adugu, on May 16, 2018, the police conducted an intelligence-led operation, in collaboration with the International Justice Mission (IJM), an NGO, to rescue the victims from the said island.



In the course of investigations, the victims mentioned Kedevi as the one who went to deceive their parents of sending them to school but failed to honour that promise.



Although the convicts had pleaded not guilty to the charges, the prosecution told the court that they had admitted recruiting the children for the purpose of fishing, instead of taking them to school.



Evidence adduced in court showed that Kedevi got paid for the services the children rendered to Boti.





After a two-year trial, the court, presided over by Justice Eric Baah, found them guilty of all the charges.



Kedevi is to serve jail terms of eight and 10 years, respectively, for the two cases, while Boti is to serve an 8-year jail term for each case.



In addition to the sentences, they are to pay compensation of GHc5,000 to each of the victims.



The court further ordered the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Department of Social Welfare to make the necessary arrangements for victims custody, welfare, education and training.



Judge condemns



Delivering his judgement, Justice Baah described Kedevi as a disgrace to womanhood who used deception to pry innocent children from poor parents and thrust them into bondage and servitude.



According to him, Kedevis repetition of the crime made her a callous woman who took pleasure in what she did and, therefore, did not deserve any sympathy from the court.



Similarly, he noted that Boti, who is a chief, failed in his responsibility to trumpet the campaign of human trafficking and child slavery but gleefully subjected other peoples children to bondage and servitude, for which reason he deserved to be punished by the court.



Justice Baah commended the Ghana Police Service, the Department of Social Welfare and IJM for the various roles they played in rescuing the victims and ensuring that the offenders were prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.

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
In the wake of George Floyds killing, the term structural racism has moved from the academic world into the public conversation  a shorthand way to talk about why Black Americans can do everything right and still find themselves with less income and wealth than white Americans of similar education, consigned to live in poorer neighborhoods, with fewer opportunities, more repressive policing and worse life outcomes.

If the idea still sounds abstract to policymakers in Washington, they dont have to look far to observe its realities. They can just drive an hour north, to Baltimore  and see what is not there.

Sorely missing is a long-planned east-west transit route that would connect isolated Black Baltimore neighborhoods to downtown and suburban job centers and to other rail lines. In 2014, the Obama administration offered Maryland a selective New Starts grant of $900 million to finally build what was called the Red Line  a project that would not only have connected thousands of Black Marylanders to better jobs but would also create a comprehensive transit system that might restart the Baltimore regions economy and improve race relations by building literal connections between communities.

Today, theres no construction of rail in Baltimore. The $900 million has been returned to the federal government. The state of Maryland redirected $736 million of state funds originally set aside for the Red Line to building roads instead  in predominantly white areas. And the U.S. Department of Transportation, which was supposed to investigate whether that decision was illegal and discriminatory, quietly closed the case without making any public findings.

Transportation investment and disinvestment have been central in Baltimores long saga of racial segregation and inequity, and the Red Line was the most recent chapter. Since Gov. Larry Hogan killed the Red Line in 2015, it has become a rallying cry for transit and racial-justice activists in Baltimore and beyond.

Story continues

But the full extent of the injustice is just coming to light. Material obtained by a legal clinic I worked with at Georgetown Law School, through Marylands freedom-of-information statute, shows that federal officials acknowledged the potential racial impact of the decision to cancel the Red Line and the possibility that the decision violated civil rights law  and then for unclear reasons, dropped their investigation.

It was Hogans decision to cancel the Red Line. To give an idea of how insidious structural racism can be, as a matter of politics, consider that Hogan is considered one of the good guys among national Republican governors. He has a high approval rating in a blue state and is considering running for president in 2024. Hogan is also a Trump critic who advocates for a bigger-tent GOP that is inclusive and avoids divisive rhetoric.

But his budgetary treatment of Baltimore tells a very different story  one that is woven deeply into decades of discriminatory American policy.

In 1965, urban planners mapped routes for six rapid-transit lines that would radiate from downtown Baltimore to the suburban edges. But white suburbanites massively resisted both transit and open housing policies that would enable Blacks to move to their neighborhoods. As a result, Baltimore County grew whiter and Baltimore city blacker and more isolated from jobs and amenities. Plans for a comprehensive rail system remained a paper dream and only two transit lines were built.

What got built and where is telling. One of the lines is a light-rail route that largely serves whites in the northern reaches of the city and suburbs who wish to travel south to Baltimores tourist-centered Inner Harbor and the retro-style Camden Yards baseball stadium; it continues south to the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The other is a subway line that runs 15 miles northwest from Baltimore to Owings Mill though the line stops well short of that suburbs signature town center and shopping mall, rendering it not entirely effective for commuters. These two lines do not even connect to each other.

In 2002, Gov. Parris Glendening, an advocate of so-called smart growth which integrates transit and housing development, supported new planning for what would be called the Red Line. (The name is ironic for a proposed corridor in which the majority of residents are Black Americans living in historically segregated and redlined neighborhoods.)

The proposed 14-mile line included a 3.4-mile tunnel that would have allowed riders to glide under congested downtown streets where cars crawl at less than 12 mph at peak periods. Planners also proposed stops connecting to Amtrak and the regional MARC train routes, to create a comprehensive rail system. Baltimore was more than a century overdue for racial healing and the city was going to be united, at least physically, through transit.

The planning process did begin to repair trust and relations between the city and its Black neighborhoods and between those neighborhoods and predominantly white ones. Dozens of individuals, organizations and state and local government officials signed the Red Line Community Compact  a blueprint for ensuring that Baltimore residents and businesses participated in construction, that the Red Line improved the environment, and citizens had a voice in fostering community-centered development.

West Baltimore communities denuded of commerce were rezoned for mixed uses, anticipating new economic and civic activity around each station. Each proposed station had an advisory committee to help shape their neighborhoods renewal. Edmondson-Westside High School, for example, was going to train local adults and students to enter jobs in construction, maintenance and transit operations. One elder advocated for new trees to beautify their station. Citizens planted many ideas  the kind of civic roots, if allowed to grow, that might discourage violence in poor neighborhoods.

By 2015, all the needed planning, engineering, environmental and health impact assessments, financing and political compromise for the Red Line route had been completed. The state of Maryland had spent $288 million on planning and right-of-way acquisitions. The Maryland General Assembly had approved a gas-tax increase to fund the project and the state had committed to pay $1.2 billion from the State Transportation Trust Fund for the states share of construction costs. Maryland had applied for and won the $900 million New Starts grant from the federal government. Construction was set to begin later in 2015.

In Jan. 2015, Gov. Hogan took office. Less than six months later, in June 2015, he announced that the Red Line was canceled.

Hogan at his Jan. 2015 gubernatorial inauguration.

Hogan, founder of an eponymous commercial real estate business, was an established skeptic of transit rail, which he deemed too expensive, and a believer in highway asphalt. In his first bid for governor, he argued against light rail  which opposing suburbanites sometimes derided as loot rail  and strenuously advocated for roads. Rail, no; roads, yes  polar positions that helped to defeat Black Democrat, Anthony Brown.

As governor, Hogans decision to reallocate funds away from the Red Line came two months after the uprisings in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray after mistreatment by Baltimore police officers. The violence had put Baltimore at the center of national debates and protests about anti-Black policing and disinvestment in Black neighborhoods. But Hogan called those who vandalized "thugs," and complained aloud about the $20 million the state had to spend in response to the protests. He all but used this extra cost to further justify canceling the Red Line.

Hogan dismissed the project as "a wasteful boondoggle" and defended rescinding it because he oppose[d] wasteful and irresponsible spending on poorly conceived projects. The planned 3.4-mile tunnel provoked him the most. He viewed it as a costly indulgence, even though running the Red Line under the worst of Baltimore traffic in order to facilitate rapid transit was a central feature of a system designed to dramatically reduce commute times and ease downtown congestion for everyone.

He returned the $900 million selective federal grant for the project and reallocated all of the state money that had been earmarked for the Red Line's first construction phase  $736 million  to road projects in exurban and rural areas. In the end, not a single road or pothole in Baltimore would be paved with the money that had been set aside for the Red Line.

Yet not all light rail got the ax. Hogan did not cancel the Purple Line, which will open in 2022 and run through Prince Georges and Montgomery counties in wealthier suburbs of Washington and connect to D.C.'s Metro subway system.

The Purple Line and Hogans other budgetary priorities at the time of the Red Line cancellation suggest a pattern of favoring white communities over Black communities in the allocation of public funds. Upon taking office he declared that Baltimore was declining rather than improving, and cut $36 million from its schools budget, but approved $30 million to build a youth jail in the city  a breathtaking message signaling what Hogan thought of the city and its youth.

Hogan also cut or lowered tolls on suburban highways and bridges while Baltimoreans endured fare increases on buses, rail and commuter lines. He supported expensive road projects of dubious necessity in sparsely populated rural areas while not scheduling needed road projects for Baltimore.

For Black Baltimoreans and allies watching, the pattern of investing public funds in white areas and disinvesting from Black neighborhoods could not have been more obvious.

The racial injustice of these decisions mobilized civil rights groups. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a complaint with the federal Department of Transportation, arguing that whites received a 228 percent net increase in benefits from the Red Line cancellation and reallocation while Black Americans lost benefits at minus 124 percent and that this racial disparity violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VI is a key provision in U.S. civil rights law, one that holds decision-makers accountable for the effects of their decisions, not just their avowed rationale. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance and prohibited racial discrimination may be intentional or unintentional. Most critically, the result of allegedly neutral practices can have a disparate impact on a racial group, and Title VI, as implemented in federal regulations, renders that illegal.

The iconic distressed neighborhoods of East and West Baltimore along the proposed corridor of the Red Line, on average, were 80 percent Black, 30 percent poor and 65 percent female-headed. Forty-four percent of residents along the planned corridor did not own a car. Fewer than 2 percent of jobs in Baltimore are located in Black neighborhoods along the proposed Red Line corridor. For carless residents of those neighborhoods, without the Red Line, commuting to the job-rich parts of the Baltimore region is a nightmare.

In this March 20, 2018 photo, student Imani Holt walks to a bus stop after school at Excel Academy in Baltimore.

The lives of carless single Black mothers who needed to get children to school and themselves to work were made incredibly difficult by a maddeningly slow MTA bus system in which a 20-minute car commute would stretch to 90 minutes on the bus. With the Red Line canceled, they lost the opportunity for nearly halving their commute times, for gaining a projected 10,000 new jobs in Baltimore that Black residents might apply for, and for spurring renewal and transit-oriented development in chronically disinvested Black neighborhoods. Lost, too, was the possibility of reducing air pollution for the city with the poorest air quality and highest rates of pediatric asthma in the state.

The Obama administration's Department of Transportation opened an investigation on the assertions that appear in the Legal Defense Funds complaint and a similar one filed by Baltimore transit activists. But the Trump administration closed the investigation without making any findings. In lieu of an investigation of the joined complaints, it said it would conduct a comprehensive review of Marylands transportation programs for compliance with Title VI.

The Georgetown Law Civil Rights Clinic sought to find out whether the Transportation Department followed through with that investigation. In January of this year, the Clinic filed freedom of information statutory requests with both the Maryland Department of Transportation and the federal Transportation Department. The Trump administration has yet to release any material in response to the Freedom of Information Act request, citing the Covid-19 pandemic for the delay, but this spring, MDOT disclosed a trove of documents and emails that my dedicated research assistant and I recently perused.

Most telling were email communications between U.S. and Maryland officials in 2018. Federal officials had opened a Corrective Action and informed MDOT that it had to conduct a comprehensive Title VI analysis of its transportation spending. They rejected MDOTs initial response, saying it had simply provided a conclusion that disparate impacts did not exist, which was insufficient evidence of compliance with Title VI. MDOT tried again; in a subsequent email it claimed that there was no disparate impact violation because large amounts of both State and federal funded investments in transit and other transportation modes closely correlated with the Census tracts with higher minority population.

In its answer, MDOT did not quantify what these large amounts were, for what projects or which minority communities allegedly benefited. It referred to funding formulas and maps provided in its previous, rejected explanation and offered a link to a previously published 565-page consolidated report that catalogued where transportation funds were allocated in given years. Those reports do not mention race at all. They were not designed to, and did not, assess racial equity.

Perhaps it is true, as MDOT claimed in its emails, that minority census tracts were near road projects in outlying areas and ostensibly benefited from those road investments and that the Washington and Baltimore regions, where many minorities live, received large amounts of transportation funds. It is also possible the alleged large amounts do not make up the difference from the cancellation of the Red Line. But we dont know, because the Trump administration officials accepted MDOTs answer at face value and closed the corrective action without any explanation of its reasoning.

In other words, the Trump and Hogan administrations never gave a considered response to the Title VI petitioners core claim: that in canceling the Red Line and reallocating its funds to other projects, Hogan and Maryland favored white areas to the detriment of Black citizens. The citizens and communities that toiled for more than a decade planning the Red Line, building trust and a multiracial coalition for renewal, deserved a published, reasoned answer that could be reviewed by a federal court to determine if the agencys logic was arbitrary or evaded the demands of Title VI. There was no opportunity, in short, for any public accountability.

Two years after rescinding the Red Line, Hogan did offer Baltimore a consolation project, $135 million for BaltimoreLink, an ostensibly revamped bus system. It was hardly a substitute, though, for the $2.9 billion unified rail system that was first envisioned in 1965. Though Hogan claimed the new bus system would be transformative, angry riders complained that commutes worsened as bus lines were eliminated.

Baltimore's iconic row houses sit behind a man waiting at a bus stop. In the distance, the downtown skyline looms.

The same year Hogan canceled the Red Line, Baltimore ranked last in the nation on Harvard economist Raj Chetty's rankings for social mobility of poor children.

This is what structural racism looks like and it is a product of public policy. For decades, governments have spent public funds disproportionately on white communities, particularly those that have more than enough, while excluding Black communities and Black people from government investments  in mortgages, education, infrastructure and other services.

One epochal example that shaped segregation in the Baltimore region and everywhere else African Americans in the Great Migration landed: The Federal Housing Administration invented the 30-year mortgage to bring homeownership to the white masses. Under this New Deal policy created by Democrats, from 1934 to 1962 whites received 98 percent of government-insured loans. Blacks were intentionally cut out of Americas signature wealth-building policy and the suburban American dream. This explains why today, for every dollar of wealth held by a typical white family, a typical black family holds 8 cents.

After a century of redlining, urban Negro Removal, intentionally concentrating poor Black Americans in segregated housing, disinvestment, foreclosures and predation, without an insistent effort to disrupt a legacy of plunder, the modern descendants of slavery in Baltimore cannot thrive. Black Democrats are not immune to the zero-sum politics of segregation. Despite being governed by a series of Black mayors, a recent equity analysis revealed that Baltimore neighborhoods that are less than half Black received nearly four times more the investment than neighborhoods that are overwhelmingly Black.

`

Education is supposed to be a ladder of social mobility, but education remains separate and unequal in America. Hogan recently vetoed a bill known as the Blueprint for Marylands Future that would have been a down payment on recommendations to transform Maryland public education from mediocre to world-class  recommendations from a commission, known as the Kirwan Commission, that Hogan himself helped set up.

According to Marylands Department of Legislative Services, Baltimore City Schools are underfunded by $342 million annually, causing Charm Citys children to endure among the highest student-to-teacher ratios in the state. All told, the Kirwan Commissions proposals, after a 10-year phase-in, were estimated to cost $4 billion annually. Last year, Hogan condemned the Kirwan proposals, dubiously claiming the plan would demand $6,000 in taxes from every Maryland family. Then the Covid-19 pandemic gave him a blunt fiscal defense for his veto.

The damage from Covid-19 extends far beyond the educational system, also wreaking havoc on Marylands economy and government tax revenues and laying bare the effects of structural inequality on Black lives. Black Americans die from the virus at higher rates than whites while having less access to health care. And now half of Black adults are unemployed.

As the pandemic shreds budgets, there is a serious risk that state investment in elites and preying on Black people for fees and revenue will worsen.

Repair or reparation of racial inequality in Baltimore would include funding the Red Line, the proposals of the Kirwan Commission and other possibilities. Yes, in Baltimore and elsewhere resources should be reallocated from policing to redress perennial defunding of Black communities. Other systemic work is also required, including encouraging rather than discouraging integrated schools and neighborhoods that offer opportunity to all.

But heres the crux: Dismantling unjust budgetary habits and reducing systemic racism will require sacrifices from white communities that have disproportionately benefited from these policies for decades. In a revolutionary moment where 96 percent of Americans are acknowledging that Black Americans face discrimination, are we finally ready to readjust our spending priorities?

If so, Baltimores Red Line would be a good place to start.
Mumbai July 18 : Comedian Kapil Sharma has resumed shooting for his popular comedy show after spending 125 days at home owing to the lockdown.

Taking to Instagram Stories, Kapil posted a few videos of his co-stars arriving at the sets od "The Kapil Sharma Show", amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Taking all precautions. #Staysafe #Staysanitised,"Kapil captioned one of the videos, featuring Sumona Chakravarti.

In another clip, we can see comedian Bharti Singh being sanitised while entering the shooting premises. Her body temperature was also tested.

The actors happily cooperated with the staff. Bharti even broke into a jig while the security staff sanitised her.

Reportedly, actor Sonu Sood will be the first celebrity to shoot for Kapil's show amid pandemic.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
All unruly passengers who violate protocols at the airports, including dignitaries will be persecuted, the Federal Government has said.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 read the riot act through the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika at the PTF bi-weekly briefing.

Sirika said the Federal Government will ensure the prosecution of such persons.

The Minister also confirmed that investigations are ongoing over alleged cases of breach of airport protocol by some prominent Nigerians.

In a similar vein, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has asked all very important personalities to obey all COVID-19 protocols at the nations airports or risk being denied access to any of its facilities.

FAAN also insisted that Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State and former Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State flouted the guidelines in place for passenger facilitation at the Port Harcourt and Kano airports, respectively.

Below is the full statement by FAAN as published on its Twitter handle.

PUBLIC STATEMENT

1. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) notes with dismay, two acts of infractions on the rules and guidelines for air passengers and airport users. The first incident occurred on Saturday, July 11, 2020, at the Aminu Kano International Airport,  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) July 17, 2020

3. arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport, in company of eight other passengers. He also fragrantly refused to observe the airport security and port health protocols.  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) July 17, 2020

5. We are merely implimenting our standard operating procedures (SOPs) to assure the success of our Security and Public health Protocols. The protocols flouted by both personalities were duly approved by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) July 17, 2020

7. and no person, no matter how highly placed, is exempted from them, else he would be denied access to our facilities. FAAN wishes to restate the need for all air travelers to strictly adhere to the security, Public health and operational protocols put in place to make  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) July 17, 2020

9. by projecting good conduct, and protecting public safety. FAAN will continue to enforce the protocols, and advise all air travelers to adhere strictly to same.  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) July 17, 2020
Over one year after his inauguration, the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, is yet to appoint a substantive commissioner for education in the state.

Mr Abiodun, who emerged the winner in the 2019 governorship contest, was inaugurated on May 27, 2019. However, it took him eight months before he named his cabinet members.

The 19-member list was released in December, after criticisms from residents of the state.

Amongst the commissioners listed ahead of the swear-in ceremony in January was Sidi Osho, a professor of food technology and former Vice Chancellor at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD).

She had served as the special adviser to the governor on higher education before the appointment. She was appointed to head the ministry of education but that did not materialise.

What happened?

Mrs Osho was the only commissioner who was not sworn in in January, in spite of the fact that she had been screened and cleared by the states House of Assembly.

Sources in the state government told PREMIUM TIMES that, prior to the clearance, she encountered some challenges at the screening, owing to her dismissal while a lecturer at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and some other allegations.

Before the screening, some concerned parties had expressed concerns regarding the fuss the appointment would cause because the letter of her dismissal had gone viral.

Nevertheless, she currently maintains the office of the special adviser overseeing education and has been representing the governor at public events.

Dismissal

While teaching at OOU in 2009, Mrs Osho proceeded on a two-year sabbatical leave, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Meanwhile, during the period of the leave, she was appointed as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of ABUAD in 2010 and was promoted to the professorial cadre in 2012.

She served as ABUAD Vice Chancellor until 2014  years after the leave had reportedly expired.

Multiple sources noted that she attempted extending the leave granted at OOU by two years, but failed.

Upon resuming back to her office in OOU, she was accused of staying off duty without approval, as well as maladministration.

Consequently, in 2016, Mrs Osho was dismissed for unethical and gross misconduct by the authorities of the university.

In the letter dated April 13, 2016 and with the reference number OOU/ACA/P.1200/237, the university communicated the dismissal to Mrs Osho, who was at that time, a lecturer in the department of Home Science and Hospitality Management.

Council, at the 182nd meeting held on Tuesday, 8th March, 2016, considered the report of allegations of gross misconduct leveled against you, which was duly Investigated by the Staff Professional Ethics and Discipline Committee (SPEDC) and submitted a report through the Appointment and Promotion Committee (A&PC) to the council.

In considering the recommendation before it, council viewed your actions as unethical and a gross misconduct which is contrary to the University Rules and Regulations and the conditions stated in your letter of appointment.

Council, therefore, in line with the earlier recommendations of the Staff Professional Ethics and Discipline Committee (SPEDC) and in accordance to the extant Code of Conduct approved that you should be DISMISSED from the service of the University from effect on March 8, 2016, the letter read.

Mrs Osho declined comments on the issue when PREMIUM TIMES reached out to her on Friday.

In fact, when our reporter probed further, Mrs Osho threatened a legal action, stating that she has a right to her private life.

I can decide not to talk. I have a right to my private life, she repeatedly said.

Nonetheless, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Communications, Remmy Hassan, confirmed that Mrs Oshos appointment was stalled because of the dismissal.

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He however hinted that while she is still in office, there is an internal mechanism looking into the dismissal as well as other allegations concerning her appointment.

She is still around the corridor of government because she is still the Special Adviser on Higher education. If, after the outcome of the investigation, the governor feels she is still fit, she would be appointed and if otherwise, the governor will find a replacement, he told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

Students kick

Some students in the state have called on Mr Abiodun to urgently appoint a substantive commissioner for education, lamenting that the vacuum in the ministry has been responsible for the underdevelopment of the education sector in the state.

The students stated this in a statement, jointly signed by the National President of the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), Oluwagbemileke Ogunrombi, and the state chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Tomiwa Bamgbose, in Abeokuta on Thursday.

They maintained that no serious government, which genuinely desires results and development in the education sector, would leave the education ministry without a substantive leadership.

Education, as one of the most important sectors in the State deserves all the attention it needs from the government. The vacuum in the leadership of the Ministry of Education as a result of the vacant post of a Commissioner has no doubt adversely affected the development (of) the sector.

Since Professor Sidi Osho was dropped as the Commissioner for Education, the Governor has refused to make an appointment into the Ministry and this has no doubt slow(ed) down the development of the sector.

The Ministry deserves a qualified, experienced and committed professional with track records of unprecedented achievements both in the public and private sectors, the statement read.

Reacting to the concerns raised by the student groups, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin told PREMIUM TIMES that he has no inkling about when an education commissioner would be appointed.

I have not been briefed by the governor, he said in a telephone interview with our reporter.
When Autumn Lee, a pre-med junior at the University of New Mexico, needs to download lectures or class assignments, she hops in her car and drives 45 minutes to the McDonalds nearest to her town of Sanders, Ariz., to connect to reliable Wi-Fi from her car. After the university sent students home because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ms. Lee grew frustrated with what she said is expensive and data-restricted internet service in Sanders, an unincorporated village of fewer than 1,000 people in eastern Arizona. Relying on her smartphone data plan wasnt much of an alternative. It took one or two hours to watch a 20-minute lecture, she said. I just got so frustrated, I figured there had to be another way. So she made the 40-mile trek several times each week  and shell likely have to keep doing it now that the school has canceled nearly all in-person classes for the fall.

Like Ms. Lee, many other Americans sheltering from Covid-19 are discovering the limitations of the countrys cobbled-together broadband service. Schooling, jobs, government services, medical care and child care that once were performed in person have been turned over to the web, exposing a deep rift between the broadband haves and have-nots.

Those rifts are poised to turn into chasms, as the global pandemic threatens another year of in-person schooling for American children. Large public-school districts like Los Angeles and Prince Georges County in Maryland, as well as a variety of colleges and universities, from Hampton to Harvard to Scripps, have canceled in-school instruction at the start of the coming year. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced rules that would require the vast majority of schools in California to begin the year remotely, meaning millions of pupils will need a reliable internet connection throughout the day for instruction. Additional districts that are going online only at the start of the year include Nashville, Houston and Atlanta.

Other districts will surely follow, as the raging contagion in their communities gives them little alternative. An adequate connection is no longer a matter of convenience; it is a necessity for anyone wishing to participate in civil society.
Surveillance video showed the officer putting his knee on the mans head and neck twice while he was being restrained.

A Pennsylvania police officer was justified when he pressed his knee into an intoxicated mans head while restraining him outside a hospital, a prosecutor said Friday after reviewing an incident that was caught on video and generated allegations of police brutality.

The officer and a second police officer used reasonable force to restrain the man, who was agitated, acting erratically and posing a danger to himself and others, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said.

I have concluded that there is absolutely no evidence to support filing criminal charges against either of the Allentown police officers involved in this incident, Martin said in a news release.

The officers will not face discipline, Police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr said in a separate statement.

The individual stumbled into the street, and based on a duty of care, officers took action to remove the individual from danger and provide him with medical assistance, he said.

Protesters march past the police department in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Monday, July 13, 2020, to demand accountability from police after video emerged of an officer placing his knee on a mans head and neck area outside a hospital [AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam]

Surveillance video of the July 11 incident, released this week by Allentown police, showed the unnamed officer putting his knee on the mans head and neck area twice while he was being restrained a few steps from the emergency room entrance  the first time for eight seconds, the second for 20 seconds.

Police identified the man as Edward Borrero Jr, 37, of Allentown. He was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Borrero, who has yet to enter a plea, could not immediately be located for comment.

In the soundless, 9:38 surveillance video, the man can be seen staggering on the street and sidewalk, vomiting several times and stopping in the driveway of the ER of the Sacred Heart Campus of St Lukes Hospital.

Mr. Borrero began pointing aggressively toward a St Lukes security officer who was walking toward him with a vomit bag, Martin said. He said officers on the scene concluded that his actions were aggressive and they determined that they needed to detain him for his own safety as well as for the safety of themselves and others, including medical personnel. They intended to place him into detention so that he could be taken into the hospital.

Police approached Borrero and attempted to place him into handcuffs, and he appeared to resist, according to the video. One of the officers swept the mans leg to bring him to the ground. Shortly after, the other officer put his knee on the mans head and neck.

Activists against police brutality marched in downtown Allentown in the wake of the incident, demanding the officer be fired and face criminal charges and asserting that police violated their own policy against neck restraints.

But Martin said the officer put his knee on Borreros head, not his neck, so as to safely, efficiently and effectively keep him from moving his body to avoid being handcuffed and placed into custody.

He said the officer briefly put his knee back on Borreros head because Borrero was spitting at the officers.

Activists accused Martin of mischaracterising what happened, insisting the officer put his knee on the mans neck.

Were pretty angry about his decision, but were not surprised because its not an election year and we didnt expect him to side with the people of Allentown, said Maegan Llerena of Make the Road Pennsylvania, an advocacy group. At this point, he had no reason or motivation to stand by the people who are outraged by this.

The videotaped incident occurred nearly seven weeks after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, for nearly eight minutes. Floyds death in police custody sparked global protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
The recent orders were all unsigned. In only two of them was it plain that the vote was 5 to 4. But it seemed clear that the courts Republican appointees were in the majority in all of them.

The cases often turned on a seemingly neutral question, one that election law scholars call the Purcell principle, after a 2006 decision, Purcell v. Gonzalez, that said courts should not change the status quo too close to an election. But just what counts as the status quo is often contested.

In April, the majority relied on that principle to say that a federal judge in Wisconsin should not have extended the deadline for some absentee voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The vote was 5 to 4, and it split along the usual lines.

Extending the date by which ballots may be cast by voters  not just received by the municipal clerks, but cast by voters  for an additional six days after the scheduled Election Day fundamentally alters the nature of the election, the unsigned opinion said.

In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote that the courts order, I fear, will result in massive disenfranchisement.

She said the majority had put voters in Wisconsin to an unacceptable choice.

Either they will have to brave the polls, endangering their own and others safety, Justice Ginsburg wrote. Or they will lose their right to vote, through no fault of their own. That is a matter of utmost importance  to the constitutional rights of Wisconsins citizens, the integrity of the states election process, and in this most extraordinary time, the health of the nation.
Every 10 years, the people are counted. Every 10 years, states use that tally to decide how American democracy will represent them under the Constitution. Door-to-door interviews for the 2020 Census began this month. Redrawn congressional maps will soon follow. And since the Supreme Court refuses to umpire the gerrymander game, state lawmakers will embrace the usual partisan manipulation that accompanies redistricting. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court last year in Rucho v. Common Cause, acknowledged that drawing districts to assure a party's advantage was "incompatible with democratic principles," but he concluded that the practice presented "political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts."

They're not beyond the reach of the House of Representatives, though. The most direct path to resolving the perpetual challenge of gerrymandering lies with the House. Quite simply, it can refuse to seat a state delegation achieved through excessive gerrymandering. It has that power. And it can use it to create a process that would prevent hyperpartisanship in setting congressional district lines.

The Supreme Court rued excessively partisan district boundaries and applauded other approaches to dealing with them, including state court actions and independent districting commissions, which exist some states. But since the legislatures involved in these approaches are so often gerrymandered themselves, the problem remains thorny. That's why the House should lead the way. The integrity of the House is the responsibility of the House; gerrymandered delegations place that integrity in doubt.

Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution says that "each House shall be the judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members." This authority has rarely been used to exclude individuals chosen under dubious electoral circumstances, but it has potential. (In the 19th century, more than two dozen winning candidates in Southern states were denied seats because the House found evidence of intimidation of black voters or unconstitutional state election laws.) The power does not require statutory action involving the Senate or executive branch. And so the House, acting on its own, can design a process that governs the most egregious, anti-democratic distortions produced by gerrymandering - rejecting such delegations as failing to meet the qualifications for service.

The constitutional underpinning for this approach is sound. James Madison's reports on the Constitutional Convention make clear the framers' distinction between the election of senators, who before 1913 were chosen by state legislatures, and the election of representatives by "the People of the several States." States are the constitutional units of the federal union; political districts within states are drawn to tether individual officeholders to geographic sets of people. In the republic's early decades, congressional delegations were elected on a statewide basis, confirming that the statewide electorate is the basic constitutional constituency. Only after 1842 did Congress require states to conduct elections of single members in defined districts. Unfortunately, the virtuous effort to tie representatives more closely to voters in specific areas gave state legislators the opportunity to shape districts with an eye to partisan advantage.

Therein lies the genesis of gerrymandering. In many cases, districts are constructed with no regard to the statewide electoral balance; the clear aim is to maximize seats held by the party controlling the districting process. To gauge how far gerrymandering has skewed elections, it is reasonable to compare the divergence between the number of districts won by each party and its share of the statewide vote. Sharp disparities between the statewide electoral results (the constitutional constituency) and the allocation of congressional seats within the state invite scrutiny. Even in a gerrymandered district, constituent opinion may be fluid enough over time to frustrate the gerrymander and bring the party balance more in line with the statewide results. But to control gerrymandering - even better to deter it - there needs to be a mechanism to assess districts and whether those who designed them intended to distort the will of the statewide constituency.

Claims of partisan gerrymandering "rest on an instinct that groups with a certain level of political support should enjoy a commensurate level of political power and influence," Roberts wrote in Rucho, but "the Constitution does not require proportional representation." Still, the chief justice's acknowledgment of the dissonance between gerrymandering and constitutional values argues against ignoring manipulation of the redistricting process. And it argues for attention to the statewide results as a context, not a rigid standard, for evaluating whether district lines are reasonably drawn.

Even if states allocated House seats on the basis of the share of the statewide vote won by each party, analysis of the 2018 midterm voting reveals that the overall party balance in the House would shift very little. What would change would be the composition of a number of state delegations, with competition increasing. Broadly speaking, Republicans would gain in states including Maryland and California, and Democrats would gain in such states as North Carolina and Texas. Both parties would stand to hold their own while diversifying their bases across the country - a positive development for a pluralistic society.

Certainly, some divergence between party balance in a particular district and the overall statewide party balance is to be expected, otherwise there would be less latitude for political competition. But a district tally that strays radically from the broad statewide measure is suspect. Take North Carolina: In the 2018 elections, Republicans won 50% of the statewide vote for House members and Democrats 48%, but those who drew the district maps had openly declared that they did so to assure that the GOP would hold 10 of the state's 13 seats. It did.

At the core of Roberts's opinion is the concern that courts have no workable standard to judge how much divergence between statewide and district-level party votes is too much. Yet the court recognizes that the question is one of degree, a task of "determining when political gerrymandering has gone too far." The House could equip itself to make such judgments. It could, for example, establish an independent advisory body to analyze state districting plans and report on any that embody intentional, excessive partisan exploitation. The independent commissions already established in several states could provide a model. Since this board would assess districts drawn by states, not draw districts itself, it need not be large - perhaps five members, selected from outside Congress, with two chosen by each of the parties in the House and a nonpartisan chairman. The chairman might be selected by those four members or designated in some other appropriate manner - chosen, say, by the librarian of Congress or the director of the Congressional Research Service. The CRS, known for scrupulous nonpartisanship, might also provide support staff.

However the board is constituted, its mandate would be to identify districting plans that reflect deliberate attempts to shape electoral maps in favor of one party over another. Though it declined to intervene, the Supreme Court said in Rucho that the North Carolina and Maryland cases involved "blatant examples of partisanship driving districting decisions." Roberts highlighted and praisedactions in Florida, Missouri, Iowa and Delaware to prohibit political favoritism in redistricting. In her powerful dissent, Justice Elena Kagan stressed the feasibility of applying estimates of intent, effects and causation to evaluate whether districting plans go beyond reasonable political ranges. An advisory board to the House would undoubtedly find gray zones and marginal cases, but it should have little trouble spotting the worst, most anti-democratic maps.

Once the board reported such maps, the procedure should require a prompt House vote to confirm or reject the disqualification of a delegation as too gerrymandered for service in Congress. New district maps based on the new census data are required before the 2022 election - and under this process, the board would review them as soon as they became available. A key objective would be to signal to states tempted to gerrymander that their representatives would be challenged and possibly rejected. That should make states wary of abusing their redistricting power. It may even encourage more states to create their own independent commissions, since legislatures are especially prone to gerrymandering.

Disqualified delegations may well challenge a refusal to seat them. But there are strong arguments for judicial deference to a verdict reached by the House: First, the House's Article I power to judge the qualifications of its members is explicit; second, the Supreme Court's insistence in Rucho that gerrymanding is beyond the reach of federal courts foretells a reluctance to second-guess a political remedy. In the exceptional circumstances that would be involved, precedent argues for the House's authority to exclude delegations compromised by demonstrable gerrymanders. This prospect would give states incentive to avoid risky redistricting.

A bipartisan House group - 19 current and 21 former representatives - filed a persuasive amicus brief in the Rucho case, suggesting that there could be a basis for a coalition to advance the kind of plan sketched here. Even a brief by beneficiaries of gerrymandering (members of the North Carolina delegation) stressed that Congress has the power to deal with the problem, though it did not consider possible action by the House alone.

Politics is not hygienic. But gerrymandering is a chronic infection, and polls show that strong majorities believe it should be treated. If Congress is to deserve the trust of the American people, it behooves the "People's House" - the chamber created to be closest to the voters - to vaccinate itself.

---

Hamilton, D-Ind., and Cohen, R-Maine, are former members of the House of Representatives. Frye is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
The founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President Jerry John Rawlings, has urged Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang not to deviate from her principles of integrity.



He said it was Prof. Opoku-Agyemangs integrity that made her to be chosen as the running mate to the NDC flagbearer, Mr John Dramani Mahama, and urged her to hold on to that integrity.



Former President Rawlings said that last Thursday when Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was officially introduced to him at his office by former President Mahama.



The other party executives present included the General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia; the National Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and party Vice Chairman, Mr Kofi Attoh.



Former President Rawlings said it was not the size of her accounts that made her the choice but her integrity and values.



Moreover, he said, it was good she was coming on board through the right door and not the back door.



He advised her to share her thoughts and values with them so that people would wake up to her values.



Other candidates



Former President Rawlings said although he had other candidates in mind as possible running mate to Mr Mahama, he (Rawlings) did not object to her selection when it emerged she was the favourite among the shortlisted candidates.



If this was the case then there was no reason to stand against it even though I had a few others in mind, the former President said.



Congratulations!



Former President Rawlings congratulated Prof. Opoku- Agyemang on her selection as running mate.



Prior to the announcement, he said, former President Mahama informed him about her selection following consultations with the party hierarchy and she being the favourite of the shortlisted candidates.



Former President Rawlings also urged Ghanaians to go out to register towards the December Presidential and Parliamentary elections.



He called on political parties to desist from activities that would create civil unrest.



Credentials



In introducing his running mate to former President Rawlings, Mr Mahama expressed appreciation to former President Rawlings for the collaboration in the choice of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang as his running mate.



He described Prof. Opoku- Agyemang as having the credentials worthy of her selection.



He mentioned some of her achievements as the first female Vice Chancellor of a Ghanaian university and her significant contribution to the educational sector during her tenure as the Minister of Education such as the free school sandals, free school uniforms, the initiation of the E-Block schools.



The General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was a very good choice.



He said the running mate was outstanding and that he was confident the party would win the upcoming elections.



He said the selection of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang went to prove internationally that the NDC stood for the promotion of youth and women empowerment.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Buses carrying students to school and residents to work soon could be fully electric, but the state needs cities and towns to help.

The state of Connecticut signed a memorandum of understanding this week to accellerate changing its larger vehicle fleet to electric.

Under the agreement, 30 percent of all new medium and heavy-duty vehicles would be zero-emission vehicles by 2030, and 100 percent by 2050. This includes large pickup trucks and vans, delivery trucks, big-rigs, box trucks, as well as school and transit buses.

Autumn Driscoll / Autumn Driscoll

This effort is part of the states larger emission target to move greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent below 2001 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below by 2050.

To meet this, the state will have to rely on municipalities, where the school bus decisions are made. School districts, meanwhile, are faced with uncertainties about these new bus models, existing contracts, higher costs to purchase the buses and needed infrastructure improvements, which could slow the switch.

The transportation sector is responsible for about 40 percent of Connecticuts greenhouse gas emissions and about 70 percent of smog-forming air pollution in Connecticut as well, said Tony Russell, a spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protections. Reducing emissions from this sector is vital to meeting clean air and climate goals.

Buses make up about 0.4 percent of all on-road vehicles in Connecticut, but account for 1.39 percent of NOx emissions, 1.53 percent of all PM2.5 emissions and 0.51 percent of greenhouse gas emissions  the major air pollution metrics.

These emissions are harmful to peoples health. Poor air quality exacerbates acute and chronic respiratory problems, such as asthma.

In Connecticut, as in other states, our most vulnerable residents are hit hardest by the health effects of air pollution, including asthma and other respiratory ailments, Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. I am looking forward to working with our partners through this agreement to leverage private sector ingenuity with smart public policy to transition to zero-emission vehicles.

School buses

Brian Gioiele /

Thomas McMorran, superintendent of schools for Easton, Redding and Region 9, said he can see the benefits of the move but he has questions.

A move to electric buses makes sense for the environment, McMorran said. Even with new diesel engines, we are still running many hundreds of miles twice a day.

He believes the big bus companies, like All-Star Transportation, Dattco and First Student, which his districts use, probably would have to decide to change their fleet first.

The question is the reliability of the new products, he said. Once they have been field tested, I think more districts will be willing to try them.

This would have to include a variety of circumstances, such as Connecticut winters.

We know that the traditional bus can operate in snowy afternoons when we have dismissed the schools early as a storm runs in, McMorran said. I am not informed about the way an electric vehicle would perform in adverse situations.

New Fairfield, which also uses First Student, said it hasnt investigated electric buses. The district still has four years remaining in its contract with all of the vehicles being powered by gas or diesel.

Rich Sanzo, the districts director of business and operations, said the district would have to decide and, if interested, would have to specify it in a request for proposals.

Region 12 is also in the middle of a contract for diesel buses with All Star Transportation and so hasnt considered electric vehicles. Any decision would be made with the company while negotiating the next contract, Superintendent Megan Bennett said.

We would consider any option that would have a favorable environmental impact, she said. We would need to evaluate the feasibility of electric vehicles against the unique geography of our region with respect to distance and time of our transportation routes and cost.

Region 12 is made up of Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington. Though each town has its own elementary school, all three feed into Shepaug Valley School for sixth through 12th grades.

If electric does seem like a viable option, McMorran sees the potential of expanding the districts transportation program, especially at the high school level where this could mean more school-to-work experience programs and field learning opportunities.

On the upside, if our vehicles were electric, and therefore not emitting exhaust, I wonder if districts could explore more of a Uber or Lyft arrangement where buses are routed only to the students who need them, and perhaps would be able to keep looping all day, so high schoolers could be transported to and from school more than twice a day, he said.

Companies making the switch

Blue Bird, one of the main school bus companies, published case studies this month that examined its use of electric buses in West Fargo, N.D., and Tacoma, Wash.

Both districts received grants for their buses and said that while they were more expensive, the fuel and maintenance savings made up for it and the per mileage costs went down, according to the study. The West Fargo district said it was able to go 100 miles between charges.

Blue Bird has sold more than 200 electric school buses in 13 states since introducing it in 2018. None of these sales have been in Connecticut, though the company has buses in more than 50 districts throughout the state, said Albert Burleigh, Blue Birds regional executive director.

We would be thrilled to be a part of the Connecticut market, and are ready to help anyone who is interested in making the switch, he said.

The decision to switch to electric would have to come from the district or the contractor serving the district, Burleigh said.

He said the biggest challenges are implementing the infrastructure and finding funding, but the company works with the districts to address both through its Electric Road Map. This includes finding grants. The company also helps create a routing plan.

Electric buses generally cost three times as much as a diesel bus, but recoup the amount in fuel and maintenance savings, according to the case study.

Burleigh said, in addition to the economic and environmental benefits of the zero emissions, the buses are quieter, reducing neighborhood noise pollution and helping the driver hear the students better.

Connecticut moving forward

There has already been some progress in the public transportation sector where the state owns or oversees a fleet of 1,250 heavy-duty and medium-duty buses.

In January, DOT announced it was starting two electric bus pilot programs.

This includes buying five electric buses and the corresponding charging infrastructure for the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority in January for $6.9 million, using a mix of federal grants and state money. The two buses included in this phase of the project were expected to arrive this spring with the other three coming next year.

The state is also buying 12 electric buses and charging infrastructure for CTtransits New Haven and Stamford service areas for $15.1 million, using a mix of federal grants, state funds and the 2018 Volkswagen settlement money. The bid is expected to be awarded this winter with the buses being delivered next year.

DEEP also offers grants to help purchase electric buses.

Officials recognize fully transitioning the states public buses to electric will be gradual, based on funding and improvements to the electric vehicle technology.

This weeks memorandum is expected to encourage progress in both areas by creating an action plan and framework for all participating states. The entire Northeast, Maryland, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii and Washington D.C. have signed on.

By working together with 14 other states and Washington, D.C., we are sending a signal that will drive investment in cleaner, cheaper transportation solutions that will improve both our economy and our environment as we work together for clean air, clean energy and clean transportation, DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in a statement.

kkoerting@newstimes.com
Three members of a family, including a father-son duo, from Shahdara were arrested late Friday night for allegedly thrashing a Delhi police constable who asked them to return to their house and follow social distancing. The constable was on patrol duty in the area. Senior officers said two of the arrested men also have a previous criminal record of molestation and assault. A fourth family member who was also involved in the altercation fled, police said.

According to the police, around 9pm Friday, constable Pradeep was on duty with head constable Akash (both known only by their first names). A senior police officer said that when the two policemen neared the rear of Rahman building in Shahdara, they noticed that a group of people gathered there.

Constable Pradeep asked the group the reason for gathering and requested them to disperse. Because head constable Akash was still a few paces behind Pradeep, the group of men ignored him. When Pradeep threatened them with legal action, they started abusing him. Some of the men surrounded and thrashed him. They even tore his uniform, the officer said.

Akash jumped into the fray and both of them nabbed three of the group, while one fled. We identified the men caught as Arun Singh, a driver, his father Raghuvir Ram and uncle Ram Pal. Aruns brother Vishal Singh, also a driver, ran from the spot and efforts to arrest him are underway, the officer said.

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John Lewis, who went from being the youngest leader of the 1963 March on Washington to a long-serving congressman from Georgia and icon of the civil rights movement, died Friday. He was 80.

In December 2019, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

As a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis was a committed participant in some of the key moments of the movement  an original Freedom Rider in 1961, a principal speaker at the March on Washington in 1963, one of those brutally clubbed during a 1965 march in Selma, Ala. Through it all, he faced taunts, beatings and dozens of arrests.

In the face of what John considered the evils of segregation, he was fearless, said longtime SNCC activist Courtland Cox.

By his middle years, he was in Congress and sometimes referred to it as its conscience.

Tributes poured in late Friday night from across the political spectrum, with Democrats and Republicans offering condolences on Lewis passing.

Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history: Congressman John Lewis, the Conscience of the Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late Friday.

In 2009, he was a witness to the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African American president.

Generations from now, Obama said when awarding him a Medal of Freedom in 2011, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind  an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time; whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now."

In 2017, he came under attack from Obamas successor, Donald Trump. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results, Trump tweeted of Lewis as the two traded insults. Lewis subsequently invoked Trump to encourage his admirers: Do not get lost in a sea of despair, he tweeted in June 2018. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.

Story continues

Through it all, the son of the deeply segregated Deep South had an outsize impact on public life.

John Robert Lewis was born in Troy, Alabama, on Feb. 21, 1940, one of 10 children of Eddie and Willie Mae Lewis. According to March, his three-part autobiography in graphic novel form, he dreamed from a young age of being a preacher. He was in charge of taking care of his familys chickens and would practice sermons on them: I preached to my chickens just about every night.

His early years predated the big burst of activism that would begin in the mid 1950s. Growing up in rural Alabama, he wrote in March, my parents knew it could be dangerous to make any waves. Even after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, nothing much changed in his rural community.

As a teen, Lewis met both Rosa Parks and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1957, he went to the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, where he connected with some of the people who would become leading lights of the civil rights movement: Diane Nash, James Bevel, Jim Lawson, Bernard Lafayette and C.T. Vivian. (Vivian died earlier Friday at the age of 95.)

By the fall of 58, my eyes were opening in many ways, he wrote in Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement, his 1998 memoir. Lewis would help launch SNCC, an organization founded as an offshoot of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference led by King and dedicated to the principles of nonviolence.

The movement had begun to blossom. It took a further step forward with the first sit-in in Greensboro, N.C., at a lunch counter at a Woolworths in February 1960. The Nashville activists were soon emulating the tactic, starting with lunch counters and moving on other establishments, such as movie theaters. During one sit-in, a restaurant owner turned a fumigating machine on Lewis and Bevel and left. Were we not human to him? Lewis wondered.

What we found, as we pushed our protests deeper into the heart of segregated society, Lewis wrote in March, was that our nonviolent actions were met with increasingly more violent responses.

In May 1961, Lewis headed south with the first Freedom Riders, an integrated group of bus riders who traveled from Washington to integrate the facilities of interstate bus terminals. Lewis was the first of the riders to be assaulted, during a stop in Rock Hill, S.C. He was punched and kicked. Lewis would be assaulted again in Montgomery, Ala., where he was knocked unconscious.

I could feel my knees collapse and then nothing, Lewis recalled, according to Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice by Raymond Arsenault. Everything turned white for an instant, then black.

For his trouble, he would subsequently be jailed, ending up in Mississippis notorious Parchman Farm. In the fall of 1961, however, the campaign yielded results: All interstate travel facilities were integrated.

The fare was paid in blood, Lewis wrote in March, but the Freedom Rides stirred the national consciousness and awoke the hearts and minds of a generation.

SNCC veteran Cox said in 2020: Johns fundamental belief of confronting the evils of segregation that was pervasive in the South allowed him to march into hell for a heavenly cause.

The so-called Big Six leaders plan the March on Washington in July 1963 (from left): SNCCs John Lewis, the National Urban Leagues Whitney Young Jr., labor leader A. Philip Randolph, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., COREs James Farmer Jr., and the NAACPs Roy Wilkins.

In 1963, Lewis became SNCCs chairman. That made him the head of one of the six leading civil rights organizations working on the Aug. 28 March of Washington for Jobs and Freedom that was being planned by A. Philip Randolph, a labor leader and elder statesman of the civil rights movement. Randolph had been trying to organize such a march since 1941.

The others were King, James Farmer Jr. (Congress of Racial Equality), Roy Wilkins (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and Whitney Young Jr. (National Urban League).

Lewis was the youngest of the so-called Big Six and, as soon became evident, the most militant. In the final hours leading up to the event, some of his fellow leaders panicked over what Lewis planned to say.

In the original draft of his speech, David Remnick wrote in 2009, the demand for racial justice and serious revolution was so fearless that, in the last minutes before the program began, Dr. King, Bayard Rustin, Roy Wilkins, and other movement organizers negotiated with him to remove any phrases that might offend the Kennedy administration.

Lewis line that the revolution is at hand alarmed the old guard of the movement. So did his assertion that we will march through the South, through the heart of Dixie, the way Sherman did. Lewis, as always, was committed to nonviolence, but his fellow leaders feared he would be misconstrued.

Randolph spent hours mediating between Lewis and other leaders, trying to get Lewis to edit his speech. The discussion was heated and emotional, but ultimately Lewis made some changes.

I was angry, but when we were done, I was satisfied, Lewis later wrote in Walking With the Wind.

John Lewis speaks in Jackson, Miss., on June 23, 1964, urging President Johnson to protect civil rights workers and volunteers in Mississippi. Two days earlier, Michael Schwerner James Chaney and Andrew Goodman had disappeared. Their bodies were found in August; they had been tortured and murdered.

The speech still had fire. It still had bite, certainly more teeth than any other speech made that day. It still had an edge, with no talk of Negroes  I spoke instead of black citizens and the black masses, the only speaker that day to use those phrases.

Shortly after Lewis spoke, King took the podium and offered his I Have a Dream speech. Lewis would later write he didnt consider it Kings best speech, but added: Considering the context and setting and the timing of this one, it was a truly a masterpiece, truly immortal.

The year 1964 brought the Freedom Summer, a SNCC-led attempt to register and educate as many voters as possible in Mississippi. Lewis recruited students from around the country to join the effort, including Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who would be brutally slain along with James Chaney.

On March 7, 1965, Lewis was again involved in a milestone of the movement. In Selma, Lewis led a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge straight into a blockade set up by Alabama state troopers. The first nightstick came down on Lewiss skull, Remnick wrote in 2009.

In the foreground of this photo from Selmas Bloody Sunday, John Lewis is being beaten by a state trooper. Lewis suffered a fractured skull.

In his memoir, Lewis said Alabamas Bloody Sunday was a strange day from the get-go. It was somber and subdued, almost like a funeral procession, he wrote in Walking With the Wind of the march he led with Hosea Williams. There were no big names up front, no celebrities. This was just plain folks moving through the streets of Selma.

Calling him a personal hero, Sen. John McCain described Lewis actions that day as exemplary of Americas most basic dreams.

In America, we have always believed that if the day was a disappointment, we would win tomorrow, McCain wrote in 2018s The Restless Wave. Thats what John Lewis believed when he marched across this bridge.

The footage of the beatings that day in Alabama pushed President Lyndon B. Johnson to action on civil rights legislation. Something about that day in Selma touched a nerve deeper than anything that had come before, Lewis later wrote.

After Selma and with each passing month, SNCC became more militant. The organization grew to reflect the disappointment of those who saw progress as coming too slow. Something was born in Selma, but something died there, too, Lewis wrote in Walking With the Wind. The road of nonviolence had essentially run out. (Kings assassination in 1968 was another devastating blow against those advocating nonviolence.)

In 1966, Lewis lost the chairmanship to Stokely Carmichael, champion of the slogan Black Power. My life, my identity, most of my very existence, was tied to SNCC, Lewis recalled in Walking With the Wind. Now, so suddenly, I felt put out to pasture.

In 1968, he worked on the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy. On the night of the California primary, he was with the campaign at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when Kennedy was shot and killed by Sirhan Sirhan.

Lewis moved on to the Voter Education Project in 1970, and in 1977 made his first stab at electoral politics, running unsuccessfully for a House seat in Georgia.

After a stint on Atlantas City Council, he tried again for the House in 1986 and won, edging out fellow activist Julian Bond. He remained in the House after that, an ardent Democratic partisan but one who said that his mission never changed.

My overarching duty, Lewis wrote in 1998, as I declared during that 1986 campaign and during every campaign since then, has been to uphold and apply to our entire society the principles which formed the foundation of the movement to which I have devoted my entire life.

Lewis spent years pushing for a National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, introducing legislation every year until it finally passed in 2003. Giving up on dreams is not an option for me, he wrote when the museum opened in 2016.

Though not an author of much in the way of major legislation, some issues drew out his eloquence. In March 2010, in the final stages of the fierce debate over the Affordable Care Act, he fought for its passage. "This may be the most important vote that we cast as members of this body, Lewis said. We have a moral obligation today, tonight, to make health care a right and not a privilege."

In 2016, he was one of the leaders of a unique sit-in on the House floor in support of gun-safety legislation. Give us a vote. Let us vote. We came here to do our job, he said. (The sit-in failed.)

As time passed, he came to be seen as the living embodiment of the civil rights movement.

Many awards came his way: a Lincoln Medal from Fords Theatre, a Preservation Hero award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the NAACP Spingarn Medal, the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center, a Dole Leadership Prize named for Bob Dole, and a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for lifetime achievement, among others. Stephan James portrayed him in the 2014 movie Selma. Universities showered him with honorary degrees. In 2016, the U.S. Navy announced that it was naming a ship, a replenishment oiler, after him.

President Barack Obama presents Rep. John Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.

During his congressional career, Lewis often led bipartisan delegations of lawmakers to the Edmund Pettus Bridge to reenact the Bloody Sunday march. Those members would come away from the trips vowing to work for a more equitable society, which gratified Lewis.

In 2013, he launched a trilogy titled March, graphic novels written with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell that chronicled the early decades of his life. In 2016, the third installment became the first graphic novel to win a National Book Award. I grew up in rural Alabama  very, very poor with very few books in our home, Lewis said in accepting the award.

The March books used the inauguration of Obama as a framing device. Lewis was initially a Hillary Clinton supporter in 2008, but Obamas election shined a spotlight on Lewis. The new president signed a photograph to him: Because of you, John.

The Trump years were different. Lewis had sparred with Republicans before  even calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush  but the jousting with Trump escalated quickly. Saying he didnt believe Trump was a legitimate president, Lewis announced he would not attend the inauguration.

Trump responded on Twitter. Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to  mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!, he said.

Lewis remained a prominent foe of Trump. I think he is a racist, Lewis said of the president in January 2018.

Lewis cancer diagnosis at the end of 2019 led to an outpouring of support. There is no more important New Year's resolution, and it begins right now: pray for John Lewis, tweeted NPRs Scott Simon. On that day, Obama tweeted: "If theres one thing I love about @RepJohnLewis, its his incomparable will to fight. I know hes got a lot more of that left in him.

In 2009, Lewis met with a white man named Elwin Wilson, who was among those who assaulted Lewis and other Freedom Riders in 1961. Following Obamas election in 2008, Wilson said he had an epiphany and traveled to Washington to apologize for his violent acts and seek Lewis forgiveness. Lewis gave it freely.

Rep. John Lewis stands in front of John Lewis Freedom Parkway moments after its new name was unveiled in Atlanta on Aug. 22, 2018.

Its in keeping with the philosophy of nonviolence, Lewis later told the New York Times. Thats what the movement was always about, to have the capacity to forgive and move toward reconciliation.

John Bresnahan contributed to this article.
(CNN) -- A former Miss Kentucky who admitted to exchanging explicit photos with a teenager has been sentenced to two years at a West Virginia prison.

Ramsey BethAnn Bearse, 29, also was sentenced to 10 years of supervised released and a requirement that she register as a lifetime sex offender, according to the sentencing disposition order filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court. She was sentenced by Judge Louis H. Bloom on Tuesday, and was ordered to report to Lakin Correctional Center on July 20.

Bearse was arrested in December 2018 and was originally charged with four counts of sending obscene material to a minor. She admitted to police that she sent least four topless photos via Snapchat to a 15-year-old former student of hers while she was employed as a teacher at Andrew Jackson Middle School in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, according a criminal complaint.

The boy's parents found the photos on his phone and sent them to the police. The boy was a student at Andrew Jackson from sixth to eighth grade while Bearse was employed there as a teacher during some of that time, according to the criminal complaint.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 14:31:45|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's interbank money market recorded 91.1 trillion yuan (about 13 trillion U.S. dollars) worth of transactions in June, up 22.43 percent year on year, latest data from the People's Bank of China showed.

The pledged repo turnover rose 27.44 percent year on year to 78.1 trillion yuan, while outright repo turnover was 600 billion yuan, down 11.39 percent from the same period last year, the central bank said in a report.

Also in June, interbank lending transactions shrank 0.4 percent year on year to 12.3 trillion yuan. Enditem
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that he will return a fourth of his salary to help the country weather the coronavirus crisis that has battered the economy, encouraging public servants also to donate from their earnings.

Based on the president's monthly salary of about 108,000 pesos (3,827), the contribution amounts to some 27,000 pesos ($1,201), which Lopez Obrador said will go to health services.

He did not say if it would be a one-time or recurring deduction.

Since taking office in late 2018, the populist Lopez Obrador has made many symbolic gestures aimed at showing Mexicans that he is personally frugal and incorruptible.

He already slashed his salary to 40% of what his predecessor made, cut salaries for senior bureaucrats, sold off government planes and helicopters, as well as declining to use the palatial Los Pinos presidential residence used by Mexican presidents since the 1930s, which he is turning into a cultural center.

The government has asked lower-level officials to voluntarily contribute between 5% to 23% of their monthly pay, depending on their rank, according to a finance ministry document made public on Thursday.

The request is tied to a government decree from April that implemented a range of austerity measures through December 31, including a freeze on end-of-year bonuses for high-ranking officials.

"There can't be a rich government with a poor populace," Lopez Obrador said in his regular morning news conference, urging others to follow his lead.

Analysts estimate the economy could shrink by more than 10% this year in Mexico, where the coronavirus has claimed more than 37,500 lives according to the government's official count.

(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Additional reporting by Adriana Barrera; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Alistair Bell)
Two persons are in the custody of police in Tamale, in the Northern Region, for allegedly registering people for the voters ID card at a secret location.



The suspects were arrested after some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) alerted the police of an alleged illegal registration ongoing in the Tamale South constituency on Friday, July 17, 2020.



They were reportedly arrested with the Electoral Commissions biometric registration kit in their possession and were handed over to the police, according to a report by Citi News.



Executives of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Savannah Region told Citi News that their preliminary findings reveal the machine in question was the one assigned to the region but was supposed to be sent to Damongo for repairs as it has become faulty.



However, the device allegedly found its way to the Northern Region and was used to register members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a hideout.



Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the two persons and says investigations are ongoing into the case.



In a statement, the police gave the name of the two suspects as Mumuni Abilla Yusif 26, and Mohammad Yushaw Kongsoha 32.



Read the police statement below:

On 17 July 2020 at 0800 hours, the police acting upon intelligence arrested suspect Mumuni Abilla Yusif 26, data entry clerk at Kpanshegu Registration cluster in the North East Gonja district in the Savanah region at Vittin in the Tamale Metropolis.



A search in his room recovered one Biometric Voter Registration(BVR) kit. Further investigation led to the arrest of a second suspect Mohammad Yushaw Kongsoha 32 years, and the registration officer at Kpanshegu cluster.



At the time of the arrest of two, 12 persons including 10 males and 2 females had been registered on 17 July 2020 between 0704 hours and 0800 hours at Vittin, which is not a designated registration centre. The two are currently in the custody of the police assisting with the investigation.



After investigation, they will be be charged with the appropriate Offences and put before court.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Forget it, Jake. Its Chinatown, says an old friend to Jack Nicholson as the mother is killed, the little girl is handed over to the bad guy and the police wash their hands of it at the end of the 1974 classic film Chinatown.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

"Forget it, Jake. Its Chinatown," says an old friend to Jack Nicholson as the mother is killed, the little girl is handed over to the bad guy and the police wash their hands of it at the end of the 1974 classic film Chinatown.

The movie was about the triumph of power and the futility of hoping for justice. Chinatown was just a metaphor, and any other place where justice is denied would do as well. Which is probably why today I feel like saying "Forget it, Mehmetcik. Its the Balkans."

July 11 was the 25th anniversary of the massacre of Bosnian Muslims ("Bosniaks") in Srebrenica towards the end of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. It was the Bosnian Serbs who began the war, seeking to break up Bosnia and unite with next-door Serbia, and since Bosniaks and Serbs lived side by side in many places, there was much ethnic cleansing. But this was special.

Srebrenica was then a Muslim-majority town, and when Bosnian Serb forces captured it, 20,000 Muslims took refuge with the Dutch troops who were there to protect a UN-declared "safe area." But the Dutch soldiers handed them over to the Bosnian Serb forces.

The Dutch had a choice, of course. They could have refused. Maybe they would have had to fight against far more numerous and better-armed Serbs. Maybe they would have been killed, and the people they were supposed to protect would have been massacred anyway. But they were soldiers, and that was their duty.

When soldiers talk about having signed a contract of "unlimited liability," this is what they mean: when the circumstances demand it, you must be willing to lay down your life. In fact, this is what gives dignity to the military profession, but the Dutch soldiers had apparently not read the contract.

Knowing what was coming, most of the Muslim men and boys fled into the woods, but about 2,000 who had taken refuge with the Dutch UN troops were handed over to the Serbs. The Serbs separated those men and boys from the women and girls, chased down most of the men who had fled into the woods, and murdered them all  8,000 of them.

It took 10 days, even with bulldozers, to scrape out the mass graves. (Later, the Serbs dug up the graves and moved them to better hidden areas, but after 25 years of searching all but 1,000 have been found.)

Twenty years later, a special UN war crimes tribunal sentenced the Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, to life in prison for genocide. (His military commander, Ratko Mladic, is still appealing his conviction.) But few of the Bosniaks driven from their homes have been able to go back  and denial reigns in both the Bosnian "Serb Republic" and in Serbia proper.

For the Serbs its all fake news, a "fabricated myth" in the words of Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnias three-person presidency. The president of Serbia, Alexander Vucic, doesnt go quite that far, but denies that there was a genocide. Its all very "Balkan."

From great tragedy and vile lies to mere churlishness: next week, in Istanbul, there will be Muslim prayer services in Hagia Sofia for the first time since 1934. The massive cathedral overlooking the Bosphorus, built almost 1,500 years ago, was the worlds largest building for almost 1,000 years.

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When the Ottoman emperor Mehmet II conquered the city in 1453, he was much taken with the building and had it converted into a mosque. All the Christian symbols and relics were destroyed, four minarets were built at the four corners, and for the next half-millennium only Muslims prayed there.

Fair enough. Conquest was the business, and thats how business was done in those days. The Ottoman empire went on to conquer almost all of the Balkans, so nobody in the Christian world seriously dreamed of getting Hagia Sophia back. But the centuries passed, and eventually the empire collapsed.

The Turkish republic that Ataturk rescued from the wreckage was a secular state, and in 1934 he declared that this ancient Christian church should no longer be used as a mosque. It became a museum, open to all  and remained so until Turkeys current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, decided to turn it into a mosque again.

Theres no shortage of mosques in Istanbul. Indeed, theres another one right beside Hagia Sophia, almost as big, much more beautiful, and with six minarets, not four. Erdogan is only doing this because his popularity is waning: his proxy wars arent going well, his party has split, and the economy is on the rocks. So do something spiteful to the neighbours. It should play well at home.

Its 500 kilometres from Bosnia to Istanbul, but were still in the Balkans.

Gwynne Dyers latest book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work).
New Delhi, July 18 : Indian Hotels Company Limited's (IHCL) launched its gourmet food delivery platform, Qmin, on Thursday, 17th July in the Capital City.

Qmin ensures guests a differentiated delivery experience with an enhanced focus on maintaining stringent protocols of safety and hygiene. This includes contact-less delivery and the mandatory use of protective gear for delivery executives in thoroughly sanitized vehicles. The packaging is eco-friendly utilizing bio-degradable materials, and with customized insulation boxes to preserve the food whilst being delivered.

Culinary experiences commencing with delivering dishes from the treasured restaurants of Taj, Vivanta and SeleQtions to the comfort of your home, is the first phase of launch in the National Capital Region. Guests can order from eight iconic and celebrated restaurants like the House of Ming and Machan from Taj Mahal, New Delhi; Spicy Duck, Masala Art and Capital Kitchen from Taj Palace, New Delhi; Yellow Brick Road from Ambassador, New Delhi - IHCL SeleQtions and Thai Pavilion and Culina 44 from Taj City Centre, Gurugram.

Image Source: IANS News

Speaking on the announcement of this new offering, Mr. Gaurav Pokhariyal, Senior Vice President - Operations, North, said, "Delhi has proudly been referred to as the Food Capital of the country. We are delighted to launch Qmin in Delhi, a repertoire of culinary experiences from our celebrated restaurants. Qmin caters to the increased demand for gourmet food delivery service. Our landmark Hotels have pioneered various cuisines and culinary innovations for over four decades and it is our privilege to bring that experience from our signature restaurants to our guests in the comfort of their homes with utmost attention to hygiene."

Image Source: IANS News

From the legendary Machan, the city's first 24 hours international dining destination to award-winning and authentic Thai cuisine at Thai Pavilion, the much revered Yellow Brick Road and the Capital's trendy multi-cuisine kitchen, Capital Kitchen, the repertoire of signature dishes that Qmin offers is sure to delight patrons. The culinary experience will celebrate nostalgia, quality and authenticity in the comfort and convenience of your home.

Image Source: IANS News

Qmin will expand its scope and bring Taj@Home to other cities in the near future. The Qmin mobile application will be launched in Mumbai on July 25th 2020, followed by the gourmet Qmin Shop in subsequent months presenting epicurean specialities and authentic artisanal brands.

(IANSlife Features can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

-- Syndicated from IANS
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 18:22:55|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The fire at Nantes cathedral in western France has been brought under control after approximately two hours of burning and the damage was "concentrated on the great organ," the local fire service told press at the site on Saturday morning.

The firefighters were alerted by residents at 7:45 a.m. (0545 GMT) and over 100 of them were dispatched to the scene. At around 10 a.m. (0800 GMT), the fire was contained, said General Laurent Ferlay, departmental director of the fire brigade.

"The damage is concentrated on the great organ which seems to be entirely destroyed. The platform on which it is located is very unstable and threatens to collapse," he said.

TV images show that thick black smoke still emanates from the stained glass located between the two towers of the Gothic building.

The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral in Nantes was built between the 15th and 19th centuries. A fire in January 1972 damaged its roofs and framework, forcing it to close down for rebuilding until May 1985.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot, will go to the cathedral on Saturday afternoon, French media reported.

"I want to know what happened, I will first show my solidarity with the Nantes population," Castex told media.

President Emmanuel Macron tweeted his support for "our firefighters who take all the risks to save this Gothic jewel of the city of the Dukes."

On April 15 last year, a fire blazed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and destroyed its main spire. Enditem
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has restrained a fashion designer from using the trademark and logo of Delhi Public School (DPS) on manufacturing face masks, saying it infringes the copyright of the institution.

Justice Mukta Gupta, in an interim order, said the plaintiff DPS Society has made out a prima facie case in its favour and in case no ad-interim injunction is granted, it would suffer an irreparable loss. The high court, in its June 30 order, restrained fashion designer Manish Tripathi, his agent, and employees from using the trademark and logo of DPS on manufacturing face masks.

The court listed the suit for further hearing on July 28. The DPS society said that it has an exclusive right over the use of its logo which was registered under the Copyright Act in December 2012. The high court informed that in the first week of June, the plaintiff received a video from Mansoor Ali Khan, who is running Delhi Public School in Bangalore and Mysore informing about a piece of news on national television about the broadcasting of a report of manufacture of face mask with the trademarks Delhi Public School.

It added the logo of Delhi Public School / DPS was printed on the mask and the report stated that the schools have charged `350 to `400 for each mask. Thereafter, the society got the matter investigated and found that defendant Manish Tripathi,was selling masks after copying and incorporating the trademark of the school under his brand name Namastay Away.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States  Sat, July 18, 2020 15:06 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406675f248 2 Entertainment robert-de-niro,Morgan-Freeman,face-mask,health Free

Robert De Niro wants you to wear a mask. So do Morgan Freeman and Kathryn Bigelow. The Hollywood stars are fronting a campaign calling on Americans to cover their faces to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The donning of masks has become politicized in the United States, with many Americans refusing to wear them, following initial conflicting advice about their effectiveness.

President Donald Trump finally yielded to pressure and was seen wearing one in public on Saturday for the first time, even after White House staffers tested positive for the virus.

His reluctance came as White House experts leading the fight against the virus have recommended wearing face coverings in public to prevent transmission.

As part of the "Mask Up America" campaign, Oscar winner Bigelow has helped produce eight 30-second television ads in which different actors implore Americans to cover their faces.

"When you wear a mask, you have my respect," says Freeman in one of the videos.

Wearing a mask is about respect.



We launched a national campaign to encourage every American to wear a mask. Stop the Spread. Save Lives.#MaskUpAmericapic.twitter.com/lLi7oE03mt  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 16, 2020

De Niro, Jamie Foxx and Rosie Perez also offer their voices to the public service campaign.

Frequent Trump critic Andrew Cuomo -- the Democratic governor of New York state, where more than 32,000 have died from COVID-19 -- launched the campaign.

The virus -- which is surging in major states such as California, Texas and Florida -- has killed more than 137,000 people and infected more than 3.5 million in the US.
- Barack Obama expressed his condolences following the death of longtime Georgia lawmaker and civil rights activist John Lewis

- According to him, the lawmaker loved the United States much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise,

- The two lawmakers had a deep admiration for one another

- Prior to Obama's inauguration, Lewis said he did not know whether he would be able to control himself

Former US President Barack Obama on Friday, July 17, expressed his condolences in a statement following the death of longtime Georgia lawmaker and civil rights leader John Lewis.

Lewis who was one of the Big Six civil rights leaders, which included Martin Luther King Jr died at the age of 80, seven months after he was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

READ ALSO: Court awards man KSh 700k for raising child his wife secretly got with another man

The two lawmakers had a deep admiration for one another. Photo: White House.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Stephen Letoo: Nairobi man tests positive for COVID-19 after attending birthday party at Citizen reporter's house

The two lawmakers are reported to have had a deep admiration for one another, despite Lewis' early endorsement of Hillary Clinton's Democratic primary campaign in 2008.

"He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise," Obama said in his statement .

The former head of state pointed out Lewi's efforts through the decades was to not only give all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice but inspire generations that followed.

READ ALSO: Papa Shirandula: Celebrities, Kenyans mourn fallen actor "He was a great man"

The lawmaker loved the United States much that he risked his life. Photo: John Lewis.

Source: UGC

"Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did," Obama said.

"And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise," he added

Obama awarded Lewis with the President Medal of Freedom, the country's highest honour for civilians, in 2011.

READ ALSO: Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja spends night in police cell after he was arrested in a nightclub

John Lewis who was one of the Big Six civil rights leaders. Photo: John Lewis.

Source: UGC

Prior to Obama's inauguration, held just one day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the time, Lewis said, he did not know whether he would be able to control himself.

After Obama was sworn in for his first term, Lewis had asked him to sign a commemorative picture, according to The New Yorker.

Obama reportedly signed it, "Because of you, John. Barack Obama."

READ ALSO: Nakuru: 20-year-old girl excited to talk with Uhuru on phone during launch of Kazi Mtaani initiative

His predecessor George W Bush said Lewis had worked to make the United States a more perfect union while Bill Clinton described him as the conscience of the nation.

Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton praised Lewis, whom she described as the truest kind of Patriot.

Days before his death, in a now-deleted post on Twitter, North Carolina Congresswoman Alma Adams promoted a message that claimed the congressman had died.

READ ALSO: Boy caught on busy highway taking little girl for ride in toy car

Less than 15 minutes later, a spokesperson for Lewis confirmed that not only was Lewis alive, he was resting comfortably at home.

Adams apologized for the false report on Twitter.

Sam Spencer, deputy chief of staff and communications director for Adams, said he is the one that passed the incorrect information to Adams and insinuated he may have tweeted using her handle.

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President of the Rotary Club of Accra South, Gerry van Dyck making a remark

18.07.2020 LISTEN

It was a night of wee-feeling at the handing-over ceremony held by the Rotary club of Accra South where newly elected officers for the 2020-2021 Rotary year were sworn in at Accra last week.

The purpose of the swearing-in ceremony was to usher new executives to take up a service-above-self role in their new endeavours to help in the attainment of the clubs goals for the year.

The board of the Rotary Club of Accra South are Gerry van Dyck, President of the club, Past President Patrick Nutor, Vice President, Rotarian Perpetual Buckman, Club Secretary, Rotarian William Ohene-Kwayisi, Club Treasurer, Rotarian David Suttah, Sergeant at Arms, Rotarian George Arko-Dadzie, President-Elect.

The new President of Rotary Club of Accra South, Gerry van Dyck expressed gratitude to the club members for the confidence reposed in him to lead the clubs affairs for the Rotary year 2020-2021, and promised to deliver the best during his tenure.

Immediate Past President of the club, Mr. Patrick Nutor congratulated Gerry van Dyck for his new position and told him not to hesitate to consult him for assistance when needed.

Also, there were new executives sworn as club directors to help in chalking excellent results for Rotary Club of Accra South, these club directors are Past Assistant Governor David Tettey, Past President Kathleen Williams, ARPIC Robert Mills, Past President Larry Jiagge, Charter President Tony Lithur.

Mr. Gerry van Dyck, new President of the club, reiterated that, the club has undertaken several service projects over the past years, and these projects falls within the scope of Rotarys six areas of focus which includes promoting peace, fighting diseases, providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies.

He entreated all members of the Rotary Club of Accra South to collaborate efficiently to help achieve developmental goals for the club in the prospective years.

The ceremony was interspersed with an awards presentation to hardworking Rotarian who tremendously helped the club in the 2019-2020 projects to be successfully executed

The Awardees include Past President Kristine Lartey for her good work done in helping the club attain and exceed its fund-raising goals for the 2019-2020 Rotary year.

While Rotarian Larry Jiagge also received an award for his good work done in helping in the clubs fund-raising goals for the 2019-2020 Rotary year and have consistently raised significant amounts for the club.

Another award was given to Rotarian Patrick Nutor, the President of 2019-2020 Rotary year for his contributions to the attainment of the ideals of Rotary and leaving behind a legacy of healthy finances, and generous contributions

Rotarian CP Tony Lithur received an award for his good works done for the club, and as a Chairman for the Fund-raising Committee who propelled Rotary Club of Accra South to a new level.

The club described him as an everlasting source of goodwill and good cheer who exemplify service above self.
Uttarakhand chief minister on Saturday justified the weekend lockdown clamped in four districts of the state to cut the chain of Coved-19 transmissions while highlighting the threat posed by super spreaders, which if not detected on time, can lead to an undetected spiral in the number of infections.

Trivendra Singh Rawat said not one but three super spreaders were eventually found in US Nagar district, which had emerged as the new hotbed of Coronavirus disease in the state. He said one single super spreader, a domestic worker, was responsible for infecting at least 49 people.

There were 3 super spreaders in Udham Singh Nagar which caused a rise in Covid 19 cases there. Problem was that there was no information about domestic workers and a domestic worker infected 49 people, he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Also Read: Eyeing national security, Uttarakhand, ITBP to improve border infrastructure

Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar are the four districts that will observe a hard lockdown on the weekends to curb the rise in the number of cases.

Rawat said that the lockdown implemented in US Nagar has been successful.

The state government has not only announced the lockdown in the four districts but has also sealed Haridwars border with Uttar Pradesh till July 20 in view of rising coronavirus cases.

Also Read: Uttarakhand will retract controversial order on Ganga stretch, but cant say when

The government has however exempted all essential services apart from industrial units, agricultural and construction activities, liquor shops and hotels. It has also allowed movement of people and vehicles associated with these activities.

In order to regulate the flow of tourists into the state, all visitors from other states are now required to register on the Smart City web portal prior to their travel. Their registration documents will be verified at border check posts.

Uttarakhand currently has 4,102 Covid-19 cases. The government has barred any devotee from outside the state from taking a dip in the holy Ganges. A violation of this order will result in mandatory 14-day quarantine.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Rachakonda police on Friday arrested a notorious repeat offender Kodepaka Ravi Kiran, who has been stealing laptops from private hostels in the city.

Around 43 stolen laptops worth Rs 6.50 lakh were seized from him. Ravi Kiran, 34, hails from Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, after completing hardware and electrical courses, he started working as an electrician. To earn easy money, he started committing thefts.

He would format the device and sell them for Rs 15,000 to people in his circle. Based on CCTV clues and other evidence, police nabbed him.
>>> Vietnam repatriates 280 citizens from Russia, Belarus



>>> Vietnam to repatriate COVID-19 positive workers from Equatorial Guinea

The 382nd patient is a 64-year-old expert who landed at Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh City on July 11.

After moving to a quarantine area in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, he tested negative to the virus on July 13. Two days later, he was sent to Le Loi hospital in Vung Tau city after showing symptoms of fever and sore throat. Taking the second test there, he was found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2.

As of 6 pm on July 17, Vietnam went through more than three months without any community transmissions.

As many as 10,133 people who had close contact with patients or entered from epidemic-hit areas are being quarantined, including 78 at hospitals, 9,613 in other concentrated quarantine establishments and 442 at home.

The same day, another patient was given the all-clear, raising the total number of recovered cases to 357, or 93.5%.

The remaining patients are in stable conditions and the country has to date recorded no deaths from the disease.
~20% of UHN products in study formulary, including 7 unique medical cannabis products, to be manufactured by MediPharm Labs

TORONTO, July 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQX: MEDIF) (FSE:MLZ) (MediPharm Labs or the Company) a global leader in specialized, research-driven pharmaceutical-quality cannabis extraction, distillation and derivative products, today announced its participation in a ground-breaking collaboration between University Health Network (UHN) and Medical Cannabis by Shoppers Inc. that will use blockchain technology to track medical cannabis products from seed to sale.



MediPharm Labs own pharma-quality (GMP Certified) CBD and THC products, including CBD 25, CBD 25:5 and CBD 50 , first launched on the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers portal earlier this year, as well as a suite of Avicanna Rho Phyto CBD and THC products, manufactured by MediPharm Labs, have been selected to be used in a 24-week observational study targeting at least 2,000 Canadian medical cannabis consumers.

As part of the largest pharmacy chain in Canada, the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers team is delighted to partner in this research with MediPharm Labs, a trusted name in the cannabis industry and a company with whom we have a strong commercial relationship, said Ken Weisbrod, Vice President Business Development/Cannabis Strategy, Shoppers Drug Mart. "The success of this research is dependent on collaboration, and with partners like UHN, MediPharm Labs, TruTrace and Shoppers on board, the stage is set for achievement."

The collaboration will use a blockchain-secured software platform  designed by TruTrace Technologies Inc. (CSE: TTT)(OTCQB: TTTSF) (CSE: TTT)(OTCQB: TTTSF) and integrated with the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers portal  to manage, track and trace medical cannabis strains in 7 distinct products manufactured by MediPharm Labs, or about 20% of the study formulary, in various formats including oils and extracts throughout each step of the supply chain.

Story continues

Robert Galarza, CEO, TruTrace Technologies commented, The evolution of the medical cannabis industry over the past several years has been nothing short of remarkable and the commitment by MediPharm Labs to implement the highest level of product quality through certified GMP standards and protocols, as well as a desire to advance innovation, collaboration and technology alongside companies like ours will only further drive our industry forward. We are excited to explore how the power of dynamic and transparent data can support their initiatives in Canada and beyond.

This important study, conducted by one of the largest health research organizations in Canada, will have wide-reaching benefits for cannabis patients and MediPharm Labs as we remain dedicated to producing pharmaceutical-quality products that are rigorously tested and verified on a lot-by-lot basis using GMP certified standards, said Pat McCutcheon, Chief Executive Officer, MediPharm Labs. Our view is that this study has the potential to enhance confidence in medical cannabis by giving physicians and patients true transparency into product chemistry, composition and effectiveness so that they can prescribe validated products and adjust their treatment regimens based on real-world evidence. We are proud to be a contributing partner with leaders in the fields of science, technology, medical dispensary and cannabis who have come together to make this study possible.

About the UHN Study

This novel Medical Cannabis Real World Evidence study will look to match cannabis genetics, with defined cannabinoid and terpene profiles, to patient outcomes using validated questionnaires and scales. Patients enrolled in this study will have access to a wide range of products that have consistent genetic, chemical, cannabinoid and terpene profiles and will know exactly what is in their products down to the milligram of THC and cannabidiol. If a product in the study is effective for them, they can rely on it being identical, from batch to batch.

From this work, a national repository of real-time data about cannabis products, their composition and their effectiveness will be made available to Medical Cannabis by Shoppers patients.

Patients participating in the study will use the same ecommerce platform as other Medical Cannabis by Shoppers patients, though research participants will have access to the first fully verified products. First launched in Ontario in January 2019, Medical Cannabis by Shoppers (a subsidiary of Shoppers Drug Mart) provides patient access to numerous medical cannabis products from over 20 licensed cannabis brands. Cannabis medication can be ordered online or via phone, and is shipped directly and discreetly to their doorstep. The Shoppers Cannabis Care team  a dedicated call center staffed by cannabis-trained advisors and pharmacists - provides counselling and support for patients.

University Health Network consists of Toronto General, recently ranked the #4 Hospital in the World according to Newsweek Magazine , and Toronto Western Hospital, the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source of discovery, education, and patient care.

Why Traceability Is Important

Medical cannabis currently lacks assigned Drug Identification Numbers (DINs) that quantify attributes such as chemistry, genetics, and metabolomics. This information is critical for producers, distributors, government agencies, payers, clinicians, and patients. Maintaining an effective and interoperable traceability ecosystem built on reliable and immutable data provides safe and consistent medicine.

MediPharm Labs distinguishes itself as a supplier of medical cannabis through its GMP-certified production capabilities. This internationally recognized certification is only granted to companies that can demonstrate consistency, precision, and quality in all stages of production and are able to comply with GMP principles for manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and final medicinal products.

About TruTrace Technologies, Inc.

TruTrace (CSE: TTT / OTCQB: TTTSF) is a fully integrated software platform, secured on a blockchain infrastructure that gives clients the ability to store, manage, share and immediately access quality assurance and testing details, COAs, as well as motion and movement intelligence on inventory from batches and lots to serialized items. The platform was specifically designed to power the traceability of testing standards within the medical cannabis, nutraceutical, food and pharmaceutical space with a focus on the authentication of source materials or ingredients used in formulation.

About MediPharm Labs Corp.

Founded in 2015, MediPharm Labs specializes in the production of purified, pharmaceutical quality cannabis oil and concentrates and advanced derivative products utilizing a Good Manufacturing Practices certified facility with ISO standard built clean rooms. MediPharm Labs has invested in an expert, research-driven team, state-of-the-art technology, downstream purification methodologies and purpose-built facilities with five primary extraction lines for delivery of pure, trusted and precision -dosed cannabis products for its customers. Through its wholesale and white label platforms, they formulate, consumer-test, process, package and distribute cannabis extracts and advanced cannabinoid-based products to domestic and international markets. As a global leader, MediPharm Labs has completed commercial exports to Australia and is nearing commercialization of its Australian Extraction facility. MediPharm Labs Australia was established in 2017.

For further information, please contact:

Laura Lepore, VP, Investor Relations

Telephone: 416-913-7425 ext. 1525

Email: investors@medipharmlabs.com

Website: www.medipharmlabs.com

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the inability of MediPharm Labs to obtain adequate financing; the delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; and other factors discussed in MediPharm Labs filings, available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, MediPharm Labs assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68f0c6dd-6eda-49cc-8112-65a9add9179c.




Pottsville, PA (17901)

Today

Generally cloudy. High 41F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with periods of light rain and snow after midnight. Some sleet may mix in. Low near 30F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 70%. About one inch of snow expected.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump would like to see tuition aid for private-school students in the next coronavirus relief bill, top adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Friday, adding the White House will release guidance on reopening schools amid the pandemic this week or early next week.

"Five million kids across this country are not in public schools, roughly, and many of those parents have no certainty right now whether those kids are going to be able to go back to school because they may not be able to afford it," Conway told reporters at the White House.

More than 45 million students attend public schools, funded mostly by states and local governments, according to the Education Department.

"So 10% - we're looking at 10% of the money pretty much going to nonpublic schools," she said, adding that "$13 billion or so has already been invested in the schools."

Congress and the White House are currently in the throes of negotiating another, "Phase Four" relief package as millions of Americans remain unemployed and a soaring number of coronavirus cases strains the U.S. economy.

Congressional Democrats have proposed a $350 billion plan that includes money for minority communities to bolster childcare, healthcare and housing and are also calling for a $1 trillion aid package for state and local governments.

The Republican president, meanwhile, has talked about payroll tax cuts, a bonus for people who return to work, and business tax breaks for spending on restaurants and businesses. His administration is also advocating that children return to school in the fall, with Vice President Mike Pence promising to soon release a plan on health measures for schools.

Conway said she did not know if Trump plans to send his teenage son back to his private school when classes resume, but she said that so far her two children anticipate going back to theirs.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
BRISTOL, Va.  A fourth police officer in Bristol, Virginia has tested positive for COVID-19 as crews continue to clean city buildings.

City Manager Randy Eads confirmed Friday that another officer contracted the virus, which resulted in the closing of the Police Department and City Hall. A spray disinfectant was used Thursday night, and a deep clean was conducted Friday, Eads said.

Eads said city policy requires employees with symptoms to stay home and quarantine. The entire SWAT team and nine other officers have been tested due to concerns, he said. Only four have been confirmed to be positive.

City dispatch continues to take 911 calls and officers, who typically dont actually spend time at the Police Department, continue to respond to calls and patrol the city. Because a number of officers have been quarantined, others, such as school resource officers and detectives, are responding to calls, the department said Friday.
Federal officers in military gear   clouds of tear gas   crowd control munitions  [shots fired]  and locals who want those officers gone. What are you guys protecting? Get the [expletive] out of our city! In just over a week, the chaotic scenes in Portland grabbed the nations attention and raised questions about whether the U.S. government is exceeding its authority and violating civil rights. The officers came because of an executive order signed by President Trump in late June to protect federal property from destruction. If we didnt take a stand in Portland, you know, weve arrested many of these leaders. If we didnt take that stand, right now you would have a problem like  they were going to lose Portland. So whats going on here? And what methods are the officers using to protect federal sites? Crowd: Breonna Taylor! The protests against racism and police brutality, which started in May, had largely been peaceful and were held across Portland. But after federal officers arrived in the city on July 4, demonstrations became centered around this U.S. District courthouse and this building housing federal agencies. Both are property of the U.S. government. The buildings have clearly been vandalized, and the Department of Homeland Security has a mandate to protect them. Thats usually done by officers from the Federal Protective Service. But on the ground in Portland, we have seen a new task force, including U.S. Marshals   BORTAC, a unit of Customs and Border Protection   and a special response team from ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. According to a government memo leaked to The Times, these units are insufficiently trained to perform crowd control. But that hasnt stopped them from trying. Night after night, videos show these officers emerging from the two federal buildings as protesters draw near. Hundreds of videos reviewed by The Times show that although protesters were antagonistic, officers often responded with disproportionate force. [shouting] They blanketed streets with tear gas. Are you OK? They struck protesters with batons   and used flash bangs, pepper balls and other less-lethal munitions to clear the streets. [chanting] Their actions often appeared to escalate rather than de-escalate matters. And in some instances, they attacked when there was no apparent threat. On July 11, protester Donavan La Bella was at the federal courthouse when an officer appears to have fired at his head in retaliation for tossing a spent tear gas canister. [expletive] you! [shot fired] La Bellas mother told local media he suffered skull fractures and needed surgery. Later that night when field medics sought officers help for a wounded protester, they were aggressively cleared away. On July 18, a Navy veteran was batoned and pepper-sprayed in another unprovoked attack. His right hand was broken, and he needs surgery. Sometimes members of the press were hit. He got shot in the back, obviously, and hes wearing press  This photographer, Mathieu Lewis Rolland, told The Times that a volley of 10 projectiles were fired into his back. Ow, ow, ow! In the middle of all this, protesters were detained in ways that alarmed civil rights advocates and former Homeland Security officials. Can your people identify themselves as law enforcement? On July 15, several federal officers were filmed driving in unmarked vehicles in the blocks around the courthouse. How are we supposed to know who you are? How are we supposed to know youre not kidnapping us and youre civilians kidnapping us? One protester was detained at this location nearby. What are you doing? Federal officers wouldnt identify themselves  Use your words!  but patches on the right and left sides of their uniforms match those used by members of BORTAC, the tactical unit from Customs and Border Protection. They drove the protester away in an unmarked car. D.H.S. says federal officers have made 43 arrests since July 4. Agents do have the authority to make arrests if they believe that a federal crime has been committed, like damaging federal property or attacking officers. Crowd: Hey, hey, ho, ho, these racist cops have got to go. In recent days, the controversy mobilized a larger and more diverse crowd of protesters. [chanting] A so-called wall of moms led marches through Portlands streets and to the federal courthouse where officers cleared them away. The federal presence has also inflamed tensions. Some demonstrators damaged paneling on the courthouse and tried to set them alight. Others threw water bottles and fired fireworks toward the building. On Wednesday, July 22, Portlands mayor joined the protests and was caught in a cloud of tear gas. This is a egregious overreaction on the part of the federal officers. This is not a de-escalation strategy. This is flat-out urban warfare. At around the same time, a Customs and Border Protection plane was spotted circling overhead. C.B.P. officials told The Times it was sending a live video feed of the crowd to law enforcement on the ground. Crowd: No justice, no peace! Protesters and local officials say this is all a case of federal overreach. Oregons attorney general has sued the federal government to stop arresting people. Gas! Gas! Gas! The president has doubled down, promising to send more federal officers to cities governed by his political rivals. Because were not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia, Detroit and Baltimore, and all of these  Oakland is a mess  were not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats. The results could look like a national police force acting under presidential orders, able to ignore local demands and arrest residents. In Portland, it has been a recipe for chaos. [explosion]
Forty people, including three members of a family, tested positive for Covid-19 in Himachal Pradesh, taking the states tally to 1,457, officials said on Saturday.

Sixteen cases were reported in Solan, seven each in Una and Kangra, five in Sirmaur two in Shimla and one each in Kullu, Mandi and Hamirpur.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said that a 28-year-old woman and her 24-year-old brother with travel history from Chandigarh on July 9 tested positive in Noun village of Thural area were tested positive.

Their 52-year-old mother who was at home and came in their direct contact has also contracted the disease.

The mother having co-morbidities has been shifted to Covid Hospital Dharamshala while the brother-sister duo was admitted to Covid-care centre Baijnath.

Apart from it, 52-year-old paramilitary personnel, resident of Harot village of Jaisinghpur has been detected positive. He returned from Kanker in Chhattisgarh.

A 30-year-old army jawan from Baranda village in Nurpur with travel history to Jammu has tested positive. He was shifted to Military Hospital, Pathankot. Another 30-year-old army jawan from West Bengal is among the new patients. He has been admitted at Military Hospital, Yol.

One person was found positive late on Friday. The 64-year-old man returned from Delhi on July 10.

A migrant labourer from Bihar was tested positive in Seraj area of Mandi district.

Two cases have been reported in Shimla and one in Kullu, whose details are awaited.

Earlier, three cases were reported in Una on Friday late evening and four on Saturday. Two Kuwait returned men, a 25-year-old from Kuthar Kalan village of Una and another 26-year-old from Nangal Khurd of Haroli sub-division were found positive. Both of them returned on July 10 and were institutionally quarantined. The third patient is a 23-year-old from Pandoga of Haroli who travelled from Gurugram.

Solan district became the second district to have crossed the 300-mark. New cases have been detected in Arki and Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt of the district. A woman doctor of Employees State Insurance Corporation Hospital, Katha, has also tested positive. She returned from West Bengal. The districts total tally stood at 308 of which 190 are active cases.

Special secretary (health) Nipun Jindal said active cases stand at 401 while 1,030 patients have been cured till date.

Till date, 1,13,129 samples have been tested in the state. Kangra is the worst-hit district with 329 cases, followed by Solan with 306 cases. Hamirpur has 279 cases, Una 158, Chamba 78, Shimla 71, Bilaspur 63, Sirmaur 53, Mandi 47, Kinnaur 39, Kullu 20 and Lahaul-Spiti district four.

SHIMLAS BOILEAUGANJ MARKET SEALED

The Shimla district administration has sealed the Boileauganj Bazar in the outskirt of the capital town after four Kashmir returnees were tested positive in the area on Friday.

To and fro traffic has been diverted through Chakkar area. The traffic flow towards Summerhill has been diverted through Chaura Maidan.

Meanwhile, Nahan town, the administrative headquarters of Sirmaur district has also been sealed after 10 people from Govindgarh locality were tested positive for the contagion yesterday.

The patients were closely related and attended a marriage where they come in contact with a Covid-positive woman.

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Unemployment in Southeast Texas saw a drastic drop in June after it hit a record high in May, following the trend of the rest of the state and country.

The Texas Workforce Commissions latest data released Friday showed unemployment in the Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area dropped 5 percentage points in June, settling at 12.8%. It was still a far cry from the 5.8% unemployment recorded during the same time last year.

Unemployment was at 17.8% in May, down slightly from its highest point in April, when joblessness peaked at 18.1%. It also had the largest year-over-year change among MSAs tracked by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Junes labor market numbers demonstrate we are moving in the right direction, TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel said in a statement. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, the Texas Workforce Commission is committed to adapting to the needs of our great state.

While overall unemployment is decreasing, high rates remain in some of the regions largest and highest earning job sectors.

Mining, logging and construction  which makes up almost a quarter of all wages in the region  is still missing 12% of the jobs filled in 2019.

Leisure and hospitality, the fourth largest sector in Southeast Texas and one of the most accessible for workers, gained more than 9% of jobs lost during the pandemic, but is still missing more than 31% of jobs that were filled during the same time last year. Its the largest year-over-year change of any sector.

Restaurant owners experiencing another round of shutdowns and waning consumer confidence are now worried the gains for the sector in June may evaporate in the next jobs report.

When restaurants started to reopen in May, Frankie Randazzo said he and his partners initially had trouble attracting enough workers for the ramp up needed to reopen spots like Madisons in Beaumont.

Now, Madisons remains closed and the employees who returned after the long break in quarantine are without a job again. Randazzo isnt expecting help from the U.S. Small Business Administration anytime soon.

In terms of employment, I think this is a larger problem from before because the (Paycheck Protection Program money) is gone, he said. Last time, we opened in a limited capacity but didnt have to worry about labor since it was abated by the feds.

Madisons is in a difficult situation because of its 51% license that groups it with bars and clubs under Gov. Greg Abbotts executive order, but Randazzo is also worried about the lasting impact the pandemic will have on the industry as a whole.

With the possibility of more layoffs and instability hitting restaurants with every wave of infection spikes, he believes many people looking for service jobs will decide to transition to other sectors.

The only sector that saw a growth in jobs was financial activities with a 3 percentage point boost compared to last year.

The Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area briefly had the highest unemployment of any MSA in the state but is now tied for third with McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA. The Odessa area had the highest unemployment in June at 13%.

Overall, Texas added 243,900 private sector jobs in June, and unemployment decreased to 8.6%. It is the lowest state average since March, and is below the national average of 11%.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

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COVID-19 cases may peak in India as early as mid-September provided strong public health measures are in place and people behave in a responsible manner to contain the virus, President of Public Health Foundation of India, Professor K Srinath Reddy, said on Saturday.

IMAGE: A health worker collects a swab sample for Covid-19 Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test at Urban Primary Health Centre, Gandhi Nagar, in Gurugram. Photograph: ANI Photo

He expressed concern over the microbe spreading with renewed vigour, as confirmed infections and deaths crossed one million and 25,000 respectively in India earlier this week.



"Ideally we could have and should have prevented it reaching this level, but even now we should try our best and contain it as quickly as possible", the public health expert said.

"Different places (states) would peak at different times", Reddy said on the rising COVID-19 cases.



He, however, added that India may see COVID-19 cases peaking as early as in two months if there are strong public health measures and people take all precautions like wearing face masks and maintaining physical distance.



"If everybody does what needs to be done", he said when asked if he is confident that the cases would peak within two months. "It depends on public and government action".



Reddy, who formerly headed the Department of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said up to the second phase of lockdown, control measures were very strict as India tried to contain the spread.



But subsequently after May 3, when relaxation started -- resumption of economic activities were important -- very strong levels of public health activities like household survey for any cases with symptoms, quick testing and isolation and vigorous contact tracing, among others, should have been maintained, he said.



"All those precautions... public health measures, as well as personal cautionary measures in terms of how to behave in a public place, started slipping since then, and slipped further after lockdown was fully lifted", according to him.



So it appeared as though we were in a "sudden release phenomenon". It was almost like students celebrating immediately after school exams, even though results were a few months away, Reddy, who presently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard, said.



There has been slipping up of necessary cautions in public gatherings, as well as in public health activity, he said.



"We spent too much time focusing on hospital bed capacity... that was also necessary, but the whole area of contact tracing was left essentially to policemen rather than seen as a public health function", he said.



"Building up strong contact tracing, household surveillance of people with symptoms, getting them tested quickly, all of these measures should have been taken much more".



Not following up with strong public health measures and a dilution of cautionary behaviour in public contributed to the rapid spread of the virus, said Reddy, who has been involved in several major national and international research studies, having been trained in cardiology and epidemiology.



"Our main thing now is to prevent the virus getting deep into rural India. Small towns and rural areas must be protected as much as possible, particularly rural areas because that is where two-thirds of India is. If we can prevent that, we can still prevent the damage", Reddy added.
PARIS - Protesters are marching in a Paris suburb Saturday to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of a Black man in police custody, whose case has mobilized broad anger against police brutality and racial injustice.

The demonstration in Beaumont-sur-Oise is honouring Adama Traore, who died on his 24th birthday in July 2016 after an arrest in circumstances that remain unclear. But its also about broader anti-government grievances, and climate activists are co-organizing this years protest.

Since George Floyds killing by Minneapolis police in May, campaigning by Traores family and other French activists against police violence targeting minorities has gained renewed attention and mobilized thousands in protests around France.

On July 19, 2016, gendarmes approached Traore and his brother for an identity check in Beaumont-sur-Oise north of Paris. Traore ran away because he didnt have his ID, but the gendarmes arrested him. Within hours he was declared dead.

One gendarme initially said three officers jumped on Traore to pin him down, but the gendarme later denied that. A dozen court-ordered medical reports found various cardiac diseases were responsible. The Traore family countered those with an independent autopsy and medical reports pointing to asphyxiation.

The case is still under investigation, and lawyers for the officers deny police were at fault. No one has been charged.

Traores case has also shed light on the struggle of other French families who have lost a loved one in police custody, notably Black and North African men, who French researchers have found are disproportionately targeted by police. According to a nationwide tally by news website Basta Mag, at least 101 police-related deaths are under investigation in France.

Traores sister Assa has led the familys efforts for justice, and has been touring struggling French suburbs where most of the population is immigrant or non-white, and organized activists across racial, geographical and economic lines to try to get France to rethink its policing.

Theres a movement today. We call it the Adama generation, these people who are not afraid anymore, and these youth who will not shut up, Assa Traore, whose family is of Malian origin, told The Associated Press this week.

She called for banning dangerous techniques that police use to immobilize people and wants France to scrap police oversight agencies, which are currently composed of police themselves, in favour of independent bodies.
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Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Snow this morning will give way to a mixture of rain and snow this afternoon. Some sleet may mix in. High 37F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 100%. About one inch of snow expected..

Tonight

Overcast. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 4F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
The Delhi Minorities Commission said 11 mosques, five madrasas or religious schools, a Muslim shrine and a graveyard were attacked

New Delhi: A government-appointed commission promoting the rights of Indias religious minorities said police failed to protect Muslims campaigning against a new citizenship law during violent riots in Delhi this year.

At least 53 people, mostly Muslims, were killed and more than 200 were injured in the worst communal violence in the Indian capital for decades.

The clashes erupted amid an outcry over a new federal law laying out the path to citizenship for six religious groups from neighbouring countries except Muslims. Critics said the law was discriminatory and flouted Indias secular constitution.

The Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) said Muslim homes, shops and vehicles were selectively targeted during the rioting that erupted in northeast Delhi in February when protests against the new Cititzenship Amendment Act (CAA) broke out across the country.

In all, 11 mosques, five madrasas or religious schools, a Muslim shrine and a graveyard were attacked and damaged, a team from the commission said the report released on Thursday.

Recommendations made in the commissions report to safeguard minority rights are not binding. Seemingly, to crush the protests, with support of the administration and police, a retaliatory plan of pro-CAA protesters was worked out to trigger violence at a large scale, it said.

The commission said police had charged Muslims for the violence even though they were the worst victims.

Delhi police spokesman Anil Mittal rejected the allegation of bias and said police had acted fairly.

We have filed 752 first information reports, over 200 chargesheets, arrested over 1400 people in connection with the riots. We have also formed three special investigation teams and are still open to receiving complaints, Mittal said.

Critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government say it has been promoting a Hindu-first India and that the citizenship law aimed to further marginalise the countrys 170 million Muslims.

The BJP denies any bias but says it is opposed to the appeasement of any community.

The report also alleged some senior BJP leaders like former member of Delhi legislative assembly Kapil Mishra of fuelling the 23 February violence, but the party spokesperson said there was no basis of such allegations.

When Delhi Police has already stated in court that there is no role proved of Kapil Mishra, then on what grounds DMC is saying this, BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said.

The minorities commission said witness spoke of police failure to intervene in the rioting.

Multiple testimonies collected by this Fact-Finding Committee recount reports of police inaction even as violence unfolded before them, or of police not arriving despite being called repeatedly, it said.
Protesters, mirrored by counter-protesters, returned to local streets Friday, this time in front of the Cowlitz County Youth Services Center to call for the end of the countys contract over detaining immigrant juveniles for federal officials.

Both groups shouted and chanted and remained non-violent as of 4:30 p.m., the time the 90-minute protest was scheduled to end. The afternoon capped a week of protests organized by Southwest Washington Communities United for Change (SWCUC), a group calling for officials to defund the police, demilitarize the police, (and) invest in communities of color.

The group of about 45 protesters held signs that read Free Them All or Abolish ICE Now and chanted Abolish ICE, No Justice, No Peace and other slogans.

We support ICE! Send em back, one woman from the roughly 30 counter-demonstrators yelled. They flew USA, Thin Blue Line and Trump flags and held signs reading Support ICE or All Lives Matter and chanted U.S.A.

One of the counter-protesters yelled, Go home, paid protesters!

I aint seen a check, said Longview resident Tavis Greenwood, who joined the protesters calling for the county to end its contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Im not a Democrat, Im not a Republican, Im not even a Black Lives Matter activist, said Keith Chapple, a friend of Greenwood. Im just a regular guy who happens to be Black ... and half white, too. ... Ive been around America. I know what it is to be struggling.

We shouldnt even have to say Black Lives Matter, Chapple saidand thats the reason why we have to, Greenwood finished for him.

Both men spoke with the counter-protesters and said theyd like to get both sides to talk about the issues.

A 54-year-old Kalama man in the counter-demonstration group who declined to give his name said he had a good conversation with Greenwood and Chapple.

Theyre good guys, good Americans, he said, and he hopes they can talk more.

We came to an agreement that this, and this, is not helping, he said, pointing to chanters and protesters on both sides of First Avenue. Were not resolving anything. ... I think its not going to solve s-.

He said he believes there are instigators on both sides, but ultimately stood with the counter-protesters because he disagrees that ICE is the enemy.

ICE is under scrutiny for holding juvenile detainees without disclosing their charges or other information about them, leading critics to accuse the agency of violating the detainees civil rights.

Friday appeared to be the first time a large protest has been held in-person by the Youth Services Center, and it reflects local residents demand for change, said SWCUC organizer Lexi Bongiorno.

Bongiorno said theyve been called all sorts of names, including a woman calling her a monkey.

Bongiorno said the group is still deciding if the protests will continue, but called this week a success: Our community came together. Weve achieved three days of successful protests where none of our community members have been hurt. Weve voiced our list of demands ... and carried two movements here in five days, the Abolish ICE and Black Lives Matter movement.

Some passing drivers honked or cheered in support of one side or another. Some shouted, and at least one flipped the anti-ICE protesters off.

Elaina Russell, a Longview resident, held a sign that read All Lives Matter at the counter-protest.

Russell, 55, said she came out to support ICE, free speech and President Trump, whose re-election she prays for every day. She said she believes the Black Lives Matter movement is against America.

I believe in All Lives Matter, she said. Its not about Black lives, white lives. Its all lives that matter. ... Theyre segregating themselves. Theyre differentiating the races by doing what theyre doing.

Mask-wearing was a point of division at the demonstration: Nearly all of the anti-ICE protesters wore them, and most of the counter-protesters didnt.

Due to concerns about growing COVID-19 cases, SWCUC organizers scuttled plans to protest Tuesday and Thursday. Interactions being SWCUC and counter-protesters have been tense, but members of both sides have expressed a desire for the protests to remain peaceful.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 23:15:59|Editor: huaxia

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QINGDAO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese oceanographic research vessel Xiangyanghong 06 returned to its homeport in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday after finishing a 96-day expedition in the Pacific Ocean.

The 52-member expedition team, led by a bureau under China's Ministry of Natural Resources on a mission of research on global change and sea-air interaction, carried out investigations of marine geology, geophysics, hydrology, and biology during the expedition.

Scientists onboard collected geological samples from more than 110 stations and obtained geophysical data, which are valuable for the study of climate evolution, and environmental and geophysical characteristics of the Pacific basin area, according to the Beihai bureau under the ministry.

It was the first expedition launched by the bureau this year, as well as the longest recorded, non-stop expedition voyage for a Chinese oceanographic research ship.

Before setting out in mid-April, expedition members took nucleic acid tests for COVID-19, prepared enough anti-epidemic supplies, and canceled originally planned stopovers for replenishment. Enditem
Halton police say the defacing of what some are calling a Nazi monument in an Oakville cemetery is no longer being investigated as a hate-motivated offence.

In a press release issued Friday, July 17, Det. Sgt. Barrett Gabriel of the Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau said that when police began investigating a June 22 incident, which saw a memorial within the St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery vandalized with graffiti, it was deemed hate-motivated in that they believed it was targeting the identifiable group of Ukrainians in general, or Ukrainian members of this cultural centre.

The target of the graffiti turned out to be a memorial to the 1st Ukrainian Division, which was created following the reformation of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.

The division fought with the Germans against the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.

It has also been accused of war crimes against civilians, but such charges were never proven.

Halton police Chief Steve Tanner said there is no support for the Nazi SS within Canada, nor should there ever be anywhere, in a Twitter reply to the police services press release.

He continued, The Nazi party/SS are by no means a protected group under any hate crime related legislation. The most unfortunate part of all of this is that any such monument would exist in the first place.

The memorial has been in the privately-owned cemetery since the late 1980s.

It does not feature Nazi symbols or reference the SS.

Halton police faced a significant social media backlash over the perception vandalism to a Nazi monument was being investigated as a hate-motivated offence.

Halton police have since attempted to clarify the situation.

At no time did the Halton Regional Police Service consider that the identifiable group targeted by the graffiti was Nazis, said Gabriel.

We regret any hurt caused by misinformation that suggests the service in any way support Nazism.

Gabriel said the incident is now being investigated as mischief to property.

No arrests have been made at this time and no suspect descriptions are available.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Halton police at 905-825-4747 ext. 2215 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Doug Brown / ACLU of Oregon

After protests erupted nationwide over the police killing of George Floyd, the Trump administration threatened to dominate the battle space of the country it nominally governs. Then it provided a demonstration by violently expelling protesters from Lafayette Square, near the White House, for a presidential photo op. Now the battle has come to the West Coast.

Federal agents have used excessive force and dubious detentions against protesters in Portland, Ore., in recent weeks over the objections of state and local officials. Contrary to President Trumps vow to quell persistent disorder there, city leaders say the federal forces are aggravating the unrest. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown called the federal governments involvement political theater and a blatant abuse of power. Sheriff Mike Reese of Multnomah County, which includes Portland, said the federal response to the protests failed to display good decision-making and sound tactical judgment. The use of force did not appear proportional to the actions of the demonstrators.
Burning tyres found in front of three temples here on Saturday led to tense moments with workers of BJP and fringe pro-Hindu outfits demanding action against the culprits, police said.

The incidents came a day after a statue of social reformer EV Ramasami 'Periyar' was found daubed with saffron hued paint here.

Police acted on a complaint from locals, scanned CCTV footage and found a man taking an old tyre lying outside a nearby garage early this morning and setting it on fire in front of the Makaliamman temple.

He damaged a board kept there and broke a bulb, while a trident in front of the temple was blackened due to the thick smoke from the burning tyre, they said.

As the news spread, workers from BJP, Hindu Munnani, VHP and other pro-Hindu outfits rushed to the area and demanded immediate arrest of the miscreants.

The outfits warned of an agitation if the police failed to arrest the culprits within 24 hours.

A large number of police personnel have been deployed in the area.

Reacting to the incident, BJP Tamil Nadu Vice-president, Vanati Srinivasan urged the City police commissioner to take action against the miscreants.

In a tweet, she alleged that the trident kept in front of the temple was damaged. In the second incident, a burning tyre was found in front of the Vinayakar temple near the railway station and another, at the Selvavinayakar shrine at Nellampalayam area, police said.

BJP sources said a kerosene-laced cloth was found burnt in front of a temple near Sangameshar temple at town hall here.

BJP Coimbatore district President, R Nandakumar alleged that the police have failed to arrest those behind the attack on leaders of Hindu organisations including RSS in the last couple of years.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, G Stalin said investigation is on to ascertain and bring to book those who attempted to vandalise Maakaliamman temple and Vinayagar temple.
SPRINGFIELD  Hours after filing a court document implicating  but not charging  Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, in a years-long bribery scheme, federal officials took to the courtyard of the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago on Friday to deliver a message to those engaging in public corruption: We will find you, too.

The charges in the document filed Friday are officially against Commonwealth Edison, Illinois largest electric utility company, which has agreed to pay $200 million and to continue cooperating with an ongoing federal corruption probe in order to defer prosecution for a single count of bribery. Per that agreement still pending approval from a judge, prosecution against the utility giant would be delayed for three years and potentially dismissed in exchange for the companys cooperation.

The bombshell in the report is that ComEd admitted to  from 2011 until 2019  seeking to influence and reward Public Official A for that persons favorable action on legislation. While Public Official A is not directly named in the document, that person is later identified as the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and the longest serving member of the House of Representatives.

Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, has held that position since 1983, except for a stint from 1995 to 1997. The documents did not contain his name or any charges against the person identified as Public Official A. At their news conference Friday afternoon, federal authorities said the FBI does not name those who are not charged.

The implications were clear as federal officials said ComEd admitted it arranged jobs, vendor subcontracts, and monetary payments associated with those jobs and subcontracts, for various associates of a high-level elected official in order to advance legislation that would bring the company monetary benefits that exceeded $150 million.

This occurred even in instances where these political allies and workers did little to no work that they were reportedly hired to perform, John Lausch Jr., U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said at a Chicago news conference.

In many ways, this agreement  including and specifically ComEds statement of facts  it speaks for itself, Lausch said. But it also speaks volumes about the nature of a very stubborn public corruption problem we have here in Illinois. The admitted facts detail a nearly decade-long corruption scheme involving top management at a large public utility, leaders in state government, consultants, and several others inside and outside of government.

Later Friday, a statement issued via a communications firm on behalf of Madigan said he had accepted subpoenas at his offices asking for documents related to job recommendations among other things.

He will cooperate and respond to those requests for documents, which he believes will clearly demonstrate that he has done nothing criminal or improper, according to the statement distributed by Maura Possley of the BoycePossley firm.

The speaker has never helped someone find a job with the expectation that the person would not be asked to perform work by their employer, nor did he ever expect to provide anything to a prospective employer if it should choose to hire a person he recommended. He has never made a legislative decision with improper motives and has engaged in no wrongdoing here. Any claim to the contrary is unfounded, Possley said in the statement.

Intent to influence and reward Public Official A

The statement was a direct rebuttal to the claims made by prosecutors, who said ComEd corruptly gave, offered, and agreed to give jobs, subcontracts and monetary payments to Public Official A and Public Official As associates, with intent to influence and reward Public Official A.

Lausch, however, said it was a complex question as to whether a public official has to benefit directly from an action for it to constitute criminal activity.

The short answer is, sometimes a corruption charge is appropriate if it does benefit someone personally, and other times a charge is appropriate if it benefits somebody else, he said.

The public utility company, which is subject to heavy state regulation, admitted it understood that, as speaker of the House of Representatives, Public Official A was able to exercise control over what measures were called for a vote in the House of Representatives and had substantial influence and control over fellow lawmakers concerning legislation, including legislation that affected ComEd.

The electric utility also admitted in the court document that it appointed an individual to its board of directors and retained a particular law firm at the request of Public Official A. It also accepted into an internship program a specified target number of students who primarily resided in a Chicago ward that Public Official A was associated with.

In a statement, Christopher Crane, CEO of ComEds parent company, Exelon, said, In the past, some of ComEds lobbying practices and interactions with public officials did not live up to the companys standards.

When we learned about the inappropriate conduct, we acted swiftly to investigate. We concluded from the investigation that a small number of senior ComEd employees and outside contractors orchestrated this misconduct, and they no longer work for the company, he said. Since then, we have taken robust action to aggressively identify and address deficiencies, including enhancing our compliance governance and our lobbying policies to prevent this type of conduct.

Pritzker: If true, hes gonna have to resign

Gov. J.B. Pritzker  who was also a subject of headlines regarding a public corruption investigation Friday  said at an unrelated news conference in Waukegan that if the allegations against Madigan are true, Hes gonna have to resign.

The speaker has a lot that he needs to answer  to authorities, to investigators, and most importantly, to the people of Illinois, Pritzker said. If these allegations of wrongdoing by the speaker are true, there is no question that he will have betrayed the public trust. And he must resign.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday morning that it had obtained documents that show the U.S. attorneys office in Chicago has asked Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi for all emails and any other communications dating to 2012 regarding the tax break that Kaegis predecessor, Joseph Berrios, gave Pritzker.

The documents requested reportedly pertained to the $330,000 property tax break that Pritzker  before he got into elected politics  received on his Chicago mansion after he purchased a neighboring property and removed toilets to render it uninhabitable.

Pritzkers properties were among 118 for which prosecutors sought information about property tax appeals granted during Berrios tenure from 2010 to 2018.

Pritzker has consistently denied wrongdoing and did so again Friday, noting neither he nor his wife had been contacted by federal authorities on the issue.

There's nothing new to tell you.  I learned about this from a reporter, he said. The facts about this matter have been public for some time and have extensively been discussed as they were in the 2018 election, and they've been fully aired. And as I've always said, any review will show that all the rules were followed.

Republican drew parallels between the Pritzker and Madigan headlines.

The announcement against ComEd and 'Public Official A and the ongoing investigation of Cook County property tax corruption are another sad commentary on the state of our state, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said in a video-conference. The deep federal investigations into the highest members of the Democratic Party and their abuse of the Cook County property tax system is finally coming to light.

He suggested the state should reexamine laws beneficial to ComEd, and said he would like to see a special session for ethics reforms, which he accused Madigan of blocking in recent weeks.

The allegations presented today are troubling and downright depressing, he said. Speaker Madigan needs to speak up on this issue. And if the allegations are true, he must resign immediately. Just as important, I hope that members of the General Assembly in the majority party, the Democrat Party, finally have the courage to stand up and demand an explanation of their leader that they have, for decades, elected to rule.

The people of Illinois now live in a state where both the speaker of the House and the governor are under criminal investigation. Even for a state with a history of corruption, this is unprecedented," said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider, who called for Madigan to step down.

Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, who has been in a legal battle with the Pritzker administration over the governor's stay-at-home COVID order, also called for the speaker's resignation.

"The people of Illinois deserve better than theyve received, and this indictment shines a bright light on a long-suspected and long-rumored culture of corruption, he said.

GOP state House members State Reps. Brad Halbrook, Chris Miller and Blaine Wilhour in a joint statement said that the "ComEd saga proves beyond a shadow of doubt that Speaker Madigan is corrupt."

"It is time for our state to finally rid itself of the corruption and abuse of power that has been the hallmark of Madigans tenure as speaker of the House," the statement said.

We will find you too

In the courtyard of the Dirksen federal building Friday, Lausch signified more federal action could be forthcoming.

Its not good, he said. But our federal investigations of corruption in Illinois are ongoing. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we will get that work done.

Federal authorities have been conducting a seemingly wide-sweeping probe of public corruption that first breached the publics radar in the second half of 2019.

State Sen. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat, was indicted on embezzlement charges in August that alleged he took a salary and benefits from a labor union without doing any work. He continues to serve in the chamber and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In September, federal agents raided the Statehouse office of then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago. He resigned his Senate seat in November, and in January he pleaded guilty to a bribery and tax fraud charge pertaining to his dealings with a red light camera company and agreed to continue to work with investigators.

Luis Arroyo, also a Chicago Democrat and former state representative, was arrested in October for allegedly passing a bribe to a state senator for favorable treatment of legislation pertaining to gambling devices known as sweepstakes machines. He pleaded not guilty to the bribery charges in February, but waived a right to be indicted by a federal grand jury, again signaling plans to eventually plead guilty in his corruption case, according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Investigations of local Chicago officials have been ongoing as well.

On Friday, Kathy Enstrom, special agent-in-charge of the Chicago office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, said the office is committed to investigating fraud and political corruption on all levels.

We shine bright lights in dark corners and exposed financial fraud and corporate misconduct wherever they exist, she said. Organizations involved in this type of criminal activity should take todays actions as both a warning and opportunity  We will find you too. It is not too late to get on the right side of the law.

ComEd to pay $200 million fine in alleged bribery scheme as feds say Madigan allies got jobs, contracts

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Police departments across the country often use Twitter to put forth essential messages for people. From creative to hilarious, they employ various methods to ensure that the posts strike a chord with netizens. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the departments have been sharing quirky posts to advise people and create awareness about the importance of various precautionary measures. Case in point is the latest dangerous content tweet from Pune Police.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, they shared an image. This image resembles the one which people see on social media that cautions them about content which may prove disturbing to some viewers.

In the tweet, they also wrote, Roaming without a mask or not practicing physical distancing is a threat to all indeed.

Roaming without a mask or not practicing physical distancing is a threat to all indeed.#InstaMask#InstaSafety pic.twitter.com/LhwoEBfO3I  PUNE POLICE (@PuneCityPolice) July 18, 2020

This is not the only department which has issued a creative advisory to drive home the message that masks are important. A few days ago, the Mumbai Police did the same. They gave a twist to the famous Tell me why scene from the show Brooklyn Nine-Nine to drive home the message.

Also Read | Write mask lagaana hai  500 times as fine, Firozabad admin comes up with unique punishment for violators
A man staged a sit-in in front of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's residence on Saturday to protest against the lack of medical care that allegedly claimed the life of his one-month-old infant girl, police said.

Venkatesh sat with the baby's photograph in front of the CM's house, alleging that the girl developed health complications on July 11 and was rushed to a hospital, but it turned him away, the police said.

He said he had approached about a dozen hospitals and all of them refused to provide any medical care following which the infant died.

This forced girl's father to hold a protest to draw the Chief Minister's attention to the issue, they said.

The demonstration drew public attention and a few people joined him in the protest, they added.

Later, he was taken away from the spot by the police and let off with a warning.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at McGregor Industries in Dunmore, Pa., Thursday, July 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Associated Press

Joe Biden released a plan on Friday regarding how schools should approach reopening this fall. It underscored the need for clear federal guidance to states, which is lacking under President Trump.

"The current lack of clarity" from the Trump administration is "paralyzing for schools," according to Biden's video statement.

The five-step plan suggests individual communities should make decisions based on local conditions, such as how many coronavirus infections have been reported and the amount of school funding to ensure safe teaching conditions.

Schools should reopen if "people" wear masks and if teachers can practice social distancing, he said, adding that otherwise, it's too dangerous to reopen.

Biden said he supports the $58 billion of federal funds that the House has already approved for schools, and at least another $34 billion should join it.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Joe Biden's campaign released a plan on Friday for how schools should consider reopening this fall. It focuses on creating basic federal guidelines while allowing schools to make decisions at the local level. It also urges Congress to pass additional emergency funding to bolster school reopening.

Biden's plan was also accompanied by a video of him and his wife, Jill, an educator. "Teachers are tough," Jill said in the video. "But it's wrong to endanger educators and students. We need a better plan."

Related: Educators seek help of Hasidic Jews for online learning

"Forcing educators and students back into classrooms in areas where infection rates are going up or remaining too high is just plain dangerous," Biden said.

The campaign's plan lays out five necessary steps. The first step? The country needs to "get the virus under control." To do so, Biden suggests increasing testing and contact tracing and utilizing the Defense Production Act to procure PPE in addition to adhering to social distancing guidelines and wearing masks.

Story continues

Second, the plan details, national guidelines should be set. "Schools need clear, consistent, effective national guidelines ... The current lack of clarity is paralyzing for schools." Thus far, the plan says, schools have been more or less flying blind. While the proposed guidelines would cover basics, like what infection rate would keep a school closed, they would also allow individual communities to make decisions based on local conditions.

As coronavirus cases surge across the country, it is likely Biden's plan would encourage most schools to remain remote or to delay reopening.

Third, Biden urged the Senate to pass the $58 billion of federal funds that the House voted to allocate for schools, and to add at least another $34 billion to that number. The emergency funding would mostly help schools reopen safely, for instance providing ventilation systems, personal protective equipment, and more, while $4 billion would specifically go toward updating technology and broadband.

Fourth, the plan calls for elevated remote learning experiences.

Fifth, Biden's campaign said it wants to narrow the educational equity gap in the future.

Biden's statement comes as Trump continues to push for widespread reopenings and threaten funding cuts to schools that resist.

On Monday, when asked about an Arizona teacher who died from the coronavirus, Trump didn't answer the question, saying "Schools should be opened."

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany reemphasized that stance on Thursday. She said Trump wants schools to be "open and full," and "the science should not stand in the way of this."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Follow our live coverage of the 2020 election between Joe Biden and President Trump.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Friday released his plan for reopening classrooms amid the coronavirus crisis, emphasizing both deference to local decision-making and federal assistance to schools, and setting up yet another sharp contrast with President Trump, who has insisted that schools should rapidly resume in-person classes.

Also Friday, Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, indicated that he had begun receiving intelligence briefings, and issued a stark warning about foreign interference in the election based on the reports he was receiving, naming Russia and China specifically as two actors engaged in meddling.

We know from before and I guarantee you I know now because now I get briefings again, the Russians are still engaged in trying to delegitimize our electoral process, Mr. Biden said at a fund-raiser, according to a pool report. Mr. Biden, who has previously warned about Russian meddling in elections, added, China and others are engaged as well in activities that are designed for us to lose confidence in the outcome.

Those remarks came several hours after he released his proposal for reopening schools.

The question of when and how schools should reopen this fall has been a source of anguish and uncertainty for parents, students and educators. They are concerned about the health risks of full classrooms as the pandemic rages on, but are also often struggling with the professional and personal challenges posed by remote learning. Research shows that remote learning is problematic for most students, and is especially damaging for low-income and other vulnerable students.
Inputs about the plan to attack Amarnath Yatra come shortly after the Shopian encounter on Friday, in which three terrorists, including a JeM commander, were killed

Srinagar: Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have received inputs about terrorists planning to carry out an attack on Amarnath Yatra, an Army officer said on Friday, but asserted that "systems and resources" were in place to ensure that the annual pilgrimage goes on unhindered.

The officer said it was only befitting that Friday's encounter, in which three terrorists, including a self-styled commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, were gunned down, took place just four days before the yatra is set to commence on 21 July.

"There are inputs that terrorists would try their best to target the yatra, but we have got our systems and resources in place to ensure that it goes on unhindered and peacefully," Brigadier Vivek Singh Thakur, Commander, Two Sector, said in a press conference in south Kashmir.

"We remain committed to ensure Amarnath Yatra will be conducted peacefully without any hindrance and the security situation will continue to remain under control," he said.

Brigadier Thakur said the stretch of National Highway 44 which will be used by the yatris continue to remain sensitive. "This axis is a bit sensitive. The yatris will take up this axis to go up to Sonamarg (Ganderbal) and this (Baltal) is the only route which will be active to go up to the Amarnath cave," he said.
A North Cork farmer has appealed a ruling which would allow for a second prosecution against him over the death of a boy who fell from his defective tractor.

The High Court had ruled last year that the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) could proceed with a prosecution against George Ross over the 14-year-old's death.

Micheal 'Haulie' Murphy fell out through the door of the tractor, which was owned by Mr Ross but driven by an employee. The lock was broken and the door was being kept shut with plastic cable ties when the accident happened on August 23, 2013 at Knocknacullota, Killavullen.

Mr Ross of Convamore, Ballyhooly, was convicted under the Road Traffic Act and fined 700 by Mallow District Court in October 2014 for allowing the tractor to be driven when it was a danger to the public.

The 68-year-old is challenging a separate prosecution of him, this time in Cork Circuit Criminal Court under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act, on grounds that the tractor was an unsafe place to work. It is an indictable offence, which carries a maximum fine of 3million and a two-year prison sentence.

Mr Ross claims he should not be prosecuted a second time for what he says is substantially the same offence. He applied for a judicial review of the HSA's decision but the High Court ruled against him last year. This week (Tuesday) he appealed that ruling in the Court of Appeal.

His barrister, Elizabeth O'Connell SC, said that Justice Michael Twomey had given too little weight to the oppression caused to Mr Ross and his family by the decision to prosecute for a second time on the same facts.

She said it remained unanswered as to why the gardai and the HSA had approached the matter separately. She described as unjust and arbitrary the decision to return him to court again.

Ms O'Connell asked the court to set the High Court's ruling aside and make an order of prohibition against the second prosecution.

Grainne O'Neill BL responded on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). She said that there was no abuse of process and that the two charges were different in law and in fact.

Ms O'Neill said that such matters could be raised with the trial judge in Cork Circuit Court, who must ensure a fair trial.

Justice John Edwards, presiding with Justice Patrick McCarthy and Justice Aileen Donnelly, reserved judgment in the case.
New Delhi, July 18 : The Ministry of Housing Affairs has suggested the Finance Commission to increase the total allocation to urban municipal bodies by around four times.

In a meeting with the commission on Friday, attended by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and senior ministry officials, the ministry recommended an increase in allocation to urban municipal bodies from Rs 87,143 crore to Rs 3,48,575 crore.

An official statement said that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry Durga Shanker Mishra has made a detailed presentation to the commission and submitted MoHUA's revised memorandum to the commission for the purpose of the fifteenth Finance Commission's (XVFC) Report 2020-2021 to 2025-2026.

It has also suggested a separate grant for urban public health infrastructure to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare along with a separate grant for regulation of over a million of cities' ambient air quality to the Environment Ministry.

Among the non-financial recommendations, the ministry suggested the commission to bring change in mandatory conditions of property tax.

It also asked for measures against COVID-19, including separate grants to urban local bodies for public health infrastructure, 9.4 per cent of central taxes.
Alabama - Partial reopening

Gov. Kay Ivey has not issued a mandate ordering all schools to reopen. Instead, officials have released a framework of recommendations. According to Alabama.com, a majority of school districts are allowing students the choice as to whether they attend physical classes or dial in virtually.

Alaska - Partial reopening

School districts are expected to follow the state education department's Smart Start 2020 framework. While most schools are expected to resume in-person classes, some schools will continue with distance learning. The Anchorage school district will push back the start of their school year by two days so teachers can implement safety precautions.

Arizona - Delayed

Arizona schools usually start its academic year in early August. In light of COVID spikes, Gov. Doug Ducey has delayed the first day of instruction to August 17 at the earliest. The date may be pushed back further.

Arkansas - Delayed

Arkansas will resume classes on August 24 instead of August 13 , Gov. Asa Hutchinson has announced. School districts will then decide on their mode of instruction. In areas with low coronavirus infections, students will likely return to school full-time. In districts with high cases, learning could continue in an online format.

California  Partial Reopening

On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced safety criteria for reopening schools. Counties must have low rates of COVID-19 in order to allow students back into the classroom. At present, more than half of all California counties fall short of the standards required to reopen.

Colorado  Partial Reopening

Connecticut - Reopening

According to Ballotpedia.org, Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said June 25 'that his department was proposing all schools reopen to students in the fall. Students and staff will be required to wear masks while inside school buildings'. However, the plans have been hotly contested by many parents and teachers. Gov. Ned Lamont says he is now looking into the matter and will make an announcement next month.

Delaware - No Plans Announced

Florida  Reopening

Last week,Florida's Commissioner of the Department of Education issued an emergency order requiring all "brick and mortar schools" to open "at least five days per week for all students." The decision has been hotly contested. Some school districts now plan to delay the start of their school year.

Georgia  Partial Reopening

Hawaii  Reopening

With low coronavirus cases, The Hawaii Department of Education announced public schools would begin reopening from August 4.

Idaho - Partial Reopening

Illinois- Partial Reopening

Indiana  Partial Reopening

Decisions will be made by individual school districts. Some have pushed back the start of the school year and will conduct some instruction online.

Iowa  Partial Reopening

Governor Kim Reynolds is pushing for schools to prioritize in-person learning, but has not issued a mandate ordering them to do so. However, schools will be required to deliver in-person instruction at least 50 percent of the time.

Kansas - Delayed

Gov. Laura Kelly has mandated that schools not reopen until after Labor Day. Masks must be worn at schools delivering in-person instruction.

Kentucky - Partial Reopening

Louisiana  Partial Reopening

Local districts will decide whether or not to reopen their schools. Guidelines state that schools can opt for a mix of traditional, hybrid and distance learning.

Maine  Partial Reopening

Decisions will be left to local districts. Many may opt for a mix of in-person and virtual learning.

Maryland  Partial Reopening

State Superintendent Karen B. Salmon will provide an update on schools reopening next week. However, most schools appear to be opting for a mix of Virtual learning, in-person and hybrid systems. Baltimore City Public Schools may offer families the option of an all-virtual school year.

Massachusetts  No Plan Announced Yet

Michigan  Partial Reopening

Minnesota  Partial Reopening

Some schools will reopen after Labor Day, others are considering staggering attendance in order to ensure social distancing.

Mississippi  Partial Reopening

Online learning is likely to be a component for most students, as schools will stagger attendance.

Missouri  Partial Reopening

The final decision to open will be up to districts. St. Louis County has announced they will reopen schools with masks and social distancing in place. However, some classes may take place online.

Montana  Partial Reopening

Most schools are reported to be opting for a hybrid mix of in-person instruction and virtual learning.

Nebraska  Partial Reopening

Gov Ricketts had urged schools to reopen but has not issued a mandate. He stated: It's almost going to be a building-by-building decision--and some of those decisions are going to be very difficult. Please, work with your schools on this.

Nevada  Partial Reopening

New Hampshire  Partial Reopening

Officials are leaving decision up to local districts, although it is expected most schools will physically reopen with safety precautions.

New Jersey  Partial Reopening

New Mexico  Partial Reopening

According to local news outlets, online learning is likely to be prioritized in the first few weeks of the academic year across the state

New York  No Plan Announced Yet

Gov. Cuomo says he is set to release more details in the coming weeks. However, it seems unlikely most students will return to school on a full-time basis. In New York City, Bill de Blasio said he anticipates schools will re-open sometime in the fall with students attended on a staggered schedule to ensure social distancing.

North Carolina - Partial Reopening

North Dakota  Partial Reopening

Officials say it will not be easy to immediate place all students safely back in schools after closing schools in mid-March.

Gov. Doug Burgum has stated: We flicked the light switch off in the spring. That was easy. Flicking it back on, were not turning it back on to the same thing that we were.... K-12 schools have to think about how theyre going to have to deliver education in those buildings in a way that allows them to stay open.'

Ohio - Partial Reopening

Gov. Mike DeWine has urged schools to try and reopen their schools for full attendance, saying student learning is better in-person. However, he had conceded that 'schools can adjust their rules to what works best for them for a safe environment and that protects students and staff.

Oklahoma - Partial Reopening

Oregon - Partial Reopening

Pennsylvania - Partial Reopening

Rhode Island - Partial Reopening

South Carolina - Partial Reopening

South Dakota - Partial Reopening

Tennessee - Partial Reopening

Texas  Delayed

Previous guidance from officials has recommended that schools offer three weeks of virtual instruction to start the year, but risk losing state funding if they do not return to in-person instruction shortly after. However, Gov. Abbot is now reconsidering in light of surging COVID-19 cases across the state.

Utah  Partial Reopening

Vermont  Partial Reopening

Officials are leaving the decision to individual school districts, however it is likely most schools will reopen and students will attend in person full-time due to low infection numbers across the state.

Virginia - Partial Reopening

Washington - Partial Reopening

West Virginia  Delayed

West Virginia public schools have pushed their start date back three weeks to September 8.

Wisconsin  Partial Reopening

Official guidances has outlines several scenarios that schools could follow. These reportedly include four-day school weeks, a two-day rotation, an a/b week rotation, and virtual learning.

Wyoming  Partial Reopening

The state's 48 school districts are responsible for developing reopening plans.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the Chinese Communist Party is not only crushing freedom in Hong Kong and threatening a free Taiwan but also trying to dominate the global communication networks.

Today, the Chinese Communist Party is crushing freedom in Hong Kong. It is threatening a free Taiwan and trying to dominate the world communications networks, Pompeo said during a visit to Iowa on Friday (local time).

A few weeks back, I read a report about the Chinese Communist Party forcing mass abortions and sterilisation on Chinese Muslims in Western China. These are some of the most gross human rights violations we have seen and I have referred to it as the stain of the century, he added.

On Friday, Washington booked five Chinese foreign nationals and two Chinese entities under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. It also imposed visa sanctions on certain employees of Chinese technology companies including Huawei that provide material support to regimes engaging in human rights abuses globally.

In a statement on Wednesday, Pompeo had announced the restrictions and said: Telecommunications companies around the world should consider themselves on notice: If they are doing business with Huawei, they are doing business with human rights abusers.

Pompeo had said that Huawei is an arm of the CCPs surveillance state that censors political dissidents and enables mass internment camps in Xinjiang and the indentured servitude of its population shipped all over China.

The US action comes a day after the UK announced its decision to ban British companies from buying Huawei-produced equipment for 5G networks from the end of the year.

US President Donald Trump called Chinese technology untrustworthy.

We confronted untrustworthy Chinese technology and telecom providers. We convinced many countries not to use Huawei because its a big security risk. Just today, the UK announced that they are not going to be using it, Trump had said on Wednesday.

The United States had designated Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE Corp as national security threats, saying they have close ties with the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas military apparatus.
New Delhi: A popular Ukrainian TV news anchor Marichka Padalko recently had her oops moment on live news show but the way she handled it, is certainly applause-worthy. During her live news reporting from the studio, her front tooth fell out and she managed it without a single awkward expression on her face.

In fact, the video went viral on social media and she herself posted it on her Instagram handle. Watch it here:



View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@marichkapadalko) on Jul 15, 2020 at 8:00am PDT

Kudos to Marichka Padalko, who continued the news reading without even batting an eyelid.

The Internet has a pool of such bizarre and out-of-box videos.

You never know what might be viral and breaking social media the next very moment.

Keep reading this space for regular updates on viral content.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18, 2020 11:14 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066750f98 4 National Education,Education-and-Culture-Ministry,COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia,BOS,education-funds,Riau Free

Sixty-four principals of state junior high schools in Riaus Indragiri Hulu regency have resigned following the Education and Culture Ministry's recent regulation allowing schools to manage the government's school operational assistance (BOS) funds without any limitations.

Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim announced on July 12 that he gave school principals across the country the freedom to use the funds to prepare for necessary infrastructure to enforce strict health protocol amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The principals claimed they resigned because they felt uncomfortable with the decision. They also criticized the lack of detailed explanation on the ministry-issued BOS fund usage guideline.

"We would rather step down from our positions than feel uneasy managing these funds," one of the principals, Harti, said as quoted by tempo.co on Thursday.

She added they had always followed the ministry's guidelines in spending funds. Should the ministry's inspectorate general find any irregularities in its budget audits, the principals could communicate with the inspector in charge and settle the issue.

Harti claimed that several unidentified people had approached and threatened the principals in the wake of the ministry's decision on the BOS fund, causing dozens of them to resign from their positions and work as regular teachers instead.

Read also: COVID-19 education funds leave much to be desired

Ingragiri Hulu Education Agency head Ibrahim Alimin confirmed that there had been intimidation, saying the unidentified people had claimed to be members of certain nongovernmental organizations.

The ministry's acting inspector general, Chatarina Muliana Girsang, later said that the resignation was triggered by intimidation from several parties regarding alleged irregularities surrounding the BOS fund usage in the fiscal year of 2016 to 2018. She went on to say her office had interviewed some of the resigning principals.

"[The resignation] didn't have anything to do with the ministry's recent regulation on BOS fund usage technical guideline to support the schools in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic," she said on Friday as quoted by tempo.co.

She went on to say that the ministry obtained an information regarding alleged irregularities in the usage of BOS funds in the budget for 2016 to 2018 pertaining to the honorarium for a teacher forum (MGMP). She asserted that her office would work with the Attorney General's Office as well as the regional education agency's inspector general to investigate the matter.

The ministry's early childhood, elementary and secondary education acting director general, Hamid Muhammad, said principals should not be wary of using the BOS funds as long as they were following the guideline. (dpk)
Bay Area health officials are on alert as record-shattering coronavirus numbers raise concerns once more about the lack of personal protective equipment available to keep frontline workers safe.

After the initial scramble to find enough equipment in the pandemics early days, some hospitals and public health officials across the Bay Area say they now have enough protective gear in place, or plans in place to get it. But replenishing stockpiled supplies could become harder as the outbreak worsens nationally.

We are experiencing some issues in terms of obtaining (protective equipment), likely due to the increased national demand for (protective equipment) supplies, Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Public Health Department, said in a news briefing Wednesday.

It doesnt help that coronavirus hospitalizations in the Bay Area are also surging, with a record high of 665 patients Thursday. While some officials said they feel better about supplies now compared to months ago, management and health care workers often differ on how much equipment is enough. Some facilities are reusing N95 masks, following loosened federal guidelines that some workers fear wont adequately protect them.

(edited)

Bay Area public health departments track whether medical facilities have stockpiled protective equipment. As of this week, San Mateo County facilities said they had a two-week supply. Contra Costa and Marin counties had enough for a month. Facilities in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties did not have a 30-day supply.

Jim Morrissey, medical health operational area coordinator with Alameda County emergency medical services, said the county has ample supplies to distribute to facilities within a day. The county has stockpiled enough protective equipment to last up to six months, he said. Since March, the county distributed 4.6 million items, ranging from gallons of hand sanitizer to boxes of gloves. Morrissey said supply pipelines are now opening up, so he encourages facilities to go back to their vendors or search on Amazon to find items.

Get what you can, when you can, if you can, and as much as you can, said Morrissey. You continue to think ahead to say this is going to get worse.

Other counties struggle more: A Contra Costa Public Health Department spokesman said supplying requests from facilities is an ongoing challenge and the state and federal government are the countys largest suppliers.

Dr. Joshua Adler, chief clinical officer for UCSF Health, said the hospital system received no usable shipments of N95 masks for months and relied on internal supplies and donations. Several weeks ago, deliveries began trickling in.

Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle

Adler said he feels better about supplies than he did  but still not great  despite having more coronavirus patients than ever before. But he pointed out that smaller doctors offices still feel stressed and struggle to obtain supplies.

At Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, chief nursing officer Mark Brown said they have a four- to six-month supply in hand. The hospital still has at least 95,000 N95 masks left over from a county and San Jose police donation months ago and expects another 100,000 from the county next week.

Even if it gets really bad in Northern California, we feel we have a good process in place with our supplies. ... We can manage them properly and protect our staff and physicians, Brown said.

Hospitals have found ways to stretch supplies, such as switching to washable gowns and asking workers to wear the same N95 mask for a shift. Theyre following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which allow for reuse when properly removing and storing masks.

These guidelines changed and were driven by supply shortages, said Dr. David Rempel, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at UCSF Department of Medicine and UC Berkeley College of Engineering. Past research shows reusing masks increases exposure risks, but its not been proven how much, he added.

Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle

Across California, 18,857 health care workers have been infected with the virus and 105 have died. Many workers protest reusing masks they were trained to throw away after one use.

Five months now into this pandemic, we are still rationing our (protective equipment), John Pasha, an ICU nurse at Good Samaritan, said. Were still not at a place where were practicing the gold standard of care.

The California Nurses Association is demanding President Trump enact the Defense Production Act and force factories to make masks.

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 United States is the richest country in the world, and we cant get the safety equipment we need to adequately protect health care workers, said Deborah Burger, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center and co-president of the union.

Some hospitals have turned to decontamination instead. National company Battelle, which has a Fremont site, got a contract from the federal government to decontaminate masks at no cost to hospitals. The company acknowledges reuse is not ideal.

A new mask is best, but if theres no mask available, this is a solution for that problem, Brandon Wood, research statistician and Fremont site manager, said.

Battelles decontamination process uses hydrogen peroxide vapor, a common method for hospital sterilization. The method, tested in a two-year study conducted before the pandemic, was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year. Masks can be reprocessed up to 20 times without degrading the filter quality, the study said.

The Fremont site has decontaminated more than 100,000 masks since May 1, Wood said. The site, which usually receives 20 to 30 boxes a day, saw a spike to 59 on Monday.

Most Bay Area hospitals are not using decontaminated masks yet. Good Samaritan received masks back from Battelle but is storing them; UCSF has boxes ready to send off if the need arises.

Rempel, who has studied decontamination for months with a national research group, said hydrogen peroxide vapor has proved effective in removing the virus, but there are always concerns about making sure the chemical process is done correctly and how many times its safe to reuse.

He was shocked mask manufacturing hasnt met the demand yet: I think its nuts.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
Bersatu Youth man claims reports saying Muhyiddin backs UEC are misleading

Bersatu Youth Education spokesperson Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir has called on all parties not to muddy the waters of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) issue after the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) said yesterday that premier Muhyiddin Yassin personally hopes the government will one day recognise it.

The association had said that the premier expressed this aspiration during a meeting with Huazong representatives at the Parliament building yesterday.

Mohd Ashraf claimed that it appeared to be an attempt by several parties to incite racist sentiments and anger the Malays against Muhyiddin's leadership on this issue.

"If you look closely at the statement from (the prime minister's) official Facebook page, it is clearly reported that the discussions between the two parties were comprehensive on the development of the Chinese community.

"It is essential for Muhyiddin as Prime Minister to listen and open accommodation to achieve national integration, and it is not an error.

"There is, however, no statement from Muhyiddin that he wants to recognise UEC as a whole, as the opposition has started to play up," claimed Mohd Ashraf.

"The evidence that the PM personally hoped that the government would recognize the UEC was just a claim made by Huazong and reported by the media," he said.

In its statement, the association had said that Muhyiddin expressed the governments willingness to negotiate with Huazong and other Chinese civil society groups on the UEC issue but had urged all parties to understand the countrys policies and circumstances.

Mohd Ashraf claimed that in saying this, Muhyiddin was subtly rejecting the idea of recognising the UEC.

He went on to say that Muhyiddin has always been consistent in matters relating to national identity issues such as the issue of the Malay language, the teaching of Maths and Science in English (PPSMI) and UEC.

"The prime minister obviously has a pretty good record of defending the national identity by adhering to the Constitution, and he clearly understood the issue of PPSMI and dared to abolish it.

Story continues

"He has also repeatedly reminded us that the UEC issue needs to be properly resolved to achieve the goal of uniting Malaysians," he added.

Mohd Ashraf said he hoped his explanation would provide some clarity and cautioned against those who would try to poison the dialogue and further harm the stability of the country for political gain.

"As PM, Muhyiddin needs to serve and listen to the demands of the multiracial nation, but we should leave it to his wisdom to clearly adhere to the 'policy' of the country," he said.
The UK government has halted the publication of the daily number of coronavirus deaths over concerns that "statistical flaws" might be rendering the data inaccurate.

The pause in publication was decided by the Department of Health and Social Care after the health secretary, Matt Hancock, ordered a review into the figures.

A study by academics published late this week suggested that the toll is subject to "over-exaggeration" because of the way Public Health England (PHE) measures deaths.

A statement on the government's website read: "The secretary of state has today, 17 July, asked PHE to urgently review their estimation of daily death statistics.

"Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and date of death.

"There have been claims that the lack of cut-off may distort the current daily deaths number. We are therefore pausing the publication of the daily figure while this is resolved."

Meanwhile, NHS England, which is separately reporting confirmed deaths in hospitals under its jurisdiction, said on Saturday that a further 13 people who tested positive for the coronavirus had died.

This brings the total of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 29,173, the body said. The patients are understood to have been aged between 49 and 96 years old and all had known underlying conditions.

The suspension of UK-wide statistics is related to observed differences in data reported in England and the other countries of the UK.

Professor Yoon K Loke, of the University of East Anglia, and Carl Heneghan, professor of evidence-based medicine at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Primary Care, said on Thursday night that a statistical flaw in the way Public Health England compiles data on deaths had created a disparity in figures published by the different UK nations.

It seems that PHE regularly looks for people on the NHS database who have ever tested positive, and simply checks to see if they are still alive or not, they wrote.

It seems that PHE regularly looks for people on the NHS database who have ever tested positive, and simply checks to see if they are still alive or not Professors Yoon K Loke and Carl Heneghan

PHE does not appear to consider how long ago the Covid test result was, nor whether the person has been successfully treated in hospital and discharged to the community.

Anyone who has tested Covid-positive but subsequently died at a later date of any cause will be included on the PHE Covid death figures.

The two experts said the issue specifically relates to England because Scotland and Northern Ireland use a 28-day cut-off.

A patient who has tested positive, but [was then] successfully treated and discharged from hospital, will still be counted as a Covid death even if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later, added Prof Loke and Prof Heneghan.

On the government death statistics website for England, the issue is acknowledged, saying: Deaths are counted where a lab-confirmed positive coronavirus test result is reported in any setting.

This means that not all deaths reported here are caused by coronavirus.

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Prof Loke and Prof Heneghan said this is the reason why PHE figures vary substantially from day to day and said that about 80,000 recovered patients in the community were still being monitored by PHE for the daily death statistics, even though many are elderly and may die of other causes.

They suggested defining community coronavirus-related deaths as those that occurred within 21 days of a Covid-positive test result to fix the flaw.

PHE said it could not be ruled out that the coronavirus was a contributory factor in some deaths.

Dr Susan Hopkins, PHEs incident director, said in a statement: Although it may seem straightforward, there is no [World Health Organisation]-agreed method of counting deaths from Covid-19. In England, we count all those that have died who had a positive Covid-19 test at any point, to ensure our data is as complete as possible.

We must remember that this is a new and emerging infection and there is increasing evidence of long-term health problems for some of those affected. Whilst this knowledge is growing, now is the right time to review how deaths are calculated.
Mumbai:

A government official in Maharashtras Solapur district has been arrested allegedly after he demanded bribes and insisted he be paid only in the Rs 100 denomination and not in the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.



Anti-corruption bureau officials caught the accused, an agricultural officer with the Mohol Panchayat Samiti, on Wednesday while he was accepting Rs 2,500 from a person who had approached him for some official work, police said.



The officer, Balasaheb Bhikaji Babar, was approached by the complainant Dattatray Bedge for clearing his Krishi Seva Kendra proposal, police said.



The officer insisted the complainant bring 25 notes of Rs 100 as the government has demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, a police official told PTI.



A case has been filed under sections 7, 13 (1) and 13 (2) of the anti-corruption Act at the Mohol police station in Solapur district, police said.
Jaipur: The Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) supports the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, the two MLAs of the regional party said in a joint press conference with state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara on Saturday.

BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president and other leaders have agreed on extending support to the Gehlot government on the condition that demands related to development of the state are fulfilled.

The party had on Monday issued a whip asking Roat and Ramprasad to be neutral and neither support the Congress nor the BJP. It had also told them to neither support Chief Minister Gehlot nor Sachin Pilot in case of a floor test in the assembly.

"BTP MLAs and their party leaders held discussions with the chief minister. They were already with us and have reassured their support to the Ashok Gehlot government," Dotasara said at the press conference outside a hotel on the Delhi highway where the Congress has kept MLAs amid the political crisis.

The MLAs were shifted to Hotel Fairmont on Monday soon after a Congress legislature party meeting, where Congress lawmakers expressed support for Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Pilot, whose rebellion threatens the state government. Pilot was stripped of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted informing about the support by the BTP.

He tweeted a photo with the BTP's MLAs and office bearers giving him a demand letter, and said that they have announced to support the government.

"We had supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections (last month) on the condition that our demands related to the development of our areas will be met. We have again held discussions with the chief minister on those demands and we have been assured that the demands will be fulfilled," BTP MLA Roat said.

He said that the BTP president had issued a whip directing them to stay neutral but now the party is in support of the government.

Roat, who recently issued two videos alleging that policemen were not allowing him to go from his Jaipur MLA residence to his constituency in Dungarpur district, said it happened due to misunderstanding by the police.

"I do not know what they had in mind. They said it was a misunderstanding. It's okay now," he said.

In the videos, one police inspector was seen taking away the keys from his car, which was surrounded by two police vans.

Ramprasad said that the BTP is against any attempt to topple an elected government. "We are into issue-based politics. Toppling an elected government by BJP is not fair, he said, while reaffirming support to the Gehlot government.

Raje slams Congress

In her first reaction on the political crisis in the state, BJP leader and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje said on Saturday that it is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan are paying for the discord within the Congress, .

The interest of people must be paramount for the government, Raje said while asking the ruling Congress to think about the public. "There is no point in trying to drag the BJP and the BJP leaders names through the mud. It is the interest of our people that must remain paramount!" she said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Zach Plesac takes the mound for the Cleveland Indians at 7 p.m. in the first of three exhibition matchups with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Saturdays game at PNC Park will feature Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and the Indians starting infield backing Plesac in his second outing of summer training camp.

While Plesac and the Indians are in Pittsburgh, Adam Plutko and those not on the travel roster will be conducting a simulated game back at Progressive Field. The Pirates will travel to Cleveland on Monday to play the second exhibition game between the two clubs at 7 p.m.

Tonights game airs live on MLB Network. You can follow along with updates from Indians beat reporters and other media below.

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New Indians face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.

Buy Indians gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, Lids

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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has ordered flags to be flown half-staff to honor the life of civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

Lewis died at the age of 80 on Friday after a lifetime of causing good trouble. During his youth, the Alabama native became a pioneer of justice, along with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders, who fought against segregation and voter suppression in the Jim Crow South. This put him on the frontlines of danger and police brutality multiple times. But Lewis never quit, even in his later years, to stand up for the rights of all Americans.

Ivey said flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset today.

As a pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement, he is a proud son of Alabama, Ivey said in a statement issued Saturday morning. He dedicated his life to serving his community and advocating for others during some of the most difficult times in our nations history.

Lewis died the same day as another civil rights legend the Rev. C.T. Vivian. Vivian, who was 95 years old, served as Kings field general during the civil rights movement. Both men were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the nations highest civilian honor.

During the Birmingham City Council meeting on Tuesday, Council President William Parker plans to submit resolutions to honor the two men. Parker is asking everyone in attendance to wear black ribbons.

The Birmingham City Council would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of these two heroes, Parker said. They spent their lives fighting against racism and injustice, and their memories and lasting work will continue to influence and inspire for many generations to come.
China prepares to launch Long March-5 rocket for Mars mission

PLA Daily

Source: Xinhuanet

Editor: Li Wei

2020-07-17 15:42:10

WENCHANG, Hainan, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The fourth Long March-5 rocket, to be used to launch China's first Mars exploration mission, was vertically transported to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province on Friday.

The carrier rocket, coded as Long March-5 Y4, is planned to be launched in late July or early August, according to the China National Space Administration.

Space engineers have conducted a general assembly and tests on the rocket, after it was transported to Wenchang at the end of May.

It took about two hours to vertically transport the large rocket to the launching area of the center Friday morning. Final examinations and tests will be conducted on the rocket before the launch.

This is the first time the Long March-5 carrier rocket, currently China's largest launch vehicle, to be put into practical use after three experimental launches. The rocket is expected to send the Mars probe into the Earth-Mars transfer orbit, which is also the first such mission to be carried out by China's carrier rocket.

China's first Mars exploration mission Tianwen-1 aims to complete orbiting, landing and roving in one mission, and to obtain scientific exploration data on Mars.

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On the night of Knolls Fire on June 28, a sheriffs deputy was working at the south end of the blaze when he came across two people fleeing on foot from a second flareup fire.

The officer is now being credited for saving their lives due to his quick actions.

The Knolls Fire had burned 13,000 acres, claiming one home, and forced 3,100 people to evacuate at around 9 p.m.

Deputy John Thomas from the Utah County Sheriffs Office noticed the small flareup at the south end of the fire, burning near Saratoga Springs along State Road 68that later came to be called the Mile Marker 17 Fire.

He also spotted a man and woman fleeing on foot and immediately contacted his dispatch, FOX13 reported.

Can you confirm with fire if they have people just south of the Knolls that just started another fire? Thomas is heard radioing to base in a video released by the sheriffs office. We just had a large flare-up down here with a couple of individuals running away.

The pair had driven off-road in an effort to bypass a road closure due to the fire and get back to Saratoga Springs, Sgt. Spencer Cannon had told KSL.com.

They had cut through a fence and driving along they essentially had a crash, he said. They went down into a ravine, got the truck stuck, the truck started to leak gas and it caught fire, and thats what started the fire there that this deputy had seen.

The two were running for their lives, the sheriffs office stated in a Facebook post on Monday, adding that the 21-year-old womans hand, face, and much of her body were badly burned.

The problem was the fire was catching up to them faster than they were running, Cannon shared.

In normal procedures, the deputy would have called for medical assistance; however, the situation was urgent. Thomas got the two persons in his patrol vehicle and drove them to the highway, about a mile away, to safety.

The woman was then flown to a local hospital to receive treatment and remains hospitalized, while the 21-year-old man was unharmed during the incident. He was charged with criminal mischief and trespassing.

The sergeant added, Without his actions, theres no doubt at all that that fire would have caught up to them, and they most likely would not have survived the fire.

After the incident, Thomas was publicly recognized by the Utah County Sheriffs Office for his life-saving actions.

It does mean a lot, Thomas told FOX13. I dont feel like my actions were any different than anybody elses actions but I do really appreciate it and it does mean a lot to me.

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc
New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Saturday said 194 universities in the country have conducted final-year exams for graduating students while calling examinations an integral part of the education system and a measure of learning and competencies of students.

The performance in examinations contributes to merit, lifelong credibility, wider global acceptability for admissions, scholarships, awards, placements, and better future prospects. A large number of best universities across the world, including [in the] US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong..., have conducted or are conducting examinations by giving various options such as online, offline, blended or other alternative forms of examinations, UGC secretary Rajnish Jain said in a statement.

The statement comes even as states like Punjab, Maharashtra, and Delhi had expressed their inability in conducting the exams in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Institutions like the Delhi University have tried to conduct exams but have faced opposition from students and parents with some citing digital divide in case of online tests.

UGC, the higher education regulator, on July 6 asked universities and colleges to hold their final-year, or final-semester examinations, by September 30 after the Union home ministry gave the go-ahead for them.

The statement cited the pandemic and said it was difficult to conduct the examinations in July. Therefore, as per the directions of the Union home and human resources development ministers as well as recommendations from an expert panel, UGC issued the revised guidelines for examination and academic calendar on July 6, the statement added.

The statement said the universities were accordingly required to chart out plans for completion of the examinations by the end of September.

The examinations can be held either online, or offline (pen and paper), or using a combination of both. For students other than those in the final year, universities and colleges can choose their own exam method to close the academic session. Colleges and universities have been closed in the country since March 16 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The guidelines said in case students are unable to appear in the examinations for whatsoever the reasons, they may be given an opportunity to appear in special exams later.

The statement said UGC has got responses from 755 universities, including 321 state Universities, on the status of exams and 560 of them have either conducted the examination or are planning to hold them. It said 194 of them have held examinations and 366 are planning to conduct them in August and September.

In the case of 27 private universities set up in 2019-20, they do not have final year students yet and do not have to hold the exams.
It is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan have to pay for the infighting in Congress, former BJP chief minister Vasundhara Raje tweeted on Saturday, commenting on the crisis that has seen two top leaders from the ruling party in the state squabbling in public.

The former CM spotlighted the coronavirus situation in the state, the locusts attack, crime against women that she said are few among many that have been plaguing the state and its people, drawing a sharp distinction with the present concerns of the state government.

Raje urged the leaders from the ruling party to not drag BJP and its leaders names in this political churning in the state. The former CM also told the ruling government that the interests of people must remain paramount. She ended her tweet with #RajasthanFirst.

BJP ally Hanuman Beniwal, who heads the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), on Thursday accused Vasundhara Raje of rallying Congress lawmakers in support of Ashok Gehlot, whose government is battling a rebellion from his former deputy, Sachin Pilot.

Adding further drama to the political turmoil in the state, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police registered two criminal cases after audio tapes were made public in which a rebel Congress MLA is purportedly talking to Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and a middleman about toppling the Ashok Gehlot government.

The Congress alleged today that rebel Rajasthan lawmakers of the Sachin Pilot team currently camping in the BJP-ruled Haryana are now being moved to Karnataka, another BJP state.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that when the special team of the police reached the Haryana hotel to collect the voice samples of the legislators in the case of audio tapes, the police was stopped at the gates first. Then by the time the state police was allowed to enter the premises, said Khera, the lawmakers had escaped.

On its part, the BJP has demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations made by the Congress in Rajasthan that it has audio tapes to prove that the BJP was in collusion with rebel Congress leaders to bring down the Gehlot government.

CM Gehlot has been insistent that his former deputy, who ruled out that he is joining the BJP, has been working in collusion with the opposition party to bring down his government.

The feud between the two leaders reached its apogee when Pilot, 42, was asked to record his statement with the police probing the case of an alleged attempt to bring down the state government.
About 42 Ghanaians have been allowed entry into the country from Ivory Coast through Sampa Boarder in the Jaman North District without adherence to the mandatory 14days COVID-19 quarantined protocols.

According to the Bono wing of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), they were bussed into the country on Wednesday July 16.

In a press conference addressed by the regional secretary of the NDC, Dennis Twumasi, he accused the NPP of using government machinery to facilitate the passage of the group.

He added that some ministers, have been approving entry clearance to some alleged Ghanaians since the inception of the registration of the new voters register.

Interestingly, just yesterday, Thursday, July 16, 2020 the NPP government through its Minsters approved entry passage for forty-two(42) alleged Ghanaians from Ivory Coast through Sampa Boarder post in the Jaman North District without the 14-days COVID-19 mandatory quarantine requirement and test or individuals coming from outside Ghana on the blind side of other stakeholders, especially the Media.

In a phone interview with Dennis Twumasi, he stated that the Sampa Nursing Training College bus was used to convey the group.

According to him, the NPP through one Prince, an employee of the Forestry Commission in a circulating video rather accused the Member of Parliament for Banda Constituency, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim for busing some five ladies from Ivory Coast to register in the new voters ID.

The NDC has debunk the claim, saying is an attempt to cover up the death of Silas Wulochamey, a new graduate from Akim Oda Teacher Training College in the Banda constituency by alleged thugs of NPP.

He further stated, that the alleged ladies are said to be known residents in Bongase with their Landlord and Landlady known NPP Members. "Yaw Zugu and Madam Akua Donkor respectively, all of Bongase led by a known NPP woman activist to guarantee for them in the ongoing new voters registration."
By AzerNews

By Ayya Lmahamad

The withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijans occupied Nagorno-Karbakh conflict and seven adjacent districts in line with the relevant UN resolutions is the only way to achieve a lasting peace and security in the region, Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov said during the meeting with Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto on July 17.

Bayramov said that decisions and resolutions adopted in connection with the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are not implemented and double standards are observed.

During the meeting, Bayramov informed his counterpart about the situation in the region, the recent provocations of Armenia, tension in the region, and Armenias occupation policy.

In turn, Hungarian Foreign Minister said that Hungarys position on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unchanged, stressing that Hungary resolutely supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within the internationally recognized borders.

Moreover, he stressed the importance of international cooperation and solidarity in the current global pandemic, noting that Hungary highly appreciated the initiative of Azerbaijani President to organize a special UN session devoted to the fight against this pandemic.

Furthermore, Bayramov expressed satisfaction with the development of strategic cooperation between the two countries and stressed that efforts will be made to further strengthen bilateral relations in a number of areas, including economy, trade, education, culture, tourism, healthcare, among others.

The parties exchanged views on Azerbaijans important role in diversifying Europes energy supply, where Szijjarto expressed Hungarys interest in benefiting from gas supply projects initiated and implemented with Azerbaijans participation.

Touching upon Azerbaijan's relations with the European Union, Szijjarto said that Hungary supports the early completion of negotiations on a new agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan.

Additionally, a number of documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Hungary.

Among them are the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Ministry of Human Resources of Hungary on cooperation in the field of health care and medical science, the Memorandum of Understanding between the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration on exchange of information and receipt of tax claims, the agreement between the Ministry of Economy of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Ministry of Innovators of the Republic of Hungary on cooperation in the field of healthcare and medical science.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 11:23:00|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Federal Reserve chiefs Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen on Friday urged Congress to pass another COVID-19 relief bill as the pace of U.S. economic recovery could be slow and uneven.

At a hearing before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, the two former Fed chiefs warned that the United States could face deep, permanent economic damage without further relief packages.

They suggested that the next COVID-19 relief bill should focus on three areas: increasing spending on public health, extending enhanced unemployment benefits, and providing further aid to state and local governments.

"Money spent on public health yields a very high return and it means that the economy can get back on its feet more rapidly. We can reopen and put people back to work and of course we also save lives in the process," Yellen said at the hearing.

Yellen added that "it would be a catastrophe" not to extend the enhanced weekly unemployment insurance of 600 U.S. dollars, which is set to expire at the end of this month.

"The unemployment insurance has a humanitarian aspect. We want people to be able to pay their bills and to stay in their homes," echoed Bernanke, adding that the unemployment insurance will also increase aggregate demand and help the economy generally.

Asked about the potential impact of capping the next COVID-19 relief package at 1 trillion dollars, Yellen said, "I would be concerned about capping it when we know that the needs of the state and local governments alone come close to that and a substantial amount will also be needed for unemployment insurance and for public health needs."

Last month, Bernanke, Yellen and another 100 economists urged U.S. Congress to immediately pass a "multifaceted relief bill of a magnitude commensurate with the challenges our economy faces" as the COVID-19 fallout continued to ripple through the country.

U.S. output is expected to contract by an annualized rate of 37 percent in the second quarter and by 6.6 percent for 2020 as a whole, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff said on Friday, after concluding an annual Article IV review of the U.S. economy.

"The principal risk, and one that is the most difficult to quantify, is that a resurgence in the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. could lead to renewed, partial shutdowns in order to preserve lives, particularly of vulnerable populations," they said. Enditem
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - One week after Olivia Jansen was found dead in a wooded area off 34th and Steele Road, the child was laid to rest, surrounded by hundreds of people who will never forget her. Olivia's father, Howard Jansen III and his girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, have been charged with her murder, but Friday [...]
July 16, 2020





With the legalization of cannabis in most countries, most people are embracing the use of marijuana products for either recreation or medical purposes. Business platforms are being developed every day to help provide services to potential buyers. Apps are created daily to help the customers to select the type of cannabis products they need from multiple businesses.







As of now, it is evident that technology affects everything in the cannabis industry. It even starts with the growth of the plant. Some industries use remote sensors to monitor temperature, light intensity, and nutrient levels. In this case, the type of technology that they use will tell them what they need to know all the time. Hence, they are guaranteed of a good harvest. Below is the role of technology in transforming the cannabis industry.

Technology in Cannabis Cultivation

Technology has opened ways of innovating. There are now new ways of planting and extracting CBD from cannabis plants. There is the use of remote sensors to monitor how the plant is growing. They know how much CO2 is in the air, how much moisture the plant needs, and even how well the soil conducts electricity.

Thanks to cannabis extraction technology, there are new forms of cannabis consumption that have emerged. We now hear much more about CBD, which has gained a lot of popularity. Users now know that it contains low THC levels. This makes companies that sell CBD products some of the most well-known. If you are planning on getting some CBD products, you can visit Berkshire cbd for some quality organic products.

Retail, E-Commerce, and Delivery

Thanks to technology, legal cannabis states have the opportunity of using apps on their phones to select the type cannabis products they want and have them delivered right to their doorstep. For those who dont understand how cannabis products work, some companies have created apps that educate consumers on how the products work and their different options.

In some states, cannabis products can be bought at dispensaries or through trusted dealers. However, one needs to be careful when buying these products because the laws concerning cannabis products keep on changing from time to time.

Customized consumption

With the help of technology, we frequently hear of cannabis products such as vaping juice, transdermal patches, and dosed inhalers. Vaping has been recognized for the past few years because of the advantages of using e-cigarettes compared to other cigarettes.

Technology has shown improvement in cases whereby physicians use a saliva test to determine the best cannabis consumption method for the human body, which can be consumed as capsules or oils.

Conclusion

Technology has changed a lot of things and made work easier for most of us. Technology will keep on being innovated as time goes by. Although there are many merits concerning technology in the cannabis industry, there are also demerits. For example, it is because of technology that scientists could research more about the cannabis plant and found out about the THC levels in it, hence its illegalization in most countries and states.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18)  State-run Peoples Television Network Inc. will be off the air on Sunday to disinfect its facilities after its employee tested positive for coronavirus disease.

PTV said it will still provide news and information through its social media accounts.

It added it will resume broadcasting on Monday, July 20.
Tens of thousands of people in the Far Eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk marched in an unsanctioned rally on July 18 to protest the arrest of a local governor.



Videos of the event showed a massive crowd filing down a main thoroughfare in the regional capital and gathering in its main square to demand the release of Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal.



An estimated 15,000 to 50,000 demonstrators took part in the nearly five-hour rally, according to reports, although police gave no official crowd estimate. City authorities reported no arrests or violence.



The rally ended in front of the city's Mayor's Office, where demonstrators protested comments made by Mayor Sergei Kravchuk, who earlier suggested that Furgal's supporters were being paid.

The 50-year-old Furgal, who belongs to the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, denies the charges, and his supporters say they are politically motivated. Last week, weekend protests were reportedly the largest-ever in the city of 590,000.



The continuing protests, far from the Russian capital, are a rare public show of defiance against the Kremlin and come following a controversial nationwide vote that set the stage for President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036.



Among the signs seen during the July 18 rally were ones reading "Free Furgal" and Moscow. Go away from our river, our minerals, our resources.

Rallies also took place on July 18 in the Khabarovsk Krai city of Komsomolk-On-Amur and in the port city of Vladivostok in the neighboring Primorsk region.

On July 17, a Russian official announced that President Putin would soon appoint an acting governor of Khabarovsk Krai.

With reporting by Kommersant and Interfax
Hello, America. My wife Mary and I recently returned home to West Virginia after spending three days with patriots in Boulder City, Nevada and Kingman and Sun City, Arizona. We were assisting the Conservative Campaign Committee's mini-tour of battleground states to help elect GOP candidates and reelect President Trump.

Despite the grueling travel and temperatures over 100 degrees, Mary and I did the tour because the American people need to see patriots standing up for our country, police, and president. Wicked fake news media is deceptively promoting violent, anti-American, Marxist domestic terrorists as saints. Democrat governors and mayors have given Marxists free rein to wreak havoc in our streets.

Deranged Democrats seek to indict a married couple for not allowing a Black Lives Matter mob to burn down their home and murder them and their dog. Fake news media is mute about BLM shooting and murdering a young white mother for daring to say, All lives matter.

Americans are frustrated that the GOP has displayed a lack of testosterone in pushing back against Marxists terrorizing law-abiding citizens. Thank God for President Trump saying he will deal with the terrorism if Democrat governors and mayors persist in betraying their constituents.

The Conservative Campaign Committee initiatives are multilayered; TV and radio ads, phone-from-phone, social media, and sign waves. Rallying locals to join our CCC crew to wave signs at prominent intersections is powerful because it creates a spectacle and shows commitment to GOP candidates and Trump. Publicly supporting Trump is extremely important and powerful because Democrats and fake news media have emboldened Marxists to beat the crap out of anyone who opposes their treason.

Our Boulder City, NV sign wave was awesome!

After surviving the 110-degree heat in Boulder City, our crew drove to meet patriots in Kingman, AZ for a sign wave. We were greeted by excited locals. The Arizona Freedom Militia was there to protect us. We were mostly strangers meeting for the first time. And yet, the fellowship with the Arizona patriots felt like a family reunion. We were united in love for our country and faith in President Trump's commitment to making America great again, again.

A motorist pulled in, lowered his window and beckoned me. Here's 100 bucks, please use it for water and snacks for your crew. Go Trump!

To say Kingman motorists were starving to see public support for Trump would be an understatement. Motorists excitedly behaved like we were rock stars standing on a street corner. They enthusiastically honked their horns, excitedly waved and gave us thumbs up. Many motorists captured our spectacle on their phones.

A fired-up Hispanic woman joined us carrying a large Trump flag. She kept screaming, He lies! He lies! Sleepy Joe Biden lies! I did a video interview with her. Dawn passionately warned us not to allow socialists to takeover America like they did her former home, Venezuela. She sounded off about how they used tactics such as destroying history and making false promises.

A motorist named Dave was so excited that he parked his car and rushed over to express his thanks and appreciation, showering our group with praise. I asked Dave why our sign wave meant so much to him. As Dave expressed his concern about the destruction of our country he teared up, which caused me to tear up. We hugged.

I will be releasing brief video interviews with patriots at the Kingman and Sun City sign waves.

Like Kingman, the majority of motorists at our Sun City sign wave were passionately supportive of Trump. Anti-Trump motorists were extremely vitriolic, giving us their middle finger.

I had a striking exchange with a seemingly upper-class older white man at our Sun City sign wave. He pulled up and rolled down his passenger window. He leaned over his little boy passenger and began furiously yelling, F*** Trump! I calmly replied, God loves you which enraged him. He chanted, F*** Trump louder and angrier. Again, I calmly replied, Jesus loves you, which sent him over the edge. Frenzied, with spit flying, he repeatedly screamed, F*** Trump, f*** Trump, f*** Trump...!!!

He appeared moments from ripping the steering wheel off his car; frustrated that he could not jump out and rip my head off. His young passenger sat quietly watching the man behave like a madman. Clearly, this poor man has spiritual issues.

While at the Phoenix airport waiting to fly home, I noticed that even airport personnel took breaks from the mandate that everyone wear a mask at all times. Despite the CDC and pediatricians saying it is harmful for children two years old and under to wear masks, I saw toddlers wearing masks. I felt bad for my used and abused fellow Americans. Fake news media have Americans terrified, believing that catching COVID equals a death sentence. COVID has a 98% recovery rate. The lockdown has destroyed lives, family fortunes, and businesses. Suicides are skyrocketing. Americans are severely suffering under the iron fist of nonsensical Draconian COVID mandates.

Average Joe Americans would have a difficult time believing that Democrats and fake news media are so wicked that they are using COVID and George Floyd to inflict pain on the American people solely to stop Trump's reelection.

Mary and I will be hitting the road again soon to campaign with the Conservative Campaign Committee in other battleground states. This is war folks, a battle to stop Democrats from transforming America into a communist nation. On behalf of my fellow baby-boomers, we will not allow that to happen on our watch! Trump Train 2020.

Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American

Help Lloyd Spread the Truth

https://www.trumptrainusa2020.com/

http://LloydMarcus.com
As Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots ransacked brick-and-mortar businesses over the summer, publicly traded companies, especially retail, began ponying up tremendous sums of money to BLM-affiliated organizations. The staggering sums promised by Walmart, Target, Nike, McDonald's, and others might be dismissed as a marketing stunt in a different context, but the size and timing of the donations suggests something more sinister.

These corporations have tremendous presence in black communities and are in close proximity to the riots. Their exposure is not limited to physical assets that might be looted or damaged; brands themselves may suffer reputational damage. After a black drunk driver who pointed a stolen taser at a police officer was shot dead in a Wendy's parking lot, the restaurant was set ablaze in retaliation. Wendy's, its logo in the frame of every photo of the incident, loudly announced a $500,000 donation to social justice causes and affirmed its support for the BLM movement.

Corporations are making these donations as protection money, hoping to bribe officials of BLM-affiliated organizations into steering the mob away from their store. The BLM mobs are far from organic; they are well funded corporate entities plucked off the shelf and filled with professional activists to run them. These activists use their platform to target other corporations with exposure to the riots and pressure them into making donations. Corporations are quick to pick up on the implied threat and immediately capitulate, handing money to their extortionists.

This dynamic even plays out for small businesses. After bearing witness to mass looting and vandalism, neighboring small businesses began to genuflect, painting their storefronts in BLM paraphernalia and praying for the angel of death to pass over them. It would seldom work, as individual rioters proved to be just as tribute hungry as their professional organizations. One Black Lives Matter activist, Devonere Johnson, received a federal criminal complaint for extorting businesses in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. Johnson had told business-owners that the BLM mob would attack their stores unless they paid him off. Unlike George Soros's BLM affiliate organizations, Johnson's extortion racket was explicit and did not have the prepaid protection that comes with having a billionaire Democratic donor as a patron.

BLM may be the latest and greatest corporate extortion racket, but this game is nothing new. After Hallmark cut an ad campaign featuring a lesbian "wedding" in December 2019, LGBT pressure groups began churning out anti-Hallmark propaganda, relenting only after Hallmark made a substantial donation to GLAAD, an LGBT pressure group. Similarly, Jesse Jackson threatened to smear Toyota as racist and hold demonstrations unless the company donated to his Rainbow Coalition organization. These high-profile extortions are just the tip of the iceberg; there are countless low-profile extortions made by politicians, petty regulators, and activists. The New York Times opined in 2018 that corporate philanthropy is largely backdoor political lobbying, citing a study that seemingly proved just that. Even Donald Trump, during his career as a New York real estate developer, found it impossible to do business without letting local Democratic party officials wet their noses first. Browsing the donor lists of politicians in every major city will tell the same story. Americans wondering why their country is under attack should know that their companies are unwilling financiers of the anti-American revolution.

The proliferation and normalization of corporate extortion by the political class must end. Fortunately, the solution is not complex: every business entity should be banned from donating to nonprofit organizations and sending money to for-profit organizations unless the payment is in exchange for goods and services of demonstrable value to the company.

This solution is not a business regulation, but instead a confirmation of the property rights of business-owners. Corporate shareholders are the ones footing the bill when their earnings are given away by a CEO, despite having little say in the decision. Although a CEO could theoretically acquire the unanimous consent of shareholders before donating to a nonprofit, there is no advantage to a corporation donating to charity in the stead of an individual. Companies are not suitable as payment gateways for charities, and the ability of corporate officers to give away monies belonging to shareholders is a conflict of interest.

Unfortunately, barring corporate cash giveaways would be an uphill political battle, as such a rule would hammer away at the ability of politicians to browbeat companies for campaign contributions. It is equally unlikely that political pressure groups would sign on, their very existence likely depending on the practice. However, such a rule may not require legislation. A few well placed constitutionalist judges familiar with common law tradition and property rights could rule that corporate managers have no right to give away property that does not belong to them. It seems common sense that an employee, even a CEO, does not have the right to ransack a business to suit his ideological persuasion or pay off racketeers. Until those in power see it this way, mobs, politicians, and other extortionists will continue their corporate-funded attacks on America.

Image credit: Pixabay public domain.
Indian businesses need to explore the opportunities in Canada as the North American country can be a very important market for the domestic food and beverages companies, trade promotion body TPCI said on Saturday.

The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) said that the food sector has shown phenomenal growth to the tune of 27 percent in the markets such as the US and Canada.

"We feel that Canada can be a very important market for Indian food and beverages industry as Canada has a large population, about 2.4 million, of the Indian diaspora," TPCI Chairman Mohit SIngla said in a statement.

He said that the council in association with the High Commission of India in Ottawa organised a virtual buyer-seller meet on food and beverages products recently.

Quoting High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, the council said this was the first virtual buyer-seller meet during the lockdown period.

"It is a very positive sign that we are looking beyond the pandemic to go into a recovery phase for the business. Indian ethnic and organic food has huge demand in Canada and is witnessing good growth. Food sector will be more than positive overall," Bisaria said.

India's top exports to Canada include pharma, automobiles, frozen shrimps, gems and jewellery, iron and steel pipeline for gas, and plastics.

The main imports are dried and shelled lentils, paper roll for newsprint, coal, petroleum and crude oil, potassium chloride as fertiliser, and unworked diamond.

The bilateral trade between the two countries has increased to USD 6.28 billion in 2018 to USD 6.8 billion in 2019, the council said.
Srinagar: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday (July 18) visited the holy cave of Amarnath where he offered his prayers. He was accompanied by Chief Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and Army chief MM Naravane during his visit to the shrine.

Rajnath spent about an hour at the temple complex there. His trip to the holy cave comes on the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Feeling extremely blessed after praying at Shri Amarnathji Holy Cave in Jammu and Kashmir. ________ ____ __ __! pic.twitter.com/Ib5jgLUpkt  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 18, 2020

The Amarnath cave is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism and hundreds of thousands of devotees make an annual pilgrimage to it across challenging mountainous terrain.

On July 17, Rajnath reviewed the overall security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with the top military brass. During his interaction with Jawan, he asked the armed forces to give a fitting reply to any misadventure by Pakistan. At a high-level meeting, the defence minister asked the armed forces to maintain a strict vigil along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

Speaking of Amarnath temple, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir warned about receiving inputs about terrorists planning to target the holy pilgrimage. Army officials, however, asserted that systems and resources were in place to ensure that the annual pilgrimage goes unhindered.

"There are inputs that terrorists would try their best to target the yatra, but we have got our systems and resources in place to ensure that it goes on unhindered and peacefully," Brigadier Vivek Singh Thakur, Commander, Two Sector, said in a press conference in south Kashmir.

Brigadier Thakur said the stretch of national highway 44 which will be used by the yatris continue to remain sensitive.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Overcast. Morning high of 42F with temps falling to near 20. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 13F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Kolkata:

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday gave a notice in the Rajya Sabha to suspend business on November 16 and discuss the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes.

"Today we gave a notice in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue suspending business under Rule 267 on November 16," TMC leader in the Upper House Derek O'Brien told PTI.

Derek, also the chief national spokesperson of TMC, said it was vital that the black money hoarders and the corrupt were punished, but it must not be done by inconveniencing the common people and the poor.

He said there must be a proper action plan for implementation of such an extensive move which directly affects millions, especially the middle class and the poor.

Hitting out at the Centre over the decision, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had earlier said the demonetisation has resulted in a "complete disaster and chaos" and had urged the Modi government to rescind the "hasty decision".

"Please save people from this disaster. Roads are closed, markets shut, patients not being admitted to private hospitals, millions affected. Chaos everywhere," Banerjee had said on Wednesday.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
FREDERICTON - New Brunswick says it's "strongly considering" easing travel restrictions to allow some Quebec residents living near its border to visit the province without having to self-isolate for 14 days.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs speaks with the media in Fredericton, New Brunswick on Monday February 17, 2020. The premier of New Brunswick says his government is strongly considering easing border restrictions to allow some Quebec residents near the provincial border to visit New Brunswick without having to self-isolate. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick says it's "strongly considering" easing travel restrictions to allow some Quebec residents living near its border to visit the province without having to self-isolate for 14 days.

There is a strong sense of community between those Quebec residents and the New Brunswick cities of Campbellton and Edmundston, Blaine Higgs said in a statement Friday.

"We are exploring whether it is feasible to ease our border restrictions to reunite these communities, while still keeping New Brunswick residents safe," he said.

Higgs said the Health Department is compiling COVID-19 data and collecting public health advice before presenting recommendations next week.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said Friday a deal between New Brunswick and Quebec won't exclude Quebec residents from having to self-isolate if they enter his province.

"Anyone who would come into New Brunswick from Quebec, from the Gaspe, would have access to New Brunswick, not to Nova Scotia," McNeil told reporters in Halifax.

"If they came to Nova Scotia they would be treated like everyone from Quebec. They would have to self-isolate for two weeks."

McNeil said New Brunswickers would still have access to his province without needing to self-isolate.

Residents of the four Atlantic provinces have been enjoying the so-called "Atlantic bubble" since July 3. It is the result of a deal between the provinces allowing residents to travel within the region without having to self-isolate for 14 days.

All four Atlantic provinces reported no new cases of COVID-19 Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2020.

 By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton.
By IANS

LONDON: Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-winning starrer "Joker" is the most complained about film of 2019 in the United Kingdom.

This was revealed by British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The BBFC report states that the DC origin movie received 20 complaints relating to the film's age classification, which is 15, reports digitalspy.com.

Complaints said that the BBFC should have classified the film as suitable for an 18-rating owing to its "violence and tone", while some people felt it should have been banned altogether.

The BBFC feel that the movie doesn't "dwell on the infliction of pain or injury in a manner that requires an 18", despite scenes of strong violence, including stabbings, shootings and blood.

While "Joker" received the most complaints in 2019, its total number is far less than the amount of complaints "Red Sparrow" received in 2018.

The Jennifer Lawrence-starrer was BBFC's most complained-about movie in 2018 with 64 complaints. The total number of complaints filed to the BBFC dropped by nearly half from 2018 to 2019. There were only 149 total complaints filed in 2019.

Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" had received a total of 364 complaints back in 2008.

Todd Phillips' "Joker" tells the story of the popular DC supervillain of the same name. The film traces the protagonist's early life as Arthur Fleck (essayed by Phoenix), who is an aspiring stand-up comedian struggling to make ends meet and constantly derided by society. The film narrates how circumstances push Fleck into the path of crime after he fails to find his way in Gotham's fractured society.

Apart from winning Oscars for Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Original Score (Hildur Guonadottir), "Joker" was a global box-office success. The film's impact sparked conversations around mental health. A follow-up to the film is also in the works.
I saw this elsewhere and I feel like the criticism for Hailey was vague tbh, HOW was she not nice? Because sometimes I hear people say this and then when they expand it's just like, "ehh".

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My friend calls people not nice for not smiling. But to me, when I worked as a barista/cashier, I dont mind if you dont smile. Just dont be rude.

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^^This!!



As a waitress, I've had customers snap their fingers at me, and holler out like they're calling their dog. It felt so degrading. No amount of tipping makes it okay.

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Yeah as someone with resting bitch face I'm kinda side eyeing that comment. Plus you never know what kind of conversation is going on at a table. A customer always owes politeness to a waiter but beyond that, especially with the gender element, shrug.

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Have you worked in the service industry? Most of us have a pretty forgiving scale when it comes to rude interactions because the rude/mean people are incredible assholes

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yeah I'd hate to be famous because while I always make sure to be polite and respectful towards people, I'm very introverted and I'm usually not in the mood to force some fake sweet & bubbly personality. And it's funny that they rate Nick Jonas so well because if a female celebrity had his same personality, she would constantly be called a bitch.

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This girl I worked with told me how much she hates Natalie Portman, because a friend of hers told her she asked for an autograph and Natalie laughed in her face. I'm like... that doesn't sound like a normal human interaction so there's clearly some details missing here.

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i must have what people call resting bitch face because often people say that i look pissed off and i'm not, it's just my normal face lol

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Like a couple videos like this on Tik Tok and youll get flooded with videos of people talking about waiting on celebs lol



One person said Joel from the soup was an Asshole



One said Natalie Portman was super sweet



Ive only seen good things about Jennifer garner



One person said emma Roberts would come into their coffee shop all the time and if her favorite barista wasnt there she would leave empty handed lol





Obviously anyone can just get on Tik Tok and make a video like this so I take it with a grain of salt, but its entertaining

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I saw this one tiktok of Jennifer Garner approaching a girl who was doing homework/studying at a hotel restaurant (?) and complimenting her by saying "You've been working so hard!". She had a pic with Jennifer so I believed her and it was the sweetest story.

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lmao @ Emma Roberts

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Jennifer garner seems really nice/sweet

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I'm a barista, and plenty of regular customers only want one person in particular to make their drink. When that person is off their regular schedule for whatever reason, their whole world is rocked.

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okay, i kinda feel emma roberts on that one. there's one barista at my fav cafe who always underpours and never heats the milk completely, so when i see her i just kinda sigh to myself lmao

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Emma Roberts is just rude/not nice to everyone she doesnt deem worthy tbh she has big Lea Michele energy

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yeah i saw one that Reese Witherspoon was an angel



my friend with a bike said the same thing

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Yea, I kind of want to give her a pass for that whole "do you know who I am?!" shit she pulled when they got arrested because she was drunk af (its no excuse) but she apologized profusely afterwards and seemed pretty genuine and embarassed about the whole thing.



The only other bad thing I can't help but think about her though is that Kevin Smith to this day calls her 'Greasy Reesie' because he claims she was a total bitch in an audition he was holding

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i waited on one of the modern family actors. he was on a date, had a black card but split the check. it was less than $50 lmfao

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I ran a coffee shop for a few years and the barista thing is something a surprising number of people do. I think it's because a lot of people get to the point where they feel like they are coming to visit their friend who works at a coffee shop, not that they are coming in for their daily coffee.

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Everyone says Katherine Heigl is the absolute worst.

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Nnn white people are always like "it was never my intention". Cool but the privilege is there and if you have money and fame it's 100x worse. Intention or not.

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Gross...another thing I hate is instead of just saying 'I'm sorry' white people will say "I'm sorry if you feel like I hurt your feelings" like, bitch that is not an apology. I'm white and I swear half the people I know say that kind of crap. Like, I want an actual fucking apology even if you don't really mean it...none of that passive aggressive shit.

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People throughout my life have thought I was a bitch bc Im super shy and quiet. Then they get to know me and are like wow I thought you hated me/were mean but youre actually pretty cool. So maybe Hailey is just quiet and of course isnt around a waitress long enough? Idk.

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yeah, if you're shy, lots of people assume that you're a stuck up bitch. I don't know enough about her to say whether this is the reason or not.

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I hate that society requires you to be ON ON ON all the time. Can't even get a fucking coffee without making a connection with your barista.

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lmao seriously

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SAME. All my long term friends said they thought I was a bitch when they first met me when really I just dont put myself out there

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Yeah this is how I am too. I'm a very anxious person so I can unintentionally come off rude to people I don't know well.

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There's an argument about nice politics and how women and racial minorities always have to play to it or else risk being seen as a bad person

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Ive been there and I have a major case of Bitchy Resting Face even with sunglasses on outside on the porch but like it doesnt mean Id have to come off rude or condescending towards them by being like that. Like Im not one to come out having a bad day and then project it on the others, that shit is just not cool with me. I may be shy and am introverted too but I really enjoy interacting with people whos really kind and like, really so cool. I like them having a bit of chit chat which I dont mind at all. Just something over alcohol or bomb food that theyd recommend me. I tip well too. I just like seeing them having a good day. Like I get it. I have had waitresses in the past coming up to me (even sometime with a note passed to me) saying Im their fave and Im always omg asdfghjkl . I also always tip bc they make bombass margaritas bc thats wassup. Love yall and s/o to yall. We be chill



Tldr: I have BRF but am always appreciative. Id immediately dump a dude who doesnt tip and/or being rude to them over little things.

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my boss called me cold and hard to understand because I was quiet





i wanted to tell her I was cold to her because i've historically seen her use personal information against my coworkers so I wanted her to know nothing about me personally.

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I remember someone saying that to me in college lol. I'm just shy around people I don't know and don't feel the need to constantly be talking, and I think because so many people are the opposite they get insecure around quiet people and think they're being judged.

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I'm the same way.

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honestly same, having resting bitch face + being a black woman is not a good combination :(

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Big same.

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Story of my life growing up

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Same. I really don't think celebs can get away with not being performatively "on" in public.

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Seriously. I have a RBF and if I dont have something to say or if I dont know you I dont really talk. Im not being mean or rude, I just dont know what to say. I swear as a woman you literally have to be on all the time and its exhausting.

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I've had bad social anxiety my whole life, so I've had to cultivate this overt sweetness so that people don't assume I hate them. Doesn't always work, though.

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Same

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;_; i could have written this. my sympathies bb. <3

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Same here. I'm super shy and quiet and have a resting bitch face, so everyone thinks I'm mean. So now I have a stupid high-pitched "friendly" voice with a fake ass smile that I do, so no one thinks I'm being rude to them. Now my boyfriend just laughs at how fake it looks when I do it, smh lmao

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Eat the rich.

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"just came across this" as if she casually found it and doesn't have a google alert on her name

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"Just came across this video, and wanted to say sorry if Ive ever given you bad vibes or a bad attitude. That's not ever my intention!.



Stfu. You aint shit

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They seem like they wouldnt change their attitude and still treat service people badly

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I mean, if it was one encounter I get it. We can all be salty or not our best selves for whatever reason lol but she said it was a few times and she was rude each time right? 

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She said not nice, which can be different than actively rude imo



But I wasnt there lol

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Yesterday at my zoom meeting, my supervisor mention she got burger king and how it cost her and arm and leg to ubereats it and ofc ppl chimed in to sat the same thing. Then someone mention bc of that, they dont tip the delivery person and one of my colleague was like um i worked this job before and that you should tip those ppl. Awkward...





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Ugh people who dont tip on those apps are trash

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especially rn. a couple of my friends who have been laid off due to covid are now grubhub drivers full time. it doesnt pay nearly enough. they need fat tips more than ever!

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i tip 25% every time i order from the apps

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oh gosh this...especially given that most of these apps give you the option of no contact with the person, they just leave whatever it is on the doorstep so these untipping asshole cowards don't even have to face the workers!

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It's not worth it to get fast food delivered. I tried it once, and of course tipped, and it was ten dollars more than if I'd just driven my ass through the drive thru. If people want to be cheap asses, they need to pick up their own food.

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Shes a Baldwin.

To expect anything polite and pleasant is asking for the impossible.

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But was it a cruel intention?

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The second part to her response is better. Shocked that it wasn't a typical 'sorry that I offended you' message.

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i mean... toolittletoolate.mp3 (jk good for her)

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I'm so sick of people talking about their "intentions". I legit had a friend cry once because she said some racist shit, got called on it, and then had the audacity to get mad at me because my brain never should've even gone there about her. As in, I should just know her intention and never ever ever have a fleeting moment of thinking she has a racist thought. I say this as a white person, but white people always think they're more woke than they actually are.



Also, we're definitely not friends anymore.

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Absolutely. Honestly my patience with that is very limited at this point.

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omg i have the same problem on the regular with a friend with the intentions and 'you should know better' thing (she's not racist though) and it has thrown me into such a loop of doubt because i guessss it kinda makes sense i should know better she wouldn't mean it that way but on the other hand intent = impact ? idk anymore lol

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One thing I've found that I think people like that don't understand is that you can't control how people hear you. They think as long as they believe their intention is good that no one else can feel otherwise. Also, sometimes things come out differently than you have them in your head. I know I've said things before that when I vocalize them I'm like "crap, that was not the tone I had in my head" and I try to clarify that for people, though I know that often does nothing for the situation, but I wish other people would acknowledge those things. Sometimes things translate differently in speaking than in your head, and for the most part that's ok, it happens, but acknowledge it.

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If you're talking about white people, you should say "we". (calling you in as nicely as possible, please don't get mad at me)

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I don't know enough about Bella but Gigi has always seemed genuinely nice to me.

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same, especially since i saw other people in service industries come out with more stories about how gigi/bella are really courteous.

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The Hadids are known to be polite and friendly from lots of accounts.



I have family in Amsterdam who own a restaurant that they visited a year back and they said Gigi and Bella were very sweet and lovely to staff, Anwar tho was a lot more reserved and quiet, and apparently only drank water lol (along with Dua)

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according to Gigi Yolanda always told them to be nice, professional on set etc.

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I really liked Yolanda until she started giving those girls really harming comments about their weight and what they were eating. I guess growing up in the industry herself, she may be so warped by that mindset now but still...

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Weeks after George Floyd died under the knee of white police officer Derek Chauvin, the US is going through a national catharsis. A tribute to George Floyd at the base of Lee's statue in Richmond, Virginia. Credit:Farrah Tomazin Some cities are considering proposals to defund police - a contentious term that involves reallocating some money away from police departments and onto social services. Corporate America is also pledging to do better: Adidas, for example, has vowed to fill at least 30 per cent of positions with black or Latino candidates, while tech giant Amazon has placed a one-year moratorium on police using a facial recognition program it created, amid concerns that people of colour could be misidentified. And all over the country, monuments and memorials viewed as symbols of oppression are being defaced, toppled or removed.

In Frankfort, Kentucky, a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis was removed from the rotunda of the capitol building on June 13. In Baltimore, a group of protesters toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus, who supported enslavement of native peoples, throwing it into the harbour. With four months before the presidential election, this movement has given US President Donald Trump a new battleground upon which to fight for a second term. In 2016, Trumps campaign pitch centred on building a wall and draining a swamp. In 2020, its about protecting monuments and memorials from what he describes as angry mobs and a left-wing cultural revolution. US President Donald Trump speaks at the Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota earlier this month. Credit:AP Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children, Trump declared on the eve of Independence Day at the base of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

Against every law of society and nature, our children are taught in school to hate their own country and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes but were villains. The radical view of American history is a web of lies. Loading Several of Trumps advisers have urged him to stop tweeting about the Confederate flag and focus on issues that are more likely to resonate beyond his base, such as the economy and law and order. But the debate over monuments and memorials raises broader questions. Should historic statues be taken down at all? If so, where does it end? And wont this simply detract from the real cause: structural injustice in a fractured America? It's shortly after 9pm as darkness falls on the Richmond park in which Robert E Lee sits. Visitors walk along the statues base, now covered in so much graffiti you can barely make out the words. One phrase, painted in clear black letters, stands out: We're not leaving.

Protesters have been camped at this monument day and night since the end of May. Some, like Jenkins, were tear-gassed during a peaceful demonstration there on July 1. Ive been tear-gassed five different times, Ive been pepper-sprayed twice and hit with a rubber bullet, the 23-year-old tells The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. It was so surreal. My father was African-American and before he passed, he would tell me about these civil rights acts that hed been involved in and all the riot police who would show up trying to stop people from voicing their opinion. I didnt understand until I actually lived it. By day, activists shelter under tents, offering free water and snacks to the tourists who pass or registering voters for the forthcoming election. The multi-storey houses nearby also suggest a shift in the mood, with signs of support in some windows and gardens. Im with you, says one poster. Enough is Enough.

But after dusk is when the park really comes alive, as people from across the city - young and old - come to hang out and watch as the images of black Americans killed by police are projected onto the statues massive pedestal as part of a nightly slideshow. The image of Marcus-David Peters, who was shot by a police officer in 2018, is projected onto Lee's statue in Richmond. Credit:Farrah Tomazin Thats Marcus-David Peters, local resident Brooke explains, as the image of a young, smiling man with glasses appears on the statue. A police officer shot him not far from here. The community renamed this park after him. Others, however, are less enthused about the transformation of their once sleepy - and once very white - neighbourhood. One man, who declined to give his name, said he believed some demonstrators were camped there simply because theyve got nothing better to do". A number of legal challenges have also been mounted in an attempt to stop the statue from coming down.

One lawsuit is based on a deed dispute filed last month by a man who says he is a descendant of the family that sold the land on which the Lee monument sits to the state. He argues that removing the statue, a pledge made by Virginia's Democratic Governor Ralph Northam, violates that deed. Loading Another lawsuit filed on behalf of six residents who live on Monument Avenue claims that removing the statue would reduce property values by damaging the areas status as a National Landmark District. Plaintiffs will also suffer injury as a result of the loss of a priceless work of art from their neighbourhood and the degradation of the internationally recognised avenue on which they reside, the lawsuit says. Outside Virginia, the push to take down statues has also divided opinion. Some critics frame it as part of the so-called cancel culture that has led to Hollywood classics such as Gone With The Wind being temporarily withdrawn, or the recent departure of columnist Bari Weiss from The New York Times over what she claims was bullying by colleagues.

Trump poured fuel on the flames this week. Discussing the June 10 ban on the Confederate battle flag at NASCAR events I know people who love the Confederate flag and theyre not thinking about slavery. I just think its freedom of speech. Whether its Confederate flags or Black Lives Matter, its freedom of speech," he said. The consensus, though, even among conservative Republicans, is that symbols of the Confederacy warrant a rethink. The statues erected along Monument Avenue, for instance, were part of a deliberate attempt to reframe the Civil War, based on the so-called Lost Cause narrative. This narrative sought to portray the war as a necessary means to defend states rights and save the Southern way of life - when it was really about preserving slavery and white supremacy. Theyre physical manifestations of white power and theyre meant to remind black residents of their place in society, says Michael Dickinson, a professor of African-American history at Virginia Commonwealth University. Crews work to remove a statue of Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart from Richmond's Monument Avenue on July 7. Credit:AP But what about memorials and monuments that are not linked to the Confederacy? Take Thomas Jefferson, the third US president and the author of the Declaration of Independence. He owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life and fathered children through one of them. Should the Jefferson Memorial in Washington be taken down too?

Or what of the real issues, structural inequality and injustice? Problems such as the uneven distribution of wealth based on race or the fact that African-American incarceration rates are more than five times greater than those of white Americans cant be fixed by a mere bulldozer or angry mob. Loading Dickinson thinks that it should be up to society to decide which statues stay or go, based on a fundamental question: do these individuals represent the high ideals we should aspire to? And he admits theres a risk of detracting from the much harder and more impactful conversation about systemic changes to the fabric of American society. Nonetheless, he says, its an important conversation to have. This is something that has been part of the conversation for many African-American communities for a very long time, Dickinson says.
BRANFORD  A Branford man is scheduled to be sentenced Monday after fraudulently taking $240,000 from the Chapel Haven nonprofit, which provides services and care for disabled individuals, for his personal use.

Michael Verzella, 41, previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in February, officials with the U.S. Attorneys Office for Connecticut said in a release.

According to the release, Verzella admitted in court to using a Chapel Haven credit card to spend approximately $176,000 on gift cards and tickets to events and attractions for his friends and family between 2012 and 2018. He also took approximately $68,000 in cash collected for in-house events, officials said.

Attorney William Dow, representing Verzella, asked Judge Kari A. Dooley to impose a shorter prison term than the 33 to 41 months recommended by federal guidelines in his sentencing memorandum.

Dow argues that Chapel Haven should not be considered a vulnerable victim under federal law in the case, as Verzella committed a standard crime  a corporate employee overusing a corporate credit card for an insured employer.

Whether the employer is United Technologies, Yale University, Mohegan Sun or Chapel Haven is inconsequential. It is a common, every-day offense,said Dow. Chapel Haven is a successful institution with a significant endowment which has recently engaged in a successful fundraising drive leading to the construction of a modern residential facility designed by a prestigious architectural firm. Chapel Haven is not a vulnerable victim.

The cash, Dow said, was uncollected refunds for tickets to events that students or guardians had paid for, but not used.

No client was deprived of room, food, light, heat or clothing. Projecting this part of the case through the vulnerable victims lens magnifies the harm caused by those losses, said Dow.

Dow said Verzella convinced himself that he wasnt taking money from the clients, but from the wealthier parts of the structure around them  parents, guardians, the organization  and spent the money in an attempt to earn the regard of his own family, whom he felt did not appreciate or respect him.

His life and mental well-being have suffered as a result of his decisions, Dow said.

Mike Verzella is at a point where he recognizes his failures and the consequences. He cannot see his way around them. He cannot see a prospect for a better future. He is not entirely wrong. Hes where he is because of his own choices and actions, said Dow. Always insecure, always feeling unappreciated, he acted impulsively to earn approval and respect of friends and family. He accomplished the exact opposite. He knows that.

U.S. Attorney John Durham and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez argue the full sentence of 33 to 41 months should be imposed in their sentencing memorandum, as well as three years of supervised release.

They pointed to the reasoned, serious nature of the offense and the lasting impact on the Chapel Haven community.

The Chapel Haven community is devastated by what Mr. Verzella has done. In addition to the significant financial losses he caused, Mr. Verzella deeply hurt the Chapel Haven clients, parents, and employees. His former colleagues, friends, and clients all repeatedly use one word: betrayal, prosecutors said. On the spectrum of white collar crime, Mr. Verzellas falls on the most serious end. His crime is remarkable for the vulnerability of his victims, his course of conduct over many years, and the level of deceit he employed to steal from others.

Prosecutors said that the idea that this is a typical case of corporate theft seriously misses the point.

As Chapel Haven resident T.M. stated in his statement to the Court, the Court should make clear to Mr. Verzella and the public: it is not OK to steal from others. His actions were not OK,  said prosecutors.

The two sides have already agreed that Verzella will pay $450,062.08 in restitution, prosecutors said.

Dow, replying to prosecutors, said that emotion and anger from the Chapel Haven community could infect the proceedings, pushing Verzellas sentence beyond what is necessary and appropriate.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Im impressed by the mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, the first directly elected black mayor in the UK.

When demonstrators recently tore down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston and dumped it in the docks, the mayor (who might have sympathised as his ancestors hailed from Jamaica) had it hauled out and sent it to be restored. It may go eventually on display in a museum, if thats what locals want.

Rees has set up a commission to help Bristols residents understand its full city history and they will be consulted about what might fill the empty plinth  but its already causing more controversy, with vandals desecrating the grave of an enslaved African man in the city.
With the number of Covid-19 cases witnessing a sharp hike in Bihar in the last 7-8 days, the state health system is under stress and the Nitish government is facing attack from the Opposition for allegedly fudging figures. The government is accused of not being able to ramp up testing and improve facilities. A Central team, under joint secretary Lav Agarwal, has been dispatched to take stock of the situation and work out ways to prevent further spread.

In an interview with HT, Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey on Saturday said the state government was constantly increasing testing and facilities in hospitals.

Here are edited excerpts from the interview:

Q. A recent incident of an undersecretary in the health department breathing his last at AIIMS Patna has gone viral. There are allegations that he could not get a bed on time. Is the Bihar health system under stress?

I have asked for a probe into the matter and gave clear instruction that such incidents should never recur. It is a fact that the number of Covid cases has gone up fast in the last 7-8 days, but the number of serious cases is not that high. There are around 2800-2900 beds in four dedicated Covid hospitals at AIIMS, NMCH, medical college & hospital at Bhagalpur and Gaya to deal with serious cases. Besides, there are other facilities. At present, the number of serious cases is not that high, but we are augmenting facilities.

Q. The government has now allowed home quarantine for asymptomatic patients. But how would they be monitored?

Various telephone numbers have been publicised through which people can seek medical advice. In case of any emergency, people can dial 102 for an ambulance, which will take the patient to the nearest hospital. There is no need to panic. The government is constantly working to upgrade facilities.

Q. Opposition has been raising the issue of low testing and growing positive cases in Bihar? Is there fear of community spread?

Now, we are testing over 10,000 samples every day and it will be further increased. We have also developed facilities for rapid antigen testing. Soon, more RT-PCR machines and TruNat machines will also come to add pace to testing. More testing will lead to more detection and more positive cases. But our recovery rate continues to be good. In the last 7-8 days, the number of cases has gone up, but there is nothing like community spread.

Q. But many a time testing has to be closed if a couple of persons at the testing centres get infected?

Yes, that is as per the protocol of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). If anyone is infected, the entire centre has to be sanitised before going ahead with further testing, else one may get faulty results.

Q. Why private hospitals are not coming forward, as in other states, to supplement government efforts? Is the government planning to issue any directive?

It is a matter of service. Stern directives will not solve the problem. We have again requested all the private hospitals to earmark 20% of the beds for isolation wards for Covid patients. We can only request them. We are ramping up our own facilities. All medical colleges have been asked to earmark 100 beds for Covid patients. Asymptomatic patients will also be kept at isolation centres at sadar hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and covid care centres.

Q. There is growing concern due to the increasing number of doctors, healthcare staff, officials and political leaders getting infected. Why it is happening.

It is because the doctors and healthcare staff are the front-rank Corona warriors and they have higher chances of contracting infection. Politicians and officials are also coming in contact with people and so are exposing themselves.

Q. What does Bihar expect from the Centre now that a team is coming?

The Centre has been extending help. There are many states which are facing higher number of Covid cases than Bihar at present. The team under joint secretary will help us learn for the experiences in other states so that we will incorporate best practices.
Chinese firms including Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent and MG Motors' parent company SAIC Motor are directly or indirectly linked with People's Liberation Army, according to sources within the government. Chinese government intends to route the benefits of its venture capital investments as well as civilian innovation for China's defence sector, raising a question mark on Chinese VC investments in India, including by big names like Alibaba and Tencent, sources say.

An annual report of the US Secretary of Defense to the Congress on "Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China 2019" stated that an intelligence law passed in June 2017 requires Chinese companies, such as Huawei, ZTE, Tik Tok, etc to support, provide assistance, and cooperate in China's national intelligence work, wherever they operate. This has direct security implications for all overseas FDI from China.

In the spotlight are two big investors in Indian start-up sector - Tencent and Alibaba - as part of military-civil fusion initiative of China. Alibaba has strategic investments in Paytm, Zomato, online grocer BigBasket, Snapdeal and logistics firm Xpressbees. Tencent outdoes its compatriot in terms of investments in India with a portfolio including Flipkart, Byju's, Ola Cabs, Swiggy, Gaana, and news aggregator app NewsDog. It is also behind popular gaming titles like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, Fortnite and others.

Other household names on the list are auto manufacturer SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, which owns MG Motors, and tech major Huawei. The list also includes Xindia Steels Ltd, Xinxing Cathay International Group, and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). CETC is China's leading military electronics manufacturer, and many of its employees have been convicted for military espionage.

This list of Chinese firms among 59 Chinese apps banned by Indian government includes popular titles like TikTok, UC Browser, CamScanner, among others.
OTTAWAOver three dozen Canadian senators are calling on the federal and Nova Scotia governments to launch a fully open, transparent and comprehensive inquiry into the mass shootings that left 22 people dead in the province in April.

In an open letter published Saturday, 37 senators from across the country said an investigation is urgently needed to better understand what happened and why.

Nova Scotians and Canadians need to know what happened or did not happen and what might be done to identify and act on the warning signs that might help to prevent such tragedies in the future, the letter reads.

The senators also stressed that any inquiry must use a feminist lens to be able to fully uncover what led to the massacre.

It is not the first time senators have demanded more action from Ottawa and Halifax on the matter.

Senators from Nova Scotia sent two letters in June to federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and Nova Scotia Justice Minister Mark Furey asking that a joint, federal-provincial probe be launched into the killings.

Furey said earlier this month that technicalities were causing delays, but that the governments were working day and night to bring an inquiry together.

Theres legalities and technicalities that our legal teams are reviewing and finalizing in the drafting of relevant documents, Furey said on July 2, declining to offer details. Thats whats taking the time.

In their letter Saturday, the senators said not launching the inquiry was fuelling speculation among Canadians.

That resulting innuendo and gossip puts the publics trust in jeopardy  not only in those who strive their best to protect and serve, but also in those who are responsible for our public safety, they wrote.

The letter was sent to Blair and Furey, as well as federal ministers David Lametti and Maryam Monsef, and Kelly Regan, Nova Scotias minister responsible for the advisory council on the status of women act.

A spokeswoman for Public Safety Canada, Mary-Liz Power, said in an email Saturday that Blair has been in close contact with Furey on the issue.

Our governments are working together to ensure that we take all lessons to be learned from this tragedy, and both are considering all possible tools and avenues of investigation, Power said.

Read more about:
After seeing unspeakable jokes on social media, Megan Thee Stallion is speaking out again about her shooting incident with Tory Lanez over the weekend.

On Friday, the Suga rapper took to Twitter, following her Instagram post earlier this week, where she revealed she had surgery after being shot multiple times.

"Black women are so unprotected & we hold so many things in to protect the feelings of others w/o considering our own," Megan wrote on Twitter. "It might be funny to y'all on the internet and just another messy topic for you to talk about, but this is my real life, and I'm real-life hurt and traumatized."

In her Instagram post Wednesday, Megan revealed she "suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me."

According to Page Six, Tory, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, allegedly shot Megan following a dispute early Sunday morning, after they were caught hanging by the pool with Kylie Jenner on Instagram Live.

A source said "Tory fired the shots from within the vehicle while Megan was outside trying to leave. There is video, and the police are investigating. This is a case of a man physically harming and abusing a woman."

An LAPD spokesperson admitted "there is video" but it would "not be released until the case goes to court in order to protect the integrity of the case."

"The detectives are seeking information regarding the shooting involving Daystar Peterson, and the investigation is still ongoing. I'm not privilege to what the detectives have right now," the spokesperson added. Police would not say whether Lanez is a suspect.

Tory Lanez has yet to issue a statement or address the incident on social media.

By Rachel George

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Kangana Ranaut has been the most prominent names to take on the big names of the film industry and highlight unfavourable industry practices in the wake of Sushant Singh Rajputs death. As outrage grew against the star kids and nepotism and favouritism, the actor has found support from many other celebrities like Shekhar Kapur, Abhay Deol. The Queen star now claimed that she was ready to return her Padma Shri if she could not prove her statements in the investigation of the case.

READ: Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab, Names '4 People' Not Being Summoned In Sushant Death Case

Kangana recently spoke to Republic Media Networks Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami from her hometown Manali. In the exclusive interview, she confirmed that she had been summoned by the Mumbai Police in the case and was ready to testify to the investigation team.

They summoned me, and I asked them too, that Im in Manali, that you can send somebody to take my statement, but I have not received anything after that. I am telling you, if I have said anything, which I cant testify, which I cant prove, and which is not in public domain, I will return my Padma Shri," Kangana said.

"I dont deserve it. I am not that person who will go on record (to make such statements), and everything that I have said is in public domain, she said.

Watch the video above

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Kangana Ranaut Reveals She Was Threatened For Refusing To Star In 'Sultan'

Apart from three National Awards, Kangana Ranaut was honoured with the Padma Shri earlier this year.

Kangana had made headlines for slamming the negative reportage related to Sushant, including blind items in his name. She also shared that many celebrities had similarly targetted, claiming that she will commit suicide too. The actor took the names of Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and Mahesh Bhatt in the campaign against Sushant.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rhea Chakraborty, Sanjana Sanghi, Mukesh Chhabra have been among the names, 36 in all to be questioned by Mumbai Police in connection with Sushant's death, which took place on June 14. There were reports that Shekhar Kapur too was set to be summoned, and then it was reported that he will send his statement personally to the police.

READ: Kangana Ranaut Says Sushant's Death Was 'abetted', In Tell-all Interview To Arnab Goswami

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's explosive conversation with Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami has prompted responses from many celebrities in the film industry. Prominent among them, veteran actor Simi Garewal has praised Kangana for taking a firm stand on nepotism against the "powerful" few in the industry as she hopes that it brings an awakening in Bollywood.

READ: When Kangana Ranaut Admitted She Broke Traffic Rules; Watch Throwback Video

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.
Breaking news wrecked the Internet on Saturday, July 18. In Texas County, United States, nearly 100 babies ages under one were admitted to hospitals after having confirmed Coronavirus. The county hopes for everyone to pray for the welfare and health of the babies, which haven't yet had their first birthdays.

Dozens of babies tested positive with COVID-19

READ ALSO: 'Karen' Mask: This Viral See-Through Tulle Face Mask Trends on Social Media

Unfortunate and horrifying news occurred in the U.S. this Saturday. An exact population of 85 infants was found positive with the Novel Coronavirus in Texas County, CNN reported.

Local reports said that COVID-19 risk in the county was way unexpected since children tend to be more immune to acquiring the virus than adults. But their expectations went off the chart.

In Texas' Nueces County, where Corpus Christi is located, the number of cases went higher than the expected. And authorities said that it could get worse in the month of July.

Annette Rodriguez, the director of public health for Corpus Christi Nueces County, said they were worried about the babies that got infected since their immune system wasn't fully developed.

"We currently have 85 babies under the age of one year in Nueces County that have all tested positive for Covid-19," said her. "These babies have not even had their first birthday yet. Please help us stop the spread of this disease."

Peter Zanoni, the Corpus Christi city manager, warned that Nueces County has the fastest growth of COVID- 19 cases in Texas.

The county now has about 8,100 positive Coronavirus cases and 82 deaths from this population.

The national government already released a statement regarding the incident and advised everyone to strictly follow the protocol that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implemented. For example, wearing a face mask, applying alcohol, and make sure to follow social distancing.

"Texas is now not where it should be relating to fighting COVID-19. Therefore, your office should take immediate action to rewind the efforts to reopen the state quickly, which came about by ignoring CDC guidelines," the letter said to Texas Gov. Greg Abbot. "We need to provide local authority to local counties and cities to do what is in the best interest of their communities."

READ ALSO: Is COVID-19 Weakening? Study Says Virus Mutates up to 6x More Infectious Now

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) and the Hawaii State Teachers Union (HSTA) recently agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding for reopening Hawaii public schools for the 202021 school year, which will place educators and students back in the classroom on August 4.

As of yesterday, reported cases in Hawaii have reached 1,334 cases and 23 deaths, with both figures on the rise in recent weeks due to lifted restrictions on activity throughout the islands. While reported cases have remained relatively low thus far due to travel restrictions from the mainland and internationally, the plan to reopen schools is set to take place roughly a month before travel restrictions are lifted in the state, which relies heavily on the tourism industry.

As cases have risen in Hawaii and astronomically across the US in recent weeks, the combined impact of these reopenings will greatly exacerbate the spread of the virus throughout the islands.

Economic impacts from the pandemic have reached unprecedented levels in the state, with 23 percent unemployment and a projected 49.2 percent decline in state general fund revenue from May 2019 to May 2020. Of note, 25 percent of the jobs lost have been in the tourism industry.

A high school special education teacher on the island of Hawaii (the Big Island), told the World Socialist Web Site, My students come from families and for many of them who work in the tourism industry, I worry about when the state opens back up to tourists that they will be exposed and get sick, and possibly spread the virus to other students and teachers. They will probably go back to these jobs if tourism resumes. Prior to the shutdown, about 250,000 jobs were in the tourism and related sectors. Many students live with extended family, in multigenerational households. This adds another layer of risk for spreading COVID because of crowded living conditions.

The state of Hawaii is somewhat unique in that the HIDOE oversees all schools and there are no local school boards. HIDOE employs about 22,000 full-time employees, 13,000 of whom are educators, and there are nearly 285 public schools throughout the islands which serve about 180,000 students in grades K-12.

The reopening plan has been met with outrage by parents and educators. Thousands of Hawaiis teachers, staff and parents submitted written testimony at a virtual board of directors meeting on July 9, denouncing the MOU, emphasizing the failure of HIDOE and HSTA to create a reopening plan that ensures the health and safety of educators, students, and their families.

During the board of directors meeting, HIDOE Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto expressed the underlying economic motive behind the drive to resume in-person learning. She claimed to understand educators safety worries, but said, My concern is the other health and safety matters we create when we cant accommodate a high-need child or another risky situation; a child left alone in their home while a parent goes to work. And while that onus is not just on the school system, thats the balance that were trying to consider here. In other words, the schools need to provide daycare so that parents can return to work.

As opposition to the reopening plan has grown, many teachers and parents in Hawaii have turned to social media to express their views and begin to organize. The Facebook group, Hawai'i for a Safe Return to School was created on July 10 in response to the plan and has grown to over 2,800 members. The groups page makes the argument that the current state plan does not meet CDC recommended standards, and is unsafe. It puts the lives of our community at great risk of death or permanent injury, and the group call for the reversal of the current plan.

Lisa, a high school teacher on the Big Island, shared her concerns around reopening. I didnt sign up to put my life in jeopardy to teach children. Without us having a specific vaccine or cure for this, what are we being asked to do? Are you saying that our lives are expendable? Because once we open up the schools, well open up to tourism and were going to be back at risk again for exposure.

The reopening plan is a recipe for disaster, and is wholly inadequate for ensuring the health and safety of all educators, staff, and students. The MOUs language around students and staff wearing face coverings on campus includes the phrase, should wear face coverings and another equally weak provision to limit class size and large gatherings or groups when possible.

The plan stipulates classroom distances between 3 and 6 feet may be allowed with approved contract exceptions and additional precautions such as mandatory face coverings and that classroom teachers would determine routines and rules related to wearing of face covering(s) in their particular classrooms.

Under the reopening plan, individual schools are held responsible for implementing one of three models for reopening August 4: in-person learning every day, a blended rotation of in-person and online instruction, or a combination of the two.

A fully distance-learning framework for all students was not included as a model for instruction. However, as part of the plan, full virtual learning will be offered for families who choose to have their child fully online. This online instruction is provided by HIDOE, which contracts with a private company, Acellus Academy. In effect, HIDOE is working to gradually privatize public education by demanding that their public employees risk their lives by returning to schools, while siphoning funds to this private online academy.

Forcing the resumption of in-person instruction endangers thousands of Hawaiis educators, 40 percent of whom are at high risk of dying if they contract the virus. The MOU includes the stipulation, teachers who are documented to be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 may be provided options to limit their exposure risk (e.g., telework or modified job responsibilities). However, teachers in the state are already being told telework is not an option, even with a doctors authorization, as the decision is ultimately up to the principals who will weigh their decision based on their master schedules.

Another Hawaii secondary school teacher told the WSWS, As someone in their late fifties with an underlying medical condition that was documented, I gave my principal a doctors letter certifying this. I cant be teaching in person until its safe for me to go back. Ill get a different job if I need to, working from home. Going into the classroom thats already overheated in the high 80s and 90s in August and September, full of students who might be sick, is literally a threat to my life and its not worth it.

The MOU encourages the implementation of sanitizing, quarantining and physical distancing on campuses and within classrooms, yet requires individual schools to shoulder the cost as well as the logistical burden of how they will provide these extra services. Hawaiis Governor David Ige and state legislators are planning massive cuts to social services to offset the states budget shortfall of $2.3 billion.

Not only do schools face major defunding in the upcoming year due to economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the state, but the HIDOE has already issued mass layoffs to classified employees in recent months. In May alone, 2,600 HIDOE employees were laid off according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

Neither the unions nor the Department of Education will provide any real safety for educators and students amid the deepening of the COVID-19 pandemic. The WSWS Educators Newsletter calls on Hawaii educators to build rank-and-file safety committees at every school site in opposition to the homicidal plan to reopen the classrooms and put forth demands that center the health of the workers and students themselves. Only through the independent mobilization of the working class can it be ensured that not a single educator, staff member or student perishes from the deadly virus.
a day after A similar threat against a Ryanair flight on the way to Oslo in Norway again in a bomb threat. This had been discovered on a piece of paper in a train in the municipality of Eidsvoll, about 60 km North-East of Oslo, informed the competent Norwegian police on Saturday. The railway, which had stood in a train station, had been evacuated. Investigations revealed, according to police data, that there was no risk.

On Friday, had found the crew of a passenger plane of the budget airline Ryanair from London-Stansted to Oslo-Gardermoen a bomb threat on Board, 40 minutes before landing. Danish fighter planes escorted the machine, then in the Norwegian capital, where the aircraft could land. No one was hurt. A 51-year-old Briton was taken after the landing in the Norwegian capital, but later released. The 142 passengers were brought to safety, a Bomb squad searched the plane, the police announced.

the bomb threat in the train, it is the third found bomb threat within a week  two of which are in Norway. Already on Tuesday, the British police had arrested two men after in the toilet on a Ryanair machine is also a bomb warning had been found. On Board was finally found no explosives. The plane was on the way from Krakow to Dublin. The Suspects were released.

Updated Date: 18 July 2020, 14:19
U.S. infectious disease specialists this week asked the federal government to "use every authority it has" to ensure adequate supplies of the antiviral drug remdesivir as the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus continues to rise.

In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) expressed concern that developed countries are relying on a single manufacturer for the only antiviral so far shown to be effective against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Remdesivir is made by Gilead Sciences Inc, which has committed to supplying 500,000 treatment courses of the drug to HHS for distribution to U.S. hospitals in July, August and September. The company has also licensed remdesivir to several generic drugmakers for sales in 127 low-income countries.

"We urge the administration to fully leverage all authorities including the Defense Production Act and other tools to ensure adequate supplies of remdesivir," the IDSA said. Gilead, which last month priced a five-day course of its drug at $3,120 for U.S. insurers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The IDSA said remdesivir, available since May under an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, has been a critical tool for reducing the strain on hospitals. Several hard-hit Southern and Western states have reported running low on the drug, prompting HHS earlier this month to ship emergency supplies to Florida, Texas, California and Arizona.

"We are concerned that the current supply of remdesivir is insufficient, particularly given dramatically escalating caseloads in many states and the likelihood of a continuing surge into the fall and winter," the IDSA said in its letter.

Also read: Coronavirus antibody tests in UK pass early stage trials with 98.6% accuracy
The presence of troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Navy in Kherson region will increase, Head of the Kherson Regional State Administration Yuriy Husev has said.

I am not ready to say by what number, because this is very sensitive information, but the presence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kherson region will increase. A few weeks ago, a visiting meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence took place, at which we talked about this," Husev said on the air of Dim TV channel.

The participants of the visiting meeting visited the areas of the region bordering on the administrative boundary with the temporarily occupied Crimea. They discussed, in particular, a set of measures necessary to strengthen positions in southern Ukraine.

"Our region is the only one that has an administrative boundary with Crimea, and therefore the strengthening of the Armed Forces in our region is, in my opinion, of great importance," Husev emphasized.

He noted that the region expects the strengthening of both the already existing military units stationed in Kherson region, and the deployment of new units - both land and naval forces.

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By Trend

The activity of hairdressing and beauty salons, and rendering of cosmetic services, except for massage parlors and baths, are allowed from July 20 in the Azerbaijani cities in which the tightened quarantine regime has been introduced, the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend on July 17.

The special quarantine regime was extended in Azerbaijan until August 31 in accordance with the results of analysis of the sanitary-epidemiological situation in connection with the spread of COVID-19.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Chandigarh, July 18 : Categorically rejecting reports to the contrary as "false", Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh clarified on Saturday that neither a single tree would be uprooted, nor an inch of the Mattewara forest land be taken by the government for the development of industrial park.

There was no question of destroying the Mattewara forest, said the Chief Minister during his #AskCaptain Facebook Live session.

Statements made by certain people suggesting that the forest would be destroyed "are simply not true," said Singh, adding the government has taken 955 acres of land of the Animal Husbandry, the Horticulture Departments and gram panchayat.

The acquired land does not include an inch of the 2,300 acres of the Mattewara forest, he declared.

Singh also allayed apprehensions that the waste from the industrial park would be discharged into the Sutlej river and said a modern common effluent treatment plant would be set up as per the latest government of India norms.

The objective behind the planned industrial park is to create a vibrant industrial estate where people of Ludhiana and nearby areas can get good jobs, he added.

On the issue of Covid, the Chief Minister reiterated his appeal for all to take due precautions and strictly adhere to wearing of mask and other safety norms to check its further spread in the state.

Mask can reduce the chance of infection by 75 per cent, he pointed out, citing experts, adding that 10 lakh reusable masks had already been sent to the Deputy Commissioners for distribution among the poor for daily wash and use.

Responding to the concern of Amit Kumar of Rajpura, who said people in his city were not wearing masks in crowded markets, Singh said strict action would be taken against violators.

The Chief Minister further urged the people to contact hospitals on the first sign of any symptom or suspicion of Covid infection since delay reduces the chances of survival.

He pointed out that Punjab had lost 239 lives to Covid from among the 9,442 cases reported so far.

The cases were continuing to rise, he said, expressing concern over the fact that around 300 cases had been added every day over the past one week.

In response to a question, the Chief Minister said anyone coming into the state through any border would be checked strictly.

Ravinder Bagga from Ludhiana had expressed concern over the labourers being brought and dropped by trucks at the Shambhu border, from where they were entering the state on foot.

To a question from Amarjeet Singh from Anandpur Sahib, Amarinder Singh said Sunday curfew was not being enforced now due to many people needing to leave home for work.

Terming the rates for Covid treatment fixed for private hospitals as too high, Sewak Singh, Ludhiana, said it was beyond the common man's reach.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the rates being charged by the private hospitals so far were exorbitant and that Rs 18,000 per day was for critical patients only.

The government hospitals had all the facilities, which they were providing at affordable costs, he added.

Responding to a question by Sachin Dhand from Patiala on the possibility of strict lockdown in view of the increasing cases, the Chief Minister said urban cases were feeling the heat worse than others amid the growing pandemic and the only way to handle it was for people to be more responsible.

The Chief Minister assured Karan Dhaliwal that "we will all see 2021 together" and urged him to be brave and not get disheartened.

On the critical ground water situation, raised by Rajinder Singh of Patran, Amarinder Singh said an Israeli company had been appointed to look into it and find solutions.

In addition, the state had established a water regulatory authority and had launched the 'Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao' scheme for direct benefit of the farmers.
Holding signs elevating JBS employees and condemning the company for which they work, about a dozen members of the community stood across from the JBS employee parking lot Wednesday and stood up, they said, for the workers inside the plant, as compensation disputes mount within the meatpacking company that is Weld County, Colorados largest employer.

Explaining that JBS workers were contract-bound not to protest or picket themselves, these community members  some of whom had family who worked in the plant, others who had friends there, and others still who said they just cared about the thousands who live in the Greeley area and work in the plant  encouraged employees to stand strong in the face of pressure from the company. JBS workers, the protesters explained, are not allowed to protest because of the terms of their current contract.

Reports from advocates and the UFCW Local 7 union that represents several thousand of the employees in the Greeley plant indicate that JBS is trying to persuade its employees to push the union to vote on a five-year contract extension, which, the advocates said, would be a long-term detriment to the employees.

Theyre scared, said an organizer who wanted to only be identified by her first name, Gloria. (The employees) dont know, theyre being intimidated, having green hats take them upstairs and say they need to sign.

Gloria was passing out flyers with one side written in English and the other translated into Spanish that displayed a letter passed out to JBS employees by the company itself, with annotations she printed on the letter herself.

Concerns are over the raise itself, the base rate and top rate, a year-by-year wage increase, a short-term disability increase, relaxation of requirements for a bonus and the establishment of a free team member health clinic.

The clinic was of particular concern to the protesters. The idea seems beneficial up front, protesters said, but the concern was that medical staff on the JBS payroll might not be as quick to sound the alarm about serious concerns inside the plant.

JBS responded to an email request for comment Wednesday afternoon with a similar but more detailed statement to the one sent earlier to the Greeley Tribune, touting the desire to pay team members more and expressing frustration with the unions unwillingness to agree to the proposal.

We hope the 12 protesters and our broader community understand that we are simply trying to provide additional increased wages and benefits to our deserving Greeley beef team members mid-contract, read an email from Nikki Richardson in corporate communications for JBS. We made our proposal to the local union more than a month ago and believe our team members should have the right to vote. JBS USA team members across the country have approved similar wage increases at our facilities in Beardstown, Illinois; Cactus, Texas; Grand Island, Nebraska; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Hyrum, Utah; Louisville, Kentucky; Marshalltown, Iowa; Ottumwa, Iowa; Plainwell, Michigan; Souderton, Pennsylvania; Tolleson, Arizona; and Worthington, Minnesota.

Our proposal offers a nearly 12% increase in base wages and is in addition to the more than $3,300 in bonuses already committed to our team members. We remain hopeful the local union will allow our team members to vote for the same wages and benefits enjoyed by all of their colleagues across the country.

Protesters expressed concern for the workers and distrust of the companys motives, pointing out that the employees dont have a ton of leverage in this situation.

Community member Don Perl expressed concern not just for those inside but for those outside the plant.

This isnt just about the safety of those who work there, Perl said. This affects all of us in the community.
Washington

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the most prominent member of the Supreme Court's liberal minority, said Friday that she has had a recurrence of cancer, causing a wave of anxiety among Democrats that was not completely assuaged by her assurance that she was undergoing chemotherapy, with "positive results," and would remain on the Supreme Court.

At 87, Ginsburg is the court's oldest justice and, as "Notorious R.B.G.," its most celebrated. Her health has been the subject of intense interest to both parties since the election of President Donald Trump, but particularly to Democrats. They fear that if she died or had to resign, Trump and his Republican allies in the Senate, led by Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, would quickly try to install a conservative successor even if the November election were imminent.

For Democrats increasingly optimistic about defeating Trump and possibly retaking the Senate, that would be an even more painful version of what McConnell and Senate Republicans were able to accomplish in 2016.

That year they prevented President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, from even having a hearing on the grounds that with the presidential election approaching, the American people should decide who would hold the power to fill the spot.

But McConnell has made it clear that he would proceed with filling any vacancy this year, reasoning that two situations are different since the White House and the Senate are now both controlled by Republicans, not divided between Democrats and Republicans as they were in 2016. And because of changes to Senate rules and procedures governing confirmations, Democrats would ultimately be unable to thwart a confirmation if Republicans decided to proceed and remained united since a majority is all that is required.

Ginsburg was optimistic in her statement. "I have often said I would remain a member of the court as long as I can do the job full steam," she said. "I remain fully able to do that."

She said that the lesions on her liver had been detected in February and had been reduced by the chemotherapy. "Satisfied that my treatment course is now clear," she said, "I am providing this information."

She said she planned to continue biweekly chemotherapy sessions and maintain an active daily routine. "Throughout, I have kept up with opinion writing and all other court work," she said.
Gym owners warn that it wont be fitness as usual as many Ontario facilities implement new measures to keep members safe while they get back in shape after months of COVID-19 languor.

Fitness centres in much of Ontario are set to reopen Friday as part of Stage 3 of the governments COVID-19 restart plan. However, exercise enthusiasts in regions stuck in Stage 2, such as Toronto and Peel, will have to sweat it out on their own for a bit longer.

Provinces including British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec have made similar moves to resume indoor physical activities after the pandemic shuttered recreation facilities in March.

However, many fitness buffs may find their routines are disrupted by pre-workout screenings, slashed class sizes, off-limits equipment and reduced amenities as gyms beef up their cleaning protocols and trim down services in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Fitness centres in much of Ontario are set to reopen, butit won't be fitness as usual as new measures are implemented to keep members safe while they get back in shape.

Ashleigh Tuite, an infectious disease epidemiologist at University of Toronto, said without proper safety measures, gyms can create ideal conditions for COVID-19 infection.

The virus is spread through respiratory droplets, which are exhaled through coughing, sneezing or heavy breathing, said Tuite. If a sick person is huffing and puffing through a workout, its possible that these viral particles may have a farther reach, she said.

The risk of transmission is higher indoors, said Tuite, particularly in crowded spaces with poor ventilation. Gyms are also filled with high-contact areas, so with every barbell a person lifts, their chance of touching a contaminated surface increases.

These hazards vary depending on COVID-19 rates in the community, the size of the gym and the intensity of exercise, she said.

However, Tuite said there are steps gym-goers and owners can take to reduce peoples chances of contracting the virus while working off pandemic-induced weight gain.

She said fitness centres can improve airflow by opening windows or installing new ventilation systems, and members also have a role to play in maintaining physical distance and disinfecting equipment before and after use.

Fitness Industry Council of Canada president Scott Wildeman said the trade associations members, which include boutique studios to big box gyms, are marshalling their resources to keep Canadians fit and virus-free.

Some of these measures are government-mandated, Wildeman said. For example, in Ontario, fitness centres have to ensure members can maintain a two-metre distance and cap capacity at the indoor gathering limit of 50 people.

Some jurisdictions also require that staff and clients wear masks while moving through the facilities, he said. But public health officials recommend that people remove their masks before getting their heart rates up, because the protective gear can inhibit comfortable breathing.

Many gyms have had to curtail services to keep up with public health protocols and enhanced cleaning regimens, said Wildeman.

He said many clubs have implemented booking systems so members dont have to wait to get their workout in. But not everyone is ready to return just yet, he acknowledged.

In provinces that have reopened gyms, the councils data suggest that roughly 60 per cent of members return within the first month, and attendance increases from there, said Wildeman.

Even as their costs have increased, most fitness centres are trying to be flexible about requests to freeze or cancel memberships, he said. Some are playing around with pricing, or supplementing their offerings with virtual workouts.

Online is great, because its very convenient and accessible, he said. But nothing really replaces the community and the camaraderie of a gym.

GoodLife Fitness has already reopened 74 locations across Canada, and 44 more will get back to the grind on Friday, said Jason Sheridan, senior vice-president of operations.

Returning members will notice some differences, he said. Every hour, the club will be reset to allow staff to disinfect each area before the next member uses it.

Change rooms have been cleared of hair dryers and curling irons, and showers are prohibited at many clubs.

The fitness chain has suspended towel service, and members are asked to bring their own mats and props to classes.

Sheridan said the group fitness schedule has been limited to workouts that allow people to keep to their own space, such as yoga and spinning, rather than dance-style classes where people move around the room.

Orangetheory Fitness Canada president Blake MacDonald said the high-intensity exercise franchise has shortened classes to 45 minutes from an hour to allow extra time for cleaning. Clients are also asked to arrive no early than 10 minutes before their sweat session starts to avoid any overlap with the next class.

Sweat and Tonic, a boutique studio in downtown Toronto, has overhauled its three-floor facility in hopes that it will soon be able to welcome back fitness fanatics, said social media and marketing manager Sharon Xie.

Plexiglass dividers have been installed between every treadmill, stationary bike and yoga station. The studio has also upgraded its air filtration to trap fine particles more effectively.

Patrons will also have to disinfect their shoes and pass a temperature check before they enter, and filter in and out of class one row at a time, Xie said. And to compensate for scaled-down services, the studio has reduced its monthly membership fee to $250 from $275.

Connie Cornelius, a personal trainer and owner of Area Fitness in east-end Toronto, said most of the clubs members are staying active outdoors, but she warns that it may take some time for people to ease back into their gym routines before lifting their max weight.

Similarly, Cornelius is training her clients to wear masks while working out by gradually building up aerobic intensity and taking breaks between sets.

I dont think anyone should just jump back into anything, she said. You want to be a little kinder to yourself.
Russias temporary occupation of Crimea must not be used as an excuse for denying access of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine to the peninsula.

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk said this during a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, July 16, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As the SMM mandate covers entire territory of Ukraine, we also remind the Russian side that its temporary occupation of Crimea must not be used as an excuse for denying access of the Mission to the peninsula. The SMM should be able to establish facts on the dire situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Crimea and report them to the OSCE participating States," he said.

In this context, the Ukrainian diplomat drew the attention of the delegations present to the recently published report by the UN Secretary General on the human rights situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, based on monitoring and documenting numerous violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the annexed peninsula.

"We join the calls expressed in the Report to the authorities of the Russian Federation to lift restrictions imposed on the Crimean Tatar community to conserve its representative institutions, to ensure the availability of education in the Ukrainian language, to end the conscription of Ukrainian nationals residing in Crimea into the armed forces of the Russian Federation, to restore the violated property rights of all former owners, and to end the transfers of protected persons outside the occupied territory," Tsymbaliuk said.

The permanent representative of Ukraine expressed his gratitude to all the delegations of the OSCE participating States, which raised these issues earlier in the meetings of the Permanent Council, and encouraged them to keep the issue of Crimea high on their agendas.

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DECATUR  When U.S. Rep. John Lewis visited Decatur in 2018, Julia Roundtree Livingston's son and father were there.

My father was so eager to take my then-4-year-old son to hear from a legend and that's a memory neither of them will ever forget, said Roundtree Livingston, executive director of Macon County CASA, an advocate for children in the welfare system. Lewis' personal and professional lives were committed to the work and I believe that every person of color is grateful for his commitment to the cause.

Lewis, 80, died Friday of cancer after serving three decades in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Georgia congressman marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Washington in 1963, an event that was a catalyst in the civil rights movement that led to the passage of voting rights for Blacks two years later.

In a proclamation under President Donald Trump's name, the White House ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff, including at U.S. facilities worldwide, as is traditional for those so honored.

"Rep. John Lewis was an icon of the civil rights movement, and he leaves an enduring legacy that will never be forgotten," tweeted White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. "We hold his family in our prayers, as we remember Rep. John Lewis' incredible contributions to our country."

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by King that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council. He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House 20 years later, Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, he clashed with Trump over immigration and other policies.

Lewis in October 2018 came to Decatur for a get-out-the-vote rally by the Decatur branch of the NAACP. He spoke at the Church of the Living God on South Franklin Street.

State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, took part in events and on Saturday said the story of Lewis, the son of a sharecropper, is an inspiration. She was almost 10 at the time of his march in Selma.

It's hard to believe it was two years (after the march) before Blacks got the right to vote, she said, adding that she "thought a lot of him and admired his work."

National Education Association President Lily Eskelen Garcia called Lewis a true American hero.

John Lewis was known as the Conscience of the Congress, and even that esteemed title does not fully describe the exceptional nature of this mans accomplishments, Garcia said.

Jeanelle Norman, president of the Decatur Branch of the NAACP, introduced him when he spoke in Decatur in 2018.

"He hugged me, which was a surprise to me," she said. "He was such a neat guy and he wanted to meet with the pastors and about 40 pastors showed up to meet with him and he was encouraging them to get people out to vote. That was the first time I'd seen that many Black preachers together in a long, long time. He was a phenomenal person when he came to Decatur and made you feel like you needed to be doing something. He exuded that type of feeling among people."

In 2011, Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-President Barack Obama, the highest honor possible for a civilian. He was re-elected to his 17th term in 2018.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Lewis was a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles. 

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

John Lewis visits Decatur in 2018

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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Kanye West is an award-winning rapper who has released numerous hit songs in the past 15 years. However, these days, West also seems to have made a career out of behaving erratically. He has made numerous controversial comments about various subjects, and now West is even thinking about running for president.

However, what really is Wests chance of winning the election in November? Read on below to see an experts take on how seriously we should take West as a candidate.

Kanye West | Jeff Kravitz/MTV1415/FilmMagic

Kanye West announced his plan to run for president on July 4

West took to Twitter on July 4, 2020, to announce his plan to run for president.

We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for President of the United States. #2020VISION, he said.

This is not the first time West showed political ambitions. In 2015, he announced his plans to run for president in 2020, though he later changed his goal to 2024 instead. However, it seems West will set his sight on 2020 after all.

What is Kanye Wests presidential platform?

We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States ! #2020VISION  ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020

RELATED: Kanye Wests Presidential Bid Sparks Memories of When He Lived in China

West has not revealed his full platform, but he has talked a bit about his stances on various issues.

As reported by Forbes shortly after Wests presidential announcement, the rapper is against vaccines. He said, Its so many of our children that are being vaccinated and paralyzed. . . . So when they say the way were going to fix Covid is with a vaccine, Im extremely cautious. Thats the mark of the beast. They want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we cant cross the gates of heaven.

West has also shown many times that he is a devout Christian, and as such, is pro-life because Im following the word of the Bible.

When it comes to foreign policy, West said, I havent developed it yet. Im focused on protecting America, first, with our great military. Lets focus on ourselves first.

Can West actually win the election in November?

RELATED: Is Kanye West Richer Than Donald Trump? Their Individual and Family Net Worth Compared

Unlike other presidential candidates like Joe Biden or Donald Trump, its clear West has not fully developed a platform yet. While some people might find this worrying given that the election is only a few months away, there is a good chance West will not actually win the presidency.

According to Neil Sroka, Communications Director of the political action group Democracy For America, West is not a viable candidate by any means.

Sroka told Hollywood Life, The odds of being able to win as an Independent candidate for president are very long even under the best of circumstances, for a variety of reasons. The idea of trying to launch something in July of an election year is beyond absurd. Thats the long and short of it: logistically, it is very, very difficult for an Independent to run a campaign, even if they had been planning this for years.

Additionally, West would need to register his campaign with the Federal Election Committee. Rolling Stone reported that a committee called Kanye 2020 did file with the FEC recently. However, the legitimacy of this is still unconfirmed.

In any case, as an Independent candidate, West would need to petition with each state to get on the ballots. Unfortunately, he has already missed the deadline in several states.

Of course, there is still the option of a write-in campaign, though Sroka noted this route has never been successful.

In 33 states, you need to file some sort of paperwork, Sroka said. People could write Mickey Mouse on the ballot, and unless Mickey Mouse filed an affidavit announcing his candidacy as a write-in, he wouldnt be president even if he got every single vote Weve never had in the history of America an Independent successfully win a write-in campaign.

At the end of the day, perhaps anything is possible, especially since many people did not see Trumps 2016 victory coming. However, Sroka does not believe Wests campaign stands a chance. He said, The chances of winning an Independent bid that hasnt started until the Fourth of July is equivalent to an extraterrestrial being winning the presidential contest.
A burglar who was caught after he fell asleep halfway through a home break in has received a prison sentence.

Carlos Daly (51) had consumed two trays of anti-anxiety tablets Tranax before breaking into the basement flat on Tivoli terrace south in Dublin city centre.

Garda Peter Daly told Judge Martin Nolan that the defendant went into the house to steal items but the tablets kicked in and he passed out.

Daly was woken by gardai who had come to house after the resident found Daly asleep. He appeared groggy and gardai took him away in a patrol car.

When gardai arrived at the station they found Daly had left a number of items which had been stolen from the house in the footwell of the car. These included two jewellery boxes and a mobile phone.

Daly told them that the previous night he had been arrested for a public order offence and when he was released he had nowhere else to go.

He said he broke into the basement flat and when he entered the bedroom he fell asleep. He said he woke up the next morning when he felt something hitting him in the neck.

Daly of Peter Mc Verry Trust, Charlemont Street, Dublin admitted burglary at June 26, 2018. He also admitted breaking into a car and stealing from a second car on the same night.

He has over 50 previous convictions for burglary.

Luigi Rea BL, defending, said his client is a father-of-four who worked as a security officer for nine years and who lived a blameless life until he began smoking heroin.

Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Daly's drug addiction was the root of his offending but said that burglary is always serious.

He said as burglaries go this offence was at the lower end and there was no element of violence. He imposed a prison term of two and a half years.
STAMFORD  Organizers of a local social justice group on Saturday introduced community members to a new form of protesting  through meditation and exercise. Group leaders said those activities give participants the mental fortitude necessary to continue fighting the good fight toward justice and equality.

Tim Frazier, head of operations with the group Justice for Brunch, said protesting has occurred for years upon years, but young people, like him, are now finding more creative ways to connect with the community.

Just marching and shouting  is always effective to ignite something, he said. But now were implementing ourselves in a different way in society, where we can be beneficial to people who dont necessarily feel comfortable marching.

The group to date has held marches throughout Fairfield County, deliberately timed to coincide when and where people have been congregating to eat brunch, for the purpose of shaking people out of leisure mindsets that let them escape and ignore real-world problems.

But Saturday they were at Harbor Points Commons Park for a day that combined arts, exercise and meditation to focus, organizers said, on cultivating mental wellness while living as a person of color.

Theres a lot of pressure being a Black man in the community. You have to dress a certain way, you have to make sure your hair is worn a certain way, you have to make sure you uphold yourself to a higher standard and speak proper, instead of actually being yourself and being one with your culture, said Fitzgerald Francois, co-organizer with the group. Its tough and it takes a toll, especially on the younger kids, who are trying to find their identity..

Samantha Alemseghed, a 25-year-old from Stamford, shared a spoken-word piece about her former mental health struggles.

The systemic barriers and disparities in our cultural norms led me to believe that I was in fact crazy, because mental health doesnt exist. Youre happy or youre a failure, she said.

I grew up in a home that wasnt really a home, like, I had a roof over my head, clothes and food for my bones but I wasnt allowed to cry  like if I cried, it was a sign that what was provided for me wasnt enough  that I wasnt raised by a strong Black man who taught me to be tough, she said.

But today, she said, shes the strongest shes ever been.

I call this chapter of my life redemption, she said, as she closed her reading, and the crowd cheered.

Anisa Fortt, a Stamford NAACP member who attended, said shes aware of the angry Black woman and angry Black man stereotype, but that its important for people of color to speak out against racial injustices regardless of those beliefs. But also, people of color need to carve out time to care for themselves, especially in the face of problems that disproportionately affect them, from COVID-19 to systemic racism.

tatiana.flowers@thehour.com

@TATIANADFLOWERS
Knowing He May Be In Trouble, Lukashenka Tries To Blunt Election Challenges In Belarus

By Tony Wesolowsky July 17, 2020

It's not who's on the ballot that sparked a fresh wave of protests as an August 9 presidential election draws closer in Belarus  it's who is not.

Citizens hungry for change took to the streets shortly after the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on July 14 that a total of five candidates had qualified -- including incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has been president since 1994 and is seeking a sixth term.

Left off were Viktar Babaryka, a former bank manager now in jail on embezzlement charges, and Valer Tsapkala, a former ambassador to the United States and a founder of a successful high-tech park in Minsk.

The elections come as Lukashenka faces growing public discontent, in part due to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. With just 9.5 million people, Belarus has registered more than 65,000 cases  while neighboring Ukraine, for example, has fewer cases in a population more than four times larger. Lukashenka ignored calls for lockdowns and dismissed the virus in March as a "mass psychosis," earning him ridicule and ire at home and abroad.

As ill-equipped doctors scrambled to contain the virus, the economy, already struggling largely without subsidized Russian energy amid a standoff with the Kremlin over closer integration, began to sink even further.

A popular vlogger, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, tapped into public discontent, traveling the country to urge receptive audiences to take up their bedtime slippers to squash "the cockroach," the epithet the straight-talking 41-year-old tagged Lukashenka with.

The unenviable nickname "Sasha 3 Percent," a reference to Lukashenka's alleged approval rating in informal polling by independent media, began to pop up on walls, T-shirts, and elsewhere across Belarus  an unusually open expression of mockery in the tightly controlled country.

The barring of Babaryka and Tsapkala is the clearest proof yet that Lukashenka knows he's in trouble, according to Ryhor Astapenia, a fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at the London-based think tank Chatham House.

"In a way, by not registering Babaryka and Tsapkala, he showed that actually his rating is indeed low, so he doesn't want to compete with them," Astapenia told a virtual roundtable about Belarus on July 15.

Lukashenka appears far from ready to back down or give in to the demands of protesters. Police cracked down hard on protesters angered by the election commission's moves, detaining more than 300 people on the streets of Minsk and other cities on July 14, including two RFE/RL reporters and at least 12 other journalists.

Before the July 14 protests, the Belarusian rights NGO Vyasna (Spring) had reported that more than 700 people had been detained by police in Belarus since the presidential election process began in May.

Activists on social media seem to have been singled out -- most notably Tsikhanouski, who was jailed on charges of "disobeying the police" after his attempt to challenge Lukashenka in the election was rejected by the authorities. His wife, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, is one of the five candidates registered for the ballot, however.

Amid the crackdown, Lukashenka can hope for little help from Russia but may avoid tougher action by the West, according to Astapenia.

"On the one hand, the Kremlin has ended its support for Belarus because Belarus rejected the Kremlin's proposals to integrate deeper," the analyst said. "On the other hand, the West is reluctant to sanction Belarus for violations of human rights."

But for Belarus's hounded opposition, the feeling is that Lukashenka has never been as vulnerable as he is now. Since 1994, it has been "absolutely clear that the electoral majority was on the side of the current government. This year the situation has changed dramatically. Now it is absolutely clear that there is no longer any majority for those in power," Maria Kalesnikava, the head of Babaryka's thwarted campaign, told Current Time on July 15.

Kalesnikava said her team, which is still operating, would urge Belarusians to turn out in the election and vote against Lukashenka. The aim is to force Lukashenka into a runoff, which must be held if no candidate wins more than half the votes cast, and to decrease the chances for manipulation of the results.

"The only way to show that the majority is on the other side is to come to the polls [and ensure] a high turnout, which makes falsifications impossible," Kalesnikava told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

Hanna Kanapatskaya, the candidate from the opposition United Civil Party, was one of two opposition members to win parliament seats in 2016. She was barred from subsequent elections in 2019 but cleared all the hurdles to get on the presidential ballot.

Although not targeted so far in the current crackdown, Kanapatskaya told Current Time she has "been in opposition" for more than 25 years and been jailed and "subjected to pressure and repression" as a result.

Some observers say that Kanapatskaya and the other three challengers were registered in a bid by Lukashenka's government to lend a veneer of plurality to the election while minimizing the threat.

Kanapatskaya contended that she is the "only opposition pro-European" candidate and the only one who is not "associated with Russian puppeteers."

Andrey Dzmitryyeu, another approved candidate and leader of the civic campaign Speak The Truth, said that no single candidate could be designated the most serious challenger to Lukashenka. He suggested that voters have a chance to unseat the incumbent despite his advantages and despite the rejection of the two top rivals.

"In fact, the main competitor for Lukashenka today is the majority of Belarusians, who want to elect a new president," said Dzmitryyeu.

The campaigns of registered candidate Tsikhanouskaya and the barred hopefuls Babaryka and Tsapkala issued a joint statement and five-point plan on July 16, urging Belarusians to vote and vowing to cooperate on fighting electoral fraud.

They also called for an "honest repeat election" to be held after August 9.

More than any campaign in the past, the current election has witnessed Belarusians getting involved, said Astapenia, including many younger people.

"People are more involved in the campaign. They've joined the initiative groups [to get would-be candidates on the ballot]. They crowd fund to support the victims of political repression," he said.

At the same time, Astapenia said, Lukashenka's lack of a "positive agenda" has left Belarusians looking for alternatives.

"These new people resonate better with Belarusian society," he said. "At the end of the day, Viktar Babaryka collected nearly half a million signatures without significant financial resources or actually without any real preparations. It would be a massive political success in any European country."

That is due in part to changes in the media landscape. Opponents are able to get around a state-media blackout and get their messages out on social media and other channels, while Lukashenka has few tools other than repression to get the result he wants.

And the discontent that has been evident in the weeks ahead of the vote will not disappear in the months and years after it, analysts say.

"Political repression remains and will remain the main mechanism for suppressing the popular vote," Astapenia said. "This suppression will secure Lukashenka's so-called election victory, but these factors are not going away after August 9."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/facing-growing- public-anger-lukashenka-tries-to-blunt- election-challenge/30733228.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Police investigate circumstances in two deaths in Thalang

PHUKET: Police are waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination to try to help them determine whether or not a marks found on a womans wrists indicating that she had been bound were a factor in her being found hanged in her home in Pa Khlok yesterday (July 17).

deathsuicidecrimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 18 July 2020, 11:45AM

Ms Willas body was taken to Thalang Hospital for further examination. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The body of Miss Willa is recoverd from the home in Pa Khlok yesterday (July17). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Major Wutthichai Kaewthong of the Thalang Police was called to the scene, a house in Moo 9, Pa Khlok, at 9am.

Police arrived together with Kusoldharm rescue workers to find the body of Willa Phibankhasat, 30, lying face down on bed.

A power cable was still wound tightly around her neck, and police noticed marks on both her wrists as if she had been restrained, Major Wutthichai noted in his report.

Ms Willas partner, Narong Thinkohyao, 48, told police that he had stayed at his mothers house on Wednesday night and came home the next morning.

I called out to her many times, but there was no response, he said.

Narong said he found Ms Willas body hanged from a beam in the bedroom.

He brought her body down and placed it on the bed and called the police at about 9am, he said.

Narong also told police Ms Willa had tried to commit suicide many times before, Maj Wutthichai noted in his report.

Maj Wutthichai also noted that the last time Ms Willa was known to be alive was at 6:30am when neighbour Ms Na heard Ms Willa talking with another neighbour.

Ms Willas body was taken to Thalang Hospital for further examination, while police continue their investigation, he confirmed.

At 6:30pm yesterday, Maj Wutthichai was called to investigate another death, this one by a gunshot wound to the chest at a home in Moo 11, Thepkrasattri.

In the home they found the body of Nukul Insathon, 48, dead on the floor with a hunting rifle with a scope lying nearby.

Mr Nukuls relatives lived in the area, and told police that Mr Nukul had also commented about wanting to die, and so they did not suspect murder, Maj Wutthichai noted in his report.

Regardless, Mr Nukuls body was also taken to Thalang Hospital for further examination while police continue their investigation into the death, Maj Wutthichai confirmed.
Victoria has recorded 217 new cases of coronavirus, a significant drop on the previous day's figures, along with a further three deaths

The new daily tally is more than 200 cases fewer than Friday's record figure of 428. The state's death toll from coronavirius has risen to 35 after the deaths of a man and a woman in their 80s, along with a woman her 90s.

Premier Daniel Andrews said it was 'no ordinary weekend' and said Victorians needed to stick to the rules. Credit:Luis Ascui

The drop in cases coincides with the end of the hard lockdowns put in place two weeks ago in the North Melbourne public housing flats on Albert Street which is now the subject of an inquiry by the Victorian Ombudsman.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the decrease showed stage three restrictions were working, however, stressed the numbers were jumping from day to day and said there was no room for complacency.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

FAIRFIELD  Concerns about overcrowded beaches prompted town officials to announce Friday that the beaches would be closed to non-residents this weekend, and for weekends going forward, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said the decision was made after recurring overcrowding at the beaches and dangerous traffic backups in the beach area neighborhoods.
Lake Nemi is a volcanic lake located in the Park of Castelli Romani, a rural pocket of the Lazio region.

Lago di Nemi in Italian, Lake Nemi is 33 metres deep and nestled among the Colli Albani, the Alban Hills. Two small towns hug the lake, Genzano and Nemi. The name Nemi comes from the Latin Nemus Aricinum, meaning Grove of Ariccia, referring to the nearby town of Ariccia.

Whats the history of Lake Nemi?

The Park of Castelli Romani lies atop a volcanic crater called the Alban Crater. The area is characterised by the rolling Alban Hills, with Lake Nemi and Lake Albano nestled near the west border of the park. Lake Nemi is the smaller of the two lakes, but it is widely celebrated for its historical and cultural importance.

During the reign of the Roman Empire, the area around Lake Nemi was used as a vacation destination for Roman nobility. Its hilly, rural atmosphere gives it a microclimate that offers cool, fresh air--even in summer.

Also read:

The remains of a temple to the Roman goddess Diana Nemorensis, built around 300 B.C., rest along Lake Nemi.

The proximity of the sacred temple made Lake Nemi a holy site under the Roman Empire, until the Pagan Persecution. The Romans called the lake Dianas Mirror, Speculum Dianae, because it reflects the moon.

When the town of Nemi was a stop on the Grand Tour during the 17th and 18th centuries, this phenomenon inspired great artists such as Lord Byron, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and John Robert Cozens.

Today, Lake Nemi is enjoyed by Nemi and Genzano locals, as well as Roman tourists who take day trips to the area to enjoy fine wine and clean, rural air.

What is Lake Nemi known for?

In spring, wild strawberries grow in the volcanic soil around Lake Nemi. Every June, the town of Nemi hosts a celebratory wild strawberry festival, in which streets come alive with strawberry-themed decorations and street vendors sell wild strawberry preserves, pastries, teas, liquors, and more.

Genzano also hosts an annual festival, known as Infiorata. Infiorata is a Catholic celebration connected to Corpus Domini, in which artists construct massive mosaics from flowers grown in Saint Peters Basilica. In late June, the vibrant mosaics cover the streets of Genzano, creating spectacular temporary displays for locals and tourists to enjoy.

As for Lake Nemi itself, its ancient, pristine waters hold the eerie mystique of the sunken Nemi Ships.

What are the Nemi Ships?

In the 1st century A.D., Roman Emperor Caligula kept two large ships on Lake Nemi.

The ships, now referred to as Prima Nave and Seconda Nave (First Ship and Second Ship), or simply the Nemi Ships, were huge and luxurious, equipped with mosaic floors, heating systems, plumbing, onboard baths, and countless bronze and marble statues.

Historians disagree about why the Nemi Ships were built. Their size makes them impractical for such a small lake, and due to the sacred nature of Lake Nemi, traditional Roman ships were banned from sailing on it. One possibility is that the Nemi Ships were used for religious or celebratory purposes, and therefore granted exemption from the law.

Regardless of their purpose, the Nemi Ships were stationed on Lake Nemi during their use, standing as a symbol of Caligulas wealth and power.

Also read:

The sunken Nemi Ships remained a local legend until the mid-1400s, when Cardinal Prospero Colonna and Leone Battista Alberti made the first attempt to recover them.

The Nemi Ships were located 18 metres below the surface of the lake, making them exceedingly difficult to remove. In the end, Colonna and Battistas efforts only damaged the ships.

They remained underwater for a few hundred years, waiting for a better solution. In the meantime, it was normal for fishermen to accidentally reel in ancient Roman artifacts from the ships. In more sinister incidents, divers intentionally stole valuable goods from the ships. The Nemi Ships stayed below the surface of Lake Nemi until 1929, when engineer Guido Ucelli drained enough water from the lake to safely remove them.

Also read:

Further study of the Nemi Ships proved that many sophisticated technologies and building techniques had been utilised in ancient Rome far earlier than historians had previously thought. Additionally, prior to the discovery of the ships, historians believed Romans had not made any ships of such magnitude. The mystery of how and when the Nemi Ships sank remains to this day.

Sadly, the ships were destroyed by the German army in 1944. Many of their artifacts can be found in the Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi, and in various museums around Rome. The Museum of Roman Ships also contains full-sized reconstructions of the original Nemi Ships.

How can I get to Lake Nemi from Rome?

By Car

Lake Nemi is an hour away from Rome by car.

By Bus

While this is the easiest way to reach Lake Nemi from Rome, visitors can also travel to the area by bus. From the Rome Anagnina station, take the COTRAL bus to Piazza Frasconi in Genzano. The ride is approximately 45 minutes.

Enjoy Lake Nemi from Genzano, or take another COTRAL bus from Piazza Frasconi to Piazza Roma in Nemi, approximately 10 minutes.

Top ph: shutterstock/Heli Pekkarinen
They sustained burn injuries and were admitted to the civil hospital in Uttar Pradesh. Their condition is said to be critical.

Lucknow: A woman and her daughter set themselves on fire in front of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Office in Lucknow allegedly over police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi.

The mother-daughter duo sustained burn injuries and were admitted to the civil hospital where their condition was said to be critical, police said.

The incident took place at around 5.40 pm on Friday in the state capital's high-security zone as it houses the Assembly as well as the Lok Bhawan - the office of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The police personnel posted there swung into action as they saw the women engulfed in flames and rescued them, they said.

A video of the incident went viral on social media.

"They had some dispute in the Jamo area in Amethi. They had come here but didn't approach anyone and instead tried to immolate themselves in front of Lok Bhawan," a senior police officer said.

"We are probing the matter," the officer added.
An arson investigation has been initiated in a fire incident that flared out on Saturday in the western French city of Nantes, as stated by the city's Mayor Johanna Rolland.

Rolland uttered that what she was certain of is that she has witnessed three different fire outbreaks when asked about the fire that broke out at the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which has been controlled.

Officials stated the flames tore down the cathedral's grand organ and blew out stained glass windows of the 15th-century building in Nantes.

A prosecutor claimed on the scene that the fire incident is considered as a criminal act. According to Pierre Sennes, three fires had been established at the site.

Fire Chief Laurent Ferlay stated during a press briefing in front of the cathedral that the witnessed fire outbreak was not as the fire in April 2019 that engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral, adding that the damage caused by the recent fire incident was not that big, CNN reported.

On Saturday, Ferlay confirmed that the city of Nantes is in different situations with the Notre Dame of Paris, noting that the Cathedral's rooftop has not been affected by the fire.

In 1970, a fire destroyed the cathedral's roof and after 13 years was rebuilt with a concrete structure as a replacement to the ancient wood roof.

According to Ferlay, the damage was wholly directed to the organ where the fire broke out behind it, which appeared to have been completely destroyed. He added that the platform has a tendency to collapse since it was very unstable.

Read also: Deadly Border Encounters Engulf China-India Himalayan Border as Beijing Continues International Conquest

The fire chief added that 104 firefighters were present on the scene and will remain all day long.

Images and video footage were taken on the scene revealed orange flames lighting up the building and smoke swirling out of the soaring Gothic structure's front windows.

On Twitter, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, tweeted his encouragement to the firefighters who put out the fire during the incident on Saturday.

Macron wrote that after the fire in Notre-Dame, the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is located in the heart of the city of Nantes, was on fire. On his tweet, he added words of support to the firefighters who took all the risks to keep the city of Dukes' gothic gem.

According to Euronews, on Saturday morning, French Prime Minister Jean Castex proclaimed solidarity on a tweet to the people of Nantes. He added that the firefighters who courageously moved to contain the fire in the city's Cathedral have his support, expressing his gratitude to the brave actions which have been done.

The Prime Minister added that he will pay a visit to the city of Nantes on Saturday afternoon together with France's Interior Minister, and Culture Minister.

Nantes Mayor Johanna Roland said the fire that broke out in the city's Cathedral on Saturday does not seem comparable with the previous fire incident that happened in 1972 at the cathedral.

Regional firefighters warned the public in an earlier tweet advising everyone to stay away from the area and not to interfere with the rescue squad.



Related article: Burning Ships, Nuclear Explosions Incite Doubts of Failing Iranian Government on Potential Sabotage

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PHOTO: Evolve MMA

The Circuit Breaker period in Singapore has kept us all indoors for some time now. And while weve definitely discovered some creative ways to keep in shape by working out at home, we do certainly miss the Muay Thai gym.

Speaking of Muay Thai, its a terrific option for fitness when this Circuit Breaker period eventually ends, and the situation with COVID-19 eases throughout the world. Muay Thai is an amazing option for those looking to reignite their fitness after an extended period of light to no activity.

There are a host of benefits associated with training in Muay Thai, which is why you should consider joining a Muay Thai class at the soonest possible time. Some of its training characteristics are conducive to getting you in great physical condition quickly and effectively. Many people train in Muay Thai to reap these benefits alone, in addition to learning how to defend themselves through martial arts.

Simply put, Muay Thai is just an amazing martial art, and its not surprising why so many people love it.

Weve come up with a short list of reasons why you should seriously consider Muay Thai training as your primary form of exercise, especially as soon this society imposed lockdown period ends. Today, Evolve Daily shares five reasons why Muay Thai is the perfect activity to get you back in shape post-circuit breaker.

1) Its the fastest way back to fitness

The fact that Muay Thai training in and of itself is such an intense workout should be enough to whip you back into shape in no time. People are always looking for the fastest ways to achieve noticeable results, especially where getting fit and losing weight is concerned. Muay Thai training offers itself as the ultimate health and fitness program, accessible to everyone.

Muay Thais reputation as a tough, hardcore workout is well-warranted. Its one of the most physically challenging martial arts to practice. If youre the type that likes to be challenged day in and day out, Muay Thai could be for you.

Story continues

Because Muay Thai is so intense, naturally, the payoff for hard work is quick and satisfying too. Muay Thai, also known as The Art of Eight Limbs, utilises almost every muscle in the human body, and is the perfect mix of cardiovascular, strength, and endurance training. It also works out and engages your core to give you a more defined midsection.

With just a few weeks of consistent training in Muay Thai and you will already see the difference.

2) Its definitely not boring

While many fitness programs can get stale and boring very quickly, Muay Thai training is the exact opposite. Every training session is designed to challenge you in different ways, and youre constantly learning something new.

This is in stark contrast to, lets say, spending an hour on the treadmill each day just aimlessly jogging about. Muay Thai is fun and accessible to people of all ages, no matter the gender, body type, or fitness level. Many people turn to Muay Thai as their go-to cardio workout.

Muay Thai is a martial art, so theres a great deal of learning involved. You have to execute techniques properly and really learn how to move like a Muay Thai fighter. This gives practitioners a purpose, and not just use Muay Thai as a way to break a sweat.

Muay Thai is so much fun that its hard to feel fatigued during training, because youre just so fixated on the learning aspect of it. Many people find this enjoyable. Its certainly the perfect activity after spending months at home not doing very much.

3) You can learn how to defend yourself

Probably one of the biggest reasons people gravitate towards Muay Thai training is because they want to learn how to defend themselves. Self-defence is a basic human skill that everyone should develop.

Muay Thai is especially popular with women, because it empowers women with the knowledge of self-defence. The learning curve for Muay Thai is not steep at all. Training is very efficient, and streamlined. You obviously start with the basic punching and kicking combinations, and then you learn a little bit of defence. The techniques are simple yet very effective.

After just a few months of training, the average person will have gained the ability to intelligently defend themselves in common physical situations. While you may not go around actively seeking a fight, the mere fact that you have the ability to defend yourself and those around you should the need arise is invaluable.

4) Boost your immune system

Korean MMA star Song Ka Yeon training Muay Thai at Evolve MMA. (PHOTO: Evolve MMA)

Especially in these strange and difficult times, and in a world post COVID-19, having a strong, fortified immune system is very important, and should be everyones goal.

Like any other intense physical exercise, Muay Thai does wonders for your immune system. It can really boost your entire physical well-being. One way Muay Thai is able to achieve this is through stress relief. Muay Thai training is known as a great stress reliever.

Punching and kicking the pads, practicing your combinations in sparring, and performing the strength and conditioning exercises, helps give people an outlet for their frustrations.

Furthermore, consistent physical activity is known to expedite the human bodys production of endorphins, otherwise known as the happy hormone. An increase in the level of endorphins improves overall mood, sleep quality, and lowers levels of cortisol. This creates an environment for the human body to function more efficiently.

While it may not protect us directly from the threat of COVID-19, its still great to boost your immune system regardless. A strong immune system is our bodys natural defence against pathogens and other harmful bacteria.

5) It gets you in the right frame of mind

Spending months in quarantine, or in Circuit Breaker, can be taxing not just on your physical body, but also on the mind. Many people forget to take care of their minds, so it becomes a major focus for us by the time we end the lockdown period.

Muay Thai training offers an escape, a way to relieve your stress by clearing your mind and focusing only on the specific workouts aimed at bringing out your best. It pulls you away from the traps of everyday technology and social media.

Because Muay Thai is a martial art, it requires concentration and focus. No two classes are ever the same. By training your mind to prepare for a tough workout, youre slowly conditioning the way you think. Over time, this also helps your brain function more efficiently.

We all need to focus on getting in the right frame of mind, especially when this Circuit Breaker period ends.

So if youre looking for a way to get back to your best post-circuit breaker, give Muay Thai a go.

This article, Why Muay Thai Is The Perfect Way To Get Back In Shape Post-Circuit Breaker, originally appeared on Evolve MMA, Asias No. 1 martial arts organisation.
An environmentalist passionate about climate change and biodiversity, the Achill Island-native rose to national prominence when she stood as a candidate in the European Parliament elections in 2019.

The Green Party politician took to Twitter on Friday to speak about her near decade-long battle with bulimia and how it has affected her life.

TW : eating disorders

I lived with an awful, all consuming, get-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-weigh-myself eating disorder for the guts of a decade.

I tried my very best to keep it a secret although Id say some people close to me twigged 1/  Saoirse McHugh (@saoirse_mchugh) July 17, 2020

She said: "I dont know what I thought would happen if people found out, but above all else I kept it secret...

"And doing that let it control my whole life, I had no confidence and spent so much time hating my body I dont know how I got anything else done."

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She said the services available to people in Ireland with eating disorders are "way behind where it needs to be."

The effect on her was severe: "I tried to get help a few times as my bulimia had gotten so bad I would wake up with all my limbs tingling and dead feeling."

Talking about her bulimia openly with family and her support network helped McHugh and she urged others to do the same: "Please please please tell somebody if youre going through the same... It was like the power it had over me began to break once it was out in the open."

It is so worth it to feel free with what, where, when, and how much you eat.

It wasnt easy at all to get here and for years I thought Id never have a mostly normal relationship with food 5/  Saoirse McHugh (@saoirse_mchugh) July 17, 2020

Bodywhys, the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland, can provide support through its helpline at 01 2107906. For e-mail support, contact alex@bodywhys.ie.
More than 140 offenders have been housed in hotels and bed and breakfasts following their release from prison during the UKs coronavirus lockdown.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it had been using hotels since May for its Conditional Release Date (CRD) accommodation scheme to prevent offenders becoming homeless and sleeping rough during the pandemic.

The department said the move to house offenders in hotels was a last resort after all other options were exhausted.

Of the 304 offenders who were due for release and provided with accommodation, 136 were housed in hotels or B&Bs, the MoJ said.

Additionally, of the 172 offenders released under the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme - in which prisoners who are within two months of their release date are temporarily released from custody - six were housed in hotels.

Recommended Six prisoners freed by mistake under early release scheme

All offenders due for release are thoroughly risk-assessed and hotels have only been used as a last resort to reduce any potential spread of coronavirus, a MoJ spokesperson said.

These temporary measures are part of the unprecedented response to the pandemic which has helped protect the NHS and save lives.

The BBC reported that a letter sent to hotel owners said the government would not share information regarding the offence or offences committed by individual offenders but insisted all participants in the scheme had been subject to strict vetting.

The CRD scheme, which the MoJ said had helped former prisoners with their long-term resettlement and rehabilitation, will run under the end of this month.

It came after an NHS England survey found inmates at the closed category women's jails HMP Send and HMP Downview, both in Surrey, felt their physical and mental health had deteriorated due to lockdown restrictions.

The suspension of visits has had a particularly acute impact in the women's estate; many prisoners in Send and Downview had not seen their children for over three months, Peter Clarke, the chief inspector of prisons, said.

Video calling provision had only recently been rolled out in both sites, which women appreciated.

Additional reporting by PA
Los Angeles City Mayor Announced 10-million dollars will be added towards the L.A. Regional COVID-19 Team Recovery Program

Friday, July 17, Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti announced new updates regarding the COVID-19 escalation. This past week, new state orders closed all gyms, places of worship, offices, and personal care services. Community transmission has been on the rise since the end of May, noted positive case counts are among the ages of 18-40. The mayor disclosed news to guide the city through the turbulence of the virus. The mayor discussed resources for small businesses during the current shutdown of certain firms.

Garcetti addressed the demand for testing and that some residents do not have a car to drive through testing sites. The mayor mentioned they are still deploying mobile testing to reach people who may not have a way to get to a physical site. 9.5% of tests are coming back positive, the virus continues to spread like wildfire through the community. The safest way to avoid infection as to stay home as much as possible.

With recent shutdowns, small businesses are at high risk of not being able to keep afloat during this time. Garcetti announced another step forward in helping local businesses and their staff by providing funds, to help solidify their footing during the waves of closing and reopening of the economy. The mayor is working with Council member Curren Price, Council President Nury Martinez, and other public officials to invest an additional 10-million dollars in funds towards the L.A. Regional COVID-19 Team Recovery Program.

This is in collaboration with the county, the new funding is applied to the already existing three-million dollars within the initiative. There will be grants given to eligible small businesses and non-profits that are the cornerstone of the Los Angeles economic structure. It will be direct cash assistance, for those who need it the most such as firms who did not receive any assistance on a federal level.

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For the firms that remain open In the past two weeks, there has been over 500 complaints about sectors not complying with the mandated health officer orders, starting on Monday the mayor is relaunching the Business Ambassadors program, it made a significant impact in the earlier stages of COVID-19. Business Ambassadors will educate and monitor firm practices, encouraging them to meet new standards of health and safety for the city.

According to the news buzzing around the scientific circuit, there are two vaccines that are showing deep promise, but the mayor stressed the mission lies within individual preventative care. The goal is to keep people from getting infected. The virus must be Repudiated at the early stage of spread by upholding physical distancing and maintaining thorough hygienic practices. The pandemic has gotten worse across the country, the numbers are still headed in the wrong direction. This is an extremely dangerous situation, and it remains that way. Said the Mayor Garcetti with a record 4,000 deaths due to coronavirus in Los Angeles.

Testing remains prioritized for those most susceptible to the virus, but as previously mentioned there is a new online platform for scheduling tests that was announced on Monday, designed to provide more user-friendly experiences. Key benefits include reduction in delayed results and appointment modifications. The new website to schedule an appointment is la.fulgentgenetics.com. Mobile and pop-up testing sites are still in action, especially among those who are most susceptible to the virus.

The mayor reiterated the way to move forward, is through individual concern for safety. Wearing a mask, physical distancing, and being mindful during this global pandemic will save lives. Additionally, the effects of taking steps backwards in the face of escalation will show up in future data, the mayor is hopeful in seeing the numbers lower and Los Angeles getting off the state watch list.
The so-called "forced demolition of mosques" in Xinjiang is totally nonsense, an official of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said on Friday.



Mehmut Usman, director of the regional ethnic affairs commission, made the comment in response to the 2019 report on international religious freedom issued by the U.S. State Department, which claims that Xinjiang is dismantling mosques.

He told a press conference that as long as venues for religious activities are registered with the government under the law, they have legal status, and all their rights and interests are protected by law.

He said the Jami Mosque and Idkah Mosque, which the U.S. State Department report said had been demolished, are well protected.

"Xinjiang has always attached great importance to the protection and repair of mosques, and the governments at all levels in Xinjiang have not only helped and supported the improvement of mosques, but also guaranteed the normal religious needs of religious believers," the official said.

According to the official, some mosques in Xinjiang were built in the 1980s and 1990s and even longer ago, with shabby facilities and potential safety hazards.

"Through new construction, building on the original site of demolition, and expansion measures according to urban-rural construction planning, we have improved the conditions of the mosques and met the needs of the religious believers, which is widely welcomed by religious personages and believers," he said.

Abdukerim Mamut, who works for the Jami Mosque in Xinjiang's Yecheng County, said that the Jami Mosque was originally founded in 1540 and expanded in 1860. It underwent repair in 1937, 2014, and 2019 respectively.

"Considering the long history of the mosque, the government consolidated it in 2019 to provide better and safer services for religious believers," he said.

Elijan Anayit, the spokesperson of the information office of the regional people's government, said at the press conference that the government has no restrictions on ethnic customs of wedding and funeral ceremonies and giving Islamic names.

According to the spokesperson, among ethnic minorities who have the habit of burial, the government does not promote cremation. Instead, it takes specific measures to protect their custom, such as allocating special land for cemeteries.

As for the U.S. report claim that "the Sulitan cemetery in Hotan and the cemetery of Tazhong road in Aksu have been destroyed," the spokesperson said the report calls white black. "The cemeteries have not been destroyed, but rather well protected."
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Motorcyclists participating in a charity ride across the country in remembrance of police officers lost on the job will make a stop on Saturday at the Susquehanna Township Police Department.

EOW Ride to Remember is leading the group over thousands of miles through numerous U.S. cities during its first annual trek. They meet with various police departments along the way, and spread awareness about the number of officers who have died in the line of duty.

Donations to their campaign go toward helping the families of fallen police officers, according to the non-profit organizations website. One of the departments will receive a customized Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Saturdays visit to the Harrisburg area will be the 43rd day on a schedule of 59 throughout June, July and August, the website said. The ride will wrap on Aug. 5 with a stop at the Gallatin County Sheriffs Office in Montana.

The trip includes stops in nearly every state, with visits from small, local departments to metropolitan ones, like the Los Angeles Police Department.

Anyone interested in making a donation or checking out the full route can visit the EOW Ride to Remember website.

Here is a video of the Beuaitful Ceromony in honor of Police Officer Kyle David Olinger with Montgomery County Police Department, Maryland End of Watch Thursday, April 18, 2019. Posted by EOW Ride to Remember on Friday, July 17, 2020

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Penn State shifts gears on fall opening plans and now will offer half of its classes at least partially online

Have Pa. bars, restaurants found a loophole in Gov. Wolfs new mandates?
T ravellers who accept refund credit notes for cancelled package holidays will get their money back if their trip is cancelled or the travel firm later collapses, the Government has announced.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the Department for Transport had provided much-needed clarity by confirming that such cases will be covered by the Atol scheme.

Package holiday customers whose trips have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic are entitled to a cash refund.

However, many travel companies are offering refund credit notes to help their cash flow.

These allow customers to re-book their holiday or request their money back at a later date.

But there have been doubts as to whether they are protected by Atol.

The scheme is normally used to stop package holiday customers being stranded abroad or losing money from future bookings when operators collapse, as happened with Thomas Cook in September 2019.

The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA

Consumer group Which? has been advising people to reject refund credit notes and insist on a refund because of concerns about them being worthless if the issuing firm goes bust.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the move sent a clear message that people could book their holidays with confidence.

Credit Refund Notes will be Atol protected / Getty Images

He told BBC Breakfast on Saturday that it would also prevent travel companies from collapsing, because they could offer holidaymakers credit notes instead of having to pay a refund.

Mr Shapps added: Up to now anyone who had a package holiday, a holidaymaker, would have been asking potentially for a straightforward refund, maybe because they were aware that if the holiday company itself went down then a credit note would not be honoured.

What I have done today is said actually we need to make sure we are going to stand behind Atol so that, if you do have possession of a credit note, that will still be honoured, backed by Government, even if that travel company goes down.

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Thats going to both reassure, I hope, consumers, holidaymakers, but also prevent, I hope, the travel companies, who have had a pretty tough time, lets face it, from going down, because they are not going to have to automatically provide a refund unless thats what the person wants.

The announcement covers refund credit notes issued between March 10 and September 30 for package holidays cancelled due to Covid-19.

Consumers remain entitled to a cash refund within 14 days, although thousands have been forced to wait longer to get their money back.

Grant Shapps said: This is a positive step towards restoring trust in the travel industry" / 10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty

CAA consumer director Paul Smith said: This news provides much-needed clarity for consumers, who should now feel confident that their money is secure if they have chosen to accept a refund credit note for their cancelled Atol-protected booking.

Travel trade organisation Abta said the announcement gives reassurance to consumers and supports the travel industry at an especially difficult time.

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said the clarification will be a huge relief to customers who have accepted refund credit notes.

He added: This is a positive step towards restoring trust in the travel industry.

Some travel firms are offering vouchers rather than refund credit notes.

Although these are often worth more than the original booking, to incentivise customers not to request cash, the CAA said they are not Atol protected.

The Government is the financial backer for the Atol scheme, which is run by the CAA.

Travel firms are required to contribute 2.50 for every package holiday customer. The money goes towards a fund which is used to repatriate or refund travellers in cases of insolvency.
Rantoul, IL (61866)

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Cloudy. Morning high of 35F with temps falling to near 20. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph..

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Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 8F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph.
Kabir Akingbolu, a human rights lawyer, has asked President Muhammadu Buahri to dismiss Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the feder...





Kabir Akingbolu, a human rights lawyer, has asked President Muhammadu Buahri to dismiss Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF).





Accusing Malami of abusing his office, the lawyer advised the president to take the action if his government is serious with the fight against corruption.





Malami engaged Oladipo Okpeseyi and Temitope Adebayo, two Nigerian lawyers, for the recovery of $321 million Abacha Loot from Switzerland, a job already completed by Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer who had been on the recovery since 2000.





In his letter to the president, Akingbolu said the AGF turned a deaf ear to the involvement of Monfrini in the recovery despite the outcry over the matter.

In 2018, despite the fact that various lawyers had worked and completed all the modalities to recovering the Abacha loot; Malami ensured the removal or deduction of 16.4. Million Dollars under the bogus concept of 10% commission for himself through his cronies, he said.





Everybody in Nigeria cried as much as the attorney who acted on behalf of Nigeria in respect of the money, but our A.G.F turned a deaf hear and took the money. In 2019, Malami withdrew a 25 billion naira criminal charge against Senator Danjuma Goje without any justification.





In June 2020, Malami withdrew criminal charges against killer soldiers who were charged along with Wadume, a dreaded kidnapper and an armed robber.





Continuous act of giving reckless advice to the federal government to disobey court orders, which necessitated the abnormal detention of Omoyele Sowore, El Zakzaky, Sambo Dasuki and a host of others after competent courts have ordered their release which acts he, unfortunately, defended vehemently before the senate when he went for second screening.





He also allegedly owns the under-listed properties: A multimillion naira sprawling building Rayhaan Hotels worth about 500million naira, located at opposite Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Zoria Road, Kano state.





This government will have no justification or excuse if it fails to suspend or dismiss Mr Malami who had expressly admitted and or confessed to the selling of seized crude oil under questionable circumstances when he knew he had no power to do so.





Thus, if this government decided to keep mum by treating Malami with kid gloves or a sacred cow, the government should forget its anti-corruption war song and stop deceiving Nigerians and the whole world.





The lawyer also said he might file for a mandamus to compel Mohammed Adamu, the inspector-general of police (IGP) to perform his statutory duties if the government refuses to probe the AGF.





Earlier, Akingbolu had also said Malami risks five years in prison for illegally approving the auctioning of sea vessels holding crude oil and diesel seized by the federal government.




A top Russian official said his country could roll out a vaccine against Covid-19 as soon as September, while denying accusations that hackers working for the countrys intelligence agency tried to steal sensitive data from rival researchers in the U.K., U.S. and Canada.

Russia may be one of the first to produce a vaccine against the backdrop of the billions that are being invested in the U.S. and all the pharma companies working on it, said Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of the government-backed Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is financing one of the the countrys efforts to devise a vaccine. Its a little bit of a shocking story.

President Vladimir Putin has made finding a vaccine a top priority. Russia has recorded more than 750,000 Covid-19 cases, making it the fourth most-affected country in the world. In Russias race to be the first to find a vaccine against Covid-19, its taking an approach that would be shunned in other countries, claiming it will know in just three months of trials whether its leading candidate works. If Russia proclaims success in the hunt for a vaccine before other candidates, it could create a world of duelling vaccines and geopolitical battles over who gets supplies. Dmitrievs comments came after the U.K., U.S. and Canada said hackers working with the group APT29, part of Russian military intelligence, had used malware to try to seize vaccine research. Dmitriev said Russia had no need to steal information from rival vaccine developers because it had already signed a deal with AstraZeneca Plc to manufacture the University of Oxfords Covid-19 vaccine at R-Pharm, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Russia. He said AstraZeneca is transferring the entire technological process and all ingredients for the full reproduction of the vaccine in Russia.

Everything that is needed to produce the British vaccine has already been transferred to R-Pharm, he said. AstraZeneca has already signed commitments to transfer all production of the British vaccine to R-Pharm.

AstraZeneca didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. It isnt clear whether AstraZeneca would transfer all the technology needed for Russia to produce the vaccine or if the agreement involves the British pharma giant sending the vaccine seed stock to manufacturers needed to begin production.Some Western experts remain skeptical that Russia has the expertise to produce its own vaccine by September.

We dont think thats realistic, said Peter Shapiro, a pharmaceutical analyst at the research firm GlobalData, cautioning that Russia, like other countries, could approve the vaccine for political reasons. The regulatory hurdles in Russia are low.

Nor is it likely that such a vaccine, if indeed approved in Russia, would find favor in the West, Shaprio said.

We dont see a history of innovative vaccines being developed in Russia that win approval in major markets like the U.S., Japan and Western Europe, he said. Russia is not a major producer of export quality drugs or biologics.

Global Battle

The U.S., Western Europe and China have all set up research programs and supply chains for Covid-19 vaccine production. While the negotiations with AstraZeneca offer Russia the chance for doses of the Oxford vaccine if it proves successful, the global battle to secure supplies could leave Russia struggling to access other potentially successful vaccines, increasing pressure to advance its own program.

Dmitriev said hes so confident in Russias leading vaccine candidate that hes taken it himself and had his whole family vaccinated, including his parents, who are in their seventies. The vaccine, financed by RDIF and developed by the state-backed Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, has completed a phase 1 trial in 50 people, all of whom are members of the Russian military. The institute hasnt published results.

The vaccine is one of 26 experimental shots in development in Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on July 15. Gamaleyas candidate is a viral vector vaccine based on a human adenovirus  a common cold virus  fused with the spike protein of SARS CoV-2 to stimulate an immune response. It is similar to a vaccine Chinas CanSino Biologics intends to move into trials in Canada, one of the countries targeted by Russian hackers. Initial results from CanSinos trial showed the vaccine had a diminished effect in some people who had a pre-existing immunity to the adenovirus.

Dmitriev said researchers in Russia are testing two different types of adenovirus vectors in order to reduce the chances of pre-existing immunity reducing the vaccines effectiveness. That vaccine will start phase 3 trials in thousands of people on Aug. 3 in Russia as well as in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Dmitriev said. Russia could make 30 million doses domestically in 2020, and 170 million abroad, with five countries expressing interest in producing the vaccine and others willing to produce it, he said.

Besides manufacturing vaccines for AstraZeneca, R-Pharm will make the countrys own vaccine at its production sites in Russia. Alium Pharmaceutical Holding, based in Moscow and owned by billionaire Vladimir Evtushenkovs Sistema PJFSC, has also agreed to manufacture doses of Russias leading vaccine candidate, Dmitriev said.

Unusual Move

Russias rapid approach to vaccine development differs from Western Europe and the U.S., where researchers typically run phase 3 trials for months to show safety and effectiveness. In another unusual move, Dmitriev said the vaccine has been given to a significant number of volunteers, both as part of and outside the formal trial. The director of the Gamaleya Institute said he and some of his staff tried the vaccine on themselves before the official trials started, RIA Novosti reported in May. Analysts have questioned Russias rushed unorthodox approach.

The current situation with the vaccine looks like a race and sufficient clinic testing hasnt been done, said Sergey Shulyak, chief executive officer at Moscow-based consulting company DSM Group.

Russia, however, does have a track record developing vaccines using adenoviruses. It devised an Ebola vaccine using similar technology which is licensed in Russia for emergency use and which is expected to be deployes soon in the Congo. And Russia has been increasingly active in promoting its vaccine-making expertise in Africa. The Russian government together with United Company RUSAL opened the Russian-Guinean Research Center for Epidemiology and Prevention of Infectious Diseases in 2014 in Guinea.
John Lewis rubbed the scar on his forehead, a reminder of the fractured skull he suffered when Alabama state troopers assaulted civil rights marchers trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965.

"From time to time, looking in a mirror, I tend to notice it," he told USA TODAY in an interview that marked the 50th anniversary of the protest, and of the beating by a nightstick that left the scar. The march known as Bloody Sunday helped galvanize support for the Voting Rights Act and change the arc of American history.

"It just reminds me that some of us gave a little blood on that bridge to redeem the soul of America, to make America better," Lewis said.

John Robert Lewis, diagnosed last December with pancreatic cancer, died Friday at the age of 80.

More: Rep. John Lewis, who 'risked his life and his blood' as a giant of the civil rights movement, dies of cancer at 80

Born the child of Alabama sharecroppers, he became the youngest of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders who spoke at the March on Washington in 1963. By the time he died, he was the elder statesman for a new generation of racial protests fueled by outrage over the murder of George Floyd and other unarmed Black men by police. His final public appearance was a quiet visit on a Sunday morning last month at Black Lives Matter Plaza across from the White House.

An outpouring of accolades and grief across partisan lines followed the announcement of his death.

Lewis leaves a formidable legacy not because of his personal eloquence  he lacked the soaring oratory of Martin Luther King Jr.  nor because of landmark legislation he drafted. Instead, he was a figure of moral authority, grounded in his adherence to principles of equal rights and nonviolent protest, and in his willingness to repeatedly put his life on the line in Selma and elsewhere.

"A biblical figure," said historian Jon Meacham, author of a biography of Lewis being published this fall. Many called him "the conscience of the Congress."

Story continues

"I thought I was going to die on that bridge," Lewis said of the iconic Selma march. He thought it could be his final protest. The notion that down the road he might counsel presidents and serve in Congress for decades would have been unfathomable then.

"I would have said, 'You're crazy, you're out of your mind; you don't know what you're talking about,'" he told me.

Yet that is precisely what he did.

Obama's inscription: 'Because of you, John'

Presidents knew his name.

As a young man, Lewis was one of a half-dozen civil rights leaders who met with John Kennedy in 1963 to tell him they were holding a March on Washington, news that the White House didn't welcome. Two years later, Lyndon Johnson presented him with one of the pens he used to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965; the photos of the brutal crackdown on the Edmund Pettus Bridge propelled its passage. As a congressman from Georgia, Lewis was an ally of Bill Clinton and an outspoken opponent of George W. Bush, a critic of his decision to invade Iraq.

On the day Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, the nation's first African-American president, he presented Lewis with a photo inscribed: "Because of you, John."

More: Remembering Rep. John Lewis: A life in photos

But a week before Donald Trump was sworn in in 2017, Lewis became the most prominent Democrat at that time to call him an illegitimate president, saying Russian interference had helped him win the office.

Trump fired back. "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to...mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results," the president-elect responded in a pair of tweets. "All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!"

On Saturday morning, Trump ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff on public buildings "as a mark of respect," albeit only until the end of the day. On Saturday afternoon, hours after the four living former presidents had all issued statements of personal remembrance, Trump posted a two-sentence tweet saying he was "saddened" to hear of Lewis' death.

"Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family," he wrote.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., photographed in his Washington office on Jan. 22, 2013, a legend of the civil rights movement got his start as a college student in Nashville.

Lewis didn't seem particularly affected by praise  his awards included the Presidential Medal of Freedom  or by scorn. He was an implacable figure with a deep voice and a deliberate manner, unfailingly courteous to Capitol tourists who wanted to shake his hand. The determined expression he showed in the black-and-white TV footage at the Selma march is almost precisely the same as the one in photos of him standing on the "Black Lives Matter" mural across from the White House more than a half-century later, although by then his shoulders were a bit more stooped and his face more lined.

Never be afraid to 'make some noise'

For someone who spent his life pushing for change, Lewis remained remarkably optimistic about the future of the country and the possibilities of change.

"Do not get lost in a sea of despair," he urged his supporters in 2018. "Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

Good trouble.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Lewis and 'good trouble' left scars and a legacy for the nation
Weather Alert

.An arctic cold front will move across the region on Wednesday, causing rain to change to snow Wednesday afternoon and evening. ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM CST THURSDAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of one to two inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...From 4 PM Wednesday to 6 AM CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute, especially along the Ohio River. The transition from rain to a wintry mix and snow may not occur closer to the Tennessee border areas until after 7 PM CST. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The combination of gusty winds, falling temperatures and wind chills, and falling snow will cause hazardous travel. Freezing of residual moisture on roads from rain earlier Wednesday could also cause some icing of roadways. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. &&
(Bloomberg) -- An Amazon.com Inc. warehouse worker in Shakopee, Minnesota, has accused the company of retaliating against her for protesting what she says are unsafe working conditions during the pandemic.

In a letter to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hibaq Mohamed said managers were demanding that she account for time away from her workstation -- including increments of less than three minutes. Mohamed said she is being singled out for her activism and that she is now one warning away from termination.

I worked at Amazon for nearly four years with a very clean record and just one or two warnings I know of in that entire time, she wrote in the July 13 letter, which was reviewed by Bloomberg. Amazon managers have targeted me and openly harassed me before, but increasingly during the pandemic.

Mohamed is the latest employee activist to accuse Amazon of retaliation. This year, the company has fired four employees who criticized the company for its treatment of workers. The termination of Chris Smalls, who led a demonstration at a warehouse in Staten Island, triggered an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who called his firing immoral and inhumane. Amazon has said all four were terminated for violating company policy.

Responding to Mohameds account, an Amazon spokeswoman said: While we have not seen the formal complaint, the allegations described are not true. We do not tolerate any kind of discrimination in the workplace and we support every employees right to criticize their employer, but that doesnt come with blanket immunity to ignore internal policies.

Ellisons office didnt respond to requests for comment.

While Amazon earmarked $800 million in the first half of the year for safety measures including masks, sanitizer and temperature checks, workers continue to protest what they say are unsafe working conditions.

Mohamed has made no secret of her own activism and has been quoted in multiple media outlets accusing her employer of failing to protect workers. She led a video conference protest on June 24, during which she and other workers described concerns about getting sick and bringing the virus home to relatives. The protest was posted to Facebook, where it attracted 18,000 views.

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Less than two weeks later, on July 5, warehouse managers warned Mohamed that shed accumulated too much time off task, she said. Amazon monitors productivity, and employees must explain why theyve been away from their workstations for more than 30 minutes per shift.

Mohamed said that in several cases she was either sanitizing her workstation, per the companys Covid-19 policy, or visiting the restroom while obeying social-distancing requirements. In other instances, Mohamed said she was asked to account for absurd one or two or three minute blocks of time throughout the day. Nobody could possibly remember those.

What really caught her attention, Mohamed wrote, was that some of the times she was supposedly off task happened before her shift began. That was the first sign to me that this was completely illegitimate, she wrote.

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India to Invite Australia to Join Naval Drill in Effort to Contain China

By Anjana Pasricha July 17, 2020

In a significant move to strengthen defense cooperation between India, Japan, Australia and the United States with an eye on countering China, New Delhi is firming up plans to invite Australia to take part in naval exercises in the Indian Ocean.

India has been wary about including Australia in the annual Malabar exercises due to fears of antagonizing China, but the recent military confrontation with Beijing along their Himalayan border will prompt New Delhi to deepen strategic ties with Indo Pacific countries, according to analysts.

"India was moving in that direction, but China's aggressive behavior has accelerated the pace of India partnering with the U.S. and other like-minded countries like Australia and Japan," says Rajeswari Rajagopalan Pillai, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.

New Delhi is expected to invite Australia later this month following clearances at the top level and consultations with the U.S. and Japan, according to Indian defense officials who cannot be quoted due to rules.

"It is almost done," says former navy spokesman D.K. Sharma. "Countries like India and Australia see no option but to come into a construct which will aim to contain Beijing."

Australia's participation in the maritime exercises would see four key naval powers in the region come together at a time when broad territorial claims made by Beijing in the South China Sea have triggered growing concerns.

The Malabar naval drill, originally a bilateral exercise between India and the US, was expanded to include Japan as a permanent member in 2017. It has occasionally also included other countries like Singapore.

Australia also participated in the Malabar exercises in 2007 but following vociferous objections by Beijing, Canberra did not return to the drills. Although it has expressed its desire to take part in recent years, India, wary of Chinese sensitivities, did not give the nod.

"Australia sees value in participating in quadrilateral defense activities in order to increase interoperability and advance our collective interests in a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," the Australian Department of Defense spokesman said in an emailed response adding that it has yet to receive an invitation.

The widely expected inclusion of Canberra in the Malabar naval exercises will be significant for the informal grouping of US, India, Australia and Japan known as the Quadrilateral or Quad that was first formed in 2004 and revived in 2017 amid worries about China's growing influence in the region.

"It would transform the quadrilateral into something more action-oriented and this in turn would suggest New Delhi's willingness to support a concrete move to counterbalance China, something it has long resisted doing," according to Michael Kugelman, the deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington. "In effect, India now recognizes that being cautious with China no longer best serves its interests, rather this position is detrimental to them."

After steadily deepening a strategic partnership with Washington and Japan, New Delhi is moving in the same direction with Australia  in June the two countries signed an agreement to allow access to each other's military bases following a virtual summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The pact clears the way for more military exchanges and exercises in the Indo-Pacific region.

In recent years, New Delhi has also been building closer ties with South East Asian countries like Vietnam and the Philippines, which are embroiled in disputes with Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

"Southeast Asian countries have long welcomed a larger role for India in the South China Sea as a way to balance China's growing influence there," says Jeff Smith from the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. "The more that influential partners are active there and vocal about upholding international rules and norms, the more difficult it is for China to exert hegemonic control."

Although India's primary concern focuses on the Indian Ocean region, where Beijing has expanded its influence by building ports in countries like Sri Lanka, it has spoken of supporting freedom of navigation in the disputed waters. The foreign ministry said this week that that the South China Sea was "part of global commons and India has an abiding interest in peace and stability in the region."

The Malabar exercises could take on a more significant role in the future as the flare-up in India's border disputes with China in the Himalayas that killed 20 Indian soldiers has led to a trust deficit that might be hard to bridge.

"For example, in future the four countries could come together for coordinated patrols of the Indo Pacific region," says Rajagopalan. "India has always been apprehensive about joint patrols, but this could signal a change. I think the clash in the Himalayas has been a game changer in India's national security thinking. It cannot be business as usual with China."

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Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Ekurhuleni, City of

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

Johannesburg, July 17, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Ekurhuleni, City of and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

Ekurhuleni's credit profile (Ba1) reflects the city's large and diversified economic base, moderate though increasing debt levels and deteriorating financial performance. The credit profile also incorporates declining liquidity as a result of declining operating cashflow and the expected lower revenue collection rates as a result of the impact of coronavirus on the economy. Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality's ratings incorporate its baseline credit assessment (BCA) of ba1 as well as Moody's assessment of a low likelihood of extraordinary support from the government of South Africa (Ba1) in the event that the issuer faced acute liquidity stress.

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This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodologies used for this review were Regional and Local Governments published in January 2018 and Government-Related Issuers Methodology published in February 2020. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Daniel Mazibuko Associate Lead Analyst Sub-Sovereign Group Moody's Investors Service South Africa (Pty) Ltd. The Forum 2 Maude Street 2196 Sandton Johannesburg South Africa JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Marie Diron MD - Sovereign Risk Sub-Sovereign Group JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350 Client Service: 852 3551 3077 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service South Africa (Pty) Ltd. The Forum 2 Maude Street 2196 Sandton Johannesburg South Africa JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454

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(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 17 - The number of new COVID-19 cases in Italy is stable, the health ministry said Friday, with 233 in the last 24 hours, compared to 230 fresh infections on Thursday.

It said 11 COVID-19 sufferers have died in the last 24 hours here, down from 20 Thursday.

The ministry said Italy's coronavirus death toll is now 35,028.

The number of people to have recovered is up 237 to 196,483, while the number of people currently known to be positive has dropped by 17 to 12,.456.

The total number of registered cases, including the deceased, the recovered and the currently infected, has risen to 243,967.

(ANSA).


Azerbaijan's claim to strike an Armenian nuclear power plant should be considered a crime against humanity, said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday.

Pashinyan visited Saturday the Ministry of Defense headquarters, where he met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, headed by Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Onik Gasparyan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan attended the meeting, government's press service reported.

"Our task is to ensure our sovereignty, our borders, the security of our country and people, and to promote global security. It has become clear in recent days that Azerbaijan poses a threat not only to Armenia but also to global security. An Azerbaijani official stated a few days ago that their country could launch a missile attack on Metsamor nuclear power plant," said Armenian PM.

"Armenia is capable of ensuring its own security, including the Metsamor nuclear power plant, but this is a statement that should be unequivocally considered a crime against humanity because such an action is a threat to commit terrorism against humanity, it should be given an appropriate international response and probe," he noted. "As for what to do next, our position remains the same. We must all get out of the vicious cycle of mere statements about ceasefire violations: an international system of reliable ceasefire monitoring needs to be established."
Districts in Telangana, India's youngest state, are highly vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic, a study published in the reputed journal The Lancet has revealed. The study is based on 15 indicators covering the following domains: socio-economic, demographic, housing and hygiene, epidemiological and health system.

As per the July 16 COVID-19 bulletin, the state has 41,018 confirmed cases and 13,328 active cases of coronavirus. A total of 396 people have died of the disease so far.

According to the study conducted by Dr Rajib Acharya and Akash Porwal, Telangana is behind Madhya Pradesh and Bihar in terms of overall vulnerability to COVID-19. It has an overall vulnerability score of 0.943. The highest any state can score in this study is 1.000, which is Madhya Pradesh's score.

Telangana also has one of the highest "epidemiological vulnerability" score in the country at 8.000. This kind of vulnerability includes the proportion of men and women who suffer from co-morbidities.

While Telangana is still not among the top 5 coronavirus hotspots in India, the number of cases in the state have risen sharply in the recent weeks. On June 27, the state had 13,436 cases, which rose to over 41,000 cases by July 16. This is over three fold increase in the number of cases in just three weeks.

The state government has also been lagging behind in actively testing the population. It has conducted only 4,954 tests per million, which is the third lowest in the country after Bihar and Jharkhand.

Moreover, the Telangana government has been under the scanner for allegedly under-reported the actual number of cases as well as total fatalities.

A recent report in Deccan Chronicle noted how a technical loophole is allegedly helping the state government to under-report: If death happens when test results are awaited, it's not officially COVID-19.

The allegation has also been corroborated by mortuary workers. On Monday, two employees of Gandhi Hospital, the main COVID-19 treatment facility in Hyderabad, said there had been no less than 30 deaths at just that hospital alone.

"Twenty-five bodies were taken away for last rites after identification by their families, V. Satyam (name changed), a contract worker who prepares the bodies to be handed over to famiies, told the newspaper.

Another contract worker, E Prasad (name changed), was quoted by Deccan Chronicle as saying: There have been more than 20 deaths per day over the past many days. The mortuary is full. Sometimes, bodies are left in the wards because there is no space available in the mortuary.

As expected, the state government has denied any such under-reporting of data, saying that it has nothing to hide from anyone.

Yet, Telangana's high overall vulnerability score but middling coronavirus tally compared to states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat gives a basis for widely voiced criticism that the real picture in Telangana is yet to emerge.

Maharashtra, the worst affected state, has a score of 0.829 while Tamil Nadu has a score of 0.571. Tamil Nadu's overall vulnerability score is significantly lower than that of Telangana, despite the latter having over 1 lakh cases. Gujarat, which is the third worst affected state, has a score of 0.771.

Thus, a question arises: Whether Telangana has been spared from the worst of coronavirus or is the worst yet to come?
By Trend

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov had a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif on July 17, 2020, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

During the telephone conversation, Zarif congratulated Bayramov on his appointment as the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and wished him every success in his activities.

The ministers exchanged views on a number of issues on the agenda of the bilateral relations based on strong historical and cultural roots.

Stressing the importance of ensuring peace and security in the region, Bayramov briefed his counterpart on the military provocation committed by the Armenian armed forces in the direction of the Tovuz district along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border and the current escalated situation in the region.

It was emphasized that only the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the return of IDPs to their homes can ensure the lasting peace, security, and prosperity in the region.

Bayramov thanked Iran for its position on supporting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

In turn, Zarif stressed that his country is always ready to provide assistance in achieving progress towards the resolution of the conflict.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Bismah Malik By

Express News Service

The Redmond, Washington-based software giant, Microsoft is reportedly laying off 1,000 employees across its news, Cloud Azure service divisions globally even though its revenues shot up significantly in the third quarter of FY20.

Sources privy to the development said that India is also one of the impacted geographies where Microsoft has cut an unspecified number of roles.

"The employees working at MSN office in Gurgaon, Noida, India, especially the ones on contract were asked to quit by June 30. This involved the news producer/editing jobs," one of the impacted employees told this publication wishing anonymity. MSN has, however, retained some key roles at its news divisions in India, he added.

According to a report by global news agency, AFP, Microsoft has cut 50 roles across its news division, MSN, globally as the tech giant plans to use Artificial Intelligence to power content on the news platforms in place of the news editors.

ALSO READ | US technology giant Microsoft to open centre in Noida with 4,000 employees

Microsoft employs 8,000 people across 10 locations in India engaged in sales, marketing, customer services and support. Its Research and Development Centre in Hyderabad is the largest such facility outside the headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Nearly 46 percent roles at Microsoft are that of engineering.

With a huge surge in unemployment across the globe following COVID-19, tech giants like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and IBM had earlier pledged they will not fire their employees.

The retrenchments at Microsoft follow its announcement to close brick and mortar stores across US, Australia and Canada.

On the back of a huge demand for Microsoft's video conferencing app, Teams, and Cloud azure services, the revenues for the third quarter (January-March), FY20 reported a revenue of $30.5 billion with a 59% increase in revenue for Azure services.

Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella had earlier said that the company witnessed a digital transformation of two years in just two months of COVID pandemic, as the tech giant helped businesses adapt to the remote work culture.

An emailed query sent to Microsoft India did not elicit any response at the time of publishing this story.


As schools roll out their return-to-class plans for the fall, teachers are pushing back, voicing fears for their safety and that of their of students. In this February file photo, a kindergarten teacher at Walton Farm Elementary in Lansdale instructs her class. Read more

Sharahn Santana dreams of a September return to her classroom at Parkway Northwest High School.

But after absorbing the Philadelphia School Districts newly released reopening plan  which would bring students back for in-person instruction two days a week  the English teacher is terrified at the thought of classrooms without adequate room for social distancing, windows that dont open fully, a single mask provided to last the year.

Under safe conditions, if we get the virus under control, Id go back with confidence, Santana said. But this is crazy. I dont want the measure of my dedication and commitment to be how willing I am to risk my and my students lives.

School leaders are crafting ways to reopen their buildings after a nearly six-month hiatus and amid a pandemic with no end in sight. But around the region and across the country, educators are pushing back, voicing fears about their leaders ability to keep them safe if any in-person instruction happens, and in some cases, making contingency plans that include taking leaves of absence or even retiring. In one national poll, one in five teachers said they might not return to work this fall.

The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the states largest teachers union, on Thursday called for Gov. Tom Wolf to direct public schools to prepare for fully online instruction.

Unfortunately, an increasing number of Pennsylvania educators and parents are concerned that reopening schools for in-person instruction poses significant health risks that, in the current environment, may be impossible to completely prevent, said PSEA president Rich Askey.

 READ MORE: Philly schools weigh reopening with a hybrid learning model, masks and cleanings every 4 hours

Among the questions Pennsauken High criminal justice teacher Rhonda Chilakos is asking: If someone in her building gets sick, what are the implications for everyone else? How will teachers enforce mask wearing among young children  or keep them separate in small classrooms?

Chilakos, the head of the South Jersey districts teachers union, is still trying to get answers to those questions, while pressing the district to ensure it has an adequate supply of face masks and hand sanitizer.

Teachers are very anxious. Very nervous, she said.

Erin Corrigan, a kindergarten teacher in the Central Bucks School District, echoed that anxiety because this is a virus that is still so unknown.

Teachers, by and large, they want to go back with the students to our schools, Corrigan said. We just all want to do it safely.

Thats a sentiment shared by the majority of teachers across the country, an American Federation of Teachers survey found.

A day after Philadelphia released its plan Wednesday, a crowd-sourced document compiling questions from school staff contained over 200 queries for district leaders, from Why let our kids be guinea pigs? to As a secretary, how am I supposed to feel safe in an office that has staff mailboxes, the teacher copier, and students who enter freely throughout the school day?

 READ MORE: Should schools reopen amid the pandemic? Its a debate rich in misinformation, angst, and rancor.

Philadelphia, like many districts, is giving families the option of choosing online-only learning for the school year. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. also said educators with documented medical conditions or vulnerable family members will be eligible for teaching spots in the new digital academy.

But those exemptions may not come easily. One teacher with family medical issues has already had her request to work remotely denied, according to documentation provided to The Inquirer.

The teacher, who works at an elementary school and asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said she cant imagine returning to her classroom on Sept. 2; she will likely take some kind of leave, despite her willingness to work.

Every teacher I know is flipping out, the teacher said. Were supposed to go back in a little more than a month, and no one knows whats going to happen.

 FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered.

Capping a career that spans two decades, a special-education teacher at another Philadelphia elementary school was planning on working the 2020-21 school year before her retirement in June. But COVID-19 and her districts proposed plans to accommodate for it make lasting that long too risky, she said.

I have health concerns; Im in my 60s, said the teacher, who now plans to retire before the end of 2020. She asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. Im scared to death; we just dont know if those children are contagious or not.

 READ MORE: Schools cant reopen safely without better COVID testing for kids, say these Philly pediatricians l Expert Opinion

The school system, which educates 125,000 students in 200-plus schools, has said that it will keep the health of its students and staff front and center.

We have a fundamental responsibility to resume teaching and learning throughout the school year for all students, and we are fully committed to doing so with equity, safety, science, and the many needs of our stakeholders guiding our decision-making, Hite said in a letter introducing the districts plan.

A spokesperson for PSERS, the state teachers retirement system, said Pennsylvania teachers do not appear to be retiring in larger-than-usual numbers.

The push to reopen school buildings follows an abrupt transition to virtual instruction this spring that left many students disengaged and forced parents into the role of overseeing their childrens learning.

Yet, some teachers say online instruction remains the best option, and are urging schools to commit to the approach now in order to make this falls experience better.

Ami Patel Hopkins, who teaches at Science Leadership Academy Middle School in West Philadelphia, doesnt believe theres enough information about the coronavirus or the districts reopening plan. She thinks the best route is to start the year fully virtual.

I get that as a district we have to provide free and appropriate public education, said Patel Hopkins. Since everyone has experienced teaching online now, why cant we start there? I cant even wrap my head around how in-person teaching will work in my own classroom, let alone in the whole district.

In cities including Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles, teachers unions have called for school buildings to remain closed at the start of the school year.

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has expressed concerns about the districts plan, saying national and local trends in coronavirus cases call into question the feasibility and safety of a return to in-person learning.

But it has so far stopped short of advocating for online-only instruction, as has the PSEA, which represents teachers in most Pennsylvania public schools.

The PSEA has encouraged local union leaders to engage with administrators, and has advocated for districts to adopt flexible attendance policies, said spokesperson Chris Lilienthal.

Most school districts have wanted to hear the voices of teachers, Lilienthal said, but ultimately, reopening plans are a local decision.

 READ MORE: Should kids return to school in September? | Pro/Con

Some teachers see reopening as not just a question of safety, but whether socially distanced schools will be conducive to learning.

My classroom is so much about collaboration, conversation, being vulnerable, said Nora Christman, who teaches physics at Lower Merion High School. Those are things that are going to be virtually impossible when my students are spread out on a grid. Lower Merion has not announced a plan, but administrators have said they are considering a hybrid reopening that would provide in-person instruction to students two days a week.

Christman says schools should remain closed, and districts should prepare now for virtual school to avoid problems that plagued online learning this spring.

Right now, teachers are being told you should prepare for three or four possible realities, she said. Thats paralyzing.

She acknowledged that virtual school doesnt work for everyone, but believes its the best option for her students  who are older and are enrolled in an affluent school district that has few worries about students being able to access remote learning when in-person teaching is not feasible.

Danielle Arnold-Schwartz, a gifted support teacher in Lower Merion, worries about air-filtration issues and whether guidelines that implement social distancing to the extent feasible will be enough.

Teachers have sadly had the conversations  at least within our minds, maybe with our spouses or partners  would we throw ourselves in front of a bullet for our students? To me, this is frighteningly similar, Arnold-Schwartz said. You could bring home death, and thats just unacceptable to me.
Indian star, daughter moved to Mumbai hospital where father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and husband Abhishek are admitted.

Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter have been hospitalised for contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, media reports said on Saturday.

Aishwaryas father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and husband Abhishek Bachchan, also big Bollywood celebrities, were admitted to Mumbais Nanavati Hospital just days before.

The Bachchan family are the most prominent personalities to be suffering from the pandemic in India, which on Friday recorded a total of one million cases.

Aishwarya, 46, a former Miss World who regularly appears on most beautiful lists, and her eight-year-old daughter, Aaradhya, tested positive for the disease nearly a week ago but were quarantined at home in Mumbai.

After Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya have been shifted to Nanavati Hospital, The Times of India newspaper said, adding that they were admitted to the top Mumbai private hospital on Friday night.

Both mother and daughter were fine, the PTI news agency reported, quoting hospital sources.

Amitabh and Abhishek were also reported to be stable with mild symptoms of the virus when they were admitted to the hospitals isolation ward.

Amitabh has been regularly sending Twitter messages since his hospitalisation.

In happy times, in times of illness, you our near and dear, our well wishers, our fans have ever given us unstinting love, affection, care and prayer, Amitabh posted on Friday.

T 3597  In happy times , in times of illness, you our near and dear, our well wishers, our fans have ever given us unstinting love , affection care and prayer .. we express our bountiful gracious gratitude to you all .. in these circumstances hospital protocol, restrictive ! pic.twitter.com/ksqlHvXfmo  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 17, 2020

Fans across India prayed for the celebrity family as the virus continued its rapid spread without any sign of a peak.

Aishwarya has worked in several Bollywood and Hollywood films. She is a brand ambassador for many multinational companies.

India has the worlds third-highest number of COVID-19 infections, with more than 26,000 deaths. Partial lockdowns have been reimposed in some densely populated areas to control the spread of the virus.

Mumbai, Indias financial hub and home to the Bollywood film industry, has emerged as the epicentre of the countrys outbreak, reporting almost 100,000 infections and more than 5,500 deaths so far.
Do you remember your first job? Was it flipping burgers, babysitting the neighbors' kids, or working at a retail store? Whatever it might have been, it was probably something you made yourself forget and are happy not to be doing now.

As teenagers we took whatever job was available to afford the latest trends or purchase our first car, and celebrities were no different.
A chorus of shock, appreciation and grief washed over social media when the news hit: Civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis died at the age of 80 on Friday night.

After witnessing racial segregation and discrimination in his hometown of Troy, Lewis became the youngest of the Big Six  Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s league of leaders who pioneered the Civil Rights Movement. He was the last surviving member of the group.

Lewis left behind a legacy of doing good trouble during the struggle for racial equality. His rallying cry for justice led to his multiple arrests and near-fatal injuries. While leading the march for voting rights on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, state troopers fractured his skull as they attacked him and other marchers in March 1965.

But the congressman never quit fighting for the rights of all Americans. During the 55th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march earlier this year, Lewis stood on the same bridge where he was beaten to uplift the crowd. His words of encouragement came a few months after he announced his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis and just a few weeks before the country would be consumed by both a pandemic and the calls for justice following multiple episodes of police brutality.

Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America, Lewis said.

RELATED: 5 monumental moments in the life of young John Lewis

John Lewis: Good Trouble documentary weaves past, present together

Get in good trouble:' Quotes from the late Congressman John Lewis

A surge of Alabamians, politicians, authors and celebrities from across the nation went on social media to honor the legacy Lewis left behind. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey offered her condolences on twitter.

Our country has lost one of its most beloved Civil Rights leaders. I join my fellow Alabamians & the nation in mourning the death of Rep. John Lewis. He dedicated his life to serving his community & advocating for others. Well forever remember his heroism & his enduring legacy. pic.twitter.com/j35Hug22zk  Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) July 18, 2020

Civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. gave Lewis glowing remarks in his tweet.

In the 1960s, we broke out the bubble of segregation. John became the valedictorian of our class, Jackson said. John Lewis is what patriotism and courage look like. He sacrificed and personifies a New Testament prophet.

Sharing my reflections on the passing of @repjohnlewis. Rest in heavenly peace. #GoodTrouble. pic.twitter.com/jcA6OPm7Eh  Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) July 18, 2020

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which is headquartered in Montgomery, released a statement reflecting on the bravery Lewis exuded as one of the original 13 Freedom Riders.

After the U.S. Supreme Court decision ruled segregation of interstate transportation unconstitutional, the Freedom Riders boarded a bus in Washington, D.C. to travel down the Deep South in May 1961. Lewis was assaulted in South Carolina for attempting to use a whites only bathroom. He was also arrested in Birmingham and beaten again in Montgomery.

But he didnt let up.

SPLC President and Chief Executive Officer Margaret Huang described Lewis as an American patriot and hero who made sure America honored its ideals.

Congressman Lewis was not only a valiant hero combatting Jim Crow, but he was also a leading figure in the movement for racial justice, pushing Congress and presidents to act with moral integrity against all forms of injustice, Huang said. His dedication to racial equality and justice was unmatched, and we owe a debt of gratitude to his tireless work to achieve full equality.

A roundup of reactions honoring Lewis can be found below:

Reflecting on Bloody Sunday during his last speech on the Selma bridge in March, John said, Our country is a better country... But we have still a distance to travel to go before we get there.



Never give up. Never give in. Keep the faith. For John and our nation he so loved. pic.twitter.com/0r3ejIJr41  Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) July 18, 2020

Louise and I are heartbroken. Rev. C. T. Vivian passing earlier today and now our dear friend John Lewis. So much to say, but that will have to wait. For the moment I am so sad and simply have no words. pic.twitter.com/P4hAeSnikf  Doug Jones (@DougJones) July 18, 2020

Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did:https://t.co/KbVfYt5CeQ  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 18, 2020

Make good trouble. Necessary trouble. Seek justice. Rep. John Lewis, the conscience of Black America, has already given us our marching orders. It's our duty to press onward. Rest well, hero. Posted by Randall Woodfin on Friday, July 17, 2020

My favorite thing about John Lewis is that at ComicCon, he cosplayed as his younger self, wearing the same coat and backpack he wore at the March on Selma and led kids in a little march around the convention.  pic.twitter.com/6T2sgRZehz  Bridget Todd  (@BridgetMarie) July 18, 2020

John Lewis gave so much of his time and wisdom to young people like me  his work will continue for generations as we aspire every day to live up to his legacy. #ThankYouJohnLewis pic.twitter.com/5ZpYs1DO8N  Malala (@Malala) July 18, 2020

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation  from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years.

Rep. Maxine Waters: It is not enough to say he was a revered civil rights icon. He was a man of impeccable integrity who dedicated his life to fighting against racism, discrimination & injustice. John was a true leader who inspired us all to have the courage to fight.

Ive been too emotional to write something proper here about Rep. John Lewis. When I wrote that Black people have been the perfecters of this democracy, he was top of my mind. He was one of the greatest Americans we ever produced, loved this country that didnt love us so deeply. pic.twitter.com/GlVKPWRZDr  Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) July 18, 2020

When you see something that is not right. Not fair. Not just. .



Do something. Get in trouble. Good trouble. John Lewis



The opposite of engaging in #goodtrouble is doing nothing out of fear well get into trouble. We must amass our courage and overcome fear like John Lewis.  Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) July 18, 2020

1/4 As history continues to write about John Lewis, it will highlight a warrior who used a bridge as a simple but powerful reminder that all men and women are created equal. His quiet demeanor was overshadowed by his larger than life boldness. His #alpolitics #JohnLewis pic.twitter.com/cH8L0uT3cy  Terry Lathan (@ChairmanLathan) July 18, 2020

Michael Starr Hopkins, founder of the John Lewis Bridge Project: Congressman John Lewis was a civil rights pioneer and an American hero. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of unconditional love and equality for all Americans. His legacy is our legacy, his story is our story. Our country is a stronger, more empathetic, and just country, because of John Lewis. Whether it was his push for voting rights for African Americans, which led him across the bridge in Selma, or his fight to end segregation and provide dignity to millions of Americans, he will never be forgotten. While John Lewis may no longer physically be with us, his spirit and his desire to stir up good trouble will forever guide us.

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial: John was also a personal hero, a friend and a mentor. In 2013, the National Urban League recognized him with our highest honor, the Civil Rights Champion Award. In his presence, I was reminded that I stand on the shoulders of history. That this icon reached back to pull the next generation of leaders like me to the front of the line was at once life-affirming and humbling. He was always affable, always available, always fightinguntil the very end.

Camille Bennett, founder of social justice group Project Say Something in Florence: I am a hopeless idealist and visionary I watched the 2010 documentary Freedom Riders for the first time almost a decade ago, and I could see my purpose clearly. With tears streaming down my face I watched peaceful warriors train in the discipline of nonviolence and move in solidarity with a mission to desegregate the Deep South. John Lewis thank you for your relentless, expansive and invaluable contributions to racial justice.

Amy Osgoode of Montgomery: Lewis was an example to us all. Throughout his life he devoted his heart and energy to healing Southern relationships and showing us the beauty in our home. Even in ugly times, he was a galvanizing force for this complicated and amazing place we call home. He made me see what there is to be proud of here.
Ahmednagar:

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare hailed the Centre for its "bold and revolutionary" decision of scrapping the currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, saying it will curb black money.

"This revolutionary step will curb black money, corruption and terrorism (funding) to a large extent," Hazare told PTI."The previous governments never showed the will to crackdown on black money. The present dispensation has taken a bold step and this will strengthen the democracy," he said.

Pointing out "discrepencies" in funding of political parties, the veteran social activist said the next course of action for the government should be to "clean up" the election process.

"Now the government should accept the challenge to eliminate black money from the poll process and politics as well by bringing in large electoral reforms," he said, ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled in some states next year.

Hazare alleged that almost all political parties accept huge cash donations for elections but furnish receipts (for amounts below Rs 20,000) against donors to avoid coming under the scanner of Income Tax officials and RTI.

"Hence, it is time the government ensures transparency in the poll process to make it more credible," he said.

However, he cautioned that adequate safeguards need to be taken before ushering in the new currency regime.

After the Narendra Modi government came to power, the Gandhian was often seen attacking it for its "failure" to bring back black money stashed in tax havens abroad.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
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An NYPD officer has been injured after slipping on paint while trying to detain a woman who splashed black paint on the Black Lives Matter street mural outside of Trump Tower in Manhattan.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at the 5th Avenue mural created under the orders of Mayor Bill de Blasio, which has become a flashpoint and was defaced two other times this week.

The officer, who appeared to slip on the protester's wet paint and hit his head on the asphalt, was transported to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to fully recover.

The shocking scene unfolded when a woman wearing a shirt reading 'Jesus Matters' paraded down the street pouring a can of black paint out over the bright yellow mural. She has been identified as Beverly Beatty, the president of At The Wells Ministry.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at the 5th Avenue mural when a woman poured black paint on the letters

'You wanna defund the police for black people?' the woman shouted as officers tried to take her into custody. 'We want our police! Re-fund our police!' Earlier this month, $1 billion was cut from the $6 billion NYPD budget

The woman began shouting as a bystander as one cop tried to arrest her, and the officer slipped on the fresh paint

The cop landed hard on the pavement as the woman continued to smear her black paint in protest of the BLM movement

One officer was injured when he slipped on the fresh paint and appeared to hit his head on the asphalt

For about 30 seconds, the officer writhed in pain on the street after slipping and seeming to hurt his arm or head

'You wanna defund the police for black people?' the woman shouted, video from the incident shows. 'We want our police! Re-fund our police!'

Earlier this month, de Blasio and the New York City Council cut $1 billion from the NYPD's $6 billion annual budget in response to protests over police practices in the wake of George Floyd's death.

In June, shooting incidents rose 130 percent in the city from the same month last year, to the highest level for the month since 1996.

'Y'all don't care about black lives!' the woman continued. 'Re-fund the police!'

De Blasio has reportedly assigned a round-the-clock police detail totaling three sergeants and 24 officers to protect the 5th Avenue mural.

On Saturday, police stood by as the woman poured her paint, and then moved in to detain her after her can was empty.

Other officers rushed over to assist their colleague after he writhed on the street in pain

De Blasio has reportedly assigned a round-the-clock police detail totaling three sergeants and 24 officers to protect the 5th Avenue mural, positioned outside of Trump Tower as a message intended for the president

'Y'all don't care about black lives!' shouted the woman, who wore a 'Jesus Matters' shirt. 'Re-fund the police!'

An officer attempts to detain a protester smearing paint on the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower

The woman was finally arrested. It is the third time this week and the second time in two days that the mural has been defaced by protesters opposed to the recent anti-police backlash

Undeterred, the woman began crawling on the ground and smearing her fresh paint with gloved hands, as she continued to make her opinions known.

'They don't care about black lives. They're liars!' she shouted, as two uniformed officers tried to take her by the arms.

One of the officers is then seen slipping on the fresh paint and falling to the street.

The injured officer is seen writhing in pain as several bystanders lean over to assist him.

'I think he might have broken his arm,' one woman says. Other officers then come over and help the injured cop to his feet, and walk him off to the side.

Paramedics evaluated the injured officer at the scene and he was transported to Bellevue.

Paint is seen on the face of an officer from the New York Police Department as he is assisted after being injured during an attempt to detain a protester smearing paint on the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower

Paramedics evaluated the injured officer at the scene and he was transported to Bellevue Hospital

Paint poured by protesters is seen on the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan

'Thankfully our brother will be OK, but this nonsense needs to stop. Our city is in crisis. Paint on the street helps no one,' said the Patrolman's Benevolent Association, the union representing NYPD officers, in a tweet.

Beatty was charged with criminal mischief and released on a desk appearance ticket.

According to reports, upon release from custody she immediately went to another Black Lives Matter mural in Harlem and repeated her performance.

'This agenda, it's bigger than black. It's a communist agenda. It's cloaked in 'for the people' but it will lead to socialism, and ultimately communism,' Beatty, who is black, told Newsmax TV of her opinions on Black Lives Matter in a prior interview.

It is the third time this week and the second time in two days that the mural has been defaced by protesters opposed to the recent anti-police backlash.

On Friday, two women were arrested and charged with criminal mischief after splashing blue paint on the 5th Avenue mural. Both were released with desk appearance tickets, and the mural had already been re-painted by Saturday.

On Monday, an unknown man was spotted splashing red paint on the lettering before fleeing the scene.

Protesters have vowed to continue attacking the taxpayer-funded mural as long as it remains on 5th Avenue.
I would say this sums it up pretty good

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project has long faced criticism from the United States, as the Trump administration threatened to pressure companies involved in its manufacture with sanctions. Warnings from the White House, however, have been considered by German business as interference into EU energy sovereignty.The European Union opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business, Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said in a statement, referring to the practice of the Trump administration in threatening or using sanctions to target Iran, Cuba, the International Criminal Court and most recently the Nordstream 2 and Turkstream projects. Moreover, it considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law. European policies should be determined here in Europe not by third countries, the statement said.Borrell expressed his concerns over the growing use of sanctions, or threat of sanctions by the Trump administration toward European companies and interests, particularly referring to the Nord Stream 2 project, that envisages a pipeline carrying Russian natural gas to Europe.Recently, officials in the Trump administration announced plans to put companies working on Nord Stream 2 on a list of projects to be sanctioned by the US.Borrell stressed the importance of coordination of targeted sanctions with partners in the areas where common foreign and security policy goals are shared. We have seen many positive examples of this and will continue to coordinate where we can. Where policy differences exist, the European Union is always open to dialogue. But this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions, he said. The growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the US against European companies and interests is a worrying trend. The EU opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business https://t.co/yZrMfSFsK4  Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 17, 2020
Isis suspect Lisa Smith has been ordered to appear in court next week to be served with a book of evidence and sent forward for trial.

The 38-year-old former Irish defence forces member, from Co Louth, was due to return to Dublin District Court today following a delay in her case caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

However, she did not come or have legal representation in court.

State solicitor Alva OHerlihy asked for a one-week adjournment for the accused to be notified.

Judge Smyth remanded Ms Smith on continuing bail in her absence to appear next Friday when it is anticipated she will be served by the prosecution with a book of evidence and sent forward for trial to a higher court.

The mother-of-one was brought back to Ireland on December 1 when she was arrested. It followed a trek from war-torn Syria to Turkey with her two-year-old daughter.

She was questioned for three days before she was charged with being a member of Isis from 2015 to 2019.

It is an offence contrary to the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences). It can carry a ten-year sentence.

After a four-week stint in custody on remand, she was released on High Court bail with a list of strict conditions including an internet and social media ban.

She had to lodge 500. A further 1,000 out of 5,000 independent surety had to be paid.

Smith joined the Irish Defence Forces after leaving school in 2000 and also served with the Air Corps on the government jet.
Donald Trump held his first tele-rally with Wisconsin supporters Friday as he bowed to pressure to shift his campaign trail virtually because of the 'Covid problem'.

The president launched into a 22-minute speech Friday night where he took a fresh aim at China over the coronavirus pandemic, blasted the 'radical left' for 'indoctrinating our children with hate' and warned that America will 'never recover' if he isn't voted in for a second term.

The telephone rally marked a major backpedaling for the president who last month plowed ahead with his controversial rally in Tulsa, despite pleas from health experts and local officials to call it off.

The decision to go ahead was costly, with a top local health official admitting the rally 'more than likely' triggered a surge in new cases of the deadly virus across Oklahoma.

Donald Trump held his first tele-rally (pictured) with Wisconsin supporters Friday as he bowed to pressure to shift his campaign trail virtually because of the 'Covid problem'

Trump told supporters he will be holding telephone rallies until the 'COVID-19 problem' 'gets solved'.

The president used the opportunity to hit out at China over its handling of the outbreak, referring to his popular name for COVID-19 as the 'China virus' and blasting the country saying they 'could have stopped it'.

'Hello, Wisconsin. I'm really thrilled to be with you tonight,' Trump began in the tele-rally which played a reel of photos of the president on the phone while he spoke.

'We have a COVID problem, COVID-19 problem, as you know. I call it the China virus, it shouldn't have happened but it did. They could have stopped it.

'But I wanted to be with you and this is really replacing our rallies that we all love so much.'

He added: 'We had great rallies in Wisconsin and all over the country and unfortunately, until this gets solved, and we're doing really well with the therapeutics and vaccines, but until that gets solved it's going to be tough to have those big massive rallies.'

The president launched into a 22-minute ramble Friday night where he took a fresh aim at China over the coronavirus pandemic, blasted the 'radical left' for 'indoctrinating our children with hate' and warned that America will 'never recover' if he isn't voted in for a second term

Trump said the plan form now on is to hold 'telephonic rallies' which he said 'we'll call them the teleph - the Trump rallies, but we'll do it by telephone.'

He then launched into a self-congratulatory speech where he reeled off what he said were a number of successes the US has seen since he won the presidential race in 2016.

Trump praised his handling of the pandemic, claiming he 'did the right thing' and had 'saved millions of lives'.

'Our testing programme is the best in the world,' he boasted, saying more than 50 million Americans have been tested so far.

He also claimed the US is 'close to hitting the jackpot on therapeutics and vaccines'.

This comes as Trump has repeatedly come under fire for his handling of the crisis, in particular his early denial of its seriousness.

Back in February as cases ramped up across the nation he maintained the risk to American life was 'very low'.

Fast forward five months and more than 139,000 Americans have been killed by the virus.

Trump went on to heap praise on his economic success, saying the US has the 'greatest economy in the history of the world' and that the stock market is at an 'all-time high'.

'Our economy is starting to do really well,' he said.

'We had the two biggest job numbers in history the last two months, we've created more jobs. The stock market is at an all-time high.'

He continued: 'We built the greatest economy we've ever had, the highest stock market, best job numbers for African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic Americans... women... everybody's doing so well.'

'We built the greatest economy in the history of the world not just within our borders,' he added.

Unemployment data casts doubts on Trump's assertions.

More than 50 million people have been thrown out of work during the coronavirus pandemic.

While the figures have steadily been dropping for 14 weeks, the latest Labor Department data released Thursday remains at an historically high level.

The figure has now topped 1 million for 17 straight weeks. Before the pandemic, the record high for weekly unemployment applications was nearly 700,000.

Trump also used the telephone rally to hit out at his Democratic rivals, particularly 'sleepy Joe Biden', and warned that they are 'indoctrinating our children with hate'.

'It's a choice between our real movement with what we've done with American patriots and we've done with this country and what you see going on on the other side is just not acceptable,' he said.

The latest Labor Department data released Thursday show unemployment remains at an historically high level. The figure has now topped 1 million for 17 straight weeks

'The radical left - if you think of it as this left-wing mob and they want to defund the police, they want to raise your taxes, they want to tear down our history, they want to get rid of our great history and they want to demolish - and that will happen - they will demolish the economy.'

He hit out at some of Biden's policies, particularly honing in on immigration.

'So if people come into the country illegally they get free community college,' he mocked. 'Our own people don't get this.'

He added that the border wall between the US and Mexico will be finished by the end of 2020 or soon after and said he plans to 'go after the European Union' because 'they have treated us very badly for years' in terms of trade deals.

Trump concluded the call with a dramatic warning that it will be a 'disaster' that America will 'never recover from' if Democrats win in November.

The virtual rally comes almost a month after the June 20 Tulsa rally (pictured) which likely contributed to a rise in the number of coronavirus cases there

Dr. Bruce Dart, health director for the city and county, said you can 'connect the dots' from a surge in cases to Trump's rally at the BOK Center

The virtual rally comes almost a month after the June 20 Tulsa rally which likely contributed to a rise in the number of coronavirus cases there.

Dr. Bruce Dart, health director for the city and county, said you can 'connect the dots' from a surge in cases to Trump's rally at the BOK Center.

Trump came under sharp criticism for holding the campaign event, his first in nearly three months, at a nearly 20,000-seat indoor arena during the pandemic.

Attendees were told wearing masks and social distancing was optional by his administration.

The campaign had predicted the rally would draw a record turnout.

Instead, about 6,200 people gathered inside the 19,000-seat BOK Center arena - far fewer than was expected.
Anti-corruption crusader, Mr Vitus Azeem has described as an unfortunate situation the refusal of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to overturn the directive to the Auditor-General to proceed on leave.



For me, I think the Presidents decision not to reverse his directive to the Auditor-General to proceed on leave is unfortunate. This [Auditor-General] is someone who has been doing very well with the fight against corruption. He has exposed a lot of criminal activities and he has been able to recover a lot of money for the state, so one would have expected that rather than asking him to proceed on leave, you commend him and probably give him an award for that.



Vitus Azeem in an interview with Citi News maintained that President Akufo-Addos leave directive to Daniel Domelevo is an affront to the fight against corruption which the President claims to champion.



This [leave directive] will definitely have a negative impact on Ghanas fight against corruption and the Presidents own anti-corruption stance. We call on him to give a second look to his decision and reverse the directive for Mr. Domelevo to go on leave.



Vitus Azeem said he is certain that a reversal of the directive given will prove the Presidents stance against corruption.



This is a President that says he is a listening President. He has also made it known to Ghanaians that he was incorruptible and that he was determined to fight corruption if he was given power. We have given him the power and we do not expect him to do anything that will obstruct the fight against corruption.



About 1,000 Ghanaians in Ghana and abroad, led by Korieh Duodu and Lolan Sagoe-Moses signed a petition presented to the Presidency, demanding a reversal of the leave directive to Mr. Domelevo.



The Office of the President, however, said President Nana Akufo-Addo will not change his stance on the directive.



The Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo in a response to a petition he received from some Ghanaians home and abroad said Nana Akufo-Addos position on the matter remains unchanged.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Opposition says President Keita poses a risk to the very existence of Mali as a nation, republic and democracy.

Malis opposition alliance has rejected a plan proposed by international mediators to defuse tensions, sticking to its demand that President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita must resign.

The rejection was the latest setback in efforts to end Malis political standoff that has spiralled into violent clashes which have left 11 people dead.

In a statement late on Friday after several meetings with a delegation from the 15-nation ECOWAS bloc, the June 5 Movement said the presidents departure had been a red line for the mediators.

It said this ignored the risk Keita poses to the very existence of Mali as a nation, republic and democracy.

The June 5 Movement has triggered a showdown with the government over its unflinching demands that Keita resigns for perceived failures in tackling the dire economy and Malis eight-year conflict.

After several anti-Keita protests last month, the latest rally on July 10 turned violent and deepened the political impasse.

Three days of clashes between protesters and security forces left 11 dead and 158 injured, according to an official tally  in the bloodiest bout of political unrest in years.

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on July 10 [Matthiew Rosier/Reuters]

Mediation effort

The ECOWAS mediation team led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has been in Mali since Wednesday, meeting the parties in a bid to defuse the crisis.

On the agenda were discussions about the March-April parliamentary election, the disputed outcome of which many analysts say is the root of the crisis.

Malis constitutional court in April tossed out about 30 results from the elections in a decision that handed seats to members of Keitas party, triggering protests.

But the mediators compromise offer is substantially similar to an earlier offer made by Keita, which the opposition has already rejected.

The mediating team proposed that Keita remains president, for example, but that new judges be appointed to the constitutional court so that it could revisit its decision on the parliamentary election.

A new government of national unity should also be formed, mediators said.

Jonathan, from the ECOWAS team, told reporters on Saturday negotiations had not failed and that meetings would continue.

He added that the ECOWAS team would issue a statement on Saturday or Sunday.

Reporting from Dhaka, Senegal, Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque said regional leaders were eager to end the political crisis in Mali amid fears of the unrest spreading.

There is a real fear that these protests in Bamako could spread to other capitals in the region  where we have seen high levels of distrust among citizens of their leadership, he said.

There is going to be a presidential election in neighbouring Burkina Faso and also an election in Ivory Coast, so they are closely watching this.

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One of the June 5 Movements leaders, Choguel Maiga, said late on Friday the mediators proposals had reduced our entire struggle to electoral issues.

In the statement issued on Friday, the opposition movement said it was insisting the president quit based on his proven inability to turn Mali around and the loss of territory, among other issues.

Swaths of Mali lie outside of government control because of an armed conflict that began in the north in 2012, before spreading to the centre, as well as into Burkina Faso and Niger.

The conflict has claimed thousands of lives and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes.

With the latest political crisis, Malis allies and neighbours are eager to avoid the fragile Sahel nation of some 20 million people sliding into chaos.
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.
New Delhi, July 18 : Science has made the world small. Sometimes whatever you need is served on a platter on your laptop. However, science cant detect if the person seeking information is genuine or has ulterior motives.

Recently while interrogating various criminals in the country, the police discovered that many of them were school dropouts, yet they managed to master the art of ATM cloning or carjacking with ease. How could they do that? Who taught them the complex system of such thefts? The answer is they learnt the tricks from YouTube tutorials! Few days back, two criminals were caught for cheating unsuspecting senior citizens and women by cloning their ATM cards in Outer Delhi.

They were identified as Johny and Rohit, both residents of Haryana and in their early twenties. The police said the two accused learnt the art of cloning from YouTube.

"During sustained interrogation, it was revealed that they used to visit ATM booths without guards to help women and senior citizens withdraw cash. While doing so, they copied or swapped their ATM cards in the Skimmer device. Both the accused took help from YouTube to learn the entire process," said Outer Delhi DCP, A. Koan.

This meant that the two mastered the art of theft from YouTube tutorials on ATM cloning. So, can this be checked? Can the criminals be barred from watching something that can cause harm to the society? "Well, it's a global issue, just as the platform," said Koan.

One might think that criminals living in metropolitan cities like the national capital are technologically more advanced, but the case studies suggest otherwise.

In January this year, a gang of six ATM robbers was busted by the Lucknow Police in the Vibhuti Khand area and gas cutters and other equipment used in breaking cash dispensing machines were recovered from their possession.

The police said the gang members revealed during interrogation that they had learned the tricks to break open cash dispensing machines by watching YouTube videos.

Not just ATM card cloning, the complex car locking system can also be hacked. There are several car hacking devises that thieves buy for particular car models. With these spoofing devices, they bypass the engine control module of the vehicle and then it becomes very difficult to safeguard it.

Several tutorials are available on YouTube o this, ranging from 'How to start a car with a screw driver' to 'How to unlock door (without a key)'. Videos like these could be easily accessed by anyone using a simple smartphone.

Some videos also tell people 'how thieves steal your car' and they can be easily accessed by aspiring criminals to learn the tricks of the trade.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday objected to "constant intervention" of Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal in the appointment of special public prosecutors for cases pertaining to Delhi riots and anti-CAA protests.

The party insisted that only a panel of lawyers selected by its government should be appointed and not the one recommended by the police or the Centre as the force has faced "serious allegations" on its response to the riots.

Citing difference of opinion with the AAP dispensation, Lt Governor Baijal has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him to decide within a week on the Delhi Police''s proposal to appoint six senior advocates for arguing on its behalf in cases related to riots and anti-CAA protests.

Baijal, in his letter to Kejriwal, said that acting Home Minister Manish Sisodia did not agree to the Delhi Police proposal despite the force providing detailed justification for it.

"The Aam Aadmi Party expresses its strong objection to the constant intervention of the Lt. Governor in the appointment of Special Public Prosecutors for cases pertaining to Delhi riots and anti-CAA protests," the AAP said in a statement.

Calling Delhi riots a "blot" on Delhi and the entire country, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the AAP government is committed to ensure strictest possible punishment to all those involved in the violence.

"But for that to happen, independent investigation by the police and a free and fair trial are a must. The LG and the central government are insisting on the appointment of a panel of Special Public Prosecutors chosen by the central government. This is happening at a time when there are very serious allegations on the response of Delhi Police to these riots as well as how the investigation process is going on," he said.

There are reports that the "police is busy implicating some people, while at the same time trying to save others," he claimed.

"It is therefore extremely important that the public prosecutors for these cases are independent. If they are under the central government and appointed by Delhi Police itself, their independence is under serious question."

"Therefore it is important that the panel of lawyers chosen by Delhi government represent these cases in the courts," he added.

AAP leader and MLA Raghav Chadha said under the law, specifically the CrPC, it is very clear that the Public Prosecutor is a representative of the State and not the Police.

The same principle has been upheld by the orders of the High Court of Delhi in 2016 and Supreme Court (Division bench) in 2017, and the power to appoint Public Prosecutors has been granted solely to Delhi government.

"Delhi Police being the investigating agency therefore, should have no role in deciding the lawyers," Chadha said.

However, under the Constitution, the Lt. Governor of Delhi has special powers to overturn any decision of the elected government.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that this power has to be used in the rarest of rare cases.

Last month, the LG used these extraordinary powers to appoint 11 central government lawyers to represent cases pertaining to Delhi riots in the lower courts, he said.

"Now, the LG wants to appoint central government lawyers to represent these cases in the High Court and Supreme Court too. "When Delhi's Home Minister Manish Sisodia, strongly objected to appoint the panel of lawyers recommended by Central government, LG yesterday wrote a letter to the chief minister conveying his disagreement with the decision of Delhi's Home Minister and directing the Council of Ministers to consider this matter and give its recommendation within a week," he added.
ELKO  On a sunny Thursday morning in July, vehicles are lined up on Water Street in front of Friends In Service Helping, stretching down to Fifth Street Bridge.

At 9 a.m., Coz, a volunteer with FISH, walks to a line of red cones in the driveway and waves to the drivers. He moves the cones to allow the first few cars into the parking lot and on their way to getting a food box for the week.

Eligibility coordinators Maria Grant and Mariah Espitia speak to drivers as they inch their way up the driveway, asking a few questions to learn about the size of the family and their needs for the day.

Meanwhile, about 10 employees and volunteers work inside the food bank to organize and pack boxes of produce, cereal, canned and boxed goods, and dairy and baked goods as they are ordered.

We need two ones, Tammy King, food bank manager, calls out to the ladies waiting to hear the orders. Immediately, volunteer Mira Kurka fills up a grocery bag with non-perishables and places bread and pastries onto a freshly sanitized cart.

Hunger case manager Raquel Salaz and volunteer Linda Ridge, who are stationed inside the large food storage room, listen for Kings numbers. As soon as they hear the orders, they pack boxes with cereal and dairy products and load them onto another sanitized cart.

Volunteer Cheryl Smith then pushes the carts to a waiting vehicle where they are loaded in the trunk next to a box of produce by volunteers Meadow Reid and George. Then Cheryl sanitizes the carts for the next order.

By 12:30 p.m. on July 9, about 200-300 boxes of food and produce were given to needy families thanks to donations from multiple organizations, local grocery stores and individuals who contribute to food boxes or buy a bag of food in the check-out line.

For the staff and volunteers who spend hours preparing food to distribute to feed a family, and then deliver it to those in need, the reward is the job itself.

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Farmers to Families drive-up or walk-up program on Thursdays is one of the busiest days at FISH, and requires 10-15 volunteers to serve clients, according to King.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March there has been a surge in the need for services at FISH. In June, the organization assisted 341 clients.

There is a definite increase, said Sherry Smith, executive director.

FISHs service area expands out of Elko and Spring Creek to other rural parts of Nevada, including the tribal bands of the Te-Moak Western Shoshone and communities such as Battle Mountain, Ely, Carlin, Crescent Valley, Jackpot, Owyhee and Wells.

The food bank is stocked with groceries from many sources, including the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elko and Spring Creek grocery stores, along with community donations of food and money.

We receive numerous items from grocery stores, Smith said. Milk, eggs, bread, fruits, vegetables, pastries. Maybe they over-ordered on something, and so it doesnt go bad it can come here.

Inside the produce box distributed on Thursdays are potatoes, apples, lettuce, celery, carrots and onions. Meat and dairy products are added along with boxed goods, canned food and pastries.

Additionally, FISH prepares to-go lunches from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for those in need. Other services offered include emergency food assistance, monthly senior food boxes, aid for the homeless and stranded travelers, and the Samaritan House Emergency Shelter, to name a few.

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It takes a lot of planning for Farmers to Families day. Cheryl Smith and Mira Kurka credited Tammy Kings organizational skills for creating the well-oiled machine that operates on Thursdays.

Tammy is the best organizer, Kurka said. She figures out everything and makes it go smoothly. Its a lot of prep before and afterward.

Food items and quantities change every week, which King works into the planning, Kurka added.

Depending on what we have, that changes day-to-day, she said. On this particular Thursday, FISH had 100 more boxes of produce to hand out than usual.

If there is produce about to spoil, volunteer CJ takes it home to his animals, Kurka noted. Nothing goes to waste, and thats a good thing.

Cheryl Smith, who served on FISHs board for five years, has volunteered for many years, watching the organization grow and broaden its services.

Ive seen amazing things happen when Sherry came on board, Cheryl Smith said, praising the team of employees and volunteers. They are so innovative, adapting to things like COVID-19. They really know their stuff, and they really care about the individual.

The pandemic also brought other changes to FISH. A sanitizing mister is used throughout the FISH building, including the thrift store, food bank and office areas. Food delivery carts are sanitized after each use, and all employees and staff wear a mask.

On this day, staff and employees wore brand new, transparent plastic masks designed to prevent airborne particles but making it easier to understand words and see facial expressions for clients and staff alike.

Those are a little more personal, Sherry Smith said. You can actually see that somebody is smiling, or if somebody needs to read lips a little bit. [The clients] can definitely see the staff and volunteers [better].

Its the people who keep the well-oiled machine running like clockwork, King stated.

My volunteers are awesome, she said. Theyre the ones who pull this off every day.

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For those who work and volunteer at FISH, its not just delivering food but also giving back to a community in need.

For about five years, Linda Ridge has volunteered at FISH, usually on Thursdays, and is looking forward to spending more time there now that she is retired.

I love it. I feel its my ministry to help people, Ridge said. My favorite part is when I can interact with the clients. I really feel its our responsibility to do as much as we can in our city for our city.

Meadow Reid volunteers three days a week, serving with her mother and grandmother in the kitchen or the food bank.

I like volunteering and helping, Reid said. On Mondays and Tuesdays I come with my grandma and make lunch packs with her. I love it here. I look forward to it.

Salaz, who has worked at FISH for more than a year, said the goal is to help others in need and see them leave with food to feed their families.

Its great helping people. When they drive out with their food box, theyre happy about the food they get, Salaz explained.

Its so fulfilling to help somebody who needs that assistance, Maria Grant said. We all need it, regardless of whats happening in our lives.

Mariah Espitia agreed with Grant and Salaz.

I enjoy the people I work with; I enjoy it all around, Espitia said. Its nice when they get a box of food to those who actually need it. You get a feeling of relief because they are getting what they need.

Below is a gallery of the staff and volunteers at FISH who serve those in need.

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The Las Vegas police arrested a 28-year-old man who they say livestreamed himself goading a homeless man into doing a backflip for $6.

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A homeless man died of a spinal injury 10 days after he was goaded into doing a backflip for $6, the Las Vegas police said.

The police arrested a 28-year-old man who they say had livestreamed the entire incident and could be heard telling viewers he offered the man cash for the stunt.

Keonte Jones was booked into a local jail on Tuesday on a felony charge of willfully disregarding a person's safety, according to the police.

The family of the 55-year-old homeless man, Larry Coner, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his funeral.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The police arrested a Las Vegas man accused of livestreaming himself egging on a homeless man to perform a backflip in exchange for $6.

The man sustained a spinal injury from the flip and died in a hospital 10 days later, authorities said.

Keonte Jones, 28, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Tuesday on a felony charge of willfully disregarding a person's safety.

The deadly encounter began June 20 when the homeless man, 55-year-old Larry Coner, approached Jones to ask for money, according to a statement from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Jones then offered Coner the money in exchange for a backflip, the statement said.

A disturbing Facebook video linked to by the police department shows Coner cartwheeling several times before attempting a back handspring and landing directly on his neck.

Throughout Coner's attempt, and in the minutes afterward, a man  identified as Jones  could be heard laughing raucously. He said multiple times that he had offered Coner $6 for the stunt.

The person filming approached and brandished the cash at Coner, who lay on the ground, apparently unconscious.

"He landed on his head. I told him $6," the man said, still roaring with laughter, while Coner remained motionless.

"As the incident went live on Facebook, Jones continued laughing and filming Coner for almost 10 minutes while telling onlookers not to call medical," the police said. "Medical responded and Coner was transported to [University Medical Center] with a serious spinal injury. On June 30, 2020, Coner died as a result of his spinal injury."

Story continues

The police said they began investigating the incident after a member of Coner's family contacted them. Coner's sister has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Coner's funeral.

In the page description, Coner's sister said Coner had a mental illness that had gotten progressively worse since his mother died in 2018. She added that he had been walking home from the hospital, "minding his own business," when the deadly encounter happened.

"Larry's mental illness worsened to a point he didn't know when people meant him harm," she wrote.

Video: What its like to be a deathcare worker during the coronavirus pandemic

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The Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) supports the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, the two MLAs of the regional party said in a joint press conference with state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara on Saturday.

BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad asserted that their party's president and other leaders have agreed on extending support to the Gehlot government on the condition that demands related to development of the state are fulfilled.

The party had on Monday issued a whip asking Roat and Ramprasad to be neutral and neither support the Congress nor the BJP. It had also told them to neither support Chief Minister Gehlot nor Sachin Pilot in case of a floor test in the assembly.

"BTP MLAs and their party leaders held discussions with the chief minister. They were already with us and have reassured their support to the Ashok Gehlot government," Dotasara said at the press conference outside a hotel on the Delhi highway where the Congress has kept MLAs amid the political crisis.

The MLAs were shifted to Hotel Fairmont on Monday soon after a Congress legislature party meeting, where Congress lawmakers expressed support for Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Pilot, whose rebellion threatens the state government. Pilot was stripped of the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted informing about the support by the BTP.

He tweeted a photo with the BTP's MLAs and office bearers giving him a demand letter, and said that they have announced to support the government.

"We had supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections (last month) on the condition that our demands related to the development of our areas will be met. We have again held discussions with the chief minister on those demands and we have been assured that the demands will be fulfilled," BTP MLA Roat said.

He said that the BTP president had issued a whip directing them to stay neutral but now the party is in support of the government.

Roat, who recently issued two videos alleging that policemen were not allowing him to go from his Jaipur MLA residence to his constituency in Dungarpur district, said it happened due to misunderstanding by the police.

"I do not know what they had in mind. They said it was a misunderstanding. It's okay now," he said.

In the videos, one police inspector was seen taking away the keys from his car, which was surrounded by two police vans.

Ramprasad said that the BTP is against any attempt to topple an elected government. "We are into issue-based politics. Toppling an elected government by BJP is not fair, he said, while reaffirming support to the Gehlot government.

In the house of 200, Congress has 107 MLAs, including 19 of those who have been issued notices of disqualification by the assembly speaker on complaint by chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

The party claims that the Gehlot government has 109 MLAs, including Congress, independents and other supporting party legislators, in its support to run the government.
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has allocated 120 million yuan (about 17 million U.S. dollars) for flood control and disaster relief in the country's flood-hit regions, including Jiangxi and Hubei.

The funds come from the Party fees, which, having been collected from CPC members, are administered by the department on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the department said in a statement.

They will mainly be used to support Party members, officials, and the people fighting on the frontline of flood control and disaster relief, as well as Party members and people who are in difficulties due to the floods.

The department demanded that Party members and officials be mobilized to go to the frontline of flood-control and rescue work and play an exemplary role.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 03:51:01|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Reports of recent deadly airstrikes and shelling have raised the United Nations' concern for more than 4 million civilians in northwest Syria, more than half of them internally displaced, a UN spokesman said on Friday.

Artillery shelling earlier this week reportedly affected at least 22 communities in Idlib and northern Latakia governorate and one community in western Aleppo governorate, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Local reports suggested that at least three people, including a child, were killed, and at least 26 people were injured, including nine children and four women, Haq said.

"We urge all parties, and those with influence over the parties, to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law," he said.

Of the internally displaced in northwest Syria, about 950,000 of them left their homes or previous shelters since Dec. 1 because of hostilities, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Enditem
The Bombay high court (HC) at Goa has taken cognisance of a public interest litigation (PIL), challenging the approvals granted by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and its state counterpart for three major infrastructure projects that are likely to cause adverse environmental impact, and directed the Chief Wildlife Warden, Goa and other state government authorities to respond to the petition by July 24, the next date of hearing.

The three infrastructure projects are the double-tracking of South Western Railways, the expansion of national highway (NH) 4-A and a 400 kilo-volt power transmission line, whose 3.5-kilometre stretch will pass through the protected areas of Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary in a bid to augment power supply between Goa and Karnataka.

The projects will cut across the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mollem National Park, an integral part of Goas nature and hinterland tourism, and are set to claim 170 hectares (ha) of pristine forestland in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats.

Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mollem National Park are Goas oldest and largest bio-diverse reserve and are home to many tourist attractions such as the 12th Century Tambdi Surla temple carved out of basalt rock, gurgling Devils Canyon, and Dudhsagar Falls.

The PIL, filed by the Goa Foundation, has alleged that the approvals are in violation of the mandate given by Article 48A of the Constitution and the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and are also contrary to public policy and the recommendations made by NBWL, which comes under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The mandatory prior approval of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has also not been obtained, the plea stated.

The approvals have been granted without proper consideration and examination of the proposals and studies submitted. The environmental impact assessments of the projects, wherever done, have been shoddily carried out, with little or no proper evaluation on the impact on the wildlife habitat, including its biodiversity. No cumulative impact assessment of the three projects collectively has been carried out, it added.

The petition prayed for quashing the approvals that have been granted by the authorities concerned.

The railway project is the biggest of the three infrastructure ventures, whose impact is likely to be felt in 113.857 ha of forestland in the protected area and felling of 18,541 trees.

The second project -- the four-laning of the existing two-lane highway (NH4A) -- that was constructed by the Portuguese colonial government between Panaji in Goa and Belgavi in Karnataka will cost another 31.015 ha of forestland and the felling of 12,097 trees.

Lastly, the power project, which proposes to provide additional electricity feed to Goa from the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL).

The projects, which have been in limbo for the past six years for pending mandatory clearances, were approved during the 57th meeting of the standing committee of the NBWL on April 20. The meeting was held via video-link amid the nationwide lockdown restrictions, which were enforced from March 25 because of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

The South Western Railway authorities have submitted an undertaking and have made provisions for eight underpasses for the crossing of wild animals in consultation with the state forest department, but these concessions have failed to impress the environmentalists and activists.
Micheal Martin, who made his first visit as Taoiseach to Northern Ireland on Thursday, remains something of an unknown quantity to most people here, despite being around the Irish political scene far longer than his predecessor.

Leo Varadkar only became a TD in 2007. By that point, Martin had been in the Dail for 18 years and had already served as a Cabinet minister in three different departments.

It's a measure of how little people on both sides of the border still know about each other that he remains such a mystery, despite one of those previous posts being Minister for Foreign Affairs which meant that he was constantly in and out of Belfast.

As it happens, people in Northern Ireland didn't get much of a chance to find out about him on Thursday, either. The Corkman made a flying visit to Stormont, gave a Press conference that was full of the usual bland soundbites, then went home.

His face is now slightly more familiar, but who is Micheal Martin really? And what difference will he make as Taoiseach?

The first thing to say is that coming north probably came as something of a relief in the present circumstances. He's had a rough ride in his first few weeks in the job and has already been forced to sack one colleague, Barry Cowen, when the former, brief-serving Agriculture Minister refused to give further statements to the Dail about the circumstances in which he was charged with drink-driving in 2016, when he still held a provisional licence.

Martin was already facing pressure from within party ranks over his appointments to the Cabinet. Fianna Fail has been out of office for nine years, an unprecedented period for the party, which held office for more than 60 of the 79 years before the disastrous 2011 election.

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There were many in the party with expectations that they would be rewarded with plum jobs, but it simply wasn't possible to satisfy them all, considering that Fianna Fail is now in a three-way coalition with Fine Gael and the Greens.

Resentment was inevitable and sacking the younger brother of an ex-Taoiseach doesn't come without political cost.

Expand Close New dawn: Mary Lou McDonalds Twitter picture with Prince Charles and Michelle ONeill / Facebook

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There are already rumblings of discontent in pockets of the party at how Martin has handled his first few weeks as Taoiseach. The malcontents probably won't make a move against him yet, but he won't be foolish enough to be complacent.

He's already had one near-miss. February's election, which saw Sinn Fein come out as marginally the largest party in terms of vote share and only one seat behind Fianna Fail when it came to TDs in the Dail, led to months of tense negotiations.

Had talks on a Programme for Government fallen apart, it's unlikely that Fianna Fail would have headed into another election with Martin at the helm.

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Whatsapp Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis meets with Taoiseach, Micheal Martin (left) in Stormont House, Belfast

He must know he was blessed to avoid that fate, but the divisions inside the party still harbour the potential to cause him serious problems.

Micheal Martin wouldn't have wanted to sack Barry Cowen, but that he put the government's collective well-being above personal loyalty is a pointer to his character.

He may sometimes be guilty of a lack of pizzazz, or imagination, but he takes his public service responsibilities seriously and that caution will probably be to Northern Ireland's benefit over the next few years. His instinct is always to steady, rather than rock, the boat.

More than any other senior politician in Ireland, he's also given thought to what any future united Ireland would have to look like in order to win the loyalty of unionists and he's managed to do that in a way which is authentically inclusive and non-threatening.

When many nationalists talk about Irish unity, they do so with an implied threat that it's coming anyway, so unionists had better get used to the idea. Micheal Martin has never taken that tone.

The idea of a tolerant and pluralistic Republic is not merely a slogan to him, but something he regards as his duty to promote. His meetings with the various parties on Thursday took place in the same spirit.

Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said afterwards that it was an opportunity to "reset relations". First Minister Arlene Foster talked about showing "mutual respect for both jurisdictions and an understanding of each other's differences".

That's what he brings to the table in what is still a fractious atmosphere at Stormont. His public remarks while in Belfast may have been anodyne, with much vague talk of north/south and east/west co-operation, but he made sure to reaffirm his opposition to a divisive border poll.

This refusal to wrap himself in the green flag is one of the reasons why Micheal Martin is genuinely despised by Sinn Fein.

Mary Lou McDonald can get stuck in verbally to Leo Varadkar, but the republican leader can probably imagine herself working alongside the current leadership of Fine Gael much more than she can Micheal Martin, despite the superficial resemblances between their two parties with republicanism in their blood.

Some in Fianna Fail may welcome the chance to kiss and make up with Sinn Fein, from whom they split in 1926 over the Anglo-Irish Treaty, but Micheal Martin has never been one of them and Sinn Fein knows it. When Mary Lou talks about the new Taoiseach, it is with undiluted enmity.

For the past few years, her party and his have jostled as rivals to lead the Opposition. Fianna Fail had the numbers in the last Dail to take on that role officially, but providing support to the Fine Gael minority government as part of a Confidence and Supply agreement undermined some of their claim to provide an alternative.

Martin's sense of responsibility meant that he stuck with the agreement anyway as the EU and United Kingdom fumbled towards a Brexit deal, but his party undoubtedly suffered in the polls as a result.

Many were itching to pull the plug on the government and force an election. It's arguable they might have fared better had they done so earlier.

Sinn Fein was better able to present itself as an alternative government, only to miscalculate badly when the time came in February's election by not running enough candidates to capitalise on the mood for change, which was undoubtedly there, even if it wasn't as strong as many commentators have since pretended.

(The new government represents 52% of the voters who went to the polls in February. Sinn Fein got just 24.5%, which, unless maths has changed, is very far from being a majority).

Sinn Fein was exultant at the result in February, but stung, too, by an inability to capitalise on the result by translating it into power.

The long delay before the other parties could put together a working majority helped them to regroup. They were shut out of talks, or shut themselves out, depending what view one chooses to take of it, and that further helped cement their posture as outsiders.

They play that game to perfection, even managing to talk and act like an Opposition when in government in Northern Ireland.

The electorate down south has no direct experience of Sinn Fein being in power and younger voters, in particular, don't seem all that curious to look at what the party does when it actually holds office, choosing instead to buy the fantasy about Westminster being to blame for everything that's wrong in Northern Ireland.

Now that Fianna Fail has gone into government and will, in due course, be judged accordingly, Sinn Fein has that space in Opposition to themselves and can make wild promises to its heart's content.

They're the only real alternative now, with only a weakened Labour Party, a smattering of far-Left agitators and some Independents and others alongside them on Opposition benches. That gives them a ready-made platform for the next four years, or however long the new government lasts.

It won't be easy to translate that into future support, because, after the coronavirus crisis, many voters may welcome some dull stability for a while as the country gets tentatively back on its feet, meaning there will be no desire for disruption and, reassuringly for unionists, certainly none for a border poll.

But there are still huge social and economic challenges facing Dublin that could play right into Sinn Fein's hands.

A post-Covid-19 economic slump would be a gift to Left-wing populists and, even if that disaster is avoided, the two issues which helped the party among disaffected voters in February - housing and health - are far from solved.

Fianna Fail has admirably taken on the mantle of those two departments in the new government, while Fine Gael and the Greens took the easier options.

It means that Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein will be going head-to-head for the next few years on those key issues.

Mary Lou (below) has promised that Sinn Fein will provide "one hell of an Opposition" and the fact they now have the considerable resources available to the official Opposition to use as weapons against the new government will give them added clout. A compliant Dublin media will also be to their advantage.

The ball is still the new government's to drop. There's no reason why, with discipline, it shouldn't go the full term and maybe beyond, not least because Sinn Fein faces an additional hurdle, which is how to form a future government from the ragbag of parties who sit alongside them on the Opposition benches.

The numbers just aren't there and Sinn Fein doesn't exactly make friends and alliances easily. They like to be top dog, rather than build coalitions of equals.

Being the largest party isn't enough; they need to bring in a sufficient number of Left-leaning TDs at the next election to form a government, which is hard to do when you're fishing for votes in the same pool of support.

But Sinn Fein will not be caught napping again, as they were in February. Micheal Martin knows that, which is why his instinct will be to make friends as a bulwark against Sinn Fein's advance.

That should suit Northern Ireland over the next few years, when calm heads will be needed more than ever.

In the time before the top job reverts to Leo Varadkar in their weird "rotating Taoiseach" arrangement, Micheal Martin may even find being in Belfast a welcome distraction from party infighting in Dublin.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

The loans worth 1.87 trillion rials (about $44.5 million) have been paid to support manufacturing enterprises in the industrial, mining, agricultural and tourism sectors in the Bushehr Province (southern Iran) since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2020), said Hossein Hosseini, Chairman of Industry, Mine and Trade Organization of Bushehr Province, Trend reports citing the organization.

He made the remark at a meeting on removing barriers for production in the province.

The chairman noted that in addition, 66 industrial enterprises were registered to receive loans in the current Iranian year (began March 20, 2020). Nineteen of them received loans for working capital worth 750 billion rials (about $17.8 million).

He added that the focus is on the renewal and commissioning of new enterprises in the mining and quarrying sectors in Bushehr Province.

Hosseini noted that these are important issues to upgrade the equipment and machinery in the mines, to provide loans in the sector and increase production.

"The banks in the region should pay attention to the requests of enterprises on the purchase of equipment and provision of loans," he said.
Early on Thursday morning, the police in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., found a cast iron and zinc statue torn down from its stone pedestal in Congress Park and scattered in pieces on the grass.

The statue is one of dozens that have been torn down across the United States in recent weeks amid widespread protests against racism and police brutality. Many of those toppled have been monuments to Confederate soldiers.

But the statue that stood in Congress Park was dedicated to volunteers who fought for the Union during the Civil War. In the days since it was destroyed, residents of Saratoga Springs, a mostly white college town about 30 miles north of Albany, have been calling the mayors office and posting on social media to express outrage and disappointment.

The statue was memorializing those who fought against the Confederacy and against slavery, so I think Saratogans were very proud that we had that in our park, said David Snyder, executive assistant to Meg Kelly, the mayor of Saratoga Springs.
TTD Board chairperson YV Subba Reddy said that 16 priests have been infected by novel coronavirus since the temple re-opened for devotees on 11 June

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which governs the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala in Tirupati has stirred up controversy after the board said that devotees can still visit the shrine even as the number of employees having tested positive for the novel coronavirus rose to 160 on Saturday.

Among those who have tested positive recently, include a senior pontiff of the Shree Pedda Jeeyar Swamy Mutt, TTD Board chairperson YV Subba Reddy told PTI on Saturday.

He said that the 63-year-old seer was to be shifted to a corporate hospital in Chennai but he declined and expressed his wish to take treatment at the mutt itself.

As per a centuries-old custom, the seer has been observing a four-month-long 'Chaturmasya Deeksha' since Sunday last, so he preferred to remain here and get treatment, Reddy said.

The pontiff's health condition is, however, stable, the chairman said.

Since the temple was re-opened for devotees on June 11, about 160 TTD staff members, including 16 'archakas' (priests) were infected by the virus so far, he said.

Nevertheless, the devotees can still visit the shrine, he added.

According to a report in ABP News, besides priests, 16 workers in laddu-making kitchens and 56 security personnel all of whom are likely to have come in direct or indirect contact of people coming in for darshanam (worship) have also tested positive for the virus.

Earlier, the NDTV too had quoted Reddy as saying that there are no plans to stop public darshan because there is no evidence of pilgrims testing positive for coronavirus.

"We have no plan to close Tirumala temple. Senior priests will not be put on duty. Priests and employees have requested separate accommodation," Reddy said, adding a separate facility for making food for the employees will be set up.

Meanwhile, the temple administration has come under severe criticism for its decision to remain open. Recently, an honorary priest of the temple has questioned on social media, the temple board's decision to remain open despite the outbreak.

@ysjagan 15 out of 50 archakas carona +ve quarantined. Still 25 results awaited. TTD EO and AEO refuse to stop darshans. Obediently following anti hereditary archaka and anti brahmin policy of TDP and CBN. Disaster if this continues. Please take action.  Ramana Dikshitulu (@DrDikshitulu) July 16, 2020

Similar views have been aired on Twitter where many people compared the situation at the Tirupati temple with the Tablighi Jamaat case in Delhi. People have also questioned the lack of outrage over the temple not being cautious about a highly contagious disease.

Some have also demanded that the authorities shut the temple in order to arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus.

All priests in #tirupati temple tested covid positive but instead of closing temple, authorities decided to keep it open for darshan! #tablegi markaz was closed when five persons were tested positive! But remember you are in secular country #Covid_19https://t.co/xyDnLlMHP9  Tarik Wane (@tariqwane) July 18, 2020

140 #Tirupati Temple Staff Members Test Positive for COVID19 Where is Corona Jihad? Super Spreader? Single Source? Was the outrage selective for #TabligiJamaat only? Glad the CM of AP is not Arvind Kejriwal! Else he would have filed an FIR on Devasthanams!  Tanveer Mohammad (@mightbetanveer) July 18, 2020

In March, thousands of Tablighi Jamaat members had been taken out of its markaz in Delhi's Nizamuddin, where they had gathered for a religious congregation, and quarantined as the area became a major hotspot after a number of members tested positive for coronavirus.

According to a BBC report, members and workers had gathered for the congregation in February but some of the key events were held in early March. According to the organisers, many members of the Jamaat were stranded at the Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid or Nizamuddin Masjid Markaz (headquarters of the Jamaat) due to the sudden lockdown announced on 24 March.

On 31 March, the Delhi Police's Crime Branch had lodged an FIR against seven people, including Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, on a complaint by Station House Officer Nizamuddin for holding the congregation in violation of the orders against large gathering and for not maintaining social distancing to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh's coronavirus tally recorded a new single day high on Saturday. A fresh 3,963 COVID-19 cases pushed the overall tally in state to 44,609 while 52 patients died, the highest in a day so far.

The state now has 22,260 active cases with a total of 21,763 coronavirus patients cured. The virus has killed 586 people in the state.

With inputs from PTI
In Europe, firms and scientific institutions came together to build an entire two-storey house using 3D printing technology. The project was titled C3PO after a popular Star Wars character by that name.

The incredible feat was achieved in Belgium, using Europes largest 3D printer. While 3D-printed houses are not new, what sets this one apart is that it has two floors, reported Digitalprints.com.

Emiel Ascione, Project Manager, Kamp C (the company that spearheaded the project), said: A gantry printer delivered by COBOD was used to make the house. The Denmark-based companys prototype BOD2 printer was used."

Ascione further informed that the concrete, silo, and mixing and pumping installations for the project were provided by their partner Weber.

He added that a gantry printer is similar to common plastic printers, except it is much, much larger. The one used for building the shell (floors, walls, pillars) of this 3D-printed house measures 32 feet by 32 feet. The rest of the structures such as roof, windows, etc., were built using traditional methods.

Notably, the 980 square feet structure that consists of several sustainable features such as solar panels and underfloor heating, is not meant for residential purposes.

According to Ascione, the building will be used as more of a demonstrator for conferences, expos, and other events. The main purpose of the project was to show the construction industry that 3D-printing technology is a viable option. Kamp C predicted that such 3D printed houses could be the future of affordable housing by helping developers build basic, high-quality homes.

An article in 3dprintmoney.com quotes the researchers involved in the project as saying that the 3D printed structure is three times sturdier than conventional brick and mortar houses.
Japanese actor Haruma Miura has died aged 30 in a suspected suicide.

The star, who was known for films like Attack On Titan and Kimi Ni Todoke, was found unresponsive at his home in the Minato ward of Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, NHK News has revealed.

It was reported that his manager found Miura when he came to his home to check on the star when he did not show up for work.

Tragic: Japanese actor Haruma Miura has died aged 30 in a suspected suicide, news reports revealed on Saturday (pictured in August 2019)

News sources claimed he was rushed to hospital after being found, but was declared dead upon arrival.

It was also reported that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police are currently investigating his passing, but believe his cause of death to be suicide.

Miura made his debut in the Japanese film industry at the age of seven after he appeared in NHK drama Agri in 1997.

As a student he formed the band Brash Brats with his fellow classmates, but the group announced their hiatus in 2005.

RIP: The star, who was known for films like Kimi Ni Todoke (pictured) was found unresponsive at his home in Tokyo and was pronounced dead after being rushed to hospital

First star: Miura (pictured with Attack On Titan star Kiko Mizuhara in 2015) made his debut in the Japanese film industry at the age of seven in 1997 NHK drama Agri

The actor, who hails from the Ibaraki prefecture, went on to appear in several dramas and films after he joined Amuse Inc, one of Japan's biggest talent agencies.

He began to gain recognition soon after and earned the Sponichi Grand Prix Newcomer Award at the Mainichi Film Awards in 2009 for his role in Naoko, which also earned him the newcomer award at the 31st Japan Academy Awards.

Miura went on to star in several Japanese TV dramas, being cast in supporting roles in Binbo Danshi and Gokusen before being cast as the lead in Bloody Monday opposite Takeru Satoh.

Rising star: The actor went on to appear in several dramas and films after he joined Amuse Inc, one of Japan's biggest talent agencies, including TV drama Bloody Monday and Crows Zero II

Big break: Continuing to grow in popularity, the actor landed the lead role in the live-action adaptation of manga Kimi Ni Todoke (pictured with co-star Mikako Tabe) in 2010

In 2009, Miura starred opposite Shun Oguri in Crows Zero II, the highly anticipated sequel to the hugely popular action flick Crows Zero.

Continuing to grow in popularity, the actor landed the lead role in the live-action adaptation of manga Kimi Ni Todoke, which saw him play popular boy Kazehaya who falls in love with outcast Sawako.

Miura also took the title role of Eren in the two-part live-action adaptation of Attack On Titan, which he appeared in alongside Kiko Mizuhara and Hiroki Hasegawa.

Love interest: The film saw him play popular boy Kazehaya (pictured in the role) who falls in love with outcast Sawako (played by Tabe)

Hit: Miura also took the title role of Eren in the two-part live-action adaptation of Attack On Titan, which he appeared in alongside Kiko Mizuhara (R) and Hiroki Hasegawa

The actor posted his final Instagram post three days before his death, in which he encouraged fans to watch his next drama Love Will Begin When Money End which is set to air in September.

He will appear posthumously in Brave: Gunjyo Senki, which he finished filming in January 2020, and will be released in 2021.

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

For confidential support call National Suicide Prevention Line, 1-800-273-8255
Jaipur, July 18 : Amid the Covid-19 pandemic when educational institutions are shut and are striving to complete courses online, in Rajasthan schools are traumatising parents and students over non-payment of fees by blocking them from online classes and dropping them from school WhatsApp groups, flouting the state government order.

In a July 7 order, the state government said no school should demand payment of tution fees till they remained closed due to Covid-19 and no students be declined access to education over it.

However, many schools are flouting the order, and are calling parents and taking action against students over the fee issue.

Speaking to IANS, Sunil Yadav, president of the All Rajasthan Private School Parents Forum, said many parents had reached out to them complaining how schools were tormenting children by dropping them from class WhatsApp groups and online classes.

Sharing screenshots with IANS, he said, "Ryan International School has dropped many students because their parents couldn't make payments during this tough time. Students are also being prevented from attending online classes." When IANS spoke to Ryan International School, Sharon, admission in-charge, said, "We have taken action against students who didn't pay last year's fees." As other school employees were not available, "I can share only this little information," she said.

But Yadav said the action had been taken in connection with the current academic year.

Several parents shared similar stories of the school's high-handedness as well as open flouting of the state government order.

Lalit Sharma, father of a student, said the government should either declare this academic session as zero year or online year and set the fee accordingly.

The parents group of Jaishri Periwal School, another prominent school, tweeted: "Kids don't remember what u taught them, they only remember how u made them n their parents feel during difficult situations." A father of a student of this school said his child had been dropped from the WhatsApp group. Later on request, he was reconnected. "Teachers said it was a technical glitch. However, we, parents, don't know if it was a deliberate action or an accident. Our kid was quite embarrassed," he said.

A mother of a student of the same school, said, "Educators, instead of teaching, have got a new role -- emotionally attack a child over fee. Didn't expect this." She also tagged this to Jaishri Periwal, chairperson of the Jaishri Pariwal Group of Schools.

She also shared a screenshot of a chat where a teacher is reminding the student about payment of Rs 1.56 lakh fee.

Lokesh Murlidhar, father of a student of Jaishri International School, said, "Being accredited to International Baccalaureate (IB), it's charges are high compared with other schools. The charges around Rs 3 lakh for primary, Rs 6 lakh for middle and Rs 10-12 lakh for senior school." Parents, according to Murlidhar, have decided to form a committee and send a legal notice to the school management. If they don't reply, the parents will move the court. Surprisingly, the school had set dates of examination, which were held in October, in August, only to put pressure on parents to pay fees or else their wards be barred from examinations, he added.

"Teachers are also threatening parents and students during online classes and are embarrassing them over non-payment of fees," Murlidhar said.

Many parents are tweeting their distress and tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara.

When the issue was brought to the notice of Dotasara, who replaced Sachin Pilot as the state Congress chief, he told IANS to share with him the WhatsApp screenshots. He promised to "look into it and revert asap".

IANS shared the screenshot at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

However, till the time of filing of this report, he didn't revert.
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By Online Desk

NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the Centre over its handling of the border issue with China, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday tweeted and claimed that India will have to pay a 'huge price'.

In a tweet, Gandhi also alleged that the government was behaving like a "Chamberlain" and this would further embolden China.

The former Congress President tagged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's speech made in Ladakh on Friday, during his two-day visit there, during which he said progress has been made in talks with China for a solution to the border standoff in Ladakh but he cannot guarantee to what extent it would be resolved.

China has taken our land and GOI is behaving like Chamberlain. This will further embolden China.



India is going to pay a huge price because of GOIs cowardly actions. pic.twitter.com/5ewIFvj5wy  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 18, 2020

Singh sent out a strong message saying that no power in the world can touch an inch of the country's land.



Earlier on Friday, Rahul Gandhi questioned the Centre and said 'PM Narendra Modi's constant blunders have weakened India and left us vulnerable.' This came in the context of how the situation on the China border was handled by the Modi government.



ALSO WATCH: (Inputs from PTI)
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced the need to improve relations between Kiev and Tbilisi. Thus, she is ready to visit Ukraine.

"I am ready, as the time comes, to pay a visit to Ukraine, which was postponed due to the coronavirus and other reasons. I will try to restore relations on the basis of our traditional and friendly ties," she said, noting that the "provocative tone" of "foreign citizens" harms bilateral relations.
Zimbabwean police have obtained a court warrant of search and seizure of some financial records and subscription database of the countrys largest mobile phone network, Econet Wireless, following accusations of money laundering.

An affidavit signed by investigations officer, Detective Inspector and Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigations Asset Unit, Mkhululi Nyoni, indicates that Econet allegedly used various people between January and June this year to engage in buying and selling hard cash.

The search warrant orders Econet Wireless to surrender all documents being requested by the police within seven working days.

In the affidavit signed by Nyoni, indications are that the company allegedly violated some provisions of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act.

The affidavit reads in part, On 9 July 2020, information was received to the effect that during the period extending from 01 January 2020 to 30 June 2020, Econet Wireless (Pvt) Ltd and its subsidiaries have been fraudulently creating and issuing non-attributable and non-auditable subscribers merchants billers and agents which they credited with huge sums of money and distributed to their runners through their trust accounts. The runners would in turn buy foreign currency in the black market before being externalized.

The police suspect that such activities may have resulted in the money laundering of proceeds of crime.

The police are therefore demanding that Econet Wireless should provide them with a list of all subscribers/customers both registered and unregistered in the companys database with full subscriber details for the period 2 January, 2020, to 30 June, 2020.

They are also demanding that the company should provide summaries of transient e-money/airtime service posted on the platform through airtime loans and financial statements showing the entire inflow and outflow of monetary transactions during the same period.

Econet Wireless officials were unavailable for comment.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe recently ordered the closure of the local stock exchange and scaling down of some mobile money platforms, including Econets EcoCash, claiming that some of them were engaged in massive money laundering and fueling the black market.

The local Zimbabwe dollar has crumbled against the green back, owing to what independent economists say is lack of economic fundamentals in the southern African nation.
A woman whose Rhodesian ridgeback mauled a toy poodle hired a pet medium to help fight a dangerous dog ruling, claiming the dog 'apologised to its victim'.

Maria-Huong Do's dog Jay-Jay viciously attacked her neighbour Kristina Stevens' poodle Fudge twice in November 2018 in their Brisbane neighbourhood.

Jay-Jay, who weighs a whopping 59kg, put his jaws around Fudge, who weighs just 2kg, and ripped a hole in the little dog's neck.

His owner, Ms Do is now fighting a ruling that would see Jay-Jay having to wear a muzzle outside and stay in an enclosure.

She even hired a medium, Amanda De Warren, which told a tribunal Jay-Jay had been 'provoked' by Fudge and his family - and had 'told her he was sorry'.

Maria-Huong Do's dog Jay-Jay (pictured) viciously attacked her neighbour, Kristina Stevens', poodle Fudge, twice in November, 2018 in their Brisbane neighbourhood

The two neighbours had a long history of conflict and Ms Stevens was forced to fork out $9,600 for Fudge's medical bills following the attack.

Ms De Warren said Jay-Jay told her Fudge was a 'real troublemaker'.

'Jay-Jay had told me that he was aware of who this dog was and it had been a real troublemaker,' she said in Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

'JayJay asked me to apologise to his mum (Maria) for putting her through this situation. He knows his mum loves him very much and does not want to cause his mum anymore problems.'

Ms Stevens had been walking Fudge past Ms Do's home before Jay-Jay launched into the ferocious attack.

Ms Do's husband was eventually able to pull the ridgeback off from Fudge after he shook the small dog around in his mouth.

Ms Stevens paid $2,500 towards Fudge's medical bills but Ms Stevens ordered her to pay more.

'I was screaming. I was in shock,' Ms Stevens told The Sunday Mail about the attack.

Jay-Jay attacked Fudge the toy poodle who weighs just 2kg, ripping a hole into his neck (stock image of a similar dog)

'When the dog came back a second time, it was worse.'

Ms Do said there had been neighbourly disputes for quite some time leading up to the dog attack.

She said Fudge was constantly barking and had seen him defecate in her front yard, claiming the owner did not pick it up.

In another instance, Ms Do said she saw one of Ms Stevens' son stick his middle finger up to her house after her dogs started barking.

Ms Do, who owns four dogs including Jay-Jay, also said Fudge was never walked on a leash.

The tribunal heard from another neighbour who said Jay-Jay had acted aggressively towards her and her dog Pearl.

Ms Do hired dog medium, Amanda De Warren (pictured) who said Jay-Jay felt 'provoked' from Fudge

'At the time of the incident I was very concerned for myself, and my dog Pearl's safety. Ms Do's dog wasn't coming over to say hello. It was coming quickly at us, trying to get to us and barking aggressively,' the neighbour told the tribunal.

'Ms Do was trying to control her dog, but it was too strong for her and pulled her over onto her stomach. The dog continued to come in a direction dragging Ms Do on her stomach.

'I also believe that Ms Do is trying to do the right thing, but this dog seems to me to be increasingly getting agitated and it is much too strong for her. All that it takes is for the lead to break and someone would get hurt.'

The Brisbane City Council declared Jay-Jay a dangerous dog in August last year.

Tribunal member David Paratz, dismissed Ms De Warren's statements as lacking credibility.

Ms Do is appealing the ruling and has asked for a stay on the dangerous dog declaration.
ROOSEVELT PARK, MI -- The pub Pints and Quarts is temporarily closed after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

The restaurant will be closed until 3 p.m. Saturday, July 18 while it undergoes a deep clean, according to a Facebook post.

The staff member notified owners of the positive test on Friday. The employees last shift at Pints and Quarts was Friday, July 10, according to the Facebook post.

In 2013, MLive and Muskegon Chronicle readers voted Pints and Quarts as one of the best places to grab a burger in the area, and the restaurant became one of 33 finalists in a statewide search to find Michigans Best Burger.

During the pandemic, the pub has been busy with takeout orders after it was offering Lockdown Specials.

Despite the high volume of takeout orders, the owners said the staff member who tested positive had no contact with customers or other staff. The Facebook post explains that because takeout traffic was so heavy, a single staff member has been sitting alone at the business sister venue Next Door to answer takeout orders over the phone. Next Door is currently closed.

We can assure you that the phones ring off the hook and this staff member does not move from their computer, according to the Facebook post.

No other employee has tested positive or shown symptoms of COVID-19, pub officials said in the Facebook post. Staff members are regularly screened and have their temperatures checked while working.

Some other restaurants in West Michigan, including Dockers Fish House last week, have temporarily closed during the pandemic after employees have contracted the coronavirus.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

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.

Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

More on MLive:

Several teens at Fourth of July beach party in Norton Shores test positive for coronavirus

Several people at massive Torch Lake July 4 party have tested positive for coronavirus

Protesters, counter-protesters descend on Pronto Pup after owners rant against Black Live Matters, masks
Egypt's Interior Minister Mahmoud Tawfik has reshuffled a number of senior positions within the ministry in the 2020 shake-up announced on Saturday.

According to a statement by the ministry, the reshuffle comprises 10 aides to the minister, nine heads of security directorates across the country, and nine heads of ministry departments.

The statement said that the shake-up is in line with the state's policy to promote young policemen to prepare a new generation of young cadres to serve as the nucleus of future police leadership.

Earlier on Saturday, a statement by presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady revealed that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had met with the interior minister.

The new police reshuffle:

Aides to the interior minister

- Maj. Gen. Khaled Shalaby, assistant minister for port security.

- Maj. Gen. Reda Suwailem, assistant minister for security forces.

- Maj. Gen. Hisham Abdel Hamid, assistant minister for economic security.

- Maj. Gen. Mahmoud El-Gamasy, assistant minister for security and guards.

- Maj. Gen. Atef Mahran, assistant minister for Sinai.

- Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Aboudi, assistant minister for drug control and organised crime.

- Maj. Gen. Hazem Hamad, assistant minister for the general secretariat sector.

- Maj. Gen. Mostafa El-Adawy, assistant minister for the documents sector.

- Maj. Gen. Hossam El-Kholy, assistant minister for human rights.

- Maj. Gen. Mohamed Abdel Aziz, assistant minister for tourism and antiquities.

Heads of security directorates

- Maj. Gen. Ramzy El-Mezain, Fayoum security director.

- Maj. Gen. Fakhr El-Araby, Qaloubiya security director.

- Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Abdel-Ghaffar, Sharqiya security director.

- Maj. Gen. Ahmed Farouk, Menoufiya security director.

- Maj. Gen. Raafat Abdel-Baeth, Dakahliya security director.

- Maj. Gen. Mohamed Tawfik, New Valley security director.

- Maj. Gen. Hany Medhat, Gharbiya security director.

- Maj. Gen. Ahmed El-Alfy, South Sinai security director.

- Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Abu Amra, Red Sea security director.

Heads of ministry departments

- Maj. Gen. Tarek El-Zawawy, head of the general department of information technology.



- Maj. Gen. Assem Dahesh, head of the public funds general department.



- Maj. Gen. Mohamed Zamzam, head of the general department of transport police.

- Maj. Gen. Nasser Mohi El-Din, head of the general department of media relations.



- Maj. Gen. Sameh El-Regbawy, head of the general department for securing the Suez Canal axis.



- Maj. Gen. Yehia Abdel-Kerim, head of the general department of passports and immigration.



- Maj. Gen. Hisham Kadry, head of the general department of taxes and fees.



- Maj. Gen. Mohamed El-Serwy, head of the general department of technical office.



- Maj. Gen. Nageh Zaki, head of the general department of intellectual property rights protection.

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Emma Roberts is mastering the art of looking chic while expecting.

The American Horror Story starlet was ultra chic as she stepped out for a cold drink in the trendy LA neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday.

Though word of her pregnancy emerged last month, Emma's outfit did little to suggest she had a baby on board.

Expecting the best! Pregnant Emma Roberts looked chic while getting coffee in the Los Feliz neighborhood of LA on Saturday

The starlet's superior fashion sense was on display in a little black overall number with a white shirt below.

Alexander McQueen Tread Slick boots added a tough touch to her ensemble while a bright red bag offered a hint of color. She sent a message with her Ahida Correale mask, which was embroidered with 'Wear it!'

Finishing the look, Emma popped on a pair sunglasses for a bit of anonymity.

After fetching an icy coffee drink the star headed to her local newsstand to pick up some magazines.

Chic: The starlet's superior fashion sense was on display in a little black overall number with a white shirt below

Wear it!!! She sent a message with her Ahida Correale mask, which was embroidered with 'Wear it!'

Reader: After fetching an icy coffee drink the star headed to her local newsstand to pick up some magazines

It was hard to tell Emma was expecting during the outing. Those her dress was fairly fitted, there was little sign of a bump.

But the happy baby news for Emma and beau Garrett Hedlund broke in late June and was confirmed when Robert's mom Kelly Cunningham replied to a fan's Instagram comment.

Cunningham replied in the affirmative to a fan who explicitly asked if Emma was expecting.

'Yes,' replied the grandma-to-be, followed by a heart emoji.

When another fan congratulated her, Kelly replied: 'Thank you so much! Very excited.'

Keeping it private: It was hard to tell Emma was expecting during the outing. Those her dress was fairly fitted, there was little sign of a bump

Oh baby! the happy baby news for Emma and beau Garrett Hedlund broke in late June and was confirmed when Robert's mom Kelly Cunningham replied to a fan's Instagram comment

Full hands: She left the store with a bag full of treasures

Emma - who is the niece of Julia Roberts - was first linked to Garrett after they were spotted on a date in Silver Lake last March.

She moved on with Garrett after she split from her on/off fiance Evan Peters, 33, last year after seven years together.

A source told UsWeekly at the time that it was not a bad breakup between the pair and that they were 'just friends.'

Meanwhile, Garret split from Kirsten Dunst, 38, in 2016, after more than four years of dating. Kirsten is now engaged to actor Jesse Plemons, 32.
China's civil aviation regulator said on Friday that Japan Airlines, Lao Airlines, and Hainan Airlines are allowed to increase their number of international flights because of their effective COVID-19 control measures.



Flights JL829/0 between Tokyo and Dalian, flights QV815/6 between Vientiane and Kunming, flights HU491/2 between Beijing and Brussels, and flights HU7975/6 between Beijing and Toronto are the second batch of "rewarded flights" following the introduction of a reward-and-suspension system by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on June 4.

The number of these roundtrip flights can be increased from one to two per week until Oct. 24, according to the CAAC.

Japan Airlines and Lao Airlines are the first two foreign airlines to be rewarded.

According to the CAAC policy, if all inbound passengers test negative for novel coronavirus for three weeks in a row, the airline will be allowed to increase the number of flights to two per week.

If the number of passengers testing positive reaches five, the airline's flights will be suspended for a week. The suspension will last four weeks if the number of passengers testing positive reaches 10.

The measure to resume some international passenger flights aims to balance epidemic control with economic and social development, said the CAAC.
UNCF and Speaker Pelosi honored the late congressman in March for a lifetime of championing underserved individuals, including HBCU students in his district

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UNCF mourns the loss of a champion of Civil Rights, from the 1960s to the Black Lives Matter Movement of 2020, the conscience of the United States CongressRepresentative John Lewis. One of the planks of his life of advocacy for equality and equity was his championing of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Lewis was more than just the congressman from Georgia who represented the interests of Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Interdenominational Theological Center and Morehouse School of Medicine in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was an embodiment of what an HBCU education offers: the opportunity to speak out to make the country better; from his years as a Fisk University student (and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) to the present, but Lewis also spoke truth to power while wielding power in the Congress as the Chief Deputy Whip of the House.

John Lewis was my Atlanta City Councilman, then my Congressman, and always my friend, said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. In Congress, he was essential to every single step forward for our HBCUs and our students. He was a fierce advocate for the marginalized and powerless, including first generation and low income college students. He empathized with them and knew their inherent value and power because he was once one of them at Fisk University. John Lewis represents the best of who we can be as a human being. Period.

In March of this year, UNCF gave its highest award to Congressman Lewis, said Lodriguez Murray, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs for UNCF. Speaker Nancy Pelosi presented Congressman Lewis with the UNCF Frederick Patterson D. Award. It was one of those rare moments when we at UNCF were humbled to honor him. The man who said he grew up in a shotgun house rose to vote and command the attention of the nation in the Peoples House, and we are grateful for his votes in our favor and the advocacy for the disenfranchised that no statement itself can contain.

Story continues

###

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nations largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

Khalilah Long

United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF)

301.633.3928

khalilah.long@uncf.org


UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned any attempts to steal data on the COVID-19 vaccines' research, The Independent reported.

In an interview with BBC Radio, he spoke of the importance of protecting the intellectual property rights of scientists trying to develop a vaccine.

"Any espionage in relation to vaccines is to be condemned as we must condemn any policies that divide the world instead of conceiving the vaccine as a global public good, conceiving the vaccine as a people's vaccine, that must be accessible to everybody, everywhere.

"Just to develop a vaccine for each country's population and forget about the others is also something that is unacceptable.

"It is very important the intellectual property is protected, that nobody spies on anybody, but it is also important that a vaccine must be available to everybody, everywhere and affordable by everybody, everywhere."
The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan police said Saturday that it has arrested Sanjay Jain alias Sanjay Bardia whose name purportedly figured in audio tapes linked to alleged horse trading to dislodge the Ashok Gehlot government.

Jain was called for questioning on Friday on the basis of the Rajasthan chief whip Mahesh Joshis complaint to SOG that he was one of the three persons, whose names figured in three audio tapes that had surfaced the previous evening and was purportedly involved in horse trading. He was arrested late on Friday night charges of conspiring to topple the Congress government.

Jain was arrested on Friday night, said Ashok Rathore, additional director general of police ATS-SOG.

The SOG had booked him and two others on Friday on charges of destabilizing the government under section 124A (sedition) and 120b (criminal conspiracy of the Inidan Penal Code.

Jain, who belongs to Loonkaransar town in Rajasthans Bikaner district, has been described as a power broker and is perceived to be close to both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. The BJP has called for a CBI probe into the audio tapes.

Jain, whom the Congress accused of being a BJP leader, is a former block president of the Indian Youth Congress. The BJP claims Jain is still a Congress member.

His father, too, was a local Congress leader and his family has been a supporter of the party for almost a decade, said a Congress supporter from Bikaner, requesting anonymity.

Jain was also appointed as the secretary of the district Congress in Bikaner (rural). He came in contact with Congress leadership in 1993 when Balram Jakhar was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) from Bikaner and he became a close aide to the veteran Congress leader. Jakhar would stay in his house in Loonkaransar while on a campaign trail, as his house was the only place in town that had an air-conditioner, said the supporter quoted above.

He said Jain was often seen at Raj Bhavan in Bhopal, when Jakhar was the Madhya Pradesh governor.

A close friend of Jain said that after coming in touch with the former chief minister and BJP leader Vasundhra Raje during the 2003 assembly elections, Jain moved to Jaipur, which helped him expand his network in political circles -- cutting across party lines and bureaucracy.

Jain has developed enormous contacts in both the Congress and the BJP using his immense networking skills. He owns a beverage factory in Dubai and was planning a similar venture on his plot along the Bikarner-Jaipur highway near Sikar. His primary focus is to become rich, his friend said.

Jain had uploaded several pictures on social media flaunting his proximity with BJP top brass.

Laxman Kadwasara, the former district president of Congress, Bikaner (rural), said Jain is more interested in expanding his business than politics.

Though I havent met him in the last few years, I have heard a lot about him, said Kadwasara.

State BJP president Satish Poonia alleged that Jain is a Congress leader. He has been a block president of Congress in Bikaner, he said.

An SOG official said that Jain had come to Jaipur on Thursday amid the high political drama over the fate of the Gehlot government before he was called for questioning on Friday and arrested.
Trumps not guilty, Trudeau must resign

Modern politics, some media reporting, and social media have become somewhat biased instead of being fact-based.

In the United States as the Mueller report was being compiled, many in were exalting that Trump was a Russian asset, an American traitor, and yes definitely guilty of collusion. After two plus years of investigation, $30 million of taxpayer money, and over 400 pages  Oops, no collusion, and no apologies or retractions from the angry mob.

Prime Minister Trudeau is now working on his third ethics violation in five years, when no previous Prime Minister has ever had one ethics violation. The Prime Minister is either somewhat arrogant and believes that ethics laws do not apply to him, or he does not understand the true meaning of being ethical. It means conforming to accepted standards of moral behaviour. The Liberal party and the Canadian people should by now have had enough of this continual unethical behaviour. The Prime Minister needs to resign soon and the Liberal party needs a wake-up call to get back to the ethical behaviour that should be expected in all of our leaders.

David Gallo, Ancaster

Trudeau the most corrupt, not Trump

The media continues to demonize Donald Trump while protecting Justin Trudeau. We now know that Trudeau is the corrupt leader while Trump leads with strength. We need a Trump for Canada.

Angela Moines, Burlington

Trudeau needs a time out

So the prime minister apologized for the third time over ethics issues. Maybe he needs a time out.

Richard Ronchka, Carlisle

Urban boundary exception should be denied

Changes recently proposed by the Upper West Side Landowners Group, through their planning agent Corbett Land Strategies, are not in the best interests of the citizens of Hamilton.

Heres why:

(1) The City has declared a climate emergency. Expanding outward into rural areas increases carbon footprints in various ways, such as taking much needed green space and keeping people car dependent.

(2) Growth should be through higher density development in the urban core, and low to medium density in other areas through laneway suites and secondary units, stacked townhomes, and middle options like 3,4,5 storey apartments.

(3) Keeping a firm urban boundary and increasing density within that boundary will help to reduce our carbon footprint by building complete communities where people can live, work and play.

(4) With the COVID situation, all new buildings should be no higher than six storeys, allowing for the use of stairs for most movement of people and reducing the need for elevators.

Rose Janson, Hamilton

Procedures need to reflect COVID-19 protocols

Today I experienced a traffic violation stop. To which I plead guilty as charged. However I felt as though the officer may have violated the Emergency Management and Civic Protection Act. The officer approached the open window of my vehicle and asked for my licence. He was no more than arms length away from my face and was not wearing a face mask. He took my licence away for a good few minutes. When he returned there was no evidence that either his hands or the licence had been sanitized. This practice needs to be scrutinized and amended.

Judith Garner, Hamilton

Singh jumped to conclusions

What possible connection to racism is the Rideau Hall intruder incident as suggested by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh? This suggestion (what if) just proves that racism is going to be the go to excuse for just about anything. If Mr. Singh was not a person of colour, would he have even mentioned the suggestion of racism in this incident? I think not. There is enough racism going on in the world without suggestions of racism going where there was none.

Rusty Escott, Dunnville

Police unions should work with management

What if the police unions stopped protecting problem officers and helped change the spirit and the mindset of members?

It seems that officers requiring more training, or discipline, to correct behaviour are being protected, while the rest of the force is to remain unperturbed. When an infraction is being investigated the officer should be suspended without pay. Penalties would follow, but the main focus has to address the problem, with training or disciplinary action. These have to be followed up and eventual terminations if not successful must follow.

Putting fresh recruits with the best officers to finish training will result in better officers. Having them with officers who dont care will result in more of the same.

Make the police unions better than all the others. Work with management rather than against it. We live in problem times and need the best for our cities. The union can help or remain part of the problem.

Harry Telfer, Cayuga

We should try degunning as well as defunding

Police violence continues unabated. Police culture, in which cops believe they are immune from punishment, is constantly re-enforced because that is the result in nearly every instance. Defunding will help stop the carnage; degunning will prevent it. Start with small, time controlled pilot projects, where police in selected jurisdictions do not carry guns. If proven successful in preventing cops from unnecessarily shooting civilians, expand the project. Where necessary, armed police, under senior command could be called upon.

Norman Di Veto, Lynden

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

About 700 wagons of cargo were transited by railway of Astara county in Gilan Province (northern Iran) from the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2020) to June 30, Director General of Astara Customs Office Rasoul Omidi told IRNA, Trend reports.

According to Omidi, this is an increase of about 30 percent compared to the same period last Iranian year.

Omidi added that the number of wagons transited products via the Astara railway was less than 6,000 in the last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020).

"Given the growth in product transit in the current Iranian year, the number of wagons is expected to increase to 8,000-9,000 by the end of the year," he said.

The director general stressed that 41,000 tons of products worth a total of $182 million were transited through Iran's Astara customs water, land and rail borders during the three months of the current Iranian year (March 20-June 20, 2020).

Omidi noted that the product transit through Astara customs increased by 22 percent in terms of weight and by 189 percent in terms of value compared to the same period last Iranian year.

"Construction of the Rasht-Astara railway will further improve transportation via the North-South International Railway Corridor, and cargo that transported by trucks through the Astara railway terminal will be transported by railway in a shorter time and at a lower cost," he said

The director general said that currently, many customs, which are located in southern Iran, export their products to Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and EU countries through Astara customs.

The Astara-Astara railway between Azerbaijan and Iran was put into operation in March 2018.
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Anti-mask protesters are finally covering up as the coronavirus gets deadlier. But instead of a mask that actually does anything, they're using masks made of yarn, mesh and lace.

KHOU posted a report from Indianapolis showing how these ineffective masks have grown in popularity as wearing masks become more of a political statement. President Donald Trump finally sported his own mask on July 11.

LIFE IN THE PANDEMIC: Coronavirus means we have to use hand sanitizer more often. But why does it smell so gross now?

Make your own Anti Mask! said the seller of a pattern to create an "anti-mask," according to the report. Stylish, breathable and don't protect you from a darn thing! Masks required? No problem! Breath free while making a statement.

Harris County is under a mandatory mask order until until Aug. 26, mandating all businesses in the county to require customers wear masks or face coverings.

The Houston area is also reporting a death count of 717 from COVID-19, and the city has become a hotspot for the virus.

The CDC director said the coronavirus could be under control in weeks if everyone wears a mask.

"I always say we are not defenseless against this virus. The most powerful weapons we have are face coverings ... washing our hands and really being smart about social distancing. If we all rigorously did this, we could really bring this outbreak back to where it needs to be and shut down transmission," Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a discussion with the Journal of the American Medical Association.

That should be encouragement enough to cover up.
Storyful

A pod of Hectors dolphins joined paddleboarders in Te Waewae Bay, New Zealand, recently shared video shows.Footage by Ross Harvey Trafford shows the dolphins swimming alongside and underneath paddleboarders off the southern coast of New Zealands South Island.New Zealands Department of Conservation lists Hectors dolphins as nationally vulnerable, meaning the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium term, reports said.There are about 15,000 Hectors dolphins over the age of one, the department said.The Department of Conservation has rules about flying drones near marine mammals. However, it said that Trafford was not in breach of them as this was an unplanned wildlife encounter, with the dolphins swimming into the frame of Traffords video. Credit: Ross Harvey Trafford via Storyful
Before her 28th birthday, Jacqueline Velez served two stints at the infamous Rikers Island. A single mother of three, 45-year-old Velez now works as a prison reform advocate, a writer whose work was recently published in O, The Oprah Magazine, and until recently, served as regional organizing director for U.S. Sen. Ed Markeys re-election campaign.

Velez gives off a warmth that makes a person feel at ease in her company. She speaks of her life, describing details from over 20 years ago as if they happened an hour ago.

This month, she left the Markey campaign to focus on other projects. She told MassLive that she still believes wholeheartedly in his politics but wanted to take some time out to evaluate her future opportunities.

When the protests that have erupted in towns and cities across the U.S. in reaction to police brutality Velez, a passionate civil-rights advocate, couldnt attend.

I dont have a spleen. When I was 20, I accidentally ran into a knife three times, Velez said, half-joking about her injuries. A natural storyteller, Velez leaves that statement in the wind as a prelude and will return to explain what she meant later.

Velez grew up on Starr Street in Brooklyn and refers to herself as a Nuyorican - a term for Puerto Rican people from New York. In the early 90s shortly after breaking up with her first boyfriend, 17-year-old Velez started skipping school and falling into the wrong crowd.

I started drinking liquor, beer, smoking cigarettes and smoking weed. At one point, I was hanging out with this group of guys and a group of girls and we kind of were a gang, said Velez. I didnt look at it that way back then but thats what we were.

During this time, she would sometimes sell drugs. She admits, however, she wasnt a very good at it but could always tell if a police officer was nearby because they stuck out in her neighborhood.

The only white people you saw were teachers, firefighters, cops and the people that came to [buy] heroin or crack. You did not see white people, said Velez. It was odd to see a white person walking about.

Although Velez said that she never sought out violence, she and her friends were involved in fighting other groups of youths from other city blocks who would come looking to cause trouble.

We end up starting to get into a fight with this group of girls. Now, after the fight we find out that this group of girls are the baddest girls in the whole hood, said Velez. So, we had to expect retaliation, but the thing was that we didnt start that fight.

Over the next couple of months, Velez and her friends are constantly in a state of readiness. Waiting to get jumped by this excessively aggressive group that had issues with Velezs gang.

I was getting pounded out on a regular basis, said Velez. One day my friend [Natasha] calls me and says, they just jumped me! She was crying saying that a bunch of girls jumped her at her school and we were like, Oh, were going over there to your house and then we going to go where theyre at. You know, to go fight over there.

Velez picked her friend up from her home with another friend. The three young women headed to the neighborhood of the aggressors.

[Natasha] ended up fighting; once, twice, three times. We like, all right, enough is enough. You got your s--- off, lets go, said Velez. [Natasha] was like, Im not done! [as three more] girls were approaching. So, then all three of us had to fight three of them.

The pursuit of these girls seemed crazy to Velez because she was in the block of the baddest girls in the whole hood. The longer they stayed, the more likely they would be overpowered by the numbers that could mobilize against them from the buildings.

I had a mustard yellow hoodie, recalled Velez. My whole body was covered in blood because the girl that hit me busted my nose.

But, I didnt lose the fight, Velez added with a small sense of pride as she remembered the girls name she fought. Her name was Tyson, like Mike Tyson, the boxer.

Jacqueline Velez has recently bought her home in Springfield where she lives with her two children and stepson. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Finally, Velez, with friends in tow, left the neighborhood and headed back to their block. As they left, her friend, who Velez looked up to at the time because of her fearless nature, started to call out to the beaten and bleeding girls on the curb.

[Natasha] was like, Oh come to Starr Street with that s---! We go and they follow, said Velez. When they come to follow, we end up having a fight.

Velez, now in her neighborhood, is tired from the various scraps and wants it to end it but the girl now grabbing at her hair and pounding on her is much bigger and isnt going to give up. At one point during the foray, someone passed Velez a razor blade to use if she needed it.

She could have flung me if she wanted to. But I gave her a fight, I was so tired of fighting and they were about to jump me again, said Velez remembering the moment that she would live to regret.

So, I cut her. I cut her in the face.

The girl was taken to the hospital and received 197 stitches on both cheeks and neck. Velez told MassLive that she cut a J into the left cheek of the girl.

That act of extreme violence would haunt her in later years. Velez eluded to believing in karma, the sum of a persons actions in this state of existence. Three weeks later Velez found herself in Rikers Island Jail. Still young and without the ability fully understanding her actions, the Karma that would change her life is still to take place.

Now, more than 150 miles from her old life and able to take a step back to see the woman she was and who she is now, that 17-year-old could be another person. Actions she took as a child seem so foreign to most. Most, however, didnt live on those streets in Brooklyn.

At no time does Velez try to excuse her actions. She owns the responsibility of those actions and each day works hard to push herself further and further away from the person she used to be.

Mom, Im going to jail.' She was so naive about it. Im like, Mom, Im going to jail. I cut this girl. Im going to jail.

Velez talks of trying to explain the consequences to her mother at the time. Her mother, in shock, couldnt grasp what was happening. Velez was taken to Rikers Island Jail as a 17-year-old juvenile after being identified by the girl with the stitches.

Being in her cell without other women calmed her slightly. During her time Velez kept to herself and avoided talking. Her time in jail was cut short after what Velez described as her legal aid lawyer was able to get the case dismissed.

At 17, and now with jail time at the infamous Rikers Island, Velez gained notoriety in her neighborhood and Brooklyn. She was now someone not to be trifled with, even more than before.

Jacqueline Velez shows the qualifications she had from school in New York City. Velez told MassLive that she was always a good student and did well. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

It made Velez see herself as the baddest girl in the hood and she wanted to nurture that image with her peers. Image was everything at that time.

A year passed and Velez was seen in her neighborhood as the personification of the Brooklyn toughness and wore her time at the jail like a badge of honor. She had the respect and camaraderie of people in her community.

Jacqueline Velez regrets the mistakes of her past but has grown from them. She is now the working on U.S. Sen. Ed Markey's re-election campaign. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Within the next year, she became pregnant with her boyfriend at the time.

As soon as he knew I was pregnant, he bought me a ring and a pair of big earrings, which was a thing, Velez said, laughing at the fashion of the time.

Things got worse for the young couple, however, and eventually they ended up homeless. Velezs mother begrudgingly took them in. She was always happy to have her daughter but she didnt like her boyfriend.

I figure out that I can go to a shelter and get an apartment before my babys born if I go now, said Velez. So, I told him, Listen, Im going to open a welfare case and through that, I can tell them Im homeless and go to a shelter. He tells me, Im not going with you because Im not going to another jail.

After serving prison time, her boyfriend had made a promise to himself he would never go back and saw shelters as another form of confinement.

Im not going to stay here and have a baby when the rats are bigger than my infant, said Velez. The rats were huge in New York.

On Dec. 9th, 1994, she was accepted into a shelter on 22nd Street and 8th Avenue. Eventually, her boyfriend was talked into joining her. The apartment had cockroaches, people in the corridors high on crack and heroin. Tuberculosis and HIV were common in the mid-90s. Velez was sure many in the building suffered from these afflictions. Her boyfriend was still dealing drugs at this time and Velez constantly worried and hoped that their child might change his ways.

I felt that [their daughter] was going to save his life. Like, that was my hope. That was my first instinct. This babys gonna save his life, she is going to get him off the street, Velez said.

Jacqueline Velez holds up one of her earliest pieces of writing. She was told by her teacher to write a diary. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Her boyfriend started to work two jobs seeking to support their growing family without risking jail time.

At full term, 20-year-old Velezs water broke and she was rushed to St. Vincents Hospital on 14th and 7th Avenue at 4 a.m. on Saturday, May 13. The labor was long and painful but finally Velezs first child was born on Mothers Day, May 14, 1995.

After almost 10 months of not being able to drink or party, Velez was eager to see her friends and hangout.

On June 16, just over a month after giving birth, Velez went for a night out with her friends. Velez said it was a celebration for her daughters birth and people were happy to supply her free drinks all night.

At one point in the evening, she saw the boyfriend of one of the girls who had jumped her in a park years before. She approached him, told him to leave and an argument ensued.

After arguing awhile, his tone changed, calm all of a sudden, he extended his hand as a show understanding and mutual respect.

Velez reciprocated.

He pulls me to him and stabs me three times, Velez recounts.

Jacqueline Velez was stabbed three times in 1995, a few days after giving birth to her daughter. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

On the third thrust, the knife pierced through her spleen and got stuck in her side.

He tried to stab me here straight [in the belly], but couldnt because I just gave birth and my stomach was jelly. So, when he wasnt able to do that, he stabbed me on the side, said Velez showing the scar. When I look down, I see the whole knife was inside of me.

Shocked at the suddenness of the attack she began to walk away across the street to her friends, all the while clutching the knife. In the struggle, Velez had grabbed the gold chain hanging around his neck and when they broke apart, she still had it wrapped around her arm.

He was coming at me and Im like what the f--- does he want? said Velez, not realizing that she had his chain on her arm. She thinks he wants his knife back. So, I take out the knife and I throw it at him.

She continued to make her way across the dark street toward her friends with him in pursuit. The pain, Velez said, had gotten much worse and blood was now flowing down her side after she wrenched the knife out.

When I get to [my friends] Im almost falling into their arms and I went to speak, but nothing came out, Velez said.

Velez was taken straight to the hospital in the back seat of a strangers car that her friends stopped in the street. During the drive, she feared she may never make it home to her newborn again.

When her boyfriend heard what had happened, he took to the streets to try and track the individual that had stabbed the mother of his child.

Jacqueline Velez is a regional organizing director for Senator Ed Markeys re-election campaign. She will receive her associate degree in June from Bard Microcollege Holyoke, and writes weekly with Voices From Inside, a group of formerly incarcerated women. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

In weeks following, he was shot six times -- once in the neck and five times in the torso on the streets of Brooklyn. Tears fill Velezs eyes when she talks about her daughters father.

While recovering from the rupture of her spleen followed by the death of her daughters father, she started to think of the violent cutting of her initial on the left cheek of the girl in her neighborhood as a 17-year-old.

That girl got a hundred ninety-seven stitches. I [was] just feeling a lot of bad, said Velez who now feels a deep remorse and regret at the act of violence and permanent scar her actions left. The scars from the stabbing can be covered, the scars Velez gave cant and that still plays on her mind.

The years go by and Velez worked low-paying jobs to make ends met.

In 2003, Velez lost her job. This was the turning point.

I lost my job and I get on employment and my daughter sees me crying and says, Why are you crying? and I said, Mommy lost her job and I cant pay for your ballet classes, said Velez. We cant go have fun for a little while until Mommy gets another job.

Velez told MassLive how heartbroken she felt telling her daughter this news and said how amazed she was by her 8-year-old daughters wisdom when she turned and said, Why you dont go back to school?

So, I said, you know what? said Velez. Im going back to school and Ill figure [money issues] out later.

Money was always going to be an issue and Velez searched for months to find work but to no avail.

At 28, Velez was sent back to Rikers Island for holding packages of drugs in her apartment. Although she had made a promise to herself and her daughter, money, or the lack of it, had pulled her back into the world of crime. She was caught holding a stash of drugs in her apartment for a local dealer.

While in the back of a police cruiser in handcuffs, Velez could only think of how she had let her daughter down.

I was devastated I was dying inside, said Velez. Right there in that moment when I knew I was going to jail.

During her second time at Rikers Island Jail, she was put into solitary confinement for 20 days for fighting.

Wanting to move away from the negative influences Velez felt were in New York City she traveled to Springfield. In 2004, she arrived in Massachusetts.

She has had a passion for writing since she was 12 years old when a teacher would give her books to read to inspire and develop her. According to Velez, the teacher was breaking school policy in doing this. It was secret between her and a person in her life she respected, which made her feel special and like she had something to offer.

Jacqueline Velez wasa regional organizing director for Senator Ed Markeys re-election campaign. She received her associate degree in June from Bard Microcollege Holyoke and writes weekly with Voices From Inside, a group of formerly incarcerated women. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Velez enrolled in the Bard Microcollege in Holyoke where she came across the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. He wrote about solitude and that struck a chord with Velez.

I fell in love with it, Velez said and she always keeps a copy on her bedside table.

It was clear that like most humans of heart, [Velez] has a lot of depth and a lot of human comprehension and was very interested in questions about being a human and what does this mean? said Anne Teschner, executive director of the Care Center where the Bard Microcollege is housed. She brought to the story a very deep gate of curiosity. We cant claim credit for that.

Velez said that she has been inspired to look at the world through a different lens and also look at her own life for inspiration.

The teacher asked, or she said something that made me think about the 20 days I spent in solitary confinement, said Velez. Shes like, Oh my God, you should write about that.

Her writing on her experience was published in Oprah Magazine on May 5, I Survived 20 Days in Solitary ConfinementHeres How I Got Through.

Jacqueline Velez shows the first published piece of writing of hers. Velez told MassLive that writing has been a passion of hers since a young age. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Bard Microcollege is the first college in the nation set up to serve young mothers and low-income women. Housed in the Care Center in Holyoke, small groups of women living in Chicopee, Holyoke and Springfield with a high school diploma or GED can work to earn an associate degree from Bard College.

Built to support their students, school grants cover not only the cost of tuition and books for the students but also offer transportation, child care and meals for students and their children.

I feel like crying thinking about it, said Velez. I almost dont want to leave the program because there is no other place like it, but they have given me the tools I need to get to the next level.

Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook orTwitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364.
You can turn your back now and you can keep your club in your hand, but you cannot beat down justice. And we will register to vote because as citizens of these United States we have the right to do it, Vivian declared, wagging his index finger at Sheriff Jim Clark as the cameras rolled.
RICHMOND  Laura Efford, a preschool teacher in Albemarle County, is anxiously awaiting September, when her Bright Stars classroom (an early childhood education program based in some local elementary schools) is scheduled to reopen.

A lot of what we do in preschool is learning through play, she said. Building with blocks and all that stuff. But shes having a hard time visualizing what her classroom will look like come fall under the states Phase III guidelines for child care providers, which lay out a series of rigorous health recommendations for reopening.

Those include six-foot social distancing between children, robust sanitation practices and cloth face coverings for staff and students over the age of two. For children under four, group size is limited to 12, including teachers (that increases to 22 for children four and older). Those groups should not mix, per the recommendations, and individual play is strongly encouraged.

The guidelines have left Efford with several unanswered questions. How can she make sure a group of four-year-olds keeps their masks on all day? How does she tell her students that they cant hug each other in the classroom? And how can she implement the guidelines without losing the basic tenets of early childhood education, which emphasizes social and emotional development?

Then there are logistical questions about running a preschool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efford said theres a quarantine room reserved at Scottsville Elementary School, where her program is based, for any student who starts showing signs of COVID-19 on campus. But she said she still hasnt seen a detailed plan on what would happen if the school had a confirmed case. And what if she came down with symptoms? Shed need a substitute for at least a few days before the results came back, and we have a countywide sub shortage, Efford said. If she did get COVID, she knows she would be expected to quarantine. But what about her young students?

Thats a huge question for me and I havent heard any answers along those lines, Efford said. Nor has she gotten guidance from the school about ways to change her curriculum to adapt to the new guidance.

Like many providers, her feelings right now are mixed. While some of the guidelines seem strange or almost unworkable (Efford wonders what shell do for students who cant tie their own shoes), theyre also one of the only clear protections against new infections. Scientific evidence on COVID-19 transmission among schoolchildren is still mixed, and Efford said shes not confident that the state has enough testing and tracing resources to keep people safe.

As the debate over how to reopen K-12 schools continues to rage across Virginia, child care providers have been notably absent from the discussion. Unlike schools, day care facilities and preschools were never required to close. In fact, in the first several weeks of the pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam encouraged providers to stay open to care for children of essential workers.

But parents and providers say navigating the guidelines has become an increasing challenge, especially as the rest of the state opens back up. As of July 14, 2,261 of Virginias more than 6,000 child care care centers had closed  nearly 40 percent, according to the Virginia Department of Social Services, which regulates child care programs.

Only 664 of those closed centers have contacted the agency to provide a reopening date, spokeswoman Cletisha Lovelace wrote in a Wednesday email. Its created a conundrum for many working parents, who are increasingly being asked to return to work with no clear options for child care.

Are you going to be drawing straws? said Andrew Pennock, an assistant professor of public policy at the University of Virginia. Because thats pretty crazy. Another problem, he pointed out, is that the states guidelines are forcing some facilities to reduce class sizes even if they do remain open. Pennock said his familys co-op preschool in Charlottesville had to reduce enrollment from 26 students to 20  almost a quarter of the schools normal capacity.

Which means, in practice, that weve reduced our tuition as well, he said. Were going to run a deficit this year because of that and because weve had to hire extra staff. So, if we didnt have an endowment, we wouldnt be financially solvent.

Child care providers across Virginia are facing similar challenges. Class size limits and new no-mixing policies are likely to become some of the biggest hurdles for providers, most of whom already operate on razor-thin margins, according to one study on the impacts of COVID-19 on early education in Louisiana. While some providers in the survey expressed concerns over finding crucial materials such as hand sanitizer, disinfectant cleaners and gloves, the price of those items would likely be far outweighed by staffing costs and reduced enrollment fees, said Anna Markowitz, an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Education and Information Studies.

Moving forward, those costs will still exist, but theyll be small relative to the changed operational costs that come around with new rules and regulations, added Markowitz, who collaborated with UVA researchers on the study. Reducing class size has an obvious effect on enrollment, but guidelines preventing groups of children from mixing also has an impact on staffing, she said. In Virginia, like most states, licensed child care providers have to follow set staff-to-children ratios, which are highest for babies and toddlers.

So, a director might have to plan for the maximum number of infants showing up, Markowitz said. But if they dont show up that day, not only do they lose that revenue, but they also have to pay this teacher. Normally, they could flip them into another classroom, but instead, they kind of just have to be there. Because they cant go work with other kids. Its a particular challenge for state-subsidized providers, who typically receive funding based on enrollment.

The states $70 million allocation of CARES Act funding was intended to help mitigate some of those costs. According to VDSS, the state increased the number of paid absences for subsidized child care providers through April, May and June, allowing them to receive reimbursements even if their programs were closed. They also provided grants to child care centers that remained open and followed the states safety guidelines. Northam even set aside $500,000 for local school districts who stepped in to provide emergency child care during the closures (though none of the states 132 school divisions have taken advantage of the funding, according to Charles Pyle, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Education).

A total of 2,566 programs have been approved to receive CARES Act grant, according to Lovelace. But Emily Griffey, policy director for the child advocacy group Voices for Virginias Children, said some providers are reporting that they still havent received their funding. Distributions were also capped at $100 times half the licensed capacity at each facility for April, May and June (for example, $2,500 per month for a provider with a capacity of 50 children or $600 for a capacity of 12).

So, for smaller providers, thats clearly not making up what you would normally have received from tuition, Griffey said. VDSS reported that it awarded just over $23 million through its 2,566 grants, but its unclear how the remaining funding will be distributed.

If the subsidies arent extended past June, Griffey said providers will continue to struggle. At the federal level, theres proposed legislation to increase funding for child care, but the future of the bill is still uncertain.

There is a real concern that eventually places will shutter and eventually families will not have a place to send their kids, Markowitz said. The calls for bailing out child care that youre starting to see  thats really what its about. Its saying, This is not going to work. Theres going to be massive closures.

The Center for American Progress has estimated that up to 45 percent of Virginias child care capacity could close without adequate support. Pennock said there are ongoing questions over whether Virginias reopening guidelines are financially feasible for providers, a concern echoed by working parents whose daycares have closed or reduced class sizes.

But both Griffey and Markowitz pointed out that its difficult to avoid safety restrictions amid ongoing concerns over whether in-person classes are safe for students and teachers. Griffey said shes heard from child care providers in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads region who experienced cases of COVID-19  among both children and staff  and received inconsistent guidance from their local health departments on how long to close and how siblings should be treated. While the Virginia Department of Health lists outbreaks in educational settings on its public dashboard, its refused to provide a breakdown of how many cases have occurred in preschools, colleges, or K-12 schools.

Some parents just arent ready to send their children back to daycare. Efford said her program typically has between 10 to 12 students enrolled, but so far this year, only six have signed up. Samantha Spinney, an education researcher in Fairfax County, said the daycare where she sent her two-year-old son closed temporarily in March but plans to reopen this August. A couple weeks after it closed, she and her husband had their second child, which helped them decide not to re-enroll for the next year or so.

We ended up hiring a nanny instead to minimize our risk, especially since we have a newborn, Spinney wrote in an email on Tuesday.

For other parents, the shortage of child care options has become a significant source of stress. Haley Feldhaus, who works at a fitness center in Northern Virginia, said she was furloughed after gyms in Virginia closed, which allowed her to care for her two sons  then in preschool and first grade  while their schools were shut down. Now that shes back at work, shes juggling child care and her job and wondering what to do if school goes fully remote in the fall.

If I have to quit my job, my family will be okay, she said. But not every mom has that luxury, and theres really no solutions being offered for two-parent working households. The conversation is not even being had. And thats the frustration for me. What Im hearing is that, Okay, in 2020, I can either have kids or have a job, but not both.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek travelled to Minsk soon after he was suspended and may still be in Belarus or Russia, a German magazine reported on Saturday. Marsalek, a central figure in the collapse of the German payments company, remains at large but his whereabouts have been a mystery. Der Spiegel cited travel information it had obtained in cooperation with Bellingcat and other investigative outfits

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek travelled to Minsk soon after he was suspended and may still be in Belarus or Russia, a German magazine reported on Saturday.

Marsalek, a central figure in the collapse of the German payments company, remains at large but his whereabouts have been a mystery.

Der Spiegel cited travel information it had obtained in cooperation with Bellingcat and other investigative outfits.

Marsalek arrived at Minsk airport at 2 minutes past midnight on June 19, Der Spiegel reported. So far, no departure has been registered in an immigration data bank, which Der Spiegel said suggested Marsalek remains in Belarus or Russia.

There are limited border controls between the two countries.

The law firm representing Marsalek didn't immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.

In the immediate aftermath of Wirecard's collapse, there had been speculation that Marsalek was in the Philippines.

Wirecard filed for insolvency last month owing creditors 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion) after disclosing a 1.9 billion euro hole in its accounts that its auditor EY said was the result of a sophisticated global fraud.

(Reporting by Tom Sims; Editing by David Holmes)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
British scientists developing a vaccine against COVID-19 won't make the jab in the United States in case the Trump administration insists it is used to protect America first.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Professor Robin Shattock, who has just started clinical trials of a prototype vaccine at Imperial College London, said he had been urged by the government to make the vaccine in the UK.

The White House recently cornered the global supply of the US-made coronavirus treatment Remdesivir, leading to fears that vaccines made on American soil could be prevented from being exported.

Professor Shattock said: "One of the things that sounds alarm bells is the nationalism of wanting to buy things out.

"Luckily we are not making our vaccine in the United States.

"It is a deliberate policy, it is something we were encouraged to do by the UK government, to make sure there is capacity in the UK for manufacturing.

"It would be naive to think there won't be a scramble for the first vaccine shown to work. But it's important there is equitable access globally."

The Imperial vaccine is one of 23 prototypes now in clinical trials around the world, with a further 140 in early development. Sky News will track their progress in the coming months as part of a new project called Race for a Vaccine.

"Definitely there is pressure to deliver," said Professor Shattock.

"We recognise how much we need to prevent fatalities and get the economy up and running again. [The pandemic] has affected everybody's life."

The UK government is confident that Russian state-sponsored hackers have attempted to disrupt British vaccine trials or even steal the formula.

But Professor Shattock downplayed the risk.

He said: "What we are more concerned about, and the world will wake up to very soon, is as soon as one vaccine works there will be the issue of fake vaccine.

"If people cannot access the (real) vaccine there will be people who say they have a special deal. People will seek to profiteer out of selling fake vaccines to vulnerable populations.

Story continues

"The best way to solve that problem is the world community coming together and making a real vaccine as fast as possible at an affordable price."

The Imperial vaccine, code-named LNP-nCoVsaRNA, contains a short section of the genetic material RNA from the virus that causes COVID-19.

The RNA is taken up by muscle cells near the injection site, which then produce large quantities of a viral protein that should stimulate an immune response to protect against the real virus.

Sky News was given access to Professor Shattock's laboratory to film scientists analysing volunteers' blood samples for antibodies and T-cells, which are another key part of the immune system.

There are no safety concerns so far, but the Imperial scientists won't reveal whether volunteers make high levels of antibodies that can neutralise the virus.

"It's too early to say," said Professor Shattock.

"We're very resistant to leaking early information. We've seen other companies trying to leak information and influence share prices."

A small number of healthy volunteers are being given the vaccine as part of a phase 1 safety trial, but the team hopes to quickly progress to much larger studies within weeks to test whether the vaccine protects against the virus.

It's likely those trials will take place in South Africa and Brazil, where the COVID-19 epidemic is out of control.

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Although Imperial currently trails behind the Jenner Institute in Oxford and the US company Moderna, which have both completed phase 1 studies of their prototype vaccines, the team is confident they can catch up.

The amount of RNA needed in the vaccine is just a thousandth of a thousandth of a gram - and 10 million doses a week could be made in a small manufacturing facility.

Professor Shattock believes the first COVID-19 vaccines will be available in the first half of next year, but warned it's unwise to bet on which one of the many candidates will be first.

"There is always a danger of over-promising," he said. "It's better to under-promise and over-deliver.

"There is no certainty for any individual candidate. But there is a high chance of success because globally we have so many candidates."
Those with recent travel history to Australia's Victoria state, Japan and Hong Kong to serve SHN in dedicated facilities: Lawrence Wong

Given the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in various places, Singapore is changing the requirements for travellers with recent travel history to the State of Victoria in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong.

Those with recent travel history or transit in these areas will now be required to serve their Stay-Home Notices at dedicated facilities instead of their own place of residence.

"This will apply to all travellers with recent travel history in these three areas, entering Singapore after 11.59pm on July 19," said Minister Lawrence Wong, co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce on COVID-19.

Minister Lawrence Wong, Co-chair of the multi-ministry taskforce on COVID-19. Photo courtesy: MCI

"The external environment remains one where the virus is spreading very quickly, and even in countries that had controlled the virus successfully before are now seeing resurgence of cases," Wong added.

"The cases from overseas coming in through our borders represent another risk for us, even as we clear the dormitory cases."

Singapore's overall advisory remains for residents to avoid all travel, Wong said. "The long and short of it is [that] the fight against COVID-19 is not over."
South Africa: Emulate Mandela, urges Parliament

Parliament has called on citizens to emulate President Nelson Mandelas values and principles.

Madiba's revolutionary life has taught us that, with resilience, courage and determination, we can overcome even the most challenging battles, said Parliament in a statement on Saturday.

These remarks comes as the country joins the world in celebrating Mandela Day amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite rising COVID-19 cases, Parliament said South Africans must have hope for the future.

The choices we make individually, and collectively, should reflect our hope that we will win this fight against this virus. Choosing to stay at home or going out only to get essential goods, while observing all hygiene protocols, is a reflection of our collective hope that we are working to survive beyond the inconveniences brought about by the disease, Parliament said.

Parliament further urged every person living in South Africa to ensure that whatever action they take is for the common good.

The regulations that the government has put in place are designed to minimise the spread of the virus. We must follow the exemplary, selfless leadership of Tata Madiba and his peers, and put the health of all around us at home and in our communities first.

Parliament also noted that with collective effort, the country is in a comparatively much better situation than many countries.

However, people must still observe social distancing, wash hands regularly, and wear protective equipment like masks and face shields.

It added that the post-Coronavirus period will require all to find ways to help the economy to recover and to reinstate lost livelihoods of the majority, while also continuing efforts to bring about a just and equitable society.

We stand in solidarity with all the unsung and selfless heroes at the forefront of the battle against this cruel and devastating enemy, such as doctors, nurses, scientists, police officers, amongst others. It is in the hands of all of us, united in our diversity, to make a difference and build a truly free, democratic and prosperous nation, it said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
DES MOINES -- Theresa Greenfields $6 million haul was the best-ever by an Iowa Democrat, her campaign said.

But Republican Joni Ernst emerged with the healthier campaign account, sitting on more than $9 million that her campaign said is a record in its own right.

And were just getting started, folks.

The end of June closed the books on the first federal campaign fundraising period of the 2020 general election, and reports were filed Wednesday.

An examination of the fundraising reports for Ernst and Greenfield, the top candidates in Iowas competitive and critical U.S. Senate race, reveals who raised the big bucks, who raised the little bucks, and where they got all that money from.

Greenfield, a Des Moines businesswoman and the Democratic challenger, raised just more than $6 million in the period, which covered April through June. Her campaign claimed it was a record haul for a Democrat running for the Senate in Iowa.

More importantly, Greenfields haul was $2.4 million more than what Ernst raised in the same period, despite what typically is an incumbents advantage.

This newest embarrassment for Sen. Ernst is the latest sign Iowans are ready for change, Greenfield campaign spokesman Sam Newton said in an emailed statement.

But the situation is far from dire for Ernst, the Republican from Red Oak who is finishing her first, six-year term in the Senate. She ended June with more than $9.1 million still in her account, a total that her campaign claims is $3 million more than the previous highest such figure for any recent Iowa candidate.

Ernsts campaign hits the summer months with a $3.5 million advantage over Greenfield, who was forced to spend money during the period in the lead-up to the states June 2 primary election. Greenfield was in a four-way Democratic primary race, while Ernst was unchallenged.

Team Joni is energized by the grassroots momentum that continues to build as Joni crisscrosses the state and visits with Iowans, Ernst campaign spokesman Brendan Conley said in an emailed statement.

Iowas U.S. Senate race between Ernst and Greenfield is expected to be competitive and contentious. The race is drawing national attention because its outcome figures to play a critical role in determining which political party emerges from the November 3 election with a Senate majority.

Political forecasters predict a close race. Larry Sabatos Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report rate the race as leaning in Ernsts favor, while Inside Elections, Politico and the Niskanen Center all see the race as a toss-up.

The most recent public polling on the race, in early June from Selzer & Company with the Des Moines Register, and Public Policy Polling, showed a close race with Greenfield in a slight lead within the polls margins for error.

For this story, the bureau examined the candidates July Quarterly and Pre-Primary federal fundraising reports.

IOWA DONORS

Candidates will go wherever they can to raise money --- and both Ernst and Greenfield did. But how did each do in their home state of Iowa? They had close to the same number of Iowa donors, but Greenfields supporters apparently had slightly deeper pockets.

Ernst recorded 2,873 donations from Iowans during the period for a total of nearly $645,000, an average of $224 per donation, according to an examination of the fundraising records.

Greenfield collected 2,543 donations from Iowans for a total of $1.6 million, an average of $616 per donation.

BIG-MONEY DONORS

Greenfield has famously made the pledge to not accept donations from corporate donor groups known as PACs, a promise Republicans have disputed. Regardless, other types of PACs are certainly helping Greenfields cause.

She received 40 donations of at least $3,000 from myriad PACs during the cycle, including two big donations totaling nearly $46,000 from Secure Our Senate, a PAC supporting a handful of Democratic U.S. Senate candidates.

But the biggest PAC supporting Greenfield has been Emilys List, an advocacy group that works to get Democratic women elected to public office. Emilys List donated nearly $157,000 to Greenfield during the period, records show.

Ernst received 48 donations of at least $3,000 from PACs. The Vote Sane PAC, which supports Republican U.S. Senate candidates, donated nearly $62,000 to Ernst. The Pro-Israel America PAC donated more than $43,000 to Ernst, and the Republican Jewish Coalition donated more than $32,000.

GRASSROOTS DONORS

Ernst outpaced Greenfield among low-dollar donors. Ernst received 15,890 donations of $50 or less, totaling more than $458,000.

Greenfield received 12,309 donations of $50 or less, totaling more than $235,000.

ONLINE DONORS

ActBlue has been an online fundraising gold mine for Democratic candidates in recent cycles. Donors used the online portal to donate $1.6 billion to Democratic candidates in the 2018 election, and another $1 billion in 2019.

Greenfield drew $2.7 million from nearly 10,000 donations through ActBlue during the recent fundraising period.

Republicans have attempted to duplicate the ActBlue template with their own online fundraising mechanism, WinRed.

Ernst received just more than $1 million from nearly 10,000 WinRed donations.

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ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. (AP)  A Florida police officer shot and wounded a 19-year-old Black man who had just attacked another officer, authorities said.

Jaden Domani Perkins was shot outside a Panera Bread restaurant Thursday morning in Atlantic Beach, the Florida Times-Union reported. Atlantic Beach is located east of Jacksonville.

Restaurant employees had called police about a man causing a disturbance in the parking lot, officials said. Perkins attacked the first arriving officer, knocking him unconscious, Interim Chief Victor Gualillo said. Perkins was still stomping the officers head when a second officer arrived and ordered him to the ground, authorities said.

Perkins initially complied but then got back up and refused commands to halt, officials said. Perkins rushed the officer and tried to grab his gun, prompting the officer to fire one shot, the chief said.

Perkins was hospitalized in serious condition. The first officer also was hospitalized with severe head and facial injuries.

Perkins faces an attempted murder charge, police said.

Officials did not identify the officers involved or their races.

Jail records did not list an attorney for Perkins.
Remember the days of rooms filled with matching wood toneseverything purchased from a matching set and displayed exactly as they were arranged in the furniture showroom? Thankfully, those days are long gone.

The trend these days is more eclectic, and filling your rooms with a mix of wood tones is not only allowedit's also encouraged! But after decades of believing that everything has to match just so, it can be challenging to retrain your brain to make smart and somewhat unconventional design choices.

How do you match wood tones that don't, well, match? How far is too far when it comes to mixing it up?

We understand your confusion, and we're here to help. We went straight to our interior design experts to find out their best tips for mixing wood tones, and how to translate these tips into your space.

There aren't any strict rules (and that's the fun of it), but here are a few guidelines to get you started in the right direction.

1. Consider your floor

Your floor literally serves as the base of your room, so you can't leave it out of the equationespecially if your floors are wood.

Megan Thompson, owner of Denver-based interior design firm Spark Interiors, cautions against having your furniture pieces match too closely with the floor, or else they risk blending together.

"Make those furnishings stand out by creating a contrast between the furniture and the flooring," she explains. "Does your floor have a light stain to it? If so, you should add darker furniture to the space to add a nice contrast to the room."

Thompson also suggests considering an area rug, even though it may mean covering up some of that gorgeous floor.

"You could have a lot of different-colored wood furnishings in your room, but an area rug would be the perfect backdrop to tie the room together," she explains. "It would act as common ground underneath all your chairs and table legs, which can create a pleasant transition between the seating area and the wood floor."

2. Understand the undertones

Mixing different types of wood like a pro means paying attention to the dominant wood tone in a room. This will typically be your hardwood floors, cabinets, or large pieces of furniture. Then identify the undertone.

Most wood varietieslike walnut, oak, or cherryhave warm undertones, but you can also see the occasional cool undertone in wood that has been stained.

"If you're OK with a bit of contrast, include darker woods like Brazilian cherry or mahogany alongside lighter woods like natural birch or pine," says Rex Chatterjee, creative director of Dune Road Lifestyle.

3. Pay attention to the wood grain

Photo by Studio Schicketanz

"Color isnt the only thing that matters when designing with multiple wood tones," explains Mark Scott, President of MARK IV Builders. "Its important to remember to feature a mix of wood grain patterns such as stripes, swirls, and flame-like shapes to add visual interest in your design.

"If youre looking to create a rustic design, use larger wood grains. For a more polished, formal look, use smaller ones," he adds.

4. Don't go overboard

Photo by Wall2Wall Interiors, LLC

Despite what you have heard, you can have too much of a good thingand that's also true with mixing wood finishes.

"The last thing you want your design to do is make the room look chaotic because theres too many wood colors," says Scott. "Keep your choices to two or three wood finishes so everything throughout the space looks balanced."

5. Don't forget about painted woods

Painted wood finds are everywhere you look these days, from boutique shops to yard sales, and they're perfect for a space full of mixed wood tones.

"Painted and distressed vintage finds add great character to your spaces," says Kathryn Nelson, principal and interior designer at Kathryn Nelson Design. "They make for fun conversation pieces."

6. Remember: It's not all about wood

Photo by Peruri Design Company

Reality check: No one wants a room that's nothing but wood.

"Incorporate upholstered furniture or acrylic accessories to soften and add visual interest to the space," says Keira Schultz, interior designer and principal at KSDesigns, in Arizona. "This will complement all those multiple wood finishes."

The post The Right Way To Mix Wood Furniture and Finishes: 6 Tips From Design Experts appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
LANGFORD, B.C.British Columbias premier is apologizing for comments he made Thursday comparing the COVID-19 pandemic to the provinces ongoing opioid crisis.

B.C. set a new record of 175 overdose deaths in June, surpassing the record just set in May and about 5,000 people have died since the province declared a public health emergency in 2016.

Advocates have questioned whether the opioid crisis has been overshadowed by the pandemic, despite occurring for longer and with a higher death toll.

John Horgan told reporters Friday that he mischaracterized the challenges of addiction.

He says he knows addictions come from a place of despair and trauma and he regrets that while trying to get a point across about two completely different issues he spoke longer than he should have.

On Thursday, he told reporters that drug users initially make the choice to use and then they become dependent.

Thats not my point of view. I mischaracterized the situation and I regret that very much.

Health Minister Adrian Dix defended Horgan, saying the premier has been a staunch advocate for those struggling with addiction.

Horgan said Thursday that he supported Canadas police chiefs suggestion that small amounts of drugs should be decriminalized. He said the federal government needed to get behind a national plan.

If youre addicted, youre not a criminal, Horgan said.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, who has also called for the decriminalization of people who possess small amounts of drugs, said there are many reasons why people use drugs.

Nobody grows up thinking I want to be addicted to substances, I want to have a substance use disorder, I want to have this controlling my life,  she said.

The B.C. Liberal critic for mental health and addictions said the comments are some of the most upsetting shes heard and called on Judy Darcy, the minister of mental health and addictions, to disavow them.

When a premier says that ... addiction is a choice, I think all of the people that do suffer from mental health and addictions would consider that not just inappropriate but insulting and hurtful, Jane Thornthwaite said in an interview.

She also called on Horgan to issue a stronger apology to drug users and their family members for his comments.

Karen Ward, a longtime advocate and emergency response communications co-ordinator with the City of Vancouver said Horgans comments take several steps backwards in the understanding of substance use.

People are aware that theyre not in the best place, she said. Theyre just not doing great, theyve run out of options.

Ward says Horgans comments show he needs to engage more with the drug user community to better understand their situation.
The Week In Russia: The Kremlin And The World Out There

By Steve Gutterman July 17, 2020

With the coronavirus crisis and President Vladimir Putin's push for the option of seeking two more terms, as well as planning for the postponed Victory Day military parade, the Kremlin seemed to turn its attention inward in the past few weeks and months.

And after a weeklong vote that was marred by criticism and fraud claims cemented the constitutional changes, the authorities have been busy trying to tamp down anger over the prospect of Putin potentially remaining president until 2036 and, evidence suggests, to establish tighter control in preparation for the coming years amid what promises to be persistent political uncertainty.

But a series of events, reports, and accusations have come as a stark reminder of the Russian state's assertive actions abroad, from military operations in the Middle East and alleged election-meddling in the West to the search for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Over the past two years, Putin's falling poll ratings and the country's troubling economic developments have led to speculation that the Kremlin might take some big, aggressive step beyond its borders in hopes of a new "Crimea bump"  a reference to the surge of popularity the president enjoyed when Russia sent in troops and seized control of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

That hasn't happened.

For example, despite a comment in which Putin said that nations splitting from the disintegrating Soviet Union took "a huge amount of Russian land" with them and suggested they should have left without these "gifts from the Russian people" -- a remark that may have seemed both chilling and off base to many in former Soviet republics other than Russia, which was one of the engineers of the 1991 breakup of the U.S.S.R.  Moscow has made no apparent move to encroach physically on Belarus or Kazakhstan or to help the separatists it backs in eastern Ukraine push westward and take control of more territory.

However, several developments in the past week have served to revive discussion of what the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), James Gilmore, said were "Russia's actionsto undermine states' freely chosen alliances and partnerships, disrupt democratic governance, fuel societal intolerance, impugn international support for independent civil society, and foment military insecurity."

Power And Will

On July 15, the U.S. military command in Africa accused the Kremlin-connected military contractor Vagner Group of planting land mines and other explosive devices in Libya, where Moscow backs strongman Khalifa Haftar in the battle against the UN-recognized National Accord government, in violation of a UN arms embargo.

Vagner's "irresponsible tactics are prolonging conflict and are responsible for the needless suffering and the deaths of innocent civilians," U.S. Marine Corps Major General Bradford Gering, director of operations of the U.S. Africa Command, said in a statement. "Russia has the power to stop them, just not the will."

On the same day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States had imposed sanctions on three people and five companies connected to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-linked businessman who controls Vagner and an array of organizations that Western governments say conduct various forms of interference abroad, in an attempt to curb his "destabilizing global activity."

Pompeo said the new measures target entities that have enabled Prigozhin to operate in Sudan, where he said the businessman's role "highlights the interplay between Russia's paramilitary operations, support for preserving authoritarian regimes, such as that of former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and exploitation of natural resources."

More Meddling?

Existing U.S. sanctions are aimed at reining in Prigozhin and several organizations linked to him, including Vagner and the Internet Research Agency, which U.S. officials accuse of carrying out online media influence operations as part of Russia's alleged campaign of interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

An echo of those bygone days reverberated in the form of a July 11 article in The Washington Post by Robert Mueller, the former Justice Department special counsel who investigated Russia's actions.

Mueller's article focused on Roger Stone, whose prison sentence for a conviction on charges of lying to Congress and witness tampering was commuted by President Donald Trump. But it served as a reminder that  despite Putin's frequent but sometimes winking, "Who, me?" denials -- U.S. officials repeatedly reported finding evidence of a concerted Russian state campaign to meddle in the electoral process.

"We now have a detailed picture of Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election," Mueller wrote.

Crucial parts of that alleged campaign were conducted by hackers, and Western governments say efforts to meddle in elections continue. On July 16, the British government said that "Russian groups almost certainly sought to interfere" in 2019 general elections in the United Kingdom by stealing and leaking documents related to British-U.S. trade talks.

On the same day, Russia was also accused of conducting cyberattacks with a different aim: the theft of COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world.

The British National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) said that a hacking group called APT29, which it said "almost certainly operate[s] as part of [the] Russian Intelligence Services," has targeted organizations involved in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine in Britain, Canada, and the United States.

'Abject Failure'

Mark Galeotti, a writer on Russia and a senior associate fellow at the British-based Royal United Services Institute, said that the alleged cyberattacks help reveal the motives of the Kremlin, which "seeks to distract, divide, and demoralize us, to acquire leverage and maybe make a quick buck in the process"-- and that they also expose the limits of its current capabilities.

The leaked document was used in the 2019 campaign by Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party leader at the time, who "then went on to the largest election defeat since 1935," Galeotti wrote in a July 16 article in the British publication The Spectator. "If the aim was to influence the election in any meaningful way, this must count as an abject failure."

Still, Galeotti warned that the alleged attacks were a "wake-up call," in part because while "the Russian threat has failed to live up to its true potential, with attacks that are often dangerous in intent but impotent in practice," that could change.

A more worrisome prospect, he suggested, is that "the technical vulnerabilities evident in these cases could be exploited by other, sharper, better-resourced, and even more ruthless enemies in the future, such as Beijing."

"Perversely, we perhaps ought to thank Putin for the wake-up call, if it allows us to address these weaknesses before they lead to much more serious consequences," Galeotti wrote.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/the-week-in- russia-the-kremlin-and-the-world- out-there/30733476.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Nature has been merciless, its fury constantly pillaging their homes and land increasingly transforming them into climate-refugees in Indias northeastern state of Assam. But it is not just the vagaries of nature that has pushed many such penurious landless persons to the edge of survival, the coronavirus contagion induced lockdown is driving most families towards a situation of utter despair and a sense of insecurity.

The worst affected among them are people that resides on the chars (river islands or mid-channel bars) on the river Brahmaputra and especially those whose identity is constantly under a cloud of doubt, assumed to be of Bangladeshi origin and who failed the various citizenship tests that are in place. They are among the more than 1.3 million people who have been affected by the floodwaters with many having been uprooted from their homes, albeit the script that informs their plight is much different from the others.

Take the case of 47-year-old Gajibur of Pampara Char in Barpeta. His situation is one of utter indigence. He survives on mercy from people, having lost his land to the Brahmaputra, his belongings and his cattle and goats to pay his lawyers fees, cover costs of his travel, to attend NRC hearings which were organised within extremely short timeframe just before completion of the final list. Its all upon the almighty now to help people like me, he says. He is one among over two million people in Assam who are staring at possible statelessness if they fail to meet produce documentary evidence of their claim to citizenship.

All seven members of Gajiburs family have been left out of the final list and he was hoping to do the legwork for extra kagaj (papers) or documents to defend his case, but his sudden illness had come as a big blow for the family. Like Gajibur, residents of the chars in Barpeta are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims and are assumed to be illegal migrants from bordering Bangladesh, even though most of them have been residents here for generations.

The current situation arising out of the coronavirus crisis and the raging floods has only made it worse, as these excluded families are made to live a hellish experience every day. Forhad Bhuyan, a local social worker who has led a series of volunteer relief work in various chars such as Tarabari, Koltoli, Jhatrabiya, Morichakandi and Lakhipur in Barpeta, paints a bleak picture of the lives of the residentsof these semi-aquatic habitats. Firstly, the lockdown prevented them taking their agricultural produces  paddy, vegetables, sugarcane and jute  to the market and now the floods have washed away everything, Bhuyan says, adding that many such families are already reeling under the pressure of the citizenship test that they are having to go through.

With access to most of these chars almost cut off, it has been impossible for government relief to reach the affected families. Scenes of people using country boats and rafts made out of banana trees to ferry themselves across to higher grounds for shelter is all that is visible across the vast expanse of the flooded Brahmaputra river.

It isnt easy to fathom the magnitude of their pain and anxieties, unless you experience it, says Asraful Hussian, another social activist from Barpeta, as he explains the twin impact of the lockdown and the deluge on the financial conditions of the char inhabitants. Practically all the families with an average size of six persons in each are poor and dependent usually on one or two earning male members who work as daily wage labourers. For the past two years many among these families have been trying to organise their finances carefully, saving reasonable amounts to pay for their lawyers and other costs which were incurred during the proceduralism of NRC exercise.

Stories of embattled families selling off their land, cattle and belongings to bail themselves or a family member from being a foreigner or left out of the NRC, have been all over the media. Not much has changed since then for such groupings of citizens who are constantly under the radar of suspicion of being foreign to the land and culture and whose citizenship are decided by a Kafkaesque bureaucratic process. Their inability to pay the previous debts taken from friends and relatives and the probability for more financial requirements has made them more disillusioned and helpless.

Similar stories abound in many other flood prone environments in Assam. Take the case of the Kacharipety village under the Srijangram circle in the neighbouring Bongaingoan district. Here, families of doubtful citizens whose houses have been eroded by surging floodwaters are battling hard to save their homes. For 47-year-old Rajkumar Mondal, whose house on the banks of the river Aai is partially submerged by the rising floodwaters, the day begins and ends with a prayer of hope. More than 100 meters of his land have been eroded by the river since the past 10 years and he has had to shift his house 12 times from its original location. There are approximately about 150 poor and uneducated families in Kacharipety that are river erosion victims like Rajkumar and among them as many as 60 D-voters and many others whose names have not appeared in the final list of the NRC.

Incidentally, the house is all that Rajkumar has after selling off his cows, plantations and belongings to secure his release from the Goalpara detention camp where he was kept for four years on the suspicion of being a declared foreigner. He was released eight months back on bail and has to report to the nearest police station every week.

Till date, Rajkumar has failed to understand how he was declared a D-voter when he was born in the village of which his father was a resident too and had properties to his name. His 18-year=old daughter has also been made a doubtful citizen like him, barring his wife whose name has appeared in the final list of the NRC. He has spent over a couple of lakhs on his case and was hoping to better organise his case with competent legal advice, but with no job since the last eight months after his release on bail, he is literally impoverished. He earned anything between Rs500 to 600 as a daily wage working at building construction sites in nearby Kokrajhar but that was before his detention.

Local civil society organisations and volunteer groups in Bongaigaon have been active in providing support to people affected by the lockdown and the recent floods. These relief outreaches are in addition to the whatever relief has been provided by the local district administrations representing the government of Assam. We have been providing all kinds of assistance to all the poor and also encouraging people to keep their documents safely, says AhmedTobo from Bongaigaon a volunteer involved with relief work.

An assessment based on the work done by members of the Songbhidhan Sebok (believers of the Constitution) in Barpeta shows that more than 90 per cent families within many Chars such as Mohishkhuti, Lakhipur, Pampara, Kachumara NC, Atia, Tarabari and Dakshin Gudhuni have no money to buy food and medicines. All that they had saved has been spent during the past four months of lockdown. They are entirely dependent on the governments relief packages and also on social organisations for food and medicines. While the below poverty and poor among the NRC left outs have been getting relief from the government, most D-voters and Declared Foreigners have had to depend on NGOs for food and medicines.

The Covid-19 lockdown and the deluge have come as a double whammy for people already affected by citizenship verification processes, says Asraful, who is also a leading member of Songbhidhan Sebok as well as the Parag Kumar Das Char library. In fact, these disruptions a continuous source of income to manage their family, their medical needs, etc.,  have made the likes of Asraful and other young volunteers representing the two organisations to step forward and help the affected people with donations collected from various individuals and groups. Their mission is simple: to ensure that scarcity of food and any other essential needs does not compel people, particularly the NRC excluded or the Declared Foreigners, to take any extreme step.

The Barpeta district has witnessed a spate of suicides in the recent past and good number of these has been related to the pressures created by the process of citizenship verification of people that are mostly poor and uneducated. We certainly dont want people to do anything like that anymore, says Asraful, indicating that awareness drives over the past two years have made a huge difference. These little successes has led to a more concerted effort with as many as 1500 families receiving rations during the first phase of the Covid-19 lockdown.

A key feature of this outreach, in Barpeta and also in the neighbouring districts of Bongaigaon has been based on a helping hand for all approach without any form of discrimination. Young volunteers representing different organisations have been carrying out relief across to people and using these opportunities to engage with people and give them the listening ear concerning their plight, the financial impacts of the lockdown on their daily lives and their immediate needs.

The floods will subside and the coronavirus will after sometime become weaker and flatten out, but for the people of the chars in Barpeta or those displaced by river erosion in parts of Bongaigoan new challenges will arise with renewed anxieties over the process of proving ones Indianness. These trials though not entirely new to the people here who are known for their grit, strength and survival skills under the most adverse of situation, yet to traverse through the maze of bureaucratic and legal processes is a completely different story. Only time will tell if they overcome the obstacles and get back their citizenship or would have to carry a new identity come the next flood.
Two men, who escaped a Virginia correctional center on Monday, are believed to possibly be in Lancaster County, according to the Lancaster County District Attorneys office.

Rashad E. Williams, 18, and Jabar Ali Taylor, 20, stayed at Homewood Suites by Hilton on Granite Run Driver earlier this week, authorities said. They could still be in the Lancaster area.

Taylor was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and aggravated malicious assault. Williams was convicted of malicious wounding and robbery, according to authorities.

Surveillance camera footage caught the two men at a Turkey Hill store on Granite Run Drive and Manheim Pike.

U.S. Marshals are asking anyone with information about Williams and Taylor, or who saw them or interacted with them, call 1-866-865-TIPS (8477).

Authorities ask that the public does not attempt to confront these men. They are dangerous fugitives.

Local law enforcement officials are assisting the Marshals with searches and efforts to locate the fugitives. A reward of $5,000 apiece is offered for information that leads to the capture of the fugitives.

Rashad E. Williams, 18, and Jabar Ali Taylor, 20, pictured here, were both convicted of homicides. They recently stayed at Homewood Suites by Hilton on Granite Run Drive earlier this week and could still be in the Lancaster area. Photo: Lancaster County DA

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Explosives found during traffic stop in Lancaster County: police

These people were charged with crimes yesterday in central Pennsylvania

Parents of boy, 13, who fatally shot 9-year-old brother charged with child endangerment
The City of Welland should be able to function without an interim CAO if department heads all seem to be on the same page.

But, says retired Brock University political science professor David Siegel, the municipality should be working to fill that position soon.

Mayor Frank Campion confirmed July 6 that Gary Long, who had been the citys top administrator since early 2016, was no longer employed with the local government.

Its not known whether Long departed for his own reasons, or if council voted behind closed doors to remove him. Campion has not elaborated on the reasons for Longs departure.

The CAO is the only staff position that elected officials are responsible for hiring and firing, and is councils only employee, said Siegel on Friday.

Nearly two weeks after Longs departure was made public, the city has not named an interim CAO and is depending on its department heads to lead staff.

Siegel said he believes thats fine on a short-term basis, as long as they feel theyre working well with the senior management team that includes councillors and the mayor, said Siegel.

But its a lot of work for the two councillors in each of the citys six wards and the mayor to keep tabs on staff.

Youve got a 13-member council trying to supervise six or eight department heads, said Siegel, adding he has nothing against council and that there are good councillors in Welland.

Residents wont notice a radical difference when they look out their window in the morning after two weeks without a CAO, said Siegel, but they will if it takes too long to find one.

When theres some sort of strategic leadership thats needed, thats when you get into trouble, he said.

In the long term its a very important role to be filled for the municipality, added Siegel, noting the process to recruit someone would likely take several months.

For 2019, Longs salary was $218,604.40.

He started working for the city more than four years ago after coming from Bluewater, Ont.  a community of about 7,000 people in Huron County  where he was CAO. Before that he worked about five years as CAO for the Township of North Huron.

The corporate leadership team consists of general manager of infrastructure and development Travers Fitzpatrick; chief financial officer Steve Zorbas; general manager of economic development, recreation, culture and tourism Dan Degazio; and fire Chief Brian Kennedy.

The Tribune requested an interview with Campion Friday to discuss Longs contract and the process to replace him, but the mayor did not respond.

Corporate services general manager Steve Zorbas also did not respond to an email.

Kris Dube is a St. Catharines-based reporter for the Welland Tribune. Reach him via email: kris.dube@niagaradailies.com

with files from Dave Johnson
Lenovo is close to officially announcing the Legion phone with just a few more days to go, and yet, another set of leaks has popped up showing more of what the device will look like.

To be clear, these leaks of the Lenovo Legion are not much different (if any different at all) from some of the previous ones. The only difference may be the available colors. In past leaked images of the device, the Legion has shown up in a blue color like you see above.

These new leaked images however show the device with a more sinister look. Sort of matching what the phone looked like even earlier this year when leaked images showed up of the packaging.

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Lenovo Legion leaks confirm that the phone will come in a black and red option

New images of the Legion surfaced earlier this morning. Whats more is that they came from Lenovos own Legion social page on Weibo.

Even though the company is set to unveil the Legion officially on July 22, which is next Wednesday, its not wasting any time in hyping up consumers for the upcoming gaming phone.

This is perhaps the right move. Considering that ASUS will be officially unveiling the ROG Phone 3 on July 21, just one day earlier. Both phones are bound to compete with each other.

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Seeing as how they will both be coming with top-tier hardware including state of the art cooling tech for gaming phones, as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ mobile platform. It would make sense then that Lenovo would want to drum up some excitement over its own device.

Especially when you consider that social engagement for this kind of thing is the norm in China. Its essentially free marketing without having to spend money on large billboards or video ads.

No word on if the phone will launch in the US or not

It would make sense for Lenovo to release the Legion in the US, but at this point theres not much to suggest that it has plans to.

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The phone is set to be unveiled next week, but the only official information on it is on Lenovos Chinese website via the Legion landing page. Meanwhile the page for the ROG Phone 3 is available on the US version of the site from ASUS. Not to mention the ROG Phone II and original ROG Phone are already available in the country.

Lenovo does make a fair bit of product that you can get in the US though, and more than a few other gaming phones have already released in the US. Lenovo also has a decent-sized gaming presence here with its Legion PCs.
This will help the Ukrainian Navy meet current and future threats in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says the United States has approved the sale of 16 Mark VI patrol boats and related equipment to Ukraine.

Read alsoFrance to supply 20 patrol boats to Ukraine  French envoy

"The United States has approved the sale of up to 16 Mark VI patrol boats and related equipment to Ukraine. This will help the Ukrainian Navy meet current and future threats in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. I highly appreciate the continued ironclad support of U.S. partners," he wrote on Twitter on July 18.

According to the minister, the Mark VI is a modern and maneuverable vessel designed for coastal deployment.

"Six boats are currently being prepared for Ukraine using U.S. security assistance funds. The remaining vessels will be available for Ukraine to purchase using its military budget," he said.

"The approval is a sign of deepening trust. The U.S. support, together with the reform of the national security and defense sector and defense industry, will help Ukraine establish modern NATO-interoperable Armed Forces, capable of effectively countering Russian aggression," he summed up.

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.
Binita Jaiswal By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Aiming to reduce carbon emissions at its manufacturing units, JK Tyre plans to double the usage of biomass at its plants in this financial year. The company has been working to reduce coal consumption in its plants and as a step towards the goal it started using biomass at its units last year.

The tyre manufacturers last year biomass consumption was almost 8% of its total energy consumption and this year the company targets to reach 18%. We are looking at a largescale biomass usage, but availability and transportation of biomass still remains an issue. Despite all this, we are keen to use at least 15% to 18% of biomass in our plants, which will give us savings from coal, Anil Makkar, manufacturing director, JK Tyre told TNIE.

Required modifications will be made in the plants to ensure that the biomass usage target is achieved. Makkar said, in 2013, the company had started taking measures for reducing carbon footprints at its plants and the renewable contribution in 2014 to 2017 was around 3%.

We worked to rectify this and last year, our total renewable power consumption was almost 50% of the total consumption we had across all plants, said Makkar. He further added that the company has managed to reduce close to 48% of its CO2 emission in the last five years. Besides, the company had plans to enhance solar power efficiency at its Chennai plant by adding 10 million new units of solar power but due to the covid-19 outbreak the plan may get a little delayed.

We need some investment for it and may have to wait for some time to implement the project, said Makkar. JK Tyre has pledged to reach zero carbon footprints and become a 100% renewable energy efficient company by 2050. To fulfill the goal, the company is trying out new strategies such as biomass usage, waste-to-energy conversion, alternative fuel technology or green coal. Makkar is hopeful that by third quarter things will be back to normal for the tyre industry.

June has shown some green shoots in the replacement market and we believe things will get back to normal by the third quarter. By August, we are planning to operate at 70% capacity and by the third quarter we should be reaching 100% in Chennai plant, he said.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi, who recovered from COVID-19 recently donated blood plasma at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi's Vasant Kunj on Saturday.

Atishi, who tested positive for COVID-19 last month, had recently recovered. After donating blood plasma, Atishi, the Kalkaji MLA, said that she wants to encourage recovered COVID-19 patients to donate their blood plasma to save lives of those who are currently suffering from the infection.

"Until we have a vaccine, we have to combat COVID-19 in this way. So, I want to appeal to all recovered patients to come and donate their blood plasma in ILBS to save other's lives," she said.

"I want to encourage recovered coronavirus patients to come and donate their blood plasma, hence I donated plasma today here. In life, you have very few opportunities to save lives and people should come to donate their blood plasma to save other's lives," she added.

India's first 'plasma bank', the Delhi Plasma Bank which was established at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in collaboration with the Delhi government became operational on July 5.

Patients who have recently recovered from COVID-19 are eligible to donate plasma.

According to medical experts, bodies of people who recover from coronavirus produce an anti-body/plasma in the blood to help the person fight against coronavirus. If a little bit of this anti-body/plasma is given to a critical patient then the plasma helps in the latter person's recovery.
Got an itch for a road trip during holidays? Here are the best and must-see places in the American countryside. Visit these places and have the most interesting and amazing holidays.

Whether anyone is from America or overseas, this is a once in a lifetime trip that you can cross off your bucket list. You can experience these incredible journeys alone or with loved ones. Aside from enjoying your trip, you will also learn a lot of interesting trivia along the way as some of these sites are historical.

1. Get your kicks on route 66

Ride through America's greatest highway from Chicago to Los Angeles and see the most unusual sights. Pass through Route 66 in the American west and see what made this route legendary. Just remember to take in all the sorts of sights that lies along the way and get to see classic USA at its best.

2. Take a bite into the Big Apple, Boston, and New England

Visit the city that never sleeps and get deep into classic tourist spots in NYC. You can also visit New England to see the beaches and hit Cape Cod that's in the Atlantic. Don't forget Boston, where the Tea party was held in the American revolution.

3. Hit the Appalachians and the Blue Ridge Parkway

If the long scenic route is what you're after, then head on over to the Blue Ridge Parkway that passes through the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia to the Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Spend time there when autumn comes with gold and red, that has hiking trails, waterfalls, and panoramic views along the roads.

Also read: Minnesota Man Reported Missing Wife to Police After He Stashed Her Plastic Covered Body in Crawl Space

4. Take a tour around Las Vegas

See the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip, then go to the Arizona desert and head on to Utah to experience the American West. In the area where anyone can hike or bike in national parks, enjoy the sights as they come. Add this to any American road trip to have one of the most amazing holidays.

5. The sunny strip: Miami to Key West is the best

Soothe the travel bug and go to Miami or Key West anytime, except June to November when it's hurricane season. These areas are best visited during the summer, when you can really see the place flourish.

6. Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles

Ride along the Pacific Coast Highway and see another never-before-seen side of America. Traveling from north to south will give you one of the most scenic roadside views as well. A drive to LA to San Francisco will be a treat for first-time visitors.

7. Visit Chicago to New Orleans in the south

From the north, take a drive to America's heart to the top and bottom, with six states along the way which are known for their musical heritage. From former gangland to the house of King Elvis Presley, feel the great origins of music on this great road trip.

8. Hit the road and drive from San Francisco to Utah

Last but not the least, visit the hippest city in the US and visit Al Capone's last residence. Then go to Lake Tahoe and view the Sierra Nevada mountains. You can also see Death Valley, then move forward to visit Bryce Canyon National Park and the iconic Monument Valley and Horseshoe Bend.

Related article: Daughter Accused of Poisoning, Pouring Cement on Remains of Missing Old Man Found in Crawlspace

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Representative Image

The BJP's demand for a CBI probe into the audio tapes that showed a conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan "amounted to admission of guilt" and it was now clear that the party was behind the rebellion by Sachin Pilot and others, the Congress said on Saturday.

The Congress also cited Pilot and other rebel MLAs taking shelter in a hotel in the BJP-ruled Haryana to allege the saffron party's involvement in "horse-trading".

"We all witnessed over the last week the daylight murder of democracy being attempted by the BJP...everyday a new layer comes out exposing the direct links of the BJP in creating some kind of a crisis in Rajasthan.... Their (BJP's) only grievance is that when they were murdering democracy, why were they being recorded and if...it was legal," Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told a virtual press conference in Delhi.

Earlier in the day, the BJP asked if the Congress government in Rajasthan resorted to "unconstitutional" methods to tap phones of politicians and demanded a CBI probe into what it called a "saga of illegalities and concocted lies".

"These are serious questions that we want to ask the Congress high command and Ashok Gehlot. Was phone tapping done? Assuming that you've tapped phones, was the standard operating procedure followed? Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered?" BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asked at a press conference.

The BJP spokesperson demanded an immediate reaction from the state government and called for a CBI investigation into this "saga of illegalities and concocted lies".

Hitting back, Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said Patra "is a generator of lies".

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra said the BJP spokesperson made "an unsuccessful attempt to save face".

Dotasra said if the BJP was not involved in it why a Rajasthan Police team probing the audio tapes was not allowed to enter the hotel in the BJP-ruled Haryana till the rebel MLAs were moved elsewhere.

"The SOG (Special Operation Group) team had gone to Haryana for investigation but the Haryana Police did not cooperate," he added.

The Congress sought response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the matter.

The Congress on Friday demanded the arrest of BJP leader and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma after two audio clips surfaced pertaining to the alleged conspiracy to topple the Gehlot government.

The BJP had described the audio clips as "manufactured".

Shekhawat has denied the charge too, saying the voice in these clips was not his. He said he was ready to face any probe.
RTHK: EU leaders deadlocked over virus relief plan

EU leaders were deadlocked over the size and rules of their huge post-coronavirus economic recovery plan on Saturday, unable to overcome fierce resistance from the Netherlands and its "frugal" allies in a second day of intense debate.

European Council president Charles Michel proposed a fresh plan after his initial blueprint for a US$850 billion package ran into stiff resistance from the richer northern member states.

"We're in a stalemate, it's very complicated, more complicated than expected," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said after more than nine hours of wrangling in a second day of talks that some worried could go to a third.

Europe is in the throes of a massive recession and leaders are trying to approve a plan that could quickly send cash to countries hit the hardest, but without the means to recharge their economies.

But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has insisted member states retain final approval of any funding  an effective veto  for national recovery plans for recipients like Spain and Italy.

He says EU oversight is necessary to oblige countries to reform their labour markets to make them better able to cope with future crises.

In a concession to Rutte's demands, Michel's new plan includes a "super emergency brake" that gives any country a three-day window to trigger a review by all member states of another's spending plans.

An official from a non-frugal state insisted that this does not amount to a right of veto, but admitted that it remains to be seen whether countries such as Spain and Italy will accept the compromise.

Meanwhile, a European source said the frugal countries were still not happy and were seeking more cuts, but that painstaking progress was being made.

"We went from a near stalemate yesterday to a calm, dense and intense working day today," said an EU diplomat. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Pitaka has slowly become a pretty popular name for thin carbon fiber cases. But the company makes more than just cases. Pitaka recently came out with its new MagEZ Mount Qi Desktop Charger, which looks really sleek. It has the carbon fiber look that we have all come to expect from Pitaka, and its pretty minimal.

But, is that enough to make it a worthy purchase? Well we have put it through its paces over the past few weeks, using it with a few different smartphones. So lets talk about it.

Minimal, but not without design flaws

When I first laid eyes on the MagEZ Mount Qi Desktop Charger, I loved it. Its a pretty minimal looking desktop charger that you can keep on your desk without it taking up a lot of room or looking ugly. Unlike the OnePlus charger  though that is mostly due to the faster speeds it supports, more on that later.

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But there is one thing that I think Pitaka should change in an updated version, and thats where the USB-C charging cable plugs into. It plugs into the mount on the charger, instead of the back of the base. Plugging it into the back of the base would be ideal, as it would look cleaner. Instead, it almost looks like the phone is being charged wired, because the charging port is right behind the phone.

Im sure I know why the charging port is where it is though. Keeping all of the electrical parts in one part of the charger likely makes it cheaper to manufacture. But it does look weird, especially with a wire hanging out from the front of the charger.

Otherwise, the design is really great. It has a weighted base, so that the charger doesnt flip over, especially important with larger phones. And it also has some pretty strong magnets in the charger itself to keep the phone on the charger.

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While Pitaka recommends that you use one of their cases with this wireless charger, you dont actually need to (for the most part). We used it with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and it was able to charge with no problems, it didnt slide off of the charger either. However, the Pixel 4 XL is another story. It charges just fine, but depending on the angle, it may slide off. Ive found that changing up the angle kept the Pixel 4 XL from sliding off as much.

But with the OnePlus 8 Pro, using one of Pitakas cases, it stays on the charger and charges no problem.

It does support fast charging

So, yes, the Pitaka MagEZ Mount Qi Desktop Charger does support fast wireless charging, but since it is 10W, most phones dont support it. The Pixel 4 XL is one prime example of that. It showed that it would take nearly six hours to charge the phone wirelessly, and it wasnt even completely depleted. It is also obviously a whole lot slower than the OnePlus wireless charger that does 30W, and the OnePlus 8 Pro doesnt support 10W either, only 5W from other chargers.

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None of this is actually Pitakas fault. This is due to Google and OnePlus not allowing third party wireless chargers to use faster speeds on their phones.

However, with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it was able to take full advantage of the 10W speed. Allowing you to get a somewhat fast charging experience here. Still nothing like what the OnePlus wireless charger offers, but far better than charging at 5W.

For the most part, Id only use this to top up a phone while sitting at my desk, if I am using a phone that does not support 10W wireless charging.

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Theres a fan inside

When OnePlus launched its wireless charger, we all made fun of it for having a physical fan inside of the charger. This was definitely needed, since the charger does charge significantly faster and wireless charging already omits a lot of heat.

But it was a bit surprising to see it on the Pitaka MagEZ Mount Qi Desktop Charger. As this is a smaller and slower wireless charger. However, it does a really good job at keeping the phone cool while its charging. Which protects the phone and the battery too.

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The fan is not loud at all, and unless you are really trying to hear it, you wont. So dont worry about it keeping you awake at night.

Should I buy the Pitaka MagEZ Mount Qi Desktop Charger?

The big question here is whether you should buy the Pitaka MagEZ Mount Qi Desktop Charger. And Id say yes. With some caveats.

The first one being whether your phone supports faster than 10W wireless charging. If it does, then you are likely better off getting something that supports its faster wireless charging. The other is if you have or planning to buy, one of Pitakas cases. Which have the magnets built in to keep it positioned properly on the charger.

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If those dont bother you, then this is a really great wireless charger to grab, and its only $49.99.
Russia Urged To Accept Responsibility On Sixth Anniversary Of MH17 Downing

By RFE/RL July 17, 2020

Ukraine and its Western partners have marked the sixth anniversary of the downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger flight over eastern Ukraine by calling on Russia to cooperate fully with the investigation into the tragedy and accept its responsibility.

Prosecutors have argued that MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014 by a Russian-made Buk antiaircraft system fired by Russia-backed separatist fighters who had acquired it from a Russian military base on the border between the two countries. All 298 people on board were killed.

Four suspects, three Russians and one Ukrainian, are being tried in absentia for involvement in the tragedy.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the downing and the conflict in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.

"Ukraine calls on Russia to accept its responsibility and adhere to its international obligations, namely...to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and criminal proceedings," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on July 17.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said Russia should "cooperate fully with the investigation and efforts to establish accountability."

"Russia must ensure that every indicted individual currently in Russia or Russia-controlled territory face justice. Russia has repeatedly obstructed progress on measures to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine which it started and continues to fuel," acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Kristina Kvien said in a video posted on Twitter.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc expects Russia to accept its responsibility for the Ukrainian plane's downing and to fully cooperate with efforts to establish accountability.

The sixth anniversary of the tragedy comes a week after the Dutch government announced it was taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights for its alleged role.

Nearly two-thirds of the crash's victims were Dutch nationals.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-urged-to- accept-responsibility-on-mh17-downing-s- sixth-anniversary/30733825.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Turning out mostly cloudy and not as cold. There might be a rain or snow shower late..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with some rain and snow showers. Any rain will be early in the night.
Amid renewed calls Friday for federal law enforcement agencies to stop policing Portland protests, those officers once again closed in on demonstrators and used tear gas at least twice to break up crowds downtown.

The overnight force against protesters by federal police came soon after Oregons attorney general announced she was suing several federal agencies over the arrests of protesters. Several other state and local officials have also criticized the federal presence, including Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler.

Yet after Portland police declared the downtown demonstration to be unlawful early Saturday morning, federal and local officers emerged at the same time to advance on protesters. Some demonstrators had piled fence parts in front of some entrances to government buildings.

At a press conference hours before the demonstration began, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said city officials communicate with federal officers for the purpose of situational awareness and de-confliction. But he said they do not act at one anothers direction.

The escalating federal focus on Portland has attracted national attention and widespread scrutiny. Demands for federal officers to leave arose at a series of demonstrations throughout the day Friday and into the night.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty organized an evening vigil that drew several hundred people to the downtown Justice Center. The city and county law enforcement building has been home to nightly protests against police brutality since late May.

The building is sandwiched by two federal buildings on Southwest Third Avenue: a courthouse to the north and an office building to the south. Federal officers streamed out of both buildings Thursday night to force protesters to leave the area.

Hardesty encouraged people to engage in civic activism to press for positive police reforms and decried the presence of federal law enforcement at the Portland protests. The heightened response by federal officers began several weeks after the demonstrations began.

As hundreds of people huddled together at the candlelight vigil, a few dozen other people began gathering at two recently closed city parks across the street. They started to dismantle the chainlink fence that surrounded the parks and moved parts of the fence into the street around 9:30 p.m.

Police stayed away at first. Then around 9:50 p.m., Portland police used a loudspeaker to announce they planned to retrieve the parts of the fence that were blocking traffic. Several officers streamed out of the Justice Center to grab some pieces of the fence, then retreated.

Soon after, dozens of federal officers emerged from the next-door federal office building. Protesters stood several feet away near the intersection of Southwest Third Avenue and Madison Street.

Federal officers within minutes used impact munitions, stun grenades and some type of gas to force people to leave. Journalists for The Oregonian/OregonLive did not see a precipitating event that prompted officers to deploy those tactics.

People shouted, Go home! as federal officers advanced toward them. Some officers wore camouflage uniforms and others wore darker uniforms marked with the Department of Homeland Security.

Gas and smoke hovered in the air. Many people left. People who remained in the area coughed as they recovered from the exposure.

Within 20 minutes, federal police had retreated. Portland police confirmed on Twitter that federal officers had used CS gas, a type of tear gas. The escalation and retreat all unfolded before 10:30 p.m.

Protesters who had been split up by the cloud of gas soon started to gather again. A few hundred people gathered at Third Avenue and Main Street, between the Justice Center and the federal courthouse. A street preacher who partially climbed a stoplight pole temporarily detracted attention from police.

By 11 p.m., the crowd at Third Avenue and Main Street had grown to at least 500 people. Protesters occasionally broke out into chants of, No justice, no peace.

Several Black people used a bullhorn to share their personal stories of experiencing racism and to speak out against police brutality. Speakers also criticized the Trump administration and the recent response to protests by federal law enforcement. Many spoke of resolve and unity in the face of the ramped up federal policing presence.

Around 11:40 p.m., a few protesters started to place some pieces of dismantled fencing in front of plywood doors at the entrance of the federal courthouse. Some people stood on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, and many others milled about on Third Avenue in front of the courthouse.

As more people shifted to the courthouse, some protesters reinforced the fencing at the entrance with duct tape. Around 11:55 p.m., officers set off a device that emitted smoke or gas toward protesters. Officers had thrown the device out of a hole cut into the plywood attached in front of the courthouse.

After midnight, the crowd shifted away from the federal courthouse and moved one block south, near the federal office building. Some protesters placed more pieces of fencing in front of that buildings entrance. People also moved parts of the fence in front of some Justice Center entrances.

After officers briefly emerged from a side door to the Justice Center, some protesters threw bottles and set off fireworks that way.

Portland police used a loudspeaker to describe the chainlink blockades as criminal and warn people to leave or risk force or arrest. By 12:40 a.m., several hundred people remained gathered at Third Avenue and Madison Street. The crowd started to spread beyond the intersection, but returned after a stun grenade exploded. It was unclear what police agency set it off.

At 1:31 a.m., Portland police used a loudspeaker to deem the event unlawful and order people to leave a wide swath of downtown. Officers gave people five minutes to leave. Officers repeated the order and said people now had four minutes to leave.

Lines of officers in riot gear followed by Portland police vehicles arrived on Madison Street to force people out of the area. Some federal officers in camouflage also emerged on Third Avenue at the same time. They shot pepper balls at protesters, deployed stun grenades and set off gas as they pressed people north.

Other officers pushed protesters and forced them to move west. Although most officers moving west appeared to be affiliated with local agencies, at least one group of federal officers in camouflage appeared near a crowd gathered at Sixth Avenue and Madison Street.

An Oregonian/OregonLive journalist saw several people appear to be detained shortly before 2 a.m.

After Oregonian/OregonLive journalists had left, several dozen people eventually returned near the area where police had forced them to leave. Video footage showed a line of officers at Fourth and Salmon blocked people from getting any closer to the Justice Center or federal buildings. Officers eventually walked and sometimes ran toward the group, forcing people to move north. Other small groups of protesters remained throughout downtown.

Portland police issued a statement around 4 a.m. saying that officers had acted because the barricades and actions by protesters posted a threat of life safety to people in the Justice Center and federal buildings. Police said they had not used CS gas when officers moved in on the crowd.

Portland police said Saturday afternoon that they arrested seven people, four of whom were charged with assaulting officers. Other charges included interfering with officers or disorderly conduct.

Since the demonstrations against police violence began May 28, many night-time protests have ended in police use of force and arrests. On Thursday, Portland police arrested freelance journalist Andrew Jankowski, who identified himself as a journalist and said his press badge was visible when he was taken into custody. He was later released.

Portland police said late Friday that they could not disclose any details about what precipitated Jankowskis arrest.

Just as Friday night protests got underway, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum that the state would sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service in federal court. Rosenblum said the state believes federal agencies seized and detained Oregonians without probable cause.

Rosenblum also said the state would launch a criminal investigation into the shooting by federal officers of Donavan La Bella in the face with a less-than-lethal munition Saturday, critically injuring him. La Bellas hands were above his head when he was shot.

U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams called earlier Friday for an investigation into a reports of arrests by federal officers without probable cause. Williams also has launched an investigation into the shooting of La Bella.

At Wheeler and Lovells joint press conference Friday afternoon, the mayor called the actions and words of President Donald Trump and his administration an attack on our democracy.

I stand with our senators, representatives, and our state, county and city leaders in denouncing their presence, Wheeler said.

Several community leaders also held an event to denounce the response by federal officers and the widespread use of force by police.

This violence has been happening since before George Floyd, Tai Carpenter, of Dont Shoot Portland, told the crowd.

Dave Killen, Jamie Hale, Noelle Crombie, Ryan Nguyen, Everton Bailey Jr. and Ty Vinson of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.

-- Piper McDaniel, @piperamcdaniel

-- K. Rambo

krambo@oregonian.com

@k_rambo_

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
One opposition leader was shot 16 times and fled the country. Another had his leg broken by unknown assailants and his newspaper was shut down. A third, the country's most prominent, has been banned for a year from making so-called ``seditious statements,`` or what others might call dissent.

But he's speaking out anyway. With Tanzania facing an October election that contentious President John Magufuli hopes to win, opposition leader Zitto Kabwe tells The Associated Press he's trying to unite the opposition behind one candidate for the best shot at an upset.

And his party just attracted a potential candidate, former foreign minister Bernard Membe, who left the ruling party that has been in power since independence.

Magufuli's administration, however, has set up one obstacle after another. In 2016 it barred opposition groups from political gatherings, and there's no sign it will be lifted for campaigning. Human rights groups say that ban has no legal basis.

Politics are behind the attacks on opposition leaders and multiple arrests, rights groups say. And now the coronavirus is a threat after Magufuli declared it defeated in the East African nation. His government stopped updating the confirmed number of cases in April. The president has refused to shut down the economy or bar any kind of gatherings _ except the political ones.

Kabwe, the leader of the Alliance for Change and Transparency party, the country's fastest growing political party, has been arrested 16 times since Magufuli came to power in 2015.

``The best weapon against a dictatorship is speaking up,'' he told the AP.

This week Tanzania's registrar of political parties added more pressure, threatening to deregister or suspend Kabwe's party and accusing it of flouting rules by mixing religion and politics. Kabwe called the accusations ``flimsy'' and told supporters not to worry because the registrar is barred from deregistering a party in the 12 months before an election.

Kabwe says he ``crossed the Rubicon'' and became more outspoken after opposition leader Tindu Lissu, deputy leader of the CHADEMA party, was shot 16 times in 2017.

``I decided and said this should not continue,`` he said. ``The state wants us to keep quiet, they threaten us. The best weapon for us is to speak up and radicalize even more.''

Now his task is persuading Lissu and CHADEMA leader Freeman Mbowe, was attacked in June by unidentified assailants, to join forces in the election against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.

Lissu has announced he will run against the president, but he remains in Belgium. Mbowe has picked up a nomination form, which suggests he will run, too.

Kabwe said that in Tanzania, where whoever gets the most votes wins the election outright, a united opposition has the chance at an upset. Magufuli won the 2015 election with 58% of the vote.

``I have been across the country and the feeling of the people is just change,'' Kabwe said. He said past efforts to form a united front had failed because of ``selfishness,`` giving no details.

On Wednesday, Kabwe told reporters his party was in talks with CHADEMA to front a single candidate and he will not vie for that position. Instead, he will support whoever emerges after the two parties choose their candidates in the coming weeks.

Talks with CHADEMA are at an ``advanced stage,'' he said.

He also warned the election won't be free and fair, pointing out that Magufuli appoints the members of the electoral commission. And independent media houses have been banned or had their licenses suspended.

But the opposition cannot boycott this election regardless of the obstacles, Kabwe said. Boycotting could make the situation in Tanzania worse as Magufuli's allies would have no challenge for seats in the legislative assembly or local assemblies.

Ruling party delegates this month unanimously endorsed Magufuli to run for a second term. Some even want him to go beyond the two-term limit.

The president, although criticized over repressive measures, has won some support for his much-publicized fight against corruption, though some in the opposition question its effectiveness. Magufuli also celebrated when the World Bank this month reclassified Tanzania upward as a lower-middle income country.

Parliament speaker Job Ndugai has said they will force Magufuli to pursue further terms ``whether he likes it or not.``

Amnesty International warns the October election will take place in a climate of fear as restrictions tighten. ``Already, organizations such as the Legal and Human Rights Centre and Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition that have previously convened local organizations on election observation or monitoring human rights in the context of elections have been barred by Tanzania's government from playing these roles,'' researcher Roland Ebole said.

Kabwe said he and other like-minded people will continue fighting.

``We will call for electoral and political reforms while conducting our politics. There is no way apart from that in order to save our democracy,'' he said.

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India reported its first Covid-19 case on January 30 when a medical student who returned to Kerala from Wuhan in China tested positive.

Five and a half months later, on the 16th of July, the country breached one million cases mark, becoming only the third nation after USA and Brazil to cross the infamous landmark.

We analyse Indias Covid-19 journey thus far.

THE JOURNEY

From its first reported case, India took 58 days to record 1,000 cases. It crossed 10,000 in another 16 days. From there to 1,00,000 was breached in 35 days. Since then the number of days to add an additional lakh cases has progressively gone down.

India had a total of 571 cases and 10 fatalities when it imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25. After 68 days of the stringent curbs, the country reported a cumulative 1,90,648 cases and 5,408 deaths on May 31. The most significant impact of the lockdown was that it helped keep the mortality numbers low. It also gave the authorities time to ramp up health infrastructure and medical facilities to prepare for the future.

The number of cases has risen dramatically by more than five times post the lockdown. The increase in the number of deceased has been comparatively slower.

While India reported 1,90,077 cases and 5,398 Covid-19 deaths during the 68 days of the lockdown, it has registered 4.29 times the number of cases and 3.74 times the number of fatalities in just 46 days after the lifting of curbs and restrictions from June 1.

The lockdown phase accounted for 19 per cent of the countrys total cases, 21 per cent of the total deaths over 40 per cent of the total virus-period in India.

India has reported 4,19,845 cases (almost 42 per cent of the total case-load) in the first 16 days of July itself. It has seen more than 25,000 daily cases for 9 continuous days since July 8.

However, despite the case-load, in terms of Cases Per 1 Million Population, which is a better indicator of measuring the spread of the virus, India with 728 cases per 1 million of its population, is second to China (58) amongst the worst affected 25 countries (in terms of case-load).

TESTING AND POSITIVITY RATE

India ramped up its testing to above 1 lakh per day from May 18. From June 23 to the July 13, the country tested more than two lakh samples per day post which more than three lakh daily tests are being conducted.

Indias Cumulative Positivity Rate has risen from 3.86 per cent on April 30 to 4.97 per cent on May 31 to 6.64 per cent on June 30 to 7.89 per cent on July 16. This basically means one in every 13 people tested in the country are emerging Covid-19 positive.

India finds itself clustered among the better performing countries on this count. It ranks at number 10 among the 25 worst affected countries in the world.

10 CITIES CONTRIBUTE TO 52% CASES AND 65% DEATHS

Covid-19 in India has essentially been an urban big-city pandemic.

Thus, it does not come as a surprise that the nine of the 10 worst affected cities (in terms of case-load)  Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Thane, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Kolkata are either state capitals or big urban metropolitan centres. Palghar, the only exception, is at number 10.

These cities account for more than half (51.67 per cent) of the total Covid-19 cases and 65 per cent of the total fatalities in the country.

But lately, cases have risen in a number of rural districts in the country and this will be a cause of worry for the authorities.

LOW MORTALITY RATE AND TESTS PER DEATH

There have been 19 Covid-19 deaths in India per 1 million population. China (3) and Bangladesh (15) are the only two countries among the 25 analysed that report a lower number. Just for perspective, the corresponding number for South Africa is 79, Russia  82, Germany  109, Mexico  286, Brazil  361, USA  426, Italy  579, Spain  608 and UK  664.

Indias Mortality Rate of 2.55 per cent places it favourably when compared with most of the other major nations of the world.

Despite its size and population, economic constraints and other challenges, its Mortality Rate is less than half of Chinas and significantly and several times better than most developed Western European nations. Italy (14.37 per cent), UK (15.42 per cent) and France (17.34 per cent) have the worst Mortality Rate amongst the 25 countries.

Indias Mortality Rate rose to a high of 3.43 per cent on May 6 post which it saw a decline till June 8 (2.78 per cent). Post the lockdown, it again went up to 2.89 per cent on June 16 before rocketing to 3.36 per cent on June 17 due to a revision of backlog of deaths. However, since then, it has been on a consistent downward curve and currently stands at 2.55 per cent.

India has conducted 497 Tests Per Covid-19 Death. This is substantially better than most of the major nations of the world. The corresponding ratio for USA is 324, UK  281, Italy  174, France  86, Brazil  64 and Mexico  21.

Containing the number of Covid-19 fatalities has been one of Indias most remarkable achievements during the pandemic even as the number of cases soars past 1 million.

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here
Queen Elizabeth has weathered storms and celebrated milestones for decades as the worlds longest reigning monarch. Today, the monarch will have officially been on the throne for a staggering 25,000 days - 68 years, 5 months and 12 days since being crowned on February 6, 1952.

It is said she will be celebrating the landmark day privately at home in Windsor Castle, where she has been self-isolating over the coronavirus pandemic with Prince Philip.

This week has been a big one for the Queen, who yesterday celebrated the wedding of her granddaughter Princess Beatrice and property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and came out of lockdown to knight Captain Tom Moore in a socially distanced ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth knighting Captain Tom Moore / Getty Images

Nearly seven decades ago, then-Princess Elizabeth discovered she had become Queen while on tour in Nairobi after her father King George VI passed away. She was only 25 at the time.

A fellow guest at the lodge she was staying in, Jim Corbett, famously recalled in the hotels guestbook, For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess and after having what she described as her most thrilling experience she climbed down from the tree next day a Queen.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on Coronation Day / Getty Images

When her coronation eventually took place in 1953, 20 million people tuned in to watch the ceremony broadcast live as she swore an oath to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and other Commonwealth countries as head of state.

Its said that heavy is the head that wears the crown, and the saying held especially true on her coronation day when the 5lb St Edwards Crown was set upon her head. (She later remarked in a BBC documentary that it weighs a tonne and that she had rarely seen it since her coronation day.)

Milestones and events of the Queen's 25,000-day-long reign

Since then, she has gone on to welcome a new millennium, meet 12 American presidents, celebrate numerous Jubilees, address the nation over the coronavirus pandemic and watch her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up. Another milestone is soon on the horizon for the Queen, who will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 to mark her 70-year reign.

She is not only the longest-reigning British monarch but also the longest-reigning monarch ever. Previously, the longest-reigning British monarch was her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for more than 63 years.

Speaking in 2015 when she beat Queen Victoria's record, she said the landmark moment was not one to which I have ever aspired.

The Royal Family at Trooping the Colour 2018 / PA

She continued, Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones - my own is no exception - but I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness."

The sight of the Queen and her many rainbow outfits is a familiar one now, from her elegant Christmas broadcast dresses through to her neon green Trooping the Colour outfit (which swiftly became a green screen meme online).

As the head of the Royal Family, she has led with grace amidst tragedies such as the death of Princess Diana and scandals surrounding various members of the family.

For more on her numerous highlights and how far shes come, watch the video above.
Nesma Abdel-Aziz will perform with her troupe at the newly erected open-air location

Famous Egyptian marimba player Nesma Abdel-Aziz will perform with her band at Nafoura theatre, an open air stage erected at the Cairo Opera's grounds.

The concert, which will take place on Saturday 25 July, will feature numerous compositions beloved by Egyptian audiences, arrangements of Arabic classics, as well as western music and jazz flavours.

Abdel-Aziz began her career in 2001, when she performed with renowned musician and composer Omar Khairat. She later started her own band to work on personal projects.

Considered to be one of the best Marimba players in the Arab world, Abdel-Aziz studied at the Cairo Conservatory of Music before traveling to continue her studies in the United States.

Abdel-Aziz has performed in many international festivals and events.

Programme:

Saturday 25 July, 8pm

Nafoura (Fountain) theatre, Cairo Opera House grounds, Zamalek, Cairo.

The tickets can be purchased online. Follow this link to purchase the tickets.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Sister Stan Terese Mumuni, founder of the Nazareth Home for Gods Children in Yendi, Ghana, shares her passion for caring for spirit children born with deformities, who are sometimes victims of violence fueled by cultural beliefs.

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

In some rural parts of Ghana, children born with physical deformities are considered to be spirit children. Many of them, due to cultural practices, are abandoned, ostracized, and in some cases killed, as they are considered portents of bad fortune for the community.

Sister Stan Terese Mario Mumuni, a Ghanaian nun of the Marian Sisters of Eucharistic Love (MASEL) Congregation, has become a beacon of hope for these rejected children. She founded an orphanage (Nazareth Home for Gods Children) at Sang, in the Yendi Diocese of Northern Ghana to welcome and cater to children with deformities, irrespective of religion, class or ethnic background.

In an interview with Vatican News, Sr. Mumuni describes her passion for children, her love for God, and her important work of bringing about cultural change, one child at a time.

Bringing life

Sister Mumuni said she got into the apostolate of caring for spirit children because that is how she felt Gods call to her. She explained that even after becoming a nun in 1994, she still felt that God wanted her to do more. And hearing about the plight of the children born with deformities in Yendi, she decided to involve herself to bring life to the children.

Spirit children

Sister Mumuni explained that the practice of violence against children born with deformities dates back many years in Yendi. The indigenes - a mixture of Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers  are still strongly influenced by some ritual and cultural practices that lead them to believe that people with deformities are evil, and as such, are responsible for any misfortune in the area.

She said children and even older people with disabilities such as deafness, mutism, epilepsy, lameness or hydrocephaly (a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain causing swelling of the head) have been unfortunate victims of this practice.

Seeing the situation, Sister Mumuni said she was moved to get involved because the people need God and the children need to be saved from their hands.

Interview with Sr. Stan Terese Mumuni

Challenges

Sister Mumuni explained that one of the initial challenges she had with caring for the children was accommodation. With sparse resources at her disposal, she was able to rent a mud house from one of the Muslim leaders in the community. After renovating it and making it livable, the children were finally able to have a home.

A major preoccupation for the Ghanaian nun is water. Sister Mumuni said the region of Yendi still has difficulties with water, and she often has to buy water for daily use.

I had to carry water on my head from a distance to bring to the house for us  myself and the children - to drink, to bathe and to cook, she said.

Another difficulty she encountered was getting staff to help her. She recalls that early on she had to take care of the children all by herself, in addition to living up to the demands of religious life. However, she is now assisted by other sisters in her congregation.

Everybody felt that the children were not neat enough. They were evil. They had all kinds of deformities, she recounted.

Currently, she pointed out that the orphanage needs a clinic that will serve not only the children but also the surrounding village. And that's not all: the orphanage needs a school where the children will be comfortable, especially since some of them are rejected from other schools due to their deformities.

Sr. Stan Mumuni with some of the children from the orphanage

Spirit children are inspiration

When asked about her source of inspiration, Sr. Mumuni claims that she draws strength from the smiling faces of the children, and their intelligence, adding that many of them have gotten awards for academic excellence from school.

It is very hard but I know that these are children that will become leaders in the future; children that will also turn back to save others in the future, children that will grow to become promising, she said.

I will lay down my life for them, she declared. I will sacrifice for them and I will always try to do more if I have the strength in order to bring life to the children and in order to rescue more.

Evangelizing the culture

The Ghanaian nun explained that she still meets with a lot of resistance from the local people, even though she tries to evangelize, preach to them, speak with them, draw closer to them to let them know that the children are not evil.

She gave the example of a child who had been accused of killing fifteen people in the village because she could not speak, even though she was only five years old. Sr. Mumuni recalls that the villagers brought the child to her because they were convinced that the child could not harm her.

We are trying to let the people know that what God has created with His holy hands cannot be evil, Sister Mumuni said, adding that we are created in the image and likeness of God.



Mealtime at the orphanage

Covid-19 crisis

As for most people in recent months, Sister Mumuni said the orphanage has been going through challenging times, especially since it runs on the goodwill of donors who now have to respect the prescribed social distancing norms due to the Covid-19 crisis.

She notes that the strain of these times is further compounded by the return of all the children from their various schools due to lockdown measures.

They have to eat, she said. Whether "you have the money or not. And their medical needs cannot be stopped.

However, with a note of hope in her voice, she prays that the good God, who is a great provider, will bring an end to the pandemic, and send people to come to the aid of the orphanage.

Sister Mumuni thanked all those who have helped the children, and encouraged everyone to never turn away from the needs of others, adding that perhaps we might be turning away from Jesus and from carrying our crosses.

We are the hands, legs and voice of Jesus today, she said.
In a show of solidarity with developmental projects that impacts on security and socio-economic activities in Zamfara state, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai accompanied the Zamfara State Governor Hon, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle to inspect an ongoing RUGA settlement project on Tuesday in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State.

In a statement on Friday, Governor Matawalle acknowledged the visit, sayingI was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. TY Buratai to the inspection of our pilot Ruga project which has reached 75% completion stage. We appreciate the leadership of the Nigerian Army for endorsing our security strategy.

The visit of IGP & Director Generals of DSS, NIA & DIA to Zamfara has given an impetus to our resolve of ending banditry bedeviling northwestern states. This unflinching support coming from stakeholders is surely expediting the total return of peace & prosperity in our region pic.twitter.com/mDIbLJIhPx  Dr Bello Matawalle (@Bellomatawalle1) July 17, 2020

After a guided tour of the vast expanse of land, Gen Buratai expressed satisfaction with the level of ongoing works and provision of facilities in the RUGA settlement.

The Nigerian Armys statement applauded the Governor for seizing the initiative to address one of the root causes of the perennial Herders  Farmers clashes with attendant deaths and destruction of valuable properties running into huge amounts of money.

Buratai further urged other States executives to key into this laudable project which has multiplier effects on both security and the economy.

He observed that on completion, the RUGA project would provide ample opportunities for youth employment, agricultural activities and industrialization.

At the Emir of Maraduns palace, General Buratai reiterated the resolve and determination of the Nigerian Army to tackle banditry and other criminal activities with the establishment of Special Army Super Camps in Batsari and Faskari, which he said would curb the security threats and other vices in the State.

The Super Camps are designed to plan and project raids and offensive operations against identified bandits hideouts and routes, the Army Chief intimated, soliciting the support and cooperation of the general public in the area of providing information that would guide and determine the conduct and success of the operations.

Earlier, the Emir of Maradun, Alhaji Garba Muhammad Tambari had expressed appreciation for the visit and promised to mobilise his subjects to support military operations in his domain.

In recognition and appreciation of the COAS commitment, selfless services and uncmmon dedication to duty in his quest to restore peace and security, the Emir conferred on General Buratai the traditional title of JARMAN MARADUN.

The Governor, in his remarks, called on the marauding bandits to surrender their arms and key into ongoing zamfara state peace negotiations.He further promised to provide resources in support of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the discharge of their duties.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A federal judge Friday rejected Cuyahoga Countys attempt to dismiss a contentious lawsuit involving foreclosed property.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland in October, argues the countys handling of foreclosure properties deprives former owners of money that is rightfully theirs.

The lawsuit focuses on a 2006 Ohio law that created a way for county boards of revision to foreclose with tax liens if the properties were considered abandoned. The law was an attempt to speed the foreclosure process on shuttered buildings.

Instead of having the properties go up for a sheriffs auction, the boards of revision can transfer them to a land bank, even if the value of the properties exceeds the amount of taxes owed.

The lawsuit said the county violated the former property owners constitutional rights when the board transferred properties to the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corp. without providing compensation to the former owners in cases where the property value was greater than the taxes owed.

The county claimed that it had a right to transfer the properties, based on its taxing authority. Attorneys for the county also stressed in documents that the former owners could have stopped the foreclosure process by paying their taxes or by appealing the issue.

The county said in documents that the former owners had lost all right, title and interest in the foreclosed properties " once the property became subject to foreclosure proceedings.

U.S. District Judge James Gwin said in his ruling that the transfer is not part of the countys tax administration because the county does not collect any tax when it transfers property.

He said that when the county does transfer property, it forfeits any right to collect delinquent taxes.

The property-transfer mechanism stops tax collection from both the entity taking the property and from the earlier owner who owed the taxes, Gwin wrote.

He also said Ohio courts have long recognized that property owners retain an equitable right to the surplus value of their property after tax liabilities. [Former property owners] have an equitable right to this value.

While allowing the much of the case to move forward, Gwin dismissed a portion of it involving claims that the transfer process violates the former property owners rights under the Ohio Constitution.

Marc Dann, the attorney who filed the suit, said he will seek a class-action status. He said Friday the case could involve thousands of property owners who lost tens of millions of dollars.

In a statement, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors office said: We are pleased that [Gwin] dismissed a significant portion of the plaintiffs case.

We believe we will ultimately prevail on both our positions  that the federal court lacks jurisdiction to entertain this lawsuit and that Ohios foreclosure system does not violate the constitutional rights of delinquent taxpayers.

The lawsuit highlighted the case of Tarrify Properties, which owned a parcel of land on Miles Avenue in Cleveland. In 2013, the company owed $18,638 in back taxes and penalties.

The county valued the property at $176,800, the suit said.

The sheriffs department transferred the deed to the county Land Bank last year. The difference between the back taxes and the property value was more than $158,000.

[Property owners] do not challenge the countys right to foreclose on their properties, only the subsequent order to transfer the properties without providing the property owners compensation, Gwin wrote.

The foreclosure proceedings themselves offered no opportunity to challenge the transfer.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Following the approval from the Council of Ministers, the Energy department has made amendments to the 10,000 MW solar power projects tariff model from the earlier approved 15 years to 25 years.

The government has also brought down the lease rate on government lands to a nominal value of Rs 5 per acre per annum from the earlier approved Rs 31,000 per acre per annum.

According to the order (MS 19) issued by ex-officio principal secretary G Sai Prasad on Friday, modifications were made to the earlier approved policy in accordance with the guidelines of the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI).

Though the government earns land lease on government land rented to power developers, the exchequer has to pay the same through the tariff quoted by the developers as they factor land lease rentals while quoting the tariffs.

"Keeping this in view, it was proposed that government reduce the lease for lands to Rs 5 per acre per annum, which will result in lower tariffs and less cash outflows to the government. The government would not suffer any loss on account of charging nominal lease rent," officials maintained.
Notorious Perth bikie Troy Mercanti has been arrested again after allegedly breaching the conditions of his post sentence supervision order.

The former Coffin Cheater was arrested in Karrinyup on Friday and will face Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday morning after spending the night in police custody.

WA bikie Troy Mercanti was arrested on July 7 but he was later freed. Credit:WA Police

Police allege the breach of his post sentence supervision order, which bans him from drinking alcohol, entering a bar or associating with bikies, occurred this month.

Mr Mercanti made headlines in recent weeks after he was granted permission in the Perth Magistrates Court to travel to NSW to attend a gang funeral.
Nigerias first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile, who died on July 14 will be buried on July 23.

The Nigerian Air Force said on Friday Arotile will be laid to rest with full military honours at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.

A statement by NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, titled Late Flying Officer Arotile to be buried in Abuja with full military honours on July 23, said: The remains of late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, NAFs first combat helicopter pilot who died on July 14 will be laid to rest with full military honours at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja on July 23.

Meanwhile, a condolence visit to the Arotile Family in Lokoja by a high-powered delegation, composed of the CAS, Honourable Minister of Women Affairs as well as the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Air Force, has been scheduled to hold on a date before the burial.

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The issue attracted bids for 847.86 crore equity shares as against the total issue size of 909.97 crore equity shares.

The follow-on public offer (FPO) received bids for 523.48 crore shares from qualified institutional buyers (QIBs). The QIB segment was subscribed 1.90 times. Retail investors, non-institutional investors and employees of the bank had not fully subscribed their portion.

A FPO needs at least 90% subscription to close successfully. The issue opened on 15 July 2020 and closed on 17 July 2020. Yes Bank offered 909.98 crore shares under the public offer at a price band of Rs 12-13 per share. A discount of Re 1 per equity share was given to the eligible employees of the bank bidding in employee reservation portion. The bank plans to utilise the proceeds from issue to meet its capital requirements to support growth and expansion.

On 14 July, the private lender allotted 3,41,53,84,614 equity shares to a total of 14 anchor investors at Rs 12 per share.

More than half of the anchor book was subscribed by Bay Tree India Holdings. Other investors include HDFC Life Insurance Co, Amansa Holdings, Jupiter India Fund, Jupiter South Asia Access Fund, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co, RBL Bank, Reliance General Insurance Co, Edelweiss Crossover Opportunities Funds, Elara India Opportunities Fund, Hinduja Leyland Finance and ECL Finance.

State Bank of India (SBI) had earlier informed that it would invest up to Rs 1,760 crore in the FPO.

Shares of Yes Bank rose 2.86% at Rs 19.80 on 17 July 2020.

Yes Bank reported a net profit of Rs 2628.61 crore in Q4 March 2020 as against a net loss of Rs 1506.64 crore in Q4 March 2019. Total income rose 44.4% YoY to Rs 12,115.53 crore during the quarter. The bank generated an extraordinary income (net of tax) of Rs 6,296.94 crore during the quarter on account of writing down of certain Basel III additional tier-1 (AT-1) bonds amounting to Rs 8,415 crore. Excluding this extraordinary item, Yes Bank reported a net loss from ordinary activities of Rs 3,668.33 crore in Q4 March 2020 compared with a net loss from ordinary activities of Rs 1,506.64 crore in Q4 March 2019.

Yes Bank is a full service commercial bank' providing a complete range of products, services and technology driven digital offerings, catering to corporate, MSME & retail customers.

The bank was under moratorium for 13 days in March 2020. It resumed full-fledged banking operations from 18 March 2020. This came after a consortium of eight public and private banks, led by State Bank of India, agreed to infuse capital into Yes Bank to rescue it from the brink of a collapse. These financial institutions had together pooled in Rs 10,000 crore as investment at Rs 10 per share in Yes Bank when it faced pressure from depositors.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tejas Khoday

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is changing the outlook on physical and mental health, impacting everyone's survival quotient across the globe. Relegated to the confines of their homes, people from over 214 countries and thousands of cities have tried to find solace in other activities to avoid boredom.

As world governments continue to grapple with health and economic issues, a different scenario has been unfolding in the stock markets everywhere. After an astounding drop of around 40 percent across major global indices in March, within a span of 3-4 months, stock markets witnessed a dramatic recovery, some on the verge of reaching their lifetime highs, all made possible due to the indomitable resolve of the retail investor.

On the other hand, gold continued its outperformance from the previous year, with 17 percent returns YTD. According to the World Gold Council, gold-backed ETFs closed H1CY20 with a record $40 billion of net inflows. In June gold ETFs added 104 tonnes, taking global holdings to all-time highs of 3,621 tonnes.

With work from home restrictions in place, retail investors armed with ample time and decent sums, indulged in trading and investing. These retail investors, pumping in an average of around Rs 8,000 crore a month through mutual fund SIPs for the last 18 months, took interest in direct equity investing also. With stable and consistent incomes remaining doubtful, they shunned fixed income products and deep dived into equities. As per SEBI May 2020 bulletin, demat accounts increased from 3.62 crore in April 2019 to 4.15 crore by April 2020. Retail and high net worth investors (HNIs) participation as a percentage of total cash turnover has increased from 76.6 percent in January 2020 to 85.8 percent in July 2020. As per latest AMFI data, even across mutual funds, investors opted to invest in high risk- high return segments like smallcap and focused funds while liquidating large and midcap funds.

The returns from most indices are average at best, and a quick analysis of an index returns with respect to its constituent stocks will provide the necessary evidence. An analysis of Sensex 30 stocks last 12-month returns highlights the fact that, barring April - due to exceptional returns, only 50 percent of stocks on an average were able to surpass their index returns.

Over the last few years, many active investors shunned investing in index or value funds and opted for growth and thematic investments in search of higher returns. Thematic investments aren't novel and have been in existence for at least two decades. Under this philosophy, unlike generic portfolios, managers seek strong, healthy and a narrow set of companies with excellent prospects for growth, and offering tremendous opportunities for returns. These companies are grouped into various themes and offered to investors of all categories.

 Over the three years ending December 31, 2019, collective assets under management in thematic funds grew nearly threefold, from $75 billion to around $195 billion worldwide. This represented around 1 percent of total global equity-fund assets, up from 0.1 percent 10 years ago. A total of 154 new thematic funds debuted globally in 2019, falling just short of the record 169 new funds launched in 2018. By end of December 2019, there were 923 thematic funds in Morningstar's global database. Europe is the largest market for thematic funds, accounting for 54 percent of global thematic fund assets. With over $27 billion in assets, Robotics and Automation is the most popular theme globally.

 Just 45 percent of all thematic funds launched prior to 2010 survived to 2020. Of those that survived, just one in four outperformed the MSCI World Index over that 10-year span.

Thematic investments in India are still in their infancy and yet to gain mainstream awareness. Themes can vary widely, from a simple market leaders theme comprising top leaders from each sector, to a more futuristic theme with firms operating in sectors like artificial intelligence, smart cities, fintech, new age manufacturing and automation or from environmentally conscious businesses contributing towards social impact issues like health and safety, climate change etc. Depending on their preference, investors can choose from a wide variety of themes or even formulate their own theme. For eg: Many investors give importance to corporate governance, ethics and management's capabilities to drive businesses successfully. Business groups in India like Bajaj Group, Tata Group and many others, having established credibility and trust among stock market participants with diversified companies under their belt, can be selected as themes.

In recent years, chemicals  agro, basic, specialty, dyes & pigments  have seen remarkable demand and continued to enjoy higher price realisations for almost a decade. A theme related to chemicals would have ensured extraordinary returns to investors.

Identifying companies across sectors exhibiting the right markers for exponential growth is a humongous task, but if done right, would ensure returns beyond comparison of any index, mutual fund or PMS. Though easier to comment in hindsight on the performance of a specific set of companies, investment managers continue to do enormous research to zero in on the right firms, that can encash on the fiery growth, to deliver superlative returns.

At times, a diversified theme spread across many sectors can form the perfect portfolio and yield the best of returns. Would it have been possible for any investment manager or an individual investor to pick 10 stocks across FMCG, Finance, Chemicals, Capital Goods, Automotive, Healthcare, Discretionary consumption to form a perfect portfolio?

It is near impossible to select these 10 stocks which have delivered the best of returns over multiple time frames. But, as investors look to shun low yielding products and seek investment avenues for higher returns, thematic investing could emerge as the way of the future and be the next generation choice for investments in India. However, it is imperative to hold the thought that, identifying and investing in the right stocks or theme will accomplish only half the task. Patience and long term holding, while continuing to retain a strong conviction, still remain the key attributes to mitigate investment risk while seeking unmatched returns.

The author is Co-Founder & CEO at FYERS.

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Williams Welcomes Community Questions About Students' Return



Williams College's Jim Kolesar, upper left, moderates Wednesday evening's forum with, clockwise, Vice President Fred Puddester, President Maud Mandel and Williamstown Town Manager Jason Hoch. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Williams College President Maud Mandel said Wednesday that she is "optimistic" that students returning to campus in the fall will follow the protocols in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but she realizes that there will be lapses.

On the other hand, Mandel noted that lapses in social-distancing and face-covering guidelines occur in all segments of the population.

"The mask wearing, social distancing and the cleaning, these three things that our public health advisors stressed to us over and over again, is going to be coupled with a robust testing regime that, in all these places you're reading about where there are COVID outbreaks, is not happening," Mandel said. "These things are going together in a relatively closed community.

"It is true that we are not going to be able to control everything. And we will not know about every transgression. But 100 percent of the people do not have to follow 100 percent of the rules 100 percent of the time in order for this to work. Most people have to follow the rules most of the time in the collective work of protecting the community."

Mandel was speaking during a forum the college hosted for members of the community concerned about the school's plans to welcome back the 1,600 students who have opted to either begin (as freshmen) or resume their studies on campus this fall after the school was closed to physical classes in March.

The college president said she is asked "all the time" how schools can expect undergraduates in a residential college setting to observe the social distancing guidelines espoused by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And she said she understands the concern.

"Maybe I'm naive to say what I'm about to say, but I really believe that while it is true that we've all read stories of students making poor choices, we've read stories of all kinds of people making poor choices," Mandel said. "I believe Williams students can be good ambassadors of the very best public health practices, if we consistently and regularly remind all of us of the necessity of making good choices.

"And the best thing we can all do is model that behavior ourselves. I will do that. We're asking faculty and staff to do that. We've engaged student leaders. We have an active effort across the campus right now, where [Junior Advisors] and captains of teams and leaders of registered student organizations and residential counselors are all being pulled in to a public health initiative, where they are working together to create social media and posters to encourage best practices among their peers."

When asked about the consequences for students who do not follow those best practices, Mandel first said the message she is sending is that the consequence will be a "collective punishment."

"We'll have to close the campus [again] if we don't all follow the rules," she said.

When pressed by moderator James Kolesar, the college's assistant to the president for community and government affairs, Mandel said the college is prepared to speak to rule-breakers one-on-one and those who flagrantly violate the guidelines may ultimately be asked to continue their studies remotely from their hometown.

All of this is laid out in a contract that students are required to sign before they return to campus. Williamstown Town Manager Jason Hoch, who joined Mandel and Williams Vice President for Finance Fred Puddester in the video conference, noted that other "outsiders" entering the North Berkshire town sign no such contracts.

"In some ways, we're in a unique situation because the college has been able to be well informed by experts  and has come up with a very intentional approach to bring in 1,600-plus people in a very controlled manner," Hoch said. "In the rest of the community, we don't have that luxury. Visitors are coming now from away. They may or may not follow state quarantine guidelines. They may come, and they may go. We don't test them. We don't know what that exposure is.

"While my economic development side of me is thrilled to see so many people back, from the public health side, there's an exposure. In [Williams'] case, it's a big number. It's a big surge all at once, but it's so much more controlled than we see every weekend right now."

Several of the questions in Wednesday's hour-long forum (viewable on the college's website and the town's community access television station, WilliNet ), involved the college's testing protocols. Students will be tested upon their arrival on campus and ordered to stay in their dorm room for up to 48 hours while awaiting the results of the initial test, and students, faculty and staff will be tested twice a week the first two weeks and once a week after that.

Puddester said the college is working with the Cambridge-based Broad Institute to conduct tests that will have results within 48 hours, providing the college with more real-time information about potential incidences of COVID-19 than is available in the rest of the population.

The college officials were asked whether Williams would offer such testing to members of the town who don't work on campus.

"The Broad Institute has a program that is just for higher education," Puddester said. "We're not allowed to test anyone other than students, faculty and staff."

But some level of community testing may be available at some point in the future.

"Based on the college's work identifying the capacity Broad had and how effective it was going to be and wanting to be as close to that as possible, the town has been in contact with the public and community partner Broad is working with to explore being able to complement that so we can offer it to the larger community," Hoch said. "We've expanded the conversation this week with the school district thinking about the larger Mount Greylock school community. We're working on being able to have a complementary program. It may not have the same weekly, bi-weekly intensity as the college  but we're actively pursuing that."

As for the Williams College campus itself, its facilities, including its art museum, recreation center, chapel and Paresky student center will be off limits to anyone without a college ID until further notice.

That closure list includes the college's libraries, which will not be a resource even for area college students who are choosing to pursue their studies remotely at other colleges and universities.

"However, I know my librarian colleagues at institutions all over the world are doing all they can to support their students who are, or soon will be, studying online and at a distance from their home institution," Williams Director of Libraries Jonathan Miller said on Thursday. "For instance, at Williams we are providing online access to a huge digital library of ebooks, journals, and streaming video, our research librarians are assisting users online, we are acquiring more online materials where we can, and if we can't we are scanning portions of print materials for faculty and students. When necessary we are mailing materials to faculty and students who are living at a distance from the college."

Mandel on Wednesday said the decision to close Williams' campus to in-person instruction in March was the hardest of her life and was driven largely by her concerns that the college population -- if it saw a COVID-19 outbreak -- could overwhelm the capacity of Berkshire Medical Center and Bennington, Vt.'s, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

She heads into August's planned return of students with the assurances of officials at both hospitals that they have sufficient capacity. But Mandel said she is prepared to make that difficult decision again if necessary.

"We really, really hope not to close the college," Mandel said. "But I do think there are two key indicators I'll be watching very closely. One is conversations with local doctors and hospital administrators about the situation in our immediate vicinity because my great fear in March was that our students would take up available hospital beds and there would be too many people and not enough ventilators and ability to support people if they got ill. Right now, we are assured hospital administrators are not concerned they will not be able to meet the need.

"Secondary, of course, would be our ability on campus to care for outbreaks of COVID. Right now, we have a lot of positioning in place to care for quarantined students and isolated students, to provide them with food and care for them with telemedicine and transport them to hospital if need be.

"If we had an outbreak that was significant enough that we couldn't meet those needs anymore, that would be another significant sign, and I think we'd be able to see that coming, so we'd make decisions in the face of that.
In a July 14 internal email with the subject head Termination of contracts for some managers, acting managing director Zealous Nyabadza said the seven have been dismissed from their posts with immediate effect. This email serves to inform you that the following managers have been dismissed from NatPharm with immediate effect, Nyabadza said, without elaborating.
Netflixs new reality show Indian Matchmaking has sparked a backlash among viewers.

The dating series, which follows a matchmaking service for Indians and Indian-Americans, has been described as a cesspool of casteism, colourism, sexism and classism.

Many viewers accused the show of endorsing archaic ideas, white-washing the tradition of arranged marriages and reinforcing stereotypes.

This show on Netflix Indian Matchmaking is so cringey, wrote one viewer.

Its everything about indian culture I hate and Im so glad I stood up for myself to be with someone outside of that culture and who loves me FOR ME and not just cause Im successful or pretty.

Another tweeted: So we not gonna address the constant and blatant colourism in Indian Matchmaking? Okay, cool. Carry on.

"Couldn't watch more than 5 minutes of Indian Matchmaking," said a third. "Who in their right mind wants to be reminded of that hellhole? It needs to come with a trigger warning."

Kennith Rosario of The Hindu labelled the show "the big fat desi wedding stereotype" and wrote in his review that numerous episodes seemed like parodies of crazy rich desis fantasising over weddings and finding a life partner through a neighbourhood aunty".

Indian Matchmaking arrived on Netflix on 16 July and was promoted as a show that helps single millennials find true love.

The series is hosted by elite matchmaker Seema Taparia as she works with young Indians and their parents to select a spouse.
Bihar reported a total of 739 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 24,967, the state health department said on Saturday. The state has seen over 200 deaths while the number of recoveries in the state is over 14,000.

Coronavirus cases in Bihar are on a rise with the Centre expressing concern over the surge. The Union Health Ministry has directed the government of Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam to take necessary steps to suppress Covid-19 transmission and keep the fatality rate below 1 percent.

The move came after a virtual meeting was held by Union Health Secretary on July 15 to review the Covid-19 situation in these states, news agency ANI reported.

Also read: Community transmission at over 50% in Covid-19 clusters, says Kerala health minister

Renewed efforts are needed to suppress the transmission as well as to keep case fatality rate below 1 percent. The state should utilise the lockdown to focus on containment, surveillance and testing in the containment and buffer zones as the key strategy for early detection of cases and fatality management, Union Health Ministrys Lav Agarwal said in a letter to the Principal Secretaries (Health) and Secretary (Health) of these states.

The letter stated that in Bihar, cases are rising with almost 450-500 fresh infections being reported daily and 80 percent of the total active cases in the state were reported in the last seven days.

Districts like Patna, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda, Begusarai and Munger are reporting a higher number of cases while Saharsa, Gaya, Paschim Champaran, Jamui, Arwal, Saran and Khagaria are the emerging hotspots.

The letter noted that the overall Covid-19 testing is very low in the state vis-a-vis national average and an increasing trend in case positivity rate on a weekly basis is also a cause of concern, the letter read.

(With inputs from ANI)
Katherine Langford shot to international fame in 2017 with her starring role as Hannah Baker in Netflix's controversial teen drama series, 13 Reasons Why.

And in a preview for Sunday's Stellar magazine in Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph, the Perth-born star reflected on the breakout role.

The 24-year-old said it was 'the worst, but greatest, first role' in preparing her for a life in the spotlight.

Candid: 13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford (pictured), 24, revealed in a preview for Sunday's Stellar magazine in Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph, how the Netflix series was the 'worst, but greatest, first role'

'In many ways it was the worst, but also the greatest, first role to have. The reactions afterwards were, and will always be, really special to me,' Katherine explained.

The brunette, who had no prior acting experience, received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her role in 13 Reasons Why.

Katherine played American high school student Hannah Baker, who committed suicide after struggling to fit into her environment and a battle with mental health.

Breakout role: The Perth-born actress shot to international fame in 2017 with her starring role as Hannah Baker (pictured) in Netflix's controversial teen drama series

She left behind a series of cassettes, narrating the 13 reasons for her suicide.

Katherine went on to reveal to Stellar magazine that fame has changed how people perceive her.

'What I realised is that it didn't change me, but rather how people saw me,' she said.

Katherine candidly revealed her own struggles in fitting in at school, for GLAMOUR UK's July digital issue.

Plot: Her character committed suicide after struggling to fit into her school environment and a battle with mental health. Pictured on set with Dylan Minnette who played Clay Jensen

Speaking of her younger years, she said: 'I didn't know where I fitted in and that was a big thing for me, I could do sport but then I was also "girly", and I liked makeup, but I didn't want to be a part of that popular girl group, and I was also a nerd.'

'I remember we had this "girls' magazine", and they would have pictures of celebrities with a quote. There was a picture of Scarlett Johansson who was saying something along the lines of like, "Just be yourself".

'I was 12 years old, and I looked at this and I just went, "But who am I? Tell me who I'm supposed to be. Should I dress like this and then I'm that person?"'

Katherine added that she's not fully certain of who she is, but would rather not put labels on herself.

If you are struggling with mental health issues, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Fredericton gets fancy by integrating artwork at Victoria Circle

The City of Fredericton is getting rid of that massive pile of dirt at the Victoria Circle roundabout and replacing it with something a little more pleasing to the eye.

Next summer, a public art installation called Blue Circle, will be incorporated into the downtown roundabout.

"It will make a gateway for the city," said artist Marlene Hilton Moore.

The installation represents the St. John River and features two large semi-circles, which serve as the north and south side of the city.

The artwork also includes a five-metre diameter circle that rises around three metres above the ground supported by a central post. The half-circles, made of aluminum, also feature metallic blue aerospace paint with laser-cut circles illuminated with natural light during the day and LED lights at night.

Elizabeth Fraser/CBC News

"It will move with the flow of the traffic and the flow of the traffic will move with it," she said. "It will just be calming."

The city received just over 50 submissions from across Canada to create the downtown design.

"I love the idea of it being a circle ... the geometry of a circle within a circle," she said.

A celebration of both sides of the river

Hilton Moore found out she won the bid in December.

She lives in Barrie, Ont. but has a deep connection with New Brunswick's capital, where she grew up.

That's why she wanted to get involved in the project.

"It was Fredericton, basically," she said. "That's too exciting for me."

Hilton Moore, who described Fredericton as a "celestial city" wanted to incorporate the St. John River and celebrate both the city's north and south side in her piece.

It will take the Ontario artist about six months to fabricate the piece of artwork and then have it transported to Fredericton.

The total budget for the project is $125,000.

A feel for Fredericton

Last year, the city also offered a tour of the city to the artists who made the short-list for the project.

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They toured the circle itself, city hall and Fredericton's downtown core to get a glimpse of its history.

"All of the information I received solidified more of what Fredericton really was," said Hilton Moore.

"That information was what I went back to when I was imagining what I would create for the work."

She said the design won't be distracting to drivers because it's in the shape of a circle.

"You flow with it so easily."

And she is using a material that will diffuse the light inside the circle at night.

'A sense of place'

While some might argue the artwork will be distracting, Angela Watson, cultural development officer for the City of Fredericton, said the piece will suit the space it's in.

"It makes a city and a town unique," she said. "It's a gateway into the downtown."

Roundabout art is common in cities around the world.

Singapore has the Fountain of Wealth at the centre of its roundabout in Suntec City. In 1998, it was listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest fountain in the world.

There's also the Victory Monument in Thailand, which was built in 1941 to mark the bravery of military personnel, police and civilians who died during the Franco-Thai War.

The City of Fredericton doesn't have any concrete plans to implement more of these designs in roundabouts across the city, but it isn't entirely out of the question.

"It creates a sense of place," she said.
EastEnders star Maisie Smith has hit back at trolls who had called her 'vain' for posting snaps of herself on Instagram.

Taking to her stories on the social media platform on Saturday, the actress, 19, responded to the comments claiming she 'loved herself'.

Adopting a sarcastic tone, Maisie said of the reaction: 'I get a lot of comments saying that I'm vain and that I love myself, and you are absolutely right - I do love myself.

'You are absolutely right, I do love myself': EastEnders star Maisie Smith hit back at trolls who called her 'vain' for sharing Instagram snaps on Saturday

'It's taken me a while to feel this way. So, I'm sooo sorry if my happiness offends anyone because I'm just living my movie, I'm just living happily in my skin.

'I think that should be celebrated - not discouraged. Correct me if I'm wrong, guys.'

Maisie often puts her sensational figure on display on Instagram, and on Friday she shared a video while wearing a yellow crop top and denim shorts.

The star showed off her toned abs in the short clip by wearing her shorts slightly open, she was sure to set pulses racing in the ensemble.

Not taking it: Adopting a sarcastic tone, Maisie said of the reaction: 'I get a lot of comments saying that I'm vain and that I love myself, and you are absolutely right - I do love myself'

Candid: Maisie admitted it's 'taken [her] a while to feel this way' as she said she was just 'living happily in my skin' so trolls shouldn't be so concerned about calling her 'vain'

Maisie has been enjoying a rare break away from Albert Square as she isolates with her family amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The thespian, who joined EastEnders as Tiffany aged seven, recently shared a beautiful self-penned song with her social media followers.

Maisie opened up about her battle with body dysmorphia in the lyrics, admitting she remembers 'wishing she was thinner' from a young age.

Great message: Maisie finished off her message to fans on a body positive note, as she said: 'I think that should be celebrated - not discouraged. Correct me if I'm wrong, guys'

Honest: The thespian, who joined EastEnders as Tiffany aged seven, recently shared a self-penned song with fans, in which she opened up about her battle with body dysmorphia

She said that she has been feeling 'anxious' and 'trapped in her thoughts' while in isolation she penned the song in a bid to 'heal her mind'.

The song began: 'When I was little I would look in the mirror, holding in my stomach wishing that I was thinner.

Suggesting it is something she struggles with, Maisie added: 'Guess I had a case of body dysmorphia - and I still haven't shaken it off.'
The China-US ties are facing the most serious challenges since the two countries established diplomatic relations, which has caused widespread concern in the international community.

This situation came from some U.S. politicians wrong strategic comprehension on Chinas development, as well as their efforts to build a tough image for domestic politics by adopting a seemingly aggressive diplomacy.

While the COVID-19 epidemic is steadily worsening in America, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is intent upon creating and spreading political viruses, as well as dressing China up as a rival, even an enemy of the U.S., in a bid to shoulder his so-called responsibility of protecting American interests. Such a hegemonic and evil political scheme will never be tolerated by justice.

It should be noted that the U.S. will neither defeat the pandemic nor get rid of its long-standing social issues by interfering in the affairs of other countries as a global sheriff and advocating adversarial diplomacy.

The poor pandemic response by the U.S. government, the miseries happening to U.S. citizens, as well as the frequent occurrence of the deep-seated racial problems are all domestic governance issues that the White House must address.

However, the ridiculous and arbitrary practices by some U.S. politicians have astonished the world. Rather than taking efforts to find solutions to the problems and protect the health and well-being of the American people, they have been engaged in picking faults and blame games.

When the U.S. is facing huge risks in its peoples lives and its social and economic development, these American officials are doing nothing but scapegoating others for their own misconducts, which only made them clowns.

As a matter of fact, the surging governance deficit of the U.S. has drawn reflection of the U.S. society.

After the Cold War, the U.S. has waged many wars against other countries and thus put itself into infinite self-consuming. Domestically, it is haunted with excessive expansion, racial conflicts, social differentiation and political polarization.

When the virus came here, it found a country with serious underlying conditions, and it exploited them ruthlessly, said a recent article published on The Atlantic. Chronic illsa corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a divided and distracted publichad gone untreated for years, the article continued.

Some U.S. politicians are devoting themselves in populism, unilateralism and protectionism, ridiculously believing that these are the remedy to social panic. However, anyone insightful could see that the wrong prescriptions will only make things even worse.

The international landscape is undergoing profound changes and the epidemic has made such changes more distinct.

In a world full of instabilities and uncertainties, what determines the competitiveness of a country is its ability to improve the governance and solve its own problems, not its ability to bully other countries and even destroy the international system.

What the U.S. really needs to think about is how to meet the real demands of the society by developing healthy and benign foreign relations. Only by finding a correct solution can the U.S. manage to alleviate its social conflicts.

Like China, the U.S. needs a peaceful international environment so that it could recover from the damage caused by the Cold War and subsequent foreign military intervention, according to Charles Freeman, an American expert in Chinese studies.

Americans need to focus their wealth and attention on domestic reconstruction and need a sound relation with China to do so, he added.

The confrontation game designed by the U.S. will definitely hurt both China and itself, and even the world at large.

Of course, the U.S. has to pay a price for such confrontation, and the consequences include huge consumption of American resources, worsening social conflicts, and the loss of interests of the U.S. public.

Whether to choose win-win cooperation or conflicts and confrontation is a question that tolerates no wrong answer, and shall be responded to based on justice. Any motive of the U.S. politicians that runs counter to justice is doomed to fail.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)
Coronavirus Updates: Jammu will be under lockdown from 6pm on all Fridays till 6 am on all Mondays and people will be allowed to step out only for medical emergencies, said an order.

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We have to do all what is possible to reach a deal tomorrow. Further delays are not useful to anybody.

The negotiations were heated, said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, one of the EU countries most affected by the coronavirus crisis that are seeking generous aid from the bloc. Europe is under the blackmail of the frugals.

European Union leaders failed to agree on a massive stimulus fund to revive their coronavirus-hammered economies on Saturday after two days of fraught negotiations, but extended their summit for another day to try and overcome their differences.

While speaking to ANI, Dr V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India said, This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread.

With one million people getting affected by Covid-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started and the situation is pretty bad, reports ANI.

The biggest increases reported on Saturday were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report. The previous WHO record for new cases was 237,743 on Friday. Deaths rose by 7,360, the biggest one-day increase since May 10. Deaths have been averaging 4,800 a day in July, up slightly from an average of 4,600 a day in June.

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, with the total rising by 259,848 in 24 hours, reports Reuters.

The two men, aged 61 and 62 years, died at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital and the Jorhat Medical College Hospital, respectively, he said.

The toll due to COVID-19 in Assam mounted to 53 after two more people succumbed to the disease, while 1,117 fresh cases pushed the state's tally to 22,981, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, compared to a day earlier. The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 3,630,587 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 74,710 cases, and said the number of deaths had risen by 918 to 138,782, reports Reuters .

Without salaries and jobs, people die, he said referring to restrictions imposed by some states and municipalities. Lockdown kills, he added, saying that some politicians have suffocated the economy with forced curfews.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday that lockdown measures used to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus kill and have suffocated the countrys economy, reports Reuters.

South Africa on Saturday reported 13,285 new confirmed cases for a total of 350,879. That puts the country ahead of Peru and makes up roughly half the cases in Africa.

South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases caseload as the African continent faces the pandemic's first wave head-on, reports AP.

India reports 38,902 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total to 10,77,618. This is the highest single-day rise in the number of fresh infections. The toll rises by 543 to 26,816.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 1,37,91,869 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to July 18 with 3,58,127 samples being tested on Saturday.

The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, out of which 3.7 million are in the United States. There are over 2 million in Brazil and more than 1 million in India. The World Health Organisation again reported a single-day record of new infections with 259,848

Johns Hopkins University says the global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 600,000. The university's tally as of Saturday night says the United States tops the list with 140,103 deaths. It is followed by 78,772 fatalities in Brazil and 45,358 in the United Kingdom.

State Minister for Medical Education K Sudhakar said there was no community transmission of the pandemic, adding if it were to be the case, the number of infections would be running into 'lakhs.'

With the city witnessing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in the past few days, the Karnataka government holds inter-state travellers responsible for the spurt in infections, saying those from hot spot states like Maharashtra could have brought the infection.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP of "institutionalising lies" by "restricting testing and misreporting deaths." "The illusion will break soon and India will pay the price," he said in a tweet.

Odishas caseload rises to 17,437 with 736 new cases in 24 hours, ANI reports quoting the state health department. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 17,437 including 11,937 recovered.

Two more patients, including a Border Security Force jawan, die in Meghalaya, reports PTI. With this, the states toll rises to four.

In the first phase, 12 ambulances equipped with "ultra-modern medical facilities" have been rolled out for this purpose, the Sikh body said. DSGMC President, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, said more ambulances will be made available as and when required.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has started free ambulance service for COVID-19 patients in need of mobility support in the national capital, reports PTI.

As many as 129 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Indore in the last 24 hours, taking the tally in Madhya Pradesh's worst hit district to 6,035, an official said on Sunday. There has been a rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state's industrial hub during the last 10 days.

Rao, 80, was undergoing treatment at the state-run St George Hospital in south Mumbai since Thursday after being tested coronavirus positive.

Poet and Elgar Parishad case accused Varavara Rao, a COVID-19 patient, was on Sunday shifted to the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai for neurological and urological treatment, an official said.

In a Facebook post hailing the media's role during the pandemic, the vice president also said Parliament is "on course" for holding the Monsoon session.

Parliamentary panels have started scrutinising the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country a little over three months after Parliament was adjourned ahead of its schedule due to the virus and a shorter timeframe to hold the standing committee meetings would not have been possible given the present situation, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, reports PTI.

Barring milk supply and health care services, all other activities came to a halt and markets were closed down. Shops, including those selling essential commodities, were shut.

Tamil Nadu came under an intense lockdown, the third successive Sunday of full curbs without any relaxations to help fight COVID-19 and roads everywhere wore a deserted look as people stayed indoors, reports PTI.

The restrictions, which were imposed till Monday evening, have been extended till 5 am on August 3, he said addressing a virtual press conference.

The Arunachal Pradesh government has extended the total lockdown in the Capital Complex for another two weeks in the wake of the spurt in COVID-19 cases in the region, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar announced on Sunday.

Two Congress legislators in Punjab have tested positive for COVID-19, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Sunday. Singh wished both of them a speedy recovery, reports PTI.

Singapore on Sunday reported 257 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total count to 47,912. Among the new cases in the community, two are Singaporeans (citizens) or permanent residents (foreigners) and six are foreigners holding work passes living outside the dormitories.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 percent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it. There are 29 states and Union Territories with a case fatality rate (CFR) lower than India's average, with five of them having a CFR of zero and 14 having fatality rate of less than 1 percent. The focused efforts of the Centre and state and UT governments on efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases have ensured that India's case fatality rate has fallen below 2.5 percent, the ministry said.

Kerala on Sunday reported 821 new COVID-19 patients and 172 recoveries, taking the number of active cases in the state to 7,063. Of the new cases, 222 cases are from Thiruvananthapuram which has been put under complete lockdown after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed community transmission in two villages of the district. According to News18, 629 persons caught the infection through contacts while the source of infection in 43 cases was not known. The toll has risen to 42 with two deaths.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with the chief ministers of Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the respective states, reports ANI.

view of the rise in COVID-19 cases, a senior official said. The extended lockdown is applicable for municipal corporations of Mira Bhayandar, Kalyan-Dombivali and Bhiwandi-Nizampur, which all fall under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), where cases are on the rise. The extended shutdowns will remain in force in existing and new containment zones, stated an order issued by Thane district collector Rajesh Narvekar.

The ongoing lockdown in Thane district of Maharashtra, which was supposed to end on July 19 midnight, has been extended till July 31 in select areas in

Mumbai reported 1,046 new COVID-19 cases and 64 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1,01,224 and 5,711 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 23,828: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation pic.twitter.com/2xdwUd9LYa

Mumbai reported 1,046 new COVID-19 cases and 64 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing total cases to 1,01,224 and toll to 5,711. The number of active cases stands at 23,828, reports ANI quoting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC(.

A staggering 5,041 COVID-19 cases, the single largest number in a day so far, were registered in Andhra Pradesh as the overall aggregate inched closer to the 50,000 mark on Sunday.Also, the state saw the highest spike in deaths in a day as 56 coronavirus patients succumbed, pushing the toll to 642, a government bulletin said.

Despite India having one of the highest COVID-19 recovery rates, plasma donation by recovered patients is yet to pick up, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said Sunday, urging people to come forward to help fight the pandemic.Vardhan launched a plasma donation campaign at the AIIMS hospital in Delhiduring an event co-organised by Delhi police, where 26 police personnel who have recovered from COVID-19 volunteered to donate their blood plasma, the health ministry said.

had earlier tested positive while her test results came positive on Sunday, an official of the Charaideo district administration told news agency PTI.

Assam BJP MLA Nabanita Handique has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, an official said on Sunday. Handique, who represents Sonari in the Assam legislative Assembly, is the fourth legislator in the state to test positive for COVID-19, the official said. The legislator's son, driver and a personal assistant

Jammu district authorities on Sunday announced a complete weekend lockdown beginning from 24 July to prevent the spread of coronavirus cases that had witnessed a spike over the past week, officials said. Jammu District Magistrate Sushma Chauhan ordered the lockdown from 6pm on all Fridays till 6 am on all Mondays beginning from the Friday falling on 24 July. There shall be complete restriction on movement of individuals, vehicles and all activities within the entire jurisdiction of district Jammu, except the movement for emergency medical requirements for which no pass is required, Chauhan said in an order issued on Sunday night.

The entire Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will continue to be under strict lockdown upto the midnight of 28th July: District Collector & Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority, Thiruvananthapuram. #Kerala pic.twitter.com/HLgAm0UVqU

The entire area under theThiruvananthapuram Corporation will continue to be under strict lockdown till the midnight of 28 July, according to orders issued by the District Collector and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, reports ANI.

The Assam health department on Sunday did away with the condition of having a COVID-19 test result report for shopkeepers, delivery persons and employees to operate shops in Assam. However, the such persons must co-operate if authorities carry out rapid anti-gen tests at the shop premises, said an order signed by the Principal Secretary in the health department.

Telangana recorded 1296 new #COVID19 positive cases and 6 deaths today. Total number of cases rise to 45,076 including 12,224 active cases, 415 deaths and 32,438 recovered cases: State Government pic.twitter.com/SwQBk9oLol

Telangana recorded 1,296 new COVID-19 positive cases and six deaths today, taking the total number of cases to 45,076 including 12,224 active cases, 415 deaths and 32,438 recovered cases, reports ANI.

The coastal state now has 1,417 active cases, the state health bulletin said.

Goa on Sunday added 173 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count to 3,657, reports PTI quoting the state health department. With a 67-year-old man succumbing to the infection, the toll has risen to 22, it said. A total of 180 patients were discharged in the day, taking the number of the recovered cases to 2,218.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: Jammu district authorities on Sunday announced a complete weekend lockdown beginning from July 24 to prevent the spread of coronavirus cases that had witnessed a spike over the past week, officials said.



Maharashtra reports 9,518 fresh infections and 258 deaths, taking the total to 3,10,455 and death count to 11,854.

Delhi has recorded 1,211 fresh coronavirus cases, the lowest in over a month, and 31 deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, a three-member central team reached Patna to take stock of the COVID-19 situation in Bihar, which has witnessed a surge in novel coronavirus cases.

Kerala on Sunday reported 821 new COVID-19 patients and 172 recoveries, taking the number of active cases in the state to 7,063.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 percent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it.

Delhi has recorded recoveries of 1,01,274 coronavirus patients, this posting a recovery rate of 83.3 percent.

India reports 38,902 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total to 10,77,618. This is the highest single-day rise in the number of fresh infections. The toll rises by 543 to 26,816.

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, with the total rising by 259,848 in 24 hours.

With 34,884 people testing positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours, India's coronavirus case count on Saturday soared to 10,38,716 while the death count rose to 26,273 with 671 fatalities, the Union health ministry said in its morning update.

This is the third consecutive day when the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has increased by more than 30,000.

According to figures reported during the day by state governments, many states reported record jumps in daily cases. Maharashtra's overall case count went past three lakh while Mumbai crossed one lakh cases.

Nearly 18,000 recover in 24 hours

The health ministry said that the number of recoveries has also been continuously increasing due to "timely, proactive, and graded strategy initiatives" for effective management and an expansion of hospital infrastructure.

In a statement, the ministry said, "The last 24 hours saw 17,994 COVID-19 patients recovering. The recovery rate is now 63 percent."

The ministry said that as many as 6,53,750 patients have recovered from the disease so far, and at present, there are 3,58,692 active cases in the country. Thus, recoveries outnumber active cases by over 2.95 lakh, it stated.

The recovery rate in Mumbai rose to 70 percent on 15 July, said a release issued by the Press Information Bureau. Mumbai's recovery rate is nearly 15 percent more than that of Maharashtra, which is 55.62 percent, it claimed. The COVID-19 recovery rate in Mumbai stood at 50 percent around mid-June, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched "Mission Zero" under the Rapid Action Plan to contain the spread of the contagion.

The rate improved to 57 percent on 1 July and further to around 70 percent on 15 July, the PIB statement said.

The Delhi government in its daily bulletin said that more than one lakh people have recovered from the viral infection in the National Capital and the recovery rate has thus risen to 83 percent.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to 17 July with 3,61,024 samples being tested on Friday.

Of the 671 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 258 are from Maharashtra, 115 from Karnataka, 79 from Tamil Nadu, 42 from Andhra Pradesh, 38 from Uttar Pradesh, 26 each from West Bengal and Delhi, 17 from Gujarat, nine each from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, and eight each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Of the total 26,273 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest with 11,452 fatalities followed by Delhi with 3,571 deaths, Tamil Nadu 2,315, Gujarat 2,106, Karnataka 1,147, Uttar Pradesh 1,084, West Bengal 1,049, Madhya Pradesh 697 and Rajasthan 546, according to the health ministry's morning update.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent of deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

Maharashtra has also reported the highest number of cases at 2,92,589 followed by Tamil Nadu at 1,60,907, Delhi at 1,20,107, Karnataka at 55,115, Gujarat at 46,430, Uttar Pradesh at 45,163 and Telangana at 42,496.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said, adding that 163 cases are being reassigned to states.

Total lockdown in coastal Thiruvananthapuram

Meanwhile, day after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan sounded the alert over community transmission in two villages of Thiruvananthapuram district, the district administration clamped a complete lockdown for 10 days in the coastal areas of the district from Saturday midnight.

The district's coastal area stretching from Edava in the north to Pozhiyoor in the south has been declared as Critical Containment Zone (CCZ) and will be under complete and strict lockdown from Saturday midnight to 28 July midnight, an order from the district Collector Dr Navjot Khosa said.

During this period, existing lockdown relaxations shall not be apply to the containment areas and strict lockdown measures shall be in force. The district has been divided into three zones, with three IAS officers functioning as 'Incident Commanders' who will oversee implementation of zone-wise cluster containment and intervention strategies. Movement of people within or out of these zones would not be allowed and the police should strictly enforce this, the collector stated.

In Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam, the district collector announced a fortnight-long lockdown starting Saturday, reported news agency ANI. Shops selling essential items including dairies and vegetable shops will remain open between 6 am and 1 pm, it said quoting the Srikakulam Municipal Corporation Commissioner.

Assam prohibits inter-district travel from 22 July

In Assam, the state government has decided to bar inter-district movement of individuals from 22 July till further orders. Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said that movement will be allowed for last rites and medical emergencies only with written permission from the deputy commissioner of the originating district.

Movement of goods and essentials, however, will continue uninterrupted, he said.

At the same time, the state government announced the easing of some curbs in the Kamrup Metropolitan district, under which Guwahati falls.

New order for Kamrup Metro district by Chief Secretary #Unlock#Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/Iy1XNNjTmb  AIR News Guwahati (@airnews_ghy) July 18, 2020

The chief secretary said that night curfew and weekend lockdown will continue in the district which has been under lockdown since 28 June but shops and businesses will be allowed to operate on any one side of any street on any given day and on the opposite side on alternate days between Monday and Friday from 7 am to 5 pm.

Shopkeepers will be allowed to operate only with 50 percent employees and after all staff and owner test negative for COVID-19 with strict compliance of all COVID-19 protocols issued by the health department.

Home delivery of vegetables, meat and fish will be allowed from Monday to Friday, but street and footpath vending of any sort is not allowed and all designated markets under the municipality will remain closed.

Cab aggregators, auto rickshaws and manual rickshaws except e-rickshaws are allowed to operate with only two passengers at any given time.

Technical service providers such as plumbers, electricians, carpenter, AC mechanic and other electronic repairing will be allowed from Monday to Friday during non-curfew hours.

All central and state government offices including banks, insurance companies, NBFCs, Gauhati Tea Auction Centre and private offices shall operate with 30 percent attendance and testing, and maintenance shall be the responsibility of the head of the office.

Night curfew will remain in force from 6 pm to 6 am everyday and these new guidelines will come into effect from 7 pm of 19 July to 7 pm of 2 August.

Maharashtra cases surge past three lakh; Karnataka reports 4,537 new cases

Many states continued reporting increasing numbers during the day, with Maharashtra crossing the grim milestone of three lakh cases.

According to a bulletin issued by the state health department, the state's case count surged to 3,00,937 with the addition of 8,348 while the toll climbed to 11,569 with 144 fatalities. Meanwhile, Mumbai crossed the one lakh cases with the addition of 1,186 new cases in the day. The number of the cases in the city now stands at 1,00,350 while the toll rose by 65, it said.

On Saturday, restrictions were lifted in Maharashtra's Thane city, barring the infection hotspots where they will continue to operate till 31 July, according to order issued by Thane Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma.

West Bengal reported over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases on a single-day for the first time as the state's tally breached the 40,000, as per the state health department. The state detected 2,198 new cases, following which its active cases soared to 15,594, it said in a bulletin.

Twenty-seven more people died, taking the state's total fatalities to 1,076, the department said. The state has so far reported 40,209 cases of the viral infection.

Delhi recorded 1,475 fresh infections, taking the total in the city to 1,21,582, while the toll mounted to 3,597 as 26 more succumbed to the disease.

The southern states also continued reporting an upward trend. While Karnataka reported its highest single-day spike of 4,537 new cases and 93 deaths, Andhra Pradesh recorded a high of 3,963 cases and 52 deaths.

Tamil Nadu reported its highest single-day jump infections as well as the number of daily deaths, with the total infection count crossing 1.65 lakh. As many as 4,807 new positive cases of the novel coronavirus infection were reported from different parts of the state while 88 people died due to it. The toll mounted to 2,403, a health department bulletin said.

Kerala's COVID-19 infection count touched 11,659 with 593 fresh cases being reported on Saturday as the toll climbed to 39 with two

fatalities.

Central team to reach Bihar on Sunday

The health ministry asked states like Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha  which have been reporting surge in daily infections to step up efforts to curb the transmission of the infection and keep the case fatality rate below one percent.

With these states again imposing lockdown restrictions, the health ministry stressed that the curbs should be utilised to focus on containment, surveillance and testing in the containment and buffer zones for early detection of cases and fatality management.

"The focus of the containment strategy remains on house-to-house survey, perimeter control activities, timely contact tracing, surveillance of containment and buffer zones, aided by effective clinical management of severe cases through a standard of care approach," the ministry said.

A central team has been deployed in Bihar to assist the state in the assessment of COVID-19 management and to provide all necessary support. The team comprising Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, Dr S K Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control and Dr Neeraj Nischal, associate professor of medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, will reach Bihar on Sunday.

AIIMS ethics panel gives nod for Covaxin trial

In another development, the AIIMS Ethics Committee gave its approval for human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVAXIN following which the premier hospital is likely to begin the exercise by enrolling healthy volunteers from Monday.

AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the ICMR for conducting phase I and II human trials of COVAXIN. In phase I, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and the maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.
The University of Georgia Student Government Association saw three main themes in student responses to a survey regarding a return to campus in the fall: desire for a mask requirement, more communication and prioritization of students and the choice of online classes.

SGA created the survey to assist with planning the return to UGA amid COVID-19. The organization aims to create a statement of expectations composed of student voices to submit to UGA administration.

This plan resulted after the university released a compilation of various group reports detailing plans for returning to full operations on campus for the fall semester on May 22. The report, which is more than 200 pages long, was updated on June 9.

Although the document features input from various faculty and staff, student input was not included.

The SGA survey received 6,023 student responses during the 10 days it was available from June 26 to July 3, according to a document from Senate communications director Madison Drummond. The data was compiled before the University System of Georgia announced a new policy which will require students, faculty and staff to wear a mask while on campus.

The amount of responses to the survey told SGA that students wanted a platform to voice their concerns to UGA administration, SGAs document reads.

Senate President Sam Bryant said he has never seen an SGA survey garner the same amount of participation in a short window of time. Bryant expressed his excitement that the survey had a grassroots feel because students shared the survey and responded on their own accord.

Out of the students who participated, 90% were undergraduate students. 84% were in-state and 2% were international students.

Over 70% of students that responded to the survey said the UGA is handling the pandemic average or above average. Over 80% of respondents rated UGAs transition to online learning was average or above average.

On the other hand, 78% of respondents said they want more communication and updates from UGAs administration, according to the document.

SGA worked with the university to create an email series to provide more updates about campus operations and facilities. Bryant said this email service is tailored specifically to students and will deliver updates on how classes will operate.

UGA students received the first email in the series on July 15.

Senator Ciera Thomas said this new feature resulted after students demonstrated a desire for more communication from UGA through SGAs survey.

SGA has also hosted two town hall meetings in the past couple weeks. These meetings with university administration are pre-recorded and posted as YouTube videos on SGAs website.

The senate members met with faculty and staff to discuss student questions, which were collected through direct student communication and inspiration from comments that students left in the survey data, Bryant said.

On July 8, the discussion focused on equity, diversity and inclusion on campus. SGA met with International Student Life, the Office of Institutional Diversity and the LGBT Resource Center. A second town hall meeting discussed campus services and operations on July 15. University Housing, Dining Services, Transportation and Parking Services and the Career Center joined in on the conversation.

We were able to facilitate a conversation on how to best support Black students as well students of other marginalized communities now and when they return to campus, Bryant said.

There are three more town hall meetings scheduled before returning to campus for classes on Aug. 20. Meetings are scheduled for July 22, July 29 and Aug. 5. Thomas said these opportunities are valuable to students who want their voices heard.

What we get from students and the concerns that they may share with us we can take to administration and say this is where students want to see change, this is what weve been doing well and this is what we need to work on, Thomas said. I think its going to be really critical to making sure that we have a safe and effective return to in person classes in the fall.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) blamed the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for masterminding the arrest of five women on last Wednesday by the Ghana Immigration Service Officers at Bongase in the Banda District of the Bono Region.



The NPP had earlier upon the arrest of the women accused the Member of Parliament for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim of bringing the alleged Ivorian women into the constituency to register for the 2020 general election on December 7.



Bono Regional Secretary of the NDC, Dennis Yeboah Twumasi at a press conference in Sunyani, Saturday said, well-known members of the NPP including one of the girls landlady hatched the plan to divert attention after their activists resulted in the killing of a 28-year-old Silas Wulochamey at Banda Kabrono.



Mr Yeboah Twumasi said that an employee of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, a well-known NPP member, and a self-acclaimed National Security Operative only known as Prince first hatched the accusation.



Prince recorded and directed the video clip of these vulnerable Young Ladies with a voice-over commentary accusing Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim and the NDC for bringing foreigners from Ivory Coast to register in Banda, he said.



A known NPP Women activist led these ladies to register at the D/A Primary School at Bongase Kramoline Registration Center with a promise of being one of their guarantors.



He found it hard to comprehend that these ladies, originally from Pofia in the Nandom Municipality of the Upper West Region and residents of Bongase with NPP members Yaw Zugu and Madam Akua Donkor as their landlords are now said to be from Ivory Coast.



The NDC is appealing to the government to repatriate the ladies or prosecute them, together with their alleged accomplices.



We call on the Interior Minister and the Attorney Generals office to prosecute the five young ladies together with their landlord/lady, including their alleged accomplices who led them to the registration center.



The NDC, according to Mr Yeboah Twumasi also finds it disrespectful to the young training graduates family the attempt by the leadership of the NPP to divert attention from Silas by fabricating lies about Hon Ahmed Ibrahim.



Bono Regional Secretary of the NDC noted that it is alarming the rate at which the government is approving entry clearance all in the name of the ongoing register.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









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New Delhi, July 18 : Sadiya Anwar Sheikh, a second year mass communication student from Maharashtra's Pune who was arrested by the NIA for her alleged links with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) module, a banned terror organisation that is part of the IS, was in touch with several key leaders on secure messaging platforms.

She was also part of their channels to build up a cadre to carry out terrorist activities in the country, sources said on Saturday.

According to top NIA sources, Sheikh was arrested on July 12 along with a gym operator Nabeel Khatri from Pune for trying to build up a cadre of ISKP in India, which is also a part of the IS-JK module.

The source said that the IS has made several such groups in different parts of the world. The NIA source said that Sheikh, 22, was a highly radicalised extremist, who had undergone de-radicalisation twice before and was allegedly in constant touch with the Kashmiri couple -- Jahanazaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh.

The Kashmiri couple was arrested in the ISKP module case initially registered with the Delhi Police's Special Cell on March 8 this year from Delhi.

The source claimed that Sheikh was in touch with Abdullah Basith, who is already in Delhi's Tihar jail in another ISIS Abu Dabhi module case.

The source added that according to the secure messaging application digital interceptions Sheikh was in touch with several IS handlers to propagate the ideology of the ISIS and further its activities in India.

The source claimed that Sheikh's digital interceptions from the secure messaging platforms have confirmed that she was in touch with the IS leaders in India and abroad and was trying to arrange for explosives and trying to recruit more youths for terrorist activities.

The digital interceptions also confirmed that she was working to arrange for the explosives and arms to plan a terror attack in several parts of the country.

The NIA had taken over the ISKP module case from the Delhi Police's Special Cell after it arrested Wani and Beigh from southeast Delhi's Jamia Nagar area.

According to the NIA, the couple was having affiliations with the ISKP and were found to be involved in subversive and anti-national activities.

The NIA in a statement earlier this week had said that Sheikh was in contact with the ISIS recruiters through the social media since 2015. She was planning to execute a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir and was detained by J&K Police in 2018.

The NIA had said that Wani, Basith and Khatri were 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 the ISIS in India.
The IRS has sent out more than $269 billion in coronavirus stimulus money , but this cash was just a drop in the bucket for most Americans, who are now facing a recession with the unemployment rate at record highs. More money is clearly needed, as most have already used the cash to pay for essentials or prepare for emergencies. And the good news is, it's likely on the way soon.

In fact, there's a very good chance that Congress will pass a coronavirus relief bill in late July that authorizes more COVID-19 money. Here are three reasons why.

1. Some states are slowing down their reopening process or closing down businesses again

Coronavirus cases are currently spiking across the country, particularly in areas that weren't hit as hard in the first wave. With the number of virus cases surging, some hospitals hitting capacity, and public health experts warning things could get worse, some states that had begun the reopening process are starting to reverse course. In fact, bars, restaurants, and/or beaches have once again been forced to shut their doors in Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Texas, and a handful of other states -- and more could soon follow suit.

These massive closures are not only going to put businesses at risk, but they're also going to lead to a whole host of layoffs. And that will have ripple effects throughout the economy, reducing demand for products and services even at companies that are allowed to remain open.

When states first began shutting down and unemployment started spiking, the crisis prompted lawmakers to take swift action to pass the CARES Act and provide stimulus money. The same thing could soon happen again.

2. Close to half the population is without a job right now, so people need help

In June of 2020, the employment-population ratio was 54.6%, down from a recent high of 61.2% in January of 2020. That means close to half of the non-institutional population was jobless (the data excludes prison inmates, active-duty military personnel, and residents of long-term care facilities).

The employment-population ratio can give a clearer picture of the labor market than the unemployment numbers alone, as it takes into account not just people actively looking for work but also those who have given up on finding work (which could very well be higher than normal given the risks associated with working during the pandemic).

Unfortunately, the low ratio shows just how far America is from a recovery, even as unemployment numbers have been good the past two months. In fact, as many as 30 million jobs would need to be created in order to get the country back to where it was at its peak in 2000, according to the chief economist at Deutsche Bank -- and just 4.8 million were added last month.

With so many people out of work, extending expanded unemployment benefits would probably be a better bet than just providing a second stimulus check. But that's more expensive and unpopular among lawmakers on the right, who believe that workers may be disincentivized to return to their jobs due to the extra $600 in weekly benefits the CARES Act provides through the end of July.

Republicans wary of authorizing more unemployment money may feel they need to do something to help the struggling, and a second stimulus payment is an easier sell.

3. The President's reelection campaign is in trouble

As of July 11, 55.8% of the country disapproved of President Donald Trump, compared with 40.1% that approved. Although the president's approval rating has been relatively stable throughout his presidency, this shows a slight recent decline.

Presumptive Democratic Nominee Joe Biden has also had a consistent, and substantial, lead over President Trump in the polls, a lead hovering between 8.9 and 9.6 percentage points since mid-June.

This doesn't bode well for the president's reelection campaign. He was insistent upon putting his name on the last coronavirus stimulus payment and sent out letters to remind Americans he was the one who authorized it, so he'll very likely see a second payment as an opportunity to curry favor with a wary public.

In fact, the president has already put forth multiple proposals for a second payment and with his low poll numbers, he's likely to put increasing pressure on Republicans to make that happen.

While the odds are good you'll get more stimulus money, there's no guarantee

Although there's good reason to believe lawmakers will provide another coronavirus stimulus payment to help struggling families and shore up the economy during the 2020 recession, you can't count on this money coming until the bill has passed. And that's especially true given that positive June employment numbers may have killed some of the momentum for a second check.

Since you can't count on more cash from Uncle Sam until a bill is passed, it would be wise to make sure you don't need it. Unfortunately, if you're without a job right now, that can be hard. You can apply for expanded unemployment benefits, but those are available only until the end of July (you should still be eligible for your standard benefit, but it will be much lower). You can also look into relief available under the Paycheck Protection Program or Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

For those who are still working, taking steps to prepare for a recession can help you to avoid getting into a tough financial situation if your hours are cut and no stimulus comes. Financial advisors recommend making a crisis budget and shoring up your emergency fund, and both of these steps can leave you well prepared to cope with economic troubles even if lawmakers don't come through for you in the end.
OTTAWAIt started quietly, as most things in Ottawa do.

Months before Justin Trudeau announced WE Charity would receive $19.5 million to run a pandemic volunteer corps, the idea of WEs involvement with Canadas COVID-19 response was already floating around the prime ministers inner circle.

In early April, when the country was still coming to grips with the scale of devastation from the coronavirus, WE made an unsolicited pitch to multiple senior officials and ministers in Trudeaus cabinet to run a social entrepreneurship program for Canadian youth.

Only one minister has been publicly named as having received the proposal  Mary Ng, the minister for small business and a close associate of Trudeaus inner circle, especially chief of staff Katie Telford.

The organization wanted to help young people during the pandemic, and the Trudeau government was under pressure on that front  youth employment opportunities were drying up in the face of a summer lockdown.

WE was facing pressures of its own. Like many Canadian charities, the organization had seen donations dry up. Physical distancing rules meant its massive WE Day fundraisers headlined by celebrities were impossible, at least for the foreseeable future.

As WE made its pitch to cabinet ministers, public servants in the Employment and Social Development Department were frantically trying to arrange supports for students and young Canadians. According to Rachel Wernick, a senior official, she had just weeks to put together a new volunteer grant program that would funnel federal money to young people in exchange for serving their communities.

When Wernick called WE co-founder Craig Kielburger on April 19 to discuss the program, WE saw an opportunity. When Trudeau announced the $900-million Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) program three days later, the charity had its pitch ready.

There are outstanding questions about how WEs revamped April 22 pitch for the CSSG worked its way through the bureaucracy and the Liberal cabinet before June 25, when the Star broke the news that WE was selected to run the program.

What is well known is what came after. The proposal immediately raised questions due to the Trudeau familys connections to the charity. The prime minister himself had appeared at WE-hosted events. His wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, is known as an ambassador and ally of the charity and hosted a podcast under its banner.

But on July 9, financial ties between Trudeaus family and the charity emerged, with Trudeaus mother, Margaret, and brother, Alexandre, having received a total of $282,000 for speaking at WE events between 2016 and 2020.

A day later, the website Canadaland revealed Finance Minister Bill Morneaus daughter is employed by the charity.

Both Trudeau and Morneau participated in the cabinets discussion and decision to award the contract to WE, and now both face ethics probes into potential conflicts of interest. As the political heat intensified, WE and the Trudeau government mutually agreed to nix their partnership.

The opposition parties smelled blood in the water. The Conservatives are calling for a police investigation into possible breach of trust, and have painted the arrangement as Trudeau once again helping friends in the rarefied realm of celebrity, business and philanthropy.

Liberal sources have rejected the charge that Trudeau is close with Marc and Craig Kielburger, the founders of WE (formerly known as Free the Children).

Theyre not friends in any shape or form. But theres an obvious overlap to what Free the Children and WEs mission statement was and (Trudeaus) interests both as a public figure, a political leader, and as a private citizen, said one source close to the prime minister, who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Its not a surprise that their paths crossed many times.

Ethics commissioner Mario Dion  and multiple parliamentary inquiries into the deal  will no doubt shed more light on what happened between April 22 and June 25.

But a close examination of what is known so far presents a partial timeline of how WEs proposal made its way through the public service, landed in front of the Liberal cabinet, and eventually transformed a program meant to help students give back to their communities into a full-blown scandal for both the Liberal government and the charity.

It was Rachel Wernick, a senior official at Employment and Social Development Canada, who ultimately recommended WE run the Canada Student Service Grant program.

Wernick told the House of Commons finance committee on Thursday that her department was under incredible pressure in April, when she was tasked with coming up with how the service grant should work. It was at the height of pandemic fears, and the department was overwhelmed, pushing out other emergency supports for Canadians. The government lacked capacity to directly deliver the student program.

In early discussions with Department of Finance officials, WEs name came up. Wernick testified that she volunteered to call Craig Kielburger, with whom she had worked before, to discuss the broad strokes of the volunteer program. That call took place on April 19.

On April 22, Trudeau announced a $9-billion aid package for students and young Canadians, including the $900-million CSSG program. Wernick testified that she received a proposal from Kielburger that day, outlining how WE would run the program.

They were an obvious option as the largest youth service charity in Canada, with high technological capacity and a Facebook following of four million youth. They had already provided several officials and ministers a proposal related to social entrepreneurship and indicated it could be adapted as needed, Wernick testified.

Given the need for speed and scale, I determined, with my team and colleagues, that (WEs) draft proposal was the best available option in the time we had to work with.

According to Wernick, she made the recommendation to go with WE, and her deputy minister forwarded the recommendation to cabinet in early May.

To be clear, the departments recommendation was that a contribution agreement with WE Charity to mobilize other not-for-profit partners was the best available option, given the requirement for speed, scope, scale and to reach a broad diversity of youth, Wernick testified.

Wernicks account largely lines up with the Liberal governments public explanations throughout the scandal  that the recommendation came from the public service. But what had not been previously disclosed, until Thursday nights meeting of the finance committee, was that WE had been pitching the government  including cabinet ministers  for weeks on pandemic programs.

WE did not immediately respond to questions on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, the Opposition Conservatives called on the federal lobbying watchdog to investigate WE and Craig Kielburger for failing to register as lobbyists.

(The lobbying) registry shows no registered lobbying activity by anyone acting on behalf of WE Charity, including Craig Kielburger, who Ms. Wernick named as having communicated with the government, wrote Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre to lobbying commissioner Nancy Belanger.

I am thus asking that you investigate whether anyone in the WE organization ought to have registered to lobby public office holders, but failed to do so which would be an infraction under  the Lobbying Act.

In early June, a government source told the Star that the government was close to finalizing the CSSG program  including what kind of volunteer work would count and the number of hours needed to qualify for various levels of grant money.

By June 25, the agreement had made its way through cabinet. WEs involvement was announced by Bardish Chagger, the minister of youth, diversity and inclusion, in an interview with the Star that day. The agreement, she said, would allow the charity to approve postings to an online portal for service opportunities  volunteer work for which Ottawa would pay post-secondary students and recent graduates up to $5,000 for at least 500 hours.

Just eight days later, the Liberal government backed away from WEs involvement in the program, which the public service will now administer.

WE Charity and its for-profit corporation, ME to WE, now finds itself in the midst of a political scandal that has had far-reaching consequences for the organization. The publicity has brought national media attention.

On Wednesday, WE announced it was launching an external review of its governance, and would refocus the organization on its original mission: international development work.

The Liberals now find themselves with a prime minister and finance minister both facing their third ethics investigations in four years, an opposition hungry for more revelations, and a news cycle focused more on the scandal than on the governments overall pandemic response, which has been largely supported by Canadians.

That sticks in the craw of some Liberals. One source said when the federal government is pushing out billions of dollars in emergency pandemic supports, more quickly than any government in modern history, issues are bound to be missed.

Mistakes, in other words, were made. But while the WE scandal started quietly, it certainly doesnt look likely to end that way.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singaporeans are getting their first look at rare twin red-ruffed lemurs born at the Singapore zoo a few months ago, after coronavirus restrictions delayed their introduction to the public. The yet-to-be named twins who arrived on Feb. 22 are the first births of the critically endangered species in the zoo since their 11-year-old father Bosco was born

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singaporeans are getting their first look at rare twin red-ruffed lemurs born at the Singapore zoo a few months ago, after coronavirus restrictions delayed their introduction to the public.

The yet-to-be named twins who arrived on Feb. 22 are the first births of the critically endangered species in the zoo since their 11-year-old father Bosco was born.

Their mother, eight-year-old Minnie, came to Singapore in 2016 from a zoo in Japan.

The couple was specially matched because of their genetic compatibility.

The rust-coloured primates only breed once a year, making reproduction notoriously difficult, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said in a statement on Thursday.

"On top of this, females are only fertile for one out of the few days they are sexually receptive, making this twin birth particularly special," it said.

The twins started to greet visitors only this month as the zoo was closed due to a coronavirus lockdown.

The fluffy-furred family with black faces and paws is often spotted together at mealtimes. The five-month-old babies have grown to nearly the same size as their parents.

Native to the north-eastern part of Madagascar, red ruffed lemurs are a sister species to the black and white ruffed lemurs.

The main threat to their population is habitat loss due to illegal logging and hunting. They live together as a family so are often hunted in groups.

(Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan and Yi Shu Ng; Editing by Martin Petty)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Turkey's Erdogan says Egypt involved in 'illegal' action in Libya

Iran Press TV

Friday, 17 July 2020 1:48 PM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Egypt is taking "illegal" action in Libya by supporting the rebels there.

"Steps taken by Egypt here, especially their siding with the putschist Haftar, show they are in an illegal process," Erdogan said on Friday, referring to the commander of the rebels in Libya, Khalifa Haftar, who led an unsuccessful offensive to overtake the capital, Tripoli, starting in April last year.

Erdogan also condemned the approach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Libyan conflict as "piratical."

Egypt and the UAE have been supporting the Libyan rebels against the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli, which has been able to deal major blows to the rebels in recent weeks thanks to crucial Turkish support.

Erdogan emphasized that his country would maintain its support for the Libyan government.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has formerly indicated that his country would take military action in Libya in direct support of the rebels. He said on Thursday that Cairo would "not stand idle" in the face of what he called threats to the national security of Egypt and could arm Libyan tribes against the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

Some Libyan factions, including prominently the pro-rebel parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk, have been beckoning Egypt to enter the Libyan conflict militarily, like the UAE.

Meanwhile, a major battle looms over the city of Sirte. Government forces are preparing to retake the city, which is located in a strategic location on the Mediterranean coastline, and the rebels, too, have been amassing in anticipation of a government offensive.

Sisi said last month that the cities of Sirte and Jufra were a "red line" for Egypt.

Libya first plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising backed by a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The Libyan government in Tripoli and the pro-rebel parliament in Tobruk emerged in 2014.

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Still, the lines can be murky  and when some readers push them, others will push back. Last month, the Island Now paper of Nassau County, N.Y., published a letter from a reader who described racial justice protesters as Marxist-inspired radicals  Antifa and Black Lives Matters running a professionally orchestrated, bountifully financed rampage of Americas cities and suburbs. Another upset reader responded with his own letter, taking aim not just at the original letter-writer but the paper, arguing that such opinions validated by publication, only stoke discord and further erode our already vulnerable democracy.
No ceasefire violation along LoC in Kashmir since February agreement

Pakistan uses fake Islam is in danger narrative as main theme of its terror indoctrination

How Pakistan used almonds to fund terror and back-stab Indias good-will on LoC trade

Why has this satellite caused panic in Poonch

Extending BSF jurisdiction for effective control at borders: Intent not to run parallel force

Pak intruder arrested along Line of Control

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Jammu, July 18: A Pakistani intruder was arrested by the Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Saturday.

The intruder was found moving into this side in Nowshera sector late Friday night and was immediately arrested, he said.

The official said the man was being questioned.

Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir

This is the second such arrest along the LoC in the past four days.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

On July 15, Abdul Rehman (28), a resident of Nakyal village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was arrested when he sneaked into this side from across the LoC in Balakote sector of Poonch district.
The Deer Park Chamber of Commerces annual Salute to Education, set for Aug. 6, offers a chance for the community to express appreciation for some people taking on a challenging job during tough times.

Its an opportunity for city businesses to promote their name while celebrating the arrival of the many new teachers who have been hired for the upcoming school year.

Here are some of the ways the Deer Park community can reach out and help those new arrivals through the event, which will not be held in person.

For $25 each, sponsorships are available to cover lunch for a new teacher.

For $100, a business can provide five new teacher lunches as a way to help sponsor the Salute to Education.

For $2,000 (one available), a business can become a major sponsor to new teacher bags.

For $250 (six available), a business can become a minor sponsor.

In addition, businesses are being asked to donate promotional items that will be put in those teacher bags. The sky is almost the limit on those kind of ideas. There will be a quantity of 125 bags.

Theres also the opportunity for businesses to donate a door prize for a new teacher to win. That too is limited by only ones creativity.

If one needs additional information, such as how this years event will be conducted since it wont be an in-person event, they are welcome to call the chamber at 281-479-1559. Again, that date is Aug. 6.

The Deer Park Chamber of Commerce has announced that Paula Moorhaj (pronounced Moor-hodge) has been selected as the chambers new president and CEO.

For the last 4 years, she had been the executive director of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, meeting such challenges as increasing membership and assuring that Dayton-area events became successful ventures.

Moorhaj holds an associate degree in business development from San Jacinto College and a bachelors degree in business management from LaSalle University.

I look forward to working alongside the talented staff and Board of Directors to continue to carry out the Chambers important mission of enhancing the economic vitality of its members and the quality of life in Deer Park, Moorhaj said in a statement on the chambers website.

According to the latest Deer Park police departments statistics, we have seven locations that are described as the most frequent spots for vehicle accidents.

On the list are the 3600 block of Center Street at Pasadena Boulevard, the 3700 block of Center at Hilshire, the 4900 block of East Boulevard and the 5600 block of Texas 225 near Center Street.

Additional sites on the list are the 6500 block of that highway near the East Boulevard overpass is on the list, the 4500 block of Center Street at Lambuth and the 100 block of Center near Railroad Ave.

Based on this list, be very careful as you drive along Center Street.

What a difference a year makes. Last July, the city was preparing to host its first international softball tournament at its revitalized Deer Park Softball Complex. In a couple of age divisions, we even had squads from Mexico in town, pursuing those titles.

It was a terrific time as action unfolded on multiple fields, including brand-new diamonds. The trees surrounding the concession stand acted as a terrific defense system against the July sun, and an Italian ice vendor drew many fans. And finally, no doubt the tournament gave the citys economic scene a shot in the arm. There was even discussion that the 2020 tournament was going to grow by adding another age bracket.

Courtesy of COVID-19, it all became a moot point.

I was out at the complex on the evening of July 13, watching a team prepare for an out-of-town tournament and I just couldnt help think of the contrast. As the setting sun dipped below those trees, it was so peaceful and quiet, two words that shouldnt have been used to describe the Deer Park Softball Complex in mid-July.

ravery@hcnonline.com
Back in the bad old days of April, I had numerous conversations with friends both in and out of New York who were all of a sudden paying close attention to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. These people had, indeed, become hooked on Cuomo's daily briefings on the state's response to the coronavirus crisis, which were informative and even-keeled presentations on the scope of the pandemic as it swept across New York.

Because they knew the governor and I had what the kids call "a history," they would ask me: How did I think he was doing? Very well, I would respond. Despite early missteps, he was rising to the occasion and providing a model for what hands-on executive leadership in times of crisis could be. The only risk, I said, was that he would start believing his own marketing.

The good thing is that didn't happen until the number of COVID-19 cases in New York dropped to the manageable but still nerve-wracking numbers we are currently experiencing. But the evidence can be purchased for $11.50 plus shipping and handling, from an online store linked from the Executive Chamber's official website.

It's a poster entitled "New York Tough," and it's weird.

The poster, crafted by an artist who has so far remained anonymous  and, considering the criticism heaped upon the work, should probably stay that way  is both graphically and metaphorically suspect. On the left side, a plane loaded with COVID-19 is identified on one wing as "Europeans," which can't help but evoke nativist propaganda of yore that warned of pestilence carried to our shores by travelers from that continent. Also: Isn't is more than a little possible that more than a few Americans visiting Europe in the first months of the year hauled the virus back to New York and other states? (Following the artistic logic of this detail, there ought to be another plane marked "Chinese," but you can see how that might be, ah, problematic.)

On the right side, Cuomo's daughter's boyfriend  who spent several weeks on lockdown in the Executive Mansion  dangles from a cliff as the governor's three daughters and other New Yorkers (health care, essential) join "out-of-state volunteers" hanging in the blue ether to haul on a rope that is "pulling down the curve together." At the end of this tug-of-war, the governor's dog, Captain, is depicted in the sort of undignified pose my own dog strikes when she collapses on the living room floor and splays herself out in a shameless bid for a belly scratch.

Probably because it's his poster, the governor is the only figure depicted twice: near the center of the image, smiling from behind the wheel of his Pontiac GTO (which for some reason is aimed directly at the struggling boyfriend) and lower down, flanked by his health commissioner, budget director and secretary at a table evoking his daily briefings.

All of these elements and more  including a surmounting rainbow and beribboned "Love Wins," a giant octopus threatening a cruise ship, and a sun that looks suspiciously like "Cabaret"-era Liza Minnelli  combine to make it nearly impossible for the artist to include a detail that might remind the viewer that more than 32,000 New Yorkers have died from COVID-19, a level of mortality that outstrips reported deaths from the virus racked up by all but a handful of nations.

The governor's response to this criticism, boiled down, has been: Well, OK  but if you look at the projections it could have been so much worse. This stands in stark contrast to the White House, which has responded to criticisms of its handling of the virus on the national level by stating: Well, OK  but if you look at the projections it could have been so much worse.

Cuomo has endlessly used the metaphor of mountaineering to describe the state's experience with COVID-19. He even ordered the construction of a sculpture that follows the contours of the state's infection curve, and had it colored the deep green of the Adirondacks in high summer.

"This is the mountain that New Yorkers climbed," Cuomo said last month at the briefing where he unveiled Mt. Coronavirus.

To be sure, mountain climbing is a handy metaphor for overcoming obstacles, as I am constantly reminded by the less nutty sort of framed posters you'll find in dental offices. But once again in this case these comparisons are a little, well, gross. Unless you're being pursued by angry Bavarian townsfolk or armies of Mongols, most people choose to climb mountains, the height of which are not determined by human action or inaction.

The metaphorical coronavirus "mountain," we should recall, is composed not of sedimentary rock but exclusively of human bodies experiencing infection, sickness and death, and its ascending altitude was determined in large part by the failure of our institutions  state as well as federal  to act quickly enough to address the crisis.

Turning it into the political equivalent of a cheery Richard Scarry splash page might generate some sales from those with a serious hankering for camp; it might be amusing in the short term, but I'm not sure we'll look back on it fondly.

Responding this week to criticism from CNN's Jake Tapper, Cuomo denied that the poster represented any sort of victory lap for a race that, after all, isn't over yet. He insisted the graphic was meant to celebrate the New York spirit. "I'm proud to applaud New Yorkers," he said  it's not about him, in other words.

But it sure feels that way.
History, if you do not know it, you are doomed to repeat it  for better or worse. However, if you can learn from history you can avoid pitfalls and advance.

America is at a crossroads. Will Black voters be open to considering Donald Trump for President in 2020? As a former congressman and first Black Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in almost 60 years, I have some thoughts.

After the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan lynched more than 5,000 unarmed Black men. There were no convictions, many times no arrests. The main objectives were to eliminate the Black vote and perpetuate Jim Crow  in other words, to continue racial injustice.

Today we have had scores of unarmed Black men killed at the hands of the police requiring more than $100 million in damages to be paid to victims families by taxpayers with more than 95 percent no conviction, most times no arrests. The objective is surely the same - and racial injustice has continued.

Back when Blacks Americans were first allowed to vote after the Civil War Black people had a blind allegiance to the Republican Party with nearly every known Black person voting for the Party of Lincoln. The Southern states were near majority Black due to the high slave population versus the white population. President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation and the Radical Republicans from the North supported the newly freed slaves by starting Reconstruction and by keeping Northern military troops in the South to help ensure fairness for black people amongst their former slave owners  a very difficult balance/challenge.

White Southerners despised what the Republicans were forcing them to do. They were so upset by 1876 that the Democrats were willing to help a Republican become President despite the Republican losing the popular vote and after their Democrat presidential candidate, Gov. Tilden, fell just one electoral college vote shy of a clear victory. Instead, we had the Compromise of 1877.

The Democrats gave the election to the Republican Rutherford Hayes largely in exchange for the removal of the Northern troops. For Black people in the South what followed was horrific. The main goal was to return Democrats and white people back to power. They did not want the nearly unanimous Black vote going to Republican candidates anymore. Terrorism toward Black Americans started in the South along with Jim Crow practices. The result was the migration of millions of blacks to the North and West to escape the hatred and violence of the Ku Klux Klan and their sympathizers.

Back in the 19th Century nearly all Black elected officials  more than 20 Black Congressman and Senators  were Republican. It would have been exceedingly difficult to find any elected Black Democrat during that century.

But by 2008, when our first Black President was elected, nearly every Black person supported Barack Obama and the Democrat Party; thus, you had the exact inverse.

Today, more than 95 percent of all Black elected officials in Congress and all major city mayors are Democrat. Blacks seem to believe that it is best to have all their eggs in one basket. I believe that is not smart.

There was a time when Blacks were clearly not monolithic. In fact, you did not know what party the major Black leaders were affiliated with, nor would they tell you. That period had its trials and tribulations, but from many perspectives it was one of the greatest periods for Black Americans for passing meaningful Civil Rights laws, Executive Orders/Actions (by presidents) and outstanding landmark Supreme Court decisions. The period was during the mid-50s to late 60s.

We had the Brown vs. Board of Education landmark decision by the Supreme Court, Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy used their power to integrate schools in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Congress gave us landmark legislation per Civil Rights Bills, Voting Rights, Housing, etc.and President Nixons Executive Order required fairness in Employment Practices. These presidents knew that education and good paying jobs would change the lives of Black people for the better.

You had the push from Black leaders across the spectrum  from the mild Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young of the NAACP and Urban League, respectively, to Malcolm X and Huey Newton of the Black Muslims and Black Panthers. Then you had in the middle, Congressman Adam Clayton Powell and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All these Black leaders were vastly different with diverse messages, but all had the same goal  equal opportunity, justice, and fairness for Black Americans.

Consequently, the Black vote was in play  both parties sought to win the Black vote during the 1950s and in the 1960 presidential elections. Nobody knew who would carry the Black vote. It was healthy, it was good. Today, like post slavery, if one party does not surpass 90 percent of the Black vote they have failed. But look what happened after slavery for Black people and look at what is happening today for Black Americans.

The choice for president in 2020 for the Black community should be judged on the accomplishments and visions for the future by both candidates. It should not be based on what Joe Biden once said, if you dont vote for him as a Black person  you aint really Black. That may be good electoral strategy for Joe Biden, but it doesnt make for a good democracy for Black Americans.

Former Congressman Gary Franks, representing Connecticuts fifth district from 1991-1997 was the first Black Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in nearly 60 years and is New Englands first Black member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is host of the Podcast We Speak Frankly @GaryFranks
Other polling, however, shows that he remains out of step with many Americans, even some Republicans, on some issues. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll, for instance, showed that 53 percent of voters who described themselves as somewhat conservative had a very favorable or somewhat favorable view of the Black Lives Matter movement, compared with 26 percent of those who described themselves as very conservative  suggesting that Mr. Trump was playing to a smaller slice of Republicans when he described the movement as a symbol of hate.

But in the absence of a forward-looking case for his re-election or an agenda for a second term, Mr. Trumps ability to harness conservative hostility against the left has become a defining force in his approach to politics.

Evangelicals, for instance, have long felt that they were being mocked by elites, and they broadly make the point that Mr. Trump has heard their concerns in a way previous presidents have not. Yet Mr. Trump has shown difficulty understanding what motivates evangelicals, as well as the distinction between them and more secular Christians. A former supporter of abortion rights, Mr. Trump could not recall the name of a prominent annual anti-abortion rally, March for Life, despite having been the first sitting president to speak at the event, in January.

Though he rails about the closure of churches around the country to combat the spread of the coronavirus, Mr. Trump almost never attends church.

But because he has aggressively targeted perceived enemies such as liberals and the mainstream media, and has stoked white grievance, most conservatives have been willing to overlook what he does and says in the name of his supporters.

Hes very good at identifying the villains whom Republicans hate  the liberals, the media, illegal immigrants, said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, adding that Mr. Trumps efforts are complicated by the current situation where our news is overwhelmed by the virus economic meltdown and mistrust.

Mr. Trump is also aware that conservatives favor his judicial appointments, of which he has made roughly 200 since taking office, and that those have kept many of his supporters connected to him.
Several thousand anti-government protesters rallied in Thailand's capital on Saturday to call for a new constitution, new elections and an end to repressive laws.

Chanting and waving placards, the demonstrators, comprising mainly younger Thais, converged on Bangkok's iconic Democracy Monument in the old part of the city, a popular venue for dissent.

The gathering, organized by a group calling itself Liberation Youth, was the biggest of its kind since the government called a state of emergency in March to deal with the coronavirus.

Protests against the government of former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha had been drawing increasingly large crowds at the time, but tapered off quickly when several coronavirus clusters were confirmed and the emergency law was invoked.

Lockdown measures and social distancing have since helped the government contain the spread of the virus, but it has retained emergency powers, which critics say it wields as a political weapon.

Leaders at Saturdays protest made speeches calling for sweeping change, and a radical rap group belted out a popular, acerbic political song.

Organizers put the number of protesters at more than 2,000, with more arriving as darkness fell.
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Cornwall Council

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

London, 17 July 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Cornwall Council and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

The credit profile of Cornwall Council (Aa2) is supported by the council's strong fiscal prudence and moderate debt levels. Its main credit challenge relates to spending pressures and revenue losses stemming from the coronavirus pandemic which are expected to weaken its gross operating balance over the medium term. Cornwall Council's credit profile is also supported by the strong institutional framework for UK local authorities which includes the requirement to pass balanced budgets and tight fiscal and regulatory oversight by central government. UK local authorities also have very strong market access through the UK Public Works Loan Board, a department of the UK Debt Management Office. Cornwall's rating of Aa2 incorporates its baseline credit assessment (BCA) of a1 as well as Moody's assessment of a high likelihood of extraordinary support from the UK government (Aa2) in the event that the issuer faced acute liquidity stress.

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This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodology used for this review was Regional and Local Governments published in January 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Zoe Jankel Vice President - Senior Analyst Sub-Sovereign Group Moody's Investors Service Ltd. One Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5FA United Kingdom JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Mauro Crisafulli Associate Managing Director Sub-Sovereign Group JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service Ltd. One Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5FA United Kingdom JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454

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The idea that they are leaving the perimeter of that federal property and going out in the streets of Portland gives me a lot of personal angst about their concept of policing in general, said David Gomez, a former FBI official. Policing is essentially a contract with the community. Thats why a lot of these communities are erupting, because they feel the police have effectively violated the contract. When you have the federal government coming in there, acting as state police, youre effectively pushing the community away.
Confetti and balloons fall during celebrations after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's acceptance speech on the final day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. President Donald Trump demanded the 2020 convention be moved from Charlotte, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida in order to allow for crowds to gather despite the pandemic. But now Florida coronavirus cases are rising. Read more

MIAMI - When President Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden take the stage at Miamis Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 15, theyll be debating before a small and socially distanced audience, according to plans crafted by the host facility.

And everyone will be required to follow Miami-Dade County's "New Normal" rules for stopping the spread of the coronavirus _ which currently includes wearing face coverings.

Under the "Presidential Town Hall COVID-19 Operating Plan," dated July 15, all debate participants _ which includes the two candidates, a moderator and 36 undecided voters selected from the community by the Commission on Presidential Debates _ will be socially distanced on and off stage. Audience capacity will also be greatly reduced. A maximum of 115 invited guests will be allowed to sit in the Knight Concert Hall auditorium _ which can hold more than 2,000 people _ and all audience members will be spaced out in first, second and third tier seating.

In addition to following social distancing guidelines inside the building, "all people on site" must also wear a face covering inside and outside. The plan is silent on whether Biden and Trump must wear face masks on stage, but the county's rules currently require facial coverings in all public settings, and anyone who breaks the rules is now subject to a $100 fine.

Trump did not wear a mask during a July 10 visit to South Florida.

Arsht CEO Johann Zietsman deferred questions about protocols for the candidates to the Commission on Presidential Debates, which did not respond to a phone call and email.

The commission moved the Oct. 15 debate to Miami after the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor last month backed out of its agreement to host the event, citing health concerns due to the novel coronavirus. Since then, Miami-Dade County's outbreak has worsened, and the mayor of Miami _ where the debate would be located _ has warned that a second shutdown may be needed.

The Arsht Center, which is currently closed due to COVID-19, submitted its reopening plan to Miami-Dade County administrators on June 22, and the plan was approved on July 4. The town hall operating plan is consistent with the approved reopening plan, according to the July 15 memo. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez noted in a memo to the Board of County Commissioners that the plan includes "strict conformance with the New Normal guidelines, including provisions to ensure that all local, state and CDC requirements are met."

Michael Spring, the director of Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, wrote in an email: "All organizational and individual participants will be expected to be familiar with and comply with the (New Normal) requirements."

The Miami debate _ called a "town hall" because it will allow members of the audience to ask questions _ is expected to be the second face-off between Trump and former Vice President Biden, less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

The Arsht Center will employ a contactless temperature screening process for staff and guests of the commission, delegates, campaign surrogates and members of the media. Anyone entering the facility will also be asked to answer a daily questionnaire to aid in identifying symptoms. Guests will be required to sanitize their hands upon entering the building, and signs will be placed outside and inside elevators to limit capacity to four passengers.

Inside, cleaning protocols will be ramped up and staff will regularly disinfect common areas and frequent touch points, such as in bathrooms, which will be cleaned every two to three hours. Hand sanitizer will be installed at entry points and throughout the Arsht Center facilities.

If a member of the Arsht Center staff tests positive for COVID-19, all other staff members that were in contact with the positive employee will be tested and cleared by a medical professional before returning to the center.

The number of members from the media permitted to work in the Knight Concert Hall will also be reduced. Everyone will have to practice social distancing and wear face coverings.

According to the approved plan, demonstrators will also be allowed to protest in a designated free speech zone, which will be subject to City of Miami permitting and police oversight.

The commission is working with the Cleveland Clinic, which is serving as the health security adviser for all four 2020 general election debates, to develop more detailed instructions involving movement of debate participants and invited guests and additional health guidelines, which will be reviewed by the Arsht Center and a local medical official from the Miami-Dade community, according to the plan.

___

Miami Herald staff writers Douglas Hanks and David Smiley contributed to this report.
PM denies any second wave, but opposition parties likely to turn upsurge into political issue

UNP releases manifesto, outlines measures to deal with pandemic and revive the economy

Minister seeks death penalty for police officers involved in massive narcotics operations

SLPP frontliners hit out at former president and SLFP; questions over post-election situation and portfolios

The sudden spike in Covid-19 cases last week jolted the government and plunged Sri Lankans into a state of confusion.

The concerns reflected at the weekly ministerial meeting on Wednesday. There, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa acknowledged that people were frightened by the developments. If the opposition parties were somewhat mute because of the efficient way the anti-Covid-19 campaign was handled earlier, the spurt in the number of cases had made the issue a propaganda tool for them, he noted. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ministers Dullas Allahapperuma and Wimal Weerawansa were among those who endorsed the views.

There were ministers who were also worried that the opposition would make use of the situation to campaign for the postponement of the parliamentary polls. However, no such move is likely to succeed. The health guidelines have now been gazetted.

Unlike before, as Premier Rajapaksa noted, the opposition did voice serious concerns. Former Prime Minister and United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe called for a postponement of the parliamentary elections scheduled for August 5. He said he feared a spread of the deadly virus. He urged that 5,000 persons be subject to PCR (polymerise chain reaction) tests a day, a difficult task. Besides qualified personnel for such a major exercise, kits are in demand. The United Nations Foundation has already put out an urgent appeal for one million much wanted test kits to help the World Health Organisation (WHO). It said: Over 500,000 people worldwide have died from COVID-19  and that number is still rising. These past few weeks have shown that complacency is dangerous. This pandemic is far from over, even as some governments and individuals look to return to normal life.

Premier Rajapaksa declared that the recent spike in Covid-19 cases could be coped with by the health authorities and added that the situation should be explained to the country. The next day (Wednesday), he convened a breakfast meeting of national newspaper editors and heads of electronic media. He emphasised two key factors. Contrary to claims, he said, quite rightly, that there was no such thing called a second wave. It was a case of the outbreak continuing. The other, he said, the health authorities were confident that the recent spike could be managed in addition to suspected persons being quarantined. For good measure, the ruling SLPP alliance, suspended its polls campaign till last Friday. Some opposition parties followed suit.

This does not take away the credit entirely from the government for efficiently managing the Covid-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka. Yet, there have been noteworthy defects. One was when over 900 Navy personnel were affected. Though an inquiry was conducted to ascertain how it came about, its findings are unknown. There sure was a command and control issue. Exactly, what happened at Kandakadu (in Welikanda Divisional Secretariat area), a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts, where more than 500 contracted the deadly virus overnight, reveals a serious lapse. Since they inhale such substance, their lungs are more susceptible for infection is common sense. Was it not the lapse of someone? That is one aspect. The issue is raised in the national interest since more Sri Lankans will otherwise become vulnerable. That those infected at Kandakadu had visited more than ten different districts is known.

Another aspect is more disturbing. Public information, since the outbreak, has been largely in the form of SMS messages on mobile phones. It has focused almost entirely on statistics  the number of affected cases, those quarantined and those released after treatment. Over a period of time these lower figures heightened public confidence. It also came as a political spin off for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa among the public. His popularity rating saw a new high.

Accompanying this were reports from personalities engaged in the anti-Covid-19 campaign. Such reports, sometimes exaggerated, further enhanced public confidence. And suddenly, when the Kandakadu spurt came in, that confidence was shaken. The stories were first broken in the social media and the news spread like wildfire. Other than that, those feeding information, who did not expect the Kandakadu episode, went on the offensive. Then a Police spokesman castigated the social media for spreading misinformation. It became a psychological war on the media and amounted to a fear psychosis on the public. The CID, the spokesman said, was probing how misinformation originated and warned it would arrest those concerned. A western diplomat I spoke with said that the Police dictating the media agenda gave the impression that the state was run by them. Obviously, such diplomats would report such situations, like before, that Sri Lanka was becoming a Police state.

True, there are some social media which spread falsehoods and worked to the agenda of different political groups, some even for donations of different kind. But many are committed to the truth. Days later, the same Police spokesman said publicly that they (the Police) have identified a person at the Kandakadu centre who had leaked medical records to the media and waxed eloquent about media ethics. The assertion that documents have been leaked confirms that the social media reports on Kandakadu were accurate but the identification of the source facing action is a veiled form of threat and intimidation on the media.

This is at a time when the social media in particular are playing an increased role in reporting election campaigns and carrying propaganda ads. Does the government or the public benefit from such remarks however well meant they are? Such acts only erode the Gotabaya Rajapaksa governments credibility and create doubts in the public mind. This is not the first time such counterproductive remarks have been made by Police spokespersons, some who have a penchant for television cameras. They became so well known; some even became candidates at elections but lost. To say the least, this is a total lack of professionalism.

It is exacerbated by the absence of one single state mechanism to disseminate information about Covid-19. The magnitude of the crisis demands that the government speaks with one voice over such an issue of national importance, possibly through one knowledgeable spokesperson. Dissemination of information of the scourge is now carried out by the military, the Department of Information, the Health Ministry (Department of Epidemiology), different government officials and the Department of Health Services. There have been noticeable contradictions which become causes for doubt. This is notwithstanding the fact that a National Operations Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 outbreak was set up after the disease was discovered in Sri Lanka.

That it has become a self-created situation in the light of the upcoming parliamentary elections, would no doubt, be welcome by the opposition. That the government has unwittingly paved the way for it appears ironic. Making it worse is the message it sends to foreign governments about Sri Lanka being very economical in reporting developments. This perhaps is the main reason why there has been no worldwide endorsement over Covid-19 figures being kept remarkably low in Sri Lanka.

Another decision made by ministers at last Wednesdays meeting was to encourage youth representation in many spheres. It came on a cabinet memorandum submitted by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The project covers ten years and will be directly under him.

The same ministerial meeting also saw Minister Wimal Weerawansa raising issue over the government confiscation of 65 containers with ten tons of turmeric. The public demand for this commodity grew manifold after the outbreak of Covid-19 in Sri Lanka. An essential component in almost all Sri Lankan dishes, turmeric powder mixed with water is used as a disinfectant. This has led to a shortage. Weerawansa urged that the Sathosa be called upon to do the distribution. He also proposed that 5,000 tons of Ulundu (Black Gram) be imported to meet a prevailing shortage. President Rajapaksa was, however, not in favour of imports since it would affect local production. Hence, no decision was taken on the request.

Rise in prices of essential commodities or shortages of them have not been made key issues by the different opposition parties contesting the parliamentary elections. When campaigns do resume in the coming week, one of the main issues for them would be the rise in Covid-19 cases and the difficulties arising from them besides economic hardships.

UNP manifesto focuses on

Covid-19, economy

Other than that, one main contender  the United National Party  released its manifesto this week. The 17-page document gives the partys solution to the economic crisis and promises an allowance of Rs 10,000 for the recently unemployed. This will cover those abroad who have lost their jobs. A further Rs 10,000 is to be paid to families who have been affected by the recent lockdown.

The UNP manifesto also deals with measures to overcome the coronavirus challenge. They are: While steps will be taken to prevent an economic downfall and implementing measures to revitalise the economy, the governments attention will also be focused on minimising the adverse economic impact a second or third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic could have on the country.

5000 PCR tests will be carried out daily.

At least 10 million face masks will be provided to schools, higher education institutions and other such facilities.

2,000 ventilators will be purchased for hospitals.

A new programme will be implemented for quarantine and security purposes.

A special compensation payment will be made to any worker who dies while engaged in providing services to overcome COVID-19. Such individuals will be offered the same facilities offered to military personnel killed during the war.

Personal Protection Emergency kits will be made freely available.

The number of ICU beds in the country will be increased.

A special laboratory to conduct tests on diseases will be established.

The Public Health (Emergency) Act will be enacted to legalise lockdown mechanisms and to provide the required powers for disease control.

Sri Lankas economy, the UNP manifesto notes, is facing a grave danger of falling down an abyss. It adds: The retrogressive aspect of this crisis is the unbearable increase in the cost of living that has resulted in a large number of families in the country facing financial difficulties. The country as a whole is recording a decline in the per capita GDP. It has been predicted that over one million will be jobless by 2021. The level of unemployment in the country is expected to sky-rocket with a fall in the Middle East employment. Sri Lankas foreign reserves are also depleting. Printing Rs. 450 billion is no solution to the crisis. We are falling from the frying pan to the fire.

Economic revival requires us to focus on a few salient issues. The most being that both global economy and national economies been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Firstly, the manifesto says:

We must ensure that the country is not hit by a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. If this were to take place the economy would be dealt a further devastating blow.

We need to win the support of the international community. We cannot overcome this challenge by becoming a hermit state.

We have to ensure that the democratic freedoms enjoyed by our citizens are protected and promoted.

The future generations are empowered with knowledge and skills of the 21st Century.

We have to build a united, like minded and peaceful nation in order to preserve the Sri Lankan identity. The need of the hour is a country that has discarded the divisions of the past.

The manifesto adds: A disease cannot be cured without a proper diagnosis. Then we can promote the remedies. It is estimated that Sri Lanka will lose US$ 7 billion in foreign revenue this year having to pay US$ 3 billion for debt servicing. The United National Party in calculation has revealed the need for US$ 6 billion for the next two years of which US$ 3 billion is required immediately. Many countries have already received international assistance to fund their immediate financial requirements. Countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Maldives, Egypt, and Kenya have begun the process of securing financial support from the International Monetary Fund.

Police action questioned

Contrary to its own claim, that the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) manifesto will be released last Monday, it has been delayed. Last week General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said it would be released on Monday. As previously revealed, the manifesto of the SLPP-led alliance is Saubagye Dekma, the programme of work announced when Gotabaya Rajapaksa contested the presidential election. Even without repetition of the pledges made in that, the SLPP-led alliance appears to be harvesting a windfall. These are the two major operations initiated by President Rajapaksa. One is against the illicit drug trade. This has laid bare an unsavoury and damning revelation  the Police who were tasked to fight against illicit drug peddling had turned couriers and were carrying out a lucrative trade. Police officers and constables had acquired property, motor vehicles and stashed away large sums of money in their private bank accounts. They had also staged smoke trails by periodically organising raids, often on those of rivals with whom they colluded, and launched a publicity blaze thereafter. Imagine the Police being the pivot of drug distribution network transporting illegal drugs in official vehicles?

That the Police are taking a strong, unprecedented beating has become a subject of serious public concern. In Angulana, a fisherman who was in his three-wheeler scooter had an altercation with the Police. He was allegedly shot dead. Public anger took the form of storming the Angulana Police Station and hurling stones and missiles. The Police Narcotics Bureau is embroiled in an embarrassing scandal. Despite the crackdown on illegal drugs, there are areas in Colombo where the industry is thriving. The Police Commission has been able to do little if anything over the rapid drop in discipline and politicisation.

It is a damning indictment that such a scandal had occurred in the Police Narcotics Bureau  the Police arm that was tasked to curb the use of illegal drugs but was doing just the opposite  proliferating its distribution and use. Embarrassed by this unprecedented development, senior Police officers are now demanding that those in their ranks involved in the illegal trade be charged in courts, and if found guilty, be sentenced to death. Adding his own voice to the call is Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who is considered close to President Rajapaksa.

He told a meeting of a small group of supporters in Kotte that President Rajapaksa should sign the warrants if a court decides on death sentence for police officers involved in the drug trade. I am making this plea because I do not want the future of the youth of this country destroyed, he pointed out. He heaped praise on President Rajapaksa and said, no other President had given the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) a free hand to investigate the Narcotics Bureau. The twelve-point objective of the National Freedom Front (NFF) which Weerawansa leads includes a pledge to support the Presidents efforts to put an end to the drugs menace and underworld crime.

Easter Sunday massacre probe

Ministers expect the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into last years Easter Sunday massacres to be released ahead of the parliamentary polls. Whether this will materialise or not, is unclear. In April, the warrant issued to the Commission was further extended by six months. In terms of this, it will now expire on September 20. The findings of the Commission, some ministers believe, will enhance the accusations they made earlier that the involvement of some politicians of the previous regime has been downplayed or covered up.

Even whilst the Commissions hearings are proceeding, the CID is continuing to investigate several aspects related to the massacres. One matter that has surfaced is the alleged involvement of a close relative of a politician. Perusal of telephone records have revealed that when Muslim extremists had spoken to the relative, he had immediately contacted the politician. It is only thereafter that he had given them guidance. This is one of the elements that has established the politicians involvement though the previous Yahapalana regime went out of the way to exculpate him.

SLPP-SLFP spat

There are other political developments too. There are ominous signs that trouble is brewing between that the SLPP-led Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sanvidanaya (SLNPS) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) even before the elections. Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, an SLPP frontliner, has been firing salvos at election meetings, week after another, against former President and SLFP leader, Maithripala Sirisena. Ranatunga has asked at many a meeting, Can you trust this man? We should not vote for anyone who is even remotely connected with Sirisena. Surprising enough, this has gone unchecked by the SLPP leadership.

Ranatunga told a string of meetings that Sirisena ate hoppers when he visited then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The next day, he stabbed him in the back. He left the party and the government, he said. That is why, Ranatunga said, that SLPP members demanded that we should put forward candidates who will be under Pohottua (lotus flower bud). However, most of our party members were of the view that we should join hands since the minority groups may not back Gotabaya Rajapaksa. I did not favour the idea. We have no issue with the SLFP. Though we formed an alliance, we have not mentioned anywhere that they would be given any portfolios, he said. Our agreement says that we should face the parliamentary election as an alliance, he pointed out.

The remarks have made the SLFP livid. Prof. Rohana Luxman Piyadasa, Senior Deputy Leader of the SLFP, called a news conference at the partys Darley Road headquarters last Tuesday. Noting that the Chairman and the General Secretary are engaged in the polls campaign, Piyadasa declared, Our party is contesting the parliamentary election under SLPNS in most districts. However, we are contesting under our own SLFP in three districts. We are together in the alliance with 18 political parties. Even Gotabaya Rajapaksa told his presidential inauguration at Ruwanweli Seya that he won with the SLFP support too.

Piyadasa said whilst our campaign is under way, we are witnessing several conspiracies. It is happening as the SLPP Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa said a couple of weeks ago. He pointed out that as a result of conspiracies carried out by different powers in 2015, it led to President Sirisena removing Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in 2018. Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed. That government existed only for 52 days.

We are also witnessing conspiracies aimed at us though they are cloaked in friendliness. They are trying to break the alliance. We will not reply to all the charges they are making. We urge all SLFP supporters to cast their votes to the original party. We ask our supporters to see whether there are people who have allegations of theft, bribery, and corruption and those who are facing charges in courts. We are asking the government to hold an election without corrupt people. We as a party will institute legal action against defamatory remarks and allegations. The partys lawyers are discussing the matter.

The internecine rivalry does raise questions over two issues. One is over how many seats the SLFP will be able to muster on its own or within the alliance itself. The other is its entitlement to portfolios. Naturally, a few being elected would trigger a debate between the two sides. On the other hand, a higher number would raise fears of a possible crossover in the event of a crisis.

The developments in the past days have made it abundantly clear that in countering Covid-19, there is an imperative need for the government to ensure that its communications machinery works harmoniously with other efforts. As the elections near, well-intentioned pundits, who know little or nothing about media relations, can make it worse for them and the country. Herein lies a grave fault which could be costly when the whole world is fighting Covid-19.

A new feature in the upcoming parliamentary elections is the fact that it is being conducted under two different laws. One is those relating to elections. The other the newly gazetted health guidelines though they do not specify what penalties would be enforced on violators. Election meetings have been restricted to 200 people. Where a political party leader or an independent group leader is taking part, it will be 500 people. House-to-house campaigns could be carried out by a maximum of five people. Undoubtedly, the new guidelines will dampen an already lacklustre campaign with 16 days to go for the polls.
Little Traverse Bay Humane Society hires training and behavior specialist

Sarah Schertel will serve the training needs of Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, in addition to offering classes to the public.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 01:28:49|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Federation of German Industries (BDI) condemned the U.S. sanctions threat against companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 project as a "serious strain on transatlantic relations" on Friday.

The sanctions threatened by the U.S. would "create an increased legal security and investment risk for around 120 large and small companies from 12 countries," said BDI Director General Joachim Lang, who feared that consumer gas prices in Europe could rise as a result.

Oliver Hermes, chairman of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, also described the threat of immediate U.S. sanctions as an "incredible low point in transatlantic relations."

The U.S. was "using sanctions without restraint to assert its own economic interests," Hermes said, adding that the European Commission would need to "quickly present a tough catalogue of measures to this end."

BDI believes that the sanctions threat were "contrary to international law" and also expected "clear diplomatic reactions from the EU and the member states concerned."

Uniper, a German energy company involved in financing the pipeline project, told the German business newspaper Handelsblatt on Thursday that the company had noted "with regret" that the U.S. was aiming to "interfere with an important infrastructure project which we believe is important for European energy security."

The U.S. had attempted in the past to prevent the completion of Nord Stream 2 with sanctions. In 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on all companies involved in construction, which led to a suspension of construction. Enditem
At least three terrorists were killed in an ongoing gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian districts, officials said on Saturday.

The encounter had started early in the morning at Amshipora area of Shopian, a police spokesperson had said earlier.

Police on Friday had claimed to have killed three terrorists in south Kashmirs Kulgam district, including a Jaish-e-Mohammed commander believed to be an IED expert.

Vijay Kumar, Kashmirs inspector general of police, had recently said the security forces have prepared a list of group of top commanders who will be tracked and neutralised in the coming months.

Security forces had killed 48 terrorists, most of them in the four districts of south Kashmir, in June during various encounters in the Valley.
I have a close bond with China. I came to the country for the first time 13 years ago to study aquaculture skills at the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS). In the next couple of years, I also visited China for times to study aquaculture and purchase equipment.

Now, I run a company in Mpigi District, Uganda that is engaged in Mozambique tilapia breeding and fish feed processing. In a manner of speaking, the company would not have come into being without the skills and experiences I acquired in China.

At present, COVID-19 is spreading around the globe. To curb the spread of the disease, the Chinese government has adopted the most comprehensive, strict and thorough prevention measures and made huge efforts, achieving major strategic progress in the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic. Meanwhile, China also shared its experiences in epidemic prevention and control to help other countries better respond to the disease.

African countries, including Uganda, have learned a tremendous amount from Chinas combat against COVID-19. Chinas medical team assisting Uganda introduced relevant knowledge of epidemic prevention and control, and Chinese experts exchanged views with Ugandas health departments via video conferences. Besides, Chinese medical expert teams that had fought against COVID-19 on the frontline in China came to Africa to share their valuable experiences. The anti-epidemic materials from China also protected our medical workers and ensured the smooth progress of case screening.

I heard some say that Africans were treated unfairly in China in COVID-19 response in the past April, and my first reaction was This is a rumor. I learnt how the thing was from my Ugandan friends in China, and they told me that local governments in China have adopted strict containment measures to protect the health and lives of the residents, and many infected Africans were saved.

The brotherhood between Africa and China shall not be stigmatized. To have more people know the truth, I uploaded a video clip to social media, in which I refute the rumors with my personal experiences and facts. I shared my experience in China in the video. During my stay in the country, all the people I met were friendly. We studied and traveled together, forming a profound friendship. I also received supports from my Ugandan friends. They liked the video and shared it with more people.

At the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit On Solidarity Against COVID-19 held not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged that once the development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccine is completed in China, African countries will be among the first to benefit. This further reinforced our confidence in defeating the virus. I hope the epidemic can end soon, so that I can once again step on the beautiful land of China and reunite with my Chinese friends.

(The article is based on the interview by Peoples Daily journalist Wan Yu in South Africa. David Muliika is the general manager of Ugandan fishery company Green Fish Limited.)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Millions more children in the U.S. learned Friday that they're unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic as death tolls reached new highs.

It came as many states - particularly in the Sunbelt - struggled to cope with the surge and governments worldwide tried to control fresh outbreaks. In a sign of how the virus is galloping around the globe, the World Health Organization reported nearly a quarter-million new infections in a single day.

In the U.S., teams of military medics were deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients. The two most populous states each reported roughly 10,000 new cases and some of their highest death counts since the pandemic began. Big numbers in Florida, Arizona and other states also are helping drive the U.S. resurgence that's forcing states to rethink the school year.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out strict criteria for school reopenings that makes classroom instruction unlikely for most districts. The Democrat's rules mandate that students above second grade and all staff wear masks.

Texas gave public schools permission to stay closed for more than 5 million students well into the fall. Under the guidelines, schools can hold online-only instruction for up to the first eight weeks, potentially pushing a return to campus in some cities until November.

Most Chicago children would return to the classroom just two days a week and spend the other three days learning remotely under a tentative plan outlined by officials from the nations third-largest school district. A final decision for fall classes for the districts more than 300,000 students wont come until late August.

Registered nurses Army Capt. Rachel Curtis, right, and Capt. Christa Angelotti, with the Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force, sets up a patient board inside a wing at United Memorial Medical Center, Thursday, July 16, 2020, in Houston. Soldiers will treat COVID-19 patients in the newly setup hospital wing as Texas receives help from across the country to deal with its coronavirus surge. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced she will override school districts and require students to spend at least half of their schooling in classrooms, drawing criticism from the state teachers union.

The uncertainty about the way to safely restart schools has parents like Ivette Garcia of Orange Park, Florida, struggling with what to do. When she learned her school district only had two options this fall, in-person or virtual lessons, she decided to keep her kindergarten son home. She plans to schedule instruction before and after work, with her parents reinforcing education in between.

"The schools' start date is less than 30 days away. And I dont feel that theres a very great plan in place that makes me feel comfortable enough to send my baby to school and then return back to our family dynamic," Garcia said.

Several states have been reporting record numbers of COVID-19 this week, contributing to a surge in the national death rate. The seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths has risen 34% from two weeks ago, while the case count in that period shot up 43%.

Texas reported a record 174 new deaths, and more than 10,000 additional cases for the fourth consecutive day. California's nearly 10,000 confirmed cases were its third-highest daily total, and it recorded 130 deaths during a week of seesawing infection numbers.

Florida reported 128 new deaths Friday and 11,345 additional cases.

There were signs across the Sunbelt that the virus was stretching authorities' capacity to respond. The medical examiners office in metro Phoenix has gotten portable storage coolers and ordered more to handle an influx of bodies - reminiscent of New York City at the height of the pandemic there.

In Houston, an 86-person Army medical team worked to take over a wing of United Memorial Medical Center. In California, military doctors, nurses and other health care specialists were being deployed to eight hospitals facing staffing shortages.

Some hospitals in South Carolina also were being squeezed: The number of patients with COVID-19 is increasing rapidly, while nurses and other workers are getting infected when they are off work, said Dr. Wendell James, a senior vice president with Prisma Health who is based in Greenville.

"The majority of the illness we see in our nursing staffs and our support staff is community spread," he said. "Almost all of it I cant control."

In Florida, Miami-area authorities began stepping up enforcement of a mask requirement. Code and fire inspectors have authority to issue tickets of up to $100 for individuals and $500 for businesses not complying with guidelines to wear masks and practice social distancing. Police already had that power.

Shaun Alley, assistant manager of Blue Collar, a Miami comfort food restaurant, said all of the customers eat outside on picnic tables and are asked to wear masks when not eating.

"We tell people flat out: `Either you comply or we have the right not to serve you,'" he said. "We havent had any issues so far."

At least half of all states have adopted requirements for wearing face coverings.

But in Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has banned cities and counties from requiring face coverings. He sued Atlanta late Thursday to prevent it from defying his order, and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she was prepared to go to court to maintain the requirement.

Globally, confirmed cases surpassed 14 million, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University, and COVID-19 deaths topped 600,000. WHO reported a single-day record of new infections: over 237,000. Experts believe that the true numbers are even higher.

India's total confirmed cases surpassed 1 million Friday, the third-highest in the world - behind the United States and Brazil - and its death toll reached more than 25,000. That followed an announcement Thursday that Brazil's confirmed cases exceeded 2 million, including 76,000 deaths.

The surge in India - where experts believe the vast majority of cases are still being missed - drove home concerns over the readiness of some countries to cope with outbreaks that could test feeble health care systems.

In sub-Saharan Africa, which already had the worlds greatest shortage of medical personnel, nearly 10,000 health workers in 40 countries have been infected, WHO said.

Health officials in Spain, one of the hardest-hit countries earlier in the pandemic, asked Barcelona's 5.5 million residents to stay home as much as possible to stem the viruss spread.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson charted a different course, announcing that as of Aug. 1, the government would no longer ask people to avoid public transit or work from home.

The U.K.s official death toll, which stood at more than 45,000, has for several weeks been the highest in Europe.

___

Crary reported from New York. Associated Press reporters around the world contributed to this report.

___

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Vincent Velarde, 11, left, and his brother, Emilio, 12, jump into an inflatable pool in Los Angeles, Friday, July 17, 2020. California Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out strict criteria Friday for school reopenings that makes it unlikely the vast majority of districts will have classroom instruction in the fall as the coronavirus pandemic surges. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Superintendent Dr. Keith Perrigan shows the new seating configuration on the school buses for the upcoming school year, Thursday, July 16, 2020, in Bristol, Va. A maximun of 22 students can be on the bus. (David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier via AP)

Amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, science teachers Ann Darby, left, and Rosa Herrera check-in students before a summer STEM camp at Wylie High School Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Wylie, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Leo Mitchell, 4, watches a seal at the New England Aquarium, Friday, July 17, 2020, in Boston. The Aquarium reopened on Thursday on a reservations only basis after being closed since March due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

United Memorial Medical Center's Dr. Joseph Varon, right, talks with military members of the Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force Thursday, July 16, 2020, in Houston. Soldiers will treat COVID-19 patients inside a wing at the hospital as Texas receives help from across the country to deal with its coronavirus surge. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Children wearing protective face masks ride a merry go round in a park in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, July 17, 2020, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A health worker checks the body temperature of a boy at a medical camp to screen residents for COVID-19 symptoms in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 17, 2020. India crossed 1 million coronavirus cases on Friday, third only to the United States and Brazil, prompting concerns about its readiness to confront an inevitable surge that could overwhelm hospitals and test the country's feeble health care system. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

People wait in line outside of a COVID-19 testing site during the coronavirus pandemic, Thursday, July 16, 2020, in Opa-locka, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Christine Lorimer, left, and her loved one Ian Lorimer's hands meet on either side of a plexiglass barrier as they enjoy an in-person visit separated by a plexiglass barrierat Lynn Valley Care Center in North Vancouver, British Columbia, on Friday, July 17, 2020. Visitors, who are screened on arrival, can now schedule to meet in a designated area with a physical barrier, however they aren't allowed to touch, hug or kiss. The seniors care home, which is now COVID-19 free, recorded Canada's first death from the virus on March 8. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Customers buy fish at a market in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 17, 2020. Health authorities are asking Barcelona's 5.5 million residents to reduce their socialization to a minimum and to stay at home as much as possible to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Health workers record reports before collecting swab samples in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 17, 2020. India crossed 1 million coronavirus cases on Friday, third only to the United States and Brazil, prompting concerns about its readiness to confront an inevitable surge that could overwhelm hospitals and test the country's feeble health care system. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

Musician Fernando Herrera plays a brass instrument as he and his band, "Santa Lucia", who have lost their source of income due to restrictions amid the new coronavirus, perform for residents in hopes of monetary donations as they make their way through the Comas district of Lima, Peru, Friday, July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Ghanas first female lawyer and Judge, Justice Annie Jiagges story will inspire you not to heed to the naysayers and saboteurs in your life.



The daughter of a schoolteacher, Henrietta Baeta and Presbyterian minister Robert Domingo Baeta, Annie was born 7th October 1918 in Lome, the present capital of the Republic of Togo.



Her parents had 8 children with her elder brother Christian rising to become an academic and Presbyterian minister who was elected the Synod Clerk of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast from 1945 to 1949.



She earned her teachers certificate from Achimota College in 1937. From 1940 to 1946, she was headmistress and schoolteacher at the Evangelical Presbyterian Girls School.



Her journey to becoming an astute legal luminary and jurist begun in 1946 when she gained admission to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science.



Annie who had been trained to value her intelligence and eschew chauvinistic narratives by her parents was confronted by her male colleagues from the then Gold Coast to drop her academic pursuits. They felt the law was too much for a woman like Annie. One of her colleagues even went as far as proffering unsolicited advice by asking her to study dressmaking at the Paris Academy.



Rather than pay heed to their callous remarks she assured them that she would return to the Gold Coast if she failed her first examination.



Unfortunately for them, She passed and they had no choice but to stop bothering her.



She went on to receive her LLB in 1949 and was subsequently called to the Bar at Lincolns Inn.



Baeta established a private practice upon her return to the Gold Coast in 1950. She gave up the Bar and became a magistrate for the Bench in June 1953.



Her selection as High Courts Judge also made her the first woman High Court judge in the (British) Commonwealth.



According to the SOP Library, she rose quickly through the ranks to become a judge of the Court of Appeal in 1969, the highest court in Ghana at the time. She was asked to chair the Commission to investigate the Assets of Senior Public Servants and Named Political Leaders in 1966 following the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah.



Annie was the first female judge of the Court of Appeal. She later became president of the Court of Appeal in 1980 until her retirement in 1983.



She also served on the Committee of Experts who drafted Ghanas 3rd and 4th Republican Constitutions.





From 1993 until her death, Annie Jiagge served on Ghanas Council of State. She died on 12 June 1996 in Accra.



Aside legal matters she also held positions including the president of the YWCA and regularly attended conferences of the World Council of Churches.



In her honour, the Justice Annie Jiagge Memorial Lectures was established by the Ministry of Gender in 2009 for a role in shaping the legal profession. A boarding house, the Annie Baeta Jiagge House, formerly, House 17, at her alma mater, Achimota School was also named in her memory.





Source: braperucci.africa









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American Airlines (AA) stock shot up over 16 percent yesterday as Wall Street learned of the companys plan to cut up to 25,000 employees from its workforce of 133,700. Behind the sharp rise is the recognition by investors that the brutal cuts will help the company extort further concessions from workers under conditions where the trade unions can be relied upon to suppress any resistance.

The accelerating spread of COVID-19 has been the major factor curtailing the limited return of airline passengers that began in June. There are few still willing to risk their health under conditions where there are not federally mandated health precautions in place. Meanwhile, the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have added four more states to their tri-state 14-day quarantine list for travelers, bringing to 22 the number of states slapped with travel restrictions. Pennsylvania has a similar list containing 18 states.

On July 1, AA took the decision to lift safety precautions requiring distancing in seating, an action revealing that it and other airlines such as United are in effect placing profits over the safety of passengers and crew.

AA Flight attendants will bear the majority of the cuts, 10,000 jobs, followed by 4,500 ground crew workers, 3,200 mechanics, and 2,500 pilots.

The AA announcement follows last weeks threat by United Airlines of 36,000 job cuts if there isnt an extension of federal support. Delta Air Lines has seen 17,000 job cuts from their 91,000 total workforce. The cuts were made by forcing some into early retirement and giving others cash payouts. The company did not rule out seeking more aid and enforcing additional cuts.

The unions have not taken any action to fight for airline safety or defend jobs. Their only response has been to plead for another government bailout for the airlines. American Federation of Flight Attendants (AFA) President Sara Nelson, who during the 2019 federal government shutdown issued a bogus call for a general strike, exemplifies the duplicity of the unions.

The AFA as of Friday had yet to make a statement outlining a defense against AAs job cuts other than pleading with the two parties of big business to grant another bailout to the airline companies and their major investors.

The federal $25 billion bailout package, or CARES Act Payroll Support Program, was designed to fortify airline profits and nominally prohibit airlines from cutting workers before September 30. The program was supported by the unions and AFA President Nelson.

The situation is no different with the other airline unions such as Transport Workers Union and International Association of Machinists (TWU-IAM). TWU Local 512 in Itasca, Illinois near Chicago posted on Facebook only offering this pathetic advice in response to the attack on workers jobs: 'If possible, concentrate on the good things in your life and take good care of yourself through healthy eating, exercise, and sleep.'

A further indication of the role of the unions in aiding management was revealed in a statement about the impact of the layoff announcement to local media by IAM Local 513 President Greg Cosey at American's hub at Dallas-Ft. Worth International (DF), San Antonio, and Austin. Rather than calling for unity with other workers in the aviation industry to defend jobs and conditions, Cosey declared, We try to calm our members down,' complacently citing supposed job protections in the union contract. As workers know from long and bitter experience, the value of these supposed guarantees is zero.

The airline companies are hoping for an eventual pickup in air travel in the near term, which shows their confidence that the governments back-to-work drive will not encounter opposition from the trade unions. At the same time, they are looking for another government bailout, which even if it happens will not prevent further layoffs and pay reductions.

For workers to mount serious and effective opposition to the job cuts they must organize and carry out action independent of the trade unions. We urge airline workers to form independent rank-and-file committees uniting pilots, ground crew and flight attendants. The World Socialist Web Site and Socialist Equality Party will do everything in our power to aid in this effort.
Following the complaint by the family of late NAF Helicopter Combat Pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotille, through her elder sister, Mrs Damilola Adegboye that the death of the combat pilot was suspicious and should be investigated, authorities of the Nigerian Air Force said on Friday night that discreet investigations have commenced into circumstances surrounding her death.

Also, the pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday raised suspicion over the death of the female officer, rejecting the road accident explanation and calling for a Coroners Inquest into her death.

Vanguard gathered that towards this end, two persons are said to have been detained in Kaduna while Provost Officers are discreetly working to unearth the conversations she had on her phone on the day of the incident.



A source in Kaduna said the action of the NAF is to ensure there are no loopholes in the immediate and remote reasons that caused Tolulopes death.

Recall that Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile was killed after a road accident involving a former school mate

The NAF said the female officer sustained head injuries from the accident when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force secondary school classmate while trying to greet her.

Mrs Adegboye had in an interview disclosed that the explanation given by the Nigerian Airforce that allegedly led to Flying Officer Arotiles death was not convincing enough.

She had said, We in the family are not convinced Tolu can just die like that in a freak accident. I know that the military is well trained in the art of investigations. We want them to carry out a thorough investigation that can convince us beyond all reasonable doubts that the incident that led to her death was real.

Mrs Adegboye hinged the familys suspicion of the fact that Tolu and herself were in the room on the day of the incident,  A call came into her phone which she picked but from the way they spoke, I knew the caller must be a senior officer calling her to come to Airforce Base. She felt reluctant and I offered to drop her off.

One hour later, I saw the story online that something serious has happened to her. I couldnt believe that somebody I just dropped off was dead.

The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, noted that at the end of the investigation, whatever information needs to go out will go out.

It is standard practice. So, we are investigating the circumstances leading to her death by a road traffic accident. It is an investigation. It may go beyond NAF.

Already, the NAF has said the late Flying Officer Arotile would be given a Military burial on Thursday, July 23, at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, with full military honours.

Arotile, a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, hailed from Iffe in the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State and contributed to the efforts to rid the North-Central states of bandits and other criminal elements by flying combat missions.

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By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the spread of COVID-19 accelerates in the state, the government has decided to keep a vigil on truck drivers and cleaners, mainly those coming from other states. Considering them as potential carriers of the virus, the authorities have been asked to devise a system to track them down and prevent them from mingling with locals.

The strategy will have to be implemented jointly by the health and home departments as well as the respective local bodies and district collectors. Conducting rapid antigen tests on them on a larger scale as part of surveillance is also under consideration.

"In the case of several COVID-19 patients in the state, the role of truck drivers and crew in spreading the infection to them has been noticed. It is also suspected that trucks carrying fish from neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu might have a role in transmitting the virus to local fishermen and, from them, to the coastal areas," said a health department official.

According to an assessment made by the department, truck drivers and other crew are at an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 as they come into close contact with crew members of other trucks, mechanics and staff at wayside food stalls.

"The problem with the truck crew is that if they get infected, they can transmit the virus to a wider section as they are mostly engaged in places where a large number of people usually gather. It could be a tea stall, hotel or even market place," the official added.

Considering the risks involved, it is learnt that the department will create awareness among the truck crew to limit the time spent outside the driver's cabin during refuelling, loading, unloading and at truck stops. Besides ensuring hand hygiene and wearing masks, training in disinfecting high-touch surfaces in the driver's cabin will be imparted.

The All India Motor Transport Congress had also warned of the dangers of truck crew becoming COVID-19 carriers since contact tracing in their case will be virtually impossible owing to the long distances they cover.

In the COVID-19 assessment meeting on Monday, expert committee chairman B Ekbal stressed the need for conducting large-scale testing of truck drivers and crew.

At the same time, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took the stand that though the crew of inter-state trucks pose a threat, the state can't regulate their entry as it depends on goods from other states.

However, he said directions have been issued to share details of trucks crossing the border checkposts with the police. The police will then coordinate with the local body concerned to arrange facilities for the truck crew, including a place for taking rest, thereby minimising their contact with local residents.

It is also learnt that Wayanad police's novel initiative 'Vazhykannu' -- for tracking trucks coming from other states by pasting multicoloured stickers on them -- will be implemented statewide.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says (service) dog days are over As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation Tuesday to make it a misdemeanor crime for anyone knowingly misrepresenting a dog as an assistance dog. The new law goes into effect Aug.

Despite mostly empty bars & restaurants, this move might prove popular given all the disability fakers in publicit might set the stage for medical privacy debates in local waiting lines . . . Read more:
Retired UND provost Tom DiLorenzo, 63, was fatally shot during an attempted robbery Friday morning

Two teenage boys have been charged in the fatal shooting of a retired University of North Dakota provost during an attempted robbery Friday morning in South Carolina.

Retired UND provost Tom DiLorenzo, 63, was out walking with his wife, newly-appointed College of Charleston provost Suzanne Austin, when the fatal shooting occurred at about 6.15am in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.

During the incident, which took place just blocks from the college campus, two men approached the couple at an intersection near an antiques store and demanded money from them at gunpoint.

DiLorenzo was then shot during the attempted robbery. He was taken to the hospital where he died just before 7am, according to WBTW.

Austin was physically uninjured.

The would-be robbers fled the scene before authorities arrived.

Antiques store owner Andrew Slotin told WCSC said that after DiLorenzo was shot, he staggered to and collapsed near his store.

I mean a person making a walk, we all love to walk In this great city of Charleston. The last thing you would expect is to have a random act of violence like this,' Slotin said.

Logan Schoembs, who manages the 167 Raw restaurant near the shooting location told ABC News 4 that he saw about five bullet casings at the shooting scene and saw police taking pictures of blood stains and using a K-9 unit.

Following the shooting, police released pictures of a silver 2005 Acura TL, which they believed was occupied by three males in their mid-to-late teens.

Late Friday night, Charleston Police issued a statement revealing that they had arrested two teenage boys in connection with the attempted robbery and DiLorenzo's death.

The suspects were said to be ages 15 and 16. They were not identified due to their ages.

Authorities said that DiLorenzo and his wife were out walking in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, when they were approached on this street by two men at gunpoint

Neighborhood businessmen said they saw about five bullet casings at the shooting scene

Authorities released a picture of a 2005 Acura which they believed was connected to the incident. At the time, they believed the car contained three males, in their mid-to-late teens

DiLorenzo (back right) was walking with his wife, newly-appointed College of Charleston provost Suzanne Austin (center), when the fatal shooting occurred Friday morning

DiLorenzo had retired from his University of North Dakota provost position, which he held for seven years, just six weeks prior to his death and mere weeks after moving to Charleston

Both of the boys have since been charged with murder and attempted armed robbery.

One of the boys was also charged with possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The boys are being held in a juvenile detention center and will have a hearing before a family court judge.

DiLorenzo retired from his provost position six weeks and had moved to Charleston just weeks prior to being killed, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

He had been UND provost from 2013 to 2020, working towards student retention, improving the university's graduation rates and developing the school's strategic plan.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said in a statement that the city was shocked and horrified by DiLorenzo's murder and noted that the violence 'has no place in our city.'

'Our hearts go out to Mr. DiLorenzos family and friends, and to the whole College of Charleston community at this terrible time,' he added.

Former University of North Dakota student body president told the Grand Forks Herald that DiLorenzo 'was always so warm and welcoming and ready to listen to the student voice, which I think was so important.

She added that 'He really did care about student opinion on things.'

College of Charlestons President Andrew Hsu said in a statement that 'Tom was celebrated not only for his collaborative leadership style, but also his belief in experiential learning and how the city of Grand Forks served as an extension of the UND classroom.'

'From what I understand, Tom  as you would expect of any lifelong academician  held education in the highest esteem, even calling it the "ultimate equalizer" because he knew that education was the only way a person could take full control of his/her/their life and ensure a future of success,' Hsu added.

'This is a moment of great sorrow for the entire College of Charleston community. In this difficult time, I want to express heartfelt condolences to Suzanne and the Austin and DiLorenzo families. It is imperative that we, as a campus community, come together now to support Suzanne and her family as they mourn the untimely loss of a husband and father.'
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The highly-anticipated 10th season of Farmer Wants A Wife is set to premiere on Channel Seven after a four-year hiatus later this month.

And with its high success rate, new farmer Sam Reitano took a swipe at Married At First Sight in an interview with The Daily Telegraph's Confidential on Saturday.

The 28-year-old tropical fruit farmer from Innisfall, North Queensland, revealed he signed up for the show as he thought only 'genuine girls' would apply.

Not so subtle: New Farmer Wants A Wife star Sam Reitano (pictured), 28, took a swipe at the 'craziness' that is Married At First Sight in an interview with The Daily Telegraph's Confidential on Saturday

'We all know this is not going to be like Married At First Sight,' Sam began.

'That's just craziness. We thought genuine girls would apply for the show.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Married At First Sight and Channel Nine for comment.

Ouch! The tropical fruit farmer from Innisfall, North Queensland, revealed he signed up for the show as he thought only 'genuine girls' would apply

According to Confidential, the show has certainly proved to be successful with nine marriages and 20 babies in Australia, and 99 million marriages globally.

Host Natalie Gruzlewski, 43, told the publication that she's proud to be back for the reboot.

'It's the original dating show and I'm so proud to be witnessing those real connections from the very beginning,' she said.

Remarks: 'We all know this is not going to be like Married At First Sight,' Sam told the publication. Pictured is 2019 Married At First Sight star Jessika Power

Natalie previously hinted that an engagement will take place during the new series.

She told Stellar magazine earlier this month: 'I love seeing people fall in love. There's plenty of romance on the farms this year, so I'm really looking forward to a wedding invitation or two.'

Farmer Wants A Wife first aired in 2007, and was originally on Channel Nine.

Proud: Host Natalie Gruzlewski (pictured), 43, also told Confidential that she's proud to be back for the reboot: 'It's the original dating show and I'm so proud to be witnessing those real connections from the very beginning'

It ran for eight seasons before it was cancelled, before being renewed in 2016 only to be axed again due to disappointing ratings.

Farmer Wants A Wife originally debuted in the UK in 2001, with 25 other international versions.

Season 10 of Farmer Wants A Wife Australia premieres Sunday July 26 at 7pm on Channel Seven.
One reason the Covid-19 crisis has proven to be extremely difficult for many businesses is that customers are worried about their safetyand so are fearful of stepping out. That may be a boon for companies that offer services at home, but for 27-year-old Yasmin Yadav, it has become an added source of worry.

Yadav, who lives in Gurugram, works as a beautician associated with Urban Company, an at-home services provider that was previously known as UrbanClap. Despite the pandemic and the widespread awareness of how the virus spreads, Yadav says that many of her customers simply refuse to follow the guidelines.

Most of the clients that I have served since the lockdown was lifted refused to wear face masks. Their argument is that they are in their own houses, so they do not need to wear masks. I am always supposed to wear protective gear while serving the clients, but what good are precautions that are only followed at one end? Yadav told Scroll.in. You cannot argue with these clients. Many of them will spoil our ratings out of spite. For a business that runs on how we are rated by our clients, the situation is very tough.

Gig economy

Yadav has been working with Urban Company in Gurugram, Haryana for two years now. Before that, she owned her own salon in the city, but shut it soon after she saw that her prospects were better with the internet-based services provider.

Yasmin Yadav.

Yasmin Yadav.

The pandemic-necessitated lockdown has exposed the vulnerability of relying on a gig platform like this for her livelihood. Any inconvenience to clients, however minor, can result in a number of implications: bad ratings, warnings from the company and compulsory retraining.

It seems like taking precautions and keeping ourselves safe is entirely our responsibility, she said. No action is taken against the clients availing the services even if they mistreat us. One client wanted me to give her a facial without wearing gloves. She asked me to wash my hands two-three times and remove the gloves. I had to try very hard to convince her that I am not allowed to operate as per her wish. Am I expected to risk my life because one client asked me to bend a rule for her?

Story continues

No work at all

Yadav used to earn around Rs7,000-Rs 8,000 ($93-$105) per day before the pandemic derailed the business, catering to around five or six requests daily. This has now come down to a couple per day.

Even after the lockdown has been lifted, there are some days when there is no work at all, she said. According to her, Urban Company takes a fixed percentage of the earnings of its associates as its fee, which ranges from 5% to 30% of the total earnings from each client.

To help us during the lockdown, Urban Company rolled out a policy to give us a loan of Rs5,000 when the business was shut, Yadav said. For those who choose to take the loan, it is supposed to be repaid within six months of resuming business and will attract no interest. But, how much can you do with Rs5,000 in a city like Gurugram?

What will we do with the money when there is no life? Her savings before the pandemic put her in a decent position to survive during the lockdown despite no regular earnings, taking care of her rent, the monthly installment for her flat in Gurugram and her LIC insurance. I was comfortable because I had savings, but many people in my circle were not, she said. I am aware that this time is hard on them, especially for the single mothers I know.

The Urban Company reportedly rolled out a policy to arrange for a doctors consultation and to give its associates Rs250 for each day they remained home if unwell.

Even though the nationwide lockdown that lasted for over two months resulted in near-exhaustion of her savings, Yadav still thinks that it should have been extended for a couple of months more. Expressing her fear of working while the pandemic is raging, Yadav said, What will we do with the money when there is no life?

This article first appeared on Scroll.in. We welcome your comments at ideas.india@qz.com.

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The House of Representatives Committee on Works has frowned at the slow pace of work by Julius Berger Construction Company in the handling of the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road projects.

The Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar Kabir (APC-Kano), said it might be impossible to complete the projects for commissioning by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Mr Kabir made the observation after receiving submissions from Julius Berger on all three projects at a committee meeting in Abuja.

With the slow pace of work going on, there is no way that President Buhari will commission the 2nd Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kani road projects during his tenure.

Julius Berger has shown its unfit and unprofessionalism in the manner and way it has handled these projects, he said

The committee also accused Julius Berger of irregularities in securing the contracts as it was without due procurement process.

The committee lashed out at the construction giant for failing to speed up the projects, even after being paid N200 billion upfront by the Federal Government for the projects.

READ ALSO:

The committee said the 2nd Niger Bridge was awarded for N206,151,693 billion, Kaduna-Abuja Road N155 billion, while the first section of the Lagos-Ibadan road was awarded for N134 billion.

The lawmakers suggested that the road projects be split and shared among other companies to guarantee speedy completion.

The lawmakers also promised to prevent any interested party from re-looting the Abacha Loot which was earmarked for the projects. (NAN)
In providing the crucial fifth vote to strike down a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at hospitals, Chief Justice John Roberts has reenforced a longstanding theme: there is no guarantee a judge nominated by a Republican president will decide cases based on the text of the Constitution.

From the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, who called his selections of Earl Warren and William Brennan his biggest mistakes, through George W. Bush, who gave us Roberts, inconsistency has been all too consistent a pattern when it comes to judges nominated by Republicans. Not since Justice Byron White, appointed by John F. Kennedy in 1962, has a nominee selected by a Democratic president gone against the constitutional philosophy of the left. White was one of the two dissenters in the Roe vs. Wade case in 1973. William Rehnquist, who would later become chief justice, was the other.

The Louisiana law was not about the right of a woman to abort her child, it was argued instead as a way to protect a womans health in the face of botched procedures that have sometimes led to severe medical complications and even their deaths. The justices should watch the documentary about Philadelphia physician and abortion provider Kermit Gosnell, who performed abortions on mostly minority women in a filthy environment and who was convicted of murdering three babies, born alive, and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in one womans death.

In the Louisiana case, dissenting Justice Samuel Alito, writes NPR, wrote that the courts decisions in both the Louisiana and Texas cases are used like a bulldozer to flatten legal rules that stand in the way.

Justice Roberts, who had only four years ago dissented in a nearly identical Texas law, justified his current position, citing precedent.

Precedent is not always decisive, as in previously overturned cases such as Dred Scott v. Sanford case of 1857 and Plessy vs. Ferguson case of 1896, the former which said African American slaves could not be U.S. citizens (itself a reversal of precedent) and the latter upholding segregation laws.

Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, a Christian association that supports a network of crisis pregnancy centers, reacted to the decision: This lawsuit was, from the beginning, a demand of Big Abortion to preserve predatory profiteering over any genuine concern for a womans health. It is deeply disappointing for a divided Supreme Court to, once again, affirm abortion ideology over what is clearly the common good and rightful care that women should receive.

According to statistics from the Louisiana Health Department, in 2019, 8,144 abortions were performed in the state, 5,124 African American women aborted their babies, 2,148 white women aborted theirs. This is similarly true in other parts of the country. Why doesnt the Black Lives Matter movement protest this racial genocide?

John Roberts could be said to be the new Anthony Kennedy, the retired justice, who on especially social issues, sided with his liberal colleagues in creating rights that are nowhere to be found in the Constitution, but which follow opinion polls and often succumb to political pressure and editorials in leftist newspapers.

Abortions have declined somewhat in recent years due to a number of factors, not the least of which is the influence of pregnancy help centers, which unlike most abortion providers, offer their services for free. Sonograms are helping women make life choices. Some states mandate they be used before a woman goes through with an abortion, which has led some womento choose life for their babies. More states should require sonograms to fully inform and empower women.

Those who oppose the Louisiana and similar decisions by the Supreme Court should increase their support of pregnancy help centers. By doing so they will have a greater effect than waiting for Justice Roberts to again change his mind.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton once seemed much closer than they are now. Still, despite that the women were always cordial to each other in public, there were constant rumors of a fierce feud between them.

Its unclear where Meghan and Kates relationship stands at the moment, but the two reportedly have a lot of love for each others kids  and they shared one surprising thing in common while they were pregnant.

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton | Stephen Pond/Getty Images

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle once seemed close

When Meghan started dating Prince Harry, Kate seemed to take the former actress under her wing. The two women attended Wimbledon together in 2018, shortly after Meghan and Harry wed, and made another appearance at the event together in 2019. Plus, weve seen plenty of photos of Meghan and Kate laughing and smiling together.

Still, the press managed to create problems between the two by saying Meghan and Kate did not get along. Whether there was a feud between the women still remains unknown.

Meghan and Kate attended Wimbledon together two years in a row. | Clive Mason/Getty Images

RELATED: Kate Middleton and Meghan Markles Feud Might Have Started Long Before Anyone Realized

The women might have more in common than we thought

From the moment Meghan joined the royal family, she was constantly compared to Kate, which made it difficult for her to win over the public. But Meghan and Kate arent as different as they seem. They both have a drive to make the world better; theyre mental health advocates who care a lot about supporting underrepresented groups and are working to make the world a better place.

Meghan and Kate also love kids. The women have both supported various childrens organizations and seem to know exactly how to speak and interact with the youth. They have similar hobbies and passions, too, such as yoga and fashion.

Each duchess received a henna tattoo during a pregnancy

Kate Middleton welcomed her third child, Prince Louis, in 2018; Meghan Markle welcomed her first child, Archie, in 2019. And it turns out Kate and Meghan did something similar during their pregnancies: Both women received henna tattoos.

According to Express, the henna tattoos both symbolized good luck, and Kate received one in 2018 while pregnant with Prince Louis. Then, in 2019, when Meghan was in Morocco with Prince Harry, she received a similar henna tattoo while visiting a school in the Atlas Mountains. Its unclear if Meghan was inspired by Kate, but it seemed both women were intrigued by the tattoos and their meanings. The tradition of henna tattoos dates back thousands of years.

Meghan Markle received a henna tattoo just like Kate Middleton during her pregnancy. | Tim Rooke/Pool/Getty Images

RELATED: Meghan Markle Fans Blast Kate Middleton Over Her Latest Message Promoting Kindness  Is Her Kindness Only Limited To Specific People?

Will Meghan or Kate have another baby?

There has been a lot of speculation as to whether the royals will expand their families. For a while, many thought Kate and William would have a fourth child, but Kate said earlier this year on a podcast that she and William likely wont have a fourth.

Last year, Harry remarked that he and Meghan would have no more than two children, though he didnt specify any kind of timeline. Meghan and Harry have since left the royal family, and its possible theyll announce another pregnancy, but there hasnt been any word yet.
As a longtime teacher in public schools and the mother of four sons, Gladys Marquez was hopeful that all of her kids -- her students at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island and her youngest child still under her roof -- would be heading back to the classroom this fall.

But Marquez said her early optimism has been replaced with fear and apprehension in recent weeks, as a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide -- especially among young adults -- underscores the potential dangers of a premature return to school as normal when the virus continues to rage.

Ive lost two family members to COVID, my cousin and my great uncle, so Im frustrated by those who are taking this situation very lightly, because they just dont understand the risks, Marquez said. I have asthma, and one of my sons, whos also a teacher, has diabetes. If were back in the classroom, Ill be exposed to 1,800 students, and could bring COVID home to my own family. This is not time to be getting students back together, as having their lives at risk is just not an option.

As Chicago-area school districts begin to unveil their back-to-schools plans -- in many cases still tentative -- they are under pressure both to reopen their buildings and to keep them closed. And anxiety is running high for parents, teachers and administrators.

In Chicago Public Schools, the situation appears headed for a showdown between the city and the teachers union, mere months after the pre-pandemic, 11-day teachers strike. On Friday, CPS unveiled a preliminary plan that would combine in-class and virtual learning, but the powerful Chicago Teachers Union had already said it wants virtual learning to continue in the fall, unconvinced that schools can reopen safely.

Many Chicago-area parents and educators seem to share that concern. While nearly 90% of parents who responded to a spring survey in one North Shore district said they wanted their kids back in the classroom this fall, many teachers -- especially those whose students are from economically disadvantaged communities of color -- say bringing kids together as the virus is spiking across the world would be reckless, especially for families who have elderly relatives and those with preexisting conditions in their households.

In fact, Evanston Township High School reversed course on Friday and announced that virtual learning will continue in the fall until further notice. Just days before, officials had unveiled plans for a hybrid approach.

Now, with the start of the new school year just weeks away, the wariness among teachers and parents is amplified by escalating politicization of the coronavirus response, playing out both on a national stage and closer to home in heated virtual debates on Nextdoor and Facebook.

Among those championing the return of all students to the classroom is President Donald Trump, whose press secretary said Thursday that science should not stand in the way of a full school reopening.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently stated that if precautions are taken to ensure the health and safety of children and teachers, it strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.

But on Wednesday, the National Education Association, which represents more than 3 million union members, warned that with the pandemic causing budget shortfalls at school districts nationwide, more funding is needed to reopen schools safely this fall.

No one wants to be back in the classroom with our students more than educators, NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said in a statement. We love our students, our public schools, and our communities, and that is why we need to do this right. We must ensure students have the best possible learning experience this fall. This means all students, whether they are Black, brown or white, have the tools and resources necessary to succeed.

The Illinois State Board of Educations 63-page playbook for navigating the reopening of schools, closed since a statewide coronavirus shutdown in March, calls for the use of face coverings and suggests social distancing as much as possible. The guidelines also limit gatherings to fewer than 50 people and call for increased school cleaning and disinfection, as well as symptom screening and temperature checks for people entering school buildings.

But Chicago-area school systems are putting forth an array of approaches for the fall: A few plan for a full return, but most are looking at a continuation of remote learning or, like CPS, a hybrid of in-class and virtual instruction to keep the numbers of students in buildings low at any given time.

New Trier High School in Winnetka and Northfield anticipates such a hybrid for fall.

We plan to start smart with a gradual return to school for teachers and students to get used to new safety protocols and a new way of teaching and learning, New Trier Superintendent Paul Sally wrote Tuesday in a letter to parents. As much as we would like to bring back all students every day, we have determined that at this time there is no way to do that safely with the size of our student population.

Families will also have an opportunity at the beginning of each quarter to opt out of any in-school learning scenario and to learn remotely, Sally said.

At Schaumburg-based School District 54, which enrolls about 15,300 students in pre-K through eighth grade at 28 schools, Superintendent Andy DuRoss released a Reopening District 54 Plan this month that offers families two options for the school year: in-person instruction five days a week, or a new Virtual Learning Academy, where students will be taught entirely online.

Fridays deadline to choose an option loomed large for parent Traci Morris of Hoffman Estates, whose two daughters, ages 6 and 10, attend District 54.

We moved to this school district because its a special place, and I know how wonderful it is, but I was very disappointed to learn we had one week to decide, and they are not offering a third option, which I would have liked, which is a blended approach, Morris said.

Morris, who works part time as a dental hygienist, said she understands it would be tough for many parents to juggle their jobs and family responsibilities without a full-time return to school. But shed hoped for a hybrid option.

My husband and I have been very good about our family following all of the rules during the pandemic, and weve slowly begun to loosen up a little, while still wearing masks and social distancing, Morris said. But having our kids diving back in to school full time in five weeks, well, thats not OK.

Of particular concern to Morris is the social emotional health of her children, one of whom has been expressing fears about what school will look like next month.

They will be going from fully remote learning during the end of the last school year to social distancing this summer, and then full-time school, Morris said. My oldest daughter is already asking, What happens if one of my friends get sick?

Aurora-based Indian Prairie School District 204 crafted its Return to School plan with input from local parents as well as teachers like Cathy Malone, who teaches sixth grade math and social studies at Scullen Middle School in Naperville.

Teachers want schools to be open, but we want it done safely for our families, teachers and the entire community, Malone said. There are differing viewpoints, but we got great feedback from teachers and parents, and that input was definitely taken into consideration.

The District 204 plan, which was released this week, was based on more than 10,600 parent responses and 2,800 staff responses. The option of offering a weekly blend of in-person instruction and remote learning was the first or second choice for 75% of parents and 74% of staff members, according to the districts website.

Still, despite the flurry of back-to-school plans released this week, some school district officials, including those at Harvey School District 152, are still collecting information from community surveys before making a final decision.

Karen Moore, a special education teacher at Maya Angelou Elementary School in Harvey, said she would support a decision to hold district classes online for the first semester of the new school year, and if officials can do so safely, then returning in person, giving first priority to students in special education programs and English language learners.

Above all, Moore said educators need to be paying close attention to the social emotional needs of children, many of whom have been struggling with COVID-19-related trauma during recent months.

Some of my students have experienced death, people have lost jobs, and kids have been shipped to other states, because their caregivers are essential workers. ... There have been a lot of disruptions for our students, Moore said.

Moore is also deeply concerned that -- unlike well-funded school districts enrolling children from affluent communities -- Harvey schools were already struggling before the arrival of the pandemic, which exposed deep disparities in access to technology and other student services.

In Harvey, the bus that brings our students to school is already overcrowded, so how do you social distance? Moore said. We have been up and running despite a devastating lack of resources. But how are we going to have a nurse in the building all day, when we didnt before? And our buildings already were not the cleanest.

In Chicago Public Schools, uncertainty could continue until shortly before the start of school the day after Labor Day. Though CPS released a preliminary framework Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has indicated a final plan wont be set until August.

For Stephanie Fletcher, the thought of sending her 7-year-old son back to the classroom this fall makes her very nervous. Fletcher has two young children: a rising second grader at Stone Scholastic Academy on Chicagos North Side and a preschooler.

This spring, the family was able to create a schedule where Fletcher could help her son with remote learning in the morning and do her own work in the afternoon. She recognizes working from home is not an option for all parents, but thought that, overall, the teachers and administrations at Stone did their best to check in with families and keep students engaged.

Looking to the fall, Fletcher says her preference is to keep her son at home for as long as possible.

For me as a mother, I see my No. 1 job as making sure my children are healthy and safe, Fletcher said. And right now, I feel like ... if I send my son into a school where social distancing is not possible, where sanitation supplies and hand sanitizer and soap is scarce and not available at times ... I feel like that Im putting him in a dangerous situation.

Shes also worried about the health of teachers and school staff members.

What happens to the teachers whose immune systems are compromised? Fletcher said. Are they still expected to go into a classroom with 30 kids, coming from 30 different households, who have 30 different ways of approaching the coronavirus situation? Thats on my mind too.

She also wonders how schools are going to be able to get young children to follow rules like wearing masks, washing their hands and social distancing.

Even though you talk to them about it, they dont really have a sense, I think, of what the repercussions are if they take that mask off, Fletcher said.

For Moore, the Harvey teacher, hearing recent criticism about teachers from officials in Washington who are far removed from the realities of Harveys families has been especially difficult.

I just want people who are making decisions to understand what we deal with every day from the lens of the student, the lens of a parent, and the lens of a teacher, Moore said, adding: Im OK with returning to school, but I think it should be done in phases, not at the same time, so we can see whats working and whats not, and lower some of the risk.

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A 74-tyre truck carrying machinery weighing 70 tonnes finally reached the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday 10 months after it began its journey from Maharashtras Nashik, around 1,700 km away, to the countrys premier research institute. The lockdown imposed to check the Covid-19 pandemic spread from March 25 delayed its arrival by a month.

Usually, regular trucks cover the distance between Nashik and Thiruvananthapuram in five to seven days. The mammoth truck moved at a snails pace with each of the five states it journeyed through making special arrangements for it. When it moved, escorted by police teams in each of the five states, the movement of other vehicles was stopped. In some places potholed roads had to be repaired, trees cut and electric poles removed to allow the truck, carrying an aerospace autoclave, to move. Autoclaves are used to process materials needing exposure to elevated temperature and pressure.

Subhash Yadav, an employee of a private firm engaged in transferring the machine, said the lockdown made their movement miserable. In Andhra Pradesh, our vehicle was detained for a month due to the lockdown. Later our contract agency had to intervene. But still, it was a challenging task. Engineers and mechanics were there in our team of 30 which accompanied the Volvo FM series truck, said Yadav. They began their journey on September 1 last year.

Yadav said the machinery is 7.5 metres high and 7 metres wide. Since the chassis of the vehicle carrying the machinery had to be very strong, the truck almost covered the entire road at many places. In some places, roads were widened and trees were cut to make way for it. And at two places, special iron girders were put to strengthen bridges, he said.

Another team member,said on the condition of anonymity, In Kerala, an aged lady came to us and told us better make a vaccine for Covid-19 than sending rockets. Most of us walked throughout, it was a challenging experience for us.

A VSSC official said the heavy machine could not be dismantled. The autoclave will be used to manufacture large aerospace products for various programmes and it is expected to be commissioned this month after making necessary modifications, he said.

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YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. The air defense units of the Defense Army of Artsakh downed an ORBITER-3 surveillance UAV on July 18 at about 06:38, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of Artsakhs Defense Ministry.

The front line units of the Defense Army continue keeping full control of the situation and confidently carry out protection of the borders of the country, reads the statement.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
The Honda Civic  its a good, reliable, efficient, and even a sporty car, but theres one model that just isnt meant to live beyond 2020. Honda is busy preparing to showcase the 11th-generation Civic in 2021 as a 2022 model, and now weve received confirmation that while the Hatchback and Sedan body styles will carry over, the coupe is officially dead in the water in the U.S. market. This will mark the first time in decades that we wont have access to a new, two-door Civic. Times are certainly changing, but theres some good news too.

Goodbye Civic Coupe  Not Too Many People Will Miss you

2020 officially marks the last year that the 10th-generation Honda Civic Coupe (and, probably, any other generation coupe, for that matter) will be available on the U.S. market.

The current Civic will remain on dealer duty through the first half of 2021, but after that, well be welcoming the 11th-gen model. With that said, Honda is just about ready to end production of the Civic coupe altogether, and while there are still some 2020 Civic Coupes in dealer inventory across the country, you should probably act fast if youve been debating on buying one.

Once the remaining Civic coupes in inventory are gone, and the 2021 models hit lots, youll only have the choice of the Civic Hatchback or Civic sedan body styles. Of course, there probably arent too many of you that are going to rush to buy a Civic coupe, either, as Hondas main reason for discontinuing the body style is lack of sales  a mere 6-percent as of the 2020 model year, down from 16-percent in 2016 with the Civic Hatchback growing in popularity to represent 24-percent of sales today. But, as I said, there is good news.

2020 Honda Civic Coupe Specifications Engine Type In-Line 4-Cylinder In-Line 4-Cylinder with Turbocharger Boost Pressure 16.5 psi Displacement 1996 cc 1498 cc Horsepower (SAE net) 158 @ 6500 rpm 174 @ 6000 rpm Torque (SAE net) 138 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm 162 lb-ft @ 1700-5500 rpm Redline 6700 rpm 6500 rpm Wheelbase 106.3 in 106.3 in Length 177.3 in 177.3 in Height 54.9 in 54.9 in Width 70.9 in 70.9 in Track (front/rear) 60.5 in / 61.1 in 60.9 in / 61.5 in

Goodbye Civic Coupe, Hello New Civic SI and Type R

Killing off the Civic Coupe is probably a good idea  the 6-percent of consumers that are interested will probably go for the hatchback anyway. And, theyll be just as happy as Honda has now confirmed that the Civic Si will be part of the 11th generation, and weve seen prototypes of the Civic Type R, so we know its coming too. But, theres one little catch.

We dont know when the next-gen Civic Type R will make its appearance, and Honda is suspending production of the Civic SI after the 2020 model year as it begins to prepare for the arrival of the next-gen 2022 Civic.

With that news, I also have a bit of advice. If youre thinking of buying a Civic Si, it might be a good idea to wait a little while because nothing bad can come from it. Once the current Civic SI is out of production, Honda will eventually put any remaining models on discount sometime late this year or early-2021 as tries to push old inventory to make room for the 2022 Civic. If the current Civic Si happens to disappear from the market before those discounts come into play, then come mid-2021 or early 2022, youll be able to get your hands on a next-gen model, and chances are youll like that one better anyway.
Europe is a near neighbor to the Middle East and its conflicts. However, it seems to lack a vision or strategy toward the broader region, Eurasiareview writes in the article Europes Disparate Approach To Middle East Policy.

Since the 1970s, the US strategy toward the Middle East has been based on four pillars: Israel, Turkey (representing the easternmost border of NATO), Egypt and Saudi Arabia. But the US has been withdrawing its commitment to the region since before President Donald Trump took office and at an accelerated pace since January 2017. Europe has not always spoken with one voice or seen eye to eye with the US on its Middle East policies. The second Iraq War is a good example: Germany and France were wary of supporting the US, but then-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair marched in lockstep with President George W. Bush.

The Europeans might have had different views to the US, but they still worked closely with their American allies, be it on Libya, Syria, Turkey or even the controversial Iran nuclear deal. The Trump administrations waning commitment to the region has left Europeans disorientated. The common denominator was that the EU tended to see its Middle Eastern neighbors largely through the prism of the refugee crisis.

Russia, on the other hand, played its cards well and steadily advanced its interests in the region by backing Bashar Assad in Syria alongside Iran, and Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar alongside Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Moscow also collaborated with the Gulf oil producers under the framework of OPEC+.

Against that backdrop, Europe did not really develop a strategy. The European countries among the nuclear deals signatories have tried in vain to save the agreement following the US withdrawal. However, Americas sanctions have proved overwhelming and Iran has now breached the terms of the deal.

On Libya, the Europeans tried to work with the international community to reach a cease-fire. In January, Germany hosted a conference that brokered a deal, which was no mean feat as Russia and Turkey stood on opposite sides, with both sending arms, mercenaries and soldiers to the North African country. Europe lacked a united front, with Italy supporting the UN-backed Government of National Accord leader Fayez Al-Sarraj and France backing Haftar. The cease-fire lasted all of eight days. This month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the consequences of unprecedented levels of foreign interference in the country.

Europes preoccupation seems to have again shifted to refugees, as rescue ships face every conceivable obstacle, ranging from not being allowed to enter harbors to being declared unseaworthy on technical grounds. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, known as Frontex, is tasked with building a cordon sanitaire against refugees. Now, even commercial ships are saving distressed refugees from drowning, only to return them to inhumane conditions in Libya.

Nothing shows the lack of clear policies and vision better than Europes relationship with Turkey. The EU voices issues with Turkey when it comes to democracy, free speech and drilling for oil off the Cypriot coast, but still the bloc entered into a pact so Ankara would hold back refugees in exchange for 6 billion ($6.8 billion) of support.

The EU sees itself not just as an economic and political union, but also as being united in values. In reality, most European leaders regard Turkey as no longer being fit to join the union. The Dutch and the Austrians said as much after Mondays meeting of EU foreign ministers. The foreign ministers not only criticized Turkeys record on democracy, but also held it to account for its incursion into Syria and especially for its military involvement in Libya, where Ankara backs Al-Sarraj. The EU foreign ministers criticism might have represented a change in tone, but they understand that they need Turkey if they want to keep the western Balkans route sealed to refugees. Ankara sent shivers down the spine of many European governments when it moved thousands of refugees to the Greek border in March, just as the coronavirus started to take Europe in its grip.

If all of the above sounds disparate and without a vision or plan, that is because it is. One of Angela Merkels five priorities for Germanys six-month EU presidency is the blocs position in the world. She has a lot on her plate, not least trying to find a compromise on the proposed 750 billion coronavirus rescue package. Nothing less than the cohesion of the union may be at stake here. However, a unified position and having a stronger and more united voice when it comes to dealing with its near neighbors and their conflicts is important. No one can ignore the neighborhood they live in  neither people nor nations. Ones neighbors problems all too often become ones own. The stream of refugees heading toward Europe is a good example.
Ghanas COVID-19 testing capacity is expected to increase to about 20,000 each week.



This is according to the head of Virology at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Professor William Ampofo.



He disclosed that the centre has taken delivery of bulk testing equipment, reagents and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).



Speaking to Citi News, Prof Ampofo said they have since distributed the equipment and materials to testing centres across the country.



We have received the bulk of the supplies including the reagents. So we have started distributing reagents to the existing testing sites. There are some essential parts of the PCR equipment yet to arrive. So when those parts arrive, then we will begin to review current testing and then strategically place the new PCR machines and the existing sites have some of the equipment added on. With regards to the GeneXpert platform, we are still waiting for the GeneXpert cassette which will enable us to test for COVID-19 on that platform in selected localities which will include the Upper West, Upper East, Central and parts of the old Brong Ahafo Region.



Prof. Ampofo also added that plans to have centres across all the 16 regions are on course.



This will mean the plan to have a PCR site in each of the regions can be achieved shortly. Then we will then be able to work out what exactly is the load of the testing. When we did the estimation, we were close to about 20, 000 tests per week we are able to distribute them across the ten centres. So we are looking at how that can be done and sustained, he noted.



Meanwhile, Professor William Ampofo who admitted that there is a three-week-backlog-of-samples to be tested, outlined what is being done to resolve the issue.



We have a backlog so we are currently looking at how to get rid of those samples that are over three weeks. So we are looking at how that can be addressed, he said.



COVID-19 testing concerns



Occasionally, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) warns that the countrys coronavirus case management may hit a snag if steps are not immediately taken to ensure the release of test results within 24 hours.



They argue that the delays in releasing samples taken have become a source of worry given the adverse impact the situation is having on their operations.



The Association also demands the expansion of the current testing sites and their capacities, with all 16 regions equipped with testing sites.



It, therefore, wants the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to address the recurring issues of shortages of test kits.



The group also raised concerns about the governments failure to honour its promise to re-engineer the then GeneXpert machines dotted around the country for COVID-19 testing.

Source: Citi









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Former Congress chief on Saturday slammed the Narendra Modi government over the LAC face off with China in eastern Ladakh, saying India will have to pay a huge price because of the government's cowardly actions.

"China has taken our land and GoI (Government of India) is behaving like Chamberlain. This will further embolden China. India is going to pay a huge price because of GoI's cowardly actions," said in a tweet attaching a video of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressing the armed forces in Ladakh during his visit to the forward areas.

Rajnath Singh said during his visit to the eastern Ladakh region on Friday, "India wants peace but there is no guarantee of the final outcome of talks with China."

Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Leh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, also reviewed the ground situation in the hostile border areas.

has been critical of the Union government over the LAC faceoff with China in eastern Ladakh. In his first video series also, the former Congress chief had targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a tweet on Friday, Rahul Gandhi said, "Since 2014, the Prime Minister's constant blunders and indiscretions have fundamentally weakened India and left us vulnerable. Empty words don't suffice in the world of geopolitics."

In his video, the Congress leader said that "China chose this time to intrude in our land as India's foreign policy, economy and relationship with neighbouring countries are disrupted".

--IANS

aks/arm

(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.)
CHIEF Superintendent Gerry Roche has refused to grant an SPSV driver licence to a man caught with 100,000 worth of drugs in Ireland and 1 million worth in the UK.

Keith McKenna, aged 49, who has an address at Springfield, Dooradoyle went to Limerick District Court to appeal the chief superintendents decision.

An SPSV driver licence permits a driver to operate all categories of SPSV  taxi, hackney, and limousine. An applicant must be confirmed by An Garda Siochana to be a suitable person to hold a SPSV licence.

In March 2009, McKenna pleaded guilty to possession of more than 13kgs of cannabis resin in Limerick for the purpose of sale or supply. He was on the run from authorities in the UK at the time and eventually spent seven years in prison there for importing more than one million pounds of cocaine and cannabis in 2005.

In December 2017, McKenna was sentenced at Limerick Circuit Court to five-years in prison with the final two and-a-half years suspended. He was released from jail in July of 2019 but the terms of the sentence continues until 2023.

Darach McCarthy, solicitor for McKenna, said his client has had a driving licence since he was 22.

He passed the SPSV knowledge test. He intends to drive for a cousin of his in Limerick - Pat McKenna. He (Pat McKenna) is fully aware of his (Keith McKenna) previous convictions, said Mr McCarthy. A character reference from Pat McKenna for Keith McKenna was handed into Judge Patrick Durcan.

McKenna took the stand. Answering questions from Mr McCarthy, he said just wants to get his life back on track.

A big chunk of my life was taken away through my stupid actions. I will be driving wedding cars for my cousin. I want to stay here where my kids and my mother live, said Mr McKenna.

Inspector Liz Kennedy put it to McKenna that he was caught in possession of 1 million worth of drugs in the UK and 100,000 in Ireland.

It is something I am ashamed of, said McKenna.

Insp Kenney said a suitable person to hold an SPSV licence is one of good character.

This does not reflect as a person of good character, said Insp Kennedy.

McKenna said people make mistakes.

The prison sentences made me reflect. I am a different person to the person that I was many years ago, said McKenna.

Insp Kennedy put it to him having a SPSV licence would be a convenient method to transport drugs.

No. I will be driving wedding cars. I have no desire to drive taxis, said McKenna.

In relation to his previous convictions, Insp Kennedy asked him if he drove a truck to transport drugs?

Yes, said McKenna.

His solicitor, Mr McCarthy handed in an award from Gaisce which goes to Mr McKennas character.

When young persons come into prison it is a programme to show them the error of their ways, said McKenna.

Insp Kennedy asked him if he had co-operated fully with the authorities? Yes, said McKenna.

Did you name names? asked Insp Kennedy.

I didnt have any names. I didnt know the suppliers, said McKenna.

Judge Patrick Durcan said the basic issue is whether a citizen subject to and compliant with an order of the court is suitable to hold a SPSV licence.

I want to give it a little bit of thought and reflection, said Judge Durcan, who thanked Chief Superintendent Roche for being in the court.
The safety inspectors walked through the facility, five of them. For four anxious days Lee Rivaz watched and waited as they provided him a list of items to correct before they would approve licensure for the new Cypress Pointe Health and Wellness located at 8561 Easton Commons Dr. in Houston.

The final day of licensure was April 2, 2020 and Rivaz remembered it well.

Local YMCA gets $1M renovation: Langham Creek Family YMCA ushers in new era with renovation

When he finally received the keys to open the facility, he had to shut it down on the executive orders from the president of the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was literally at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

When the contractor has completed the final punch list for the building and the safety inspection approved, they hand the building over to the management agency which is ML Health for the Cypress Pointe facility.

It literally put a damper on our opening, a disappointed Rivas said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Sick of watching COVID-19 wreak havoc on Houston? Here are 14 ways to fight back.

Prior to licensure, the state allows a skilled nursing facility such as Cypress Pointe to admit up to three private pay residents.

We were fortunate to have those three, he said, but it was all they would have for a spell.

Three patients wont pay the bills for a $14 million facility, so Rivas and his staff have been busy marketing to attract new patients.

There was some thought and discussion about furloughs because they had hired a full staff to operate and now they were faced with some tough decisions on whether or not to cut back hours or even some positions.

Not direct care staff but ancillary support jobs we felt we could manage without, he said.

We elected not to. We decided to go full steam ahead and work through all of the steps to protect the residents, the vice president of operations said.

Rivas had a plan.

When youre talking about the lives of people and a multi-million-dollar business, youd better have a plan, he said.

The plan had been formulated long before the COVID pandemic hit but deserved a reassessment to figure out how to minimize the loss with a slow startup.

As expected, April and May were quiet months for his staff, but not any longer.

The facility is a 124-bed skilled nursing facility with 72 of those reserved for longtime care for Medicaid patients.

We did a lot of virtual and social media marketing including virtual tours online specifically targeted for families, he said.

He says they could have been isolated on an island, but the response of the healthcare community has been strong.

Its been adventurous partnering with the local health care facilities and hospitals, he said.

Rivaz and his staff reached out to the frontline workers by providing meals to them and began building relationships.

Theyve done the same for us as well. We dont look at other skilled nursing facilities as our competitors in this whole pandemic piece that were in, he said.

While the Health and Human Services (HHS) of the state is normally a regulatory agency, he said its felt more like a partnership.

I think that shows a lot of character from our Houston area and our industry, he said.

They are currently at 30 patients.

Theyve come from a variety of arenas, he said, including from their own homes, hospitals, resident transfers, and more.

Rivaz said he also feels the growth has come from the reputation of his staff who have many years of extensive work in the area.

Its more of a reputation standpoint that has helped us, he said.

Rivaz said other area facilities have seen a decline in their population, and not just from COVID.

They currently employ more staff and have more residents than we do so their risk of contracting coronavirus is much higher than our smaller staff, he said.

We do everything we possibly can to minimize loss. With CMS (Center for Medicare Services), they certainly have allowed skilled nursing facilities to look at other options and so theres waivers that they have put in place, he said.

To date, they have no patients or staff that have tested positive for the coronavirus.

He said If theres a skillable need under Medicare that will allow them to skill in place, they are allowed to triage in house instead of sending someone to the emergency room where theres an elevated risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Rivaz said they have also minimized in-person visits by doctors where it was possible by using telemedicine.

Through the CARES Act passed by Congress, it allowed us to procure funds like (for) iPads and other equipment to do the telemedicine, he said. For the time being, they have four and its more than enough to get the job done.

The approximately 50,000-square-foot facility provides occupational, physical, and speech therapy, 24/7 nursing care, and a full activity schedule for residents.

The original grand opening was planned for April, and then postponed until May. With the facility still closed by the state, they opted for a virtual ribbon cutting with the Cy Fair Chamber of Commerce.

Ive never done one before, but it only makes sense for us under the circumstances, he said.

Anyone in the public is welcome to join the staff and the Chamber for the Virtual Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 23, 2020 from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom by dialing 346-248-7799. The Meeting ID is 889 0608 1763 and the password is 921547. For more information, contact Tamie Palma at 713-927-3116.

dtaylor@hcnonline.com
Mass unemployment in Australia, already at 1930s Great Depression levels, is deepening with the ongoing elimination of permanent jobs. Last month, full-time employment fell by another 38,100, according to the official statistics, even as more workers were pushed back into unsafe workplaces in the worsening COVID-19 pandemic.

These figures point to the long-term impact of the economic and social crisis triggered by the pandemic, which is now resurging in Australias two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales, as a result of the government-business reopening the economy drive.

Governments and employers are working with the trade unions to exploit the COVID-19 catastrophe to accelerate the casualisation of the workforce, forcing more workers into insecure part-time jobs.

The official unemployment rate climbed to 7.4 percent in June, up from 7.1 percent in May, despite part-time employment increasing by 249,000. This left 992,000 workersnearly one millionjobless, a new record level.

Among young workers, aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate was more than twice as highit rose 0.4 points to 16.4 percent. Yet they represented about half the increase in part-time work, bearing the full brunt of the casualisation.

Because of the surge in part-time work, the underutilisation rate, which combines the unemployment and under-employment rates, fell 1 point to 19.1 percentbut that is still more than two and half million workers.

These Australian Bureau of Statistics figures notoriously underestimate the true levels of joblessness. They exclude anyone who worked more than one hour a week and only count those classified as actively seeking work. If those who have dropped out of the workforce or been kept in employment by the federal governments JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme were counted, the real level of joblessness would be around the 1930s level of 25 percent.

According to the more realistic employment survey estimates by the Roy Morgan company, 14.5 percent of the workforce, or 2.05 million workers, were unemployed in June, with another 10 percent, or 1.41 million, under-employed. That is a total of 3.45 million workers, or 24.5 percent of the workforce, either unemployed or under-employed.

Large companies are leading the elimination of full-time jobs. They are using federal, state and territory government business stimulus packages, now totalling more than $300 billion, to restructure their operations, at the direct expense of workers jobs, wages and conditions.

In one of the most ruthless examples, Australias largest airline, Qantas, announced last month that it will shed 6,000 jobs, while still maintaining the stand-down that it imposed in March of 15,000 other workers. Likewise, Australias largest supermarket chain, Woolworths, said it will slash 1,350 warehouse jobs in Sydney and Melbourne.

This week, two of the largest public universities, Monash University in Melbourne and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, announced a total of 770 job cuts. Universities already have eliminated thousands of jobs, mostly of casuals, with Universities Australia predicting up to 30,000 positions will be destroyed in the next three years.

By all accounts, much of the 249,000 rise in part-time work has been in cafes, restaurants, hotels and hospitality operations, which have almost fully reopened as part of the return to work drive by the bipartisan national cabinet to restore corporate profits.

According to some estimates, there are now 17 jobless workers for every vacancy. This will only worsen as the federal government compels more unemployed workers to apply for jobs, no matter how unlikely they are to succeed, in order to retain JobSeeker welfare payments.

In September, the situation will deteriorate further when the government scraps or slashes the pitiful JobSeeker allowances of $550 a week, and the $750-a-week JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme, which is still covering more than three million workers.

During the same month, moratoriums on evictions, mortgage payments and small business rents and loans are due to end. This will mean a new wave of homelessness, house repossessions and bankruptcies of family-owned businesses, causing greater levels of financial stress and poverty for millions of working class households.

Even if the governments budget update statement next Thursday maintains some wage subsidies and welfare supports after September, the spending will be targeted to meet the demands of big business for further investment breaks, de-regulation and employment flexibilitythat is, lower wages and working conditions.

The Australian economy is fighting back, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday in response to the last jobless statistics. Australia has opened up again as people have gone back into their businesses and opened their doors.

This claim flew in the face of the actual statistics, as well as the deteriorating economic situation in the US and globally. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is now predicting that global output could fall by 8.5 percent by the end of 2020, the worst result since World War II.

At the same time, Morrison underscored the real content of this opening up. He declared that flexible arrangements for employers during the pandemic were keeping people in work, and must continue, and people must keep working despite serious outbreaks of COVID-19 in Victoria.

These flexible arrangements were agreed by the unions as part of the JobKeeper program. They formed a central platform of the de facto coalition government formed with the Labor Party leaders, underpinned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, whose secretary Sally McManus pledged to give employers everything they want.

Earlier on Thursday, Morrisons Liberal-National government unveiled yet another business support package, labelled JobTrainer. It pledged $1.5 billion to subsidise the jobs of 100,000 apprentices and $500 million to train or reskill 340,000 school leavers.

In the name of assisting young people, the government is handing yet more cash to business, while further seeking to channel young workers into vocational training to meet the immediate needs of employers.

Despite Morrisons efforts to talk up the economy, other data indicated the opposite. Consumer sentiment has dropped by 4.5 percent in July, led by a 10.4 percent plunge in Victoria in response to the COVID-19 resurgence and limited six-week lockdown measures.

Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said the surveys Unemployment Expectations Index surged 12.1 percent, showing that job loss concerns escalated sharply. The higher the reading, the more consumers expect unemployment to rise in the year ahead.

An index of views of the economy for the next 12 months also slumped 14 percent in July to 25 percent below pre-COVID-19 levels. Even more revealing was a 10.3 percent drop in the views on the economy over the next five years.

Increasingly, people do not believe or trust the governments response to the pandemic, and there is growing opposition among workers, including teachers and warehouse and health workers, to being exposed to life-threatening conditions, without adequate protection, in workplaces.
Germany pledged 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) at a meeting of G20 finance ministers to help the world's poorest countries, the finance ministry said on Saturday.

The funds will be made available as long-term loans for the International Monetary Fund's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT).

In April, IMF officials said they had received pledges of a combined $11.7 billion from Australia, Japan, Canada, France and Britain to replenish the PRGT. The United States has not yet pledged any money for the programme.

"With the funds ... low-income countries can receive greatly discounted loans and bridge liquidity bottlenecks," the German finance ministry said.

It added that Germany will provide a total of 8.7 billion euros for international aid measures in 2020 and 2021.





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There is gold at the end of the rainbow after all. Taylor Berg will not have to repaint her rainbow house, 1625 9th Ave., Moline.

Moline Acting Zoning Administrator Chris Mathias hand-delivered a letter to Berg Thursday evening, telling her the city will not pursue action against her and that her house can remain as it is. The city also issued a formal apology.

"The courtesy notice concerning a violation of section 5501 is hereby withdrawn and rescinded," the letter stated. "After further review and consultation with additional city staff, we have determined that section 5501 does not apply to this situation. We apologize for any stress and confusion that we may have created."

Berg was thrilled.

"I am humbled and overwhelmed by the outreach of community support I've received over this," she said. "My son told me, 'I'm so happy we get to keep the rainbow house, mama.' It was a good lesson for him to stand up for yourself when there is an injustice being done.

"Never let anybody tell you that you can't be who you want to be," she said. "I always stress to my kids that it's OK to be different and to accept people who are different. Variety is the spice of life. What a dull world it would be if we all looked the same."

The city initially sent Berg a violation notice July 7, giving her until July 21 to repaint her house a color similar to other houses on the block or possibly face a fine of up to $750 a day until it was repainted.

To gather support for her cause, Berg created an online petition at CARE2, which quickly went viral. By Thursday afternoon, the petition had nearly 17,000 signatures, some from countries as far away as Malaysia and Australia.

Moline Mayor Stephanie Acri said Friday the code Berg was cited for was meant for development of new homes, not existing structures. Acri said the issue will be discussed in detail during the July 21 city council meeting.

"We will clarify for the community and for the council, what First Amendment rights mean and why this is allowed," Acri said. "We didn't know anything about it until it came out on social media. That's how we found out about it. (Berg) has my support on her side.

"What happened to (Berg) ... she is owed an apology and she has received an apology; I just couldn't be sorrier that that happened in my city," Acri said. "I cannot think of a single council member who was not totally aligned with an apology and getting to the bottom of what happened and how it's not going to happen again. It's a First Amendment right."

Berg said she grateful to the community for their support.

"I never expected it to get this big from everyone sharing it," she said. "This was support from all over (the world); I just never expected this when I painted my house. First off, I didn't think my house would offend anybody or be complained about."

Berg has two sons, ages 5 and 10, and both of them helped paint the house. Her 10-year-old son has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal and deaf. She said he would have been deeply affected if they had to repaint their house.

"If I had to repaint and cover up what he did, that would have really upset him," Berg said. "He was so happy to paint it all those colors."

Meanwhile, Berg's home appears to have become a tourist attraction and hot-spot for selfies.

"People have been driving by all day, honking," she said. "People shout, "we love your house.' It's been busy all day."

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SPRINGFIELD  When Jackie Rodriguez turned 40, she went to get her first mammogram.

It was a routine mammogram that is suggested when you turn 40, but it turned out to be my first and last one, said Rodriguez, who found out that she had cancer in both breasts, leading to a double mastectomy.

Rodriguez, of Springfield, and her husband Al Rodriguez, have been named chairpersons for the 2020/2021 Rays of Hope Walk and Run Toward the Cure for Breast Cancer, held annually in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The couple is representing the 100 people who make up their walking and fundraising team, called Las Luchadoras, The Fighters in Spanish.

My husband actually came up with the name for our first walk 10 years ago when we had about 40 walkers, mostly my family, Jackie Rodriguez said. Now we have about 100 people that walk or run with us every year.

Traditionally a single chairperson is selected, but this year Baystate Health, which organizes Rays of Hope, chose the couple to represent their family and the work they have done to raise more than $10,000 for breast cancer research in Western Massachusetts.

We are thrilled Al and Jackie have agreed to chair the 2020-2021 Rays of Hope Walk and Run Toward the Cure for Breast Cancer. Since its inception 27 years ago, Rays of Hope has always brought people together with the common goal of curing breast cancer and supporting survivors, said Kathy Tobin, director of annual giving and events for the Baystate Health Foundation.

Springfield - Jackie Rodriguez and her husband Al Rodriguez are the new chairs of the Rays of Hope 2020/ 2021 Walk. Jackie Rodriguez is an 11-year breast cancer survivor. Here her group of walkers "Las Luchadoras" poses for a photo during the 2019 walk.

Every year the foundation tries to pick a chairperson who reflects the participants of the walk, who range in age, gender and ethnicity.

As our first Latinx chairs, Al and Jackie reflect the diversity of our participants who are some 20,000 strong, Tobin said. The Rodriquez family knows better than most that breast cancer does not affect just the person diagnosed, it affects all those who love them.

Rodriguez said she has always felt welcomed by the Rays of Hope community and hopes to extend that to anyone considering participating for the first time.

This event recognizes the diversity of our community. It doesnt matter if you are one or if youre a team, it doesnt matter your culture or your ethnicity. Rays of Hope has this ability to make you feel that you are part of the family, she said.

Rodriguez said it is important for her to share this honor with her husband and her family and friends.

This is as much about him as it is about me because no one faces cancer alone. I have had him and my family by my side, said Rodriguez, who has been cancer-free for 11 years. When we were asked to do this I just felt like it was an amazing honor. We have brought up our children the best way we can and to know that you are being recognized for the work your family has done it is such an honor.

Team members from Las Luchadoras participate in the Rays of Hope Walk & Run Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer at Temple Beth El in Springfield in 2019.

Organizers have not announced whether they will hold the walk in October due to the coronavirus. But Rodriguez said her team is still raising money and preparing for the walk.

We are doing the best we can during this pandemic to find virtual ways of fundraising and still spreading the word about the amazing work done with the funds from the walk, she said. That money goes right back into our community right here in Western Massachusetts.

Rodriguez is a care coordinator for the state Department of Public Health and her husband is the municipal group maintenance coordinator for Springfields facilities division.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno celebrated Baystates decision to name the Rodriguez family chairpersons of this years event.

Congratulations to our very own Al Rodriguez and his lovely wife Jackie for being named Baystate Healths Rays of Hope chairs for 2020/2021. This is such a wonderful and beautiful family who continue to show tremendous support not only to Jackie but to other breast cancer survivors too, he said.

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Grace Wong's parents have an immigrant story not unlike many others.

Her father came to Canada from China in the early 1920s and, after a few trips back and forth, he married her mother in China and they had a son. He returned to Vancouver, but he was unable to bring his new family to Canada for many years because of anti-Asian immigration policies.

It wasn't until the early 1950s, after Canada amended its laws, that Wong's mother and brother could come to Vancouver. Soon after, Grace was born.

"This is part of my history but then it's [also] part of something that helped to build British Columbia and our community. So to share that with more people, I think it's very meaningful," she said.

Wong is heading up the new Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia, which will oversee the development and operation of a new museum in Vancouver's Chinatown. Earlier this week, the B.C. government announced a $10-million investment into the establishment of the museum.

Vancouver Chinatown Foundation

"For the families that have stories like [mine], I think it's a wonderful affirmation of the places that people came from," she said.

Wong, who is a former senior advisor in UBC's office of the international vice-provost, says these immigrant stories are important to highlight, especially in light of a recent spike in anti-Chinese racism related to COVID-19.

Lisa Beare, B.C.'s minister of tourism, arts and culture agrees.

"Now more than ever, we need to come together and learn from each other," Beare said in a news release. "People told us they want a museum to showcase the diversity of Chinese-Canadian history and culture, past and present. This museum will help foster a more inclusive society."

Museum will cover community's past and its present

The new museum's central location will be in Vancouver's Chinatown  in the Hon Hsing building at 27 East Pender Street  but the plan is to have several regional hubs through the province, and an interactive online component as well.

Story continues

The society plans to not only explore the history of the province's Chinese-Canadian community but also document the ongoing Chinese-Canadian experience, delving into current events and visions of the future.

It will also be interactive. Visitors will get a chance to tell their Chinese-Canadian story on camera or place pins on a map to indicate their family's migration.

Ben Nelms/CBC

Wong remembers as a young girl sitting on the stools in her father's restaurant on Granville Street while he worked. Despite the intolerance experienced by many early Chinese immigrants, it's the friendships her father made at his restaurant that have stayed with Wong years later.

One non-Chinese customer her father befriended gave Wong her first name.

"You have these stories, and people sometimes will grow up and not necessarily share them because they're too busy establishing their lives [...or feel] either a combination of embarrassed that [their family's story] is different than maybe other people's stories or they just think, 'Oh, well, who's interested?'" she said.

"But to actually show that this is meaningful, and the more people understand about each other's backgrounds, the better the society, the more we're going to hopefully reduce the kind of racism and other things that we see."

B.C.'s new investment follows $1 million the province gave to the City of Vancouver last year to support the initial planning behind the museum.

In mid-August, the museum will officially kick off with a temporary exhibition called A Seat at the Table at the Hon Hsing building. The exhibit will explore the pivotal role of food and restaurant culture in the evolution of the Chinese-Canadian community in B.C.

The museum plans to unveil a larger sister exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) in the fall.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 02:03:15|Editor: huaxia

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People buy sheep at a livestock market during the annual festival Eid al-Adha in Ankara, Turkey, on Aug. 21, 2018. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

"The holiday should not be a pretext of increased new cases. The outbreak is far from over," says a Turkish specialist as the country is considering new restrictions for upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday amid COVID-19 outbreak.

ANKARA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's number of new daily COVID-19 cases has dropped this week under the critical 1,000 threshold, but authorities have not ruled out new restrictions during the upcoming Muslim holiday as millions will roam across the country.

The Health Ministry announced Thursday 933 new infections, bringing the total confirmed cases to 216,873.

Turkey has lifted on June 1 most of the coronavirus restrictions imposed in mid-March and daily cases have risen since then hovering between 1,400-1,500 each day.

A staff member wearing a face mask works at a supermarket in Ankara, Turkey on July 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

Government officials and doctors are now worried that the Eid al-Adha holiday, which is expected to end in the early days of August according to the Islamic lunar calendar, could reverse the gains.

During the holiday, millions of people might travel across cities to visit their families and sacrifice an animal, or go on a family vacation, which may seriously increase the risks of contagion within the country.

As most foreign tourists avoided to visit Turkish resorts this summer because of the pandemic and travel restrictions, travel agencies and hotels are offering bargains to lure domestic tourists.

"The holiday should not be a pretext of increased new cases. The outbreak is far from over, we must be very vigilant and avoid to do things that may increase the infections," Gule Cinar, a specialist in infectious diseases from an Ankara public hospital, told Xinhua.

People wearing masks walk on a street in Ankara, Turkey on July 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

The doctor explained that after restrictions were lifted last month, two COVID-19 wards, which had been closed during the lockdown as new infections dropped, had been reopened to treat new patients.

"The medical workers are doing the best they can to treat patients," she said, urging citizens to limit their mobility.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has ruled out curfews, but said that there might be restrictions on a regional level based on numbers recorded in different provinces.

"A curfew is not on the agenda, but certain measures are being considered," he said this week, implying that in COVID-19 hotspots such as Istanbul, Turkey's biggest city, which accounts for over 50 percent of all cases, restrictive measures may be imposed.

Workers wearing masks are seen outside a food stand in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui)

The minister said that weddings, funerals and military conscripts send-off parties were the main reason for the recent rise of new infections. Some local authorities have introduced new restrictions to those events.

Additional measures have also been imposed on marketplaces of sacrificial animals, which will be frequented by tens of thousands of customers during the feast.

Tevfik Ozlu, a professor of thoracic diseases and member of the Coronavirus Science Board, warned that citizens should not go back to their normal lifestyle yet as there are still around 20 deaths every day due to the virus.

"We don't have the luxury to live a normal life anymore until an effective vaccine is found, we have to abide by health measures," he said.

Authorities warned that failure to comply with rules will lead to high COVID-19 figures, adding that another challenge awaits Turkey after the holiday as schools are likely to reopen at the end of August. 
By Trend

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the fact that President of Frances Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region Laurent Wauquiez made an absolutely false and biased statement distorting the essence of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as pf the military provocation launched by the Armenian armed forces on the border between the two countries on July 12, the ministry told Trend on July 17.

"The fact that the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, predominantly populated by the Armenians, in which Wauquiez is the president known for his pro-Armenian position, has signed 10 charters on cooperation with the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, clearly demonstrates the biased position of the head of the region, the ministry said.

This statement that justifies Armenias aggressive policy, which occupied the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, and grossly violates the norms and principles of international law, is ninconsistent with the spirit of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and France, and it is also a big blow to the position of France as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, added the ministry.

This one-sided and far from reality position of the president of the second biggest region of France undermines the confidence of the Azerbaijani public in France as an impartial co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the ministry said. The statement contradicts the obligations of France at the international, European, bilateral and national levels.

The Azerbaijani side expects France, as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, to take real steps towards the conflict settlement, as well as take all necessary measures to suppress any activity of some representatives of certain French structures that encourage the so-called 'structure' in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the ministry said.

---

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Best friends who allegedly smuggled $3million worth of ice into Australia burst into tears as they appeared handcuffed in court.

Israh Chahine and Alexandra Karanfilovska, both 23, appeared at Central Local Court on Tuesday charged with importing commercial quantities of the drug.

The Australian Border Force tracked the pairs phones and intercepted the bust on May 6.

Police raided their Arncliffe homes, in Sydneys south, on May 13 and allegedly found food ration packages from the United States.



Further inspection of the consignment allegedly revealed 5.7kg of methamphetamine, which police claim has an estimated street value of $2.7million.

Police allege the package was addressed to Chahine but was sent to Karanfilovskas address.

It suggests a high degree of planning beyond being the consignee and taking possession, then passing it on, Prosecutor Chelsea Brain told Magistrate Alexander Mijovich, St George Shire Standard reported.

The role of (Chahine) goes beyond being a courier.

Chahine and Karanfilovska were allegedly caught discussing how much money they would make over the phone after the package was delivered to the pairs co-accused Adam Ayshan and Mohamad Hawchar.

After Chahine has taken the package to Ayshan, she contacts Karanfilovska and says are you happy with $1,000?, Ms Brain told the court.

Karanfilovska asks how much Chahine received, she says $2,000, and that she doesnt want to do it again for $1,000.

Their lawyer Ahmad Dib told the court that his clients were unaware of the drugs in the alleged packages.

Magistrate Mijovich accepted Ms Brians explanation that police had a strong case against the girls.

Chahine and Karanfilovska remain under house arrest and are only allowed to leave with an approved chaperone.

They are also not allowed to communicate with one another under their bail conditions.

The matter is due to return to court on July 28.

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Kabul, July 18 : As peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban appeared to be imminent, President Ashraf Ghani said that the process will not move forward until the fate of the security forces held by the Taliban is clarified.

The release of prisoners is one of the Taliban's preconditions to start the much-awaited peace talks, reports TOLO News.

According to the US peace agreement with the Taliban, up to 5,000 prisoners from the government prisons, and 1,000 security forces held by the militant group, must be released before peace talks begin.

Four months after the agreement was signed, some 4,200 Taliban prisoners have been released by the government and about 850 government prisoners have been released by the group.

"The reason why the process of releasing Taliban's prisoners is moving forward is because I want the fate of every prisoner of the Afghan security and defence forces to be clear. The peace process will not go on until the fate of our heroes is clarified," Ghani said.

He also said that the people of Afghanistan will never give a Taliban emirate supremacy over the republic, and the militants should know that the people will make the final decision.

On the other hand, sources close to the Taliban have said that if the process of releasing prisoners is not completed, violence in the country will increase, TOLO News reported.

So far it is not clear when the peace talks will begin, but the UN had said the talks would begin in Doha in July.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan has featured in a new video, by the family of Bob Marley. It is a re-imagined version of one of his biggest hits and the video has been made in collaboration with the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF), to help kids affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Actor Lena Headey also features in the video.

As the video opens, we hear a chorus singing as people make gestures of love with their hands. Kareena shared the video and wrote, #OneLoveOneHeart Together, we can reimagine a better world for everyone. Proud to be a part of @bobmarleys classic #OneLoveOneHeart reimagined by the Marley family and artists from across the world, in support of @unicefs COVID-19 response. Tap the link in my bio to help children today. @unicefindia. Bob Marley released One Love in 1977.

Stephen Marley, Cedella Marley and her son, Skip Marley, have joined forces to produce a new version of One Love, which will be released July 17 and will also include special guest appearances from other musicians. A music video will also be released that day.

Daddy wrote this song like 40 years ago, a long, long time. It just feels like right now in the world we need to have some different type of unity happening. Not just lip service, but real action. I think were going to bring this song to a generation that needs to know we do care. We do care what happens. Were going to do a nudge and push and a shove and hopefully the message will resonate, Cedella Marley, 52, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Also read: Priyanka Chopra will mint millions in 2020: A rundown of every project shes working on

The artistes who are a part of the video include the Marley family members Stephen Marley, Cedella Marley and Skip Marley besides Ghetto Youths Foundation, Kim Nain, Manifesto JA, Teeks, 249Too Dope, Amrit Kaur, Mermans Mosengo, Jason Tamba, Natty, Dawtas of Aya, Raja Kumari, Patoranking, Babsy and Damascus Voice.

Eight-time Grammy winner Stephen Marley said, (The) song is very special because of (its) message. Its a song of equality. One love meaning love for everyone, for all humanity. It doesnt matter the color, creed or social status or anything like that. Its appreciating the human family. One heart, lets get together and feel all right. Its a very important statement to my family.

A message from the UNICEF page for donations says, Bob Marleys everlasting message about the power of love and solidarity is more important than ever as families face the COVID-19 pandemic and millions call for equality. UNICEF is teaming up with the Marley family, Tuff Gong International and Amplified Music to reimagine the iconic song One Love  bringing people together to help children and their families recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and build a better world.

Bob Marley died of cancer in 1981 at age 36.

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Legal groups holding out for extra federal funding to manage coronavirus pandemic pressures have called for more clarity from the Queensland government about how and when it will distribute the cash.

The call comes amid concerns of a spike in domestic violence as restrictions ease in the state and a looming September cut-off date for many people relying on federal assistance for pandemic help.

Women's Legal Service Queensland chief executive Angela Lynch said the organisation, which provides domestic and family violence support, was "still waiting" for the funding as demand surged. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter announced a $63.3 million package for frontline legal services in early May to ensure they could continue their "essential" work when people needed it most.

Of this, $20 million was flagged for domestic violence services and $29.8 million for "other COVID-19 issues" including tenancy disputes, financial problems and work claims.
Nepal's Water Minister calls in an early meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Committee on Inundation and Flood Management owing to the unprecedented situation of flooding in the Terai region; meeting may open opportunities for new cooperation amid growing hostilities between the two countries and alleged Chinese interference in Indo-Nepal bilateral relations.

Nepals Water Minister Barshaman Pun has directed his officials to start preparing for talks with India over inundation problems faced by the Himalayan nation, especially the countrys Terai region in the south, in the wake of incessant rainfall for the past few days.

India and Nepal are both facing the problem of inundation during monsoon season and hundreds of lives have been lost in the past.

In a meeting on late Friday afternoon, Pun directed officials to prepare for Nepal-India Joint Committee on Inundation and Flood Management (JCIFM) where the issue of flooding will be raised.

Due to the inundation, the Terai region is facing a problem. We would need to call on Indian sides to resolve on the problem created on by the dams constructed on their side by calling on the meeting of JCIFM. Start preparations for it, the Minister said.

Also read: Extended help to over 150 countries during Covid-19: PM Modi at UN ECOSOC

Rajasthan political crisis: BJP MLA Sanjay Jain arrested

Also read: Pak offers 3rd consular access to India for Kulbhushan Jadhav: Reports

Nepal and India have been holding on the meeting of JCIFM annually on November but the Ministry has started on preparations to inform the Indian side with immediate effect after receiving a direct order from the Minister.

Annual meeting is held in the month of November but this time we have got the direct order from Minister so we will be informing the Indian side with immediate effect, said Rabindrathan Shrestha, Secretary at the ministry.

The Joint Commission formed by India and Nepal to discuss on the issue will be led by Director General of Nepals Irrigation Department Madhukar Prasad Rajbhandari.

Earlier this week, Nepals Minister for Home Affairs had blamed India for the inundation of Terai region during the annual monsoon season.

Earlier this week, Nepal Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa blamed India for constructing structures along the border, which he claimed blocked the flow of water and resulted in inundation of various places of the country.

Bihar Water Resources Minister had said last month that Nepal had stopped all repair work of river embankments in Bihar on the India-Nepal border by erecting barriers and effectively putting a stop to work done by India to prevent flooding of its low-lying areas.

Thapa had said some diplomatic steps undertaken by the Nepal government in order to solve but said it did not work out well.

Agreements over it were signed at the time of Indian Prime Ministers visit to Nepal but all of them are yet to be implemented, he said

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.

Also read: Rajnath Singh in Ladakh: Not an inch of our land can be taken

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Waleed Bhai's killing is a major achievement for security forces.

SRINAGAR: Three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants  one of them termed by the authorities as being an IED expert  were gunned down during a fire fight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Kulgam district on Friday.

The IED (Improvised Explosive Device) expert from Pakistan, who operated in the Valley using his codename Waleed Bhai, was among the twelve most wanted militants. His killing is a major achievement for security forces. Soon others too will be neutralized, claimed Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar while speaking to reporters here.

The fighting broke out in Kulgams Nagnad-Chimmer area early Friday after the J-K polices counter-insurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) along with the Armys 9 Rashtriya Rifles and the 18th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) laid siege to it to flush out militants dead or alive, the police said. It added that the joint operation was launched on specific input generated by the Kulgam police about the presence of militants in the area.

The IGP said that Waleed Bhai had escaped during four such cordon-and-search operations in south Kashmir earlier.

During the search operation as the presence of terrorists got ascertained they were given the opportunity to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter, a statement issued by the police here said.

The statement said that slain Waleed Bhai was a Pakistani national and an IED expert and a most wanted terrorist. The police said that the identifications of the other two slain militants are being ascertained but, at the same time, claimed that all the three belonged to proscribed outfit JeM.

The police statement read, As per police records, terrorist Waleed was involved in several terrorist attacks including civilian atrocities. He was involved in the killing of four civilians in Kulgam and in luring innocent youth to join terrorist ranks.

The police also said that one US made M-4 carbine, one AK assault rifle, a pistol, a grenade launched, grenades and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of encounter. An Army commander said that the operation against militants was full of challenges.

Brigadier VS Thakur, Sector Commander of 9 RR, told reporters, After getting the information about their presence in Nangad-Chimmer area from the DIG Police, south Kashmir, a siege was laid to the area at around 4.30 am. The first challenge was that there was a single road access to the house where militants were hiding and the closest base was ten to twelve kilometers away. He said that the second challenge was the presence of civilians in the house as well.

He said, Our troops showed resilience and didnt even resort to speculative fire to target the house. Instead an appeal was made to the civilians to leave the premises.

The Army officer said that two militants fired indiscriminately at the security force, using small arms and also lobbed grenades with an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL). However, both of them were killed in the retaliatory fire without causing any harm to civilians or damage to the house where they were hiding.

He further said that when the civilians were coming out of the house, one remaining militant was wearing pheran with a weapon concealing beneath the traditional Kashmiri gown in an attempt to move out with the civilians. He was physically stopped and when he tried to use his weapon, there was a hand to hand fight between him and a soldier who successfully shot him down. He was the Pakistani militant Waleed, Brigadier Thakur said.

He claimed that the Army has received credible inputs that suggest militants are planning to target Amarnath Yatra on a stretch of Jammu-Srinagar highway anytime after the commencement of the pilgrimage on July 21. He said, This stretch of the highway is a bit sensitive. We are all prepared to foil the militant design and to ensure smooth conduct of the pilgrimage, he asserted.
When dealing with Chinese navy or coast guard ships, foreign naval commanders have learned to take into account the dual command structure of Chinese crews. In effect, Chinese warships except for smaller (less than 2,000 tons) ones, have dual commanders and a naval command system that is more premeditated and slower to respond to unexpected conditions.

This comes as a surprise to many Western naval officers. Although the Chinese military has achieved many visible signs of modernizing, like new weapons, equipment, uniforms, tactics and officer training, it is still having problems in several key areas. When it comes to leadership there are problems with the political officers.

The Chinese long ago borrowed the concept of the political officer (Zampolit) from the Soviet Union. The political officer represents the Communist Party and has the authority to overrule any order a military commander gives. In reality, the political officer usually acts as a combined morale and special events officer. The political officers are primarily responsible for preventing anything happening in their unit that would embarrass the party. For naval zampolits that meant watching out for signs of mutiny or sailors planning to seek asylum in a foreign port.

Unlike the Russian naval zampolit, the Chinese counterpart, called a political commissar is considered the equal of the regular naval commander and his superior when it comes to a special mission, like deliberately harassing foreign warships or opening fire on anyone. The political commissar is the same rank as the ship captain and can overrule the ship commander at any time and in any situation. It was not always that way.

An important change took place in 2018 when naval political commissars were given equal authority with the captain as mission commander and is expected to replace the captain if the captain is disabled by injury or sickness. The normal second-in-command (the XO or executive officer) becomes the XO for the political commissar and the captain and third, not second, in command. The practical problem with this is that the captain and XO have spent their entire careers (fifteen or more years) learning how to run a ship and supervise the crew. In contrast, the political commissar learned enough tech stuff to be more annoying. The political commissar was a professional busybody, scold and snitch. The political commissar can end the career of the captain, XO or any other officer by simply making a series of uncomplimentary reports.

The 2018 change was part of a program that began in 2016 throughout the military as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) sought to improve its control over the military. In the navy that meant the political commissar had the ultimate responsibility for achieving goals assigned to a ship. The captain is not the true commander of the ship in the Western sense. He is there to see that technical details are well taken care of and that would include taking change during very bad weather or some kind of technical (fire, explosion) problem aboard ship. The political commissar is expected to personally undertake particularly dangerous leadership missions, although only those he is qualified to deal with. That means political commissars have led boarding parties in dangerous situations but not entrusted with command during damage control situations.

The full impact of the 2016-18 reforms to improve CCP control of the military are still working themselves out in the navy. Western, especially American, captains are being warned that their Chinese counterparts will probably not react as quickly to an emergency or unexpected situation that that should be taken into account, or taken advantage of.

Another reason for the 2016-18 reforms was to reduce corruption in the military. In theory, political officers are supposed to prevent their commanders from getting involved in fiscal corruption, but often it's the other way around, with the political commissars getting involved in illegal money-making schemes first. The CCP is trying to purge the political officer ranks of dishonest and unreliable elements. It is slow going. This has caused more friction between commanders and their political officers. That tends to reduce the effectiveness of the unit these two officers are in charge of. There is no easy solution to this problem.

Russia got rid of the zampolits in the early 1990s but a decade later brought them back to assure the loyalty and reliability of the armed forces. Like the Chinese political commissars, the new Russian zampolits are officially there to ensure that morale and troop welfare do not suffer under poor leadership. The post-communist zampolit has not been a big success. Then again, neither was the communist era zampolit.

Theres another leadership problem China has to deal with, a problem similar to the one that seriously hurt Japan's effort against the United States during World War II. This is the fact that the Japanese Army then, like the Chinese Army now, is the senior service to the extent that generals can overrule admirals and generally interfere in navy matters that the army generals really know little about. This is already causing China problems and there is no solution in sight. This is particularly true when it comes to joint training. In wartime, this army runs the show sort of thing is a serious problem, just read any history that covers the Japanese army and navy relationships during World War II.

An offshoot of the army domination problem is that there is little real joint (all services working together) planning. Currently, the Chinese army tells the navy and air force what it wants done and that is the end of that. The Chinese understand that their next war will likely be in the Pacific, not mainland China. The navy should be in the lead here but it isnt. Worse, naval officers who spend their entire careers learning how to run a ship, eventually as captain, have to accept being second-guessed or overruled by a less experienced (in running a ship) political officer.

Another old custom, from before modernization began, is local government having control, actually shared control with the army, of about 40 percent of army personnel. These are mostly support and security (border and key facilities inside the country) that local officials play a role in supporting. Dealing with this problem has been put off for a long time because the local (especially provincial) officials dont want to give up control of all these local units. Its mainly about power in a bureaucracy but these support units provide many opportunities for corruption, which cannot be admitted openly. The army is aware that a lot of the officers assigned to these local units got their job because of support (often paid for) from a local politician. The army wants to get rid of a lot of these officers in general and specifically weed out all unqualified officers. But because so many officers have political sponsors, this is a delicate task to carry out. There is growing urgency about this because the surplus of staff and support officers is in sharp contrast to a shortage of officers in combat units.

While China has decades of experience with political commissars working with army commanders that same system at sea is quite different and even the Chinese are not sure how it should work on a ship.

Another leadership problem is the development of NCOs. Russia downplayed NCOs after the 1930s civil war and China followed that model until, in the late 1990s, they realized the Western custom of developing experienced NCOs was a major asset. It takes time to develop these NCOs and it will be another decade before Chinese NCOs catch up with their Western counterparts in years of experience. After that, the NCO quality gets better with each generation if the NCOs are allowed to do their jobs. Chinese NCOs, especially the navy chiefs (Chief Petty Officer, or senior NCOs) who play a disproportionate role in the daily functioning of warships, dont have to worry about a commissar watching what they do and criticizing or countermanding decisions. Chiefs and political commissars tend to leave each other alone for the good of the ship. The problem is that chiefs dont take command of the ship in emergencies. Thats what the officers are for.

Junior officers on ships who are members of the CCP depend a lot, like non-CCP officers, on the chiefs. It is unknown exactly what impact this has on naval officers with good records as CCP members and then decide to become political commissars. All navy political commissars start their careers as junior officers and becoming a political commissar is an option for naval officers who are active CCP members. CCP membership is not mandatory and CCP leaders know that many officers join simply for whatever advantages can be gained by being a party member. Young naval officers willing to be active in CCP matters are seen as potential political commissars and that could lead to higher rank in the CCP and government in general. This was how it was supposed to work with the soviet zampolits but, just as the Chinese are discovering, many of those eager young party members are more opportunist than anything else.

In China senior commanders have done staff analysis of the combined impact of all this and the conclusion is not something they want to publicize. While Chinese forces have gotten much better since the 1990s they still have a serious combat capability gap with potential opponents; especially the United States. How much of this has to do with the political commissars and the dual command system is unclear but the current consensus is that the dual commander system may improve political control but it does little for improved operation of the ships.
People wearing face masks are seen at the entrance of the Menarock Life aged care facility, where a cluster of some 28 new infections had been reported, in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon on July 14, 2020. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Legal Fight Erupts Over Aussie Aged Care Workers

A legal fight is underway in Australias southern state of Victoria as the health union tries to stop a major aged care provider from limiting its workers to one facility.

The challenge comes as aged care continues to be a major factor in Victorias worrying coronavirus case numbers.

The Health Workers Union on July 17 lodged a legal challenge in the Federal Circuit Court to stop not-for-profit Mecwacare from sacking its employees if they work for a second employer.

The union claims Mecwacare, which operates 13 residential care homes across Victoria, sent a directive to its staff about a change to their contracts effectively preventing them from working for a second employer.

The measure is a COVID-19 safety measure but the union opposes it, saying the extra hours at a second aged care facility could be the difference between having money for groceries or paying their rent.

When we have aged care workers earning $22 or $23 an hour, we shouldnt be increasing their economic hardship, union secretary Diana Asmar told AAP.

Its a disgrace how we treat aged care workers in this country.

They are heroes on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, she said.

The union told AAP several other aged care providers had tried preventing their casual staff from working for multiple employers but had backed off after the union challenged them.

Asmar said the HWU was happy to work with other major aged care providers and the Victorian government to work out a solution in the best interests of virus measures and employees.

She said infections in aged care were skyrocketing because of a lack of personal protective equipment.

The release of PPE into our aged care residential homes has been way too slow, Asmar said. This PPE should have been supplied to aged care facilities weeks ago, not sitting in warehouses.

We are still being told its coming,' she said.

More than 80 cases have been detected in Victorias aged care homes with numbers worsening by the day.

An outbreak of 38 cases at Menarock Life Aged Care in Melbourne has prompted authorities to move all remaining residents into a private hospital for their protection.

Two residents at the facility have died from the virus, including one of the latest three Victorian fatalities on July 17.

Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians Richard Colbeck confirmed on July 17 residents would be transferred out of the Essendon facility.

We believe this is a necessary step to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of the residents, Colbeck said.

Twenty residents from Menarock have already been transferred to Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Transferred residents will receive follow-up testing and be closely monitored for any signs and symptoms to ensure appropriate and timely clinical treatment can be provided.

Victoria recorded three more deaths and 428 new coronavirus cases on Friday as hospitals brace for an influx of patients.

Aged care homes have had a rapid increase in infections during the second outbreak, with new cases recorded at care homes in Brighton, Plenty, Greensborough, Werribee, and Sunshine.

Christine McGinn and Andi Yu
On the front lines of the bloody campaign to end Jim Crow laws, with blows to his body and a fractured skull to prove it, John Lewis was a valiant stalwart of the civil rights movement and the last surviving speaker at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

Rep. John Lewis, a son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality and who then carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress, died on 17 July. He was 80.

His death was confirmed by a senior Democratic official.

He announced on 29 December that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and vowed to fight it with the same passion with which he had battled racial injustice. I have been in some kind of fight  for freedom, equality, basic human rights  for nearly my entire life, he said.

On the front lines of the bloody campaign to end Jim Crow laws, with blows to his body and a fractured skull to prove it, Lewis was a valiant stalwart of the civil rights movement and the last surviving speaker at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

More than a half-century later, after the killing in May of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis, Lewis welcomed the resulting global demonstrations against systemic racism and the police killings of Black people. He saw those demonstrations, the largest protest movement in American history, as a continuation of his lifes work, although his illness had left him to watch from the sideline.

It was very moving, very moving to see hundreds of thousands of people from all over America and around the world take to the streets  to speak up, to speak out, to get into what I call good trouble, Lewis told CBS This Morning in June.

This feels and looks so different, he said of the Black Lives Matter movement that drove the anti-racism demonstrations, which dwarfed the civil rights protests of the 1960s. It is so much more massive and all inclusive.

And this time, he said, there will be no turning back.

Lewis personal history paralleled that of the civil rights movement. He was among the original 13 Freedom Riders, the Black and white activists who challenged segregated interstate travel in the South in 1961. He was a founder and early leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which coordinated lunch-counter sit-ins. He helped organize the March on Washington, where the main speaker on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Lewis led demonstrations against racially segregated restrooms, hotels, restaurants, public parks and swimming pools, and he rose up against other indignities of second-class citizenship. At nearly every turn, he was beaten, spat upon or burned with cigarettes. He was tormented by shrieking white mobs and absorbed body blows from law enforcement.

On 7 March, 1965, he led one of the most famous marches in American history. In the vanguard of 600 people demanding the voting rights they had been denied, Lewis marched partway across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, into a waiting phalanx of state troopers in riot gear.

Ordered to disperse, the protesters silently stood their ground. The troopers responded with tear gas and bullwhips and rubber tubing wrapped in barbed wire. In the melee, known as Bloody Sunday, a trooper cracked Lewis skull with a billy club, knocking him to the ground, then hit him again when he tried to get up.

Televised images of the beatings of Lewis and scores of others outraged the nation and galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act, which President Lyndon B. Johnson presented to a joint session of Congress eight days later and signed into law 6 August. A milestone in the struggle for civil rights, the law struck down the literacy tests that Black people had been compelled to take before they could register to vote and replaced segregationist voting registrars with federal registrars to ensure that they were no longer denied the ballot.

Once registered, millions of African-Americans began transforming politics across the South. They gave Jimmy Carter, a son of Georgia, his margin of victory in the 1976 presidential election. (A popular poster proclaimed, 'Hands that once picked cotton now can pick a President'.) And their voting power opened the door for Black people, including Lewis, to run for public office. Elected in 1986, he became the second African American in Congress from Georgia since Reconstruction.

Conscience of the Congress

While Lewis represented Atlanta, his natural constituency was disadvantaged people everywhere. Known less for sponsoring major legislation than for his relentless pursuit of justice, his colleagues called him the conscience of the Congress.

When the House voted in December 2019 to impeach President Donald Trump, Lewis words rose above the rest.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, he said on the House floor. To do something. Our children and their children will ask us, What did you do? What did you say? For some, this vote may be hard. But we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

His words resonated as well after he saw the video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyds neck for more than eight minutes as Floyd gasped for air.

It was so painful, it made me cry, Lewis told CBS This Morning. People now understand what the struggle was all about, he said. Its another step down a very, very long road toward freedom, justice for all humankind.

As a younger man his words could be more militant. History remembers the March on Washington for Kings I Have a Dream speech, but Lewis startled and energized the crowd with his own fiery passion.

By the force of our demands, our determination and our numbers, he told the cheering throng that August day, we shall splinter the desegregated South into a thousand pieces and put them back together in the image of God and democracy. We must say: Wake up, America. Wake up! For we cannot stop, and we will not be patient.

His original text was more blunt. We will march through the South, through the heart of Dixie, the way Sherman did, he had written. President John F. Kennedys civil rights bill was too little, too late, he had written, demanding, Which side is the federal government on?

But King and other elders  Lewis was just 23  worried that those first-draft passages would offend the Kennedy administration, which they felt they could not alienate in their drive for federal action on civil rights. They told him to tone down the speech.

Still, the crowd, estimated at more than 200,000, roared with approval at his every utterance.

An earnest man who lacked the silver tongue of other civil rights orators, Lewis could be pugnacious, tenacious and single-minded, and he led with a force that commanded attention.

He gained a reputation for having an almost mystical faith in his own survivability. One civil rights activist who knew him well told The New York Times in 1976: Some leaders, even the toughest, would occasionally finesse a situation where they knew they were going to get beaten or jailed. John never did that. He always went full force into the fray.

Lewis was arrested 40 times from 1960 to 1966. He was beaten senseless repeatedly by Southern policemen and freelance hoodlums. During the Freedom Rides in 1961, he was left unconscious in a pool of his own blood outside the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Montgomery, Alabama, after he and others were attacked by hundreds of white people. He spent countless days and nights in county jails and 31 days in Mississippis notoriously brutal Parchman Penitentiary.

Once he was in Congress, Lewis voted with the most liberal Democrats, although he also showed an independent streak. In his quest to build what King called the beloved community  a world without poverty, racism or war (Lewis adopted the phrase)  he routinely voted against military spending. He opposed the Persian Gulf war of 1991 and the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was signed in 1992. He refused to take part in the 1995 Million Man March in Washington, saying that statements made by the organizer, Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, were divisive and bigoted.

In 2001, Lewis skipped the inauguration of George W Bush, saying he thought that Bush, who had become president after the Supreme Court halted a vote recount in Florida, had not been truly elected.

In 2017 he boycotted Trumps inauguration, questioning the legitimacy of his presidency because of evidence that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election on Trumps behalf.

That earned him a derisive Twitter post from the president: Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!

Trumps attack marked a sharp detour from the respect that had been accorded Lewis by previous presidents, including, most recently, Barack Obama. Obama awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, in 2011.

In bestowing the honor in a White House ceremony, Obama said: Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind  an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time; whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now.

To His Family, Preacher

John Robert Lewis grew up with all the humiliations imposed by segregated rural Alabama. He was born on 21 February, 1940, to Eddie and Willie Mae (Carter) Lewis near the town of Troy on a sharecropping farm owned by a white man. After his parents bought their own farm  110 acres for $300  John, the third of 10 children, shared in the farm work, leaving school at harvest time to pick cotton, peanuts and corn. Their house had no plumbing or electricity. In the outhouse, they used the pages of an old Sears catalog as toilet paper.

John was responsible for taking care of the chickens. He fed them and read to them from the Bible. He baptized them when they were born and staged elaborate funerals when they died.

I was truly intent on saving the little birds souls, he wrote in his memoir, Walking With the Wind (1998). I could imagine that they were my congregation. And me, I was a preacher.

His family called him 'Preacher,' and becoming one seemed to be his destiny. He drew inspiration by listening to a young minister named Martin Luther King on the radio and reading about the 1955-56 Montgomery bus boycott. He finally wrote a letter to King, who sent him a round-trip bus ticket to visit him in Montgomery, in 1958.

By then, Lewis had begun his studies at American Baptist Theological Seminary (now American Baptist College) in Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked as a dishwasher and janitor to pay for his education.

In Nashville, Lewis met many of the civil rights activists who would stage the lunch counter sit-ins, Freedom Rides and voter registration campaigns. They included the Rev. James M Lawson Jr., who was one of the nations most prominent scholars of civil disobedience and who led workshops on Gandhi and nonviolence. He mentored a generation of civil rights organizers, including Lewis.

Lewis first arrest came in February 1960, when he and other students demanded service at whites-only lunch counters in Nashville. It was the first prolonged battle of the movement that evolved into the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

But Lewis lost his familys goodwill. When his parents learned that he had been arrested in Nashville, he wrote, they were ashamed. They had taught him as a child to accept the world as he found it. When he asked them about signs saying 'Colored Only,' they told him, Thats the way it is, dont get in trouble.

But as an adult, he said, after he met King and Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man was a flash point for the civil rights movement, he was inspired to get into trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble.

Getting into 'good trouble' became his motto for life. A documentary film, John Lewis: Good Trouble, was released this month.

Despite the disgrace he had brought on his family, he felt that he had been involved in a holy crusade and that getting arrested had been a badge of honor, he said in an oral history interview in 1979 with Washington University.

In 1961, when he graduated from the seminary, he joined a Freedom Ride organized by the Congress of Racial Equality, known as CORE. He and others were beaten bloody when they tried to enter a whites-only waiting room at the bus station in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Later, he was jailed in Birmingham, Alabama, and beaten again in Montgomery, where several others were badly injured and one was paralyzed for life.

If there was anything I learned on that long, bloody bus trip of 1961, he wrote in his memoir, it was this  that we were in for a long, bloody fight here in the American South. And I intended to stay in the middle of it.

At the same time, a schism in the movement was opening between those who wanted to express their rage and fight back and those who believed in pressing on with nonviolence. Lewis chose nonviolence.

Overridden by Black Power

But by the time of the urban race riots of the 1960s, particularly in the Watts section of Los Angeles in 1965, many Black people had rejected nonviolence in favor of direct confrontation. Lewis was ousted as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1966 and replaced by the fiery Stokely Carmichael, who popularized the phrase 'Black power.'

Lewis spent a few years out of the limelight. He headed the Voter Education Project, registering voters, and finished his bachelors degree in religion and philosophy at Fisk University in Nashville in 1967.

During this period he met Lillian Miles, a librarian, teacher and former Peace Corps volunteer. She was outgoing and political and could quote Kings speeches verbatim. They were married in 1968, and she became one of his closest political advisers.

She died in 2012. Lewis survivors include several siblings and his son, John-Miles Lewis.

Lewis made his first attempt at running for office in 1977, an unsuccessful bid for Congress. He won a seat on the Atlanta City Council in 1981, and in 1986 he ran again for the House. It was a bitter race that pitted against each other two civil rights figures, Lewis and Julian Bond, a friend and former close associate of his in the movement. The charismatic Bond, more articulate and polished than Lewis, was the perceived favorite.

I want you to think about sending a workhorse to Washington and not a show horse, Lewis said during a debate. I want you to think about sending a tugboat and not a showboat.

Lewis won in an upset, with 52 percent of the vote. His support came from Atlantas white precincts and from working-class and poor Black voters who felt more comfortable with him than with Bond, although Bond won the majority of Black voters.

Not surprisingly, Lewis long congressional career was marked by protests. He was arrested in Washington several times, including outside the South African Embassy for demonstrating against apartheid and at Sudans Embassy while protesting genocide in Darfur.

He supported Obamas health care bill in 2010, a divisive measure that drew to the Capitol angry protesters, including many from the right-wing Tea Party. Some demonstrators shouted obscenities and racial slurs at Lewis and other members of the Black Congressional Caucus.

They were shouting, sort of harassing, Lewis told reporters at the time. But its OK. Ive faced this before.

In 2016, after a massacre at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub left 49 people dead, he led a sit-in on the House floor to protest federal inaction on gun control. The demonstration drew the support of 170 lawmakers, but Republicans dismissed it as a publicity stunt and squelched any legislative action.

Through it all, the events of Bloody Sunday were never far from his mind, and every year Lewis traveled to Selma to commemorate its anniversary. Over time, he watched attitudes change. At the ceremony in 1998, Joseph Smitherman, who had been Selmas segregationist mayor in 1965 and was still mayor  although a repentant one  gave Lewis a key to the city.

Back then, I called him an outside rabble-rouser, Smitherman said of Lewis. Today, I call him one of the most courageous people I ever met.

Lewis was a popular speaker at college commencements and always offered the same advice  that the graduates get into good trouble, as he had done against his parents wishes.

He put it this way on Twitter in 2018:

Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.

Katharine Q. Seelye c.2020 The New York Times Company
Episode one is all about trucks. First up is our mid-size truck comparison. The world of mid-size pickup trucks looks vastly different than it did just five short years ago. On the first episode of "The Autoblog Show," we drive four of the most popular, the Toyota Tacoma, the Ford Ranger, the Jeep Gladiator, and the Chevrolet Colorado, on the twisty roads and dusty trails of northern Michigan to decide which deserves the crown. Join editors Alex Kierstein, Reese Counts, John Snyder and Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore as they spend a week behind the wheel to decide which pickup deserves the crown. Afterwards, Senior Producer Christopher McGraw travels down under to show off an off-road pickup that hasnt (yet) reached our shores, the diesel-powered Ford Ranger Raptor.

Video Transcript

- This is Autoblog. For over 15 years, our team has covered the auto industry. You can find more of our content at Autoblog.com. But here on "The Autoblog Show," each episode features our favorite videos of the hottest new cars from all over the world. This is what moves us.

[ENGINE REVVING]

- Oh, that's good.

- We're drivers, off roaders, journalists, tech geeks, gamers, film makers, and adventurers. This is Autoblog.

[ROCK MUSIC]

Up next, the crew test for likable pickups. It's been years since more than a few mid-sized truck options have been available. Now the Chevrolet Colorado and the Toyota Tacoma have two more contenders to compete with.

- I think this is one of the more well-rounded trucks in the segment.

- I'm a first generation Tacoma owner. I love it.

- Entering the ring, we have the Ford Ranger and the Jeep Gladiator, two highly anticipated trucks in the North American market.

- That was my first time driving the Ranger and also my first driving the Ranger off road. This is-- this to med this is outdoors right here.

- Anything with the Jeep badge. It's a true Jeep, it should be good off road.

- How close was Ranger and Gladiator?

- This is the Autoblog mid-size truck comparison.

Story continues

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GREG MIGLIORE: We did it, guys. Mid-size truck comparison is done. We're off the road, we're off the trails. I had a ton of fun. I think we've well earned these-- these cold ones. Biggest surprise of the day, what do you guys think? John, what do you think?

JOHN SNYDER: Biggest surprise of the day for me was how much the Ranger sort of turned around on me.

GREG MIGLIORE: Reese, which one were you surprised by?

REESE COUNTS: Actually, the Colorado. I kind of forgot how good it is on the road.

ALEX KIERSTEIN: I came into this-- you know, I went to the Ranger launch and I really expected the Ranger just to-- just to decimate. I don't know if you guys all felt like that, but it was just surprising to me to see how having these other ones around changed, you know, what my perception was coming into it.

GREG MIGLIORE: I'm going to echo Reese here. My biggest surprise was how good the Colorado still is. You know, this is-- if you can rewind back to, like, 2014, 2015, there weren't that many things like this out there. And that for me was like, I'd say, the biggest kind of revelation, biggest surprise. Was like, oh wow, Colorado-- still really good.

Hey, guys, we're up here at the Twisted Trails Off Road Park here in northern Michigan. Beautiful spring day, a little bit chilly. We drove up these trucks, pretty psyched about it. So we've had a lot of time on the road. Now we're going to take them off road. We're going to spend a lot of time arguing which one's the best, which one's the worst. So we should probably stop talking and let's-- let's go drive them.

REESE COUNTS: To keep parity with everything in this comparison test, we tried to spec everything out pretty evenly.

ALEX KIERSTEIN: We're running stuff that is representative, I like to think, the most extreme stuff you're going to hit trying to get to a campsite or a hunting ground or a fishing spot.

REESE COUNTS: All the trucks are crew cab, short bed. And three of the four are within $1,000 of each other. The Gladiator is a little bit more expensive, even base price. But our base sport model is loaded up with quite a few options.

GREG MIGLIORE: The Colorado can trace its roots back to the early '70s with the Chevy LUV-- a badge-engineered Isuzu Faster. The Love was replaced with the slightly larger S10 in the early '80s. For decades, the S10 competed against trucks like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.

About 15 years ago, the S10 was phased out in favor of the original mid-sized Colorado. Sales of the first gen Colorado were strong, outselling the Ranger for most of its lifespan, but it could never touch the sales of the Tacoma. The Colorado returned to the market in 2015, reinvigorating the [INAUDIBLE]. Its successes led to the reintroduction of the Ranger as well as the new Jeep Gladiator.

So as I ascend up this hill here, a little bit of an incline. A little gentle here as we level off, but, you know, enough to kind of stretch its legs a little bit. I think this is one of the more well-rounded trucks in the segment. It looks pretty good. It's got broad appeal. I think it's a very universal sort of character. Definitely the stereotypical, like, Chevy truck look, which is good.

Some of the other competitors like the Toyota Tacoma, the Jeep Gladiator-- they have a more polarizing style. This one, which I think it's a reason that it sells so well has definitely universal styling. The one we're testing out has 3.6 liter V6. This is the engine I would get in Colorado. You could also get a diesel, which is intriguing. I like the 308 horsepower that the V6 offers. The fuel economy is actually pretty good.

I also want to point out that Colorado is good on road. It's pretty quiet at speed. You can get the Multimatic suspension on one of the more specced out off road trims. And it's a really good daily driver. I think it might be the best daily driver of the trucks we're testing out today.

You know, this is definitely, I think, one of my favorites in the segment. I'm not sure that means I would vote for it to win, because this is a very competitive place in the market with a lot of vehicles that evoke a lot of different kinds of passion. But I like what this thing does.

The Ford Ranger began life here in America in 1982 as a replacement for the Courier pickup based on the Mazda B series. It was the culmination of a $700 million project called Project Yuma that began in 1976 to create a domestically-produced, efficient, compact pickup. Ford took the Ranger name from the premium trim of the F Series and Bronco, and applied it to the new pickup as a 1983 model.

REESE COUNTS: The 2012 model year marked the end of the Ranger in the US for the foreseeable future. Now the version sold abroad returns as a fourth gen Ranger. So far we like what we see, but let's get inside and see what it's got.

[ROCK MUSIC]

I am in the new 2019 Ford Ranger. I spent some time in it driving up here for this test. This is my first time in it off road.

We've got a XLT, which is like a mid-grade trim. It's got the FX4 package. It's not a very super robust off road package like you would expect with the, like, Ranger Raptor, or the Colorado ZR2 or even the Tacoma TRD Pro. It's a package that's popular with a lot of customers, but it's still pretty robust. You've got skid plates, you've got the locking differential, different wheels and tires. Just stuff to make it a little more capable for most people.

I was pretty excited to try the Ranger. It's the only truck in the class with a four cylinder. There's only one powertrain on the Ranger. It's 2.3 liter EcoBoost turbo 4 mated to a 10-speed automatic. The 10-speed is pretty good. I've noticed some low speed hesitation and busyness to it, but it's nothing too bad. And off road in four wheel drive, I haven't minded anything.

And I was really kind of curious how it was going to handle on the highway, handle on the streets, and handle off road. For the most part, I've been pretty pleased with the powertrain. It's got 270 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque, which is, I think, more torque than anything else in the class. But right around the same horsepower as everybody else.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the Ranger. I think it's still going to be the one to beat, though I am curious about how the other ones are going to come out and score. I think the Gladiator is by far the coolest. But I think the Rangers are the most well-rounded package.

[ROCK MUSIC]

ALEX KIERSTEIN: Have fun. All right.

[FOLK MUSIC]

This is a 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport, and it comes from a long line of Toyota pickups. Toyota started selling a larger pickup called the Stout in this country, and it was a little more commercial-oriented, a little less comfortable. It was replaced by a truck called the Hilux. That truck over many years and many generations evolved into the immediate predecessor of the Tacoma.

In 1995, the Tacoma did to the Hilux what the Hilux did to the Stout. It introduced a more civilized truck that was better suited to the everyday use that most Tacoma owners were actually using their trucks for it.

Since 1995, the Tacoma has continued to become more civilized. It's evolved into a more comfortable vehicle. And yet it's still a formidable offroad truck.

I don't have a bias for the Tacoma, this particular Tacoma. I have a bias for first generation Tacomas. I'm a first generation Tacoma owner. I love it. So that's not coloring my opinion of this truck.

It's kind of a compromised truck. It's-- it's got some interesting issues. One you might see-- oh, yeah there we go. It's got a low roof. So I'm not that tall of a guy. I'm slouching in my seat a little bit, and my head's bounced off the roof a few times.

I think I might give the interior design a little more credit than some of the other people. I kind of like it. It's a little-- it's a little plasticky, but I sort of like the aesthetic here. It's kind of truckish without being cartoonish. And especially compared to the Colorado. I mean, the Colorado is just Fisher Price inside. And I like that this doesn't feel like that.

I'm basically going to give the Tacoma marks for ride. I think the ride is really good, especially compared to the Gladiator. I think the Gladiator rides well for what it is, but it's got a solid front axle, it's pretty soft. It's got a really long wheelbase. And those are advantages on the highway, but it doesn't feel as nimble as this truck. Of all the trucks here, there's definitely some issues inside, but it's comfortable and car-like in a way that none of the other trucks except maybe the Ranger is.

GREG MIGLIORE: The Gladiator name dates to 1963 and was used on trucks through 1987. The original Gladiator had the same engine and front end as the Jeep Wagoneer, but with a bedded back. The Gladiator and the J series where Jeep's longest running names for trucks. Jeep has a long history with pickups and names like the Scrambler were also considered for its reentry into the segment. Jeep hasn't sold the pickups since 1992, and the return of the Gladiator marks Jeep's returned to this critical segment.

[ROCK MUSIC]

JOHN SNYDER: All right, I'm in the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. I had some time on the road with this yesterday and found it to be pretty good on the highway. And I'm excited to see what it's like off road, which I feel like is where this thing belongs. Anything with the Jeep badge, you know-- if it's a true Jeep, it should be good off road. And this is just a stock Gladiator.

I like the feel through the suspension. You can feel more of the trail, which I think is a good thing. It might not be quite as comfortable, but you want to know what's going on between your chassis and the trail. This thing has a pretty long wheelbase, so the breakover angle is the one thing that concerns me. Take the things you like about the Wrangler, take doors off, take the roof off, fold down the windshield, and add the utility of a pickup truck bed.

It's not quite the pinnacle of offroad machines that the Wrangler is but, pretty damn good.

The long wheelbase in this isn't quite the disadvantage as I thought it would be. Definitely would be a hindrance on more harrier trails than this. You want to get something underneath some rock rails or something, because you're just going to be dragging. The benefits pay off on the highway in terms of stability.

What I really like about this is its size. You know, from here forward, it feels like a Wrangler, it looks like a Wrangler. I can see pretty near in front of me and not having to guess at what's at the top of the hill, if the trail is going to turn on me or something, because I can just see it. I can just peek out the window, peek at the corners, and see it all. In some of the other trucks, especially the Tacoma, you can't. There's so much hood there, so much bodywork.

GREG MIGLIORE: So this is the moment we've all been waiting for. We've done a lot of work for this, developing the score. There is objective and subjective components to it. So there's our opinions, but also, where these vehicles, like, metrically rank. So I'm really excited, really proud of what we've done with this.

It's the end of the day. The sun is basically almost out last first. Let's hear it.

REESE COUNTS: So I've been sitting here knowing the scores and not being able to reveal them the entire time.

JOHN SNYDER: I'm dreading this.

GREG MIGLIORE: I am so excited.

REESE COUNTS: So in fourth place, the Tacoma with 225 points. In third place, the Chevy Colorado with 239 points. In second place, Jeep Gladiator with 243 points. And in first, the Ranger with 244 points.

JOHN SNYDER: Woo.

ALEX KIERSTEIN: Waits, how close was Ranger and Gladiator?

REESE COUNTS: They were a point and a half off before rounding.

- Wow.

REESE COUNTS: Yeah.

[ROCK MUSIC]

Before all the static objective metrics, subjectively, the Gladiator was [INAUDIBLE]. But, like, you start comparing fuel economy, price really hit it hard, like, bed size is really shallow compared to, like, the Ranger and the Colorado. You start doing all the objective stuff, and that really put the Ranger like, back.

GREG MIGLIORE: So I'll say this-- I think the system worked. I think in this case, we had objective and subjective-- two components here. We definitely graded these things against each other, and based on our knowledge of what's good in the industry and what matters to consumers, I think even though it's close, I mean, we do have a clear winner. It was the Ranger. And I think that's exciting. I think the fact that it was close does speak to the fact that, like, this segment and this industry is so hyper competitive.

[ROCK MUSIC]

JOHN SNYDER: I've got road rage.

You wanna take off the roof and fold down the windshield?

CHRISTOPHER MCGRAW: Yes.

ALEXANDER MALBURG: It is the mid-size truck comparison week.

We're gonna be a testing these things out and checking out what they can do and what they cannot do, compare them, and we're gonna tell you which one we like the best.

REESE COUNTS: It was fun. It was are really, like, nice, but it was just very tight right in that kick.

ALEXANDER MALBURG: John, what are you eating?

JOHN SNYDER: Garden Salsa Sun Chips. Got them at Subway. Eat fresh.

GREG MIGLIORE: Thought I was going to make it. I thought I had the best shot of anybody, because why not? And then when you get to that like really moundy part that digs you in, it's just, like, the widow maker.

Also, we should stop talking. Let's go drive these things!

ALEX KIERSTEIN: Trucks!

REESE COUNTS: Trucks!

- All right.

REESE COUNTS: All right, cool.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

GREG MIGLIORE: Autoblog is the complete source of breaking car news, in-depth reviews, exciting videos on all the hottest cars. If you're in the market for a new ride, shop our thousands of listings. Or use our Car Finder to discover your perfect match. Visit Autoblog today.

- You're watching "The Autoblog Show."

CHRISTOPHER MCGRAW: So We just found out that Ford is not bringing the Ranger Raptor to the United stach-- stach?

Car is a general term that we use for anything.

2019-- there is a huge fly in my face.

Senior producer, Chris McGraw, here for Autoblog. Yeah.

So we just found out that the Ford Ranger Raptor is not coming to the United States, which is a real shame, because it is really [BLEEP] awesome.

Audio for engine.

[ROCK MUSIC]

So as you can see here, we have a 2 liter four cylinder biturbo diesel engine. Now that engine makes roughly 211 horsepower and 369 pound feet of torque. And as far as gas mileage, it makes roughly the equivalent of 28 miles per gallon. And much like the F-150 Raptor, it has a completely different grill with Ford in the front.

The lower bumper is exclusive to the Ranger Raptor. And as you probably have noticed, it's a super wide truck. In fact, this truck has almost six inches wider than the regular Ranger. Listen to this--

[METAL DINGING]

Yeah, that's high strength aluminum alloy.

It is covered with two coats of paint. The final coat, of course, is this tough scratch-resistant paint here. These 17 inch wheels are wrapped in BF Goodrich KO2s. So they're specifically made for this truck and they are 285, 70R, 17s.

So the engineers said that they built this truck to be able to do over 100 miles per hour off road, which is an insane speed to think about. Regardless of the speed, though, this wouldn't be an off road truck if it didn't have a skid plate. This one specifically is 2.3 millimeters thick and is made--

[METAL DINGING]

--of steel.

This thing's got Fox shocks. Ford went through 42 prototypes of the front and 74 of the rear before deciding on the shocks that you see here, and it does show. There is a ton of badging on this car.

First one that stands out is this Raptor badge on the step there. Moving back, you have this huge Raptor decal. You have another Raptor badge right here. Matching Raptor decals on the side and another Raptor stamped in this step.

Oddly enough, there isn't anything that says Ford Raptor on the front of the truck, other than the fact that this is a grill that no other Rangers have.

Now if you look around this interior, you may think to yourself, this looks pretty familiar to me, and that's because a lot of it is the same as the regular Ford Ranger with some key differences. If you look, we have contrast stitching on the steering wheel and on the leather of the seats. Speaking of the seats, they are super comfortable. They have a great balance between both support and comfort.

You can see there's Ford performance and Raptor on the floor. There's Raptor on the steering wheel. And then, of course, there's Raptor on the seats.

Let's talk about these paddle shifters. They're made out of magnesium, not plastic, so they feel really good in the hand. Though they are pretty close to both the turn signal and the windshield wipers.

There are two on road modes. There's normal mode, which emphasizes comfort and fuel economy, and then there's sport mode, which is for more spirited on road driving, which maps had the transmission to hold onto gears longer and downshift more aggressively. The four off road modes are grass, gravel, and snow for off road slippery conditions. You have mud and sand mode for conditions that have less traction. Rock mode for rock crawling when you want really low speed stuff. And finally, Baja mode, which is like an off road sport mode, which pairs back traction control, and holds onto gears longer and downshifts more aggressively.

This tailgate opens relatively easily and closes relatively easily thanks to this spring in here. But it's lacking a lot of the bells and whistles that are out with a lot of tailgates right now. Those bells and whistles really, though, are not used by most people, and just add weight. So I kind of like that this is super simple.

Inevitably, when you go off roading, you'll get stuck. And that's why we have these here-- we got tow and recovery hooks. They're rated over four tons. There's two in the back in two in the front.

[ROCK MUSIC]

- Thanks for watching. And we hope you enjoyed this episode of "The Autoblog Show." For a lot more of our content, check us out at Autoblog.com, where you can find the latest reviews and news on all of your favorite cars. On the next episode--

GREG MIGLIORE: Crossovers are red hot. They come in all shapes and sizes. Americans can't get enough of them. Today, we're going to put a spotlight on subcompact crossovers. Those are the small ones, but they offer big personality, plenty of style, and of course, utility and fuel efficiency.
New Delhi: Afghan Sikh Nidan Singh Sachdeva, who was kidnapped by Taliban militants from Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan while performing community service at a gurudwara almost a month ago, has been rescued.

Nidan, who had gone to Afghanistan to perform a service at the Thala Sri Guru Nanak Sahib gurdwara in Chamkani, was reportedly abducted by four armed men.

Nidan Singh (55), an Afghan national, has been based out of Delhi along with his family of six - wife, 2 sons and 3 daughters. He had moved to India in 1992 due to civil unrest in Afghanistan and have been staying in the national capital as refugees. While the identity of abductors was not known, the Paktia province is know as an epicentre of the Taliban and has been a safe haven for terror groups like the Haqqani network.

He is a cook by profession in Delhi and used to earn a livelihood by undertaking meal orders for community kitchens like langer.

India had strongly condemned the abduction of Nidan Singh and said it was in touch with the Afghan government to secure his safe and early release. "The targeting and persecution of minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters is a matter of grave concern," the MEA had stated.
By AFP

France, Italy and Germany are "ready to consider" sanctions on foreign powers violating an arms embargo in Libya, a joint statement by their leaders said Saturday.

The statement did not directly name any foreign actors funneling arms to Libya but multiple powers have been sending fighters and weapons, fuelling a bloody proxy war that reflects wider geopolitical rifts and divisions in the Middle East and within NATO.

While forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar are backed by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, the UN-recognised unity government is fighting back with Turkey's support.

"We ... urge all foreign actors to end their increasing interference and to fully respect the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council," the statement said.

"We are ready to consider the possible use of sanctions should breaches to the embargo at sea, on land or in the air continue."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said they therefore "look forward to the proposals the EU High Representative/Vice President will make to this end."

Voicing "grave concerns" over the escalating military tensions in Libya, they urged "all Libyan parties and their foreign supporters for an immediate cessation of fighting and for a stop of the ongoing military build-up throughout the country."

In Brussels for a crunch EU summit on hammering out a huge recovery rund for the bloc, the three European leaders had met on the sidelines of the meeting to discuss the deteriorating situation in Libya.

Since 2015, a power struggle has pitted the UN-recognised, Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against forces loyal to Haftar, who is based in eastern Benghazi.

Ankara's military support for the GNA has tipped the balance and allowed its forces in June to repel Haftar's 14-month advance on Tripoli and launch a counteroffensive.

This week, Egypt racheted up tensions, with its president warning his country "will not stand idle in the face of any moves that pose a direct threat to the national security not only of Egypt but also that of Libya".

Libya has been mired in chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
It seems to me that if the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border develops the way it is developing, and if there is no more tension or if everything stays more or less the way it is now, Azerbaijans leadership will have to explain all this to its people. This is what Director of the Caucasus Institute, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, commenting on the new possible resignations in Azerbaijan.

According to him, it would have been unequivocally logical to assume that somebody has to be relieved of a post in such a situation since this is often the case in such circumstances. They can be different officials, and it depends on the reasons, which I cant consider at this moment, he said, adding that the next resignations will most probably be within the power structures.
Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending a central team to Bihar to deal with rising COVID-19 cases in the state.

"The central government has decided to send a team to Bihar to control the coronavirus situation and protect people of the state from this rising pandemic. Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government," he tweeted.

The Centre has decided to depute a multi-disciplinary team to Bihar, which has seen a surge in cases, to review and coordinate with the state in managing the pandemic there, according to an office memorandum issued by the health ministry.
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AFAW) was launched in January 2020 to eradicate witch persecution and make witch-hunting history in Africa by 2030. To realize this objective, a critical mass of advocates against abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs is needed in all African countries. In this 21st century, Africa is the global hotspot for witchcraft allegation and accounts for most cases witch persecution and killing in the world. Abuses that are related to witchcraft beliefs persist in Africa partly due to lackluster initiatives that African NGOs have put in place in collaboration with their international partners. To end the persecution of alleged witches in Africa, NGOs need to review their strategies and approaches.

AFAW exists to fill the gaps in the advocacy campaign against witch persecution in the region. Unfortunately, the campaign has been dominated and driven by western NGOs who use a patronizing and exoticizing approach in addressing the issue. Like western anthropologists, many western NGOs have refused to call out African witchcraft as superstition or irrational belief. They regard such designations as condescending attributions and disrespectful of African cultural and religious sensibilities. With these positions, these organizations condone what they claim to be combating.

These NGOs have refrained from openly and publicly criticizing the narratives that underlie witchcraft accusations and witch persecutions. And look, make no mistake about it; if witchcraft ideas are not openly questioned, challenged, and criticized, their grip on the minds of witch believers and hunters would not loosen. Abuses that are linked to witchcraft beliefs will not end. So these organizations stage wishy-washy programs and make interventions that paper over the sore of witchcraft imputations and protract the issue of witch persecution. Some of the NGOs are faith organizations, and witch persecution has provided them a facility to further their re-evangelization and re-missionization agenda. So the main goal is no longer eradicating this superstitious phenomenon but replacing this traditional African witch hunting belief with a foreign demon-hunting religion. At the end of the day, these foreign missions are complicating the efforts to eradicate witch persecution in the region.

Given the economic realities in Africa, African NGOs and activists are vulnerable. They depend on these western NGOs and faith groups for financial support. In the quest to secure funding, many African NGOs and activists are compelled to align their programs to the patronizing and sometimes ineffective propositions of western NGOs and other funding agencies on how to eradicate witch persecution in Africa. Fortunately, it is not all western NGOs and activists that subscribe to this sterile organizational approach that has yielded no significant change and has left NGOs and activists in the region chasing their tails in the name of ending witch persecution.

AFAW draws attention to these shortcomings in existing approaches and urges more effective measures and interventions based on the ideals of the Enlightenment in tackling abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs in the region.

Misinformation About COVID19

While the outbreak of COVID19 has rattled the African health care system, creating enormous fears, panic, and anxieties, it has emphasized the importance of science-based and fact-based approaches to tackling public health issues. Witch persecution is a public health issue because witchcraft narratives are used to make sense of diseases and illnesses. In line with the UN agencies, AFAW has worked to dispel the scourge of misinformation about COVID19 in the region. As often the case when there are epidemics and pandemics, some people make sense of ailments by attributing them to the occult and magical forces. More so, quacks capitalize on popular ignorance; panic, and anxieties to spread disinformation. Many self-acclaimed healers emerge and try to mislead the public and take advantage of people. They propose questionable healing propositions and peddle bogus therapies and concoctions. Some of these quacks include clerics-pastors and prophets who claim that they could heal COVID19 patients through faith and prayers. They propose to heal in the name of God/Allah or they declare that God or the ancestors could heal through them. Either way, they use the deities and other supernatural entities to legitimize their dubious therapies.

These faith healers usually go unchallenged; they get away with their questionable cure and miracle-claims. But the task of combating misinformation about this pandemic is urgent because COVID19 poses a local public health challenge. In the past months, AFAW has risen to the occasion. AFAW has challenged faith healers who said they could heal or have healed persons with COVID19. By the way these faith healers double as witch hunting pastors and prophets.

In fact, in the early stages of the pandemic, faith healers were quiet and went underground due to restrictions on movement and a ban on social/religious gatherings. However, after a while, these pastors started rearing their faith healing heads again. One of them, pastor Suleman asked the government to allow him into the COVID19 isolation centers so that he and other pastors with healing powers could pray for the patients. He claimed to have healed some people who had the infection. Another pastor, Goodheart Val Aloysius, also known as My Father, My Father, made a similar request. Besides, he was selling a product, some COVID19 Prevention Oil that provides spiritual immunity to the deadly pandemic for a hundred dollars.

Whilst Rev Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church declared that 114 church members had received their healing.

Articles and blogs that challenged these healing claims trended on social media for days and weeks. The publications provided opportunities for Nigerians and other persons across the region to discuss and comment on the topic of faith healing. Some followers of these faith healers called, and sent messages raining insults and abuses, cursing and threatening AFAW and the author of the articles.

Destiny Theft and COVID19 pandemic

The notion that peoples destinies could be stolen or tied up through occult means is pervasive in various communities. Local pastors, mallams, diviners, and spiritualists valorize these narratives. In rural and urban areas, people use these narratives to make sense of their difficult and challenging living conditions such as the situations occasioned by COVID19. In early May, the photo of an elderly man mobbed in a community in southern Nigeria circulated on social media. People in the community accused him of stealing or withholding the destinies of young persons in the area. He was brought to the village square, beaten and disgraced. All his belongings were looted and the suspected occult accessories burnt and destroyed. Fortunately, the man survived. The community banished him.

Through it network, AFAW was able to locate the man. AFAW supported the relocation of the victim to a safe community and is contributing to the mans medical care and rehabilitation. At the time of filing this report, AFAW received reports that some members of the community asked the victim to pay a fine of 250, 000 naira (550 dollars) or forfeit his land in the community as a penalty for what he did. AFAW is working with family members to ensure that the man does not suffer further victimization. AFAW is in touch with the traditional ruler of the affected community and plans to initiate a dialogue with youths and community leaders on the issue of stealing destinies, the banishment of suspects, and other superstition related abuses.

Witch burning in Cross River

As AFAW was trying to contain the case of the man accused of stealing the destinies of people in his community, it received reports of a horrifying witch-hunting incident in Cross River state. At least 15 suspected witches were set ablaze in the community. A local politician, Thomas Obi Tawo (also known as General Iron) masterminded the lynching of the alleged witches. The victims included his mother. Tawo claimed that the mother and other relatives were appearing in his dream and threatening to kill him. Family sources said that he had made similar complaints in the past. This time, after consulting a man of God, he could not take it any longer. On May 19, he brought some witch-finders to the Oku community in Boki local government area. They went from house to house pointing out suspected witches. They threw them into the fire. Three of the victims have died while others are receiving treatment at local hospitals. A police station exists in Boki but the police did not intervene. The matter has been reported to the police at the state headquarters in Calabar but no arrest has been made. The government has yet to extend any support to the victims. Instead, the chief press secretary to the governor issued a statement denying the involvement of any official in the incident. Some have said that the reason why there has been no action on the part of the government or the police is that General Iron is an aide to the governor of Cross River, Ben Ayade.

So pressure must be brought to bear on the police and the state government in Cross River to apprehend Tawo and other suspected perpetrators of this savage act. Nigerian authorities should take urgent steps and bring an end to impunity and witch persecution in the region. AFAW is in touch with some of the victims and their families and has supported the payment of their medical bills. Police authorities in the state have been urged to investigate the incident and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Faith Clinics in Zambia

The vision of AFAW is to end witch persecution in Africa. Although limited funding and ban on international travels have impacted programs and activities outside Nigeria, AFAW has been actively campaigning in other African countries. In May, AFAW wrote a letter commending the police and the mayor of Ndola for arresting a local pastor, James Nwale, also known as Yakobo Yakobo. AFAW called the police in Lusaka and in Ndola urging them to take measures against other faith clinics in the country. James was using his church, Restoration Apostolic Pentecostal Church International, as a faith clinic. The police raided the church and found sick members living side by side with domestic animals. Witch persecution happens due to a lack of regulation of health and worship centers. Pastors claim to be faith doctors and use their church premises as clinics. Regulatory bodies in various countries have largely turned a blind eye on the illegal activities of these faith doctors such as T B Joshua of Nigeria. This situation must change. Other African countries should borrow a leaf from the police in Zambia and tackle pastors who use their premises as faith hospitals.

Holding Alleged Witches Hostage in Malawi

AFAW has also urged police authorities in Malawi to arrest and prosecute a local witch hunter, Berna, who is reportedly holding 30 alleged witches hostage in her compound in northern Malawi. One of Malawis newspapers, The Nation covered this story in May. The police promised to investigate the incident. According to local sources, people who suspect witchcraft or those who claim to be bewitched invite Berna to identify, exorcize, and cleanse their communities of occult forces. Bernas witch cleansing exercise involves beating, abduction, and fining of suspected witches. Alleged witches who are unable to pay the fines are taken away and detained at the compound of Berna until they can pay up. This practice has been going on for some years, and has led to the detention of 30 alleged witches.

As in the case of Nigeria, local police posts exist in the communities in northern Malawi. But the police have not intervened to stop Bernas witch-hunting activities. Police officers in the area claimed that they feared a backlash; that the people in the community could overpower and burnt down their posts if they tried to stop witch-finding operations.

Community leaders have advanced the same reason to explain why they condone witch persecution. Persons who suspect witchcraft pressure the leaders to allow witch identifiers into the communities. Thus they get local leaders to allow these occult experts to come and resolve the problem. Police and community leaders need to liaise and find solutions to this pervasive problem. It is the responsibility of the police and other state authorities to protect lives and property. There is a need to put in place mechanisms that provide evidence-based explanations for witchcraft fears and anxieties and help bring an end to these criminal activities and abuses.

Conclusions

While the outbreak of COVID19 has led to increased fear, tension, stress, uncertainty, and other conditions that trigger witchcraft accusations and witch persecution, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of science and facts in providing answers and solutions to human problems. People impute witchcraft due to superstitions, ignorance and misconceptions about the causes of misfortune such as sickness, accidents, and death. They use witchcraft notions and belief in demon possession to make sense of misfortunes.This practice is reinforced by the reluctance and unwillingness of a critical mass of Africans to question and challenge faith healing claims of godmen and women.

As the management of the coronavirus pandemic has illustrated, religious propositions are largely unhelpful in providing answers to human problems. Revealed positions and doctrines complicate efforts to combat abuses that are linked to beliefs in witchcraft and occult harm. But this does not mean that faith-based agencies cannot participate in this critical campaign against witch persecution in Africa. Witch persecution is a faith-driven phenomenon. Faith-based institutions must come on board or be brought on board the campaign to dispel this dark and destructive phenomenon. While religious and faith-based communities could partner in supporting and rehabilitating victims of witch persecution, efforts must be made to ensure that their programs and interventions are guided by science, not superstitions, reason not revealed texts, and based on facts, not fiction, critical thinking not dogma. In situations where these assurances are made and confirmed, partnerships should be forged but in cases where these operational principles cannot be guaranteed, or where there is no clear commitment to using science and evidence-based knowledge to address the problem, ties should be severed or not forged. It is only a robust campaign against witchcraft allegations and witch persecution that is guided by science, reason, critical thinking, and facts that will help in the realization of a witch-hunting free Africa by 2030.
In 2001, when I was still attending college, David Brooks wrote an essay for The Atlantic called The Organization Kid, in which he spent a lot of time with young Ivy Leaguers and came away struck by their basic existential contentment. Instead of campus rebels, they were resume builders and accomplishment collectors and apple polishers, distinguished by their serenity, their faux-adult professionalism, their politesse.

I thought at the time that Brooks made my cohort out to be more decent than we really were, mistaking the mask we wore for encounters with, say, an Atlantic journalist for our truer, darker, more ambitious selves. But he was entirely correct that most of my peers believed that meritocracy was fair and just and worked  because after all it seemed to work for us.

I graduated the year after The Organization Kid ran, wrote a lot about college in my 20s, and then drifted to other interests and obsessions. To the extent that I followed the college admissions racket thereafter, it seemed to become more competitive, more ruthless, more itself  and to extend its rigors ever earlier into childhood.

But a few years ago we moved back to the college town where I grew up, which gave me a close vantage point on young-meritocratic life again. Some of the striving culture that Brooks described remains very much in place. But talking to students and professors, the most striking difference is the disappearance of serenity, the evaporation of contentment, the spread of anxiety and mental illness  with the reputed scale of antidepressant use a particular stark marker of this change.
Forensic science laboratory (FSL) experts on Saturday reconstructed events leading to Kanpur gangster Vikas Dubey and his close aide Prabhat Mishras fatal encounters. The FSL team was headed by senior analyst AK Srivastava.

The reconstruction went on for the entire day and the proceedings were also attended by the special task force (STF) team, led by its Kanpur unit chief Tej Bahadur Singh. Singh and his team members demonstrated how Dubey escaped after the vehicle carrying him overturned in Sachendi and how he was pursued.

With weapons drawn, the team members were taken to the exact locations, where they had positioned themselves after spotting Vikas Dubey in Sachendi and Prabhat Mishra in Bhauti, Panki.

Also Read: Vikas Dubey escaped from police custody 22 yrs ago, old FIR traces gangsters past

Singh showed how he fired at Vikas Dubey and how he fell on the ground on the morning of July 10 after allegedly attempting to escape from an overturned police vehicle when being brought back from Ujjain, where Madhya Pradesh police had arrested him from Mahakal temple a day before.

Prabhat Mishra, one of the 22 named accused in Kanpur ambush case, was arrested from Faridabad with two 9mm pistols looted from the policemen and 44 live rounds. He was allegedly killed in an exchange of fire with STF when he attempted to escape after snatching a constables pistol near Kanpur.

Srivastava, who is a ballistics expert in charge at FSL, told reporters that the encounters scene was being re-created scientifically to cross examine the details mentioned in two FIRs filed following the two encounters and the evidence available.

Our local units have already done the groundwork and every aspect will be analysed in a scientific way, he said.

On Friday, the FSL team visited Kashi Ram Nivada village, where the police had neutralised Dubeys aides Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey, for the reconstruction of the encounter scene.

Meanwhile, SSP Kanpur Dinesh Kumar P said Kanpur police personnel were also part of the reconstruction exercise and explained their roles to the team.
The 44-year-old was once a preacher at Criccieth Family Church in Gwynedd

His offences date back to 1990 with the most recent at the end of last year

The ex-BBC presenter appeared at Mold Crown Court in Wales on Friday

A former BBC presenter turned evangelical preacher has admitted to committing 40 sex offences, a number of them against children, across 30 years.

Benjamin David Thomas from Coed Onn Road in Flint, Wales, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Friday before Judge Niclas Parry.

The ex-BBC presenter admitted ten counts of sexual activity with a child, eight sexual assaults, and four attempts to commit sexual assault.

He also pleaded guilty to nine indecent assaults, seven counts of voyeurism and two counts of making indecent videos of children.

Former BBC presenter Benjamin David Thomas (above) admitted to 40 sex offences against adults and children, dating back 30 years, when appearing at Mold Crown Court in Wales on Friday

Some of the ex-evangelical preacher's offences date all the way back to 1990, but the most recent offences happened at the end of last year

Thomas, worked for BBC Wales as a reporter and a presenter on Ffeil, the Welsh language news programme for young people, and on Wales Today.

He left the BBC in 2005 to preach on the streets of London, before returning to Wales in 2008 as pastor of the Criccieth Family Church in Gwynedd. He left his post last year.

Some of the offences date all the way back to 1990, but the most recent offences happened at the end of last year.

He has been given bail until his next appearance at Mold Crown Court on August 18, when he will be sentenced.

Judge Parry told the 44-year-old that he would be given credit for his early guilty pleas, but warned a 'significant custodial sentence' was inevitable.

DC Lynne Willsher of North Wales Police, said: 'Ben Thomas' offending involved the serious sexual abuse of vulnerable young children by a religious leader.

'It is an awful breach of the trust placed in him by the victims and their families, and I cannot begin to imagine what impact the revelation of his offending has had on them.

The 44-year-old pled guilty to admitted ten counts of sexual activity with a child, eight sexual assaults, and four attempts to commit sexual assault, amongst a number of other offences

'Today in court, Ben Thomas has admitted perpetrating 40 sexual offences.

'As a result of this, his victims have been spared the harrowing ordeal of a lengthy trial.

'North Wales Police are very grateful for the strength and courage shown by all victims and their families; this has greatly assisted our investigation to ensure justice has been done today.

'I am also grateful to the Evangelical Church and their safeguarding team for their assistance during the investigation.

'If there is a message to come from this, it is that anyone who faces abuse should understand that your safety and wellbeing remains North Wales Police's priority and you can contact us on 101, or online via our live webchat.'
Some angry Nigerian residents in Gomoa Buduburam today [Saturday, July 18, 2020] besieged a police station in the area after a police officer shot a Nigerian to death.

The Kasoa District Commander, Superintendent Samuel Odame who confirmed the incident to Citi News said the deceased, Walter Billions was shot after threatening to harm some police officers who were called in to restore calm after he had run amok in the late hours of Friday, July 17, 2020.

Speaking to Citi News a leader of the Nigerian Community in Gomoa Buduburam, Emmanuel Chukuamaka Azebuake said the shooting was uncalled for since the deceased was not mentally sound.

He said the incident has been reported to the District Police Commander for investigation.

I was able to call our Nigerian High Commission and inform them about what has happened and I was instructed to follow the due process of the law which is reporting to the District Police Commander.

He has assured me that the culprits will not be left just like that. Right now, the boys are angry. If he had intentions of harming people, he would have. For now, we are all waiting to hear what the Police and the Ghana government will do about this.

 citinewsroom
By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net

Srinagar: For nearly a month now, Sandeep Kour hasnt heard a word from her brother Mohinderpal Singh. Her anxiety grows every day as she is not able to meet him.

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Her brother, Mohinderpal Singh, a 29-year-old Kashmiri Sikh youth is behind bars in New Delhis Tihar Jail. He was arrested by the Delhi police for alleged links with militant outfit Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF) on June 15.

Singh, a resident from Diwan Beg village of Baramulla district in north Kashmir, was arrested along with two others and claimed the accused were planning to execute targeted killings in various northern States.

According to Delhi Police, the accused have been identified as Mohinder Pal Singh, 29, a resident of Delhi, Gurtej Singh, 41, from Punjab and Lovepreet, 21, from Haryana.

However, the family members of the Kashmiri Sikh youth have refuted the claim of Delhi police and alleged he is being framed in a fabricated case

The family is claiming that he was targeted solely for serving langar to the anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi.

These guys were just serving langar and were sent to jail by tagging them as extremists by the Special Cell of Delhi police and imposing severe sections against them, Sandeep Kour told TwoCircles.net.

She said that her brother had come to Delhi to study from Kashmir and is a very wholehearted & kind person. He always remains ready to help indigent people with whatever he can, she said.

On 15 June when he was returning home from Uttam Nagar Gurudwara Sahib with one of his friends Gurpreet Singh on a bike, Rohini police intercepted them and took them away, she said.

Kour says when Singh didnt return home till late night, they started searching for him and at around 2 am Gurpreet called at his home and informed them that Rohini Police special cell has detained them.

I was shocked and we reached the police station in the morning. The cops told us that they were taken for mere questioning but later they released Gurpreet and registered FIR against Mohinderpal Singh, she said.

According to her, Gurpreet Singh was released in two days, but her brother, Mohinderpal Singh and two others were booked under Arms Act.

Mohinderpal Singh is a professional tabla vadak at a local Gurudwara in New Delhi.

During this COVID-19 pandemic he was serving langar (food) for almost 500 people on a daily basis, Kour told TwoCircles.net.

Singh, according to his sister, studied at Gurunanak Public School, Baramulla till 10th standard. He moved to Delhi for further studies and was living with his sister in Chander Vihar area of New Delhi.

His parents at Baramulla have no clue why their son was detained. All they know about their son is that he was a helpful person and would go to any length to help people.

They are very disturbed and I keep them updated. I dont why my brother was arrested and nobody is even telling us, Kour said.

She says they are unable to meet Gurpreet and police is not even handing a copy of the FIR to the lawyer.

My brother has been kept at Tihar Jail number 8, whereas Luvpreet Singh & Gurtej Singh have been kept at Mandoli Jail, she says adding that nothing came fourth in Mondays hearing so 7 August has been fixed for next hearing, she said.

According to her, the copy of registered FIR (154/20) has not been provided yet but as per information received they have been booked under the Arms Act. Section 24, 54, 59 and later UAPA sections 13, 18, 20 & 120B & 201 were added, she said.

The police have claimed that the accused disclosed their links with Khalistan Liberation Force leaders and revealed plans to commit target-killings on instructions from Khalistani militants sponsored by Pakistans intelligence wing, ISI, reported The Hindu.

Speaking with the newspaper, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said, Police got a tip-off regarding the activities of one Mohinder, a sympathizer of Khalistan Liberation Front, who was planning to commit a terrorist activity in the national capital after which a trap was laid near Hastsal on June 15 and around 9 pm, Mohinder was arrested.

Three pistols and seven live cartridges were recovered from the men. Three phones with many incriminating videos and photographs related to Khalistani movement were also recovered from them, police said.

The police in their investigation also claims to have found several videos/audio clips promoting Khalistan terrorism, and several pictures of arms and ammunition in the accuseds a mobile phone.

Kour has appealed Sikh leadership of Delhi & Punjab to come forward to help these innocent Sikhs so that they may not rot in jail for crimes they have never committed.
Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday vehemently denied that community transmission of coronavirus had started and urged the media to dispel the rumours.

On Friday, 4538 new infections were added to the state coronavirus tally, with Chennai accounting for 1243 cases and the total number of deaths stood at 79.

Speaking to media persons at Erode, Palaniswami also denied that there was any plan to extend the lockdown.

In Chennai, testing for COVID-19 antibodies that began at the Corporation office on Thursday led to the identification of 28 persons who might have been infected by the virus. They would undergo an ST-PCR test and then isolated, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said.

A total of 564 persons were tested on the first day. Out of them, 452 were found to have no infection, while 84 others were found to have developed immunity against coronavirus.

Though the rate of infection in Chennai had come down, some districts continued to report high numbers. They were: Coimbatore 141, Dindigul 163, Kancheepuram 110, Kanyakumari 151, Madurai 263, Thanjavur 117, Theni 175, Thiruvallur 220, Thiruvannamali 145, Thoothukudi 189, Tirunelveli 119, Tiruchi 100, Vellore 183, Villupuram 113 and Virudhunagar 196.
TOPEKA, Kan. - A freshman Kansas congressman facing felony criminal charges over previously listing a UPS Inc. postal box as his residence on a state voter registration form has been forced to temporarily give up his House committee assignments.

Republican Rep. Steve Watkins said Friday that he is temporarily and voluntarily leaving the three committees on which he serves. But the House Republican conferences rules require members facing a potential felony conviction to leave their committee posts.

He also lost the backing of Kansans for Life, the states most influential anti-abortion group. It had endorsed him and a GOP rival, State Treasurer Jake LaTurner, and now is endorsing only LaTurner.

In light of Watkins recent legal situation and his resignation from his congressional committee assignments, KFL PAC felt that it was prudent to re-evaluate the safety of this pro-life seat, said Melissa Leach, the director of the groups political action committee. Watkins campaign did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the groups action Friday.

Watkins stepped aside from his committees two days after three felony charges and one misdemeanour charge against him were filed by the local district attorney in state district court in Shawnee County, which includes his hometown, the state capital of Topeka. He is accused of voting illegally in a Topeka City Council race in November 2019 and providing false information to a sheriffs deputy who was investigating whether he broke state election laws.

Throughout my entire career, I have put service above myself, and this instance is no different, Watkins, a former Army officer and military contractor said, adding that he was stepping aside so that the committees can continue their critical work.

He had been serving on the House education, foreign affairs and veterans affairs committees.

Some Republicans already were trying to oust Watkins in the states Aug. 4 primary, even though hes largely toed the conservative line and supported President Donald Trump. Critics see Watkins as vulnerable to a Democratic challenge because he won his seat as political novice in 2018 by less than a percentage point in a GOP-leaning eastern Kansas district that Trump easily carried in 2016. The investigation into his voter registrations added to some Republicans misgivings.

LaTurner picked up the endorsement of Wichita-area Rep. Ron Estes on Thursday, with Estes citing the criminal charges as one reason.

It is unfortunate that our veterans, foreign service professionals and all Kansans wont be receiving the representation they deserve because Steve Watkins has not been conducting himself as an elected member of Congress should, LaTurner spokeswoman Kara Zeyer said in a statement.

Dennis Taylor, a Topeka attorney, businessman and former head of several state agencies, also is seeking the Republican nomination, and the presumed Democratic nominee is Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla.

A hearing in Watkins criminal case isnt set until Dec. 3, a month after the November general election.

Watkins filed a state voter registration form in late August 2019 listing the UPS postal box as his residential address. The postal box still was listed as his residential address when he cast a mailed-in ballot that included the Topeka City Council race.

The congressman and his staff have said he inadvertently listed his mailing address instead of his residential address by mistake. He later twice corrected his address to an apartment, but it is not in the same City Council district as the UPS store, raising questions about potential illegal voting.

Watkins reelection campaign launched a new ad Friday accusing Shawnee Country District Attorney Mike Kagay of colluding with LaTurner because both share a direct-mail consultant who provides services to many Republican candidates. The ad suggests the criminal case represents bogus charges against an American patriot.

I look forward to exposing the corruption and collusion behind this blatant political prosecution and holding those responsible accountable, Watkins said in his statement.

Kagay did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking a response to Watkins comments.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
Nanditha Krishna By

Indias fourth tiger census, conducted with camera traps in 26,838 locations over 1,21,337 square kilometres, has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for conducting the largest camera trap wildlife survey. An estimated 2,967 tigers live in India. But there are more tigers living in terrible conditions in roadside zoos in the US and bred as commodities for body parts in Chinas tiger farms.

Around 40,000 tigers were estimated in 1947. Hunting and habitat destruction decimated their population. The first-ever all-India tiger census conducted in 1972 revealed the existence of only 1,827 tigers. Mrs Indira Gandhi promulgated the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 and 29 tiger reserves were created. Project Tiger took the population up to 3,500 in the 1990s, but the numbers suffered a setback thereafter, due to habitat destruction and large-scale poaching. Tigers were wiped out of Sariska, Rajasthan. Of the 2,967 tigers counted in 2018-19, over half are found in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Once upon a time, tigers roamed freely all over India. They appear on the seals of the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation, now a region of urbanisation and agriculture. Chennais original name was Puliyur, or tiger town. Tigers were found in Bombay in 1929. They lived along the Yamuna, near Delhi and Agra. The Royal Bengal tiger of the Sundarbans was a legend. The Arthashastra of Kautilya mentions the vyaala (tiger) vana, reserved for tigers and wildlife, protected by royal command. Ashoka eschewed the hunt. The tiger is associated with Shakti or Goddess Durga; Ayyappa of Sabarimala and the planet Rahu ride the tiger; Vaghdeo or Vaghoba of Maharashtra and Huliraya of Karnataka are tiger deities. Bon Bibi of Bengal, riding a tiger, is the guardian spirit of the Sundarbans. Indian tradition venerated and protected this beautiful animal.

The tigers end began with the Mughals: one animal against an army. Akbar introduced trophy hunting on an elephant or the shikar. Jehangir killed 86 tigers and lions in his first 12 years as ruler. A Mughal meal included 36 to 40 meat dishes, including wildlife meats. Large-scale killing started with the British. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British offered special rewards for any tiger killed. In 1770, a severe famine in eastern India resulted in the reversal of farmland to jungle: by eliminating wildlife, revenue land was increased.

Hunting was standard recreation for the British officials. Every army man participated in the hunt, hiding on a tree, while the tiger was brought out of its hiding place by beaters and killed with a rifle. District level administrations facilitated hunts, local maharajas and zamindars lent their elephants, while peasants were employed as beaters (on foot) and were often mauled or killed by tigers: their lives were cheap, expendable. The sahibs took photographs with their kill, posing with the dead animal, gun in hand and one leg on the carcass, although generally finding and even killing the animal was accomplished by the natives. Poisoning, tying live baits to lure them or shooting from elephantspractices that break every ethical canonwere necessary in the larger British project of ridding the countryside of dangerous predators.

The howdah shikar borrowed from the Mughals was restricted to high-ranking officials. The tigers were driven towards the elephants and the first shot had the right to the skin. Each viceroy had to shoot a record number of tigers. After his coronation in 1911, King George V and his retinue killed 39 tigers in 10 days in Nepal. Wild animals were hunted to civilise a wild landscape, an attitude based on the Biblical concept of an unproductive wilderness that has haunted Western thought and action, and remove all impediments to settled agriculture. Animals like tigers, snakes, elephants, birds, etc., which challenged revenue land, had to be eliminated. The shyness of the tiger was described as its depraved nature, justifying elimination.

The tiger was declared as vermin and a bounty of `25 was paid for every predator killed. Bounty-killing tipped populations wherever habitat was under pressure. The cheetah was eliminated; lions survived in Gir alone, thanks to the Nawab of Junagadh. Over 80,000 tigers were slaughtered between 1875 and 1925. The tigers range was restricted to hills and forests, inaccessible lands with abundant prey. Indian maharajas outdid the British. The Maharaja of Kotah outfitted a Rolls Royce Phantom with spotlights for night hunting, mounted a machine gun and a Lantaka cannon for tiger safaris. Rewa kings in Central India had to kill 109 tigers after their coronation. The late Maharaja of Mysore and his guests shot over a hundred tigers between 1945 and 1967. The Maharaja of Udaipur and Raja of Gauripur shot 500 tigers each, the Nawab of Tonk 600, Ramanuj Saran Singh Deo of Sarguja 1,100 tigers, and Colonel Kesri Singh of Jaipur 1,000. This does not include the other wildlife they killed.

Habitat loss, poaching for pelts and for components for traditional Chinese medicine are major threats to the tigers survival. Farmers blame tigers for killing cattle and shoot or poison them. The recent clearance for projects in forests and the new Environment Impact Assessment draft are threatening the animals survival. The growing human and cattle population, increasing demand for development in forest areas, open-cast mines, highways, railways and resorts keep up the pressure on the animal. Avni, a tigress in Maharashtra, was killed to accommodate a hunter, leaving two cubs to fend for themselves. The government does not care. Yet the tiger is our national animal. The health of the tiger is the last hope for our ecology, biodiversity conservation and combating climate change. Covid-19 should teach us the importance of nature. We claim to follow the writ of ancient India, but we behave like alien Englishmen, destroying forests and killing their inhabitants. Unfortunately, political will has been replaced by greed.

Nanditha Krishna

Historian, environmentalist and writer based in Chennai

(nankrishna18@gmail.com)
Srinagar:

Two LeT militants were on Wednesday killed in an encounter with security forces in Sopore area of north Kashmirs Baramulla district, police said.



The militants, believed to be foreigners, were killed after they were confronted by the security forces during a search operation at village Dursoo near Dangiwacha, 60 kms from here, a police officer said.



He said security forces launched a search operation in the village following specific information about presence of some militants.



The militants opened fire on noticing the movement of security forces, triggering an encounter which left both the militants dead, the officer said.



The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants was awaited as the search operation in the village was still continuing, he said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Some were motivated by health concerns about putting their kids back in public schools, while others were concerned that the schools were imposing too many restrictions on students, she said.

May had intended to wait until Bellevue came out with its reopening plan, but then decided that regardless of what that looked like, her kids would be home with her.

We are concerned about not only the virus, but the schools ability to be able to put together a good plan, and to implement that plan, and try to keep everybody healthy, she said.

She said shes tried to prevent her girls from contracting the disease. May said she knows that she cant completely protect them from the virus, but shes not willing to risk putting them in a school where one or two kids get the flu in the wintertime, and it runs rampant, she said.

She also felt that wearing masks would be an added distraction for her kids and everyone else in the school.

When we talked to our girls about it, they said, We would really like to stay home and not have to wear masks all day. 
We are proud that the Azerbaijani people, the Azerbaijani land have raised such sons, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

This morning I spoke with General Polad Hashimovs mother, Samaya khanum, on the phone, expressed my condolences and wished her patience and endurance. I assured her that the blood of her son, our hero, was avenged, we avenged him and this will be the case in the future. Glory to these mothers for raising such brave sons for our people and state, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state noted that General Polad Hashimov was someone who enjoyed great respect in the army.

He showed courage in the April fighting. I have twice awarded him a high state order. I awarded him the rank of general. Today, during a conversation with Colonel Ilgar Mirzayev's son Elvin, I spoke about the heroism of his father. I said that he should be like his father. All our youth should be like our heroes. Their life, courage, heroism shown in the name of the land, the Motherland, should become an example for every young individual, said President Ilham Aliyev.

We are proud that the Azerbaijani people, the Azerbaijani land have raised such sons.

I once again express my condolences to their family members and relatives. At the same time, I express my condolences to the families and friends of all those who died in recent days. May Allah rest the souls of our martyrs in peace, may Allah grant healing to our wounded soldiers, said President Ilham Aliyev.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 11:17:12|Editor: huaxia

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by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- This week marked five years since the signing of the Iran nuclear deal. Now, in the lead-up to November's U.S. presidential elections, Washington's Iran policy is at a crossroads.

If U.S. President Donald Trump is re-elected, U.S. policy is likely to continue in the same direction. But if contender Joe Biden clinches the White House, Washington is likely to take a softer approach, including the possibility of rejoining the nuclear deal from which Trump has withdrawn, experts said.

TRUMP'S IRAN POLICY

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal, was reached in Vienna five years ago. According to its stipulations, Tehran, for the next 15 years, would only enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent and could not build any new heavy-water facilities. Iran has maintained that it abides by the commitments, and that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

But in May 2018, Trump called the arrangement a bad deal and pulled out, while reinstating sanctions that targeted Iran and any state that traded with the Islamic republic, which sent Iran's economy into free fall and destroyed its currency.

Since then, Trump has engaged in a policy of "maximum pressure." While proponents applauded Trump's policy for weakening Tehran's ability to build a nuclear weapon, opponents said the policy has not made the region more peaceful and has brought economic hardship to the Iranian people.

BIDEN'S IRAN POLICY

Experts said it is possible that Biden, if elected president, would get back to some form of the deal that the Trump administration scrapped.

"It's very likely, I think, that Biden would try to find some way to get back into the nuclear deal, but with some additions," David Pollock, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Xinhua.

"I don't think that it would be just a simple 'OK, let's just go back to where we were before Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and drop all the sanctions,'" he said.

Pollock added that Washington has realized a big flaw in the nuclear deal is that it only dealt with the nuclear program, but did not address myriad issues ranging from terrorism to missiles to militias.

"The Biden team understands that, and they're going to want to at least make an effort to address those issues, not just try to turn the clock back," Pollock said, adding that Biden's policy would be "more oriented toward trying to get Iran back to the table."

Dalia Dassa Kaye, director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation, told Xinhua that a Biden administration would likely be staffed with key personnel who negotiated the JCPOA.

"I think we could expect a more serious and sustained commitment to renew diplomacy with Iran and revitalize the Iran nuclear agreement, with the U.S. rejoining the agreement if Iran returns to its commitments," Kaye said.

Clay Ramsay, an Iran expert at the University of Maryland, noted that Biden stated in April that right now, the United States should be removing all its blocks to humanitarian trade with Iran.

"If Biden is president in January this could happen very fast. And if Iran's government then started tamping down its nuclear program, a meeting of all the JCPOA states -- the U.S., Iran, the Europeans, and Russia and China -- could happen," Ramsay told Xinhua.

A POLICY OF COVERT ACTION

Some believe that covert action against Iran's nuclear program may be part of a future trend.

The New York Times recently reported that some officials said a "joint American-Israeli strategy was evolving -- some might argue regressing -- to a series of short-of-war clandestine strikes, aimed at taking out the most prominent generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and setting back Iran's nuclear facilities."

That report on July 10 came not long after a spate of explosions and fires in Iran, including a mysterious blast at the Natanz nuclear facility.

While Trump has not announced a more aggressive stance against Iran, Brian Hook, the State Department's special envoy for Iran, said last month that "timidity and weakness invite more Iranian aggression."

Speaking of covert strikes against Iran's nuclear program, such as the ones the Times article alleged were occurring, Pollock said they "may very well continue, even if Biden is elected president."

"Because Obama did that too," Pollock said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 08:42:50|Editor: huaxia

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CHENGDU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese air force's Y-9 medical aircraft has completed its maiden transfer mission this week, according to military sources.

A Y-9 plane refitted for medical transfer purpose flew a sick serviceperson surnamed Zhang from a plateau area to a major city in northwest China. The trip lasted about 4.5 hours. Zhang was injured during a training session, and his conditions deteriorated in a local hospital, the sources said.

Equipped with advanced facilities, the Y-9 medical aircraft can perform difficult medical transfers and enables medical workers to provide in-flight emergency treatment.

It was displayed in public for the first time during a grand military parade in Beijing marking the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China last year. Enditem
Tinder was shot in the stomach and taken to Amita St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead at 8:12 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiners office.
By ANI

PATNA: Two people died in a car on Saturday after it was hit by Patna-Ranchi Janshatabdi Special train while illegally crossing the railway tracks, informed the Indian Railways.

"None of the passengers travelling in the train is affected and there is no disruption in rail traffic. The train left for its onwards journey to Gaya at 9:37 am," informed Rajesh Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of East-Central Railways (ECR).

As per the press release issued by the Railways, a vehicle collided with train number 02365, Patna Ranchi Janshatabdi Special while attempting to illegally cross the railway tracks at an un-authorized location on Patna-Gaya section. The accident happened between Potahi and Nadwan, about 20 kilometres south of Patna, the release stated.

According to the CPRO, the local police were informed immediately and the bodies were cleared from the site. "SPARMV (Self Propelled Accident Relief Mobile Vehicles) along with a team of doctors left for the site from Danapur at 7:35 am. DRM/DNR along with senior officials of the division are at the site," he added.

Kumar further informed that the accident was a clear case of trespass, and carelessness on part of the road vehicle driver.
Before getting to the substance of our column this week, here's a word from our sponsor: journalism.

Every writer I know  journalist, novelist, essayist, poet  will offer a single word of advice when an aspiring writer asks how to learn to do the work better. And here it is: Read. You cannot be a good writer if you are not first a good reader.

Beyond that, I always suggest reading good journalism. We all need to better understand what's beyond our own view. And one joy of digging into a great publication, whether in print or digitally, is finding something unexpected and enlightening.

Which is what happened to me a few weeks ago as I was reading The New York Times on my smartphone. My eyes were caught by an 18th-century depiction of the Battle of Actium, the decisive event in 31 B.C.E. when the forces of Cleopatra and Marc Antony were defeated by Octavian's troops. It set the stage for the end of the Roman Republic, with Octavian soon installed as the first Roman emperor.

Thus ended the five-century lifespan of the greatest republic known to the world  at least, until our own. And for decades now, people have used the history of the Roman Republic's fall into empire as a warning of what could befall the United States if ... well, if whatever it is someone thinks is wrong about America isn't fixed, because the reasons for the collapse of Rome were many and varied, and inevitably echo in the events of today. Some blame unchecked immigration, or government corruption, or a flawed military or a decline of civic responsibility.

But the collapse of the Roman Republic isn't news, so why was that great scene of a battle at sea (by the Austrian Johann George Platzer) in a newspaper? Because new research has found a different factor that so weakened the republic as to leave it vulnerable to defeat: a volcanic eruption.

In 43 B.C., scientists now believe, a volcano in the Aleutian Islands spewed sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere that remained there for years. Because those particles reflect sunlight, they temporarily altered the Earth's climate  even 6,000 miles away, in Italy, where average temperatures fell by as much as 13 degrees Fahrenheit. That big chill also brought perhaps 400 percent more precipitation than normal. Crops were decimated, villages destroyed. The historian Plutarch recorded that Antony's troops had to forage for food.

The trying conditions came just a year after Julius Caesar was assassinated, which was both a cause and a reflection of the society's unrest. No one could have predicted a volcano's eruption, but a society already weakened by other factors might of course be left reeling by such a natural disaster.

At about that point in reading the story, I put down my smartphone, feeling one of those moments of foreboding that sometimes can yield an insight. It wasn't a pleasant one: What if the coronavirus that is so disrupting our society is our unexpected eruption, finally felling a vulnerable America?

This prompted me to try to expand my quite limited understanding of ancient history  which, by the way, is what reading will do to you: make you want to read more. It's OK. That's a good use of your time.

I found that two years ago, historian Edward C. Watts published a book expanding on the factors that led to the decline of the proud Roman Republic  including growing wealth inequality, political violence and partisan gridlock. When an authoritarian leader emerged, citizens were relieved by the perception of strength he projected.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Watts warns of "the incredible dangers that come along with condoning political obstruction and courting political violence." In an interview with Smithsonian magazine, he drew a straight line from the Roman Republic to America's increasingly heated political rhetoric and abandonment of some of our long-respected political standards.

"It is profoundly dangerous," he said, "when a politician takes a step to undercut or ignore a political norm ... in order to try to pursue their own personal objectives or specific short-term political advantages."

Can you recall examples of norm-busting behavior in recent years? The Republican Senate's refusal to consider President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee four years ago, perhaps, or the current president's refusal to honor congressional subpoenas, or his disregard for enacted laws. Or perhaps his tolerance of white supremacists in Charlottesville and egging on of supporters who use violent, racist rhetoric.

And now, under a leader with clear authoritarian tendencies, a pandemic has erupted.

Yes, reading does expand your thinking. But it can give you a sense of foreboding, indeed.
(Newser)  At least 18 police officers in Chicago were hurt Friday during a clash with 1,000 or so protesters who converged upon a park and tried to yank down a statue of Christopher Columbus. The officers had been at an earlier rally in support of Black and Indigenous people "providing security and protecting [the protesters'] First Amendment right to peaceful assembly," per a Chicago Police Department statement cited by CNN. The Chicago Tribune lays out the timeline, which started around 4:20pm with the rally. Demonstrators then started marching down Columbus Drive around 7pm when word got out that the Columbus statue in Grant Park was being protected by police. That's when members of the group rushed the short stone wall that encircled the statue, hurling frozen bottles, rocks, and other objects at the officers, the department's statement notes.

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CBS Chicago video shows fireworks being set off around the statue, while another clip from a Tribune reporter shows a man yelling, "This is not the way!" as protesters clash with police. Officers were pushed back, and one protester scaled the statue, which ABC7 notes was covered in plastic, and threw a rope around it. The crowd tried for about 30 minutes to pull the statue down, to no avail, but they did manage to cover it and the wall with graffiti. Police reinforcements arrived by 7:40pm, using tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. Some of the 18 injured officers were treated by paramedics at the scene, while others were taken by paramedics to local hospitals; a Chicago Fire Department rep says five civilians were also hospitalized. Meanwhile, about a dozen people were arrested, with pending charges to include battery to a police officer and mob action, per the CPD statement. (Read more Chicago stories.)
By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 53 times, Trend reports on July 18 referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles.

At present, relative calm is observed in the Tovuz district direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, our settlements are not being shot at, but in general the tension remains, the ministry 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 armed forces were silenced.

Azerbaijan lost sergeant Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov, who died repelling the attack. Another serviceman of Azerbaijan's army Khayyam Dashdemirov died from wounds, despite the doctors' efforts.

The tensions continued on the border, July 12-13 night. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, vehicles, as well as killed Armenian servicemen on the territory of Armenias military unit.

Azerbaijani senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles.

The battles continued on the night of July 13-14. Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzoyev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, Ensign Ilgar Zeynalli, Ensign Yashar Babayev and soldier Elchin Mustafazade became martyrs during the battles.

As a result of artillery shelling by the Armenian armed forces of the village of Aghdam, Tovuz district, on July 14, the village resident, civilian, 76-years-old Aziz Azizov was killed.

The battles continued on July 16, as one more serviceman of Azerbaijani army - Nazim Ismayilov - was also 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 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.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Google is amping up its fight against coronavirusrelated misinformation by banning ads that [contradict] authoritative scientific consensus about the pandemic. That means websites and apps can no longer make money from running advertisements promoting debunked conspiracy theories about COVID-19. Those include claims that the virus was created in a Chinese lab, that the pandemic is a hoax and that Bill Gates was behind it.

According to Bloomberg, Google will start enforcing the new rule next month. And in addition to blocking advertisers from creating new ads, it will use human and machine reviewers to find and take action against publishers and advertisers who break the rule. It will also ban those who repeatedly violate its new policy from using its ad platform. As a Google spokesperson explained, the new rule expands the companys policy against harmful health claims, such as miracle health cures and things that promote antivaccination ideas, on the internet:

We are putting additional safeguards in place by expanding our harmful health claims policies for both publishers and advertisers to include dangerous content about a health crisis that contradicts scientific consensus.

Google announced in April that its investing $6.5 million to fight coronavirus-related misinformation in an effort to prevent false claims from spreading further. Other platforms had also taken steps to combat false COVID19 claims: Apple is rejecting all coronavirus-related mobile apps that aren't from official health organizations, Twitter is banning tweets perpetuating claims of fake cures, while Facebook is now debunking common myths about the pandemic in its COVID-19 information center.
National Democratic Congress stalwart, Alex Segbefia, has joined many questioning a recent INTERPOL Red Alert on Samuel Foster Adam, aka Adam Mahama, and two others.



INTERPOL issued the alert for the arrest for Samuel Adam Foster  who is a brother to former President John Mahama -- Philip Sean Middlemiss; Sarah Davis and Sarah Furneaux in connection with their roles in the Airbus bribery scandal.



Mr Mahama is being charged with accepting a bribe to influence a public officer and acting in collaboration with a public officer for the public officers private profit.



Sharing his view on the Red Alert, Mr Segbefia, a former Crown Prosecutor in the United Kingdom, said the notice is usually issued against a criminal fugitive on the run who seeks actively to evade justice.



What is unusual about this particular Red Notice is that Ghana Government knows where Samuel Mahama lives in the UK up to his exact residential address. One needs to bear in mind that all the hula-baloo about Airbus emanated from the UK courts, who have dealt with it and settled it.



And yet even though he and the other persons named in the Red Notice are British Nationals, the UK government has not thought it fit to proffer any charges against them. He is not considered a flight risk so no restrictions have been imposed on him and he has not been asked to hand over his passport. Why would the UK Government, based on the same facts as are narrated in the Red Notice, arrest him for Ghana government? Besides, Ghana has an extradition treaty with the UK. It also has a Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement with the UK, Mr Segbefia stated.



Meanwhile, Communications Officer for the NDC is convinced the Red Notice is fabricated, while Private legal practitioner, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe has described it as a PR gimmick.



Many others believe the notice is an attempt to throw muck on former President John Mahama, who is seeking a comeback in the December 7 presidential polls.



Read Mr Segbefias full submission on the Red Notice below.



A Red Notice is usually issued against a criminal fugitive on the run who seeks actively to evade justice. It is a notice published by Interpol to law enforcement agents across the world requesting them to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending his extradition. When it is published, it is not Interpol seeking the location and arrest of the person, but rather the country that requests the publication. Procedurally, Interpol would publish a Red Notice at the request of a member country provided the request meets the constitutional requirements of Interpol.



A Red Notice is, however, a voluntary system. A state is therefore not obliged to make an arrest based on its publication and can decide to ignore it. This is because it is not an arrest warrant, and countries can themselves determine what weight to give such notice.



What is unusual about this particular Red Notice is that Ghana Government knows where Samuel Mahama lives in the UK up to his exact residential address. One needs to bear in mind that all the hula-baloo about Airbus emanated from the UK courts, who have dealt with it and settled it. And yet even though he and the other persons named in the Red Notice are British Nationals, the UK government has not thought it fit to proffer any charges against them. He is not considered a flight risk so no restrictions have been imposed on him and he has not been asked to hand over his passport. Why would the UK Government, based on the same facts as are narrated in the Red Notice, arrest him for Ghana government? Besides, Ghana has an extradition treaty with the UK. It also has a Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement with the UK.



Why publish Red Notice when the Ghana Government can formally ask for his extradition through regular channels?



The Special Prosecutor must be aware that it is a forlorn hope that the UK government would extradite the three named persons.



It is interesting how recently the scurrilous story found its way unto the front pages of the controversial Sun newspaper in the UK. Individuals behind that publication are suspected to be closely tied to the family of Akufo-Addo.



This so-called arrest warrant is a red herring. It is an extension of their game plan to embarrass President John Mahama because of the impending elections.



Hon. Alex Segbefia

Source: Ghanaweb









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The big shareholder groups in Enzo Biochem, Inc. (NYSE:ENZ) have power over the company. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.

Enzo Biochem is a smaller company with a market capitalization of US$118m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions own shares in the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about Enzo Biochem.

Check out our latest analysis for Enzo Biochem

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Enzo Biochem?

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.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Enzo Biochem. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone, since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Enzo Biochem's historic earnings and revenue, below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Our data indicates that hedge funds own 19% of Enzo Biochem. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. Our data shows that Harbert Fund Advisors Inc. is the largest shareholder with 12% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 8.4% and 7.6%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Additionally, the company's CEO Elazar Rabbani directly holds 0.0347679 of the total shares outstanding.

Story continues

On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 8 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Enzo Biochem

The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. 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.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Enzo Biochem, Inc.. It has a market capitalization of just US$118m, and insiders have US$8.5m worth of shares, in their own names. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but I usually like to see higher insider holdings. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public holds a 32% stake in ENZ. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Enzo Biochem (of which 1 is potentially serious!) you should know about.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

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.
WASHINGTON - People paid great heed to John Lewis for much of his life in the civil rights movement. But at the very beginning  when he was just a kid wanting to be a minister someday  his audience didnt care much for what he had to say.

A son of Alabama sharecroppers, the young Lewis first preached moral righteousness to his familys chickens. His place in the vanguard of the 1960s campaign for Black equality had its roots in that hardscrabble Alabama farm and all those clucks.

Lewis, who died Friday at age 80, was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists who organized the 1963 March on Washington, and spoke shortly before the groups leader, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., gave his I Have a Dream speech to a vast sea of people.

If that speech marked a turning point in the civil rights era  or at least the most famous moment  the struggle was far from over. Two more hard years passed before truncheon-wielding state troopers beat Lewis bloody and fractured his skull as he led 600 protesters over Selmas Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Searing TV images of that brutality helped to galvanize national opposition to racial oppression and embolden leaders in Washington to pass the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act five months later.

The American public had already seen so much of this sort of thing, countless images of beatings and dogs and cursing and hoses, Lewis wrote in his memoirs. But something about that day in Selma touched a nerve deeper than anything that had come before.

That bridge became a touchstone in Lewis life. He returned there often during his decades in Congress representing the Atlanta area, bringing lawmakers from both parties to see where Bloody Sunday went down.

More brutality would loom in his lifes last chapter. He wept watching the video of George Floyds death at the hands of police in Minnesota. I kept saying to myself: How many more? How many young Black men will be murdered? he said last month.

Yet he declared, or at least dared to hope: Were one people, were one family. We all live in the same house, not just the American house but the world house.

Lewis earned bipartisan respect in Washington, where some called him the conscience of Congress. His humble manner contrasted with the puffed chests on Capitol Hill. But as a liberal on the losing side of many issues, he lacked the influence hed summoned at the segregated lunch counters of his youth, or later, within the Democratic Party, as a steadfast voice for the poor and disenfranchised.

He was a guiding voice for a young Illinois senator who became the first Black president.

I told him that I stood on his shoulders, Obama wrote in a statement marking Lewiss death. When I was elected President of the United States, I hugged him on the inauguration stand before I was sworn in and told him I was only there because of the sacrifices he made.

Lewis was a 23-year-old firebrand, a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, when he joined King and four other civil rights leaders at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the Washington demonstration. The others were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the interracial Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP.

At the National Mall months later, he had a speaking slot before King and toned down his intended remarks, bowing to pressure that incensed him.

I wanted it to have an air of militancy, Lewis said.

He dropped a reference to leading a scorched earth campaign across the South, like Civil War Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Shermans March to the Sea. (John, that doesnt sound like you, he recalled King telling him.) He scaled back criticism of President John Kennedys civil rights record.

It was a potent speech nonetheless. He vowed: By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.

His words were soon and for all time overshadowed by the speech of King. He changed us forever, Lewis said of Kings oratory that day.

But the change the movement sought would take many more sacrifices.

After months of training in nonviolent protest, demonstrators led by Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams began a march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Alabamas capital in Montgomery. They didnt get far: On March 7, 1965, a phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge. Authorities swung truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital. The nation was horrified.

This was a face-off in the most vivid terms between a dignified, composed, completely nonviolent multitude of silent protesters and the truly malevolent force of a heavily armed, hateful battalion of troopers, Lewis wrote. The sight of them rolling over us like human tanks was something that had never been seen before. People just couldnt believe this was happening, not in America.

King swiftly returned to the scene with a multitude, and the march to Montgomery was made whole before the end of the month.

Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside Troy, in Alabamas Pike County. He attended segregated public schools and was denied a library card because of his race, but he read books and newspapers avidly, and could rattle off obscure historical facts even in his later years.

He was a teenager when he first heard King, then a young minister from Atlanta, preach on the radio. They met after Lewis wrote him seeking support to become the first Black student at his local college. He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University instead, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Soon, the young man King nicknamed the boy from Troy was organizing sit-ins at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while challenging segregation around the South. Lewis helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to organize this effort, led the group from 1963 to 1966 and kept pursuing civil rights work and voter registration drives for years thereafter.

President Jimmy Carter appointed Lewis to lead ACTION, a federal volunteer agency, in 1977. In 1981, he was elected to the Atlanta City Council, and then won a seat in Congress in 1986.

Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill. When Democrats controlled the House, he tried to keep them unified as his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post. The opening of the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture was a key victory. But as one of the most liberal members of Congress, spending much of his career in the minority, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defence of young immigrants.

Lewis also met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court invalidated much of the law in 2013, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress.

Lewis initially endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, but belatedly backed Obama when it became clear he had more Black support. After Obamas swearing-in, he signed a commemorative photograph for Lewis that reflected much more than his endorsement, writing Because of you, John. Barack Obama. Later, they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the attack.

And when Obama was succeeded by a president who sought to dismantle much of his legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis refused to attend Donald Trumps inauguration, saying he didnt consider him a legitimate president because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from s---hole countries, Lewis declared, I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.

Trump ordered flags at half-staff at the White House and all federal public buildings and grounds, including embassies abroad and all military posts and naval stations, throughout the day Saturday.

Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family, Trump said via Twitter.

Lewis said hed been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally hed do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Lewis said. If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the racial diversity of the crowds protesting racism and police brutality gave him encouragement in his last weeks even as the unrest exposed anguished division that would not be overcome in his lifetime.

It was very moving, very moving to see hundreds and thousands of people from all over America and around the world take to the streets to speak up, to speak out, he said on CBS This Morning.

He urged protesters seeking justice in Floyds killing and the authorities confronting them to be nonviolent, because theres something cleansing, something wholesome, about being peaceful and orderly.

Lewis announced in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now, he said at the time.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

If the Voting Rights Act that Lewis cherished was a work in progress, so was America, Lewis observed as he spoke once again from the Lincoln Memorial, a half-century after the March on Washington.

Fifty years later we can ride anywhere we want to ride, we can stay where we want to stay, he said that day in August 2013. Those signs that said white and colored are gone. And you wont see them anymore except in a museum, in a book, on a video.

But there are still invisible signs buried in the hearts in humankind that form a gulf between us. Too many of us still believe our differences define us instead of the divine spark that runs through all of human creation.

Then came the cheers and applause. This time he was no warm-up act for a giant of history. This was his moment, and there was not a cluck to be heard.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.
The Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communications, Dr Paolo Ruffini, tells Catholic Communicators of Africa that the Holy See stands with them as they go about their communication ministry.

By Paul Samasumo  Vatican City

In assuring the communicators, Paolo Ruffini quoted a KiSwahili phrase, Tuko pamoja, which means, We are together.

Personal closeness to Africa

Dr Ruffini narrated his personal affinity and closeness with Africa and its people. He spoke of how, many years ago, he was touched by Pope Saint Paul VIs document, Africae Terrarum of 29 October 1967, no. 1.

In Africae Terrarum, Pope Saint Paul VI outlines his Vision for the Church social mission in Africa.

I feel myself strongly linked with Africa and African people since when I was a child. Since when Pope Saint Paul VI, wrote, quoting (the Apostle) Saint Paul that the voice of the African people, similar to that heard in the dream by Saint Paul while he was in Troade (Acts 16: 9), continues to resound in our souls: Come, help us, it is time, recounted the Communication Prefect.

Communication can build or foment misunderstandings

Dr Ruffini was speaking from the Vatican, when he officially opened a Webinar for Catholic Communicators of Africa gathered in a virtual conference, to commemorate 70 years of Vatican Radio broadcasts in the English language to Africa.

The theme of the Webinar jointly organised by the English Africa Service of Vatican Radio and SIGNIS Africa was: Story-telling as a tool to manage racial and social tribulations in Africa.

Dr Ruffini reminded the online forum that, in many aspects, communication was double-edged: It could either be a means to building a better world or a mechanism for inciting misunderstandings, resentments and even enmity.

A Vatican News Agency in the offing

The Prefect of the Dicastery further announced plans for the establishment of a Vatican News Agency. He called for the eventual participation, in this effort, by all Catholic African media practitioners.

Other speakers in the event included Nigerian Bishop Emmanuel Badejo; well-known Jesuit priest, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ; Mother Mary Claude Oguh of Nigeria; Ms Sheila Pires of South Africa and Fr. Prof. Walter Ihejirika. The latter is also the SIGNIS Africa President.

Vatican News to publish the full speeches of the Webinar

Vatican News will, in the coming days, release the complete presentations of the various speakers under the African section of this website.

The recorded YouTube of Webinar can be found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmiH9mMU3vg

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Africae Terrarum.

Below is the full speech of Dr Paulo Ruffini at the Webinar on Friday:

Message of the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communications at the Webinar of Africas Catholic Communicators on the occasion commemorating 70 years of Vatican Radios English language broadcasts to Africa. (1950  2020)

Your Excellency, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, of Oyo Diocese, Nigeria and President of the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS);

Your Excellences, the Bishops participating in this event;

Most Dear Fr. Federico Lombardi,

Very Rev. Mother Mary Claude Oguh, Superior General, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and President of the Nigerian Conference of Women Religious.

Dear speakers, Staff of the English Africa Service, SIGNIS Africa executive, Catholic Communicators  those in Africa and elsewhere, Clergy, Religious men and women and the Lay Faithful.

I know that time is of great essence in every webinar. However, allow me to greet all of you and say how very pleased I am to be part of this event. I am particularly delighted to see Your Excellences, the Bishops-in-charge of Social Communication Commissions in Africa.

We all know how important are the means of communication to draw out the best from each person.

Communication may be the mean to build a better world; or may continue fomenting misunderstandings, resentments, enmity.

The days of tribulation that we are experiencing have given communication even a greater role: both for today, to tackle the health crisis; and for tomorrow, to give a new shape to the future.

The importance of what you do as Church communicators is so great that it cannot be over-emphasised.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, addressing employees of the Dicastery for Communication on 23 September 2019 told us that, For the Church, communication is a mission. No investment is too great for spreading the Word of God. At the same time, every talent must be well spent, made to bear fruit. The credibility of what we say is also measured by this. Moreover, to remain faithful to the gift received, one must have the courage to change, never to feel that one has arrived nor to be discouraged.

I am aware of some of the many challenges that you face as Church Communicators in Africa. I urge you to heed the Holy Fathers words: Do not be discouraged. We are on the same boat.

We are, as Pope Francis said, in the extraordinary moment of prayer of march 27, fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. . we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this.

Why do we have to be afraid? Dont we have faith? Dont we feel safe in God's hands?

One of those challenges you face in the discharge of your duties is getting access to timely, reliable, and dependable news about the Church. This is a problem in a world full of fake news. I am glad to say that the Dicastery for Communication is working towards the creation of a Vatican News Agency that will become a reliable source for news, especially Church news. This agency will be your platform for Church news. You will find also on this platform alternative news stories, especially those which the secular news agencies may consider unimportant. For this News Agency to succeed, we will need your collaboration in feeding it with news stories from Africa.

I am glad that this webinar is based mainly on the theme of Pope Francis Message for the World Communications Day. The Holy Father spoke about the importance of telling stories. There are thousands of stories of good needing to be told.

Dear communicators, tell the story of Africa! Tell about the challenges of Africa but tell also about the successes and the people who are making a difference in their communities. Let your stories build bridges and lead to creating opportunities for dialogue where there are conflicts. The Church communicator is not just a witness of what he or she writes and says but mainly of what he or she does in society.

Sharing is the key word.

We together, while apart  we, members one of another  can be the greatest network of sharing stories and actions, faith and works, truth and truth-based relationships.

As Pope Francis said last year to the youths in Antananaarivo, Madagascar: No one can say: I dont need you, or You are not part of this loving plan that was the Fathers dream when he created us.

What makes us strong is being a network. What weakens us is not being a network enough. We can only bear witness by being members one of another.

I feel myself strongly linked with Africa and african people since when I was a child . Since when Pope Saint Paul VI, wrote, quoting saint Pauls that the voice of the African people, similar to that heard in the dream by Saint Paul while he was in Troade (Acts 16,9), continues to resound in our souls: Come, help us, it is time! (Africae Terrarum, 29 October, 1967, n1).

We must hear your voice. We must bring to you the voice of the Pope.

It is always the time to help one another.

At the heart of the media reform that Pope Francis is bringing to the communication structures of the Vatican is the need for synergy and collaboration. I support and encourage this synergy and collaboration. One such example, is this very webinar of today.

It is up to us to be strongly committed in building a communication based on relationship to combat the virus of division. A communication based on a network that is both global and local. Digital and real. Made to unite, not to divide. To donate, not to sell or buy.

As the world struggles with the coronavirus pandemic and racial challenges, Pope Francis has made it clear that a valuable lesson which the world can learn is the fact of our common and shared humanity. When we bring together our different resources, in a show of common brotherhood and sisterhood, we can defeat any human challenge.

In a time when so many are tempted to build a new tower of Babel, we are called to serve this miracle of unity in diversity.

This is the story of Vatican Radio. This is the commitment of the Dicastery for communication for our long lasting future. We have to use all the languages of our times.

This is what we are trying, we must try, to do we in Rome you in Africa.

We need to help one another to make it works. We need to be linked.

The time has come to do it.

I am confident that this webinar will offer viable pathways to creating a community of mutual sharing and collaboration.

Please consider us at your disposal in this mission.

Even if we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the English program of Vatican Radio let me use, to end my speech, a few letter word in the African language Swahili that tells better than any European language the importance of being one, which expresses in a wonderful way the active and profound sharing that comes to us from being members of one another, and gives us a strength that no one else has: TUKO PAMOJA.

Paolo Ruffini

Citta del Vaticano, 17.7.2020
People visit the booth of China's telecoms company Huawei during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2019 held in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 10, 2019. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China has urged the United States to stop suppressing specific Chinese enterprises unreasonably, stop abusing the concept of national security, and stop smearing China maliciously, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday.

Hua's remarks came as the U.S. government is reportedly set to implement regulations on Aug. 13 that will prohibit its agencies from purchasing equipment and services from any company that uses products made by Huawei and four other Chinese firms.

Huawei's biggest fault in the eyes of the United States is that it's a Chinese company which is more advanced in the 5G field, Hua told a press briefing.

"It seems that the United States cannot tolerate other countries having something better, so it abuses its state power to suppress Chinese enterprises, such as Huawei, under flimsy excuses," Hua said, stressing that it is an act of economic bullying and blatant denial of market economy principles that the United States has always boasted it upheld.

"All countries in the world are clearly aware of this," she said, urging the U.S. side to provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises to conduct business.
Pakistan aviation authority suspends 15 more pilots having fake license

International

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Islamabad, July 18: Pakistan's aviation authority has suspended 15 more pilots for possessing dubious licenses, taking the number of those taken off duty for flying with fake credentials in the country to 93.

According toreports, they were suspended by the Aviation Division on Friday. These are among the 262 pilots, who were grounded and put under investigation by the aviation ministry last month, for possessing suspicious licences.

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The licences of 28 other pilots have already been cancelled. Abdul Sattar Khokhar, Spokesman for the Aviation Division, said a total of 262 pilots were identified as possessing fake licences by the Board of Inquiry and grounded immediately after identification on the instructions of the government.

He said out of these 262 pilots, the federal Cabinet had approved cancellation of the licences of 28. These 28 pilots will not be able to undertake any flying duty and their licences have been cancelled after proper legal procedures under which the pilots were given an opportunity of hearing.

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The matter was twice deliberated by the Cabinet before the decision. The process of verification of licences of 93 pilots has been initiated, while the investigation of the remaining 141 cases is expected to be completed within one week.

The human resource department of the airline informed them that they would not be paid from June 29 till the issue was resolved. Earlier, the Aviation Division had provided a list of 10 pilots of the private airline having fake licences. Of the 10 pilots, three had already left the airline, while the remaining have been grounded, the report said.

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Story first published: Saturday, July 18, 2020, 15:21 [IST]
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday asked police to take strict action against people moving around without wearing face masks.

He also directed officials of various departments to start a special campaign to motivate people to wear face masks due to the increased risk of Covid-19 during Unlock-2, a state government release quoting him said.

He said that traffic intersections, vehicles of the Department of Urban Local Bodies and publicity vehicles of Department of Information, Public Relations and Languages should be deployed to spread awareness over the importance of wearing masks.

The chief minister gave the direction while presiding over a meeting of the Crisis Management Group of various departments, constituted to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.

Khattar directed the Police Department to take strict action against people without masks and fine them on the spot besides giving violators at least five masks.

In view of the upcoming Shivratri, it was decided in the meeting that permission to offer Gangajal in temples, except for the containment zones, should be given as per the Union Home Ministry the guidelines on worships in temples.

The Haryana government had allowed reopening of religious places in a regulated manner across the state from June 8, except in containment zones and the hardest-hit Covid-19 districts Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Two to five persons may be allowed to enter temples through the token system at an interval of 30 minutes, the release said.

The state, at present, remains under curfew from 10 pm to 5 am. The time for prayers for Shivratri will be from July 19, at 7.19 pm to July 20, 5.30 am. People should be allowed to go to the temples accordingly, it said.

The meeting also took stock of the COVID-19 situation in the state.

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Indias foremost music publishing label, ZEE Music Company is set to launch four new contemporary songs from the upcoming movie Shakuntala Devi starring Vidya Balan in the lead, alongside Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta. The film is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra. In the midst of a pandemic, Zee Music Co. has been engaging their listeners with latest songs.

Shakuntala Devi  or the Human Computer, as she was called  was not only a world-renowned math genius, but also a woman who was ahead of her times. The film not only showcases Shakuntala Devi, the math wizard, it is also about Shakuntala  the woman and mother, with all her brilliance, vulnerabilities and flaws. The movie releases on Amazon Prime Video on 31st July 2020.

Vidya Balans says, Music is such an integral part of storytelling in our films and Sachin-Jigar have managed to capture the essence of Shakuntala beautifully through their music...while Priya & Vayus embellish it with simple but joyful lyrics ... And thankfully, the Zee music reach ensures that everyone will hear this lovely music.

Through Shakuntala Devi, popular music composer duo Sachin-Jigar bring a mixed bag of songs for their listeners, blend into a single versatile album. On one hand, we have Jhilmil Piya a romantic jazz song with a retro touch, on the other hand we have Pass Nahi Toh Fail Nahi a foot-tapping funky math song. The album also includes Rani Hindustani a song that celebrates Shakuntala Devis journey to fame and Paheli, which isnt just a song but an experience that every mother-daughter will relate to. In short, the songs in the album strikes a chord with almost everyone.

Sachin Jigars quote: "It's been an absolute privilege working on this project, the life of Shakuntala Devi, as we all know, is an inspiration to so many and Vidya playing the character was just the right kick we needed to get started. Anu, Shikhaa, Vikram and us have had a blast working on this soundtrack, we have made songs across different time periods in the script, we have a super peppy retro dance number, an emotional song from a daughter for the mother, a song for the kids and a lovely jazzy/bolly romantic song. Priya and Vayu have written some amazing lyrics for our tunes and the absolute clarity with which Anu and our friends at Abundantia, we have achieved something different yet catchy at the same time. Can't wait for the release anymore."

Vivek Krishnani, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Films India says, "Music has the ability to connect and build memories especially when its connected to a film. Sachin-Jigar and his team have brought to life brilliant music that fits the narrative and also evokes emotions. We are glad to partner with Zee Music for this film and I am positive that their dedicated team who are extremely passionate about music will ensure that Indian audiences across the world will get to enjoy the lovely melodies which will help in building appeal for the film.

Vikram Malhotra, Producer and CEO - Abundantia Entertainment Pvt Ltd. adds, Music is an integral part of the Shakunatala Devi story. From the very concept, Anu Menons vision was to represent the indomitable spirit and energy of the genius through music and lyrics. From Shakunatala Devis ability to make maths fun for kids to her transformation, love life and relationship with her daughter, Sachin - Jigar have beautifully captured the journey of the film. Evocative lyrics by Priya Saraiya and Vayu and amazing renditions by Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Monali Thakur and Benny Dayal have truly made this a complete album and Im confident that the album will help connect the film at even deeper level with its audience.

Commenting on the launch of Shakuntala, which marks the launch of a multi-film partnership between Zee Music and Sony Pictures, Anurag Bedi, Business Head, Zee Music Company said, We are very excited to partner on Shakuntala Devi with music composer duo Sachin-Jigar, our last collaboration being Gold in 2018. Sachin-Jigars compositions are a unique offering of chartbuster hits and leave a mark on the listeners hearts. Their distinctive style is nothing short of a musical storytelling which will create an audio-visual experience like no other for music-lovers.

Zee Music Company recently crossed yet another milestone by completing 6 years amidst the dynamic landscape of the Indian music industry. Right from its inception in 2014, the music label has carved its niche to succeed as one of the top music publishers in India, publishing over 1,000 songs every year.
Dozens of people are facing $1000 fines after police broke up a boozy house party in Sydney's north-west on Saturday night.

More than 60 people were partying at the house at Nottingham Street in Schofields when police arrived just before midnight following a noise complaint. The maximum number of guests allowed at a home is 20 people under the Public Health Order.

A screenshot of a neighbour's video footage shows police rounding up rowdy partygoers.

A large police presence attended the party with a helicopter, the dog squad and officers from six local area commands called in. The party was hosted at a holiday rental property booked through Airbnb.

A 15-person brawl broke out inside the house when police arrived, with many of the guests intoxicated. Police officers used pepper spray to disperse the drunken crowd and some attempted to flee on foot.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday lashed out at the Congress and demanded to know if the phones of state leaders in Rajasthan are being tapped amid an alleged conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.

The party also demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations made by the Congress in Rajasthan it has audio tapes to prove that the BJP was in collusion with rebel Congress leaders to bring down the Gehlot government.

Is phone tapping not a legal issue? Were the standard procedures laid down followed for phone tapping? The chief minister should answer if the state machinery was misused and if there is a veiled emergency in the state, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said during a press conference.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had briefed the media on Friday about the existence of tapes where BJP leaders including Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat can be heard conspiring with rebel MLAs from the Sachin Pilot camp to topple the state government.

Surjewalas allegations were refuted by the BJP as well as Shekhawat, who asserted that the voice on the purported tapes was not his.

Patra alleged that there is a conspiracy within the Congress party and the blame is being pinned on the BJP.

Our morality is crystal clear and we work as per the Constitution. Which is why we want a CBI probe, Patra said.

These are serious questions that we want to ask the Rajasthan Congress and Ashok Gehlot, the BJP tweeted as well.

1. Was phone taping done? The Congress govt in Rajasthan must answer. 2. Is it not a sensitive and legal issue, if phone taping has been done? 3. Assuming that youve taped phones, was the SOP followed? The people of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised. 4. Did the Congress govt in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered? 5. Is phone of any person who is related to politics is being tapped? it asked.

Rajasthan polices Special Operations Group (SOG) on Friday registered two first information reports (FIRs) alleging a conspiracy to topple the Congress government in the state.

The FIRs came the partys chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a complaint on Thursday night citing three audio tapes, purportedly of conversations detailing the plot.

Soon after the FIRs were registered -- with several charges including sedition -- the Congress demanded the arrest of Union water minister Shekhawat, rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, and alleged middleman Sanjay Jain.

The Congress also suspended Sharma and former tourism minister Vishvendra Singh from the party and sought an explanation about the tapes.

HT could not independently verify the veracity of the tapes. The tapes were shared with media persons over WhatsApp from unverified numbers.

The FIR and the charges come in the middle of a raging political battle in the state between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

By Asif Mehman - Trend:

In general, relative calm has been observed in the Tovuz district direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border on the night of 17-18 July despite remaining tension, Head of the press office of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry, Colonel Vagif Dargahli told Trend on July 18.

The ceasefire on the line of contact was occasionally violated by units of the Armenian armed forces, and their attempts were resolutely suppressed by Azerbaijani army units, Dargahli added.

He said that for the purpose of provocation, the Armenian armed forces purposefully hide their firing points near or behind their civilian objects.

"Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani army struck only at the forces military targets. The firing points, from which Armenian armed forces deliberately attacked Azerbaijani villages, civilians and civilian objects, were suppressed by the precise fire of our units," Dargahli stressed.

He said that during the recent clashes, the Azerbaijani army used only a small portion of the available weapons, which are operated with high precision using modern information technologies and have destructive power over large areas. But that's not all.

"The available videos clearly show how accurately our troops destroyed positions, military facilities, military equipment, manpower and warehouses of the Armenian armed forces during the recent battles, testifying to the combat effectiveness, military potential and professionalism of the Azerbaijani army personnel," he noted.

I declare with confidence that the high fighting spirit of the personnel of our army, the modern weapons and military equipment in the army's arsenal, designed to conduct battles and ensure our security, will fully predetermine our victory," Dargahli concluded.

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 armed forces were silenced.

Azerbaijan lost sergeant Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov, who died repelling the attack. Another serviceman of Azerbaijan's army Khayyam Dashdemirov died from wounds, despite the doctors' efforts.

The tensions continued on the border, July 12-13 night. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, vehicles, as well as killed Armenian servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit.

Azerbaijani senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles.

The battles continued on the night of July 13-14. Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzoyev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, Ensign Ilgar Zeynalli, Ensign Yashar Babayev and soldier Elchin Mustafazade became martyrs during the battles.

As a result of artillery shelling by the Armenian armed forces of the village of Agdam, Tovuz district, on July 14, the village resident, civilian, 76-years-old Aziz Azizov was killed.

The battles continued on July 16, as one more serviceman of Azerbaijani army - Nazim Ismayilov -was also 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 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.
I was commiserating with a fellow writer recently when a sub-editor 'corrected' and thus ruined a beautiful column he'd crafted based on a highly nuanced historical reference. We ruefully swapped stories of such humiliations.

My worst experience was inflicted by a headline writer of the 'Evening Herald'.

I had suffered an ignominious departure from the illustrious 'Irish Times' (but not so illustrious to prevent a sub-editor there once inserting into a column that my home village of Enfield was in Westmeath, instead of Meath, as if I didn't know where I lived).

After a suitable period of penance, I was granted a spot in the 'Herald'.

All was going well until Seamus Heaney upped and died.

I wrote a charming meditation in which I admitted that, like most people, I wasn't given to reading poetry much.

Since Heaney wasn't on the school curriculum during my time - the point at which most of us are exposed to poetry - I hadn't read his work and was chiefly acquainted with it through his high quotation frequency by politicians.

This might seem an odd angle to approach the subject of his death; but then, always with a mind to a good narrative, I added a major plot twist.

I'd had the good fortune to attend a function at which both Bill Clinton and Heaney were present.

With Clinton it's all about the sex, and one forgets about the intellect. In an amazing speech, he talked about Heaney's 'The Cure at Troy', from which the over-quoted "hope and history rhyme" line comes.

Clinton explained the story in a way that completely captivated me. He focused on the line, "It was a fortunate wind that blew me here", declaimed by Philoctetes, the wounded soldier finally escaping the island on which he'd been betrayed and marooned for many years. His point being that suffering brings growth.

The moral of my story was that while most of us are at home watching telly and not reading poetry, Clinton was so moving that I resolved to reform and read 'The Cure at Troy'.

Which I thought was a rather optimistic and encouraging fable.

One night when I was at home watching telly, and not reading poetry, a friend texted me: "What on earth have you said about Seamus Heaney?"

Apparently I was trending on Twitter.

I grabbed the laptop, terrified.

The article had been published online with the headline; "I've never read a Seamus Heaney poem and does it really matter anyway?"

Which was the opposite of the point I'd made! Needless to say, no one was reading the actual column. The headline was enough for the mob to conclude I was a moron.

I reacted as I always do to such disasters by having a total meltdown.

In polite hysterics, I rang the digital fellas at the paper and explained the disaster. Nothing could be done about the print edition but they could change it online.

The chap who took my call promised to take care of it, so I had a glass of wine and passed out distraught that strangers were hating me unfairly.

When I came to the next morning, I checked the website.

To be fair, the headline was much better.

It now read "How Bill Clinton turned me on to Seamus Heaney". Except the way it was laid out, what you read first was "How Bill Clinton turned me on" beside my smiling photograph.

I'd gone from literary ignoramus to bimbo.

I didn't complain again, because I had a flashback to the night of the speech.

When Clinton was preparing to leave the venue, another woman and I sprinted down a corridor, threw ourselves in front of him so we could shake hands and breathlessly gush "Hello Mr President" with eyes that pleaded "Take me Bill, take me". I had disgraced myself.

My sins never go unpunished, so I soldiered on, suffering my shame.

Several weeks later, I was in Newstalk to present my radio show, and most unusually there was a letter for me. It was a beautifully embossed envelope from the "Office of William Jefferson Clinton".

Dubiously I open it and I swear to God, it was a personal note from Bill thanking me for my lovely column.

I immediately presumed this was a hoax. After all, I once received an email from Fintan O'Toole praising my columns. That seemed unlikely and sure enough it was a fake. My terror in the face of potentially nice things is what a therapist once told me is "learned anxiety"; which means they really are all out to get me.

But my colleagues examined the Clinton letter, declared it authentic and I began to believe. This was now the high point of my career! Bill Clinton had sent me a personal letter praising my column!

Aha Twitter mobs! I win!

Naturally, I emailed my editor at the 'Herald' to let him know of this momentous event.

Then I get a call from a reporter who wanted a copy of the letter so they could write a story about it. Except there was one problem.

Clinton had praised my "article in 'The Irish Times'". I guess his file on me hadn't been updated with my change of employment.

Therefore, my finest moment of acknowledgement cannot be publicised; because it's not just the wrong paper, it's the paper I'd left under a black cloud.

This is very on-brand for me - the stories that show me in the best light are unusable.

Everyone said I should frame the letter but I never did. I put it in a book, I can't remember which, for safekeeping.

I'm still privately pleased Bill Clinton praised my column, but the unfortunate typo rather spoils it. I regretfully considered that had Clinton a good sub-editor, they might have picked up the error.

I'm allowing myself to lose the letter but perhaps one day, after I'm dead, my children will find it and proudly frame it instead.

The thing is though, Bill did inspire me to read 'The Cure at Troy'. I love it so much I keep it in my bag to enjoy at random moments. I read other poets too now, especially WH Auden, and often at night I'll sit at home reading poetry instead of watching telly.

So Bill Clinton didn't just send me a letter; he gave me a far greater gift that brings me immense comfort.

Who knows, one day I might meet him again, behave with better decorum and talk about the fortunate winds that blew us here.
The White House has suddenly moved two portraits of President Donald Trump's predecessors from their prominent positions in the entrance hall to the home.

Official portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were taken down and replaced in recent days.

In the past, the pictures of the most recent occupiers of the residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been given pride of place and hung in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

The White House has moved official portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to a room where both President Trump and any visitors won't see them

A portrait of former U.S. President Bill Clinton is seen hanging in the Grand Foyer of the White House. Pictured here in December 2014

The pictures were last seen during a news conference on July 8th when the Mexican president came to visit. Former President Bill Clinton's portrait can be seen here

Portrait of Bill Clinton in the Entrance Hall of the White House in Washington, D.C.

It is tradition for those who were last in the Oval Office to be placed closest to the entrance way to the home, within eyeshot of all those who visit, according to CNN.

The spots occupied by Bush and Clinton have been taken over by two portraits of Republican presidents who served more than 100 years.

The pair of presidential paintings has been moved to the Old Family Dining Room, a small room off the grand State Dining Room, that is used to store unused tablecloths and furniture.

The room is so insignificant, it was not part of any public tours of the residence that were given before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

The portraits have now been moved to the Family Dining, seen circled, top left. The room is rarely used and is not tours of the White House. It has recently been used for storage

A long-held tradition has been observed for decades whereby the current residence of the White House honors their predecessor with an unveiling of their portrait. Pictured, Obama hosting former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush in 2012

The portraits of Bush and Clinton were last seen earlier this month during a recent engagement when President Trump welcomed Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

At the two stood in the Cross Hall area of the home and made respective remarks the portraits could be seen looking on.

The paintings would also have been visible to Trump each day as he walked down the staircase from his private residence.

Bush's portrait has been replaced by America's 25th president, William McKinley, while the Clinton portrait has been replaced by Theodore Roosevelt who served after McKinley.

In May it was revealed that Barack and Michelle Obama's presidential and first lady portraits will not be unveiled and hung in the White House until Donald Trump is out of office.

The long-held tradition of current presidents attending the unveiling ceremony of the portraits of their predecessors and their wives during their first term will be skipped during this presidency due to a bitter feud between Trump and Obama.

Donald Trump and Barack Obama have no interest in participating in the long-held tradition of previous presidents returning to meet with the current president in a ceremony to unveil their presidential portraits

If Trump wins a second term in November, it means Obama may have to wait until 2025 to have his portrait revealed and displayed in the White House among every U.S. president before him.

The tradition of previous presidents returning to the White House to meet with their successor to unveil their portraits seems to span back to the 1970s

Jimmy Carter welcomed Gerald Ford and his wife Betty back to the White House just four years after Carter had defeated Ford in his reelection bid for the first formal East Room ceremony in 1980.

And after George H. W. Bush lost reelection, Bill Clinton still hosted Bush in the East Room, saying 'Welcome home.'

'We may have our differences politically, but the presidency transcends those differences,' Obama said when he hosted former President George W. Bush for his portrait unveiling in 2012.
A nurse in the COVID-19 unit of MedStar St. Mary's Hospital check the fit of protective equipment before entering a patient's room in Leonardtown, Md., on March 24, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Consumer Groups Urge Lawmakers Against Shielding Health Care Providers From CCP Virus Lawsuits

A group of over 60 consumer watchdog groups and unions sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday, urging them to oppose legislation that protects healthcare providers from lawsuits related to COVID 19, the disease the CCP virus causes.

The undersigned organizations strongly urge you to oppose H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, the letter stated. We understand that the stated impetus for this legislation is to support front-line health care workers. However, this bill creates the potential for extreme harm to patients, and could have lethal consequences for many, the letter continued.

The Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which was introduced in late May, aims to protect health care providers who act in good faith and abide by government guidelines from lawsuits while caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authors of the bipartisan bill say it maintains basic protections for patients hurt as a result of gross negligence or misconduct and allows them to still sue.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended health care delivery across the country. Health care providers have gone above and beyond to meet whatever challenges theyve faced, but now we owe it to them to ensure they are protected from frivolous litigation, said Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) in a statement.

Meanwhile, the watchdog groups argue that there is no need for the new legislation because there are pre-existing laws that protect providers from such lawsuits.

Our current legal system already provides that protection, while also helping ensure that the health care system has effective incentives to place a priority on patient safety and health, the letter stated.

The letter highlights the fact that of the 140,000 people who have died from COVID 19, only 40 lawsuits related to the virus have been filed and those are mostly against nursing homes.

A visitor talks with a nurse through a window at the Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward, Calif., on April 14, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The consumer advocacy groups argue that the liability protection bill is too broad and protects nursing homes, which they believe should not be protected because it leaves the families of nursing home victims without any legal recourse.

Organizations that advocate on behalf of nursing home residents expressed strong opposition to giving immunity to nursing homes that were negligent in the care they provided to nursing home residents, the watchdog letter states. The nursing home industry has long and actively fought federal pandemic preparedness requirements, even lobbying against such rules before the current administration, it continues.

The letter goes on to say that there are other areas of the bill that are too broad and offer providers protection from non-COVID 19 related liability, including that the bill also would grant immunity to providers and entities that violate medical standards of care if they can point to staffing or resource limitations.

Meanwhile, the American Medical Association (AMA) has endorsed the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, saying it will protect providers who risk their lives every day to care for COVID-19 patients.

These health care professionals now face the threat of years of costly litigation due to circumstances that are beyond their control. We commend Reps. Roe and Correa for recognizing that reasonable liability protections are in the best interest of our country as we continue to combat COVID-19 and begin to recover from this pandemic, said Patrice A. Harris, M.D, president of the AMA, a national physicians advocacy organization.

The letter opposing the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, included AFL-CIO, the Coalition of Labor Union Women, Consumer Reports, Consumer Action, National Womens Law Center, Consumer Watchdog, and United Steelworkers.
THE DESERT WEST OF NAJAF  There are no signs to signal the way to the New Valley of Peace, or, as the Iraqis call it, the Corona cemetery. But its not hard to find: Just follow the cars. Its the only place they are headed on the rough desert road.

Ground was broken on this cemetery in southern Iraq four months ago, and already there are more than 3,200 graves. The backhoes work every night to make new furrows in the sandy soil.

We are waiting for our mother, said Ali Radhi, 49, from Nasiriya as he stood by his car at the cemeterys gate in the blazing summer sun earlier this month, when midafternoon temperatures hit 115 degrees. She died two days ago, but now with corona, we cannot bring her. We have to wait for the ambulance to carry her.

There are some rituals we should be doing, but with corona we cannot even touch her body and we did not hold a funeral, he added softly, staring up the road as if willing the ambulance carrying his mothers body to appear on the horizon.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

On July 18, at the initiative of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, a phone conversation was held with the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, Trend reports citing Azerbaijans Defense Ministry.

During the phone conversation, the parties emphasized the successful development of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, which is based on friendship, mutual trust, and good-neighborly relations.

The ministers, noting the high level of military cooperation between the two countries, discussed the prospects for the development of military and military-technical cooperation.

The ministers also held a broad exchange of views on regional security issues, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

During the telephone conversation, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu has informed Colonel General Zakir Hasanov about the sudden checks of the combat readiness of the Russian Armed Forces.

Sergei Shoigu emphasized that this event is planned and has nothing to do with the events that happened on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey

REUTERS/Anushree Fadnav

Elon Musk wants to give you free bitcoin  at least, that's what his Twitter account said on Wednesday.

Don't trust him.

The Tesla founder's account was one of numerous high-profile accounts on the social network that were compromised as part of a remarkable, far-reaching hack that attempted to scam people into sending payments in the bitcoin digital currency.

The hack underscored the vulnerability of social media services like Twitter, which are used by world leaders and government agencies to communicate with the public. The breach was so serious that Twitter was forced to briefly disable all tweeting from verified accounts on Wednesday.

The FBI has launched an investigation into the incident and Congress wants answers from Twitter's management.

As of writing on Friday afternoon, here what we do and don't know about what happened.

Who's been hacked?

Lots of famous people. And some companies.

Joe Biden, Jeff Bezos, Apple's official account, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Uber, Wiz Khalifa, Floyd Mayweather, Cash App, MrBeast, XXXTentacion, parody account TheTweetOfGod ... the list goes on and on.

The hackers targeted high-profile accounts that had the potential to spread the scam as far as possible.

130 accounts were targeted, Twitter said in a statement on Thursday, though not all of them were compromised.

How did they get hacked?

The hackers got access to Twitter's internal tools, then used them to wreak havoc.

Late Wednesday evening, Twitter said it had uncovered "what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools." Those with access to those tools, "ostensibly Twitter employees," have the ability to reset email addresses associated with accounts, as TechCrunch reported.

What do the hacked messages look like?

Story continues

Like this:

No, Obama is not going to give you free bitcoin.

BI

What steps has Twitter taken in response?

As the hack escalated, Twitter took the unprecedented step on Wednesday of blocking all verified accounts from tweeting temporarily, as it worked to secure its services.

It has also locked the affected accounts until their owners can satisfactorily identify themselves and take back control. Its data download feature has also been temporarily disabled.

"We have also been taking aggressive steps to secure our systems while our investigations are ongoing," Twitter said on Thursday. "We're still in the process of assessing longer-term steps that we may take and will share more details as soon as we can."

CEO Jack Dorsey also chimed in on the incident in a tweet on Wednesday evening, calling it a "tough day for us at Twitter." He wrote: "We all feel terrible this happened. We're diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened."

What's the scam?

Generally, the compromised accounts posted a tweet saying they're feeling generous (or some other similar motivation), and falsely claiming that if people send them bitcoin to their address, they'll resend them double back.

Should I send them bitcoin?

No.

Who's behind the hack?

The identity of the hacker(s) are still unknown, but more details are slowly coming to light.

In a New York Times report on Friday, individuals who claimed to be involved alleged that a figure going by the name "Kirk" first gained access to the internal Twitter tools and then told others about it. He is purported to have obtained login details to the tools from an internal Twitter Slack channel he gained access to.

"Kirk" began by selling access to coveted "OG" usernames, before things escalated to the bitcoin scam that attracted international attention.

Were any countries involved?

People are not currently suggesting that the hack was the work of a nation state, as some previous attacks on tech companies and digital infrastructure have been. Well-respected cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs reported that at least one of the figures involved may have been a 21-year-old man from Liverpool, England  though there has yet to be any official confirmation, arrests, or attribution from Twitter or other authorities.

What was the fallout?

A lot of people are demanding answers.

The FBI is investigating, as is New York state, and Congress wants a briefing from Twitter about what went down. Meanwhile, the company is still trying to understand the full extent of the damage, and repair user trust that was damaged by the most extensive (known) hack in its history.

Got a tip? Contact Business Insider reporter Rob Price via encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 650-636-6268), encrypted email (robaeprice@protonmail.com), standard email (rprice@businessinsider.com), Telegram/Wickr/WeChat (robaeprice), or Twitter DM (@robaeprice). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by standard email only, please.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Turkey sent a plane of medical aid to Venezuela on Thursday. Ankara sends COVID-19 aid to many countries around the world, but the Venezuela delivery is significant due to the South American nations hostile relationship with the United States.

The delivery sought to help Venezuela fight the coronavirus pandemic, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Pictures of the delivery tweeted by Turkeys Ministry of National Defense showed boxes with a quote about hope from the Persian-language mystic poet Rumi in Turkish and Spanish.

Turkey is active in delivering coronavirus-related aid to countries around the world. Turkey is one of only 11 countries to send aid directly to countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Turkey also distributed hygiene kits to Tanzania, Anadolu reported today.

The US sanctions the Venezuelan government and supports an opposition government there. In May, a State Department official told Al-Monitor the United States was pressuring companies to stop doing business with Venezuelas state oil company amid Iranian fuel deliveries there. Iran, an ally of Caracas also sanctioned by the United States, has continued various aid shipments to Venezuela despite vocal opposition from the United States.

Anadolu described Venezuelas economy as crippled by US sanctions.

Washington is not opposed to assistance to Venezuela like that Turkey provided. A State Department spokesperson told Al-Monitor that in general, US sanctions on Venezuela exempt medicine, food, clothing and the like. A June report from the Congressional Research Service also noted exemptions to US sanctions on Venezuela for humanitarian assistance, including medicine.


Woods Square will transform the business skyline in the northern part of Singapore

Many companies aiming to capture a bigger pool of clients and customers are setting up shop at Woods Square, located in the vibrant Woodlands centre and close to Johor in Malaysia. An integrated commercial development with retail, F&B and a childcare centre, Woods Square sits squarely in the heart of Woodlands Regional Centre. Under the Northern Gateway blueprint in URAs Master Plan 2019, the region promises to be a new transformative hive of commercial activities including a new agri-tech hub.



Key tenants

Anchor tenants at Woods Square include Qiren Organisation (SP - Qiren, an authorised representative of AIA Singapore) Anytime Fitness, Far East Organization, Superland Pre-School and The Write Connection.

Qiren Organisation (SP - Qiren, an authorised representative of AIA Singapore) will be taking up approximately 36,000 sq ft of space spread over 1 floors at Woods Square for its latest satellite office, which it has named Woods Valley. The insurance giant views Woods Square as an attractive location given its centrality within Woodlands Regional Centre, and proximity to Yishun and Sembawang in the North, as well as Punggol and Sengkang in the Northeast region. This enables representatives of AIA Singapore to reach out and serve a larger pool of customers.

With Woodlands Regional Centre poised to be the largest economic hub in the North, coupled with the fact that the population is bigger than in other estates, being located at Woods Square brings greater convenience, says Qiren Organisation (SP - Qiren, an authorised representative of AIA Singapore, Reg. No. 201106386R).

Having office, retail and other amenities, including a childcare centre within an integrated development, enables us to engage in direct outreach marketing activities with our key customer segments, and to achieve our objective of being the insurance provider for families, adds Qiren Organisation. Our commitment has always been to ensure that people and their families are adequately protected.

Story continues

Far East Organization is another major occupier at Woods Square, taking up about 73,200 sq ft of space spread over three floors within Tower2. The space will feature modern workplace facilities such as open collaborative areas that encourage creativity and teamwork, and an on-site cafe.

Woods Square will see Far East Organizations satellite operations housed under one roof for the first time. This is the first time that our satellite offices are located within one location. Coupled with our digital transformational undertaking, it will drive better collaboration and improve our efficiency, which in turn, will enhance our ability to support and serve our customers better. In addition, as a value-add to our Woods Square owners and tenants, we have also carved out a range of meeting facilities for them to access for a nominal fee, says Cheryl Huan, Far East Organizations Chief Operating Officer for the Sales and Leasing Group.

Superland Pre-School will be setting up an infant and childcare centre that can accommodate up to 100 children between the ages of two months and six years at Woods Square. Woodlands is a new target market for our pre-school, says a company spokesperson. We chose Woods Square for its excellent location and its positioning as a major hub in the North.

Woods Squares connectivity to Woodlands MRT Station and Bus Interchange allows Superland to tap a new and growing catchment area. Being right in the centre of such an important hub will definitely increase the demand for our services, adds the company spokesperson. Overall, it would help us to provide an even better level of service to our customers.

Anytime Fitness will be another occupier at Woods Square. We are very excited to be part of this bustling neighbourhood and to have the opportunity to influence a healthy lifestyle through fitness and wellness in the Woodlands community, says a company spokesperson. As a leading brand in the industry, Anytime Fitness provides members with a safe, clean and fun environment for them to work out 24/7.

Our gyms are designed to be convenient, affordable and accessible so that members continue to be motivated in their lifelong fitness journey, adds the company spokesperson.

These established companies see the potential of Woodlands as the next growth hub, especially with HDB planning to launch another 2,110 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats in August.

Catering to the needs of residents and the office population, Woods Square has a wide range of retail and F&B outlets such as Eu Yang San TCM Clinic, Fun Toast, Glance Optical, Ji De Chi Dessert, Saizeriya, Sanook Kitchen and Swee Heng 1989 Classic.



Verdant spaces and linkways that foster communal interaction

Connectivity

Connecting key locations in both Singapore and Johor Bahru, the Woodlands Regional Centre is expected to serve as the strategic domestic centre for the Northern Agri-Tech and Food Corridor. The centre will bring together various elements to form a larger ecosystem that comprises the future Agri-Food Innovation Park replete with modern high-tech farms, and the Senoko Food Zone that will cater to the food-related industry and businesses.

Woods Square has sheltered access to the Woodlands MRT Station, which is positioned as the intersection of the North-South Line (NSL) and Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). Scheduled to be fully operational by 2024, the TEL will provide a faster commute from the North to the CBD and Orchard Road.

For those who drive, Woods Square is accessible to major expressways such as the Seletar Expressway, Bukit Timah Expressway and the new North-South Corridor, which eases traffic flows and cuts travel time to the city by half an hour.



Woods Square has sheltered access to the Woodlands MRT Station, which is positioned as the intersection of the North-South Line and Thomson-East Coast Line

Only Grade A-like offices in the North

In all, there are four towers in Woods Square  Tower1 & 2 and SOLO 1 & 2. The 365 office units in Tower1, with floor-to-floor heights of 4.2m, are for sale. Tower 2 is set aside for lease with Far East Organization as an anchor tenant. Currently, 62% of the 208 office units launched for sale have been sold. Flexible office spaces range from 549 to 9,849 sq ft which can be amalgamated to up to 20,000 sq ft. In the wake of Covid-19 safe management measures, they are ideal for satellite offices and for business continuity plans.

To address the growing demand for smaller and compact office spaces, Woods Square also offers Small Office Loft Office (SOLO) units for sale. There are 101 such strata-titled SOLO units with sizes ranging from 495 to 1,800 sq ft, and 5m floorto- floor height with furniture platform provided.



To address the growing demand for smaller and compact office spaces, Woods Square also offers Small Office Loft Office (SOLO) units for sale

Many have witnessed the respective success of Tampines and Jurong regional centres in the East and West, where the once-residential towns were transformed into thriving centres of commerce. As the next regional centre developed by URA, Woodlands, with the added advantage of proximity to Malaysia, looks set to follow in the footsteps of its successful predecessors.

Prices start from $1.04 million for a 560 sq ft office unit and $1.43 million for a 721 sq ft SOLO unit.

Buyers and sellers of commercial property enjoy exemption for additional buyers stamp duty or sellers stamp duty, which is a good bonus for companies looking to purchase their own office space and investors. There is currently a 4% per annum rental guarantee for three years for selected units, a good consideration for investors who want to enjoy guaranteed rental for a locked-in period.

The office spaces are also available for lease.

To make an appointment to view the office units or for a personalised virtual tour from the comfort of your home: call 65348000 or WhatsApp 97122344. Please refer to www.fareast.com.sg/woodssquare for more information.

The joint developers of Woods Square are among the leading organisations in real estate development and management in the Asia-Pacific region. Sekisui House is the leading housing company in Japan, headquartered in Osaka; Far East Orchard has a diversified property investment portfolio, as well as owns and manages an extensive range of hospitality assets; and Far East Organization is Singapores biggest private property developer

This article appeared in The EdgeProp Pullout Issue 942 (Jul 20, 2020) of The Edge Singapore.

See Also:






Ireland's biggest music and arts festival, Electric Picnic, was one of the many summer season to fall foul of the global coronavirus pandemic - but there's some light on the horizon for revellers as the festival's organisers expect to be back in full force next summer.

Melvin Benn, MD of Festival Republic whose stable include Electric Picnic and other high-profile UK festivals such as Download and Wireless, has said he is "incredibly optimistic" about the 2021 European festival season going ahead even if a Covid-19 vaccine is not ready in time.

Festival Republic's "plan A" is that festival-goers would be immunised by a coronavirus vaccine prior to next year's festival season, while there's also the possibility that a test-and-trace system could be utilised should the vaccine not be ready in time.

I take great confidence in the fact that test and trace is a plan B for me, explained Mr Benn in an interview with IQ Magazine. I dont think we could have imagined the unity the scientific community has showed in working together to find a vaccine against this disease.

While it is expected that a vaccine will be available before next summer, Benn says the European festival market is in a really good position should they have to turn to a test-and-trace system.

Im already getting companies contacting me and offering tests that are incredibly reliable, and can be done in a short amount of time, he said.

At the moment [in July] theyre too expensive  but given that they didnt even exist in March, I assure you that by the time April or May comes around next year, therell be a testing company on every street corner and it will be relatively inexpensive.

Festival Republic has staged two virtual festivals this summer, Download TV and Wireless Connect, and while Benn hopes they can build on that in future, ultimately he said his definition of a successful year is having fans in a field.
In her autobiography, Karen Kain tells the story of how Celia Franca, founding artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada, auditioned across Europe to find a dancer tall and strong enough to partner her five-foot-seven inch, teenage discovery from Hamilton.

That, in a nutshell, is how Hazaros (Laszlo) Surmeyan, a Yugoslav dancer based in Germany, came to Toronto at $175 a week, eventually pulling on the princes tights on the afternoon of Jan. 16, 1971 when Kain made her debut as the swan queen in Swan Lake on the stage of Frank Lloyd Wrights Grady Gramage Auditorium in Tempe, Arizona.

Laszlo was wonderful, she wrote. Whenever my legs buckled hed sweep me off my feet into a lift and pretended it was the choreography. He literally carried me through much of the last act, shielding me from major humiliation.

Surmeyan hasnt forgotten that afternoon, either, or the many other afternoons and evenings on which he danced the lead male roles before becoming, in 1986, one of the companys first principal character artists.

This season has marked his farewell to the company after a remarkable 54 years, a record almost as remarkable as that of his wife, Lorna Geddes, who is also leaving this season, after 60 years.

It was never my aspiration to become a ballerina, she laughs, and I achieved my goal. I never became a ballerina.

Admitted to the hard-working corps de ballet at 16 (although she had already danced with it at 15) she quickly established a reputation for versatility, often appearing in multiple roles in the same ballet.

I had six different roles in Sleeping Beauty, she recalls proudly, doing quick costume changes in the wings between them.

Sleeping Beauty was, of course, a vehicle for the Sol Hurok-managed tours of North America starring Rudolf Nureyev, responsible for dramatically raising the companys level of recognition. In one 15 month period during 1971-72 we did 107 Swan Lakes, 68 Sleeping Beauties and 48 La Sylphides, with Nureyev appearing in most of them,

He was tough, swearing at us in Russian from the wings, she admits, but he was an inspiration, Nobody had charisma like him.

And it was after touring with Nureyev that the dancers all bought houses, Surmeyan laughs. We finally had enough money for a down payment.

Remembering how Celia Franca was criticized for turning the National Ballet into a superstars backup (I wrote in The Star that it had become the parsley round the salmon of Rudolf Nureyev), Surmeyan insists that she always knew what she was doing and what was best for her company.

Geddes agrees: Franca was tough but I always thought she was fair. And even in the early years she brought major choreographers to work with us, like Antony Tudor and John Cranko. Cranko did all the parts himself when he taught us Pineapple Poll.

Favourite choreographers? Both dancers have fond words for Canadas James Kudelka, although Surmeyan also remembers his black sense of humour: He once had me going through the entire ballet carrying a plant.

Character roles require skills different from those of a principal dancer, of course. For Surmeyan they often involved not only learning the choreography but talking with the choreographer and finding ways to personize his dancing. It is not enough, he says, to do the steps. You have to make them your own.

Exhausting though they often were, both dancers miss the old bus tours that took them across the continent. We didnt need to go to Paris to know how good we were, Geddes suggests. Besides, they gave her the chance to pick up Agatha Christie mysteries left on the seats by her fellow dancers, while her spouse was sitting at the back making ship models.

Not that going to Paris, London and New York didnt matter. To a ballet companys reputation they matter a great deal. But to Geddes and Surmeyan the joy came from the dancing, wherever they were.

I wouldnt change my career, Surmeyan says. And with my big nose and ears it was easy to move into character roles.

It also made for a longer career. With all the leaping and lifting, a principal male dancer seldom outlasts his forties. When Nureyev last appeared on stage he was an exceptional 54.

The problem for a classical ballet company in casting character roles is that the dancers often wind up looking too young. That hasnt been a problem for the National Ballet of Canada where Lorna Geddes and Laszlo Surmeyan are concerned. Their collective length of service adds up to 114 years.
By Os Hillman Jul. 17, 2020 | 11:23 PM | PADUCAH

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13What might God want to accomplish through you in your lifetime? As a workplace believer, you may yet have your greatest contribution to society. Such was the case of Cyrus McCormick, born in 1809.Raised on a farm by an inventor father, Cyrus McCormick sought to invent a mechanical reaper to harvest wheat. His fathers attempts at inventing a successful machine had failed until Cyrus, at 22, created one that worked. McCormick had to overcome many setbacks including the loss of his patent 14 years after his first invention. This opened up competition. Then, in 1837 he went bankrupt due to the bank panic of 1837. However, these setbacks did not prevent McCormick from achieving his goals.He expanded his market by trying to sell his machine to European farmers in 1851. A long series of honors compensated for the lack of recognition and praise from his American compatriots. By 1856, he was not only a world figure but his factory produced more than 4,000 reapers a year.McCormick was a committed believer. He lived during the time of D.L. Moody and gave $10,000 to Moody to start the Chicago YMCA in 1869. That building burned along with his Chicago factory in 1871. By this time, McCormick was over 60 and wealthy enough to retire. Before his death in 1884, he had given $100,000 to help open Moody Bible Institute. His son, Cyrus Jr., was to become the first chairman of the schools board. Cyrus McCormick was a devoted Christian who passed his faith on to his son who later met up with J. Pierpoint Morgan to become the first president of a combined reaper firm, the famed International Harvester Corporation. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 328-331.]What might God want to accomplish through your life? Surely you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

On the Net:
Gangster Vikas Dubey had escaped from police custody after he and some of his men were arrested in Shivli area of Kanpur Dehat, way back in 1998.

Dubeys escape was aided by a crowd that outnumbered the policemen, who were taking him to the police station, reveals an old FIR, a copy of which is in HTs possession.

The police had arrested him in two cases of attempt to murder and violence from Bikru village, which then fell under Shivli police station.

According to the FIR filed by senior sub inspector Brijendra Singh on May 9, 1998, the crowd surrounded the police jeep and freed accused Vikas Dubey and Deepu Dubey. The two accused also assaulted the policemen with the assistance of the crowd before escaping, it claimed.

The FIR noted that policemen suffered injuries and their uniforms were torn. Singh had commented that Vikas Dubey was pradhan (head) of the village and people feared him so much that no one could muster courage to testify against him.

The FIR was found during the ongoing investigation into the past of the now slain gangster, who, it seems, had a history of murderous assaults on the police. IG Kanpur range Mohit Agarwal said the current status of this case in the court was being looked into.

Vikas Dubey was killed on the morning of July 10, while he allegedly tried to escape from police custody, while being brought back to Kanpur from Ujjain. The dreaded gangster was nabbed while on the run after plotting a deadly ambush of eight policemen on July 3 near his house.
MICHIGAN  Michigan farms and agricultural processors can now apply for $15 million in grants to help mitigate the risks of the coronavirus pandemic on the states food production industry.

The funding comes from the federal CARES Act. $10 million will go towards processors, with a grant range of $10,000 and $100,000, and the remaining $5 million is for farms, with a grant range of $10,000 and $50,000.

The next few months are absolutely critical for Michigans farming and food processing industries, so these resources couldnt come at a better time, said Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Gary McDowell in a statement. To ensure the health and safety of essential workers in our food supply chain, they will need testing, personal protective equipment, and housing or facility updates.

Applicants must apply either as a processor or a farm, but not both. Funds will provide grants for up to $1,000 per employee to fund coronavirus mitigation costs, including PPE, facility needs, sanitation costs, employee training, and upgraded safety procedures for farm-provided training.

The program covers costs incurred from June 1 through Sept. 15. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until all funding has been awarded.

In order to qualify for grant support, applicants must be a farm or agricultural processor located in Michigan and meet the following requirements:

 A minimum of 10 employees in Michigan, with supporting documentation.

 Provide proof of good standing with the state of Michigan, as applicable (Certificate of Good Standing).

 Attest that the business is current on all site, local, and real estate taxes, or is otherwise contesting them in good faith.

 Have completed registration in the State of Michigan Integrated Governmental Management Application (SIGMA) Vender Self-Service website prior to applying for grant funding.

The applications will be processed by East Lansing-based GreenStone Farm Services.

Applications can be filed online at www.michiganbusiness.org/agsafety.
A senior officer said that Kumar shot himself with his service revolver in his office in Manipur Rifles Compound and the reasons behind him taking the step are being probed

Imphal: A top officer of Manipur police department allegedly shot himself in his office Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The officer, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arvind Kumar, was taken to a hospital following the incident.

Top brass of the state police and officials, including Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu, were at Raj Medicity where Kumar was being treated. The chief secretary said Kumar's condition is serious but he is responding to the treatment and has also spoken to the doctors. "He will be sent to Delhi, once his condition improves," Babu added.

Kumar, a 1992-batch IPS officer of the Manipur cadre, shot himself with his service revolver in his office in Manipur Rifles Compound, said a senior police officer. It is being probed why he took the step, he said.

Kumar was sent back to his home cadre around a year ago, the officer added.
Senior Congress leader on Saturday said while it has been a long-standing demand of party workers that Vadra be the party's face in the 2022 UP Assembly elections, it is a "strategic decision" to be taken by the "Congress Working Committee and Priyanka ji herself".

Prasada, who is a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) also said that the party will not be forging any alliance in the 2022 assembly elections.

On whether Congress general secretary would be the face of the party in 2022 elections, he told PTI, "That has been a long-standing demand of the workers, but, the decision is a strategic one which will be taken by the CWC and Priyanka ji herself."



Accusing the UP government of "headline management, the former Union minister also asked why was it that most of the victims of crimes were Brahmins.

"The issues which are being raked up are not the real issues. The state government is only doing headline management. I have talked about Brahmin killings. Why is that most of the victims (of crimes) are Brahmins? What is the intention of the state government," he asked.

"The Vikas Dubey encounter on face of it looks fake and the intention of the government is suspicious. We (Congress) have already demanded a SC-monitored inquiry. Who allowed Vikas Dubey to become such a big (criminal)? This has now been brushed under the carpet," he said.

He also said that under the Brahmin Chetna Parishad, the party was holding virtual meetings with members of the community in Pilibhit, Jhansi, Ayodhya, Etawah, Meerut, Basti and Badaun.

Prasada refused to comment on the party's prevailing situation in Rajasthan. On July 14, he had tweeted about his "colleague and friend" Sachin Pilot, saying that no one can take away the fact that the former deputy chief minister had long worked with dedication for the Congress.

On being dubbed a Twitter leader by rivals, including the BJP, the 46-year-old former Lok Sabha MP from Dhaurahra said, "They have nothing else to say. Their performance is zero, and to hide it, they are saying such things."



Intensifying his attack on political rivals, Prasada said, "Whoever is saying such things should first disclose the performance of their department, and what they have done for the people of UP. Give a record of that."He said they were elected to work for the people of and their performance in sectors such as health, infrastructure or rural development.

"Tell us what you have done in these sectors...It (using such terminology) is to only divert the attention of people and their failures (of BJP)," the former Union minister said.

Referring to the work going on within the state Congress, he said, "The party is preparing and working to strengthen its organisation. Wherever the organisational fill-up is required down to booth level that is being prepared and it is the primary task. Organisational re-hauling of different frontal organisations of the party is also going on."



Asked whether the Congress was lagging behind the BJP in holding virtual meetings, Prasada said, "A virtual meeting group (of party leaders) has been formed, and meetings are being held regularly. Some strategy meetings too have been held virtually. A programme called 'kaise hain aap', which was about talking to party workers, was started by me and now the party is doing it."



He said the party was interacting with people in every district and was gathering their views and seeking suggestions from them over the issues they are facing.

When asked that many party leaders were missing in action when UPCC chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was taking on the UP government and was sent to jail, Prasada said, "All action is not confined to Lucknow alone. Things happen in other districts of the state as well.
New Delhi:

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday addressed media over Narendra Modi government's decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

Here are the live updates:

#Terrorist financing is exaggerated, small proportion of money may be used for terror activities but figures are exaggerated



#I don't understand why Rs 2000 notes have been introduced when Rs 500/1000 have been demonetised?

#Bulk of this money is legitimate money; Govt and banks owe a duty to people to exchange it quickly



#I don't encourage or support unaccounted wealth or income, but theres a non-monetised economy, you can't call it black money



#It will be counter productive if people who have legitimate money will be put through inconvenience and harassment



#Empirical evidence tells unaccounted wealth is largely stashed away in construction, jewellery; don't know hw much is in hard cash



#If the purpose of the decision is to curb menace of black money then it deserves our support

#Replacement of new notes with old notes must be done expeditiously with minimal problem to the poor, middle class people

#Govt had demonetised high-value currency before in 1978 and it failed: Former FM P Chidambaram

#Introduction of new series of notes is estimated to cost between Rs 15000- 20000 crore. Hence the economic gains of demonetisation should be at least equal to that amount

#Various Govt considered it but was dropped considering economic gains will be very small & inconvenience will be very large#The test will be how quickly the old notes will be replaced by new when they are legally tendered in banks

#We agree the objectives are sound, but will have to wait and see whether or not they are achieved

#We supported the decision yesterday but we will have to see if the objectives are achieved

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A man has been charged with larceny by trick after he was allegedly paid over $65,000 but fa
No casualties reported among 18 enemy attacks in Donbas in past 24 hours  JFO HQ

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 18 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas on Friday, July 17, the press centre of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has reported.

"No casualties reported among Ukrainian defenders over past day," the JFO staff said on Facebook on Saturday.

Russia-led forces used 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, anti-tank missile systems, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, machine guns, and small arms.

Ukrainian positions near the towns of Maryinka and Avdiyivka, and the villages of Talakivka, Starohnativka, Verkhniotoretske, Kamianka, Vodiane, Hnutove, Pyshchevyk, Shyrokyne, Novotoshkivske, and Luhanske came under attacks.

According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, one member of Russia-led forces was killed on July 17.
At least three persons have died and 19 were injured, mostly labourers, when a multi-storey building collapsed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, officials said on Saturday.

Renovation work was going on the triple-storey marriage hall building in the Chaksawari area of Mirpur district when it collapsed on Friday, trapping dozens of workers.

Rescuers from the military's Urban Search & Rescue unit and civil administration reached the spot and started the rescue work which was still going on till Saturday morning, the Army said.

Police said that 22 people were rescued, including three dead.Several survivors had multiple injuries. The owner of the marriage hall, identified with the single name Nadeem, and his son were among the dead.

Most of the injured were poor labourers working to renovate the building. It is feared that some workers are still trapped under the rubble as officials said that more than 40 men were working when the building crumbled.
All this is kind of a war zone, Mr. Baron said, gesturing to piles of forwards in the lobby  boxes that his staff needed to measure to calculate what it would cost to ship them to Canada. Most customers, Mr. Baron predicted, would find it prohibitively expensive, and he would have to find a place for them in the storage room.

Weve gotten creative with the shelving, he said.

Just months ago, cars may have crawled through several lanes of traffic for hours before crossing the border. Now, all of those lanes are empty. On a recent afternoon, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle sat in the highway leading into Canada, and several officers milled around.

They tell me theyre bored, said Mr. Saunders, who recognized a couple of the officers by name. Normally they would be stationed inside the port of entry inspecting applicants for admission, he said. Sometimes they patrolled Peace Arch Park, a strip of land straddling the border where people from both countries can still meet. The park also serves as Mr. Saunderss de facto office since he tries to avoid meeting clients inside his office these days.

Early in the pandemic, he worried that his business would dry up. But many people, especially couples separated by the border closure, have been rushing to get their green cards processed. For a while, some even set up tents in the park, Mr. Saunders said, until those got shut down recently, too.

Why do you think theyre in tents? he said. They havent seen each other in three months.

On Tuesday, officials confirmed that the border would remain closed until at least Aug. 21, extending the reopening for a fifth time.

Canada has had about half as many coronavirus deaths per capita as the United States. The number of cases in Canada has been steadily declining since April, while cases in some states are surging.
The owner and operator of the vessel are creating an operational headquarters.

Pirates have attacked the Curacao Trader vessel in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria and kidnapped 13 crew members, including six Ukrainian nationals, Head of the Crisis Management Center at the Consular Services Department of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Maksym Kovalenko told UNIAN.

Read alsoSeven Ukrainian sailors released from pirate captivity in Africa

"According to updated information, there are six Ukrainian citizens among 13 crew members, who were kidnapped. The rest are Russians," he said on July 18.

Kovalenko says the identities of the Ukrainian sailors have been established.

"An operational headquarters is being created by the shipowner and operator of the vessel; they will probably hire a special company that will be engaged in negotiations [with pirates]," he added.

As UNIAN reported, Kovalenko earlier said that 13 out of 19 crew members had been kidnapped as a result of a pirate attack on the Curacao Trader vessel off the coast of Nigeria (200 miles southwest), the rest crew members had barricaded.

The Ukrainian Embassies in Great Britain, Nigeria and Greece have established contact with the owner and operator of the vessel.
According to police, a the Gucci store, seen on July 18, 2020, in the 900 block of N. Michigan Ave., was looted late Friday when a large group of people broke windows and stole items. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on freshman, 2 points on graduate and 3 points on Ph.D. level.

MEXICO

(e.g., What is the national language of Mexico? Answer: Spanish (de facto).)

Freshman level

1. What river is a part of the natural border between the state of Texas and a number of Mexican states? 2. This volcano is Mexico's second-highest peak. 3. Mexico declared its independence from this country in 1810. 4. What is the basic unit of currency in Mexico? 5. This beverage is the major ingredient in a margarita cocktail.

Graduate level

6. The two peninsulas that nearly enclose the Gulf of Mexico are Florida and _____. 7. This major seaport city is known for its cliff divers. 8. It is the smallest breed of dog and is named after a state of Mexico. 9. This popular Christmas plant is named for the first U.S. minister to Mexico. 10. This city on the Yucatan Peninsula is one of Mexico's easternmost points.

Ph.d. level

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

11. This revolutionary leader led a revolt for agrarian reforms. 12. El Castillo, Spanish for "the castle," is located in the state of Yucatan. What is it? 13. In 1986, Mexico became the first country to host this sporting competition twice. 14. Tulum is the site of the ruins of a walled city once inhabited by these people. 15. For what is "NAFTA" an acronym?

Answers:

1. Rio Grande. 2. Popocatepetl. 3. Spain. 4. Peso (Mexican). 5. Tequila. 6. Yucatan. 7. Acapulco. 8. Chihuahua. 9. Poinsettia. 10. Cancun. 11. Emiliano Zapata. 12. (Step-) pyramid. 13. The (FIFA) World Cup. 14. Maya. 15. North American Free Trade Agreement.
NIGERIA: A man beheaded his colleague in Auchi, Edo state, after he informed him that his elder brother living in South Africa had sent him the sum of N13 million to complete his housing project in Nigeria.



Abuchi Wisdom Nwachukwu, 29, a native of Isiala-Mbano, Imo State, was allegedly hacked to death by Moses on January 7, 2020, during a night shift at the table water company where they both worked in Auchi, Edo State.



Moses also went on to behead Nwachukwus lifeless body so that it would not be easily recognized before dumping the headless body in a bush close to the company.



After the alleged murder, Moses (pictured above) is said to have taken Nwachukwus phone and ATM card. He took the ATM card to some internet fraudsters in Auchi who helped him to withdraw the sum of N2.2 million from Nwachukwus account. Thereafter, Moses approached various POS points in the city to withdraw various sums of money.



The police found Nwachukwus headless body but could not identify him. They took the body to the mortuary while Nwachukwus relatives in Imo State as well as his brother in South Africa worried about his sudden disappearance and their inability to reach him on the phone.



His South African based brother was said to have written a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, months after he could not locate his brother or hear from him. Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), headed by Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, swung into action to unravel the mystery behind Nwachukwus disappearance.



It was gathered that weeks into their investigation IRT operatives were able to trace the POS transactions Moses did with Nwachukwus ATM cards to Benin, Ore and Auchi, all in Edo State. They later arrested him in a hotel in Auchi where he was hiding.



Upon interrogation, Moses admitted killing Nwachukwu. He also led IRT operatives to arrest suspected internet fraudstersYusuf Sagiru, Tony Bright and Terence Okochukwuas well as businessman Jahswill Ogbonnaya, who were said to have helped Moses to withdraw the sum of N6 million from the account.

.





Source: LIB









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SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges long-time investors in Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE: MHK) to contact the firm now . The firm is investigating possible accounting fraud and whether Mohawks board of directors, including certain senior executives, breached fiduciary duties owed to the company and should be held accountable. Hagens Berman also encourages persons who may be able to assist the firms investigation to contact its attorneys.



Relevant Holding Period: 2013  present Contact An Attorney Now: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/MHK

MHK@hbsslaw.com

844-916-0895

Mohawk Industries (MHK) Investigation:



Hagens Berman is investigating whether, during April 28, 2017 through July 25, 2019, (1) Mohawk fabricated revenues by attempting delivery to customers that were closed and recognized these attempts as sales, (2) overproduced product to report higher operating margins and maintained significant unsaleable inventory, (3) improperly valued certain inventory or improperly delivered inventory with knowledge that it was defective and customers would return it, and (4) if so, whether Mohawks board should be held accountable.

On July 13, 2020, Mohawk disclosed it received subpoenas issued by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on these topics.

Were focused on potential damage to Mohawk and, if the company improperly recorded revenues and overvalued unsaleable inventory between April 28, 2017 through July 25, 2019, whether the companys board of directors may be culpable, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Mohawk should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email MHK@hbsslaw.com .

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a national law firm with nine offices in eight cities around the country and eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com . For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw .
For the second day in a row, WHO reported a record increase in cases, with the total rising by 237,743 in 24 hours.

Americans debated mask mandates and the reopening of schools during the coronavirus pandemic on Friday as state and local officials imposed conflicting orders and cases rose by more than 70,000 across the United States for the second day in a row.

Irans President Hassan Rouhani has said that 25 million Iranians have been infected with the coronavirus and that another 35 million are at risk of acquiring it.

More than 14 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while more than 7.8 million have recovered and more than 600,000 have died, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 237,743 in 24 hours.

Indias coronavirus caseload topped one million, with the US and Brazil the only other nations with more infections.

Here are the latest updates.

Saturday, July 18

23:15 GMT  Dozens of US inmates in Arizona monitored for COVID-19 symptoms

Dozens of Hawaii inmates housed at a private prison in southern Arizona are being monitored for symptoms of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that the Hawaii Department of Public Safety says 45 Hawaii inmates in the same unit at the Saguaro Correctional Center are in quarantine and being monitored for symptoms. Another 28 Hawaii inmates who had contact with Nevada inmates will be quarantined for 14 days.

CoreCivic, which runs the correctional centre, did not immediately respond to calls by the Associated Press on Saturday. Corrections Corporation of America contracts with the Hawaii Department of Public Safety to house adult male inmates from Hawaii to ease prison overcrowding on the islands.

20:31 GMT  WHO reports record daily increase in global coronavirus cases for second day in a row

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, with the total rising by 259,848 in 24 hours.

The biggest increases reported were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report.

The previous WHO record for new cases was 237,743, the number reached on Friday. Deaths rose by 7,360, the biggest one-day increase since May 10.

Deaths have been averaging 4,800 a day in July, up slightly from an average of 4,600 a day in June.

19:15 GMT  Saudi hosts G20 talks on debt crisis, virus recovery

Group of 20 (G20) nations will consider extending debt relief for coronavirus-hit poor countries in the second half of 2020, the groups finance ministers and central bankers said after talks aimed at spurring global economic recovery.

The 20 most industrialised nations announced a one-year debt standstill for the worlds poorest nations in April, but campaigners have criticised the measure as grossly inadequate to stave off the knock-on effects of the pandemic.

World Bank president David Malpass called for the debt suspension initiative to be extended through the end of 2021, while multiple charities including Oxfam said it needs to be stretched through 2022 to avert a catastrophe for hundreds of millions of people.

In their final statement after the virtual talks hosted by Riyadh, G20 ministers and bankers said they would consider a possible extension of the [debt suspension initiative] in the second half of 2020.

So far, 42 countries have applied for the initiative, asking for a cumulative $5.3bn in debt to be deferred, the statement said.

18:50 GMT  Florida adds 10,000 new virus cases, 90 deaths

Florida reported more than 10,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 90 additional deaths.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced 30,000 vials of remdesivir were being shipped to the state after hospitals complained of shortages.





He says he worked with Vice President Mike Pence last week to expedite the shipments.

DeSantis says the vials will be shipped directly to hospitals in the next 48 to 72 hours and should treat about 5,000 patients.

He made the announcement at a hospital in St Augustine during a discussion with doctors.

The state reports Florida hospitals are treating more than 9,000 patients for coronavirus. Overall, there have been nearly 338,000 confirmed cases and 5,002 deaths.

17:25 GMT  Afghanistan virus cases hit low as testing declines

Afghanistan reported 60 more coronavirus cases, its lowest daily count over the past three months.

However, the figure came on a day when, according to the Health Ministry, just 194 tests were conducted across the country.

Afghanistans capital, Kabul, is the part of the country that has been hit hardest by the coronavirus [Anadolu]

The percentage of positive cases detected over the past 24 hours indicates the COVID-19 pandemic is still a grave threat in Afghanistan, where total cases are now up to 35,289, including 1,164 deaths.

Recoveries in the country have increased to 23,280, leaving the number of active cases at 10,845, according to the ministrys data.

The capital Kabul remains the hardest-hit area, accounting for 55 of the new infections and 17 fatalities.

16:50 GMT  IMF exploring additional tools to provide aid to pandemic-hit countries

The International Monetary Fund is exploring additional tools to provide financing to the worlds poorest countries and others hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said.

Georgieva told finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies that they should consider extending a freeze in official bilateral debt service payments offered to the poorest countries beyond the end of the year, and work to promote greater private-sector participation.

Beyond that, she said there is a need to think about more comprehensive debt relief for many countries, given the severity of the crisis and the high debt levels already in place before the current crisis.

14:50 GMT  Coronavirus reveals fragility of our world: UN chief

Coronavirus has revealed the fragile skeleton of societies and could push 100 million people into extreme poverty, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.





Speaking on the 102nd birthday anniversary of the late Nelson Mandela  South Africas first Black president  Guterres said coronavirus was shining a spotlight on global injustice.

We have been brought to our knees  by a microscopic virus. The pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of our world.

Entire regions that were making progress on eradicating poverty and narrowing inequality have been set back years, in a matter of months, he warned at a virtual memorial lecture organised by the Johannesburg-based Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Coronavirus is an x-ray that has revealed fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built, he added, citing unequal healthcare provision, unpaid care work, income disparity and climate change as some of the concerns.

He said the worlds 26 richest people hold as much wealth as half the global population.

14:10 GMT  COVID-19 antibody test passes first major trials in UK with 98.63 percent accuracy

British ministers are making plans to distribute millions of free coronavirus antibody tests after a version backed by the United Kingdoms government passed its first major trials, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported late on Friday.

The fingerprick tests, which can tell within 20 minutes if a person has ever been exposed to the coronavirus, were found to be 98.6 percent accurate in secret human trials held in June, the newspaper reported.

It added the test was developed by Oxford University in partnership with leading UK diagnostics firms.

14:05 GMT  US coronavirus cases rise by over 70,000 for second day in a row

For a second day in a row, United States coronavirus cases rose by over 70,000 as Americans clashed over wearing masks and whether to reopen schools in a few weeks.

Cases on Friday rose by at least 70,674 after climbing by a record 77,499 on Thursday, the largest increase posted by any country since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally.

US deaths rose by at least 912 on Friday, the fourth day in a row that fatalities have risen by over 900 a day.

12:05 GMT  Greece extends migrant camps virus lockdown

Greece has announced another extension of a coronavirus lockdown on its packed migrant camps as infections in the country increase and protective measures for the general public return.

The lockdown on camps began on March 21 and is now extended till August 2 for the prevention of the dispersion of the coronavirus cases, the migration ministry said.

Greece, with 194 coronavirus deaths and more than 3,900 confirmed cases, has so far not been as badly hit as many other European countries  and there have been no deaths in the migrant camps.

But the presence of more than 32,000 asylum seekers on the five Aegean Islands  in camps with a capacity of 5,400  has caused major friction with local communities.

The touristic reopening of the country and the relaxation of some anti-virus measures have also sparked a increase in cases.





11:35 GMT  China rolls out mass testing in Xinjiang after new virus cases

China has launched mass health screenings in Xinjiang after a spike in coronavirus cases raised fears of a fresh outbreak in the far western province.

The new cases illustrate the continuing difficulty China faces in stamping out the contagion, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year before spreading around the world.

The new testing regime comes a day after authorities curtailed most flights into regional capital Urumqi and shut down local subway and public transport services. The city had recorded 17 new coronavirus infections as of Saturday, authorities said in a briefing.

Mass screening for the virus will begin in buildings that had reported new cases and will eventually cover all of Urumqi, said local health commission chief Zhang Wei.

The whole city has entered a wartime state, and will suspend all kinds of group activities, an official said at the briefing, according to state media reports.





11:15 GMT  UK pauses daily coronavirus deaths update over potentially faulty data

Britain has said that it was pausing its daily update of the death toll from the coronavirus in the United Kingdom after the government ordered a review into the calculation of the data over concern numbers might have been exaggerated.

Academics have said the way that Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures means they might look worse there than in other countries of the United Kingdom.

10:30 GMT  Former Algerian minister detained on corruption charges dies of COVID-19

Ex-telecom minister Moussa Benhamadi, once close to former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, died from the coronavirus, said his brother Hocine Benhamadi. He was 67.

He contracted the virus on July 4 and was only transferred to hospital in Algiers on July 13, the brother told the website of French-language daily Liberte.

Moussa Benhamadi had been held in pre-trial detention at El Harrach prison since September 2019 as part of an investigation into corruption involving the Algerian high-tech firm Condor Electronics.





10:00 GMT  Divided EU holds second day of talks over coronavirus rescue plan

European Union (EU) leaders are meeting for further talks over a $858bn stimulus plan to breathe life into economies ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic after a meeting ran late into the previous evening but ended without a deal.

With the 27 countries at odds on a host of issues including the overall size of the recovery fund, the criteria used to distribute the money and how to supervise expenditure, reaching an agreement at the summit is far from guaranteed.

The leaders had spent Friday discussing a proposal put forward by European Council President Charles Michel that outlines a 750 billion-euro ($858bn) recovery fund and a 1 trillion-euro ($1.14 trillion) long-term budget for 2021-2027.

Read more here.

09:55 GMT  Indonesias coronavirus caseload exceeds Chinas

The number of coronavirus cases in Indonesia has surpassed that of China, after the Southeast Asian country reported 1,752 new infections.

Indonesias total number of confirmed cases stood at 84,882, the health ministry said, surpassing Chinas official tally of 83,644.

The virus-related death toll rose to 4,016 after 59 fatalities were reported overnight, said Health Ministry Spokesman Achmad Yurianto.

Indonesia has consistently recorded more than 1,200 cases daily since the start of July. The worlds fourth most populous country began the gradual reopening of its economy in June.

Authorities in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, have scrapped plans to reopen cinemas this month after a spike in daily cases. Some social and travel restrictions in the city of 10 million people will remain in place for the next two weeks.

Indonesia has consistently recorded more than 1,200 coronavirus cases daily since the start of July.[Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP]

09:15 GMT  Philippines confirms 113 new coronavirus deaths, 2,357 cases

The Philippines health ministry has reported 113 more new coronavirus deaths and 2,357 additional infections.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total deaths have increased to 1,773 while confirmed cases have reached 65,304, with the capital and Cebu City in the central Philippines accounting for the bulk of the infections as the virus spreads.

Filipino jeepney drivers show how safe distancing can be implemented inside their passenger jeepney through the use of plastic covers [File: Anadolu]

08:35 GMT  Rouhani says 25 million Iranians infected with COVID-19

Irans President Hassan Rouhani has said that 25 million Iranians have been infected with the coronavirus and that another 35 million are at risk of acquiring it.

The figures, which Rouhani said were based on a new health ministry report, are far higher than Irans official toll of 269,440 infected. Rouhani in a televised speech did not address the discrepancy.

Iran, with a population of more than 80 million, has been the Middle East country hardest hit by the epidemic.

Our estimate is that as of now 25 million Iranians have been infected with this virus and about 14,000 have lost their dear lives, Rouhani said in the speech. There is the possibility that between 30 and 35 million other people will be at risk, he said.

In total, more than 200,000 people have been hospitalised, he said.

The health ministry on Friday said 13,791 people had died from COVID-19.

Read more here.





08:20 GMT  Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai, daughter, hospitalised for COVID-19

Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter were hospitalised for COVID-19 treatment, the Times of India reported on Saturday, days after her husband and father-in-law were admitted.

Rais father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and son Abhishek Bachchan, also major Bollywood celebrities, were admitted to Mumbais Nanavati Hospital early this week, becoming the highest-profile patients the pandemic sweeping India.

At the same time, Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World who regularly appears on most beautiful lists, and her eight-year-old daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but they have since been in home quarantine.

After Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya have been shifted to Nanavati hospital, the newspaper said, adding that they were admitted to the top Mumbai private hospital on Friday.

Read more here.





07:15 GMT  India coronavirus cases rise by 34,884 to 1,038,716

A surge of 34,884 new coronavirus cases took Indias tally to 1,038,716, as local governments continue to reimpose focused lockdowns in several parts of the country.

The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 671 deaths in the past 24 hours for a total of 26,273. The ministry said the recovery rate had slightly come down to 62.9 percent.

About a dozen states  including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam  have put high-risk areas under lockdowns, only allowing essential food supplies and health services.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to take concrete steps to contain the pandemic. He warned that the number of infections will double to two million by August 10 at the current pace.

Experts say India is likely to witness a series of peaks as the infection spread in rural areas.

07:05 GMT  South Korea says most new cases from abroad

Authorities in South Korea say most of the countrys new coronavirus cases are coming from abroad.

The officials have expressed optimism that the recent resurgence of infections is being brought under control. They say imported cases are less threatening than local transmissions because South Korea is mandating testing and enforcing two-week quarantines on all people arriving from other nations.

South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday that at least 28 of 39 newly confirmed cases were tied to people arriving from abroad. It says 18 others involved local transmission in the densely populated Seoul area, which was at the centre of the virus resurgence that began in late May as people increased economic and social activities.

In all, South Korea has reported 13,711 confirmed cases during the pandemic, including 294 deaths.

Saturdays tally of 113 infections was the highest since March 31, when 125 cases were reported [Getty Images]

06:55 GMT  Confirmed virus cases top 14 million globally

Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world have topped 14 million and deaths have surpassed 600,000, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University on Saturday.

The World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections: over 237,000. Experts believe that the true numbers are even higher.

The United States, Brazil and India top the list with the highest number of cases. India on Friday exceeded one million confirmed infections, and Brazils cases passed two million, including 76,000 deaths, on Thursday.

06:40 GMT  Germanys confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 529 to 201,372

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 529 to 201,372, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Saturday.

The countrys reported death toll rose by one to 9,083, the tally showed.

06:35 GMT  Mexico reports 736 new coronavirus deaths, 7,257 cases

Mexicos health ministry reported 7,257 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 736 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 331,298 cases and 38,310 deaths.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.





05:44 GMT  Hong Kong sets new rules for incoming travellers

Hong Kong set new conditions for incoming travellers from countries deemed at high risk for COVID-19, meaning arrivals need an official certificate to prove they have tested negative for the coronavirus before they can enter the semiautonomous city.

The new measures, effective from midnight (16:00 GMT) next Saturday, will affect travellers who have visited Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and South Africa in the 14 days before arriving in Hong Kong.

The policy comes as Hong Kong grapples with a new wave of infections and authorities announced an all-time single-day high of 67 cases on Thursday.





04:49 GMT  New cases drop by half in Australias Victoria

Australias Victoria state saw a marked drop in new COVID-19 infections  from Fridays record high of 428 to 217  a total that Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says was a relief after yesterdays numbers.

The health department said on Saturday that two more people, a man and a woman in their 80s, had died, taking the states death toll to 34 and Australias national total to 118.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the latest numbers were encouraging but warned it was just one day.

03:52 GMT  China battles new outbreak in Xinjiang

Chinas National Health Commission reported 11 new cases in the far western region of Xinjiang, taking the total number of cases in the capital, Urumqi, to 17.

Authorities in Urumqi have reduced subways, buses and taxis and closed off some residential communities, according to Chinese media reports. They also placed restrictions on people leaving the city, including a suspension of subway service to the airport.

As of Friday, mainland China had 83,644 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.

On Fri, #Xinjiang reported 11 new confirmed #COVID19 cases in Urumqi, and all are under medical observation. As of Fri, 17 confirmed cases and 11 asymptomatic patients have been confirmed in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and 269 are under medical observation. pic.twitter.com/QFyB1PmVsz  Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 18, 2020

03:27 GMT  Morrison cancels Australias parliament sittings

Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison cancelled the next two-week sitting of the countrys parliament, citing significant risks of COVID-19 spread as cases rise in the states of Victoria and New South Wales.

Parliament was due to sit from August 4 to 13 and would not meet again until the next planned two-week sitting starting on August 24.

Morrison said he had written to the parliamentary speaker to ask for a cancellation. The request is considered a formality.

Australian Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly confirmed the session would be delayed and said there was a risk associated with a meeting of Parliament due to increased community transmission of COVID-19 in the state of Victoria and the emerging situation in New South Wales, which has also seen a rise in cases.

02:02 GMT  US economy will drop 6.6 percent in 2020

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that the US economy would shrink 6.6 percent this year, pounded by the coronavirus and the lockdowns meant to contain it.

The forecast is actually an upgrade from one the IMF made last month when it foresaw the American economy contracting 8 percent in 2020. But the lending organisation warned that the US economy faces downside risks from a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.





01:44 GMT  Azerbaijan extends restrictions until August 31

Azerbaijan has extended coronavirus lockdown restrictions, including the closure of its borders, until August 31 after a further rise in the number of infections.

The government said people in big cities, including the capital Baku, would be allowed to leave their homes only with special permission from July 20 until August 5.

Shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants, cafes and museums in those cities remained closed, while beauty salons will be reopened.

01:04 GMT  Trump will not consider a national mask mandate

US President Donald Trump ruled out a national mandate requiring people to wear face masks despite record rises in new coronavirus infections across the United States.

In an interview with Fox News that will air on Sunday, Trump said: No, I want people to have a certain freedom and I dont believe in that. No, and I dont agree with the statement that if everybody wear a mask, everything; suddenly, it all disappears.

He added: Everybody was saying dont wear a mask and all of a sudden everybodys got to wear a mask and, as you know, masks cause problems, too. With that being said, Im a believer in masks, I think masks are good.





00:33 GMT  EU leaders deadlocked over COVID-19 recovery plan

EU leaders failed to make headway in negotiations over a massive stimulus plan to breathe life into economies ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, returning to their hotels in Brussels shortly before midnight to rest and try again in the morning.

Many of the 27 heads declared on arrival for their first face-to-face summit for five months that a deal was crucial to rescue economies in free fall and shore up faith in the EU.

But officials said a thrifty camp of wealthy northern states led by the Netherlands stood its ground on access to the recovery fund in the face of opposition from Germany, France, southern nations Italy and Spain, and Eastern European states.





The proposed sums under discussion include the EUs 2021-27 budget of more than 1 trillion euros ($1.14 trillion) and the recovery fund worth 750 billion euros ($85.7bn) that will be funnelled mostly to Mediterranean coast countries worst affected by the pandemic.

Diplomats said the 27 remained at odds over the overall size of the package, the split between grants and repayable loans in the recovery fund and rule-of-law strings attached to it.

As the leaders broke up for the day, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted that they were divided by a bundle of issues and said it was highly probable that they would fail to reach a deal on Saturday or even on Sunday if the summit drags past its scheduled two days.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also cautious on chances for an agreement, envisaging very, very difficult negotiations.

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives.

You can find all the key developments from yesterday, July 17, here.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 18 : Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday slammed the CPI(M)-led LDF government over the accused in the Palathayi rape case getting bail the other day.

The accused, Kuniyil Padmarajan, is the Thrippangottur local committee president of the BJP. The victim is a class IV student in the school in which the accused is a teacher.

An additional sessions court judge enlarged the accused BJP leader on bail after the crime branch failed to invoke the provisions of the POCSO act in a partial charge-sheet filed in the court.

In a facebook post, the opposition leader accused the police of having played a shameless drama to get the accused released on bail. The partial charge-sheet which failed to charge the accused BJP leader under provisions of the POCSO act helped him secure bail, he alleged.

An audio clip, purportedly of the investigation officer in the case, is circulating on social media in which the officer is justifying the decision not to slap provisions of the POCSO on the accused, Chennithalas facebook post says.

Accusing the home department under chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan of extending patronage to the BJP leader accused of rape, the opposition leader said that the Palathayi rape case was proof of the unholy nexus between the CPI(M) and the BJP.

Chennithala also accused health and social justice minister K K Shailaja of turning a blind eye to the alleged rape case despite the injustice having taken place in her assembly constituency. The minister was making irresponsible statements to the media about the case, shrugging off any responsibility, he charged.

The opposition leader called on Kerala society at large to stand united to ensure justice for the victim in the Palathayi case.

The charge-sheet filed by the crime branch against the accused BJP leader only charges him under section 82 of the juvenile justice act. The section pertains to corporal punishment attracting punishment of just three months imprisonment or fine or both.

Kannur police at the time of the arrest of the BJP leader had charged him under section 376 of the IPC (punishment for rape) and section 5 of the POCSO act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault).

The charge-sheet submitted the other day by the crime branch, which took over the probe of the case from the Kannur police, however was conspicuous by the absence of the provisions of the POCSO act. The crime branch told the additional sessions judge that the probe against the accused was going on and that they were in the process of collecting scientific evidence in the case.
Laura Sanicola

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices edged lower on Friday as concerns about the surge in coronavirus cases sapping fuel demand while major crude-producing nations ready increases in output.

The United States reported at least 75,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, a daily record. Spain and Australia reported their steepest daily jumps in more than two months, while cases continued to soar in India and Brazil.

Fuel demand has broadly recovered from a 30% drop in April after nations worldwide restricted movements and businesses shuttered. Consumption remains below pre-pandemic levels, however, and fuel purchases are falling again as infections rise.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 23 cents a barrel to settle at $43.14 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 fell 16 cents to $40.59. Both contracts were little changed from a week earlier.

Lawmakers in the United States and the European Union are set to debate more stimulus over the coming days.

Benchmark crude fell 1% on Thursday after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed to trim record supply cuts of 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2 million bpd, starting in August.

U.S. energy firms cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating to a record low for an 11th week in a row, according to data from energy services firm Baker Hughes Co (BKR.N).

Firms have slowed reductions as some consider returning to the well pad with crude prices up from historic lows. Energy firms could start adding rigs later this year if prices remain stable at higher levels.

U.S. rig activity will bottom near 250 rigs or roughly todays levels, analysts at Raymond James said. They expect the rig count to average 270 in the second half of 2020.

Additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla in London, Roslan Khasawneh in Singapore, Sonali Paul in Melbourne, Scott DiSavino in New York; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Chris Reese
Police broke up an illegal rave in Finsbury Park, north London (Picture: Getty)

Police officers were attacked with bricks and bottles when they shut down an illegal rave in north London.

Partygoers threw objects at riot police in Finsbury Park on Friday night, leaving two officers injured.

In total two people were arrested when authorities attended the Woodberry Down Estate after receiving noise and anti-social behaviour complaints.

Videos from the scene showed riot police dispersing people from the area and a police helicopter was also spotted overhead.

Read more: Former BBC presenter Ben Thomas admits child sex offences

The Met Police said the crowd became hostile when they arrived in Finsbury Park.

They said in a statement: Items including canisters, bottles and a bicycle were thrown at police.

Two officers suffered injuries. One was taken to hospital having sustained bruising to his ribs.

He has since been discharged. The other officer sustained a leg injury but was able complete the remainder of his duty.

Two males, aged 18 and 19, were arrested; one for violent disorder and obstruction and the latter for obstruction. They remain in custody.

Read more: Man accused of raping and murdering barmaid also attacked 16-year-old girl

DAC Lucy D'Orsi added: The violence and disorder they encountered is totally unacceptable as is the fear I am sure this generates amongst the local community, who called the police for help.

In this case the irresponsible actions of the organiser led to injuries to our officers.

Under no circumstance will policing accept this particularly after we had appealed for such events not to take place.

Story continues

She said the Met Police had seen an increase in unlicensed music events and called them irresponsible in terms of posing an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission.

DAC Lucy D'Orsi said: We are already reviewing CCTV footage and officers body worn footage to bring those who committed offences to justice.

Officers will continue to patrol this weekend in increased numbers to keep communities safe.
As fears of a resurgence in COVID-19 cases increase, many Canadians are reluctantly donning masks to stop the spread of the virus.

This is according to a new Angus Reid poll which found only 55 per cent of Canadians are wearing masks regularly when they leave home.

The other 45 per cent either wear masks rarely or not at all.

Every province except for Alberta and Saskatchewan registered over 70 per cent support for mandatory masking laws  the former at 60 per cent and the latter with just 55 per cent support for the measure.

Only a quarter respondents said their reason for not wearing a mask was that they forgot to bring one, while 74 per cent pointed to discomfort, lack of concern about catching COVID-19, a perceived ineffectiveness of masks, or simply mimicking others not wearing them.

The poll also found that men were much less likely to wear masks than women, and a majority of women across all age brackets reported wearing one when they leave home.

This is despite the polls finding that national concern over the threat posed by COVID-19 is at its highest since April.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney addressed the reluctance of some Albertans to wear a mask at a press briefing in Red Deer today, noting the potential for further economic damage if the province needs to go into lockdown again.

I hear people say that mask wearing is a globalist idea. I will remind them that I was advocating mask use when the World Health Organization  a global organization  was recommending against it, Kenney said.

My pitch to those folks, if theyre upset about mask usage, the alternative will inevitably be more widespread suspensions of economic activity if we get a second outbreak.

A different poll on COVID-19 from Leger and the Association of Canadian Studies found a nearly 10 per cent increase in support for masking between June 26 and July 12.

Across the country, the Leger poll found 67 per cent of Canadians support mandatory masking for all indoor public spaces, compared to 58 per cent just over two weeks ago.

Only 27 per cent were against the measure and six per cent were not sure.

On Saturday, Quebec became the first province to mandate masks inside public spaces across the region.

Similar orders had already been issued on the municipal level in various cities across Ontario, with Toronto enacting the order on July 7.

And as the city prepares to enter the Stage 3 reopening phase, the Ontario Medical Association has asked the provincial government to keep indoor bars closed, saying it presents significant risk for potential outbreaks.

When people consume alcohol, inhibitions are lowered, making them much less likely to practice physical distancing, proper masking behaviours and good hand hygiene, OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill said.

A number of incidents in Toronto have highlighted the divide over masking and physical distancing rules, with some bar and restaurant owners bending public health bylaws in order to serve more customers or run illegal parties.

Earlier this week, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario announced an investigation into popular King St. restaurant MARBL due to a video that emerged on social in which dozens of patrons could be seen crammed into a semi-indoor space while celebrating a birthday.

The video, which also showed staff failing to wear masks, prompted outrage online.

At the beginning of July, another King St. bar  Goldie  lost its liquor license after it was revealed the establishment hosted a club night for 125 people last month.
Mumbai: Kartik Aaryan today is one of the most bankable stars in the industry. In the last few years, he has given so many memorable characters like Sonu, Guddu and Chintu Tyagi that it is hard to pick one. But the character that surely made his rose to fame was his debut franchise character which the actor fondly calls himself as the Punchnama baby.

Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (PKP 2) recently released on a streaming giant and the film has gone back to entertaining the viewers as it soon began to trend.

This OTT platform usually displays the trending movies and shows that the country is watching, as soon as the film dropped on the platform, PKP 2 soon started to trend in Top 10 in India Trends. Now thats super cool. Even after five years looks like this film continues to charm the viewers especially amidst the lockdown. Kartik Aaryan shared a screen-grab and captioned it saying, #PunchnamaBaby. Trending on #Netflix today. Sab apna apna Fav scene bataiye #PyaarKaPunchnama2.

#PyaarKaPunchnama2 Trending on #Netflix today

Sab apna apna Fav scene bataiye pic.twitter.com/q2T7Krk1HJ  Kartik Aaryan (@TheAaryanKartik) July 17, 2020

Well, while there are several great scenes of the actor in the film, the highlight remains the monologue and how well he had performed in both the parts. This year he even gave the monologue a new twist, when he decided to take it upon himself to enlighten the masses and shared the Corona Stop Karo Na monologue which went on to break the internet.

Kartik Aaryans movies have always remained to be entertainers. Few months back when the same streaming giant had premiered Love Aaj Kal, the film was trending on number 1 spot in several countries. Hes loved by all and there are two doubts to it, no wonder hes called heartthrob of the nation. The actor has two big releases waiting to go back on floors post the lockdown  Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Dostana 2. He has few chunks remaining for both the films to shoot and will only begin shooting once the shooting-conditions are considered safer by the makers.
Types of obituaries

The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries  family obituaries and life stories.

A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries

A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories.
Tensions are mounting by the day between the United States and China, leading to talk of a new Cold War. Experts see important historical differences -- but believe the two powers are entering dangerous territory. US President Donald Trump's administration has increasingly gone global against China, pushing other nations to reject its strings-attached aid and telecom titan Huawei, and siding unreservedly with Beijing's rivals in the dispute-rife South China Sea. Trump has made China a major campaign issue as he heads into the November election, but the relationship looks unlikely to change in more than tone if he loses to Joe Biden, who has accused the president of not being tough enough. Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs at Harvard University, said the world's two largest economic powers were engaged in a long-term competition over "incompatible strategic visions," including China's desire to dominate Asia. China sees Trump as a "weak and error-prone leader" and likely believes the "disastrous" US response to the coronavirus pandemic presented opportunities to press its advantage, he said. "It resembles the US-Soviet 'Cold War' in certain respects, but it is not yet as dangerous as that earlier rivalry," Walt said. "One key difference is that the two states are still closely connected economically, although that relationship is now under considerable strain." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is taking stern warnings about Beijing around the world, did not reject the Cold War comparison in a recent radio interview. He also noted that the United States was never as economically intertwined with the Soviet Union --and said the West therefore needed to separate from China, especially its technology, which Washington fears will be used for espionage. - Chance of 'hot war' - Oriana Skylar Mastro, an assistant professor at Georgetown University and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said it was dangerous to speak of a Cold War with China. "The situation with China is nothing like the Cold War," she said. "On the positive side, we have extensive engagement. On the negative, there is a real possibility of a hot war between the two sides to a degree that never existed with the Soviet Union." She said that using a Cold War lens leads to ineffective responses, including Washington incorrectly seeing Beijing as an ideological threat. Mastro said that China had plenty of options to alleviate US concerns, such as pulling back weapons systems in the South China Sea. "But Beijing won't do this because it fundamentally misunderstands the drivers of US policy. It thinks the US is responding to its own decline in power -- that no matter how Beijing acts, the US will lash out," she said. "So there is no impetus to try to moderate its ambitions and how it attempts to achieve them. This is a mistake. And China's failure to do so, to try to assure the US, could lead us into a war." - Sharp hardening - In a shift from a few years ago, US businesses, stung by what they see as rampant theft of intellectual property, are rarely asking for de-escalation. David Stilwell, the top State Department official for East Asia, said he learned as US defense attache in Beijing that China responded to "demonstrable and tangible action." "Personally I was of that school that you could work with these folks. But my epiphany came 10 years ago when I went to Beijing," he told a recent think tank event. The United States has also pressed China over its clampdown in Hong Kong and mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims, each time triggering retaliatory measures by Beijing. Trump has still voiced hope of preserving a trade deal with China, which promised before the coronavirus pandemic to ramp up purchases of US goods. Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said both sides knew China would no longer be able to carry out the agreement in full. Shi said he expects relations will keep deteriorating. "The old Cold War was a very fierce confrontation and competition between two great powers, driven by ideology and strategy," Shi said. In the case of the United States and China, the two powers are selectively but rapidly "decoupling" from each other, he said. "Using this definition, it can be said that China and the United States have begun to enter a new Cold War."
With one million people getting affected by COVID-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started and the situation is pretty bad. According to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry, the total confirmed cases reached 10,38,716.

With one million people getting affected by COVID-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started and the situation is pretty bad.

While speaking to ANI, Dr. V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India said, This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread. According to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry, the total confirmed cases reached 10,38,716. There are 3,58,629 active cases and 6,53,751 cured/discharged/migrated. A total of 26,273 deaths have been registered to date.

Dr. Monga further said, Cases are penetrating down into towns and villages where it will be very difficult to control the situation. In Delhi, we were able to contain it, but what about interior parts of the country in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh (which may be the new hotspots)?

Also read: Rajasthan political crisis: Eight-member team constituted to investigate the matter

Also read: R. Balki asks for better actors than Ranbir & Alia amid nepotism debate, gets a befitting response

All these issues are very important and the state governments should take full care and seek the help of the Central government to control the situation, Monga said.

As many as 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 17. Of these 3,61,024 samples were tested on Friday, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

ICMR is ramping up testing facilities regularly. At present, 885 government laboratories and 368 private laboratory chains are conducting COVID-19 tests across the country.

This is a viral disease that spreads very fast. To contain the disease there are only two options. Firstly, 70 percent of the population contracts the disease and gets immune, and the other is getting an immunization, stated Monga.

Vaccination, being the greatest hope to contain COVID-19, Indias two indigenous vaccine makers would be starting human trials soon.

There have to be phases of trials then human trial, then efficacy and side effects. Also, importantly it has to be seen how long this immunity will last because most of the patients are unable to go beyond three months of immunity, said Dr. Monga.

Also read: Haryana Board HBSE 12th Result 2020: How to check BSEH 12th Result on mobile phone

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Three people were arrested after paint was thrown on the Black Lives Matter mural outside Trump Tower for the second time in a week.

Juliet Germanotta, 39, D'Anna Morgan, 25, and Luis Martinez, 44, all of New York, were charged with criminal mischief and then released for covering the letters on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue with blue paint.

A woman wearing an 'All Lives Matter' and rainbow cape was caught on video on Friday splashing the logo that was completed last week by volunteers and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Another woman was busted for putting handprints on the letters that Donald Trump has called a 'symbol of hate'.

Three people were arrested after paint was thrown on the Black Lives Matter mural outside Trump Tower for the second time in a week

Another woman is pictured pouring more of the blue paint on the mural along Fifth Avenue

The woman in the rainbow cape is spotted putting her painted hand prints on the mural

The woman in the rainbow cape, who is also wearing an All Lives Matter shirt, is pictured after cops moved in to arrest the vandals

One of the suspects told WNBC that the sign should say All Lives Matter. They were joined by a team of 10 people in a coordinated effort to deface the mural that has drawn criticism from the White House and praise from the protesters around the country.

An unidentified 64-year-old woman also was given a summons for illegally posting fliers during the vandalism.

The latest arrests come after another man was caught on surveillance video pouring red paint on the same mural Monday.

Meanwhile, New York authorities are seeking the public's help in identifying the man from Monday's vandalism.

The NYPD released footage of the vandal pouring the red paint and shared that he also is wanted for criminal mischief.

Video shows the man at approximately 12.03pm pulling the paint out of a bag as he approaches the mural on 725th 5th Avenue.

He can then be seen pouring the paint on various letters of the mural before heading off in an unknown direction.

The suspect appears to be a white man who could be in his mid-20s or early-30s.

Police described the vandal as being medium build and said that he was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts, black sneakers and black sunglasses.

City workers are seen cleaning the blue paint off the mural after it was covered on Friday afternoon

Workers from the Department of Transportation wiped away the blue paint where they could

A city worker touches up the mural with roller brush, covering up the blue paint

Cops release surveillance footage and photos of a suspect who poured red paint on Black Lives Matter mural in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan on Monday

Police described the vandal as being medium build and said that he was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts, black sneakers and black sunglasses

De Blasio hit out at the person responsible on Monday night, tweeting: 'To whoever vandalized our mural on 5th Avenue: nice try @NYCDOT has already fixed it.'

The unidentified man fled the scene after throwing the paint

Trump Tower has been the site of dozens of protests since Donald Trump was elected - including one last Saturday where anti-racism protests clashed with MAGA fans.

One of the witnesses to Monday's defacement was a man wearing and selling 'Dump Trump' gear on the street.

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.

The Black Lives Matter mural outside Trump Tower was one of five that de Blasio promised to paint across New York City last month as part of an initiative to honor civil rights activists.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who joined the community effort to paint the mural in large yellow letters last Thursday, hit out at the person responsible for the defacement in a tweet

Heavily-armed NYPD officers looked on as workers repainted the mural outside Trump Tower

Trump Tower has been the site of dozens of protests since Donald Trump was elected

One of the witnesses to Monday's defacement was a man wearing and selling 'Dump Trump' gear on the street when Trump supporters confronted him

A Trump supporter held up a sign in reference to protests over racial inequalities on Monday

'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,' the mayor said at the time.

'We are acknowledging the truth of ourselves as Americans by saying "Black Lives Matter". We are righting a wrong.'

Trump expressed his opposition to the mural earlier this month, saying it would denigrate the luxury shopping area. He also said it would 'further antagonize New York's finest'.

'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,' Trump tweeted on July 1.

But police appeared to ignore the president's remarks and were seen protecting the people painting the mural from counter-protesters on Thursday.

Mayor Bill de Blasio is seen helping paint the Black Lives Matter mural alongside Rev. Al Sharpton on July 9

Black Lives Matter murals in other cities have been similarly defaced in recent weeks, including in Chicago, Milwaukee and Washington, DC.

Last week a couple in Martinez, California, were charged with a hate crime after they destroyed a mural there.

'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,' Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement announcing the charges against David Nelson and Nicole Anderson.

'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.'
Even during a global pandemic, people will still need surgery and surgeons still need to stay up to date on the latest methods, tools and practices of their trade. Thats why the Ganga Medical Centre and Hospital at Coimbatore in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu conducted its annual two-day Hand and Microsurgery operative course via Microsoft Teams.Held July 11-12, the course covered hand surgeries ranging from minor to major and is regularly attended by surgeons from around the world. This years course had more than 550 surgeons attending from 27 countries. Everything was streamed live, sent over Microsoft Teams and then broadcast globally via Microsoft Stream.It is inspiring to see how our technology is helping health-care institutions, doctors and hospital staff collaborate seamlessly to deliver top-notch services to patients and provide real time-learning, even amid such difficult situations, said Samik Roy, country head of Modern Work for Microsoft India.
ATLANTA (AP)  John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, has died. He was 80.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis passing late Friday night, calling him one of the greatest heroes of American history.

All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing, Pelosi said. May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make good trouble, necessary trouble.

The condolences for Lewis were bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Lewis was a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles. "

Lewiss announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer  I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now, he said  inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.

The announcement of his death came just hours after the passing of the Rev. C.T. Vivian, another civil rights leader who died early Friday at 95.

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and its blood so that it might live up to its promise, President Barack Obama said after Lewis death. Early on, he embraced the principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as the means to bring about real change in this country.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal I Have a Dream speech.

A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a scorched earth march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.

It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.

Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his familys farm and attended segregated public schools.

As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabamas segregated Troy State University.

He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.

Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.

The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didnt come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Selma to Montgomery, Alabamas capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.

Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

In an early setback for Barack Obamas 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.

President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday praised Lewis as a giant who became the conscience of the nation.

Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill  but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis refused to attend Trumps inauguration, saying he didnt consider him a legitimate president because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from s---hole countries, Lewis declared, I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.

Lewis said hed been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally hed do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Lewis said in June, recalling the good trouble he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say? While the vote would be hard for some, he said: We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

___

Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.
Elections: Get on your marks View(s):

Though the UNP leader and some others have called for another postponement of the August 5 parliamentary elections, it is unlikely to happen  at least right now. The Election Commissioner has the starters pistol in hand but his finger is not on the trigger.

Unless the coronavirus intervenes once more and the Health Ministrys predictions that all is ready to go despite some infected cases being noted here and there, it appears to be no obstacle to holding a nationwide election.

Yet the Governments delay in still not legalising the health guidelines such as social distancing had Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya worried to the point that he has said it would be difficult to hold elections on the due date if the health requirement is ignored even though health big-wigs have signalled the okay.

Yet not everybody puts their trust on the clearance announced by the health top brass with even the GMOA calling for precautions ahead of a possible second wave that would upend all the preparations for an election already postponed twice.

With one arm of the health sector sounding the all clear and the GMOA reaching for a mayday warning this election has none of the characteristics of Sri Lankan elections of the past decades.

The mass rallies with loud-mouthed politicians hitting the high decibels in front of microphones, of loud music (sic!) to attract those who have nothing to do save gape at politicians whose piles of promises to the public are broken as soon as they step down from the stage, of posters of political leaders and their minions plastering city walls, are all missing. If the threatened use of the election law more rigorously to punish the recalcitrant has not driven the wall plasterers and other campaigners off the streets, the coronovirus seems to have had a more frightening effect on electioneering than EC chairman Deshapriya purported belligerence to bring some order into place this time round.

If all this has turned this election into a dull and dreary affair unlike those of the past, especially with the introduction of proportional representation with candidates and followers of the same party clawing each other or hurling brickbats, under the seeming calm, things are happening that the average voter would not like to know. If they did their diminishing faith in politics and politicians will sink deeper into the mire.

Sri Lanka, we are told, is a country like no other. The coming election is one like no other too. Sri Lankas political tectonic plates had moved nearly six years ago when the yahapalana government was elected. Now they are ready to move again  where and how far is what the people will discover in the coming months and years?

Therein lies a journey into the unknown. What the repercussions of such change would be at a time when the world itself is in the throes of what might be seen as cataclysmic change could  and possibly would  have on Sri Lanka one cannot foretell today.

Throw your mind back to 2014 and thereabouts when an agglomeration of civil society organisations and groups and other activists including artists and journalists eager for political change gathered round a learned and highly-respected Buddhist monk Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhita thera and his Peoples Movement for a Just Society determined to clean up the countrys political life and bring to society a moral purity.

When Maithripala Sirisena, the presidential candidate of this movement who was expected to be the forerunner of this newly cleansed society was elected president ahead of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa it was hailed as a new dawn.

At first it was, with constitutional changes that reduced the powers of the president and strengthened the powers of parliament and of the prime minister.

I recall President Sirisena attending the world anti-corruption summit launched by Prime Minister David Cameron in May 2016 at which the Sri Lanka president announced how by his own volition renounced some of the presidential powers to strengthen the powers of the people and their elected representatives.

But before long when the experiment in power-sharing between the partners in political cohabitation  President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe  gradually turned to be fractious and even acrimonious, Sirisena was lamenting his relinquishing some of the presidential powers which he told the London conference he had voluntarily surrendered, one of the few leaders who had done so, for the benefit of the people.

This might have been a personal battle for power. But let it not be forgotten that this was a clash between Sri Lankas oldest post-independence parties that had ruled the country most of the time since 1948. Not just that. A new actor had appeared on the horizon. This was the armed services that fought the LTTE and defeated it militarily a decade ago under the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and earned the plaudits of the people.

The dissolution of parliament last March allowed new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appoint retired military officers to key positions as he had more faith in his one-time military colleagues than in civil administrators though not all who wore the uniform had sufficient experience in running civil institutions and district administrations.

When President Gotabaya Rajapaksa inaugurated the 4th session of the 8th parliament, he said that the existing constitution has given rise to many problems at the present time because of its inherent ambiguities and confusions.

The president said that in order to safeguard security, sovereignty, stability and integrity it was necessary to reform the constitution to establish a strong executive, legislature and an independent judiciary that can ensure the sovereignty of the people.

This has been the theme song of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his inner circle. With this goal in mind, President Rajapaksa and his party want to jettison the 19th amendment that Sirisena himself helped pass initially but found deprived of the powers he wished to have.

If the president and the SLPP are targeting a two-third majority on August 5 in order to do so the easy way, the question being asked by some Sri Lankans is what would happen if they do not gain the desired target?

With the UNP and the SLFP in tatters and their leaders have outlived their political shelf life, the Sinhala-Buddhist community that once supported the UNP and SLFP is looking for strong leadership that can govern the country. So they look to the president and a new Sinhala-Buddhist elite buttressed by retired soldiers they believe can provide that leadership.

The question is what happens if the two-thirds majority the president, prime minister and party seek eludes them? Will they have to turn to the traditional political gimmickry that Sri Lanka has been accustomed to over the years to engineer crossovers with inducements to strengthen party support in parliament?

Or will the government go further to ensure that its goal of strong leadership and political governance is achievable?

These are the questions that Sri Lankans will mull over as the election approaches.

For the Sri Lankan people this would surely be the tectonic plate settling in another direction as a new era in the islands politics takes shape. But while a new government seeks to consolidate power and take control of the apparatus of governance there are external factors that cannot be ignored. Even before the current pandemic new alliances and groups of countries were emerging with fresh agendas and new geostrategic interests in our own Indian Ocean region and beyond.

Sri Lanka cannot but be caught in the vortex of such regional and global changes. The country is already enmeshed in a vicious economic cycle from which it will be hard put to extricate itself. Life will not be easy. Politics could be worse for those who try to adjust themselves to a new order.

(Neville de Silva is a veteran Sri Lankan journalist who was Assistant Editor, Diplomatic Editor and Political Columnist before moving to London and joining Gemini News Service. Later he was Sri Lankas Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangkok and Deputy High Commissioner in London before returning to journalism).
A team of Rajasthan Police officials who entered one of the two resorts in Manesar, Haryana, where 18 dissident Congress MLAs are lodged with Sachin Pilot, returned empty-handed on Friday after finding no rebel legislators there, said sources.

Led by IPS Vikas Sharma, the SOG team was initially stopped by Haryana police but later allowed. The team had gone to record the voice sample of MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma, while also possessing a warrant against him.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) team went as part of its investigation into two audio clips which allegedly indicate a plot to bring down the Congress government in Rajasthan.

However, no rebel MLAs could be found there and the SOG has claimed that Haryana Police did not cooperate fully.

On Friday morning, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, citing a leaked audio clip, demanded an investigation into the alleged horse-trading and an FIR against Union minister and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Shekhawat for attempts to topple Ashok Gehlot government's in Rajasthan. Based on the transcript of the purported conversations read by Surjewala at a Press Conference in Jaipur, the Congress suspended two party MLAs Bhanwar Lal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh.

The Congress had alleged that senior BJP leader and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also figured in the clips, which surfaced on social media.

But the FIR registered by the Special Operations Group does not identify one Gajendra Singh as any minister. Television channels showed a Rajasthan police vehicle being stopped outside the Manesar hotel for nearly an hour by policemen from the BJP-ruled state.

The police vehicle was later seen entering the hotel compound and then being driven out after several minutes. Additional Director General (SOG) Ashok Rathore said the team was told at the reception that the MLA was not there. The police then left the second hotel in Manesar where some of the MLAs led by rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot are said to camping.

"A team was sent to Manesar to ascertain the versions of those whose names have come up in audio clips as there have been statements that these audio clips are fake or morphed," Rathore had said earlier.

The refusal to allow the team, at least initially, to enter the hotel prompted senior Congress leaders to charge that the BJP was part of the plan to topple their government in Rajasthan.

"If BJP claims not being involved in Congress' internal fight, then why BJP-led Haryana Government is extending their support and protection to MLAs inside the hotel?" AICC general secretary Avinash Pande tweeted.

AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also made the same allegation. "Haryana Police blocking Rajasthan Police from investigating the 'toppling game' is naked proof of this plot," he tweeted. He claimed that the BJP collusion in the plot has now been exposed.

Pilot and other Congress dissidents on Friday got a four-day reprieve from any action by Rajasthan Speaker on the disqualification notices served on them, as the high court extended the hearing into their petition to the next week. The Rajasthan High Court will resume the hearing at 10 am on Monday and Speaker C P Joshi will not take any action on the disqualification notices till 5.30 pm on Tuesday.

Pilot and his MLAs are challenging the Congress move to disqualify them from the state assembly, and were initially asked to send their replies by 1 pm on Friday. Speaker C P Joshi had written to the court that he will not act on the notices till 5 pm on Friday, by when the court proceedings were earlier expected to be over.

His counsel agreed to extend this breather to 5.30 pm on Tuesday as the division bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta had not delivered its order by that time.

An assembly statement said this was mutually agreed by both sides. The petition had challenged the constitutional validity of the notices, based on a Congress complaint that they should be disqualified from the assembly for defying a party whip.

The Pilot camp argued that a party whip applies only when the assembly is in session. In its complaint to the Speaker, the Congress had sought action against Pilot and the other dissidents under paragraph 2 (1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

The provision disqualifies MLAs if they 'voluntarily give up' the membership of the party which they represent in the House.

They Congress claims that this is the inference that can be drawn from the MLAs conduct. But the dissident camp says Pilot never indicated any intention to leave the party.

In the writ petition, the MLAs said that they continue to owe allegiance to the Congress and are not seeking to defect to any other party. But the petition made clear that they opposed the manner in which Gehlot functioned.

They claimed that the Speaker acted hastily in sending them the notices.

"The undue haste and swiftness exhibited by the authority concerned in taking cognisance of the said complaint leaves no doubt in the minds of the petitioners that the move is aimed at arriving at a foregone conclusion leading to the disqualification of the petitioners," it added.

The dissidents said that sensing a brewing discontent, the chief minister had called a legislature party meeting on July 13 without providing any specific agenda and levelled baseless allegations against them.

They claimed the SOG inquiry ordered recently by Gehlot was a ploy to threaten them against raising their voices on the 'inefficiency' of the leadership within the party.

BJP state president Satish Poonia accused Surjewala of trying to defame Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. "Surjewala is giving statements as if he is the DG of the SOG, he said.
literally show me one person whos surprised by this  hes such an attention seeking pos

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My family lives a mile from me and we haven't been within 6ft of each other or without masks on for the last 4 months, but sure this is ok.

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right? i havent seen my mom since jan 9 (my bday) i only see my dad because i am legally blind and he has taken me grocery shopping 3 times since this began. they live less than 5 minutes from me. im willing to bet multiple cases of covid are going to come out of this part

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Haven't seen my family since Christmas and had to spend my 30th birthday alone because I was in home office, too, so at least I can say I did something compared to those baboons...

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I only recently started seeing my parents in person and I still feel guilty about that despite all of us taking proper precautions.

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This is what keeps me from getting too close to mine. We're big huggers, so it's been super hard. But, even though we all take precautions, that "what if" is in the back of my mind nonstop.



I hope you and yours stay safe!





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Same...I'm moving across the country and next saturday will be the last time I ever see them for a long time (years probably) but I don't feel comfortable hugging,

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my dad & brother are literally a 20 min drive from me but i can't visit them, especially bc they're both diabetic and at a higher risk. it's been really hard on me not being with them, and keeping my son from them.



i'm sorry you haven't been able to see your family, it's hard seeing jerks like this and knowing it'll probably be longer until you see your loved ones again

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Idk if this is ~too cautious but I live with my mom and Ive hugged her ONCE (Mothers Day) since March

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only child here, love my parents and i haven't seen them since March 5th and i miss them sooooooo much

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No but I dont like parties. Too many people and Im antisocial/ shy. Hes a moron though



Edited at 2020-07-18 04:24 pm (UTC)

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My upstairs neighbors did this last night and I'm just like, one week. You couldn't have waited one fucking week until I moved out?

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My friend got engaged and she posted them celebrating inside a restaurant with zero masks. I cannot. At this point, it's just going to get worse bc people cannot find ways to socialize safely.



Also so many celebs throwing parties. Cardi throwing a big kid party, this douche bag here throwing a party, the KKKardashians. It's just wild to me.



People are going to regret this during the holidays

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Hoooo. Christmas gonna be a hell of a party. Hard times, desperate times.

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I'm already planning on Thanksgiving and Christmas this year being low-key affairs because people cannot behave.

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I saw the Instagram post of Khloe Kardashian's birthday party and I'm sure the photo of the hand sanitizers/face masks put out were there to make it seem like they were taking precautions, but the safest thing would be to not have the party. And I doubt anyone actually wore those face masks, they probably just took them home as party favors.

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my sisters friend is having a wedding with 100 guests and not requiring masks bc i guess she wants to die

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Yeah, I've been hesitant to even head to Governor's Island to just lay out and read a book and people are having whole ass parties. I just...

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my friend is still having a wedding with 100+ people, full tables for dinner, open bar, and dancing. i dropped out of the bridal party bc i'm sure as shit not flying to what is essentially a covid party. when i brought up my concerns, and said it was selfish and immoral, my friend told me i should examine my economic privilege bc the getting married friend is 'very stressed out,' and couldn't afford to cancel since they live in a shit asss state that never shut down.



i'm disgusted by everyone going. i cannot fucking deal.

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My anti-mask aunt is throwing her annual summer party and several family members have stated they aren't going to attend. She tried to guilt my mother into going, which caused a fight because my Mom got upset she did this while knowing my Dad is one of the people in a high-risk group thanks to his COPD/recovering lung cancer. Thankfully, her other sister and brother aren't going either, so she has them for support.

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the cases are going to be through the roof, people were already going to Easter parties , I cant imagine people will be overlooking xmas.

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At this point, it's just going to get worse bc people cannot find ways to socialize safely.



To go even further, its not that they cannot find a way to socialize more safely  because they absolutely can, e.g., outdoor gathering with distance and face masks  they just chose not to which is incalculably worse.

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I still don't understand wtf cardi was thinking smh

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I just keep thinking about all the jackasses who are going to live it up on Halloween regardless of where things are at with the pandemic. People act like missing one Halloween is a fate worse than death.

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I'm engaged and my fiance and I are putting off our wedding until well...indefinitely due to Covid unless there is a way to do it online. And we've been waiting three years to be together. I keep reminding myself that its just a piece of paper at the end of the day and lord knows countless other people haven't been able to marry now and esp in the past because of homophobia, racism....

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Honestly, why hasn't he fallen off a cliff yet?

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the only shocking thing in this post is that he is only 23 because he is looking rough

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Not all of us have your genetics boo 

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mte, he's really aging super horribly.

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People will underestimate how much partying gets you. You may not be an addict but casual alcohol and drug use adds up. Also most whites dudes don't wear sunscreen or moisturize tbh

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Same. I was thinking 29 at least. An ugly 29

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Legit needs to moisturize and use a vitamin c serum and save that face.

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Right? I'm 40 and look like I could be his little sister. He's too wealthy to look like a busted can of expired biscuits.

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his face is so punchable

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A Florida father is hospitalized on a ventilator with COVID-19 after his 21-year-old son went out with friends and apparently infected the entire family, his wife says. https://t.co/eV0oE32XeY  NBC News (@NBCNews) July 17, 2020

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including a 14-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, have tested positive for the coronavirus. They were infected after their older son, Zymet's stepson



Kick the eldest son** out of the house.



poor Zymet, my bad



Edited at 2020-07-18 04:33 pm (UTC)

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This is heartbreaking. Ive left the house less than 20 times since March because my mom is diabetic and on dialysis. She lives far from me, but close to work so I saw her a lot, and yet I still take major precautions around her because I could never live with myself if I brought COVID into their house. I hope he survives and his family can heal from this.

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I'd be so hurt if I was in this woman's position, and he didn't even tell them he was sick until the younger sibling started not feeling well?

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i wonder if any of those "friends" are gonna let that kid live with them if stepmom kicks his ass out.

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So horrible



Was the party worth it?

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This is my biggest fear :(

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"Zymet said in her Facebook video that her older son developed symptoms after going out and initially thought he had a cold. He didn't tell the family he was sick."



ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

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He should be charged honestly.

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This was like the first death we had in pur country. Dude had been to italy just as lockdown started and he didnt tell his grandma, went to visit her and she died

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I won't be mad if this woman goes full on Disney stepmom. Do it!

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He better feel guilty as hell

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this is exactly why i haven't been going out. the guilt at spreading it and possibly killing someone would ruin me.

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well that's incredibly sad and infuriating :/

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Rona sis, claim his nasty ass



- the world.

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No, I wont even get a haircut Im not about to go to a party lol



My friends have been okay with this stuff but one girl did want to get drinks like the second bars opened and another had a birthday party in her backyard, her backyard isnt very big so depending on how many people went ehhh



I skipped both :(

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The most hanging out Ive done is taking a walk with my friend around her neighborhood, and we both had masks and stayed at least six feet away from each other. Ive declined all other offers because its not worth it.



My manager is throwing a graduation party for her kids this weekend and even though its outside and theyre taking precautions it took everything not to make a shady face during that Zoom call.

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I need a haircut badly. The salons opened briefly before they shut down again but I still waited it out just in case. I keep reading people getting sick at parties. Pass

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My salon sent a bunch of emails that they were reopened, encouraging people to come in, etc. On a Thursday they emailed about a flash sale they were having and on Saturday they emailed that they had to close because a stylist tested positive for COVID.



I was getting my hair cut before that email, but now I'm definitely not.

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i want and need a haircut so bad because i have a full undercut but i guess i'm growing it out for the next year.

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I have a little cousin who went to the skank ass panhandle of florida for spring break AND the 4th...didn't wear a mask, didn't social distance....I didn't find this out until AFTER she spent the night with me and were in very close proximity at times. I went and got tested, pronto

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i need to get my hair cut and eyebrows done but that shit can wait (or i can do my brows myself) bc i don't want to risk it for myself or others. i only go out to get my cat food and even then i stock up for 2 months.

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that family was a mistake. and so are youtubers in general. throw them in jail, tbh.



Also, no I haven't. I've visited my sister and her family, but they haven't left the house either. My uncle is 99% sure he has COVID, but he still has to wait like 18 days until he finds out.



Edited at 2020-07-18 04:29 pm (UTC)

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wtf that's way too long for results!

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but we have the fastest and bestest and biggest testing in the world! UGELY BIG!!!

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18 days??? why? due to the number of tests being done?





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18 days? dayum. Mine took 3 days and I live in Georgia so not as bad as Florida but unfortunately we're their almost equally dumb neighbors.

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my mum had to wait a month for her antibodies test, they came back negative too ugh

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hoping to see a post titled Jake Paul Dies at 23, Looking like 47

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Right? I'm like 'give us one good thing.'

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Hard times, desperate times. That place shouldve been exploded in hellfire. Im saying this with a straight dead eyed face.



In actuality, all of them shall be harshly punished in imprisonments for 50000 years. No bail. No getting out of prison for good behaviors. They dont care and they can cry us a river for all I care. So throw the book at them and have them arrested, fine them $100,000,000 and up. They owe us that much as well as for Earth. Pay up binches. Itsthelaw.gif

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July 20 marks the dark anniversary of the brutal persecution campaign against Falun Gong spiritual practice.

The ban that outlawed the peaceful meditation of Falun Gong in China on July 20, 1999, has resulted in countless people of faith losing their lives in the 21-year-long persecution. Despite the pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intensified the persecution of the spiritual group in the first half of 2020, subjecting the adherents to extreme vilification, harassment, torture, and forced organ harvesting.

The period between January to June 2020 witnessed 2,654 practitioners being arrested and 2,659 harassed for their faith, according to a July 2020 report from Minghui, a U.S.-based website that provides firsthand updates on the spiritual practice and its persecution. The report added that 1,687 of these Falun Gong adherents had their homes ransacked.

Many elderly practitioners were also targeted. More specifically, 540 (10.1 percent) of the 5,313 targeted practitioners were 65 or older, including 116 between 65 and 70, 278 in their 70s, 140 in their 80s, and 6 in their 90s, the report stated.

Falun Gong practitioners take part in a candlelight vigil 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 CCP began its persecution of Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) for the reason that the ancient self-improvement cultivation practicewith its three principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Toleranceamassed huge popularity and followers in China by the late 1990s. The authoritarian regime considered its law-abiding citizens with faith a threat to its communist ideology of struggle and hate.

Every year on July 20, Falun Gong practitioners the world over hold candlelight vigils, rallies, and parades, and distribute information materials to mark the dark anniversary and raise awareness about ongoing genocide. This year, where many followers of this ancient cultivation system are braving the CCP virus, commonly known as the coronavirus, to draw attention to the severe atrocities in the hopes of ending the persecution, others are conducting online rallies on the cause. The adherents in Canada and Australia have planned two separate online rallies for July 20, with speakers ranging from senators to lawmakers and human rights lawyers, according to Event Brite.

Below are some selected photos highlighting the July-20 Falun Dafa events from the recent past.

The Solemn Vigils

Falun Gong adherents from the greater Vancouver region gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver on July 10, 2020, to highlight the persecution of their faith in China. During their peaceful gathering, the adherents formed two rows over 100 meters long on both sides of the entrance to the Chinese Consulate, holding signs written in English and Chinese, asking to stop the brutal persecution.

The candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver on July 10, 2020. (Minghui)

The candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver on July 10, 2020. (Minghui)

Falun Gong practitioners holding a banner reading Stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China in front of the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver on July 10, 2020. (Minghui)

Rejecting CCP Equals Rejecting Virus

When a man wearing a custom-made mask with a CCP virus logo saw the banner reading, Stay Away from the CCP and the CCP Virus, he walked over to the Falun Gong practitioners to give them a thumbs-up, reported Minghui.

He told them that he knows in great detail the crimes the CCP committed, such as harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, the genocide of the Uighurs, and the crackdown on Hong Kong residents. He said he recently returned from Hong Kong and hates what the CCP has done to the people in Hong Kong.

Humanitys Only Hope Is to Improve Morality

To call attention to the communist partys human rights violations in China during the 21-year-long persecution, the adherents of the spiritual group held a rally in downtown Auckland on June 20, 2020. The passersby were shocked to learn about Chinas state-sanctioned live organ harvesting.

Meanwhile, in Australia, a rally was held to celebrate 350 million Chinese citizens quitting the CCP in front of Sydneys Customs House on Jan. 31, 2020. Speaking at the rally, Riccardo Bossi, leader of the Australia One Party, author, speaker, international business consultant, and former Australian Army Special Forces lieutenant colonel, congratulated the Chinese people who have chosen to quit the CCP.

Mr. Bossi said: The CCP is corrupting political circles in Australia. They have invested heavily in the country. Australia, which used to be economically strong and self-reliant, has become the CCPs vassal. If the regime is not disintegrated, China and Australia too will be destroyed. If Australians want to save Australia, they must help the Chinese quit the CCP and save China.

Riccardo Bossi, leader of the Australia One Party, at the rally. (Minghui)

Demonstrating Gentle Exercises

During the recent events to expose the persecution and raise awareness, practitioners also demonstrated the slow-moving meditative exercises of Falun Gong at parks and told passersby about the practices health benefits.

Exercise demonstration at the National Mall in Washington on July 4, 2020. (Minghui)

Falun Gong practitioners performed the meditative exercises and told passersby about the ongoing persecution at Santa Monica Pier, in Los Angeles, on July 12, 2020. (Minghui)

More than 200 Falun Gong practitioners in Chiayi City, Taiwan, gathered at Wenhua Park on July 11, 2020. (Minghui)

Demonstration of the Falun Gong exercises in front of the historic Customs House in downtown Sydney on Jan. 31, 2020. (Minghui)

Thank You for Telling Me About This

The peaceful-looking practitioners immersed in meditation impressed many onlookers; some even thanked these volunteers for making them aware of the human rights violations in China.

Thank you for telling me about this, as I did not know that the situation in China was so terrible, a tourist said. Freedom of belief is important for our society and it should be protected.

Falun Gong adherent speaking to passersby in Milan, Italy, on July 4, 2020. (Minghui)

Falun Gong adherent speaking to passersby in Milan, Italy, on July 4, 2020. (Minghui)

Informing people about the persecution on July 12, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Minghui)

Sharing information about the persecution with a motorist in Chiayi City, Taiwan, on July 11, 2020. (Minghui)

An elderly Falun Gong adherent telling people about the persecution at the National Mall in Washington on July 4, 2020. (Minghui)

What Can We Do to Help?

In the early months of 2020, as the pandemic peaked, most provinces in China were locked down, but the harassment of this ancient self-cultivation system didnt stop. There were also more practitioners arrested in February, March, May and June 2020 compared to last year, the Minghui report stated.

Passersby on learning the atrocities faced by these people of faith in China often ask how they can help stop the persecution. The adherents suggest sharing information with friends and families to let more people become aware of this genocide and signing a petition to ask senators and officials to take action against the CCP.

Tourists learn about the persecution at Human Rights Plaza in Paris on June 28, 2020. (Minghui)

Passersby sign petition to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China at City Square in Melbourne on June 6, 2020. (Minghui)

An elderly man signs petition to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China in Hannover, Germany, on June 13, 2020. (Minghui)

Falun Gong practitioners persistent efforts to expose the persecution in such a peaceful manner is admired by onlookers. However, some may wonder whats the use of signing petitions and demonstrating on the streets, especially if the persecution has not ceased in all these 21 years. Perhaps the following quote from Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, may speak volumes of their noble cause: The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.

To sign an online petition to call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong, and forced organ harvesting, click here.

Watch the video on the persecution of Falun Gong:
(CNN)  The planned slaughter of almost 100,000 mink after a coronavirus outbreak on a Spanish farm has renewed questions around COVID-19 and the transmission to animals.

While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there's no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus, there have been reports of pets being infected.

And since the coronavirus is believed to have infected wild animals before jumping to humans, this is an area scientists need to learn more about in an effort to control the spread of Covid-19 and future illnesses.

Can animals catch coronavirus?

The coronavirus has been identified on at least 25 mink farms in the Netherlands, according to the country's government, which said on Friday that it had culled animals at 24 infected farms.

COVID-19 was found in three of 11 cats at one mink farm, and the government said cats may play a role in the spread of the virus between farms.

At a farm in Teruel, Spain, 92,700 mink are to be culled after 78 of 90 animals tested were found to have the coronavirus -- 87% of the sample.

There have also been reports of pet cats and dogs infected with the virus in several countries, including New York, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. Eight big cats tested positive at New York's Bronx Zoo.

Can I catch coronavirus from my pet?

The CDC says the risk of animals spreading Covid-19 to people is "considered to be low" and the agency does not recommend routine testing of pets.

A YouTube video released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in mid-June said that "it doesn't seem like animals can give you the virus," although you may be able to give it to them.

However, Dutch authorities said it was "plausible" that a mink may have infected a human with Covid-19, and instituted mandatory testing of animals at all mink farms in the Netherlands.

Since animals can spread other diseases to humans, it's always best to wash your hands after touching a pet and before touching your face.

Didn't the coronavirus originate in wild animals?

Researchers believe the coronavirus spent some time infecting both bats and pangolins before it jumped into humans. Scientists suspect humans first came into contact with an animal sick with the disease at a wet market in China.

But scientists say a third species of animal may have played host to the virus before it spilled over to people.

What is clear is that the coronavirus has swapped genes repeatedly with similar strains infecting bats, pangolins and a possible third species, a team at Duke University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and elsewhere reported in the journal Science Advances in May.

What's also clear is that people need to reduce contact with wild animals that can transmit new infections, they concluded.

The World Health Organization advises anyone visiting live animal or animal product markets to practice hygiene measures including handwashing and avoiding touching your face. Market and slaughterhouse workers should wear protective clothing and regularly disinfect surfaces.

The World Organization for Animal Health does not recommend any Covid-19-related sanitary measures for the international movement of animals or animal products.

How can I protect my pet from Covid-19?

Consider avoiding dog parks and other crowded public places, the FDA advises. The six-foot distancing rule applies to leashed pets, as well as to other people.

The FDA also suggests avoiding contact with animals if you are sick -- if possible, have someone else care for your pet until you're well again, or wear a face covering around them.

If your pet gets sick after contact with a person with Covid-19, call your veterinarian and find out about telemedicine consultations or other plans for seeing pets.

Some pet owners in China have fitted their dogs with tiny face masks, but Hong Kong's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said there was no benefit to that, and it was probably fairly distressing.

Animal rights groups warned that a bigger risk than the spread of the virus from animals to humans is the "spread of fear" causing owners to abandon their pets.

Should this change how we behave around animals?

Fur farms such as those where the mink outbreaks occurred are banned in many countries because of concerns around animal welfare and ethics.

The Dutch government is working on a plan in which mink farms can voluntarily close before the planned phase-out date of 2024. Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of animals rights groups, has called for a global closure.

Research published in Science Advances warned that humans are setting ourselves up to be infected with new viruses by operating "wet markets" where many different species of live animals are caged and sold, and by moving deeper into forests where animals live.

They said "reducing or eliminating direct human contact with wild animals is critical to preventing new coronavirus zoonosis [transmission from animals to humans] in the future."

Jane Goodall, the pioneering chimpanzee expert, said she hoped that the coronavirus would make us reflect on our relationship with the natural world.

She said humans had "disrespected" nature and animals, "and as we destroy the forests and the habitats, species which normally wouldn't interact have been crowded together" and have been forced into closer contact with humans.

Goodall noted that HIV originated with the hunting of chimpanzees, that Middle East respiratory syndrome -- another coronavirus -- comes from camels, and that modern farming practices create ideal conditions for a virus to jump from an animal to a human. The climate crisis could also bring further problems and more diseases.

"So, let's hope we come out of the pandemic and can work out together, a greener future economy, and a better way to live in harmony with the natural world," Goodall said, "for the sake of the environment, animals, our own health and future generations."

This story was first published on CNN.com From farmed mink to your pet cat, here's what we know about coronavirus and animals
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 13:04:54|Editor: huaxia

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GENEVA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A group of experts from the China Society for Human Rights Studies have spoken through video messages at the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, expressing their views on such topics as the rights of women and children, absolute poverty, leprosy discrimination, displacement, international solidarity, and racial discrimination.

Yang Bochao, a scholar from China University of Political Science and Law, told the council that the Chinese government has always prioritized the fight against trafficking of women, children and other vulnerable groups in its effort to combat human trafficking.

"Meanwhile, the Chinese government cooperates closely with UN agencies to combat human trafficking and violence against women and children," the expert said.

Zha Luo, a researcher with the China Tibetology Research Center, said during a dialogue on extreme poverty that eliminating extreme poverty is necessary and possible, and the Chinese government has made great efforts to fight poverty in Tibet.

China's Tibet Autonomous Region declared the elimination of extreme poverty in 2019, the expert said.

In a dialogue on the elimination of discrimination against leprosy, Shang Haiming, a scholar from Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said that the number of leprosy patients in China has decreased from more than 500,000 in 1949 to around 3,000, and the disease has been basically eliminated in most provinces.

"While actively controlling the spread of leprosy, China has also launched various forms of publicity campaigns to eliminate discrimination against leprosy patients," Shang said.

On the issue of internal displacement, Wang Jiang, a scholar from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the council that the Chinese government integrates those being displaced into the scope of social security, and provides them with social relief management services.

In another discussion on the independence of judges and lawyers, Wang said that the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will not affect the independence of judges and lawyers at the institutional and legal levels.

It will only help better safeguard the rule of law in Hong Kong, Wang added.

In a dialogue on the issue of international solidarity, Wu Wenyang, a scholar from China University of Political Science and Law, said xenophobia and stigmatization have posed a serious challenge to the international community's united response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a time for solidarity, for saving lives and protecting human rights, and not a time to politicize the pandemic," Wu said.

Speaking about transnational corporations' responsibility for protecting human rights, Zhu Ying, a professor from Southwest University of Political Science and Law in China, said as an important player on the world economic stage, transnational corporations have a huge influence on the economy, environment, national security, legal system and other aspects of the human society, and therefore should shoulder their social responsibilities.

In a dialogue on racism, Mao Junxiang, executive director of the Center for Human Rights Studies at China's Central South University, called on politicians and media to take their social responsibilities for combating discrimination related to the novel coronavirus.

Spreading discriminatory remarks is a contemporary form of racism "in the name of freedom of speech," Mao said. Enditem
Sri Lanka has extended by a week the current school closure to ensure the well-being of students amidst the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly 2,700 people, an official statement said on Saturday.

The decision was taken after students from selected grades, who were asked to return to school on July 6 after the lockdown of over three months, did not attend the school in view of a threat from the sudden COVID-19 cases spike reported from the North and Central region.

The Director General of Health Services remains confident that there is no possibility for the social transmission of COVID-19. However, since over 200 school children and teachers are under quarantine in five districts and three students are among the infected, it was important to shut the schools for a further week, the statement said.

Before the latest spike, the ministry had announced a phased programme to re-open schools after they had been shut on March 20.

The health authorities said the latest spike has been curbed and there was no need for a further lockdown as feared.

Sri Lankas parliamentary election scheduled for August 5 is also to go ahead with the application of health guidelines both on campaigning and on the day of the polls.

The pandemic had already formed a change to the election procedure.

For the first time in the islands electoral history the counting of votes would start on the following morning, the Election Commission has announced.

Sri Lanka has so far reported 2,697 cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
So: Lawmakers, get it done.

After the main tax proposal, Amendment 2870, is debated, perhaps State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, chairwoman of the Revenue Committee, will be able to show she has the 33 votes to move forward against the filibuster. But if not, theres no reason the process need stall out, and its imperative that senators understand that. They have a duty to stay engaged. To be flexible. To negotiate seriously with each other on alternate approaches.

Follow that responsible course if necessary, senators, and you can craft a reasonable compromise. You must.

Get it done.

With only 17 days, lawmakers have a big obligation to use their time efficiently. Besides taxes and incentives, the Legislature must decide on the budget (currently on second reading) and other needed legislation, such as stronger safeguards to protect students from sexual assault at school. After being sidelined for months by the virus emergency, some senators will be tempted to indulge in long-winded speeches at the microphone, wasting precious time. They must resist that temptation. Legislative leaders must enlighten them, if needed, about proper behavior.
A pandemic, a lawsuit and an industry struggling for survival: It is a very different Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW) this year.

The annual fundraiser launched its website Friday, featuring specially priced prix-fixe menus at around 200 participating Houston-area restaurants available from Aug. 1 through Sept. 7.

Each participating restaurant will donate $1 per meal, including dine-in selections and newly added takeout and delivery options, to the Houston Food Bank.

In 2019, more than 250 area restaurants were part of HRW, with each making a $3 to $7 donation per meal to the food bank.



But this year, the pandemic economy has taken a toll on the unemployment rate, causing an increase in the need for food donations from the food bank, and on the struggling restaurant industry, currently operating at 50 percent capacity.

Even so, Houston Food Bank president and CEO Brian Greene told the Houston Chronicle he proposed a zero-dollar donation from participating restaurants for 2020.

Greene said he wanted to ensure that as many restaurants as possible remain in business through the pandemic so that, in the future, they'll be in a better position to make donations for Houston Restaurant Weeks. The restaurant community, however, encouraged the $1 donation.



Since its inception in 2003, HRW has been overseen by its founder, Cleverley Stone, who died May 28 of uterine cancer. Her daughter Katie Stone has taken over the helm, HRW announced in June.



Shortly thereafter, Katie Stone filed a lawsuit at Harris County District Court against Houston web design and marketing firm Astoundz, which built the restaurant weeks website and has operated it free of charge for 14 years, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Court documents show that Katie Stone sought a restraining order against Astoundz from operating and altering the site. She also asked that the company turn over login and password information. While Astoundz acknowledged that Cleverley Stone owned the domain name for the website, the company said Katie Stone has no right to, ownership of, or interest in Astoundzs copyrighted code and databases.



The parties came to an agreement on Wednesday and the lawsuit has been dropped, representatives for Astoundz, HRW and the Houston Food Bank told the Houston Chronicle.



HRW has raised more than $16.6 million for the Houston Food Bank since its first year.
A Bristol Virginia Public Schools employee has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Superintendent Keith Perrigan.

The system was notified Thursday, Perrigan said in a letter to employees, which he also provided to the Bristol Herald Courier. Perrigan said the employee, who works at Virginia High School, is doing well.

Our support and prayers are with our colleague for a full and speedy recovery, he said.

The system has been in contact with the Virginia Department of Health, as directed by the districts health plan. Perrigan said that the district will stay in contact with the Health Department as it deals with the impacts of the pandemic.

Perrigan added that the system will strive for open and transparent communication.

The employee recently spent a short period of time at the high school on July 8. Based on testing information, it is possible that the employee had already contracted the virus at that time, Perrigan said.

The superintendent said the employees contacts that day were not considered close or high risk. Those employees have been notified of their potential exposure.

As a result of face coverings and social distancing policies that have been in place, Perrigan said those employees will not need to quarantine but should self-monitor for 14 days and complete a test if they become symptomatic or concerned.

Perrigan said the school has followed its procedures for cleaning as a result of the positive test.

The district recently announced plans to reopen schools in August, allowing students to attend in-person classes and remotely. Perrigan said the plan was developed based on local health metrics. If those change, for better or worse, he added that the plan will be adjusted accordingly.

By Friday, there had been 15 reports of positive COVID-19 cases in the city of Bristol, including one hospitalization.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the co-founder and publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olorunyomi, on his achievement as one of the four awardees for year 2020 International Press Freedom Award, by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mr Olorunyomi wins the CPJ award along with three other journalists from Bangladesh, Iran and Russia.

They all have been arrested or faced criminal prosecution in reprisal for their reporting, before now.

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.

Mr Olorunyomi, 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.

In the congratulatory message to the journalism icon, Mr Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Saturday, said the honour attests to Mr Olorunyomis many decades of commitment to the ideals of journalism and freedom of the Press.

Democracy and a free Press are kindred spirits, and that is what we have committed to as a government. It is, therefore, gratifying to hear of this award to one of our own, he said.

He also advised the publisher to use the occasion of the award to recommit himself to all that is noble, fair and just in journalism, adding that a responsible media is part of the building blocks of a country.

Mr Buhari said a free and responsible Press remains an abiding commitment of the Nigerian government, and urges the media to adhere to the finest tenets of the noble profession at all times.

In the same view, the former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, while congratulating Mr Olorunyomi said his courage in speaking truth to power via the instrumentality of journalism is needed more.

Congratulations, publisher @PremiumTimesNg, @DapsyOly for your well-deserved 2020 International Press Freedom Award. Your courage in speaking truth to power via the instrumentality of journalism is needed more than ever as the democratic space in Nigeria is being constrained, he wrote on Twitter.

Congratulations, publisher @PremiumTimesNg, @DapsyOly for your well-deserved 2020 International Press Freedom Award. Your courage in speaking truth to power via the instrumentality of journalism is needed more than ever as the democratic space in Nigeria is being constrained. -AA  Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) July 15, 2020

The U.S. mission in Nigeria, while reacting to the news on Twitter, said PREMIUM TIMES publisher dedicated his life to hold power to account.

Congrats to Dapo Olorunyomi, the Publisher of the Premium Times, for winning the 2020 International Press Freedom Award. Olorunyomi is being honored for dedicating his life to holding the powerful to account and his fierce advocacy for press freedom. Well Done Dapo!!

The co-founder of AllAfrica News, Reed Crammer also congratulated Mr Olorunyomi.

Congratulations to friend @DapsyOly  media legend & pioneer & co-founder @PremiumTimesng (@allafrica collaborator)  recipient 2020 International Press Freedom Award from CPJ @pressfreedom. May this honor generate much-needed support for his vital work!

Others

@A_Salkida: It is so well deserved. In the light of the upsurge of official harassment of journalists on trumped up charges not excluding terrorism, @DapsyOly provides leadership to journalists like me and several others across #Africa. Congratulations, sir!

It is so well deserved. In the light of the upsurge of official harassment of journalists on trumped up charges not excluding terrorism, @DapsyOly provides leadership to journalists like me and several others across #Africa. Congratulations, sir! https://t.co/32WfNjVKCn  Ahmad Salkida (@A_Salkida) July 13, 2020

@kan_uzo: Congratulations Dapo. Together, we need to liberate this country and move it to the top amongst civilised nations

Congratulations Dapo. Together, we need to liberate this country and move it to the top amongst civilised nations  Kan Uzo (@kan_uzo) July 16, 2020

@UCJ_UI: Congratulations to our Patron, Dapo Olorunyomi @DapsyOly on the 2020 International Press Freedom Award presented to him by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Congratulations to our Patron, Dapo Olorunyomi @DapsyOly on the 2020 International Press Freedom Award presented to him by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). https://t.co/RBwUlPV7Py  UCJ UI (@UCJ_UI) July 14, 2020

@stateDRL: We congratulate Dapo Olorunyomi, co-founder, CEO, and publisher of Nigerias Premium Times on his 2020 CPJ Press Freedom Award. Olorunyomi faces official harassment as a result of his fierce advocacy for #PressFreedom. https://t.co/Uv2vpa7aev

@YN_Magazine: Congratulations to @DapsyOly Dapo Olorunyomi. This is an award well deserved.

@nikkyah: A huge congratulations to Premium Times @PremiumTimesng Publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi as he wins 2020 International Press Freedom Award.

Mr Dapo Olorunyomi was named alongside three other journalists: Shahidul Alam https://t.co/xir68QIkpN

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@busola_ajibola: This isnt surprising given @DapsyOlys numerous visionary interventions that have set Nigerias media on the right track.

Yet, its heartwarming that your service to humanity is being acknowledged. You, a living legend & an embodiment of inspiration.

@olorunwababs: Congratulations our own Dapo Olorunyomi (@DapsyOly), honored with @pressfreedoms 2020 International Press Freedom Award. Those who follow me know how much I talk highly of him. Cheers to many years of impacts sir.



https://twitter.com/olorunwababs/status/1282691452334747656?s=19

@vanguardafrica: Huge congrats to one of our founding advisory council members, Dapo Olorunyomi (@DapsyOly), one of this years International Press Freedom Award recipients.

As founder and publisher of #Nigerias @PremiumTimesng, Dapo has been a staunch, unbowed defender of democracy. Well done!

Huge congrats to one of our founding advisory council members, Dapo Olorunyomi (@DapsyOly), one of this year's International Press Freedom Award recipients. As founder and publisher of #Nigeria's @PremiumTimesng, Dapo has been a staunch, unbowed defender of democracy. Well done!  Vanguard Africa (@VanguardAfrica) July 13, 2020

@geofreyyork: Congrats to Dapo Olorunyomi (@DapsyOly), co-founder and publisher of the Nigerian newspaper Premium Times, who is one of 4 recipients of the CPJ International Press Freedom award today. Arrested multiple times in his career; a fierce defender of press freedom.

Congrats to Dapo Olorunyomi (@DapsyOly), co-founder and publisher of the Nigerian newspaper Premium Times, who is one of 4 recipients of the CPJ International Press Freedom award today. Arrested multiple times in his career; a fierce defender of press freedom.  Geoffrey York (@geoffreyyork) July 13, 2020
A major new study published in the Lancet medical journal suggests falling fertility rates mean nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century, and warns of a "jaw-dropping" impact on societies. As BBC reports, we looked at seven countries facing some of the most dramatic population changes and the measures they are taking to combat them.

Japan

Japan's population will more than halve, from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of the century, the researchers behind the new Lancet study predict. Japan already has the world's oldest population and the highest rate of people over the age of 100. This has put strain on the country's workforce and the problem is only expected to worsen. Official forecasts say elderly people will account for more than 35% of the population by 2040. This, combined with a low fertility rate of just 1.4 births per woman, means that the number of people able to fill jobs in the country is in decline. Countries need a fertility rate of about 2.1 births to maintain existing population sizes. While Japan has traditionally been wary of immigration, it has eased rules in recent years in a bid to deal with the issue. However, there have been widespread reports of exploitation of migrant workers.

Italy

The Italian population is also expected to more than halve, from 61 million in 2017 to 28 million by the end of the century, according to the Lancet study. Like Japan, Italy is known for its ageing population. More than 23% of people there were over the age of 65 in 2019, according to World Bank data. In 2015, the government launched a programme offering an 800 (725) payment per couple per birth to try to boost fertility rates. However, they still remain among the lowest rates in the European Union. The country also sees high rates of emigration. About 157,000 people left the country in 2018, according to official data. Several towns have introduced their own schemes to try to boost local populations and their economies. This includes selling homes for just 1 or even paying people to live in under-populated communities - if they set up a business. Towns with dwindling populations in Spain - which is also projected to see its population more than halve - have launched similar schemes.

China

In 1979, China famously introduced its controversial one-child policy to try to slow population growth amid concerns over the effect it would have on its plans for economic growth. Today, the world's most populous country is facing the issue of major declines in birth rates. The Lancet study predicts that China's population will peak at 1.4 billion in four years' time before nearly halving to 732 million by 2100. Official data showed the country's birth rate had fallen to its lowest level in 70 years in 2019. Some fear that the country is a "demographic time bomb", which will see a smaller working-age population having to support a bigger, retired population. As one of the world's biggest economies, this would have global ramifications. Concerns over China's ageing population led the government to end the one-child policy in 2015, allowing couples to have two children. But while this sparked a brief increase in birth rates, it failed to reverse the trend long-term. The one-child policy has been blamed for a severe gender imbalance in the country, with males still outnumbering females by more than 30 million in 2019. This has, in part, been blamed on some couples opting for sex-selective abortions. Experts also said that the easing of population restrictions was not accompanied by additional support for families, meaning many people could not afford more than one child.

Iran

Iran is also expected to see its population significantly decline by the end of the century. The country experienced a population boom after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, but went on to implement an effective population control policy. Last month, the health ministry warned that annual population growth had dropped below 1%. Without action, it said it could become one of the world's oldest countries in the next 30 years. State-run news agency Irna has reported that marriage and children within marriage are both in decline, largely because of economic hardship. In an effort to boost its population, Iran ruled last month that vasectomies can no longer be carried out at state-run medical centres and contraceptives will only be offered to women whose health might be at risk.

Brazil

Brazil has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility rates over the past 40 years, from about 6.3 births per woman in 1960 to 1.7 in the most recent estimates. The Lancet study projects that Brazil's population will decline from about 211 million in 2017 to less than 164 million in 2100. A 2012 study suggested that soap operas portraying small families had contributed to lower birth rates in the predominantly Catholic country. While overall birth rates are in decline, Brazil is actively trying to stem high teenage pregnancy rates, launching a campaign called "Adolescence first, pregnancy after". "We need to bring the numbers down. We had the courage to say we are going to talk about delaying the start of sexual relations," Damares Alves, the minister for women, family and human rights, told the BBC earlier this year.

India

India is expected to overtake China as the most populous country in the world by 2100, according to the new study. This is despite the fact that the size of its population is expected to decline from today's numbers - dropping from 1.3 billion in 2017 to less than 1.1 billion at the end of the century, researchers say. The birth rate in the country currently stands at about 2.24, down from 5.91 in 1960. While other countries are trying to encourage growing fertility rates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on people to have smaller families. "Population explosion will cause many problems for our future generations. But there is a vigilant section of the public which stops to think, before bringing a child to the world, whether they can do justice to the child, give them all that she or he wants. "They have a small family and express their patriotism to the country. Let's learn from them. There is a need for social awareness," he said in a speech last year.

Nigeria

Nigeria and other countries in Africa are bucking the trend of population decline. According to the new Lancet study, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to treble in size to more than three billion people by 2100. Nigeria will become the world's second most populous country, with 791 million people, it says. The new study predicts that Nigeria will have one of the largest working-age populations in the world by 2100 and see big increases in GDP. But rapid population expansion puts a strain on infrastructure and social structures, and Nigerian officials have spoken out about trying to ease population growth. In a 2018 interview with the BBC, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said there needed to be a discussion about the country's birth rate - which is among the highest in the world. "We have a lot of families who cannot even feed the children they have, not to talk about good healthcare or even giving them good quality education, so we have to talk about these things," she said.
OSCEOLA COUNTY  Osceola County Sheriff Ed Williams said his department will not be issuing tickets to individuals or businesses for not wearing masks in public.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's latest executive order went into effect this week and states all businesses must refuse entry or service to people who do not wear a face mask, with limited exceptions, and post signs at all entrances instructing customers of the requirement.

The order also mandates people must wear face coverings when they are outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from individuals who are not members of their household or when using public transportation.

A violation of the order can result in a misdemeanor subject to a $500 criminal penalty, but individuals cannot face jail time for violating the mask requirement.

However, Williams said he is leaving it up to area businesses to decide how they will be enforcing the order.

"Businesses have the right to refuse service to people, be it for no mask, no shirt, no pants and so on," he said.

Williams explained the sheriff's office will respond to calls from businesses that choose to enforce the governor's order if people are not wearing a face mask and refusing to leave the premises or causing other disturbances.

"Our deputies will continue to respond to calls regarding the executive orders only when there is a need for us to keep the peace due to a criminal matter such as assault or trespassing. If we are needed for this type of activity, we will handle these as crimes which could potentially constitute arrests," he said. "We will however not write anyone a ticket for an executive order violation, whether it be an individual or a business."

According to the executive order, people are exempt from wearing a mask if they are younger than five years old, cannot medically tolerate a face mask and people who are eating or drinking while seated at a food service establishment, among other exceptions.

Williams noted the sheriff's office will not be making any determinations regarding whether or not individuals have a medical condition which prevents them from wearing a mask.

"We are deputies, not doctors," he said.

Williams said his goal as sheriff is to continue to serve the people of Osceola County and that he appreciates the support the department has received from the community.

"It will remain my policy to enforce the laws of the state of Michigan, respond to calls requesting service and address each occurrence based on the facts presented in a manner intended to protect the Constitutional rights and interest of all involved," he said.

Under the order, businesses that do not comply with the mask mandate risk losing their license.
The trial of a popular Lagos plastic surgeon, Anuoluwapo Adepoju, whose services allegedly resulted in the death of her patient, Nneka Onwuzuligbo, continued on Friday before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which is prosecuting the surgeon, called its first witness and tendered a series of documents, which the court admitted in evidence against the surgeon.

The FCCPC accused Ms Adepoju of blocking investigations into customers complaints against her, by allegedly shunning the agencys summons and refusing to produce documents demanded from her.

Charges

FCCPCs prosecuting counsel, Babatunde Irukera, told Justice Mohammed Liman that it was a criminal offence for an industrial player to shun a summons by the commission, adding that the offence carries either a term of imprisonment or fine or both.

Mr Irukera said Ms Adepojus alleged offences contravened sections 33(3)(a) and 113(4)(a) of the FCCPC Act 2018 and was liable to be punished under sections 33(3) and 113(1) of the same Act, among others.

The first prosecution witness, Susie Onwuka, an official of the FCCPC, said the commission received a series of complaints from Ms Adepojus customers between March and April this year and efforts to probe the allegations were allegedly frustrated by the surgeon.

Ms Onwuka said the surgeon failed to appear before the commission despite a summons issued and served on her as well as a notice of investigation pasted on the premises of her office in Lekki.

Among other documents, Justice Liman admitted as exhibits the summons, the notice of investigation and the photographs taken by the FCCPC while pasting the notice on her wall.

The judge adjourned till October 14, 2020, for the defence counsel, Marian Jones, to cross-examine the witness.

Complaints

In a six-paragraph affidavit of completion of investigation attached to the charge sheet, the commission said it received complaints against Ms Adepoju from one Marlene Oluwakemi, Taiwo Temilade and Vivian Onwuzuligbo that the surgeons services are unsafe for consumers, and that she made false, misleading and deceptive representation in relation to the marketing of their services.

It said, In particular, the above-mentioned Vivian Onwuzuligbo, a member of the Mrs Nnneka Miriam Barbara Onwuzuligbo (now deceased) alleged that the deceased died as a result of the failed defendants cosmetic surgery and she is privy to the events that led to the demise of the deceased.

Background

FCCPC sealed Ms Adepojus popular plastic surgery hospital, Med Contour, on suspicion of illegal activities in April.

The FCCPC said it has commenced an investigation into a failed plastic surgery performed by the doctor.

The agency said the arrest was in furtherance of an open investigation, on reasonable suspicion of illegal activities in an abundance of caution and consumer safety pending further inquiry.

The surgeon was recently called out by a Twitter user, Omotola Taiwo (with the user name, Omohtee), for allegedly performing a fake surgical procedure on her.

Omohtee, who disclosed that she wanted a normal waist, accused the plastic surgeon of blocking her on social media platforms after the alleged botched surgery.

She urged Nigerians to be wary of Med Contour clinic.

So apparently my offence is that her waist is too tiny, the defendant said in defence on Instagram.

At the expense of another persons name and profession some people just want their posts to trendthis is really sad. I leave this lady to God..let Gods will be done.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 13:53:05|Editor: huaxia

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Three militants were killed Saturday in an ongoing fierce gunfight with government forces in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The gunfight broke out at village Amshipora of Shopian district, about 60 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"A gunfight between militants and joint contingents of army, paramilitary and police broke out early today here at Amshipora village. In the firefight so far three militants were killed," a police official posted in Shopian said.

According to police officials, the government forces cordoned off the village on specific intelligence information suggesting the presence of militants in the area.

No sooner the government forces moved closer to the suspected area, it came under heavy fire, triggering an exchange between the two sides.

Indian army spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said the operation in the village was underway until last reports poured in.

Saturday's killings have taken the toll of militants in gunfights to six in the past 24 hours in the region.

Gunfights between militants and government forces take place intermittently in the region.

Officials said since the beginning of this year over 100 militants were killed in gunfights across the region.

Militant groups opposing New Delhi's rule are engaged in a guerrilla war with Indian troops in the region since 1989. Enditem
The chancellor of the East Bays troubled Peralta Community College District will step down next month because of simmering disputes with trustees that began after her arrival less than a year ago.

Chancellor Regina Stanback Stroud sent the seven trustees, who oversee the 50,000-student district, a blistering resignation letter Thursday listing 11 allegations against them. They included hostility toward Black executive staff members, undermining the chancellors ability to do her job, collusion with the unions and interference with fair and effective hiring practices.

This is not an exhaustive list detailing my experience/perspective while serving as chancellor at Peralta Community College District for nine short months, Stanback Stroud wrote. But it certainly is a start in detailing the issues that I believe undermine the districts ability to attract and retain leadership at the executive level.

Trustees President Julina Bonilla said Friday that the chancellors allegations are wrong.

Theyre not true. Absolutely not, Bonilla told The Chronicle, although she declined to elaborate because the allegations are so serious that, as required by policy, they will trigger an independent investigation by an outside law firm.

But a detailed letter Bonilla sent Tuesday to California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley on behalf of the board suggests that a fundamental disagreement exists between the sides over Stanback Strouds right to hire executives, even if the board disagrees with the choices. The board overrode two of the chancellors choices since December and tabled another five Tuesday. Bonilla did not elaborate on the personnel decisions, which are shielded from disclosure under state law.

The Peralta district governs four large East Bay colleges  Berkeley City College, the College of Alameda, and Laney and Merritt in Oakland  that serve as a leg up into the middle class for tens of thousands of students. Many are the first in their family to attend college.

With rotating leadership and problems with fiscal management, the college district has lacked stability for years and has been plagued by financial troubles and mismanagement.

Voters installed a new majority on the Board of Trustees in 2018. The new board said it was committed to improving leadership that had deteriorated so badly that one trustee  who claimed the First Amendment didnt apply to college trustees  tried to censure another for revealing problems in the district.

A few months later, the trustees accepted the early retirement of Chancellor Jowel Laguerre after the states Fair Political Practices Commission fined him $2,000 for spending $39,000 on Christmas cards at public expense. Earlier, Laguerre had dismissed a whistle-blower report from the districts spokesman that said Peralta was sinking under financial and managerial disarray.

In July 2019, the states Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team warned that Peralta was at high risk of insolvency after years of mismanagement.

Three months later, Stanback Stroud, the former president of Skyline Community College in San Bruno, arrived amid high hopes. Yet things were about to get worse.

In January, an accrediting agency placed the district on probation, a severe sanction meaning that its colleges were out of compliance with required standards. They were given until Nov. 1 to repair the problems or be further penalized. The accreditors cited a failure to address an ongoing financial mess  including a structural deficit, lack of adherence to fiscal policies and procedures, poor financial controls and growing pension obligations.

Under Stanback Strouds leadership, Peralta appears to be addressing its financial problems.

The district has a strong fiscal year-ending balance and a financial risk score safely below 10%  down from a dangerously high 69%  and has addressed 72 of the 75 recommendations made last year by the fiscal crisis team.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

But the chancellor didnt achieve that alone, according to Bonillas letter to the state chancellor. The trustees took actions that have led to a significant recovery from our fiscal cliff, she wrote.

Stanback Stroud did not respond to requests for comment.

But she and Bonilla issued a joint statement Friday intended to reassure students and the public that the district is more stable than the news would suggest. They wrote: Our organization is strong. While this situation is not ideal, there is no doubt that we will continue to serve students and our community with dedication and compassion.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Shanoski, president of the Peralta Faculty Union, denied that the trustees had colluded with unions, as the chancellor alleged.

From a labor perspective, weve never had a worse relationship than with this chancellor, Shanoski said, adding that the union has filed an unfair labor practices charge against her.

The charge began with a complaint in February that the chancellor eliminated a listserv that faculty, staff and administrators used to communicate. It has since escalated to say the chancellor improperly stopped communicating with the union during the pandemic and has not told them what to expect this fall.

Stanback Stroud, 63, earns $330,000 a year. Her last day will be Aug.15. Bonilla is expected to announce the process for finding a replacement in the coming days.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
Volunteers provide coronavirus testing in the parking lot adjacent to Providence Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center on Mercy Fitzgerald Campus in Yeadon Pa. on July 9. Read more

When Madeline Santiago decided to take her 12-year-old daughter on vacation to see relatives in Puerto Rico, she didnt count on a stressful side trip into the surreal world of COVID-19 testing.

Puerto Rico now requires all visitors to prove they tested negative for infection no more than 72 hours before arriving in the U.S. island commonwealth  even though test processing in the United States is so backed up that getting results typically takes a week or two.

To ensure shed have her results, Santiago got tested weeks before departing Philadelphia. But the 33-year-old health insurance salesperson couldnt find any collection site in the region that would take a swab from her daughter for testing.

I was completely ready for them to turn us back at the airport in Puerto Rico, Santiago said Thursday, the day they arrived. We went through a small screening and completed a declaration form that we were tested. But I have yet to receive my results from testing giant LabCorp.

Barely three months have passed since the nations initial epic diagnostic testing failures. Now, despite ramping up testing, the U.S. is again bungling the use of this tool, so vital to controlling the pandemic.

This time around, the mishandling is not so much about shortages of swabs, protective gear, and test kits  although supply chain issues exist. Now, experts and labs say, the problem is the soaring numbers of cases in hot spot states in the South and West, combined with a fragmented lab system and lack of federal coordination.

As a result, people like Santiago have to wait so long for a test result that it loses its purpose. Meanwhile, hot spots are so swamped that testing is again being restricted to people with symptoms, even though the virus can be be spread before symptoms appear and by people who show no signs of illness.

Prompt testing and diagnosis are crucial, according to a statistical modeling study published Friday in the journal Lancet. If testing is delayed by three days or more after a person develops symptoms, then tracing close contacts so they can self-quarantine for two weeks will fail to reduce transmission of the virus. (Two weeks is enough time to be confident the person will not become ill and be contagious.)

Contact tracing will only work to curb the spread if infected people receive a positive test result on the same day they develop symptoms, concludes the analysis by Dutch and British researchers.

What good is an outdated test result?

In March, most states closed all but essential businesses and ordered people to stay home. The severe shutdowns were the only way to stop the explosion of cases and deaths following the federal governments failure to act in the early weeks of the U.S. outbreak.

The national lockdown curbed the exponential increase, eased the burden on hospitals, and gave time for public health, hospital, and commercial labs to increase testing capacity. (New federal laws mandate testing with no out-of-pocket costs for patients.)

The U.S. is now testing an average of more than 675,000 people a day, a sixfold increase from early April, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Experts disagree about whether thats enough, especially given the surge of cases in hot-spot states that rushed to reopen with few restrictions. But with beefed-up capacity, testing has expanded to people with no symptoms.

There are countless personal reasons a symptom-free person who has followed masking and social distancing precautions would still want a diagnostic test: to travel outside the country, visit a newborn grandchild, get a job or be allowed back to a job, allay anxiety.

 READ MORE: Schools cant reopen safely without better COVID testing for kids, say these Philly pediatricians l Expert Opinion

Michelle Fay Cortez, a Bloomberg News science reporter, wanted a negative test before visiting her parents because they have health problems that could make COVID-19 lethal. She gave a respiratory sample at a CVS drive-though site. A week later, she was told results might take 10 days.

In the end, I will have to make a personal decision, she wrote in an article published Thursday. It will be a gamble. How badly do I want to see my parents, who are nearing their 80s, versus how dangerous might that visit be? I dont know if I could live with myself if I brought the coronavirus to them.

This is atrocious, tweeted Thomas Frieden, former commissioner of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What good is a test for Covid if it comes back after the patients infectious period? We are deluding ourselves if we think these tests are of much use. Rapid results are crucial.

Cornering a market

These delays are not simply an issue of demand outstripping supply. Testing capacity at academic and other relatively small labs has gone begging because the biggest commercial players  notably Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp, BioReference Laboratories, and Sonic Healthcare  have practically cornered the COVID-19 testing market, the New York Times reported in May.

These big players have built their test-ordering procedure into electronic medical-record systems, and negotiated deals with nursing homes, health systems, insurers, drugstore chains  and state health departments.

We know that we need to continue to ramp up our testing capacity, and are working to do that, Pennsylvania health department spokesperson Nathan Wardle told The Inquirer in June. We have partnered with a number of companies, such as Rite Aid, CVS, Walmart through Quest, to ensure testing is available to all Pennsylvanians.

But this concentration has a downside. Quest and LabCorp  which process nearly 40% of the nations 675,000 daily tests  have both issued statements saying they cant keep up.

Despite our rapid scaling up of capacity, soaring demand for COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests across the United States is slowing the time in which we can provide test results, Quest said on Monday, pegging the time at seven days or more for most results.

With significant increases in testing demand and constraints in supplies and equipment, the average time to deliver results may now be 4-6 days from specimen pickup, LabCorp said on July 8.

Unlike in March, the backup is not because the molecular analysis  which hunts for a fragment of viral genetic material in a respiratory sample  is so exacting and time-consuming. Leading labs and equipment makers have added automation and high-throughput technology that can run specimens in an hour or so.

Nor can a lack of funding be blamed. In April, Congress authorized the federal government to distribute $25 billion to support all sorts of testing efforts at all levels.

Rather, the backup is like the drinking from a fire hose syndrome: without mechanisms to keep a flow under control, it can become overwhelming.

Were putting huge numbers of tests into a small number of labs, Michael Mina, a Harvard University epidemiologist and infectious disease expert, said during a video conference Wednesday.

To manage, LabCorp, Quest, and other big players say they are prioritizing testing. For hospital patients, patients preparing for surgery, and health-care workers with symptoms, specimens are collected, transported, and processed, and results are provided, in a single day. Everyone else, have patience.

Public health experts have long pushed for the creation of a national system to oversee testing in a public health crisis. It hasnt happened.

We do not have a national laboratory strategic plan, Scott Becker, the chief executive of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, told the New York Times.

Nor is there clear national guidance on how to collect, analyze, and report testing data, so states and the CDC have adopted varying practices.

For Santiago, who is still trying to get her test result, only one thing is clear about the current situation: Were feeding into the virus spreading.
NEW HAVEN  Police are investigating after a man was shot in the area of Whalley Avenue overnight Saturday, according to the department.

Capt. Anthony Duff said officers were called to a ShotSpotter alert of gunfire near the intersection of Whalley and Sherman avenues at 1:45 a.m.

They found a 47-year-old man who had been shot as he crossed the street near 285 Whalley Ave., Duff said. The man, who was wounded in the thigh, was transported to the hospital where his condition was deemed stable.

Investigators believe the pedestrian was shot as a gunman was firing at the occupant of a motor vehicle in the parking lot of the business at 285 Whalley Ave. The gunman fled on foot on Sherman Avenue toward Goffe Street, Duff said. It is believed the intended target of the gunfire drove away and then abandoned his vehicle in the drive-thru of the nearby business at 323 Whalley Ave. Detectives found the vehicle had been struck by gunfire. It is unknown if the occupant was injured.

Duff asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the New Haven Police Department at 203-946-6304, noting that callers may remain anonymous.

This is the 60th shooting of the year in New Haven and the 15th since July 5, according to New Haven police. The department reported that 78 people were shot in all of 2019.

Police Chief Otoniel Reyes, responding to the rise in violence, said this week that the department would put all hands on deck in its response and asked for support and aid from residents.

The message I want to send to our community is that we must come together during this time, but make no bones about it, your department is working as hard as we can for you and we will quell this violence, Reyes said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Irish Water says the continued at risk drought warning for Portlaoise is not related to the capacity of the system to process supply but due to the low level of the source.

The utility has also commented on the capacity of the town's under pressure supply to meet the extra needs of a raft of new planning applications for hundreds of new homes.

The Portlaoise public water supply is classified as at risk of going into drought due to lower than normal raw water levels in the borehole sources as opposed to production capacity issues at the water treatment plant. Safeguarding our water supply for homes and businesses in Laois is a critical focus for us, it said.

Irish Water said it could not comment on individual applications in Portlaoise regarding new connections.

However, the company said it is preparing a National Water Resources Plan to identify how to provide a sustainable, public water supply while safeguarding the environment.

It said it would continue to assess all connection enquiries on a case by case basis, to determine what upgrades if any are required to facilitate connections for each development.

Irish Water lifted the national hosepipe ban in early July week but supplies to Portlaoise, Portarlington and Mountmellick and other areas in Laois remain at risk of potential drought into the second half of July.

Irish Water said it is continuing to monitor all affected water sources as their recovery is fragile and subject to change.

"We will continue to liaise with Met Eireann, the OPW, the EPA and other key stakeholders to discuss the impact of weather on our sources. It is really important that members of the public develop good household habits at this time and conserve water, regardless of rainfall. Any non-essential use of water should be discouraged, whether we are in a drought or not," said a statement.

You can find the latest updates on the website - https://www.water.ie/support/ drought-support/
T he Met Police should apologise for an incident in which a police officer knelt on a man's neck while arresting him, the man's lawyer has said.

Marcus Coutain, 48, was filmed begging officers to get off my neck during a pavement arrest in Islington, north London, on Thursday evening.

Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct is looking into the incident, while one officer has been suspended and another has been placed on restricted duties.

The video is "deeply disturbing," according to Deputy Commissioner Sir Steve House. He added that the technique was "not taught in police training" and caused him "great concern".

Coutain, who is black, appeared in court on Saturday charged with carrying a knife in a public place. He has pleaded not guilty and the case has been sent to Snaresbrook Crown Court on August 17.

Police were called to a fight in Isledon Road, Islington, north London, at around 6.30pm on Thursday. Footage posted on social media showed two officers holding a handcuffed man on the pavement.

The struggling man on the ground can be heard shouting: Get off meget off my neck, I aint done anything wrong, get off my neck. One of the police officers is heard asking him: Are you going to behave yourself?

He then tells him to stay down, before standing up and asks onlookers who are filming the incident to "move back". Another clip shows more police officers arriving at the scene.

Coutain matched the description of a suspect in an assault case, the court heard on Saturday - but Coutains lawyer Timur Rustem said he was initially searched for drugs.

Mr Rustem added that Coutain was then told he matched the description of someone involved in an attack before charges were brought for having a knife.

He told the court Coutain was carrying the knife to repair his bicycle, adding: He had a lawful reason to have that item on him.

Speaking outside court, Mr Rustem told reporters that Coutain was very distressed and very confused and not quite sure why he was targeted in this way.

He added: Essentially Mr Coutain was stopped and searched for matters for which he has not been charged.

It is the use of what I would regard as excessive force, a knee being placed on his neck  references which mirror exactly what happened to George Floyd in America.

A man saying I cant breathe and get your knee off my neck, while he was already handcuffed and while he was restrained by two police officers.

He said Coutain suffered fortunately minimal injuries to his wrists and neck, adding: Fortunately it didnt lead to the tragic consequences that we saw in America.

In the aftermath of the arrest on Thursday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "deeply concerned about this distressing incident".

He added: "I welcome the fact the incident has been reviewed quickly by the Met and its right that they have referred it to the IOPC."

"I look forward to a swift and thorough independent investigation, with all decisions made public. Its crucial our police service continues to earn the trust of the communities it serves."

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds tweeted: This an extremely concerning incident.
A well-diversified portfolio is one thats spread across asset classes. Within the equities segment, portfolio diversification can be in terms of high growth stocks and dividend stocks.

In general, companies with robust cash flows and steady growth in dividends are from mature industries. These dividend stocks have relatively low beta and are a good defensive play.

Here are 4 high-yield dividend stocks to buy to ride out the storm:

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

Altria Group (NYSE: MO )

3M Company (NYSE: MMM )

Chevron (NYSE: CVX )

AT&T Inc (NYSE:T)

Besides a high dividend yield, I believe that these stocks are also trading at attractive valuations. This gives room for stock upside besides regular cash income.

4 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Ride Out the Storm: Altria Group (MO)

a sign with the Altria logo

Source: Kristi Blokhin / Shutterstock.com

Among high-yield dividend stocks, MO stock is attractive for several reasons.

First, the stock offers a payout of $3.36, which implies a dividend yield of 8.18%. These dividends are sustainable, making the stock attractive for income investors.

Second, equity markets have surged higher after the coronavirus driven meltdown. A broad market correction is likely before further upside. In this scenario, it makes sense to consider exposure to a stock with a low beta of 0.46.

Another factor that makes MO stock attractive is the companys valuation. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings-ratio of 9.67. I believe that the stock can trend higher considering the valuations.

From a business growth perspective, the company is in a stage of transformation that will yield results in the coming years. The company is focusing on non-combustible products including moist smokeless tobacco, oral nicotine pouches, heated tobacco and e-vapour. In addition, the company is leveraging on established brands like Marlboro to deliver steady cash flows.

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Its worth noting that the company is committed to a dividend pay-out target of 80% of the diluted earnings per share. As earnings grow in the coming years, the dividend will similarly increase.

3M Company (MMM)

a photo of 3M protective masks

Source: r.classen / Shutterstock.com

MMM stock is another name that investors should consider for their portfolios. Currently, the company has a dividend pay-out of $5.88, implying a dividend yield of 3.71%. MMM stock also has a low beta of 0.99 and this makes the stock suitable for low risk-taking income investors.

In terms of earnings growth, the companys healthcare and consumer sector are likely to be game changers. With the novel coronavirus pandemic, consumer healthcare will likely see big growth. At the same time, sub-segments such as drug delivery, food safety and medical solutions are likely to drive growth in the healthcare segment.

Another factor that could be a long-term growth driver is the companys presence in countries like China, India and Brazil. There is immense growth potential in these countries across sectors. In the near-term, the demand for respirators is likely to drive growth for the company.

Overall, 3M Company has a strong business model, high investments in research and a growing presence in emerging markets. These factors will ensure strong cash flows in the coming years and dividends that continue to grow.

Chevron (CVX)

a Chevron gas station

Source: Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock.com

The current year has been one of the most challenging periods ever for oil and gas companies. After the oil price meltdown, there was a relatively sharp recovery. Production cut agreements between OPEC and non-OPEC members has helped in terms of stabilizing oil prices.

One of the most attractive names in the energy sector is Chevron. With low debt, quality oil assets and high dividends, the stock is worth considering for the core portfolio.

Currently, CVX stock has a payout of $5.16 for a current dividend yield of 5.84%. The company has prioritized dividends and with a stress-free balance sheet, I dont see any reason for concern.

In terms of assets, Chevron has 71bboe of 6P resources. This will ensure that production growth is steady in the coming years and cash flows swell. Further, with a total liquidity position of $30 billion, the company is fully financed for investments in the next 12-24 months.

In the next three to five years, I expect CVX stock to pay higher dividends as free cash flow swells from assets like the Permian. Overall, the stock is worth holding and I believe that the worst might be over for oil prices. As oil trends higher and EBITDA margin expands, CVX stock will also gain momentum.

AT&T Inc (T)

a photo of the AT&T office building

Source: Roman Tiraspolsky / Shutterstock.com

AT&T is another quality company with several reasons to be bullish. Starting with dividends, T stock has a current dividend pay-out of $2.08, which implies a dividend yield of 6.94%.

Its also worth noting that T stock has declined by 23.3% for the year and I see this as a good buying opportunity. At a current P/E ratio of 9.4, the stock is indeed attractive for long-term investors.

In terms of yield sustainability, the company reported $14.1 billion in free cash flow after dividends in FY2019. Currently, the company has $10 billion in cash and $15 billion in undrawn credit facility. Therefore, there are no concerns on the dividend front. Importantly, the liquidity allows the company to invest in technology and content for HBO Max.

Overall, the companys mobility business remains stable and I believe that the entertainment group can be a potential growth driver.

Faisal Humayun is a senior research analyst with 12 years of industry experience in the field of credit research, equity research and financial modelling. Faisal has authored over 1,500 stock-specific articles with focus on the technology, energy and commodities sector. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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The post 4 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy to Ride Out the Storm appeared first on InvestorPlace.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Police arrested a man after he apparently brought a loaded handgun to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Friday morning.

The incident happened just before 6:30 a.m., Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

The man took the gun through a TSA checkpoint and was immediately arrested.

No other information on the incident has been released.

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Car crashes into home in Clevelands Cortlett neighborhood and drives off, police say

Driver injured after crashing into Cleveland bus shelter, concrete median, police say

Officials identify man killed in Bedford shooting

Shooting in Bedford leaves 1 male dead, police say
Rep. Maxine Waters Mourns the Death of Civil Rights Icon John Lewis

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued a statement on the death of her dear friend and civil rights icon, Congressman John Lewis (GA-5):

Today is a sad day in American history. We have lost my dear friend and colleague of nearly three decades, Congressman John Robert Lewis.

John Lewis was a revered civil rights icon who dedicated his entire life to what became his signature mantra, making good trouble. Despite being one of the youngest leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis galvanized and inspired hundreds of his peers to join in the fight for equal rights. He was a founder and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; he organized and led countless marches and freedom rides across the Jim Crow South; and he worked alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the struggle to secure the right to vote and end the demoralizing discrimination, unconscionable violence, and debilitating poverty facing Africans Americans.

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Very few people could have been harassed, arrested more than 40 times, beaten within inches of their lives, and still espouse Dr. King and Mahatma Gandhis teachings of nonviolence, peace, and love. However, these principles were core philosophies to John Lewis, and our nation is forever indebted to him for his humble sacrifices.

It was John Lewis, clad in a trench coat and a backpack, who fearlessly led 600 people to march from Selma, Alabama across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to Montgomery, Alabama in support of voting rights. At the bridge John Lewis and the marchers were confronted by local police and Alabama State Troopers and ordered to turn around. When they refused, the police shot tear gas and began beating the nonviolent protesters. John Lewis skull was cracked open by a state troopers club, and this painful episode became known as Bloody Sunday. John Lewis sacrifices and bravery on the Edmund Pettus Bridge absolutely led to the passage of the Voting Rights of 1965 shortly thereafter, and I am so proud to have joined him in Selma numerous times over the course of our careers to recognize his sacrifices on that bridge and the ongoing fight to protect the right to vote for African Americans and people of color.

John Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986, and he served 17 terms. He distinguished himself as an effective policymaker and true progressive who was relentless in his fight on behalf of the least of these. As a result, he earned the respect of not only his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, but elected officials and leaders around the world.

It was the honor of my life to serve alongside such a kind, courageous, and persistent leader and public servant. I considered John and his late wife, Lillian, dear friends, and my heart is heavy with the magnitude of the loss of one of our nations most beloved sons. My sincere prayers and deepest sympathies are with his son, John Miles Lewis, family, friends, staff, and constituents during this difficult time.
Sri Lanka negotiating with India to secure 20 Trinco oil tanks By Namini Wijedasa View(s): View(s):

A delegation from the Power and Energy Ministry conducted an inspection tour to the Trincomalee oil tanks this week, amidst ongoing negotiations with India to secure around 20 of the tanks for Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to run by itself. India and Sri Lankan have a Memorandum of Understanding to operate the complex as a joint venture.

We have made a request for 20 tanks but we hope we can at least start with 15, Power and Energy Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. India wants to run the tanks jointly, in keeping with the MoU, but CPC trade unions have repeatedly thwarted attempts to operationalise the agreement.

Delays in implementing the MoU have long frustrated New Delhi. In April 2017, India and Sri Lanka signed a MoU that committed, among other things to develop the upper tank farm in Trincomalee as a joint venture between the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and CPC.

In May that year, then PM Ranil Wickremesinghe mandated the setting up a committee to open negotiations after India complained Sri Lanka was dragging it. India has always been keen to conclude a joint venture agreement as soon as possible, diplomats said at the time.

Negotiators will have to decide the CPCs shareholding in the joint venture company and the investment each party will make. The tanks are now engulfed in thick jungle, with only the tops visible.

But CPC trade unions have remained staunchly against any joint operation with India. The tank farm was first built on 850 acres by British colonialists in 1930. The upper tank farm comprises of 84 tanks out of a total of 101 (only 99 are usable).

The lower farm has been managed jointly by CPC and IOCvia Lanka IOC Pvt Ltd or LIOCsince 2003. LIOC has refurbished these tanks, pipelines and jetty as well as created new facilities such as additional storage tank and lubricant blending facilities. An annual rent is being paid for the facility.

But a 2003 tripartite agreement signed between the Sri Lankan Government, LIOC and CPC covers the entire tank far, upper and lower. It is on this basis that India wants to move forward.

In 2012, under the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration, LIOC applied to Sri Lankas Board of Investment to set up a US$5.2 million bitumen handling facility in the upper tank farm. It also hired a project consultant. But approval was not granted. Subsequently, LIOC submitted other proposals to develop the upper tank farm. Again, permission was denied.

With the victory of the Sirisena administration in 2015, however, India revived its push on the upper tank farm. It expressed willingness to set up a joint venture which would prepare a business development proposal. And it agreed to first renovate 10 tanks in the upper farm for Sri Lankas exclusive use.

But the unions blame successive Sri Lankan regimes for failing to put the Trincomalee tank farm to use. It points out that the Government first proposed to lease out 10 tanks to Singapore in 2002. This plan was abandoned in favour of India in 2003, when a tripartite agreement was signed.

If the CPC distributes fuel to the North and East and the North Central Provinces from Trincomalee, it could save a sum of Rs900 million per year in transport, shipping and late fees, the unions claim. This is much more than the rent paid by LIOC to the Government.
Recently, I was hiking with four friends in the Sandia Mountains, just east of Albuquerque. I didn't think about it at the time, but because there were five of us, technically, we were a "mass gathering" under one of New Mexico's many Wuhan virus public health orders. Had the hike taken place on state or private land, we could have been subject to a whopping fine of $5,000 each. Fortunately, the hike took place on federal land, so the state public health order did not apply.

How did N.M. arrive at a point where hikers in the woods could be subject to a $5,000 fine if there were five or more of them on non-federal land?

The Wuhan virus crazy season officially began in N.M. on March 11, 2020, when its diminutive governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham (MLG), signed an executive order declaring a public health emergency. As New Mexicans would soon discover, in 2003, its Democrat-controlled state Legislature and its Democrat governor, Bill Richardson, had created a surprise for their residents. That surprise came in the form of a statute (NMSA 12-10A-5) that provided that the governor, and the governor alone, has the power to declare a public health emergency and to keep that public health emergency order in effect as long as he wants. There is no provision for judicial or legislative review. The only limitation on the governor's power is the requirement that he has to confer with his appointed secretary of health prior to issuing the order and that the order expires after 30 days if not renewed. There is no limitation on the number of times the order may be renewed. Violation of an order relating to the declared public emergency calls for a punitive civil penalty of $5,000.

To say that MLG and her appointed Health Department secretary, Kathyleen Kunkel (K.K.), have been aggressive and enthusiastic in their attempt to micromanage nearly every aspect of life in the state would be an understatement. Between March 13 and July 13, they have bombarded the state with eighteen public health orders and thirty-one executive orders regarding how the state is to be run to combat the Wuhan virus. As of July 7, only four states had more Wuhan virus restrictions than N.M.

When one examines these orders, one discovers much illogic and inconsistency. Liquor stores were shut down, but one could still buy alcohol at grocery stores. All greenhouses in Albuquerque were shut down during the spring planting season except for curbside pick-up. The problem is that you were not permitted to go inside the greenhouse to see the inventory to determine what you wanted to order. Yet one greenhouse in the Albuquerque suburb of Alameda was permitted to stay open. Why is anyone's guess. One day, a "public gathering" was one hundred people, but a few days later, it was ten. There has been an ever changing and shifting sand aspect to the orders. To give outsiders a sense of what we have been through, notice how the definition of "mass gathering" has changed in the public health orders:

"Mass gathering" means any public or private gathering that brings together one hundred (100) or more individuals in a single room or connected space in close proximity to one another, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theaters, or any other confined indoor or outdoor space, but does not include normal operations at airports, or other spaces where 100 or more individuals may be in transit. "Mass gathering" also does not include family gatherings such as weddings or funerals, shelters, retail stores or grocery stores, typical office environments, courthouses, correctional and detention facilities, schools and educational institutions, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other health care and congregate care facilities, and places of Worship operating during "normal business hours[.]" (3/16)

"Mass gathering" means any public or private gathering that brings together ten (10) or more individuals in a single room or connected space but does not include a typical business environment and does not include the presence of ten (10) or more individuals in a residence where those individuals regularly reside. (3/19)

"Mass gathering" means any public or private gathering that brings together five (5) or more individuals in a single room or connected space, confined outdoor space or an open outdoor space where individuals are within six (6) feet of each other, but does not include the presence of five (5) or more individuals where those individuals regularly reside. "Mass gathering" does not include "individuals" congregated in a church, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship (3/23)

"Mass gathering" means any public or private gathering that brings together five (5) or more individuals in a single room or connected space, confined outdoor space or an open outdoor space where individuals are within six (6) feet of each other, but does not include the presence of five (5) or more individuals where those individuals regularly reside. "Mass gathering' does not include individuals congregated in a church, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship. "Mass gathering" does not include individuals who are public officials or public employees in the course and scope of their employment. (4/6)

"Mass gathering" means any public or private gathering that brings together five (5) or more individuals in a single room or connected space, confined outdoor space or an open outdoor space where individuals are within six (6) feet of each other, but does not include the presence of five (5) or more individuals where those individuals regularly reside. "Mass gathering" does not include individuals who are public officials or public employees in the course and scope of their employment. (4/11)

As as a result of N.M.'s tough shutdown policies, do we have some of the lowest Wuhan death rates in the country? Absolutely not. As of July 16, using the critical deaths per million statistic, N.M. is 268 per million. Of the five states that border N.M., Arizona and Colorado have higher rates, but Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah have per million rates less than half of N.M's. And what of no-shutdown South Dakota, which, like N.M., has a largely rural population and a significant American Indian population? One hundred thirty deaths per million.

How have MLG and K.K. done in protecting N.M.'s most vulnerable from the Wuhan virus? A fiasco. Forty percent of all deaths have occurred in nursing homes, and 60% have been American Indians, who make up only 10% of the population. Sixty-nine percent of all deaths have occurred in just three counties in the northwestern part of the state, which has 10.6% of the total state population.

MLG and K.K. should have focused on protecting those most likely to die from the Wuhan virus if infected and letting everyone else establish herd immunity. They did not. Instead, they have attempted to limit infections to the entire population, thereby prolonging the agony. They have ignored CDC data showing that Wuhan virus daily deaths have fallen by over 90% since their April peak (age & sex/table #1/covid 19 deaths) and how deaths for people under 55 are significantly lower than for the yearly flu (race and Hispanic origin/table 2b/distribution of death by age).

What's next for N.M. regarding the Wuhan virus and the state's response? It's not good. Schools and universities have been shut down since the spring, and it's uncertain when they will re-open. Small private businesses, especially restaurants, have been killed. Tax revenues may be down as much as 30%, and there is no end in sight. Tough times in the blue-state "Land of Enchantment."

Image: Ron Cogswell via Flickr (cropped).
The 2014 Academy Award-winning film, Selma, is based on the pivotal 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the historical drama also highlights the determination and courage of the late civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis.

After standing side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Georgia Congressman dedicated his life to service and justice. His early activism has been immortalized in Selma  heres a breakdown of the movie, how Rep. Lewis felt about it, and where to watch it.

Rep. John Lewis in Selma, Alabama | Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

Selma highlights the 1965 Civil Rights Marches

Selma is centered on the 1965 Alabama protests led by civil rights activists James Bevel (Common), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo), John Lewis (Stephen James), Ralph Abernathy (Coleman Domingo), Hosea Williams (Wendell Pierce), and Andrew Young (Andre Holland). The film comes from writer Paul Webb and director Ava DuVernay. When talking to Rolling Stone in 2015, DuVernay revealed how inspiring it was to have legends like Rep. Lewis and Andrew Young visit the set during filming.

[It was] so cool, and it easily could not have been if they were grouchy curmudgeons, but theres still a spark about them, she said. These are our greatest minds, our greatest radicals. Time has not done them in. If you look John Lewis in the eye and hes talkin to you about something, youre like, Uh huh, lets go do it!'

RELATED: 5 True Stories About Racism and Revolution, and Where to Stream Them

Rep. John Lewis praised Selma

In a 2015 op-ed for the LA Times, Rep. Lewis praised Selma and called it a work of art. It conveys the inner significance of the ongoing struggle for human dignity in America, a cornerstone of our identity as a nation, he wrote. It breaks through our too-often bored and uninformed perception of our history, and it confronts us with the real human drama our nation struggled to face 50 years ago.

The congressman also addressed the controversial portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson in the film. He called Johnson a great president but said that the marches were solely inspired by the people of Selma and their will to win the right to vote.

This film is a spark that has ignited interest in an era we must not forget if we are to move forward as a nation, Rep. Lewis wrote. It is already serving as a bridge to a long-overdue conversation on race, inequality and injustice in this country today. It may well become a touchstone, a turning point for another generation of activists who will undertake the next evolutionary push for justice in America.

Heres where to watch it

If youre interested in watching Selma, there are a few streamers you can turn to. The film is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, iTunes, Vudu, and Youtube. On most of these streaming platforms, the HD versions of Selma are $3.99 to rent and $14.99 to purchase.
Kanye West has asked fans to sign a petition calling for him to be added to the presidential election ballot in South Carolina.

The rap superstar announced he was running for the White House earlier this month, but doubts persist over how seriously to take his bid.

This week it emerged he has qualified to appear on the presidential ballot in Oklahoma after making Wednesdays deadline to register as an independent candidate.

If you're a voter in South Carolina, please sign this petition to place me on the ballot Sponsored by Ye 2020 https://t.co/ZURvTEW9ee pic.twitter.com/Z9tdq0eG9c  ye (@kanyewest) July 18, 2020

However, it appears he missed the cut-off to run in South Carolina. According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), that state also had a deadline of Wednesday.

West appears to be hoping public opinion can sway officials and he shared a petition on Twitter.

He said: If youre a voter in South Carolina, please sign this petition to place me on the ballot Sponsored by Ye 2020.

The online petition is paid for by the Kanye 2020 political committee. The committee filed paperwork with the FEC this week, indicating West, who is married to the reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, is serious about running.

Though that appeared to be contradicted by New York Magazines Intelligencer, which reported West adviser Steve Kramer saying hes out.

While the Kanye 2020 committee has filed the statement organisation form, also known as FEC Form 1, the next step would be filing a statement of candidacy, or FEC Form 2, the FEC said.

That is filed when an individual has raised or spent more than 5,000 dollars (about 3,900) in campaign activity, triggering candidacy status.

No record of a Kanye 2020 FEC Form 2 appears online as of Friday.
John Durham was chosen by Attorney General William Barr to lead a review into the Russia investigation

John Durham, the U.S. Attorney who is heading a criminal inquiry into the Russia investigation, is to release his findings by the end of the summer.

The review, which became a criminal investigation last fall, has been derided by Democrats as simply a scheme to damage President Trump's Democrat rivals before November's election.

But Department of Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec, said that the report was not the 'goal' of the criminal investigation but that it will be 'pivotal to the restoration of that one tiered system of justice.'

'There is a story to be told there. The American people deserve resolution, and frankly, justice deserves resolution,' Kupec stated on behalf of Durham.

Attorney General William Barr said last month that he believed there would be developments in Durham's investigation 'before the end of the summer.'

KerriKupec said she was hopeful that a report would emerge before the end of summer

'There are no guarantees in life, but we certainly hope to see one by the end of the summer. I think it's important,' Kupec said.

Kupec stressed that she was 'hopeful' a report would emerge sooner rather than later in an effort to prevent the Durham's work from being potentially buried by a Democrat win, should Trump lose in November.

Last month, Attorney General William Barr said Durham is 'pressing ahead as hard as he can' with the investigation.

'I expect that, you know, we will have some developments hopefully before the end of the summer,' he added.

Barr said that the coronavirus pandemic delayed the probe, but that progress has been made.

Even after the election, the investigation is likely to continue 'what happens after the election may depend on who wins,' Barr said to Fox News.

After Muellers investigation, AG Barr, pictured, appointed Durham to investigate origins of the FBIs original Russia probe, which began in July 2016

Durham's investigation comes after a report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found 'significant inaccuracies and omissions' in the FBI's application to a court to obtain permission to monitor Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Horowitz report found that the decision the FBI made to investigate the campaign had not motivated by political bias.

Durham, meanwhile, is completing a separate report into how the FBI's Russia investigation developed at the direction of Barr.

Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 election.

Following Muellers investigation, Barr appointed Durham to then investigate the origins of the FBIs original Russia probe, which began in July 2016, through the appointment of Mueller in May 2017.
The number of Covid-19 clusters in Ireland has jumped again to beyond the 2,000 mark with close contact responsible for most of the infection groups.

As the National Public Health Emergency Team warned this week about a new surge in cases, latest published official figures show that there were 2,101 clusters notified to health authorities by July 15.

From Sunday, July 12 Wednesday, July 15 an extra 168 clusters were identified. Almost half of these cases were confirmed between Tuesday and Wednesday.

The number of clusters in Ireland has risen substantially through June and July.

Since the start of June, 1,229 new clusters case were identified. Just 86 clusters emerged between March 16 and May 30. The number has increased at a fast rate since late June.

On June 21, 1,100 had been identified. This has almost doubled within a month to 2,101 in the past week.

Travel abroad was responsible for half cluster in March. Travel bans have led to just 2% clusters being due to overseas trips at present. Community transmission was responsible for nearly 70% of clusters in early April but this has since dropped back to a third of clusters due to lockdown and other restrictions.

Close contact makes up almost two-thirds of clusters - rising steadily since late May. Close contact was responsible for just 20% of cases in March.

A confirmed cluster/outbreak involves contact with two or more cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection regardless of symptom status. This includes cases with symptoms and cases who are asymptomatic.

A confirmed cluster can also be contacted with two or more cases of illness with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection, and at least one person is a confirmed case of COVID-19.

A suspected cluster/outbreak involves two or more cases of illness with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection.

The figures are prepared by the Ordnance Survey Ireland, the All-Island Research Observatory, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the Health Service Executive, the Central Statistics Office and the Department of Health.

DETAILED DATA TAP HERE

Know the symptoms of COVID-19. They are:

a fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above)

a cough - this can be any kind of cough, not just dry

shortness of breath or breathing difficulties

loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

flu like symptoms

If you have symptoms, self-isolate and contact your GP immediately.
THE FORUM Its time to stand up It is ironic that the conservatives who responded to the much-discussed letter from 150 public intellectuals on the importance of civilised debate in a liberal democracy (Libs laud pushback on cancel culture, The Sunday Age, 12/7) focused wholly on criticising extreme left cancel culture. If they had actually read the document they would know that while the signatories  a diverse group from Noam Chomsky to Francis Fukuyama, and from Salman Rushdie to J.K. Rowling  do call out the current vogue for public shaming and ostracism, they are equally concerned about any restriction of debate, whether by a repressive government or an intolerant society. The Libs quoted by you are complicit in their own governments push for some of the most draconian and repressive anti-free-speech legislation of any Western nation, and in the in-camera prosecution of whistle-blowers and houding of journalists. If the woke Twitter trolls dont get you, then Peter Duttons foot soldiers will.

With elected despots like Putin, Erdogan and Trump burgeoning around the world, liberal democracy is under severe threat from all sides. Now is the time for all its supporters to stand up and be counted, before it is too late.

Ian Robinson, Cowes A good-news story

Such a joyous and heart-warming pic of young William Callaghan, lost and alone in a forest last month, but now spending a first week at Mansfield Autism Statewide Services and, oh, what a sunny smile (A lost boy finds his paradise, The Sunday Age, 12/7). Also, a much needed rest for his valiant mum, Penny. A wonderful pic and good news story. Thank you.

Tris Raouf, Hadfield Shut us down, now

Urgent federal policy is required with immediate effect to save Australia from a major long-term health and economic crisis. While it is reported that approximately 80 per cent of COVID-19 infections are mild and patients recover, the long-term organ damage (heart, lung, brain, kidney etc) needs to be taken more seriously. This will place an additional burden on our healthcare system in the years to come.

Unlike most countries, we have the fortune of being an island, therefore the only sensible approach is elimination of the virus here. The present Victorian situation is a ticking time bomb unless stage four restrictions with strict non-compliance penalties are imposed immediately. The national and state targets must be zero cases and all Australians have to be convinced that this is the right approach. The economic gains will come automatically. I implore our government to follow the example of New Zealand and then we can at least create a trans-Tasman economic bubble. As a medical researcher I study the academic literature and the evidence for how serious and urgent this is is overwhelming.

Ian Forster, Sorrento We must be strong

As though human beings over the centuries could ever believe that they were in control of their own destinies. (Virus shows us whos in charge, Comment, 17/7).

Wars, plagues, famines, and now the coronavirus pandemic have proved otherwise. Yet, in spite of human fragility, humans continue to survive, and show the most extraordinary endurance in the face of every calamity. As Hubert Humphrey is reportted to have said, There are incalculable resources in the human spirit, once it has been set free. Of course he was right, and we must continue to be strong and resilient in a world which has been turned upside down.

Helen Scheller, Benalla Its as old as the hills

Your correspondent (Its not either/or, Letters, The Sunday Age, 12/7) states that faith has been around for eons, science only for a few hundred years. Faith and superstition has indeed been around for eons. So has science. It is our understanding of science and acceptance of it that has changed. Faith and the absolutism of the bureaucracy that controlled it, is the reason Galileo and Copernicus were persecuted for showing that the earth orbited the sun.

Your correspondent should look to the African and Arab world for science that is documented for more than a thousand years. Chinguetti in Mauritania is still a repository of scientific writings dating back over 1200 years, which proves these civilisations knew and documented what Galileo and Copernicus were persecuted for in the name of faith. Everyone is welcome to their faith and superstitions but not at the dismissal of science.

Peter Roche, Carlton Thats sorted, then

On Sasturday morning I was standing alone waiting for my wife in a shopping centre reading the newspaper when approached by a security guard, who said, Im sorry, sir, I dont make the rules but you cant read a newspaper here. I returned the paper to my bag and remained in the same position, secure in the knowledge that I had helped that centre become a safer place.

Max Langshaw, Sunbury This is critical

Im sorry, but I just dont get it. What is the catastrophic side-effect of wearing a face mask that is preventing people from taking this sensible precaution against contracting this most contagious and serious disease?

Students cant see their teachers expressions? The teachers I knew could express themselves very adequately even when they had their backs to the class. For years, medical people have conveyed their message succinctly while wearing a surgical mask. The only downside that I can think of is occasional fogging of glasses, usually due to improper use, or possibly failing to notify staff before going into a bank to apply for a loan. Seriously, the situation is now critical. Each and every thing that can give us benefit and has been proven to be without any serious adverse effect should be employed in the public arena, now and by everyone. No exceptions. If you think this measure is draconian then just contemplate how draconian this virus is becoming.

Philip Bunn, Beechworth The honeypot effect

It makes sense for regional areas with very little or no COVID-19 cases to not be locked down. Unfortunately this means people from lockdown zones who can avoid or create justifiable reasons to leave Melbourne are flocking to free zones in regional areas.

My regional towns population appears to have swollen and the streets are full of people who look very unfamiliar and more like tourists than locals. They are staying at friends or families homes, camping or have other ways of staying here. Maybe the lockdown should be made statewide to stop the honeypot effect and keep regional areas COVID-19 free.

Rohan Wightman, Castlemaine Look to the root cause

Casual workers find it very difficult to qualify for income support from the federal government during this COVID-19 crisis. If they do not work they cannot pay for essentials like accommodation, education and food. If they miss shifts they may not get offered other shifts. So it is not surprising (but unfortunate) that some of them have chosen to go to work rather than get tested for COVID-19 then having to remain at home for a few days until they get their results, or longer if they receive a positive result. These people form a large part of workers employed in aged-care facilities, hotels, the hospitality industry and security companies.
Chandigarh The Punjab and Haryana high court has ruled that a daughter, if otherwise eligible, cant be denied compassionate appointment, merely because she has got married.

The high court bench of justice AG Masih struck down the provisions of Punjab governments compassionate appointments policy of 2002, which did not have married daughter, as a dependent family member for consideration for appointment on compassionate grounds. The high court said that classification, if any, has to be based upon reasonableness, which is justifiable on the anvil and touchstone, furthering the policy for which the same had been framed.

Violation of gender equality would amount to violation of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution as guaranteed to all citizens of India, which guarantee equality; protection against discrimination on the basis of caste, sex etc; and protection of life and liberty, respectively.

The HC directed the Punjab DGP to issue appointment letter within one month to the woman, who was declared ineligible in 2015, citing that her marital status was a bar against consideration for appointment.

Following this, the woman, Amarjit Kaur, had approached the high court, challenging the decision. Daughter of a head constable, Kashmir Singh, who died in October 2008, she now lives with her widow mother, Jasbir Kaur along with her husband and kids. An internal report upon verification of source of income had stated that they were surviving on pension benefits of the late head constable and that family was sustaining with great difficulty.

Equality cannot be achieved, unless there are equal opportunities for all. If a woman is deprived at the threshold by rendering her ineligible for consideration merely because of her marital status of being a woman, especially when the same is not true for the man, would amount to discrimination on the basis of gender identity, the bench observed.

It said that the determinative factor to ascertain eligibility for consideration for appointment is the financial status of the family. The only reason why the petitioner has been deprived appointment under the scheme is that she is a married daughter of a deceased government servant, whereas had she been unmarried or had it been the son, despite the marital status, the claim would have been considered. If this is not discrimination, what else can it be termed?, the bench questioned and struck down the provisions of the 2002 policy, which made a married daughter ineligible for consideration of appointment on compassionate grounds.
There's little question that 2020 has been one of the most challenging years on record for America. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacted an incredible physical and financial toll. More than 136,000 people have passed away from COVID-19 as of Tuesday, July 14, and more than 20 million people have lost their jobs, if at least temporarily.

With no modern-era precedence to such disruption, lawmakers could think of no better way to fight back than to throw an epic amount of money at the problem. Thus, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was born.

The CARES Act threw a record amount of cash at an unprecedented problem

At $2.2 trillion, the CARES Act was the priciest piece of relief legislation ever signed into law in Washington. It provided funding for hospitals to combat COVID-19, offered up loans to small businesses, provided capital to distressed industries, and enhanced the unemployment benefits program for a period of four months (April through July).

But what the vast majority of Americans will remember the CARES Act for is supplying over 160 million taxpayers with a direct stimulus payment. These Economic Impact Payments, as they're officially known, could total as much as $1,200 per individual or $2,400 for couples filing jointly, with a parent or household eligible for $500 extra for each dependent under the age of 17.

While this stimulus money was very much needed given the gravity of the situation, the fact remains that CARES Act stimulus funds didn't go very far. An April survey of 2,200 people from Money/Morning Consult found that almost half of the recipients had spent or intended to spend their stimulus money in two weeks or less, with 74% burning through their Economic Impact Payment in four weeks or less.

Without question, additional financial assistance is needed, and Congress appears to be working on that right now.

Answers to the most pressing second-stimulus proposal questions

However, there are a boatload of questions concerning this second round of stimulus payments and what they might entail. While we don't have all the answers yet, here are some of the facts and/or clues we've been given to the 10 most asked questions.

1. Will there be a direct stimulus payment in the next package?

Although nothing is set in stone or even put on paper as of yet, the growing consensus is that there'll be some form of direct-stimulus component in the next proposal.

For those of you who might recall, the HEROES Act, which the Democrat-led House of Representatives passed on May 15, called for another round of direct payouts to Americans. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, have all echoed this sentiment that another round of funding is needed, and it should involve putting money directly into the hands of Americans.

2. How much stimulus money can people expect to receive?

We don't know, exactly. The HEROES Act called for payments of $1,200 per individual and $2,400 for couples, which would have mirrored the payments for the CARES Act. Of course, the HEROES Act also beefed up the extra payout for dependents to $1,200 (limit three) from $500.

By comparison, President Trump noted in a recent interview with Fox Business Network's Blake Burman that he supported "larger numbers than the Democrats, but it's got to be done properly." It remains to be seen if Trump and Republicans produce a bill that leads to higher stimulus payouts than were disbursed with the CARES Act.

3. Will there be different income-qualifying thresholds from the CARES Act?

Interestingly, the HEROES Act called for the qualifying income thresholds to remain the same as under the CARES Act. This meant single, head-of-household, and married tax filers with adjusted gross income (AGI) below $75,000, $112,500, and $150,000, respectively, would net the maximum payout, while those with respective AGIs above $99,000, $136,500, and $198,000 would be phased out completely.

The expectation is that the GOP will push for a tighter qualifying threshold. While speaking at an event in his home state of Kentucky, McConnell off-the-cuff suggested that people earning under $40,000 annually are those being adversely affected by COVID-19. This is by no means a concrete figure put forth by the collective GOP, but it suggests a battle may be brewing between Democrats and Republicans over the qualifying-income threshold.

4. Will more people qualify as dependents?

Under the HEROES Act, Democrats removed the age limits tied to dependents. As noted, the CARES Act only allowed dependents aged 16 and under to provide a parent or household with added funds. Democrats clearly want to see more folks qualifying under the next round of stimulus.

There hasn't been any specific pushback on this idea from the GOP, and it could prove a point of compromise in the next round of stimulus.

5. Can senior citizens expect another round of stimulus?

There's been nothing proposed by either Democrats or Republicans that would suggest senior citizens and/or those receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income would be excluded from the next round of stimulus. Just as most seniors (i.e., those who aren't being claimed as dependents by a family member or friend) received an Economic Impact Payment under the CARES Act, they look to be in line to receive more money under stimulus proposal 2.0.

6. How will this stimulus money be delivered?

Getting stimulus money to folks under the CARES Act worked pretty well for about 80 million folks but was sort of a mess for the other 80-plus million who received or are still awaiting payment. Assuming there is, indeed, a direct-payment component, the next round of payouts should almost exclusively be delivered via direct deposit. Those who continue to prefer a paper check may wind up receiving a prepaid debit card, instead. Whatever method regulators decide on, it should be almost universally quicker than under the CARES Act.

7. When will people begin receiving these payouts?

Obviously, this answer depends on how quickly lawmakers can pass another stimulus bill and when President Trump signs it. The expectation is that it'll take a good three weeks, give or take a week, before payout logistics are resolved and payments begin heading out to Americans after the bill is signed into law. Thus, mid-August to early September would be the likeliest target period for those with direct-deposit information on file with the Internal Revenue Service.

8. Will enhanced unemployment benefits be extended?

The debate over enhanced unemployment benefits -- i.e., the extra $600 a week given to approved unemployed beneficiaries -- is easily the biggest hurdle that Democrats and Republicans will have to overcome. Democrats want this key benefit extended (it's set to expire on July 31, 2020), whereas Republicans believe it to be a disincentive to get back to work.

According to recent comments from Steven Mnuchin, the current form of enhanced unemployment benefits will not be extended. Rather, the GOP is seeking a dynamic extra payment that will ensure no unemployed person earns more per week than they would while working. Thus, it sounds like there will be an extension or sorts, just not at $600 per week for a vast majority of people.

9. What else will be included, other than direct payments?

As noted, the CARES Act did a lot more than just give Americans and seniors a payout. It provided money to hospitals, bailed out distressed industries, and offered small businesses loans to keep them from having to let go off their employees. While a second stimulus bill is unlikely to include funding for distressed industries, another round of payment protection program funding (i.e., small business loans) is probably in the cards.

We may also see additional funding set aside for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.

10. How long does Congress have to pass a second stimulus bill?

Lawmakers certainly don't have a lot of time to hash out their differences on the next stimulus proposal. The Senate is due back from a two-week planned hiatus on July 20, with the Senators headed back to a month-long break from August 10 through Labor Day, on Sept. 7, 2020. This means lawmakers have between July 20 and August 7 to propose, debate, and pass a second stimulus bill. Otherwise, discussions won't begin again until after Labor Day.
Hundreds Of Iranian Political Activists Urge Chief Justice To Free Prisoners With COVID

Radio Farda July 17, 2020

In a letter to Chief Justice Ebrahim Raeesi on Wednesday, nearly five hundred political activists living in Iran and in exile abroad have urged him to order the release of prisoners infected with the coronavirus, including the prominent human rights activist Narges Mohammadi.

The letter signed by many prominent activists expresses concern about the spread of coronavirus in prions and warns that putting the lives of the prisoners at risk is not defensible, as health and treatment protocols are not sufficiently observed in prisons.

Reports about Narges Mohammadi and several of her cellmates in the Women's Prison of Zanjan has caused much concern. Judiciary officials say they have extended the furlough of 100,000 prisoners and will grant furloughs to more, but many political prisoners have been kept in jail.

The signatories of the letter have particularly urged the Judiciary to allow Narges Mohammadi who suffers from other serious health conditions, including respiratory problems, and has shown symptoms of COVID-19 to go on medical furlough.

In a letter from prison on July 13, Narges Mohammadi said she and 11 of her cellmates in the Zanjan prison, some 330 kilometers west of the capital, Tehran, are suspected of having been infected with the coronavirus.

The rights activist who is serving a 16-year prison sentence for "anti-government propaganda" and membership in a banned group opposed to death penalty said she would file a complaint against the authorities for being denied medical care and being subject to "unbearable conditions in prison".

"Unfortunately, the judiciary wants to teach her a lesson and force her not to take any stands. Not to be herself. Narges Mohammadi is being denied every basic right because she takes a stand," her husband, Taghi Rahmani, told the New York-based Center for Human Rights In Iran last week.

On Thursday a notorious news bulletin of the state-run television known as 8:30 aired footage from the clinic at Zanjan Prison which had been filmed secretly as proof that she was getting medical attention. The short video which looked heavily edited showed a doctor taking Mohammadi's temperature and asking her how she is to which she responds: "I'm good, thanks".

The news bulletin in which Narges Mohammadi was shown is famous for defamation and slander targeting politicians and activists.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/hundreds-of- iran-political-activists-urge-chief-justice-to-free -prisoners-with-covid/30732902.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Nidan Singh Sachdeva, a Sikh community leader of Afghanistan who was kidnapped in Paktia province last month, was released from captivity on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

"We convey our appreciation to the government of Afghanistan and tribal elders from the area, whose efforts secured the return of Nidan Singh," it said.

In a statement, the MEA said the "targeting and persecution" of minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters remains a matter of grave concern.

"In a recent decision, India has decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India," it said.

Sachdeva, a leader of the Hindu and Sikh Community of Afghanistan, was kidnapped in Chamkani district of Paktia province on June 22.
South Africa: Government launches COVID-19 support service

The Department of Health has launched governments official COVID-19 support service.

At a press briefing on Friday evening, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said one of the critical aspects of combatting COVID-19 is the ability to detect positive cases early, track and trace their contacts, and refer them for appropriate management.

The digital system that the Department of Health is currently using, called COVIDConnect, brings an easy-to-use self-service portal to your cellular phone. It is freely accessible through WhatsApp and SMS. What also makes it more accessible is that it does not require for a user to have a smart phone but it works on any mobile phone, said Minister Mkhize.

The system enhances the physical effort of contact tracking and tracing done by community health workers and volunteers.

It automates this traditional process and continuously engages with the affected user, he said.

When a patient is tested for COVID-19, their information is picked up from the lab form and they will be informed of their test result, whether positive or negative, by SMS.

If the result is positive, the system prompts the patient for further information in order to identify their contacts. The system then immediately dispatches alerts via SMS to those contacts without disclosing the index patients details.

The non-disclosure of the patients name is to ensure that their privacy is protected.

In addition, the system can geo-locate the nearest quarantine and isolation facility for the user and the nearest health care facility for patients or their contacts who are experiencing symptoms requiring medical attention.

Users can also get the latest COVID-19 news and information, prevention tips and wellness advice at the touch of a button.

The system also boasts a simple risk-assessment tool, which screens users for COVID-19 symptoms and gives them advice on whether they should self-isolate or seek professional clinical assistance.

We are pleased to announce that since the system went live in June, it has yielded some positive results. Between June 28 and July 15, it has dispatched 674 380 SMSs to users nationwide and relayed 326 522 test results.

Mkhize said while 39,463 users have engaged with the service, this is not enough.

The surge of this pandemic requires all citizens to participate in such innovations. As an individual, at home or at work, once you receive this SMS, we urge that you take it upon yourself to respond as prompted. We believe that this method will significantly enhance contact tracing and allow us to identify cases that we would not easily trace.

The Minister said the track and trace service will not infringe peoples privacy or data.

In fact, one of the reasons we delayed to implement the system was to ensure that that it passes the legal muster and adheres to legal prescripts relating to personal information, confidentiality and individual and data privacy.

Mkhize said the department held a consultation with Madame Justice Kate OReagan, who is the COVID-19 designate judge.

Her guidance assisted government to establish regulations on how to implement the track and trace system.

He also acknowledged entities that the Department of Health partnered with including Telkom/ BCX, GovChat and BlueBird.

Accessing COVIDConnect

To access COVIDConnect, the public can add the number 0600 123 456 to their phonebook and say hello on WhatsApp.

For members of the public who do not have smartphones, they can dial *134*832# and follow the prompts.

The public has been urged to supply healthcare workers with their correct date of birth, physical address and cellphone number when testing for COVID-19.

To receive results on WhatsApp, individuals can add LetsTalk to thier phonebook on 082 046 8553 and type in Results on WhatsApp and follow the prompts.

As of Friday, South Africa had recorded 13 373 new COVID-19 cases bringing the cumulative total to 337 594. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
On July 17, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar met with EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas.

The EU representative has been informed in detail about the security policy and humanitarian situation in the Russian-occupied Crimea. Emine Dzheppar thanked the EU for its clear position regarding non-recognition of the illegal holding of a referendum on amendments to the Russian Constitution in Crimea and called for the imposition of sanctions against its organizers," the Foreign Ministrys press service reported.

During the conversation, the interlocutors discussed preparations for the Ukraine-EU summit, which is scheduled for October 2020 in Brussels.

"Dzheppar noted the commitment of the Ukrainian side to achieving visible results of the summit, which should confirm the high dynamics of relations between Ukraine and the EU. First of all, the importance of the early signing of the Common Aviation Area (CAA) between Ukraine and the EU was emphasized. This will be a significant step in sectoral integration and will improve people-to-people contacts," the report says.

Also, the first deputy minister expressed hope for the resumption of trips of Ukrainian citizens to the EU.

Among other priorities, Dzheppar noted the updating of parameters of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) in order to ensure that they meet current trade needs, the beginning of negotiations on "industrial visa-free regime", and the deepening of sectoral integration, in particular in the digital sector and within the framework of the "green" agenda.

ish
LANSING -- Luke Grill took out a measuring tape to ensure that the tables and chairs at his four restaurants are 6-feet apart. Employees wear masks. Customers are required to wear masks, and if they try to come in without one, they can buy one for a dollar, or they can leave.

Grill, the 36-year-old owner of 1983 Restaurants in Holland, has reopened his establishments in waves. First there was a complete shutdown. Then they tried take out for a little while. Then they shutdown again. Then came contact-free carryout only at two restaurants before finally opening for dine-in services after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted the stay at home order.
FRIDAY, July 17, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- As physical distancing, face masks and habitual hand-washing have become the new normal, hopes for returning to the old normal rest largely on the development of effective COVID-19 vaccines.

Historically, it has taken a decade or more to develop a vaccine. Yet some U.S. leaders say a vaccine for the new coronavirus could be ready as soon as late this year or early next.

Other experts expect a longer timetable. But together they are counting on a never-before-seen marshaling of scientific, industry, philanthropic and government forces to drive the global effort.

"I think we can make a successful COVID-19 vaccine, one that's safe and effective, likely by mid-next year," said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "There's never been more money, expertise or interest in making a vaccine."

In the U.S., a multibillion-dollar, public-private partnership called Operation Warp Speed is aiming to compress the vaccine development timeline by overlapping parts of the process normally conducted in sequence, including pre-clinical studies and clinical trials.

To be ready for quick distribution, the federal plan also calls for manufacturing the most promising vaccines before they get Food and Drug Administration approval. But with that comes the risk of discarding and absorbing the enormous expense of having produced vaccines that aren't deemed safe and effective by the FDA.

The most difficult part of creating a vaccine is its manufacturing, said Offit, co-inventor of a vaccine for rotavirus, a disease that can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting and other dangerous symptoms in infants and young children. A key challenge is manufacturers have to ensure that components such as buffering and stabilizing agents consistently protect the integrity of the vaccine, from the first to last dose produced.

"It's hard to scale up to make millions or tens or hundreds of millions of doses," Offit said.

For COVID-19, scientists are working toward licensing multiple safe and effective vaccines, not just one.

"We know that no single vaccine will be able to meet the needs of every population around the world, nor could enough doses be manufactured of one type of vaccine to protect the entire global population," said virologist Dr. Larry Corey, past president and director at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Vaccines will have to meet the unique needs of groups including the elderly, pregnant women, children and populations at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19, such as those with serious heart conditions, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

At the same time, effective vaccines won't necessarily make COVID-19 go away, Offit said.

"I think we'll have a vaccine that's at least 70% effective that protects against severe to moderate disease that keeps people out of the hospital and keeps them from dying," he said. But it may not prevent mild or asymptomatic disease associated with exposure.

So far, more than 155 vaccines are being developed around the world, with 23 of them already in human trials, according to the New York Times' vaccine tracker.

A vaccine that's safe and works in at least 50% of people in clinical trials would be considered a viable candidate, said Corey, who heads the operations center for the COVID-19 Prevention Network. The network is a collaboration funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to optimize execution of the very large trials needed for each candidate vaccine identified as promising.

"I'm optimistic that through randomized controlled clinical trials, enrolling up to 30,000 individuals per trial, we'll get the necessary safety and efficacy data to allow us to evaluate each of the vaccine candidates in the program," Corey said. "These large-scale trials are really the only way we can define the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine candidate with enough scientific information to feel comfortable recommending the vaccine."

Such trials, experts say, can be challenging and take time  important considerations in managing expectations for speedy results.

Vaccine candidates that make it to the large-scale trials might be a diverse bunch. There are roughly a half-dozen basic approaches to building a vaccine, plus variations on those, Offit said. These range from using an inactivated, or killed, version of a virus to launch the body's defenses  an approach pioneered by Jonas Salk in developing a polio vaccine  to cutting-edge and not-yet-proven strategies, such as using genetic material called messenger RNA to evoke an immune response.

Given that the virus that causes COVID-19 was identified just months ago, there's much to learn. For instance, it's not clear whether any particular vaccine-building strategy is superior, Offit said. And scientists will have to wait and see how long the effects of any new vaccine will endure, though previous work with coronaviruses suggests protection would last at least a few years.

"Every new pathogen is a challenge," Offit said. "You learn as you go."
Ekiti Government on Saturday directed traditional rulers in towns and villages to either postpone or cancel for the rest of the year, all pending local festivals in their domains to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

The State Coordinator of COVID-19 Task Force Response Team, Prof Bolaji Aluko, made the announcement in a statement in Ado Ekiti.

He said Ekiti State has cumulatively recorded 78 positive Coronavirus cases, with 29 active, 2 deaths, and 47 discharged, warning that the cases can rise dramatically if public assemblies continued unchecked.

He said as the state was gradually entering the full blown season of Traditional Festivals, therefore, travels from within Ekiti State and various parts of Nigeria by indigenes and visitors to the various towns and villages during this period of the pandemic, had started to occur.



According to him, the attendant incidents of virus transmission in these crowded and boisterous situations, where social distancing is practically impossible, and mask wearing, which is also required, may be impractical for prolonged times.

 Consequently, the wise course is to seriously discourage these festivals at this time.

In fact, they are effectively banned by current government guidelines requiring social distancing and limited-number assemblies.

 Therefore, we are appealing to all Obas, Council Chairmen, Councillors and community leaders for the cancellation of the public celebration of all upcoming festivals and cessation of ongoing ones in all part of Ekiti until further notice.

 These festivals should be observed in the quietness of homes. Some Obas have already been commendably proactive and announced cancellation for the rest of the calendar year, he said.

The State COVID-19 Coordinator, informed that government order against crowded assemblies, lack of social distance, and non-wearing of masks would, and must be enforced by the security forces.

 We ask for your cooperation because Ekiti State currently has cumulatively recorded 78 positivr Covid-19 cases, 29 of which are active, with 2 deaths and 47 discharged, but the cases can rise dramatically if public assemblies continue unchecked.

Prominent among traditional festivals to be affected by governments position are: Annual Egungun, (Masquerade) festival, Ogun, (god of Iron) festival and celebration of Annual Cultural Days, by various towns.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
The decision was taken due to the economic uncertainties amid Covid-19 outbreak and related slowdown in the economy.

The board of directors of Muthoot Finance on Saturday (18 July) decided to defer the proposal to sub-divide the equity shares of the company to a future date.

"The board discussed in depth the pros and cons of the stock split proposal. Though, the share price movement over the last few months and financial indicators were found to be ideal for a stock split proposal at the current scenario, board unanimously decided to defer the proposal to sub-divide the equity shares to the company to a future date," the company said in a regulatory filing.

The decision to defer the proposal was taken considering the economic uncertainties that are currently prevailing due to COVID-19 outbreak and related slowdown in the economy. Future update on this matter will be intimated in due course, it added.

The NBFC's consolidated net profit jumped 52.4% to Rs 835.78 crore on 26.1% rise in total income to Rs 2,633.58 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019.

The scrip surged 6.25% to Rs 1202.80 on Friday. Muthoot Finance is the largest gold financing company in India in terms of loan portfolio.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rep. John Lewis looks toward the crowd as he receives the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 19, 2016. Read more

Even as Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis accepted the 2016 Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center four years ago, the progress he and others had fought so hard to achieve in the 60s seemed threatened.

It was two years after police had shot Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed Black teenager, in Ferguson, Mo., sparking protests and demonstrations. It had been mere months since the similar shooting of Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minn. And within two years, Philadelphia would face its own moment of racial reckoning  the 2018 arrests of two Black men at a Center City Starbucks, a scene many likened to the Jim Crow-era indignities that Lewis and his mentor, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., had fought against.

Still, in the face of those troubling indications of just how far there was left to go in the fight for racial equality, Lewis, speaking to attendees at the Liberty Medal gala, saw reason for hope.

There are some people that have said, Nothing has changed,  he told the packed crowd that September night. Come and walk in my shoes, and I will show you change.

Lewis death Friday from pancreatic cancer at age 80 comes at yet another moment of racial reckoning for the city and the nation. But leaders from across the region said Saturday that it was the late congressmans unrelenting belief that change could be achieved that continued to inspire a new generation of activists, politicians, and everyday citizens who are now rising to meet their historical moment.

There was no cynicism in John Lewis; no hint of despair even in the darkest moments, said Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which filed suit this week on behalf of 13 Black West Philadelphia residents harmed during the police response to protests on May 31. Instead, he showed up relentlessly with commitment and determination  but also love and joy and unwavering dedication to the principles of nonviolence.

Tributes rolled in Saturday from Lewis colleagues in Congress, where he spent more than three decades representing Georgias Fifth District.

He has inspired me for decades, said U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Pa.), who served alongside Lewis on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. He and so many others sacrificed so much for our right to vote.

Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) tweeted: For 80 years he showed us how to truly live. ... May we be his legacy.

And former U.S. Rep. Bob Brady recalled meeting the man he referred to during an interview Saturday as my buddy. Arriving in Washington in the 1980s, Brady walked straight up to his newly elected colleague, hand extended, and proclaimed, Youre my idol.

Well, youre my idol, Brady remembered Lewis responding, with characteristic humility. Ive been reading up on Philadelphia, and there are good things going on there.

Over the years, the two formed a bond, with Brady hosting Lewis on trips he made to the city. Though he liked to take in Philadelphias history, Brady said, Lewis much preferred just sitting down and chatting over coffee. He was just a genuine class guy with everyone, he said.

The son of an Alabama sharecropper, Lewis spent most of his life in the Deep South and Washington. But he made several visits to Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the years, leaving a trail of people inspired to keep up the fight against racial injustice in his wake.

He was absolutely an inspiration to me and should be an inspiration to all those out there protesting today, said former Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode.

Goode met Lewis before his election to Congress in 1986 as they worked together on civil rights causes in Atlanta. They would encounter each other a few times more, most recently at an event in 2018 to commemorate a speech King gave at St. Josephs University in 1967.

Lewis regaled students that day with his memories of his 1965 march alongside 600 protesters demanding voting rights across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. He likened the brutal police crackdown that greeted them  leaving 58 injured, Lewis among them  to the fight for more equitable policing practices that protesters continue to march for today.

We talked about . the fact that he could be a congressman and I could be mayor of the fourth largest city in America was a sign that progress had been made, Goode said. We ought to celebrate that even as we continue to fight for complete equality in this country.

At a similar 2015 speech in Cherry Hill, Lewis told a group of local Phi Beta Sigma fraternity members that each and every generation must play a role in ending racism and continuing that struggle didnt always mean grand gestures of protest.

He celebrated simple acts of progress, such as when he reached out to Ariell Johnson, owner of Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse in Kensington, while in town for the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He wanted to showcase the Black-owned business that features the work of authors and artists of color and hosted a book signing for his graphic novel memoir March. At the time, Johnson credited the work of Lewis and others with making it possible for a woman like her to own a business like the one she runs.

He stood on his principles over the years and never changed, said Charles L. Blockson, founder of the Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University. He was always forthright, and he was for real.

Patrick Duff, a Haddon Heights activist, recalled being stunned when Lewis joined his effort to preserve a Camden home where King once stayed while studying at Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Delaware County. The congressman threw his name behind the cause and personally attended a rally outside the home in 2016.

But even amid the crowd of more than 100 local officials and dignitaries that huddled under a tent that day, Lewis fixated on a woman hovering at its edges, pushing a stroller and wearing a T-shirt printed with a young girls face, Duff recalled.

Lewis asked who she was. Duff explained that the girl on the T-shirt was the womans 8-year-old, who had been fatally struck by a stray bullet just blocks away from the rally site only days before.

Im not kidding, Duff said Saturday. He beelined straight for this girl. He held her hand, he hugged her, he cried with her while, no offense, all these other politicians were just standing stiff. When she was getting ready to leave, he said, Young lady, Id like you to stay with me for the entire day. 

It was Lewis combination of sincere interest in the individuals he met combined with the moral authority he had earned on larger societal issues that contributed to his national stature, said the Rev. Mark Tyler, pastor at Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church in Society Hill.

Tyler said he couldnt help but consider Lewis loss so soon after other civil rights icons, like C.T. Vivian who also died Friday, within the context of the protests that have gripped cities across the country in recent months.

God is trying to tell us something: The fight for freedom and the struggle to be equal is not something that is one and done, he said. Each generation has to decide whether they will be a John Lewis or whether theyll hide in the shadows waiting for the next to come along and fight.

The late congressman was committed to being a John Lewis until the end.

Brady last spoke to his former colleague a month ago. By then, he said, Lewis was mostly confined to a wheelchair. His cancer had taken a noticeable toll on his health.

And yet, Brady recalled him saying: I still got my heart. Ive got a lion heart.

Staff writer Valerie Russ contributed to this article.
Anyone who understands politics in the corrupt state government of Illinois realizes that the power of Michael Madigan, Speaker of the state House of Representatives since 1983 except for two years, dwarfs that of the states governor. Hes been called the most powerful Democrat politician in the country with good reason, and over the years AT has covered him (here, here, and here for instance) for his power, and lately for the appearance that federal investigators have been wiretapping associates and maybe, just maybe closing in on him.

News released in Chicago yesterday by federal prosecutors indicates that that the noose is closing on him, though he still has not (yet) been indicted.

Michael Madigan (YouTube screen grab)

The inimitable John Kass, columnist for the Chicago Tribune puts it well:

When the U.S. Department of Justice dropped that federal hammer on Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan on Friday, I thought of the shock waves spreading out to Democratic bosses across the country, and the sound of Illinois political rats scurrying for cover they wont find. But mostly I thought of Boss Madigans eyes, blue stones made flat and cold from 50 years as the political boss of the most politically corrupt state in the country. n my mind I could see Madigans eyes widening, as he concentrated on the federal documents filed Friday that are the road map to his end game, like the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, the oculist in The Great Gatsby, blue, unblinking, omniscient. Madigan can see whats coming and he can see the past. For five decades hes held the tribes together, with his iron will, and his word, his discipline, and expert use of fear and power. (snip) Madigan wasnt charged with any crimes, but that wasnt the point when U.S. Attorney John Lausch pulled that big federal bus out Friday  the one with a driver named RICO  and outlined how Commonwealth Edison would cooperate in the federal investigation. The giant utility agreed to pay $200 million in fines for assisting in a bribery and corruption scheme to benefit Public Official A that cost electric rate payers across Illinois real money in rate increases. In exchange  though it wasnt explicitly stated except as cooperation  ComEd turned over its intelligence and its people will testify. Implicated are Madigans Democratic precinct captains with those do-nothing jobs, and Madigan-friendly contractors and Madigan-approved political lobbyists.

The Chicago Sun-Times lays out the tawdry specifics of Madigans schemes to provide patronage jobs for members of his machine:

A statement of facts attached to the agreement lays out the details of the allegations. They include claims that Madigan sought a job for Zalewski upon his retirement from the City Council, that Madigan had for decades ran an old-fashioned patronage system including getting people jobs as ComEd meter readers, that Madigan had an associate appointed to ComEds board of directors in 2019  former McPier CEO Juan Ochoa  and even that ComEd hired students from Madigans ward for an internship program. The allegations in the document date back to 2011, when it said McClain and a lobbyist identified by the Sun-Times as John Hooker developed a plan to help two Madigan associates by funneling money through a consulting company and treating them as subcontractors. ComEd would not pay the unidentified men directly but rather increase its payments to the consulting company to cover the two Madigan associates. Meanwhile, contracts and invoices made it falsely appear that those payments were in return for the consultants advice on legislative issues and legislative risk management activities. In May 2018 Madigan  through McClain  allegedly asked then-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore to hire Zalewski, the feds allege. Another deal was then struck to pay Zalewski $5,000 monthly as a subcontractor for the consultant. Pramaggiore allegedly agreed that Madigan would get to tell Zalewski about the arrangement. A spokesman for Pramaggiore, who later became a senior executive for Exelon but retired last year, said in a statement that Ms. Pramaggiore has done nothing wrong and any inference to the contrary is misguided and false. Also in May 2018, McClain allegedly told the ComEd vice president  identified by the Sun-Times as Fidel Marquez  why the Madigan associates were being paid. He explained that one of them was one of the top three precinct captains who also trains people how to go door to door . . . so just to give you an idea how important the guy is. (snip) In February 2019, McClain allegedly told Hooker how to explain the payments within the company. McClain allegedly said, We had to hire these guys because (Madigan) came to us. Its just that simple. Two days later, the consultant allegedly cautioned Hooker that ComEd should not tamper with the arrangement because your money comes from Springfield and the consultant had every reason to believe McClain had spoken to Madigan about the deal. The consultant allegedly added that the Madigan associates keep their mouth shut, and, you know, so. But, do they do anything for me on a day-to-day basis? No. He said the payments were made to keep (Madigan) happy, I think its worth it, because youd hear otherwise. The document also alleges Madigan sought the appointment of Ochoa to the ComEd board of directors through McClain in 2017. However, opposition within the company to that appointment in May 2018 allegedly prompted Pramaggiore to ask McClain if Madigan would be satisfied with a part-time job for Ochoa that paid the same amount as the board position  $78,000 a year. McClain allegedly told Pramaggiore that Madigan would appreciate it if she would keep pressing for the appointment. Pramaggiore allegedly agreed to do so, telling McClain later in the year that, you take good care of me and so does our friend (Madigan) and I will do the best that I can to, to take care of you. In February 2019, McClain allegedly told Hooker how to explain the payments within the company. McClain allegedly said, We had to hire these guys because (Madigan) came to us. Its just that simple. Two days later, the consultant allegedly cautioned Hooker that ComEd should not tamper with the arrangement because your money comes from Springfield and the consultant had every reason to believe McClain had spoken to Madigan about the deal. The consultant allegedly added that the Madigan associates keep their mouth shut, and, you know, so. But, do they do anything for me on a day-to-day basis? No. He said the payments were made to keep (Madigan) happy, I think its worth it, because youd hear otherwise. The document also alleges Madigan sought the appointment of Ochoa to the ComEd board of directors through McClain in 2017. However, opposition within the company to that appointment in May 2018 allegedly prompted Pramaggiore to ask McClain if Madigan would be satisfied with a part-time job for Ochoa that paid the same amount as the board position  $78,000 a year. McClain allegedly told Pramaggiore that Madigan would appreciate it if she would keep pressing for the appointment. Pramaggiore allegedly agreed to do so, telling McClain later in the year that, you take good care of me and so does our friend (Madigan) and I will do the best that I can to, to take care of you.

Madigan is denying any criminal activity in a press release:

Below is a statement on behalf of Speaker Madigan. There will be no further comment. The Speaker has never helped someone find a job with the expectation that the person would not be asked to perform work by their employer, nor did he ever expect to provide anything to a prospective employer if it should choose to hire a person he recommended. He has never made a legislative decision with improper motives and has engaged in no wrongdoing here. Any claim to the contrary is unfounded. This morning the Speaker accepted subpoenas related to his various offices for documents, asking for, among other things, documents related to possible job recommendations. He will cooperate and respond to those requests for documents, which he believes will clearly demonstrate that he has done nothing criminal or improper.

Yesterday, the next act in the drama started unfolding as Illinois Policy explains:

Madigans office July 17 received a grand jury subpoena for documents related to the ongoing federal investigation, according to WGN. According to Mark Maxwell of WCIA-TV, Capitol Police at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield saw men in suits enter the building Friday morning. One flashed an FBI badge. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called on Madigan to resign if the allegations are true. Madigan said they arent true, and he is cooperating.

Com Ed has not entered a guilty plea. Instead the feds are using what is called a deferred prosecution agreement, in which the company can avoid future prosecution by cooperating with investigators and paying the $200 million fine. They have every reason to spill the beans, as do others named in corruption. As John Kas puts it:

there wont be any deal for Madigan. Hes the target. Targets dont make deals. Targets see their families on visitors day.

A historical note: At the time that Barrack Obama was first establishing himself in Chicago, he was reportedly assisted by the father of his friend Bill Ayers in obtaining a summer internship at one of Chicagos most prestigious law firms. That father was Tom Ayers, the longtime head of Com Ed, and the law firm where Obama got his summer internship was the corporate counsel for Com Ed.
Late Gen. Paik Sun-yup / Yonhap





A U.S. State Department official paid tribute Friday to the memory of Gen. Paik Sun-yup, a Korean War hero and South Korea's first four-star general, saying the freedom and democracy he fought for have become all that more important today.



Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, made the remarks during a tribute webinar held a week after Paik died at the age of 99. The late general was credited for his leadership in key battles during the 1950-53 Korean War.



"I think Gen. Paik's service to not only the Republic of Korea but to this alliance really symbolized the fight for our shared values of freedom and democracy," Knapper said during the event hosted by the Korea Defense Veterans Association.



"These are values that the United States and the Republic of Korea share today and continue to uphold and continue to work for. And frankly in a region of the world that is increasingly under pressure  these values are under pressure from others in the region  and so more than ever, the values that Gen. Paik emblemized and symbolized are just so important," he said.



Knapper said he had the opportunity to meet the general on several occasions while serving at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.



"It was always a really humbling experience to meet with him and to be in the presence of someone who had devoted the better part of his nearly 100-year life to serving his country and to serving the people of the Republic of Korea," he said.



Knapper said Paik's devotion to his country and the alliance inspired him to work to strengthen the two countries' friendship in an equally committed and steadfast manner.



Paik represented "the best" of South Korea and the alliance, he added.



In another tribute, former U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks recalled his own encounters with Paik, starting when he was a lieutenant colonel commanding an infantry battalion in South Korea from 1996 to 1998.



Brooks said Paik remembered him when he returned to Korea some years later.



"How it would be that someone so distinguished who had met so many incredible luminaries of history would remember someone like me. It absolutely floored me," he said, adding that the late general could recount any battle he was in and any negotiations that preceded the creation of the armistice in 1953.



Paik could also share from memory who was in a given fighting position at any point in time and he knew people by their names, according to Brooks.



"He would meet you as you are and meet you as another person, hold you accountable, and not by saying things that would be harsh words of accountability, but rather simply by letting you know how important it was to keep going with the same battle that he'd been fighting for a long time  that's a battle for the alliance and its value," Brooks said.



"We also have to remember the obligation that he's passed on to us, the obligation we have to pass on to each succeeding generation. We may not live to be 100 or 101 years old like he did, but for the time that we have, especially the time we have with one another, we have this obligation to carry," he added. (Yonhap)


PHILIPSBURG:---The Honorable Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Richard Panneflek announces that tomorrow July 18, 2020, a repatriation flight is expected with 125 students and residents who were stuck abroad for a long time. The flight has been arranged with Spirit Airlines for students and residents to return to St. Maarten, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Relations (DBB), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (ECYS), and the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT). The flight will depart from Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and arrive at Princess Juliana International Airport at 1:30 PM.

Persons returning on this flight who have a valid PCR test taken within the last 72 hours will be required to upload their results at www.stmaartenentry.com. Persons who have no valid PCR test within the required 72 hours will be PCR tested at the airport upon arrival. Persons who test positive are required to go into isolation and will be monitored by their family physician and the Department of Collective Prevention Services (CPS).

Due to the fact that the incubation period of the virus ranges between 2- 14 days, persons who test negative upon arrival, along with those having a valid Negative PCR test taken within the last 72 hours, MUST remain in quarantine for 14 days. If these persons do develop symptoms, they are advised to contact their family physician for further instructions.

The Minister of VSAs main goal is to keep the population safe and minimize the number of COVID-19 cases. Therefore, the Minister of VSA is pleading with the public to be vigilant in adhering to the prevention guidelines, as the current COVID-19 cases were NOT imported. Persons are reminded that everyone should play their part in washing hands frequently with soap and water, using hand sanitizer, practicing social distancing, and wearing masks/face coverings and face shields.
AN ACTRESS and MeToo campaigner has told a court that Johnny Depp was known in Hollywood to be the victim of his wife's violence.

Katherine Kendall accused 'The Sun' newspaper of exploiting the campaign against sexual abuse in an attempt to depict Mr Depp as a "wife beater".

She accused the paper of ignoring her when she said she had heard repeated suggestions that Amber Heard was violent towards her husband.

The activist for the MeToo movement, which sprang out of revelations about the sexual misconduct of Harvey Weinstein, told the High Court that 'The Sun' misquoted her in an article and ignored her insistence that she had no evidence Mr Depp had been violent towards Ms Heard.

The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star is suing 'The Sun' publisher NGN and Dan Wootton, its executive editor, over an article from April 2018 with the headline: 'Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be 'genuinely happy' casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new 'Fantastic Beasts' film?' The article quoted Ms Kendall.

Ms Kendall, who had publicly accused Weinstein of harassing her in the 1990s said the article wrongly presented her as "endorsing" a comparison between the disgraced film mogul and Mr Depp.

She told the High Court in London yesterday: "Although it was true that I was a victim of Harvey Weinstein, the rest was a lie. I was not 'going public', on behalf of MeToo or myself, to criticise JK Rowling's decision to cast Mr Depp, nor did I accuse Mr Depp of hurting Amber Heard, about which I have no first-hand knowledge."

Appearing via video link from Los Angeles, Ms Kendall said that after reading the article she complained to the newspaper, stating: "I felt like I was misquoted, or that my words were taken out of context. I never meant to be in an article that called Johnny Depp a 'wife beater'. I told you that I didn't know that to be true at all. I have heard several times that she in fact was abusive to him."

Ms Kendall, who starred in 'Beverly Hills 90210' and the film 'Swingers', added: "I told you I have heard Amber had hit him, which is why, as you know, I don't condone 'any' violence."

Earlier Ms Heard's former interior designer, Laura Divenere, said she felt pressured into saying "unfavourable" things about her by Mr Depp's US lawyer, Adam Waldman, in relation to separate libel proceedings in the US.

A friend of Mr Depp told how there was no sign of injury or bruising on Ms Heard's face the day after she claimed the star attacked at her at their LA penthouse in May 2016.

Isaac Baruch, an artist whose work was supported financially by Mr Depp, was told by Ms Heard that she was changing the locks of their apartments because Mr Depp had hit her in the face and thrown a phone at her.

He claimed it was Mr Depp who was the victim in their relationship, saying: "I've witnessed Mr Depp leave the Eastern residence at least four times to take refuge in his home in Hollywood because of Ms Heard's temper and physical abuse towards him."

Mr Baruch said that in 2013 Mr Depp told him: "She [Heard] argues and then she'll just start punching me and wants to fight, I'll try to stop her, but she just keeps going. I don't know what I'm gonna do, because I'm not gonna hit her... I love her."

The court was told that Ms Heard gave Elon Musk, the Tesla billionaire, a key to Mr Depp's penthouse so he could visit her when the actor was away. After her divorce in 2017, Ms Heard dated him for a year. The hearing continues.

Despite accusations of an ugly litany of physical and verbal abuse against his wife, fans of Mr Depp have been resolute in their support for the Hollywood star.

Each day, a band of loyal "DeppHeads" travel to the High Court hoping for a glimpse of their idol and a chance to tell him they refuse to believe Ms Heard's claims he was repeatedly violent towards her.

Indeed the fans - often young women, often dressed in black in imitation of Mr Depp's southern gothic rock-and-roll look - speak fondly of his attitude to them as women.

Melody Brooks (22), a graduate in Japanese and history from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, said: "It's not in his nature whatsoever to behave in the way she's claiming he did. He doesn't have a past of that sort of thing.

"The way he is towards women in general is very respectful. I've met him in London at a premiere and he was lovely; very respectful towards me and my friends." ( Daily Telegraph, London)
South Africa celebrates Nelson Mandela Day on Saturday, marking the anti-apartheid leaders birthday. This year is dedicated to the memory of Zindzi Mandela, his youngest daughter, who died earlier this week.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to deliver this years Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture on Saturday, with the theme, Tackling the Inequality Pandemic.

"Madiba was a morale giant of the 20th century," said Guterres ahead of the lecture. "This years lecture takes place at a time when the world faces an unprecedented test as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens everyone, everywhere."

The lecture is intended to help in stimulating dialogue on critical social issues, according to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Mandelas youngest daughter Zindzi was buried at a private funeral on Friday, following her death earlier in the week. She was laid to rest next to her mother, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who died two years ago.

Post-mortem results were not yet available, but her family said she had tested positive for Covid-19 on the day she died, AFP news agency reported.

South Africa has almost 325,000 coronavirus cases and 4,669 deaths, making it the sixth most affected country in the world.

Mandela, who became South Africas first black president, died in 2013 from a recurrent lung infection. He spent 27 years in prison for opposing the apartheid regime and won the Nobel Peace Prize, alongside former president FW de Klerk, in 1993.
Main Task is to Make Sure Health Crisis Doesn't Become Security Crisis, NATO's Stoltenberg Says

Sputnik News

08:17 GMT 17.07.2020(updated 08:52 GMT 17.07.2020)

Earlier in the day, EU leaders gathered for an in-person summit in Brussels to discuss the recovery plan for the COVID-19 crisis and a new long-term EU budget.

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated on Friday that the bloc has had to adjust itself amid the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure the health crisis does not become a security crisis.

"NATO's main task is to make sure that health crisis the COVID-19 crisis does not become a security crisis, and we have been able to do that," he told BBC Radio.

"Of course we have adjusted some of the ways we do our activities... but the main message is that we have been able to uphold deterrence defence, our operational presence, throughout the pandemic."

Despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis, NATO alliance conducted its annual Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise last month, a massive war drill involving 19 different navies.

 Sputnik

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Prisoners Of History

Keith Lowe William Collins 20

Rating:

All around the world, statues are falling. In Britain its slave traders and colonialists who have found themselves at the bottom of rivers, or boarded up for their own safety.

Protesting Americans, meanwhile, have pulled down monuments to Confederate generals who fought for the slave-owning South during the Civil War. Heroes including Winston Churchill, George Washington and Christopher Columbus have all found themselves in danger of being reduced to rubble.

But what, really, are people doing when they take a sledgehammer to the physical past?

In Jersey City, Keith Lowe points out a graphic, almost obscene statue that commemorates a Polish officer being stabbed in the back by a bayonet (above)

In this brilliantly researched and timely book, Keith Lowe takes us on a tour of the monuments that were erected in the long aftermath of the Second World War. We see the figure of General MacArthur striding ashore to liberate the Philippines in 1944.

In Seoul, we are shown a large bronze figure of a young Korean girl with the curious name of The Peace Statue. In Jersey City, Lowe points out a graphic, almost obscene statue that commemorates a Polish officer being stabbed in the back by a bayonet.

And in London we visit the most recent of the Second World War memorials, Bomber Command in Green Park, an elaborate blend of Doric architecture and neo-classical sculpture.

So far, so heroic. But behind each of these monuments, says Lowe, there is a more complicated history. The MacArthur statue was put up by Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines in the 1970s just at the point when the dictator needed to demonstrate how grateful he was to the US for propping up his regime.

Indeed, says Lowe, far from being a heroic liberator of South-East Asia, MacArthur spent much of the war safely tucked up in Australia. Theres a similarly knotty story behind the Peace Statue girl in Seoul.

She actually represents the thousands of Koreans who were sex-trafficked to become comfort women for Japanese troops.

Lowe is not afraid to tread on sensitive ground, but he does so with the integrity that comes from really knowing his material. In a fascinating chapter on Auschwitz, he reveals how the museum and memorial site have been subject to constant negotiations.

In the 1970s, Polish Catholics felt that the fact that thousands of their people had perished alongside the Jews was being left out of the picture. In 1984, a group of Carmelite nuns established a convent beside the perimeter fence, a gesture that caused immense offence in some quarters.

Today, the World Heritage Site is so popular that tourists are herded through by guides in the same way that prisoners were hurried to the gas chambers. Is this deeply offensive or a positive kind of re-enactment and a sign that the Holocaust is in no danger of being forgotten?

Lowe doesnt come up with any easy answers. But he does suggest that simply tearing down statues of people whose views no longer coincide with our own might be short-sighted.

While a monument still stands, it holds us to account. Once it has gone, we might be tempted to take the easy course of pretending that the more difficult bits of history never happened.

Unfit For Purpose

Adam Hart Bloomsbury Sigma 16.99

Rating:

Do you find life stressful? Youre not alone. Even in normal times theres no end of things to worry about  money, work, health, etc  and during a global pandemic everything seems that much worse.

Is stress a natural part of the human condition, or does it arise from how we lead our lives?

These are some of the questions scientist and broadcaster Adam Hart contemplates in this examination of how evolution has left us ill-equipped to deal with the modern world.

Is stress a natural part of the human condition, or does it arise from how we lead our lives? These are some of the questions scientist and broadcaster Adam Hart contemplates

Our brains and our bodies, and our emotional responses, developed in environments where food was scarce and mortal dangers lurked round every corner. Nowadays we dont have too many man-eating predators to worry about, and if we feel peckish we can pop out to the supermarket, but we are still lumbered with the mental baggage of our caveman ancestors.

And that includes how we deal with stress.

Stress has an evolutionary purpose. If we bump into a bear or a tiger, the brain triggers a massive burst of adrenaline and we have a split second to decide between fight or flight.

These days the bears and tigers are behind bars in the zoo, but the adrenaline floods in whenever we become anxious. The unhealthy levels of stress we suffer result in what Hart identifies as a mismatch between our evolutionary history and the modern world.

Similar mismatches affect our responses to alcohol and gambling. The drunken monkey theory suggests that our ancestors bodies adapted to digest fermented fruit because food was scarce.

Taking risks also had evolutionary benefits because of the potential rewards (caveman shorthand for food and sex). But our brains cant easily cope with the temptations of excess alcohol or slot machines.

This book is a gripping and sobering reminder of how much we are all governed by our genetic inheritance. So much for free will.

Simon Griffith
The taxpayer stands to miss out on hundreds of millions of pounds after the Crown Estate sold a historic 15th century plot of land for just 12.5million.

Taylor Wimpey has made moves to build a new town on 1,000 acres of the Orchard Portman Estate in Somerset which could boost the value of the land to more than 500million.

But if the housebuilder gets planning permission, the Crown Estate, which owns property and land all over Britain on behalf of the Queen and returns its profits to the Treasury, will not receive a penny.

Taylor Wimpey has made moves to build a new town on 1,000 acres of the Orchard Portman Estate in Somerset which could boost the value of the land to more than 500m (file picture)

MPs and campaigners said the deal was an 'absolute disgrace' and called for the Government's spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), to intervene.

The land in question was part of a 3,400-acre estate on the edge of the Blackdown Hills near Taunton  owned by the Portman family since Walter Portman married Christina Orchard in 1440  which was sold through property agent Savills in 2018.

Taylor Wimpey bought the lion's share of the land, 1,100 acres, including the jewel in the crown  Orchard Portman farm  for 12.5million.

The Crown Estate failed to add a clause allowing it to recoup any uplift in the value of the land, meaning the Treasury will not benefit if the development goes ahead.

Richard Holden MP, a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said: 'The fact that it appears that the custodians of the Crown Estate screwed up on such an epic scale with public money on very basic elements is absolutely unbelievable.

'An immediate investigation is required. I'm certain that both the NAO and PAC will want to look at this as a matter of urgency.'

Ian Liddell-Grainger, a Conservative member of the cusiness committee, said: 'I think it's an absolute disgrace what is happening in Taunton. It is particularly appalling because it is 16,000 houses  the value for money just isn't there.'

The industry's regulator, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), is investigating the role of Savills in the deal over an alleged conflict of interest.

Within weeks of the sale, the estate agent was advising Taylor Wimpey how to get planning permission for 16,000 homes, documents obtained the Freedom of Information Act reveals, which could generate more than 3billion in revenue.

A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey said 'we strongly refute any allegations of wrongdoing in relation to the land acquisition.

'This was a competitive open market sales process and we believe our terms offered the best value in the market at the time.

'We are currently at the very start of what will be a lengthy process of promoting the land through the Local Plan before seeking planning permission for the land.

'At this very early stage we have no firm plans for how many homes and other community facilities we could deliver.'

A Savills spokesman said they are 'confident there was no conflict of interest given its role and the nature of the advice provided and it acted in accordance with RICS requirements'.

A Crown Estate spokesman said: 'We're looking into this matter.'
Across the U.S., state and local officials are trying to balance the competing priorities of protecting their citizens from the coronavirus while keeping the economy running.
An update has been provided regarding the status of Dave Jackson, who sustained serious injuries during an on-track accident at Clinton Raceway on June 28.

Jackson, 50, remains hospitalized in critical condition. After the accident, Jackson was transported to Clinton Hospital, and was later transferred to London Health Sciences Centre.

Jackson has been diagnosed with severe head trauma along with a neck injury. He has been moved out of ICU and is now on the regular trauma floor at LHSC. The London native has a long road to recovery.

Jackson is a familiar face in the harness racing industry. He can be found warming up horses for many trainers at The Raceway at Western Fair District, Flamboro Downs, Grand River Raceway and Clinton Raceway, just to name a few.

The Raceway at Western Fair District and the Central Ontario Standardbred Association have kicked off a GoFundMe campaign, as both organizations have made $1,500 donations.

All proceeds from the GoFundMe campaign will be sent to Dave Jackson.

(With files from The Raceway at Western Fair District)
Shock waves passed throughout the Nagatacho political nerve center in early February after it was learned 30% of covid-19 tests were positive on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which had returned to Yokohama after an overseas trip.

Late at night on Feb. 4 - when only about 20 cases of the novel coronavirus had been confirmed in Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and another 20 or so Cabinet ministers and bureaucrats gathered at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo in Tokyo's Kioicho district.

They were thrown into confusion, saying such things as, "How fast can the passengers be inspected?" and "Not all of them right away."

At 10 p.m. that day, it was found that 10 people on board were positive, out of 31 who were tested.

A tense exchange of words ensued in a large room that had been hastily reserved at the hotel.

There were about 3,700 people on board the ship. When Hanako Jimi, a doctor and parliamentary vice minister of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, heard that 10 people had tested positive, she had a hunch that an epidemic was breaking out on board.

With a 30% positive rate, as many as 1,000 people could be newly infected. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were only able to handle a few hundred cases a day in the whole nation back then.

The government could not let people disembark and go home without knowing whether they were infected or not.

Early on April 5, hours after the top-secret meeting, Tokuaki Shobayashi, deputy director general for the health ministry, who had been recalled from the Environment Ministry, boarded the ship and told the captain to quarantine everyone on board. He was assigned to handle this matter because of his experience in the fight against a new strain of influenza.

No rules on quarantining ships

"A passenger aboard a cruise ship entering [Japanese territorial waters] has been infected with the novel coronavirus."

The health ministry received this information from Hong Kong on Feb. 2. A passenger in his 80s who boarded the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama and got off in Hong Kong on Jan. 25 was found to have been infected with the virus.

The vessel had already arrived in Japan, having called at Naha Port on Feb. 1 after completing its journey as scheduled. However, the U.K.-registered ship was operated by an American company.

"No one on earth was familiar with clear rules on how to deal with cases of infections on ships," said Yasuhiro Suzuki, a chief technical official at the ministry who holds a medical license, recalling how baffled he was.

The government decided to respond to the situation within the framework for quarantining ships.

The Quarantine Law does not allow anyone aboard a ship suspected of being a carrier of a pathogen not native to Japan to disembark in the country.

By the time the vessel entered Naha Port, the ministry had suspended a quarantine it had imposed on the people on board, saying they were no longer feared infected. However, more people were subsequently found to have caught the virus, so it decided to take the unusual step of quarantining them again in Yokohama. The 3,700 passengers and crew members had their health checked while PCR tests were being carried out.

The ministry initially planned to examine only people with symptoms and those who had been in close contact with them, and to have the others disembark and go home. However, when 10 out of 31 people were confirmed positive on the night of Feb. 4, it was forced to change the policy.

Based mainly on the Infectious Diseases Law, the government decided to disembark and hospitalize those infected with the virus and keep everyone else on board under quarantine. Taking into account the incubation period of the virus, they were required to stay on board for about 14 days starting from the following day of Feb. 5.

"We couldn't find a hotel or facility on land that could accommodate more than 3,000 people. The only way to isolate them was to have them remain on the ship," a senior ministry official said.

However, the number of people infected with the virus eventually rose to 712, while 13 died as a result.

"I thought the people on board were able to stay in separate rooms [while under quarantine], but it was a total miscalculation as many of the crew members shared their rooms. There were so many things I learned only when I went inside," the official said.

Human rights violation

The ministry was in charge of the situation as it holds jurisdiction over cases related to the Quarantine Law and the Infectious Diseases Law.

With a task force set up inside the ship, the ministry received various support from other ministries, agencies and relevant organizations. However, many of the passengers were elderly, while the passengers and crew members were from as many as 56 countries and regions.

As the quarantine became prolonged, some people on board started feeling unwell and asking for medicine, with one of them even saying, "I want to jump off the ship."

Some overseas media criticized the situation on the Diamond Princess, describing it as a violation of human rights.

With everyone remaining on the ship eventually disembarking in late March, the quarantine finally ended.

Some said things like, "If there was a facility on land for them to stay in, the spread of infections could have been more contained, and the people under quarantine could have had less stress," while others made comments such as, "Relevant information should have been disseminated overseas more carefully."

There are a number of aspects that reflect the ministry's remorse for the way it handled the case.

However, another senior ministry official said, "It was impossible for a single ministry to manage such an extremely special, rare and large-scale operation."

Lessons from Diamond Princess case:

- Stimulate international discussions on measures to be taken in the event of an infectious disease outbreak on a passenger ship and establish a domestic system;

- Establish a control tower capable of giving flexible instructions within each ministry and agency, as there is a limit to what can be done for a ship quarantine by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry;

- Make effective use of the SDF and organize a medical team that does not rely on volunteers.
Emerging and disruptive technology webinar on interoperability

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

16 Jul. 2020

Last updated: 17 Jul. 2020

In the context of its ongoing work on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies, NATO's Emerging Security Challenges Division organized a webinar on 16 July 2020 on interoperability. The workshop brought together Allied officials and external experts to discuss interoperability when it comes to dealing with a range of new, and rapidly evolving, technologies.

NATO has a great tradition of promoting interoperability among Allied armed forces. But the emergence of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence or autonomous systems require NATO to redouble its efforts to ensure all Allies remain interoperable. In his remarks, Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana stressed that "we cannot have a two-tier Alliance, where Allies are unable to cooperate due to technological and doctrinal discrepancies". He added that "those with a weaker innovation ecosystem cannot be lagging behind". For this, we have to make sure that Allies whose technological adoption rate is high are able to cooperate with Allies who are just getting started with these efforts. DSG Geoana also addressed the importance of civil-military interoperability. "We need to be cognizant of how civilian sector regulations can either facilitate or hamper military activities that we need for our common defense", he said.

The webinar featured keynote speeches by Emily de La Bruyere and Nathan Picarsic, the co-founders of Horizon Advisory and authors of a recent report on how China plans to dominate international tech standards as part of "China's Standards 2035" strategy. Emily and Nathan discussed how China is using their membership in international bodies to influence technical standards in strategically important industries to further their interests, in ways that may be detrimental to Allies.

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Vietnams first case of Cantu syndrome was discovered by doctors of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Dermato Venereology, health official said on July 16.

The first patient with Cantu syndrome is treated for hair removal by the doctors in HCM City Hospital of Dermato Venereology.

Cantu syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterised by excess hair growth (hypertrichosis), a distinctive facial appearance, heart defects, and several other abnormalities. The features of the disorder vary among affected individuals, according to the medical definition.

There have been 74 cases recorded worldwide so far.

According to doctor Tran Nguyen Anh Tu, vice head of the Cosmetology Department, the patient is a 6-year-old girl living in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Earlier last month, the girl registered with the department for a medical check and body hair removal.

The girl had full body hair after birth. The hair is described as very thick and dense especially on her face, neck, nape, waist and limbs.

The girl is about to enter first grade this September. She began to feel self-conscious about her body hair so her parents decided to take her to the hospital for hair removal.

Finding other strange symptoms, the doctors decided to perform further tests.

The test results showed that the young patient suffered from many musculoskeletal abnormalities, such as a very flat nose, long distance between her eyes, eye puffiness, long and clear philtrum, increasing diametre of rib cage, breastbone protruding forward, uneven shoulders, and scattered mature hair on cheeks, chin, neck, nape, arms, legs and spine.

Along with abnormal development of hair and bones, the girl has abnormalities in the cardiovascular system with leaking physiological heart and aortic valves, and undilated heart chambers.

Her brain also has unusual features, with scattered white matter in the frontal lobe and semi-oval centre on both sides and light vasodilation.

Especially, the genetic analysis results showed that she has a heterozygous mutation c.3460C>T (Arg1154Trp) of gene ABCC9 that is the basis for identifying with Cantu syndrome, said doctor Tu.

The girl was given a free medical examination and hair removal services.

The doctors have consulted with the patient's family and referred to relevant faculties to address her other health issues./.VNA
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 21:28:17|Editor: huaxia

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Zurab Sam, a B2B manager, walks past photo prints at a gallery in Athens, Greece, on July 15, 2020. The YellowKorner at the historic center of the Greek capital is just one of the 200 local businesses participating in an initiative called "Athens is Back", which was launched by the City of Athens in cooperation with the Athens Traders Association this summer. The goal of the initiative is to support businesses operating in Athens which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, its architects told Xinhua. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)

by Maria Spiliopoulou, Valentini Anagnostopoulou

ATHENS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A stone's throw from the Acropolis hill in Athens, locals and tourists are strolling through a gallery looking for limited edition photography prints at a discount.

The YellowKorner at the historic center of the Greek capital is just one of the 200 local businesses participating in an initiative called "Athens is Back", which was launched by the City of Athens in cooperation with the Athens Traders Association this summer.

The goal of the initiative is to support businesses operating in Athens which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, its architects told Xinhua.

"The platform 'Athensisback.gr' has been active and open since the 16th of June. The site provides an opportunity for all businesses and cultural institutions located in Athens to engage with customers by posting offers and discounts for residents and visitors," Evangelos Vlachos, CEO of Athens Development and Destination Management Agency, said on Friday.

"This project is implemented by the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency and will remain active for three months. If needed, it will be extended," he explained.

The initiative is an attempt to change the bleak image of the city's historic and commercial center after the lockdown which was in place in Greece from March 23-May 4, as it has been reflected in the latest survey carried out by the Athens Traders Association, said Stavros Kafounis, the association's president.

"In the survey we conducted, 80 percent of respondents said that in the first 10 days of the restart of the economy they had zero revenues or chose to keep their stores closed. It is obvious how dramatic is the situation for the city's center," Kafounis said.

More than two months after the lockdown, tourists, although only a fraction of the flows Greece registered in previous years, have started reaching Athens, and Athenians are adjusting to the new normalcy, going out for shopping under COVID-19 safety rules.

However, Kafounis noted that Greeks seem to refrain from nonessential purchases, as many households have seen their income shrinking dramatically in recent months.

Some 56 percent of participants in another survey carried out for the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry in early July said that they fear a new round of austerity measures, as the country had just left behind the painful bailout era (2010-2018).

And 75 percent of respondents said they feared a new wave of "padlocks" for businesses. Approximately 250,000 businesses, mainly small and medium-sized, closed during the years of the Greek debt crisis, according to the figures released by the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

"The period until the end of this year is critical for us. We believe that if we manage to overcome this difficult period, we will be able to see 2021 with optimism," Kafounis told Xinhua.

In addition to pleas to the government for further reductions to taxes and social security contributions to help businesses stay afloat, the association took action through the "Athens is Back" initiative.

"I think that shortly all the significant businesses in the city center will join in with offers and the message 'we are back and we are waiting for you'," he stressed.

Panos Voyatzis, the owner of the YellowKorner gallery in the center of Athens, which is part of a network of dozens of galleries worldwide which started in France in 2006 by two French friends passionate about photography, is optimistic about the project and the overall outcome of the battle against the new challenge.

"Most of the shops and small businesses have been responding very well. We see every day more and more people coming downtown," he told Xinhua.

"Traditionally this time of the year should have been full of tourists," he said, also noting the increasing number of Chinese seen in the gallery since it opened in the center of Athens in late 2017.

"We hope they will come soon," he said, referring to the Chinese tourists.

Prints of the China's Great Wall are on display next to images of wildlife, fashion, and idyllic Greek beaches. The options are numerous.

Zurab Sam, a B2B Manager, shared with Xinhua his impression about the Chinese visitors. "They are enthusiastic and really warm people, which I was not aware of before I started working in the gallery."

The main concept of the YellowKorner is to make art photography accessible for all, presenting artworks by internationally renowned photographers and promising talents.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 21:41:15|Editor: huaxia

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DOHA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's health ministry on Saturday announced 410 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 106,308.

Some 426 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 103,023, while only one died, raising the fatalities to 154, the official Qatar News Agency reported, quoting a statement by the ministry.

A total of 438,990 persons in Qatar have undergone lab tests for COVID-19 so far, it added.

China and Qatar have offered mutual help during the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

On Feb. 21, five Qatar Airways cargo freighters flew to China carrying approximately 300 tonnes of medical supplies donated by the airline.

On July 8, Chinese health officials and medical experts held a video conference with their Qatari counterparts to share experience and expertise in fighting COVID-19.

The two sides also held in-depth exchange of views on the issues that Qatar is most concerned about, including coronavirus prevention and control, test analysis, clinic care, vaccine development and social management. Enditem
Policemen in Seattle, Washington, wearing masks made by the Red Cross, during the influenza pandemic, December 1918. National Archives

We have all seen the alarming headlines: Coronavirus cases are surging in 40 states, with new cases and hospitalization rates climbing at an alarming rate. Health officials have warned that the U.S. must act quickly to halt the spread  or we risk losing control over the pandemic.

Theres a clear consensus that Americans should wear masks in public and continue to practice proper social distancing. While a majority of Americans support wearing masks, widespread and consistent compliance has proven difficult to maintain in communities across the country. Demonstrators gathered outside city halls in Scottsdale, Arizona; Austin, Texas; and other cities to protest local mask mandates. Several Washington state and North Carolina sheriffs have announced they will not enforce their states mask order.

Ive researched the history of the 1918 pandemic extensively. At that time, with no effective vaccine or drug therapies, communities across the country instituted a host of public health measures to slow the spread of a deadly influenza epidemic: They closed schools and businesses, banned public gatherings and isolated and quarantined those who were infected. Many communities recommended or required that citizens wear face masks in public  and this, not the onerous lockdowns, drew the most ire.

In mid-October of 1918, amidst a raging epidemic in the Northeast and rapidly growing outbreaks nationwide, the United States Public Health Service circulated leaflets recommending that all citizens wear a mask. The Red Cross took out newspaper ads encouraging their use and offered instructions on how to construct masks at home using gauze and cotton string. Some state health departments launched their own initiatives, most notably California, Utah and Washington.

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Nationwide, posters presented mask-wearing as a civic duty  social responsibility had been embedded into the social fabric by a massive wartime federal propaganda campaign launched in early 1917 when the U.S. entered the Great War. San Francisco Mayor James Rolph announced that conscience, patriotism and self-protection demand immediate and rigid compliance with mask wearing. In nearby Oakland, Mayor John Davie stated that it is sensible and patriotic, no matter what our personal beliefs may be, to safeguard our fellow citizens by joining in this practice of wearing a mask.

Health officials understood that radically changing public behavior was a difficult undertaking, especially since many found masks uncomfortable to wear. Appeals to patriotism could go only so far. As one Sacramento official noted, people must be forced to do the things that are for their best interests. The Red Cross bluntly stated that the man or woman or child who will not wear a mask now is a dangerous slacker. Numerous communities, particularly across the West, imposed mandatory ordinances. Some sentenced scofflaws to short jail terms, and fines ranged from US$5 to $200.

Passing these ordinances was frequently a contentious affair. For example, it took several attempts for Sacramentos health officer to convince city officials to enact the order. In Los Angeles, it was scuttled. A draft resolution in Portland, Oregon led to heated city council debate, with one official declaring the measure autocratic and unconstitutional, adding that under no circumstances will I be muzzled like a hydrophobic dog. It was voted down.

Utahs board of health considered issuing a mandatory statewide mask order but decided against it, arguing that citizens would take false security in the effectiveness of masks and relax their vigilance. As the epidemic resurged, Oakland tabled its debate over a second mask order after the mayor angrily recounted his arrest in Sacramento for not wearing a mask. A prominent physician in attendance commented that if a cave man should appearhe would think the masked citizens all lunatics.

In places where mask orders were successfully implemented, noncompliance and outright defiance quickly became a problem. Many businesses, unwilling to turn away shoppers, wouldnt bar unmasked customers from their stores. Workers complained that masks were too uncomfortable to wear all day. One Denver salesperson refused because she said her nose went to sleep every time she put one on. Another said she believed that an authority higher than the Denver Department of Health was looking after her well-being. As one local newspaper put it, the order to wear masks was almost totally ignored by the people; in fact, the order was cause of mirth. The rule was amended to apply only to streetcar conductors  who then threatened to strike. A walkout was averted when the city watered down the order yet again. Denver endured the remainder of the epidemic without any measures protecting public health.

In Seattle, streetcar conductors refused to turn away unmasked passengers. Noncompliance was so widespread in Oakland that officials deputized 300 War Service civilian volunteers to secure the names and addresses of violators so they could be charged. When a mask order went into effect in Sacramento, the police chief instructed officers to Go out on the streets, and whenever you see a man without a mask, bring him in or send for the wagon. Within 20 minutes, police stations were flooded with offenders. In San Francisco, there were so many arrests that the police chief warned city officials he was running out of jail cells. Judges and officers were forced to work late nights and weekends to clear the backlog of cases.

Many who were caught without masks thought they might get away with running an errand or commuting to work without being nabbed. In San Francisco, however, initial noncompliance turned to large-scale defiance when the city enacted a second mask ordinance in January 1919 as the epidemic spiked anew. Many decried what they viewed as an unconstitutional infringement of their civil liberties. On January 25, 1919, approximately 2,000 members of the Anti-Mask League packed the citys old Dreamland Rink for a rally denouncing the mask ordinance and proposing ways to defeat it. Attendees included several prominent physicians and a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

It is difficult to ascertain the effectiveness of the masks used in 1918. Today, we have a growing body of evidence that well-constructed cloth face coverings are an effective tool in slowing the spread of COVID-19. It remains to be seen, however, whether Americans will maintain the widespread use of face masks as our current pandemic continues to unfold. Deeply entrenched ideals of individual freedom, the lack of cohesive messaging and leadership on mask wearing, and pervasive misinformation have proven to be major hindrances thus far, precisely when the crisis demands consensus and widespread compliance. This was certainly the case in many communities during the fall of 1918. That pandemic ultimately killed about 675,000 people in the U.S. Hopefully, history is not in the process of repeating itself today.

This article was updated to correct the location of sheriffs mentioned.

J. Alexander Navarro, Assistant Director, Center for the History of Medicine, University of Michigan

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Pottawattamie County has reported a 14th COVID-19 death.

Pottawattamie County Public Health said Friday a Council Bluffs woman 81 or older has died after contracting the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The county reported 16 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Friday, while seeing a slight uptick in positive rate. Around 3 p.m., coronavirus.iowa.gov reported 894 positive cases of COVID-19 in the county.

The state website updates constantly throughout the day.

With 11,971 tests, the countys positive rate is 7.5%  up after remaining at 7.4% for more than a week, but still below the roughly 10% threshold used as a marker by public health officials. The state website listed seven new recoveries, for a total of 690.

COVID-19 cases in southwest Iowa

According to coronavirus.iowa.gov, Mills County listed three new cases, Montgomery County listed two and Harrison, Crawford, Monona, Page and Fremont Counties listed one.

Heres a look at numbers in southwest Iowa, based on data from the counties and the state website:

Pottawattamie County  894 cases, 690 recoveries, 11,973 tests, 7.45% of those tested have come back positive, 14 deaths

Mills County  58 cases, 32 recoveries, 2,253 tests, 2.6%

Harrison County  68 cases, 48 recoveries, 1,294 tests, 5.3%

Cass County  29 cases, 24 recoveries, 1,045 tests, 2.8%

Shelby County  125 cases, 113 recoveries, 1,265 tests, 9.9%

Montgomery County  18 cases, 10 recoveries, 968 tests, 1.9%, two deaths

Monona County  79 cases, 62 recoveries, 1,003 tests, 7.9%

Crawford County  685 cases, 641 recoveries, 3,224 tests, 21.2%, three deaths

Page County  24 cases, 20 recoveries, 1,385 tests, 1.7%

Fremont County  13 cases, six recoveries, 485 tests, 2.7%

In Regional Medical Coordination Center region four  which includes Pottawattamie, Mills, Harrison, Cass, Crawford, Shelby, Fremont, Montgomery, Page, Adams, Audubon and Taylor Counties  there were 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with seven in intensive care  up one and two from Thursday, respectively.

The region has 179 inpatient beds available, down 16 from a day before, 26 intensive care beds available and 61 ventilators available, both comparable to Thursday. There is one hospitalized COVID-19 patients on a ventilator, down one.

Information about COVID-19

Symptoms in people who have been exposed to coronavirus can include fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.

Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of masks when out in public. Make sure it covers the mouth and nose. Face shields are an option as well, as they cover the eyes.

Public health officials recommend:

Stay home as much as possible.

Self-monitor for symptoms.

Call your physician if symptoms appear.

Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm/elbow.

Wash hands frequently with soap and water.

Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces.

COVID-19 testing is available in Pottawattamie County via two TestIowa locations: All Care Health Center, 902 S. Sixth St. and Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave.

To get tested, residents must complete the online assessment at testiowa.com to schedule an appointment.

For those struggling with mental health during the pandemic, yourlifeiowa.org has several resources, including a hotline at 855-581-8111 and a text-friendly line at 855-895-8398.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has a COVID-19 screening app  1-Check COVID.

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Illustration: Matt Golding Credit:

I do not understand Australia's need to be like somewhere else, especially our cities ("Barangaroo slips into shadow of a ghost town", July 12). I never wanted, and still don't want my Australian cities to take large overseas cities as our development goal. We live in a wide and unusual land filled with unique landscapes and animals.

Personally, I don't want to be like Asian cities, filled even further with high rise buildings. And I'm pretty sure tourists don't come here to gaze at our buildings. If anything positive comes from COVID-19 then it will be the rethinking of our need to create dense work and living environments. Sue Durman, Pyrmont

Butchering democracy

Based on recent revelations of the scale of the accusations, I really think the term "pork barrelling" has to be brought into context with a name change ("Nationals accused of using fund for 'preschool pork-barrelling'", July 12). Perhaps "pork B-doubling" is more apt. The traffic in electoral funding seems to have no truck with the democratic process. Steve Dillon, Thirroul
TEHRAN, Iran, July 18

Trend:

Iran Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade rejected any shortage of masks in the country and asked Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) to supply 18 million masks stored in warehouses.

The ministry confirmed availability of 18 million masks in warehouses and added it is ready to deliver large quantities of masks anywhere in the country, Trend reports citing Fars News Agency.

The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade has the daily production capacity of 11 million masks, said the ministry in its statement.

At the same time, the export shipments of masks are waiting for a license of the Food and Drug Administration, the statement reads. The production units are also ready to quickly increase their capacity.

The mask distribution network now covers stores, supermarkets, pharmacies and subways, which are monitored by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the statement said.
Hong Kong Loses Its Shine as Asia Media Hub

By William Gallo July 17, 2020

Hong Kong's new national security law is prompting international media outlets to reconsider their presence in the Chinese territory, signaling the likely end of its status as a regional media base.

For decades, many of the world's largest media organizations have placed their Asia headquarters in Hong Kong, thanks to its proximity to mainland China, respect for rule of law, and free media environment.

But Hong Kong's reputation as China's freest city is quickly fading after the implementation of a far-reaching national security law -- Beijing's boldest move yet to erase the distinction between the mainland and Hong Kong legal systems.

The legislation is a response to sometimes violent pro-democracy protests over the past year. But the law's wide-ranging and vague provisions have had a significant chilling effect on free speech.

First decision to move

The New York Times this week announced it will move about a third of its Hong Kong bureau to South Korea, becoming the first major foreign media company to announce such a move.

There is "uncertainty about what the new rules will mean to our operation and our journalism," an internal Times memo said of the new law. "We feel it is prudent to make contingency plans and begin to diversify our editing staff around the region."

The paper said it will keep journalists in Hong Kong to cover the territory but also stressed it is becoming more difficult to do so. Authorities, it said, recently refused to renew a work permit for Chris Buckley, one of its veteran China correspondents.

Earlier this year, China expelled American reporters working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Beijing said the reporters would also not be allowed to report from Hong Kong.

The expulsions were perhaps the most significant escalation in Washington and Beijing's series of tit-for-tat moves to restrict media access in their countries.

Others mull alternatives

Since the expulsions, The Washington Post has shifted at least two China reporters to South Korea.

The Wall Street Journal and the French news agency AFP are also having preliminary discussions about their future in Hong Kong, according to the U.S.-based cable news network CNN.

This week, the Hong Kong Free Press -- a nonprofit, English language newspaper that reports on the territory's pro-democracy movement -- acknowledged it may move its operations out of Hong Kong, if needed, because of the security law.

"Nevertheless, even if we are ultimately forced to operate from outside Hong Kong, our newsroom is here to stay," the group's editor-in-chief and founder Tom Grundy wrote in The Guardian.

Why the law matters

Media is not the primary focus of the national security law, which ostensibly aims to prevent secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.

But Article 54 of the law stipulates authorities must "strengthen the management" of foreign media outlets, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and other international groups.

It is not clear what that means; but many foreign journalists privately expect to see tighter monitoring and stricter censorship.

Another difficulty: sources are drying up. Many Hong Kongers now refuse to talk to journalists -- especially those with overseas media outlets.

That may be a response to parts of the new law that criminalize working with a broad range of foreign organizations to provoke hatred toward the government.

The vagueness of that provision has created fear -- not just among journalists, but also civil society organizations.

"People are very nervous," a veteran human rights worker told VOA. "We don't know how they will use this law...it is like having a sword above your head."

Another worker at an international NGO told VOA she and all of her colleagues have already moved out of Hong Kong.

"You just don't know where the boundaries are. We don't want to compromise our principles and self-censor, but...there are lots of risks, so we don't want to expose our staff to these dangers," she said.

Eroding freedoms

Even before the new law, Hong Kong press freedom had been declining.

With increasing frequency, police have harassed, assaulted, and arrested journalists covering pro-democracy protests.

In late 2015, five employees of a Hong Kong publishing house that sold books critical of the Communist Party were kidnapped by police and subjected to secret interrogations in the mainland.

In 2018, Victor Mallet, then the Asia news editor for the Financial Times (FT), was expelled from Hong Kong after hosting an event with a pro-independence activist.

Those moves set the tone of what was to come, "which was the start of the extension of mainland-style media and political control to Hong Kong," says Ben Bland, a former China correspondent for the Financial Times, who was based in Hong Kong when Mallet was expelled.

"Many people were in denial. It's taken the national security law, which makes it explicit that Beijing is calling the shots, for them to realize exactly what's going on," says Bland, now a research fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia.

Although the law has already had a chilling effect, the media in Hong Kong will likely see an extended period of testing, as journalists discover how authorities intend to interpret and enforce the law.

"It's not that every foreign journalist will be rounded up," Bland says. "We have to remember that their main weapon is always uncertainty  and the fear and self-censorship that breeds."

No obvious substitute

However, many analysts predict the foreign media exodus from Hong Kong will be gradual. One reason: there is no clear alternative as a regional media hub.

Taipei may be a logical option for outlets wishing to continue China coverage, due to its nearness to China. But moving reporters to Taiwan risks angering Beijing, which does not recognize Taiwan's government.

Much like Taipei, Tokyo boasts a vibrant journalism community, functioning democracy, and respect for the rule of law. But its exorbitant cost of living may serve as a deterrent, especially for smaller outlets.

Singapore already hosts the regional headquarters of some Western news outlets, especially those focused on finance and business. But the country's strict media regulations may be a drawback.

The New York Times said South Korea proved attractive "among other reasons, for its friendliness to foreign business, independent press, and its central role in several major Asian news stories."

That makes sense, says Jeffrey Robertson, a professor at South Korea's Yonsei University, who says Seoul will be a focus of global affairs over the next five to 10 years.

But for all its attractiveness, South Korea isn't China, which is set to dominate global attention for the foreseeable future.

A beacon no more

The exodus of journalists from Hong Kong is especially disappointing, since it has long been a safe harbor for reporters forced to leave China or Southeast Asia, said Sharron Fast, a lecturer in media law at the University of Hong Kong.

"The city represented a beacon in the region for ambitious, robust and even raucous reporting," Fast said.

Hong Kong, she said, also "provided a valuable window into China, where near total control of the media precluded important investigative journalism exposing issues ranging from human rights violations to the financial holdings of elite [Communist] Party members."

"If there is any consolation, it is that we are very familiar with the restrictions operating on the mainland," she said. "We have many talented journalists and international outlets who are well-equipped to adapt."

Additional reporting provided from Hong Kong.

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Lets save our big cats for future generations By Tissa Jayaweera View(s): View(s):

The Leopard  Panthera pardus kotiya, the largest cat species in the country, a top predator, categorised as Endangered by the IUCN was widespread across the island 20- 30 years back. Now limited to patches of forests in parts of the country, the leopard population is fast dwindling due to the negligence of all who are supposed to protect it but is still advertised as a visitor attraction to wildlife parks

Why do leopards venture into villages and tea plantations? It is the loss of habitat over the years due to fragmentation of the forest isolated among tea plantations. Leopards begin to explore other areas for two reasons: looking for alternative sources of food that cannot be found in the reduced patches of jungle being made smaller and smaller by expansion of tea plantations and felling of forests as well as cluster villages expanding on to the borders of jungles. With such expansion, there is plenty of prey close to their habitat with domestic animals such as goats, dogs, cattle etc.

If leopards are found in your region or estate do not touch them, or go near them, alert all workers to keep away from this area. Sri Lankans are famous for gathering at places as observers. Cubs should not be touched or taken away. Usually females may move den sites and transport these cubs one by one and a spot where they are seen may be a stopover as the mother leopard is moving the cubs. Be watchful because the mother may be nearby, and can be extremely dangerous and protective. Move away and leave them alone, as the mother will take them to a safer place away from danger.

If the cubs are not taken away by the mother in a day, the Wildlife / Police Department should be alerted by the Plantation Management and all workers should be warned not to get near or handle any cubs found in the estate. Workers should be trained to inform supervisors and management ASAP.

The same rules apply to other wild cat species, now very rare and becoming almost extinct such as the Fishing Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat etc. If you spot them, keep your distance and do not disturb them, the cats will move away naturally. It is our responsibility to save then for future generations

Action must be taken by Wild Life / Forest Department officials and Police against those setting snares/traps. These cause immense suffering and trauma to the animal. The latest death of a black leopard was caused by trauma/negligence.

As per the current iteration of the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO), amended in 2009, the Sri Lanka Leopard is a Strictly Protected Species under Schedule II in the Mammals and Reptiles Section. As per Section 30, Subsection II, Any person who commits any act prohibited under this section, against ANY Mammal or Reptile specified in Schedule II, of this Ordinance i.e. kills, wounds or injures shall be guilty of an offence, be liable to a fine not less that Rs. 30,000 not more than Rs. 100,000 or to imprisonment of either description for a term not less than two years / not exceeding five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Under Section 30, Subsection I, Paragraph C Any person who in any area outside a National Reserve, Strict Nature Reserve, National Park, Nature Reserve, Protected Area, Buffer Zone, Wildlife Corridor or a Wildlife Sanctuary, uses any boat or any time, snare, net, spear, trap, gun, rod, line or hook with any accessory or bait, or explosives of any description, or other instrument for the purposes of killing, wounding, injuring or taking any such mammal or reptile, shall on conviction be liable to a fine not less than 20,000 LKR and not exceeding 50,000 LKR or to imprisonment of either description for a term not less than two years and not exceeding five years or to both such fine and imprisonment -(Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (2009))

Immediate action should be taken by staff and communities connected to the estate to eradicate snares. Regular sweeps and checks of the estate to ensure snares/traps are found and destroyed is the responsibility of the Plantation Management. Plantation companies as responsible corporate entities must eliminate snares/traps completely in their plantations. This will not happen till Police representing the people of the country prosecute the Plantation Company for allowing a wild animal to be injured or murdered in their property. Currently it takes three years or more to hear a case with many postponed dates to conclusion.

What action should you take when an animal is caught in a snare/trap? Firstly prevent onlookers going near it, keep a wide distance, especially dont take children to the scene. Do not hit or harm the animal or make any noise. Alert the estate supervisor/superintendent. Inform Wildlife Department / Police immediately. Dont spread the news, keep distance and dont disturb the animal. When the Wildlife Department officials are rescuing the animal, stay away, keeping at least 300 metres distance and dont become a hindrance to them.

Lets all take responsibility to save these voiceless animals for future generations.
Bengaluru, July 18 : Alarmed over the surging Covid cases across Karnataka, especially in the state capital, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday directed private medical college hospitals to admit infected patients and treat them on priority to reduce active cases.

"Hospitals attached to private medical colleges in the state should allot 50 per cent of their beds from Sunday to treat Covid patients whose number has been rising daily,a Yeddiyurappa told their representatives at a meeting here.

Though most of the 520 private hospitals in Bengaluru and other cities/towns across the state allotted 50 per cent of beds for Covid patients on the state government's directive on June 20, hospitals attached to private colleges have not been forthcoming due to staff shortage and resource constraints.

"It has come to our notice that many private medical college hospitals are not admitting Covid patients despite an official directive to them. Patients are not getting timely treatment resulting in mortality rate increasing," he lamented.

Though the medical college hospitals assured the Chief Minister in their last meeting with him a fortnight ago that they would allot 4,500 beds for treating Covid cases, their response has been less than 50 per cent.

The Chief Minister assured the private college hospitals of providing doctors, nurses and paramedics to treat the Covid patients if they were facing shortage.

The state government appointed nodal officers to monitor availability of beds in hospitals of the private medical colleges across the state.

"In these extraordinary times, the state and the medical fraternity should fight the pandemic together by treating Covid as well as non-Covid patients on priority," Yediyurappa asserted.

Of the 3,693 new cases registered across Karnataka on Friday, 2,208 accounted for Bengaluru, taking its Covid tally to 27,496, including 20,623 active after 6,290 were discharged so far, while 582 succumbed to the infection till date.

The state's tally of positive cases shot up to a whopping 55,115 on Friday, including 33,205 active after 20,757 were discharged till date, while 1,147 succumbed to the infection since March 9.
The novel coronavirus is the common enemy of the world. I want to do what I can to protect my university and schoolmate, said Umunnah Obinna Ifeanyi Gentle, a Nigerian student studying in Liaoning Technical University (LNTU) in northeast Chinas Liaoning province.

The young man, who is a first-year postgraduate student majoring in communication engineering in LNTU, has worked as a volunteer to help his university with epidemic prevention and control efforts after the outbreak of the COVID-19.

Since China has taken nationwide efforts to fight the COVID-19 epidemic, the School of International Education of LNTU promptly formulated an epidemic prevention and control work plan, arranging staff members and teachers to watch over the dormitories of international students to guard against infection 24 hours a day.

In an effort to better communicate with international students during the COVID-19 fight, the university issued a notice on recruiting volunteers for epidemic prevention and control. Umunnah Obinna Ifeanyi Gentle, who has given himself the Chinese name of Wen He after he came to China, was the first one responding.

LNTU has more than 100 international students from 23 countries. Every day, Wen needed to take and record body temperatures of these students twice. Besides, he also distributed among them anti-epidemic materials provided by the university, such as gloves and masks, disinfected dormitories, and regularly learned the students demand for supplies so as to arrange centralized purchase for them.

Wens volunteer work didnt go well at the beginning, for some students thought certain epidemic prevention and control measures affected their study and daily life, Wen said, disclosing that once he had a fight with a Bangladeshi student named Li Taiyang (Md Abdullah Al Sadid) over taking body temperature.

He named himself Wen He, which means mild and gentle in Chinese, because he wanted to remind himself of staying calm, according to Wen. Therefore, he didnt give up and continued to work hard in the face of these difficulties.

When some students showed concerns about the epidemic situation, he encouraged them to face the difficult time with an optimistic mindset, Wen said.

Wen shares the latest information about epidemic prevention and control with his fellow schoolmates every day, and tells them interesting stories about his travels in China and famous tourist attractions he had visited, said the young man who sometimes also cooks for them.

As the man made earnest efforts to help protect internationals students from the virus, Wens volunteer work received more and more recognition and understanding.

Learning that Wen is about to move to another campus of the university in the next semester, Li Taiyang, a Bangladesh student who had quarreled with him over prevention measures, now doesn't want him to leave.

He told Wen that he and other students would visit him often at the new campus, and asked Wen to stop by and visit his old friends frequently.

A few days ago on his birthday, Wen received many birthday wishes on messenger app WeChat from his schoolmates, which deeply touched him.

Wen said what he did was simple, and he was fulfilled that everyone was so supportive and cooperative for his work.

Wen always shares the stories about Chinas COVID-19 fight with his family and friends in Nigeria. When a friend of his wondered how China was able to build a hospital with more than 1,000 beds within ten days, Wen forwarded video clips showing the construction of the hospital he received from a Nigerian friend working in the virus-hit Hubei province, Wen told peoples Daily, adding that his friend marveled at the Chinese speed.

Chinas COVID-19 fight has been without doubt a good example to countries in the world, Wen noted.

Wen studies Chinese every day. He plans to start a course on Chinese culture when he returns to Nigeria, so as to help more college students there learn more about China and visit the country to see its rapid development.
One of County Cork's most dangerous road junctions has been earmarked for an upgrade as funding has been approved for essential works to begin at the site.

Following representations from local Fianna Fail TD Michael Moynihan on Ballymaquirke Cross, which is near Kanturk, a Transport Infrastructure Ireland manager confirmed that funding had been allocated to the project.

"Following receipt of a feasibility study from Cork County Council, which is the road authority for the area, Transport Infrastructure Ireland has agreed to provide funding to enable safety improvement works to be undertaken on the N72 at Ballymaquirke, County Cork." said Gary Lynch, TII's Head of Regulatory and Administration.

"I understand that the Council has procured technical advisors to prepare planning and design documentation for the proposed scheme and that this work is currently being progressed."

The update has been welcomed by Deputy Moynihan.
Lucknow, July 18 : A day after a woman and her daughter from Amethi set themselves afire in front of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha here, police on Saturday said that four people were booked in the case, including two leaders of the MIM and the Congress on the charge of "instigating" them to immolate themselves.

Even as accused Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Kadir Khan was arrested, co-accused Congress leader Anoop Patel denied the charges levelled against him.

Three police officials were also suspended on the charge of negligence in duty and departmental action initiated against them, a senior police officer said.

Commenting on the immolation incident, Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujeet Pandey said that it was a result of a "criminal conspiracy" wherein some people played a key role in instigating the women.

"We have registered the FIR against four people, including MIM leader Kadir Khan and Congress leader Anoop Patel, a woman named Aasma and her son Sultan," the Commissioner said. An earlier report had erroneously claimed that the woman-daughter duo was among the four booked in the case.

He said that police had arrested Kadir Khan from Amethi and he is being brought to Lucknow.

The case has been registered under Sections 306, 505, and 511 of the IPC and other provisions of law.

The FIR claimed that Kadir and Anoop Patel were booked for egging on the women to immolate themselves if they wished their problem to be heard by authorities.

The woman and her daughter set themselves on fire in front of the Vidhan Sabha on Friday evening over alleged police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi.

The women -- Gudiya and Sophia -- sustained severe burn injuries and were admitted to the Civil Hospital where their condition is said to be "critical".

A video of the incident went viral on the social media.

Condemning the incident, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati tweeted: "Attempt by mother-daughter duo to immolate themselves in front of the Chief Minister's office over a land dispute is sad. But if she was encouraged to do so to fulfil political interest, then it is a serious criminal case, which should be investigated properly. The guilty should be punished severely." Meanwhile, Patel denied the charges as "baseless" and asserted that he did not call any media persons on Friday at the spot.

He claimed that the mother-daughter duo had met him at the party office a few days back and since then he was not in touch with them.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Amazon Prime Video has shared the first teaser for their upcoming musical love story, Bandish Bandits. The series will follow the love story of two young performers, played by Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry, from very different musical backgrounds.

The colourful and musical teaser shows the leads falling in love due to their love for music and then falling apart. Watch them fall in love while falling for them, the official Instagram page of Amazon Prime Video wrote with the video. The trailer will be out on Monday, July 20.

Anand Tiwari of Love Per Square Foot has directed the show, which is produced and created by Amritpal Singh Bindra, best known for web series Bang Baaja Baaraat. The 10-part series also boasts the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Sheeba Chaddha, and Rajesh Tailang. It will be out August 4.

Bandish Bandits also features an original soundtrack, composed by the musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who make their digital debut with the show. 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, its how these stories come together which makes this series so powerful, romantic and real, the director said in a statement. Bindra said though the elements of the show are rooted in Indian values, Bandish Bandits is 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, he added.

Also read: Bulbbul actor Avinash Tiwary has sharp reply to R Balkis find me better actors than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor comment

Bandish Bandits is a musical romance about a young couple caught in a fusion of contrasting worlds, traditions and musical gharanas. Its the first of its genre for Prime Video and we are thrilled to be bringing it to Prime members in India and around the world, added Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video.

(With PTI inputs)

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Prince Andrew discussed the Queen Mother while having a massage on the island home of his paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein, it has been claimed.

According to Heidi Windel, an adult masseuse hired in 1999 to give him the treatment during a stay at Little St James in the US Virgin Islands, the Prince said that he and his grandmother both had the gift of the gab.

Ms Windel also claims that Andrew joked with her that he had been bitten on his backside by a mosquito.

Ms Windel said the Duke of York had her in stitches during one massage session, as he joked of having a mosquito bite on his 'royal' backside

The masseuse, who is now 75, told Air Mail, a newsletter written by former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, that Ghislaine Maxwell asked her to set up a massage table in one of the cottages on the 75-acre island.

Ms Windel recalled: I went to the door to let Lady Maxwell know I was ready and in comes a man, hand outstretched, who says, Hi, Im Andrew.

When the massage was over he got very chatty and had me in stitches talking about the errant mosquito that had evaded its net the night before and bitten his royal a**e.

Ms Windel said Prince Andrew then told her that his grandmother and him both had the gift of gab before thanking her for a smashing massage. However, the masseuse said that she did not like Maxwell, who was last week denied bail by a court in New York, where she denied sex trafficking and perjury offences.

She had a superior attitude, very much in charge, ice-cold, Ms Windel said.

Heidi Windel, now 75, claimed to have given several non-sexual massages to the Duke of York when she was working on Jeffrey Epstein's Caribbean island (above)

Jeffrey Epstein bought Little St James (above), a spot in in the US Virgin Islands, for $7.95million in 1998

She added: The staff was really subordinated to her: it was always Yes, maam, yes, maam  never any discussion.

Virginia Roberts, one of Epsteins victims, claims that she was coerced into having sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, including on Little St James in 2001.

The Prince has vehemently and repeatedly denied her claims and any wrongdoing.

Epsteins home in Palm Beach, Florida, where the American billionaire financier abused a succession of teenage girls, has been targeted by protesters, who have scrawled Gone but not forgiven on the gates in red paint.
New York:

According to a review report by Pentagon, US air strikes in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State group may have killed 119 civilians since 2014, a figure far lower than casualty estimates by monitoring groups.

The figures released by Centcom, the US military command in the Middle East in a months-long review of reports and databases, said adding that the deaths and injuries stemmed from 24 air strikes.

London-based NGO Airways estimates coalition bombing has killed 1,787 civilians since the air campaign to destroy the Islamic State group began in August 2014. "We have teams who work full time to prevent unintended civilian casualties," Colonel John Thomas was quoted as saying in the Centcom statement.

"We do all we can to minimise those occurrences even at the cost of sometimes missing the chance to strike valid targets in real time."The Pentagon's investigation found that "in each of these strikes the right processes were followed; each complied with Law of Armed Conflict and significant precautions were taken, despite the unfortunate outcome," Thomas said.

The United States, which carries out 80 per cent of the coalition bombing, says it uses precision-guided munitions that limit civilian casualties. Meanwhile Russia is accused of using conventional bombs that are much more deadly to civilian populations.

Amnesty International estimates that there have been at least 300 civilian victims in Syria alone from coalition strikes. The number of casualties has risen sharply since the start of the coalition's campaign in late 2015 to lay the groundwork to take back IS strongholds in Mosul, Iraq and Raqa, Syria.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
State Sen. Jim Beall, a Democrat from San Jose, represents the 15th Senate District, senator.beall@senate.ca.gov. He is chair of the Transportation Committee. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, represents the 11th Senate District, senator.wiener@senate.ca.gov. He is chair of the Housing Committee.
Most of us use Gmail as our main email driver. But what happens if the storage becomes full and we cannot get new emails? Here's how you work around it.

Storage issues on Gmail are nothing new, especially if you use the service as your main email driver. You might have seen a notification on the page or app warning you that your storage is full and that you need to delete older emails to get new ones.

Now, Google provides 15GB storage for free. And this 15GB includes storage for the Google Drive files, your emails, WhatsApp chats, Google Photos, etc. If you are using an Android phone, then filling up this 15GB is cakewalk.

So its not just your emails that are taking up space and stopping you from receiving newer mails that might be important. The one easy way out of this space issue is to buy additional cloud storage. You can buy 100GB of additional cloud storage for 130/month. This will not only help you make space for those new mails, but you can use this across Google Drive, Google Photos and other services as well.

To buy additional storage all you need to do is select the amount of storage you want to buy and put in your card details to make the purchase. After you have done this one time, Google will set up a recurring payment on your account that will keep getting you 100GB of storage space every month till you actively end the subscription.

130/month is not a big amount especially if you use Gmail and GDrive etc as intensely as we do. However, there is still a little catch to this. To buy additional storage you will still have to delete enough data to bring down the storage space used to below 15GB first.

That 15GB of free storage is not enough, Google! (Google )

How can you do that? Well, it essentially comes down to deleting content like emails, files and photos - sadly. You will have to free up space on your Google account by deleting files by size from the Drive or by deleting emails or photos from Google Photos.

Google Drive

- Use a laptop/PC for this one. Go to https://drive.google.com/#quota.

- Log in with your Gmail account.

- Here you will see all the files on your Drive arranged in descending order according to the amount of space they occupy.

- Delete all the files you dont need any longer.

Gmail

- On Gmail search run a search with - has: attachment larger: 10M

- This will pull up all emails that have attachments that are larger than 10MB in size.

- Select the ones you dont need and hit delete.

- Empty your Trash folder too to free up more space in your account. Google automatically clears out emails from Trash that are 30-days old, but you don't need to wait for that.

- Also, clear out your Spam folder.

Google Photos

- Go to Google Photos on your laptop/PC and go to Settings.

- Log into your account with your Google credentials.

- Change the upload quality from Original to High Quality.

- Google will then ask you if you want to recover your storage. If you say yes, Google will convert your earlier uploads to High Quality and save you some more space.
Ayuk Richard Mbui Facebook

Ayuk Richard Mbui, a prominent Christian of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC has died.

The President of the Christian Men Fellowship (CMF) in the Molyko congregation of the PCC died Friday, July 17, 2020, in Buea following an illness.

Born on June 15, 1970, in Mamfe, the late Ayuk was junior brother to the jailed leader of the putative state of Ambazonia, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe.

The diseased attended Government Bilingual High School, GHS, Mamfe, and later enrolled in the Higher Teacher Training College (Ecole Normale Superieure, ENS) Bambili from where he graduated with the Secondary School Teachers' Diploma Grade I ( DIPES I ).

He taught Mathematics in Secondary Schools for several years. He was a former Regional Controller for the Execution of Public Contracts for the South West at the Ministry of Public Contracts.

Ayuk Richard Mbui is remembered for being a devoted member of the Christian Men Fellowship of the PCC. He rose to occupy several positions within the movement including evangelism secretary and president.

It was during Ayuks first mandate as president that CMF Molyko celebrated her 20th anniversary on Sunday, September 28, 2014, in the presence of the Very Rev. Festus Ambe Asana, PCC Moderator at the time. He got a fresh five-year mandate to pilot the affairs of CMF Molyko on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

Christian faithful, friends, and well-wishers have been trooping into his Mile 16 Buea residence to console his family.

Good night my brother, we all witnessed how you fought to live but God has the final say. Farewell, my dear brother and president of CMF Molyko. May your soul find eternal rest in Gods bosom, said Dr. Kennedy Nyongbela, Evangelism Secretary International for CMF Molyko.

Members of CMF Molyko who are inconsolable say the late Ayuk fought a good fight. Dr. Halleson Sone says the diseased was a man of faith. I saw courage and a determined faith as you fought with your health challenges these past years. It made my courage equally grow. But I thought Yahweh could have treated you like King Hezekiah but it turned the other way as He wanted you to come and have a deserved rest. You champion the course of teamwork and transformational leadership. This is what I will remember of you and how we worked to take CMF Molyko to higher heights. Farewell, president and brother.
Probably the most powerful personality in the American presidential campaign this year is Melania Trump, the President's (third) wife. Powerful in a passive, backgrounded way, but powerful just the same. Donald Trump has had a terrible year, what with one thing and another - America's death toll from Covid, alone, signals that - and his re-election is far from assured.

But if he does win again in November, it will almost certainly be because Melania - aloof, dignified, maintaining a separate life while also loyal to her husband - is seen as a stabilising force. As he grows older, according to Melania's biographer, he'll come to depend ever more on her judgement, which he respects.

It was Melania who advised him to pick Mike Pence as his Vice President, calculating that Pence would be content to serve as No. 2 and never challenge the boss. They often play a dual role of "bad cop, good cop" and, according to Mary Jordan in The Art of Her Deal, Melania compensates for Donald's many blind spots. When he rails against immigrants, Melania posts compassionate messages about migrant families and their needs.

And he really, really needs her now. Just imagine if she threatened to leave him in the run-up to the election? Jordan says that she won't, but she will probably use her leverage to renegotiate their prenup arrangements to enhance security and inheritance rights for her son, Barron. She's keen to ensure that Barron, now 14, is treated equally with the rest of the Trump tribe, who, with grandchildren, form quite an extensive kinship.

So how did a young woman from a small Slovenian town, whose fluency in English isn't yet entirely perfect, get to be the First Lady of the United States? The short answer is "beauty". But beauty linked with ambition, shrewdness, the discipline, ironically, of a Communist education, and an unusual ability to keep silent and mysterious in a talky, shouty world.

The key moment in Melania's young life - she was still Melanija Knavs - was when she began studying architecture at the University of Ljubljana in the late 1980s. She saw how many students there were, and how few jobs; she observed that a brilliant architectural graduate had ended up designing windows in Germany. She perceived that she had a far greater asset than an average ability to study: beauty. She knew she possessed beauty because she noticed the impact she had on others. Besides which, her mother, Amalija, always told her how beautiful she was.

And Melania was confident about her looks. After she married Trump in 2005, she was asked if she would be with him if he weren't rich. She retorted: "If I weren't beautiful, do you think he'd be with me?" We may talk of gender equality till the cows come home - even Melania now gives speeches about gender equality - but where beauty dominates, there is little equality.

So she switched from architecture to modelling. Slovenia became independent in 1992, and Italy is just across the frontier (I've heard Slovenes referred to as "more like northern Italians") so it was just a hop to Milan's fashion hub. And then Vienna and Paris.

But sex and drugs weren't Melania's scene. Her mother kept close, as did her elder sister, Ines. She did some nude shots for a men's mag - "I have a good body. Why should I be ashamed of it?" she asked - along with another female model, and slightly erotic text was added later, seemingly without Melania's knowledge. But not much of a "past" has emerged and she successfully sued a tabloid for claiming she'd worked as an escort.

Melania has been humiliated by Trump's philandering, and by the crude way he has been heard to speak about women: in response, she either maintains an aloof silence or just says she doesn't agree with everything he says, or does. Yet Mary Jordan in her book claims that Trump is less impulsive and calmer when Melania is around. And apparently she does love him. But she's also carved out her own life: her father and mother are ensconced in the White House, and she has successfully obtained permanent US residency for her sister Ines. They all speak Slovenian together, which maddens Donald. The couple's son, Barron, also speaks Slovenian and, like Melania, has dual American and Slovenian citizenship.

Melania is the first foreign-born presidential spouse since the 18th century, and the first baptised Catholic since the Kennedys. She's not known to be particularly religious - and being a third wife is a little unorthodox - but she did seem touched by meeting the Pope in 2017 and asked him to bless her rosary beads.

She apparently hopes Trump will be re-elected in November - and, anyway, she doesn't want to interrupt Barron's education. If she continues to reign as FLOTUS, it will again prove what Alexander Pope wrote in the 1700s about women, power and beauty: "Yet mark the fate of a whole sex of queens! / Pow'r all their end, but beauty all the means."
The world's second-largest integrated miner, Rio Tinto, said today its capital expenditure jumped due to currency appreciation against the U.S. dollar.

The company released its second quarter results today.

Capital expenditure is expected to be around A$6 billion in 2020, as opposed to a range within A$5 to A$6 billion. In 2021 and 2022 capital expenditure will hit A$7 billion.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the company increased production, which was up 1% compared with the second quarter of 2019 on a copper equivalent basis. The company said Pilbara iron ore shipments of 86.7 million tonnes (100% basis) were also 1% higher than the second quarter of 2019.

Rio Tinto Chief Executive J-S Jacques said the company is on track to meet guidance.

We delivered a strong performance, particularly in iron ore and bauxite, demonstrating the underlying resilience of our business and ability to adapt in difficult conditions. Our iron ore assets are performing well in a strong pricing environment and we are on track to meet our 2020 iron ore guidance," said Jacques in a news release.

In June the company apologized <a href="https://www.kitco.com/news/2020-06-02/Rio-Tinto-issues-apology-for-scared-site-blast.html">after a mining blast reportedly destroyed one of the oldest known Aboriginal heritage sites in Western Australia</a>.

The company said it launched a board-led review of our heritage management processes within its iron ore division to be completed by October 2020.
Bexar County commissioners are kind of like Supreme Court justices. Once they attain their position, they generally get to hold it for as long as they like.

Commissioners have no term limits or fundraising restrictions and face the voters only every four years (as opposed to City Council members, who run every two years).

Until last Tuesday, it had been 16 years since a county commissioner was voted out of office. The last time it happened, Sergio Chico Rodriguez knocked off Robert Tejeda in a South Side grudge match.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez experienced what it feels like to be on the other end of an upset, as political newcomer Rebeca Clay-Flores routed the veteran commissioner by nearly 24 percentage points in the Precinct 1 Democratic runoff. In doing so, she almost guaranteed that she will become the first woman of color ever to serve on the Commissioners Court.

This was easily the most stunning upset in Bexar County politics since 2011, when Rey Saldana came out of nowhere and defeated Leticia Cantu, a well-funded former interim council member, for the District 4 City Council seat.

Four months ago, I came away from an interview with Clay-Flores convinced that she had the ability to win this runoff. Its hard to meet her and not be thoroughly impressed by her passion, intelligence, commitment to public service and compelling biography.

Clay-Flores, 44, who is Black and Latina, was raised by her mother, a native of Mexico. Clay-Flores spent the first four years of her life homeless but overcame her childhood challenges to get an undergraduate degree from Princeton and a masters in education from Harvard.

She spent 15 years working in education and currently serves as a special projects manager in the citys health department.

Clay-Flores reminded me of Saldana, the child of an undocumented immigrant father, who made it to Stanford and returned home with an idealistic drive to improve the community where he grew up.

Shortly after I spoke with Clay-Flores, however, the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. I came to believe that the quarantine would adversely affect Clay-Flores more than any other candidate on the runoff ballot.

After all, she came into the runoff with a major name recognition deficit. Her big advantage  her determination to knock on every door and connect with every voter  seemingly had been taken away from her by circumstances beyond her control.

I should have known better than to underestimate Clay-Flores  or voters desire for change.

During the runoff campaign, Clay-Flores and her campaign volunteers walked the neighborhoods of Precinct 1 and left nearly 15,000 door hangers for residents to find.

In the case of the first 5,000 door hangers, the runoff date had to be altered after Gov. Greg Abbott rescheduled the election from May 26 to July 14.

Because of her limited finances, Clay-Flores couldnt afford to throw out the door hangers she had already ordered. So she and her volunteers put stickers on them to correct the date.

Over the past year, Rodriguez spent more than $450,000 on his campaign. Clay-Flores barely spent $30,000.

But Rodriguez did little to reverse the impression that he was disengaged from his constituents, an absent commissioner who failed to turn up at neighborhood association meetings and had little to show for his long tenure on the Commissioners Court.

Last month, for example, he ignored an invitation to join Clay-Flores for a candidate forum on Texas Public Radios The Source.

While Rodriguez rested on his laurels, Clay-Flores took every opportunity to make her case with voters.

I took off all my vacation time for the last 3 weeks, she said. I was never home. I was outside working the polls and hanging door hangers and returning calls and returning texts and praying a lot.

Last Sunday, she and her volunteers spent 12 hours putting hangers on doors.

On Tuesday, she was at a polling site at 7 a.m.

I wanted to win so that I could serve in this capacity and really wanted to be a voice for the voiceless.

During her eight months on the campaign trail, she crossed paths with Rodriguez only once.

Clay-Flores had taken time off from work to volunteer at a Valentines Day dance at Palo Alto College. Rodriguez entered with his brother, former Congressman (and current Justice of the Peace) Ciro Rodriguez.

I had my gloves on; I was serving the plates, she said. I immediately went up to them. It was the first time meeting my opponent. I extended my hand with my big smile that I have.

I said, Hi, Im Rebeca Clay-Flores. I said that to both of them and shook their hands. And neither one said a word to me.

They say pride comes before a fall. If you need proof, just look at the Precinct 1 runoff.

Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Gilbert, become a subscriber. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz delivered a dire message to Texas Republican activists on Saturday about the danger President Donald Trump faces in November here.

This is a real race, Cruz told the Republican Partys convention audience, pointing to five consecutive polls that show Trump and Democrat Joe Biden neck-and-neck in the state.

And Cruz would know. In 2018, Cruz survived the fight of his political life, narrowly defeating El Paso Democrat Beto ORourke by less than 3 percentage points in what was the closest a Democrat has come to winning a U.S. Senate seat in Texas since Sen. Lloyd Bentsen carried the state in 1988. Cruz told the audience that what happened to him is a warning sign of the tough road that lays ahead.

Let me tell you right now, every one of those crazed leftists that showed up in 2018 are showing up in 2020, Cruz said. And they are even angrier.

Though Trump has scoffed at suggestions that Texas could pick Biden over him, and national Republicans publicly insist they have the race locked down here, Cruzs message reflects the behind-the-scenes concern of a party that saw Democrats register more voters in 2018 and nearly double their turnout, even outspending Republicans in some races.

While Cruz survived, the casualties were significant. Two GOP-controlled Congressional districts flipped to Democrats as well as two Texas Senate seats, 12 Texas House seats, and scores of judicial offices, especially in Harris County.

VOTER REGISTRATION SURGE: Texas registration hits 16.4 million despite pandemic

Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey has acknowledged that after 2018, the party had to ramp up its game to counter the aggressive push of the opposition. Dickey on Saturday detailed the Texas GOPs recent voter registration efforts, upgraded candidate recruitment programs and a much-improved fundraising machine that has the party banking $5 million for November  the most cash on hand the party has ever had going into a presidential election.

We are ready for them, Dickey said. We will keep Texas red.

For decades, Democrats have talked about Texas becoming a battleground state only to watch their statewide candidates get crushed over and over  Republican statewide candidates have been undefeated since 1994. But the races have slowly grown more competitive over the past 6 years.

In 2014, progressive groups flooded the state with programs to navigate barriers to voter registration efforts. Since then, Texas voter rolls grew by more than 2.3 million, with the biggest growth coming in Harris, Bexar, and Travis counties, all now solidly blue.

And over the last two election cycles, Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa has changed the partys approach to candidate recruitment. In the past, the Democrats would recruit a candidate for the top of the ticket with hopes it would drive turnout down the ballot. But in 2018, the party made sure to recruit good candidates down-ticket in every possible race to spur get-out-the-vote efforts on the local level that could help a statewide candidate  as it did for ORourke in 2018.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Dickey acknowledged his party had to launch countermeasures. .

For years in Texas, Democrats have had the playing field to themselves when it comes to voter registration, Dickey said. Well, no more.

Dickey said the state party has led its most aggressive voter registration program ever that has brought more than 120,000 new Republican voters onto the voter rolls in a year.

And like the Democrats, Dickey said the GOP has worked hard to recruit candidates deep down the ballot in local and judicial races to make sure the other party doesnt get free passes on election day.

In June, Biden told Texas Democrats at their convention that they have a shot at winning Texas.

We have a real chance to turn the state blue because of the work all of you have done, Biden said at their convention. Were building a diverse coalition to win up and down the ballot in the fall.

Trump has dismissed polling that shows hes only up one point in Texas, saying they are just wrong.

Im not one point up in Texas, Trump said on Monday. Were many points up.

But on Saturday, Cruz had a very different message  warning that Texas is in jeopardy of going blue if Texas Republicans arent ready for one of the toughest presidential battles the state has ever seen.

If the Democrats win Texas, its all over, Cruz warned.

Texas has 38 electoral votes. If Democrats hold traditionally blue states such as California and New York, adding Texas to the mix would make it virtually impossible for Trump to win enough electoral votes elsewhere to retain the White House. Cruz warned that could have far-reaching impacts down the ballot where more seats in Congress could flip to Democrats.

We have four months to stop a blue wave from destroying the great state of Texas, Cruz said.
GENEVA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A group of experts from the China Society for Human Rights Studies have spoken through video messages at the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, expressing their views on such topics as the rights of women and children, absolute poverty, leprosy discrimination, displacement, international solidarity, and racial discrimination.

Yang Bochao, a scholar from China University of Political Science and Law, told the council that the Chinese government has always prioritized the fight against trafficking of women, children and other vulnerable groups in its effort to combat human trafficking.

"Meanwhile, the Chinese government cooperates closely with UN agencies to combat human trafficking and violence against women and children," the expert said.

Zha Luo, a researcher with the China Tibetology Research Center, said during a dialogue on extreme poverty that eliminating extreme poverty is necessary and possible, and the Chinese government has made great efforts to fight poverty in Tibet.

China's Tibet Autonomous Region declared the elimination of extreme poverty in 2019, the expert said.

In a dialogue on the elimination of discrimination against leprosy, Shang Haiming, a scholar from Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said that the number of leprosy patients in China has decreased from more than 500,000 in 1949 to around 3,000, and the disease has been basically eliminated in most provinces.

"While actively controlling the spread of leprosy, China has also launched various forms of publicity campaigns to eliminate discrimination against leprosy patients," Shang said.

On the issue of internal displacement, Wang Jiang, a scholar from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the council that the Chinese government integrates those being displaced into the scope of social security, and provides them with social relief management services.

In another discussion on the independence of judges and lawyers, Wang said that the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will not affect the independence of judges and lawyers at the institutional and legal levels.

It will only help better safeguard the rule of law in Hong Kong, Wang added.

In a dialogue on the issue of international solidarity, Wu Wenyang, a scholar from China University of Political Science and Law, said xenophobia and stigmatization have posed a serious challenge to the international community's united response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a time for solidarity, for saving lives and protecting human rights, and not a time to politicize the pandemic," Wu said.

Speaking about transnational corporations' responsibility for protecting human rights, Zhu Ying, a professor from Southwest University of Political Science and Law in China, said as an important player on the world economic stage, transnational corporations have a huge influence on the economy, environment, national security, legal system and other aspects of the human society, and therefore should shoulder their social responsibilities.

In a dialogue on racism, Mao Junxiang, executive director of the Center for Human Rights Studies at China's Central South University, called on politicians and media to take their social responsibilities for combating discrimination related to the novel coronavirus.

Spreading discriminatory remarks is a contemporary form of racism "in the name of freedom of speech," Mao said.
TULSA, Okla. - A group of white anti-mask demonstrators jeered a black pastor outside Tulsa's City Hall this week as he demanded reparations for the 1921 race massacre.

The confrontation took place Wednesday as the Rev. Robert Turner delivered his weekly message about the need for reparations for one of the worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history. A group of white people protesting Tulsa's new mask ordinance swarmed him, poured a liquid on him and grabbed at his bullhorn.

A video shows the group shouting, "USA! USA! USA!" as Turner began his sermon explaining the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, which left as many as 300 black people dead and leveled a 40-square block area of the all-black community of Greenwood.

On Monday, Tulsa broke ground in its search for suspected mass graves from the century-old massacre.

Turner, senior pastor of the historic Vernon AME Church in Greenwood, has come to City Hall each Wednesday for more than two years to protest the massacre and demand reparations for survivors and descendants.

"A racist mob of white people descended on Greenwood and dropped a bomb on Greenwood and killed black people," Turner shouted in the bullhorn. "And not one of those angry racist thugs was charged with a crime. God sits high and looks low."

As Turner continued his sermon, the group of white demonstrators mocked him, with one asking if he took credit cards and another warning that he was "the sign of the beast."

As the group jeered, Turner shouted: "You care more about a face mask than you do justice, than you do for people whose bodies are still in mass graves."

One white man shouted, "My ancestors freed your people." Another shouted, "You are a baldfaced liar." One white man, wearing a red hat, screamed in Turner's right ear. Two women are seen in the video grabbing Turner's left arm.

Tulsa Police Communications Officer Jeanne Pierce told The Washington Post that the department has not determined whether a police report about the incident was filed. "If a report is not filed," Pierce said, "there will be no investigation."

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, R, denounced the attack on Turner.

"The plaza in front of City Hall belongs to every Tulsan, and every Tulsan should feel welcome to make their voice heard in that space," Bynum said. "Reverend Turner and I have had our differences of opinion, but I will always support his right to express that opinion. I encourage all crime victims to file a report with the Tulsa Police Department so they can follow up accordingly."

The anti-mask protests followed a vote by the city council approving an ordinance requiring that face coverings be worn in public settings in Tulsa, where covid-19 cases have spiked. The mask ordinance passed 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.

During an interview inside the historic Vernon AME Church, Turner said he was not physically injured, but said someone in the group poured liquid on him.

"I hope it was water," Turner said, standing outside the sanctuary where black people sought refuge during the massacre.

"A lady grabbed my shoulder," he said. "But as a black man, I couldn't grab my arm back because if I do that it is going to be seen as a threat."

Turner said he felt surrounded: "I saw a small glimpse of what it must have felt like on the [slave] auction block. As a black man, people poking and prodding you."

Turner said one man insulted him by throwing money at him.

"I won't get any reparations from the race massacre," Turner explained. "I'm not from Tulsa. I'm from Alabama. It's not for me. It's for the people in this community, who have seen so much damage and suffering. And then for people to call you 'boy' and 'Get out of here you, liar.' And then the look on their eyes was just so hateful."
Democracy in One Book or Less

By David Litt

Ecco. 400 pp. $28.99

---

David Litt, a former Obama speechwriter, brings Dave Barry-style humor to an illuminating book on what is wrong with American democracy - and how to put it right. His humor and ability to clarify the complex take readers on a jaunty journey. In rejecting jargon like "voter suppression," for instance, he explains, "It's like describing a murderer as engaged in 'lifespan adjustment.' "

Witty forays show how contingent our founding history often was. Instead of a sacred creation by gods, as constitutional originalists and some Christian legal scholars seem to believe, our government was structured by politicians fighting over the political issues of their time - such as Aaron Burr accidentally enabling the filibuster while rewriting Thomas Jefferson's Senate cribsheet.

Litt's playful stories and fun facts explode common wisdom. Only in 1964, for instance, did courts declare that congressional districts had to have roughly equal populations; beforehand, a district in New Hampshire had a constituency of three. The effect is to make U.S. history feel malleable.

Unfortunately, that malleability has been exploited. In the book's strongest contribution, Litt shows how radically our democracy has been altered in recent decades. Since 2008, once-rare tools like the filibuster have been constantly engaged, and lobbyists have taken on roles formerly the purview of the declining ranks of congressional staff; since 1970, the number of disenfranchised felons has grown by 500 percent. Together, these changes have yielded a fundamentally different system than many of us intuitively assume. It's an important contribution - and it saves this volume, which would otherwise be a (well-told) compendium of the major complaints liberals have with our governing system, bookended by practical suggestions.

Litt makes the case that nearly all of these negative trends are occurring by design. America runs some of the most flawed elections of any developed democracy. But it was no accident when, in 1959, a Louisiana parish cut 85 percent of its black voters while cleaning its voting list, just as it isn't a technical error that recent elections feature wait times in African American precincts twice as long as those in white neighborhoods. Litt's tale of the fiendish obstacles Texas has erected to prevent registering voters offers a vignette of such dark comedy that it merits a stand-up routine.

Our current predicament, Litt argues, is a result of a Republican Party that sees its demographic demise and believes that undermining democracy is the only way to maintain power. It's the same argument President Trump made against expanding absentee voting.

Since bipartisan solutions are impossible in such circumstances, Litt suggests that whenever Democrats hold a trifecta of power - a Luke Skywalker moment when the Death Star is within rebel sights - they pass a slew of legislation to level things. Now that the right has skewed the playing field so far to their side, leveling requires not setting the rules to be equal but weighing things to the left so all comes out straight.

Fear of such a strategy is what drives Republicans to believe each election is Flight 93. It's also an increasingly popular view among Democrats. Republicans have embraced an authoritarian leader and are undermining independent institutions and the rule of law - and when any Republican objects, they get evicted from the party and sent to the Island of Misfit Toys with the other Never Trumpers. Pro-democracy groups can work with conservatives at odds with Republicans, but bipartisanship is no longer possible when one party thinks it can win only by undermining democracy itself.

I admit to similar concerns myself. There is a long list of democracies (with Hungary the most recent) where one party has abandoned its commitment to democratic rules to maintain power. Partisans in polarized countries generally put their party slightly above their abstract commitment to democracy, as Yale professor Milan Svolik found in his study of how modern democracies are most often subverted. Their leaders dismantle democracy to widespread acclaim. From Argentina to India to Hungary, even if democracy is restored, it's never as strong. The United States is on a well-trodden trajectory.

But if the future seems dire, there are three ways to pull back from the brink.

First, both Democrats and Republicans could recognize that they are wrong about the latter's demographic doom. Since the nonvoting population is younger, poorer and more minority than most Republicans, both sides think more voting would benefit Democrats. Yet demographics aren't destiny. Nearly two-thirds of nonvoters are white, and even the minorities are more conservative than most Democrats. A 14,000-person survey by the Knight Foundation found that if all nonvoters voted, both parties would gain about equally. In battleground states, nonvoters could push Trump into winning territory.

That hardly sounds like a reason for hope among liberals, but it is. Because if both parties believed that enfranchisement could help them, they might both do it. The country could become more democratic. And by being forced to actually listen to voters who don't line up nicely with Democratic cultural policy or Republican financial policy, both parties might learn something.

Second, Litt's Luke Skywalker solution ignores another new political reality. A party used to have a lock on Congress for decades. Now, despite all the trends Litt cites, Congress is more competitive than ever. Even if Democrats ram their policies through, those gains could all be reversed in two years. To avoid the roller coaster of Obamacare and DACA, we have to find some detente as a country.

Luckily, Litt provides the solution - the majority of Republican voters are to the left of their leaders. Over their leaders' objections, Republican voters were essential to reenfranchising felons in Florida and passing ranked-choice voting in Maine. They compose part of the overwhelming public support for common-sense policies on immigration, gun control and even abortion.

But party membership today is less about policy preferences than about expressing an identity that scholars find is stronger than race or religion. A Republican with liberal views on climate change and gun control may be unwilling to undermine his self-image and vote for a Democrat. For Republican voters to stop fueling a party that has given up on democracy, they need somewhere to go that doesn't make them admit defeat and become Democrats - and doesn't serve as a spoiler.

That's why reforms like ranked-choice voting are so important. They could enable a democratic wing of the Republican Party to form without being a spoiler. If Republicans had the option of conservative candidates who believed in democracy and didn't need to toe the GOP's current "hear no evil, see no evil" line, they might vote for many of Litt's ideas.

Finally, liberals could drop the air of intelligent condescension. Despite sharing Litt's political leanings, alma mater and love of cats, I could barely get past the off-putting tone I call liberal East Coast smug. More important, it means I can't get my conservative brother or father to read this book and take its lessons to heart.

I'll hope some former Republican takes it upon herself to write a translation. Meanwhile, those on the other side of the aisle can enjoy Litt's rollicking read about this important topic.

---

Kleinfeld is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her most recent book is "A Savage Order: How the World's Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security."
Greater Accra has topped the regional registration of voters the Electoral Commission compiles a new voters register across the 16 regions of Ghana.



The Electoral Commission (EC), in a press statement on Friday, announced the provisional figures of registered voters, saying the Greater Accra region leads with a total of 1,524,600.



The Ashanti Region came in second with 1,319,498 which translates into 18.1 percent of voters registered so far.



As of Day 16, the Commission has registered a total of 7,279,237. Four of the regions constitute almost 60%, the EC said.



The EC said that they find it strange that despite their increased transparency some people still accused them of bloating the number of registered voters in certain regions.



According to the Commission, they detected the anomalies in the Offinso North and Afigya-Sekyere districts and corrected them before the NDC started highlighting them.



What occurred in the Offinso North and Afigya-Sekyere districts in the Ashanti region are not unique because we have been auditing our figures when they come in, and indeed we have made corrections to the figures in several places as a way of ensuring accurate figures are reported to the general public, the Commissions statement read.



It further expressed dissatisfaction that despite their explanation to the Ashanti Regional branch of the NDC about developments within the two districts, it keeps hearing in the news that some figures have been added.



We are presently registering in almost 7,000 centers with the newly procured kits, they stated.



In a bid to have a credible and clean register, the EC therefore expressed its readiness to accept constructive criticisms that will enhance its ability to serve the good people of this country.



Below are the total numbers registered per each region:



AHAFO  144,961



ASHANTI  1,319,498



BONO  293,284



BONO EAST  261,503



CENTRAL  676,484



EASTERN  694,541



GREATER ACCRA -1,524,600



NORTHERN  434,601



NORTH EAST  123,715



OTI  148,111



SAVANNAH  126,980



UPPER EAST  251,134



UPPER WEST  194,894



VOLTA  447,254



WESTERN  440,858



WESTERN NORTH  196,819



TOTAL REGISTERED  7,279,237









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A stand-off between EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Saturday threatened to derail plans for a massive stimulus fund to breathe life into their coronavirus-hammered economies.

"We are in an impasse now. It is more complex than what was expected," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a video on Facebook as the 27 European Union leaders neared the end of a second day of talks. "There are many issues that remain unresolved.

The budget commissioner of the bloc's executive reminded the leaders - who wore masks and kept their distance from each other - that COVID-19 was still among them and they needed to act.

"Just a solemn reminder: the Corona crisis is not over: infections on the rise in many countries," Johannes Hahn tweeted. "High time to reach an agreement which allows us to provide the urgently needed support for our citizens+economies!"

With the pandemic dealing Europe its worst economic shock since World War Two, leaders gathered on Friday to haggle over a proposed 750 billion euro ($856 billion) recovery fund and a 2021-27 EU budget of more than 1 trillion euros.

But a group of wealthy and fiscally "frugal" northern states led by the Netherlands have blocked progress in the first face-to-face EU summit since spring lockdowns across the continent.

They favour repayable loans rather than free grants for the hard-hit indebted economies mostly on the Mediterranean rim, and they want control over how the funds are spent.

Hopes for an agreement grew earlier on Saturday when the summit's chairman, European Council President Charles Michel, proposed revisions to the overall package that were designed to assuage the Dutch concerns.

Latest In Series of EU Crises

Under the new proposals, the portion of grants in the recovery fund would be reduced to 450 billion euros from 500 billion and an 'emergency brake' on disbursement would be added.

But hopes that this would be enough to get a deal faded quickly.

"The chance is very slim that an agreement will be reached tonight. Very slim," a diplomat from an EU member state said.

The diplomat said "frugals" were pressing for deeper cuts to the fund and bigger rebates for net payers into the core EU budget, among other demands.

Other countries had their own demands in negotiations criss-crossing different regional and economic priorities, putting in doubt an unprecedented act of solidarity for the EU under which the European Commission would borrow billions of euros on capital markets on behalf of them all.

The EU is already grappling with the protracted saga of Britain's exit from the bloc and has been bruised by past crises, from the financial meltdown of 2008 to feuds over migration.

Another economic shock could expose it to more eurosceptic, nationalist and protectionist forces, and weaken its standing against China, the United States or Russia.

The exact size of the EU's long-term budget and how far to use payouts as leverage for reforms, or whether to withhold money from countries that fail to live up to democratic standards, were still unresolved on Saturday evening.

Hungary, backed by its eurosceptic, nationalist ally Poland, has threatened to veto the whole package over a new envisaged mechanism to freeze out countries flouting democratic principles.

As leaders huddled in groups to find a way forward, an EU diplomat said that Michel would come up with another revision to the package before they gathered for dinner.

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Police Stop Rioters From Tearing Down Christopher Columbus Statue in Chicago

Police arrested several people after dispersing a crowd that sought to topple the statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Chicago late Friday.

The Chicago Police Department said in a statement that officers took 12 people into custody following a large protest at Grant Park, where the statue is located.

Those who were arrested could potentially face charges that may include battery to a police officer, mob action, and/or other felonies, the department said.

Preliminary statement regarding the protest at Grant Park: pic.twitter.com/MCgoOTTiDX  Chicago Police Communications & News Affairs (@CPD_Media) July 18, 2020

A large group of demonstrators gathered around 4:20 p.m. local time at 301 S. Columbus for a protest, and they later moved south, eventually ending up in Grant Park and around the statue in the evening.

As the group approached the Christopher Columbus statue, some members of the crowd turned on the police and used the protest to attack officers with fireworks, rocks, frozen bottles, and other objects, the Chicago Police Department said.

According to multiple reports and video footage, people threw bottles, full soda cans, bricks, and fireworks at the officers who were standing around the statue to try to protect it. Officers continued trying to push back a crowd that was seeking to deface and tear down the statue. In one video, an officer could be seen striking a member of the crowd with his baton.

Workers cover a statue of Christopher Columbus before the start of a Juneteenth march in Chicago, Illinois, on June 19, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The rioters proceeded to tie up the statue with ropes and tried to topple it. Chicago police called in in SWAT officers as rioters tried to tear down the statue, according to local outlet WGN9.

Police officers also deployed pepper spray on those trying to tear down the statue and eventually dispersed the crowd from the area, ABC7 Chicago reported.

The clash between police and protesters occurred around 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Chicago Tribune, which noted that protesters were dispersed by 8:30 p.m. The outlet also said that at least 1,000 protesters had surrounded the statue.

The statue was not toppled although graffiti could be seen at the base of the monument. The city had covered the statue with plastic for several weeks, at least since June.

The Chicago Fire Department told NBC Chicago that at least four police officers were taken to a hospital for injuries.

Protesters at the rally were calling to defund the Chicago Police Department. Black Lives Matter Chicago, Chi-Nations Youth Council, Black Youth Project 100, and other groups were the organizers behind the event, according to NBC Chicago.

Officers were there to not only protect the property, but they were to ensure the safety of the protesters and their First Amendment right to protest peacefully when the crowd turned on the police, literally ambushed the police with all their projectiles, Chicago police spokesman Thomas Ahern told the Chicago Tribune.
YPSILANTI, MI -- A DJ blasted music from the upper balcony as customers circled around Oz Cannabis for its first day of recreational sales.

The retailer at 19 N Hamilton St. in Ypsilanti was the first of six to receive its recreational sales license in the city, owner Nemer Haddad said. It previously operated as Third Coast under Jamie Lowell and Darrell Stavros, who purchased the home-like building in 1994 from the Girl Scouts, which previously ran its headquarters in the building, he said.

Its highly anticipated. Weve been waiting for this moment, Haddad said. We wanted to create our mark here in Ypsilanti.

Oz Cannabis carries a variety of inventory from 85 strains of flower, tinctures, vape cartridges and edibles. The owner has shops in Traverse City and Detroit, and plans to open another two in Owosso and Meridian.

We are positioning ourselves to have superior in-house products at a very affordable price, Haddad said.

The 8,000-square-foot space is expected to house a consumption lounge, sales area and show room, rental rooms and an upper deck patio.

Several marijuana activists were at the event, including former Detroit Red Wings Darren McCarty, who signed autographs throughout the afternoon, Mr. Hash Bash Adam Brook, Rick Thompson and customers from Ohio and West Virginia.

Darren McCarty cheers on Ann Arbors Om of Medicine as recreational cannabis sales begin

McCarty is no stranger to the cannabis industry in Michigan. The four-time Stanley Cup winner long suffered from addiction and alcoholism and cited cannabis as the source for his recovery since Nov. 11, 2015.

The one thing with me is, obviously, here in Michigan, everybody understands my advocacy, McCarty said, giving credit to Haddad, Jamie Lowell, co-founder of Third Cost, and others for helping educate him on his journey with this plant.

McCarty launched a brand of his own several weeks ago in collaboration with Pincanna as he continues to fight the stigma against cannabis.

Heres the blessing that I have. Ive lived my life publicly for the past 25 years in Michigan. So, good, bad or indifferent, I think people know Ill tell you once, and show you twice. The truth will prevail, McCarty said. Ive taken the Red Wing off my chest and I put the cannabis plant where the Red Wing was, and that is my team that I fight for now because its just about right and wrong.

Thompson has constantly fought for changes in the legislature to eliminate marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which includes heroin, ecstasy and LSD, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The rest of the job we have to finish off is expungement of people, correcting our federal scheduling or Schedule One, Thompson said. One of the reasons were having so many problems with social justice reform right now is because people dont trust the government.

Brook said the solution is to vote leaders out of office.

The federal government claims theres no medical use to marijuana, Brook said. We vote them out of office and we vote (for) new people who understand cannabis.

Tony Thomas and Jamil Shaw drove in from Ohio and stood in line to make their purchase since the law does not permit recreational use, Shaw said.

I wish Ohio would legalize it, it would decriminalize a lot of things, Shaw said. I came all the way here so I can be able to smoke and have no problems. I did my research and looked up places that was legal for recreational uses and Michigan was closest to Ohio.

Thomas said there isnt a whole lot of THC products around his hometown.

In Ohio, we only have CBD and hemp. We dont get actual marijuana. Its more like a mellow high. We came here to spend some money to actually geta feel for THC, Thomas said.

Marshall Morford is taking a vacation from West Virginia to visit states that legally sell recreational marijuana.

Its a whole different experience up here. I hate West Virginia. I really wish wed legal(ize), Morford said. It has so many medical benefits. Its not a drug ... In my eyes, it alleviates all the problems. People (who) are addicted to opiates, theyd be able to go to dispensaries and get something else instead of having to try to find that fix.

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Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust on Saturday sent a set of tentative Bhoomi Pujan dates to the PMO for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and requested to decide one of the dates on the basis of PM Narendra Modis availability.

The decision on the dates, which were not spelt out to the media, was taken at the crucial meeting of the temple trust in Ayodhya on Saturday. However, the key sources claimed that three dates -- July 29, August 3, and August 5  were sent to the PMO.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the General Secretary of the trust and senior VHP leader Champat Rai confirmed that the set of dates for the Bhoomi Pujan was sent to PMO. However, he claimed that the final date would be announced eight days ahead of the ceremony.

The meeting of the trust, conducted at Ayodhya circuit house, was attended by all 15 members including trusts chairperson Mahant Nritya Gopal Das of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas. While 12 trustees were present in the meeting, three trustees -- Supreme Court lawyer K Parasaran, Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati of Prayagaraj and Swami Vishwa Prasannathirthaji of Pejawar Math, Udupi -- joined the deliberations through video conferencing.

Sharing the details of the meeting, which continued for two and half hours, Champat Rai said that the engineers of Larsen & Tubero, developer for the proposed temple, were collecting soil samples from the Ram Janmabhoomi premises for testing. The plan for temples foundation will be drawn on the basis of the strength of soil till 60 metre below the ground, said Rai, adding that the foundation would be laid on the basis of the plan drawn by the engineers.

Champat Rai also said that while L&T would construct the temple, the responsibility of stonework was entrusted to Sompura Marbles and Bricks. Rai gave a brief introduction of Sompuras and the projects to their credit including Somnath and Akshardham temples in Gujarat, a grand temple of Goddess Amba on

Gujarat-Rajasthan border. Rai said that Chandra Kant Sompura and L&T would jointly bring out a grand temple of Lord Ram at his birthplace.

On the change in design in the existing model of the temple, Rai said that discussion was held over the issue keeping popular demand of the seers in mind to add more grandeur to the proposed temple by increasing its height. However, the sources claimed that it was decided to increase the number of domes in the temple from three to five and also its height to 161 ft.

On the expenses for the temple, Champat Rai said that it would depend on the cooperation and donations. However, the trustees had given their approval to a plan to contact 10 crore families based in four lakh localities across the country to seek financial support. This exercise would be conducted after the monsoon or when the situation normalises in the country, he maintained.

On the tentative time limit for construction, Champat Rai said with all the required elements including normalcy in the country, funds, drawings and temple plan on board, the construction from the day of commencement would take maximum 3-3.5 years to complete.
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Two tablet computers are up for grabs for the lucky entrants to Western Bay of Plenty District Libraries new website competition.

The competition is open now and is part of the libraries launch of a new website that is more fun, more interactive and easy to navigate for existing and new users.

Head to the website  libraries.westernbay.govt.nz - and answer a few simple questions to go in to the draw to win one of two Samsung Galaxy tablets valued at over $500 each.

Western Bay District Councils' Customer and Governance manager, Barbara Whitton, says the modern website provides the perfect portal for library users to access and use information with greater ease than ever before.

The new website has a fresh, slick look and an address thats easy to remember  libraries.westernbay.govt.nz.

Visitors can search for books and other items at the libraries four locations. They can find events, programmes and activities offered by the libraries for children and adults.

Users can easily log into their library account  as well as access all online resources and searchable databases. All this is available free to library patrons.

Barbara says the importance of such a user-friendly website also came to the fore during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Libraries across New Zealand really came into their own during the lockdown and it highlighted how invaluable access to library resources was for people stuck at home, who wanted to access information from anywhere, at any time.

During lockdown our library Facebook page saw a 200 percent increase in traffic as people began using more and more online services. This was a fantastic response and resulted in an overall 61 percent increase in our website traffic.

Barbara hopes the website will grow and evolve as the needs of customers expand.

To explore the website and enter the competition, visit https://libraries.westernbay.govt.nz/

The competition will close at midnight Monday, August 31 and the winners will be notified.
Girls in a car watch a drive-in concert at Gyeongbok Palace parking lot in Seoul, Friday. AP



New COVID-19 cases fell back to below 40 here Saturday, but the health authorities are keeping their guard up as imported cases and infection clusters continue to put a strain on their efforts to contain the deadly disease.



The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 39 new infections, including 28 imported cases, raising the total caseload to 13,711.



The tally marked a sharp fall from 62 cases reported Monday; 61, Thursday; and 60, Friday. The daily rise in virus cases stayed below 40, Tuesday and Wednesday, with 33 and 39, respectively.



The number of people arriving in the country who were infected overseas has been at a higher level for weeks, with double-digit numbers for 23 consecutive days. Imported cases have also been outnumbering local infections since July 12.



Of the 28 additional imported cases, 12 were detected at quarantine checkpoints in airports and seaports. The total number of imported cases is now 2,032.



Among the cases from overseas, the government has been keeping close tabs on workers returning home from Iraq after dozens of them tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.



To bring the remaining workers home safely from Iraq, the government will send chartered flights to the Middle East nation next week.



Health authorities are also on alert over potential group infections tied to Russian-flagged vessels docked in the southern city of Busan. More than 20 crewmen were confirmed to have contracted the virus on three ships in recent days.



The number of new local infections dropped below 20 again  it had been below this from Monday to Thursday before the country reported 21 cases Friday.



Of the 11 local transmissions, nine were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area  six in the capital, two in Gyeonggi Province and one in Incheon.



The country's southern resort island of Jeju and the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan each added one case.



The KCDC reported one additional death from the virus, bringing the total to 294.



The number of people released from quarantine after a full recovery stood at 12,519, up 59 from the previous day, while 898 are currently under treatment, down 21 from a day earlier.



South Korea has carried out 1,460,204 tests since Jan. 3. (Yonhap)


While their ranks in academic surgery may be not be robust, women surgeons are holding their own when it comes to surgical research, securing a greater percentage of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants than their numbers suggest. However, their overall numbers remain low and academic medicine still needs to do more to encourage this emerging generation of surgeon scientists, according to authors of a new study of surgical research who report their findings in an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website ahead of print.

Females are underrepresented in academic surgery but hold a greater than anticipated proportion of NIH funding. To me, this means that female surgeon-scientists are a crucial component of future surgical research. They have been able to succeed even in a very competitive research environment." Shayna Showalter, MD, FACS, corresponding study author, associate professor of surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville

The study queried the number of NIH R01 grants from surgery departments as of October 2018 and found that 212 held by 159 principal investigators (PIs) were in place, 49 of which were held by 42 women PIs. That means women represent 26.4 percent of these R01 grant holders while representing 19 percent of the academic surgical faculty, according to Association of American Medical Colleges data. The study chose R01 grants because they are the most common and historically oldest form of NIH grant with a track record of productive, high-quality research.

Women were more likely to be first-time grant recipients than men (73.5 vs. 54.8 percent, p=0.03) and less likely to have multiple grants or previous NIH funding (8.6 vs. 21.4 percent, p=0.03), the study found. "What I hope this shows is that we are potentially shifting away from the tradition of giving more funding to longstanding, proven researchers and that we continue to focus on awarding funding to a diverse group of accomplished researchers. We know that female surgeon-scientists are doing very good work," Dr. Showalter said. "Females in this study were twice as likely to be first-time grant recipients. As a community, we need to ensure that first-time grant holders continue to be taken seriously and are awarded NIH funding when appropriate."

However, funding for surgical research is shrinking. The study notes that the bias toward researchers with previous grants is "worrisome for all surgeons" because the number of funded R01 grants has declined 17 percent in recent years, with surgeon-led studies having a mean success rate considerably lower than the mean NIH funding rate (16.4 vs. 19.2 percent, p=0.011), according to a previously published study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.1

Another disparity the study uncovered was that female investigators had fewer published articles about their research than their male counterparts, which persisted even when the study authors applied the grant impact metric which controls for total amount of funding. "This difference may be related to the number of first-time grants and is consistent with prior knowledge that women in academic surgery have fewer publications in general than men," Dr. Showalter said.

The study found that women grant recipients were more likely to be from departments with a female chair (31 vs. 13.7 percent, p=0.01) or a department that was more than 30 percent female (35 vs. 18.2 percent, p=0.03). The study authors recommend a number of strategies for academic surgery departments to nurture and promote female researchers. "One of the strategies is having strong mentorship and sponsorship programs," said Dr. Showalter. "We know that successful academic surgeons value mentorship, often having more than one mentor throughout their career."

Another strategy is for academic settings to continue to hire and promote female surgeons. A 2018 study found that women held only 7 percent of the full professorships among surgeon faculty at U.S. medical schools.2 "Institutions must continue to support the academic advancement of female surgeon-scientists and to advocate for females in leadership positions. This will allow for a strong group of women to mentor the women behind them," Dr. Showalter said. "But we do have a paucity of female leaders in high-powered positions, including chairs and deans of surgical departments and leaders within societies."

The study reveals that women researchers are doing high-quality work in surgery, Dr. Showalter said. "There are some great female surgeon-scientists, and we have many more with potential that will be crucial to the future of surgical research," she said. "As a community within academia, we need to continue to work to figure out the best way to support and promote a diverse faculty."
Maharashtras share in Indias Covid-19 tally has declined over the past two months, but it still remains the state with most infections (300,937) and fatalities (11,596). On May 18, Maharashtra accounted for 40.9% of that days Covid cases in India  2,033 of 4,970 cases in 24 hours. The states share in the daily rise in infections dropped to 27.6% on June 18, and it was 23.8% on July 17. This is primarily because the state has managed to contain the spread of the virus, while cases in other states have risen at a greater pace.

The case fatality rate (CFR), however, has remained a constant worry for Maharashtra, as it stands at 3.85%, second only to Gujarat (4.54%), and more than the national CFR of 2.53%.

The state has reported 62,476 infections in the past eight days, with a daily average of 7,809 cases, while the fatalities during the same period are 1,702 at a daily average of 212 deaths.

Mumbai, the states worst affected city, has 100,350 cases and 5,650 deaths, but the rise in infections in the city has plateaued over the past fortnight. However, other cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik, Aurangabad and Jalgaon remain a cause for concern as the cases in these cities have witnessed a massive spike.

Currently, the eight civic bodies of Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Ulhasnagar contribute to 30% of the total cases in Maharashtra. These civic bodies have witnessed more than three times rise in infections in the past four weeks. Many of these cities have poor health infrastructure and it has been the primary reason for the rise in cases, high mortality rate and poor recovery.

Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Panvel in MMR and Pune, Jalgaon, Solapur have poor health infrastructure. Besides, the local bodies have failed to aggressively track, trace and isolate suspected contacts of Covid patients. We had directed them to trace at least 10 people per patient, but in some cities, it has not happened, leading to the rise in the cases, said a senior government official, on condition of anonymity. Civic bodies like Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Pune and Jalgaon could not ramp up their facilities with oxygen beds and ICUs and failed to cope up with the surge witnessed in the past few weeks. We had to change commissioners of at least six civic bodies in MMR over the past month.

While Mumbai still tops the daily rise in cases  between 1,200 and 1,300  it is closely followed by Pune, which has reported a daily average of 1,023 cases over the past week. In MMR, Kalyan-Dombivlis daily average is 470 cases, the highest among other civic bodies.

Solapur has the highest CFR (7.4%), followed by Mumbai (5.63%), Jalgaon (5.5%) and Akola (4.9%).

Dr Shashank Joshi, member of the 11-member task force constituted for clinical management of patients, said local authorities of areas with the high number of cases need to ramp up their facilities. I am personally not happy with the infrastructure and the tracing-testing-isolation done by some of the civic bodies like in Kalyan-Dombivli. Testing for coronavirus takes two days and another three to four days for the report to come. They need to go for capacity building for testing, apart from aggressive tracking of the suspected contacts. The civic bodies and districts are also facing shortage of doctors and health experts. If they can match up to these challenges and ready themselves to fight the surge, then it is possible to contain the spread.

The state government, meanwhile, has been closely monitoring the areas with constant rise in cases. We have been giving projections for 15 days to every district to enable them to ramp up their infrastructure. Barring a few districts or civic bodies like Pune, and civic bodies in MMR, rest of Maharashtra is well equipped to take up the additional load. Even in Pune, they have added 600 oxygen beds two days ago and have started acquiring private hospitals. It is true that in exceptional cases the patients are facing hardships owing to the weak infrastructure, but we have been putting in constant efforts to augment it, said Dr Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer.

Joshi said Mumbai has reached its peak of the infection, while the rest of MMR has entered into peak mode and may stabilise in the next two weeks. The rest of the state is entering the peak and may see a rise in cases over the next few weeks. In the next four weeks, the entire state can be stabilised, he said.

Awate said they expect the descending limb of the virus spread to begin by mid-August, which is also considered the midpoint of the monsoon season. He said that with more than 35,000 tests daily and introduction of rapid antigen tests, the government expects rapid containment of the transmission of the virus and a drop in CFR.

Dr Anil Pachnekar, national vice president of the Indian Medical Association and a private practitioner in Dharavi, said the model used to contain the spread of coronavirus in Indias largest slum will help other parts of the state too. Dharavi pattern has shown the way by aggressively implementing chase the virus mantra with the help of various stakeholders of the society. It has been widely applauded and needs to be implemented across the state, especially in areas with rising numbers. The coronavirus test has been freed from the compulsion of having a doctors prescription in Mumbai, while antigen and antibody testing has been introduced across the state. This will help in effective containment of the virus over the next few weeks, he said.

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These are a few stories that are not particularly significant in themselves, but illustrate the depth of the madness to which our culture has sunk.

First, the beer bottle that looks like a KKK member.

A bar in Connecticut has pulled a beer from its lineup after customers complained that the bottle looked like a Ku Klux Klan hood.

I assumed this was another instance of people seeing KKK hoods, nooses and the like, everywhere. But no. The bottle was actually designed to look like a KKK member dressed for an outing:

On the Omnipollo website, the beer is described as a collaborative effort together with our good friends  and world-class brewers  at Buxton Brewery (UK). Yellow Belly  a person who is without courage, fortitude, or nerve; a coward. To us, one of the most cowardly deeds is to act anonymously, hiding behind a group. A signifying trait of institutionalized racism. This beer is brewed to celebrate all things new, open-minded and progressive. A peanut butter biscuit stout with no biscuits, butter or nuts. Taste, enjoy, and dont be prejudiced.

So they did it on purpose:

The New York Post story also describes Yellow Belly as a $40 bottle of beer. I hope to God that $40 at least buys you a six-pack.

Then we have the Gettysburg, South Dakota police department. Coincidentally, an uncle of George Floyd lives in Gettysburg, a town of a little over 1,000 in South Dakota. The uncle demanded that the Gettysburg police department remove the Confederate flag from its badge:

Gettysburg was founded after 1900 and was named, I take it, for the battle. The badge is a typical design showing the crossed flags of the armies that participated in the battle, along with a cannon. I dont suppose anyone imagined that the inhabitants of Gettysburg, S.D. harbored secret Confederate sympathies. But these days, it apparently is inadmissible to acknowledge that Confederates fought at Gettysburg. The police department has removed the Southern flag from its patch.

One more: in Miami, a statue of Jesus was beheaded:

Less than a week after another incident targeting Catholics in Florida, the statue of Jesus was found beheaded and knocked off its pedestal outside of Good Shepherd Catholic Church, WSVN reported.

Jesus statue found vandalized at a church in Kendall. The Archdiocese of Miami wants it investigated as a hate crime @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/8Xvf0Yhmvk  Christian De La Rosa (@delarosaWPLG) July 16, 2020



Investigated as a hate crime? Dont hold your breath. Actually, there have been a number of attacks on Jesus in recent weeks as a symbol of white supremacy.

That is the world we inhabit in July 2020.
India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist

Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis meets Amit Shah, raises speculations of 'Operation Lotus'

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Mumbai, July 18: Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that no "Operation Lotus" was taking place in Maharashtra as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government will collapse on its own due to its "internal contradictions".

Fadnavis made this statement while speaking to reporters in New Delhi, after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Coronavirus: In a first, Kerala confirms community transmission in coastal areas

Devendra Fadnavis claimed that his meeting with Shah was "non-political" as it was aimed at seeking financial assistance for the sugar industry in the state.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

He said he also briefed the Union Home Minister about the coronavirus scenario in the state and sought time from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him of the situation.

Talking about the meeting, Fadnavis said, "There was no political discussion. We are not interested in destabilising the state government...Time is now to fight coronavirus."

COVID-19: Dexamethasone trial results confirm both benefits and risks

"There is no 'Operation Lotus' in Maharashtra. We have already said that the government is full of internal contradictions and when it falls because of it, we will see," he said.

"Operation Lotus" refers to the alleged attempts by the BJP to engineer defections from other parties.

The Leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly also rejected the speculation that he was tipped to get a role in national politics.
China has allocated additional emergency supplies to the provinces of Anhui and Hunan in support of local flood control and disaster relief work, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said on Friday.

Following a batch of relief supplies sent on July 9, a total of 10,000 folding beds, 5,000 blankets, and 5,000 quilts were allocated to Anhui by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, the MEM, and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration on Friday.

Flood-control materials, including 2 million woven bags and 1.5 million square meters of polyethylene woven cloth, were dispatched to Hunan on the same day.

As heavy rainfalls are expected in areas along the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake in late July, local authorities have been urged to further implement measures in disaster prevention and emergency relief work, while strengthening security monitoring of key dams, rivers, and reservoirs.
India's largest private lender HDFC Bank has reported a 19.6 percent year-on-year growth in standalone profit for the quarter ended June 2020, led by lower tax cost and NII. However, elevated provisions, and lower other income due to slowdown in economic activity limited profit growth.

Profit during the quarter increased sharply to Rs 6,658.62 crore, compared to Rs 5,568.16 crore in the same period last year.

Net interest income in Q1 FY21 climbed 17.8 percent year-on-year to Rs 15,665.42 crore supported by healthy loan growth of 21 percent in the quarter and deposits growth of 24.6 percent, said the bank in its BSE filing.

Net interest margin for the quarter stood at 4.3 percent.

The bank said CASA deposits grew by 26 percent and time deposits increased by 23.7 percent YoY, resulting in CASA deposits comprising 40.1 percent of total deposits as of June 2020. "The bank's continued focus on deposits helped in the maintenance of a healthy liquidity coverage ratio at 140 percent, well above the regulatory requirement."

Provisions and contingencies for the quarter stood at Rs 3,891.52 crore, increasing 48.9 percent compared to the corresponding period last fiscal and 2.8 percent on a sequential basis.

"The bank holds provisions as on June 30, 2020, against the potential impact of COVID-19 based on the information available at this point in time. The provisions held by the Bank are in excess of the RBI prescribed norms," HDFC Bank said.

It held floating provisions of Rs 1,451 crore and contingent provisions of Rs 4,002 crore as on June 2020, while total provisions (comprising specific, floating, contingent and general provisions) were 149 percent of the gross non-performing loans, the bank added.

Asset quality weakened on expected lines during the quarter as gross non-performing assets (NPA) climbed sequentially to 1.36 percent (from 1.26 percent), and excluding agricultural segment, gross NPAs increased to 1.2 percent from 1.1 percent QoQ. However, net NPAs dropped to 0.33 percent during the June quarter, from 0.36 percent during the March quarter.

Pro-provision operating profit (PPoP) jumped 15.1 percent to Rs 12,829.27 crore compared to the year-ago quarter as operating expenses declined down 2.9 percent YoY primarily due to lower loan origination and sales volumes.

"Earnings and PPoP were 15 percent and 5 percent over our estimates. Higher-than-expected operational profit arose as operating expenses were contained which reflects high modularity of the business (a positive surprise)," said Rajiv Mehta, Lead Analyst  Institutional Equities at YES Securities.

"Accretion in core capital ratio (CET-1 at 16.7 percent) was on the back of strong profitability and lower risk intensity of growth. Such resilient performance is highly comforting. However, we would be closely monitoring moratorium data, management's recent assessment of COVID impact and management transition," he added.

The bank said its cost-to-income ratio for the quarter stood at 35 percent as against 39 percent in the corresponding quarter ended June 30, 2019.

However, non-interest income fell considerably to Rs 4,075.31 crore in the quarter ended June 2020, down 18 percent YoY largely due to lower fees & commissions (dipped 37 percent).

"The continued slowdown in economic activity has led to a decrease in retail loan origination, sale of third party products, use of credit and debit cards by customers, efficiency in collection efforts and waivers of certain fees. As a result, fees/other income were lower by approximately Rs 2,000 crore," said HDFC Bank.
Bringing a major change in the administration of Bengaluru, which has emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot, the state government on Saturday transferred B H Anil Kumar out of the BBMP and brought N Manjunath Prasad to take his place.

Manjunath Prasad, who headed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) before being replaced by Kumar, will take over with immediate effect. The government has also placed him in concurrent charge of the Revenue Department as well as the Disaster Management, Bhoomi and UPOR.

Read: BBMP bats for lockdown extension in Bengaluru

Kumar, an Additional Chief Secretary, has been put in a place where earlier a secretary was posted. He now heads the Department of Public Enterprises. The posting would have brought him two spots down had it not been for the government upgrading it to the level of additional chief secretary.

Track live updates on coronavirus here

Anil Kumar, who was earlier praised for his work to contain the coronavirus pandemic, had faced criticism by the High Court of Karnataka for the BBMP's failure to help people in containment zones as well as other issues on the spread of the pandemic.

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases

Sources in the government said, pressure has been building up against Anil Kumar over the last two months after most of the Bengaluru MLAs complained to the chief minister's office.

"No MLA backed him. Everyone had a problem," a source said.







Things came to the head with regard to a Rs 436 crore project given to KRIDL. "The issue reached the chief minister's office as all the MLAs took an issue with the way the project was awarded," a source said.

Read: Bengaluru lockdown wont be extended, says B S Yediyurappa

Another source said that Kumar came under fire after a central team flagged the issue of failing Covid-19 surveillance measures in Bengaluru. The central team's criticism, it is widely believed in the government, came as the last straw.
After an emergency order that had barred nursing home employees from working at multiple facilities in San Antonio expired on June 24, cases of COVID-19 began surging among elderly residents and staff.

On Thursday, nearly a month later, the city reported 10 COVID-related deaths in its long-term care facilities.

Asked on Friday by a reporter about the rules expiration, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he would reinstate the prohibition.

Wolff said he would tighten up a statewide order by Gov. Greg Abbott that says long-term care facilities should follow state infection control policies and practices, including minimizing the movement of staff between facilities whenever possible.

I dont think it supersedes (Abbotts order), it just clarifies it better, Wolff said. Once you see those numbers going up, whether theyre asymptomatic or not, you know theres going to be unfortunate deaths. I think itll help some. If (employees) are not critical, they shouldnt be running back and forth between nursing homes.

So this tightens it up just by saying unless theyre critical, that they cant do it, he said.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg also amended his citywide order on Friday that mirrored Wolffs more strict language on nursing homes.

The governors last order had language in there with regard to long-term care facilities that covers the entire state, Nirenberg said, but while weve been operating under those provisions, given the fact that theres rising infections in these kinds of facilities, we decided a more direct prohibition is appropriate.

Nirenberg added, This is going to create another area of conflict between our order and his, potentially, but its appropriate given what were seeing. Based on what Im hearing in the other cities, its an appropriate time for this to be a statewide order as well.

As COVID-19 surges across the state, at least 17 long-term care facilities in San Antonio are grappling with outbreaks. At Saint Francis Nursing Home on West Woodlawn Avenue, infections spiked suddenly this week.

The facility now has 15 positive residents, four of them hospitalized, and 11 staff members infected, according to an email sent late Wednesday by the nursing home to families of its residents. One resident there has died. On Friday, Metro Health had not yet updated its numbers to show the new infections at the facility.

Weve been at a high level of anxiety since March, said Cordie Britten, a social worker at Saint Francis. We didnt have our first case until about three weeks ago, so our people are still in the throes of it.

Britten said none of the staff at Saint Francis was working at any other facility.

We did think that was a really good rule when it came out, she said. All the nursing homes made people fax from the nursing home to their other job to resign. There was a good system in place to make sure everyone complied.

Saint Francis last tested its residents and staff on July 9. The results took nearly a week to come back, showing on Wednesday that nine additional residents and five additional staff had been infected.

The problem is, between the time we get tested and the time we get the results  the longest was 12 days, but a week is usual, Britten said. It doesnt matter if its Metro Health, if its the Fire Department, if its some private lab we call in. I think all are just so completely overwhelmed. If we find out an employee had it, theyve been working for a week.

Dr. Junda Woo, medical director at Metro Health, said it was routine for nursing homes here to wait seven days for lab results.

The guidance is to test your staff once a week while the community is reopening or while youve got high levels of community transmission, Woo said. Most places are able to manage somewhere between 8 to 28 days.

Employees who work at multiple facilities have not been a primary driver for recent infections at nursing homes, although it has happened, Woo said.

Really the most common reason is just like any place else, its some staff member caught it in their household, she said. Have we had cases from people who have gone to multiple facilities? Absolutely.

The surge of COVID-19 in nursing homes is mostly due to the virus in the community spilling over, Woo added.

Nursing homes are a microcosm of whats going on in the rest of the community, she said. If everybody does their part, then we hope that the curve will flatten more.

Abbott ordered the testing of all nursing home residents and staff in May, but regular statewide testing was not implemented. Instead, the governor this month announced a partnership with Omnicare to provide up to 100,000 tests with same-day results for long-term care facilities.

A Texas Health and Human Services spokeswoman said the tests were being given on an as-needed basis.

Sister Sameula Komperda, head administrator at Saint Francis, signed up for the rapid tests on Friday. Shes hopeful it will help to protect residents and staff there.

When we had the first COVID patient, we were terrified, Komperda said, clad in a mask and face shield outside the nursing home. For this generation, its a killer. Were struggling with employees because theyre all getting sick.

The lag in test results at nursing homes is worrisome, especially if employees are allowed to work at multiple facilities, said Amanda Fredriksen, associate state director of outreach and advocacy for AARP in Texas.

To have staff going to more than one facility and not have a testing program in place is really scary, Frederiksen said shortly before Wolff reinstated the ban. Given the fact that the virus is really just rapidly spreading through the community, its going to be a concern having somebody going into one facility, let alone two. Weve really been pushing the state and Congress to do regular testing.

At Saint Francis, staff reacted immediately after receiving the troubling test results Wednesday.

Residents who tested negative were moved to a wing of the facility that had been uninhabitated, and residents with positive results were moved to an annex.

We emptied out that building that night, every one of their knick knacks and belongings, every picture off the wall, then we went in and cleaned it, sprayed it down, Britten said. And then that night we moved everyone over (to the annex). It was all pretty sudden.

That same night, Britten wrote an email to family members who have not been allowed to visit their loved ones for months.

We are following CDC guidelines and being tested regularly, she wrote. The difficulty lies in the wait time between the tests and results. Tests are scheduled again for this Friday. We are working to add an additional rapid results tests as soon as possible.

Sorry to bring such disheartening news. Please pray for us as we will continue to pray for you.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
Remaining ready: 31st MEU completes Interop exercise with force health protection measures

US Marine Corps News

17 Jul 2020 | 1st Lt. Stephanie Murphy 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan -- The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit completed interoperability exercise here from June 23 to July 13, 2020, incorporating detachments which recently arrived to the MEU. The associated training was designed to enhance coordination and familiarize subordinate elements with the unique mission set of the 31st MEU, in preparation for follow on exercises which will incorporate the entire Marine Air Ground Task Force.

Training kicked off with a Communication Exercise at Jungle Warfare Training Center that integrated personnel and equipment from Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, with the communications section of the Command Element, testing the 31st MEU's ability to sustain high frequency communications across long distances from an austere environment.

"COMMEX is our only training event that focuses exclusively on communications. It provides an opportunity for radio operators, systems administrators, network administrators, and technicians to employ their equipment without the pressure of supporting larger unit-level training objectives," said Maj. Ryan Hamilton, communications officer for the 31st MEU; "Marines can make mistakes, familiarize themselves with their equipment, and learn what it means to operate in a remote location with no sources of outside support. This training is key in the development of our Marines' technical skills and prepares them for follow-on exercises and operations."

BLT 2/4, recently arriving from Camp Pendleton, California, worked in close coordination with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), headquartered on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, to conduct fast rope training and on-off drills with MV-22B Ospreys.

"This was our first opportunity to coordinate with the aviation combat element and get Marines off the deck in Camp Butler. For many Marines, it was their first live-slide out of an MV-22. The Marines demonstrated proficiency during their live slides and proved they're more than capable of executing this insert technique in a real world mission," said Capt. Kenny Herman, Echo Company executive officer, BLT 2/4.

Fast rope training is critical to the BLT because many of the missions the 31st MEU conducts could require insertion and extraction of ground troops by aviation assets in locations where it is not safe to land.

Combat Logistics Battalion 31's Helicopter Support Team also trained with VMM-262 (Rein.) over the past few weeks, practicing their ability to attach loads to helicopters in-flight. "Working with VMM-262 helps us increase our speed and proficiency at executing external lifts. We're able to practice so that if we need to, we can get large pieces of equipment to locations that we wouldn't otherwise be able to reach," said Staff Sgt. Mitchell Buelow, CLB-31's landing support chief. HSTs are especially important during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

Other events included multiple live fire ranges, reconnaissance and surveillance missions, and tactical air control training with the intent of honing coordination and specific skills prior to the immediately following MEU Exercise. While the training conducted over the past two weeks allowed the subordinate elements of the 31st MEU to accomplish initial objectives, MEUEX will test the ability of the entire MAGTF to operate as a team as a crisis response force.

"By working together during Interop, we developed a solid foundation to build on for MEUEX and any missions we will execute together in the future," said Maj. Brett De Maria, the 31st MEU assistant operations officer; "we are remaining flexible, constantly shifting our plans in order to get the maximum training possible while keeping our Marines safe from COVID-19."

Across the MEU, strict measures have been enforced to prevent the spread of the virus: the wearing of masks, physical distancing, and the continuation of only mission essential training, in accordance with III Marine Expeditionary Force health protection guidance. "The 31st MEU cannot stop training during this time. It's our job to respond to crisis at a moments notice, and our nation and partner nations throughout the region are counting on us to be prepared in case the worst happens," said De Maria.

The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. The 31st MEU has implemented strict health protection measures and will continue to conduct mission essential training in support of regional security and stability.

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Based on the Postal Services operational processes, we believe ballots located at a delivery unit on the morning of July 8, and delivered later that same day, would have been received by the Postal Service on or before July 7, 2020.

Caterson said she has written a letter to Holmes asking for more information on how widespread the problem was, where the unmarked ballots came from and other details, but has received no response.

Holmes could not be reached Friday night.

There were also problems in June with vote-by-mail ballots filled out by voters being returned to them, rather than delivered to the Board of Elections. Couts was one of the voters who got her ballot back.

That mix-up was due to Postal Service staff feeding them into scanners improperly and reading the voters address rather than the boards, according to Assistant County Clerk Mike Sommers.

The board on Friday night expected to count Atlantic City provisional ballots first, since there is a contested mayoral primary there.
VIENNA, July 17 (Reuters) - Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Friday he rejected the current proposal for a mass economic stimulus to help lift EU economies from recession brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

"Our most important central demand is that there should be no long-term debt union... but that what is decided here remains a one-time action," Kurz told broadcaster ORF.

Kurz said he just had talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of a summit of all 27 national EU leaders in Brussels.

"There will be new proposals over night," he said. "There is a dynamic in our direction," he said. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska)
Egypt has stressed its rejection of Turkeys political and military interferences in Arab affairs, describing them as lacking any legitimate basis, one day after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced Egypts actions in war-torn Libya.

In a statement on Saturday, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez affirmed Cairos rejection of Turkish interventions in Iraq, Syria and Libya, saying they violate UN Security Council resolutions.

The Arab nations do not want any attempts or ambitions from those who seek to rule to achieve [their own] interests and goals, Hafez said.

The spokesman expressed surprise over statements from Turkish officials regarding the legitimacy of elected Libyan bodies calling for Egyptian support in combating terrorism and extremism exported from Syria to Libya.

Hafez also expressed surprise over Turkey risking the destiny of its nation by intervening in Arab countries crises to complicate and deepen them and to empower certain currents.

His statements come one day after Erdogan denounced Egypt and the United Arab Emirates on Friday for supporting eastern-based forces led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, describing the steps by Egypt as illegal.

Egypt, the UAE and Russia are backing military commander Khalifa Haftar in the east, while Turkey supports the Tripoli-based GNA.

The Turkish denunciation comes after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told representatives from Libyan tribes on Thursday that Cairo will not stand idle in the face of actions that pose a direct and strong threat to Egypt and Libya, as well as to Arab, regional and international security.

El-Sisi told Libyan tribes in Cairo that he would request parliament's approval in case of intervention in Libya.

The representatives from Libyan tribes arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in conflict-torn Libya.

The tensions come one month after El-Sisi had warned that Cairo has a legitimate right to intervene in the neighbouring country to restore security and stability after GNA-affiliated forces pushed back Haftars forces in the capital.

El-Sisi said that any intervention in Libya by Egyptian forces would be led by the Libyan tribes, stressing that the Libyan frontline of Sirte and Al-Jufra is a red line for Egyptian national security.

The Egyptian presidents statements came weeks after El-Sisi, Haftar, and the speaker of the Libyan parliament Aguila Saleh announced a peace initiative, dubbed the Cairo Declaration, to end the civil war in Libya through a ceasefire and an elected leadership council.

The Cairo plan was drafted after the collapse of an offensive launched by Haftar in April 2019 to capture the Libyan capital, further extending the rival GNAs control over most of northwest Libya.

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Niagara health care workers lag behind their colleagues across Ontario when it comes to getting the flu vaccine, a statistic that could create a deepening crisis in Niagara if a second wave of COVID-19 hits in the fall and winter, The Standard has learned.

On average, around 73 per cent of long-term care workers and 54 per cent of acute care health-care staff get immunized against influenza each year in Ontario. That compares to 55 per cent of long-term care staff and only 35 per cent of acute care workers in Niagara, according to Niagara public health data.

Niagara is definitely behind the rest of the province, said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niagaras acting medical officer of health.

This is definitely a cause for concern. We talk about COVID-19 overwhelming our health care system. Well, influenza comes close to breaking it.

Each year, the influenza virus causes a sharp rise in hospitalizations, said Lynn Guerriero, president of Niagara Health, including more patients in the intensive care unit.

Hirji said while many people regard the flu as not being serious, it can be lethal to the most vulnerable just like COVID-19 is. In the 2017-2018 flu season, approximately 60 Niagara residents died from respiratory illnesses.

To date, at least 64 Niagara residents with COVID-19 have died, many of them seniors.

I am not the public health expert, but I have to believe if more people are getting the flu vaccine that will help enormously, said Guerriero.

The concern among health care leaders, including Hirji and Guerriero, is that local hospitals wont be able to effectively manage a second surge of COVID-19 cases at the same time as the typical wave of influenza patients.

While the annual flu vaccine is not as effective as the measles vaccine, it can still have a dramatic impact on the spread of the influenza virus, Hirji said.

Even if a flu vaccine was only 50 per cent effective, Hirji said, that means half of the people who would have become sick wont.

It also means that in the other 50 per cent, many of them will only have mild illness, he said. It would absolutely have a positive impact.

The vaccine would be a useful tool in limiting the impact of influenza this winter, Hirji said, and allow the hospital to have more resources to combat a new COVID-19 wave. However, Niagara public health has had a difficult time getting widespread use of the flu vaccine in the region despite annual information campaigns.

While Niagara health care worker immunization rates are lower than the provincial average, the immunization rate among the general public is even lower. Hirji said around 20 per cent of Niagara residents get the annual shot, which is available in the early fall.

We are going to push the vaccine as aggressively as possible, but I am not sure what kind of impact it will have, Hirji said. We have been trying to get that message out for years. We have published op-eds. We did a video last year. But it hasnt really resulted in more people getting the vaccine.

Hirji said one of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is that health-care staff can bring a contagious disease into long-term care and retirement homes, where it can spread rapidly.

As it stands, respiratory disease outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes are common during flu season, and the fact so few staff get the vaccine exacerbates the risk.

He said not all health care facilities are the same, however. Some facilities have a rate of immunization approaching 100 per cent, while others are as low as 35 per cent.

In other facilities, like Niagara Health hospitals, the vaccines are brought to staff so they dont have to go elsewhere to get the shot. But the vaccine is not mandatory and health-care workers, like the general public, can choose not to get vaccinated.

Widespread use of vaccines can create herd immunity  if enough people are vaccinated, the disease can no longer effectively spread. Measles, whooping cough, polio and other diseases have been effectively controlled because of herd immunity, which also protects those who cannot take a vaccine for medical reasons.

But the number of people vaccinated has to be high. In the case of measles, for example, more than 90 per cent of a population needs to get the shot to achieve herd immunity.

Given that the influenza vaccine is not as effective as the measles shot  it also has to be reformulated each year to combat the specific strain of flu in circulation  its not clear how many people would need it to reach herd immunity, Hirji said.

But then, he says, aiming for that goal is unrealistic at present.

The numbers of people who actually get the vaccine are so low, that I am not even thinking about herd immunity when it comes to influenza, he said. I would be happy to just see a significant rise in the numbers.
- Seyi Ojelabi has developed a technology to aid and make life easier for people with visual impairment

- Ojelabi is a 300 level student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso

- The technology is also able to detect obstacles and give feedback in form of sounds for easy navigation

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A 300 level student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Seyi Ojelabi, has developed a technology to aid and make life easier for people with visual impairment.

Ojelabi, popularly known as Shyne, is a student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The technology is also able to detect obstacles and give feedback in form of sounds for easy navigation

Source: Original

In an interaction with him, Shyne said the technology named "See-Tok" was developed to give aid and make life better for visually impaired individuals.

Seyi Ojelabi is a 300 level student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso

Source: Original

According to Legit.ng's regional reporter Khalid Imran, Ojelabi said the technology is also able to detect obstacles on their ways and give feedback in form of sounds for easy navigation.

The technology

Source: Original

Shyne said that the condition of his visually impaired cousin inspired him to develop the technology, stressing that ever since the development of "See-Tok", his cousin has been independent.

He said he was joyful to see his cousin independent, adding that he believed that such joy could be multiplied by replicating the development for several other visually impaired individuals.

At the Nigeria Training Centre for the Blind in Ogbomoso, one of the blinds on whom the technology was tested expressed his delight in the technology.

He said: "If this kind of technology could be done, there is hope for we visually impaired persons in Nigeria, that there is more on the way."

Seyi is also currently working on an advancement in the technology which will be able to detect currency and colours and some other things.

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Bilal Ansari prepares to speak to the crowd gathered at the junction of Main Street and Colonial Avenue on Friday. Demonstrators make the 1.3-mile trek from Field Park to the Colonial Village neighborhood. Demonstrators make the 1.3-mile trek from Field Park to the Colonial Village neighborhood. Colonial Village residents Kashia Pierprzak and Tiku Majumder spoke to the crowd. One of the many homemade signs at Friday's rally. PreviousNext

Barrett Answers Williamstown Residents' Call for Law to Address Racist Covenant



Organizer Jessica Dils hangs a new sign to replace the marker for the turnoff to the Colonial Village neighborhood from Main Street (Route 2).

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  A document meant to divide the community brought scores of residents together on Friday evening in search of healing.

The weekly vigil for racial justice at Field Park concluded with a 1.3-mile walk up Main Street (Route 2) to the junction with Colonial Avenue.

There, activists and residents of the neighborhood  many protesters themselves  talked about how to deal with the hateful legacy of the exclusionary covenants that still accompany deeds to homes in the development known as Colonial Village.

An emotional Bilal Ansari told the crowd that he was thinking about his great-grandfather and great-grandmother, who were buried just across the street in East Lawn Cemetery.

"Remember a time when people because of the color of my skin were not welcome here," said Ansari, who this week was appointed to a newly forming town committee on equity and inclusion.

"I'm channeling [my great-grandparents'] strength to be here, their strength, their silence when they couldn't speak up because. They were afraid."

This summer, the current residents of Colonial Village are speaking up about the vestigial covenants , which many if not most did not know about when they bought their homes.

"As a long-time resident  well, 25 years is not long for some  but as a Williamstown resident of this neighborhood and on behalf of my family, I want to thank Bilal for his act of sharing and bringing his experience to us," Tiku Majumder said. "Our family was shocked to learn of the presence of this racist language in the neighborhood covenant  regardless of its lack of legal basis  which we, and many of our neighbors, were unaware of until just two weeks ago.

"Since that day, we have been learning and listening, talking and beginning to take action.  While the aim of the original language targeted Black residents, we know that we and other families who presently live here also would have been excluded."

Kashia Pierprzak joined Majumder in welcoming the marchers to the neighborhood and talked about one concrete step the residents have taken.

"As a neighborhood, we are gathering and we are taking action to reckon with that history," Pierprzak said. "One of the steps that we wanted to share with you is something that we just learned last night.  On behalf of the neighborhood, we wrote five days ago to our Massachusetts legislators to consider filing legislation similar to legislation passed in Washington State that would allow a property owner to file a document that legally strikes the void and unenforceable provisions from the deed without erasing that history.

"John Barrett, our state representative, was quick to respond and do further legal research needed to propose legislation. Last night, he wrote to us to say that he would be filing that legislation this week."

Friday evening, Barrett confirmed that the bill is in the hopper, and he said he expects it will have a number next week.

The North Adams Democrat said he does not know if there will be time to pass the legislation in the busy session set to conclude on July 31, but he has every confidence that it will pass either this session or next when it comes to a vote.

"Smitty Pignatelli said he wants to sign onto it," Barrett said. "I mentioned it to him, and he said he'd like to be the first signer onto it. I'd fully expect the Berkshire delegation will join, but it should get a significant number of other signatures with it. ... Were going to get it passed. It's just a question of whether we can get it done by July 31."

Barrett said his legislation would allow homeowners to easily change the antiquated language.

"What it basically says in layman's terms is it will allow people who have this language in their deed to petition the land court," Barrett said. "The land court may order removal of such language and strike the void provision from the record.

"Its a very simple procedure. It shouldn't be expensive or anything."

Barrett said he expects the bill to draw interest from his colleagues in the more populous eastern end of the commonwealth.

Back in his district, demonstrators Friday were thinking about the covenants and other ways their racist attitudes were perpetuated, right down to the naming of the housing development itself.

Friday's festivities ended with neighborhood resident Martino Donati taking down the familiar white and purple sign marking the turnoff for the development and organizers replacing it with a Black Lives Matter sign.

Ansari first reminded his audience about the importance of language and symbolism and how perpetuating attitudes of colonialism continues a painful, exclusionary past.

"There are people who never got the opportunity to speak," he said. "And we are standing on unceded land of the Mahican peoples. They never got the opportunity to speak. Or they were spoken to, and their treaty was taken and not honored. I want to honor them.

"This has to go," he said, pointing to the Colonial Village sign. "I'm calling for a renaming from the bottom of my heart. I don't care what you name it. But name it something that represents you and not the ones who wrote that nasty deed that forbid people like me."
The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police arrested Sanjay Jain alias Sanjay Bardia late at night on Friday on charges of toppling the Congress-led government.

Earlier in the day, Jain was called for questioning on the basis of the Rajasthan chief whip Mahesh Joshis complaint that he was one of the three persons, whose names figured in three audiotapes that had surfaced the previous evening and were purportedly involved in horse-trading to dislodge the Ashok Gehlot-led government.

Jain, who belongs to Loonkaransar town in Rajasthans Bikaner district, is a power broker and is perceived to be close to both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

Jain, whom the Congress has accused of being a BJP leader, is a former block president of Indian Youth Congress.

Also read| Rebel Rajasthan lawmakers being moved to BJPs Karnataka: Congress

His father, too, was a local Congress leader and his family have been a supporter of the party for almost a decade, said a Congress supporter from Bikaner, requesting anonymity.

Jain was also appointed as the secretary of the district rural Congress in Bikaner. He came in contact with Congress leadership in 1993, when Balram Jakhar was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) from Bikaner and he became a close aide to the veteran Congress leader. Jakhar would stay in his house, whenever he visited Loonkaransar, as his home was the only place in town that had an air-conditioner, said the supporter quoted above.

He said Jain was often spotted at Raj Bhavan in Bhopal, when Jakhar became the governor of Madhya Pradesh (MP).

A close friend of Jain said that after coming in touch with the former chief minister and BJP leader Vasundhra Raje during the 2003 assembly elections, Jain moved to Jaipur, which helped him to expand his network in political circles -- cutting across party lines -- and also bureaucracy.

Also read: BJP demands CBI probe into audio tapes released by Congress amid Rajasthan crisis

Jain has developed enormous contacts in both the Congress and the BJP using his immense network skills. He owns a beverage factory in Dubai and was planning a similar venture on his plot along the Bikaner-Jaipur highway near Sikar. His primary focus is to become rich, his friend said.

Jain has uploaded several pictures on social media flaunting his proximity with BJP leaders.

Laxman Kadwasara, the former district president of Congress, Bikaner (rural), said Jain is more interested in expanding his business than politics.

Though I havent met him in the last few years, but I keep hearing a lot about him, said Kadwasara.

State BJP president Satish Poonia alleged that Jain is a Congress leader. He has been a block president of Congress in Bikaner, he said.

A SOG official said that Jain had come to Jaipur from Bikaner on Thursday amid the high political drama over the fate of the Gehlot government.
MANILA, Philippines  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has urged the public not to use masks with valves as protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In an interview, FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said masks with valves are not registered for medical purposes and they are manufactured only to provide protection against dust, such as those used in industrial firms.

Domingo pointed out that those who wear masks with valves are only provided one-way protection.

Ang proteksyon niya one-way, eh ang gusto natin ang proteksyon ng mask ay two-way. Kung tayo ay walang sakit hindi tayo mahahawa, kung tayo ay may sakit hindi tayo manghahawa, Domingo added.

Domingo advised that wearing medical and surgical masks is still best to be used in public, adding that even cloth masks will serve the purpose.

Sa mga ospital o sa mga naga-alaga ng may sakit, gusto po talaga natin medical or surgical use na mga masks. Pero kung everyday use, kahit naman po mga cloth masks. Mas safe pa po ang mga regular masks na walang valve, he said.

Domingo added that the FDA has also advised hospitals to prohibit the entry of persons wearing masks with valves.

On Friday (July 17), the Medical City Clinic, has released its advisory against wearing masks with valves, prohibiting those wearing such entry to its premises.

While masks with valves are designed to ease exhalation and decrease humidity for the wearer, they do not block Posted by The Medical City Clinic on Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Meanwhile, data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows that, as of 4PM of July 17, the total number of COVID-19 cases is now at 63,001.

The data also shows a total of 1,841 confirmed cases based on the total tests done by 76 out of 84 current operational labs.

The DOH likewise announced 311 recoveries that brings the total number of recoveries to 21,748.  /mbmf

The post FDA warns against use of masks with valves vs COVID-19 appeared first on UNTV News.
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Linkedin (Kyodo News) Tokyo  Sat, July 18, 2020 15:13 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066761c18 2 Entertainment Haruma-Miura,suicide,actor,Japan Free

Popular Japanese actor Haruma Miura was found hanging Saturday at his Tokyo home and was later confirmed dead at a hospital, investigative sources said. He was 30.

Police believe Miura, who appeared in a number of movies including "Attack on Titan," "Eien no Zero" (Eternal Zero), "Kimi ni Todoke" (From Me to You), and "Koizora" (Sky of Love), committed suicide. The sources said the actor was found by his manager at his home and an apparent suicide note was in his room.

"To fans and people concerned, we apologize for the worry and the inconvenience caused, but as to details we are still confirming and will inform you once again," his management company Amuse Inc. said in a statement.

"The Confidence Man JP - Episode of the Princess" in which he had a role as a "romance scammer," is slated to hit Japanese screens next Thursday.

Read also: Japan suicides at historic low in 2019 but more teens kill themselves

Fans were shocked at the sudden death of the actor, who also started a career as a singer last year.

"I really liked his acting. I'm extremely sorry to hear of the passing of such a young life," a woman in her 40s commented on Facebook.

Miura was scheduled to appear in a TV drama series starting in September and a musical kicking off at the year-end.

On his Instagram account, he had often posted pictures of dishes he cooked. On his 30th birthday in April, the actor posted a video in which he talked about his eagerness to "deliver fans fine and high-quality entertainment."

Miura, originally from Ibaraki Prefecture, entered the profession as a child actor. He subsequently featured in television dramas such as "Bloody Monday," "Last Cinderella" and the "Gokusen" series.

He also appeared in a number of NHK period dramas and on stage, such as in the Japanese adaptation of the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots" in which he won the Haruko Sugimura Award in 2017 for his role as a drag queen.

__________

Editor's note: This article has been updated on July 19 with new information.
Two federal cabinet ministers spent Friday afternoon touring two Peterborough businesses that stepped to the plate to help with the local supply of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Mary Ng joined Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Minister Maryam Monsef, the MP for Peterborough-Kawartha, during a tour Friday of AVIT Manufacturing on Fisher Drive in Peterboroughs Major Bennett Industrial Park.

Our local businesses are an integral part of the fabric that makes our community so strong, Monsef stated. They are job creators, innovators, and they care deeply about our community and the people who live in it. In these most challenging of times, businesses large and small have come together to use their talents and tools to show their strength and resilience.

Ng and Monsef also toured the Imprinted Apparel store on The Kingsway in Peterborough.

Businesses like AVIT Manufacturing and Imprinted Apparel Store are excellent examples of resilience and innovation, Ng stated.

Whether its family-owned businesses on main street, innovative startups, or dynamic women entrepreneurs  our government is working hard to support Canadian businesses through COVID-19  helping them rebuild in the months to come.

AVIT Manufacturing mobilized to help other local businesses make personal protective equipment since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Even before government officials reached out to Canadian manufacturers for solutions to the PPE shortage, AVIT Manufacturing began looking on March 20 at ways to use the companys 18 years experience providing engineering solutions for product research and development to support the growing demand for medical devices and personal protective equipment.

AVIT helped local manufacturers source the necessary tooling and equipment available locally to manufacture Health Canada-approved products.

AVIT is now offering those services, along with a turnkey solution the company developed to automatically manufacture surgical masks, through Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Developments newly developed Business Collaboration Portal.

Rhonda Barnet, AVITs president and chief operating officer, is also serving as one of nine business leaders from across the country on the federal governments Industry Strategy Council.

The council shares direct perspectives on the scope of the challenges that Canadian industries are dealing with in the face of COVID-19 and provides advice on economic policy solutions, according to a release from Monsefs office.

Peterborough has a long history as a manufacturing town with a deeply embedded sense of community building, Barnet stated.

Many great social and economic assets were built in Peterborough from the goodwill and support of the local manufacturing sector. It was no surprise that at the start of the pandemic in Canada that the Peterborough manufacturing community banded together to develop local PPE solutions to support our community to avert worst case scenarios experienced in other countries.

The Imprinted Apparel Store, a producer of custom apparel and promotional products, adapted to the pandemic by adding face masks to the companys product availability and increasing its online capabilities.

The company, located on The Kingsway, is also one of three women-led businesses in Peterborough-Kawartha who have received funding through the federal governments Women Entrepreneurship Fund, receiving $100,000 to expand e-commerce opportunities and purchase equipment to improve operations.

We are extremely grateful for the support of the Womens Entrepreneurship Fund, stated Lesley Smith, co-founder and co-owner of Imprinted Apparel.

When we had to close our doors to the public due to COVID, our online sales model allowed us to partner with the Bobcaygeon COVID Relief Fund and the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation to raise over $16,000. As we enter Stage 3, we are in a position to support our customers with virtual meetings and online stores for their merchandise, minimizing the necessity for in person contact.

Other Peterborough-Kawartha businesses that have received WEF funding include:

Unlock Math Inc.  the online digital math course provider received $100,000 to implement an online platform.

Mallory Charmaine Graham, operating as Tribal Trade Co.  the retailer that offers products and gifts from First Nations received $80,000 to develop and implement a digital marketing plan, undertake professional development and hire advisory services.

Imprinted Apparel was also able to rehire 10 of its staff members by accessing the federal governments Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program.

On Friday Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced the federal government is easing eligibility rules for the emergency wage subsidy and changing the amounts businesses can receive.

The government had been under pressure to make the subsidy more accessible, specifically by loosening the requirement of a 30 per cent drop in revenues, so more companies under that cut-off can qualify.

The rules will be changed so amounts paid out will be proportional to revenue declines due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Morneau said in Toronto on Friday.

Morneaus fiscal update last week boosted the budget for the program to $82.3 billion from $45 billion in a sign of impending changes and an extension beyond this summer.

Morneau says the program will now end Dec. 19.

Hes hoping the extension will give companies confidence to rehire workers, knowing what the rules are and that the program will be around for longer.

The most recent federal figures for the program show the government has given almost $20.4 billion in payroll help to about 262,200 companies.

The governments proposed changes to the wage subsidy will be debated next week in the House of Commons in Ottawa.

 with files from The Canadian Press
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

The clashes and bloody battles that have taken place in recent days have once again demonstrated the power of the Azerbaijani state and its army, the unity between the people and the government, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

As for the reasons for the Armenian military provocation, of course, we cannot know them for sure, life will tell. But there are many logical assumptions, and I would like to share my thoughts on this with the citizens of Azerbaijan. I believe that the first reason is the current political and economic crisis in Armenia. This is no secret to anyone. Two years ago, a group funded from abroad, receiving salaries and instructions from foreign funds and using their coup technologies, seized power by illegal means and made many promises. They promised that there would be prosperity and paradise in Armenia. They stated that investments of tens of billions of dollars would be made in Armenia in a short time, the population of Armenia would soon reach 5 million although it is less than 2 million people now, life in Armenia would be rebuilt, there would be justice, democracy would develop, human rights would be protected  they made other promises, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that the Armenian people are so disgusted with Sargsyan's regime that they would have believed anyone.



If someone else had organized that coup, the Armenian people would have voted for him as well because the hatred for Sargsyan's regime was enormous. The group that took advantage of this and seized power by force had to fulfill these promises to the end. But how can they do it if there is no experience, competence, domestic resources or foreign investment? On the contrary, today they treat foreign investors with contempt and drag them into litigation. Strategic investors who are helping Armenia stand on its feet are being prosecuted and accused of corruption. They are committing dirty deeds even against companies of the country they are attached to, so to speak. Of course, all of this will scare any potential investor away. If this is how you treat the closest companies that invest in your country, create infrastructure there and provide your people with jobs, then what should investors from other countries think? said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state noted that therefore, it is natural that the collapse of these promises has already led to the emergence of a crisis in Armenia.

How did the authorities react to this? Instead of uniting society, it actually creates political prisoners, political opponents are detained, prosecuted and deprived of immunity, the constitution is flagrantly violated, illegal amendments that are possible only through a referendum are made to it. They know perfectly well that these amendments will not pass in a referendum. Power has been usurped and there is no division of powers. Power is concentrated in the hands of one person, there is no democracy at all and never has been. What kind of democracy, human rights can we talk about in a fascist state? But the current situation is even more deplorable, because the promises made for the economic sphere were never fulfilled, while from a political point of view Armenia has driven itself into isolation. This was once again confirmed by their silly actions related to the convocation of a special session of the UN General Assembly on the initiative of Azerbaijan. The whole world supported us, only Armenia opposed, said President Ilham Aliyev.
Actress Maanvi Gagroo on Saturday tweeted a witty reply to filmmaker R. Balki's defence of star kids, particularly Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.

"How to apply Sir?" Maanvi wrote on her verified Twitter account. She added: "P.S. I do like both Alia and Ranbir though."

How to apply Sir? https://t.co/HxS6gmTUWh  Maanvi Gagroo (@maanvigagroo) July 17, 2020



P.S. I do like both Alia & Ranbir though.  Maanvi Gagroo (@maanvigagroo) July 17, 2020



Maanvi is among an increasing number of Bollywood denizens who have reacted to Balki's comment that it is "unfair" to criticise star kids saying "they have an unfair or bigger advantage" in the film industry.

"The question is do they (star kids) have an unfair or bigger advantage? Yes, there are pros and cons. But I'd ask one simple question:?Find me a better actor than Alia (Bhatt) or Ranbir (Kapoor), and we'll argue. It's unfair on these few people who're probably some of the finest actors," Balki has told Hindustan Times in an interview while talking about nepotism in the film industry.
One person who was injured has been hospitalized.

SRINAGAR: Three members of a family were killed in Pakistani artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday night.

The J-K police and Indian Army officials said that during a ceasefire violation a mortar shell fired from across the de facto border hit the house of one Mohammad Rafiq in Karmara village of Poonch, killing the 58-year-old owner , his wife Rafia Bi (50) and son Irfan (15) on the spot. One person who was injured has been hospitalized, they said.

The officials said the shelling started at 9.20 pm and that the Indian troops gave a "strong and befitting reply to unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops".

In Islamabad, the Pakistani officials said "Indian Army troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation in Rakhchikri and Baroh sectors along the LoC, targeting civilian population. Two women, residents of Kirni and Gahi village were injured. There have been 1,697 ceasefire violations by Indian troops in 2020 to date".
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

After Armenias dirty deed, second phase of retaliation operation began on my instruction, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

In the past two days, crushing blows were dealt to the enemy again. According to the information we have, dozens of Armenian servicemen have been killed, a significant part of their border strongholds have been completely destroyed, including the entire infrastructure of the notorious post they cited as a pretext. This post no longer exists. The Azerbaijani army with precise and aimed fire destroyed the hardware, warehouses of weapons and ammunition, enemy strongholds, cars, tanks and places of deployment of troops. I would not like to say anything else about the operation because it is a military secret, this information is of secret nature. However, we have circulated some video footage. This is only a small part of the operations carried out by the Azerbaijani army. We showed everything we could. I think that at this stage it would be wrong to give any more information, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that however, these videos clearly demonstrate the accuracy with which the infrastructure, manpower, trenches, posts and strongholds of the enemy are being destroyed.

I must say that in recent days the Azerbaijani army has once again demonstrated its advantage. I believe that this operation will take its place in the glorious history of the Azerbaijani army. Just as in 2016, during the April battles, we taught the enemy a lesson and liberated a part of the Aghdara, Fizuli, and Jabrayil regions from it. Two years ago, in 2018, as a result of a successful Nakhchivan operation, the Azerbaijani army liberated an area of more than ten thousand hectares, the occupiers were expelled from these regions. The strategic heights taken by the Azerbaijani army allow us to control several settlements in Armenia. We control the road leading from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. At one time - in the early 1990s - the Armenian forces that occupied part of the territory of Nakhchivan were expelled, expelled from these territories, the flag of Azerbaijan was raised on these lands, added President Ilham Aliyev.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Police are investigating after someone crashed a car into a home, backed out of the home and left, police say.

The crash happened about 2:30 a.m. on Crennell Avenue in the citys Cortlett neighborhood, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Investigators learned someone crashed a car into a home on the street, then backed out and drove away from the wreck, Ciaccia said.

Building inspectors were called to the scene. Police have made no arrests in the incident as of late Saturday morning.

Read more crime stories on cleveland.com:

Driver injured after crashing into Cleveland bus shelter, concrete median, police say

Officials identify man killed in Bedford shooting

Shooting in Bedford leaves 1 male dead, police say

$5,000 reward for information about man accused of killing Akron man, 1-year-old daughter in fatal crash

Man killed, two others injured in shooting during dice game in Cleveland, police say
Calls for the new Covid tracking app to be made an all island approach were sounded this week.

Louth Councillor Edel Corrigan said it was 'disappointing to see this is not on an all-island basis.'

Cllr Corrigan explained: 'I downloaded the App on the first morning and already there had been 88,000 check ins by 10.30am. I noticed the statistical information provided appeared to only cover 26 of our 32 counties.'

'The App says it is 'being made available by the Irish Health Service Executive in conjunction with the Irish Department of Health for people across the island of Ireland'. However, Cllr Corrigan said: 'you can only register as living in your County if you live in one of the nominated 26 counties and you appear to be excluded if you live in any of the remaining six counties of Ireland.'

'My understanding is that they use Bluetooth technology which could in fact mean that the whole 32 counties could well be covered but what is the point if no-one in the six counties registers, and they are certainly not being encouraged to do so?'

'This does not bode well' continued Cllr Corrigan 'for anyone who lives in a border county or who travels across the border as many people do on a daily basis in this area. I am quite concerned at the obvious flaw in the App. COVID 19 must be tackled with an all-island approach. A virus does not recognise borders, it won't suddenly stop at Dundalk and I feel the people of Louth are once again being punished and let down simply because of geography.'

Cllr Corrigan called on the HSE and Department of Health to 'enhance or modify the App to ensure that it does what is being promised.'

'If we are serious about tackling this virus, then we need to get serious about the tools we use and ensure they are fit for purpose. My fear is that if people, especially in border counties, have this App it may lull them into a false sense of security as the data will be incomplete at best.'

Dundalk Senator John McGahon has urged people in County Louth to download the COVID tracking App to help confront the challenge of the coronavirus.

Speaking on the launch of the tracking app, Senator McGahon said 'To help the country through this crisis the Covid response app has three functions, contact tracing, symptom tracking and news and information. In terms of Contact Tracing, the app records if users are in close contact with another app user. If an App user tests positive for Covid-19 the app will alert other app users that have been closer than two metres for more than 15 minutes.

In terms of Symptom Tracking, there is a Daily Health check in were users can help slow the spread of COVID-19 by telling the HSE how they are feeling every day. If users do have symptoms, then the app will give them advice on what to do.'

He added: 'Finally, the App will also act as a definitive source of news and information, it will provide users with the latest facts and figures about Covid-19 in Ireland and signpost them to information that will help them care for themselves if they are sick.'

Senator McGahon said: 'Within just a few hours of launching, already 100,000 people had downloaded the app, it only takes two minutes and will greatly help the country stay as safe as possible as we face in a potential second wave of the virus.'
The Republican Party of Texass biennial convention got off to a rocky start on Thursday.

The gathering, which was originally to be held at Houstons George R. Brown Convention Center, was forced to move online after Mayor Sylvester Turner intervened this month, citing the imprudence of holding the event in person in one of the nations coronavirus hot spots.

The backup virtual event was bedeviled by technical difficulties.

Delegates and attendees spent hours languishing in the comments section of the partys Facebook livestream, as party officials struggled to get through the online credentialing process.

By the evening, they were ready to admit defeat, at least temporarily.

I am sorry that today did not go much, much better," said Texas GOP Chair James Dickey on Thursday night, at the beginning of an emergency meeting of the State Republican Executive Committee. As the chair, that is my responsibility, and I accept that responsibility.

After several hours of discussion, the SREC voted overwhelmingly to take Friday off and resume convention business Saturday. On Friday morning, the Texas GOP joined a lawsuit, filed by Houston activist Steve Hotze, challenging Turners cancellation of the in-person convention.

The Republican Party of Texas has attempted a virtual convention and found that it is an unworkable platform, the party said in its filing.

On Friday afternoon, a federal judge agreed  but Dickey, in a statement, announced that the party would proceed with plans for a virtual convention after all. The legal sideshow was resolved early Saturday when the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overruled the U.S. district judges decision that the party could hold an in-person convention at the convention center.

All of this elicited plenty of derision from observers on social media, as well as merriment from the Texas Democratic Party, which issued a press release sardonically endorsing Dickeys bid to be reelected chairman of the state GOP. He is being challenged by former U.S. Rep. Allen West and conservative activist Amy Hedtke.

Under Dickeys leadership, the Republican Party of Texas is in complete turmoil, the Democrats explained.

Thats true, but it would be unfair to solely blame Dickey.

For some years, Texas Republican leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have been solicitous of the partys most ardent activists, even as the statewide electorate shows signs of moderation. The result is that the Republican Party of Texas is being led by its loudest voices into disarray. That much was illustrated, at the beginning of the week, by the work of the Temporary Rules Committee.

Committee members adopted language, for the party platform, which would stiffen punishments for GOP elected officials who have been censured by the state or county parties: Those officials would not be able to appear on the ballot in the Republican primary. This comes after Abbott has been censured by a number of county parties over what some conservatives see as his heavy-handed leadership during the course of the pandemic thus far, a view shared by few medical experts as Texas number of COVID-19 infections has spiked following Abbotts reopening of the state in May.

And some Republicans decried the move, as one with superficial appeal but troubling implications.

This is Soviet-style central committee governance, objected Melinda Determan Fredricks, a former vice chairwoman of the Texas GOP, in a Facebook post explaining that only a handful of Republican voters are involved in the decision to censure anybody.

The American, constitutional way to censure an elected official and prevent (that official) from being elected again is for the decision to be made by the voters via the ballot box, she continued.

The committee also adopted a plank calling for the creation of an electoral college-type system for electing statewide officials, which political scientist Jay Kumar Aiyer described on Twitter as ridiculous and anti-democratic.

This might be the clearest sign that the state GOP believes their ability to actually win the popular vote in Texas is coming to an end, Aiyer added.

But perhaps the clearest sign that the party is still in thrall to its activists came when the governor himself addressed the delegates, via video message, on Thursday.

I know that many of all you are frustrated. So am I, said Abbott. I know that many of you do not like the mask requirement. I dont either.

But the mask requirement is, he continued, a necessary evil: The last thing that any of us want is to lock Texas down again. We must do all that we can to prevent that.

The governor then tried to mollify the critics who have turned on him in recent weeks.

Many of you say my orders are unconstitutional, Abbott said. But remember, I was the attorney general who fought for your First Amendment, your Second Amendment and your 10th Amendment rights at the United States Supreme Court. I will never abandon the Constitution, and I haven't here.

He implored the party faithful to focus on the things that still unite them  their support for President Donald Trump and their desire to defeat former Vice President Joe Biden.

It was a strangely conciliatory speech from a governor who was reelected by double digits in 2018, and continues to have a high statewide approval rating, even if hes aggravated the activists who have disproportionate influence over his party  and, it seems, his administration.

erica.grieder@chron.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 21:24:43|Editor: huaxia

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WINDHOEK, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese artist collaborated with three artists from Namibia for a song aimed at helping decrease gender-based violence worldwide.

The song, titled "The Gender-Based Violence Song," features Chinese artist Geng Shudong and Zulu boy, Chezlam and Lilianah from Namibia.

Geng said working with Namibian artists was a huge privilege for him.

"The reason why I decided to partake on this project is because I don't like it when people abuse each other," Geng said.

Geng came to Namibia two years ago. He is working as a water meter engineer.

Zulu boy said the song serves as a wake-up call to those who abuse others. Zulu boy is excited to feature a Chinese national for the time.

"I met Geng on social media. We exchanged contact cellphone numbers. A few weeks later we met up and teamed up for the project. I loved working with him because we both don't condone abuse. While working with him I have learned a lot about the Chinese culture and China. This project was a lot of fun," he said.

Zulu boy urges artists world wide to start working with each other. According to him, this will better the world.

"Teaming up with another national is the prefect platform to learn about other people and their countries. Let's team up and create a beautiful world," he said.
Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington after stepping off Marine One: AP/Patrick Semansky

Donald Trump said he was "saddened" to hear the news of Congressman John Lewis' death after the civil rights leader died on Friday. Earlier on Saturday, Congresswoman Karen Bass, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, told the president he should not issue a statement so people could "mourn in peace".

The president ordered earlier for the flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other public buildings for the remainder of the day.

Many prominent politicians and leaders like Barack Obama, Bernice King, Vice President Mike Pence, and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany have also honoured Mr Lewis in a statements.

Mr Trump waited to issue a statement until later. Instead, he wrote and retweeted more than 40 tweets from Friday night into Saturday about topics like Joe Biden and his niece, who just released a scathing book about the president.



An interview with the president and Fox News' Chris Wallace is scheduled to air on Sunday. In a sneak peak of the interview, Mr Trump gets angry when the Fox News host challenged him about a false claim he made about Mr Biden. Mr Trump claimed Mr Biden supports defunding the police in a new policy he released with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, but that is not true.

Portland protests have continued following the death of George Floyd. But what has angered Portland officials, including the mayor, is federal agents being brought in by the Trump administration to control the protesters. The Portland mayor called for Mr Trump to get his "troops" out of the city.

All of this comes as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the United States. In response to the pandemic, Mr Trump held his first "tele-rally" for Wisconsin on Friday evening. He said these tele-rallies would replace in-person rallies until the coronavirus pandemic is controlled.
When I walked through that door, Dr. King said: Are you the boy from Troy? Are you John Lewis? And I said, Dr. King, I am John Robert Lewis. So from that moment on, he started calling me The Boy From Troy. The 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom approaches later this month. Representative John Lewis, a son of Alabama sharecroppers and now a member of Congress, is the sole surviving speaker from that day. This is all of us standing before the ceremony. You could see hundreds and thousands of people coming toward Constitution Avenue. And we knew then that we were going to have many more people than we expected. It was a very special day. I felt so uplifted and so moved. Historians tend to focus on Martin Luther Kings famous speech. But Mr. Lewis might have grabbed the spotlight if he had given the speech he was planning. And I didnt think what President Kennedy had proposed went far enough. I thought it was too little and I thought it was too late. You tried to say that. I tried to say it, and some people didnt like what I had planned to say. And we made some changes. Two years later, he led another march, in Selma, Ala. What happened there horrified the nation. When we got to the top of the bridge, the highest point on the bridge, down below we saw a sea of blue: Alabama state troopers. And we continued to walk. I had a concussion at the bridge. I thought I saw death. I thought I was going to die. And I stood up and said something like, I dont understand it. How President Johnson can send troops to Vietnam and cannot send troops to Selma, Ala., to protect people whom he desires to register to vote. You almost lost your life. I gave a little blood. In 1986, Mr. Lewis was elected to Congress. Today, in many ways, he is still fighting a half-century-old battle. This June the Supreme Court struck down a central part of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Mr. Lewis had witnessed President Johnson sign the bill into law. I was sad. I almost cried. But I wouldnt let tears come down. I just wouldnt do it. It made me very sad because there were people who literally gave their very lives for the right to vote. If it hadnt been for the March on Washington, the Civil Rights Act of 64, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, for the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. and involvement of hundreds and thousands of other people, there would be no Barack Obama as president of the United States. Later this month Mr. Lewis will go back to the Lincoln Memorial for a 50th anniversary march. When people tell him they are discouraged about race relations, he tells them how far we have come. Our world is different. We live in a different world. Its a better place. It is a better place. The fear is gone. And I think all of us in America today, were a little more human.
Several members from Tamil film fraternity have written to the Centre asking to confer the honour of Dadasaheb Phalke Award on the veteran filmmaker Bharathiraja.

The list of popular Tamil celebs who have appealed to the Centre include Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan, Dhanush, Vetrimaaran, Bala, Priyadarshan, Pandiraj and Sreekar Prasad among others. The appeal was made via a letter on Bharathirajas 78th birthday on Friday.

On this special day of Shri Bharathirajas 78th birthday, we from Indian film industry, recognized by Government of India for our works appeal to you to consider him for this years coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indias highest award in cinema, which will be a fitting tribute to this living legend and a right recognition at the right time for his huge contribution to Indian cinema with multiple achievements for over 43 years, read the letter.

Bharathiraja started his career as an assistant to popular Kannada filmmaker Puttana Kanagal. In 1977, he made his directorial debut with Tamil film 16 Vayathinile, which featured Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Sridevi.

Also read: Shekhar Kapur reacts to R Balkis find me better actors than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor comment: Just saw Kai Po Che again

Popular for his village-themed films, Bharathiraja is also popular for films such as Sigappu Rojakkal, Alaigal Oivathillai and Tik Tik Tik among others. He has also made films in Hindi such as Karishma, Aakhree Raasta and Red Rose among others.

With over 40 films to his career as a filmmaker, Bharathiraja turned to acting in the last decade. He has played key roles in Tamil films such as Pandinaadu, Kurangu Bommai and Namma Veetu Pillai among others.

In 20014, he was conferred with the Padma Shri award. Hes also a recipient of six National Awards.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Washington: The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington has removed a graphic that attempted to describe "aspects and assumptions about white culture" from its website after criticism from conservatives that it was racist.

The graphic, found in the "Whiteness" section of the Smithsonian museum's "Talking About Race" portal, described 14 categories of "white dominant culture, or whiteness," including history, religion, family structure and justice. The chart included the phrases "win at all costs", "woman's beauty based on blonde, thin - 'Barbie'" and "heavy value on ownership of goods, space and property" were listed as attributes of white culture. Hard work, self-reliance, respect of authority and "the nuclear family - father, mother, 2.3 children is the ideal social unit" were also listed.

Donald Trump jnr said the attributes listed as "white" were American values. Credit:AP

Criticism of the graphic took off this week. On social media, conservative author Ben Shapiro described the chart as crazy and evil and said it "suggests all pathways to success - hard work, stable family structure, individual decision-making - represent complicity in white supremacy".

US President Donald Trump's son Donald Trump jnr tweeted the graphic on Wednesday and tied to it the presidential campaign, writing, "These aren't 'white' values. They're American values that built the world's greatest civilisation. They help you succeed here, no matter your colour. So make no mistake, Biden's radicals aren't coming for 'whites,' they're coming for the entire American way of life."
Read what is in the news today.

Politics

 Vietnam has provided US$100,000 to China to support its government and people in overcoming the consequences of recent devastating floods and earthquakes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.

Society

 Ho Chi Minh Citys Department of Tourism and Department of Health have collaborated to introduce a website to promote medical tourism in the southern metropolis to visitors, the first of its kind in Vietnam.

 A male Russian expert who entered Vietnam on July 11 and was immediately quarantined tested positive for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Friday evening, raising the countrys COVID-19 infections to 382.

 A 58-year-old Vietnamese woman from Hanoi was able to reunite with her family on Friday after 24 years in China as a victim of human trafficking while she was being treated at a centralized COVID-19 quarantine camp in the northern province of Lang Son after being repatriated from Guangxi, China on July 3.

 Nearly 280 Vietnamese citizens in Russia and Belarus were brought home safely on Friday thanks to the coordination between Vietnamese authorities, representative agencies, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and the Vietnamese Embassies in Russia and Belarus.

 Out of 12 Pakistani pilots with a valid working contract with Vietnamese airlines, nine have been confirmed by the Pakistani government to be using legal and valid licenses while three are still pending verification, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam said on Friday, citing confirmation from the Pakistani Embassy in Hanoi.

 Vaccine Vietnam JSC has launched a new vaccination clinic in Ho Chi Minh Citys Binh Tan District, the seventh of its kind in the city and 33rd nationwide.

 The Politburo, the Vietnamese Party's top decision-making body, has agreed with a master plan to turn the north-central province of Thanh Hoa into a wealthy, civilized and modern province by 2030 during a meeting in Hanoi on Friday.

Business

 The Peoples Committee of Da Nang on Friday afternoon held a webinar themed Da Nang  the Next Southeast Asias Silicon Valley for Investment with the participation of representatives from about 100 businesses in the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia to promote the central Vietnamese city as an ideal destination for investors in the tech sector.

 Ho Chi Minh Citys deputy chairman Duong Anh Duc suggested at a workshop on the urbanization of Nha Be District on Friday that the suburban district can follow the development model of Thao Dien Ward in District 2, a once-rural area that has been turned into a neighborhood populated with high-end villas and a vibrant community of foreigners in the city.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Demonstrators clashed with police in Portland, Oregon, in the early hours of July 18, with eyewitnesses sharing video of officers rushing towards people.

Portland Police tweeted that a protest had been declared an unlawful assembly and ordered people to leave. Failure to follow this direction may subject you to arrest, citation, or use of force including crowd control munitions, police said.

This incident followed weeks of anti-racism protests around the citys federal courthouse in the wake of George Flodys death in late May. Credit: @JuniperLSimonis via Storyful
Churches are in dispute with an insurer which convinced parishes to 'put your faith in us'  but which they allege failed to pay out on claims made as a result of the pandemic lockdown.

They are seeking to clarify in court whether Ecclesiastical Insurance should have to issue payouts to those covered by its Parish Plus insurance policies.

The churches stand to benefit from a test case about to be brought by the financial watchdog on behalf of tens of thousands of businesses and organisations.

Faith: Churches stand to benefit from a test case about to be brought by FCA on behalf of tens of thousands of businesses and organisations

Ecclesiastical is also facing potential insurance claims from schools, nurseries, charities and 'heritage' businesses.

The Financial Conduct Authority action also affects a string of other insurers including Hiscox, RSA and Zurich.

The FCA, whose test case begins tomorrow, points out in court documents that cover offered by Ecclesiastical's insurance policy encourages customers to 'put your faith in us'.

The company  which counts Sir Stephen Lamport, former Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales, as a board member  prides itself on being an ethically run insurer.

Ecclesiastical has argued in documents: 'This case is not, however, about providing sympathy to SME businesses (or charities or churches) for their economic sufferings.'

The watchdog said: 'Ecclesiastical appears to deny that there was any prevention of access to churches at any time, any hindrance of access to churches at any time, any prevention of use of churches at any time, any hindrance of use of churches prior to 23 March 2020, any prevention or hindrance of access or use of any other insureds, including schools, nurseries and heritage and leisure organisations at any time. This is an untenable position.'

Hiscox revealed in court papers that more than 30,000 of its policyholders will be affected by the outcome of the case.

If the FCA action succeeds, Hiscox could be forced to pay out to these small business customers.

There could also be further legal disputes over how much the individual policyholders are owed.

The insurer argued: 'It ought to be self-evident that none of the Hiscox wordings in the test case provides cover for loss caused by pandemics.'

Hiscox Action group, which comprises 369 businesses with Hiscox policies, accused the insurer of 'over-intellectualising and over-complicating' the issues.
Armenia considers Baku's statements to bomb the Armenian nuclear power plant as a manifestation of state and nuclear terrorism, foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan told a briefing.

She noted that Armenias Permanent Representative to International Organisations in Vienna, Ambassador Armen Papikyan informed Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi about Azerbaijan's threats to strike at the Armenian nuclear power plant.

"We see such threats as a manifestation of genocidal intentions," she noted.

Asked whether Europe has heard statements from Baku that Armenia is allegedly trying to damage the energy system of Europe, Naghdalyan noted that the European representatives had not voiced anything like that. According to her, such accusations by representatives of Azerbaijan are manipulative, since it is Azerbaijan that is trying to use force.
At a time when Covid-19 cases are spiralling out of control, opposition Congress and BJP have slammed the Odisha governments move of sending doctors from tribal districts of the state to the Covid-19 epicentre of Ganjam calling it a huge mismanagement of the health crisis.

A few days ago Odisha had posted 130 doctors from tribal districts such as Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Bolangir and Kalahandi to Ganjam that has reported over 5,280 Covid-19 cases, around 30 per cent of the total coronavirus cases of Odisha. Ganjam, also the home district of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, has failed to get a grip on the Covid-19 situation with 80-90 per cent of the cases now being reported from all over the district, triggering fears of community transmission.

However, the governments move of sending doctors from the tribal districts, already reeling under shortage of doctors has come in for sharp criticism. Malkangiri district Congress committee president Govind Patra said the transfer of 10 doctors from the district to Ganjam was unfortunate. Malkangiri has now 122 active Covid-19 cases and cases are being reported from the urban areas. The situation in Malkangiri is very critical and we have acute shortage of doctors. The government should not have sent doctors from here, Patra said.

He said the district has 93 doctors as against total sanctioned posts of 197. Similarly, 20 percent of the total health workers appointed in the district are yet to be appointed. In such a situation, the doctors and health workers are somehow managing the scene. If the government wanted more doctors in Ganjam, it could have requisitioned private doctors, Patra elaborated.

Similarly, in Kalahandi where 73 of the sanctioned posts of 107 specialist doctors in government hospitals are lying vacant, former union minister Bhakta Charan Das slammed the government move. The government simply escalated the Ganjam crisis by getting migrant workers from other states without testing them. Now that the government has mismanaged the health crisis, it is triggering another crisis in backward districts like Kalahandi by getting doctors from there, said Das.

BJP leader Bhrigu Buxipatra too criticised the government move of sending doctors from tribal districts to Ganjam. The government never had a strategy in place to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Now with the rise in cases in Ganjam, it has started taking whimsical decisions. This would lead to major health crisis in districts like Koraput, he said.

In Nabarangpur district, which has 106 doctors from sanctioned posts of 256, the decision to send 19 doctors from there to Ganjam was criticized by former Congress MP Pradip Majhi. Tribal dominated districts have several health issues including malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and other diseases. If the government does not withdraw its order, we will be forced to resort to a strike and agitation in the coming days, said Majhi.
The renowned activist, who brought his lifelong fight for civil rights to Congress, died on Friday at the age of 80.

John Lewis, who has died at the age of 80, was considered one of the last living icons of the United States civil rights movement of the 1960s, organising protests, enduring beatings by white police officers and mobs, and going on to have an outsized role in American politics for 60 years.

Lewis, an Alabama sharecroppers son elected in 1986 as a Democrat from Georgia to the US House of Representatives, died on Friday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

As a young man, Lewis became a protege of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr and was the youngest of the so-called Big Six activists who organised the 1963 March on Washington where King gave his iconic I Have A Dream speech.





Only 18 years old when he first met King, Lewis cut his teeth as a young activist organising sit-ins to integrate lunch counters where Black people were prohibited from sitting. He also was one of the original Freedom Riders who helped integrate segregated buses.

In Selma, Alabama in 1965, Lewis suffered a skull fracture during a march for Black voting rights after a savage beating by a nightstick-wielding white state trooper in an incident now remembered as Bloody Sunday.

Searing TV images of that brutality helped galvanise national opposition to racial oppression and embolden leaders in Washington to pass the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act five months later, which removed some voting barriers for Black Americans.

The American public had already seen so much of this sort of thing, countless images of beatings and dogs and cursing and hoses, Lewis wrote in his memoirs. But something about that day in Selma touched a nerve deeper than anything that had come before.

Early civil rights activism

As a student at Fisk University in Nashville, Lewis dove into the civil rights movement, organising the sit-ins at segregated lunch counters.

The Nashville sit-ins became the first mass arrest in the sit-in movement, and I was taken to jail, Lewis said.

Ill tell you, I felt so liberated. I felt so free. I felt like I had crossed over. I think I said to myself, What else can you do to me? You beat me. You harassed me. Now you have placed me under arrest. You put us in jail. Whats left? You can kill us?'

Lewis went on to found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which became a prominent civil rights group, and served as its president for three years.

He proved he was willing to risk his life for the cause of civil rights and non-violent protests on several occasions.





Beyond Selma, he was beaten by white mobs in South Carolina and Alabama during the 1961 anti-segregation bus tours called the Freedom Rides.

I thought I was going to die a few times, he said in a 2004 interview. I thought I saw death, but nothing can make me question the philosophy of non-violence.

For his activism, Barack Obama, the first Black US president, awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the USs highest civilian honour, in 2011.

Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind  an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time, whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now, Obama said when bestowing the award.

Move to Washington

After winning a place on the Atlanta City Council in 1981, his first political office, Lewis successfully ran for the US House in 1986. He was re-elected 16 times, most recently in 2018. Only once did he receive less than 70 percent of the vote.

Lewis earned bipartisan respect in Washington, where some called him the conscience of Congress, his humble manner often contrasting with the puffed chests on Capitol Hill.

However, as a liberal on the losing side of many issues, he lacked the influence he had summoned as a young activist, or would later find within the Democratic Party, as a steadfast voice for the poor and disenfranchised.

John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in December 2019 after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis.

Lewis maintained his activist spirit while in office, continuing to fight for civil rights and issues he believed in, including immigrants rights and gun control, once recounting he had been arrested 40 times in the 1960s and five more as a congressman.





In 2016, he organised a 24-hour sit-in on the House floor to push for gun control legislation following a shooting that killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The rare protest virtually shut down the chamber.

In January 2017 he refused to attend Trumps inauguration and said he did not view Trump as a legitimate president because of Russian meddling in the 2016 election to boost his candidacy.

Trump later drew bi-partisan criticism when he called Lewis all talk and no action.

Lewis made his last public appearance in June, as protests for racial justice swept the US and the world following the death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minnesota, after a white officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Using a cane, Lewis walked with Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Black Lives Matter Plaza, a section of a street by the White House that Bowser had renamed and commissioned a large yellow mural on.

Meanwhile, amid a national movement to abolish Confederate monuments and symbols, calls have grown to rename for Lewis the bridge in Selma, Alabama, where he was brutally beaten in 1965. It is currently named for Edmund Pettus, who fought in the Confederate Army and robbed African Americans of their right to vote after Reconstruction.

Lewis, whose wife Lillian died in 2012, is survived by their son.
In the 15th century, an insidious scourge stalked Europe. It threatened to put people out of work, ruin their brains, and even take them further away from God. That evil? According to Abbot Johannes Trithemius, it was the printing press.

Now, of course, the printing press and its many effects are seen as not just good, but foundational to modern societies  despite the fact that the printing press was also used to produce the Adolf Hitler manifesto Mein Kampf.

But this is how we tend to deal with technology: as an often-ambivalent thing around which we work to highlight the positive and mitigate the negative. Its true for everything from cars to TV to smartphones.

Are there, however, some technologies so heavily slanted to the negative that we should just outright ban them?

Its a question that has been on my mind since facial-recognition technology shifted from concept to reality. It can be used to, say, unlock your phone, but extends to systems of cameras and artificial intelligence to detect and identify people from afar. Perhaps most prominent and worrying are systems like those of Clearview AI, a company that can deploy this tech to capture and recognize faces at a social scale.

The company became subject to scrutiny in February, when Canadas Office of the Privacy Commissioner first announced an investigation. Earlier this month, the company stopped offering its software for use here  notably including law enforcement  pending the commissioners verdict. Canadians can also ask to have any record of their face stripped from the companys database, though this requires submitting an image of their face.

What is it about facial recognition specifically that is so worrying? Facebook, TikTok and almost every social app we use track us and many details of our lives. Further, it seems there are some helpful potential applications for facial recognition. Imagine, for example, being able to locate a lost child wandering the streets, or track an armed shooter or terrorist. These arent insignificant things.

But those possible benefits arent worth the risk. First, consider that facial recognition software is frequently inaccurate. In the U.S., the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that the tech often misidentified people, particularly people of colour. In Detroit, a Black man was falsely arrested after an error in facial recognition.

That inaccuracy isnt only troubling for being wrong, however: its that the mistakes already compound the imbalances that already exist. We are living through a moment in which people are beginning to recognize that policing and law enforcement have structural and cultural issues that make them more likely to target Black, Indigenous and other marginalized people. If facial recognition exacerbates that kind of prejudice, it seems good reason to delay its use  perhaps indefinitely.

Its more than just that, however. As Birgit Schippers from University College Belfast argues, the broad use of facial technology has a chilling effect on democracy. Imagine if you couldnt attend a protest or march, or even have an illicit beer in a park, without wondering whether your face would be captured and your identity passed on to law enforcement.

Facial recognition is thus part of a broader cultural and technological shift that threatens to entrench systemic bias, a culture of surveillance, and a risk of bad actors hacking technology to put it to nefarious ends. The combination of facial recognition with the increasing ubiquity of sensors, high-resolution cameras in everyones pockets, and more and faster artificial intelligence makes for an insidious, terrifying future in which privacy is forever under threat and the state has more and more power at its disposal.

In short, facial recognition simply shouldnt be legal. The risks are too great. It is true that the idea of refusing to allow technology seems opposed to something basic within us. For one, technology is not just ambivalent, but is also unpredictable: how could the Apple engineers who designed the iPhone predict that, one day, Instagram would change how restaurants are physically designed? How tech can be applied is almost impossible to predict.

Yet the point of accepting technologys downsides comes from a more basic human desire: That idea that technology, even when ambivalent, ultimately exists to safeguard against the potential brutality of life. I may be opposed to guns generally but for people who might, say, come face to face with a polar bear, I am glad that guns exist.

But perhaps facial-recognition technology is more akin to nuclear weapons than guns: so potentially broad and indiscriminate in scope that it is better to simply ban it than try and keep it under control. Yes, technology is our bulwark against the harshness of life. But there is certain tech that is itself so brutal, it is better to refuse it  to recognize it for the scourge it is and simply say no.
Chandigarh:

After the Supreme Court announced its verdict on the SYL water sharing agreement, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh on Thursday resigned from his Lok Sabha seat while his party MLAs resigned en-masse from the state assembly, "in protest against the injustice meted out to the people of the state".

Amarinder, who is also former Punjab Chief Minister, has sent his resignation to the Lok Sabha Speaker, copy of which was released to the media here, and has also sought a personal meeting with the Speaker next week.

The party MLAs have also sent their resignations to the Speaker, Punjab Assembly, and will meet him on Friday morning to personally hand over their papers. Punjab goes to polls early next year.

The Supreme Court held as unconstitutional the 2004 law passed by Punjab to terminate the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring states.

In his resignation letter, Captain Amarinder said he had decided to quit as member of the 16th Lok Sabha from Amritsar constituency in Punjab with immediate effect "as a mark of protest against the deprivation of the people of my state of the much-needed Sutlej river water."

Describing the SYL judgement by the apex court as a "major blow to the people of Punjab," Amarinder said here he had always fought for their legitimate right on this issue and continues to stand by them at this critical juncture in the states journey.

Blaming the Akalis squarely for bringing the people of Punjab to this pitiable situation, where they faced imminent devastation due to acute water scarcity, Amarinder said Badal and his team had "failed" to defend Punjabs stand in the court, leading to such disastrous consequences for the state.

"The Akalis let down the people of Punjab on this critical issue, selling off their interests to Haryana," said Amarinder, accusing the Badal government of promoting its "vested political interests at the cost of the interests of the state."

"Badal has done to Punjab what even its worst enemy could not have done. He has plunged Punjab into a state of total despair," said Amarinder, declaring that the people of the state will not forgive the Akalis for playing with their lives.

The Akali-BJP government, Amarinder Singh, alleged had gone all out to scuttle every move of the Congress to bring relief to the people of Punjab in the SYL matter.

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In collaboration with Association of Physicians of India and Hypertension Society of India

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals launched the world's first hypertension awareness symbol, in collaboration with Association of Physicians of India (API) and Hypertension Society of India (HSI). The symbol is developed in consultation with 50,000 leading doctors in the country, to raise awareness of the growing burden of hypertension and the need for timely screening.

Glenmark has also pledged on-ground support to the cause, by committing to screen 5 million people for hypertension, through screening kiosks at corporate hospitals in all major metro cities. Further, a dedicated task force of 200 people has been set up to conduct screening camps throughout the year in non-metros and remote parts of the country.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. The condition is directly responsible for 29% of all strokes and 24% of heart attacks in India. These advanced diseases pose a major burden on the country's healthcare infrastructure and contribute to high rates of morbidity and mortality. Clinicians stress that early and timely diagnosis is key to preventing the disease from advancing to more serious secondary complications.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Covid update: Bill Gates on India; Oxford vaccine hope; curbs tightened

From philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates hailing India's pharmaceutical industry, to Oxford university researchers giving promising news from their vaccine trial - here are the top news updates on the Covid-19 pandemic. India's active cases are just a third of the country's total case tally, as per the government. This was announced even as India's total number of cases almost reached 10 lakh with single-day increases around 30,000 cases. Countries like Germany and France are tightening restrictions and rules to prevent fresh surges in infection. Similar steps are being taken by many states in India. Watch the full video for more updates on the spread of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus. ...read more
Work proceeded slowly as Eddins and I watched (I was present as a member of the Lincoln Railfans Club). By late afternoon, the 710 was on the trailer, and the Cats were pulling the rig down to pavement so the semi-tractor could hook on. Apparently someone had miscalculated, and the gooseneck on the trailer snapped. The 710 was taken off the trailer, and the trailer went back to Big L for strengthening.

Several days later, the Big L crew reappeared, and the loading process was repeated. By late afternoon, the 710 was on the trailer. Carol and I watched black clouds gather in the south, and I remarked that they had better not quit early and instead take the time to get the trailer down to the pavement. They didnt, and we got a downpour, causing the trailer with 710 to sink into the mud. The next morning, it took three Cats to pull the trailer out! The 710 was on its way at last.

After several months of refurbishment, the 710 returned to Lincoln glowing in fresh paint. The tender had been completely rebuilt with a new wooden frame, and some rust spots in the boiler jacket had been restored. The 710 was pulled off the trailer and onto the waiting display track in front of the caboose.

Rail Days
The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that 74 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases to 5,483, while the number of deaths remains at 111.

333,457 tests have been carried out in Luxembourg since the start of the outbreak, a rise of 7,716 since yesterday.

63 of the cases in the past 24 hours came from residents of the Grand Duchy, with 11 non-residents testing positive.

As a reminder, only the daily number of tests, positive cases and deaths are reported at the weekend.

On Friday, Luxembourg had 965 active infections. Four people were in intensive care, with 35 in standard care. 988 patients have left the hospital since the start of the pandemic.

The effective reproduction rate (Rt_eff) was at 1.26, while the (Rt) reproduction rate stood at 1.38.

Earlier today, Minister of Health Paulette Lenert admitted that the government did not foresee a second outbreak of this sort, while Professor Claude P. Muller of the Luxembourg Institute of Health outlined why he believes new restrictions are necessary.

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
New Delhi:

Tightening the noose around the neck of black money holders further, the government on Wednesday warned that the cash deposited above Rs 2.5 lakh threshold in bank accounts under the 50-day window could attract tax.

Further, a 200 per cent penalty could also be levied in case the amount doesnt match the income.

"We would be getting reports of all cash deposited during the period of November 10 to December 30, 2016, above a threshold of Rs. 2.5 lakh in every account," Revenue Secretary Hashmukh Adhia said on Wednesday night.

"The (tax) department would do matching of this with income returns filed by the depositors. And suitable action may follow," he added.

He also said that if the amount deposited doesnt match the income declared by the holder, it would be consider as a case of tax evasion.

"This would be treated as a case of tax evasion and the tax amount plus a penalty of 200 per cent of the tax payable would be levied as per the Section 270(A) of the Income Tax Act," he said.

ALSO READ | What was on PM Narendra Modi's mind before announcing ban on Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes?

"small businessmen, housewives, artisans and workers need not worry about such small amount of deposits up to Rs. 1.5 or 2 lakh since it would be below the taxable income. There will be no harassment by the Income Tax Department for such small deposits made," he said.



On jewellery buying, he said that people who are buying jewellery will be required to provide the PAN number.

"We are issuing instructions to the field authorities to check with all the jewellers to ensure this requirement is not compromised."

"Action will be taken against those jewellers who fail to take PAN numbers from such buyers. When the cash deposits of the jewellers would be scrutinised against the sales made, whether they have taken the PAN number of the buyer or not will also be checked," he added.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2020/07/17

The SBS drama "Dinner Mate" ended on July 14th with ratings of 4.3%. Though only a modest success, and a decrease from the drama's opening week which featured ratings as high as 6.1%, the main cast members were appreciative of their viewers' support. They expressed gratitude throughout the week for their fans.

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Lead actor Song Seung-heon described the time spent inhabiting his character as being like a happy one. He described "Dinner Mate" as being conducive to an understanding healing mindset through the recovery of his pained character. Song Seung-heon expressed a desire to thank director Ko Jae-hyeon, screenwriter Lee Joo-ha, as well as the rest of the cast and crew for their hard work. Lastly, he thanked the viewers.

Lead actress Seo Ji-hye described the last four months she had spent working on "Dinner Mate" as being a very restless enjoyable time. She mentioned working hard to show off a new side of herself in "Dinner Mate" and thanked viewers for allowing her the opportunity to show that part of herself to them.

Second male lead Lee Ji-hoon thanked the director and crew first, and then his fellow actors. He described his role as physically difficult, requiring a constantly moving sense of mind and called out the pleasant, patient shooting environment as being accomodating to him. Lee Ji-hoon also gave thanks to his co-stars as well as the viewers.

Lastly, second female lead Son Na-eun said that she was happy to have been able to work with such good people and stated that on a personal basis she learned a lot from the production, describing it as a worthwhile experience. She also said that it felt like she would remember the overall shooting process for quite some time.

Written by William Schwartz

___________

"Dinner Mate" is directed by Ko Jae-hyeon, written by Lee Joo-ha, and features Song Seung-heon, Seo Ji-hye, Lee Ji-hoon, Son Na-eun, Lee Hyun-jin, Kim Seo-kyung. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2020/05/25~2020/07/14, Mon, Tue 20:55 on SBS.
Ayodhya: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust held a meeting here on Saturday (July 18) to finalise the date for the beginning of work of the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya.

Here is the timeline of the six meetings that took place in the past four days in view of the construction of the Ram temple.

July 15: Former Director-General of Border Security Force, KK Sharma, who is the Chairman of Ram Mandir Safety Advisory Committee arrived in Ayodhya. He inspected the Ram Janmabhoomi premises and held a meeting with officials.

July 16: Nripendra Misra, the head of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee, held two meetings. One with the administrative officials of the district, and the other one with the trustees of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Trust.

July 17: Nripendra Misra once again met the senior administrative officials of the district in the afternoon. He also held a meeting with Nikhil Sompura (the son of temple model architect Chandrakant Sompura), where the temple model was discussed. The L&T officers and engineers were also present in the meeting.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also held a meeting on July 17. Besides discussion on Ram Mandir, a road map of the development of Ayodhya was prepared where the State government is focussing on the overall development of the Ayodhya city.

July 18: The meeting held on Saturday discussed on a few dates for the Bhoomi Pujan, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be invited. Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have sent their suggestions to the Prime Minister's Office who will make the final decision in this regard.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18)  An employee of GMA Network has tested positive for COVID-19 and the Talents Association of GMA (TAG) is slamming the media company for its slow response concerning the matter.

There is a clamor among workers for the company to shoulder mandatory rapid testing for all newsroom staff, but so far they have been told that top management has allegedly yet to make an announcement, TAG said in a statement.

On the other hand, the network said Saturday that they have done immediate contact tracing efforts and other necessary actions after finding out the situation.

Those who had come in direct contact with the COVID positive co-worker were immediately placed on 14-day quarantine with pay... The work areas were thoroughly disinfected on top of the daily disinfection being done, GMA said.

They also confirmed that they have conducted free rapid testing for field personnel, and are committed to shoulder the cost of the confirmatory RT-PCR test of anyone who will test positive due to their exposure in line of work, their statement read.

TAG said that GMA is providing the rapid tests to regular employees and some project employment contract workers, yet they claimed that it is still to be provided for newsroom staff.
The Emir of Qatar's son partied with a Kardashians star and drove a fleet of supercars while studying in Los Angeles, it has been revealed.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, 28, enjoyed rubbing shoulders with celebrities while studying at the University of Southern California (USC).

Al Thani reportedly arrived in Los Angeles on a private jet in 2011 before posting up at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, made famous in the film Pretty Woman.

He had a fleet of multi-million pound supercars and would enjoy luxury suites for Lakers games and lunch at the Ivy while living in Beverly Hills.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (pictured in a cap emblazoned with his initials, with a tiger cub), 28, the son of Qatar's Emir, enjoyed an exuberant lifestyle while studying in LA for four years from 2011

The prince would rub shoulders with Scott Disick from Keeping Up With the Kardashians while living in Los Angeles

Al Thani had a fleet of multi-million pound supercars and would enjoy luxury suites for Lakers games and lunch at the Ivy while living in Beverly Hills

His butlers lived in $600-a-night rooms at the Beverly Wilshire, while he and his friends lived it up in suites looking over Rodeo Drive

The prince had a half-dozen security detail, chauffeurs, concierges, trainers, a nurse and a 'fixer' while living in LA, according to The Los Angeles Times.

His butlers lived in $600-a-night rooms at the Beverly Wilshire, while he and his friends lived it up in suites looking over Rodeo Drive.

He would take regular trips to Las Vegas with his entourage according to social media posts, and reportedly spent $300,000 over a six-week stay in 2014.

In LA, the prince would enjoy an army of servants, including a man who made his tea and one who prepared his hookah pipe.

Al Thani first enrolled at LA Mission College in Beverley Hills in 2011 before moving to USC

The prince had a half-dozen security detail, chauffeurs, concierges, trainers, a nurse and a 'fixer' while living in LA

He returned to the Middle East and joined Qatar's internal security service five years ago after USC gave him 'special dispensation' to pursue a masters degree remotely

He reportedly arrived in Los Angeles on a private jet in 2011 before posting up at the the Beverly Wilshire hotel

The Beverly Wilshire hotel where Al Thani stayed was made famous in the film Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts

His friends included Scott Disick from Keeping Up With the Kardashians and the prince would wear custom trucker hats emblazoned with his initials: KHK.

In May 2015, the ex-boyfriend of Kourtney Kardashian posed on on the hood of Al Thanis McLaren for an Instagram post which read: 'Thanks for the ride @KHK.'

Al Thani first enrolled at LA Mission College in Beverley Hills in 2011 before moving to USC.

The prince made the 'dean's list', which recognises high achievers at universities, three times during his years at USC.

He returned to the Middle East and joined Qatar's internal security service five years ago after USC gave him 'special dispensation' to pursue a masters degree remotely.
Graeme Jennings/Pool/Getty ImagesBy ANNE FLAHERTY and JORDYN PHELPS, ABC NEWS



(WASHINGTON) -- The White House on Friday blocked Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from testifying before Congress next week on how to reopen schools safely, ABC News has confirmed.



The White House is defending the decision to block Redfield's testimony in a statement from an anonymous official.



"Dr. Redfield has testified on the Hill at least four times over the last three months. We need our doctors focused on the pandemic response, the official stated.



The CDC has said its still working on additional guidance for schools that now isnt likely to be ready until the end of the month. The delay in delivering a clear national plan for schools has angered many local officials and teachers, who say they lack the information they need on whether its safe to return to school next month.



Rep. Bobby Scott, the Democratic chairman of the House Education & Labor Committee who had invited Redfield to testify, said he want school reopenings to be guided by public health experts.



It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators, said Scott, D-Va.



This lack of transparency does a great disservice to the many communities across the country facing difficult decisions about reopening schools this fall, he added.



Federal guidance on schools has been confusing and unclear. While the CDC has recommended that schools impose safety measures like masks and keeping students six feet apart, if possible, President Donald Trump has criticized the guidelines as too tough and expensive. Vice President Mike Pence had promised additional recommendations by the end of this week.



Redfield later told ABCs Good Morning America that the CDC was not planning to revise its initial guidelines.



It's not a revision of the guidelines, it's just to provide additional information to help the schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward, Redfield claimed in an interview.



Right now we're continuing to work with the local jurisdictions to how they want to take the portfolio of guidance we've given to make them practical for their schools to reopen, Redfield said, stressing that the guidelines are not requirement but are intentionally non-prescriptive to provide a spectrum of strategies for local jurisdictions.



He added: The one thing I really want say that would say would personally sadden me and I know my agency is in individuals were to use these that we put out as a rationale to keep schools closed.



ABC News' Benjamin Siegel contributed to thus report.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Autoworkers at Warren Truck (AP Photo)

The number of COVID-19 infections is rising all across the US, and emergency action has to be taken.

At the Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex, more than 40 workers have tested positive for coronavirus as of Monday, and the real number is being covered up by Fiat Chrysler and the United Auto Workers. There are dozens of cases at the General Motors plants in Arlington, Texas, and Wentzville, Missouri, and six workers at the GM plant in Silao, Mexico, have died. More than 130 cases have been reported at Teslas plant in Fremont, California.

COVID-19 cases in Ohio are on the rise, with 1,700 new cases Friday alone, 89 in the Toledo area. Michigan infections have doubled since June. Many more deaths are not far behind.

Managements safety protocols are 100 percent bogus. In many plants, it is not even feasible to be two feet apart, let alone six feet apart. They did just enough to get us back to work. They wanted the media to think they were trying to stop the spread of the virus, but they are doing the bare minimum. They dont tell us anything. We get information by communicating with each other.

Workers must take matters into their own hands to enforce safety. Safety committees, controlled by ourselves, should have final say if it is safe enough to work.

The rank-and-file safety committees at Jefferson North, Sterling Heights and the Toledo Jeep assembly plants call for infected plants to be closed until they are thoroughly cleaned, and a safe working environment guaranteed. All workers must receive regular testing.

We have raised the following additional demands:

1. Workers must be immediately notified of any cases of COVID-19 and what areas were affected. This information cannot be kept secret from workers. 2. When theres a case confirmed, the factory should be closed for at least 24 hours for deep cleaning, not just the affected area, but the whole plant. Preventative maintenance is needed to ensure a safe and comfortable working environment. 3. All workers who test positive must have paid leave for the duration of their illness. 4. Social distancing must be implemented when entering and leaving the plant and during bathroom, lunch and other break times. Disinfectant and cleaning equipment will remain readily available for workers to use as they see fit. 5. All equipment will be cleaned on every break by a separate cleaning crew, who will have cleaning equipment, follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks and be compensated for their labor by the company. FCA employees are not responsible for cleaning equipment, nor for paying the cleaning crew. 6. Trained medical personnel, independent of management, must be present in every plant, reporting directly to safety committees on conditions. 7. The line must be stopped for 10 minutes every hour to enable workers to take off their masks, rest and cool off. If a worker has underlying health issues, which prevent them from being able to wear a mask in the plant, they should be able to either wear a face shield or be guaranteed a job back after the pandemic, with full pay in the meantime. 8. Workers must have regular, universal testing, with results returned within 24 hours. Temperature checks and self-reporting symptoms are not enough. 9. If conditions are not safe, workers have the right to refuse to work without threat of retaliation by management and the union. 10. Workers will not be targeted, reprimanded, terminated or otherwise harassed for taking time off to wait for test results. Reinstate any terminated employees immediately who have been fired for taking days off to get tested. No retribution for using FMLA to deal with family health and mental health issues.

The politicians and corporate executives who say lets get back to normal are only looking to protect their investments. Theyre flat out lying when they claim theres not enough money for better safety, universal testing, or shutdowns to stop the virus. The companies and their stockholders have gotten hundreds of billions of dollars in government handouts.

They simply dont care about the well-being of the workers. Our lives cant be kept hostage to profits.

No one else will fight for us. The unions are not for us. We cant rely on them to keep us safe, so we have to do it ourselves.

It is not just autoworkers who are being mistreated and having their lives put on the line. There are multitudes of workers going through the same fight. Millions of teachers face a nightmare this fall as the government tries to force open the schools and put our children in harms way, all so they can keep workers working and keep the rich getting richer.

It is not just certain workers in this struggle. It is a global situation. Our brothers and sisters in Mexico are being told by the companies that they have to get sick and die to keep production going too. Hundreds of workers and their family members at the Mexican oil company PEMEX have died. We must wage a united fight across borders.

We call on all workersincluding autoworkers, educators, meatpacking workers, retail and service workers, logistics workers and airline workersto build rank-and-file safety committees. Workers in essential jobs must have PPE, regular testing and safe conditions.

It is up to all workers to get on the same page and work together to fight this pandemic. The unions wont do it. Governors like Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan wont do it. They even want to reopen the schools, which would threaten the lives of millions of students and teachers. It is up to workers to defend ourselves.

With the pandemic taking more lives every day, action is urgent.

Share this statement with your coworkers and discuss our demands! Join our new Facebook group, the Ford/GM/Chrysler Rank-and-File Safety Committee Network, to share information and coordinate with workers at other plants. Form a rank-and-file safety committee at your workplace, join us and take up the fight.

For help starting a rank-and-file safety committee at your factory, send an email to the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter at autoworkers@wsws.org to learn more.
New membrane technology developed by a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and ExxonMobil could help reduce carbon emissions and energy intensity associated with refining crude oil. Laboratory testing suggests that this polymer membrane technology could replace some conventional heat-based distillation processes in the future.

Fractionation of crude oil mixtures using heat-based distillation is a large-scale, energy-intensive process that accounts for nearly 1% of the world's energy use: 1,100 terawatt-hours per year (TWh/yr), which is equivalent to the total energy consumed by the state of New York in a year. By substituting the low-energy membranes for certain steps in the distillation process, the new technology might one day allow implementation of a hybrid refining system that could help reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption significantly compared to traditional refining processes.

"Much in our modern lives comes from oil, so the separation of these molecules makes our modern civilization possible," said M.G. Finn, professor and chair of Georgia Tech's School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Finn also holds the James A. Carlos Family Chair for Pediatric Technology. "The scale of the separation required to provide the products we use is incredibly large. This membrane technology could make a significant impact on global energy consumption and the resulting emissions of petroleum processing."

To be reported in the July 17 issue of the journal Science, the paper is believed to be the first report of a synthetic membrane specifically designed for the separation of crude oil and crude-oil fractions. Additional research and development will be needed to advance this technology to industrial scale.

Membrane technology is already widely used in such applications as seawater desalination, but the complexity of petroleum refining has until now limited the use of membranes. To overcome that challenge, the research team developed a novel spirocyclic polymer that was applied to a robust substrate to create membranes able to separate complex hydrocarbon mixtures through the application of pressure rather than heat.

Membranes separate molecules from mixtures according to differences such as size and shape. When molecules are very close in size, that separation becomes more challenging. Using a well-known process for making bonds between nitrogen and carbon atoms, the polymers were constructed by connecting building blocks having a kinked structure to create disordered materials with built-in void spaces.

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The team was able to balance a variety of factors to create the right combination of solubility -- to enable membranes to be formed by simple and scalable processing -- and structural rigidity -- to allow some small molecules to pass through more easily than others. Unexpectedly, the researchers found that the materials needed a small amount of structural flexibility to improve size discrimination, as well as the ability to be slightly "sticky" toward certain types of molecules that are found abundantly in crude oil.

After designing the novel polymers and achieving some success with a synthetic gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel mixture, the team decided to try to separate a crude oil sample and discovered that the new membrane was quite effective at recovering gasoline and jet fuel from the complex mixture.

"We were initially trying to fractionate a mixture of molecules that were too similar," said Ben McCool, a senior research associate at ExxonMobil and one of the paper's coauthors. "When we took on a more complex feed, crude oil, we got fractionalization that looked like it could have come from a distillation column, indicating the concept's great potential."

The researchers worked collaboratively, with polymers designed and tested at Georgia Tech, then converted to 200-nanometer-thick films, and incorporated into membrane modules at Imperial using a roll-to-roll process. Samples were then tested at all three organizations, providing multi-lab confirmation of the membrane capabilities.

"We have the foundational experience of bringing organic solvent nanofiltration, a membrane technology becoming widely used in pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries, to market," said Andrew Livingston, professor of chemical engineering at Imperial. "We worked extensively with ExxonMobil and Georgia Tech to demonstrate the scalability potential of this technology to the levels required by the petroleum industry."

The research team created an innovation pipeline that extends from basic research all the way to technology that can be tested in real-world conditions.

"We brought together basic science and chemistry, applied membrane fabrication fundamentals, and engineering analysis of how membranes work," said Ryan Lively, associate professor and John H. Woody faculty fellow in Georgia Tech's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. "We were able to go from milligram-scale powders all the way to prototype membrane modules in commercial form factors that were challenged with real crude oil -- it was fantastic to see this innovation pipeline in action."

ExxonMobil's relationship with Georgia Tech goes back nearly 15 years and has produced innovations in other separation technologies, including a new carbon-based molecular sieve membrane that could dramatically reduce the energy required to separate a class of hydrocarbon molecules known as alkyl aromatics.

"Through collaboration with strong academic institutions like Georgia Tech and Imperial, we are constantly working to develop the lower-emissions energy solutions of the future," said Vijay Swarup, vice president of research and development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company.
President Muhammadu Buhari has named the Railway Complex in Agbor, Delta State after former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Special Assistant to the President on New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, disclosed this on his twitter handle.

Ogunlesi while quoting the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi said said the Agbor Railway Station will be known as the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station and Complex.

BREAKING | President @MBuhari has approved the naming of the Railway Complex in Agbor  the operational hub of #ItakpeWarriRail Line  after former President @GEJonathan. It will be known as the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station & Complex  Minister of Transport, @ChibuikeAmaechi  tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) July 18, 2020

The project implemented by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, was started by Jonathans administration.

The railway complex in Agbor is the centre of operation which connects the Itakpe-Warri rail line. It is joined by Benin to Onitsha rail, among other segments of the country.

The rail line is part of the LagosCalabar coastal railway project, which cuts across most states in the south-east and south-south.
FM refutes US official's groundless accusations about China 'replacing the US'

Global Times

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/18 1:03:58

China has never sought to confront or replace the US as the top power in the world, but has the right to fight back against "malicious slander" and attacks by the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a regular press conference on Friday.

Hua's comments came in response to a reporter's question noting that US Attorney General William Barr said during a speech on Thursday that China is now engaged in an economic blitzkrieg. Barr also noted that China is launching a campaign to grasp the commanding heights of the global economy and is trying to surpass the US to be the main superpower in the world. He also warned that China will take advantage of globalization to spread its political ideology.

Despite being the country with the most developed and advanced medical technology in the world, the US has the most COVID-19 cases and deaths, Hua said, noting that four former directors of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have claimed that the US administration has been unprecedentedly politicized in its approach to science.

Washington is playing a real version of "House of Cards" at the cost of people's lives and social disruption, which is a misfortune for the American people, Hua said.

The US reported a record high of more than 77,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 3,560,364, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Hua stressed that China's major concern was improving the livelihoods of the country's citizens and the rejuvenation of the nation. China hopes to maintain global peace and stability, Hua noted, saying that those who claim China wants to surpass the US to become a major power and attempt to overthrow the existing rule system, obviously misjudge and misunderstand China's strategic intentions.

Barr also called some US technology companies "pawns of Chinese influence" and warned that the Communist Party of China has threatened to use retaliation and ban market access to influence American companies.

When asked to comment on this issue, Hua noted how the US government has brutally and unscrupulously cracked down on Chinese companies such as Huawei, adding that Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, is still being detained illegally.

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The Rivers State high court on Friday ordered the Nigerian police to restrain from arresting, detaining and harassing a former NDDC boss, Joi Nunieh, wanted for criminal allegations.

The Port Harcourt home of Ms Nunieh was on Thursday besieged by armed police officers with footage showing some breaching her security to gain entry.

Ms Nunieh was later rescued by a team of state officials led by Governor Nyesom Wike and she was led to the government house.

But on Friday, the state police commissioner, Joseph Mukan, said the command expects Mr Wike to turn in Ms Nunieh to them because she was being investigated for some allegations levelled against her.

But in a court order with suit number PHC/1128 FHR/2020 and delivered by Justice E. N. Thompson, the police have been ordered to halt the move to arrest her until there is leave to do so.

Respectively joined in the suit, which was filed by Ms Nunieh, were the Niger Delta minister, Godswill Akpabio, Rivers State police commissioner, the State of Security Service, the Inspector-General of police, and the Nigeria Police Force.

The court also held that the security operatives deployed to Ms Nuniehs apartment be withdrawn.

The 1st and 2nd Respondents are restrained from using the 3rd and 5th Respondents to arrest, detam, harass and intimidate the Applicant pending the determination of the Motion on Notice, the court order seen by this newspaper read.

The 3rd  5th Respondents should without delay unconditionally withdraw the men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from the premises of the Applicant pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

That leave is granted to the applicant to serve the 1st respondent (Mr Akpabio) through the office of the Niger Delta Development Commission situate at NDDC Head Office, Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and the 4th and 5th Respondents through the office of the 3rd Respondent situate at Nigeria Police Force, Rivers State.

The case was afterwards adjourned to July 27.

Ms Nunieh, who led the interim management committee of the NDDC from October last year, was ousted February this year over alleged corruption in the commission.

Her sack pitched her against the Niger Delta minister, Godswill Akpabio, whom PREMIUM TIMES learnt played a role in the sack.

This has led to both officials trading allegations of corruption and other illegalities among themselves, including the former saying the minister sexually harassed her and she slapped him  a claim Mr Akpabio has denied.

The commission, whose mandate is to bridge the infrastructural gap in the oil-rich region, has fallen short of this for its two decades of existence, largely due to corruption among officials in the agency.

This has led to probes by both Houses of the National Assembly, both of whom have been accused of corruption too, as well as an order by President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out a forensic audit on the agencys finances.
Audiences in recent months had little option but to take in performances and visual art online during event cancellations and closures of museums and galleries.

Many Wyoming arts organizations plan to continue investing in such virtual offerings as their venues, stages and galleries reopen in the era of social distancing and uncertainty about future lockdowns.

Virtual shows can be an alternative to attending shows in person and a backup in case of future closures and cancellations. Some plan to use the technology for multimedia shows to avoid large groups on stage or partner with others from afar.

Some plan to keep some of their virtual adaptations even after the pandemic, as several artists and groups discussed the topic of blending virtual and in-person arts last week during the Wyoming Arts Alliances weekly video conference.

One guest speaker in the video call was Anne Mason of Relative Theatrics in Laramie, who described the many virtual shows the company has produced during the pandemic. Shes found the virtual offerings arent the same as in-person theater.

But one of the things that has been successful for me is just recognizing that it cant be the same, and thats OK, she said.

The group discussed how the virtual realm has opened new possibilities to connect, as it changes art and even introduces new art forms through the technology.

And we have an opportunity to expand our programming, to broaden our reach, to bring our work not only the citizens of Laramie, but also to everyone in the state, around the country and even globally around the world.

***

Relative Theatrics has produced many online theatrical shows during the pandemic, including eight weekly virtual plays that featured talks with playwrights from around the country and worked in partnerships including with the University of Wyoming, the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard and Out of Chaos Theatre in the U.K.

Theyve continued to experiment with virtual platforms, like involving audience members beyond the chat box in Zoom by inviting them to appear on screen.

Mason was so busy with online offerings that she hired a part-time director of virtual programming.

The company plans to return to live theater with its upcoming season opener slated for September at the Gryphon Theatre in Laramie. How many people they can seat depends on restrictions subject to change. Cancellations because of the pandemic remain possible, and many may not yet feel comfortable coming to the theater, Mason said.

The upcoming season fortunately features a lineup of plays the company helped develop through its new play festival, which means they can work with playwrights or publishing houses for possible online options.

Were in direct contact with all of the playwrights, which is fantastic, because then we could go to them and say, How do you feel about filming this? or Here are the various options that we have in order to be able to offer the production in this hybrid way of both live or for viewers at home, Mason said.

The group plans to rehearse and perform at the theater as well as film and edit the takes into a filmed theater style available for ticket holders to watch online. The videos will provide an in-theater viewing experience thats different from the Zoom readings with actors in their homes.

Mason sees much potential in virtual platforms for Relative Theatrics to continue to grow partnerships with more companies as well as for Wyoming theater companies across the state to collaborate with one another.

I think that thats something that not only can but should continue into the future.

***

Opera Wyoming is another performance company that plans a hybrid of virtual and live productions.

The company launched Friday Night Soirees in May after its season finales run was cut short by the pandemic.

They plan to take the soirees into the theater with monthly cabaret nights theyll livestream to offer both options to both locals and audiences that have tuned in from as far as the East Coast, co-founder of the nonprofit Daniel Quintana said.

During closures, the group offered online shows by sending videos of themselves singing at home to Quintana, who used iMovie to create a streamlined show he broadcast on various online platforms.

He as the host started each show by introducing the performances, and the company interacted with the viewers through comments on Facebook.

Thats the interesting thing about this new livestreaming, is that we can interact with the audience members that we havent been able to do in the past, obviously, live, Quintana said.

The company plans to prerecord group songs in a similar way and project the videos during in-person concerts so they can still include groups singing without compromising safety. They plan the multimedia approach for an upcoming show in celebration of womens suffrage for the anniversary of the 19th Amendment.

Quintana had no idea how to livestream or put together a quality video before the pandemic.

But when youre quarantined for a pandemic and where you can go is very limited, you start working on other skill sets, he said.

Theyre also producing programs for school districts to replace their educational offerings on hold because of the pandemic.

And then we think we can reach the whole state that way instead of just Casper, which is all weve been able to do so far, co-founder Emily Quintana said. So were excited about that.

The group plans to up their game with better recording for livestreaming when they resume live shows.

Theyre researching equipment including microphones, Emily Quintana added.

But it is its going to be an investment. It has to be something we can continue to do after all of this is over.

Good production quality is necessary to capture sound for opera, offer performances worthy of ticket prices and continue offering their performances in times of caution.

Weve talked to people who the risk is just too high for them to come back to a live performance, she said. And if we can give them a high-quality performance where they can still be involved with us and still feel like a part of our family  because thats what they are  we want to do that. We want to have them still feel like theyre with us.

***

The Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra is another group that was unable finish its previous concert season and took to online offerings. Their Virtual Virtuoso premieres a video on Facebook at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, each featuring a different symphony musician.

Its long been a goal of the symphony to help audiences get to know the musicians and their expertise, Lindsey Bird Reynolds, the symphonys executive director, said on the video conference. Theyve tried receptions and musicians speaking at the beginning of concerts.

And nothing really connected with the audience in the way that this has, she said.

The videos combine Zoom interviews about their background and training with a performance they record at home. Some highlights from the series have included a national touring violinist and previous guest soloist with the symphony, Michael Ludwig. Another week featured trombonist Daniel Watt, who shot video of himself playing all the parts of a seven-part trombone choir in different shirts which he compiled.

The symphony plans to livestream its Mahler and Beethoven live concert postponed from last season to Aug. 8 at the Cheyenne Civic Center and the entire upcoming season starting in October.

The streams offer a way to see the show for those who cant get a ticket because of limited seating, dont want to attend in person or in case the event is canceled.

Our hope is that at the very least we could present a livestream of the concert even if we cant have a live audience, which is not ideal, Reynolds said. But we do also feel in addition to the obligation to our patrons to provide these performances, we have an obligation to our players. This is how they make their living. We really want to do everything we can to continue to have those opportunities for them to perform.

***

Visual arts venues around Wyoming have brought their programs online during the pandemic, including the University of Wyoming Art Museum.

The museum, closed since March, has offered a host of events online, including talks with curators, livestreamed yoga sessions and a new virtual summer camp for kids through Zoom.

The museum didnt focus much on virtual offerings until March, when they radically pivoted, said Katie Christensen, UW Art Museum Curator of Education and Statewide Engagement. The museum plans more virtual programming, even after it reopens.

Its symposium in the fall will be in conjunction with the Moving Walls exhibition, which documents through photographs the barracks at Heart Mountain during its time as an internment camp and structures becoming part of the Homesteader Act in Wyoming.

The event will include both in-person and online programs with plans to feature most of the artists video-conferencing from their homes.

Without knowing what the future holds, Christensen said, we just decided it would be safer to plan a hybrid version.

***

In late March, Jackson theater company Riot Act, Inc. started an eight-week play reading series through Zoom thats available to watch on its website.

The company also created an audio recording of War of the Worlds on Zoom that aired on a local radio station, executive artistic director Macey Mott said. She edited the recording with sound effects.

Theyre currently working on a production of a virtual puppet show Macbeth that will appear online. The theater plans a live upcoming play season starting this fall at the Center for the Arts and plans to offer a livestream option for each show.

Mott has thought about creating smaller projects between main productions, even after the pandemic.

The War of the Worlds production received a great response, while play reading series didnt draw as large an audience.

However, it was really important for the actors who were involved just to be able to look forward to a weekly thing, where we could still be creative in that theater realm and also see each other, Mott said. That was really helpful for mental health and staying in touch with our theater community.

Follow arts & culture reporter Elysia Conner on twitter @erconner

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Human Resources Assistant, Donetsk, Ukraine

Organization: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

Country: Ukraine

Field location: Donetsk, Ukraine

Office: OSCE Donetsk, Ukraine

Closing date: Tuesday, 4 August 2020

Issued by: OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

Vacancy number: VNSMUG01081

Vacancy type: Local Contracted

Field of expertise: Human Resources Management

Grade: G5

Number of posts: 1

Duty station: Donetsk

Date of issue: 14 July 2020

Deadline for application: 4 August 2020 - 23: 59 Central European Time (CET/CEST)

Background

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine is looking for highly qualified, motivated and experienced Ukrainian professionals for the position of Human Resources Assistant with its field office in Donetsk PH.

The OSCE is committed to achieving a better balance of women and men within the Organization. OSCE is committed to achieving a better balance of women and men within the Organization.

Initial duration of appointment is for 12 months, subject to a subsequent OSCE Permanent Council Decision to extend the mandate of the Mission.

All qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online, using the OSCE online application link //www.osce.org/employment/>http: //www.osce.org/employment/.

Please note that applications received after the deadline, submitted in different formats than the OSCE Application Form or in other languages than the English language will not be considered.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, please see //www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine>https: //www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision the Administrative Officer and overall guidance of the Director of Administration and Finance/Head, Human Resources Management in HQ, the Human Resources Assistant assists with HR administration of Mission Members in the following services:

1. Acting as a first point of contact for Human Resources related issues in the assigned location;

2. Applying and when necessary interpreting OSCE Staff Rules and Regulations and advising Mission Members accordingly; providing answers to HR related questions, for more complex issues seeks advice from Kyiv Head Office;

3. Providing additional briefings to Mission Members in the Monitoring Team (MT)/Patrol Hub (PH)/Forward Patrol Base (FPB) on HR topics including HR administration, Recruitment and training;

4. Coordinating closely with the HR Section in the Kyiv Head Office on changes in policies and procedures, as well as their correct interpretation;

5. Processing data entry concerning leave requests and other HR forms in a timely manner and updating the MT/PH/FPB staff attendance records used for calculation of Hazard Pay, processing payroll and forwards all necessary and requested paperwork to Kyiv Head Office;

6. Performing follow-up on the Performance Evaluation process by sending reminders to MT/PH/FPB staff on overdue Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) forms;

7. Organizing selection interviews in the MT/PH/FPB by communicating with the short-listed candidates and arranging interview schedules for locally recruited positions;

8. Administering written tests, coding them and forwarding to the interview board for evaluation;

9. Participating in the interview process as a representative of HR and the secretary of the interview board; taking minutes of the interview and preparing the first draft of the of the Selection Report;

10. Being a point of contact for Learning and Development related questions and coordinating accordingly with the Learning and Development Officer in the location and Learning and Development Unit in the Head Office;

11. Performing other related duties as assigned.

Necessary Qualifications

Ukrainian citizenship or holding permanent resident status in Ukraine; Secondary education supplemented by specialized studies in Administration, HR management; Minimum 4 years of working experience in a national or international large administrative set up with practical experience in administration or clerical work with coordination type of functions; Professional fluency in the English, Ukrainian and Russian languages, both oral and written; Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office application experience with ERP systems desirable; Demonstrated ability and willingness to work as a member of a team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity; Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities, particularly in relation to strengthening gender equality and diversity in the workplace; Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and with limited time frames.

Remuneration Package

Monthly remuneration, subject to social security deductions is 988.00 Euro/month. Social benefits will include participation in the Cigna health insurance scheme and social security / Provident Fund. Appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale.

How To Apply

For more details please visit the OSCE website employment section at //www.osce.org/employment/>http: //www.osce.org/employment/. All qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online, using the OSCE online application link.

Please note that applications received after the deadline, submitted in different formats than the OSCE Application Form or in other languages than the English language will not be considered.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious, ethnic and social backgrounds.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise 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.
A 200 million funding boost announced for armed forces personnel's homes will give military families 'the standard of living they deserve', according to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

More than 5,000 military personnel and their families will have their homes modernised as part of the plan, Mr Wallace announced during a visit to Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, on Friday with Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the investment will fund new kitchens, bathrooms and furnishings, as well as re-roofing, plus measures to reduce the risk of mould and damp.

It said that the funding injection will mean that 3,500 service homes will be upgraded as well as single living quarters.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace visit Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, to announce plans to invest 200m to modernise thousands of military homes

The money will be used to fund new kitchens, bathrooms and furnishings as well as making them less susceptible to mould and damp and making them more environmentally friendly

Mr Sunak said the cash will also be used to create 2,000 jobs 'where they're needed most'

The work will also make armed forces estates more environmentally friendly, with plans for better insulated doors and windows, energy-efficient boilers, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

The MoD said the plan will also include new play areas, resurfaced roads and energy efficient street lighting.

There are also plans to replace 30 Second World War vintage accommodation blocks in Longmoor, Pirbright, Westdown, Knook, Nesscliffe and Castlemartin camps, providing new accommodation for on-call personnel in Northern Ireland.

The MoD said the upgrades are expected to sustain around 2,000 jobs over the next two years and will be delivered through the existing National Housing Prime contract.

Mr Wallace said: 'Our armed forces work incredibly hard to keep our nation safe, and so it is only right that they have a place they feel proud to call home.

'From introducing a generous Forces Help to Buy scheme to piloting a new rented accommodation model, we have made enormous steps in recent years to offer flexible housing for a modern workforce.

Mr Wallace (pictured) said the latest investment will benefit thousands of military personnel

'This latest investment will benefit thousands of our personnel and their families, providing the standard of living they deserve.'

Mr Sunak said: 'Day in, day out, our armed forces make huge personal sacrifices for our country, and it is our duty to ensure they have the best conditions possible.

'This news doesn't just mean service homes across the country will be upgraded, but will see 2,000 jobs in sectors where they are needed the most, like plumbing and decorating - delivering our Plan for Jobs.'

The MoD said that 530 million has been invested in improvements to Service Family Accommodation over the last four years.

Catterick Garrison will be one of the camps to benefit from the new funding.

The MoD said details on further areas to receive these improvements are still being finalised.
The evidence from foreign missions visiting Anatolia during WWI fully exposes the factual distortions undertaken by Armenia regarding the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire, the Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Hulusi Akar said.

In his words, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Armenians tried to take advantage of the weakness of the Ottoman state and create a "Great Armenia" on these lands, resorting to various tricks. "In order to enlist the support of the major powers, Armenians manipulated public opinion, actively using the lobby structures in the US. They tried to create the Great Armenia with the support of Great Britain and under the US mandate," the minister said.

He further noted that US President Woodrow Wilson, trying to expand his influence in the region and analyze the validity of the Armenian sides information, sent a military mission to the Ottoman state, the purpose of which was to investigate the situation in Anatolia. The result of this mission was the so-called Harbord Report, indicating that the massacres in Anatolia were committed not by Turks, but by Armenians. A copy of the document containing the exposure of the allegations of the Armenian lobby is kept in the US National Archives.

In this regard, Akar recalled that Turkey, in order to eliminate any insinuations on this issue, has repeatedly declared its readiness to open its archives and called on the Armenian side for similar actions. "Armenia should follow the example of Turkey and open its archives to scientists. Today I will repeat this call voiced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The results of the work of the joint scientific commission should be recognized by all parties," aa.com.tr quotes the minister as saying.
Three unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter in south Kashmirs Shopian district on Saturday morning, an official said after the second such operation in the past 24 hours.

A day after the killing of three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in Kulgam, security forces acted on information about the presence of terrorists in Amshipora village and launched an operation, officials said. The terrorists fired upon the forces, drawing retaliation.

An official said the operation was jointly conducted by the army, police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). As the search-and-cordon operation was underway, it turned into an encounter...three unidentified militants were killed. The militants fired from a cowshed of a house located in an orchard, an army spokesperson said.

Officials said they are trying to identify the terrorists and DNA samples have already been collected. Three JeM terrorists, including a Pakistani commander identified as Waleed, were killed in Kulgam district on Friday. Police said Waleed, believed to be an IED expert, had been active in the area for the past 18 months. In the last three months, due to Covid-19, bodies of terrorists killed in gun battles, including that of locals, are not handed over to their family members. They are buried in Baramulla, Kupwara and Ganderbal in the presence of family members.

Security forces have stepped up offensive against terrorists in the Kashmir Valley. In June, forces killed 48 terrorists in various encounters; most of them in south Kashmir. Since January, 136 militants have been killed in different encounters across Kashmir. The J&K Police neutralised 162 terrorists in 2019.

Among the major successes of security forces this year is the killing of Riyaz Naikoo, a top commander of local group Hizbul Mujahideen, in an operation in Beighpora in May. Top police officials say fresh recruitment by terrorists has come down in the first six months of the year.

India protests civilian deaths

India on Saturday summoned the charge daffaires of the Pakistan high commission to lodge a strong protest over the death of three civilians in firing by Pakistani troops along LoC.

The Pakistani charge daffaires was told three civilians, including a child, were killed and another child was injured in an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani forces in Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. The dead belonged to the same family.

India condemns, in the strongest terms, the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Pakistan forces, the statement said. It called upon Pakistan to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC.
We were recently in Vancouver on the weekend of July 4, to help move a family member.

We were out walking and were stopped by a group of four people who were clearly Americans, asking for directions after exiting a restaurant on Granville Island.

Why are we allowing Americans to enter Canada by car on the Alaskan loophole?

Why cant they only travel to Alaska by air? Or why arent there follow-up procedures in place to make sure they are following our guidelines?

They are clearly here as vacationers. It is only going to be a matter of time before the complacent American attitude about COVID-19 will cause a surge of infection here in Canada.

B.J. Shortreed
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: In a record surge, Bhubaneswar recorded 124 new cases on Friday, pushing the total beyond 1,000 mark.

The city accounted for 17 per cent of all the cases detected in Odisha in the last 24 hours.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said the new cases include 52 cases of local transmission and the rest are related to home quarantine.

Nine of the local cases are from different Government and private hospitals that include frontline health workers, a security guard and a driver.

ALSO READ | Seven employees of media houses infected with COVID-19 in Bhubaneswar

A 20-yearold girl from Mangala Basti in Ganga Nagar was a service provider at Bhubaneswar airport. Similarly, at least 12 patients are from city slums.

They include four from Salia Sahi, two from Mangala Basti, one each from Tarini Basti, Bisweswari Basti, Puleswari Basti, Haladipadia, Mahisakhala and Sitapur.

Cases have also been reported from many non-slum areas of the city including Saheed Nagar, Gajapati Nagar, Old Town, Rasulgarh, Nayapalli, Kalinga Nagar, Dumduma Raghunath Nagar, Nilachakra Nagar and other places.

However, what remains a matter of concern is that there has been no mention about sources of infection in it least half of the local cases reported from Chintamaniswar, Dumduma, Ganga Nagar, Nayapalli Nuasahi, Trinath slum, Sitapur slum, Phuleswari slum, Haladipadia, Palasuni Siripur Nuasahi, Rasulgarh and Kolothia.

BMC officials said while primary contacts of the patients have been home quarantined, contact tracing is continuing to ascertain the source of infection in the local cases.

The total number of Covid- 19 positive cases in the city has increased to 1,043. With 457 recovered, the active cases remain at 574.

Meanwhile, with Covid-19 cases spiraling rapidly in the city, the Municipal Corporation has declared three places including Unit-IV market and its periphery as containment zones until further orders.

A joint enforcement team of BMC and BDA led by Zonal Deputy Commissioner Anshuman Rath sealed the Unit - IV market and other markets and shops in the vicinity.

Multiple cases were detected from the locality in the last three days, for which the market has been sealed to prevent any kind of gathering, Rath said.

The civic body has also declared the Sitapur and Trinath slums in Nayapalli as containment zones after detection of multiple Covid cases from the area in the last 24 hours.
On June 18, the Illinois Supreme Court rejected the FOPs argument that investigations more than five years old should be destroyed. Had the court ruled in the unions favor, the result would have been akin to burning down a library containing an irreplaceable human rights archive. Yet it remains the case that a citizen who wants to access documents in that library must do so via the dysfunctional apparatus of the Freedom of Information Act. (One example, among many, of dysfunction: Requests for investigative files are routinely denied on grounds of undue burden because the particular officer has too many complaints.) The time has come to throw the doors of the library open to the public.
Coronavirus: Safety concerns over disinfection sprays By Dr Aseni Wickramatillake, Artha Salgado and Dr Changa Kurukularatne View(s): View(s):

According to global scientific consensus, sanitising hard surfaces that are frequently touched, frequent handwashing to prevent cross-contamination and self-contamination, social distancing of two-metres, wearing protective facemasks and good general hygiene practices are more conducive methods in protecting people from SARS-Cov-2.

However, the effectiveness of disinfecting solutions is a concern. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other scientific data, only a few chemicals are recognised to be effective against the coronavirus. The effectiveness further depends on the concentration, the surface contact duration and the porosity of the surface.

Efficacy may be challenging to prove due to the constraints of testing for pre- and post-viral loads of the exposed surfaces. Surgical or cloth masks do not provide sufficient protection from inhalation exposure to chemicals.

Is spraying chemical on surfaces harmful?

Most of the chemicals used to spray as surface disinfectants may not be recommended by manufacturers to be sprayed haphazardly with no proper safety controls in place. Some of these chemicals that can be applied topically as solutions relatively safely may cause different reactions when sprayed or aerosolised and enter the body through the respiratory tract. During spraying, the chemical particles break into sizes of aerosols or atoms which can significantly increase the inhalation of the chemicals.

Increased duration of exposure and frequency further augment the harmful effects. The toxic dose for children may be significantly greater than that for adults. There is little or no research done on exposure to these chemicals among children. In adults, exposure to chemicals has caused local as well as systemic damage to the body such as respiratory difficulties and damage to the central nervous system. Damaging the respiratory system by inhalation of these chemicals may further aggravate the harmful effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the respiratory system.

Acute allergic reactions or acute toxicity to the exposed chemicals may be rare but very much a possible medical emergency. If surfaces in a building are disinfected, the residues of the chemical released as vapours shall remain in the atmosphere until they are removed through natural and/or mechanical ventilation.

Therefore, a good practice is to open all doors and windows after surface cleaning to naturally ventilate the areas, thereby removing any residual chemicals that may cause adverse ill health to humans especially through inhalation. If immediate or early occupancy of the area is required, the only method of preventing such exposures is to wear protective equipment such as a half face respirator with appropriate filters

and goggles.

Selecting disinfectants

EPA and the list from the European Commission have recommended chemicals that destroy the SARS-CoV-2 virus in their effective concentrations and contact durations. Avoid using chemicals from manufacturers with generalised terminology and does not include the proper composition in their Safety Ddata Sheet (SDS).

All chemical manufacturers or distributors irrespective of use as surface disinfectant or hand sanitisers must provide the safety data sheet to the users containing information on the chemical composition, safe handling and storage, health and safety concerns, exposure controls and first aid measures.

Is it safe?

Any user of a chemical must familiarise themselves with the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of the chemical in question prior to use. This will provide information on the hazards associated with the chemical, the composition/ingredients, first aid measures, firefighting methods, addressing accidental releases, how to handle the chemical safely and safe storage, exposure control and PPE, physical and chemical properties such as flashpoints and explosive limits, toxicological information and many other relevant concerns, to name a few out of the 16 topics covered in a SDS developed as per the framework provided by the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).

This familiarity will allow the user to make an informed decision on the chemical safety and ensure relevant control measures are in place to minimise the hazards. If in doubt, it is strongly advised to get the assistance of a professional. Manufacturers and clients are accountable for any health and safety impact associated with the exposure of persons who are exposed to chemicals. Therefore, every possible action to understand and minimise the potential hazards and risks especially to children must be taken.

(Note: The authors have published an article in the Occupational Medicine Journal, a publication of Oxford Academic, United Kingdom. Link:https://academic.oup.com/occmed/advance-article/doi/10.1093/occmed/kqaa078/5830872?searchresult=1)

(About the Authors: Dr. Aseni Wickramatillake is a specialist in occupational health and safety, and an expert in industrial hygiene. Artha Salgado is the Secretary of the Workplace Safety and Health Association (https://wsha.co) and practices health and safety in a regional capacity at a large multinational organisation. Dr. Changa Kurukularatne is a specialist in infectious diseases, infection prevention and control, and an expert in outbreak response and disaster management.)

Correspondence:

COSHlanka@gmail.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

On July 18, in the morning, a direct charter flight of the National Air Carrier of Azerbaijan operated from Budapest landed in Baku.

Passengers tested negative for coronavirus infection (COVID-19) were allowed to board the flight operated from the capital of Hungary. In accordance with the established rules, all 48 passengers must spend two weeks in self-isolation upon arrival.

To recap, the charter flights are performed according to a pre-agreed plan of the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Click here to read the full article.

EXCLUSIVE: Imagine Documentaries and Emmy-winning director-producer R.J. Cutler have teamed up on a new four-part true-crime docuseries that pulls back the curtain on New Yorks most infamous jewel thief, Jack Roland Murphy, aka Murf the Surf.

Cutler is writing it and will direct. His docus include The War Room, A Perfect Candidate, The September Issue, The World According to Dick Cheney, Thin and Listen to Me Marlon. His nonfiction TV credits include American High, Freshman Diaries and 30 Days, and he conceived and directed the series Nashville and the film If I Stay and generated The Oval Office Tapes. His docuseries Dear is streaming on Apple TV+, and hes got a November Showtime airdate for Belushi, with the musical drama Bronzeville right behind it. Cutler also is the producer-director of the untitled Billie Eilish docu for Apple TV+ He has won two Emmys.

More from Deadline

Murphy has quite a track record of his own, on the wrong side of the law. His most infamous credit was an epic jewel heist of the Museum of Natural History, the biggest in New York history. It was masterminded by a band of suave surfer dudes from Miami in 1964, and the key to the operation was Murphy, otherwise known as Murf the Surf, whose name was propelled into pop culture after the heist  creating a notoriety that would stretch far beyond the caper. What followed Murfs meteoric rise is a spiraling tale of unspeakable crime, murder, deception and mayhem which, to this day, remains shrouded in mystery. But there are high-speed boat chases, brazen robberies, shootouts with police, mob wars, prison riots, Cuban smuggling Russian gulags, acid trips and mental hospitals.

Story continues

Murf managed to turn a lifetime prison sentence for murder into an opportunity to remake himself. Hes now a free man, Jack Murphy has found God  and travels from one prison to the next inspiring inmates. Can a career criminal change his ways? For the first time, this four-part docuseries will explore the tumultuous life of the man behind the legendary nickname. Cutler has exclusive access to Murphy.

Series executive producers are Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein for Imagine; and Cutler and Trevor Smith. It becomes another big series for the docu division formed by Imagine in 2018, and which includes Martin Scorseses docu about David Johansen and the New York Dolls, which will air on Showtime.

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Press Release

July 18, 2020 HIGH TIME TO INSTITUTIONALIZE ONLINE GOV'T SERVICES - POE Our people should soon be able to avail of government help and services without having to wait in queues and in peril at various agencies, said Sen. Grace Poe, as she filed a bill mandating the institutionalization of e-governance that will swiftly respond to the concerns of common citizens (Napapanahon na ang online services ng gobyerno kaya't naghain ng isang panukalang batas si Sen. Grace Poe upang itatag ang e-governance na magpapabilis sa pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng pangkaraniwang mamamayan). Senate Bill 1683 or the proposed E-Government Act of 2020 seeks to enable Juan dela Cruz to easily file and receive his personal claims or loans and business-related requirements via a smoothly intertwined online government system (Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Poe, chairman ng Senate committee on public services, na layunin ng Senate Bill No. 1683 na madaling makapaghain at makatanggap si Juan Dela Cruz ng kanyang personal claims o dokumento sa pamamagitan ng maasahang online government system). "It is only proper to be assured of the transparency and efficiency of a government that is just a click away from its citizens," said Poe, adding that with services of agencies accessible from one's own home, senior citizens and pregnant women, for example, will no longer have to endure bureaucratic layers for their needs (ayon kay Poe saka idinagdag na kung may serbisyo ang isang ahensiya na puwedeng hingin kahit nasa loob ng tahanan, ang mga senior citizen at buntis, halimbawa, ay hindi na kailangan pang magdusa). At the same time, Poe acknowledged that the Philippines still needs to improve its connectivity infrastructure to be able to carry out this mandate (Kasabay nito, kinilala ni Poe na kailangan ng Pilipinas ang mga imprastrakturang magbibigay konektibidad sa bansa upang maisakatuparan ang adhikaing ito). "Now is the best time to ramp up initiatives to give Filipinos fast and reliable internet connection to truly enable them to shift to online transactions with national agencies and local government units," stressed Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services. Under Poe's bill, interoperability [sec. 3(e)] or the capacity of government altogether to operate online in a standardized manner shall be implemented (Sa ilalim ng panukala ni Poe, kailangang ipatupad ang interoperability [sec. 3 (e)] o ang sama-samang kapasidad ng gobyerno na magkaroon ng standardized na operasyon online). "The government should be able to address queries and concerns interactively through capable online staff supporting an extensive, up-to-date list of FAQs (frequently asked questions and answers)," Poe said. In order to further streamline permits and licenses [sec. 5 (4)], all business registration-related transactions with various government agencies shall be integrated (Sinabi pa ni Poe na kailangan pagsama-samahin ang lahat ng business related-transaction sa lahat ng ahensiya ng pamahalaan upang mapabilis ang pagkuha ng mga permit at lisensiya [sec. 5 (4)]). The bill also aims to establish real-time service [sec. 5 (6)], of the procurement process online involving bidding and contracts (Layunin din ng panukala na magbuo ng real-time services [sec. 5 (6)] sa procurement process na kinabibilangan ng bidding at iba pa). To ensure an efficient financial system [sec. 5 (5)], all government agencies shall be required to reconcile their payment system in one database (Inaatasan din ang lahat ng ahensiya ng pamahalaan sa naturang panukala na gawing integrated ang lahat ng payment system upang maging episyente ang financial system [sec. 5 (5)]). To safeguard the public from data breaches [sec. 5 (6.3)], the bill mandates essential security measures such as protection of computer networks against unauthorized usage and encryption of personal data (Kailangan din ng kaukulang security measures na ilalatag upang pangalagaan ang publiko laban sa pagnanakaw ng datos [sec. 5 (6.3)] tulad ng proteksiyon sa computer network laban sa hindi awtorisadong paggamit at encryption ng personal data). "The call for digital transformation in delivering service is more urgent now in the time of pandemic - when mobility is hampered, physical interactions are minimized, and having access to government services in the safety of our homes is more crucial than ever," she said. The Department of Information and Communications Technology will take the lead in ensuring an up-to-date and efficient e-government master plan (sec. 4) that regularly adjusts to needed changes (Pangungunahan ito ng Department of Information and Communications Technology upang matiyak na magkaroon ng napapanahon at episyenteng e-government master plan (sec. 4) na regular na binabago ayon sa kasakuluyang pangangailangan). "Our people expect the government now more than ever to look after them with concern and compassion, having exhausted all their resources and strength trying to cope with this pandemic," Poe said.
I appreciate that Christian Science relies on logic, Gods goodness, and the of equality of all mankind.

Christian Scientists start with the first chapter of Genesis in the Bible, where God made both male and female in Gods own image and likeness, proclaiming each of us to be equally and without exception, very good.

Logically, we know that a premise follows through into the conclusion. For example, when starting with 2+2=5 , an error will result in the end of your math problem, whereas beginning with the correct math facts will pass through to a correct answer. Christian Science teaches that this same law of logic applies to theology.

Starting out with the first chapter of Genesis, we are God-like, very good, thoroughly known and approved of, expressing and manifesting all the qualities and attributes of God. This dominion and spiritual heritage was bestowed equally, with each of us uniquely needed and treasured, designed to honor God. This premise follows through to a conclusion where we all are inevitably welcomed into heaven, harmony, and joy, leaving no one out.

There is another story of creation in the Bible that starts after that, in the second chapter in Genesis. This second account is the Adam and Eve version of creation, which Christian Scientists take to be a cautionary allegory, and not fact. In this alternative premise, man and woman are not equal and wonderful, but disobedient, ashamed, material, contentious, and blameworthy.

This alternative premise leads to strife of every kind, disappointment, punishment and banishment, followed by death, and even possibly hell. Unfortunately for the peace of our world, this second version has been more universally accepted; we are expected to fail and to fall. Christian Scientists reject that premise in favor of the first.

In the words of Mary Baker Eddy, the movements founder, It would be contrary to our highest ideas of God to suppose Him capable of first arranging law and causation so as to bring about certain evil results, and then punishing the helpless victims of His volition for doing what they could not avoid doing.

Christian Scientists start instead with the original, all-good premise, and submit that the world would be as God designed it, if others would as well. What if all of us were individually and collectively endeavoring to express our highest spiritual sense of self all the time, and looked for and upheld each other doing that as well? It is apparent there would be a very different conclusion.

Christian Science defines God as both father and mother, as infinite life, truth and love. That means that each of us is made of love, is lovable, and capable of expressing love. Each of us has an equal part in the benevolent inheritance of infinite, ever-present good. We strive to look to God more than self, and to overcome lower tendencies with Gods help.

To do this, Christian Scientists must renounce aggression, oppression and the pride of power. It may seem like we lose something doing that, but with this first chapter of Genesis premise, there is no envying, dissension, bigotry, superiority or conflict. God has all the power, divine Love meets each of our needs directly, and we all reflect that equally, immersed as we are in impartial good.

This quote by Mary Baker Eddy in her classic book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, sums up the global blessing of this refreshing perspective, One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfills the Scripture, Love thy neighbor as thyself; annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,  whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.

Christian Scientists earnestly pray for the realization of our God-given goodness and equality. We work for that within ourselves and to have it brought out in all of our dealings. Mutual respect and cooperation, based on how God has made us, in Gods own image and likeness, is our standpoint. We celebrate each ones important and blessed inclusion in the human family, all parented well by the one Father/Mother God, who is divine Love.

What premise are you choosing? What result will follow?

Polly Castor is a Christian Science Practitioner, and member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Ridgefield. She can be reached at PollyCastor@gmail.com
Having won a battle in its economic war against China with the reversal this week by the UK Johnson government of a decision to allow the telecom giant Huawei limited participation in the rollout the British 5G mobile phone network, the US is pushing forward.

It has now been reported the White House is considering taking action that would mean use of the Chinese popular video app TikTok was essentially banned.

The mechanism would be a decision by the Commerce Department to put the parent company ByteDance on its entity list, meaning it would be virtually impossible for Apple and other app sources to provide updates.

No decision has been made but the Financial Times cited an unnamed official who said it could come within a month and we are going to send a very strong message to China.

The administration is also reported to be considering using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act under which TikTok could be deemed an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national and economic securitythe same justification used against Huawei.

In the pushing for a ban on Huawei by its allies, the US insisted, without providing any evidence, that the company represented a security threat and that even if it was not directly tied to the Chinese Communist Party it could be compelled to supply information.

Despite these claims, the UK government decided in January that it would allow Huawei to play a limited role in the 5G rollout, excluding it from so-called core areas. This provoked a furious response from the White House, as well as sections of Johnsons own Conservative Party.

Accordingly, Washington upped the ante and in May imposed export control regulations in relation to Huawei, effectively preventing the company from buying US-made technology and software, thereby opening the way to secure a reversal of the January decision.

Announcing the decision to remove all Huawei gear by 2027 and blocking the purchase of any new equipment after December this year, Oliver Dowden, the minister in charge of UK telecommunications, told Parliament: As facts have changed, so has our approach.

Next on the US hit list is Germany. So far, the Merkel government has yet to make a decision on whether to bow to US demands that it exclude Huawei, saying it will make a determination in the autumn.

There are major economic interests at stake. Deutsche Telekom, which is one-third state-owned and is the countrys major provider of mobile phone services, uses a large amount of Huawei equipment. It has warned against any decision that would make it harder to roll out 5G.

Any ban on Huawei would impose considerable costs and there are longer-term considerations as well. Having already fallen behind in the development of new telecommunications technology, Germany is concerned that it could lag still further if it accedes to US demands because Huawei equipment is often cheaper and better than the alternatives.

But as in Britain, there are powerful forces within the German political establishment lining up behind the demands of Washington. Reporting on the issue this week, the Economist cited remarks by Norbert Rottgen, an anti-Huawei parliamentarian: We cannot trust the Chinese state and the Chinese Communist Party with our 5G network.

The article noted that the Social Democrats, who form part of the ruling grand coalition, are also opposed to Huawei, along with the Greens and cited a comment from a think tank representative that if there were a vote in parliament today, Huawei would lose.

The White Houses anti-China barrage is not only directed outwards but is also being aimed at US corporations that have a close connection with China.

In a speech in Michigan on Wednesday, Trumps attorney general William Barr said some major companies, citing Disney and Apple, had become pawns of China and had enabled Beijing to acquire mass influence and wealth at the expense of the US.

Making it clear that the Trump administrations drive against China has gone far beyond the issue of trade and US firms had to embrace broader geo-strategic issues, he said: American companies must understand the stakes. The Chinese Communist Party thinks in terms of decades and centuries, while we tend to focus on the next quarters earnings report.

Barr made it clear that his appeal could be backed by legal action under legislation covering foreign lobbying.

Americas corporate leaders might not think of themselves as lobbyists, he said. But you should be alert as to how you might be used, and how your efforts on behalf of a foreign company or government could implicate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In other words, if US corporations do not toe the line in the anti-China economic and military drive, they could find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

The increased bellicosity emanating from Washington is not confined to China or high-tech industries.

On Wednesday, the White House stepped up its drive to derail the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would transport gas from Russia to Germany, now nearing completion, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned companies providing assistance to the project would be hit by US sanctions.

The pipeline is being built by a company owned by the Russian energy giant Gazprom. But five major European energy groups have provided half the funding.

Pompeo said the sanctions threat was a clear warning to companies that aiding and abetting Russias malign influence projects will not be tolerated. Get out now, or risk the consequences.

Two years ago, Congress passed legislation to try to halt the project but the State Department said loans and investments made before its passage would be exempt from sanctions. Now those protections are to be withdrawn.

Let me be clear, Pompeo said, these arent commercial projects. They are the Kremlins key tools to exploit this bad European dependence in Russian energy supplies  a tool that ultimately undermines transatlantic security.

The US attack on the pipeline is not just directed at Russia but is also aimed at Berlin and enjoys bipartisan support.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, one of the most vocal opponents of the project, said the move by the State Department to remove protection from sanctions again confirms that there is a unified, bipartisan, bicameral, inter-branch consensus across the whole of the US government to ensure Putins pipeline never comes on line.
SAFETY FIRST

Donald Trumps commercials say we wont be safe in Joe Bidens America. Well, the fact of the matter is Donald Trump is so inept and incompetent and mentally unbalanced that we are very unsafe living in Donald Trumps America. We wont be safe until Donald Trump is out of office which should come November, hopefully.

OZ-STOUNDING

You know, Toto, I dont think were in the United States of America any more.

GET SOME CLASS

Kids need to be back in school this fall. If parents think its unsafe they can keep their child at home and home school them. That is their right. Any teacher who doesnt think its safe could opt out without pay. They can join the millions of petroleum workers Joe Biden wants to put out of business and they can learn to code program. Its time for these kids to be in school.

UNTRADITIONAL

A question: Has anybody ever seen Donald Trump smile? I never have. Or have any of you ever seen Pences wife? I have never seen her either. Whats going on? We have a first lady that doesnt do anything except sit in her house and apparently make phone calls. Anybody have traditions?

ONE SICK SOCIETY

Once again the United States is the laughingstock of the world. We were the only so-called civilized country in the world without a national plan for combating the coronavirus. We have governors who are suing mayors because the mayors are making their people wear masks in their cities, something that has been proven to help combat the coronavirus. What kind of idiotic, moronic, completely out-of-their-mind person would do that? A Republican. Apparently they want everybody in the country to get sick and die from the coronavirus so that way therell be nobody left to vote against them. They are making it worse.

BOB FROM SHARON HILL

BACK IN THE DAY

My wife traces her roots back to the Meadows, the section out by the airport in Philly by Eastwick. She tells me stories about the childhood there. They had it out houses in the backyard and used to clear the grass and play ball and go to midnight Mass at St. Raphaels. How great it was to grow up there. Do they ever have a gettogether or reunion of any type for these people?

THE TINICUM RAT

WE ALL SCREAM 

You know, its National Ice Cream month in July and the other day was actually National Ice Cream Day. I got my creamy treat at the Dairy Cottage on Woodland Avenue in Springfield. Just great. Take some time out and get yourself an ice cream treat and just forget about the nonsense. Its going on over the top and in our world today.

LEARNING ON LEWIS

JACKO WAS RIGHT

I remember for a few years in the 1980s the late entertainer. Michael Jackson did not leave home unless he was wearing his surgical mask. When Mr. Jackson did that people laughed at him and made fun of him. In retrospect instead of ridiculing and mocking Mr. Jackson maybe we should have listened to him. He might have been on to something. Take care and have a good evening.

I REMEMBER

JUST PAT-RONIZING

Just like all the rest of the Republicans, Pat Toomey voted for the tax bill that gave billions in tax cuts to billionaires who didnt need a dime of that money, which also put us a trillion dollars in debt. Now hes trying to act like hes fiscally responsible by saying he doesnt want a bill to give money to people who actually really need it because of the coronavirus. Toomey is not fiscally responsible. Pat to me is just a creep who would rather give money to billionaires than to people who really need it.

IVANKA THE CLUELESS

Recently Ivanka Trump said that people who are unemployed should just work elsewhere. It reminded me of Marie Antoinette, when the French had no bread. It shows just how out of touch with reality Ivanka Trump is and it also shows just how clueless and classless she is at discussing unemployment, just like her father.
Representative image

The Delhi Police detained 31 people, including seven women, for attending a party at a nightclub on July 15 in outer Delhi's Paschim Vihar, violating restrictions imposed in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

The police received a tip-off about the party and raided PLAYGUE restaurant on July 15 night. At the nightclub, police found people drinking alcohol, smoking "hookah" and dancing, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) A Koan told PTI. Liquor and beer were also served by the restaurant without any license, he said.

The police arrested the restaurant owner and his brother for organising a social gathering in violation of coronavirus-enforced lockdown restrictions and serving liquor to customers without a license.

Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

According to police, Lavish Khurana along with his brother Kashish Khurana was booked for violations under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Excise Act, Epidemic Disease Act, Disaster Management Act and Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act.

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

Meanwhile, 29 others who had gathered at the restaurant were booked for assembling at a social gathering and violating the restrictions imposed amid the pandemic. They, however, were released on bail later.

Further investigation is underway.

(With inputs from PTI)

Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here
THE Basilica Minore del Santo Nino (BMSN) and the Pilgrim Center are now being prepared for re-opening after the recovery of six BMSN personnel who earlier tested positive for coronavirus.

In a statement issued Friday, July 17, Rev. Fr. Andres Rivera, OSA, said that based on the latest reports and communication they received from the officials of Barangay Sto. Nino, the six personnel from the BMSN who were Covid-19 patients (one symptomatic and five asymptomatic) are now coronavirus-free.

The Basilica was closed to the public in May after the Office of the Prior Provincial of the Province of Sto. Nino de Cebu-Philippines announced that "suspected cases" of Covid-19 were detected.

Rev. Fr. Aladdin Luzon, OSA, said the Basilica will be re-opened by the time Cebu City is placed under general community quarantine.

Cebu City has been placed under modified enhanced community quarantine until July 31.

Luzon said the Basilica will follow the guidelines issued by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines pursuant to the recommendation of the regional Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease on mass gatherings.

As prescribed, those below 21 years old and above 60 years old are not allowed to enter the premises of the Basilica, as they are not allowed to go out of their homes while the community quarantine is in effect.

The BMSN said it will also open only one entrance and exit for the pilgrims and devotees. The gate near the Magellan's Cross will serve as the entrance.

Upon entry, the devotees and pilgrims shall observe health protocols, such as spraying of alcohol in their hands and body temperature check.

A booth will also be put up for person/s whose body temperature are found to exceed 37.5 degrees Celsius.

He said they will also set up three handwashing stations inside the vicinity.

Only 300 persons or 10 percent of the Basilica's total capacity will be allowed entry to the Basilica.

Story continues

"Once magsugod na ang misa, nagkasinabot mi mga pari nga i-discourage pod ang pagpasulod sa mga tawo kay ma-sacrifice man ang atong policy nga 10 percent," Luzon told SunStar Cebu.

Below is Basilica's schedule once Cebu City is placed under GCQ.

A. Monday-Thursday-Saturday

6 a.m. -- Church opens

7 a.m. -- Cebuano mass

8 a.m. -- English mass (with online coverage)

12:15 p.m. -- Cebuano Mass

5 p.m. -- English Mass

7 p.m. -- Church closes

B. Friday-Sunday

6 a.m. -- Church opens

6:30 a.m. -- Cebuano Mass

8 a.m. -- English Mass (with online coverage)

9:30 a.m. -- English Mass

11 a.m. -- Cebuano Mass

12:30 p.m. -- English Mass

2 p.m. -- English Mass (With online coverage)

3:30 p.m. -- Cebuano Mass

5 p.m. -- English Mass

7 p.m. -- Church closes

Luzon asked the faithful to be more vigilant and responsive to the call of the authorities to follow the health standards amid the pandemic. (WBS)
Mouad Khateb, one of the most prominent opponents of the donation, expressed the views of many critics, saying that he had no objection to whatever gay and transgender people do in private but that the donation would contribute to normalizing their unnatural way of life to the Arab public.
Officers of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Port of New York/Newark inspect a shipment of hair pieces and accessories from China, part of which is suspected to have been made with forced or prison labor in violation of US law, June 29, 2020.

On July 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of New York/Newark detained a shipment of products believed to be made with human hair originating in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), which the agency said indicated potential human right abuses of forced child labor and imprisonment. The products were part of shipment of nearly 13 tons of hair products worth more than U.S. $800,000. The seizure followed a withhold release order on hair products manufactured by Lop County Meixin Hair Product Co. Ltd. and the CBPs June 17 instruction to all ports of entry to detain such products, citing information that indicated they had been made with the use of prison labor.

On May 1, CBP had placed a similar withhold release order on hair products made by Hetian Haolin Hair Accessories, a company registered in an industrial park in Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefectures Lop (Luopu) county, in the same location as an internment camp. Previously, CBP also banned goods from a company named Hetian Taida. Uyghur exile groups had welcomed the decision and encouraged other nations to take similar steps to address the importation of goods made with forced labor at factories that are increasingly linked to the XUARs vast network of internment camps, where authorities are believed to have held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities since April 2017.

RFAs Uyghur Service recently spoke with Brenda Smith, the executive assistant commissioner of the CBPs Office of Trade about the shipment seizure and what her agency plans to do with the products. According to Smith, the products will undergo a DNA test to determine whether they are comprised of human or artificial hair. She also discussed other products from Xinjiang that the CBP is monitoring for suspected ties to forced labor.

RFA: What is CBP going to do with these 13 tons of hair weaves? What is the next step?

Smith: At this point we will continue our investigation into this specific shipment, including laboratory testing of the product, and we will also give the importer 90 days to submit information to Customs and Border Protection if they choose to, which would show that forced labor was not used in the production of these specific products. If after the 90 days they have not provided sufficient information, we can then seize the goods and destroy them. The other thing that the importer can do is choose to re-export those goods out of the United States.

RFA: Is it possible to perform a DNA test on the hair products to confirm that they belong to Uyghurs? If yes, would you allow the human rights organizations or experts to conduct the testing because this could be potential evidence of a crime against humanity?

Smith: The next step will be to determine or to confirm that it is in fact human hair, as opposed to artificial hair. CBP will work with an outside testing organization in order to do that. And Im not sure whether or not we are able to test for the ethnic composition of the DNA. It would be a laboratory that is certified to conduct this sort of testing, as opposed to a human rights organization.

RFA: What other products besides hair coming from Xinjiang is the CBP is going to target next?

Smith: What we find is that often in basic manufacturing industries such as apparel, consumer electronics that are fairly low value, as well as some food processing, and things like agricultural production  that is typically where we find a very vulnerable labor force. And so, in Xinjiang, we will continue to look for those. We will also continue to look at the more significant exports from that part of China in order to identify further risks.

RFA: [Senior fellow in China Studies at the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation] Dr. Adrian Zenz claims all products coming from Xinjiang is tainted with forced labor and therefore the U.S. should ban all imports from Xinjiang. Whats your view on this?

Our law enforcement authority requires us to be very specific about two things: One, that the shipment which was produced with forced labor is actually coming to or likely to come to the United States. And for us to be able to take a detention or a seizure action, we must be able to identify, or to track and to trace, that shipment as it arrives into a port of entry. So, our legal authority requires us to be very specific about the shipment. Our legal authority also requires us to meet the standard of reasonable but not conclusive, and so we must actually have evidence, which we gather from a variety of sources, in order to meet the legal standard of reasonable but not conclusive.

Typically, when we do forced labor investigations, the best information comes from a visit by CBP representatives to a production facility. It can also extend to witness testimony from individuals who have actually participated in circumstances which qualify as forced labor. In this instance, in China, because CBP representatives are unable to visit production facilities, we rely on witness testimony gathered by, for example, human rights organizations, nongovernmental or civil society organizations. We also rely on investigative journalism or information that was leaked by advocates that represent the policy positions for operations relevant to Xinjiang.

One of the things we want the U.S. trade community to be involved [in], and those that are sending goods to the United States, is we want them to be aware of their responsibility. Our legal authorities are very focused on those companies that bring shipments into the United States and it is their responsibility to ensure that the goods that they are importing to the U.S. are free of forced labor concerns. And so, we want to make sure that they understand what those responsibilities are and that they are compliant, even if the production of the basic goods happened three or four layers down in the supply chain.

Reported by Gulchechre Hoja for RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday convened a high-level review of his administration's COVID-19 response, chiefly to whip it back into action mode. He warned private hospitals that they would face stern action if they created an artificial scarcity for beds for COVID-19 patients.

At the same time, the chief minister advised people not to opt for expensive treatment at private hospitals; they could get quality treatment at government hospitals free of cost.

Anyone with symptoms should immediately approach the nearest government hospital to seek medical advice and get treatment. Arrangements have been made to provide COVID-19 treatment in all government hospitals right from the PHC (primary healthcare centre) level.

About 5,000 beds with oxygen facility have been readied in government hospitals across the state; 3,000 of them were being available at Gandhi Hospital and the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (TIMS) in Hyderabad.

During the review meeting, the chief minister gave his interpretation of the COVID-19 numbers in the state. It was indeed fortunate that the recovery rate in Telangana was much higher and the death rate much lower than the national average, he said.

Explaining, he said that as of Thursday July 16, some 41,018 persons had tested positive for COVID-19 but 67 per cent of them (27,295) have recovered and gone home. Another 9,636 asymptomatic patients were in home quarantine. That left only 3,692 patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in different government hospitals across the state.

Of these, the condition of only 200 patients, mainly those with comorbidities, was severe, while all others were recovering. Nevertheless, the state health administration was monitoring even asymptomatic patients as per the COVID-19 protocol.
CHICAGO - Protesters trying to topple a Christopher Columbus statue in downtown Chicagos Grant Park clashed with police who used batons to beat people and made at least a dozen arrests after they say protesters targeted them with fireworks, rocks and other items.

The clash Friday evening unfolded after at least 1,000 people tried to swarm the statue in a failed attempt to topple it following a rally in support of Black and Indigenous people.

Police said 18 officers were injured and at least 12 people were arrested during the clash. Four protesters were also hurt during the confrontation, which led local elected officials and activists to condemn the officers tactics.

We unequivocally condemn Mayor Lori Lightfoots decision to send the Chicago police to beat, arrest, and terrorize the demonstrators and journalists gathered in Grant Park tonight, a group of elected officials said in a statement released late Friday.

The statement was signed by several members of the City Council, including Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor and Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, and two members of the Legislature  state Rep. Delia Ramirez and state Sen. Robert Peters.

Lightfoot said Saturday that she will always fight for the rights of individuals to peacefully protest on any issue but noted that a portion of the protesters turned violent during Fridays protest.

A number of individuals came with frozen water bottles, rocks, bottles, cans and other gear to throw at officers. People in the crowd also threw fireworks and other incendiary devices at police, causing injury in several cases. These violent acts are unacceptable and put everyone at risk, she said in a statement.

The mayor said reports of excessive force by officers during their response to the protest are also unacceptable and urged anyone who believes they were mistreated by police to file a complaint with the citys Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or by dialing 311.

Local news site Block Club Chicago reported that one protester, an 18-year-old woman, had several of her front teeth knocked out when an officer punched her. It also shared a video of that assault and a photo of the womans bloodied mouth and missing teeth. It identified her as Miracle Boyd, a member of the anti-gun violence group GoodKids MadCity.

The police department said in a statement that officers assembled in the park as the protesters converged there and were providing security and protecting their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble. It said that as demonstrators approached the statue some members of the crowd turned on the police and used the protest to attack officers with fireworks, rocks, frozen bottles, and other objects.

Amika Tendaji, an organizer for the protest, during which artists tagged the statue with slogans including Decolonize Chicago and Black Lives Matter, decried the officers use of force to protect a statue.

I think the people of Chicago and the world have proven that they are over police brutalizing people, she said. Theyre over police murder, theyre over police terrorism, so the people are going to keep fighting.

The Columbus statue in Grant Park and another in the citys Little Italy neighbourhood were also vandalized last month.

Protesters across the county have called for the removal of statues of Columbus, saying that the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.

Statues of Columbus have also been toppled or vandalized in cities such as Miami; Richmond, Virginia; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Boston, where one was decapitated.
London: An actress and MeToo campaigner has told a court that Johnny Depp was known in Hollywood to be the victim of his wife's violence.

Katherine Kendall accused The Sun newspaper of exploiting the campaign against sexual abuse in an attempt to depict Depp as a "wife beater".

She accused the paper of ignoring her when she said she had heard repeated suggestions that Amber Heard was violent towards her husband.

Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court in London on Friday. He is suing the publisher of The Sun newspaper for depicting him as a "wife beater". Credit:AP

The activist for the MeToo movement, which sprang out of revelations about the sexual misconduct of Harvey Weinstein, told the High Court that The Sun misquoted her in an article and ignored her insistence that she had no evidence that Depp had been violent towards Heard.
ALL BETS are off when it comes to normal life this year and Confirmations being held in Limerick Racecourse is yet another example.

The parish of Mungret-Crecora-Raheen is following in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II who celebrated Mass in Limerick Racecourse in 1979. However, this time it will be in Greenmount, not Greenpark  and there definitely wont be 400,000 in attendance.

Due to the numbers of girls and boys to be confirmed, Canon John O'Shea, fellow priests, teachers and parish volunteers put their heads together and found the perfect solution.

We sat down and said, Look, we must try and make this happen. It will be in the open stand in Limerick Racecourse on Saturday, August 15. There will be an altar erected on a mobile unit. We'll have three ceremonies - 10am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm on the Feast of the Assumption which is a nice day to have it. It will be a very joyful celebration please God, said Canon OShea.

They had to think outside the (horse) box as up to 100 are only allowed in churches currently.

We have big numbers. In St Nessans we have 70; Crecora has 57 and in St Paul's there are 60. We have to observe the social distancing rules. We wanted the young people to have the opportunity of having and receiving the sacrament when they were looking forward to doing it all along,  said Canon OShea.

He said they measured the stand and they can only allow two people to come with each child, to allow for a two-metre distance. They will act as proxy for the sponsor, he explained.

There has been a very positive response, said Canon OShea, who wished to thank fellow priests and teachers for their excellent work in preparing children for the sacrament, and parents, parish volunteers and Limerick Racecourse for their co-operation.

Limerick Racecourse general manager Patrick O'Callaghan said they are looking forward to welcoming the children and their parents to Patrickswell

We are more than delighted to help in way we can. Canon OShea had a look around and was quite happy with the set-up. He has a clear vision of what he wants to do, said Mr OCallaghan. He said they tick a number of boxes in that they have a roof overhead but you are also out in the fresh air.

If anybody has an interest in trying to hold anything at Limerick Racecourse we will only be too happy to have a chat with them. There is no template for what is going on at the moment, said Mr OCallaghan.
A Philadelphia auto mechanic has become an instant hero after springing into action to rescue a young woman drowning off the coast of New Jersey.

Tyree Ward was visiting the beach near Baker Avenue in Wildwood with his family on July 13 when the incident occurred. There were no lifeguards on duty as the evening approached, and the family had started packing and getting ready to leave, reports WPVI.

A woman ran up to Ward screaming for help; her friend was drowning in the deeper water beyond the breaking waves. Im watching the waves roll. I dont see anything at first, but then I see something bobbing, Ward, 31, told CBS Philadelphia.

Aerial view of the beach near Baker Avenue in Wildwood, New Jersey (Screenshot/Google Maps)

The selfless man then dropped his belongings and rushed right into the water to help the struggling 20-year-old, Katie Stonehill. He was able to reach Katie before first responders arrived and assisted her from the shallows.

I went underwater, pushed her, Ward explained to firefighters in a video interview shared on Facebook by Wildwood resident John Lynch. Once we got to better water, I just picked her up and started walking back with her. She had no energy or strength left in her.

Katie was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center by ambulance for further evaluation, according to The City of Wildwood Fire Department press release. The CWFD called Ward an instant hero.

(Illustration  Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock)

Wildwood Fire Chief Ernie Troiano III later praised Ward personally for saving the young womans life. When time is of the essence, his timing was impeccable, Troiano explained to WPVI. He was truly in the right place at the right time, and he had what it took to get the job done.

He didnt hesitate, the fire chief continued. He didnt wait to call for help. He sprung into action and it was truly a lifesaving measure.

Cape Regional Medical Center, New Jersey (Screenshot/Google Maps)

Ward, dismissive of his hero status, cited the hand of the Lord in placing him in a position to help Katie. I thank God that He put me there, he reflected. Everything just happened the way it did.

Somebody has to do something, Ward went on, claiming that others would have done the same in his place. You just jump in and you just have to follow your gut sometimes.

The Wildwood Fire Department (Screenshot/Google Maps)

At the time of writing, Katie is at home recovering from her ordeal. Right now, Im feeling much better, she told CBS Philadelphia. The hospital said that I still have some water in my lungs.

Alluding to the life-saving feat, Katie further added: [Ward] was put in that spot for a reason. I cant say thank you enough.

In recognition of his selfless act, the CWFD met with Ward before his family left Wildwood to present him with some T-shirts and a hat as a small token of their appreciation.

Hundreds of well-wishers left comments in response to photos of the humble heros noble action on the CWFDs Facebook page. Great job Tyree, wrote one netizen. Makes my heart happy that there are truly good, caring people willing to risk their life for others.

You rock, Tyree! wrote another. Thank you for your kindness in this crazy world we are living in.

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc
Amid the escalating pressure over the ongoing investigation on the case of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Einstein, Prince Andrew's official website has officially been taken down from the internet -- eight months after his resignation.

The disgraced royal has been facing media and public scrutiny following his association with the American financier.

Apart from this, his disastrous interview with BBC last November 2019 has prompted him to step down from public duties for the "foreseeable future."

The Duke of York acknowledged his connection with Epstein and mentioned that he "still" do regret his friendship with the billionaire.

Prince Andrew's Royal Life Is Over?

The 60-year-old royal's private website, thedukeofyork.org, has been scrubbed and now redirects users to the official royal family site royal.uk (which shows Prince Andrew's statement addressing his "car crash" interview with Emily Maitliss on BBC's Newsnight).

Does this mean that the Duke of York's royal life is next on the chopping block?

To be fair, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped their bombshell news that they will resign as senior members of the Firm, they were forced to let go of their HRH titles and their Sussex Royal branding.

Prince Andrew, on the other hand, has managed to retain his HRH title and his publicly funded security guards by the power of Queen Elizabeth II.

Although he lost his patronages and his Buckingham Palace office, it would only be fair to all current and past senior members to axe those royals who don't represent the Crown and yet receive taxpayers' money. For what it's worth, taking down Prince Andrew's website could be the first domino to fall as he ends his time with the royal family.

Prince Charles Plans To Have Modernized Royal Family

In relation to Prince Andrew's latest debacle, Prince Charles is said to be planning to slim down the royal family as part of hismodernization attempt for the monarchy.

"Prince Charles has always wanted to make the Royal Family slimmer," Lady Glenconner previously told Tatler magazine. "Now he's got it in spades! There are hardly any of them left!"

Apart from this, fewer royals mean lesser drama and scandals surrounding the monarchy.

To recall, Prince Andrew and the Sussexes brought a massive blow to the royal family after ditching their roles in the institution.

Following this, royal expert Camilla Tominey claimed that the heir to the throne is "desperate" to trim down the monarchy and revise the structure of power, making him, the Queen, Prince William, and sooner or later, Prince George, as the main representatives of the British royal family.

Of course, this drastic plan of the Prince of Wales might anger Prince Andrew, as he fears that both of her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, might also be affected.

Queen's Protection

As for Prince Andrew, a royal expert pointed out the possible reason why the Queen has not revoked the Duke of York's titles.

In an episode of "Pod Save the Queen," Prince Andrews biographer Nigel Cawthorne claimed that Queen Elizabeth II thinks that his second son cannot cope up without the privileges of the crown.

Unlike the Sussexes who can create a global brand through their future deals, the Duke of York is unlikely to have any decent offers.

READ MORE: Machine Gun Kelly Reveals Weird Fetish With Megan Fox
The DGP reviewed the prevailing conditions at Komaram Bheem Asifabad district in connection with the recent Maoist activity.

Hyderabad: Telangana Director General of Police M Mahendar Reddy on Thursday said that the Maoists who have entered the state at Asifabad will be caught soon and produced before the court for legal action.

The DGP along with the other senior police officials reviewed the prevailing conditions at Komaram Bheem Asifabad district in connection with the recent Maoist activity.

In the first week of July, the state intelligence agencies of the state received information about the Maoists movement in Asifabad and Kothagudem forest areas and huge numbers of anti-Maoist operation teams were pressed into action.

On July 14, the exchange of fire took place between the police personnel and the Maoists at Terni area in Asifabad, where the latter had a narrow escape. A day later, another incident of exchange of fire took place between the combing parties and the Maoists at Bhadradi Kothagudem district, in which a Head Constable suffered a bullet injury.

Following the incident, DGP Mahendar Reddy and North Zone Inspector General Y Nagi Reddy visited Asifabad on Thursday and reviewed the ongoing anti-Maoist operations.

Speaking to media, the DGP said that at a time when the erstwhile Adilabad district is witnessing development, the return of the Maoists is creating panic among the people especially Adivasis.

Maoist state committee member Bhaskar along with four others entered Asifabad. Over 500 personnel from Grey Hounds, TSSP, Armed Reserve wings and the local police are in search of the Maoists. We will catch them soon and produce before the courts of law, said the DGP.

Appealing the public, especially Adivasis not to extend any help to the Maoists and share information about the extremists with the police, DGP Reddy said, Very soon, there would be no Maoist activity in the Adilabad, Asifabad, Nirmal, and Mancherial districts. We are expecting goods results soon.
DETROIT, MI  A Detroit woman is facing federal charges stemming from her alleged role in a multi-million dollar unemployment insurance fraud scheme.

According to the U.S. Attorneys office, the scheme aimed at defrauding the State of Michigan and the U.S. government of funds earmarked for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brandi Hawkins, 39, has been indicted on charges of theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, wire fraud and laundering of monetary instruments.

In June 2020, investigators learned Hawkins, a former employee with the states Unemployment Insurance Agency, was involved in the large-scale scheme, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

In April 2020, Hawkins was assigned as a contract employee to work as an Unemployment Insurance Examine in a full-time telework capacity, according to an affidavit authored by an FBI special agent. Her duties included reviewing, processing and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims.

Hawkins worked with outside actors currently unknown to law enforcement, the agents affidavit states. On a daily basis, those actors entered numerous false claims into the (State of Michigan)s UIA system. Hawkins used her insider access to fraudulently release payment on these claims. Hawkins actions have resulted in the fraudulent disbursement of over $2 million of federal and state funds intended for unemployment assistance during the pandemic.

Hawkins employment was terminated on June 17. However, between that date and June 29, Hawkins accessed more than 400 separate claims, and fraudulently enabled the disbursement of more than $2 million of government funds to be paid out on these fraudulent UI claims, the affidavit states.

Federal agents executed a search warrant on Hawkins house on July 7. They seized about $238,000 in cash, as well as cellphones, tablets, high-end handbags, and other luxury items, the affidavit states.

While being interviewed by investigators, Hawkins admitted to knowingly accessing the UIA system and approving claims without authorization, the affidavit states.

Brandi Hawkins is charged with exploiting the current pandemic to defraud the State of Michigan and United States for her own personal gain, said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. These are serious allegations, and my office is committed to prosecuting any person who attempts to use the Covid-19 crisis to defraud the people of Michigan.

The U.S. Secret Service is currently focused on criminals attempting to exploit the American people during these unprecedented times of record unemployment due to the pandemic, added Douglas Zloto, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service - Detroit Field Office. It is especially egregious when someone in a position of trust, working for an agency created to assist the residents of the State of Michigan, takes advantage of those during their time of need. We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to bring these perpetrators to justice.

Brandi Hawkins alleged actions are incredibly selfish and without regard for her fellow Michiganders in dire need of financial assistance, said Sarah Kull, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office. IRS-CI will not hesitate to thoroughly investigate any COVID19 related fraud and bring those offenders to justice.

Hawkins had her initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony P. Patti on Friday, July 17. The magistrate released Hawkins on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Related:

Wife sentenced in $126,000 welfare fraud that brought husband prison, deportation

340,000 Michigan unemployment accounts flagged for potential fraud
Asia

India: Karnataka health workers begin indefinite state-wide strike

Around 42,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers in Karnataka state began an indefinite strike on July 10 to demand a fixed 12,000 rupees ($US160) monthly salary and permanent jobs. ASHA workers are currently only paid an honorarium of 4,000 rupees by the state government.

The ASHA workers claim that constant technical problems prevent them from entering their work activity data into the government computer pay system, resulting in inadequate pay or nothing at all. In January, striking ASHA workers returned to work after the state government falsely assured them that authorities would consider their demands.

The striking ASHA workers have threatened to extent their action to mass resignations if their demands are not granted.

Meanwhile, AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) contract doctors in Karnataka have also threatened to resign if the authorities fail to increase their salaries and make their jobs permanent.

Gandhi Hospital workers in Telangana hold combined protest

Around 800 contract workers, including sanitation workers, security guards and patient care personnel, demonstrated outside the Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on Tuesday to demand permanent jobs and increased wages. It was part of three-day protests by the workers who are demanding better working conditions and improved facilities. Police arrested numbers of demonstrators, releasing them later in the evening.

The state-run Gandhi Hospital is a major centre in Hyderabad for those infected with COVID-19. About 200 nurses are continuing their protest which started on July 11, inside the hospital. They are demanding the government honour previous commitments to increase their salary rates.

Bihar ambulance workers strike over police attack on colleagues

Members of 102 Ambulance Association in Samastipur, Bihar state walked off the job on July 11 to protest against the alleged police beating of two ambulance employees transporting a patient to hospital. The reason for the police attack has not been reported.

The ambulance workers demonstrated in the hospital and presented a memorandum about the police attack to the Health Committee. They said they would remain on indefinite strike until action was taken against the police officers.

Striking soya processing workers in Andhra Pradesh sacked

Some 92 striking contract workers from the Ruchi Soya Industries plant at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh were terminated on Wednesday. They had been on strike for seven days to demand payment of four years outstanding bonuses, an increase in minimum wages, social security payments, employment state insurance benefits and company adherence to labour laws at the plant. They have been protesting outside the district collectorate and the processing plant.

The workers are contracted by Sudhakar Industrial Services and part of the 350-strong workforce at the facility.

Haryana auto workers protest over sackings

Workers from several automotive manufacturing units in the Manesar-Gurgaon industrial hub in Haryana state, demonstrated outside the deputy commissioners office on Thursday against the sacking of thousands of employees. Protesters alleged that the auto companies are using the COVID-19 lockdown and economic slowdown to fire workers and cut wages.

More than 10 unions and 100 representatives presented a memorandum calling for action against nine different manufacturing units.

The protesters accused labour department officials of being hand-in-glove with the companies and the management who have not paid wage settlements or improvements agreed to before the lockdown.

Tamil Nadu public sector workers protest in Madurai

Tamil Nadu government employees demonstrated outside the Madurai Collectorate on Tuesday over several demands. These include the provision of proper bus transport to workers home villages and towns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association members demanded that workers who succumbed to COVID-19 must be compensated and all frontline workers be provided with personal protection equipment (PPE).

Demonstrators also called on the government to withdraw its decision to freeze the Dearness Allowance (DA) until July 2021, cancellation of an agreement to pay out 15 days earned leave and banning workers from taking holidays during the pandemic. Panchayat (local government) assistants, librarians, anganwadi workers and other employees on special time-scale based pay also demanded regular payment of their wages.

Pakistani doctors protest in Islamabad

Doctors from the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad protested on Monday to demand the immediate payment of a risk allowance and salary increments announced in September 2019. The Young Doctors Association (YDA) ignored threats by hospital administrators that strict action would be taken against protesting doctors.

The doctors protest is the latest in a series by PIMS medical staff and includes action by the nursing students over the non-payment of stipends and for the provision of personal protective equipment. According to one media report, 200 workers at the hospital have been infected with COVID-19 and three have succumbed to the deadly disease.

The YDA later called off the protest claiming that officials from the Ministry of Health Services agreed to address their issues.

Sri Lanka: Nurses at Kandy hospital demand overtime pay

Around 300 nurses from the 2,300-bed Kandy General Hospital in Central Sri Lanka, demonstrated outside the facility on Monday to demand overtime payments according to previously agreed pay scales for the pandemic period. The nurses say they have been working four to eight additional hours but have not been paid promised salary rates.

The Kandy nurses protest is the latest in the series of struggles launched by nurses in many parts of Sri Lanka against the cancellation of overtime pay and paid leave during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bangladeshi garment workers demand unpaid salaries

Over 2,000 garment workers from the Dipta Apparels factory in the Shampur area of Savar, Bangladesh, protested outside their factory on Sunday demanding unpaid salaries for June and reopening of the factory. They blocked a local road for several hours.

Factory management announced a three-day plant shutdown on July 1, blaming a drop in orders but later announced that the closure was indefinite, claiming electricity had been cut to the plant.

Workers also demanded payment of outstanding bonuses and the July Eid festival holiday allowance. The workers are members of the Bangladesh Garments and Shilpa Sramik Federation and National Garment Workers' Federation.

Bangladeshi university teachers protest sackings and outstanding salaries

Teachers from several private universities in Bangladesh have protested by filing complaints to the University Grants Commission against their termination and the non-payment of salaries.

Teachers said that university authorities have taken full tuition fees from the students for online classes but only paid some employees half of their salaries during the COVID-19 lockdown in March or nothing at all. Some universities terminated teachers during the COVID-19 crisis, claiming bankruptcy due to fewer student admissions.

Australia

Tasmanian tree lopping workers locked out

Nine workers from A1 Trees Services, a tree-lopping company in Tasmania, were locked out by management on Tuesday in a dispute over their first enterprise agreement. The lockout was in response to low level work bans imposed by members of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU).

Police were called to the workers picket line outside the companys depot in Devonport on Wednesday morning after the company owner drove his vehicle into the picket, injuring two workers and hospitalising one of them.

According to a union spokesman, the workers are only paid a flat rate below the minimum award rate with no benefits or penalty pay. He alleged that the workers were owed hundreds of dollars due to underpayment of wages. The workers want pay parity and entitlements with other workers in the industry and compensation for past wage underpayments.

Chemist Warehouse distribution workers refuse to enter Melbourne facility because of COVID-19 infections

Chemist Warehouse Distribution Centre workers in Somerton, Melbourne refused to enter the premises on July 10 after learning that a colleague had tested positive to COVID-19. According to the United Workers Union (UWU) the infected worker and five others have gone into isolation, despite the possibility that up to 100 staff who worked the same shift could have come in contact with the confirmed case.

While Chemist Warehouse management has demanded work should continue as normal, workers insisted that the facility must be closed for cleaning. Management has also declared that employees who refuse to work use their own entitlements, forcing casual employees and others with limited entitlements to choose between financially supporting their family or putting their health at risk.

The union has demanded that all workers at the site be placed on pandemic leave until they have been able to obtain a negative COVID test and that the facility be closed for 72 hours to allow for a deep clean. Although the issue is a workplace occupational health and safety concern the union has not called any industrial action despite complaining that the company has provided little details of the thoroughness of the cleaning process.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday (July 18) said AIMIM district leader in Amethi Kadir Khan and Congress leaders Aasma, Anup Patel and Sultan instigated the mother-daughter duo from for self-immolation outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office in Lucknow on Friday.

UP Police on Saturday arrested AIMIM leader Kadir and one other accused in connection with the case. A Sub-Inspector, a Head Constable and 2 Constables have been suspended for negligence of duty. Sujeet Pandey, Lucknow Police Commissioner, told ANI that departmental action will be initiated against the suspended police personnel.

"It has come to light that it was done as per a criminal conspiracy in which some people played key role in instigating the women. We have registered FIR against four persons including an AIMIM leader Kadir Khan and Congress leader Anup Patel," Sujeet Pandey, Lucknow Police Commissioner todl ANI.

On July 17 evening, a woman and her daughter from Amethi attempted self-immolation in front of UP CM's Office in Lucknow allegedly over police inaction in a land dispute case. The incident took place at around 5.40 pm on Friday in the state capital's high-security zone as it houses the assembly as well as the Lok Bhawan -- the office of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The mother-daughter duo sustained burn injuries and was admitted to a civil hospital where the condition of one of them was said to be critical.

The police personnel posted there swung into action as they saw the women engulfed in flames and rescued them, they said. A video of the incident went viral on social media.

"They had some dispute in the Jamo area in Amethi. They had come here but didn't approach anyone and instead tried to immolate themselves in front of Lok Bhawan," a senior police officer said. "We are probing the matter," the officer added.
Women and children preparing for Cahirmee Horse Fair, Buttevant, Co. Cork, by Wiltshire, Elinor, 1918-2017, photographer. Published / Created: July 1954. In collection: The Wiltshire Photographic Collection

Women and children preparing for Cahirmee Horse Fair in Buttevant, the Burning of Cork in 1920, a crew sunning themselves on a warship deck in Castletownbere, and a view of the coastline at Pulleen Harbour on the Beara Peninsula just some of the photographs of Cork digitised and freely available online from the National Library of Ireland (NLI).

As part of a new initiative entitled 'Around the Island', the Library is inviting Cork people, and everyone with an interest in the county, to explore these images and others from home. 'Around the Island' encourages people across the island of Ireland to connect and reconnect with their counties and their history by accessing local photographs that are readily available through the Library's rich and varied online collections.

In 2007, the National Library initiated a major project to digitise its collections of glass plate negatives. Since then, more than 60,000 images of Ireland and Irish life have been made available online.

With photographs drawn from a range of historic collections, the online catalogue offers viewers unique insights into life across the island of Ireland from the middle of the 19th century all the way up to the late 20th century.

The catalogue can be accessed via http://catalogue.nli.ie, and visitors can search the collections according to a number of criteria, including year and region.

Commenting on the initiative, Director of the NLI, Dr Sandra Collins said: "As Ireland's memory-keeper, the National Library collects, preserves and shares the record of life in Ireland. This includes photographs of everyday local life just as much as major moments in our national history.

"Together, these images give a varied picture of Irish life through the last 170 years.

"Through 'Around the Island', we hope people will engage with their local history using the Library's online catalogue, and perhaps see their locality and its history in a new light.

"I hope that visitors to our online collections will find enjoyment in browsing local imagery from the past, while also learning something new about their county.

"I encourage Cork people, and everyone with an interest in the county, to spread the word about the Library's online collections among family and friends - wherever they are - and to visit the catalogue."

Visitors to the catalogue are encouraged to share any interesting findings or observations on social media, using the hashtag #NLIonline, or by sending an email to info@nli.ie.
To the Times:

Thanks to our new county council, Delaware County is currently the only county in the region that is deploying their small business funding to include non-profits. They established the Delco Strong 2 Non-Profit Fund with $4 million recently, recognizing that non-profits dont just provide valuable services, but are employers with many small businesses depending on them for their livelihood. We need them to survive through the pandemic and economic downturn if we are to fully recover.

If you work or volunteer for, or donate to, a non-profit with annual revenue less than $9 million and with a Delaware County address listed on the first page of the IRS 990 tax filing, please let that non-profits leadership know that it could be eligible for a grant from $25,000-$50,000.

Thanks to the many Delaware County residents who donated to The Foundation for Delaware Countys COVID-19 Response Fund, the county selected the foundation to run the Delco Strong 2 Non-Profit Fund. The grant application is on-line at delcofoundation.org and proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21. Please help us spread the word so as many non-profits as possible benefit from this great opportunity.

Thank you again to all who donated to the Delaware County COVID-19 Response Fund. Your gifts are being leveraged for even greater impact with this exciting new opportunity.

Frances Sheehan, President, The Foundation for Delaware County
Pakistan Hails Decision To Add Pakistani Taliban Leader To UN Sanctions List

By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal July 17, 2020

The Pakistani government has welcomed a United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) decision to add the leader of the Tehrik-e Taliban militant group (TTP) to a sanctions list of individuals and entities subject to an assets freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo.

The sanctions against TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud "are being implemented by Pakistan in compliance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and we hope that other countries will also follow suit," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on July 17.

A sanctions committee of the Security Council on July 17 designated Mehsud for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of entities associated" with the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Mehsud was named the TTP leader in June 2018 following the death of the group's former leader, Maulana Fazlullah, in a U.S. strike in Afghanistan.

Under Mehsud's leadership, TTP claimed responsibility for deadly attacks across Pakistan.

The group was designated by the Security Council in 2011 for its association with Al-Qaeda.

The United States designated Masud as a global terrorist in September last year.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-hails -decision-to-add-pakistani-taliban-leader-in-un- sanctions-list/30733806.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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A bride in a bejewelled pink dress, three children carrying baskets of peach-coloured flower petals, and a small group of family and friends filled the mayor's foyer in Winnipeg city hall Friday afternoon.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A bride in a bejewelled pink dress, three children carrying baskets of peach-coloured flower petals, and a small group of family and friends filled the mayor's foyer in Winnipeg city hall Friday afternoon.

Ankita and Harman Mavi are the first couple to wed in city hall since services halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March were resumed.

Harman's family made up a majority of the 13 guests the couple was allowed to invite; Ankita's were stuck in India, but her family still saw the 20-minute ceremony livestreamed through Zoom. One guest held three smartphones and recorded while the couple exchanged rings and vows; Harman's sister handled a Zoom chat on another phone.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ankita Mavi reads her vows during her wedding ceremony at City Hall on Friday.

This isn't how the Mavis expected to tie the knot. They'd gotten engaged on Valentine's Day, at the CN Tower in Toronto. They were on their way to India  Harman was going to meet Ankita's parents for the first time  and they had a few hours for exploring the Ontario capital.

The couple planned to hold a wedding in Winnipeg in August; they'd search for venues when they returned from India. There'd be 150-200 people, guests from around the world and good food.

Before they could book anything, COVID-19 spread through Canada.

"The bigger, fancier wedding we'll have next year, but we wanted to sort of make our commitment to each other this year."  Harman Mavi

Wedding services via the City of Winnipeg were halted March 21; they officially resumed June 21. Nearly four weeks later, Ankita, 31, and Harman, 33, were married inside city hall's council building.

"I think we were expecting something very simple," Harman said of the ceremony booked two weeks earlier. "The bigger, fancier wedding we'll have next year, but we wanted to sort of make our commitment to each other this year."

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Bride, Ankita Mavi, right, and her groom, Harman Mavi celebrate their wedding day with family members in attendance at Winnipeg City Hall on Friday.

Weddings inside the council building are capped at 15 people; outdoors, groups of 25 can gather. Pre-pandemic, the maximum was 25 people both indoors and outdoors.

"I'm really sad that I don't have my mom and my dad here with me," Ankita said. "I'm just hoping that next year we can include everyone."

However, there were perks to having the smaller service.

"It's actually nice because it's more relaxed," said Parneet Mavi, Harman's sister. "It's fun, it's more intimate, and we're not worried about entertaining other people."

The family planned to celebrate with wedding cake at Harman's parent's house Friday evening.

"I think we're just glad things have come together, despite the pandemic," Parneet said. "We're all together as a family and celebrating this really momentous occasion."

Esha, Parneet's seven-year-old daughter, happily swung her basket of petals around. She said she was excited to be a flower girl twice.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The couple and their family wave to friends that had to remain outside the building due to COVID restrictions of 15 people. The young couple are the first to have their wedding at City Hall since it was closed during the pandemic.

Standing beside City of Winnipeg flags and his new wife, Harman said his pandemic-era wedding shows people should experience the joys they can take.

"We should be there for the people we care for in the ways that we can," he said. "(Ankita and I are) pleased  we're lucky to be in the same place."

There were two more weddings set at city hall later Friday. The first wedding at city hall took place in 2016.

gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ankita Mavi and her groom, Harman Mavi share their vows, first kiss and wedding day with close family at City Hall on Friday.

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The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police on Friday arrested Sanjay Jain whose name had surfaced in a viral audio recording about horse trading of legislators to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan, an official said.

IMAGE: BJP supporters hold an effigy of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot during a protest against the state government, in Jodhpur, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo

"Jain has been arrested following interrogation into the FIR lodged on the basis of audio recording that had gone viral on social media," Additional Director General (ATS and SOG) Ashok Rathore said.

Jain was interrogated Thursday and Friday following which the arrest has been made, officials said.

Congress Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi had lodged a complaint demanding a probe and registration of a first information report under sedition charges against three persons -- Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, Gajendra Singh and Sanjay Jain -- who were allegedly discussing a conspiracy to topple the state government in one of the three audio recordings that went viral on social media Thursday.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala had referred to Jain as a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, a charge denied by that party.

The SOG had earlier on Friday registered two FIRs under Indian Penal Code sections 124-A (sedition) and 120-B (conspiracy) to probe into the complaint related to horse trading of MLAs and the alleged audio recordings.
Sumi Sukanaya Dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A sero-survey exercise undertaken by the Indian Council of Medical Research in containment areas across 10 COVID19 hotspot cities in May had shown the highest40 percentseropositivity in a cluster in Ahmedabad, TNIE has gathered.

This means that 40 percent of individuals whose blood samples were tested to check for antibodies against the virus in a containment zone in the city were found to have a past history of infectionsuggesting they had contracted the disease and recovered quietly.

Nearly 36 per cent of the samples collected from Mumbais Dharavi, Asias biggest slum with a population of over 8.5 lakh, also had antibodies against SARS CoV 2indicating that the actual number of detected COVID19 cases in the area were just the tip of the iceberg.

Seropositivity range in most other clusters in the worst-hit cities where the exercise was carried out however was found to be in the range of 15-30 per cent, as reported by TNIE earlier.

These findings as part of a two-part sero-survey research study will soon be published by the ICMRs Indian Journal of Medical Research after a delay of several weeks and severe criticism of the Council.

The cities where the samples from containment areas were tested included Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Indore, Thane, Jaiupr, Chennai and Suratwhich at that time contributed a total of 70 per cent of COVID19 caseloads in the country.

A total of 500 samples were collected from 10 randomly picked containment zones in each of these cities to test for presence of the antibodies.

The study had been undertaken by the ICMR, with support from the World Health Organization, India and the National Centre for Disease Control, in order to assess the true spread of the disease in May.

As IgG antibodies against the virus appear typically three weeks after the infection, it has been assessed that the first pan-India sero-survey would have given the disease spread status till April end.

It was only earlier this week that the full report of the sero-survey, carried out in about 20,000samples from 69 districts ahmin 21 states categorised on the basis of zero to high caseloads and 5000 samples in 10 hotspot cities, was shared with an expert committee on COVID19 surveillance and epidemiology under the ICMR before it is formally published.

The report has almost confirmed the long-standing view that despite strict lockdown measures in the early period of pandemic outbreak in India, the virus had been transmitted rampantly in many cities, said a committee member.

The findings also explain the swift decline COVID19 cases in areas like Dharavi starting June where the disease at one point looked uncontrollable and suggests that many localities in badly hit cities may have reached herd immunity already, as expected epidemiologically.

Another member said that finding also confirmed that the quality of ELISA testing kit used for the exercise was good.

Very low seropositivity was found in areas with zero or low cases while it was remarkably high in areas with high caseloadsconsistent with the detected spread of the disease, said.

The government so far has revealed only one figure from the massive exercise saying that the overall infection rate in non-hotspot districts was found to be 0.73 per cent.

A second nationwide survey is already being planned and could begin later this month or in early August.
COVID-19 infected more than 5,600 Oklahomans in the last week, a number the state did not reach for several weeks early in the pandemic.

Dr. Dale Bratzler, chief COVID officer at the University of Oklahoma, said during a virtual news conference that the state is seeing real rapid growth in COVID-19 cases.

(W)e have seen 5,000 newly confirmed cases in one week, Bratzler said. Compare that to when we first started this pandemic, it took us more than two months to get to 5,000 confirmed cases.

To be precise: There were 5,644 new, confirmed cases between July 10 and Friday, according to Oklahoma State Department of Health data updated Friday.

For comparison, health officials confirmed the first case on March 6 and the 5,000th case about May 15, according to OSDH data collected by the Tulsa World.

Since the start in early March, there have been 24,140 cumulative cases and 445 deaths. On Friday, state health officials reported seven Oklahomans died recently from COVID-19 and 699 more are infected by the disease.

OSDH officials reported the new deaths Friday. Two of those were Tulsa County residents: a man and a woman who were older than 65.
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says he thinks he will keep his job.

The Italian finally admitted in Hungary that the engine legality saga of 2019 has resulted in a less powerful power unit for this year.

It comes amid speculation Binotto might go the way of Stefano Domenicali, Marco Mattiacci and Maurizio Arrivabene by losing the top job in red.

When asked by French broadcaster Canal Plus if he feels in danger of that happening, Binotto said in Hungary: "No, I don't necessarily feel in danger.

"I think it's normal that I - just like everyone else - have to do my job and I'm judged on the results, there's no doubt about it.

"But on that side, I have the support of Ferrari, the support of my bosses," Binotto added.

"I believe that stability is important, we know that our program is a program over several years, so we are still trying to build and I believe we should not react negatively to the first negative results.

"For my part, I am calm, even if I am disappointed with the situation," he said.

However, Binotto does not rule out that Ferrari will make changes of some kind.

"Stability is important for us. But we need to understand what is not working and make things better," he told Sky Italia.

"As a team it is not excluded that something can be addressed, on a technical or an organisation level, to improve things.

"This is a young team, made up of many talents and good people in whom I have full confidence. There is no one questioning - we will only try to do better in the future."

(GMM)
18 Jul 2020, 10:33 AM

US-India passenger flights to resume from July 23

The government of India has agreed to allow U.S. air carriers to resume passenger services in the U.S.-India market starting July 23, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Friday. The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the U.S. Transportation Department in June to accuse India of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air carriers serving India.

Coronavirus pandemic: 1 million cases recorded in 100 hours globally

Global coronavirus infections passed 14 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the first time there has been a surge of 1 million cases in under 100 hours. The first case was reported in China in early January and it took three months to reach 1 million cases. It has taken just four days to climb to 14 million cases from 13 million recorded on July 13. The United States, with more than 3.6 million confirmed cases, is still seeing huge daily jumps in its first wave of COVID-19 infections.

India's COVID recovery rate among best globally due to healthcare system: PM Modi at UN ECOSOC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday delivered a keynote address virtually at the high-level segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session. In his address, PM lauded the country's healthcare system to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. He also credited India's "grass-root health system" in helping the country "attain one of the best recovery rates in the world in the fight against COVID".

FMCG consumption nears pre-COVID levels, rural India bounces back faster: Nielsen

FMCG consumption is almost back to pre-COVID levels, according to Nielsen's latest edition of 'COVID-19 Consumer Evolving Trends' report. The report says that the FMCG value sales index which was at 100 in March, prior to the lockdown, dipped to 75 during the months of April and May. However, June saw a revival with the index touching 98, just a few points lower than the value in March. The recovery has been faster in rural India

Google loses ownership of URL blogspot.in; over 4.4 million users affected

Google's blogspot.in is currently inaccessible to many users in India. It seems that Google has forgotten to renew its Blogspot.in domain name, which has caused millions of blogging websites to break. Google bought Blogspot.in domain in 2003. People who post on the blogging platform are facing issues and not able to gain access to their blogs. This is because Google has lost rights to the URL blogspot.in.

I-T dept refunds Rs 71,229 crore to over 21 lakh taxpayers amid coronavirus pandemic

The income tax department has issued refunds worth Rs 71,229 crore to more than 21.24 lakh taxpayers during the last 3 months in a bid to ease the COVID-19 stress from taxpayers. This includes personal income tax refunds amounting to Rs 24,603 crore crore issued to 19.79 lakh taxpayers and corporate tax refunds worth Rs 46,626 crore to 1.45 lakh taxpayers during this period.
Chinese regulators will assume control of nine financial firms that are linked to a financier who was taken from a hotel in Hong Kong by Chinese authorities in 2017 and hasnt been seen in public since.

Among the companies being taken over are Huaxia Life Insurance Co., Tianan Life Insurance Co., Tianan Property Insurance Co., New Times Trust Co., YiAn Property Insurance Co., and New China Trust Co., the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said in a statement on its website Friday.

The takeover wont change the firms debt obligations or creditor rights, and business operations will continue as normal. Also going into state custody will be Guosheng Securities Co., New Times Securities Co. and Guosheng Futures Co., the securities regulator said in a separate statement.

All nine are linked to Tomorrow Group, the investment conglomerate owned by Xiao Jianhua. The firms are among more than 40 financial institutions identified by New Fortune Magazine in a 2017 article as being part of Xiaos network.

Chinese authorities are stepping up their bid to maintain financial stability as Covid-19 proves ruinous for economic growth and soured loans pile up. Beijing seized control of Baoshang Bank Co. -- another company linked to Xiao -- in May last year citing its serious credit risks.

Last month, regulators were said to be mulling increased oversight of Huaxia Life, including sending a group of executives from state-owned China Life Insurance Group Co. to assist. Insurers earnings have been under pressure, and the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated that.

Bad Apples

This is certainly a move in the right direction in terms of containing financial risk and warning peers of wrongdoing, said Steven Lam, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. The authorities are also being more transparent by telling the market, We know there are bad apples, and were taking care of them.

Tomorrow Group questioned regulators decision in a statement Saturday on its official social media account. The company said its subsidiaries havent seen any defaults and dont have much liquidity risk. It added that requests from units to use around 2 billion yuan ($286 million) on Tomorrows balance sheet to repay wealth management products were denied.

Tomorrows online statement was later deleted after several hundred thousand views.

The CBIRC said in its statement on Friday that authorities will seek market-oriented restructurings for the six insurance and trust firms and the bottom line is to avoid any systematic financial risks.

The three broking and futures entities were seized for hiding the identity of their ultimate owner or their real holdings, as well as poor corporate governance, the securities regulator said.

The moves echo the treatment of Anbang Insurance Group Co. Authorities are in the process of finding strategic investors for Dajia Insurance Group Co., the company that took over the operations of once-acquisitive Anbang after a two-year period of state custody.

Anbangs former Chairman Wu Xiaohui was convicted of fraud and the CBIRC was tasked with selling many of the assets Anbang had accumulated during an overseas buying binge.

Four Seasons

Xiao has been missing since early 2017 when he was taken from his room at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong. Xiao had been staying there for several years after fleeing China, where he is still pending trial. Its as yet unclear what charges may be laid against him.

Tomorrow Group invested primarily in financial services and used shell companies to control many of its assets. Before his disappearance, the Hurun Report of Chinas richest people said Xiao, a student leader at the time of 1989 pro-democracy protests, is part of a fortune estimated at almost $6 billion.

In 2018, Chinas central bank identified Tomorrow as one of several financial holding companies that need to be scrutinized in their ownership structure, related transactions and source of funding.

Some financial holding companies, mainly those formed by investments of non-financial enterprises, have been expanding blindly into the financial industry, the Peoples Bank of China said at the time. There has been a regulatory vacuum, and risks are accumulating and being exposed continuously.

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The death of civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis on Friday, at the age of 80, has renewed calls to rename an Alabama bridge currently honoring a Confederate general who was a Ku Klux Klan leader.

Among those supporting efforts to name the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma after Lewis is the Georgia Democrat's close friend and colleague Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.

The two met 60 years ago and served in Congress together for 27 years. Both are considered stewards of the civil rights movement, and Clyburn said Saturday on "Meet the Press" that it's long past time to rethink whose name is publicly celebrated.

"Pettus was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan," Clyburn said. "Take his name off that bridge and replace it with a good man  John Lewis, the personification of the goodness of America  rather than honor someone who disrespected individual freedoms."

Coretta Scott King,John Lewis, (AP file)

Lewis was one of several peaceful protesters who suffered serious injuries on the bridge in 1965 during a civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The nonviolent protesters were attacked by Alabama state troopers with tear gas and clubs on what later became known as "Bloody Sunday." Lewis suffered a skull fracture that day.

"Nonviolence was a way of life for John," Clyburn said Saturday during a separate interview on MSNBC. "He had credibility that none of us had. None of us made the sacrifices John made."

Calls to rename the bridge are not new. Earlier this summer, an online petition to name the bridge after Lewis garnered nearly 100,000 signatures, including that of Ava DuVernay, who directed the 2014 film "Selma." The petition was created by political strategist Michael Starr Hopkins, who told NBC News in June that the idea came to him as he was watching the movie on his couch after days of protesting.

"I was kind of taking an evening to just relax and watch some movies, and as I was watching 'Selma' I realized we wait far too often until people are gone to honor them," Hopkins said.

Story continues

The bridge is currently named after Alabama native Pettus, a Confederate general in the Civil War whose family profited from slavery, according to Smithsonian Magazine. After the war, Pettus settled in Selma and became a U.S. senator and a grand dragon in the KKK.

Clyburn said renaming the bridge will "give the people of Selma something to rally around."

"I believe that will make a statement for people in this country that we do believe in that pledge, that vision of this country that's in the last phase of the [Pledge of Allegiance]: 'with liberty and justice for all.'"
Millions more children learned on Friday that they are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in autumn because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The country's two most populous states - California and Texas - each reported roughly 10,000 new cases and some of their highest death counts since the pandemic began, while big numbers in Florida and Arizona are also helping drive the US resurgence that is forcing states to rethink the school year.

President Donald Trump and his administration have demanded that schools fully reopen right from the start, calling for new guidance from federal health officials and slamming schools that want to bring students back for only a few days a week.

With the first day of school just weeks away in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out sweeping new rules Friday that all but ensure most of the states K-12 schools serving 6.7 million students will not reopen classrooms when the academic year starts.

The rules also mandate that all staff and students above 2nd grade who do return to campuses wear masks in school as the coronavirus pandemic surges.

Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out sweeping new rules Friday that all but ensure most of the states K-12 schools serving 6.7 million students will not reopen classrooms when the academic year starts

Social distancing dividers for students are seen in a classroom at St. Benedict Schoo in Montebello, California

Newsom said all schools, public and private, in counties that are on a state monitoring list for rising coronavirus infections cannot hold in-person classes and will have to meet strict criteria for reopening.

Currently, 32 of California's 58 counties are on the list, encompassing the vast majority of the state's population and its biggest cities, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

'Students, teachers, staff and parents prefer in-class instruction. But only if we can do it safely,' Newsom said during a televised briefing. 'The one thing we have the power to do to get our kids back into school? Wear a mask, physically distance, wash your hands.'

The governor's strict new regulations mark a dramatic shift from his earlier position that it was up to local school districts and boards to decide when and how to reopen.

His announcement came as many of the state's 1,000 school districts are set to resume instruction in mid-August, with many still finalizing reopening plans.

This week, California reported its second-highest one-day totals in infection rates and deaths since the start of the pandemic. Nearly 7,500 people have died in California - more than 1,200 of them in the past two weeks.

Several large school districts have already said their schools will begin the new term virtually, including Los Angeles and San Diego, the state's two largest with a combined enrollment of 720,000 K-12 students.

San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Long Beach, Santa Ana and San Bernardino are among the other districts opting not to immediately return to classrooms.

Newsom's guidance lays out in detail when classrooms and schools would have to close if there is an outbreak. If a student or educator test positive for the virus, a classroom would have to close and the students and teacher would quarantine for 14 days.

An entire school should revert to distance learning if it reports multiple cases, or 5 percent of students and staff test positive within a 14-day period.

Schools across California closed in March as the state ramped up virus-related restrictions. The move to distance learning was rocky for teachers, parents and students, particularly those who lacked the right technology or internet access. Newsom noted the state budget includes more than $5 billion to help students suffering from learning losses.

Schools will now be required to introduce 'robust distance learning programs,' something teachers have said they are striving for but may be easier said than done.

The rules call for regular coronavirus testing of school staff and working with county contact tracers if an outbreak occurs, Newsom said.

Superintendents will be able to submit waiver requests to re-open elementary schools, for approval by local health officers, but it was unclear how strict or lenient authorities would be when examining those requests.

Texas on Friday gave public schools permission to keep campuses closed for more than 5 million students well into the fall as the state scrambles to contain one of the largest resurgences of the coronavirus in the country.

The changes in Texas were announced hours before the state set a new daily record for virus deaths, with 174, and reported more than 10,000 confirmed new cases for a fourth consecutive day.

It also follows a backlash from teachers and parents who criticized Texas' earlier timeline that had students returning to classrooms by August or September as rushed and reckless.

Under the new guidelines, Texas schools could hold online-only instruction for up to the first eight weeks of the school year, potentially pushing a return to campus in some cities until November.

That includes Dallas and Houston, where school leaders concerned about the surge of COVID-19 cases have postponed the first day of classes until after Labor Day.

'The health & safety of students, teachers & parents is the top priority,' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted shortly after the announcement.

Texas' largest teachers organization dismissed Friday's announcement as underwhelming, saying it is based on an artificial deadline.

'Educators, students and their parents need assurance that school buildings will not be reopened until it is safe to do so. Right now, with the pandemic still raging across Texas, we dont know when that will be,' Texas State Teachers Association President Ovidia Molina said in a statement.

The Texas Education Agency said students who are not equipped for virtual learning, particularly those whose families lack reliable internet access or a computer, will still be entitled to on-campus instruction once the school year begins.

The state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, said he doesn't think private religious schools need to comply with local public health orders prohibiting in-person classes as several cities have already done.

He cited 'constitutional and statutory protections unique to religious individuals and communities at all times, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.'

Abbott said Thursday that Texas could be seeing signs that the spread was slowing after a June and July in which hospitalizations quadrupled, which has stretched hospitals and ICU units to full capacity.

Texas on Friday gave public schools permission to keep campuses closed for more than 5 million students well into the fall. Josefina Median wears a mask as she cleans a classroom at Wylie High School in Texas Tuesday

One of the hardest-hit areas remains the Texas-Mexico border, where officials are looking at converting hotels into medical units.

It has been nearly three weeks since Texas shut down bars again, and Abbott said the leveling off of Houston hospitalization rates in recent days is encouraging.

'Were certainly not out of the woods yet, but this could be a glimmer of hope coming if people will continue wearing face masks wherever possible,' Abbott told Houston television station KRIV.

Most Chicago children would return to the classroom just two days a week and spend the other three days learning remotely under a tentative plan outlined by officials from the nation's third-largest school district.

A final decision for fall classes for the district's more than 300,000 students will not come until late August.

Meanwhile Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced she will override school districts and require students to spend at least half of their schooling in classrooms, drawing criticism from the state teachers union.

In Denver, it was announced on Friday that students will being the school year learning remotely, CPR News reports.

The start of school will be pushed back to August 24 and the earliest in-person learning will begin is September 8.
Former refugees return secretly to escape COVID By Sandran Rubatheesan View(s): View(s):

With the coronavirus galloping free in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, the Navy is on high alert for Sri Lankan-origin refugees willing to risk illegal sea passage home to escape a worsening health crisis coupled with economic difficulties on foreign soil.

At least seven such refugees have reached home since the pandemic hit Tamil Nadu with a continuous lockdown being imposed there, police said.

We have strengthened our patrolling unit around the clock along the International Maritime Boundary Lane region to monitor illegal passage into our territorial waters. At night, we have doubled our patrolling units, Captain Indika se Silva, the newly-appointed Media Coordinator of the Navy, told the Sunday Times.

On July 3, four people, including two Sri Lankan-origin refugees, were taken into Navy custody when their fishing boat, skippered by two local fishermen, reached Kankesanthurai in Jaffna. Police questioning revealed they had decided to come to Sri Lanka because of their economic situation in India and poor medical facilities for refugees in camps.

Tamil Nadu is experiencing the longest lockdown coupled with skyrocketing coronavirus cases.

Large sums are being paid to boat skippers by refugees for the nearly two-hour-long illegal sea passage from Rameswaram to Mannar.

Last month, a 33-year-old father with his eight-year-old daughter made this dangerous journey with the help of a fisherman who had allowed them onto his trawler. They had been living in the Chuloorpatty Sri Lankan refugee camp in Tamil Nadu.

They arrived at the Savukkukaadu area in Mannar before dawn early one Sunday and reached their family residence in Periyamadu by walking a few kilometers.

The father, J. Pulendran, had left his hometown with his family in 1990 and had lived in the special refugee camps run by the Tamil Nadu government for decades. According to official Indian government reports, at least 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees currently reside in state-run special camps and others under a special pass system spread across Tamil Nadu.

Soon after neighbours learned about the arrival of Mr. Pulendran and his daughter they tipped off local health authorities and police. Both were taken into custody and produced before the Mannar magistrate before being sent to a quarantine camp in Kalutara.

I left India due personal family issues. It has nothing to do with the current corona situation, Mr. Pulendran told The Sunday Times from his home in Periyamadu after completing two weeks of quarantine. He faces legal action for entering the country without a valid visa.

As a precautionary measure, the Mannar District Secretariat office called for a meeting last week with local authorities and the navy about the recent pattern of Sri Lankan origin refugees returning home illegally and the possible spread of coronavirus to the district from Tamil Nadu.

Mannar District Secretary C.A. Mohan Ras said his office had taken precautions to face this situation as panicked locals were expressing concerns about the those who were returning home surreptitiously and trying to mingle with the local population without informing the authorities.

It shouldnt be interpreted as Sri Lankan origin refugees not being welcome here, Mr. Mohan Ras said. They can return home any time by following proper regulations. But the current situation is not ideal for return.

In the recent past, hundreds of Sri Lankan refugees returned home via Mannar and were resettled on their own lands with government help.

With the assistance of the coast guard, the navy has stepped up patrols and surveillance in northern waters due to the concerns of local authorities worried about a possible ungoverned influx of refugees.

Our patrolling units are committed not only to stop this alone but to prevent all sorts of criminal activities in the border sea including smuggling drugs and gold, Captain de Silva said, pointing to a naval operation in waters around Mandaitivu island off Jaffna; 164kg of Kerala cannabis were seized in the operation on July 2.
Filmmaker and chairman of Yashraj Films, Aditya Chopra, recorded his statement in the case of Sushant Singh Rajputs death on Saturday. Police called him at Versova police station where they recorded his statement for more than three hours. On June 14, the actor was found dead in his Bandra apartment following which a detailed probe was ordered to find the cause.

Abhishek Trimukhe DCP zone 9 said, We have recorded his statement in an ongoing investigation of Sushants death.

Mumbai police till now has recorded statement of 36 people including his cook Neeraj Singh, house help Keshav Bachner, manager Deepesh Sawant, creative manager Siddharth Ramnathmurti Pithani, sisters Neetu and Meetu Singh, father KK singh, television actor Mahesh Shetty, casting director Mukesh Chhabra, business manager Shruti Modi, PR manager Ankita Tehlani, actor Rhea Chakraborty, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and employees of Yash Raj Films among others.

After Sushants death, it was alleged that he was unceremoniously dropped from projects and that some bigwigs of Bollywood attempted to stall his career. In light of these reports, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh had said that claims of professional rivalry will be thoroughly investigated by the police.

Also read: Bulbbul actor Avinash Tiwary has sharp reply to R Balkis find me better actors than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor comment

However, earlier this week, Deshmukh had said that the police are not suspecting any foul play in his death so far.

I have the tweets and the campaign. But I dont think that a CBI probe is required. The Mumbai Police is competent enough to handle such cases and they are investigating every aspect of the case including professional rivalry. As of now, we do not see any foul play. Details of the investigation will be shared once it is completed, he said.

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As part of its aggressive confrontation with China, the Trump administration is preparing to ban the hugely popular social media app TikTok, developed by the Beijing-based internet corporation ByteDance.

According to a report in the Financial Times (FT) on Thursday, the White House is considering putting TikTok on a blacklist that would prevent Americans from using the app on the grounds that the Chinese government is obtaining the personal information of US citizens through the social media platform.

FT wrote, Three people familiar with the debate in the Trump administration said one proposal being looked into was to place ByteDance, the parent Chinese company, on the commerce departments entity list. If this action were taken, the report said, it would become exceptionally hard for US companies to provide technology to TikTok. The restrictions would include software, meaning that Apple and other app stores could no longer provide updates over their platforms.

One of the senior US officials told FT, We are going to send a very strong message to China.

The entity list, which identifies non-US individuals and organizations as presenting a risk to national security and/or foreign policy interests, was used last year to block the Chinese telecom tech corporation Huawei from doing business in the US on the grounds that it was assisting Beijing in conducting espionage in America.

On July 7, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News that the White House was taking this very seriously and certainly looking at banning the TikTok. In relation to the overall expanding anti-China policy, Pompeo explained, With respect to Chinese apps on peoples cellphones, the United States will get this one right too.

When asked if he would suggest that US citizens use the TikTok app, Pompeo claimed without providing any evidence or proof, Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.

TikTok, which is based in Los Angeles, released a statement defending its security practices, saying: We are fully committed to protecting our users privacy and security. TikTok has an American CEO, a Chief Information Security Officer with decades of US military and law enforcement experience TikTok US user data is stored in Virginia and Singapore, with strict controls on employee access. These are the facts.

TikTok is a video sharing social media platform where users make short videos between 3 and 60 seconds of themselves or others dancing, lip-syncing to a popular song, telling jokes or performing other talent acts, and share them with other users. Use of copyrighted music is restricted to a maximum of 15-second videos. The app is currently available in 75 different languages.

A precursor to TikTok called Douyin was initially released in 2016 in China and rapidly gained 100 million users within one year. Rebranded as TikTok for international release in September 2017, the app has since been downloaded 2 billion times and has at least 800 million monthly active users.

To get a sense of how massively popular TikTok is and how rapidly it has come to dominate the video sharing segment of the social media market, Twitter was launched in 2006, added video sharing in 2013 and has 330 million monthly active users.

Another Trump administration official who has been a vocal proponent of banning TikTok while providing zero facts to back up claims that the app is spying on US citizens is White House trade adviser Peter Navarro. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Navarro said the Trump administration is just getting started and he would not rule out a US ban of TikTok.

Navarro claimed that all the data that goes into those mobile apps that kids have so much fun with and seems 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.

While the Chinese company has attempted to reassure the US government that it poses no threat by hiring the former Disney executive Kevin Meyer as CEO, Navarro said TikTok is running the same playbook as Huawei and putting an American puppet in charge, which is not going to work.

Expressing US imperialist gangsterism, Navarro said even if TikTok is sold to an American buyer, it would not solve the problem. If TikTok separates as an American company, that doesnt help us, he said. Again, without providing any details or proof of his assertion, Navarro asserted, Because its going to be worsewere going to have to give China billions of dollars for the privilege of having TikTok operate on US soil.

On Wednesday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters on Air Force One that the administration is looking at the national security risk as it relates to TikTok, WeChat and other apps that have the potential for national security exposure, specifically as it relates to the gathering of information on American citizens by a foreign adversary. WeChat is a messaging, social media and mobile payment app released in 2011 with more than one billion worldwide monthly active users.

A major aspect of the concern over the popularity of Chinese social media apps is their use in other countries around the world, undermining the domination of internet and social media markets by the US tech corporations. TikTok is more popular in India than is it in the US and a third country where it is most popular is Brazil. Some American corporations such as Wells Fargo and Amazon have banned the use of TikTok by employees on company-owned devices.

Another consideration is that the US military-intelligence establishment wants to be in charge of and have the unfettered and exclusive ability to utilize mass consumer mobile devices and apps to spy on the public. Meanwhile, according to experts, the data being collected by TikTok is not unique for an advertising revenue-based platform.

According to Will Strafach, iOS security researcher and creator of the privacy-focused Guardian Firewall app, For the iOS app available to Western audiences, it [TikTok] appears to collect very standard analytics information, including users device model, screen resolution, operating system in use, and time zone information. Most data collection by apps concerns me, I dont like any of it. However, in context, TikTok appears to be pretty tame compared to other apps, he says.

There is bipartisan support in Congress for the Trump administrations aggressive efforts against the Chinese apps. Senator Marco Rubio (Republican of Florida), who is the acting chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote in a statement, TikTok has yet to provide a real explanation to Americans about how they protect their data and how much of it could be made available to the Chinese Communist Party.

Rubio is calling on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), led by the Treasury Department, to investigate TikTok. It has been reported that CFIUS is already conducting a secret national security review of TikTok and ByteDance. In the past, CFIUS investigations have forced Chinese companies to sell their US assets and block potential acquisitions of US companies by Chinese firms.

Last March, the House passed an amendment submitted by Representative Abigail Spanberger (Democrat of Virginia), a former CIA agent, to ban TikTok use by employees of the Transportation Security Administration, following the agencys guidance against its use in February.

There are significant encumbrances and contradictions involved in moving to shut down the use of TikTok and other China-based popular apps in the US. Among these are concerns that doing so can cause a series of retaliatory actions in an escalating trade war and the impact of shutting down widely used communication tools that are used by Americans free of charge in the months leading up to the presidential elections.
President Donald Trump and all those who want to open schools, suggesting children are less likely to catch COVID-19, should read an article in the July 15 Wall Street Journal about the new outbreak in Israel. Many Israeli children were infected when schools opened without restrictions last May. This suggests that children can most certainly become infected, and fairly easily.

Mitchell Freiberg,

Lyndhurst
A line for unemployment benefits San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 12, 2020. (Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo/The New York Times)

Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley

When states began to order businesses to close and residents to stay home as the coronavirus outbreak spread, economists likened the policy to a medically induced coma: shutting down all but the most vital functions to focus on the underlying affliction.

Now the patient is awake, but the malady remains.

A surge in coronavirus cases has forced several states to reimpose restrictions and dashed hopes of a rapid economic rebound. But a widespread return to the shutdown policies that dominated in March and April seems unlikely.

Instead, the economy looks likely to remain in a sort of limbo, neither fully open nor fully shut, for months or even years.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

For certain workers in certain industries in certain locations, life again seems somewhat normal. But for many others  those whose age or health conditions make them especially vulnerable to the virus, or who have young children at home, or who work in high-risk industries, or who live in places where cases are rising rapidly  the pandemic remains a major disruption.

This new phase poses a unique challenge for policymakers. Economists across the political spectrum say it would be a mistake for the federal government to cut off support for workers and businesses while the economy remained weak. But those policies may need to be revamped to help the worst-hit industries and regions  and will have to change as the crisis evolves.

Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here

We dont know how the pandemic is going to unfurl, and we dont know where the hot spots are going to be, said Wendy Edelberg, a former chief economist for the Congressional Budget Office and now the director of the Hamilton Project, an economic policy arm of the Brookings Institution. Thats going to demand that the policy response be a lot more nimble.

Still, economists and other experts say there are steps that government at all levels can take to mitigate the economic damage.

Prioritize public health.

In the political debate over reopening, economic and public health considerations are often portrayed as being at odds. But economists have said since the beginning of the crisis that the two go hand in hand: The economy cannot recover until the virus is in check.

One thing weve learned thus far is that a halfway commitment to public health measures just isnt very effective, said David Wilcox, a former Federal Reserve official who is an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Its not effective in arresting the virus, and you still incur tremendous economic damage. In order to build the foundation of a secure recovery, the imperative is to bring the virus under control.

If political leaders want businesses to reopen and customers to return, Wilcox said, they need to invest in widespread testing and tracing to make consumers confident that they are safe. And they need to avoid encouraging businesses to reopen before it is safe to do so.

Extend unemployment benefits.

More than 20 million Americans are getting an extra $600 a week in their unemployment checks because of the federal aid package passed in March, but that provision is scheduled to expire this month. While some economists say the enhanced benefits could be scaled back or modified, most say it would be a mistake to let them lapse altogether.

Unemployment benefits are serving three purposes. In states where the virus is raging, they help residents afford to stay home, which is crucial to overcoming the pandemic. In all states, they help jobless workers avoid hunger, eviction and financial ruin. And by providing billions of dollars to the people most likely to spend it, they stimulate the economy.

The extra $600 means that many low-wage workers are earning more on unemployment than they were on the job, which Republicans in Congress worry could discourage returning to work. Economists say that is a valid concern  when the unemployment rate is low and workers are scarce. Right now, the situation is the opposite: In May, there were roughly 5 million open jobs and 20 million unemployed workers.

Theres not enough jobs for everybody anyway, said Erik Hurst, an economist at the University of Chicago who has been studying the economic effects of the pandemic.

Some economists, particularly on the right, say it may make sense to reduce the weekly supplement as the economy improves, and some have suggested tweaks like a back-to-work bonus that rewards people for finding jobs. But few think it makes sense to scrap the enhanced benefits.

Spend what it takes to reopen schools safely.

Whether to reopen schools this fall has become a political point of contention in recent days. But economists say there is no doubt about one thing: The economy cant get back to normal while millions who would otherwise be working must stay at home caring for their school-age children.

Epidemiologists and public health experts are unsure that in-person classes can be held safely in places where the virus is out of control, like Florida and Arizona. But in other places, the biggest obstacle is money: It would cost billions of dollars to retrofit classrooms, overhaul ventilation systems, buy protective equipment and add staff members to ensure that both children and adults were safe.

Schools are going to need a lot more resources to get open safely, given we havent gotten the virus under control in a lot of places, said Melissa Kearney, a University of Maryland economist who heads the Economic Strategy Group at the Aspen Institute. The less control we have over this virus, the more expensive its going to be.

State and local governments, reeling from plummeting tax revenues, dont have the resources for such changes. But the federal government does. And it could be money well spent: Allowing schools to reopen safely would free up adults for work and allow other economic activity to resume.

Keep businesses alive.

Even in states where the virus is less prevalent, some businesses  like indoor bars, movie theaters and concert venues  may not be able to open safely for a long time. Others, like restaurants, will have to operate at a capacity unlikely to turn a profit.

That means that without government help, thousands of businesses are likely to fail in the months ahead. That could have devastating economic consequences, turning temporary furloughs into permanent job losses and slowing the eventual recovery.

Lost jobs are going to come back very slowly; its going to be months and months of hard work, said Betsey Stevenson, a University of Michigan economist who was on President Barack Obamas Council of Economic Advisers. The question is, do we have 30 million people who are going to go through that process, or do we have 5 million? We dont have the answer to that yet, but every month it goes on, that number grows larger.

Experts say Congress needs a new approach to save businesses.

The Economic Innovation Group, a Washington think tank focused on entrepreneurship, has proposed giving interest-free loans to small employers. Rather than providing a temporary injection of cash, they argued, a loan program could let companies invest in improving their long-term prospects. A retailer could buy a building it had been renting, for example, bringing down monthly costs. Or a restaurant could add outdoor space, reducing dependence on indoor dining.

Wilcox of the Peterson Institute has recommended a more expansive  and expensive  approach, essentially having the government fill in the revenue shortfall created by the pandemic through direct grants to businesses. The government has effectively forced business owners to take a hit, he said, so it should help them survive.

Start from a social agreement that the government is going to take onto its shoulders the cost of sustaining businesses through the period of intense public health crisis, he said.

Provide some certainty.

No one knows where and when cases will surge, how long the pandemic will last or when a vaccine will be ready. That makes it harder for both businesses and policymakers to plan effectively, said Martha Gimbel, an economist and labor market expert at Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative.

If we knew we were going to have a vaccine in January, we could make decisions, she said. If we knew we were going to have a vaccine in January 2022, we could make decisions. But we dont know, and economies dont do well when theres uncertainty.

Economic policy cant eliminate that uncertainty. But right now, it is making it worse: Jobless workers dont know whether their extra benefits will run out in a matter of days. Businesses dont know if they will be able to apply for a new round of federal loans, have to enroll in a new program or will get nothing at all. State and local governments are trying to plug multibillion-dollar budget holes with no idea whether they will get federal help, or how much.

Economists have urged Congress to answer some of those questions  not just now, but for the future. Benefits could be linked to the unemployment rate, for example, so that workers would not have to worry about losing benefits before the job market improved. Similar steps, linked to different metrics, could make businesses and state and local governments confident that government support wont evaporate without warning.

Brinkmanship, on the other hand, could have economic costs even if Congress ends up extending support at the last moment.

c.2020 The New York Times Company
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The ban on passenger flights to Kolkata from six cities -- all COVID-19 hotspots -- has been extended till July 31 in view of raging coronavirus cases, airport sources here said on Friday.

"The restriction on arriving flights to #KolkataAirport from 6 cities viz Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur & Ahmedabad has been extended up to 31st July," the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport tweeted.

The decision has been taken on the request of the state government to restrict movement from cities with high prevalence of coronavirus cases in order to contain the spread of infections, it said in the tweet.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha on Friday evening wrote to Union Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola requesting suspension of flights from six metros, witnessing maximum of the COVID-19 infections, to the city till July 31.

"In view of the current situation it is again requested that no flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad be scheduled for Kolkata up to July 31," Sinha wrote.

On July 4, the Kolkata airport had announced that there would be no passenger flight to the capital city between July 6-19 from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Indore, Ahmedabad and Surat that have high prevalence of COVID-19 cases.

It was done on the request of the state's Chief Secretary.

West Bengal is witnessing a steep rise in cases, the CS had then said, adding that a large number of cases have been reported from people coming into the state from outside.

The state government has decided to stop or curtail movement of incoming flights and trains into the state, Sinha had then noted.

There is no let up in novel coronavirus rage in the state. West Bengal's COVID-19 tally reached 38,011 Friday after it reported a record single-day spike of 1,894 cases, while the death toll jumped to 1,049 with 26 more fatalities.

India resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25, after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Scheduled international passenger flights are still suspended in India.

Domestic passenger services began at the Kolkata airport and Bagdogra airport on May 28 instead of May 25 as the state government's machinery was involved in relief and restoration work after cyclone Amphan's devastation.

During the pre-COVID period, the Kolkata airport operated around 200 domestic and 35 international flights regularly.
LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryan White, the former Chief of the Cyber & Intellectual Property Crimes Section at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, is joining the law firm Halpern May Ybarra Gelberg LLP as a partner. Mr. White will chair the firm's Cybersecurity and Data Privacy practice group.

Mr. White led the federal investigations of cyber threats in Southern California, including attacks by nation-state hackers, the dismantlement of Wall Street Market, the world's largest darknet marketplace, and the "Celebgate" data breach, resulting in the conviction of five defendants for hacking into thousands of iCloud, Gmail, and Facebook accounts.

"We're thrilled to have Ryan join the firm," said Grant B. Gelberg, Halpern May partner and co-chair of the firm's White Collar Defense & Corporate Investigations practice. "His experience managing cyber threats is unmatched and he adds to our already deep bench of trial attorneys. Most importantly, I've known Ryan since our early days as prosecutors and he's a terrific colleague and friend."

"It's been exciting to watch the growth of the firm," said Mr. White. "There's so much cross-over between my practice areas and those of the firm, so it's a natural fit."

Early in his career, Mr. White served as a law clerk to the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and worked as an attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP, before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2011.

Halpern May Ybarra Gelberg LLP is a premier Southern California litigation boutique specializing in insurance recovery, white collar defense and investigations, professional liability defense, cybersecurity and data privacy, and trial and appeals.

Contact:

Grant Gelberg

[email protected]

SOURCE Halpern May Ybarra Gelberg LLP
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the world is at a breaking point and calls for a new model for global governance to tackle inequalities exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Delivering the annual Nelson Mandela lecture online on Saturday, Guterres said the pandemic has been likened to an X-ray, revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built.

It is exposing fallacies and falsehoods everywhere: The lie that free markets can deliver healthcare for all; the fiction that unpaid care work is not work; the delusion that we live in a post-racist world; the myth that we are all in the same boat, the UN chief said.

He outlined the main drivers of inequality including systemic racism, the legacy of colonialism, patriarchy, gaps in access to technology, and inequalities in global governance.

The nations that came out on top 70 years ago have refused to contemplate the reforms needed to change power relations in international institutions, Guterres said in his blunt speech, pointing to the voting rights in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the United States have veto powers.

Guterres said the response to the pandemic must be based on a new social contract and a new global deal that create equal opportunities for all and respect the rights and freedoms of all.

The new model would ensure inclusive and equal participation in global institutions, fair globalisation, a stronger voice for the developing world in global decision-making, and a more inclusive and balanced multilateral trading system, he said.

He said developed countries are strongly invested in their own survival and have failed to deliver the support needed to help the developing world through these dangerous times.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 14 million people and there have been nearly 600,000 known deaths worldwide. The UN has appealed for $10.3bn to help poor states, but has received only $1.7bn.

Remembering Mandela

Guterress address marked what would have been the birthday of former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mandela.

South Africa, the worlds most unequal country a quarter-century after the end of the racist system of apartheid, is quickly becoming one of the worlds hardest-hit nations in the pandemic and now makes up roughly half of Africas confirmed coronavirus cases. Already, its public hospitals are nearly overwhelmed.

The speech by the UN chief took aim at the vast inequality of wealth  the 26 richest people in the world hold as much wealth as half the global population, Guterres said.

The legacy of colonialism still reverberates, Guterres added, and it shows in global power relations.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks alongside WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in February [Salvatore Di Nolfi via Reuters]

Developing countries, and especially African nations, are underrepresented at the levels of power including at financial institutions such as the World Bank and political ones like the UNSC.

The nations that came out on top more than seven decades ago have refused to contemplate the reforms needed to change power relations in international institutions, Guterres said. The composition and voting rights in the United Nations Security Council and the boards of the Bretton Woods system are a case in point.

Inequality starts at the top: in global institutions. Addressing must start by reforming them, Guterres said.





Pay their fair share

A new generation of social protection is needed, including universal health coverage and perhaps a universal basic income, he said, adding individuals and corporations must pay their fair share.

Education spending in low and middle-income countries should more than double by 2030 to $3 trillion a year, he said. In the face of enormous shifts from climate change, governments should tax carbon instead of people.

Answering questions after his speech, Guterres called for massive support for the developing world including debt write-offs. He said the suspension of debt payments until the end of this year, which was agreed upon by the G20, the worlds 20 major economic powers, is clearly not enough.

And he noted, without naming names, that leadership and power are not always aligned.

Lets face facts, Guterres said in his address. The global political and economic system is not delivering on critical global public goods: public health, climate action, sustainable development, peace.

Guterres concluded: Now is the time for global leaders to decide: Will we succumb to chaos, division and inequality? Or will we right the wrongs of the past and move forward together for the good of all?
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 15:54:10|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council has recently released a regulation on ensuring timely payments to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which will help improve the business environment, officials said.

The central authorities gave high attention to the problem of overdue payments to SMEs, officials with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.

The regulation, made public on Tuesday, standardizes the contract signing between SMEs and government departments, public institutions, as well as large enterprises, noting that SMEs should not be forced to accept unreasonable terms, the officials said.

The officials noted that the regulation also introduced provisions in terms of payment deadlines, payment information disclosure and complaint handling, stressing that the regulation will help boost the SMEs' confidence in development.

The regulation will go into effect on Sept. 1. Enditem
Hong Kong: Chinese regulators will assume control of nine financial firms linked to a billionaire financier who was taken from a hotel in Hong Kong by Chinese authorities in 2017 and hasn't been seen in public since.

Xiao Jianhua, a Chinese-born Canadian financier and a student leader at the time of 1989 pro-democracy protests, has been missing since early 2017 when he was taken from his room at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong.

Xiao Jianhua, a Chinese-born Canadian billionaire, reads a book outside the International Finance Centre in Hong Kong. Credit:AP

At the time there were fears he may have been abducted by Chinese agents. His disappearance and that of several booksellers provoked outrage that Beijing was flouting Hong Kong's constitution.

A full front-page advertisement published under Xiao's name in Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper shortly after said he was seeking medical treatment "outside the country" and had not been abducted.
By Tom Polansek

CHICAGO, July 17 (Reuters) - Two of the world's largest meatpackers said on Friday they have installed ultraviolet air cleaning equipment in some U.S. plants, as pressure mounts on food companies to protect workers amid growing concerns about airborne transmission of the coronavirus.

JBS USA, owned by Brazil's JBS SA and one of four major U.S. beef processors, said it installed "ultraviolet germicidal air sanitation" equipment in plant ventilation and air purification systems that use a specific frequency range of light waves to kill germs.

Tyson Foods Inc, which produces beef, pork and chicken, said it is doing extensive research on air flow and testing ultraviolet air treatment systems across several plants.

It is not known whether such technologies kill the new coronavirus.

The moves underscore the mounting pressure to protect workers in the U.S. meat industry, which has seen more than 16,000 plant employees in 23 states infected with COVID-19 and 86 worker deaths related to the respiratory disease.

Plant employees and their families have said processors like JBS and Tyson Foods told sick workers to show up at plants, and moved too slowly to protect them with social distancing and equipment like masks.

As worker infections grew, so have meatpackers' legal problems. In one case, the family of a Pennsylvania man who died from COVID-19 sued JBS USA parent company JBS SA for failing to protect him at the meat plant where he worked.

Low temperatures, which generally allow viruses to survive in the air longer, and crowded working conditions have made meatpacking plants global coronavirus hotspots.

In Germany, a COVID-19 outbreak forced meatpacking plants to review infection risks posed by their cooling systems. One meatpacker had to install high-efficiency HEPA filters typically used in hospitals before being allowed to reopen on Friday.

The World Health Organization last week acknowledged "evidence emerging" of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus.

Story continues

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended meat companies consider consulting engineers to ensure adequate ventilation in work areas, but has not required changes to air systems.

JBS told Reuters it also installed "plasma air cleaning technology" in U.S. plants that uses bipolar ionization to neutralize particulates in the air, including virus cells and bacteria.

The company said it is still collecting data on how well the air treatment system works.

Some rivals are holding off. Privately held chicken company Perdue Farms said it has not made any ventilation changes because it has not seen scientific data that shows the virus is spread through industrial air systems. Employees are wearing masks and practicing social distancing for protection, according to the company. (Reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by P.J. Huffstutter and Leslie Adler)
The self-acclaimed influencer, whose real name is Ramon Igbalode, had been arraigned in Chicago on money laundering charges following his arrest in Dubai.

Hushpuppi

Hushpuppi, a Nigerian Instagram personality, who is facing cyberfraud allegations in the United States, has disengaged Gal Pissetzky, his lawyer in Chicago, after his trial was transferred to California.

The self-acclaimed influencer, whose real name is Ramon Igbalode, had been arraigned in Chicago on money laundering charges following his arrest in Dubai and subsequent extradition to the US.

He had also hired the top lawyer who immediately took up his defense. Hushpuppi was however denied bail in a Chicago hearing, with a judge ruling that he would remain detained until his trial later this year.

According to Premium Times, documents showed that Igbalode case has been transferred to the central district of California for prosecution.

It was gathered that the transfer had come after the US government orally renewed its motion for removal in custody and the motion was granted during the detention hearing on Monday.

Accordingly, Defendant is ordered removed to the Central District of California in the custody of the U.S. Marshal forthwith, the court ruled after which the defendant was moved on Tuesday.

As provided by 18 U.S.C.  3142(f), the defendant is remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal and shall remain in custody until further order of the Court.



It is also understood from the commitment letter sent to California that Hushpuppi had refused to retain Pissetzky as his attorney, requesting that a court-appointed counsel be assigned to him.

The self-acclaimed influencer is said to have conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise (BEC) frauds and other scams, one for which he could get a maximum jail term of 20 years if convicted.
Amarjit Chopra

Auditors and the auditing industry have been under intense and harsh scrutiny over the last few years as corporate scandals emerged across sectors. Globally too, the largest four audit firms often clubbed under the epithet of the Big Four have been under pressure to show independence from their corporate clients.

Here in the second part of a two-part interview with Shalini S. Dagar, Amarjit Chopra shares his candid views on the auditors and wider corporate governance. Chopra was heading the group that recommended changes for the Companies (Auditors Report) Order, CARO 2020 to prevent frauds.

Edited excerpts:

Q: While auditors have been under fire lately, you are well known for saying that it is not the responsibility of the auditor to detect fraud.

A: So far as Standard on Auditing (SA 240) dealing with auditors responsibilities relating to fraud in audit of financial statements is concerned, it does not lay down this as the auditors responsibility. It only says that if you stumble upon some information where you can see symptoms of fraud, then you need to go deeper into the matter.

Frankly speaking, if you ask me today, and I dont hesitate to say this now. I am saying this on all forums now In 1971, when I studied the famous Kingston Cotton case where the jury said that the auditor is a watchdog, not a bloodhound. I honestly feel that the auditor may continue to be a watchdog, but he at least has to become a barking dog now. He may not be a bloodhound, he may not be biting every time, but he at least must be a barking dog. There is no doubt about it. He has to send the alarm signals at least. Gone are the days when the auditor could say that this is not within my domain.

The new report that we have brought out in the form of CARO 2020 has ensured that it sends a lot of alert signals.

We have gone to the extent of asking the auditor to comment upon the stock or debtor statements submitted to the bankers are in line with the books of accounts.

Most of the working capital frauds in the banks where a lot of money has been siphoned off have occurred due to the inaccurate statements submitted to the banks. So to that extent we have brought in the alert signals. We have also brought in the signals on the cases where the title deeds are not in the name of the companies, then the auditor should let us know on the number of properties and their value. Some kind of barking will (definitely) will be required.

Q: Other than the auditors which other segments do you think need to be brought to account as well?

A: If you ask me, the promoters have got away completely scot-free. Who prepares the accounts? It is not the auditor, but the company management.

And nobody questions the rating agencies, the valuers or the lawyers.

If they (rating agencies) are providing the rating based just on the audited financial statements then where is the need for them? In the recent case of a large NBFC, why did the banks not look at the overall debt service ratios? Had they asked for the information, they would have known the situation. Even under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has anyone asked them why they need to take such high haircuts? On average it is around 70 percent.

Shouldnt the enforcement of mortgages be far stricter? Wouldnt we have recovered more under the IBC then?

What is happening right now is that even in cases where the banks can settle they are pushing those cases too to the IBC. Once the courts tell them to take a haircut they dont feel threatened.

Banks have provided enhancements or renewals in cases where the letter of credit (LCs) were already devolving. RBI has also given extensions to prevent loans from turning bad. It has also given specific exemptions in specific cases.

You look at the valuers. For example, consider a property which was valued at Rs 10 crore ten years ago, is today being valued at Rs 1 crore or Rs 80 lakh when the borrower comes for a one-time settlement. How is it possible? Either the fraud was committed at that time or it is being committed right now.

These are the pitfalls of the entire system. Blaming only auditors is not desirable.

What about lawyers? How many cases have been filed in case of wrong title search reports? No bank has the guts to file a case against the lawyers. It is atrocious the kind of title search reports that have been given in certain cases and the properties have been found to be missing.

With lawyers, the punishment is only removing them from the panel, whereas in case of chartered accountants the complaints are filed with the police, the Institute (ICAI) is approached and CBI is also approached. This is the factual position.

I am not absolving the auditors, but I say whatever treatment you mete out to the auditors, hand it out to the others too.

Q: One of the major issues is around scrutiny of the independence of the auditor, especially due to the conflict of interest regarding non-audit fees. How do you see that settling?

A: To my mind there are two things which are key to the independence of the auditors. One is the existence of non-audit fees. And the other is the shareholders as appointing authorities.

In case of non-audit services, it need not be the same firm. The conflict exists even in the case of a network firm too. Then there are cases where a firm retires from its auditing responsibilities and then immediately undertakes a non-audit assignment, the value of which is higher than its audit fees. This is not justified. There must be a cooling-off period.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of the UK has already come out with a report that by 2024 these audit firms will have to part company with the non-audit business. That is going to happen without a doubt. If FRC can do it in 2024, then we (in India) should be able to do it in 2025. This should be done.

Q: The Big Four firms dominate the audit business. While there are periodic calls for a more balanced market, what is the way forward in your opinion?

A: Look, I am not anti-Big Four, but I definitely do not want the concentration of work in the hands of a few. I want the growth of the profession on an overall basis. If the government is ready to encourage the top 150-200 firms, the scenario can undergo a change.

There are about 500 firms which are capable of carrying out the central audit of various banks. Indian firms which are carrying out the audits of various large, listed state-owned companies. These firms are being treated as if they are not capable of conducting the audit of similar private companies. How can that be the case?

I can well agree that there could be certain pitfalls with the constitution of firms with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). However, that need not deter us. The empanelment system, weightage and point-based system can be strengthened. To my mind there are at least 150-odd audit firms which can compete with the Big Four if given the opportunity.

The problem is that our entire tendering system is biased towards the Big Four, particularly the government tendering system. The conditions will be such that unless you are a Big Four firm, you cannot even enter the system.

If at all the bigger audit firms have to be created in India, then the government tendering system should undergo a change. I am very confident that in the next five years, you will have the growth of at least 100 Indian firms which will be visible.

Q: Please elaborate.

A: There is a lot to be said about the tendering process, not just from the point of view of eliminating the dominance of the Big Four but also from the point of view of the process itself.

The tender conditions are such that only few firms are able to clear the tender. You cannot have such tailor-made documents. In recent times, we have found the negligence of the bigger firms in various scandals. Can we deny what happened?

Apart from the entry barriers, the reliance on the financial bid for the decision is also questionable. In some cases, the gap between L1 and the next bid can be as large as 10 to 15 times. The whole process is flawed. Ideally, technical parameters should get a maximum (about 80-90%) weightage.

Also a more fundamental question. Do you ever tender for legal services? Do you talk of L1 in the process of engaging a lawyer? Never, so why should there be a tender for accounting and auditing firms? How can you have a tendering process when hiring for a forensic auditor?

Look at how a caucus is getting formed in the case of insolvency professionals. First, these firms are becoming process advisors and then the consulting (assignment) is going to one of the related network firms. This is ridiculous.

The government has to become serious about not allowing the concentration of a handful of these firms. It has to give a boost to the local firms.
It cannot wait, says the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movie Selma, which opened nationwide last Friday. King is pleading with President Lyndon B. Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act. Its a trenchant scene whose message is not lost on Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who is also depicted in the film. Lewis, now 75, is still an idealistic agitator whose sense of urgency for dismantling discrimination has long extended to gay rights.

Asked how LGBTQ advocates should strive for policy changeincrementally and gingerly, or with requests for wholesale overhaul whatever the political costLewis is unequivocal: If something is just, you dont put it off. You always demand the here and now and continue to push, he told me by telephone last week.

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Lewis, the sole survivor of the so-called Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement, recalls the events leading up to the keynote speech he gave at the historic March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Some believed the movement was moving too quickly. Someone said, We must wait. And I said, We dont want our freedom graduallywe want it now,  recalled Lewis, adding, That must be the demand of any movement.

Lewis knows well the sometimes perilous cost of speaking truth to power. He was viciously beaten by state troopers and sustained a skull fracture on Bloody Sunday,the day in 1965 when black residents of Selma, Alabama, attempted to peaceably march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to demand equality in voting rights in the segregated South, an event that is captured in Selma.* I really felt that I saw death at that moment, Lewis wrote in his 1998 memoir, Walking With the Wind.

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He says those formative experiences as an activist informed his dedication to protecting all human rights. In particular, he says, it inspired his fiery speech on the House floor against the Defense of Marriage Actwhich he deemed hate legislationbefore it passed in 1996.

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That day, Lewis said he had the same feeling in the pit of his stomach as when civil rights activists opted against choosing Bayard Rustin, a key architect and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and a close adviser of Kings, to be chairman of the march. Rustin was gay and considered a liability because he had been arrested a decade earlier on morals charges.

He was pushed aside. He was brilliant, but they thought it would hurt the movementthat certain senators would use it against the march. It was wrong, Lewis remembers. It was an affront to the man, to what he stood for, and to the contributions he made.

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Lewis, a congressman since 1986, was an early co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, known as ENDA, a job-protection bill for LGBTQ people that has been introduced into Congress for four decades; the most recent version died in committee late last year. He says his support of such legislation is born out of the basic contention that you cannot talk about breaking down barriers between races or the right to vote without having equality for everybody, including based on gender and sexual orientation.

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He agrees that various incarnations of ENDA have been imperfect, as for example, in 2007, when it lacked language to protect transgender people and, most recently, when it contained exemptions for religious institutions. Lewis has a simple directive for how to pass such important legislation in its most inclusive form: If we are going to continue to make progress, whether it is for marriage equality or discrimination against members of the gay community in the workplace, you have to continue to be physical, continue to speak up and speak out. To find a way to do what I call making some noise, getting in the way, and educating people and sensitizing them.

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Such efforts might be directed at would-be presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who last Wednesday, on the heels of same-sex marriage becoming legal in his home state, said he does not believe there is a constitutional right to such unions. Lewis said that contention violates the spirit of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law.

Lewis concedes that the American public has a distance to go before arriving at what he often refers to as the beloved community, where we respect the dignity and worth of every human being. As a nation and a people, we must get there. But we will get there, he says.

*Correction, Jan. 13, 2015: This post originally misstated the year that Bloody Sunday occured. It was 1965, not 1963.
5 Major California Firms, Other Businesses, Invest Billions in Black Enterprises. Where Will The Money Go?

Over the last month, several corporations have stepped up to fund the Black community.

Two weeks ago, Netflix announced it will drop 2% of its cash holdings, up to $100 million, into Black-owned banks and other financial institutions and organizations that directly support African American enterprises, initiatives or communities.

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Banks that are Black-owned or led represent a mere one percent of Americas commercial banking assets, the Los Gatos-based digital streaming service wrote in a blog post.

This is one factor contributing to 19 percent of Black families having either negative wealth or no assets at all  more than double the rate of White households  according to the U.S. Federal Reserve, the post continued. Black banks have been fighting to better their communities for decades but theyre disadvantaged by their lack of access to capital.

Kaiser Permanente has made a similar commitment.

Last week, Kaiser Permanente revealed that it will direct $100 million towards Black businesses in the form of investments and grants. It is the Oakland-based health management consortiums way of combating racism and promoting equality, company officials say.

The tragic murder of George Floyd and so many others has reverberated around the world, pushing us to demand overdue change to a status quo that keeps communities of color in the margins and holds us all back as a society, said Greg A. Adams, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente.

Kaiser-Permanentes plan is to direct $60 million in joint investments and $40 million in grant funding to more than 2,000 businesses owned by Black and other underrepresented people across the country.

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The business loans of $100,000 to $4 million is intended to help them overcome systemic economic disadvantage. Kaiser Permanente is also reserving $15 million in grant dollars to increase access to formal training, business networks, and recovery and growth capital to help African American-owned businesses.

As a country, this is a moment to define who we are and what we stand for. We must take strong action to stop the physical, psychological, economic, and social impacts of inequity and systemic racism so that we can create healthier communities where everybody, regardless of their skin color, can feel safe and thrive, Adams said.

Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente is one of the nations largest healthcare and health management systems in the United States, serving over 12 million members. It operates some 700 medical facilities, including 39 hospitals, with a network of 23,371 physicians, 63,306 nurses and 219,149 employees.

The news of Kaisers series of actions fall in line with other large companies willingness to help make the Black community whole after centuries of slavery, injustice, legal segregation and widespread discrimination.

But Black business groups and leaders have questions about how programs such as Kaiser-Permanentes will be implemented. The funding is sorely needed, Black business advocates point out. Yet, putting it in the right places must be strategic.

We dont want it to be a situation where companies are just throwing money at us. They throw money at a problem and then think it changes the situation. Its just a band-aid, said Salena Pryor, founder of the Black Small Business Association of California (BSBAC). So the question is how are they going to actually make sure the money gets to the Black communities. That would be our concern.

BSBAC helps advocate for minority-owned businesses that struggle finding resources. In just over a few months, Pryor, a former legislative consultant, said her organization has grown from serving a handful of clients to representing 1,153 businesses and self-employed individuals across the state. She says her organization is still growing.

Pryor explains that her concern about how the money will reach its target is warranted. Because on the back end, she said, the money will not only support Black businesses but show companies that they made the right investments.

All of that is important, Pryor said.

Facebook, based in Menlo Park, has also announced that it is investing $200 million to support Black-owned businesses and organizations in part of the companys broader $1.1 billion investment in Black and diverse suppliers and communities in the United States.

The social-networking platform is responding to the outbursts of protests against racism, police brutality and racial injustices that African Americans face across the country. Facebooks Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg stated that the need to take action is highly necessary for the company.

The past few weeks have compelled us to confront the reality of violence and injustice which members of the Black community face on a daily basis, Sandberg stated in a letter dated June 18. We have shared words of support for our friends, colleagues, and communities. We need to take action as well.

Black-owned businesses increased by 34.5% between 2007 and 2012, totaling to 2.6 million firms, in reference to a report by Black Demographics.

But according to the U.S. Census figures from 2017, Investopedia reported that Black businesses in the country dipped down to just over two million firms.

Worldwide Technology, Inc., a Maryland Heights, Missouri, Black business, had a revenue base of $11.28 billion in 2018. Black Enterprise Magazine (BE) listed it as the top Black firm among a ranking of 100. BE compiles its annual list by revenue and the number of employees.

Worldwide Technology, Inc., founded in 1990 by David Steward and James Kavanaugh, has more than 5,000 employees. The company enables its clients to implement technology for products and services.

After the death of George Floyd and the civil unrest that followed, companies with deep pockets have stepped up to the plate to provide moral and economic support to the Black community.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Mountain View-based Alphabet, Inc., the parent company of Google, said June 17 that the company has committed $175 million to African American businesses. The company will also increase Black representation in leadership roles.

Youtube has pledged $100 million to subsidize Black artists and creators. CNBC reported that Googles Black workforce was just over 3% before the global pandemic and the riots that broke out around the country after Floyds death, took place. It had also decreased its diversity programs.

On June 17, PayPal, based in San Jose, joined corporations and public institutions supporting the Black community. It will kick out $530 million to Black-owned businesses and newly established proprietors through its PayPal Equity Investment for Underrepresented Minority-led Startups and Investment Funds program.

PayPal has made a commitment in an effort to help address economic inequality and is requesting applications for submission. The PayPal team will review each response and evaluate each proposal before making an investment decision.

Several applicants, such as the Los Angeles-based Kiva and Opportunity Fund, both not-for-profit financial institutions, and other groups, have received funding.

In a written statement, PayPal said that it is uniquely positioned to help in this area and have committed to doing its part to address the unacceptable racial divide by advancing a more just economy and society.

For far too long, Black people in America have faced deep-seated injustice and systemic economic inequality. Black lives matter and we need to drive transformative change. We must take decisive action to close the racial wealth gap that sustains this profound inequity, said Dan Schulman, PayPals president and CEO.

Last month, Lowes, the home improvement company, was one of the first to announce support for the Black community. It will provide $25 million in grants to support minority-owned proprietorships to help boost the countrys economy.

While there is a boom in help going toward the Black community to help it rebound from the devastating effects of the novel coronavirus, Pryor said it is a perfect time to solidify stable working relationships with big corporations.

Traditionally, she said, when something like investing in Black communities occurs, the relationship dynamics slowly disappear. That breakup has to change and accountability must be practiced, Pryor said.

We really have to reevaluate our relationships with these companies. It doesnt make sense to help them flourish and thrive and they are not doing anything to make sure we flourish and thrive, Pryor said. It has to be more than just one-time giving money to small Black businesses. What about the ongoing relationships? What about your boards? What about your employee hiring practices? All of that has to be addressed.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 07: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo attend the 57th Annual ICG Publicists Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 07, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

When Anthony and Joe Russo were promoting Avengers: Endgame they made it clear that this would be their final Marvel movie for a while.

However, the directors did tell MTV that there was one comic-book adaptation that theyd return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for ... Secret Wars.

During a recent interview with Bro Bible, the pair were once again asked about their interest in the crossover story, which features the Avengers, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men fighting on Battleworld after being abducted.

Read More: Marvel's 2015 Secret Wars: Could It Lead To Future Movie?

Joe Russo couldnt help but reiterate his admiration for the 1984 comic series, admitting that he first read Secret Wars when he was 10 or 11 and was immediately enthralled by the scale of getting all of the heroes together.

It was one of the first major books to do that  that was really event-storytelling to me at its finest. And what happens when you put all of those personalities together.

Secret Wars would rival the scale of Infinity War and Endgame (Image by Marvel Studios)

But there is another reason why, all these years later, the Russo Brothers are still so attracted to the Secret Wars.

I also like the idea of villains having to team up with heroes. [Anthony Russo] and I like complicated relationships between heroes and villains, we like villains who believe theyre heroes in their own stories, so its all sort of built into this notion of Secret Wars.

To execute something on the scale of Infinity War was directly related to the dream of Secret Wars, which is even larger in scale.

Read More: 'Avengers: Secret Wars' has big potential Russo brothers reveal

Anthony Russo is just as enamoured by Secret Wars as his younger brother, insisting that if Marvel do ever turn it into a blockbuster, It would be the biggest movie you could possibly imagine.

So thats what really excites us about the story  the ambition of it is even bigger than the ambition of the Infinity Saga.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 14:19:08|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he won't issue an order at the national level mandating the use of masks, even as the United States continued to break its single-day coronavirus case record amid a pandemic far from being contained, and whether to wear masks has become a source of heated debate.

Asked by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace if he would consider issuing a national mask mandate to slow the spread of the virus, Trump said: "No, I want people to have a certain freedom and I don't believe in that, no," according to a clip of the Fox News Sunday show, the full version of which will be aired Sunday.

"I don't agree with the statement that if everyone wore a mask, everything disappears," the president added, as Wallace pointed out that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the virus would be brought under control if everyone wore a mask.

"Dr. (Anthony) Fauci said don't wear a mask, our surgeon general -- terrific guy -- said don't wear a mask. Everybody was saying don't wear a mask, all of a sudden everybody's got to wear a mask," Trump said. "And as you know, masks cause problems too. With that being said, I am a believer in masks. I think masks are good."

Trump has been refusing to wear a mask himself since the pandemic broke out, citing his good health and frequent negative tests for the virus.

He was seen wearing a mask in public for the first time on July 11 while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, some three months after the CDC recommended that Americans do so because asymptomatic bearers of the virus could still transmit it to others.

Along with the surge in coronavirus cases -- topping 3.5 million after the mind-boggling single-day record of 72,045 infections was set on Thursday, as per CDC's data -- the mask issue has been politicized to the extent that it has become a symbol of allegiance: Those refusing to wear masks support Trump while those donning them are against him.

Earlier in July, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows also said the option of a national mask mandate was not on the table. He told the "Fox & Friends" program on July 6 that "a national mandate is not in order. We're allowing our governors and our local mayors to weigh in on that."

In recent weeks, though, even Republicans have rallied around wearing masks, with at least one GOP lawmaker bluntly suggesting that Trump himself do so publicly.

Regretting the fact that the "simple lifesaving practice" of wearing a mask has been politicized to showcase whether one supports Trump or not, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said on June 30 that he had "suggested the president should occasionally wear a mask even though there are not many occasions when it is necessary for him to do so."

Meanwhile, governors and municipal-level officials have requested that residents wear masks to halt the virus resurgence.

While the governors of Arkansas, California and Colorado have issued mask mandates effective across their respective states, Texas Governor Greg Abbott's order applies to residents of counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases, effectively covering most counties in the state.

In Georgia, however, Republican Governor Brian Kemp and state Attorney General Chris Carr, also a Republican, sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, and the Atlantic City Council to block the mayor's mask mandate, claiming that such an order put businesses in harm's way and undermined the state's economic growth, and that local orders must not exceed the state's executive order in restrictiveness.

The lawsuit, filed one day after Kemp issued an executive order overriding all local mask mandates in the state, intensified a partisan fight over how to handle the public health crisis in a state that is among the first to reopen. Georgia saw a resurgence of the virus, with the seven-day average of caseload recently hovering around 3,000 per day. Enditem
1. Yes. Too many kids are staying home. They need a virtual learning option to keep up.

2. Yes. Teachers are out sick and subs cant handle the load. Online learning is needed.

3. No. Its too late in the school year to make a wholesale switch in teaching platforms.

4.No. Many parents arent in a position to stay home while their kids learn virtually.

5. Unsure. It may seem like a good idea from a health standpoint, but it has shortcomings.

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A "Black Lives Matter" mural that was painted on 5th Avenue in New York City, on July 13, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Three Arrested for Vandalizing Black Lives Matter Mural in New York City

Three people were arrested for vandalizing the Black Lives Matter words painted on a street in New York City, police said.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said the vandalism took place around 4:15 p.m. on Friday.

The vandals were named as Juliet Germanotta, 39, Luis Martinez, 44, and DAnna Morgan, 25.

They were charged with criminal mischief and released with orders to appear in court.

Azia Toussaint, left, participates in the painting of Black Lives Matter on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower in New York City on July 9, 2020. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo)

Photographs and video footage from the scene, outside Trump Tower, showed blue paint spread across part of the painting, which city officials describe as a mural.

One video showed a white woman, Germanotta, wearing a rainbow flag with the word Trump dumping paint out of a paint can. The woman also wore a shirt that said All Lives Matter.

It should be all lives. All includes black lives, brown lives, white lives, Germanotta told CBS New York.

A second woman, who was black, also dumped paint from a can. That woman, Morgan, was carrying a purse with an American flag sticking out of it.

Morgan told NBC that she has relatives in law enforcement.

Basically, Im just sick and tired of the disrespect that our law enforcement is getting under de Blasio and [Gov. Andrew] Cuomo, Morgan said. I am not anti-black at all. I am African American. All lives matter, including black lives.

Several hours after the paint was placed, it had been completely removed by city workers.

Germanotta was quoted by a local outlet last week while the mural was being painted. Germanotta, a Democratic congressional candidate during the 2018 election, said she attended the painting to jeer Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat.

A man dumps red paint on the Black Lives Matter mural in New York City on July 13, 2020. (NYPD)

This is going to get painted over in a day or two by people who love America, she said.

A fourth person was told to appear in court on a summons for illegally posting flyers, police said. Flyers were seen lying among the blue paint.

The mural was also defaced on Monday by a man who poured red paint over part of it.

That man has not been arrested as of yet, according to police officials.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, third from left, participates in painting Black Lives Matter on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower in New York City on July 9, 2020. The mayors wife, Chirlane McCray, is fourth from left and Rev. Al Sharpton is second from left. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo)

De Blasio helped paint the mural on July 9, along with his wife, Chirlane McCray, activist Al Sharpton, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), and volunteers and local artists.

Republican President Donald Trump accused the mayor of denigrating Fifth Avenue, where the mural is situated.

The painting would also further antagonize New Yorks Finest, or police officers, Trump said.

On Thursday, de Blasio said, Let me tell you, we are not denigrating anything. We are liberating Fifth Avenue.

So, 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, he said.
Amid renewed calls Friday for federal law enforcement agencies to stop policing Portland protests, those officers once again closed in on demonstrators and used tear gas at least twice to break up crowds downtown.

The overnight force against protesters by federal police came soon after Oregons attorney general announced she was suing several federal agencies over the arrests of protesters. Several other state and local officials, including Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, also criticized the federal presence.

Yet after Portland police declared the downtown demonstration to be unlawful early Saturday morning, federal and local officers emerged at the same time to advance on protesters. Some demonstrators had piled fence parts in front of some entrances to government buildings.

At a press conference hours before the demonstration began, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said city officials communicate with federal officers for the purpose of situational awareness and de-confliction. But he said they do not act at one anothers direction.

The escalating federal focus on Portland has attracted national attention and widespread scrutiny. Demands for federal officers to leave arose at a series of demonstrations throughout the day Friday and into the night.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty organized an evening vigil that drew several hundred people to the downtown Justice Center. The city and county law enforcement building has been home to nightly protests against police brutality since late May.

The building is sandwiched by two federal buildings on Southwest Third Avenue: a courthouse to the north and an office building to the south. Federal officers streamed out of both buildings Thursday night to force protesters to leave the area.

Hardesty encouraged people to engage in civic activism to press for positive police reforms and decried the presence of federal law enforcement at the Portland protests. The heightened response by federal officers began several weeks after the demonstrations began.

As hundreds of people huddled together at the candlelight vigil, a few dozen other people began gathering at two recently closed city parks across the street. They started to dismantle the chainlink fence that surrounded the parks and moved parts of the fence into the street around 9:30 p.m.

Police stayed away at first. Then around 9:50 p.m., Portland police used a loudspeaker to announce they planned to retrieve the parts of the fence that were blocking traffic. Several officers streamed out of the Justice Center to grab some pieces of the fence, then retreated.

Soon after, dozens of federal officers emerged from the next-door federal office building. Protesters stood several feet away near the intersection of Southwest Third Avenue and Madison Street.

Federal officers within minutes used impact munitions, stun grenades and some type of gas to force people to leave. Journalists for The Oregonian/OregonLive did not see a precipitating event that prompted officers to deploy those tactics.

People shouted, Go home! as federal officers advanced toward them. Some officers wore camouflage uniforms and others wore darker uniforms marked with the Department of Homeland Security.

Gas and smoke hovered in the air. Many people left. People who remained in the area coughed as they recovered from the exposure.

Within 20 minutes, federal police had retreated. Portland police confirmed on Twitter that federal officers had used CS gas, a type of tear gas. The escalation and retreat all unfolded before 10:30 p.m.

Protesters who had been split up by the cloud of gas soon started to gather again. A few hundred people gathered at Third Avenue and Main Street, between the Justice Center and the federal courthouse. A street preacher who partially climbed a stoplight pole temporarily detracted attention from police.

By 11 p.m., the crowd at Third Avenue and Main Street had grown to at least 500 people. Protesters occasionally broke out into chants of, No justice, no peace.

Several Black people used a bullhorn to share their personal stories of experiencing racism and to speak out against police brutality. Speakers also criticized the Trump administration and the recent response to protests by federal law enforcement. Many spoke of resolve and unity in the face of the ramped up federal policing presence.

Around 11:40 p.m., a few protesters started to place some pieces of dismantled fencing in front of plywood doors at the entrance of the federal courthouse. Some people stood on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, and many others milled about on Third Avenue in front of the courthouse.

As more people shifted to the courthouse, some protesters reinforced the fencing at the entrance with duct tape. Around 11:55 p.m., officers set off a device that emitted smoke or gas toward protesters. Officers had thrown the device out of a hole cut into the plywood attached in front of the courthouse.

After midnight, the crowd shifted away from the federal courthouse and moved one block south, near the federal office building. Some protesters placed more pieces of fencing in front of that buildings entrance. People also moved parts of the fence in front of some Justice Center entrances.

After officers briefly emerged from a side door to the Justice Center, some protesters threw bottles and set off fireworks that way.

Portland police used a loudspeaker to describe the chainlink blockades as criminal and warn people to leave or risk force or arrest. By 12:40 a.m., several hundred people remained gathered at Third Avenue and Madison Street. The crowd started to spread beyond the intersection, but returned after a stun grenade exploded. It was unclear what police agency set it off.

At 1:31 a.m., Portland police used a loudspeaker to deem the event unlawful and order people to leave a wide swath of downtown. Officers gave people five minutes to leave. Officers repeated the order and said people now had four minutes to leave.

Lines of officers in riot gear followed by Portland police vehicles arrived on Madison Street to force people out of the area. Some federal officers in camouflage also emerged on Third Avenue at the same time. They shot pepper balls at protesters, deployed stun grenades and set off gas as they pressed people north.

Other officers pushed protesters and forced them to move west. Although most officers moving west appeared to be affiliated with local agencies, at least one group of federal officers in camouflage appeared near a crowd gathered at Sixth Avenue and Madison Street.

An Oregonian/OregonLive journalist saw several people appear to be detained shortly before 2 a.m.

After Oregonian/OregonLive journalists had left, several dozen people eventually returned near the area where police had forced them to leave. Video footage showed a line of officers at Fourth and Salmon blocked people from getting any closer to the Justice Center or federal buildings. Officers eventually walked and sometimes ran toward the group, forcing people to move north. Other small groups of protesters remained throughout downtown.

Portland police issued a statement around 4 a.m. saying that officers had acted because the barricades and actions by protesters posted a threat of life safety to people in the Justice Center and federal buildings. Police said they had not used CS gas when officers moved in on the crowd.

Portland police said Saturday afternoon that they arrested seven people, four of whom were charged with assaulting officers. Other charges included interfering with officers or disorderly conduct.

Since the demonstrations against police violence began May 28, many night-time protests have ended in police use of force and arrests. On Thursday, Portland police arrested freelance journalist Andrew Jankowski, who identified himself as a journalist and said his press badge was visible when he was taken into custody. He was later released.

Portland police said late Friday that they could not disclose any details about what precipitated Jankowskis arrest.

Just as Friday night protests got underway, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum that the state would sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service in federal court. Rosenblum said the state believes federal agencies seized and detained Oregonians without probable cause.

Rosenblum also said the state would launch a criminal investigation into the shooting by federal officers of Donavan La Bella in the face with a less-than-lethal munition Saturday, critically injuring him. La Bellas hands were above his head when he was shot.

U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams called earlier Friday for an investigation into a reports of arrests by federal officers without probable cause. Williams also has launched an investigation into the shooting of La Bella.

At Wheeler and Lovells joint press conference Friday afternoon, the mayor called the actions and words of President Donald Trump and his administration an attack on our democracy.

I stand with our senators, representatives, and our state, county and city leaders in denouncing their presence, Wheeler said.

Several community leaders also held an event to denounce the response by federal officers and the widespread use of force by police.

This violence has been happening since before George Floyd, Tai Carpenter, of Dont Shoot Portland, told the crowd.

Dave Killen, Jamie Hale, Noelle Crombie, Ryan Nguyen, Everton Bailey Jr. and Ty Vinson of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.

-- Piper McDaniel, @piperamcdaniel

-- K. Rambo

krambo@oregonian.com

@k_rambo_

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha speaks at the conference (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha chaired the 3rd conference of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) on July 17, in the form of a video conference.

Ha affirmed that Vietnam has taken many specific actions since joining the network.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the countrys smart city development plan for the 2018-2025 period and a vision to 2030, which identified three priority groups: smart urban planning, smart urban management, and smart urban utilities.

On the basis of interconnected databases, many urban areas in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, have had initial success in providing smart utilities in education, health care, transportation, construction, and the environment; optimised urban development management; improved urban living standards; and created opportunities for human development, Ha said.

He emphasised that comprehensive urban development and management is done through improving decision-making capacity based on interconnected data systems and multidisciplinary coordination.

Developing smart cities requires significant investment capital and human resources from the whole society, in which the private sector plays an important role in providing resources and technology solutions, helping to accelerate the development of smart cities.

With the theme Smart cities towards community identity and sustainable development for a cohesive and responsive ASEAN, ANSCs activities in 2020 aim to promote the active participation and cooperation of ASEAN member nations, agendas with the groups partner countries, the participation of the private sector, and the maintenance and development of the ASCN dialogue.

ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said the group has given impetus for smart cities to invest in technology, resolve urban challenges, and create new sources of growth.

This is a good opportunity to take advantage of the leadership and capacity of cities from ASEANs partner countries to address the COVID-19 crisis.

When rebuilding an economy post-pandemic, it is important to rebuild partnerships among smart cities inside and outside of the region in order to achieve tangible impacts, he said.

Smart cities need to have effective responses to health crises, the official noted.

He underlined the importance of promoting intra-bloc efforts on building smart cities, in particular efforts related to digital connection and urbanisation strategies.

It is necessary to establish better understanding between the public and private sectors to help strengthen the regions potential and resources, as well as realise opportunities for the development of smart cities post-pandemic, he said.

The conference focused on discussing and approving a number of documents.

The 26 member cities of ASCN aim to build a medium-term vision and develop and implement an action plan each year in accordance with the situation in each country, towards promoting the unique identity of each city and each country, thus contributing to the common identity of the ASCN.

Member cities will update others on smart city development and share experiences in responding to COVID-19.

As the Chairman of the ASCN 2020, Vietnam will make every effort to push the overall development of the network and strive to accomplish its goals, Ha said.

If the COVID-19 pandemic is soon brought under control, Vietnam will hold the ASCN High-Level Forum later this year to discuss more deeply and comprehensively experiences and good practice in developing smart cities and promoting partnerships outside ASEAN, he added.

The ASCN was established at the 32nd ASEAN Summit in Singapore in 2018 and aims to build a cooperative platform for cities to share common goals in developing smart and sustainable municipalities.
CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 06: U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The DNC, which concludes today, nominated U.S. President Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Rep. John Lewis has died at age 80. The civil rights icon and seasoned congressman had been battling stage four pancreatic cancer. On July 17, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed the news of Lewis's death. Lewis served as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's Fifth congressional district since 1986, and was known as a champion of the civil rights movement, playing a key role in the March on Washington in 1963 with Martin Luther King Jr. He announced last December that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during a routine medical exam and was seeking treatment.

"John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation - from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years," Pelosi said in a statement.
Prabhu Chawla By

Communism is a cacophony of contradictions. The comrades abhor religion but in their godless sanctum sanctorum, the unholy Trinity of Marx, Mao and Lenin comprise dialectical divinity.

Last week, this discrepancy came to the fore when Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, the Communist prime minister of Nepal, claimed ownership of Lord Ram. Nepal is the only Hindu nation in the world.

Comrade Oli was attempting a cartographic invasion of Ayodhya, where the first meeting of the Ram Temple Trust was held Sasturday.

He claimed it lies in Nepal and conferred Nepali citizenship on one of the most sacred of Hindu gods, Lord Ram. Perhaps, China, which is embroiled in Nepali politics, does believe in Ram indeed.

Meanwhile, Gods Own Country lived up to its name after the revered Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple was restored to Hindus, leaving the Marxist-ruled state government literally red- faced. Oli is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML).

He became the Prime Minister with the help of the Mao-inspired Communist Party of Nepal led by a former Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

For the past few weeks, Olis own comrades have been trying to defenestrate him over Nepals tottering economy and excessive proximity with China.

A section of diplomats and the media claim that Dragon Diplomacy, led by the Chinese ambassador to Kathmandu, has temporarily saved Olis chair.

But the Comrade himself is insecure about his survival. The avowed atheists erroneous epiphany that Ram wasnt born in Bharat but in the Nepalese part of undivided India is ridiculous.

The hard core Communist is strategising that Ram is his only salvation from daily humiliation. But neither he nor his fellow comrades have ever had a photo op in Nepals Pashupatinath temple, which unites the Hindus of Nepal and India.

Yet the prime objective of the tactical alliance between Pakistani green and Chinese red is to divide not only Nepal along ideological lines, but also incite its citizens against India. Comrade Oli is in office on a borrowed time.

He is at the butt end of daily protests from the public and politicians. He has been accusing India of destabilising his government for his close proximity with the Chinese leaders.

However, instead of defending his red romance, the Nepalese PM has surprisingly brought Ram into the narrative. He was quoted by the media as saying, There is a fierce debate about Ayodhya. In fact, Ayodhya lies in Thori, which is west of Nepals Birgunj, and the Pandit who performed Putresthi Yagya (a religious ceremony organised to seek divine blessings to have children) after there were no children from King Dasarath was from Ridi (in Nepal) Therefore, the child (Ram) is not an Indian. The place (Ayodhya) is not in India either.

If that wasnt enough for him to win sympathy at home, he further added: We have been suppressed culturally. Facts have been twisted. Even today, we believe that Sita was married to an Indian prince, Ram. We gave her not to an Indian, but to the one from Ayodhya. Ayodhya is a village that lies to the west of Birgunj. Deification of domestic politics appears to be Olis short exit route out of the crises.

The diehard despots ideological opportunism to save his job was mocked by his own party, Indian scholars and Ram bhakts.

He acquired power not through popular mandate but by external intervention, which brought various factions of Communists together. CPN-UML polled about 33.25 per cent of the votes and got 44 per cent of the seats.

Prachanda, who grabbed 20 per cent seats, extended his support to Comrade Oli. But Oli chose China as his mentor and extended major economic concessions to Chinese companies.

Its ironic that a section of the Nepalese leadership has charged India with propping up Oli against Prachanda.

In May, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the new 80 km-long road near the Nepal border, which connects the Lipulekh pass near the Chinese border.

In addition to its strategic importance, the highway is one of the quickest road links to reach Mount Kailash.

This project provoked anti-India sentiments in Nepal and helped Oli to consolidate his grip over on domestic politics.

His next step was to escalate tensions against India by changing its own map. For the first time, Nepal officially included large tracts of Indian territory under New Delhis control for six decades.

Oli called Parliament and got the new political map approved, which includes Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh of Uttarakhand in Nepal. Olis map includes Susta in West Champaran, Bihar as well.

Nepals aggressive posturing and growing dependence on China and Pakistan for both commerce and security is causing serious concerns in India.

Though the Hindu DNA of Nepal and India unites both culturally and emotionally, China and Pakistan are attempting a polygamous marriage that could create economic and security problems for India.

Nepal and Pakistan have already given China access to constructing a road that would connect the three nations through hills and valleys important to India.

Nepal also controls over 40 per cent of fresh water supply to certain parts of India. China is egging Nepal on to allow it to construct hydro power plants and dams to restrict water supply from its section of the Himalayan regions. China has made Nepal a key partner in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and plans to invest heavily in Nepals infrastructure to boost its global trade.

Indian relations with Nepal have been bumpy in the recent past. Over 5 million people of Nepali origin live in India. Citizens both countries are allowed visa-free visits and use of Indian currency as well.

Due to past diplomatic snafus, India lost its influence over the Nepalese elite and politics. Over the last decade, diplomats with little knowledge about Nepal and its roots were posted in key positions.

The Indian security system failed to keep a tight vigil on the rampaging romance between China and Nepal. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his eagle-eyed National Security Advisor Brijesh Mishra would always keep a close watch on both diplomatic and political movements in the Nepalese neighbourhood.

When Kathmandu began to misbehave during 2001-2002, Mishra decided to visit Nepal to sort out thorny issues.

Previous to that, the Vajpayee government selectively leaked out a list of Nepali ministers and other influencers with financial and other questionable relations with the Pakistan establishment. The hawks were nowhere to be seen when Mishra landed in Kathmandu.

But the current Indian establishment hasnt used its powerful machinery to attack anti-India elements by exposing their misdeeds. Indias support for the economic blockade of Nepal in 2015 fuelled anger against India. Subsequently, Nepals demand to accept Indian currency after demonetisation was fiercely resisted by North Block mandarins leaving the Himalayan country with a heap of useless paper.

Instead of cementing their ancient cultural affinity by reminding Nepal of Rama and Buddha, Indian diplomats and foreign policy experts have nudged Nepal into Chinas lap.

By claiming Ramas geographical lineage to throw a desperate gauntlet to Bharat, the original birthplace of the god, Comrade Oli has found his spiritual home in the geopolitical sanctuary of red China.

India must affix the Ram baan on its geopolitical Kodanda to shoot down the fishy swayamvaram of China wooing Nepal.
Mukesh Chhabra is a well-known name when it comes to casting in films. He holds a kind of monopoly in the profession. Nearly every production house nowadays has hired his services. Mukesh is a trained actor who now has progressed to being a director. His debut film, Dil Bechara, starring the late Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi is going to release soon at an OTT platform. He talks to Raghuvendra Singh about fulfilling a dream, of missing Sushant, and more...





As a director, your first film Dil Bechara is ready for release. What are you feeling right now?







You landed in Mumbai in the year 2006. At that time you may not have dreamt of becoming a casting director Every first step in life is difficult. Dil Bechara is my first film as a director, so I am certainly nervous about what the response will be. But I have made the film with all my heart, hence I am confident about the outcome as well.You landed in Mumbai in the year 2006. At that time you may not have dreamt of becoming a casting director

I used to work for NSD TIE in Delhi. When the directors from Mumbai used to come to Delhi for casting, they used to seek our help. Thats the way I got involved with films. Being associated with theatre, I knew many actors. I always wanted to make a name in films.

You are a trained actor, then why did you become a casting director and now youre turning a director?

When I applied for a job in NSD TIE, the basic qualification was graduation and being trained in theatre. So I also did an acting course from Shri Ram Center in Delhi. I did not dream of becoming an actor.

If you are not from this industry, what kind of challenges do you have to overcome initially?

If you are coming from theatre culture, then you have to mould yourself in film culture. You have to know people. Your work in this city is your only calling card. Along with your work, you have to build as many connections as possible. In my salad days, when I lived in Mhada, my morning started with whom I can meet today.

What kind of advice will you give to new talent?

They need to have complete confidence in themselves. There should always remain positive. Do not lose hope. Nothing can stop talented people from moving forward.

It is said that the film industry operates on relationships. If you have a good relationship with everyone, then you can be sure of a long inning...

In this industry, relationships are based on your work. The day you stop working, all your relationships disappear. Be honest with your work, and everyone will respect you.

The film industry is a purely commercial space. The value of relationships often diminishes when it comes to money.

This happens everywhere, not just in the industry. Filmmaking is an art but business is also associated with it. Films are a unique combination of business and art. We cannot ignore the business side of it.

Is it possible for a person to feel lonely in this industry despite immense successes and spotlight?

During work, you are in a crowd but in the end, you are alone. It is common to feel lonely in Mumbai. I am lucky to live with my parents. I forget the industry after entering my home after work.

Was it always your dream to be a director?

I did not dream of becoming a director. It was a process. I developed this interest while casting for films.

How did you land up directing Dil Bechara?

The film chose me. Many people wanted to make this film but did not succeed. Rucha Pathak of Fox Star Studios sent me this script. After reading this I felt an attachment to it. I gave my consent towards directing it.

How did Sushant Singh Rajput come on board?

Sushant promised me in 2017 that whenever you make your first film, I will work in it. Maybe he loved me for getting him Kai Po Che!. When I told him about The Fault in Our Stars, he immediately agreed to do it. Without reading the script.

Hollywood has already made a successful film on John Greens novel The Fault in Our Stars. Are you apprehensive about comparisons?

I had not seen The Fault in Our Stars before. The book on which this film is based, I also read that book later. I watch Hollywood movies very rarely. I do not feel any pressure. I later watched the film fast-forward.

Your plan was to bring Ansel Elgort (the lead actor of The Fault In Our Stars) and Sushant on one platform

It was my dream but as they say that not every dream gets fulfilled. I wanted to bring Ansel and Sushant together at the trailer launch of Dil Bechara. This was my promise to Sushant. I was happy when Sushant and Ansel both tweeted about the film a year and a half ago.

Do you remember your first meeting with Sushant Singh Rajput?







What qualities of Sushant Singh Rajput made you realise that he will go a long way in films? Shobha Sant first told me about Sushant and then introduced him later. And we had our first meeting in connection with the audition of Kai Po Che!. I met him in a cafe in Versova. We first became friends and then brothers.What qualities of Sushant Singh Rajput made you realise that he will go a long way in films?

The charm, dedication, performance, honesty, sincerity to become a hero ... he had it all ... it was his charm that helped him do a good job in such a short time. Had he been alive, he would have scaled greater heights...

When did you last have a conversation with Sushant Singh Rajput?

My birthday falls on May 27. We had a long conversation that day. He was very happy. After that, we often had conversations about Dil Bechara.

Was Sushant able to see the completed film?

He had seen the entire film during dubbing. Sadly, he could not watch the finished product. I have realised my dream of making a film but I dont understand whether to laugh or cry.

Which song from the film was Sushants favourite?







Today, if you want to dedicate one song to Sushant Singh Rajput, which song will it be? Taare Gin and Dil Bechara title track.Today, if you want to dedicate one song to Sushant Singh Rajput, which song will it be?

Meri jeet, teri jeet, meri haar teri haar, sun le mere yaar.. Ye dosti...

Which of your films are you most proud of when it comes to casting?
The mugginess returns to Niagara Falls this weekend, and with it comes the citys cooling stations.

Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for southern Ontario Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures expected to reach a high of 32 degrees Celsius both days in Niagara Falls, with the Humidex making it feel in the upper 30s.

In response, the city will have two cooling stations open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The sites will be Niagara Falls Public Library on Victoria Avenue and Niagara Falls History Museum on Ferry Street.

Gale Centre will no longer be used s a cooling station.

Niagara Falls Transit will offer free bus trips to stops near the cooling stations during the heat alerts.

The city recommends splash pads and pools as another option to combat the heat. Public pool hours have been extended to 7:30 p.m. during the heat alert.

The cooling stations will close when Environment Canada declares the heat warning over. For weather updates, visit the Environment Canada website.
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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18, 2020 09:22 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066746bcb 1 National selection-committee,Ombudsman,Jokowi,State-Secretariat,Chandra-M-Hamzah Free

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has appointed five new members of the Indonesian Ombudsman selection committee, in line with Presidential Decree No. 65/P/2020 issued on July 2.

The committee is chaired by Chandra M. Hamzah, a former leader of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) head M. Yusuf Ateh, meanwhile, serves as vice chairman.

The remaining three members are Office of the Presidential Staff deputy Juri Ardiantoro, University of Indonesia social and political science lecturer Francisia Saveria Sika Ery Seda and Nahdlatul Ulama Boarding School Association head Abdul Ghaffar Rozin.

Read also: Ombudsman gets mounting complaints on aid distribution

The committee is set to immediately open recruitment for potential members of the Ombudsman for the 2021-2026 period. At least 18 selected names are to be submitted to the President and the House of Representatives for further consideration. The House will choose half of them to be new members of the Ombudsman.

"The registration will be available from July 27 to Aug. 18. It means that hopeful candidates have 10 days from now to prepare themselves and all requirements needed," Chandra said on Friday.

To be considered for a spot in the Ombudsman, interested candidates must be an Indonesian citizen, have at least 15 years experience working in law or public service, be aged between 40 and 60 years old and cannot be part of a political party.

Registration, Chandra further said, would be conducted online through the State Secretariats official website, setneg.go.id, which would also provide more information about the registration process.
As European Union (EU) heads of state began meeting Friday in Brussels to discuss a bailout package, as part of a two-day summit, the COVID-19 pandemic was accelerating across the continent. Back-to-work policies launched by governments and trade unions across Europe since lock-downs ended in May are leading to a collapse of social distancing, and a new contagion threatening once again to swamp health systems.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Macron at the EU Summit in Brussels on 17 July [Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Pool via AP]

In Spainwhere 1,361 new cases were discovered on July 16, the first time since May that the total was over 1,000municipal authorities in Barcelona asked residents of the metropolitan area of 5 million people to stay inside yesterday. Of these new Spanish cases, 647 were in Catalonia. Regional counselor Meritxell Budo said this was the last chance to avoid having to go to measures confining the entire population.

Germany had 583 new infections and Austria 157 on Thursday, the highest number in the latter country since April 10. In Belgium, COVID-19 infections have risen 32 percent to an average of 115 daily. The reproduction rate of the virus has passed above 1 in Germany as well as in Belgium, indicating that the number of new cases is beginning to grow exponentially again. Given these data, said Belgian virologist Marc Van Ranst, we must say that we are seeing the beginning of a second wave.

In France, where there are 184 active clusters and confirmed community spread, the reproduction rate has surged to 2.62 in Brittany, 1.5 in the Loire Valley, and 1.55 in the Riviera. It is over 1 in a number of regions, including the Paris area.

Nonetheless, the focus of the officials gathering in Brussels for their first physical meeting since the COVID-19 pandemics onset in Europe was not stopping the contagion. Rather, they were clashing over how to organize trillion-euro corporate and bank bailouts while imposing austerity and mass layoffs destroying millions of jobs across Europe. The European bourgeoisie is not waging war on COVID-19, but on the working class.

While the European Central Bank (ECB) has printed 1.25 trillion [$US1.43 trillion] given to European banks, the EU is preparing a 750 billion bailout planned by Berlin and Paris. Already, EU states have lavished tens of billions on corporate bailouts for Siemens, Airbus, Renault and various national airlines. At the same time, governments, corporations and trade unions are shamelessly approving mass sackings carried out by powerful corporations enriched by bailouts using public funds.

Bitter divisions persist in the EU over how to guarantee that bailouts will serve to impose draconian austerity, as in Greece after the 2008 Wall Street crash, and boost EU firms global competitiveness. Arriving in Brussels, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, whose government holds the rotating EU presidency, said: The differences are still very large and so I cant predict that we will achieve a result this time. It would be desirable, but we also have to be realistic.

On the first day of talks, several smaller countries opposed the Franco-German bailout. Hungarian premier Viktor Orban threatened to veto a provision requiring states to respect the EUs fundamental values to receive bailout funds, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte demanded the right to veto all spending of EU bailout funds.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte hailed the bailout proposed by Berlin and Paris, where austerity would not be mandated by EU talks as in Greece, but worked out in behind-the-scenes negotiations among major EU powers. We are elaborating a response, an economic and social response, to all our European citizens in the common interest of the values that we share, Conte claimed.

In reality, the EU is responding to world capitalisms greatest economic downturn since the 1930s by aggressively asserting its imperialist interests. This strategy, carried out at the expense of the working class at home, relies critically on the support of the union bureaucracies to try to suppress explosive social opposition.

Yesterday, the French unions met with newly installed Prime Minister Jean Castex to plan economic policy. They agreed to wait until the end of the year to implement major cuts to pensions they negotiated earlier this year with President Emmanuel Macron, while Castex works on formulating corporate restructuring and mass layoffs at workplaces across France. Nonetheless, union officials of all colorations hailed Castex and his reactionary plans as they left his offices.

Philippe Martinez of the CGT (General Confederation of Labor) said: We are in midstream, but what is done cannot be undone. Discontent, protests, he has to take them into account. That is a good thing. This is a fraud. In reality, the EU is planning massive attacks and timing them carefully in discussions with the unions to avoid provoking a social explosion.

What holds the EU together is not so much common interests, as desperate attempts to confront the European working class at home and great power rivals abroadnot only traditional opponents of NATO like Russia, but increasingly the EUs NATO ally, the United States.

At the summit, the EU powers are seeking to take a further step in transforming the EU into a military alliance. At a meeting in Warsaw, German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and her Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak pleaded for more EU military spending. In the current compromise proposal from EU Council President Charles Michel, 7 billion are earmarked for the EU defence fund, which promotes joint armament projects, and a further 1.5 billion for adapting the European transport network to military requirements.

Underlying this policy is the deepest economic crisis since the end of the Second World War and growing inter-imperialist tensions, especially between Germany and the United States.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued new threats to intensify sanctions against companies building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline linking Russia and Germany. The sanctions prepared under the American CAATSA (Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) lawwhich was previously used against Iran, North Korea and Russiaare aimed at companies from at least five European countries.

Germanys Wintershall and Uniper, Royal Dutch Shell, Frances ENGIE and Austrias OMV have all been involved in financing the construction of Nordstream 2.

On Thursday German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas denounced US plans in unusually strong terms. With its announcements on measures that also threaten European companies with sanctions, the US Administration is disrespecting Europes right and sovereignty to decide itself where and how we source our energy, he said in a German foreign ministry statement. European energy policy is decided in Europe and not in Washington. We firmly reject extraterritorial sanctions.

Another event pointing to the very tense transatlantic relationship is Thursdays ruling by the EU Court of Justice throwing out a central EU-US data flows agreement, the so-called Privacy Shield. The official presentation of the ruling as a defence of European citizens democratic rights against US spy services is a fraud. European intelligence services, like their American counterparts, routinely engage in mass spying on the population.

Rather, after the EU closed its borders to American citizens, citing the disastrous US handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU is responding to the pandemic by moving against its nominal ally.

There are ever more aggressive calls to re-militarize not only German but EU foreign policy. In an interview with German weekly Die Zeit published on Thursday, Kramp-Karrenbauer called for massively rearming the EU to defend its imperialist interests internationally, including against nuclear powers:

We need a 360-degree view, she stressed. If you look at who is within range of Russian missiles in Europe, it is just the Central and Eastern European states and us [Germany]. That is one of the reasons why many of these states see us as an important partner to lean on, with their interests in mind. We will work on a joint threat analysis during our EU Presidency. For we must develop defence systems. Take air defence: This is increasingly about drones, AI-controlled drone swarms or hypersonic weapons.

Whichever factions win out in the bitter debate over bailout policy, it is clear that the plans for a dramatic rearmament and corporate restructuring of the EU entail serious attacks on workers.
Cancun, Riviera Maya tourism continues to rebound with the arrival of travelers

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  According to data from the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), Cancun showed a positive trend in hotel occupancy during the week of July 6 to 12, obtaining 5.7 percentage points more than the previous week, reaching a 22.5 percent hotel occupancy.

This gradual recovery of productive activities, such as tourism for Quintana Roo, is the result of the commitment and responsibility of those who make up the tourism industry to qualify for the Certification in Health Protection and Prevention in Tourist Facilities.

Governor Carlos Joaquin has been pending state affairs and explained that this certification provides security both for workers and visitors, to advance the plan to recover the economy and the more than 84,000 lost jobs after the closure of more than 97 percent of the hotels due to the pandemic.

There are already more than 6,620 companies from varying tourist branches that have registered on the certification platform, which contributes to the recovery of the economy without neglecting peoples health.

Arriving tourists are treated to a traditional Mexican welcome

The positive trend in the gradual recovery of tourism, with the latest data provided by Governor Carlos Joaquin is reflected in the current hotel occupancy rate and the resumption of between 130 and 150 daily flights, all within health protocols.

Carlos Joaquin, announced that Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean were the first destinations chosen by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to be granted the Global Safety Stamp, precisely because of the sanitary protocols that have been registered and applied by tourism companies to protect tourists.

The figures were announced by Miguel Torruco Marques, Secretaria de Turismo (SECTUR), who reported that during week 28, from July 06 to 12, Cancun showed a positive trend, obtaining 5.7 percentage points more than the week previous, reaching 22.5 percent hotel occupancy. In his comment Friday, he said that the preliminary hotel occupancy percentage for week 28, which includes the period from 06 to 12 July 2020, shows an occupancy percentage of 15.6 percent in 12 selected destinations, that is, 4.0 percentage points additional compared to the previous week.

The Cancun International Airport has already registered more than 150 operations, the highest number since the health crisis began.
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Linkedin Irine Hiraswari Gayatri (The Jakarta Post) Melbourne  Sat, July 18, 2020

Amid serious efforts to ease the suffering of women and all victims of sexual crimes, including children, the public was shocked by politicians at the House of Representatives, who decided to remove the bill on sexual violence from this years National Legislation Program.

Deputy chair of the Houses Commission VIII overseeing peoples welfare Marwan Dasopang said scheduling difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic were behind the withdrawal of the draft law, known as the PKS bill, from the table. Instead, the commission proposed deliberation of a bill on elderly welfare, he said.

Pulling out the PKS bill is in retrospect a serious breach of painstaking efforts of activists on behalf of victims of sexual violence to get the bill passed. Again, the politicians deny the rights of victims of sexual crimes. A political decision was taken arbitrarily and with a very political nuance guised under technical apologia of "very difficult" as expressed by one of the lawmakers.

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MILLGROVE, Ontario (July 18, 2020) Flamboro Speedway will play host to some great racing action in September, with further details announced surrounding September 12.

As previously revealed, the APC Auto Parts United Late Models of Ontario Tour will make their lone stop of 2020 at the 1/3 mile oval as part of their as part of their five event schedule is set to take place on September 12, with the London Recreational Racing 100.

The series announced a couple days later they will be joined by the Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Scott Reinhart Trailer Sales Ltd., Touchwood Cabinets, and The Fyre Place & Patio Shop, Living Lighting OSCAAR Pro Sprints, and the Super Stocks.

With the current government restrictions, no spectators are allowed to be in attendance for the event. However, the APC Series has partnered with GForceTV to broadcast the event. Fans are encouraged to log on for the service free on their website at http://www.GForce.net to take in the action, as well as other racing.

The OSCAAR Modifieds visited the 1/3 mile on a couple different occasions this past season, with close battles for positions each time, including some events coming down to the final laps. Eventual series champion A.J. Emms scored a pair of wins, while it was Andy Kamrath taking home the race victory in October.

The Modifieds have made 17 trips to the Millgrove, Ontario oval, with John Harper leading the series with four victories. While nine different drivers have hoisted the trophy, only three have won on multiple occasions, with Gary McLean and Emms joining Harper.

The OSCAAR Pro Sprints made three trips to Flamboro Speedway last season, and proved to put on thrilling shows, battling three-wide at times for positions. Ultimately, Daniel Hawn was the man on top through the year, sweeping all three shows. Its not surprising, as he has won eight out of the previous 15 races ran there. Only one other driver has won more than once there, with Jordan Hanna scoring the win on three occasions.

The Super Stocks have already gotten the chance to tackle Flamboro Speedway this year, putting on a barnburner of a show in June. Ultimately, it was Ken Grubb that was able to hold off Rick Verberne in the closing stages, despite a couple bumps to the rear bumper.

Be sure to keep up with the latest by checking out Flamboro Speedways website at http://www.flamborospeedway.ca. You can also keep up via your favorite social networking website by following the speedway on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FlamboroSpdwy and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/flamborospeedway. Fans are encouraged to like the speedways Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Flamboro-Speedway-Authorized-Page-102328664646735/.

By: Ashley McCubbin
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spoke to Sweta Goswami and Binayak Dasgupta about combating the Covid-19 crisis, the rise and fall in the Delhi virus curve, the strategies that worked, the pitfalls that may still lie ahead, and the road to unlocking all of the city, along with other issues. Edited excerpts:

Also read | Pulse oximeters, plasma bank to ramped-up testing: How Delhi fights back Covid-19

One month ago, when daily cases were hitting a new record every day, and frantic efforts by the administration did not seem to be working, did you think we would at the point we have reached now  when there is a sustained fall in new infections?

The situation was under control till the last week of May  the time till when the lockdown was in place. When the lockdown opened, our preparedness was there, but the number of Covid-19 cases began increasing at a faster rate. In the first week of June, we did an assessment based on the formula provided by the Central government. It was projected that Delhi would have 550,000 cases by July 31, and 80,000 beds would be required. At that time, we decided to put these projections upfront before the public, and stress that all of us need to work together.

We realised that this virus cannot be fought alone. It needs huge financial, medical and human resources. We studied the entire cycle of a Covid-19 patient to identify problems. Testing was found to be a major problem. People wanted to get tested but werent able to. So, we demanded more testing from the Centre. They accepted our request, and introduced rapid antigen detection tests in Delhi, before starting it in any other states. With that, all of a sudden, our testing went up from 6,000 to 20,000-22,000 every day. The problem of testing was over.

The second problem we found was that anyone who was testing positive would invariably come to a hospital. There was a lot of panic. We realised if everyone turns up in the hospital, no amount of beds would suffice. So we started focusing on home isolation. We started advertising stories of people who recovered under home isolation, and we hired a private company which used to talk to these patients through tele-counselling. People started feeling very comfortable with home isolation in Delhi.

There was also an ambulance shortage in Delhi. We were at a stage where at one point as much as 25-30% of the calls received for an ambulance were being rejected. We increased the number of ambulances manifold because of which, today, no calls are being rejected. We also had some horror stories of patients dying waiting in an ambulance outside the hospital. Why? Because the hospitals did not used to admit a patient until the formalities were completed. We then made it mandatory for all hospitals to create a holding area, where a patient is directly given oxygen and other facilities while the all paperwork is being done.

Another challenge was beds. When coronavirus was at its peak and things were not as good as it is now in Delhi, even then we used to have 1,000-1,500 beds vacant in our government hospitals. But, people did not know about the availability of beds. Then we made the Corona App. We also saw that people were choosing private hospitals over our government ones. In the first week of June, there were only 700 beds in Delhis private hospitals, of which almost 650 were occupied. We decided to reserve 40% beds in all private hospitals for Covid-19 patients. With this, we created 5,000 new beds within 24 hours. We reached out to hotels as well and attached them with hospitals which then took the total beds further to 7,000.

The other thing was the convalescent plasma therapy, which helped saved lives.

With all these efforts, now we are seeing the curve of daily infections, deaths and positivity rate bending downwards. The positivity rate is down, and the recovery rate is getting better by the day.

But this virus is unpredictable. We do not know how it will spread a month later. So, I am saying again that we should not be complacent. Till there is a vaccine, rules such as wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing and hygiene must be strictly followed by the public.

Looking at what is happening in Delhi, and taking cues from what we have seen in other countries, can we say that Delhi has crossed the peak  or at least its first peak?

Yes, in a sense we can say that we have overcome the difficult situation that we saw in the month of June. But, we must be prepared if this reoccurs. In 1918, the Spanish Flu had seen three peaks and the second peak was much worse than the first one.

Hotels are coming to us with the request of relieving their rooms and beds from Covid duty because the majority of them are lying unused. Same pressure is coming from some private hospitals too. Today, only around 3,700 beds are occupied of the 16,000 Covid-19 beds in Delhi. But we would like to keep things as it is for a few more days before we take any call.

If we take Wuhans example from not far back, after beating back infections, it carried out near complete testing of its entire population of 11 million people. Can such an exercise be feasible and can we expect it at some time?

That kind of lull actually has not yet come in Delhi yet. In Wuhan, the count of daily fresh cases reached zero. In Delhis case, a downward trend has just begun. There are several best practices from around the world. But we still have to wait a bit till the daily count of fresh cases to come down further. We are happy now because, on June 23, the daily new cases had hit the 4,000-mark. But what we have now  about 1,600 -- is not a small number. It needs to go down further.

So, if we were to ask you to define the Delhi Model to fight Covid  what is it?

The five things I said at the start  testing, home isolation, transparent data, hospital beds and plasma therapy  are the key elements.

But we used three principles help us achieve this.

One is teamwork. No one can individually end or handle corona. It is only possible keeping all the egos and race for credit aside. In this various governments, civil societies, religious institutes, everyone has to get involved.

Our second principle is acknowledging constructive criticism and working on fixing the problems highlighted by others. Lok Nayak hospital was shown in very bad light at the start, and rightly so. We understood the problems and fixed all the problems that were highlighted by the people, including the media.

The third principle is that no matter how bad the situation gets, you as a government cannot give up. Recently, a health minister from a state said: Only now God can save us. (Laughs) I can understand the anxiety and helplessness of that minister. But as a government, you cannot give up  because if you give up, then you cannot imagine the number of deaths that will lead you to.

From the five points we were talking about, home isolation is a key part of Delhis Covid management strategy. Even now, some states in the country are making a big mistake by not allowing home isolation. These states are picking anyone who tests Covid positive, even if they are asymptomatic or mild cases, and putting them in quarantine centres. The condition of these centres is pathetic. People do not want to go to quarantine centres, and fear testing as a result. And if you start putting everyone under institutional quarantine, then your Covid health infrastructure will collapse.

Though the Central government was dead against home isolation at one point of time  they passed orders cancelling the system  I am very happy that due to public pressure they saw the importance of the system and put back the old system.

Also read: A positive Covid statistic makes Kejriwal shoot a congratulatory tweet

You mention that Centre was opposed to your home quarantine rules. Are you saying that if that order had not been reversed, Delhi would not have seen the improvement were seeing now?

That was the most critical point in Delhis Covid-19 crisis. If that order was not reversed, and if home isolation was actually cancelled, Delhis Covid situation would be extremely bad.

That order by the LG (lieutenant-governor) also included that all positive people would have to line up at Covid Care Centres for medical screening. The treatment to serious patients would have been undermined if they were standing in queues instead of being in hospitals. The order also cancelled the contract of the private company which used to make follow-up calls to all patients recovering under home isolation through tele-counselling.

But, we decided that we will not fight about this. We explained our stand to everyone in the central government in several rounds of meetings, and they ultimately agreed.

So home isolation is the one crucial ingredient?

Testing and isolation are both very important. Many state governments are currently not testing enough. My suggestion to them is to scale up testing in a big way. Let the problem come on the table. Let everyone know the number of cases. If you do not test enough, you wont know the real picture in your fight against coronavirus. Open centres in every nook and corner of your state; in schools. Antigen testing kits are very easily available now  so test people and isolate them in their homes.

These two things, I feel, the Central government can do across the country on its own.

Union home minister Amit Shah said in an interview in June that Covid deaths in Delhi were high because home isolations protocols were not being followed properly.

The assessment was wrong. Their data was showing that in the first 48 hours nearly 45%-50% Covid deaths happen. But, they did not know that these deaths were hospital death cases and not formal home isolation cases.

In fact, our latest home isolation data shows that from July 1 to July 15, only six Covid-19 deaths have happened. That is not even one death per day. Deaths in home isolation further reduced after we started giving pulse oximeters to all patients  since monitoring oxygen is the key.

Also read | I will be worried if: Kejriwals status check of Delhis Covid-19 cases

The number of deaths in June hit up to 101 deaths on a single day. This has now come down to 30-40 every day. Apart from plasma therapy, how did the government manage to control the fatality rate?

In the beginning of June, Delhi saw a huge number of suspect cases. We reduced these by augmenting our beds and ambulance fleet and making their availability transparent.

We are currently conducting a study to identify how Covid deaths are happening  in a hospital, Covid deaths can happen either in the ward or the ICU. If a death has happened in a ward, it means there was negligence on the part of the hospital staff. It means that the patient turned serious and was not transferred to an ICU on time. This means the monitoring was not right. If a patient died in an ICU, it can be considered as a natural one. This will help us control the situation further.

Aside of the run-ins, how has the Centre helped you in this pandemic?

When the virus started, no one had anything. We asked them for testing kits and PPE kits; they immediately sent it to us. In June, they started antigen testing. We demanded oxygen cylinders, they sent us 500 cylinders immediately. So whenever we asked them for help, they have come forward.

It was more in terms of resources than strategy?

They also made available to us the services of people such as Dr Vinod Paul, Dr Randeep Guleria and Dr Balram Bhargava. We had a series of meetings with them. So expertise was also made available to us.

What about the mega Covid Care Centres that have been built?

It is good that it was built. But after allowing home isolation, there was not much relevance left of these centres because the care centres are for mild patients, who are mostly being treated at home. Delhis Covid strategy has been hospitals and home isolation.

There institutional quarantine facilities are mostly for those who are residing in slum clusters or JJ colonies -- who do not have a separate room or toilet. But, there are only around 1,500 Covid-19 patients who fall under that category at the moment.

There was a time when you considered reserving hospitals only for the people of Delhi. It led to a controversy. Looking back, do you regret the decision to curtail hospital access for outsiders?

At that time, our concern was related to Delhi based on the projection that there would be 550,000 cases by July 31. Delhi has always welcomed everyone. We felt that, for at least two months, such a restriction was required. But we accepted whatever the decision the Centre took. Now, we are in a better position. We have heard that some people are coming from other states to get treated in Delhi. Now, we are in position to handle that.

There is one state which has allocated its hospitals based on districts. So patients of one district cannot go to the hospital of another district. These are all part of Covid management strategies.

So, youre in a position to offer your hospital services to other states now?

You dont need to offer. If facilities are there, they will come on their own  as they have been coming all this while.

Do you think Delhi is now in position to start thinking in terms of a genuine unlock of the city?

A lot of things have already been unlocked. Whatever unlocking the Centre has allowed, we have opened. Beyond that, we are legally not allowed to unlock on our own. The Centre has more experts at their command; they take decisions after consulting with them and states follow.

But at the right time, what is the first thing that you feel needs to be unlocked?

Delhi Metro. It is the citys lifeline. So, running the Delhi Metro is very important. But, the decision lies with the Central government.

There are now more than 650 containment zones in Delhi, and there are problems being reported from areas that have been locked down for weeks. What is happening on that front?

There is a problem with the Centres rule on containment zones. It says that if there is no new Covid case for 28 days straight, then that area can be de-contained. But if even a single new Covid case emerges in a containment zone, then it will remain under lockdown for 28 more days. As a result there are some containment zones which are under lockdown for 3-4 months. People are very distressed in these zones because they are completely locked down in their houses.

We have spoken to the Central government, to the Union health and family welfare ministry and have requested them to fix an outer time limit as well.

What about the serological survey? Are you eager what its results will throw up?

The NCDC has asked for one more week from the high court to submit its preliminary report. I am anxiously awaiting the results of the survey  the findings will indicate to what extent the virus has spread. And, most importantly, whether Delhi is inching towards herd immunity.

Antigen testing seems to have been accurate in terms of its specificity rate. But only around 0.5% of over 262,000 people in these tests were followed up with an RT-PCR test. Do you think more people should be double checked?

We do not have the capacity to double check those many people with an RT-PCR test. If you see todays data  14,000 were antigen tests and 7,000 were RT-PCR tests. We are already using our RT-PCR testing infrastructure to its full capacity. It is not only in terms of kits and machines, capacity is also a question of manpower. Even antigen tests are being conducted to their full capacity.

As cases reduce, will you consider locking Delhis borders, just as other NCR cities locked their borders to Delhi?

Some states had restricted the entry of people coming from Delhi. Those states which had stopped people of Delhi from coming; their cases have now increased despite that restriction, and ours have gone down.

So, such restrictions do not work I feel. We have to improve our Covid management instead of doing all this. No matter what the situation, we will not lock our Delhi borders for others.

The economy has taken a big hit because of the virus. What do we need to re-start to get it back on the recovery path? Do migrant workers need to be brought back safely?

All kinds of activities have to start again. Construction activities need to re-start.

I feel that the tussle that is going on with China; this can actually be used as an opportunity for us. We are importing things as small as toys from China. I feel the Central government should prepare a list of such small items, and start producing them indigenously. If entrepreneurs and industrialists are called upon and given all facilities and technologies, such items can be produced at a war mode to cater to Indias domestic demand. This will create jobs, production and the GDP will increase and the dependence on China will also end.

Your view is that India should take a hard stand on China?

Yes, we need our land back.

While cases are down in Delhi, they are rising in the rest of the country. What are your views on the Indias Covid trajectory?

I am not the right person to predict that, only experts can. But, we must learn from each other. We can take lessons from New York, Sweden, Spain, etc. We can take lessons from other states. Delhi and Mumbai are a bit ahead in the trajectory from the rest of the country. So other states can learn from the experiences of Delhi and Mumbai.

All of us should help each other at this stage. I am not just saying Centre and states, but state governments should also help each other.

We are now seeing many states are doing weekend lockdowns. Would you suggest to other states that they should be more relaxed and focus on other areas?

I am happy that we did not need to do a lockdown. Even when the cases were rising, we did not impose a lockdown. Overall, my own assessment is that a lockdown can only temporarily delay the spread of the virus. It does not end it. You can use a lockdown to ramp up your existing facilities, get prepared and then open up. I do not think lockdowns can put an end to Corona it can only delay it.

What has been the key learning for you in the pandemic  not just about fighting the pandemic but as a chief minister faced with such a big crisis?

An interesting thing we are seeing now is that volunteers and party workers of all political parties who, used to fight a lot before the pandemic are now working together. We have seen if a BJP worker is bringing a Covid patient, then an AAP worker or a Congress worker is helping the person to get admitted.

If this spirit and feeling of oneness is nurtured and kept alive throughout, then the skys the limit for our country.

But a different political story seems to be playing out in Rajasthan

What we are seeing in Rajasthan now is very sad. It is particularly sad at this hour when China is knocking on our doors and the whole country is battling a pandemic  the two biggest national parties of India are fighting with each other so bitterly. If they fight with each other, who will fight against China, who will fight against Corona, who will protect the country?

Once Covid is over, what innovations are you planning based on your learnings from it  particularly in school education where classes have gone online?

There are several things which Corona has given us that now going to be permanent. The mass use of video conference call is going to stay for sure. It saves a lot of time, money and other resources. Physical meeting also has its own benefits, but this aspect will stay.

In terms of schools and colleges, however, it cannot be a permanent solution. I feel the online system can only be a supportive system. At some point of time, students will have to play in the grounds and sit in classrooms. There cannot be any substitute to that.

The pandemic struck just after the Delhi elections. You had then released a 10-point guarantee card. What happens to that?

We will fulfil all of them, there are five years more to go.

Last question. Success has many fathers, who is the father of Delhis Covid success at this time?

I will just say this: Credit sara unka, zimmedari saari meri. (Credit all Centres, responsibility all Delhi governments).
1. COVID 19: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan & Daughter Aradhya Admitted To Nanavati Hospital

Agencies

Four days after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with her daughter Aradhya Bachchan has been admitted to Mumbai's Nanavati hospital.



2. Shekhar Suman Urges Anil Deshmukh To Reconsider His Decision On CBI Probe For Sushant

Agencies

For those who might be wondering why citizens continue to demand a CBI inquiry for the beloved late actor, Sushant Singh Rajput, it's because they are convinced there is more at play that compelled Sushant to take his own life than what is being reflected. Actor Shekhar Suman is one of them.



3. Kangana Ranaut Will Return Padma Shri If She Can't Prove Claims About Sushant's Death

Agencies

This time, Ranaut claims that she will return her coveted Padma Shri award if she is unable to prove the claims she made as to why actor Sushant Singh Rajput was compelled to take his life.



4. 9 Bollywood Movies Where The Heroine Should Have Chosen The Other Boy

Netflix

Well, here's taking a look at 9 such movies where the girl definitely deserved the other guy. Completely my opinion but I am sure most of you will agree. Check it out.



5. Ankita Lokhande Approaches Ekta Kapoor For Pavitra Rishta Sequel As A Tribute To Sushant

Agencies

According to a Mumbai Mirror report, Ankita Lokhande has approached Ekta Kapoor to bring back the super hit show Pavitra Rishta in which she and Sushant Singh Rajput starred together, as a sequel or a re-run.
Details added (first version posted on 19:41)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17

Trend:

The special quarantine regime was extended in Azerbaijan until August 31 in accordance with the results of analysis of the sanitary-epidemiological situation in connection with the spread of COVID-19, the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend on July 17.

The strict quarantine regime will not be applied in Azerbaijans Lankaran city and Samukh district from July 20, 2020 given the dynamics of human infection with COVID-19.

The strict quarantine regime will continue in accordance with the current sanitary and epidemiological situation until 06:00 (GMT+4) August 5, 2020, in Baku, Jalilabad, Ganja, Masalli, Mingachevir, Sumgayit and Yevlakh cities, and Absheron, Barda, Goranboy, Goygol, Khachmaz, Siyazan and Sheki districts.

Public transport will not operate in the following periods in cities and districts in which the toughened quarantine regime is applied:

from 00:00 July 25 through 06:00 July 27;

from 00:00 August 1 through 06:00 August 3.

The activity of hairdressers and beauty salons as well as rendering of cosmetic services, except for massage parlors and baths, are allowed from July 20 in the cities in which the tightened quarantine regime has been introduced.

At the same time, the period of permission to leave the place of residence or location is extended from two to three hours.

Proceeding from the current sanitary and epidemiological situation, the Operational Headquarters urges everyone to observe the personal hygiene rules, medical and preventive norms, and safety precautions to maximally protect themselves and their families from coronavirus.
OSCE MG Co-Chairs' will visit the region after the resumption of air communication, foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan told a briefing.

She noted the importance of resuming OSCE monitoring and expressed the hope that it will resume as soon as the COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted.

According to her, it is very important for Armenia to expand the mission of the personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office.

"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs also spoke about this," she noted.
Commercial property prices look set to plunge as white-collar workers shun the office, the Treasury watchdog has warned.

After employees across the country were sent to work from home in the coronavirus lockdown, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is predicting that the value of offices and other commercial buildings will fall by nearly 14 per cent this year.

The pandemic has also accelerated the decline on the High Street  hitting the value of shops  as families flock online at the expense of brick and mortar outlets.

Empty spaces: The Office for Budget Responsibility is predicting that the value of offices and other commercial buildings will fall by nearly 14 per cent this year

If the OBR's dire prediction comes to pass, it could wipe 230billion off the value of commercial property such as offices and shops across Britain.

The British Property Federation estimates the sector as a whole was worth about 1.66trillion in 2019.

The OBR said the pandemic had accelerated a shift towards working from home as well as the boom in online shopping, which would result in 'lower expected demand for retail and office space' and tumbling prices.

It is predicting prices will fall by 13.8 per cent in the 2020-21 financial year. They are then expected to slowly recover, rising by 0.9 per cent in 2021-22, 2.6 per cent in 2022-23, 1.5 per cent in 2023-24 and 2 per cent in 2024-25.

Transactions in 2020-21 are also expected to plummet by 23.7 per cent  delivering a hit to property agents that rely on commission as well as the taxman.

The rout has prompted credit ratings agency Moody's to warn that the pandemic trends are 'credit negative' for commercial landlords such as Land Securities and British Land.

Ramzi Kattan, an expert and vice president at Moody's, said one bright spot in the sector was logistics and warehouses, which have been boosted by the internet shopping boom.

But he warned the virus crisis had 'turbocharged' pressure on traditional retailers and sent shockwaves through office-based businesses.

Several firms have announced plans to allow staff to work from home more often, including Barclays, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, Vodafone, Twitter, Facebook and Unilever

He said it was possible some businesses would seek more office space in order to comply with social distancing rules but the trend towards working from home would 'outweigh' this.

Kattan said: 'We have had the biggest work-from-home experiment ever during the pandemic and it has gone surprisingly well for most businesses.

So we think many companies will now be re-examining their requirements for space and, over time, that is going to hurt demand  especially in large cities.

'Because of Covid there is also going to be a worse economic environment and that is also going to reduce demand for offices.

'Retail is going to bear the brunt and offices will be hit too over the longer term.'

Retailers that have shed jobs and shops during the pandemic include Boots and John Lewis, while Land Securities warned in May that its offices were just 10 per cent full.

But at the same time, several firms have announced plans to allow staff to work from home more often, including Barclays, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, Vodafone, Twitter, Facebook and Unilever.

There is concern about workers shunning offices because of the knock-on economic impact it has, hitting businesses such as sandwich shops that rely on custom from commuters and local office staff.

Ex-Conservative Party leader and former cabinet minister Iain Duncan-Smith said: 'If we don't get this economy opening, if people aren't returning to work back to their offices, buying meals, getting coffee at the station  all that sort of stuff  then this economy is going to tank, and with it will come mass unemployment.'
With over 1.2 million people affected in Germany alone and over 50 million people worldwide, Alzheimer's disease, also referred to simply as Alzheimer's, is one of the greatest medical and social challenges of our time. Due to pathological changes in the brain, patients become increasingly forgetful and disoriented as the disease progresses. In the worst cases, even close relatives are no longer recognized and simple household tasks can no longer be carried out independently. This means care is needed for those affected. Despite intensive research, Alzheimer's disease is still considered incurable today. Researchers at the University of Gottingen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology Leipzig-Halle have described a promising approach to treating Alzheimer's disease. The results have been published in the journal Biochemistry.

For the study, Professor Kai Tittmann from the Gottingen Centre for Molecular Biosciences worked together with researchers from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Gottingen and the team led by Professor Hans-Ulrich Demuth from Fraunhofer IZI in Halle. Several years ago, the team from Halle discovered that a specific enzyme that is part of the human brain's hormone metabolism plays a critical pathophysiological role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, in addition to its actual biological function of hormone maturation. The first inhibitors of this enzyme, which inhibit specific pathological processes, have already produced promising results.

In order to give these active ingredients a chemical "tailor-made suit", the research team investigated the enzyme's reaction mechanism using protein crystallography. "This enabled us to obtain 'snapshots' of the working enzyme for the first time," says senior author Tittmann. This made it possible to build novel inhibitors where the principle of the design is based on the natural reaction. These inhibitors therefore lead to highly selective binding without the risk of dangerous side effects. The scientists also succeeded in determining an atomic structure of the human enzyme with the new substance. This forms an important basis for further development of the inhibitors

We are confident that our results will lead to the development of a new, highly selective generation of Alzheimer's drugs." Professor Hans-Ulrich Demuth from Fraunhofer IZI in Halle

The research project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and the Alzheimer Forschung Initiative e.V.
$4,370 reason to travel to this country. Source: Getty

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced most countries across the world to shut their borders to travellers, and any countries still open to visitors might be hard-pressed to find people willing to actually travel.

But Uzbekistan wants tourists to know its extremely safe to visit: in fact, its willing to bet $4,370 on it.

The government is so confident that the new safety and hygiene measures being implemented across the tourism sector will protect tourists from COVID-19, that the President is prepared to put money where his mouth is: if you get COVID-19 on holiday in Uzbekistan, we will compensate you, said Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistans tourism ambassador to the UK.

The countrys Safe Travel Guaranteed campaign is offering travellers US$3,000 (AU$4,370) if they become infected with Covid-19 whilst travelling there.

For travellers to get the money however, the tour operator they travel with must only use the hotels, restaurants and other tourist establishments that have certification to show theyre up to health and safety standards.

$4,370 reason to travel to this country. Source: Getty

$4,370 reason to travel to this country. Source: Getty

Uzbekistan is currently accepting visitors from China, Israel, Japan and South Korea, but arrivals from Europe and the UK must spend 14 days in self-isolation upon entering the country.

Currently, Australia is in a complete travel ban, with official advice from the Department of Home Affairs to not leave Australia unless you seek a government exemption.

$4,370 reason to travel to this country. Source: Getty

And Uzbekistan isnt the only country offering compensation: Cyprus will cover the costs of travellers holidays entirely should they become infected with the virus while in the country.

The only bills visitors who catch the virus will need to pay would be repatriation flights and taxis to airports.

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Home Two wheelers Honda Forza 350 Premium Maxi-Scooter Unveiled: Could It Make Its Way To India? oi-Promeet Ghosh

Honda has launched the Forza 350 in Thailand. The pricing for the all-new Honda Forza 350 starts at THB 1,73,500 (Rs 4.16 lakh) for the low-end Standard variant and it goes all the way up to THB 1,82,900 (Rs 4.35 lakh) for the top-end Touring model.

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Amala's wedding day was horrible. As her family gathered around her to help the beautiful 20-year-old bride get ready, she was sobbing.

"They were dressing me up but I was crying the entire time. It was traumatising," she said.

Amala, not her real name, is now 21. Last year she was taken to Bangladesh for a forced marriage. She is only able to talk about the ordeal now because she survived a dramatic escape.

In the first known Irish case of its kind, Amala managed to free herself from her 'husband' and flee halfway across the world with the help of her Irish boyfriend and both the Irish and British governments. Documents seen by the Irish Independent reveal how both governments worked together to stage an elaborate ruse to help Amala escape.

Amala endured a two-month ordeal at the hands of her 'husband' in Bangladesh, including sexual and emotional abuse. In an exclusive interview with the Irish Independent, she is calling for better awareness of the tradition of forced marriage among South Asian families and improved State support for survivors.

In late 2018, Amala was 20 and leading a normal life. She went with her family to Bangladesh, where her parents are from, for a number of weeks. They started talking about an arranged marriage. Amala was totally against the idea. She had a brother with her at the time of the trip. Amala believes she was able to return home without being married because her brother had objected.

"In South Asian families, they give boys a lot of value. Because he was with me, I ended up not getting married," she explained. Once she returned home, relations with her family were a little strained but manageable.

A few months later, Amala arrived home after meeting her boyfriend and was told that her grandmother in Bangladesh was very sick, and she had to go visit her immediately. The plan was for Amala to go to Bangladesh for a week, and then come home to Ireland. "But that never happened," she added.

Once she arrived in Bangladesh, things were very weird. First of all, her grandmother seemed fine. Her family were whispering a lot, and eventually Amala realised they were talking about marriage again. But she wasn't worried, she decided she'd just tell them no again and they'd leave her alone. "I thought, 'It's not going to get that bad, I'll get to go home'," she said. But then her wifi, her devices and her passport were taken away.

The tone and the intensity of the pressure to get married changed dramatically. She had no siblings with her this time, and felt very alone. She was isolated from younger family members, put in a room on her own for hours and told by her family that she was "too westernised". She was told how the family had heard that she had boyfriends in Ireland, and how she would never be allowed to go home until she got married.

"I was just bawling my eyes out. I remember when I finally agreed, in my head I was like 'OK I just need to agree to this, get married, go home.' And that was just not the case," she said.

During this time, she was trying to find ways to communicate with her boyfriend to tell him what was happening.

"It was very rare that I would manage to get wifi but when I did I would send him texts as fast as I could to give him quick updates. And when that wasn't possible, I would give my cousin letters that he could take pictures of and send to him. That was the only way I could find," she said.

I just wanted this to be over with, so I just said yes to the first guy

A week after "agreeing" to get married she was brought to see this man, a complete stranger. Amala remembers asking: "What if I don't like him?" She was told: "Well, you'll have to like him." It was made very clear to her that if she objected to the first 'husband', there would be many others. And she would have to meet all of them until she agreed to one.

"And I just wanted this to be over with, so I just said yes to the first guy," she said.

"During the wedding, it was horrible. I remember everyone came to see me, you know, before the wedding? They always come to see the bride and what she's wearing. It was horrible. And then, yeah, I got married."

Amala couldn't even speak the same language as the man. She hated spending time with him and would just sit there silently, saying nothing.

"The way my family made me spend time with him was literally by isolating me with him all the time. They saw that I didn't want to talk to him, so their solution was to stick me in a room with him," she said.

After she was married, she was put under pressure to have sex with her 'husband'.

But the man complained to Amala's family that she was refusing to have sex, who then put pressure on her.

"I was crying all the time, I didn't want to touch him or do anything. It would be very bad at night. He would just be forceful," Amala said.

"It was horrifying. I remember having almost an out-of-body experience. I wasn't even sobbing or anything, there were just tears as I lay there. I felt totally numb. This happened a lot, very frequently. Every day." Amala was also put under pressure to get pregnant. One day, her family sent her away to a hotel with her 'husband'. She was suspicious, and had a bad feeling her family were about to leave her.

I thought: 'This is it. I'm going to be here forever with this guy who is abusing me every single day.'

"Even though they were the ones that put me in that situation, they were all I had at the same time. It was so toxic," she said.

The next morning, she kept calling where her parents had been staying but there was no answer.

"I remember I was just screaming in the hotel, and I thought: 'This is it. I'm going to be here forever with this guy who is abusing me every single day.' I remember being pretty suicidal at that time."

Amala was eventually able to tell her boyfriend back home everything that had happened. He was devastated.

"It was hard being in that position, I felt there was nothing I could do. I could only just imagine what she was going through," the boyfriend said.

Amala's "husband" had found out about her boyfriend, and started sending him messages and pictures on social media. The 'husband' used to force Amala to send messages as well.

"He used to make me take pictures with him, he used to make me smile. And he sent them to my boyfriend as well. He made me send voice notes to my boyfriend. He made me say things like, 'I'm married now, and I'm happy,' and 'I want to have children and do my duties as a wife.' Obviously, my boyfriend knew it was completely out of character," Amala said.

I didn't feel guilt, I was just disgusted

Her boyfriend could hear in Amala's voice that she was emotional, and was likely being forced to send the messages. Her 'husband' would also use emotional abuse to try to control her.

"He started threatening to hurt himself, and he did. I don't know what kind of abuse this was. He'd cut himself in front of me, and burn out cigarettes. I was horrified. I didn't feel guilt, I was just disgusted. It was scary, it didn't make me feel anything for him," she said.

This entire time, Amala's boyfriend was trying to find a way to help her escape. They would try to communicate whenever she could get access to the internet, which was not often. Because of the time difference, her messages would often come through to her boyfriend when he was asleep. He started setting alarms every half hour throughout the night, determined not to sleep through any of her messages.

Amala's boyfriend and a mutual friend were distraught and extremely worried about her. They started doing whatever internet research they could, and the friend discovered the UK government's Forced Marriage Unit.

When they first contacted the unit looking for help, they were told the request would have to come from Amala herself. This was frustrating, as the forced marriage had restricted her freedom and use of the internet so it was almost impossible for her to do so.

Her boyfriend was able to use geolocation on Amala's Twitter page to prove where she was, and also provided social media evidence of her 'husband's' identity. But it wasn't enough. Eventually, he was able to log into Amala's email, and write to the Forced Marriage Unit on her behalf. Ireland does not have its own Forced Marriage Unit, so the UK government contacted the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to alert them to Amala's situation.

The Irish Independent has deliberately omitted details of the tactics used to help free Amala in order to protect other women who might benefit from the same escape plan.

The day of the escape attempt, Amala only had a handbag with her.

"I remember leaving a lot of stuff out of it because I thought I would probably have to come back. I tried to not have too much hope, because I'd be too broken afterwards," she said.

She had no idea if the plan would work, but it did. She suddenly found herself in a large building, owned by the UK government, explaining to a woman working there who she was and what had happened.

"I could see it kind of clicked in her face who I was. That was the first time someone looked at me that way in a long time," she added.

"She gave me a hug and I started crying. It was so emotional. There were just lots of hugs and lots of people there. And they're just giving me a lot of support. And it was just the nicest thing to happen to me after so long."

I didn't know what was going to happen when I got to Ireland

Amala was covered with a jacket and escorted out of the building, before being placed in a bullet-proof car with tinted windows. She was immediately taken to the airport to be put on the next flight back to Ireland. The flight home was the first time Amala had ever been on a plane by herself.

"It was a relief but also, extremely scary. My parents probably didn't know what was happening to me. I didn't know what was going to happen when I got to Ireland," Amala said.

At this point, she still only had a handbag with her. She didn't even have a coat. After being in Bangladesh for two months, the spring chill in Dublin Airport felt freezing.

When she landed, a garda was waiting for her. He escorted her to a women's refuge in Dublin. Amala was starting from zero. She had no job, no money and no home.

She described staff at the women's refuge as "lovely".

"They gave me a little space to myself. It was very hard to settle back in because I didn't have any family support, I didn't have any money, I didn't have any clothes, I didn't have anything. It was very hard at first," she explained.

Eventually, she was put on Housing Assistance Payment to help her to find somewhere to live. She was also on Jobseeker's Allowance, but on a reduced rate of 203 because of her age.

"That was very hard to live on for a while. It was something, and I was grateful for it, but it was hard," she added.

One year later, Amala is now living with her boyfriend and his family and preparing to go back to education later this year. She has been working hard on her relationship with her parents.

"Since then, my relationship with my parents is still a work in progress. I didn't talk to them for a very, very long time. Months. Eventually, when I did, they were hard work at first. I really did have to educate them and make them see what they were doing, which took a lot of time. And it's sad that such a major event had to happen for them to realise how wrong they were," she said.

Since then, her parents have even met her boyfriend, a move she described as a "major turnaround". Amala is conscious that she doesn't want to paint her parents as villains in this story. The "tradition" of forced marriage is a complicated one, which is tied up in historic cultural norms and the huge pressure on young women in South Asian families to maintain honour.

Religion does play a role, but a big part of this is just tradition

"Being a girl and South Asian means you hold all the honour in the family. You're under constant prying eyes. It's essentially why they tried to marry me off, to save their reputation," Amala explained.

"These things happen a lot more because of tradition and culture, rather than religion. Religion does play a role, but a big part of this is just tradition.

"The reason my parents didn't hear me crying about how I didn't want to get married was because their parents never heard them crying about getting married."

It's understood that Amala's story is the first known case of its kind in Ireland. The Department of Foreign Affairs said that forced marriages here are "extremely rare". But Amala's fear is that her case is only known about because she managed to escape. The worry is that there may have been other women sent abroad for forced marriages which nobody ever hears about.

"I feel like there's more brown people in Ireland than there used to be. Obviously, the more brown people there are the more cases like this are going to start coming up," she said.

She believes there needs to be more services and resources to help people escape forced marriage and potentially start their lives over again once they have.

"These things happen, but people aren't aware of it. We don't hear about it. It's very taboo. There's no awareness," Amala said. "Because people don't know that there's help, they might not ask for help."




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Two Manitoba Hutterite colonies are in voluntary lockdown, after five new COVID-19 cases were announced Friday.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two Manitoba Hutterite colonies are in voluntary lockdown, after five new COVID-19 cases were announced Friday.

Public Health officials said the cases  bringing the total number of Hutterites in the province to contract COVID-19 to seven in recent days  are a man and woman in their 60s, a man and woman in their 30s, and a woman in her 20s.

The new cases are all from a single colony in the Interlake-Eastman Health Region, officials said Friday.

The province says an investigation is continuing into the outbreak, and "any additional information will be provided as needed once investigations are complete to inform people of any public health risks."

Mark Waldner, a spokesman for the Hutterian Safety Council, confirmed there are coronavirus cases on two colonies and they have gone into voluntary lockdown as a precaution. The safety council was formed to guide Hutterites through health matters.

JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Two Manitoba Hutterite colonies are in voluntary lockdown, after five new COVID-19 cases were announced Friday.

"As per Public Health protocol, individual Hutterite communities are not identified by name, although Public Health went as far today as to say that the cases are on a Hutterite colony. I can verify that currently two Hutterite communities are impacted and there are no hospitalizations," Waldner said Friday.

The jump in Manitoba cases at colonies comes at the same time as a spike in cases at Saskatchewan Hutterite colonies in recent days.

Saskatchewan health officials announced the "vast majority" of the 42 new cases announced Thursday were at colonies and neighbouring communities in southwest and west-central parts of the Prairie province. They have said they have found no linkage to the COVID-19 cases and a funeral for three teenage Hutterite girls who drowned last month in Alberta.

"There is no benefit to blaming or shaming people who test positive. We are called to care for and support each other."  Arnold Hofer, Bishop of the Schmiedeleut (Group 1) Hutterites

As well, Waldner said while a Manitoba Hutterite confirmed earlier this week with COVID-19 was in Alberta, he did not contract the virus at the funeral. Instead, Waldner said the man contracted it while helping during the week-long search for one of the missing teens who drowned.

"Apparently, the individual was in the area on a business trip when the drownings occurred in Alberta around the middle of June," Waldner said Friday.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "The individual was involved with the HEART (Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team) assisting in looking for the body of one of the three girls. He did not attend the funeral; his involvement was confined to assistance on the shore of the river," says Mark Waldner, a spokesman for the Hutterian Safety Council.

"The individual was involved with the HEART (Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team) assisting in looking for the body of one of the three girls. He did not attend the funeral; his involvement was confined to assistance on the shore of the river."

However, because of the positive diagnosis, the council said the colony the man resides at went into self-isolation, along with another Manitoba colony where a woman in her 20s has also tested positive.

"(Hutterian Safety Council) has been encouraged by the quick and strict implementation of protocols to prevent spread as soon as word of cases was received from Health Links," the council said in a statement issued Thursday night.

"Communities immediately went into self-isolation and even members who only had third-party contact received testing... It is expected that more cases will develop in the coming days, and the Hutterian Safety Council will continue monitoring the situation in Hutterite communities and maintain close contact with Manitoba Health."

The safety council's position is to not name the colonies.

"HSC, along with Manitoba Health... wants to avoid reporting numbers and naming communities since this is a COVID issue, not a colony issue," Waldner said.

"We feel that cultural profiling is not helpful and as such oppose naming specific communities. We are in contact with Manitoba Health, and we rely on their processes for informing the public about numbers and statistics."

The Free Press confirmed earlier this week the man who had travelled to Alberta is a resident of the Springfield Hutterite Colony east of Winnipeg. A spokesman there said the man has been in isolation with his family since the positive test result. They have all now tested negative, but have been told to isolate for another week.

The woman, identified as a member of the Clearview Hutterite Colony west of Winnipeg, is also under isolation. A spokesman at Clearview said the woman contracted the virus after a visit from members of the Springfield colony.

"Communal lifestyle has certain vulnerabilities in regard to viral spread," the safety council said in a statement.

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"It has always been the expectation that as Manitoba began reopening, cases of COVID-19 would appear in Hutterite communities. Many communities diligently protected their most vulnerable citizens, and this continues."

JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Free Press confirmed earlier this week the man who had travelled to Alberta is a resident of the Springfield Hutterite Colony east of Winnipeg. A spokesman there said the man has been in isolation with his family since the positive test result.

In a statement to Manitoba Hutterite communities, Arnold Hofer, Bishop of the Schmiedeleut (Group 1) Hutterites and a minister from Acadia colony near Carberry, asked all members to co-operate with Manitoba Public Health and urged community leaders to "encourage members to get tested if they feel ill with COVID-like symptoms.

Hofer also said communities with COVID-19 cases should restrict travel to only what is essential, and should isolate both people and communities as needed.

"There is no benefit to blaming or shaming people who test positive," he said. "We are called to care for and support each other."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Founding father Thomas Jefferson considered knowledge the key to democracy, noting in a 1789 letter that "wherever the people are well informed they can be trusted with their own government." With that in mind, it's important for voters to understand what is on the upcoming ballot for the Aug.
The Madras High Court on Friday allowed unaided private educational institutions in Tamil Nadu to collect in two instalments 75 percent of the tuition fees paid in the previous academic year, for 2020-21.

While 40 percent of the tution fee can be collected as advance on or before August 31, the balance can be paid within two months, starting from the date of reopening of the institutions, it said.

The matter relates to a petition from All India Private Educational Institutions Association challenging an April 20 government order restraining all private schools and colleges across the state from demanding fee as fixed by the fee fixation committee by citing the COVID-19 outbreak.

Passing the interim order on a batch of petitions by the private educational institutions, Justice Anand Venkatesh directed them not to compel parents and students to pay the tuition fees due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation.

In his order, the judge said, This Court does not find any visibility of the institutions reopening and conducting physical classes in the near future.

Therefore, this Court finds force in the submissions made by the counsel representing the petitioners that the initial percentage of the payment of tuition fee must be increased. Taking into consideration, the present situation and in order to find an interim solution to clear the logjam and in order to balance the interest of all the stakeholders, unaided private institutions shall collect 40 percent of the tuition fees as advance fees based on the tuition fees collected during the academic year 2019-2020.

This advance fee shall be paid by the students on or before August 31, he said.

In its counter affidavit filed on July 9, the state government had informed the court that it has decided to permit the institutions to collect fees in three instalments during the lockdown period.

When the matter came up on Friday, the judge allowed the institutions to collect 40 percent as initial fees and the balance 35 percent within two months from the date on which the schools and colleges reopen and physical classes commence.

The institutions were permitted to collect the arrears of fees payable for the academic year 2019-2020, which shall be paid on or before September 30.

The court ordered the Fee Fixation Committee, constituted by the government, to start the process of the determining the tuition fees for the respective institutions and make an attempt to complete it in eight months starting from August.

It gave a direction to the teaching and non teaching staff not to insist for any increment in salary and DA, until the restoration of normalcy and further orders.

The state government was asked to consider the request made by the institutions to supply text books and note books to the students either free of cost or at some nominal rates and this may be confined to the students who are in dire straits.
Turkey sent between 3,500 and 3,800 paid Syrian fighters to Libya over the first three months of the year, the U.S. Defense Departments inspector general concluded in a new report, its first to detail Turkish deployments that helped change the course of Libya's ongoing war.

The report comes as the conflict in oil-rich Libya has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country. The U.S. military has grown increasingly concerned about Moscows growing influence in Libya, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries have backed an attempt to capture the capital, Tripoli.

The quarterly report by the Pentagon's internal watchdog, published on Thursday, said Turkey paid and offered citizenship to thousands of mercenaries fighting alongside Tripoli-based forces against east-based commander Khalifa Hifter's troops.

Despite widespread reports of the fighters extremist links , it said the U.S. military found no evidence to suggest the mercenaries were affiliated with the Islamic State group or al-Qaida, and that they instead were very likely motivated by generous financial packages  rather than ideology or politics.

The report covered only the first quarter of the year, until the end of March  two months before a string of Turkish-backed victories by the Tripoli forces ousted Hifters self-styled army from the capitals suburbs, its stronghold Tarhuna and key western airbase.

The reversal of fortunes for Hifter and his foreign backers, including Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, trained the spotlight on Turkeys deepening role in the proxy war.

The report also said the Turkish deployments likely increased ahead of the Tripoli forces' triumphs late May. It cited the U.S. Africa Command as saying that said 300 Turkish-supported Syrian rebels landed in Libya in early April. Turkey also deployed an unknown number of Turkish military troops during the first months of the year, the inspector general added.

To the consternation of regional rivals and NATO allies like France, Turkey is staking its hopes for increased leverage in the eastern Mediterranean on the Tripoli government. Ankara's open military intervention stands in contrast to covert support from foreign backers on the other side of the conflict, such as Russia.

The inspector general had reported in its last quarterly review that Russia brought in hundreds of mercenaries to back Hifters months-long siege of Tripoli. A private Kremlin-linked military company known as the Wagner Group first introduced skilled snipers and armed drones last fall, inflicting significant casualties on Tripoli forces struggling to fend off Hifters assault. The group allows Putin to fight covert wars, hide casualties from the Russian public, and mitigate international repercussions," the report said.

This year, in response to Turkey's new shipments of battle-hardened Syrians, Wagner increased its deployment of foreign fighters, including Syrians, with estimates ranging from 800 to 2,500 mercenaries. Russia and the Syrian government agreed to send 300 to 400 former opposition rebels from the southwest village of Quneitra to Libya in exchange for a $1,000 per month salary and clemency from President Bashar Assad, the report added.

In May, the Pentagon accused Russia of sending a squadron of at least 14 warplanes to a central Libyan airbase, which it alleged were repainted in Syria to hide their Russian origin. Earlier this week, it alleged Russian mercenaries had planted land mines and other booby-trap explosives around Tripoli  which the U.N. reported had so far killed 52 people and wounded 96, including civilians and mine clearance operators.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the U.S. military's accusations, insisting the Russian military is not involved in any processes in Libya in any way.
An armed robber who was chased away by a shop owner wielding a step ladder has been jailed for four years.

Jamie O'Rourke (26) fled the Centra store in Swords and went on to rob a tanning salon of 150 in cash, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

He was caught a short time later after armed gardai tasered him and followed the taser wire to a bush he was hiding in. He was armed with a knife.

O'Rourke, with an address in St Cronan's Way, Swords, later told gardai he had no memory of the incident because he had taken heroin that day.

He pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to rob the Centra store at River Valley, Swords, and one count of robbing the Tanning Salon, Swords on August 26, 2019. He has been in custody since that date.

He has 36 previous convictions, including for robbery and attempted robbery.

Sentencing him last Friday (10th), Judge Patricia Ryan noted O'Rourke has several convictions for robbery. The court heard he was on a suspended sentence at the time of the offences.

She handed down a five-year sentence and suspended the final year on a number of conditions.

Detective Garda Karen Duffy previously told Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting, that gardai were called to the Centra store on the day in question following a report a man armed with a knife had tried to rob the store.

The court heard the man was tapping the till with a knife and demanding money when the shop owner came at him wielding a stepladder as a weapon and chased him out of the shop.

While en route to the Centra store, gardai were alerted to a robbery at the nearby Tanning Salon shop in Swords. O'Rourke had run from Centra to the tanning store and ordered the shop assistant to open the till. He made off with 156 in cash.

Shortly after leaving the salon, he was apprehended by gardai from the Armed Response Unit who were on patrol in the area. After refusing to stop for them, O'Rourke was tasered as he tried to escape.

One wire attached to him and gardai followed the wire into a bush where O'Rourke was trying to hide.

Ronan Prendergast BL, defending, said his client came from an unstable family background and started abusing drugs from a young age.

Judge Ryan backdated the sentence to take into account the time O'Rourke has spent in custody.
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YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, author of the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution Anton Polyakov strongly criticized the statement of the foreign ministry of Ukraine over the border tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. ARMENPRESS reports the MP wrote on his Telegram page that in the last days the confrontation between the two countries has escalated and there is a threat of real war.

There was information that the Azerbaijani army is ready to strike the nuclear power plant of Armenia, which can lead to terrible catastrophe. I hope official Baku will be guided by health mind and will not allow activation of military operations, the MP wrote.

Anton Polyakov calls on the diplomats of the foreign ministry of Ukraine to take a rational position, because the senseless announcements in protection of one of the sides have already caused a serious diplomatic scandal.

I want to remind Mr. Kuleba (Foreign Minister of Ukraine  edit.) that the main responsibility of his ministry is increasing the status of the country on the international arena, and not the contrary. There must be no provocations and mistakes. Ukraine must stay neutral, the MP wrote.

Earlier, another Ukrainian MP Darya Volodina strongly criticized the foreign ministrys position, noting that the one-sided announcement over the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is an indicator of professional incompetence.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
At an urgent meeting of Balearics mayors on Friday, there was unanimous rejection of the agreement between the Spanish government and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) by which town halls would loan the government money from budget surpluses that they have in banks. Between all the town halls in the Balearics, this amounts to 555 million euros. Across Spain as a whole, it is 115,000 million euros.

Under the agreement, the government would provide "non-financial income" to municipalities that is proportional to the amounts loaned. This income would be for the express purpose of investment "with autonomy" in the "urban agenda, sustainable mobility, local care and culture". The government would provide a maximum of 2,000 million euros in 2020 to be distributed to town halls which forward loans and a maximum of 3,000 million euros in 2021. The remaining amount of the loans would be paid off over over ten years from 2022.

The Felib federation of town halls has rejected the agreement and also the way in which the FEMP has failed to take into account circumstances that are specific to regions and provinces. Felib is therefore demanding that better conditions are negotiated so that town halls can make investments or undertake general spending in ways that they consider to be appropriate. The mayors in the Balearics, all members of Felib, have also once again demanded that the budgetary stability law be repealed. This law has restricted town hall spending and is a major reason why the town halls come to have such vast amounts of money sitting in banks.

Toni Salas, the president of Felib and the mayor of Costitx, expressed his "pride" in there having been a unanimous agreement by the mayors. This was regardless of their political affiliations. "It is a unanimous agreement that I applaud, because it shows the maturity of politics."

President Armengol is being urged by the opposition Partido Popular "to defend and support the interests of Balearic town halls". The PP in the Balearics will be presenting a motion in parliament that calls for all town halls to be able to use their surpluses to mitigate the damage caused by the pandemic.
The Shiv Senas youth wing, Yuva Sena filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on Saturday against the Centres decision to hold final year examinations for colleges and universities in September amid the Covid-19 pandemic .

Today Yuva Sena has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court with a humble prayer to save lives of lakhs of students, teachers, non teaching staff and their families by asking the UGC to not be stubborn about enforcing examinations when India has crossed the 10 lakh cases mark, tweeted Maharashtra environment minister Aaditya Thackeray who heads the Yuva Sena.

He also described the decision of the University Grants Commissions (UGC) bizarre.

The petition is for each and every student across the country, being forced to appear for an examination in an absolutely bizarre judgement of the situation by UGC and non flexibility when it comes to human safety.

In another tweet, he said if students still feel the need to appear for an examination, they voluntarily may do so in a post-Covid scenario.

We believe that academic excellence cant be judged by 1 examination and for academic excellence, we must calculate the aggregate marks of the past semesters. Beyond which, if students still feel the need to appear for an examination, they voluntarily may do so post-Covid, he said.

Varun Desai, Yuva Senas secretary, in a video released on Saturday said that despite writing letters to the UGC and the ministry of human resource development, they have not received any replies. Desai said, Maharashtra government has already cancelled the final year examinations and we want that decision to be taken for the entire country. In the last 10-15 days, we have received messages from lakhs of students seeking our support in this.

The Congress, a coalition partner in the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra also supported the decision.

Satyajeet Tambe, president of the Maharashtra State Youth Congress said that they support the decision. He tweeted, Conducting exams in the background of the #COVID__19 is the culmination of insensitivity).
Govt.s stark choice: Hold polls or dam COVIDs second wave? View(s):

Just when it seemed the dreaded COVID cloud had rained its last droplet of plague and misery on the Lankan landscape and had drifted away far beyond the horizon; just when life was starting to totter back to a new normalcy and the nations economic hive had begun to buzz again with activity; just when the rainbow had lit the island skyline with hope and promise, signaling the worst was over and happy days were here again, now comes the terrifying news: The worse is yet to come.

Ever since Lanka reported the first indigenous COVID case on Lankan soil on March 11, the world had watched with admiration and taken note of how well the Government had acted to combat the coronavirus. Ably assisted by a dedicated medical service working tirelessly round the clock and supported by the tri-forces and the police to track down and isolate the potentially infected, the singlemindedness of the Government to triumph over the COVID invasion at all cost, certainly paid off to contain the coronavirus from transforming to a full blown pandemic.

The Governments decision to don the blinkers at an early stage and its determination not to let anything else despoil its vision or blur its focus, not even heed the SOS messages the crumbling economy was transmitting feverishly from its death bed, succeeded in keeping COVID in its encircled place and prevented it from sneaking through the dragnet to infiltrate the community and spark off an uncontrollable spread through every strata of Lankan life.

The islandwide 24-hour curfew first imposed on March 20 and re-imposed on March 24 after a six-hour breather for people to stock up before retiring to hibernation, was relaxed only on April 6 in the country except the Colombo and Gampaha districts and a few other affected districts. In the capital district and its neighouring district Gampaha, it continued for nearly seven weeks and relaxed on May 11.

The mission to lay siege on the coronavirus and starve it of its prey was indeed successful. But when the public had been given the freedom of the streets and advised to follow thehealth guidelines given of social distancing with faces masked, fears were expressed that the inevitable mingling of the masses would trigger an outbreak. But even after the two week incubation period had passed there was no significant increase in the daily number of cases reported.

On the contrary, on May 24, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera announced to the nation and the world that Sri Lanka was COVID free. He said that not a single Covid-19 patient had been reported in society within the last 24 days.

In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative Dr. Razia Pendse on Thursday praised Lanka, saying the country has been able to control the COVID-19 epidemic more effectively even with modest means than more resourced countries. She said: The response in Sri Lanka has been guided by public health and science and this has helped in setting up all that was required very early on.

If eternal vigilance over the unseen yet omnipresent enemy had been the price Lanka had to pay for her unblemished track record in handling the COVID pandemic effectively, barricading its advance and narrowing its ambit to curb it running amok, it has now become clear that somewhere down the line complacency, perhaps, spawned of smugness in the excess of victorys joy, had set in to rot the fruit of success.

In a frightening turn of events that portended the fall from grace, the Kandakadu incident occurred last Tuesday where a female counsellor and a male instructor attached to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre at Kandakadu, in the Polonnaruwa district, left the Centre unaware they had contracted the coronavirus to their hometowns of Nattandiya and Rajanganaye respectively. Back home they both tested positive for COVID.

This was the first known instance where the coronavirus had escaped from a confined cluster of people to inhabit and infect the social domain; and, having untrammelled freedom of movement, to treat the countrys broadacres as its playing field to do its worst.

And a horrified medical staff awoke to the horror that Lanka was standing on the brink of a COVID second wave, the dreaded second coming bound to end more calamitously than the first advent which had never really taken root but had been miraculously confined to identified clusters, naval personnel and returnees from abroad. A second wave would mean a return to base camp, with the virus embedded in the soil and rooting it out with the limited resources available would tax the resilience of the health system to the extreme limit.

How was this allowed to happen? Just when life was limping back to a controlled normalcy and the economy was still slowly opening its shutters, when schools and universities were just waking to academic life, when the COVID sirens were still shrilling and warning lights flashed to signal the COVID alert was still in force, what was the madding rush to have counsellors, instructors and visiting lecturers deliver pep talks on the benefits of giving up drugs to group of drug addicts when, given the exigencies and circumstances, a taped video shown on television screens would have done the trick?

Even presuming their presence was vital, were the counsellors, instructors and lecturers ever subjected to COVID tests to prevent them from possibly bringing the coronavirus into the centre and infecting the inmates en masse? And were those counsellors, instructors and lecturers subjected to PCR testing before exiting the enclosed camp to ensure they had not been turned to COVID hosts to infect society indiscriminately?

As a result of letting the guard down, the nations improving corona health as shown on the bed card has changed dramatically for the worse. According to the Epidemiology Units daily update, on July 8, the total number of active COVID patients was 103. The number quarantined from the local community were 78. Nine days later, 17 Friday, the number of active cases had soared to 664 and the number quarantined as a result of Kandakadu had risen to 506.

But according to the Public Health Inspectors Union President Upul Rohana, at least 3,000 people in 16 districts had been sent for quarantine as a result of the Kandakadu cluster.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror this Wednesday, he said: The cases related to Kandakadu had been reported from Gampaha, Puttalam, Kalutara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kandy, Matale, Kegalle, Jaffna, Kurunegala and Moneragala. Those who are on self-quarantine and those sent to quarantine centers are among the 3,000 people. Sri Lanka is not out of the woods yet in terms of Covid-19 situation and therefore it was vital to adhere to health guidelines.

In one fell swoop, the second wave would wash away all the credit gained by the government and the medical team for making Lanka with her effective strategies a role model for other countries to follow. And all efforts, all the sacrifices, all the heartbreak and tears would have been in vain. Purely because the Rehabilitation Centre for Drug Addicts set opposite a COVID quarantine centre in Kandakadu for those returning from abroad, was never identified as a possible breeding ground for the coronavirus; and thus the precautions to prevent its entry in or its flight out from the camp were never taken.

Today, as Lanka finds herself poised perilously on the brink of facing a catastrophic second COVID invasion, the question on the nations lips is whether the Government will pull out all the stops to prevent the pandemics resurgence or soft peddle the corona calamity and downplay its ominous threat to create the spurious air that conditions are ideal to host a general election two weeks hence on 5 August?

While former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last Sunday called for the postponement of the general election, stating that the country is facing a dangerous situation in the wake of COVID-19 raising its head once again, the present Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, disagreed.

He told newspaper editors and media heads on Thursday, that there was no need to get unnecessarily scared or panic about the spread of Covid-19 in Sri Lanka as things were under control. There is no need for any lockdown of the country. Some politicians are saying various things as it is an election time. That is how it is in politics.

But the Association of Medical Specialists, an independent body with over 1,300 senior specialists serving in the government sector, warned on Thursday that if the current spread of COVID-19 is ignored Sri Lankan could end up becoming another Brazil or India.

One can understand the Presidents pain and frustration not to host the long overdue and much delayed general election which he is under a constitutional duty to discharge. In the manner of the old adage, there had been many a slip between the cup and the lip when it had come to holding this years twice scheduled and twice delayed election and its with fingers crossed and hoping against hope, all will await to see whether it will be third time lucky.

But none can predict the unchartered course, the erratic COVID may take. For the moment all seems calm, eerily calm, like the lull before the storm. Lankas COVID Czar Dr. Jasinghe has assured the nation that there is no need to impose a lockdown in the country since the virus is confined to only some areas.

With this blank cheque in hand, all that the public asks is that if the virus gets out of hand and drastic measures need to be taken to control its spread, the Government places the public health of the nation far above the need to hold elections on August 5. If the policy is followed in a transparent manner and it is demonstrably shown that the decision  whether or not to hold polls in two weeks on August 5  is taken after a genuine evaluation of the COVID crisis with public health held paramount and not the petty interest of politicians, then it will be appreciated and creditable. If not, it will be appalling and unforgivable.

None should forget that there are less than 500 ICU beds in Lanka. Thats the bottom line.
Ontarios independent commission examining the long-term-care home problems exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic will be announced as early as next week, says Premier Doug Ford.

I need answers just as badly as you ... and the people want answers, Ford said Friday in Kitchener.

More than 1,700 residents and eight staff members have died in Ontario long-term-care homes since the pandemic hit in March. Thats almost two-thirds of the provinces COVID-19 deaths.

The premier said details of the commission will come over the next week or so.

Well be announcing the folks there and they have a lot of credibility, Ill tell you, he said.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who is demanding a full public inquiry into long-term care, has warned the Ford-appointed commission will not be free of government control.

The NDP will keep fighting for an independent, find-and-fix public judicial inquiry into long-term care, Horwath said earlier this week.

Fords comments Friday came as the Progressive Conservative government announced it had installed Humber River Hospital as interim manager at Villa Colombo in North York.

Ford said three long-term-care homes are in code red  and considered high risk  and could also be taken over.

So far, Ontario has assumed management of 11 nursing homes that have failed to cope with coronavirus outbreaks.

Under provincial emergency legislation, Queens Park is empowered to install a temporary manager  person, corporation or hospital  at a long-term-care home.

But the law does not allow the province to effectively seize a long-term-care home, which are independently owned and operated.

I wont hesitate to get any hospital to take over long-term-care homes to protect the most vulnerable people in those homes, said Ford.

The government said despite receiving help from Humber River Hospital for weeks, Villa Colombo has been unable to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Our government will continue to act to keep Ontarians safe, especially our most vulnerable people in long-term care, said Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton.

I am confident that the talented staff at Humber River Hospital and Villa Colombo will work together to combat COVID-19, said Fullerton.

Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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Lockdown measures imposed in late March to slow down the spread of coronavirus may not have been as effective in black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities because of the 'one-size-fits-all approach', scientists have said.

Academics at the University of Leicester found that Covid-19 cases continued to rise in BAME groups in certain parts of Leicester in the three weeks after the announcement was made, while rates in white groups 'dropped off very sharply'.

They said the findings, published recently in the journal EClinicalMedicine by The Lancet, raise 'serious questions' on whether lockdown on its own is effective for a diverse population.

Academics at the University of Leicester have found that lockdown measures imposed in March failed to stop the rise of coronavirus infections among BAME groups. Above, a sign in Leicester tells residents what measures they should follow during the localised lockdown

Dr Manish Pareek, an associate clinical professor in infectious diseases at the University of Leicester, told the PA news agency: 'Obviously, lockdown has had a huge impact in reducing infection rates but the question is, is it enough for certain parts of the country?

'Lockdown as a whole is quite a blunt tool perhaps what we should be thinking about is a more nuanced approach which allows people to work with local solutions.'

Dr Pareek and his team studied patients admitted to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Our @EClinicalMed

findings from Leicester's first wave have implications for response to second spike in Leicester:



1. Ethnicity associated with increased infection risk

2. Household size appears to impact on infection risk

3. Lockdown may be less effective in certain groups  Manish Pareek (@drmanpareek) July 17, 2020

They found the proportion of people from BAME groups who tested positive for coronavirus continued to rise for three weeks from March 23, peaking at 50.9%, but the figure for people from white backgrounds remained between 24% and 26%.

Dr Pareek told PA: 'Of course, we can't be clear about cause and effect, I think, but if we were speculating, there are a number of factors which potentially could explain these findings.

'One would be that people who come from diverse ethnic groups work in front-facing roles and are not necessarily able to work from home.

'Secondly, they may be part of large, multi-generational households, which increases the risk of infection, and, thirdly, there may have been issues as to whether the public health messaging actually got through to those populations (due to language and cultural barriers).'

Academics at the University concluded that one-size fits all lockdowns are less effective in BAME communities. Pictured above, a residential street is seen in the Highfields area of Leicester, central England on July 17, 2020, as local lockdown restrictions remain in force due to a spike in cases of the coronavirus in the city

Dr Pareek said that as recent research has shown that severe Covid-19 disproportionately affects BAME communities, there is an 'urgent need to confirm an association between ethnicity and acquiring Covid-19 infection'.

He said tailored public health messaging aimed at specific BAME groups, along with targeted programmes on testing and contact tracing, are needed in preparation for future waves.

Dr Pareek said: 'At the moment, there is perhaps a one-size-fits-all approach.'

He said that while there have been some targeted interventions in Leicester as the region experienced a fresh outbreak last month, these measures 'should have been predicted in the first instance'.

Leicester's city council says lockdown should be replaced with intense public health messaging Leicester's city-wide lockdown should be lifted and replaced with intense public health messaging aimed at suppressing coronavirus in the 10 per cent of the city where there are excessive cases of infections, the city council has said. Council public health officials yesterday released their latest analysis of testing data for the city - ahead of a decision by the government today to either lift the localised lockdown or extend it for another two weeks. City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby says his officials have mapped out where in the city most people were testing positive for the virus in the fortnight running up to July 4, when a two-week local lockdown officially came into force. He says the results show areas with infection rates of 15 per cent or more largely confined to the north and east of the city in the areas of Belgrave, St Peter's and Highfields. I'd ask 'included and continue Sir Elsewhere there were fewer instances of infections, with many areas in the north, west and south of the city showing less than five positive results. The city council has sent its report to the Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England. The mayor believes it makes a strong case for lifting the tighter restriction announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on June 29, which again closed non-essential retail and schools in an area covering the whole city and some suburbs on, or just outside, its boundary. Leicester City Council have said the city's lockdown should be lifted and replaced with intense public health messaging. Above, two residents walk up the street in the Highfields area of Leicester on July 17, 2020 He also says that the council only started getting positive test data with postcodes attached from the government on June 25 and, had that detail been made available weeks should I to be so?' Soulsby said when the city council first requested it, targeted action in streets and neighbourhoods could have been carried out, thus avoiding the need for the local lockdown in the first place. Sir Peter told the Mercury: 'We are not saying there has not been a problem, but we now know very specifically where it has been. 'It has been in 10 per cent of the city - Belgrave, St Peter's area, Highfields - not across all of it. 'The greatest number of positive tests are in areas of dense inner city housing with multi-generational households and high levels of deprivation. 'Had we had this detailed granular information six weeks ago we could have targeted the area with the problem - knocking on doors, street-to-street, reinforcing the public health messages and so on -diverting all our attention to the 10 per cent of the city so we can get on top of it. 'This is what is now happening in Blackburn, where a spike has been identified, and it is a much more effective approach than a crude and wasteful local lockdown. 'If I were a resident in the other 90 per cent of the city and also the areas of the county beyond the city boundary, I would be asking the government very impolitely: 'Why have I been included in lockdown and why should I continue to be so?' City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby says his officials have mapped out where in the city most people were testing positive for the virus in the fortnight running up to July 4. Above, A picture shows swings tied up in a children's playground in the Highfields area of Leicester Mr Hancock told Parliament on Tuesday that the decision on whether to extend or release Leicester's lockdown would be based on two weeks' worth of testing data up to that point - which is not the two weeks the council has used in its latest analysis. 'There is a process for whether changes can be made in Leicester,' said Mr Hancock. 'We will look at 14 days of data - it is today 14 days since the measures were introduced - and we will look at that on Thursday and make a public announcement as soon as is reasonably possible. 'Thankfully the numbers have been coming down in Leicester, we have put in that extra testing, but the number of positive cases in Leicester is still well above the rest of the country.' He added: 'I won't pre-judge the decision that we'll take on Thursday and we'll take into account all of the data. 'We won't set out specific thresholds, we'll look at all of the data.' Mr Hancock said that both the 'level and rate of change' will be considered and looked at with the local authorities.' Sir Peter claimed: 'It was a political decision to take us into lockdown. It will be an entirely political decision if we remain in it.' Mr Hancock told Parliament on Tuesday that the decision on whether to extend or release Leicester's lockdown would be based on two weeks' worth of testing data up to that point When asked what weight he thought the city council's case would carry in the decision, he admtted: 'Absolutely none.' He added: 'The government has got itself into a real mess over this and it is for the government to try to dig itself out of this hole.' The council's director of public health, Ivan Browne, said he had been impressed with the way the Leicester public has adhered to the conditions of the local lockdown. However, he said: 'Activity (has) dropped off considerably but the longer this continues the more challenging people will find it.' The city council said it received information yesterday that, in the two weeks up to July 13, the number of tests carried out in the city was 15,122, of which 643 were positive - that is 4.3 per cent In the fortnight up to July 4, there were 10,475 tests and 888, or 8.5 per cent, came back positive. The Department of Health and Social Care been asked to comment on the council's findings. Public Health England said it would comment after Mr Hancock's decision. Sir Soulsby said earlier when the city council first requested it, targeted action in streets and neighbourhoods could have been carried out, thus avoiding the need for the local lockdown in the first place. Meanwhile, another five patients who had tested positive for coronavirus have died at Leicester's Hospitals over the past week. The latest death announcement by the trust that runs the Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital was made yesterday. It means that 425 coronavirus patients being treated by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) have died since the start of the pandemic in March. The latest five were aged between their 40s and their 80s. A UHL spokesperson said: 'Sadly, we can confirm that 425 patients being cared for at our hospitals, and who had tested positive for Covid-19, have died. Five of those deaths have been announced since last Wednesday, July 8. For context, the trust last week announced 21 deaths, some of which were believed to have been delayed due to the recording and confirmation process. With Leicester now in the third week of a local lockdown, hospital bosses say they have seen a 'small decline' in the number of patients requiring intensive care treatment associated to Covid-19. A spokesperson said: 'We continue to treat patients with Covid-19 at our hospitals but have seen a small decline over the past few days in the number of Covid-19 admissions and the number of patients requiring intensive care due to the complications of Covid-19. 'We are doing all we can to ensure our hospitals can continue to support both Covid and non-Covid patients, and are prepared should we experience an increase in cases.' The spokesperson added: 'Hospital visiting restrictions remain in place to protect patients and staff and people need to wear face coverings when coming to hospital. 'But it is also important that the people of Leicester know that it is safe to access care. The NHS is still there for patients who need urgent and emergency services. And anyone who has been asked to come to hospital - whether for an urgent matter or a booked appointment - should do so. We urge people to follow the guidance to protect themselves and others.' No further deaths have been recorded by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), which runs the area's community hospitals. In total, 21 patients have died while in LPT's care since the start of the pandemic. Advertisement

WHAT CAUSED A SPIKE IN CASES IN LEICESTER? Government officials, local politicians and scientists were initially divided over whether Leicester was experiencing a real surge in cases or whether better testing was 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 that a report sent to him by the Government 'actually acknowledges that it's very likely that the increase in number of positives identified is a result of increased testing, and that actually there's perhaps nothing of any great significance in those results.' Director of Public Health for the city, Ivan Browne, said: 'Interestingly it [the surge in cases] is very much around the younger, working age population and predominantly towards the east part of our city. We started to see this level through our testing programme. 'Young people work in many industries across the city so at this stage what we're trying to do is gather as much epidemiological information as we can to really try and get underneath and have an understanding. I don't think at the moment that we are seeing a single source or a single smoking gun on this'. It was always likely that surges in cases would be seen in cities first. There are more people, raising the risk, and those people are more likely to live in densely populated areas and come into contact with strangers on a regular basis. Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, from the University of Cambridge, said: 'There will be differences in the ease with which people can maintain physical distance between densely populated areas and rural environments  so it isn't surprising to me that we may see localised flare-ups, which in turn may need suppressing through delayed easing or temporary re-introduction of some constraints on some movements and activities.' Leicester also has high levels of deprivation, which affects people's lives in ways that put them at risk of catching the virus. Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'In deprived areas people are more likely to have to go to work, less likely to be able to work from home, and more likely to use public transport. They can't distance themselves from others.' The Samworth Brothers sandwich factory in the city reported over the weekend that it had diagnosed cases of Covid-19 among its staff. Food processing factories are a higher transmission risk because cold environments allow the virus to survive for longer on hard surfaces and make people's airways more susceptible to infection. Dr Clarke added that the types of work people do may increase their risk. 'Blue collar cities are now at higher risk than places like London and Manchester which have more financial services,' he added. Advertisement

BySam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonlineand Tom Pyman And Sam Baker For Mailonline

The local lockdown will be lifted in parts of Leicestershire as soon as this weekend following a review by public health experts, the Government has said.

Areas outside of Leicester City and the borough of Oadby and Wigston will align with national lockdown rules in England from Saturday.

From July 18 non-essential shops, bars, restaurants and hairdressers not in the continuing protected zone will be permitted to open.

Schools and childcare settings outside the protected area will also be able to open from the same date, in line with national restrictions.

Thanking the people of Leicester for following public health advice, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'I know the past two weeks have been difficult for those living in and around Leicester, especially those who have been shielding for so many weeks.

'While we are not yet in a position to lift all the restrictions in place, we are now able to take cautious steps to allow areas outside of Leicester City and the borough of Oadby and Wigston to fall in step with national guidelines and introduce some relaxations within the City of Leicester and the borough of Oadby and Wigston.

'I realise that this will be frustrating for those areas that remain under additional restrictions and I am determined to be straight with you all, we will ease restrictions as soon as the data shows that it is safe to do so.'

However, non-essential shops and schools in Leicester City and the borough of Oadby and Wigston will only be allowed to re-open from July 24 as there is a higher prevalence of coronavirus in these two areas.

Bars, restaurants and hairdressers in these areas must remain closed and are set to be reviewed on August 1.

The Government said shielding advice remains in place for the entire area of Leicester, including where restrictions have been eased.

It said the changes to measures follow a fall in the seven-day infection rate and the percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19, but warned they remained above the national average.

According to data published on Friday, Leicester's rate of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 population dropped from 126.1 in the seven days to July 7 to 92.9 in the seven days to July 14.

It was 132.3 in the seven days to June 30.

People were reminded to continue to socially distance, regularly wash their hands and self-isolate and get a test if they develop coronavirus symptoms.

Leicester's mayor has slammed Matt Hancock for taking a 'sledgehammer approach' to the city's lockdown and accused the government of 'party political' aims after restrictions were focused on areas run by Labour and the Lib Dems.

The Health Secretary announced last night that only schools and nurseries will be allowed to reopen from next Friday, July 24, with the rest of the city still facing a raft of limitations on their freedom.

Under the plans, councils would be given local powers to shut non-essential shops where necessary, pubs and restaurants will remain closed, and restrictions on non-essential travel and only having social gatherings of up to six people will remain in force, pending another review in a fortnight.

In an urgent statement to the House of Commons, Mr Hancock said the coronavirus infection rate in the city is still too high for lockdown to be lifted.

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby was critical of the decision to keep restrictions in force across the Labour-run city of Leicester and Liberal Democrat-controlled Oadby and Wigson.

He said: 'They have chosen to focus on the city geographical area - effectively the area of the county that votes Labour, and that's just scandalous.

'If they were going to alter the boundary, they should have gone down to the area that they now know where the virus is.

The Mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby reacts as he remotely watches this evening's announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock

'They have left two areas in there - one that has a Liberal Democrat council, the other that has a Labour mayor.

'The fact is they have focused in a way that is clearly party political and that's not a way to deal with the virus.

'That's not a way to deal with the people who will be very angry and very frustrated that they are being punished for the way in which they voted.'

He went on: 'I am determined of course to continue to focus on what the data now does tell us - to continue to focus on the neighbourhoods, the streets, the households, where we now know there is the virus.

'They are prepared not just to penalise this city, but also to penalise its economy.

'Because right at the start of this, there were promises from the Secretary of State that there would be a financial package - compensation scheme - for our businesses that are being held back.

'Now two weeks on, he's still not delivering on that promise.

'That obviously is a matter of great concern to me and those who care about the future wellbeing of this city.'
This aerial photo taken on July 7, 2020 shows inundated buildings and vehicles after heavy rain caused flooding in Shexian County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. Photo by AFP.

Vietnam has offered $100,000 to China for relief efforts as that country struggles with its worst floods in decades.

The aid is aimed at helping China overcome the consequences of devastating floods and earthquakes in the past weeks, Vietnams Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Torrential rains and flooding have occurred in many parts of the country since early June, leaving at least 141 people dead or missing, affecting more than 37 million others, and causing billions of dollars of damage, according to the Chinese government.

Multiple earthquakes were also shaking various regions.

On Thursday ASEAN foreign ministers issued a joint statement on the recent floods in China at the suggestion of Vietnam, the current chair of the bloc, extending their sympathies and condolences to the government and people of China.

"ASEAN affirms its solidarity with the Chinese government and people, stands ready to extend its assistance. ASEAN is confident that China will overcome the challenges and recover swiftly from the impact of this natural disaster," the statement reads.

On July 7 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a message to his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang expressing sympathy for the loss of human life and property.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh sent a message expressing sympathy to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the same day.

In February Vietnam offered $500,000 worth of goods and medical supplies to support China's coronavirus fight.
OTT platforms seem to have a penchant for cluttering one week with too many Indian originals, while leaving not much to talk about in some others. Although I am secretly glad to have a break from the barrage of content to watch my favourite Suits for one last time. The ninth and the final season is finally available on Amazon Prime Video.

If you are looking for break from thrillers and crime dramas, you can try the Urvashi Rautela starrer Virgin Bhanupriya on ZEE5. Despite its scandalous premise, the film is not a sex comedy, and will be a light-hearted watch.

Suits Season 9 (Amazon Prime Video)

Season 8 ended with a really steamy scene between Donna and Harvey Specter, leaving fans craving for more intimate screen time between these two. After all, the electricity between them is unbearable and we see the two come close so rarely. Will Season 9 finally let the two be together? I am excited to find out. Theres always a legal crisis to be solved in this show, and Katherine Heigl, Rick Hoffman and Amanda Schull get into problem-solving mode immediately. Season 9 consists of only of 10 episodes, allowing the series to wrap up while also perhaps leaving the door open for the main cast to return in the upcoming spinoff series, Pearson.

Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)

The docu-series-cum-reality-show is about how arranged marriages work in India. The series follows Mumbai-based matchmaker Sima Taparia, who guides clients in the US and India in the arranged marriage process, offering an inside look at the age-old custom in a modern times. Over the shows eight episodes, viewers get a glimpse into the tradition through a variety of modern young men and women who all have different views on the custom, presenting different challenges for Taparia. The show has created quite a stir on social media, with many calling it problematic and cringe-worthy. See for yourself what the fuss is all about.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) on Jul 18, 2020 at 2:31am PDT

Virgin Bhanupriya (ZEE5) The film revolves girdles around the role of Urvashi Rautela, who likes to keep to herself and is quite conservative. But she is 24 years old and wants to lose her virginity but only on her terms of love. Her quest leads her on a hilarious journey that includes some comic situations. The comedy drama is directed by Ajay Lohan. With more focus on family drama than sex comedy, Virgin Bhanupriya makes for a light-hearted watch.

The Luminaries (Netflix)

Based on Eleanor Cattons 2013 Man Booker Prize-winning novel, the six-part series starring Eva Green has been adapted for television by Catton herself. The show is billed as an intricately woven, suspenseful tale of love, murder, magic, and revenge. The official synopsis reads: The Luminaries tells an epic story of love, murder and revenge, as men and women travelled across the world to make their fortunes. It is a 19th century tale of adventure and mystery, set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealands South Island in the boom years of the 1860s gold rush. The story follows defiant young adventurer Anna Wetherell, who has sailed from Britain to New Zealand to begin a new life. There she meets the radiant Emery Staines, an encounter that triggers a strange kind of magic that neither can explain.

Cursed (Netflix)

Armed with mysterious powers and a legendary sword, young rebel Nimue joins forces with charming mercenary Arthur on a mission to save her people. The series stars Katherine Langford of 13 Reasons Why as aforementioned Nimue. The fantasy drama series is based on the illustrated novel of the same name by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, a spin on the tales of King Arthur. The series features the expected trappings - bloody battles, wizardly magic and a heroic quest. If you liked The Witcher, you will probably like this, too.

Stay tuned for more recommendations coming up next week.
Aisling Sheridan, Adult Education Officer (left), Sadie Ward-McDermott, Director of Further Education and Training, Paul Rosbotham, Asst. Training Centre Manager, Aoife McDaid, Employer Engagement Officer, Kelvin Harvey, Adult Education Officer and Ciaran O Mathuna, Area Training Manager at the launch of the new employer-led training initiative, Skills to Advance for Louth and Meath. Picture Ken Finegan/Newspics

Louth and Meath ETB have been selected to pilot a new national training initiative, in collaboration with SOLAS, to aid local businesses, particularly during these challenging economic times.

Formulated under the 'Skills to Advance' scheme, the newly developed programme provides the opportunity for employers to avail of highly subsidised training in Leadership and Management Skills, certified at Level 6, on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Louth and Meath ETB are one of only four ETB's nationally who are involved in this pilot project, working collaboratively with Cavan Monaghan ETB, Donegal ETB and Mayo-Sligo-Leitrim ETB.

Developed in conjunction with the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and the Regional Skills Fora, this innovative new programme will enable employers to avail of highly subsidised training in all areas of Leadership and Management for their businesses, ensuring they have a competitive edge in this ever-changing marketplace. The curriculum has been adapted to suit current circumstances and will be delivered on-line to ensure accessibility and flexibility for the participants.

Speaking at the launch of the programme at the Regional Skills and Training Centre, Dundalk, the Director of Further Education and Training, Sadie Ward Mc Dermott said 'Louth and Meath ETB are proud to pilot this exciting new initiative, which will greatly assist businesses to prevail during these difficult times. We are proud to be one of the first ETB's in the country to pilot this programme under the regional and sectoral aspect of our industry specific scheme, 'Skills to Advance'. This Leadership and Management initiative has been developed to upskill supervisory and management staff, and those that aspire to such, in areas including change management, motivation of staff, digital skills and remote working. In these challenging times, training is more important than ever to ensure business success and LMETB are committed to working with the business community to assist them in whatever way we can'.

The Area Training Manager of the Regional Skills and Training Centre (RSTC), Dr. Ciaran O' Mathuna also commented that 'The RSTC is proud be involved in the development and delivery of this programme, as it will enable many employers, who have been financially impacted by the COVID crisis, to avail of heavily subsidised training, in order to equip them and their staff with the necessary skills and tools to navigate a more competitive and challenging landscape ahead. The RSTC has been to the forefront of developing many industry specific courses required over the last few months, including Infection Prevention and Control, Safety & Health at Work, Care Skills and many more, all of which are certified at NFQ Level 5. Anyone in employment, and who is eligible under the Skills to Advance scheme, can avail of these courses, which are tutor led, with on-line delivery, and are a very worthwhile investment in the future'.

'Skills to Advance is an innovative programme, developed by SOLAS, which supports those in employment to avail of upskilling and reskilling opportunities', according to Dr. Aisling Sheridan, Adult Education Officer with LMETB. 'The value of training to employers has long been recognised in the workplace, but Skills to Advance now provides access to high quality training, giving greater flexibility and enhanced prospects to all in their working environment.

The training programme will commence on 4th August and anyone with queries can contact Aoife Mc Daid, Employer Engagement Officer with LMETB by emailing skillstoadvance@lmetb.ie.
KC woman pregnant, positive for COVID-19 and facing eviction Breauna Dixon faced a dire situation earlier this month. Pregnant with twins, she rushed to the hospital due to the possibility the twins might come early.While at Truman Medical Center she also tested positive for COVID-19.

More federal stimulus checks are still up for debate . . . Meanwhile, resources grow scarce across Kansas City as the pandemic puts pressure on the entire metro. Read more:
Ondo state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has begged for forgiveness of his sins, barely two days before the conduct of governorship primary of the All Progress Congress (APC).

The governor said he was ready to apologise to anybody he might have offended since he assumed office in 2017 in order to allow peace to reign in the state.

Akeredolu stated this when he met with the reconciliation committee of the party led by the Governor of Niger state, Abubakar Bello, in Akure, the state capital.

It was gathered that the committee, which was set up by the APC caretaker/extra convention planning committee, is in the state to meet with governorship aspirants, leaders and members of the party in the state.

We must allow for peace. Let us get all of us, the aspirants, to sign that whoever wins, others will support him. Anybody I have offended I will apologise to the person. We must allow peace, Akeredolu said.

Akeredolu said that the APC is in the heart of the people of the state and that what the people desire is for the dividends of good governance to be visible.

The governor added that his administration has delivered in terms of the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the state.

KanyiDaily recalls that the APC screening committee has reportedly disqualified Governor Akeredolu from the partys governorship primary election.

Governor Akeredolu was allegedly disqualified because of his involvement in anti-party activities, leading to the low votes recorded by President Muhammadu Buhari in Ondo during the 2019 election.
Loading As she was drinking flutes of prosecco at Eaglemont Cellars and Wine Bar on March 17, she likely contracted the virus from staff, who had caught it from British guests who'd visited the venue for a birthday party a couple of days prior, triggering a significant coronavirus cluster. As she busied herself preparing for the possibility of the lockdown that was to come, the virus incubated and her husband, Eugene, began to notice something was off. "Normally, Im a little dynamo," Ms Breheny said. "I was just sitting a lot and I didnt have much of an appetite. "I didnt have a headache. There was no sore throat, no sneezing or coughing.

"I did have a mild stomach upset and I did vomit a couple of times, but maybe that was twice over a period of six days." Ms Breheny tested positive for coronavirus following her admission to intensive care. Ms Breheny meets with some of the people who cared for her at the Austin Hospital, including nurse Kaitlin Lowe and Dr Caleb Fisher. Credit:Eddie Jim Ms Breheny was still recovering from a little sunburn when she was admitted to hospital, but by the time she emerged from her induced coma, it was April and she was struck by how cold it was. Her first clear memory is of physiotherapists swooping into her room in the COVID-19 ward, telling her: "Come on, we're going to get you going."

Within two days, she was walking again. Doctors partially credit her survival to her good levels of health and fitness before she fell sick. She remembers almost nothing from her time in intensive care, only a sliver of memory from the night in late April when four police officers were killed on the nearby Eastern Freeway, and the wail of the ambulances that broke through. Ms Breheny meets staff at the Austin Hospital. Credit:Eddie Jim The details have been filled out somewhat by a diary kept by the doctors and nurses who cared for her, recording what drugs they gave and when they decided to take her off a ventilator and put a tube into her windpipe. Even before she read their accounts, though, Ms Breheny felt like she had an impression of her care.

"Those people looked after me in that ICU, I could just tell from the condition of my body. My skin was soft and I smelled lovely," she said. Loading An excerpt of the diary from early April reads: "Today we tried to wake you up slowly after being asleep for 13 days! Unfortunately you had some trouble waking  it was a pleasure looking after you today! Good luck." Recovery from coronavirus is ongoing for Ms Breheny, who reports that while she is close to physically better, her cognition is not what it used to be. She sometimes has problems recalling the right words and often confuses "nourishment" and "nutrition". "You probably think Im quite an articulate and coherent person, but you dont know me from before," she said.

The day Ms Breheny was admitted to intensive care, March 28, was then a peak day for coronavirus infections in Victoria  with 111 cases reported. On Friday, as the state saw another fresh daily record of 428 new infections, Ms Breheny said she believed many people still weren't willing to listen to the experts or think of others. "The wanting to do whatever you want is so much more ingrained in people than it used to be," she said. "Just because people are told they should stay at home, doesnt mean people will stay home  they just wont do it."
Bexar County Sheriff's Office

A 28-year-old man who is accused of breaking into a woman's home tried to tell police that he had been kidnapped and held hostage, an arrest affidavit said.

On July 12, a man placed a call to 911, saying that an unknown male, later identified as Caleb Overgaard, was at his front door saying he had escaped from a home nearby. Overgaard was covered in blood and said that he and his family had been held hostage a few blocks away, only escaping after he had punched out a window, the affidavit said.
In the build-up of the 2019 general elections, there were fears that the number of women elected into public offices may not increase significantly.

The outcome of the elections justified the fears.

Analyses that were done prior to previous elections also predicted low representation for women, which were also justified by the results.

Since 1999 when Nigeria transitioned from military rule to democratic rule, women are yet to occupy up to 50 per cent of elective positions. This is despite the fact that the voting population of both men and women are almost equal.

One factor that was, however, consistent before, during and after the last general elections, is the clamour for better representation of women in the political space and public offices.

Following the outcome of the elections, there were hopes that the future will be better for women.

These hopes were dashed overtime by events ranging from ministerial appointments to appointments as heads of agencies and now the electoral process in the build-up of the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections.

The elections which are scheduled to take place on September 19 and October 10 respectively, have witnessed very poor women representation in the entire process  from the different committees to the aspirants and final candidates.

It is the same scenario in the two major political parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Election process

Nigerias electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has since announced the dates for the elections and political parties as well as players involved, have begun preparations.

These preparations include the setting up of screening, appeal, campaign committees, among others.

With a major focus on the activities of the APC and the PDP so far, PREMIUM TIMES reviews the representation of women in the whole process.

APC

Right from the first committees that were set up, the marginalisation of women was glaring. In fact, the 13-member caretaker committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari has 12 men and one woman.

Ahead of the Edo election: For the screening committee, the party appointed six men and one woman; while the appeal committee has five men and no woman. The national campaign council has 49 members of which three are women.

No fewer than six aspirants were screened for this election, including the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, before he defected to the PDP. All six aspirants were men. Three of the men were cleared and contested in the primaries after which Osagie Ize-Iyamu merged the candidate.

Ahead of the Ondo election: For the screening committee, nine men and two women were selected; while the appeal committee has eight men and one woman. The election committee has nine members, of which just two are women and the election appeal committee also has nine members comprising eight men and one woman.

12 aspirants were screened and cleared for the election including the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu. Of the 12, only one woman can be found.

The primary election is slated for July 20.

PDP

For the Edo elections: The party set up a screening committee comprising three men and two women; while the primary committee comprises four men and one woman.

The appeal committee has eight male members. At least four male aspirants indicated interest including the governor, Mr Obaseki. He became the flag bearer after other aspirants stepped down for him.

For Ondo elections: The screening committee comprises three men and two women; while the appeal committee consists of two men and a woman.

Nine male aspirants indicated interest in the governorship position. Of the nine, two were disqualified.

The composition of these committees shows PDP had a slightly better representation for women that the APC. It is, however, it is almost impossible to find a woman heading any committee.

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The APC the price for its nomination form for women and physically challenged by 50 per cent.

A provisional list of nominated candidates released by INEC shows 14 political parties will be participating in the Edo elections. Of the 14 candidates, only one is a woman  Ebun Tracy of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

Provisional List of Nominated Candidates for Edo Governorship Election pic.twitter.com/kqG4hLWZ5o  INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) June 30, 2020

The electoral body also said 17 of the 18 registered political parties notified INEC of their intention to conduct party primaries for the Ondo State governorship election fixed for October 10, 2020.

Statistics

In a country where women make up to ideally 49 per cent of the population, one would expect the percentage of women in public offices to be almost (if not equal) to the percentage of men in such offices but that is not the case in Nigeria.

Despite the high percentage of the population, only six per cent of federal legislative positions are occupied by women.

Past administrations have been dominated by males and the same with the office of the vice president although there have been female aspirants who contest for such offices in general elections but eventually lose to their male counterparts.

Also, no female governor has been elected into office since the beginning of the fourth republic. The deputy governorship is the highest executive level position women have held since 1999.

For the office of the deputy governor, only one woman was elected into office in 1999; in 2003, the female deputy governors became two and in 2007, the number grew to six.

With the review of women representation in the coming governorship elections, many wonder if there will be hope for Nigerian women.

Why the gap?

Some of the factors affecting female political participation and representation in Nigeria, according to Centre for Development and Democracy (CDD), include funding, awareness, culture, religion, party system and structure, among others.

The importance of having enough funds when vying for a public office, even if it is an appointive position, cannot be overemphasised.

READ ALSO:

Many Nigerian women who desire such positions often suffer setbacks because they could not adhere to the financial obligations required  not forgetting the godfather syndrome which exists in Nigerias system of governance.

Many also believe that women who come out to contest for political offices only do so to test the waters.

It is safe to say this belief was cemented in the minds of many Nigerians when former female presidential candidate, Oby Ezekwesili, stepped down after announcing her intentions and participating in a major presidential debate.

Advocates speak

Ndi Kato, gender and human rights activist, said one of the reasons for the poor representation of women is that the men do not take women seriously. This is even as she faulted the PDP for ignoring women and youth in electoral processes.

They just dont take women seriously enough. PDP is the worst culprit here. There are hardly any youths in the sector. Youth, women, hardly any.

It means that these people have created a system that just doesnt include women and sees us as purely ornamental. If a party doesnt take you serious enough in a process as serious as elections and other electoral processes, it means they dont care what you have to say or do. They dont care about your participation.

They dont think that your vote carries any power. They dont see beyond numbers. They feel yes, the women will go where we tell them to go. So theres no need.

She said electoral reform can help with this and the implementation of 35 per cent affirmative action inside political parties.

These political parties are the decision-making place. Anything constituted by a political party must have 35 per cent women. No matter the committee or group or sector. And it should go to the grassroots too, she said.

A House of Representatives candidate in the 2019 general elections, Lois Auta, mentioned interest as the major reason for poor representation.

She described it as sad and wondered why the number decreases after every election.

The men, she said, always want to be at the level of decision-making. They always want to be at the top, in charge and in control of the political affairs of the federal, state and local government councils. And this is because their voices are dominant.

Ms Auta, who is also an activist for people with disability, also noted the lack of support and mentor-mentee relationship among women.

Narrating her experience during the campaign, Ms Auta said many people tried to discourage her.

They will say you are a woman with disability, you dont have money, you are not from here and there was the issue of religion too. Many people called in on radio shows and asked me to drop out of the contest but I was not discouraged.

Women do not support women. We can make this happen through mentorship. Women need to restrategise. We really need to come up with ideas that will ensure women participation in the decision-making processes. Be it quota system reservation or affirmative action.

Many have said the establishment and recognition of smaller parties will boost the participation of women in politics. Others have also called for an electoral reform that will ensure the 35 per cent affirmative action is achieved.

In the meantime, the clamour for better representation of women in the political space will continue until changes are made.
On myths, worship and a hideously warped ideology View(s):

If Stalinist Russia, Nazi Germany and the unfolding multiple crises in the United States teach us anything, it is that a country is lost not by a spectacular turn of the coin in a single event but by a series of challenges to the moral resistance of a people, each one a little deadlier than the last. Silence as the response to the first transgression of an autocrat, an authoritarian is papered over by the reassurance offered to oneself that this is only a small evil. But as the extent of that evil gets bigger and bigger, it finally overcomes everyone and everything in its path.

The slave mentality and the unfree citizen

Thus too, the human mechanism of coping with evil is not only to ignore its cruelty but also to applaud it wildly. As the Nobel Laureate Boris Pasternak, once driven close to suicide by the Soviet regimes repression of his critical writings, said when writing on the terrors of the October Revolution, the unfree man always idolises his slavery. Nothing changes very much, it seems, regardless of the era, the people or indeed, the country. The devices of propaganda remain the same throughout; repeat a lie enough times and eventually the people will believe it to be the truth.

These are reflections that are not out of order in this nation where the mantra of patriotism, the worship of the Ranaviru (warriors) and the myth of the Sinhala Buddhist master race has been hideously warped into an ideology that is the very opposite of what the Gautama Buddha taught. But regardless, the adoring faithful fall for this propaganda as much as hard core supporters of United States President Donald Trump continue to beat his drum even as Americans struck by covid-19 die like flies in a country which boasts the best medical health experts who are routinely ignored. What drives this slave mentality, one can only wonder?

The fact is also that, the Ranaviru exist solely as political cannon fodder. If this countrys respect for its soldiery was so high, it would not have, at the minimum, condemned Navy personnel to the cramped and covid infected quarters of the Welisara camp in the first instance while employing them in the fight against covid-19. Indeed, as we push this Governments bluster and ballyhoo aside, two of Sri Lankas most menacing covid-19 clusters, the Welisara Navy cluster and the still stealthily metamorphosing Kanthakadu Rehabilitation Centre cluster beg one significant and dangerously common question,

Remarkable coincidences of virus emergences

How did the number of covid infected individuals within each of these purportedly contained centres reach such high proportions of and by themselves before the spread became public through officers and personnel exuberantly interacting with the general population sans precautions? The answer that necessarily ensues is both logical and devastatingly simple. Despite frequent wagging of fingers by military and health officials who exhort the public to behave responsibly, that dictum has been ignored by state authorities at the precise points that they should have observed caution to the highest possible degree. For it is surely no remarkable coincidence that the largest clusters by far have emerged from state run centres. And these are not purely matters of public health. There is a direct overlap of questions in issue with state accountability resulting from the conversion of the governance system into rule by decree through military task forces under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Presidency.

So state officials and Sri Lankas Army Commander must stop beating around the bush in warning about the risk posed by overseas Sri Lankans returning home as if that was the only problem in issue here. Neither are we much helped by the state media and the no less pro-government segments of the private media tripping over themselves to remind their viewers that the Navy cluster has now recovered in full or as Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Friday in scoffing at a second covid wave, that the situation is well under control.

All these actors must be firmly reminded that the entirety of the citizenry is not (yet) at a point of a developed slave mentality to swallow propaganda that is being churned out. The point is not about foreign arrivals but our own control protocols needing to be tightened. The Welisara navy cluster was bad enough but one would have thought that lessons were learnt. That assumption was however disproved by the very same negligence occurring the second time around, with an appalled public reacting to the Kanthakadu cluster this week with frantic bursts of panic as the numbers grew.

Tactics of Stalinist Russia must be deplored

The solution to this is not to threaten penal punishment if citizens inform each other of a developing health risk situation in the country. Throwing people into jail on the basis that rumours are being spread is a tactic of Stalinist Russia and must be deplored. Instead, public confidence must be instilled by those preaching discipline to citizens practicing this themselves. At the rate that this is going, any reasonable man or woman may well ask as to at what point will a third infection cluster erupt from within the bowels of the state and military managed centres?

Given the high level of spread within these centres, it is safe to assume that, despite vigorous denials, protective measures were simply not followed. That is apparent even to a child. In fact, this question may perhaps be asked by that very twelve year old child from the Rajanganaya hamlet who has become infected with the virus following the quarantining of more than five hundred in the area. This was after a Kanthakadu rehabilitation centre counselor returned home and apparently mingled with all and sundry, at funerals, at functions and other public venues.

So did his colleagues with the result that by mid week, the pockmarked regions of Sri Lanka having covid-19 infected persons seemed like a measles inflicted map. Their children had meanwhile been sent to school with no thought of the risks that may ensue. There are no less troubling corollary propositions that follow. It is apparent that risks of a virus spread were far from the minds of these unwitting carriers. If so, what exactly is being taught to the personnel serving at these centres?

Who bears responsibility for failure of health protocols?

In the end result, who bears responsibility for community and social upheavals let alone the profound economic and mental distress caused by failure of health protocols at state managed institutions? These are not public health issues alone but relate to wider questions of democratic accountability. Even as the President lambastes officials of the Central Bank for not responding adequately enough to mitigate the economic woes of the global pandemic, that is not enough.

Questions were asked earlier in relation to the Welisara covid cluster and are asked yet again, in regard to the recent Kanthakadu covid cluster. Who must carry institutional responsibility for these happenings on the eve of a General Elections no less? Why are officials selectively singled out for public reprimands while others are left unscathed?

The President, the Prime Minister and this Government must to answer these questions, as uncomfortable as they may be.
Tiwa Savage and wizkid are one of the closest buddies in the Nigerian music industry no doubt, as there were even rumours they were an item.

However, wizkid celebrated his 30th birthday on July 16th and Tiwa ignored him online.

Most celebrities, and fans wished Wizkid a happy birthday but to everyones surprise, Tiwa Savage did not. This got many worried with others reacting to it.

See some of the reactions below:



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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18)  The Department of Public Works and Highways Build, Build, Build Committee Chairperson Anna Mae Lamentillo said Saturday that she tested positive for COVID-19.

In a Facebook post, Lamentillo revealed the result of her RT-PCR test on Thursday.

I regret to announce that today, July 18, I received my test result (swabbed July 16) and it is positive for COVID-19, she wrote.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar previously tested positive for COVID-19 as well.
A little over a week after protesters gathered to support a Woodlynne teen and his family who had an altercation with police in February, the Camden County Prosecutors Office said Friday it was dismissing the teens charge partly because it would have blocked him from entering the U.S. Marine Corps.

The prosecutors office did not release the teens name because he was 17 in February and charged as a juvenile, but the family has identified him as Timothy Cook, a recent graduate of Collingswood High School who is looking forward to starting his military career after being accepted into the Marines.

The charges stem from a melee at the Cook home Feb. 9, when police responded to a 911 call and subsequently arrested the then 17-year-old, his father and his fathers fiancee.

Cook and his father, Woodlynne Councilman Clyde Cook, were charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, the councilman said. His fiancee is accused of a disorderly persons offense of obstructing police.

Clyde Cook said his teenage daughter called 911 when her father took her phone away for discipline. Cook said he agreed for one of the officers who responded, Javier Acevado, to enter his home to speak with his daughter about why she called police.

But when Cook refused to let the other officer in  because Detective Edgar Felicianos body camera was not on and the two had a long-standing political dispute  the officer forced his way in. In the ensuing scuffle, the three family members were sprayed with pepper spray before being arrested, he said.

Clyde Cook, councilman in the borough of Woodlynne, watches as his son Timothy Cook speaks during a peaceful protest against police brutality held at Woodlynne's Municipal building, Thursday, July 9, 2020.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media

On July 9, roughly 60 people attended a protest in front of the boroughs municipal building. While it was billed as being a call for police reform, the protest centered around the Cook family and roughly half of those in attendance were Timothy Cooks classmates.

The prosecutors office did not confirm anything about the nature of the charge against Timothy Cook. The office said Friday that the teens defense attorney told them shortly after the incident that the boy had enlisted in the Marines. On Thursday, the office said, the attorney provided proof of the enlistment as well as three letters of recommendation attesting to his character and good standing in the community.

We are ever cognizant that a key tenet of the juvenile justice system is the rehabilitation of our youth so that they become responsible and productive members of our community, Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer said in a statement. Of course, the mission of the Camden County Prosecutors Office is to seek justice  fairly and impartially with compassion and understanding. Having fully reviewed the evidence in this matter, as well as those documents provided yesterday by defense counsel, and keeping in mind the States burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the State finds the interest of justice is best served by the dismissal of the charges against this youth.

Neither Clyde or Timothy Cook could be reached for comment, but the elder Cook said on Facebook that his son can now move forward with his life to pursue his dreams as a Marine, get a higher education and serve our country proud.

Our prayer is that both New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy and NJ State ATtorney General Gurbir Grewal will use our case as a primary reason and example for the need of police reform, that will sweep across our nation, he wrote.

The tiny borough of only a quarter-mile has been repeatedly mentioned in the conversation on police use of force recently after Woodlynne Officer Ryan Dubiel was caught on video pepper spraying two teens without provocation.

The prosecutors office charged Dubiel with two counts of simple assault, and the attorney general noted he had been passed around eight different police departments before coming to the boroughs force. He has been suspended with intent to fire, the borough said.

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Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi speaks as he meets with President Donald Trump at the InterContinental Barclay hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, in New York. Read more

The State Department has declared that a former Egyptian leader now serving on the executive board of the International Monetary Fund should be immune from a federal lawsuit brought by a U.S. citizen seeking to hold him liable for torture, according to court filings Friday.

The decision followed allegations of a diplomatic pressure campaign by the government of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to block the lawsuit against former interim prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who was named to the IMF board in 2014.

Several U.S. lawmakers and human rights groups have accused Egypt of blackmailing the Trump administration by threatening to weaken their strategic partnership in the Middle East unless Washington intervenes to dismiss a lawsuit from Mohamed Soltan, 32. Since the suit was filed by Soltan, a Washington-based human rights advocate who was imprisoned for 21 months in Cairo, Egyptian authorities have imprisoned several of his Egyptian relatives, in what human rights groups say is a bid to silence him.

"If the State Department had any discretion here and they chose to use it to protect this guy, that would be outrageous," said Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., a former State Department appointee who spearheaded a letter from 11 House lawmakers urging the Egyptian government to release Soltan's relatives and affirming Soltan's right to sue under U.S. law.

"If I were at the State Department, my message to the Egyptians would be, 'You can challenge this case in a lawful manner and ask us for help, or you can kidnap the relatives of American citizens, in which case you can go to hell," Malinowski said. He cited U.S. law barring arms sales to governments engaged in a pattern of intimidation against American citizens.

Attorneys for Beblawi disclosed the U.S. "certification of immunity" in a filing Friday afternoon as part of a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed last month by Soltan, who was released in 2015 and has become vocal advocate for Egyptian prisoners, including several American citizens.

Foreign governments and leaders are typically immune from civil actions in U.S. courts. However, Soltan cited the U.S. Torture Victim Protection Act, a 1991 law that allows suits against those allegedly liable for torture or inhumane treatment that takes place anywhere in the world if the defendants are in the United States and no longer heads of state or government.

In a certification dated July 7 and signed by Clifton Seagroves, principal deputy director of the office of foreign missions, the State Department said Beblawi still qualifies as a diplomatic envoy as Egypt's "principal resident representative" to the IMF per United Nations agreements. The department notice, included in a court filing by Beblawi, said that under diplomatic convention he enjoys "full immunity" from criminal, civil and administrative actions in the United States.

Neither attorneys for Soltan nor a spokesperson for the Egyptian Embassy in Washington responded Friday to emailed requests for comment.

A State Department spokesperson said, "The welfare of all U.S. citizens overseas, especially those detained or incarcerated, remains a top priority for the State Department. We are not going to comment further on this pending legal matter."

Beblawi attorney Timothy Broas said in the filing that his defense recently received a copy of the notice and accompanying State Department diplomatic note. The response came after Broas told the court this month that the Egyptian government through its Washington embassy on June 21 said, "Mr. El Beblawi has immunity from suit, not only by virtue of his current diplomatic status, but also personal immunity due to his official position of Prime Minister of Egypt at the time of the events cited."

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of Washington, D.C., has given Soltan until July 28 to respond to Beblawi's bid to dismiss the case.

Earlier this month, lead Soltan attorney Eric Lewis called Egypt's actions "outrageous" in comments to Foreign Policy magazine, which quoted him as saying "[Torture] is a breach of international law. [This request] is basically an attempt by the Egyptians to call in a political favor and have the United States give a free pass to torture. That is contrary to law and contrary to our values."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee members Christopher Coons, D-Del., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., sent a private letter to Egypt's ambassador urging Egypt to "halt its harassment" and intimidation of the Soltan family, the magazine reported.

An Egyptian American raised mostly in the Midwest, Soltan is seeking damages for being shot, beaten and tortured during 643 days as a political prisoner in Cairo.

Since his arrest in August 2013, Soltan has become a high-profile critic of the Egyptian military government, and he alleged in his lawsuit he was "targeted" for assassination and "barbaric" abuse because he exposed the regime's suppression of Islamist and liberal dissidents that led to massacres in Cairo in August 2013.

The suit asserts Beblawi directed and monitored the abuse of Soltan, who worked as a liaison to foreign journalists during protests after the military-led ouster of Egypt's elected president, Mohamed Morsi.

Days after the lawsuit was filed, five of Soltan's relatives were forcibly taken by security forces from their homes last month, and his imprisoned father was interrogated, his lawyers told the court.

"There is no doubt that the government is holding my five apolitical cousins and dad hostage to pressure me into silence," Soltan said this month. "The ransom is dropping my lawsuit. They told my family so."

Human rights activists say that the Sissi government has arrested tens of thousands of people for political reasons - among them U.S. citizens such as Mustafa Kassem, 54, an auto parts dealer from New York who died in an Egyptian prison in January.

Relatives of more than two dozen political opponents, human rights workers, pro-democracy activists and journalists living abroad have been arrested in Egypt, slapped with travel bans or hauled into security offices for interrogation.

Mohamed Lotfy, executive director for the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, has said the government's message is, " 'We are watching you. We might not be able to harm you, but we can do worse by harming your relatives.' It's a very powerful tool."

In a diplomatic note filed by Beblawi's defense, the State Department said it certified Beblawi's immunity after receiving three diplomatic notes from Egypt's embassy. The certification also came one day after the department announced Egypt's release of another dual Egyptian American citizen from New Jersey, medical student Mohamed Amashah, who was held a prisoner for 486 days on political charges.

- - -

The Washington Posts Carol Morello contributed to this report.
Eighth Chinese peacekeeping contingent to Mali sets out for new mission

PLA Daily

Source: China Military Online

Editor: Li Jiayao

2020-07-17 16:36:11

By Liu Haipeng, Wu Xusheng and Yu Shenghang

SHENYANG, July 17 -- The servicemembers of the 8th Chinese peacekeeping troops to Mali attended the setting-out ceremony conducted by troops assigned to the PLA 79th Group Army on July 16, in blue berets and new-style combat camouflage uniforms.

The peacekeeping contingent, consisting of service members from the PLA 79th Group Army and No.967 Hospital under Shenyang Joint Logistics Support Center, were divided into guards, engineering and medical units.

In response to the geographical characteristics and mission requirements of the Mali mission area, the peacekeepers have made comprehensive preparations. For the possible security threats such as terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and car bombs in the preliminary combat training, they organized training and assessments around more than 100 practical subjects to ensure that they can effectively deal with such situations after arriving in the mission area. The medical contingent also managed to take more pandemic prevention materials than normal standard in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mali.

The 8th Chinese peacekeeping contingent will go to Mali in two batches in late July and mid-August seperately. They will take task rotations with the 7th Chinese peacekeeping contingent and start the one-year peacekeeping mission.

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Sometimes, when I'm particularly discouraged about how the U.S. is losing the battle against the coronavirus, I daydream about how much better off we'd be if Gina Raimondo, the hard-charging two-term governor of Rhode Island, were the one leading the nation's response to the pandemic instead of Mike Pence. She has wrestled covid-19 to the ground in her state and demonstrated ideas and resolve that could help guide the rest of the country in moving forward.

As a native Rhode Islander, I had long admired her penchant for solving difficult problems. Raimondo, the co-founder of Rhode Island's first venture capital firm, entered politics in 2010 when she ran for state treasurer. Why treasurer? Because, she once told me, she felt that her negotiating and business skills might allow her help fix the public employee pension system, which was both woefully underfunded and taking an increasing portion of the state's budget. She was right. In 2012, her pension-reform plan passed the legislature with bipartisan support and helped pave the way to her run for governor.

The coronavirus crisis wasn't exactly something Raimondo - or any other governor - planned for. But it very much played to her strengths. She believes that you gather good information wherever you can find it; "not invented here" is not in her vocabulary.

Thus she studied countries such as South Korea and New Zealand, which had early successes against the coronavirus, and adopted their strategies as her own. If she had been in charge of a national effort, the country would already have a much better testing system.

"I had this moment of clarity very early on, at 2 a.m. when I was working in my home alone," she told Politico last week. "There's no way you can outrun this thing. You have to stay a step ahead. That's when we said we need aggressive testing, very aggressive contact tracing and social distancing. We came to the realization earlier than some other places, because it seemed like the only way to keep a lid on the virus."

Then she would have - and these are her words, describing what the president should have done - "immediately gotten CEOs into the Oval Office early in the year, and used the Defense Production Act to mobilize all the best of what America has to offer - innovation, testing, PPE, medical products." But with the White House missing in action, she had to figure out how to mobilize with the resources available to her.

April was rough for Rhode Island, just as it was for other Northeastern states like Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. New positive cases peaked on April 27, with 430, with a 7-day average of 15 deaths a day. By then, she recognized the importance that private industry can play in combating the pandemic.

She persuaded CVS, the state's largest employer, to partner with Rhode Island in making tests widely available. She employed the National Guard to set up drive-through test sites across the state. (Rhode Island has tested 25% of its population.)

Then she did something else that showed her willingness to come up with bold solutions to combat the pandemic. She reached out to Marc Benioff, the chief executive officer of Salesforce.com Inc., a man she'd never met before. Raimondo realized that Salesforce's bread and butter - customer relationship management software - could be adapted easily to conduct significant contact tracing. One Friday night in April, she cold-called Benioff.

"God bless him," she told Politico, "they sent a whole team of people to Rhode Island, virtually, for free, and helped us build software for our contact tracers." She added, "I'm comfortable with calling business leaders and asking them to pitch in, and I knew technology was going to be vital."

Benioff told me that he's never met a politician like Raimondo before. "This is not a hands-off executive," he told me. "She was in the middle of everything - supervising the technology, constantly calling and texting me to tell me what needed to be changed." He added, "She had a lot of clarity. The software was her inspiration."

"So she helped design the contact tracing tool?" I asked him. "No," he replied with a laugh. "She designed it." Salesforce has since commercialized the technology and launched Work.com, a platform designed to help companies and other institutions mitigate the spread of the virus when offices begin to reopen.

"I was at a school yesterday," Benioff said. "Schools are going to have to use this tool. What happens when someone in the school tests positive? You need to know where that person was yesterday and who they were in contact with." In other words, the governor of Rhode Island has been instrumental in developing a piece of software that is going to play a vital role in helping the U.S. get back on its feet. And you wonder why I imagine where we would be now if she had been the country's lead pandemic-fighter?

In the Politico interview, Raimondo talked about how important it was not be swayed by criticism that, for instance, she was violating freedoms by insisting that people wear masks. "I felt so responsible to minimize the loss of life," she said. "So the criticism never had any impact on me. I knew how bad this could get."

Geographically, of course, Little Rhody is the smallest state in the U.S. Its population is a hair over 1 million. One could argue that it was easier to contain the pandemic in Rhode Island than in other parts of the country. But remember, all the nearby states were getting clobbered. And Raimondo couldn't stop people from other states from coming to Rhode Island, the way Jacinda Ardern could temporarily seal New Zealand's borders. (Remember Raimondo's dust-up with Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York when she threatened to quarantine anybody coming from New York? Raimondo backed down.)

Besides, there are other states with as few or fewer residents than Rhode Island - Alaska, North Dakota, Delaware - that are experiencing a surge in positive cases now. Meanwhile, the 7-day average for Covid-19 deaths in Rhode Island has dropped to two. There are currently 4 people in ICU beds. Raimondo has now turned her attention to the next big task: making sure that the state's public schools can open safely in the fall.

"It's a lot of detail-oriented issues, a lot more testing and tracing, mask wearing for older kids, a lot of creativity around transportation, a lot more Plexiglas," she said. She is devoting $50 million to the effort. Other states with brewing battles among parents, teachers and politicians about plans to open schools could do worse than look to how Raimondo is handling it.

Raimondo is said to be among the women Joe Biden is considering as his running mate. (George Will is among those promoting her candidacy.) In terms of star power or geography, she wouldn't add much to the ticket. But she has something the country truly needs now - something that it's yearning for as it muddles through this crisis. She is supremely competent. And competence is what it's going to take to finally beat this virus.

- - -

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Nocera is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business. He has written business columns for Esquire, GQ and the New York Times, and is the former editorial director of Fortune. His latest project is the Bloomberg-Wondery podcast "The Shrink Next Door."
Russia has denied hacking Oxford University's Covid-19 data as they have signed a deal with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the college to produce a vaccine.

Moscow's sovereign wealth fund publicly announced details of the agreement after the Kremlin was accused of engaging in cyber espionage.

Britain, Canada and the United States said on Thursday that hackers backed by the Russian state were trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world - allegations the Kremlin denied.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, pictured right, along with president Vladimir Putin said Moscow has no need to steal vaccine information from Oxford University as it has already signed a deal to produce the medication

Oxford University is working on a Covid-19 vaccine along with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, however, Russia's sovereign wealth fund has also joined the effort

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said in an interview on Friday that Moscow did not need to steal secrets as it already had a deal with AstraZeneca to manufacture the potential British vaccine in Russia.

Dmitriev said: 'AstraZeneca already has an agreement.... with R-Pharm (an RDIF portfolio company) on the complete localisation and production of the Oxford vaccine in Russia'.

Alexey Repik, R-Pharm's board chairman, said on Friday his company had signed the deal.

'There's nothing that needs to be stolen,' Dmitriev, who is involved in coordinating Russia's own pursuit of a vaccine, told Reuters. 'It's all going to be given to Russia.'

AstraZeneca declined to comment. It said last month it was in talks with Russia and other countries about supply deals for its potential coronavirus vaccine.

Dmitriev said Russia's acquisition of the British-developed vaccine was designed to complement, not replace its own home-grown vaccine, the one that Moscow is focusing on developing.

Western allegations that Moscow was trying to steal vaccine secrets looked like an attempt to undermine the credibility of Russia's own vaccine, he said, describing it as one of the world's most promising, together with the Oxford vaccine and a Chinese-developed one.

'Those attacks show that other countries are not having an open approach, they are not happy for the Russian vaccine to succeed, and they are jealous of the Russian vaccine possibly being the first one and possibly being more efficient than others,' he said.

'It's part of the global (vaccine) competition.'

Dominic Grieve, former chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, who prepared a report on Moscow's interference in the UK told The Telegraph: 'The Russians are masters at disinformation, and what they say cannot ever be taken at face value.

'I have no reason to think the UK Government is misleading the public and every reason to suppose that our security services have been categorically professional in tracking down where this hack came from.'

Dmitriev has said Russia's own vaccine is set for regulatory approval next month and to be administered to a large swath of the Russian population in September. If that happens, that would make it the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world to be approved.

The first human trial of the vaccine, a month-long test on 38 people, ended this week. Researchers concluded that it was safe for use and induced an immune response, though the strength of that response remains unclear

The first human trial of the vaccine, a month-long test on 38 people, ended this week. Researchers concluded that it was safe for use and induced an immune response, though the strength of that response remains unclear.

A larger Phase III trial involving several thousand people is expected to begin in August after a 100-person Phase II trial wraps up on August 3.

Dmitriev, who has been injected himself with the Russian vaccine, said he believed it was superior to others. He said its effect lasted longer, it was based on proven virus technology, and had so far shown no side effects including on female fertility. Reuters could not verify those assertions.

The global vaccine race was about scientific prestige, international cooperation, and Russia's desire to vaccinate its own population as quickly as possible in order to resume full economic activity, he said.

Rolling out a vaccine would not be a big money-spinner, said Dmitriev, because the Russian-made vaccine would be sold at not-for-profit prices and be free at point of delivery inside Russia.

Russia's interest in the Oxford vaccine, which he described as 'very good', stemmed from a desire to help international efforts to roll out a vaccine. Moscow will deliver the British-developed vaccine to other countries who want it, he said.
The United Arab Emirates' Mars spacecraft is now scheduled to head into space Monday from Japan, Mitsubishi said in a press release.

The Japanese company, which manufactured the spacecraft, said there could be further delays for the historic mission due to weather conditions.

It is the second delay of the launch of the spacecraft, named Hope (Amal), because of weather conditions. The probe was supposed to launch from the island of Tanegashima on Wednesday, but the mission was postponed until Thursday because of poor weather conditions there, and then delayed again.

The mission will be the first of its kind by a country in the Arab world. Hope is to reach Mars orbit in February and spend 687 days there studying its properties. The findings will help humans understanding of global dust storms in particular, the European Space Agency told the state-run Emirates News Agency.

Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Rashid al-Maktoum, who is the government leader of the endeavor, said the Hope mission aims to make the Emirates and Arab states competitive with the rest of the world in scientific discovery.

Our journey to Mars is a message of hope to all Arabs that we can compete with the world in science and technology, he said, as reported by Emirates News Agency. The UAE today leads the Arab knowledge transformation.
Ontario education requires transformational leadership, July 12

We do now need transformational leadership. We are so fortunate that we finally have it through this government and Education Minister Stephen Lecce, who has made it clear that not only is there systemic discrimination within all levels of the system, but that action must be taken now to bring about meaningful change.

Discrimination within the system has been reported for years. Students of different races, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and needs have suffered for far too long.

Previous governments allowed boards of education, staff, teacher unions and the college of teachers to deny, delay, deflect and find excuses for not addressing the root of the problem: institutionalized racism and able-ism.

Thanks to Lecce for letting everyone know they must begin to take appropriate and meaningful actions to achieve equity and inclusion for all students. Their roles and responsibilities have one major common component: to serve the students and to act in their best interests.

Christin Ferreira, Scarborough

Because Black Lives Matter, we applaud the Ministry of Educations decision to end streaming in Grade 9 and to stop suspending elementary school students.

It is essential to address systemic racism and promote equitable education and life opportunities.

The good news is that many teachers can and already do provide effective instruction for students of all backgrounds and abilities, learning together.

Faculties of education prepare educators to respect and encourage students as individuals, not according to levels and limits.

Students who are valued members of diverse classrooms learn better academically and learn how to create a more equitable society.

Paula Boutis, Integration Action for Inclusion

Sick Kids has recommended a full return to school in the fall, yet this is not Education Minister Stephen Lecces plan.

Instead, there is a potential plan for part-time schooling. This only serves those who do not work full time or have regular access to daycare. It does not address the needs of working parents.

Part-time school or hybrid models serve to create economic separations.

When child care spaces are not available, and family members are not able to help with care, it will be the parents, most likely mothers, who are forced to leave their employment or become under-employed.

A responsible government would be working directly with school boards, teachers and parents to ensure our children are cared for physically and mentally.

A responsible government would fund more janitorial services, have a cleaning plan for schools, stagger entrance and break times, and hire more teachers to reduce class sizes.

A responsible government would have a plan to support the mental well-being of our children who have suffered great stresses during this time.

Brenda Mackey, Burks Falls, Ont.

Step away from streaming a good first move for PCs, Cohn, July 11

Martin Cohns column on destreaming math makes some good points. And, in a perfectly funded classroom, with smaller class sizes so teachers can help students more effectively, and teacher assistants to provide one-to-one help, destreaming might live up to its promise.

However, one problem that has been overlooked is the math curriculum: For years it has been too wordy and confusing.

Students have been subjected to a math curriculum that has left most of them confused and unable to do math. So they view themselves as being no good at math and have no interest in considering careers that need math. Its our loss as a community.

Destreamed math courses in Grade 9 will have students who are products of this poorly designed and implemented grade school math curriculum. This combination will not add up to success.

Dianne Ness, East York

Ontario education requires transformational leadership, Gooch, July 12

Tiffanys Goochs column raises issues with which I agree completely: about the need for the government and the education sector to approach the very challenging opening of schools in a safe manner for all concerned in a collaborative manner.

However, when she places the blame solely on the minister for having sown distrust during the recent negotiations, I think she is missing some balance.

Salary negotiations between unions and employers are set up, by their very nature, as oppositional. Positions are taken, angry things are said in the heat of those sessions by both sides.

It would be nice if it werent so. But it is. It would be nice if co-operation were the way of conducting these negotiations. It would certainly be helpful at this time.

But to blame the minister solely for this state of affairs is not fair. The union leadership must take some responsibility.

Bill McInerney, Fonthill, Ont.

Ending streaming is long overdue, Editorial, July 6

The problem isnt streaming, but rather chronic neglect and underfunding of applied level programs by a succession of governments, both Liberal and Conservative, since the 1990s.

When I was a teenager in the 1980s, my small-town high school could boast of its first-rate woodworking, welding, auto and machine tool shops, all packed with industrial grade equipment.

The instructors were knowledgeable about their crafts and dedicated to the students who werent especially bookish or academically inclined, but loved to fix engines or create beautiful ironwork and hardwood furniture.

Sadly, fiscal austerity executed in the name of the Harris governments commonsense revolution decimated many of these courses, all of which are quite expensive to operate.

Much needed reinvestment in applied-level learning, not de-streaming, is what Ontario requires as part of a post-pandemic economy recovery.

Alec Lalonde, Ottawa

Streaming is an insidious form of systemic discrimination, Letters, July 9

Streaming was never created to discriminate against students of different races, backgrounds and abilities/disabilities; it was intended to give students an alternative to university who had little chance or interest to succeed in academics, but could enter into applied arts.

Faculties of education do teach all teachers the best practices to enable them to teach all students. But placing students of all levels in one classroom has proven to be an unworkable situation.

There are numerous barriers that exist for students in achieving equity in the classroom. But removing streaming wont solve that.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday accused China of trying to dominate the global communications networks and systems and slammed it, once again, for crushing freedom in Hong Kong and forcing mass abortions and sterilization among Uighur muslims in Xinjiang.

The departments of state and treasury also designated five Chinese nationals and two entities for alleged involvement in trafficking of synthetic opioids.

The Chinese Communist Party is crushing freedom in Hong Kong, Pompeo said at the annual summit of the Family Leader, a conservative group, in Iowa state. Its threatening a free Taiwan. Its trying to dominate world communications networks, including those right here in places like Iowa.

The secretary of state was referring to the Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE that have designated national security threats by the US and telecom companies are barred from receiving federal subsidies for buying their equipment, popular in rural America including Iowa.

The Trump administration has also pushed other countries to bar these Chinese companies. And it welcomed this week the decision of the United Kingdom to bar Huawei from participating in the roll out of the 5G network.

India, which banned 56 Chinese apps in retaliation for the Galwan clashes, could also bar Huawei from its 5G network, according to reports.

The United States has escalated attacks on China in recent weeks, followed by punitive measures in many instances, over an entire range of issues  including the new national security law for Hong Kong, mistreatment of Uighur muslims.

President Donald Trump signed into law earlier this week a legislations that empowers his administration to announce sanctions against China for the Hong Kong security law. He also signed an executive order the same day that preferential treatment for Hong Kong, which, though an earlier directive, will be denied high-tech exports.

The administration is also reported to be considering visa bans on officials of the ruling Chinese Communist Party and their relatives, and throw out those already in the US. The ban could extend to officials of the Peoples Liberation Army, according t reports. Or could be narrowed and just pick the 25 member so the politburo.

The Trump administration announced sanctions against several Chinese officials last week for human rights abuses against Uighur muslims, including a member of the CCP  Chen Quanguo, who is a member of Chinas 25-member ruling politburo and party secretary of the Xinjiang region.

A few weeks back I read a report about the Chinese Communist Party forcing mass abortions and sterilization on Chinese Muslims in Western China., Pompeo said Friday about the mistreatment of Uighurs. These are some of the most gross human rights violations we have seen and Ive referred to it as the stain of the century.
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The date for the construction of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya will be discussed on Saturday as members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will meet in the temple town.

Nripendra Mishra, Prime Minister Narendra Modis former principal secretary and also the chairperson of the committee for the construction of the temple, will be present at the meeting.

He will come with a date that has been approved by the Prime Minister, news agency ANI reported quoting an unnamed source.

Mishra reached Ayodhya on Thursday along with KK Sharma, the trusts security adviser and the Border Security Forces (BSFs) former director general, and met various members.

Reports have said the construction of the Ram Temple is likely to begin in August after it was stopped amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The trusts president Nritya Gopal Das has sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi to invite him to conduct the Bhumi Pujan of the Ram Mandir on the occasion of its foundation laying ceremony, his spokesperson Mahant Kamal Nayan Das has said.

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat will be present on the occasion of the beginning of temple construction.

The construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya has been defining issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was on its election manifesto for more than two decades.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Trust was formed by the central government after the Supreme Courts directive on November 9 last year to facilitate the construction of a temple.

While the construction ceremony was supposed to be celebrated with many Union ministers, chief ministers and other important dignitaries in attendance, the list of attendees is likely to have only PM Modi, Bhagwat, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, few ministers and MPs from the region because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The members of temple trust said while the programme of Shilanyas has been done at Singh Dwara, it was not a proper ceremony.

Bhoomi pujan will be done at the garbha griha to begin the temple construction. This is the formal beginning of the temple construction for which invites have been sent out, ANI quoted another source as saying.

Ved Prakash Gupta, the BJP legislator in Ayodhya, said efforts are on to bring the Prime Minister to Ayodhya to inaugurate the construction of Ram Mandir.

Gupta said if the Prime Minister comes to Ayodhya, its destiny will change and the dream of making Ayodhya like the Vatican City will come true.

(With agency inputs)
Researchers at the University of Gottingen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology Leipzig-Halle have described a promising approach to treating Alzheimers disease.

The results have been published in the journal Biochemistry.

With over 1.2 million people affected in Germany alone and over 50 million people worldwide, Alzheimers disease also referred to simply as Alzheimers, is one of the greatest medical and social challenges of our time. Due to pathological changes in the brain, patients become increasingly forgetful and disoriented as the disease progresses. In the worst cases, even close relatives are no longer recognized and simple household tasks can no longer be carried out independently. This means care is needed for those affected.

Despite intensive research, Alzheimers disease is still considered incurable today. For the study, Professor Kai Tittmann from the Gottingen Centre for Molecular Biosciences worked together with researchers from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Gottingen and the team led by Professor Hans-Ulrich Demuth from Fraunhofer IZI in Halle.

Several years ago, the team from Halle discovered that a specific enzyme that is part of the human brains hormone metabolism plays a critical pathophysiological role in the development of Alzheimers disease, in addition to its actual biological function of hormone maturation. The first inhibitors of this enzyme, which inhibit specific pathological processes, have already produced promising results.

In order to give these active ingredients a chemical tailor-made suit, the research team investigated the enzymes reaction mechanism using protein crystallography. This enabled us to obtain snapshots of the working enzyme for the first time, says senior author Tittmann. This made it possible to build novel inhibitors where the principle of the design is based on the natural reaction.

These inhibitors, therefore, lead to highly selective binding without the risk of dangerous side effects. The scientists also succeeded in determining an atomic structure of the human enzyme with the new substance. This forms an important basis for further development of the inhibitors. We are confident that our results will lead to the development of a new, highly selective generation of Alzheimers drugs, explained Demuth.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.Only the headline has been changed.)

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I purchased shares in an ASX-listed company and entered its dividend reinvestment plan, with new shares allocated to me every six months. I want to sell some of these shares now. Which parcel sells first when you place a sell order  the longest held or the most recent acquisitions? Can I claim capital losses for shares bought for a higher price than they are now valued at on the market? E.F.

It's your choice. As long as you have well-documented records proving when each parcel was purchased  and dividends reinvested  you can nominate which ones to sell.

Credit:Peter Braig

Each dividend reinvested results in a purchase of shares, with their cost base for determining Capital Gains Tax. Whichever ones you sell, capital losses can be carried forward indefinitely, to be offset against future capital gains (but not income).

However, a last in, first out, or LIFO, rule applies for shares for which you claim a franking credit.
A group of prominent epidemiologists issued a call yesterday for a strict lockdown of Victoria, including the closure of schools and non-essential businesses, as coronavirus transmission in the state continues, despite the imposition of limited restrictions across Melbourne.

The appeal came as Victoria surpassed the previous record for the most daily infections in a state for the third time in a week, with 428 news cases recorded yesterday.

Todays tally of 217 new infections follows 317 on Thursday, and is the ninth straight day of infections approaching or above 200 in the state. There are well over 2,100 active cases in Victoria, the highest figure since the pandemic began.

The number of people who are requiring hospitalisation and intensive care is rising, with warnings that hundreds more people will become seriously ill over the coming week.

In a letter to the Medical Journal of Australia published yesterday, the health experts warned that the existing partial lockdown of Melbourne would fail to clear community transmission of the virus prior to its scheduled conclusion in five weeks time. This meant that even if the current outbreak was contained, further surges would be all but inevitable.

The epidemiologists, who include University of Melbourne professors Dr Tony Blakely and Dr Jason Thompson, provided a detailed review of several potential public health responses and concluded with a ten-point plan.

It advocates the immediate closure of all schools, warning that while children may be less likely to become severely unwell, they can contract and transmit the virus. Teachers and staff, many of whom are in at risk demographics, are also being exposed to danger.

The doctors bluntly state that it is necessary to Tighten the definition of essential shops to remain open. Supermarkets and chemists need to remain open. However, department stores, hardware stores, and such like should be closed.

They also call for a tightening of the definition of essential workers, a category that was described by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in March as including anyone who has a job. This has resulted in broad sections of the workforce being compelled to remain on the job, solely in the interests of corporate profit. Tens of thousands of construction workers, for instance, have been placed at risk throughout the pandemic, so that multi-billion dollar property development, deemed as essential, proceeds.

The epidemiologists advocate the establishment of an advisory group of experts, and for the agenda, papers and minutes of discussions on the response to the virus to be made publicly-available.

This demand follows the refusal of Victorian authorities to provide clear information on such crucial issues as the extent of capacity in the hospital system and the number of medical institutions hit by outbreaks, and revelations of cover-ups, including how many health workers have been infected.

While it is written in the cautious language customary for medical journals, the letter is a clear rebuke of the state and federal governments that have prematurely lifted coronavirus restrictions since May, as part of a pro-business back-to-work drive. It is a further exposure of the criminally negligent character of this campaign, which has been motivated by the predatory interests of the corporate and financial elite, rather than any public health considerations.

Most significantly, the epidemiologists explicitly call for a strategy aimed at eliminating community transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria.

All of the governments, Liberal and Labor alike, have previously rejected this on the grounds that the lockdowns required would have too great an impact on business. Instead, they have agreed to a suppression strategy, under which the virus continues to circulate, but will supposedly be kept at manageable levels through localised restrictions, contact-tracing and testing.

The consequences of this policy have played out in Victorias surge over the past several weeks. As case numbers grew rapidly, the Labor government of Premier Daniel Andrews imposed a limited lockdown in ten Melbourne postcodes at the beginning of the month.

Only when it was clear that the measure had failed to contain the spread was a lockdown of all of Melbourne introduced on July 10.

As the epidemiologists letter indicates, however, the lockdown is largely in name only. It includes measures restricting private social interactions and public gatherings, but stops at the gates of schools and most workplaces.

Teachers throughout the state were forced to return to schools last week, along with an older cohort of students, despite more than 40 schools and 90 child care centres having to temporarily close last term after infections were detected. The worst outbreak, at Al-Taqwa College in Melbournes west, has resulted in almost 160 cases.

Large workplaces, including factories and meatworks, where social distancing is impossible, are also emerging as centres of infection. Clusters have broken out at two meatworks in Melbourne, with 37 infections at Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham and 29 cases at JBS Australia at Brooklyn.

Smaller clusters have been linked to city offices that have remained open, along with retail outlets and restaurants.

There are dozens of cases at 32 aged-care facilities across the state, while todays cases included the first known infection of an Australian prisoner, prompting fears of a rapid spread through the penitentiary system. There are small case numbers in most rural and regional centres.

The healthcare system is on the precipice of a breakdown, with hundreds of doctors and nurses infected. Victorian authorities revealed yesterday that more than 150 health workers currently have COVID-19, but refused to say which facilities they had been working at. One report by Nine Media cited a union source who claimed that 800 medical staff across Victoria are either infected or self-isolating because they have potentially been exposed to the virus.

Hospitalisations have surged, with at least 110 people currently requiring treatment, a figure that has doubled in the space of a less than week. Around a quarter of them are in intensive care.

Two more deaths were reported this morning, bringing the states total since the pandemic began to 34. That figure was just 23 on July 10.

Announcing yesterdays record infection toll, Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton spoke of our daily tragedy. He noted that of the 428 people who had contracted the virus, dozens would fall seriously ill, and at least several would die. The medical official correctly warned that even those who recover could be left with symptoms for months, years or even the rest of their lives.

But today, the tone was very different. Premier Andrews said the tally of 217 new infections was a relief, because it was lower than Friday. He brushed over the fact that 205 of the infections are still under investigation, meaning that their origin is unknown and indicating widespread community transmission.

Andrews rejected calls for tighter lockdown measures, branding any changes as premature, a stand supported by the Morrison Coalition government.

In response, corporate journalists, who have functioned as the affluent cheerleaders of the pro-business reopening of the economy, rushed to Twitter to proclaim their relief that only 217 people had been infected with a potentially deadly virus. The two victims of the pandemic, whose deaths were announced this morning, barely rated a mention.

Meanwhile, in New South Wales, the state Liberal government has ruled out any lockdown measures, however partial. Infections are continuing to be reported in the state each day, in either the high single digits or the low double digits. Community transmission appears to have resumed, with some cases of unknown origin.

The official response to the surge is a graphic demonstration that the fight against the pandemic, including for the implementation of the recommendations of public health experts, requires the independent political intervention of the working class. The struggle against the pandemic is inseparable from the fight against the corporate and financial elite and the governments that represent it.
South Africa: President Ramaphosa engages children on Mandela Day

President Cyril Ramaphosa has encouraged children to cultivate a love of reading while also urging them to subscribe to good values.

The President said this during a virtual book reading session with children of Ikageng Orphanage, which is based in Orlando West.

Its important to know what Nelson Mandelas thoughts were because he loved children. If he had still been alive, he would have been there with you, said President Ramaphosa on Saturday.

In his Mandela Day session with children from the orphanage, the President spoke of the former Presidents love for children.

 One of the things that he said that was wonderful was that young people throughout the world are determined to grow a new world of happiness and hope in their lifetime.

President Ramaphosa also encouraged young people to attain the highest level of education they possibly can.

To him [Mandela] education was what would unlock a better life for young people. He said education is an important weapon to prepare children for their future roles as leaders of the community.

Young people must attaint the highest education possible so that they can represent us well in the future as future leaders, said the President.

Touching on Tata Madibas love of reading, the President said reading can contribute to a brighter future.

You become educated not only by what you are taught in the classroom, but also by what you teach yourself on an ongoing basis as you broaden your knowledge by reading. Fall in love with books, explore the world through reading.

As many around the world are commemorating what would have been Mandelas 102nd birthday, President Ramaphosa encouraged children to believe in themselves.

Madiba was one of the wisest leaders that our country has ever produced. He was one of the wisest leaders that the world has ever seen. He got to that level through immersing himself in books. He also knew that we do have difficulties in our lives but he said we must never lose hope.

Believe in yourself as Madiba believed in himself, focus on the future that you want to have no matter what the difficulties are. If you are armed with education, the ability to seek knowledge and to be hungry for knowledge and if in the end you subscribe to the important values in our lives as a people you will go far, he said. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
- South Africa will get a boost in its Covid-19 response thanks to the Netherlands

- The Netherlands have donated 130 879 vials of GLY solution to be used by National Health Laboratories Services

- This comes after a call between the foreign departments of both the Netherlands and South Africa

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The Netherlands has provided more than 130 000 vials of GLY solution to the South African government, to be used to ramp up Covid-19 testing.

Glucose-Lactalbumin-Yeast is a virus transportation medium for human samples used in testing and diagnosing the Covid-19 virus.

The vials arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday aboard a cargo flight from Amsterdam.

According to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa, the donation of the 130 879 vials will be used by the National Health Laboratories Services (NHLS) to enable it to boost testing.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor requested assistance from the Netherlands and they respond swiftly.

Source: Getty Images

READ ALSO: Africa's Covid-19 cases remain lower than initially predicted

News24 reported that the delivery comes less than a fortnight after Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor requested assistance from Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok, the embassy said.

"The request for assistance came during a call between ministers Blok and Pandor to discuss a range of international issues, including the AU-EU partnership and the global Covid-19 pandemic," it said.

Pandor and Blok exchanged their governments' experiences in responding to the crisis and identified areas of additional cooperation and international assistance

Pandor indicated some areas where the international community could be of assistance to the country during this challenging time.

The embassy said the Netherlands was in a position to secure and transport a substantial supply of GLY, a solution which improves the sensitivity of Covid-19 test results.

Meanwhile, Briefly.co.za reported that a team of German technical experts arrived in South Africa on Thursday to provide essential services to local German businesses and local entities, such as struggling power utility Eskom.

This follows an agreement between the International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, supported by the efforts of the South-African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Party to the agreement are Lufthansa and the German Embassy, together with the other relevant South African authorities.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!

Source: Briefly News
Ho Chi Minh Citys Department of Tourism and Department of Health have collaborated to introduce the first website in Vietnam aimed at promoting medical tourism.

The website was unveiled at a medical tourism conference in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

Available at dulichytetphcm.com, the website provides visitors with official information about the healthcare facilities and services on offer in the city.

Tourists to the city can enjoy medical packages for services such as dental care, gynecology, health screening, aesthetic medicine, and traditional medicine.

In addition to high-quality health professionals, medical services in Ho Chi Minh City also offer more accessibility and competitive pricing compared to other countries in the region, the municipal tourism and health departments said.

In the immediate future, the medical tourism packages will be available on an on-demand basis.

More packages are expected to be launched in the future to meet wider healthcare needs while aiming to attract both domestic and foreign tourists.

In addition to ecotourism, agritourism and inland waterway tourism, medical tourism is an emerging sector with great potential for growth in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City, especially as the Southeast Asian country has been internationally recognized for sucessfully containing the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, said Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the municipal tourism department.

Data shows that more and more foreign tourists are coming to Vietnam for healthcare services, with the sector valued at around US$2 billion.

In 2018, about 300,000 foreigners arrived in Vietnam for health examinations, with 57,000 receiving in-patient care, 40 percent of whom received treatment in Ho Chi Minh City.

Such figures indicate great potential for the development of medical tourism in Vietnam in the future.

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Last week President Trump gave AEIs Marc Thiessen an interview in the Oval Office for Thiessens Washington Post column. Thiessen reported on the interview in two columns that AEI has now posted in An interview with President Trump: The real hate is the hate from the other side.

From column 1, Trump speaks on the left and the statue follies: Theyre trying to take everything down. And I think theyre crazy, but I also think theyre evil. Theres an evilness to it. I cant believe that theres not more pushback. I mean, I push back. But people who are on the other side of the issue, are like lambs being led to slaughter. Theyre like lambs being led to slaughter. Theyre going to get slaughtered if they dont push back.

They want to cancel everything. They want to cancel the good and the bad. They started off by canceling things that were controversial, and I actually said years ago. . . . Well, does that mean that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are next? And it turns out that they are next. . . . I was sort of half-joking, and people are now saying Trump was right. These people are crazy. Theyve gone stone-cold crazy.

From column 2, Thiessen reports: During an Oval Office interview with me this week, President Trump acknowledged for the first time that, in 2018, he authorized a covert cyberattack against Russias Internet Research Agency, the St. Petersburg-based troll farm that spearheaded Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and was doing the same in the 2018 midterm elections. Asked whether he had launched the attack, Trump replied: Correct.

Thiessen adds: The cyberattack was previously reported in The Post, but Trump had never officially confirmed it until now. Senior US officials also confirmed for me that the strike occurred and was effective, taking the Internet Research Agency offline.

And this:

During our interview, Trump said the cyberattack was part of a broader policy of confronting Russia throughout the world. Nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have, he said. The president offered a litany of actions he has taken to counteract Russia. I could give you 30 different things, he said. I sent [Ukraine] a massive number of antitank busters. I sent them military equipment and Obama sent them nothing. Thats against Russia, he says. I made us the number one oil-producing country in the world. It wasnt even close. I made us number one  thats bad for Russia. The president also cited his pressure on Germany to cancel the Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline from Russia and avoid becoming even more dependent on Moscow than it already is. Germany is paying billions of dollars, billions to Russia, Trump says. And were supposed to protect Germany from Russia. How does that work? But his biggest move of all to counter Russia, Trump said, has been his restoration of Americas military: I rebuilt our military. We now have the newest military weve ever had. . . . Thats not good for Russia either. You understand?

The first column of these column is interesting in its own right. The second is newsworthy. Both are worth reading in their entirety, though neither seems to have gotten the attention it deserves.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Due to the coronavirus pandemic that has affected not only the lives of millions but also the economy, it is with great sadness that we announce the Boeing 747 fleet's retirement effective immediately. Thank you for flying with us and we hope to see you again on our future flights.

This move has come from none other than British Airways as the company noted the travel downturn and the pricey operating costs for the Boeing 747 aircraft in a report from The New York Times.

Although there were plans to retire the remaining Boeing 747 fleet by 2024, the COVID-19 pandemic made the company accelerate the timetable.

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect," British Airways said in a statement. "It is unlikely our magnificent 'Queen of the Skies' will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again due to the downturn in travel caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic."

But this does not mean that British Airways will be closing down as some parts of the British Airways fleet may fly again with engine components and metal from the fuselage often stripped for other uses. Specialist companies are hired to dismantle and scrap planes that airlines no longer fly.

Even before the pandemic began, British Airways was in a jam. Plans have been made since April by the parent organization, International Airlines Group, to restructure British Airways that could result in up to 12,000 people losing their jobs.





Read Also: Twitter Gangs Up On United Airlines Once More After Giant Rabbit's Death





The Boeing 747's Legacy in British Airways

For travellers who usually explore the world on a budget, they may not realize that the UK airline is the world's largest operator of the jumbo jets, with 31 in their fleet.

Here are some fun facts provided by the BBC about the Boeing 747's contribution over the years:

The first Boeing 747 flight took place in February 1969 and the first plane to fly from London to Sydney non-stop in 1989

This was the very first airplane that was called a "jumbo jet"

Before British Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) operated its first 747 flight, flying from London to New York in 1971

This is by far the fastest operating commercial plane, with a top speed of just over 650mph

3.5 billion passengers transported in 50 years

In a report from USA Today, they reported that British Airways' 747-400s have a capacity of 345 passengers and can reach a top speed of 614 mph (988 kph).

"While the aircraft will always have a special place in our heart, as we head into the future we will be operating more flights on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft," said a statement from the airline.

Qantas Airways is among the other carriers to recently retire the 747, offering farewell "joy flights" above Australian cities earlier this week.

Read Also: Airlines Could Ban In-Flight Hazmat Suits
Kangana Ranaut has said she will return her Padma Shri award if she is unable to prove the claims she has made about actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide. After Sushant died by suicide on June 14, the actress had released a couple of videos on social media accusing several members of the film industry of propagating nepotism.

Kangana had talked about the pressure and rejection he was facing from Bollywood and the media. She had bashed journalists for writing blind items on celebrities without taking names. She also questioned whether Sushant Singh Rajput's death was a "suicide or a planned murder".

The actress has now said that if she cannot prove the claims she has made, she'll return the honour bestowed upon her by the Indian government.

"They (Mumbai Police) summoned me, and I asked them too, that I'm in Manali, that you can send somebody to take my statement, but I have not received anything after that. I am telling you, if I have said anything, which I can't testify, which I can't prove, and which is not in public domain, I will return my Padma Shri," Kangana told Republic TV.

"I don't deserve it. I am not that person who will go on record (to make such statements), and everything that I have said is in public domain," she added.

Kangana continued, "Tomorrow, needy outsiders like Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhasker will get up and say that they love this industry. I am only saying if you love this industry and if you love Karan Johar, then why are you not getting work like Alia or Ananya? Their whole existence is proof of nepotism. There will be articles that will make me look like a mad person after this, I know."

Earlier this month, Kangana's team had denied that the actress was called in by the Mumbai Police. Her team had tweeted on July 2, "Ms #KanganaRanaut hasn't received any such request from @MumbaiPolice yet, but as and when she does, she is more than willing to co-operate."

Read: Kangana Ranaut Denies Being Called for Questioning in Sushant Singh Rajput Case
Keanu Reeves is just as eager to play John Constantine again (Image by Warner Bros)

When Constantine was released all the way back in 2005, audiences and critics failed to be impressed by the comic-book adaptation.

Not only did it gross just 183.7 million ($230,9 million), after costing around 87.50 million ($100 million) to make, but it only has a score of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, too.

Read More: Keanu Reeves has written his very own comic-book 'BRZRKR'

But over the years the film has amassed a cult following. There have even been various rumours that a follow-up to the detective movie could still happen, with Keanu Reeves still linked to returning in the titular role as John Constantine.

Director Francis Lawrence was recently asked abut a Constantine sequel by Slash Film, and The Hunger Games and Red Sparrow director admitted that he has already held talks with Reeves about a follow-up film.

ITALY - FEBRUARY 10: The 40-year-old actor plays a demon-fighting supernatural detective."Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book "Hellblazer," "Constantine" is the feature-film directorial debut of Francis Lawrence, who previously directed videos for artists like Britney Spears , Will Smith, and Aerosmith. Left: director Francis Lawrence in Rome, Italy on February 10th, 2005 (Photo by Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

We have been talking about it recently, admitted Lawrence. Its always stuck with all of us because we all love the movie, and especially realizing theres a real cult following for this movie, itd be fun to make. Keanu, Akiva, and I have actually talked about it.

But despite Lawrences conversations with Reeves and producer Akiva Goldsman, he admits that Constantine has now become tied up in a legal dispute, which means its hard to see how a sequel could be put into development anytime soon.

Read More: 'Constantine' at 15: Is Keanu Reeves' comic book noir a misunderstood classic?

Unfortunately, I dont even remember who has it, but with all these shared universes that exist now, with Constantine being a part of Vertigo, which is a part of DC, people have plans for these shared universes. You know, possibly different Constantines and things like that. Right now, we dont have that character available to us for TV or movies, which is a bummer.

Fortunately there are quite a few exciting Reeves movies on the horizon, as hell next be seen in Bill & Ted Face The Music, while hes currently shooting The Matrix 4, and John Wick: Chapter 4 has already been confirmed, too.
The complaint comes as the number of infections in the region has begun to tick up, following weeks of sharp declines and a slow reopening of businesses, restaurants and houses of worship. D.C., Maryland and Virginia reported 2,049 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, the highest single-day increase since late May. The seven-day average in cases for the region has been trending upward for nearly two weeks. The region also saw 11 more deaths, nine of them in Maryland.
NSW Health is doubling the size of its contact tracing team and capping international arrivals, as the state grapples with two separate clusters of COVID-19 and five mystery cases that have virus detectives "really concerned".

The five cases still under investigation last night included a man and a teenager from the same household who visited the Soldier's Club in Batemans Bay on July 13 and McDonald's in Albion Park two days later.

In the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday night, NSW recorded 15 new cases and conducted a record 27,702 COVID tests, including about 3000 in the south-western Sydney area at the epicentre of the recent outbreaks. Four of the new cases were returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

Meanwhile, Victoria reported another 217 new cases - although this was a significant drop from the 428 recorded on Friday, reducing the chance that state will be plunged into stage four lockdowns.
Kanpur: Forensic experts on Saturday examined the scenes of the killings of gangster Vikas Dubey and his aide, Prabhat Mishra, to verify details provided in two First Information Reports (FIRs) filed in connection with the incidents, officials aware of the matter said.

The Uttar Pradesh police said Dubey was killed in retaliatory firing on July 10 when a special team was trying to recapture him when he fled after a car bringing him from Madhya Pradesh, where he was arrested for his alleged involvement in the July 3 killing of eight policemen in Kanpur, overturned after an accident. Politicians, former police officers, and rights groups have demanded a probe into Dubeys killing, saying the police version of what happened did not add up. Five people linked to Dubey were killed between July 3 and July 9.

The officials said senior analyst AK Srivastava headed the experts team, whose reconstruction lasted till Saturday evening. A Special Task Force (STF) team, led by its Kanpur unit chief Tej Bahadur Singh, accompanied the experts. Singh and his team demonstrated how Dubey fled after the vehicle carrying him skidded and how he was chased, they added.

The officials said the experts were shown the positions the policemen took after spotting Dubey in Sachendi and Mishra in Bhauti. Singh showed the experts how he fired at Dubey and how he fell, they added.

Prabhat Mishra, who was one of 22 accused in the Kanpur shoot-out, was arrested from Faridabad before he was killed.

Srivastava, who is ballistics experts, told reporters the crime scenes were re-created scientifically to verify the details mentioned in two FIRs the STF has filed and evidence available. Our local units have already done the groundwork earlier. Every aspect will be analysed in a scientific way, he said

The team on Friday recreated scenes of the killings in Kashi Ram Nivada village of Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey.

Senior police superintendent (Kanpur) Dinesh Kumar P said they were also part of the reconstruction and explained their roles to the team.
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Nothing wholesome or all-American can escape the toxic tentacles of the cancel culture monster. Even our venerated national anthem is being sucked into its grotesque grip as a shrieking mob of disaffected fiends feed the bilious beast. The soul-stirring "Star-Spangled Banner" is simply too patriotic and must be ousted. A favored replacement is the campy "This Land Is Your Land," a protest song penned by a slovenly socialist named Woody Guthrie. Rather than harmony, this cancel cacophony is brimming with irony and hypocrisy.

For some, Woody Guthrie's ditty evokes folksy campsite nostalgia with a warm and fuzzy sense of equality and inclusion; for others paying attention, its original full version is a Marxist response to "God Bless America," a song he despised. No wonder: Guthrie was an overt commie sympathizer who wrote 174 versions of "Woody Sez" for the communist newspaper People's World.

Curiously, his most radical verses condemning private property were omitted from the recorded version that bequeathed royalties to his family. This hypocrisy is stark: royalties based on copyright laws in a nod to private property that he overtly shunned. In reflecting on why the surreptitious verses of the song went underground, his daughter Nora admits it was "very helpful to my dad because we had no money. So thank God that they recorded something and our family was able to get some royalties from that." Not dissimilar in principle to multi-millionaire Bernie Sanders reeling in profits from his books, Woody seems to have abandoned the communist tenet "from each according to one's abilities to each according to one's needs" when it suited him.

Not to worry: At least he was consistent with commie practices in another respect: he likely stole the melody for "This Land Is Your Land" from the Carter Family's 1935 "Little Darling, Pal of Mine." In essence, by collecting royalties, he was enjoying the fruits of someone else's labor. This was not an aberration, either, as "fellow traveler" Pete Seeger said Guthrie often "borrowed" from popular melodies.

In her musings, Nora also referenced McCarthyism as a reason to tone down the lyrics for the early 1950s version of "This Land Is Your Land." There's irony here, too, given that the cancel culture that favors Woody over Francis Scott Key is about as un-American as anything the Red Scare wrought, and probably more insidious than McCarthy.

The ironies continue. Woody was raised in Okemah, Oklahoma. Well, SCOTUS recently ruled that half of Oklahoma is American Indian land, including large swaths that surround his old stomping grounds. About 1.8 million people live in the area, about 15% of whom are American Indian. As for the other 85%  I guess this isn't your land after all. I haven't heard a peep from the political and culture police about that!

It's also possible that the Guthrie clan, or their neighbors, mightn't have settled in Oklahoma were it not for the Homestead Act that transferred federal land to private ownership  this popular movement was applied in Oklahoma after 1889. Turns out the private property Guthrie denounces is what enticed homesteaders to make improvements, staving off entropy  yet, rather than fine-tuning capitalism on its inexorable path to prosperity, he lazily called for complete overhaul when dust and depression engulfed the region.

Apparently, like other feckless fiends obediently serving the capricious cancel culture, Woody didn't much appreciate Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." One of his omitted verses (but often sung by his son Arlo and Seeger) included the line, "I stood there wondering if God blessed America for me" (emphasis on past tense).

With a name like Woody, one naturally wonders what it's short for. It turns out that his full name is Woodrow Wilson Guthrie. That's right: Woody's namesake just had his name removed from Princeton's Public Policy school. Yep, the same Woodrow Wilson who created the National Park Service, which cherishes this public land of ours, making it accessible to you and me.

The slimy cancel culture monster and malevolent minions are convulsing with confusion: cozying up to an insurgent anthem celebrating public land yet spewing hatred toward the most celebrated proponents of good stewardship. This leads us to Theodore Roosevelt.

Perhaps no American president, and few humans, appreciated our land more than the conservationist who created the United States Forest Service and five national parks. Nevertheless, the capricious culture-canceling dimwits are so imbued with inferiority complex that they cannot stand his imperious statute outside the American Museum of Natural History. In something akin to a campus "safe zone" writ large, it must be removed, lest some sensitive soul conjures uncomfortable feelings, even though T.R. did more good than harm. As the dimwits contort their faces into images of gargoyles, I sense they hate themselves as much as America.

Many countries have abundant land and resources yet flounder in poverty; indeed, history is replete with failed socialist regimes. But let's stick to our land  specifically, New Harmony in southwestern Indiana. In 1825, Brit Robert Owen tried to institute a cooperative community there. It was an abject failure as human resources were not efficiently assigned. Scientists, scholars, and educators considered the menial work necessary for the cooperative to function undignified. Without rewarding inhabitants with the fruits of their labor, the utopian experiment decayed into a dystopian mire. Without private ownership, innovation, and pride, the land inexorably succumbed to entropy. It proved that the distribution of resources must reward those with abilities in order to create the abundance that can then benefit the needy.

Nations do occasionally change their national anthems, and the motivation is often regime change, which makes me wonder if the cancel culture elite really cherish our land at all. Perhaps the land in Venezuela or Cuba would be more enticing; there, they could really find plenty of oppression to whine about and revel in victimhood.

I appreciate the "spirited" British drinking song that imbibes the Star-Spangled Banner with verve. But if we absolutely must change our anthem to conform to regime change, let that change rid the fetid swamp of the slimy progressive monster and her best "fiends." Let the change purge the corrupt establishment. Rather than allowing the deplorable socialists to dis America with protest lyrics, let our alternative anthem be "God Bless America." Don't undermine her; "stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from above."

Graphic credit: Flickr
TDT | Manama

Bahrain tender board Thursday opened bids from 64 private sector companies who were vying for over ten different contracts in the public sector. Tender board data shows Bahrain Airport Companys contract for filming and video production for new terminal building was the star of the day with 17 takers queuing up.

Bids varied between BHD 59,325.000 and BHD 1,047,375.000. Motivate Events & Media emerged as the lowest bidder, and Seven Brands Bahrain the highest. The board on the same day also opened two more tenders from Bahrain Airport Company. One of them was for providing Stationery Supplies and another for acquiring Third Party Logistics (3PL) Services.

Tender for stationery supplies attracted five bidders, whose bids ranged between BHD 8,348.500 and BHD 71,980.430. However, the website said both the lowest and highest bids are suspended, with Maskati Bros & Co. who quoted BHD 11,692.800 emerging as the lowest bidder. The contract for BACs 3PL services saw four companies bidding.

Al Buhamood Real Estate Centre who quoted BHD 515.000 emerged as the lowest bidder. The highest bid of BHD 411,124.600 was from Aramex Bahrain. Zimmah Primary substation boundary wall Electricity and Water Authoritys contract for constructing a boundary wall at Zimmah Primary substation at Arad also saw several takers.

Some 13 companies competed for the contract which received bids between BHD 86,013.630 and BHD 153,032.730. Saraya Contractors Co and Sayed Kadhem Al Durazi & Sons placed bids which are identical and were also the lowest. The authority opened two more tenders of EWA placed by their Central stores Directorate.

One was for constructing a substation and kiosk for which Universal Elecro-engineerings quote of BHD 478,704.000 emerged as the lowest quote. The second for module and communication received a single bid from Ph trading for BD94,080.000.

Bapco Nine players competed to win a contract to supply Furnace tube for platfomer and seamless tubes for Sour water stripper for Bahrain Petroleum Companys (Bapco). Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo placed the lowest quote of BHD 14,181.400 and Power Tech Development quoting BHD 34,555.000 was the highest bidder.

The board also opened one more contract from Bapco for meter proving and tank calibration services for which three companies competed. Green Innova Trading with BHD 151,313.000 emerged as the lowest bidder. Signage of 49 stores in Manama market Tender for supplying and installing signage of 49 stores in Manama market by Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority attracted eight companies.

FY Advertising and Publicity emerged as the lowest bidder quoting an amount of BHD 11,400.000, while Design Creative turned out as the highest bidder (BHD 55,534.500). The move also follows an 18 November tender for providing signages for 275 stores in Manama market, to unify storefronts.
Rahul Jain

For those who closely monitor stock markets with a keen eye for opportunities, COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown presented a unique challenge.

How does one keep track of ongoing market developments amidst uncertainty and volatility to spot that one opportunity to capitalise?

The current market environment has led to several fundamentally-sound stocks being available at a valuation that is minuscule, as compared to pre-COVID levels.

Being able to leverage such prospects at a moments notice, is valuable. And this is where technology has simplified investing, making it easy to invest through a few taps on your mobile phone or laptop.

At a time when social distancing is becoming the norm, digital the new buzzword, for savvy investors who seek to evolve to adapt.

Technology: A Great Enabler During Challenging Times

The crisis engulfing us now is vastly different from anything that we have witnessed in the past. What started as a health crisis, quickly escalated to spillover to other realms having a direct connection with our finances and financial well-being.

This warranted the adoption of a tactical approach that would allow us to keep our investments safe and simultaneously, also stay on the path to financial independence.

While the Government and various authorities do their best to counter the virus, technology is fast emerging as the much-needed knight-in-shining-armour that is enabling investing sans disruption.

Investors can now, invest from the comforts of their home across a spectrum of asset classes including stocks, mutual funds, and fixed deposits among others.

Be it making a fresh investment, adding to an existing one or completing mandatory KYC formalities, technology is at the forefront of making all of this safe and possible.

There are multiple apps available to facilitate seamless transactions speedily, without needing to physically visit your banks, etc. The fluidity and ease available with technology, has bolstered its adoption pan India.

In fact, the fintech adoption rate in India has increased considerably, standing at 87% [1] in 2019 as compared to 52% [2] in 2017.

Comprehensive and Detailed Instructions

During testing times, maintaining a calm and disciplined approach is easier said than done. There are a lot of questions doing rounds. Modern technology facilitates transactions and also offers comprehensive and detailed instructions. The 24x7 access provided eliminates the time factor, providing answers to queries instantly.

Investors can get a holistic picture of their financial standing, including details of all transactions and how close are they in achieving set goals or their portfolio allocation, among others. At the same time, most fin-tech apps are capable of providing customised service, addressing specific investor requirements, as per past behavioural trends or patterns.

Utility to Increase in the Coming Days

Given the current state of affairs and the rise of tech-savvy millennials in the workforce, technology is expected to play a more dominant role in the finance journey of investors.

With green shoots of recovery visible in macro indicators, more innovative and user-friendly apps are expected to be developed to meet evolving investor needs.

The underlying influence of technology in our day-to-day activities presents a strong case for a more personalised and consolidated personal experience, in the days ahead.

As the effects of COVID-19 soften with time, technology will play a critical role in fostering a safe and healthy financial environment, both for organisations and individuals.

(The author is Head Edelweiss Wealth Management)

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.
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Time is generally the best doctor, according to the Roman poet Ovid. But these days, in the middle of the pandemic, what doctor has time?

Health care professionals already have 29-hour days. In many places, hospitals are at or near capacity because of Covid-19 cases. Some hospitals and staff are functioning in crisis mode; chaos reigns, particularly in areas where the surge came on suddenly. As a result, clinicians are stretched and stressed to their limits as they contend with many unknowns and shifting guidelines about the best way to manage the disease.

Health care workers are increasingly burdened by capacity limits, extra shifts, constant use of personal protective equipment, and ever-changing protocols as well as coping with sicker patients in surge areas.

And to add to all that: To protect patients and staff, quell further contagion and streamline efficiency, many centers are not allowing visitors. This contrasts with the pre-COVID era when families or close friends could serve as personal advocates, prepared to intervene for patients who could not speak for themselves, and contribute to the care and wellbeing of their loved ones. Just when patients need it most, personal advocacy is least available.

In the best of times (and these are certainly not), all patients need advocates all the time; now more than ever, vulnerable patients need them more but dont have access to them. Vulnerable populations have more at stake when visitors are limited or prohibited. Whats more, vulnerability may be exacerbated due to youth, advanced age, disability, cognitive impairment, illness acuity, language  or, as we have come to realize of late  implicit bias.

Advocacy can take many forms. For the patient who cannot report accurately on their medical history and symptoms, the furnishing of information to health care professionals can speed accurate diagnosis and minimize test and imaging fishing expeditions. Personal advocates, when present, may provide comfort and be a conduit to nursing staff when pain is present, and other physical needs are unmet.

Equally important, vigilant personal advocates can be instrumental in offsetting nursing responsibilities by feeding and mobilizing patients, preventing falls, and even initiating rapid response codes. Finally, for patients limited by expressive disorders or constraints, the personal advocate can inform staff about individual preferences, priorities, and values, so that goals of care are aligned with patient wishes.

Given the great uncertainties about therap i es and medication in managing Covid-19 and the wide-ranging ways in which the disease is manifest, pre-existing conditions take on increased relevance. For the patient who cannot speak up on their own, the information supplied by a family member or other personal advocate can be the critical link to assist the clinician in rapidly addressing the patients needs and reducing the risk of adverse events.

There is a clear and needed role for primary care providers to help patients and their families prepare for the eventuality of admission. For example, the community physician can encourage the preparation of a full portfolio of documents for a what-if scenario, including:

Full medical history

Recent laboratory and imaging results

Current medications

Specialist and pharmacist contact information

Advance directives

Health care proxy

Physicians (or Medical) Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment

Do not resuscitate or intubate orders

Such advance planning can create a safety net that is readily available to inform decisions and guide care.

From the hospital side, attending physicians and specialists of hospitalized patients would reach out to the patients family, close friend, or primary care physician to gather information. Given the current urgent situation in many localities, other health care professionals such as nurses, residents, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, medical students, or social workers could assist with gathering useful background information. Nursing staff, in their frontline communication and liaison roles, are instrumental in working with the team to implement relevant findings.

Technology in its many forms can help facilitate communication when personal advocates cannot be present. Their input can save time by providing critical medical history that can help improve outcomes, reduce readmission risks, and increase the probability of successful home convalescence.

Never has the input of family or other personal advocates been more important as providers and administrators grapple with so many previously unknown factors. The better the communication and information sharing, the better the care and outcome for the patient and the better the results for the health care professionals who treat them, and dont want to see them back.

Sara L. Merwin is the co-author of The Informed Patient: A Complete Guide to a Hospital Stay. Bonnie Friedman is the author of Hospital Warrior: How to Get the Best Care for Your Loved One.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 02:06:16|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The black box of a passenger plane which crashed over Tehran's airspace in January was sent to France for reading the data, Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.

The black box of the Ukrainian airplane was taken to Paris on Friday by the officials from Iran Civil Aviation and an Iranian judge, Iranian Labor News Agency quoted Mohsen Baharvand, deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs, as saying.

The process of analyzing its data will begin on next Monday, said Baharvand.

On Jan. 8, the Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Tehran to Kiev crashed near Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board.

Later, Iran's armed forces confirmed that an "unintentional" launch of a military missile shot down the Ukrainian airliner. Enditem
Eight of the nine counties in the San Francisco Bay Area are currently on the state watch list of counties with increased COVID-19 spread, and are subject to state-mandated business closures as a result.

There are six different indicators that can land a county on the watch list:

1. A seven-day average of fewer than 150 tests conducted per 100,000 residents

2. More than 100 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days

3. More than 25 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days AND a seven-day average of test positivity over 8%

4. A 10% increase in the three-day-average for hospitalizations

5. Having less than 20% of ICU beds available

6. Having less than 25% of ventilators available

San Mateo County is the lone Bay Area county not on the watch list, but its 14-day case-per-capita figures appear likely to land the county on the watch list sometime in the near future.

When one examines the per-capita figures for cases and hospitalizations in each Bay Area county, the case of Santa Clara County landing on the state watch list and being forced to shut down many indoor businesses just two days after their reopening appears quite perplexing.

Santa Clara County is the lone Bay Area county underneath the 100-case-per-100,000-residents metric, but the county was put on the watch list due to a recent increase in hospitalizations. However, the state's criteria for landing on the state watch list  a 10% increase in the three-day-average for hospitalizations  is noticeably not tethered to any per-capita requirement. The case criteria, meanwhile, is tied to a per-100,000 resident standard.

The hospitalization-per-capita number in Santa Clara County is considerably lower than other Bay Area counties that have not been placed on the watch list due to the hospitalization criteria. Alameda, Marin, and Sonoma counties are all on the watch list due to case increases and have higher hospitalization-per-capita figures than Santa Clara County, but have avoided triggering the list's hospitalization indicator.

Here are per-100,000 resident figures for cases over the last 14 days and current hospitalizations as well as the percentage of positive tests in each Bay Area county. The case figures will be different here than they appear on the state watch list since the state uses older data. All data comes from individual county websites and the U.S. Census Bureau.

San Francisco

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 125.0

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 10.5

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 3.3 percent

San Mateo

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 125.9

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 9.0

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 7.8 percent

Alameda

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 133.6

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 9.5

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 5.2 percent

Contra Costa

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 167.7

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 7.0

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 7.4 percent

Santa Clara

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 87.2

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 7.6

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 4.0 percent

Marin

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 278.2

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 8.5

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 7.7 percent

Solano

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 157

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 11.4

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 9.1 percent

Sonoma

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 152.1

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 10.1

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 4.8 percent

Napa

Cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days: 143.2

Current hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 6.5

Seven-day average for percentage of positive tests: 3.5 percent

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.

 San Francisco's health director discourages 'hard-to-resist' gatherings

 Gauging the early impact of Fourth of July gatherings on Bay Area coronavirus spread

 'The PPP thing was a joke': Why gov't loans did nothing for this SF neighborhood

 Were going to be put on the watch list any day now: July 4 COVID-19 transmissions worry officials

 Calif. Lt. Gov. Kounalakis refutes CNN's characterization of state's virus surge

Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting
In a first, the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company (MSETCL) has started using drones for inspection of power lines and transmission towers, the state energy ministry said on Saturday.

After Maharashtra energy minister Nitin Raut proposed the use of drones -- unmanned aerial vehicles -- for this purpose, the Union home ministry and Director General of Civil Aviation gave the nod, an official statement said.

Drones are now being used for aerial surveillance and inspection of Extra High Voltage (EHV) lines and towers in remote areas of the state, it said.

It can cut maintenance costs and losses from outages, it said, adding that surveillance through drones is more efficient than manual survey of power lines and detects faults in lines quicker.

These drones are equipped with ultra HD cameras which can take high-resolution close-up photographs and videos of the towers and their components.

Also Read: Air India calls financial situation challenging, leave without pay 'win-win situation'

Also Read: Informed PM Modi of coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra: Former CM Devendra Fadnavis
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it will stick to the Phase 1 trade deal it reached with the United States earlier this year but warned that it will respond to "bullying" tactics from Washington, as relations continue to deteriorate.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also invited U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to come to China and visit the western Xinjiang region to see that there are no human rights violations, responding to Washington's sanctions and accusations of wrongdoing against the Uighur Muslim minorities who live there.

Relations between Beijing and Washington are at the worst in decades as they clash on multiple fronts including China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, the new national security law in Hong Kong, trade and the accusations of human rights crimes in Xinjiang.

Washington on Tuesday removed special status designation for Hong Kong and imposed sanctions against top Chinese officials and companies over Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Beijing condemned the moves and vowed to retaliate.

The New York Times reported that the United States is considering a travel ban against all members of China's ruling Communist Party, a move that would further strain an increasingly confrontational relationship.

Hua told reporters during a daily briefing that such a ban, if true, would be "pathetic."

Asked whether the recent sanctions imposed by Washington will impact the trade deal, Hua told reporters that China hopes the agreement can still be implemented.

"We always implement our commitments but we know that some in the U.S. are oppressing China and bullying China," she said. "As an independent sovereign state China must respond to the bullying practices by the U.S. side; we must say no, we must make responses and take reactive moves to it."

"If the U.S. thinks that everything China does is a threat, then it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Story continues

Hua also called Washington's accusations of human rights crimes against the Uighur minorities the "biggest lies of the century".

"We welcome him (Pompeo) to travel to our country and see what the Xinjiang people's view of him is," she said. "I could introduce him to some Uighur friends."

(Reporting by Cate Cadell; writing by Se Young Lee; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Friday in Hungary didn't go quite smoothly for Honda. Pierre Gasly was forced to stay in the garage during the first free practice session, while during the second free practice session there wasn't much to do because of the rain on the track. Toyoharu Tanabe, Honda's technical director, says there's still a lot of work to do for Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri.

"The temperature in Hungary was generally very low. Because there was so much rain in FP2 and the temperature was so low, the teams hardly drove. Red Bull had a bad balance of the car in FP1 and wanted to finish a part of the setup. Due to the weather that didn't work though", Tanabe looks back with the Japanese AS.

Problems Verstappen solved

"Saturday will be another unstable day around the weather forecast, so we'll have to keep going during FP3". The balance in Red Bull's car wasn't the only problem Honda encountered in Hungary. Max Verstappen was also complaining about his engine during the first free practice.

"The problem that Verstappen had is solved in FP2. However, it is still difficult to assess whether it really works, because the rain makes it difficult to collect real data. It looks like the cold tyres will quickly cause you to oversteer. That's what he was talking about," concludes Tanabe.
Former FBI agent Peter Strzok debunked a February 14, 2017, article in The New York Times on possible contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence, noting that the agency had seen no evidence of connections between campaign officials and Russian officers.

Strzoks type-written comments on the Times article were declassified by the FBI on Thursday, along with several other documents that are currently available on the website of the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is not clear exactly when Strzok typed those comments.

The comments of Peter Strzok regarding the February 14 New York Times article are devastating in that they are an admission that there was no reliable evidence that anyone from the Trump Campaign was working with Russian Intelligence Agencies in any form, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said in a statement.

The Times article asserts that phone records and intercepted calls showed that Trump campaign officials had contact with members of the Russian intelligence services.

This statement is misleading and inaccurate as written, Strzok wrote of the passage. We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [intelligence officers].

Strzok clarified that an associate of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort had been in contact with Russian intelligence and that former campaign official Carter Page had been in contact with Russian intelligence before he joined the campaign. However, Strzok writes, we are unaware of any calls with any Russian government official in which Manafort was a party.

Strzok wrote three times in his notes that the FBI was not aware of any contact between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence. Contact between the campaign and other Russian officials was almost entirely with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and the Russian Embassys congressional liaison.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is currently conducting an investigation into the procurement of FISA warrants against Page. The Justice Department Inspector General report on those warrants stated that the FBI made numerous errors and omissions in its applications for FISA warrants against Page.

Story continues

Declassified transcripts of conversations from late 2016 through early 2017 between Kislyak and former national-security adviser Michael Flynn revealed that the two had discussed deescalating tensions after outgoing President Obama imposed sanctions on Russia. Former FBI director James Comey told Obama that the conversations between Kislyak and Flynn appear legit, according to separate notes taken by Strzok.

The FBI fired Strzok after the agents anti-Trump texts were leaked.

More from National Review
The Nigerian Air Force has arrested two persons in connection with the death of Nigerias first female helicopter fighter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, stated this in an interview with Saturday PUNCH.

Daramola, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH on Friday following outcry for a probe into the circumstances of the death of Arotile, said the outcome will be made public.

He said: First of all, in my first statement, I said she died from a road traffic accident.

I further clarified the nature of the road traffic accident where one of her excited classmates who saw her reversed his car which led to him hitting her and knocking her down.

This led to head injuries and a lot of haemorrhaging which ultimately resulted in her death.

The two boys are in custody and the NAF will do a thorough investigation into the matter.

It is a routine process  our own processes that are ongoing because it happened inside a NAF base.

At the appropriate time, whatever information needs to go out will go out.

But we cannot pre-empt that investigation process. Whatever needs to be known will be known; it is standard practice.

So, we are investigating the circumstances leading to her death by a road traffic accident. It is an investigation because it may go beyond NAF.

Arotile is scheduled to be will be buried on July 23 at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
July 17 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of China and Russia held a telephone conversation on Friday, in which they opposed "U.S. unilateralism", China's state news agency Xinhua reported.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Beijing felt the United States was reviving a "Cold War mentality" in its policy toward China, according to the report. It quoted Lavrov as saying that Russia opposed unilateralism in international affairs.

The remarks come as tensions between the United States and China have increased over China's imposition of its national security law in Hong Kong, an ongoing trade war between the two economies and their handling of the coronavirus outbreak, among other diplomatic rifts.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)
"I'm going to miss this man, but I know that he has trained everybody underneath his command, and we are in good hands."

Even Teich

Pull Quote
Mumbai:

Shiv Sena on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, saying ever since the surgical strikes, ceasefire violations are on and time will tell whether the second one now on black money will be successful.

The BJP ally in the state government said one will have to adopt a wait and watch approach to see how far does Modi's "second strike" against black money goes to curb illicit trade of funds.

It said corruption is a mindset and until that changes, the disease of black money cannot be checked completely.

"Modi had last month conducted a sudden surgical strike against Pakistani terror launch pads and now this strike against black money. The second strike has caused chaos among the masses as this strike too was sudden," Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

It said that attempts to stop illicit trade flow have been made in the past as well, but what was derived from it was a question that remained answered in the past and there are no answers today as well.

Sena said questions are being raised about Modi's poll promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad and depositing Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of Indians.

"How far has the government been successful in bringing back black money from abroad is what people are asking," it said.

"Modi answered the question in his style by demonetizing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Only time will tell if the government is able to achieve its objectives by doing so. The truth is that this decision will have far-reaching effects on the Indian economy," it added.

"It was being said that the surgical strike against Pakistan was meant to tighten our grip over the neighbouring nation. But, firing, ceasefire violations are on at the borders ever since the strike. Demonetising currency was the second strike but if it actually pays dividends, only time will tell," the editorial said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 12:51:27|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called for efforts to tackle sexual violence in conflict by conflict prevention and the empowerment of women.

All countries should work together to build a peaceful and prosperous world free from conflict, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

The best and most effective way to protect women, girls and other vulnerable groups from sexual violence is to prevent conflicts from happening and resolve these conflicts by peaceful means, said Geng.

Therefore, the international community needs to redouble its efforts to preserve peace for development, promote development for peace, and address the root causes of armed conflicts, he told the Security Council.

The Security Council should effectively carry out its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security by promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue, mediation and negotiation, and ensuring the timely and complete implementation of the resolutions it has adopted, he said.

Geng asked for a holistic approach to promote gender equality and advance women's empowerment.

The spirit of the women, peace and security agenda is recognizing women not only as victims of war, but as contributors to peace with strength and expertise, he said, adding gender equality and women's empowerment are key to this transformation and for women to fulfill their potential.

"We need to intensify efforts on gender equality, to remove structural disparities, eliminate discrimination and stereotypes, and ensure women's equal access to education, health care, and decent work. We also need to move faster on the empowerment of women, to lift them out of poverty, increase their representation and leadership in decision-making, and strengthen their role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals," he said.

Geng asked for a holistic and comprehensive approach in combating sexual violence in conflict, making sure that the proposed solutions take economic, political, counter-terrorism, security and humanitarian aspects all into consideration.

"Our response must tackle both immediate threats and long-term consequences, and should be carried out in a coordinated and integrated manner," he said.

Geng also asked for respect for national sovereignty and ownership in efforts to address sexual violence in conflict.

He urged the countries concerned to bear the primary responsibility and the international community to step up its assistance to relevant countries for national capacity-building, while noting national sovereignty, jurisdiction and legal systems, and the principle of non-interference into other countries' internal affairs must be fully respected.

China is firmly committed to gender equality and women's empowerment, Geng said, stressing that China will continue to work closely with the international community to advance the women, peace and security agenda, eliminate sexual violence in conflict, and build a peaceful and prosperous world where all women and girls can reach their full potential of development. Enditem
(Newser)  Portland's mayor threw down the gauntlet Friday after federal agentssome wearing camouflage in unmarked minivanswere seen grabbing people off the streets, the AP reports. "Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city," Mayor Ted Wheeler said at a press conference in a message to President Trump. "This is part of the core media strategy out of Trump's White House: to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data. And it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials." The agents have charged 13 protesters so far but also arrested people far from federal property the agents were assigned to protect. The ACLU calls it "extraordinarily concerning." For more:



The defense: "We're going to do our job," acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told KPTV of the federal officers. "We're going to do it professionally. But we're not going to have these violent anarchists who show up about the same time every night for a series of hours, having that federal destruction to property."

story continues below

The accusation : Customs and Border Protection said Friday one arrest caught on video showed a suspect who had allegedly damaged property or assaulted federal agents, per the New York Times. CBP said agents identified themselves but didn't show their names due to "recent doxxing incidents against law enforcement personnel."

: Customs and Border Protection said Friday one arrest caught on video showed a suspect who had allegedly damaged property or assaulted federal agents, per the New York Times. CBP said agents identified themselves but didn't show their names due to "recent doxxing incidents against law enforcement personnel." A lawsuit : The ACLU filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and US Marshals Service on Friday, accusing agents of acting "over the widespread objections of local leaders" and "indiscriminately using tear gas, rubber bullets, and acoustic weapons against protesters, journalists, and legal observers."

: The ACLU filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and US Marshals Service on Friday, accusing agents of acting "over the widespread objections of local leaders" and "indiscriminately using tear gas, rubber bullets, and acoustic weapons against protesters, journalists, and legal observers." An investigation : US Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams called for an investigation Friday into the camouflaged agents' behavior, per KHSU. He said the officers defended the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse against "an onslaught of commercial fireworks, laser strikes, glass, mortars, paint and anything else near at hand," but in finding those responsible, may have acted questionably in "limited instances."

: US Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams called for an investigation Friday into the camouflaged agents' behavior, per KHSU. He said the officers defended the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse against "an onslaught of commercial fireworks, laser strikes, glass, mortars, paint and anything else near at hand," but in finding those responsible, may have acted questionably in "limited instances." Was it legal? Washington officials cited 40 US Code 1315, which allows DHS to deputize other federal agents in guarding federal property and make arrests "on and off the property in question." But a historian tells the New York Times that this interpretation undermines other "checks and balances on DHS' power because the officers' power is effectively limitless and all encompassing."

Washington officials cited 40 US Code 1315, which allows DHS to deputize other federal agents in guarding federal property and make arrests "on and off the property in question." But a historian tells the New York Times that this interpretation undermines other "checks and balances on DHS' power because the officers' power is effectively limitless and all encompassing." A secret memo : The Nation has obtained an "internal talking points memo" for the CBP that tells officials not to say where CBP agents are deployed and for how long. It also says there's a special DHS task forcecreated in response to Trump's order to protect US monuments and memorialstasked with assessing civil unrest and using extra resources to stop it.

: The Nation has obtained an "internal talking points memo" for the CBP that tells officials not to say where CBP agents are deployed and for how long. It also says there's a special DHS task forcecreated in response to Trump's order to protect US monuments and memorialstasked with assessing civil unrest and using extra resources to stop it. No more ribs : City and county police shut down a makeshift kitchen in downtown Portlandaptly called Riot Ribsthat served free sausages, ribs, and chorizo tacos to protesters for 12 days, Eater reports. It was used by people in a park where protests have been buzzing despite police use of tear gas and rubber bullets.

: City and county police shut down a makeshift kitchen in downtown Portlandaptly called Riot Ribsthat served free sausages, ribs, and chorizo tacos to protesters for 12 days, Eater reports. It was used by people in a park where protests have been buzzing despite police use of tear gas and rubber bullets. Shot in the head: Portland protester Donavan LaBella was shot in the head by a "non-lethal" round and apparently suffered skull and facial fractures, KATU reports. The 26-year-old has undergone surgery and is responding to doctors. Wheeler called the shooting "unacceptable." The US Marshals Service is investigating.

(Read more protests stories.)
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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A mother duck was out for a morning stroll with her babies in Riverview on July 9.

During the morning walk, all 11 ducklings fell through a grate that covered a storm drain on Country Club Drive, located near Grange Road, between Pennsylvania and Sibley. The mother was left helpless and could only pace back and forth in distress over the loss of her offspring.

But with the aid of four Riverview first responders, and a Wyandotte animal control officer, the mother duck was eventually reunited will all 11 of her babies.

Using small nets, the rescuers reached down down into the storm drain and scooped out each of the ducklings one at a time. Soon after, the mother and babies were back on their way.

Taking part in the rescue were police Officers Derek Gentry and Bruce Herrick, firefighters Brian Davenport and David Murray and Wyandotte Animal Control Officer Madison McKenzie.

The distressed mother duck was first noticed by a man who was out jogging in the area. He and another person attempted to rescue the ducklings by removing the grate but were unable to get it off.

A similar incident happened in Taylor in June, as police officers were able to save all 11 ducklings that had fallen through a grate on a city street. In that case, however, the mother duck left the area and the baby ducks were introduced to a new family at Heritage Park.
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Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. Indeed, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (TSE:AUP) stock is up 145% in the last year, providing strong gains for shareholders. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

Given its strong share price performance, we think it's worthwhile for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals shareholders to consider whether its cash burn is concerning. For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

Check out our latest analysis for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals

When Might Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Run Out Of Money?

A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has such a small amount of debt that we'll set it aside, and focus on the US$286m in cash it held at March 2020. In the last year, its cash burn was US$73m. So it had a cash runway of about 3.9 years from March 2020. Importantly, though, analysts think that Aurinia Pharmaceuticals will reach cashflow breakeven before then. If that happens, then the length of its cash runway, today, would become a moot point. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Is Aurinia Pharmaceuticals' Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

In our view, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals doesn't yet produce significant amounts of operating revenue, since it reported just US$318k in the last twelve months. As a result, we think it's a bit early to focus on the revenue growth, so we'll limit ourselves to looking at how the cash burn is changing over time. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 45%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

Story continues

Can Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Raise More Cash Easily?

Given its cash burn trajectory, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of US$1.6b, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals' US$73m in cash burn equates to about 4.5% of its market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

So, Should We Worry About Aurinia Pharmaceuticals' Cash Burn?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Aurinia Pharmaceuticals' cash burn. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. Although its increasing cash burn does give us reason for pause, the other metrics we discussed in this article form a positive picture overall. One real positive is that analysts are forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit unpleasant.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

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.
In a veiled attack on Rajnath Singh, Congress leader on Saturday said that the Union Defence Minister's statement that no one can touch an inch of India's territory was just "rhetoric" and pointed out that Chinese troops are still on the Indian side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) as per the assessment of security agencies.

"Indian security agencies have assessed that Chinese troops are still up to 1.5 km on the Indian side of the LAC (according to India's perception). In May, Chinese troops had intruded up to 5 km on our side of the LAC," he said in a tweet.

"All talk of 'no one had intruded into Indian territory and no one is inside Indian territory' was empty rhetoric. Defence Minister's statement that "no one can touch an inch of India's territory is just more rhetoric," the Congress leader further stated in another tweet.

Further slamming the Centre, Chidambaram said: "As long as the Government does not acknowledge the reality, the status quo ante will be an elusive goal.

(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 White House signed the so-called Hong Kong Autonomy Act into law on July 14, local time, regardless of the solemn representations from the Chinese side.

A flag-raising ceremony is held by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

China strongly condemns and opposes such gross interference in Hong Kong affairs and Chinas internal affairs, as the U.S., maliciously denigrating the national security legislation for Hong Kong and threatening to impose sanctions on China, has seriously violated international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations.

No matter how external elements try to exert pressure, it cannot shake Chinas resolution and will to safeguard sovereignty and security and uphold Hong Kongs stability and prosperity. The U.S. attempts to thwart implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) are doomed to fail.

The so-called Hong Kong Autonomy Act is an evil act fabricated by some U.S. politicians. Boasting responsibility and obligation, they are indeed grossly trampling on international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations. They turns a blind eye to facts and calls white black, revealing their ignorance of and prejudice against the one country, two systems principle. The so-called rights and freedoms in the mouth of the U.S. are just its rights to contain Chinas development through the chaos in Hong Kong, and the freedoms to trample on international law and meddle in Chinas domestic affairs.

The approval of the so-called Hong Kong Autonomy Act and the decision to make it a law, which were completed after the proclamation and implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR, fully exposed the hegemony and ugliness of the U.S. on Hong Kong affairs.

The legal basis of Chinas governance over the HKSAR lies in the Chinese Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration, whose essence is Chinas resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong.

After Hong Kongs return to its motherland, the principles and policies proposed by the central government of China in the Declaration concerning Hong Kong have all been included in the Basic Law of the HKSAR, and they have also been comprehensively and effectively implemented. The so-called Chinas violation of international obligations is a total mistake. The Hong Kong Autonomy Act fabricated by the U.S. and the sanctions on China reflect typical hegemonic thinking and bullying mentality.

One country, two systems is a basic state policy adopted by the Chinese government. No one understands it better or cherishes it more than China does. Since the protests over the proposed amendments to the HKSARs extradition bill in June 2019, the radical violent crimes in the special administrative region have seriously challenged the limits of the principle.

By making and implementing the national security law in Hong Kong, China has provided strong institutional and legal guarantee for the long-term stability of the one country, two systems principle. The legislation is an effective remedy to Hong Kongs governance, and will be sure to bring orders back to the special administrative region.

Based on the ignorance of and prejudice on the one country, two systems principle and its practices, the U.S. made the so-called Hong Kong Autonomy Act and tried to stop China from implementing the national security law. What it does is to realize its evil intentions in the name of law, which seriously violates international law and justice.

The so-called rights and freedoms in the Hong Kong Autonomy Act exposed American hypocrisy. The radical violent crimes taking place in Hong Kong threaten the life and property safety of the Hong Kong residents, and are way beyond the boundary and limits of the legal freedoms and rights. However, some U.S. politicians called these practices a beautiful sight to behold and blatantly supported the anti-China forces.

When China is implementing the national security law in Hong Kong which targets a very narrow category of criminal acts and activities that endanger national security and protects the safety and rights and freedoms the vast majority of the Hong Kong residents enjoy in accordance with the law, the U.S. is fanning up the so-called rights and freedoms. What lies behind is only an evil heart.

Recently, over 70 countries voiced support to Chinas adoption of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), opposing the interference in Chinas domestic affairs in the name of human rights. A young representative from the HKSAR to the UNHRC also voiced opposition to the anti-China forces in Hong Kong. The aspiration of Hong Kong residents, as well as the call for justice from the international society are solemn condemnation against U.S. wrong deeds.

China is firmly determined in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, implementing one country, two systems fully and faithfully, and opposing foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs. Practices will prove that the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR will offer solid institutional guarantee for Hong Kongs long-term prosperity and stability.

China urges the U.S. to understand the situation, obey international laws and norms underpinning international relations, and stop any form of intervention in Hong Kong affairs and Chinas domestic affairs. China is resolute to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, and will react strongly to the U.S. wrong deeds. The U.S. shall bear all consequences.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)
A fire broke out inside the cathedral of the western French city of Nantes in the early hours of Saturday, but the authorities quickly said there was no comparison with the blaze that engulfed Notre-Dame in Paris last year, despite ominous images of flames and smoke coming from the building.

Over 100 firefighters were sent to the cathedral in Nantes after they were alerted shortly before 8 a.m., but the violent fire was controlled in hours, according to Gen. Laurent Ferlay, the head of the firefighters in the Loire Atlantique area, which includes the city.

It is not a scenario like at Notre-Dame de Paris, General Ferlay told reporters, adding that the fire, though contained, was not yet extinguished. The roof hasnt been hit, he noted.

General Ferlay said that the fire had broken out near the organ of the cathedral and had destroyed the instrument entirely. The authorities have opened an arson investigation; three separate starting points for the blaze have been detected.
South Africa: Combatting hunger in the time of COVID-19

In the midst of the COVID-19 storm, citizens are rallying together to cushion the blow of a pandemic that is not only taking the lives of many, but is also playing Russian Roulette with the livelihoods of those left to pick up the pieces.

With today marking Day 114 of South Africas lockdown, there is no doubt that the latter has gone a long way in delaying the spread of the virus, which has affected economies across the world.

While a lot is still being discovered about COVID-19, what is evident is that in the wake of the pandemic, many have had to take pay-cuts as businesses battle to cope with a loss of income.

Some can simply walk over to their fridge for a snack without giving it a second thought while for others, going to bed on an empty stomach is a stark reality.

As the world commemorates Nelson Mandela Day today, the foundation that the former Statesman founded in 1999, has been hard at work to make a difference in communities.

Nelson Mandela inaugurated Nelson Mandela International Day in 2009 as a response to what he saw as a global crisis of poverty and inequality. Today, COVID-19 has brutally exposed the deep inequality in most societies and has thrust the world deeper into a crisis of poverty, said Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) Chief Executive Officer Sello Hatang.

Hatangs comments come on the heels of Statistics South Africas series of surveys aimed at measuring the impact of COVID-19 on individuals.

The web based surveys conducted between April and May were conducted to assist government and other stakeholders in their response to the crisis.

In the surveys that received over 2 600 responses, the percentage of respondents who reported receiving no income increased from 5.2% before the lockdown to 15.4% by the sixth week of the national lockdown.

The majority of respondents reported salaries or wages as their primary source of income before and during the national lockdown.

In addition, the proportion of respondents who reported experiencing hunger since the start of lockdown increased from 4.3% to 7% as a result of the pandemic.

While not representative of the entire South African population, the surveys provide insight into the challenges faced by South Africans in these uncertain times.

In South Africa, thousands of people are starving [and] this is why we have set up a hunger relief fund, known as Each1Feed1, as a way to intervene in these challenging circumstances. For us it is a core Mandela Day programme, Hatang told SAnews.

The fund is a call to all South Africans to partner with the foundation by contributing to a food distribution network.

Individuals can do this by donating essential products through their local grocery stores, thereby assisting communities in need.

The initiative forms part of the foundations Mandela Day: The Next Chapter new strategy in charting a new path in fighting poverty and inequality.

The strategy focusses on five areas, including shelter, education, food and nutrition, sanitation, and active citizenry.

The foundation has donated R500 000 towards food distribution in communities in need.

The programme is inspired by the old Congress of South African Students (COSAS) mantra Each one, teach one, and is adopted in honour of anti-apartheid activist Oliver Reginald Tambo.

In Each1Feed1, the NMF has partnered with the Kolisi Foundation, Imbumba Foundation, Soap for Hope and Rise Against Hunger, to build a food distribution network where food hampers are distributed.

Mandela Day 2020, gives a special focus on food and nutrition, as well as on education and sanitation.

In commemorating what would have been Mandelas 102nd birthday today, the foundation will launch a new Each1Feed1 food voucher system for vulnerable communities.

Together with its partners, the NMF is calling on those who can help the initiative by donating or providing facilities and resources to distribute food.

Hatang said partnerships with government in several areas is important in providing relief to those impacted adversely by COVID-19.

Our partnership with the Department of Social Development in supporting Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres and practitioners is one way we are collaborating to ensure greater impact of our interventions, he said.

It is no secret that Mandela loved children dearly, and the partnership between the two parties is aimed at improving the standard of ECD centres in enhancing the quality of ECD services, including nutrition, health and safety of children.

Reflecting on the fund, Hatang said initially the priority was placed on families that have no income with a special focus on child headed households, the elderly, people living in deep rural areas, as well as informal creche workers on whom many children depend on for food.

Since the initiatives launch in April, valuable lessons have been learnt which have led to the birth of innovative ideas.

One of these ideas is our intention to implement a voucher system for food to replace physical distribution. That way we will have more beneficiaries reached, but also limit the risk of contact while we are still dealing with COVID-19, explained Hatang.

With South Africans observing Mandela Month this July, Hatang has called on individuals to emulate Each1Feed1 by helping families that have nothing to eat.

Each1Feed1 collection boxes or local store specific boxes can be found in participating retail stores

Everyone is encouraged to contribute in this way continuously, as we know that the challenge of food insecurity is a persistent and pervasive one. In your organisations, your workplaces, families, and in your private capacities, we ask that we all support a family this Mandela Day as we work towards eradicating hunger and food insecurity, said Hatang.

Among those who have heeded the NMFs call is retailer Pick n Pay, the Ford Foundation and Old Mutual.

With many experiencing a feeling of anxiety as the numbers of those infected with COVID-19 continues to climb, Hatang reminded South Africans of their ability to overcome difficulties.

South Africa is a nation that is perhaps best described as a nation borne out of solidarity. The means by which we overcame our troubled past was by each group working together towards a clear goal of justice. It is time, again, to ignite our culture of solidarity as we face the greatest test of our character and cohesion since the dawn of democracy, said Hatang.

While the race to find a cure for COVID-19 continues, every citizen can contribute in ensuring 365 days of a warm meal to each and every one in need.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By 7:40 p.m., police reinforcements had arrived at the scene, leading to a standoff in front of the statue. They were joined later by more officers, who soon released an aerosol that stung the eyes of the crowd and led to some coughing in tears. Police forced out those inside the wall surrounding the statue and circled the perimeter.
Violence broke out in the deserted streets of Magaluf last night when a group of youths broke out in a chaotic street brawl.

The disturbance ended with a metal bin being hurled at the retreating lads on the empty party strip in Punta Ballena.

The incident happened at the popular 'Tiger Tiger Bar' on what would normally be a very busy street in one Magaluf's main party strip of bars & clubs.

The video shows a group of men squaring up to each other outside popular nightclub Tiger Tiger before some begin throwing punches.

A video has surfaced showing a violent brawl on the deserted streets of Magaluf where authorities have shut the bars and clubs in response to earlier bad behaviour by tourists

The video shows groups of young men squaring up to each other and throwing punches in front of shocked onlookers, some of whom try to intervene and can be heard shouting stop

Several small groups of men then begin brawling, chasing each other up and down the empty road, in front of shocked onlookers some of whom are shouting for them to stop.

Some people try and intervene to break up the fighting but just before it calms down, one man picks up a metal bin and hurls it down the street at a group of men running away.

Earlier in the evening, all was calm, partly due to the presence of thirty agents, between the Civil Guard and the Calvia Local Police.

However, the dawn gave way to a new scene of violence in what could be the last fight in Punta Ballena.

The altercation dissipated before the Civil Guard and local police officers could arrive.

The groups of lads are believed to be French but British voices can be heard.

The incident comes after the shock announcement of the closure of the party strip - which hosts dozens of bars and clubs - following earlier scenes of bad behaviour.

The closure - until at least September 15 - is being enforced after images and a video emerged of revellers jumping on cars and ignoring the island's coronavirus social distancing regulations.

Two other party strips in Playa de Palma, south-east of the Majorcan capital Palma, have also been shut down, known locally as Ham Street and Beer Street - or calle del Jamon and calle de la Cerveza in Spanish.

While the nationality of those involved is unknown both French and English can be heard

Earlier this week, it was reported how tourists were taking to the streets to drink after the government closed bars and clubs in a bid to prevent an increase in coronavirus cases

The enforced closures will be disappointing for thousands of Britons who were set to make the journey to take advantage of the hive of bars and clubs. Many of them will now be shut for most of the holiday season.

On Thursday night, tourists locked out of their favourite holiday haunts were spotted with alcohol from supermarkets.

Balearic Islands Tourism Minister said as he announced the three street closures: 'The businesses in those three streets have been closed.

'I think it's a sufficiently clear message to those practising the type of tourism of excesses we don't want here that they shouldn't come because those types of establishments are not going to be able to open.

The fight ended when one group fled the scene after a man hurled a metal bin at them

'If those holidaymakers go to other areas, and if there are businesses that promote that type of clientele, they will also be closed and they will also be prohibited.

'We will not hesitate a single second when it comes to doing everything we need to to guarantee the health security of our citizens and our economic reactivation.

'We are a safe destination. The vast majority of our citizens, business leaders and holidaymakers who are making a great effort do not deserve the sort of images we have seen over the past few days and they do not deserve those types of holidaymakers and those types of businessmen.'

A spokesman for Calvia Council, which includes Magaluf and has spent years trying to improve the resort's image and curb the worst Punta Ballena excesses, said of the party strip closure ordered by the higher regional government: 'It's a difficult and tough measure but one that is necessary because of the potential for putting public health and the economy at risk.'
Red Bull went "the wrong way" with development of its 2020 car, according to former team driver Robert Doornbos.

Max Verstappen, billed as the best challenger to Mercedes' dominance for this year, admits that Red Bull is "a little further away" than the team wanted for the new season.

"Red Bull seems lost for the moment," Doornbos, who raced for Red Bull in 2006, told Ziggo Sport.

"In terms of development, they have gone the wrong way. Since the winter test in Barcelona, they made the wrong choices for the development of the car and they are now realising it," the Dutchman added.

Verstappen admits that Red Bull's quest to recapture the title might need to wait a little longer, although he insists he will not give up.

"It is clear that Mercedes is very strong right now and we have to close a gap," he told AS newspaper.

"I hope that in the coming years we will be able to do that and be at their level, which is why I signed with Red Bull for the long term," Verstappen added.

"I think we can do it and we will see in the coming years if we do or not."

(GMM)
To the editor:

As we approach the sixth month of this pandemic in Michigan, it should be obvious to all that are wishing it away, declaring it gone or pretending it's a hoax is not working. What can work is all of us cooperating, wearing masks without fail when away from home and not taking chances. If we could find it in ourselves to be the caring considerate people we claim to be in Midland County, and Michigan, we could bring the numbers down quickly. One month of diligent mask wearing by everyone would mean our kids and staffs can return to school, preschools could reopen, jobs come back, and we might get to level six (post-pandemic) before the end of the year. As eager as everyone is for their bars and beach parties, and backyard celebrations, now is not yet the time to lose focus. This virus kills, and sometimes very quickly. There are no age limits. It doesn't care what your political leanings are, nor your faith in God.
Assam floods: Rahul Gandhi appeals to party workers to provide help for those affected

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, July 18: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the country is with Assam, that is currently facing a grim flood situation, and expressed confidence that the people of the state will overcome the natural disaster.

Over 35 lakh people across 28 of the state's 33 districts are now affected due to flooding, an official bulletin said on Friday.

CID to probe journalists arrest case in Assam

Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said, "The whole country is with Assam. People of Assam are battling this problem with their courageous nature and will overcome this disaster."

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

He also appealed to Congress workers to extend all possible help to those affected by the deluge. The total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood and landslides in the state has gone up to 102.

Two earthquakes hit Assam, tremors felt in neighbouring Meghalaya

However, it can be seen that Assam is traditionally flood prone, and the 1,055 sq km Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve sandwiched between the Brahmaputra river and the Karbi Anglong Hills is no exception.

Among experts there is a consensus that floods are necessary for Kaziranga by virtue of its ecosystem. The entire area of Kaziranga - formed by alluvial deposits from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries - is centred around the river.

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Story first published: Saturday, July 18, 2020, 11:43 [IST]
She recently announced her intentions to move to the East Coast to be with her boyfriend, Sen. Cory Booker.

But first, Rosario Dawson took to the great outdoors of California with friends and her stepfather Greg this week, as the group head out of Los Angeles and to the scenic surrounds of Big Bear Lake.

The 41-year-old actress posed happily in her decked out Outdoorsy campervan during the getaway.

The great escape: Rosario Dawson took to the great outdoors of California with friends and her stepfather Greg this week, as the group head out of Los Angeles and to the scenic surrounds of Big Bear Lake

The Sin City actress shared several snaps of her enjoying the sun with pals -whom she called her 'Quaranteam' - to her Instagram account.

The gang took part in activities like archery and canoeing in the sun-splashed photos.

One particularly sweet pic showed Rosario wrapped in an embrace with Greg.

The star's stepfather has been recovering from pancreatic cancer since the beginning of the year.

Traveling in style: The 41-year-old actress posed happily by her decked out Outdoorsy campervan during the getaway

Love: One particularly sweet pic showed Rosario wrapped in an embrace with Greg. The star's stepfather has been recovering from pancreatic cancer since the beginning of the year

However the pair were definitely traveling in style with her digs provided by Outdoorsy, the largest and most trusted RV rental marketplace.

Their home for the outdoor adventure was Mercedes Winnebago van which came fully equipped with a queen size bed, sink, microwave, refrigerator, ventilation and private shower.

The rig came with tons of storage space as well as insulated/magnetic blackout curtains, full laminate counter tops & vinyl floors, USB & outlets throughout, LED recessed lighting and a built in roof rack for the ultimate viewing deck.

Outdoorsy is the new face of outdoor travel making the outdoors accessible to everyone by connecting a community of RV owners with renters.

Fun in the sun: The Sin City actress shared several snaps of her enjoying the sun with pals to her Instagram account

Ready, aim, fire: The gang took part in activities like archery and canoeing in the sun-splashed photos

Long-distance relationship: Not joining Dawson on her adventure was her new man, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, 51

Not joining Dawson on her adventure was her new man, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, 51.

Dawson recently revealed she's in the midst of moving back to the East Coast with the former US Presidential hopeful.

The actress was a special guest at her Clerks II and Jay and Silent Reboot director Kevin Smith's Mooby's Pop-Up in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

When Smith asked what she has missed since being in quarantine, the actress revealed she hasn't seen Booker in several months.

'I'm actually in the process of moving, by the way. I'm going to New Jersey. I'm moving to Newark,' Dawson revealed.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Nidan Singh Sachdeva, a Sikh community leader of Afghanistan who was kidnapped in Paktia province last month, was released from captivity on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

"We convey our appreciation to the government of Afghanistan and tribal elders from the area, whose efforts secured the return of Nidan Singh," it said.

In a statement, the MEA said the "targeting and persecution" of minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters remains a matter of grave concern.

We welcome the safe return of Shri Nidan Singh Sachdeva, a leader of the Hindu and Sikh community in #Afghanistan.



We convey our appreciation to the Afghan leadership, security forces and tribal elders whose efforts secured the return.  Anurag Srivastava (@MEAIndia) July 18, 2020

"In a recent decision, India has decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India," it said.

Sachdeva, a leader of the Hindu and Sikh Community of Afghanistan, was kidnapped in Chamkani district of Paktia province on June 22.
Lewis said hed been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally hed do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Lewis said in June, recalling the good trouble he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say? While the vote would be hard for some, he said: We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

___
Ah, the honeymoon phase.

Such a glorious, albeit generally brief, period when everyone is happy and no one can do anything wrong.

Thats where Canadas political leaders were on Thursday and Friday with the $19-billion federal economic aid package to help provinces and cities restart their economies and prepare for the possibility of a second wave.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford was positively effusive in his praise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who, he said, stepped up and showed true leadership.

Toronto Mayor John Tory was given a special thanks by the premier for all his support, which he called instrumental to getting the deal.

Canadians just have to hope this federal funding  along with billions in matching provincial dollars  gets out the door before the post-honeymoon bickering begins.

Because it can only be a matter of time. This is a big and welcome pool of new cash. But the statements our federal and provincial leaders have made about what this funding will achieve are even bigger. There is no way its going to stretch to cover all the need or all thats been promised in some priority areas.

Right off the top, almost $12 billion of this federal funding is set aside for personal protective equipment and COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.

That leaves just over $7 billion to distribute from coast to coast to coast to help municipalities drowning in pandemic-related deficits provide virus-related paid sick leave to workers who dont have it, make sure child care is available to parents who need it, protect vulnerable seniors in long-term care, and more.

It wasnt long ago that Ford claimed Ontario alone had a $23-billion problem. Yet, now, less than that for the entire country  with Ontario receiving a $7-billion-or-so share  is a phenomenal deal for all, everyone in Canada and especially the province of Ontario.

Municipal leaders also professed themselves to be thankful and optimistic, but remained more guarded.

Until we see all the fine print, as it were, its premature for me to declare victory, Tory said.

Thats understandable given the history of cities, and especially Toronto, being saddled with costs that shouldnt be paid for through property taxes.

This deal provides $3.8 billion for municipalities and transit systems to be matched by provinces, for a total of $7.6 billion.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has already said that cities across the country need a minimum of $10 billion to cope with pandemic costs so once the provinces allocate the funds there will be a least a few mayors abruptly abandoning the honeymoon.

Toronto needs $1.35 billion in aid to avoid slashing services and massively increasing taxes, which will only serve to delay the economic recovery.

Ford claimed the province will make sure that the people that need it get the money but pointedly did not commit to meeting Torontos total need.

Child care is another area that seems destined for disappointment. The national agreement includes $625 million to ensure that safe and sufficient child care spaces are available to support parents gradual return to work.

There wasnt enough child care to meet the need before the pandemic and given the increased costs of providing it in an era of social distancing thats a tall order unlikely to be filled with this funding. Thats particularly troubling given how vital child care is to getting women  who have been most affected by the pandemic  back to work.

The premiers and Ottawa have done an admirable job in setting aside the usual partisan politics to work together through the coronavirus crisis and economic restart.

They need to stay that course as they get into the nitty-gritty of turning the very big promises theyve made to Canadians with this agreement into reality.
VICTORIACalls are rising for the BC Liberals to throw out one of its members from caucus amid allegations of homophobia and transphobia, while party Leader Andrew Wilkinson remains silent on the issue.

Laurie Throness, MLA for Chilliwack-Kent, has come under fire for telling media he will continue to buy advertising in a Christian magazine that has published articles supporting the discredited practice of conversion therapy for LGTBQ people.

The Vancouver Pride Society says it will revoke the parade status of the party if no action is taken against Throness by Monday.

The society joins New Democrat MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert in saying Throness should not be responsible for vulnerable children as the Liberals critic for children and families if he supports the abusive practice.

Chandra Herbert says he has not received a response from Wilkinson since sending him a letter on the issue Wednesday.

Wilkinson and Throness have not returned repeated requests for comment, although Wilkinson did release a recorded statement this week saying its a condition of being part of caucus that theres no room for discrimination.

Read more about:
In a shocking incident, a woman who had was under observation after showing coronavirus symptoms was allegedly raped at a quarantine centre in Navi Mumbai.

The incident happened on Thursday night at the COVID-19 quarantine facility India Bulls in Panvel.

The accused, identified as 25-year-old Shubam Khatu, another inmate who is COVID-19 positive.

Medical Science

According to police, it all began on Wednesday, when the accused, who was lodged on the second floor of the facility to the fifth floor to meet his brother.

Shubam accidentally knocked on the door of the room where the victim, a 40-year-old housewife was lodged.

After realising his mistake, Shubam apologised to her and left.

The next day, Shubam went to the woman's room again, this time, pretending to be a medical staff.

He started inquiring about her health and when the woman said she had body aches, the accused said she needed a massage and made her undress.

In the pretext of a massage, he then raped her inside the locked room.

BCCL

The woman complained to the authorities at the centre and an FIR was registered on Friday.

"There are some positive and suspected patients who have been admitted to the COVID-19 Quarantine Centre. There are about 400 of them. Among them was a lady who was allegedly raped. After being informed of the incident, we reached the spot and arrested the accused," Ravindra Geete (ACP-Panvel Zone-2, said.

Though a complaint has been registered Shubam who was booked under Sections 376 (rape) and 254 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has not been arrested after he tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test.

REUTERS

"We have not arrested him. He is still under quarantine at the centre with security cover, Senior police inspector Ashok Rajput said.

The BJP on Saturday slammed the Maharashtra government for the incident accusing it of mismanagement.

BJP leader Ram Kadam, while speaking to news agency ANI said, "What is the state government doing? These incidents are happening because of the Maharashtra Government's mismanagement and negligence. Some quarantine centres are also not providing meals on time."
The leader of the Taliban has reshuffled his team of negotiators ahead of peace talks with the Afghan government, adding four close aides to the group, sources in the movement said Saturday. Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada made the appointments to strengthen his control over the team, a Taliban commander, based at an unknown location in Pakistan, told AFP. The aides are all members of the militant group's leadership council, which should help the team to make quicker decisions, two other sources in the Taliban movement who confirmed the move told AFP. The talks with Kabul were originally supposed to have started in March, but there have been repeated delays, with the Taliban accused of increasing violence. The four new negotiators, who were appointed last month, are Taliban chief justice Sheikh Abdul Hakeem, Maulvi Saqib, former chief justice during the Taliban's rule in the 1990s, Mullah Shireen, a close aide and bodyguard of the late Taliban founder Mullah Omar, and Maulvi Abdul Kabir, former governor of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province. The reshuffle also saw three to four earlier members of the team removed, including Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi, a senior militant leader, the sources said. It comes after Akhundzada appointed Mullah Yaqoob, the son of Mullah Omar, as head of the group's military wing. "Yaqoob is young, energetic and experienced," the military commander said and added that Yaqoob was respected in the Taliban because of his family background and experience. Yakoob is already a member of the Taliban's central Shura council and a deputy to Akhundzada. The Taliban have a political office in the Qatari capital Doha, which has emerged as a likely venue to host the initial round of peace talks after the militants and Kabul complete an ongoing prisoner exchange. The peace negotiations hinge on a prisoner swap, in which Kabul pledged to free about 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for around 1,000 Afghan security force captives held by the insurgents. So far, Afghan authorities have released about 4,400 Taliban inmates, Afghan officials said. Afghan officials, meanwhile, accused the Taliban of continuing to carry out deadly attacks across the country. "Taliban had a choice to cease the fire and halt taking innocent lives, instead, they chose to kill more and showed no will for peace," National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal said on Twitter on Saturday. A Taliban delegation (pictured) met with a group of powerful Afghans including political figures in Doha in 2019 amid separate talks with the US seeking to end the long-running conflict
By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Miscreants set a fire at three temples in Coimbatore on Friday night and damaged the properties which were kept in the temple premises.

According to the police, miscreants burnt clothes and tyres at Magaliamman temple on NH road near Five Corners in Town Hall in the city. They damaged the trident which is placed in front of the temple.

Similarly, a tyre was found burnt at the Vinayagar temple in front of Coimbatore Railway Junction. Though is police presence at the Railway Junction premises 24X7, it is believed that the miscreants have put fire during the absence of the police personnel, said sources.

Police said the CCTV footage was collected from the surrounding of Magaliamman temple showing a bike-borne man wearing a jerkin set fire and damaging the things.

In another incident, unknown persons set properties ablaze inside Selva Vinayagar temple premises near Nallampalayam on Friday night.

Following these three incidents, Coimbatore city police initiated an inquiry on it. Meanwhile, BJP announced a protest on Saturday seeking legal action against the miscreants.

Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP state vice president condemned the incidents and asked the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to take stringent action against those who indulged in the act. These incidents happened a day after, Periyar statue was desecrated in Coimbatore on Friday.
A 7-month-old baby girl has died in a suspected drowning in Melbourne.

Emergency services were called to a Kavanagh Street address in Southbank just before 7.20am to reports a baby girl was unresponsive.

Paramedics desperately attempted to resuscitate the baby but she sadly died at the scene. It is believed the baby drowned.

Emergency services were called to a Kavanagh Street (pictured) address in Southbank just before 7.20am to reports a baby girl was unresponsive

A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that they are not treating as suspicious.

'The exact circumstances surrounding the death are yet to be determined, but at this stage police are not treating the matter as suspicious,' she said.

Police will investigate and prepare a report for the coroner, who arrived at the scene shortly after 10am.
The Woodlands-based attorney Eric Yollick has pleaded no contest and paid a fine for egging Montgomery County Judge Mark Keoughs Lexus SUV in March.

Yollick, who lost his bid for the bench of the new 457th state District Court in Tuesdays Republican primary runoff, entered a plea of no contest Friday and paid a $231 fine for the misdemeanor charge.

But for Yollick, the incident was symbolic in protecting first amendment rights and added his actions have kept Keough from imposing unconstitutional mandates on residents.

The whole point of the egg was to make Mark Keough realize how terribly he had violated the constitution and how much he was harming people, Yollick said, while noting a jump in suicides, fear among residents and an increase in unemployment during the stay-at-home order Keough issued March 27, the morning of the egg incident. It was terrible and Mark knew he violated the constitution. I am very happy Mark has changed his tune and is now against these mandates and shutdowns, and I do not regret in the least what I did even though I know it is the reason I lost the election.

I would do it again today because it had that positive of an effect.

Keoughs Chief of Staff Jason Millsaps said the incident happened as Keough was leaving his county office in the late afternoon in downtown Conroe. When Keough approached his vehicle, Millsaps said Keough saw Yollick throw the egg at his Lexus SUV.

Millsaps said Keough contacted law enforcement officials at the time of the incident and was told there was a two-year statute of limitations on such a crime. Keough, he said, opted to wait since the situation with the new coronavirus was pressing and demanding a great deal of his time.

Yollick said Keoughs delay in reporting the incident was purely political to harm his campaign for the 457th bench.

Keough has denied Yollicks accusation.

On Tuesday, former prosecutor Vince Santini secured the GOP bid for the new court and will face Democrat Marc Meyer in November.

While Yollick had a large margin over Santini in the March 3 primary pulling in 21,662 votes over Santinis 14,468 votes, Santini landed a big victory over Yollick Tuesday pulling in 18,767 votes to Yollicks 5,274.

I doubt very seriously I had that kind of influence over the Republican candidate race, Keough said.

Following the egg incident, Yollick, who supported Keoughs campaign for county judge, said he has attempted to speak with Keough but the first-term county judge has refused to take his call.

Keough said he has no plans to take Yollicks call.

I have no interest at the point in speaking with Eric Yollick, Keough said. He has proven he is untrustworthy and fundamentally dishonest. I wish him no bad but I dont feel right giving him a pass so he can say whatever he wants to.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
Random acts of kindness still exist: One 94-year-old street vendor in Santa Ana, Calif. was brought to tears by the generosity of a good Samaritan.

Jose Villa Ochoa, also known as "Don Joel," was clearly emotional, as shown in a FOX11 video, as a result of the kindness shown by 28-year-old Kenia Barragan who took time out to listen to Ochoa's story.

DOCTORS WARN OF CAREGIVER EXHAUSTION: Houston ICU doc says caregivers are exhausted, describes long-lasting effects of COVID-19

The down-on-his-luck street vendor shared with Barragan how he has to work selling tamales because no one would hire him due to his age.

"He can barely afford to buy his coffee and bread in the morning to eat and doesnt have money to pay for a phone, let alone his medication. I found all this out, just by taking a few minutes out of my day to acknowledge a stranger," said Barragan through her Instagram post.

Barragan took to social media asking if anyone wanted to help Ochoa.

"We raised over $84k in just a week!!! My heart is touched. Thank you to everyone that donated, supported, and reached out," said Barragan in a Facebook post.

In addition to the money raised, "Barragan also purchased Don Joel a new wheelchair and got him a new pair of shiny black shoes," said Fox7 news.

Barragan said in the video that she felt for Ochoa, having older parents herself and that she would hate to see her dad out selling tamales and barely making ends meet.

"I hope people take care of our community. We need to take care of each other. Even if you cant give money  donate a prayer, give something back, take the time to get to know someone," said Barragan to Fox11 news.

In a time where the country seems so divided, its stories like this that remind us of the goodness that still exists in this world, and how communities can come together to rally behind each other during these tough times and how your random acts of kindness can inspire a nation.

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A man who spent seven years in prison after being arrested by Gerald Goines is suing the former Houston police officer.

In a civil rights lawsuit filed Friday, 36-year-old Byron Prophet said he was wrongfully arrested in February 2008 and convicted for a crime he didnt commit. Prophet is also suing former Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt and the city of Houston, and filing paperwork seeking to have his conviction overturned, according to his attorney, U.A. Lewis.

They tried to paint me as the villain, Prophet said Friday.

Prophet was 23 at the time of the raid. Court paperwork shows Goines and other narcotics officers raided a home on Elmlawn, in Sunnyside, and said they found marijuana, crack cocaine and PCP, along with Prophets license. Prophet, however, contends he had no connection to the home they raided, and that Goines approached him while he was standing outside, frisked him, and later claimed hed found Prophets license with the contraband found inside.

Questionable cases: Key Houston police narcotics officers at center of fatal Harding Street drug raid tallied few arrests, low-level busts

The case is the latest blow to the Houston Police Department after the January 2019 Harding Street raid, which ended with the deaths of two homeowners and four officers shot, including Goines, the case agent who led the raid. Goines was later accused of lying about the case and drug buy that served as the basis for the raid. He retired and was charged with felony murder. His former partner, Steven Bryant, also retired and was charged with tampering with a government record. As the case unfolded, prosecutors said they believed more than 150 convictions based on his casework may need to be overturned, and are reviewing thousands more cases. Three former defendants have seen their cases overturned.

Earlier this month, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg charged four additional officers with related crimes, including tampering with government records, and accused several of stealing by lying about overtime.

Prophets case is the latest in which a Goines defendant has challenged his conviction  and the first in which one has sued for compensation.

His lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and argues Goines and his superiors deprived Prophet of his constitutional rights. Prophet contends in his lawsuit that Goines lied about the warrant he used in the drug raid that led to his arrest, and lied to jurors when he said Prophet had a key to the house that was raided.

He accused Goines of frisking him, taking his license, and then taking a photo of it inside the drughouse with the contraband inside. An offense report filed after the raid shows Goines said he found the ID card in the kitchen next to a stash of narcotics.

In an interview Friday, Prophet said the 2008 arrest had profoundly impacted his life. By that point, hed had a couple of minor drug arrests. He was working in his familys carpentry business, and often visited the Sunnyside neighborhood, where his grandfather owned several houses and many of his relatives lived.

'An operation completely out of control': Damning HPD narcotics audit reveals hundreds of errors

The afternoon of the raid, he had watched in confusion as officers tumbled out of a van. They cuffed him and several other men.

The search warrant Goines filed in the case shows he said he used a confidential informant to buy drugs from a man named Lewis at a house at 5547 Elmlawn. Prophet said he was standing outside the home, and had no connection to the building. He recalled Goines, a competitive weightlifter, looking at him like he wanted my head on a platter.

When they were putting handcuffs on me, I was still wondering what was going on, he said.

Goines criminal defense attorney, Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, said she couldnt yet comment on the case because she hadnt been able to read it yet.

Prophet doesnt dispute that at the time of the raid, hed had run-ins with the law, or that he had friends with criminal records. But he disputes any connection to the house or raid that day  and said Goines didnt care.

Since they got you, since youre associated (with drug dealers), theyre going to take you, he said. Theyre not going to actually figure out what was going on, theyre going to give you the case and move on.

He pleaded not guilty, and took the case to trial. He tried to protest the charges against him, he said, but Goines was a seasoned senior officer with 25 years experience.

I never had a chance, he said.

He spent seven years in prison, and began weightlifing and covered himself in tattoos to try to make himself look more intimidating  something he said he hoped would help avoid attacks by other inmates.

Now, its made it more difficult to get a job or have a regular life. Every time he shaves or washes his hands, he sees reminders of that time, the ink on his hands and his face.

Whyd I do that, he wonders.

Related: Court docs and personnel records detail case against Goines and other narcs

About six weeks after the 2019 Harding Street raid, prosecutors sent Prophet a letter, informing him Goines was under investigation. In May, they asked a judge to appoint a lawyer to review his case.

The same day he filed the lawsuit, his attorneys said they were also filing paperwork to overturn his conviction.

Lewis, his attorney, said the case highlighted broader failures within HPD and Goines casework.

Gerald Goines actions destroyed families like Byron Prophets, she said. Like those who died at hands of Gerald Goines. The Tuttles are not his first victims. Other victims were injured, maimed and killed.  Mr. Prophet might not have gone to prison if something had been done about Mr. Goines before his arrest. He operated in a system that promoted what he did.

st.john.smith@chron.com
Fair Minded Coalition of Lorain County, led by Jeanine Donaldson, executive director of the YWCA for Elyria, deserves credit for fighting to ban the sale of the Confederate flag this year at the Lorain County Fair.

Fortunately, no vendors will sell the controversial flag long associated with hate and bigotry.

However, Kim Meyers, president of the Lorain County Fair Board, contends the reason vendors arent going to peddle the flag is not because the fair is banning the sale of it.

Meyers says vendors cancelled this year because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Whatever the reason is this year, were opposed to anyone selling the flag at the fair.

Meyers continues to state that the Fair Board is not going to stop free speech at the annual event, which this year is Aug. 23-30 in Wellington.

He said he and the board have been over this issue before, and they are not interested in censoring something that the Constitution protects.

Free speech protects the things people like.

But Meyers said free speech also protects some actions that people dont like such as burning the American flag, that the fair sells beer, that the fair allows flags for gay pride and the Pittsburgh Steelers and that people can give away free Bibles.

Meyers is adamantly clear that anyone who wanted to sell the flag and other materials associated with hate can do so because board members say people have a right to do so.

But the fair board is missing the point.

Yes, people do have a right, but other people shouldnt have to see that stuff, of all places, at the Lorain County Fair, which attracts diverse crowds.

Since 2015, Donaldson and others, including Lorain County Commissioner Matt Lundy, have tirelessly fought to ban the flag at the fair.

Its not a total victory for Donaldson and Lundy, but at least this year, the Confederate flag wont be sold inside the Fair.

But Lundy questions why use a family event to promote and provide a platform for hate speech, because there is nothing honorable about the Confederacy.

Lundy said the fair board needs to follow corporations like Walmart, Target and NASCAR, which made the decision to no longer sell the flag.

The Ohio State Fair also banned the sale of the flag and vendors at the Medina County Fair agreed not to sell the flag.

But, the Lorain County Fair Board wont budge on this issue, and its hurting the event.

In the last few weeks, the Fair has lost sponsorship and support from several prominent Lorain County organizations over this issue.

The Community Foundation of Lorain County board issued a statement July 16 unanimously supporting to boycott the fair and asking the fair board to reconsider its decision in support of the Confederate flag.

The Community Foundation is asking fair sponsors, local businesses and nonprofits to withdraw their support so long as the flag is displayed and sold at the Fair.

On July 9, Mercy Health confirmed it will not be a sponsor for the fair due to the continued sale of the Confederate flag.

Jonathon Fauvie, public relations and communications manager for Mercy Healths Lorain market, said the hospital system supports human dignity and equal opportunity for all and encouraging those pursuing justice.

Fauvie said symbols of racial inequity are not representative of Mercy Health or its Catholic teachings.

Mercy Health has not participated in sponsorship for the past two years and remains committed to addressing health disparities and being a change leader for the community.

The hospital system applauds other organizations that have taken a stance against these symbols of racial inequity.

The Meijer company, which has opened two stores  in Avon and Lorain  decided it would not participate in the fair this year.

Meijer had been set to sponsor it for the week.

On July 6, Meijer Cleveland Market Director Ken Barclay said company officials decided to move in a different direction and the flag did not represent the companys values.

Should the fair board change their position on the flag in the future, Barclay said Meijer could re-evaluate its sponsorship.

University Hospitals also decided to end its sponsorship until this flag issue is resolved.

Despite all of this intense criticism for the presence of the flag and other symbols associated with hate, the fair board continues with their unconcerned policy.

The board really needs to think about the future because the event could lose more support if this flag issue isnt resolved.

The Lorain County Fair is not the place to allow people to sell items associated with hate.

Fair board, its your move.
Observing the occasion of World Day for International Justice, the Tibetan community exiled in India's Dharamshala held anti-China protests urging support from the world against atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party on minorities and political dissidents.

Tibetans-in exile held a protest against China in Dharamshala on Thursday and urged the international community to stand up against Beijing who is a global threat to freedom.

We want international organizations and communities to stand together against China and hold it accountable, said Central Tibetan Womens Association Secretary Tenzin Khando on Friday.

Drawing the attention of the international community towards the tactics being used by China on the occasion of World Day for International Justice, Tibetans-in exile were heard sloganeering against the Dragon.

Khando, who led the protest, made the remarks here against China and the protestors sang the Tibetan and Indian national anthem and observed a minute of silence to register their protest.

Also read: CCP trying to dominate global communication networks: Mike Pompeo

Also read: Hong Kongers begin relocating to Taiwan amid concerns on national security law

We are here to protest against China and to show how China is a global threat to freedom. We demand the world and international community to support us and collectively stand together against China, Tenzin Khando told ANI.

Gonpo Dhondup, the chief of Tibetan Youth Congress said, This is the kind of silent protest and joint statement given by the five leading NGOs in Dharamshala.

We are filing a petition and report to all the embassies based in New Delhi and we are urging them to support the freedom of Tibet. Also, we are trying to hold China accountable for maliciously covering the information of Wuhan originated pandemic, he added.

Earlier this week, the representatives of 10 Tibetan associations met with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) officials in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum, demanding a transparent investigation into the source of the coronavirus.

Also read: US sanctions Huawei employees on human rights violations

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For several weeks, my team has been working to develop a plan to pursue that public conversation, and to engage in a comprehensive review of our public icons to identify which should change, and where we need new monuments and icons to be erected to ensure the full, robust history of our city is told, she said.
BANGKOK, July 18 (Reuters) - Thailand's outgoing central bank governor Veerathai Santiprabhob said on Saturday he would not join a new economic team as the prime minister looks for policymakers to steer Southeast Asia's worst performing economy through the coronavirus crisis.

Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and two other ministers resigned on Thursday in a move that added uncertainty to Thailand's policy-making.

Local media had linked Veerathai to an unspecified cabinet position to shore up Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's economic team.

"Given media reports that I was approached to join a new economic team, I already thanked the prime minister for his trust (in me) and told him earlier in the week that would not be able to take any posts," Veerathai said in a statement.

Veerathai's five-year term as central bank governor ends in September and the bank is in the process of selecting the next governor.

Prayuth said on Friday he had approached private bank executive Predee Daochai to join his cabinet.

Prayuth also said he asked previous central bank governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul to join his cabinet but Prasarn declined the invitation. (Reporting by Orathai Sriring and Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
Earlier this week, shares in Tesla Inc. the electric car giant led by CEO Elon Musk, were evaluated at just over $330 billion (U.S.) on the New York Stock Exchange.

To put this number in perspective, it is equivalent to the joint market value of Canadas big 6 banks, or about three times the market value of General Motors, Ford and Honda combined.

While it is debatable whether the market is assessing Tesla correctly or whether it is a bubble about to be burst, one thing is certain: the talent, vision and passion of the charismatic, outspoken  some say genius  entrepreneur who has led the company since 2008 are key to its success. For that, Musk should be rewarded.

But how exactly should he be compensated for his leadership role?

Paying a handsome remuneration for a successful and dedicated CEO is probably a good idea for any company. Making sure that the principle of pay-for-performance is kept and verifying that the CEO isnt rewarded for luck is also important.

But as it turns out, the compensation package that Musk received at Tesla is unparalleled. Inspired, one may say, by the name of another company Musk is leading  SpaceX.

Back in January 2018, when Teslas value was about $85 billion, Musk was awarded a 10-year compensation plan which has the features of a video game.

According to the plan, there are 12 different milestones (tranches) that Musk could reach, or unlock, and his compensation is tied to those milestones. The first milestone (which was recently met) is for the company to have a market value of $100 billion. From there, each subsequent tranche is $50 billion higher.

The terms of Musks plan require that the market value of the company for each threshold, for example, $100 billion, be kept on average for at least six months.

If the condition is met, Musk becomes eligible for options equal to one per cent of the number of shares outstanding, or about 1.69 million options. Musk could exercise each option at a price of $350 a share.

To give an example, if the current share price of Tesla is $1,500 a share, and each option allows Musk to buy one share at $350, each option is worth $1,150.

If all goes according to the plan, and Musk clears the last tranche  a market value of $650 billion for Tesla  he will be granted in total just over 20 million options. This translates to a staggering 10-year compensation of $55.2 billion (or $5.5 billion annually).

To be clear, this is just Musks current compensation contract. In addition, he already owns 38.7 million shares or about 21 per cent of all outstanding Tesla shares worth about $60 billion at current market price.

To understand how outrageous and disconnected from reality Musks potential maximum annual pay of $5.5 billion is, a few comparisons are required:

The median compensation for an employee at Tesla was $56,163 in 2018. Musk could make about 100,000 times that amount annually.

The average pay of the top 100 highest-paid Canadian CEOs in 2018 was $11.8 million (CND) according to a recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Musk could make 630 times that amount annually.

The median CEO compensation for the largest American firms, those listed in the S&P 500 index, was $12.8 million (U.S.) in 2018. Musk could make 431 times that amount annually.

Americas top earner  Alphabet Inc.s CEO Sundar Pichai  received a stunning $281 million in 2019. Musk could make 20 times that amount annually.

How could anyone justify such pay?

How can Musk justify it to himself? Does he really believe that he should get a contract worth about twice the annual GDP of Nepal, a country with a population of 28 million people?

Moreover, the fact that neither Musk nor the board of Tesla see fit to consider modifying the stratospheric compensation package in the midst of a global pandemic with historic high unemployment rates, shows how disconnected they are.

The company is defending the plan using a typical capitalist argument: Elons compensation will be 100 per cent aligned with the interests of our stockholders. That is, if the share price goes up, shareholders cant complain.

But for a company that is bragging about creating a better, sustainable world, and aspires to be instrumental in creating a green future, focusing solely on shareholders and share price is not what youd expect. What about other stakeholders? What about values related to equity and social justice?

Sure, create incentives, but $55 billion is excessive.

Elon Musks performance award is simply outrageous. The fact that he doesnt see this is disappointing. It also sets an inflated and problematic benchmark for other companies about to offer compensation plans to their CEOs.

But with pressure from activist shareholders, institutional investors and regulators, this can change. After all, Tesla is a public company, and its ordinary shareholders shouldnt sponsor what seems to be a pissing contest between Elon Musk and the richest person in the world Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Amir Barnea is an associate professor of Finance at HEC Montreal and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Reach him via email at amirbarnea.oped@gmail.com

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Agra, July 18 : The tourism industry in Agra has given up all hopes of an early revival of the hospitality sector, as the district administration has shown no inclination to agree to reopen the iconic Taj Mahal for visitors.

The number of containment zones and buffer zones around the Taj Mahal and the interior city continues to remain high, at 85.

The Rajasthan and MP borders are virtually sealed to restrict entry of visitors from Gwalior and Bharatpur side. The weekend lockdown has stalled all traffic movement via the Expressways from Delhi-Noida or Lucknow.

Though the recovery rate of Covid-19 patients continues to remain encouraging, at 82.63 per cent, the real worry is the daily identification of fresh cases. In the last 24 hours there were 14 cases taking the tally to 1,468. The death toll stands at 94. The number of active cases remains at 161. Health department officials stated that 33,932 samples had been collected so far.

The number of fresh cases in Mathura was 12, Mainpuri 8, Firozabad 7, Kasganj 27.

As fresh cases continue to cause worry in Mathura district, the administration is in no mood to open the temples or the 'Parikrama' route. The total number of cases in Mathura now is 616, while in Firozabad it is 592.

Early reports suggest that there had been an appreciable improvement in the rural areas due to increased awareness and social distancing being followed. District magistrate P.N. Singh said the publicity campaign had been mounted to sensitise the rural hinterland.

The number of containment zones in rural areas has come down from 40 to 28, a rural development functionary said. As the marriage season is over and the traditional fairs or parikramas have not been permitted, there are fewer opportunities for people to congregate. "Only people who now come to the cities are the daily wage earners, but due to shrinking of the economic activities in the urban areas, the movement is now down to a trickle." The partial lockdown began late Friday evening and will continue till early Monday. All markets are closed and movement of any kind has been strictly prohibited, except for emergency purposes, police said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Time is running out to prevent a decaying tanker off the coast of Yemen from dumping its load of 1.1 million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, sparking an environmental catastrophe, the United Nations has warned. As CNN reports, concerns are growing over the condition of the SAFER FSO tanker, which has been stranded off the Yemeni port of Ras Isa since 2015. This week, the UN's environmental chief said the ship could release four times more oil than the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 off Alaska if action was not taken.

"Time is running out for us to act in a coordinated manner to prevent a looming environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe," Inger Andersen told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

Seawater flooded the aging tanker's engine room in late May and is threatening to destabilize the ship, according to the UN. Andersen said that "no effort should be spared" to conduct a "a technical assessment and initial light repairs" on the vessel.

But she added that in the longer term, the best option is for the oil to be offloaded from the ship, which would then be towed to a safe location for inspection and dismantling.

The international community will also have to come up with a response should an oil spill occur, she warned. The Exxon Valdez disaster damaged more than 1,300 miles of some of the most remote, wild shoreline in the United States, and the oil continues to pollute beaches and harm the ecosystem to this day.

Andersen said that neither war-torn Yemen nor its neighbors had the capacity to manage the consequences of such a large spill, which would wreck the biodiversity of the Red Sea and could affect the livelihoods of the 28 million people who rely on the inlet.

Green light

Yemen has been embroiled in a yearslong civil war that has pitted the Iran-backed Houthi rebels against a coalition backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The rebels, who control the area where the ship is located, have given the green light for a UN team to assess the ship's condition and do initial repairs, the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General said Monday.

But questions remain as to whether the Houthis will allow the mission to go ahead, UN humanitarian affairs chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council on Wednesday.

The rebels previously blocked UN inspectors from assessing the vessel in 2019, he said, despite asking the world body for assistance. The Houthis have however repeatedly blamed the Saudi-led coalition fighting them for preventing UN inspectors access to the tanker.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has described the ship as a "ticking time bomb", called Wednesday for the Houthis to grant the UN access to the vessel.

"Imagine over one million barrels of oil seeping into the Red Sea -- ports unusable, fisheries decimated, Yemeni people without critical aid, and imports severed," he wrote on Twitter. "We call on the Houthis to live up to their commitments and facilitate UN assessments of the Safer oil tanker now."

According to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah news agency, the Houthi government wants to be able sell any oil extracted from the vessel -- which would be impossible due to international sanctions. The oil is estimated to be worth $40 million, according to Vessel Tracker.

The aging tanker had been converted into a floating storage platform before the war in Yemen started.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 09:24:18|Editor: huaxia

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U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) addresses a press briefing at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

--Growing use of sanctions by the U.S. is deeply concerning;

--European policies should be determined in Europe not by third countries;



--The extraterritorial application of sanctions is contrary to international law.

BRUSSELS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said on Friday he was deeply concerned over the growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the United States against European companies and interests.

"We have witnessed this developing trend in the cases of Iran, Cuba, the International Criminal Court and most recently the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream projects," Borrell said in a statement.

Emphasizing that "European policies should be determined in Europe not by third countries," Borrell said the EU opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business, and the bloc "considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law."

EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on July 13, 2020. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

He said the EU is always open to dialogue, but "this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions."

On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected Washington's latest threat of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.

The Kremlin also said Thursday that Washington's threat to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 as well as the second line of the TurkStream pipeline stretching from Russia to Turkey across the Black Sea is "unfair competition."

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent fresh warnings of possible sanctions to companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and the second line of the TurkStream pipeline.

Pompeo claimed that the projects are not commercial but serve as Moscow's tools to exploit European dependence on Russia's energy supplies. 
(Photo : Photo by Zohre Nemati on Unsplash) How do you care for a COVID-19 patient at home?

News of COVID-19 cases rising and tallies of positive cases and deaths seem to never end as news continuously broadcast them. No matter how scary the numbers can get, nothing seems real until you know someone personally, afflicted with the same disease being broadcasted on television.









When a loved one gets sick, it would be a no-brainer to ultimately provide as much care and comfort as possible. However, how would this be possible if that loved one is struck by a high-risk virus that would put your own safety at risk if you get too close or let your guard down?





NPR talked to some COVID-19 recoverees and medical professionals and here are some points they shared when giving care to coronavirus patients.

Also Read: COVID-19 Reinfection Is Possible, Experts Say









1. Home Isolation





According to Dr. Paul Sax, a clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the first step in providing care is to isolate the infected person. As much as possible, let that family member stay in a separate room where they will eat and sleep.

Additionally, they should also use a different bathroom from the rest of the family. Although it's alright to enter the patient's room to drop off food, Dr. Sax advises both the patient and caregiver to wear masks.

Furthermore, it would be safer if the caregiver would put on a face shield or goggles, as the eyes are a potential entry point for the virus.

2. Focus on Symptomatic Relief





Since there isn't any verified treatment for the virus yet early during its course, Dr. Abraar Karan, a Harvard Medical School physician advises caregivers to focus on relieving the patient from their symptoms.

She adds that over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol for fevers and pain, or anti-cough medications are both options for people who don't have serious medical conditions.

3. Be Attentive, Supportive, and Present





Check on your loved ones often. You don't have to be physically present in the room with them to see how they're doing.

You can knock on their door three to four times a day just to say "hi" or ask how they're doing. If you're far away, you can reach them through video call, or better yet, go send them a thoughtful gift.

Because the recovery process is slow and done in isolation, Dr. James Aisenberg says it is important to find moments of human connection with family and friends between the stretches of alone time.

After being diagnosed with the condition himself, Dr. Aisenberg says its important for the patient's support system to be present, if not physically, then emotionally.

4. Be in Constant Communication with the Patient's Physician





Dr. Aisenberg also said it was essential to keep the communication flowing between the physician and the caregiver. Keeping meticulous notes on the patient's condition and recovery progress is also helpful in monitoring the condition.

COVID-19 is a new disease which scientists and medical experts are still trying to work out. It would be reassuring to ask someone knowledgeable about the disease about symptoms they might be experiencing and other matters related to the condition.

Read Also: COVID-19 and Children: Important Things You Need to Know




LONDON  After nine months of waiting for surgery, Ruth Fawcetts knee muscles wasted away, causing her joint to come loose in its socket and leaving her unable to walk without assistance.

Theyve just stopped doing surgery for cases that they call nonlife-threatening and when they start again, they will probably have to prioritize the most urgent cases, she said, taking a deep sigh.

Ms. Fawcett, 82, a jewelry designer from the northwestern county of Cumbria, is one of nearly four million people in England on the National Health Service waiting list for routine hospital treatments, which have been disrupted in recent months as hospitals have been forced to suspend services in favor of coronavirus cases.

Many patients like Ms. Fawcett are experiencing a significant deterioration in their health because of the delay and are growing anxious and frustrated because of the lack of guidance as to where they are placed on the list, or how long they will have to wait before they can receive treatment.
The talks took place in the context of the two countries celebrating 45 years of diplomatic ties (1975-2020).

Son briefed the Mexican deputy minister on the situation regarding COVID-19 in Vietnam and the countrys experience in fighting the pandemic, as well as measures to recover the national economy and ensure social welfare post-pandemic.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (Photo: VNA)



Vietnam stands ready to cooperate with Mexico within bilateral and multilateral frameworks to drive back the pandemic and reboot the economy, he said.

In turn, Ventura said Mexico appreciates Vietnams experience in this regard and hopes to learn from it.

The two sides are pleased with the active development of multi-faceted cooperation, with bilateral mechanisms including political consultation between the two foreign ministries and meetings of the joint committee on cooperation in economy-trade and investment.

They said legal frameworks have been implemented effectively and new negotiations begun in various fields. Of particular note, two-way trade continued to grow quickly in the first half of this year despite complex developments in global trade.

The two sides will work closely together to maintain development momentum in bilateral relations, prepare high-level visits and meetings, implement collaborative mechanisms, and push ahead with negotiations over the signing of major cooperation documents on customs, education, and agriculture.

They will also work to effectively materialise the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and continue their coordination and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, especially the UN, as the two countries serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 term (Vietnam) and 2021-2022 (Mexico), and other major forums such as the WTO, APEC, and the G20./.
New Delhi, July 18 : The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has informed the Supreme Court that the Central Hall of Parliament poses a challenge for rescue and evacuation operations in certain conditions during an emergency.

The CPWD pointed out that the hall has a seating capacity for only 440 persons and during joint sessions a large numbers of seats have to be arranged in the aisles. "This arrangement undermines the dignity of the institution and poses challenges for evacuation during emergent conditions, as movements are highly restricted," said the CPWD in a counter-affidavit in the apex court in reply to a petition against the Central Vista Project.

The CPWD said that the new Parliament building will be constructed with enhanced structural life, which will last for centuries, and will become a symbol of national pride as well as inspire citizens to participate in the democratic traditions of India.

Citing the expansion of the Lok Sabha in future, the CPWD said it is likely to increase substantially after 2026, as the freeze on the total number of seats is only till that year.

"The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are packed to capacity and have no space for addition of seats if Parliament is expanded. The seating arrangements are cramped and cumbersome, there are no desks beyond the second row, and movement is extremely constrained," the department said.

It also pointed out that there are six plots in the Central Vista, where temporary barracks or stables during the Second World War were built. "These structures occupy an area of over 90 acres near the North Block, South Block, Jamnagar House, and Jodhpur House. This precious land on the Vista is highly underutilised," the CPWD contended.

Detailing the Common Central Secretariat, the CPWD said: "The development of Common Secretariat will lead to major increase in office spaces which will offset the huge gap in present and future demand and existing availability. It will create modern workspaces with latest technology... the infrastructure will be built on par with global standards." An underground shuttle of approximately 3 km length is also proposed to be constructed to connect and integrate all the buildings of the Common Central Secretariat. "Overall, the redevelopment will trigger efficiency and synergy in government functioning... the project will also be integrated with the Delhi Metro Transit System," said the affidavit.

The CPWD emphasised that the new Parliament building will use indigenous technology, and showcase Indian knowledge and expertise to the world. "This proposal will address not only the space requirement but also facilitate maintenance of the existing iconic building as a symbol of vibrant democracy," the CPWD added.

(Sumit Saxena can contacted at sumit.s@ians.in)
WEST CHESTER  The Montgomery County teenager who shot and wounded a classmate during what was supposed to be a fist-fight will be tried as an adult on assault and attempted murder charges, a Chester Common Pleas Court judge has ruled.

Judge Jeffrey Sommer said in an order he read aloud from the bench on Wednesday that the attorney for defendant Raul Castro had failed to meet the burden of showing that his clients case would best be handled in county Juvenile Court.

Sommer said in his four-page opinion that Castro was in need of long term rehabilitative treatment  an opinion he said was shared by two psychologists who interviewed the teenager  and that if he was allowed to have his case transferred to Juvenile Court he would be released from supervision when he turns 21 in about five years. The treatment he needs is available only in the adult prison system.

Only the adult system can compel and provide this long-term treatment, which satisfies the courts concerns as to adequacy and duration, Sommer wrote.

The judge concluded, in addition, that Castro represented a threat not only to the two victims in the case  the youth he shot in the back while the then-14-year-old ran away, and a second teenager  but to the community at large.

It is clear to this court that the violent nature of the offense was disproportionate to the circumstances, Sommer wrote. (Castro) brought a gun to a proposed fist fight. He shot at two individuals as their backs were turned and they were running away. There is no doubt about his culpability. Without rehabilitative treatment, (Castro) clearly poses a threat to the public.

Castro, 16, of Lower Pottsgrove showed no outward reaction when Sommer read his order keeping his case in adult court. He spoke briefly with his attorney, Ryan Grace of the law firm of Kelly & Bellwoar of West Chester, before being led from the courtroom by sheriff deputies and returned to Chester County Prison, where he had been held on bail since his arrest in 2019.

Neither of the two victims nor their families were in court for Sommers decision, which came after two days of testimony and argument in June. About six members of Castros family were present, but did not speak. Castros next court date was continued until September, at which time Grace said he might file pre-trial motions or ask that the case proceed to trial.

Castro, a student at Pottsgrove High School, was charged after he was taken into custody by Lower Pottsgrove police officers following the report of a shooting around 3:45 p.m. on April 1, 2019.

Chief Michael Foltz and Detective Sgt. Joseph Campbell found him in the area of Porter Road in Lower Pottsgrove across the Schuylkill River from where the shooting allegedly occurred.

During a ride from the scene to the township police department, Castro allegedly told Officer David McKehnie that he, tried to help him by putting pressure on his wounds.

I felt bad after I did it, he said, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case by lead investigator Chester County Detective Kristin C. Lund.

The police located the shooting victim  who has not been identified publicly  on the Chester County side of the river in East Coventry under an abandoned railroad bridge near Mark Drive, conscious but not alert. He was flown to the hospital by helicopter.

The youth, who testified before Sommer about his condition, has undergone multiple surgeries to treat his wounds, and is at constant risk of (further medical problems), Sommer wrote. The second youth, who witnessed the shooting, is undergoing counseling for traumatic stress.

East Coventry and Lower Pottsgrove police were able to identify the second youth as a witness to the events, and who had called 911 emergency to report the shooting. That youth, a then-15-year-old who was classmates at Pottsgrove with Castro and the first victim, said the shooting had its roots in a dispute that Castro had with him and his friend.

The trio had all been friends, the 15-year-old said, until the weekend before April 1, 2019. He and the victim had gone to Castros home where Castro told them he did not want to be their friends anymore, and that if they ever came back to his house he would slap them, Lund wrote in her complaint.

When the two appeared back at Castros house the following day, he told them he wanted a real fight, the 15-year-old said.

The three agreed at Castros urging to meet under the abandoned railroad bridge the afternoon of April 1. When Castro arrived, he walked down a set of stairs on the bridge to where the other two were waiting. They all then began walking to a nearby set of woods, with Castro behind the pair.

As they walked, the 15-year-old heard two gunshots. Realizing what was happening, the youth began to run away and heard a bullet pass by his head, he told Lund.

He eventually turned and went back to his friend, who was lying on the ground clutching a gun and bleeding from his stomach. The victim told the other youth to call 911, and the 15-year-old put his hands on the gunshot wound to try to stop the bleeding.

He said Castro just stood there, in contrast to Castros statement to police about trying to help his former friend.

Castro then ran from the scene.

The gun used in the shooting was recovered and traced to a relative of Castros who lived at his home.

In his ruling, Sommer pointed out that the shooting had an impact not only on the two teenagers, but on their parents as well. The victims mothers each testified that (Castros) release would make it nearly impossible for them to feel safe in their own communities, he said. They were especially fearful for the safety of their children.

They believed that if (Castro) committed this act once, he could do it again, the judge stated.

To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.
By Trend

A telephone conversation was held between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on July 17.

Zalkaliani extended congratulations to Bayramov on his appointment.

The parties exchanged the views on a wide range of strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia and stressed that the efforts to develop these relations will continue.

Having informed his Georgian counterpart about the Armenian armed forces' attempt to attack the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and the suppression of this attempt by Azerbaijan, as well as about the difficult situation in the region, Bayramov emphasized the importance of ending Armenias aggressive policy, the withdrawal of all occupation forces from the territory of Azerbaijan and ensuring the integrity of internationally recognized borders of the countries.
Inside Italys COVID War presented by Norman Swan, directed by Sasha Joelle Achilli for PBS Frontline, will screen on Four Corners.

For the naysayers who now ask, Why are we locking down again? Watch this and know. Dr Norman Swan, ABCs Health Report

On Monday night, Four Corners brings you a remarkable film that acts as a forceful reminder of how quickly coronavirus can take off and spread. Presented by the Health Reports Dr Norman Swan, this film from PBS Frontline takes you into the heart of Italys fight against the virus.

I believe its an unfair battle. We have few weapons; the virus has them all. But with the few we have, we are trying to resist and fight back. It may be an unfair battle, but we are fighting it anyway. We wont give up. Emergency room doctor

Earlier this year, as Australia began to lock down in an effort to stop the virus taking hold, Italy was in the middle of a full-blown crisis. The hospitals in the north of Italy were completely overwhelmed, providing a flashing red warning sign of what the virus could do in an advanced nation with a first-rate health system.

I can barely cry. I dont know how the patients can have such capacity to stay there, waiting for hours and hours, in some cases days, without knowing what their fate will be. And you really cant give them an answer. Emergency room doctor

One hospital in the thick of the pandemic, in the city of Cremona, allowed a camera in as the crisis was unfolding.

While they were putting him to sleep, he said, Im scared Im going to die. I said, No, were doing this to help you. Intensive care unit doctor

The film follows the daily struggles of an inspirational doctor and her staff, as they battle to keep their patients alive.

For a mother, a situation like this is devastating. She couldnt see him, be close to him, hold his hand in the moment when he was intubated. I wouldve thrown myself on him like a blanket to protect him. Emergency room doctor

This intimate film shows how medical staff had to fight off emotion, fatigue and fear as the numbers continued to climb.

Theres a fear of becoming infected and in turn infecting the ones who are closest to me. It feels like the virus is circulating and the circle is getting smaller. Now Im worn out, Im tired and Im more scared. Doctor

The film is a testament to the courage and hope of medical staff on the frontlines of the pandemic.

There have been some really dark moments of fear in which we thought we werent going to make it. This has united us and continues to unite us. Emergency room doctor

Monday 20th July at 8.30pm.
It wasnt yet legal, but their wedding was a public show of commitment to each other.

When Brad Berg and Brian Rolfes held a commitment ceremony in 1998, Canada was seven years away from full marriage equality. The pair had met just after law school, working as clerks at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.

It was really important, particularly back in those days, to do something formally, and in society and with our families and with our friends, Rolfes told the Star. Even before the law had changed, we had decided that we wanted to do something public.

Berg and Rolfes, who were both raised in Saskatchewan but now reside in Toronto, were among the first LGBTQ marriages in the Prairies. For us, that was our real wedding Berg recalled. It didnt have legal significance but our family was there. Our parents walked us up the aisle. It was 100 people in a frozen church in Saskatoon in the middle of March.

There was some press attention around the wedding  but they were speaking to a different audience, Berg said.

We wanted it not so much to get the press but rather to show other people that it was possible to get married, because at that time, gays were not getting married, he said. You could not get married. And we really wanted to show that you could.

Five years later, the law caught up with our reality, Rolfes said. Listening to the radio in the morning hours of June 10, 2003, he heard the news: Ontarios Court of Appeal declared that same-sex marriage was legal in the province. So Brad and I looked at each other and even though we had had that public commitment ceremony five years earlier, the lawyers in us sort of said, OK, its available now  lets do it again.

Three days later, the pair married  this time legally  at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, an institution instrumental in leading the fight towards federal same-sex marriage legalization.

As two single gay law students at the University of Saskatchewan in the early 90s, you could have given us 100-to-1 odds that either of us would actually be able to get fully legally married anywhere in the world, including Canada, and we probably wouldnt have taken that bet, Rolfes said. And so its something we never take for granted. But boy, we really do find it a blessing and  were grateful for it.

Federally, the equal marriage fight was still trudging forward. Despite legalization in Ontario and B.C. in 2003, same-sex marriage would not become legal nationwide until July 20, 2005.

Following a 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision that found same-sex couples should have the same rights as opposite-sex common-law couples, provinces had begun to move toward legalization. By February 2005, Bill C-38, which would allow same-sex marriage nationwide, was brought forward by Prime Minister Paul Martins Liberal government.

On June 28 that year, the House of Commons passed the bill with a vote of 158-133. The bill was passed by the Senate on July 19 and was given royal assent the following day.

Danielle Gilmore and Tanya Turtons relationship started slowly, over WhatsApp, after they were introduced by a mutual friend. Turton was planning to spend a few months in Atlanta, Georgia, and wanted to meet locals to connect with while she was there. For a couple of months, the two exchanged text messages, talking at length about recent heartbreaks and the books they were reading.

She got to Atlanta in December of (2016). And we visited with each other like once, and after that it was like Whoa, Gilmore said. They never looked back, and were married at an Atlanta courthouse on Jan. 22, 2018. (In Georgia, same-sex couples could not legally wed until the U.S. Supreme Court deemed same-sex marriage bans illegal in June 2015.)

The couple would later move to Toronto.

Like Rolfes and Berg, Turton and Gilmore had a commitment ceremony before legally tying the knot. With the guidance of elders from the Atlanta community, the couple exchanged rings at 7 a.m. on July 7, 2017. Our commitment ceremony was an opportunity for us to really be present to the decision that were making, Turton said.

There was nothing really sparkly about it. It was just two of us with an elder, and we werent very dressed up or anything like that. And we were by this small lake, and it was just us and the animals pretty much.

Turton and Gilmore stressed that there are still hurdles facing Canadas LGBTQ community. Family planning has been a challenge, Gilmore said, adding that queer people face barriers in having children through artificial insemination.

LGBTQ marriage is still a ways off from being fully embedded in the culture, Turton added.

When I first got married, a lot of what I dealt with is people asking me the question  But are you really married? Like, are you legally married? Or are you just, like, saying this is your wife? People literally did not know that you could legally be married. And this was, you know, two years ago, she said.

Even the process of acquiring car and apartment insurance has led to questions about their marital status, or the mis-gendering of each partner, Turton said. There are all these things that we do together as a married couple that are more complicated because of the fact that people literally do not understand that its possible for us to be legally married, and are constantly trying to question that.

Nancy Nicol, professor emeritus at York University and a documentarian who directed and produced The Queer Nineties, a film that explores the struggle for LGBTQ equality in Canada, told the Star that the countrys overall attitude toward equal marriage has changed drastically in the years since legalization.

Same-sex marriage kind of came after many, many struggles  for human rights, relationship recognition and same-sex parenting, Nicol said. All of that built awareness and recognition of these rights and shifted public sentiment. But the same-sex marriage debate itself shifted public sentiment even further.

Divisions on marriage equality existed within the LGBTQ community itself, Nicol said.

There was a lot of debates within the queer community about whether same-sex marriage was even something that we should be fighting for, because people were often critical of the institution of marriage, she explained. At the same time, there were a lot of people who wanted access to marriage because they wanted their relationships to be recognized.

Generational change takes an adjustment, Berg said, adding that the five years preceding their wedding in 1998 took some work with friends and family. So not everyone was at the wedding in 98 that we wanted to be there, he said.

Frankly, even those who werent comfortable coming then are now extremely comfortable and supportive, Berg said. So, you know, its a process.
michael barbaro

From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: Public health officials are vowing to develop a coronavirus vaccine in record time. My colleague, health reporter Jan Hoffman, on how that speed could backfire. Its Tuesday, July 21st.

archived recording Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to all of our witnesses for joining us here today. And, of course, thank your staff for setting up the technology so we can hold this hearing safely.

jan hoffman

So late last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Robert Redfield at the C.D.C. sat down in front of a group of senators to answer their many questions about what was going on with the coronavirus pandemic.

archived recording (elizabeth warren) Dr. Fauci, based on what youre seeing now, how many Covid-19 deaths and infections should America expect before this is all over? archived recording (dr. anthony fauci) I cant make an accurate prediction, but it is going to be very disturbing. I will guarantee you that.

jan hoffman

The big news that day was Dr. Anthony Fauci saying that he expected cases to rise.

archived recording (dr. anthony fauci) I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day 

jan hoffman

To 100,000 a day.

archived recording (dr. anthony fauci)  if this does not turn around.

michael barbaro

Right. That was a big headline. I remember that.

jan hoffman

That shocked everyone. But what was also rumbling through, and was a consistent theme in the questioning by the senators, was their concern that Americans were afraid of the very speed at which this vaccine was being developed.

[music]

archived recording Dr. Fauci, I want to ask you about the concern that we have with certain parts of the country where you have public mistrust of vaccines, in general.

jan hoffman

And they were asking whether Americans would, in fact, be willing to get it.

archived recording My fear is that we may get to the place where  we will get to that place where we have that successful vaccine. But we still have the concern for many, and a mistrust. And whether its vaccine hesitation or vaccine confidence  I dont know what the buzz word is  but Im worried that we dont have a plan for how to deal with that.

jan hoffman

It was not one party or the other. Both Republican and Democratic senators kept firing away at Dr. Robert Redfield and Dr. Fauci.

archived recording 1 We know this is in our future, and we are not ready for it. archived recording 2 And this could cause problems down the road if we get to a vaccine, but people dont want to get the vaccine. So 

jan hoffman

Saying, what are you going to do? How are you going to prepare Americans?

archived recording And that plan has to combat misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.

jan hoffman

We are sensing that they are afraid of this thing. They are saying they wont take it.

archived recording Dr. Redfield, do you agree a plan like that is needed? archived recording (dr. robert redfield) Senator, I think its very important that we have an integrated plan for this vaccine.

jan hoffman

And both of the gentlemen seemed somewhat disconcerted.

[music]

michael barbaro

And yet, how grounded are these fears that these senators are expressing during this hearing?

jan hoffman

They are incredibly substantial. There was a survey done in late May by the Associated Press and a research institute out of the University of Chicago that showed that fully 50 percent of Americans were either hesitant or absolutely would not take the vaccine.

michael barbaro

Wow.

jan hoffman

Which is really concerning.

michael barbaro

50 percent.

jan hoffman

50 percent.

michael barbaro

And in my mind, skepticism of vaccines in the United States has been around for a really long time. And its somewhat meaningful, but its not widespread. Its not 50 percent. Its kind of a niche. So thats not what youre describing here  a niche.

jan hoffman

No. This is a chasm. This was exponentially far greater than anything wed ever seen before.

michael barbaro

So how do we get to that enormous widespread figure? Because we have talked a bit on this show about the origins of vaccine skepticism. And my recollection is that it starts with questions around autism.

jan hoffman

Actually, it starts with questions around the invention of the smallpox vaccine in the 18th century. Even then, there were vaccine skeptics. Benjamin Franklin was himself a vaccine skeptic. He later recanted and saw the light. So it has come in waves over the centuries. Probably, whats most prominent in the modern memory is a study that Dr. Andrew Wakefield published in the British Journal The Lancet in 1998, where he associated autism and the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, which is given to children just around the time that theyre about a year and a half. And he asserted wrongly  completely wrongly  that the vaccine caused autism. That has been completely refuted. And yet, it still took hold in the hearts and minds of many, many parents. It has become the basis for political movements. For example, its a very big movement in Texas with a politically powerful group called Texans for Vaccine Choice. They have, in fact, hijacked the language of the Abortion Rights Movement  this is my body. The government does not have the right to order me to put something into it. Its my body, my choice. There are people who resent big pharma. And they believe vaccines are totally a construct of big pharma to make money. When in fact, actually, its probably the reason that most companies dont make vaccines, because they dont make a lot of money out of it. There is the crunchy granola  to use a term of art  parenting movement, which basically says, nothing but the natural comes into my child. Therefore, not a vaccine. Certainly, vaccines skepticism has been shown to be more pronounced in African-American and Latino communities, particularly because of the revelations in the mid-70s of the Tuskegee experiments, in which the American public health institutions knew that something like 300 Alabama sharecroppers had been infected with syphilis. And although they had the cure for it  penicillin  they refused to cure them, and instead wanted to watch the disease progress so they could learn more about the disease. When that horror broke, that reinforced nascent vaccine skepticism in the African-American community, and the perception that they were essentially being used as cannon fodder for privileged white people.

[music]

So if you think you have someone in mind who you think is the archetype of someone who opposes vaccines, you absolutely do not. It crosses racial lines. It crosses socioeconomic backgrounds, educational backgrounds. It crosses political affiliation.

michael barbaro

And Jan, how does Donald Trump and his arrival on the national political scene  how does that play into this?

jan hoffman

Since about 2012, hes been tweeting very skeptical comments about what he thinks are the size of the doses. He frequently would say, this is enough for a horse. And then he comes on the stage while hes a candidate 

archived recording (donald trump) Theres people that work for me  just the other day, two years old, two and a half years old, a child  a beautiful child went to have the vaccine. And came back, and a week later, got a tremendous fever. Got very, very sick. Now is autistic.

jan hoffman

And he says bluntly, during a major debate, that he doesnt believe in the schedule. And he thinks kids are getting too many vaccines.

archived recording (donald trump) I only say, its not  Im in favor of vaccines. Do them over a longer period of time. Same amount, but just in little sections. archived recording Dr. Carson. archived recording (donald trump) And I think youre going to have  I think youre going to see a big impact on autism.

jan hoffman

He has boasted before that he never himself would get a flu vaccine. He said he slowed down his son Barrons vaccine schedule. So he became the flag bearer for this growing movement that had so many myriad voices in it from so many different perspectives.

michael barbaro

So all of this vaccine baggage  for lack of a better phrase  all of this skepticism, it predates the pandemic. But I guess I still dont quite understand how we get to that really alarming 50 percent figure of Americans who are reluctant to use an eventual coronavirus vaccine. So help me bridge that.

jan hoffman

We have a pandemic that, as the weeks go by, people are dying. Cases are taking up. Our lives as we know it have changed completely. We dont even have a new normal yet. We are making it up as we go along. And all along, the word vaccine is being held out as a holy grail.

[music]

A vaccine will save us. A vaccine will restore us. A vaccine will bring us life that we knew.

michael barbaro

Right.

jan hoffman

It is topic number one. You cannot turn around without hearing the V word. It is front and center wherever we go. And that is the overlay on top of this insurgent, multi-dimensional questioning of the value of a vaccine.

michael barbaro

Well be way right back. Jan, when did you begin to realize that there was something about this pandemic that was influencing how people thought about vaccines  the V word?

jan hoffman

I began to speak with doctors, pediatricians. And I asked them, if we come up with a coronavirus vaccine, what will you tell your patients? And I was struck over and over and over again by the long, loud silence on the other end of the phone.

[music]

And I thought oh, my god, what are we hearing here? I began to watch social media, and I saw the amping up of vaccine conspiracy theories. Then I heard more and more from people who were beginning to say, you know, I get all my vaccines, Im up-to-date  I will not take this one. These are pro-science, pro-vaccine people who are cringing and wanting to avoid this vaccine. And I thought, we have a problem.

michael barbaro

And what do you start to learn that would explain that level of skepticism?

jan hoffman

There are a lot of different reasons. But the first profound roadblock to it are many peoples objection to President Trump himself. People worry that he may have secret deals with certain pharma companies, and may stand to  either his friends will profit or he will profit. And so, unfortunately, people are holding the product itself at arms length and looking at it through the lens of a political situation. In fact, a major figure from the Trump administration called me just two days ago to talk about what the government was going to try to do about vaccine hesitancy. And he said, its unfortunate that people are wrapping their feelings of President Trump around the vaccine itself.

michael barbaro

Is what youre saying that some number of people, who would normally be inclined to take a vaccine but do not trust President Trump, are now thinking to themselves, well, if I dont trust President Trump, then perhaps I shouldnt trust a vaccine that emerges from a process he oversees. And just want to make sure Im connecting the dots here.

jan hoffman

Those dots are beautifully connected. Because Ive seen comments that go along the lines of, Ill take a vaccine authorized by a President Biden. Ill take a vaccine authorized by Angela Merkel. Its Trumps association with it that is giving a certain quadrant of these skeptics grave misgivings.

michael barbaro

But is that a reasonable form of skepticism? I mean, presidents have lots of powers, but they dont have the power to mix a drug in a lab. They dont dictate what a vaccine looks like. So is that rational?

jan hoffman

Im trying to answer this politely because that presupposes that vaccine skepticism is inherently rational. And, to some extent, I think its understandable. Whether its rational and logical is another question entirely. But remember, the president nominates the head of the F.D.A., who approves the vaccines. The president assigned the head of Operation Warp Speed, which is overseeing the public-private partnership. The president doesnt mix things in a test tube, but the president certainly has a great deal of power to authorize oversight of this vaccine.

michael barbaro

What else is driving this skepticism?

jan hoffman

I think even a greater factor than the administration itself is the speed with which its being produced. Most vaccines take about a decade to produce. Millions and even billions of dollars are poured into research for them to prove nothing. We dont have an H.I.V. vaccine, which has been in research for 20, 30 years. Theres no vaccine against breast cancer, which has been under research for arguably, even longer. And so people are thinking, well, how can you have a vaccine that is safe and effective come to market in six months? It boggles the mind. And so, for someone who is a vaccine hesitant, who is a vaccine skeptic, or even is just a pro-vaccine person, they are so apprehensive about the speed at which this is being produced that they are willing to say, Let someone else go first in line. Not me.

michael barbaro

Is there actually any evidence that Operation Warp Speed  the project underway now  will bypass traditional safety measures? The normal process of multiple clinical trials, lots of humans being tested, lots of assessments of side effects, adverse effects. Do we know that?

jan hoffman

It seems, so far, that nothing in the due diligence processes is being bypassed. Its only that its being accelerated. But the same level of scrutiny seems to be underway. Thats what we know so far.

michael barbaro

So this is quite fascinating and pretty alarming. The only remedy for this pandemic is a vaccine. And so the faster you get a vaccine, the faster the pandemic comes to an end. But from what youre saying, the faster the vaccine is produced, the more skeptical people are going to be of the vaccine and its safety. And so, speed here, instead of being a virtue, may actually be an undermining force and undermining of the original goal of the vaccine.

jan hoffman

And I think thats the tragedy. Because theres urgency. We need a vaccine. The world is crying out for it. To stop this thing. To shut it down. Scientists are responding, and saying were working as quickly as we can. And yet, thoughtful people are saying, wait, does speed equate with haste?

michael barbaro

So thats how you get to a figure like 50 percent. You take a lot of generalized anxiety around the safety of vaccines. You overlay this administration and its approach to science. And then you add what the government is promising is the fastest vaccine in history. And you get a much more amped up version of existing skepticism.

jan hoffman

Let me ask you a practical question. And you dont have to answer because Im switching caps here. But if you polled your colleagues and friends, what do you think, roughly, would be the percentage who would answer the following question in the affirmative or negative: Would you take a coronavirus vaccine if it were offered sometime this year?

michael barbaro

Id like to think that its 3/4 off the bat? But I dont know. Youre asking me a question I havent asked those friends and acquaintances and family. I guess I now should.

jan hoffman

Well, I think its important. Because what happens when you engage somebody in a conversation about vaccines is you both begin to think more deeply about, what does confidence mean to you? What do you need to know to feel safe in sticking out your arm? What questions would you want answered? And as you begin to enumerate those questions, as you begin to express your concerns, you are essentially creating a sketchbook for the kind of answers that any manufacturer or the government needs to have in hand to make the public feel confident that they are getting a safe and effective vaccine.

michael barbaro

But I guess what I would have to say, now that Ive had a minute or so to reflect on this, is that all the previous science  the vast majority of the previous science  about vaccines tells us that the process is safe. And that any kind of trade-off is worth it, given the public health value of people being protected against a highly transmissible disease.

jan hoffman

Theres lots of ways to answer that question. I want you to think about the cultural moment were in.

[music]

We are in a time when nationalism is surging around the world. America first. My family first. Myself first. The notion of a vaccine, writ large, means, I protect my community. I do what I can to protect my neighborhood, my country, people who travel across the world. It is one way to express altruism  is you say, I care about you. I will protect you so I cannot get myself sick, and I will not get you sick. But we are not at a cultural moment that looks like that. We do not care as much about our community, about our neighbors as we used to. The uptake for flu vaccine in adults 18 and older is only about 45 percent a year. And yet, if you ask a public health specialist what is the safest way to protect an older person from flu, a baby from flu, someone going through cancer treatment from flu, you say get everyone vaccinated for flu, even if they are not. Because that stops transmission. And yet, we only have about 45 percent uptake. Dr. Fauci has said at minimum, we need 75 percent of people to take a coronavirus vaccine, and he would prefer to see 85 percent. Right now, 50 percent of people are saying they dont want the vaccine. That means  even in the calculus of my mediocre math background  we are not anywhere close to what we need to causing across-the-board immunity and shutting down this pandemic.

michael barbaro

So with all this in mind, what is the plan for making Americans feel as comfortable as possible with the safety of this eventual vaccine? It seems crucially important to ending this pandemic. And like something that people in public health, in the federal government would be taking very, very seriously and have a plan for.

jan hoffman

During the Senate subcommittee hearing when Dr. Redfield was asked repeatedly about this 

archived recording (dr. robert redfield) C.D.C. is working on the issues that you said that I think are so important in building vaccine confidence in this country. archived recording Can you tell me when C.D.C. will be giving us their plans, and C.D.C. would be writing the comprehensive plan? archived recording (dr. robert redfield) Were developing a plan as we speak. And again, to keep building on 

jan hoffman

He said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been working on a plan and discussing this for 10 to 12 weeks.

archived recording (dr. robert redfield)  vaccine, prioritization of this vaccine, monitoring for safety of this vaccine  archived recording But you cant tell if itll a couple weeks, a couple months, the end of the year? Do you have any estimate on when well see that plan? archived recording (dr. robert redfield) Well, its currently in development within the group. And Id anticipate that well see that plan in the near weeks ahead, Senator.

jan hoffman

When I asked them to explain what, in fact, they were working on, they refused to answer. So I wish I could tell you. I have no idea.

[music]

michael barbaro

Jan, what happens if we get this wrong? If the vaccine comes out and a huge number of Americans say, Not me, you first. Im not ready for this.

jan hoffman

Thats probably, the greatest concern of all. Because if a huge number of Americans say, not me, you first, or if they say, Wait a minute, its not working. They had the vaccine for six months, but now theyre getting sick with Covid again, what public health experts are worried about is that this will undermine the very foundation upon which our vaccine infrastructure is built. Which is that vaccines work. That you need to get them. And you need to trust them. And really undermine faith in public health. In the belief that there is a superstructure that has the greater good in mind.

michael barbaro

So the stakes here are only the future, literally, of public health.

jan hoffman

Yep.

michael barbaro

Thank you, Jan. We really appreciate it.

jan hoffman

Thanks very much for letting me talk about it.

michael barbaro

On Monday, scientists at Oxford University reported that their experimental vaccine for the coronavirus prompted a protective immune response in hundreds of people who received a dose during an early clinical trial. So far, the vaccine has produced only minor side effects, like fever, chills and muscle pain. The clinical trial involved about 1,000 people. Larger trials involving about 10,000 people are underway. And an even larger trial involving about 30,000 people is set to start soon in the U.S. Well be right back.

[music]

Heres what else you need to know today. A major teachers union has sued the governor of Florida over an emergency order that would fully reopen schools there next month, amid a surge of infections. The American Federation of Teachers and its Florida affiliate accused Governor Ron DeSantis of violating a state law that requires schools to be safe and secure. The lawsuit, apparently the first of its kind, asks that local education and health officials, not the governor, have control over reopenings. And signals that teachers may take a range of actions to protest what they see as a hasty return to the classroom. And 

archived recording Since we last convened and specifically, on Friday, July 17, 2020, the Honorable John Robert Lewis, representative of the 5th Congressional District of Georgia, our hero, our colleague, our brother, our friend, received and answered his final summons from God Almighty. And at that moment, transitioned from labor to reward.

michael barbaro

On Monday, members of the House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution honoring their former colleague, John Lewis, who brought the moral authority of his time as a civil rights leader to his three-decade career in Congress.

archived recording 1 The clerk will report the resolution. archived recording 2 House Resolution 1054.

michael barbaro

Lewis death seemed to unify a body long defined by its divisions. And when the moment came for the House clerk to read the resolution, she was briefly overcome with emotion.

archived recording Resolve that the House has heard with profound sorrow [PAUSES] at the death of the Honorable John Lewis, a representative from the state of Georgia. Resolved that a committee of such members of the House as the Speaker may designate, together with such members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral.

michael barbaro
San Antonio and Bexar County officials said theyre stepping up enforcement of local and statewide emergency orders as the number of cases of and deaths from COVID-19 continue to soar.

Officials reported 478 new confirmed cases, for a total of 27,525, and 11 new deaths, of people from their 40s to their 80s. None of the deaths were from nursing homes or other congregate facilities.

Bexar Countys death toll from the coronavirus is 240. Last Friday, it was 166.

On a positive note, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 fell for the fourth straight day, dropping to 1,166 Friday, 36 fewer than on Thursday.

On ExpressNews.com: Refrigerated trucks for temporary morgues are on standby

But the numbers of people in intensive care and on ventilators went up: There were 436 in intensive care Friday, up six from Thursday, and 298 using ventilators to help them breathe, up 21.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg noted that the local hospital system remains under severe stress, with available staff hospital beds at about 11 percent.

Nirenberg said that upcoming events at the Lila Cockrell Theatre had been canceled after the city received complaints about youth events held there in late June. He said the city is trying to comply with these myriad orders, local and statewide, that have included exemptions for youth activities.

Clearly, were in a phase where weve got to be even more careful than even the exceptions suggest, the mayor said. So Im glad that those events are canceled for the near term.

The most recent deaths in Bexar County were a Black woman in her 60s; two white men in their 70s and 80s; three Hispanic women in their 40s, 50s and 70s; and five Hispanic men in their 60s and 70s.

On Thursday, local officials reported a record 21 new deaths from COVID-19  10 from San Antonio nursing homes  and 691 new cases of the coronavirus, plus 4,810 from a two-week backlog being reported for the first time.

Officials also spoke of ramped-up enforcement of local orders, again prohibiting noncritical personnel in nursing homes from working at more than one facility and increasing efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 at the Bexar County Jail.

Sheriff Javier Salazar said there were about 300 inmates testing positive in mid-May. The jail had that down to the 30s, but lately its started to go back up. Were in the 70s and 80s, Salazar said.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

He said five deputies were in the hospital, one on a ventilator.

Salazar said common areas in the jail are cleaned three times a day with a peroxide-based cleanser and twice a week with a stronger disinfectant. Inmates are required to wear masks, and they are issued a new mask every day, he said. Deputies and jail staff also are required to wear personal protective equipment whenever theyre in close contact with inmates, fellow workers or the public.

Salazar added that deputies have visited more than 2,200 businesses to ensure that theyre in compliance with state and county orders. Officers started issuing citations about a week ago, he said. Only 12 citations have been issued so far, but he expects that to increase in coming days.

Were concentrating most of our efforts on educating and warning, but if somebody still doesnt get the point, unfortunately we do have to issue a citation, the sheriff said.

Our hope is not to generate ticket revenue or to make anybodys life even harder than this pandemic has already made it, he added, but certainly we need to save lives and safeguard the community.

Testing is still important, officials said. Call 833-213-0643 to register for a free test at the Freeman Coliseum. For a full list of testing sites and information about testing, visit covid19.sanantonio.gov

Area report

Nursing homes continue to be a trouble point in the area.

Comal County reported five deaths Friday, four from two nursing homes. Two more residents of Kirkwood Manor died, officials said, increasing the death toll at that facility to nine.

The other two victims at nursing homes were residents of Colonial Manor, the first deaths seen at that home.

The fifth death reported Friday was a man in his 60s from New Braunfels with underlying conditions. He died in a hospital in his hometown.

Comal County reported 90 new cases Friday, for a total count of 1,558 since the pandemic started. That increased the positivity rate to 17 percent  the rate at which people tested turn out positive for the virus. Thats up from 14.75 percent just a week ago.

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
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We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Core Laboratories N.V. (NYSE:CLB).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year'.

View our latest analysis for Core Laboratories

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Core Laboratories

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Supervisory Director Gregory Barnett for US$116k worth of shares, at about US$40.00 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$20.30 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$320k for 8.60k shares. On the other hand they divested 139.00 shares, for US$370. In total, Core Laboratories insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Story continues

Core Laboratories is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insiders at Core Laboratories Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider buying at Core Laboratories. insider Jan Sodderland shelled out US$10k for shares in that time. It's great to see that insiders are only buying, not selling. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own.

Does Core Laboratories Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 1.8% of Core Laboratories shares, worth about US$17m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Core Laboratories Tell Us?

Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. That said, the purchases were not large. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Core Laboratories insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Core Laboratories (1 is concerning) you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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.
Three members of a family were killed when Pakistani troops shelled various forward areas and civilian places along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday, prompting the Indian Army to give a befitting reply, officials said.

"At around 2120 hours on Friday, Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and resorting to shelling of mortars along the LoC in Gulpur sector of Poonch district," a defence spokesperson said.

Pakistan army also shelled heavily the hamlets along the LoC in Khari Karmara sector, officials said. A shell landed on a house in Karmara village in which Mohd Rafiq (58), his wife Rafia Bi (50) and son Irfan (15) died on the spot, they said, adding that some houses have been damaged and a few people injured.

"The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly," the officials said.

Firing and shelling between the two sides were going on when the last report came in.
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has revealed why the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC , Ibrahim Magu went after him with zeal to prosecute him.

Saraki said Magu decided to take the fight against him personal because the eight National Assembly did not confirm his appointment as substantive EFCC Chairman.

The former Senate President was reacting to his victory against the EFCC at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa had dismissed in its totality the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for forfeiture order on Sarakis home in Ilorin, Kwara State. He said the last five years had been very challenging for him and his family, as he had endured and defeated one false allegation and malicious litigation after another, in an ill-motivated persecution, intimidation and harassment, through which some vested interests sought to damage his name and label him with charges of corruption. But with the grace of Allah, I have always been victorious. I thank God for the outcome of this case which is the fifth victory in cases in which the EFCC was either the main investigating agency or the plaintiff.

It is obvious that the EFCC leadership under its erstwhile acting chair, Mr. Ibrahim Mustapha Magu decided to take the issue of his non-confirmation by the 8th Senate which I led, personally. However, I know that the Senate under my leadership only followed the due and normal procedure during the confirmation process and we never executed any personal agenda against Magu. The records of the Senate during the period is there for the perusal of all Nigerians interested in the truth. I hope that with the outcome of todays case, the EFCC learns that a serious issue like the fight against corruption should not be reduced to a forum-shopping means to execute a personal vendetta or prosecute a parochial agenda. Fighting corruption and combating economic crime requires stakeholders to eschew coercion while employing upright diligence, due process, fairness, equity and broad mindedness in dealing with all cases and persons. The deployment of a state institution to fight a personal and partisan battle, particularly with the use of the mass and social media as championed by the EFCC was aimed at inflicting damage to my name, reputation and elective public service record, through a targeted misinformation and disinformation campaign of calumny, also directed at intimidating the judiciary, he stated. According to Saraki, it was directed at giving the wrong impression about him, as he recorded yet another vindication by the competent court of law, saying that Gods willing, his focus would now shift to more serious issues.

He said it was the grace of Allah and the support of his family that saw him through these past trying years, stressing that his family members had withstood with courage, candor, resilience and grace the war of attrition which was also directed at them. Saraki said it was important to put it on record that he held no grudge against any individual for their roles in his trials, as his experience in the last five years had only strengthened his faith in Almighty Allah, the Nigerian nation and her judiciary which had always risen above the din to give justice at all times and in all situation. Definitely, I remain unflinching in my belief that we need to build a functional society which creates the right atmosphere for all to aspire to be whatever positive they desire.
News anchors sometimes find themselves in unexpected situations while on air.

Recently, a Ukrainian news anchor found herself in an embarrassing situation when her tooth fell out during a show.

Marichka Padalko, who works with Ukraines TSN channel, posted a video and narrated the incident on Instagram.

In the clip, she can be seen reading the news live when one of her front teeth dropped from her mouth.

However, she displayed professionalism, continuing the show. The anchor took the tooth in her hand and kept reading the news.

The Indian Express put out a translated version of her post, in which she has told what transpired.

"Yes, I really lost a part of my front tooth today during the live broadcast of TSN at 9:00. Live broadcasting is wonderful because it is always unpredictable," she wrote.

Marichka said that this kind of incident had never happened in her twenty-long year career as a presenter, calling it her "most curious experience".

The anchor also revealed that she had thought the incident would not catch anybodys attention, adding that the episode was deliberately not posted on the TSN YouTube channel.

She admitted that they "underestimated the attention of our viewers." Telling the reason behind as to why her tooth fell out, she wrote, "I had a heavy metal alarm clock in my bedroom and one time my little daughter grabbed it and started swinging it around while I was sleeping. It hit half of my tooth when I was yawning in the bed."

Her video has gone viral and social media and netizens have praised the woman for keeping her cool.

TSN later also shared a picture of Marichka on Instagram, informing that she had gotten her broken tooth fixed. In the image, the anchor is seen giving a bright smile.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in 2019.

REUTERS/Erin Scott

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday said the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic was "very disappointing."

Zuckerberg called out the US's failure to sufficiently ramp up COVID-19 testing as well as the White House's attacks on its scientists.

He made the remarks in an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci that was livestreamed on Facebook.

"Now that we're here in July, I just think it was avoidable, and it's really disappointing that we still don't have adequate testing," Zuckerberg said.

Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday attacked President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic as "very disappointing."

In an interview with the infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci livestreamed on Facebook, the 36-year-old chief executive criticized the White House for the US's relatively slow pace of testing as well as for the recent attacks on Fauci by administration officials.

"I was certainly sympathetic early on when it was clear that there would be some outbreaks no matter how well we handle this," Zuckerberg said.

"But you know, now that we're here in July, I just think it was avoidable, and it's really disappointing that we still don't have adequate testing, and the credibility of our top scientists like yourself and the CDC is being undermined, and that until recently parts of the administration were calling into question whether people should even follow basic best practices like wearing masks."

The Facebook CEO did not name any administration officials as targets of his ire, but Trump has long been resistant to wearing masks in public, even as the evidence has grown ever more clear that they play a key role in driving down infection rates of COVID-19.

Zuckerberg and Fauci also discussed the progress of vaccine research as well as guidance for ordinary people (such as wearing a mask). During the interview, some users used the comments on the livestream to spread vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories  highlighting how Facebook's platform can be hijacked to disseminate hoaxes even when the company is trying to direct users to sources of accurate information.

Story continues

Facebook has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of Trump in recent weeks. Its decision not to flag or take down recent inflammatory posts by the president sparked unprecedented protests among employees  and contributed to an ongoing advertiser boycott over its approach to hate speech.

Do you work at Facebook? Contact Business Insider reporter Rob Price via encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 650-636-6268), encrypted email (robaeprice@protonmail.com), standard email (rprice@businessinsider.com), Telegram/Wickr/WeChat (robaeprice), or Twitter DM (@robaeprice). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by standard email only, please.

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A day after a trip to Ladakh, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited a forward post near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district.

Singh was accompanied by chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat and army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

Visited a forward post near LoC in Kupwara District of Jammu-Kashmir today and interacted with the soldiers deployed there. We are extremely proud of these brave and courageous soldiers who are defending our country in every situation, the defence minister tweeted.

Singh also tweeted several photographs and a video interacting with Indian Army soldiers.

Before that, he visited the holy cave of Amarnath, considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism, and spent about an hour at the temple complex.

Feeling extremely blessed after praying at Shri Amarnathji Holy Cave in Jammu and Kashmir, he tweeted later along with a video which showed him praying with several army officials.

His trip to the holy cave comes on the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Singh had reviewed the overall security scenario in the Union Territory on Friday with the top military brass.

Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, had landed in Leh on Friday morning and was briefed on the security situation in the sensitive sector including the actual position of troops on both sides of the contested border.

He also witnessed a series of combat manoeuvres at nearby Stakna featuring C-130J special operations aircraft dropping paratroopers, Apache AH-64E attack helicopters, T-90 tanks, infantry combat vehicles and Mi-17 helicopters.

Singh had said that the progress in negotiations with China should help resolve the ongoing border dispute but he couldnt guarantee to what extent the situation will be resolved.

He also said that no power could touch or grab even an inch of Indian territory while addressing soldiers at Lukung on the western bank of Ladakhs Pangong Tso, which has been at the centre of the current border tensions.

Lukung is 43km from Finger 4 on the northern bank of Pangong lake.

He added that India had neither attacked any country nor grabbed anyones territory or hurt their self-respect.

But if anyone attempts to hurt Indias self-respect, we will not tolerate it and will give a befitting reply, he said.

The defence minister had also asked the officials of the armed forces at a high-level meeting to maintain a strict vigil along the LoC with Pakistan.
Minister Stephen Donnelly with Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE, at the launch of the Covid-19 tracker app

When first elected to Dail Eireann in 2011, then Deputy Stephen Donnelly was not considering that almost a decade later he would be Minister for Health.

Today, he is at the head of a challenging 20 billion portfolio - dealing with an historic health crisis in the Covid-19 pandemic, facing rebuilding the health service as screening re-opens, and the brief set down in the current programme for government.

He is also the second successive Greystones native, and indeed former St David's pupil, to hold the position, his predecessor Simon Harris taking on a new Department of Higher Education.

'It wasn't something I thought about at all,' said Minister Donnelly, some 10 days after his appointment to the Health role.

'When I ran in 2011, it was really as simple as - "the country is in trouble and people are hurting, I have some relevant background in these issues and I want to help", that was it.'

With creating policy part of his background, he had been thinking perhaps I could advise or help.

'It was at a rugby match when someone said, why not run for Dail?'

He dismissed the idea initially, but the thought stuck with him. 'I thought, you know what, maybe I will.

'I had no concept of being in Government, being a Government TD, or a Minister of State or Cabinet Minister, anything like that.'

Following his election as an independent, Mr Donnelly went on to co-found the Social Democrats in 2015.

He left that party the following year and was an independent TD once again, before joining Fianna Fail in 2017.

Is position then was that more could be achieved from within a major party than as an independent.

'That's still my position,' he said. 'I was an independent for quite a while, probably fiver years in total. I did what I could.

'There are brilliant independents, like Marian Harkin who is a phenomenal parliamentarian, and Claire Daly who has gone on to Europe.

'It's not my intention to denigrate independent TDs or councillors. For me, I felt I did as much as I could do.'

He said that included some 'big wins'.

'I got the tax code re-written to close down the loophole for vulture funds. There were sections added to a bill which meant a lot of people didn't get evicted,' he said.

'There are things you can do as an independent. But my view is that there are quite big, systemic changes required, like universal healthcare. You can't help bring that about as a single, Wicklow-based, independent TD, you've got to be in a party.'

He was excited, driving to the convention centre on the morning of June 27, to vote for Micheal Martin as Taoiseach, and the coming programme for government.

'My politics are social democratic, and this is a social democratic programme for government,' said Minister Donnelly.

'All the things I've been talking about, Scandinavian model, universal healthcare, they're all there.'

With very few positions to be had, and despite having been his party's health spokesperson, he wasn't expecting to become a minister.

'I was and am thrilled,' he said.

Health, though, is a notoriously difficult department to run, at the best of times.

At this particular moment in history we are enduring a global pandemic, a crisis the like of which no public representative or citizen has faced before.

'I think there are some big buckets of work, and a lot of detail in each,' said the minister. 'At the highest level is the national response to Covid-19, testing, tracing, isolating, and ensuring there is capacity within the healthcare system.'

Beyond that, another priority is resuming non-Covid healthcare services.

It was put to him that with early diagnosis being a large factor in the chances of cancer survival, the actual death-toll from Covid-19 could be even higher than those who die as a direct result of the virus.

'Yes,' he agreed. He said that all elective care and cancer screening had to be postponed. 'There is a real urgency to get the healthcare system not just back up and running, but with huge additional capacity.'

He said that the back-log must be cleared. 'Simply returning to previous levels won't be sufficient,' he said.

He included assessment for autism, ADHD and other conditions in young people would be included under that umbrella.

'It's going to cost more and take more time to do less,' he said. 'It's a really big piece of work, and very complex.'

Another big issue for the department is planning for winter, which is starting now.

'Doctors and public health officials are really worried,' said Mr Donnelly. 'Last year, we had the highest trolley lists in history. Now we have even more reduced capacity and could potentially have flu and Covid-19 at the same time.'

That's just 'the urgent stuff', with the mission for the government to include universal healthcare. 'We want to transfer to a modern healthcare system, bringing care back into the community,' said Mr Donnelly.

'We want to treat people at home or in the community, roll out e-health, hire more therapists in the community, and create thousands of hospital places.'

Much of that work has already been on the agenda of his predecessor in Health, Simon Harris.

'We have spoken several times since the appointment, Simon and I,' said Mr Donnelly. 'I'm realising first-hand what a difficult job it is.'

He said that while he was 'marking' him in health in recent years, and they had some rigorous interactions, the two have always had a good working and personal relationship over 10 years as constituency colleagues.

'I'm still a Wicklow TD,' he said. 'The ministerial role is a national role but part of my job is to serve the people of Wicklow, no question about it.

'I'll continue to push on campaigns, such as the N11 and N81, the waste water plant in Arklow, and looking at St Joseph's in Shankill.'

He cited some successes to be celebrated, such as a new home for Purple House and the forthcoming Wicklow Hospice.

While some of his skills, training and experience lie in economics, his original training was in engineering, followed by business analytics.

'When I ran for the Dail I was specialising in healthcare reform,' he said. While he expects those skills to be beneficial, it is the engineering training he feels will be of most use. 'Engineers are problem solvers,' he said.

'Nothing makes an engineer happier than someone saying this can't be fixed. We look at complex systems, break them down into manageable chunks and solve them.'

In a final word on Covid-19, Minister Donnelly urged people to 'hold firm'.

He said that vast majority of people and businesses are complying with the current guidelines, and he asked them to keep that discipline. 'It is hard, and people have been through a lot,' he said. 'We've got to keep it up.'
Thats really the nature of science, Fauci said Thursday in a live-stream conversation with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. You look at the data and the information you have at any given time, and you make a decision with regard to policy based on that information. As the information changes, then you have to be flexible enough and humble enough to be able to change how you think about things.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

We will not take a step back in connection with the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

I must also say that in a recent interview with Azerbaijani TV channels, I once again stated my position, our principled position in connection with the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I said that the Azerbaijani people are fed up with these meaningless negotiations. Therefore, let those who are dealing with this issue and putting forward their mediation proposals these days think about it, the patience of the Azerbaijani people is not limitless. We have created a powerful army. The unity between the people and government is the main condition for the development and stability in Azerbaijan. Therefore, we will not take a step back in connection with the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored, and our opinion on this issue is categorical, said President Ilham Aliyev.

As for our actions, we are taking and will take the necessary steps at the right time.

I do not want to say more than what I said and do not want to get ahead of the events. I do not advise anyone to be ahead of the events in Azerbaijan. It is not necessary. It can be harmful. We know what, when and how to do something. I believe that recent history has repeatedly shown this, both in the political and diplomatic plane and on the battlefield. We do everything with precision. Over the past four years, there have been three operations and three clashes. We have won all three. In all three, we hoisted our flag where we wanted. In all three, we dealt a crushing blow to the enemy. It would be wrong to say anything more than this, said President Ilham Aliyev.
Priyanka Chopra is probably looking at the most eventful year of her professional career, as the actor turns 38 on Saturday. Priyanka recently signed a two-year multimillion-dollar deal with Amazon to produce a variety of content, in different languages. As Priyanka celebrates her birthday, here is looking at what the year has in store for her.

Priyanka already has three projects in development at Amazon -- Sangeet, a reality series based on the pre-wedding ceremony; Citadel, a thriller produced by the Russo brothers and co-starring Richard Madden; and Sheela, a biopic of the controversial aide to Osho, Maa Anand Sheela. My quest really is to be able to tell female stories, work with creators from around the world and create a cross-pollination of storytelling, she said in a statement to Variety, adding, My Amazon television deal is a global deal, so I can do Hindi language, I can do English language, I can do whatever language I want.

For Netflix, the actor will soon appear in an adaptation of Aravind Adigas The White Tiger, directed by Ramin Bahrani and co-starring Rajkummar Rao. Upon the films completion, the actor posted on social media, Happy tired.. but so excited to have wrapped #thewhitetiger. It was such a pleasure to work with the best in the business in every department. The most hard working crew.. and such a delightful cast. Thank you for all your brilliance. I cant wait to see the finished product and share it with the world.. thank you @gouravadarsh for being an incredible lead(No1)!! I cant wait for the world to see you as Balram..

Priyanka will also appear in director Robert Rodriguezs kids superhero film, We Can Be Heroes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story for the new pic takes place as a group of alien invaders kidnap Earths superheroes, leaving their children to team up to save their parents and the world.

Also read: Priyanka Chopra signs multimillion dollar deal with Amazon Prime: I can do whatever language I want

On the theatrical side, Priyanka will collaborate with Mindy Kaling for a wedding-based romantic comedy film for Universal Pictures, directed by Dan Goor. The film, which will reportedly be shot in Rajasthan, has been billed as Crazy Rich Asians meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding, according to Deadline Hollywood. She has also resumed filming the upcoming Matrix 4, starring Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, directed by Lana Wachowski. Priyankas role in the high-profile project remains a mystery.

Priyanka was also announced to have been cast opposite Chris Pratt in Cowboy Ninja Viking -- this was the film she reportedly dropped out of Salman Khans Bharat for -- but the project was put on hold in 2019. She, doesnt however, have any projects planned in India.

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ATLANTA - John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, has died. He was 80.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis passing late Friday night, calling him one of the greatest heroes of American history.

All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing, Pelosi said. May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make good trouble, necessary trouble.

The condolences for Lewis were bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Lewis was a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles. 

Lewiss announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer  I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now, he said  inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.

The announcement of his death came just hours after the passing of the Rev. C.T. Vivian, another civil rights leader who died early Friday at 95.

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and its blood so that it might live up to its promise, President Barack Obama said after Lewis death. Early on, he embraced the principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as the means to bring about real change in this country.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal I Have a Dream speech.

A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a scorched earth march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.

It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.

Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his familys farm and attended segregated public schools.

As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the colour of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabamas segregated Troy State University.

He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while travelling around the South to challenge segregation.

Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.

The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didnt come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Selma to Montgomery, Alabamas capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.

Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

In an early setback for Barack Obamas 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honoured Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.

President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday praised Lewis as a giant who became the conscience of the nation.

Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill  but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defence of young immigrants.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis refused to attend Trumps inauguration, saying he didnt consider him a legitimate president because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from s---hole countries, Lewis declared, I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.

Lewis said hed been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally hed do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Lewis said in June, recalling the good trouble he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say? While the vote would be hard for some, he said: We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

___

Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.
New Delhi:

Tata Sons has come out in its defence post ousted group Chairman Cyrus Mistry levied allegations against the diversified conglomerate for removing him from the top executive position in a improper manner.A

In a point-by-point rebuttal of Cyrus Mistry's charges, Tata Sons accused the ousted chairman of twisting facts and using devious means to take control of the group.

A

The trust reposed by Tata Sons in Cyrus Mistry by appointing him as the Chairman four years ago has been betrayed: Tata Sons a ANI (@ANI_news) November 10, 2016

The accusation (by Cyrus Mistry) of interference by Trusts is not only wrong in reality but has been twisted to mislead people: Tata Sons a ANI (@ANI_news) November 10, 2016

Here's what they wrote:A

"We have received emails and calls from many across the globe since the board of Tata Sons decided to change its Chairman. Some have shared concerns following the decision, while many have asked questions about the future course of the group and its companies and operations. A We understand and appreciate that a period of change like this can lead to a sense of uncertainty and would like to put forward some facts so that the decision is seen in the desired perspective.A
Five months after the Catholic Diocese of Oakland placed the Rev. Varghese George Alengadan on leave following accusations of inappropriate behavior, the Alameda County district attorney announced Friday that the priest has been charged with one count of misdemeanor sexual battery involving a woman last year while he oversaw St. Joseph Basilica.

Alengadan, 67, unlawfully touched an intimate part of Jane Doe against her will and for his sexual arousal, Assistant District Attorney Michael Nieto alleged in a complaint signed Thursday. He allegedly assaulted the woman on July 24, 2019, the same month four diocese employees and one volunteer at the Alameda church made sexual harassment claims against Alengadan. Last fall, the diocese conducted its own investigation and found the priest engaged in inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature with the women, leading to his resignation from his post there, according to the diocese.

He was eventually placed on leave after a former parishioner came forward with earlier allegations of sexual misconduct by Alengadan.

Father George held a position of trust, authority and power at St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda, said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy OMalley. As pastor of the church and the school, there existed a power imbalance over others that compounds the impact of sexual abuse. His position made his actions all the more devastating to the victim.

After the allegations last July, Alengadan was removed from the Alameda church and transferred to Christ the King in Pleasant Hill, where he continued with his priestly duties. When parishioners learned of the criminal probe in February, they angrily protested his presence at that church and Alengadan was moved again.

In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle in February, a woman recalled an earlier encounter with Alengadan in 2002 in which he allegedly fondled her before he was supposed to officiate her wedding.

The parents of the alleged victim said they immediately reported the 2002 allegations to the diocese, deciding against going to police because they trusted the church to handle it internally. But they said they never received a response. The mother again alerted the diocese of the complaint in 2016, sending an email to Bishop Michael C. Barber, but said again nothing was done.

The diocese had originally told The Chronicle that Alengadan had no earlier allegations of sexual impropriety, but later acknowledged it received the mothers 2016 email. The revelation led the diocese to place Alengadan on leave and to launch a new investigation into how the diocese handled the earlier complaints.

On Friday, the diocese said the victim in the criminal case also made the allegations to the diocese last year.

Father George Alengadan is currently on administrative leave, following the Dioceses protocols when serious allegations are presented, the diocese said. Under the terms of this canonical decree, Father Alengadan is not able to present himself in public as a priest, which includes he cannot celebrate a public Mass or other sacraments. The decree continues to be in effect and can only be lifted by Bishop Barber.

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 Chronicle has been unable to reach Alengadan. He is not in custody and has a court hearing Monday, according to the district attorneys office.

Alengadan served as a pastor at three parishes. In 2017, Barber named him one of the dioceses outstanding clergy. He sat on the bishops Priests Personnel Board, a sounding board for the bishop, and also worked as director of priests and deacon formation in the chancery office.

It takes courage for victims and survivors of sexually motivated crimes, especially those crimes committed by a clergy member or other person in power, to report the crimes, said OMalley, whose family has been Oakland diocese parishioners. To all victims and survivors, I say that my office will bring perpetrators to justice while providing support and resources to enable victims to work through and overcome the trauma of the assault.

The district attorneys office asked anyone victimized or who has additional information about Alengadan to contact Alameda prosecutors at 510-272-6222.

Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni
The Congress on Saturday alleged that its leader Anoop Patel has been "framed" by the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government in the Lucknow self-immolation case to hide administrative failure.

The Lucknow police has lodged an FIR against Patel along with three others in connection with the self-immolation bid by a woman from Amethi district and her daughter outside the chief minister's office here on Friday.

The women set themselves afire allegedly over police inaction in a land dispute case.

Police claimed that the women had visited the office of UP Congress and met Patel, who "instigated" them to set themselves afire.

"The BJP has hatched a conspiracy to frame a Congress leader to hide administrative failure after a woman and her daughter attempted self-immolation in the high-security area just in front of the chief minister's office," senior Congress leader and MLC Deepak Singh said in a statement.

"The BJP should not forget political etiquettes. Any victim can seek help from any political or social organisation and can go to their office. This is a common thing. Has the BJP never been in opposition or would never sit in opposition in the future?" he asked.

The woman, Safia (55), and her daughter set themselves on fire outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office in the state capital around 5.40 pm on Friday, police said.

The police personnel posted there swung into action when they saw the women engulfed in flames and rescued them. The two were taken to the civil hospital for treatment, they said.

A video of the incident went viral on social media.

Hours after the incident, three policemen, including the in-charge SHO of Jamo police station in Amethi, were suspended, according to Superintendent of Police Khyati Garg.

Singh also attacked Union minister and BJP MP from Amethi Smriti Irani, saying she has been busy playing games during the lockdown instead of serving the people of her constituency.

He said the people from her constituency were forced to immolate themselves as crime in Amethi has increased under the patronage of the powerful.

He asked why the BJP is hatching a baseless conspiracy when three policemen have been suspended.

Earlier in the day, Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujeet Pandey said Friday's incident was "a criminal conspiracy as part of which some people instigated" Safia and her daughter.

"A case has been registered against four people -- Aasma, Sultan, Kadir Khan (Amethi district president of AIMIM) and Anoop Patel (former Congress spokesperson) -- in this regard," he said.

The women were told to come to Lucknow and try to set themselves on fire so that their grievances can be highlighted and the dispute resolved, he said.

Pandey said, "Anoop Patel clearly instigated them to make an effort to set themselves afire so that their matter could be heard."

According to Lucknow civil hospital authorities, Safia sustained 90 per cent burns and is critical. She has been put on life support. Her daughter sustained 15 per cent burns and is stable.
David McCann is retiring from the helm of Fyffes after a 34-year career with the fruit importer, including the past 14 years as chairman.

He is succeeded as CEO by former Chiquita executive Helge Sparsoe and as chairman by Summit Fresh Produce CEO Tom Wada. Mr Wada previously was a senior executive at Sumitomo Corporation, the Japanese company that bought Fyffes in December 2016 for 751m.

Mr McCann was appointed as managing director of Fyffes Group in 1989, as chief executive in 1995 and as chairman in 2006.

"Today Fyffes is the oldest fruit brand in the world and a leading supplier of fresh produce, employing over 10,000 people. I have greatly enjoyed working with everyone in Fyffes to build it into the major global fresh produce company it is today," Mr McCann said.

Sumitomo's chief executive, Masayuki Hyodo, praised Mr McCann as "an outstanding leader of this business. We appreciate the stability he has brought, especially over the last three years since the acquisition".

Mr McCann's brother, Carl, is chairman of Total Produce, the firm created in 2006 when Fyffes was split in two. They are grandsons of the firm's founding father, Charles, who opened a Dundalk fruit stall in 1902.

Their father, Neil, built the family firm into Fruit Importers of Ireland. In 1986 it bought Fyffes and grew it to become one of the world's biggest distributors of bananas, pineapples and melons.
"With Between Two Worlds, I created this hybrid where two shows start in the same hour of television. You could have two pilots for two totally different shows. People say, 'We've got to have one genre', and I wanted to technically see if I could have these two shows exist together. I don't think it's ever been done before. I guess I've taken all my old tropes and, at the end of my career, I've had them all dance with each other to form a whole new ballet."

The multimillion-dollar project, which neither Lee nor Seven will put an exact figure on, has been a long time coming. A 2014 draft titled "Fearless" was rejected. Negotiations between Seven and an unnamed overseas investor to produce the current version fell over in 2016 due to disagreements over the budget. Then in 2018, the soon-to-be-outgoing Seven chief Tim Worner made, as Lee puts it, the "ballsy call" for the network to "bankroll the whole thing". Originally expected to premiere in 2019, and then, to coincide with Seven's coverage of the cancelled 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Between Two Worlds will perhaps now air at a time that is right for the viewership mood. The addictive, teasing plotlines, cinematic production quality and extravagant views of Sydney, inside and out, might offer exactly what the COVID-hit nation, and indeed the world, wants.

Brett Climo and Marta Dusseldorp in A Place To Call Home. Credit:

"In the pandemic moment, a lot of people are looking for warm escapism," Arrow explains. "Maybe as it wears on, they'll be looking for arch melodramatic escapism which is meaner. Melodrama has always been about excessive emotions. The clothing is over-the-top and the emotions are real but they're exaggerated, and there's an element of camp to that. Australians are very good at camp in a lot of ways, even though we don't necessarily think about ourselves in that way. A Place to Call Home was very much in that mode  a sort of 1950s melodrama. This sounds more of a 1980s melodrama  that sort of Dynasty big soap, with people slapping each other across the face. You can delight in bitchy characters and people behaving badly. We haven't had a show like that. We're all expected to be on our best behaviour, and watching people behaving badly could be quite cathartic."

As with A Place to Call Home, which was ignored by local industry awards, yet a critical and commercial hit in the US, there is some expectation that international viewers may have more appreciation for Between Two Worlds. Seven's head of drama and the series' executive producer, Julie McGauran, agrees that it "looks different to any other drama we've seen for a long time", and feels confident that it can compete in the international market.
<! Governors of affected states >

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Coronavirus deaths in Nigeria hit 772 on Friday, with five states contributing the lion share. The five states are also among the leading states in Coronavirus infections nationwide. Nigeria has 35,454 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Below are the states:

1. Lagos

Lagos State is the epicentre of Coronavirus in Nigeria. With 13,226 confirmed cases, the state has now recorded a whopping 176 deaths. Lagos contributes to 22.8 percent of national Coronavirus deaths so far.

Lagos also accounts for 37.3 percent Coronavirus virus caseload in Nigeria. It also leads in number of Coronavirus recovery in the country, accounting for 13.3 percent recovery rate.

2. Edo

Edo, with 1,885 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, has recorded 62 deaths, the second highest in the country. The state accounts for eight percent of COVID-19 deaths in the country. The state also accounts for 5.3 Coronavirus burdens in Nigeria.

3. Kano

With 53 deaths, Kano is responsible for 6.86 percent Coronavirus deaths in Nigeria. The state now has 1,386 confirmed cases of the virus, with a national infection rate of 3.9 percent. Its discharge rate stands at 7.3 percent.

4. Rivers

Rivers State has recorded 47 Coronavirus deaths since the pandemic broke out in the country. It accounts for six percent of deaths from the virus in the country. With 1,480 confirmed infections, Rivers is responsible for 4.2 percent of Coronavirus infections in Nigeria. It has also discharged 981 patients who recovered from the virus, with a recovery rate of 6.7 percent.

5. FCT

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has recorded 39 deaths from 2,879 confirmed cases of Coronavirus. The FCT accounts for five percent of deaths recorded nationwide and 8.1 percent of national infections rate. It has discharged 857 patients, which represents 5.8 recovery rate.

Related
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung inspects site clearance of Cao Bo-Mai Son Expressway  one of the 11 component projects of the North-South Expressway project. (Photo: VNA)

Ninh Binh  Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on July 17 inspected site clearance of Cao Bo-Mai Son Expressway  one of the 11 component projects of the North-South Expressway project.

He was reported that up to 95 percent of the targeted area has been handed to the investor, while the remaining work is scheduled to be completed this month.

The Cao Bo-Mai Son Expressway plays an important role in the North-South Expressway as it connects economic and political centres in the Northern Key Economic Zone.

The 15.2km section runs through Y Yen district in the northern province of Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh city, and Yen Khanh, Hoa Lu and Yen Mo districts of Ninh Binh province, also in the north.

Its construction is expected to cost over 1.6 trillion VND (69 million USD) with the funding from Government bonds.

The component project is set to be completed this year.

The North-South Expressway covers 2,109km, extending from the northern mountainous province of Lang Son to the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

Among the 11 sub-projects, three have been set to be funded by the State budget. Once completed, the North-South Expressway will become a backbone connecting the entire country.

A number of sections covering 601km are already under construction.
SAO PAULO, July 17 (Reuters) - A Brazilian government decree has determined that the city of Campinas' financially troubled Viracopos airport should be re-auctioned, according to the official gazette.

The decree published on Thursday said the Economy Minister would analyze whether the airport's debt will be transferred to a new operator in the future.

The airport, one of Sao Paulo state's largest, was built and is now operated by Triunfo, which is under bankruptcy protection. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl Editing by Nick Zieminski)
#Ahora | El Ministerio Publico y la Policia Nacional realizan un megaoperativo simultaneo, en el marco de la investigacion preliminar abierta por presuntas irregularidades en la adquisicion de alimentos y material de proteccion contra el COVID-19 para la Policia Nacional. pic.twitter.com/q5s5MKxplQ
Its impossible to hear about the way parties, day camps and church services have led to outbreaks this summer without worrying about what will happen if kids and adults gather in the fall. It scares me to think of how many more lives will be lost. It terrifies me that I could be among those who lose their lives.

I completely understand why parents and administrators want kids to return to school. When we first started online learning in March, it was miserable  pointless, even. Eventually, we established parameters, and I figured out how to teach kids across the northwest corner of Washington State virtually. During summer school, Ive live-streamed my lectures into campgrounds, living rooms and bedrooms decorated with twinkly lights or festooned with posters. My virtual classroom includes pets and younger siblings.

Yes, it has been hard. Yesterday, as several really adorable teenage faces laughed through the computer screen at my use of a Tyrannosaurus Rex to explain the sympathetic nervous system and the feeling of impending doom it can cause, I thought, I miss them. I wished I was standing in my favorite place in the world, my classroom  because, frankly, that T-Rex analogy is much better when accompanied by my dino walk.

But it amazes me how fast students adapted to remote learning. I teach a particularly hands-on class. This summer, Ive managed to teach them to type blood, to suture wounds and how the sensory system works. Ive taught them all about infection control and epidemiology  they can not only tell you that you should wear a mask, but they can show you how to do it correctly. I used to put my hand over students hands to guide them through certain lessons. Now I use a GoPro camera. Its hard, but they are learning.

Most important, we  students and teacher  are safe.

If Im asked to return to the classroom as the pandemic rages, I will have to walk away. As deeply as I love teaching, I will not risk spreading this virus in a way that could hurt a child or a family member of a child. While children make up a small proportion of U.S. coronavirus cases and they are less likely to become seriously ill than adults, the virus might be linked to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Plus, many of my students struggle with poverty or are from multigenerational households. I will not risk passing a virus to them that they might pass to their vulnerable loved ones. I wont do it.
It is also naive to mention the affair without noting that self-proclaimed martyrdom at the hands of left-wing mobs has become a career path in America. If Australians are less alert to this particular grift, it's because such martyrdom, in Australia, is harder to come by, for a simple reason: nobody ever gets cancelled here.

The first important fact to note is that Weiss and Sullivan were not fired. They quit. Any martyrdom here is self-proclaimed, and should be approached with the same suspicion most journalists would apply to any single self-interested source. It's also simple to point to at least one major flaw in Weiss' presentation of a punitively left-wing mindset at the Times: the paper continues to publish conservative columnists. Until she quit, Weiss worked there too.

The narrative is particularly strong in America right now, off the back of an open letter to Harper's magazine, and, this week, resignations of two high-profile columnists, Bari Weiss from The New York Times and Andrew Sullivan from New York magazine . It largely takes as its target the left, especially the left on Twitter. But the argument is simplistic at best, dangerous at worst. We should be cautious, in Australia, before casually adopting arguments from overseas.

In this year of bushfires and pandemic, nostalgia comes easy. And so I suppose, at some level, I can understand the emotional pull of a narrative fast taking hold. It states that we are nearing a historic moment, that a nadir of free speech is approaching. Debate is under threat, free exchange of ideas is ending. Things are getting worse.

Actually, that's not true. In 2017, 26-year-old Yassmin Abdel-Magied tweeted seven words about Anzac Day - "LEST. WE. FORGET. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine...)"  and was attacked by politicians, newspapers, television shows. Prue MacSween talked about the temptation to "run her over". Soon, she left the country. Meanwhile, figures like Pauline Hanson, Mark Latham and Alan Jones, all of whom have inflamed racist controversies, regularly emerge from these scuffles with more money and power. Actual cancellation, in this country, when it comes, comes to people of colour, at the hands of establishment media.

If we are to engage in this imported debate with any sincerity, Australians must reckon with our own circumstances. The weight of powerful media in this country remains right-of-centre. And across the media, diversity remains a pipedream. The ABC programs Insiders and Four Corners only featured Indigenous journalists for the first time in recent weeks.

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And why did that happen? A large reason was that Insiders was bollocked on social media for having an all-white panel in the week of Black Lives Matter protests. This is why nostalgia is so dangerous. When people with power say things are getting worse, people are afraid, it is important to ask the follow-up questions: who is it worse for? Who, precisely, is afraid? What exactly do they claim to be afraid of? And, just as importantly, who is able to speak more, and be heard more? Because isn't it also arguable that, measured by any reasonable standard, and notwithstanding the distance to go, we are  as a friend pointed out to me this week  at a high point for free speech, with more voices, of more diversity, appearing across more publishing outlets than ever before? In other words, this is a historic moment  just not the historic moment those so worried about "cancel culture" usually claim it is.

In at least one respect, Australians should have an easy time noticing what is going on in America, because it's not new. Replace "cancel culture" with "political correctness" in most sentences, and the meaning won't change. Both are shaming mechanisms, ways to embarrass people for criticising racist speech. It is simple to throw your weight behind anodyne phrases like "free speech is important" (or "all lives matter"). But just as we have learned to recognise dog-whistling when we hear it, we must remain alert to the nuances of the way that language is being weaponised now, in our own moment.
New Delhi, July 18 : Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hailed the people of Assam for their self determination in fight against the floods, saying entire nation is with them.

"The entire nation is with Assam. The people of Assam are facing this problem with all their grit and their self-determination nature and they will recover from this disaster. I appeal entire Congress workers to extend all possible help," the Congress leader said in a tweet.

On Friday, the flood situation in Assam continued to remain grim, as five more deaths were reported, taking the death toll due to the monsoon deluge to 76, while around 36 lakh people in 28 of the state's 33 districts have been affected.

According to the officials of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), of the 36 lakh flood-affected people, around 22 lakh are in four districts - Dhubri (8,92,109), Goalpara (4,43,768), Barpeta (4,29,708) and Morigaon (4,24,541).

Forest Department and ASDMA officials also said that at least 86 animals were killed, while 125 animals were rescued as 95 per cent of the world-famous Kaziranga national park, home to more than 2,200 one-horned Indian rhinoceros, was inundated.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A prisoner on remand has tested positive to coronavirus, prompting fears of an outbreak through Victoria's prisons.

It is the first time a positive case has occurred in Melbourne's prison system.

The Metropolitan Remand Centre prisoner returned a positive test on Friday morning, according to Corrections Victoria.

Human rights and criminal lawyers say the situation was on a knife-edge, warning if it spread through the prison then a new community hotspot could be created.

The prisoner was swabbed when he first arrived at the remand centre at Ravenhall on Monday and, as per Corrections' protocols for new remandees, placed in 14-day protective quarantine and separated from the rest of the prison.
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - The Tunis administrative court Thursday ordered the release of migrants in a reception center under the supervision of the national gendarmerie, an official source said here Friday
Sometimes doing the right thing is hard.

Take the story of Syracuse cleaning woman, Mary Sakowski of 1603 Burnet Ave, who while finishing up work at First Trust and Deposit on the night of July 19, 1950, saw four piles of money lying on the floor behind the tellers cage.

The four, neat piles of 10- and 20-dollar bills totaled $40,000, which would be worth over $427,000 in todays money.

Sakowski, who was working just her fourth day with the cleaning company, a new job which paid her $18 a week, had never seen so much money in person in her life.

What should she do?

- The story of Mary Sakowski made the front page of the July 20, 1950 Herald-Journal, sandwiched between articles about the just-begun Korean War. Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm

I know that money was wasnt supposed to be left around like that, she told reporters later, But I didnt know what to do about it.

So, she thought she would do what was right.

She put the stacks of money in a paper bag alongside her work shoes and it took it home with her for safekeeping.

While Sakowski was confident that she had made the right decision, it was not necessarily the best move for her nerves.

Money make me nervous - lots of money, that is. she would admit.

Nevertheless, she climbed aboard a city bus when she was finished working, at about 10:30 p.m., with the bag of money for the ride home.

I held that bag tight, she said. I was scared. Ive never been so nervous in my life. And when I got it home, I was even more frightened.

When she got home, she showed her husband, Frank, and her three children before locking the money in her dresser.

Sakowski was in for a long night.

I didnt sleep a wink all night, she said. Every time the dog barked, I awoke and worried.

The money also got on the nerves of Mr. Sakowski, who called the Syracuse police to seek protection.

The police notified bank officials who sent an employee out to the Sakowski home to collect the money.

I never was so glad to get rid of anything, she said.

She was given a receipt which read: Received from Mrs. Sakowski, 1603 Burnet Ave., $40,000

The Herald-Journal ran a photo of her receiving the receipt standing next to her son Chester. Her story appeared on the front page, alongside news from the just begun Korean War.

She was gently chided by her boss who told her she should have reported the money to the banks night watchman or her foreman.

When a reporter asked what she would do the next time she was in this situation, Sakowski was clear:

Next time? I dont want a next time!

She was rewarded for her good deed.

The bank gave her $150, about $1,600 today, for her actions.

There was more to come.

Sakowskis story would be featured in the American Weekly magazine, a national newspaper supplement, in September.

The article was entitled, People are Honest.

MORE CNY NOSTALGIA

1920: Friendly Syracuse YMCA hotel secretary tries to find guests missing trousers

1918 Flu Pandemic: How Syracuse editorial cartoons gave readers a unique perspective

July 1936: CNY roasts in a week-long heatwave that saw 3 straight days over 100

1942: NY cancels state fair for first time to use fairgrounds as military base during World War II

Looking for a true-crime podcast to check out?

An invention from Upstate NY soon became the preferred method of execution across the United States -- the electric chair. In The Condemned, we trace the history of the chair through the stories of five men who were sentenced to death for their crimes. Explore our series here.

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958.

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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer led the charge to allow Islamic State bride Shamima Begum to return to the UK last year  despite fears she would endanger British lives.

As a member of Jeremy Corbyns Shadow Cabinet, Sir Keir said in March 2019 that stripping Begum of her British citizenship was the wrong decision and a rushed decision.

The Mail on Sunday later published details of top-secret briefings about the Bethnal Green runaway.

Sir Keir led a chorus of support for Begums return last year, backed by Lisa Nandy, now the Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds. Begum is pictured above

Begum, now 20, left Britain in 2015 to join the jihad in Syria, with security sources telling this newspaper that she was seen stitching suicide bombers into explosive vests.

A British-Bangladesh dual national, Begum, who married Dutch-born IS fighter Yago Riedijk in Syria, had her British citizenship stripped in February 2019 but the Court of Appeal ruled last week that she should be allowed to return to fight this decision.

Challenged on Sir Keirs previous remarks, Labour last night insisted: We will not be welcoming the prospect of anyone returning to this country who wish us harm.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer led the charge to allow Islamic State bride Shamima Begum to return to the UK last year  despite fears she would endanger British lives

Begum, now 20, left Britain in 2015 to join the jihad in Syria, with security sources telling this newspaper that she was seen stitching suicide bombers into explosive vests

Sir Keir led a chorus of support for Begums return last year, backed by Lisa Nandy, now the Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds.

There have been signs of a split among Tory MPs on the issue.

Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that allowing Begum back would create a national security risk.

But last night, Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, asked: Are we safer with her behind bars in the UK or languishing in a rickety, militia-run, poorly guarded refugee camp with thousands of hardliners who are now escaping in numbers and running fresh radicalisation programmes?
Jennifer Garner was spotted this week enjoying a casual stroll in Los Angeles alongside one of her pals.

The 48-year-old actress modeled a casual outfit that included a pair of black leggings and a matching tank top.

However she also added a pop of personality to the ensemble by accessorizing with a fashionable tall white hat.

Out and about: Jennifer Garner was spotted this week enjoying a casual stroll in Los Angeles alongside one of her pals

Jennifer swept her hair back into a ponytail and warded off the California rays with a pair of sunglasses on her outing.

She and her friend made sure to make the precaution of keeping their face coverings on amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Miracles From Heaven star shares three children with her amicable ex-husband Ben Affleck - Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, eight.

Jennifer is currently having a new mansion built for herself in Brentwood, California, and was spotted popping by the construction site this Thursday.

Legging it: The 48-year-old actress modeled a casual outfit that included a pair of black leggings and a matching tank top

She snapped up the lot in July 2018 for $6.5 million and enlisted architect Ken Ungar to build the mansion there, X17online reported.

Late that year Ben and Jen sold their marital home in the Pacific Palisades to Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo for $32 million, according to TMZ.

Ben is currently conducting a whirlwind romance with his Deep Water co-star Ana de Armas, who is a decade and a half his junior.

Chic: However she also added a pop of personality to the ensemble by accessorizing with a fashionable white hat

Before the coronavirus lockdowns began they holidayed together to Costa Rica and also visited Ana's native Cuba.

Ben whisked Ana off to Joshua Tree to celebrate her birthday in April and in June they vacationed in Georgia with his children and his mother Christine.

Jennifer is copacetic with Ben dating Ana, according to an Us Weekly source who said: 'Jen has completely moved on from Ben in a romantic sense.'
John R. Lewis, a civil rights leader who preached nonviolence while enduring beatings and jailings during seminal front-line confrontations of the 1960s and later spent more than three decades in Congress defending the crucial gains he had helped achieve for people of color, has died. He was 80.

His death was announced in a statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. No other details were immediately available. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, announced his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on Dec. 29 and said he planned to continue working amid treatment. "I have been in some kind of fight - for freedom, equality, basic human rights - for nearly my entire life," he said in a statement. "I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now."

While Lewis was not a policy maven as a lawmaker, he served the role of conscience of the Democratic caucus on many matters. His reputation as keeper of the 1960s flame defined his career in Congress.

When President George H.W. Bush vetoed a bill easing requirements to bring employment discrimination suits in 1990, Lewis rallied support for its revival. It became law as the Civil Rights Act of 1991. It took a dozen years, but in 2003 he won authorization for construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall.

In 2012, Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., proposed eliminating funding for one aspect of the Voting Rights Act, Lewis denounced the move as "shameful." The amendment died.

Lewis's final years in the House were marked by personal conflict with President Donald Trump. Russia's interference in the 2016 election, Lewis said, rendered Trump's victory "illegitimate." He boycotted Trump's inauguration. Later, during the House's formal debate on whether to proceed with the impeachment process, Lewis had evinced no doubts: "For some, this vote might be hard," he said on the House floor in December 2019. "But we have a mandate and a mission to be on the right side of history."

Born to impoverished Alabama sharecroppers, Lewis was a high school student in 1955 when he heard broadcasts by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that drew him to activism.

"Every minister I'd ever heard talked about 'over yonder,' where we'd put on white robes and golden slippers and sit with the angels," he recalled in his 1998 memoir, "Walking With the Wind." "But this man was talking about dealing with the problems people were facing in their lives right now, specifically black lives in the South."

Lewis vaulted from obscurity in 1963 to head the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which he helped form three years earlier. SNCC, pronounced "snick," had quickly become a kind of advance guard of the movement, helping organize sit-ins and demonstrations throughout the South.

Within weeks of taking over SNCC, Lewis was in the Oval Office with five nationally known black leaders, including King, Whitney Young, A. Philip Randolph, James Farmer and Roy Wilkins.

Labeled the "Big Six" by the press, they rejected President John F. Kennedy's request to cancel the March on Washington planned for that August that promised to lure hundreds of thousands of protesters to the doorstep of the White House to push for strong civil rights legislation. The president argued that the march would inflame tensions with powerful Southern politicians and set back the cause of civil rights.

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King delivered his aspirational "I Have a Dream" speech. Lewis, at 23 the youngest speaker, gave a prescient warning: "If we do not get meaningful legislation out of this Congress, the time will come when we will not confine our marching to Washington. . . . We must say, 'Wake up, America, wake up!' For we cannot stop, and we will not be patient."

The toughest of the major addresses, Lewis's text had in fact been toned down earlier that day at the behest of his seniors - including King, his mentor. They feared that explicit condemnation of the Kennedy administration's timidity and the threat of a "scorched earth" approach would create a political backlash. (With the death of Lewis, all of the speakers from the March are now deceased.)

The contrast with his elders symbolized Lewis's unusual role in those tumultuous years. At critical moments, he rebuffed their advice to give legislation or litigation more time. Handcuffs and truncheons never dulled his belief in confrontation. Yet he stoutly opposed the militant black nationalists such as Stokely Carmichael who would later take over SNCC.

As the last survivor of the "Big Six," Lewis was the one who kept striving for black-white amity. Time magazine included him in a 1975 list of "living saints" headed by Mother Teresa. With only mild hyperbole, the New Republic in 1996 called him "the last integrationist."

Taylor Branch, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of the civil rights movement who had known Lewis since the mid-60s, said in an interview, "His most distinguishing mark was steadfastness. He showed lifelong fidelity to the idea of one man, one vote - democracy as the defining purpose of the United States.

"John Lewis saw racism as a stubborn gate in freedom's way, but if you take seriously the democratic purpose, whites as well as blacks benefit," Branch added. "And he became a rather lonely guardian of nonviolence."

On Inauguration Day 2009, the country's first black president, Barack Obama, gave Lewis a photo with the inscription: "Because of you, John." It joined a memorabilia collection that included the pen President Lyndon B. Johnson handed him after signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Ironically, Lewis had backed the front-runner, Hillary Clinton, in the nominating contest's early days because of a personal bond with both Clintons. But he switched allegiance once Obama gained some traction.

- - -

Passage of the Voting Rights Act, which provided incisors for the 15th Amendment 95 years after its enactment, is the Lewis saga's richest chapter, what he called "the highlight of my involvement in the movement."

The 1964 Civil Rights Act was beneficial in terms of public accommodations and employment, but its voting provision was ineffective.

Civil rights workers were attacked frequently, occasionally fatally. Torching and dynamiting of black churches were rising. Perpetrators, though often known, went unpunished. Local registrars continued to bar blacks. Only if black citizens could vote in large numbers, civil rights leaders believed, would Deep South officials enforce laws.

But Johnson told King in December 1964 that Congress, dominated by old-line Southern lawmakers, would reject new legislation.

Both SNCC and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) decided to step up organizing in Selma, Ala. Black residents there constituted half the population, but only 1% could vote.

Weeks of demonstrations produced only confrontations with police. During one set-to, an officer shot an unarmed local resident. In the aftermath, an SCLC staffer proposed a large protest march, from Selma to the state capital, Montgomery.

King was in Atlanta, where his senior advisers persuaded him to stay. The SNCC executive committee, increasingly resentful of SCLC's dominance, voted to avoid the event. But SNCC Chairman Lewis would not allow himself to abstain. That decision, he said later, "would change the course of my life."

March 7, 1965, became known as Bloody Sunday. With the SCLC's Hosea Williams, Lewis led 600 people to the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Selma's outskirts. There, police and mounted "posse men" - deputized civilians - blocked them.

Ordered to disperse, the procession held its ground. The troopers charged. Network cameras filmed police in gas masks brutalizing unarmed men, women and children, many dressed for church. Millions that night saw police using clubs and tear gas chasing terrified civilians. Lewis, his skull fractured, went to the hospital along with 77 others.

"I remember how vivid the sounds were as the troopers rushed toward us," he wrote in his memoir, co-authored with Michael D'Orso. "The clunk of the troopers' heavy boots, the whoops of rebel yells from the white onlookers, the clip-clop of horses' hoofs hitting the hard asphalt, the voice of a woman shouting, 'Get 'em!' "

Bloody Sunday pricked the national psyche deeply. When King called for reinforcements for a second march to take place on March 9, which he would lead, hundreds of volunteers, white and black, hurried to Selma. A white minister was beaten and killed by segregationists.

Meanwhile, Johnson had an epiphany. Widespread revulsion was so keen that strong voting rights legislation would be politically feasible after all. The president announced the details to a joint session of Congress on March 15, equating Selma's significance with that of Lexington, Concord and Appomattox.

When Johnson signed the bill Aug. 6, Lewis viewed it as "the end of a very long road." It was also the beginning of the process that extended the franchise to Southern blacks, including Lewis's mother, who had opposed her son's activism.

- - -

John Robert Lewis was born Feb. 21, 1940, near Troy, Ala., the third of 10 children of Eddie Lewis and the former Willie Mae Carter. Tenant farmers for generations, they saved enough money to buy their own 100 acres in 1944.

John - called Preacher because he sermonized chickens - was the odd child out. He loved books and hated guns. He never hunted small game with other kids. His petition for access to the Pike County library went unanswered.

"White kids went to high school, Negroes to training school," Lewis told the New York Times in 1967. "You weren't supposed to aspire. We couldn't take books from the public library. And I remember when the county paved rural roads, they went 15 miles out of their way to avoid blacktopping our Negro farm roads."

College seemed impossible until the family learned of the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tenn. Aspiring black preachers willing to take campus jobs could attend free.

He arrived determined to perfect his "whooping" - preaching at a high emotional pitch - but he soon found the pull of social activism irresistible. With other Nashville students, he came under the influence of a Vanderbilt graduate student, James Lawson, who had been imprisoned for refusing military service during the Korean War.

Years later, Lewis successfully applied for conscientious objector status during the Vietnam conflict and broke with Johnson over the war issue earlier than the other "Big Six" leaders.

In ad hoc workshops, Lawson taught "New Testament pacifism" (how to love rather than strike the enemy tormenting you) and Gandhi-style civil disobedience (staying calm when punched in the head).

These lessons mattered in 1960 as the Nashville Student Movement conducted sit-ins aimed at forcing retailers to allow black customers to use the stores' eateries. Lewis experienced his first arrest when police collared the quiet young demonstrators, not the roughnecks who had been knocking them off stools.

As the Nashville campaign broadened to include other targets, Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP's legal lion, delivered a lecture at Fisk University in Nashville, advising restraint. Don't go to jail, he suggested. Let the NAACP go to court.

Lewis was appalled. Marshall's admonitions, he said, "convinced me more than ever that our revolt was as much against this nation's traditional black leadership structure as it was against racial segregation and discrimination." The students ultimately prevailed in Nashville.

King wanted to blend the Nashville activists and counterparts elsewhere into an SCLC youth auxiliary. But Lawson argued that SCLC was too cautious. Discussions on the issue led to SNCC's creation in 1960. Lewis was an enthusiastic recruit.

Even before Lewis graduated in 1961 with his preacher's certificate, he no longer aspired to the ministry. With other SNCC members from Nashville, he volunteered to join an older group, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), in riding inter-state buses throughout the South. The Supreme Court had already ruled that depots could not be segregated, but that decision was being ignored.

The "Freedom Rides" aroused fierce resistance. Arsonists torched buses in Anniston, Ala., and Birmingham. In several cities, police either looked the other way while crowds beat the riders or arrested the so-called "outside agitators." Violence became so serious that CORE withdrew.

The SNCC contingent refused to quit. Lewis, who absorbed his share of bruises and arrests, wound up spending 22 days in Parchman Farm, a Mississippi penitentiary infamous for primitive conditions. But the Freedom Rides drew national attention to the desegregation campaign and attracted recruits. And the Kennedy administration began formal implementation of the Supreme Court decision.

SNCC gained prominence and confidence in its strategy. "We now meant to push," Lewis recalled. "We meant to provoke."

But the group suffered growing pains, including unstable leadership. In June 1963, SNCC's third chairman resigned suddenly. Lewis came to Atlanta for an emergency meeting. It ended with his election as chairman.

Chronically broke, SNCC paid its chairman $10 a week plus rent for a dingy apartment. Lewis would hold the post for three years - longer than anyone else - but tensions scarred his experience. Continued attacks on blacks in the South, growing unrest in northern ghettos and the fact that mainstream leaders declined to break with Lyndon Johnson combined to strengthen SNCC's separatist element.

Carmichael, that faction's charismatic leader, preached black nationalism and criticized Lewis as too measured and accommodating, a "little Martin Luther King." In 1966, Carmichael (who later renamed himself Kwame Ture) was chosen chairman. SNCC's white members were shunted aside and urged to leave. Even 30 years later, Lewis would say of his ouster: "It hurt me more than anything I've ever been through."

Lewis eventually returned to Atlanta to join the Southern Regional Council, which sponsored community development. In 1968, he joined Robert Kennedy's campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, as a liaison to minorities. He was with the entourage in Los Angeles when Kennedy was assassinated.

Although the murder devastated him, campaigning had sharpened Lewis's interest in seeking public office. So did his marriage, later that year, to Lillian Miles, a librarian by profession but a political junkie by avocation. She was one of his principal advisers until her death in 2012.

Survivors include a son, John-Miles Lewis.

- - -

Lewis was serving as executive director of the Southern Regional Council's Atlanta-based Voter Education Project, which helped register millions of blacks, when he ran unsuccessfully for a U.S. House seat in 1977. The position had been vacated when Rep. Andrew Young was tapped by President Jimmy Carter to become ambassador to the United Nations.

Carter subsequently named Lewis associate director of ACTION, then the umbrella agency of the Peace Corps, VISTA and smaller antipoverty programs. Lewis headed the domestic division.

His enthusiasm for the assignment cooled when he concluded that the White House was indifferent to VISTA's mission. He also refused to take sides when Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., challenged Carter's renomination in 1980. His neutrality irked both camps.

Lewis resigned in 1979, returning to Atlanta determined to enter politics. He won a city council seat in 1981, part of that body's first black majority. His initial gambit - to tighten the council's ethics code - evoked angry resistance.

He cemented his contrarian image by opposing a major road project, arguing that it would disrupt residential neighborhoods and worsen pollution. The road's backers, including a group of black clergy, gave the controversy a racial tinge. Opposition to the program, the ministers' leaflet said, was "a vote against the [black] mayor and the black community."

It was a familiar situation. "Once again," Lewis observed in his memoir, "I was accused of not being black enough." The project, reduced in scale, was approved. The cost for Lewis: outsider status throughout his five years on the council.

In 1986, when Lewis again sought the 5th Congressional District Democratic nomination, his opponent was State Sen. Julian Bond, once SNCC's publicist. Bond was considered the prohibitive favorite.

Tall, handsome and charismatic, Bond was a celebrity. "Saturday Night Live" had him as a guest host. Cosmopolitan magazine anointed him one of America's 10 sexiest men. He was a lecture circuit star. Profiles described Lewis as squat, scowling, wooden, humorless.

Atlanta's black establishment flocked to Bond. So did prominent outsiders, including then-Washington Mayor Marion Barry, comedian Bill Cosby, actress Cicely Tyson and Edward Kennedy.

Lewis campaigned tirelessly, urging that citizens "vote for the tugboat, not the showboat." He won by four percentage points because whites - particularly Jews - gave him overwhelming support. The acrid campaign corroded his once-strong friendship with Bond.

When Lewis arrived on Capitol Hill, the New York Times observed wryly that he was one of the few members "who must deal with the sainthood issue."

Lewis was a nominal member of the Democratic leadership as senior chief deputy whip, but he was rarely involved in nose counting or legislative detail. Former representative Alan Wheat, D-Mo., a colleague in the Congressional Black Caucus, said in an interview, "John's biggest strength in the House was to motivate people, to gather impetus for key measures. He used his standing as a cultural icon for good causes, never for personal benefit."

On both social and economic issues, Lewis lived up to the label he put on himself: "off-the-charts liberal." Like other members of the Black Caucus, he consistently opposed domestic spending cuts. But he was just as vehement in his opposition to the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, although many blacks - particularly Georgians - disagreed.

Unlike some other black notables, Lewis refused to participate in Louis Farrakhan's 1995 Million Man March in Washington. He also denounced Farrakhan's anti-Semitic rants. When needled about racial loyalty, Lewis liked to say, "I follow my conscience, not my complexion."

In 2010, Obama awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor. He continued to say that his conscience demanded that he teach young people the legacy of the civil rights movement. In 2013, he began a trilogy in comic book form called "March." When a former supporter of the Ku Klux Klan named Elwin Wilson popped out of history in 2009, asking forgiveness for having severely beaten then-Freedom Rider Lewis in 1961 at a Greyhound bus station in Rock Hill, S.C., Lewis took him on three TV shows to show that "love is stronger than hate."

He revisited the Edmund Pettus Bridge on anniversaries of Bloody Sunday, often accompanied by political leaders of both parties. "Barack Obama," he mused, "is what comes at the end of that bridge in Selma."
The decryption of flight recorders is expected to start on Monday, July 20.

Iran has sent the black boxes from Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) flight PS752 downed near Tehran to France.

"The black boxes were transferred to Paris yesterday by aviation organization officials and a judge, and their reading will start on Monday," Mohsen Baharvand, deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs, was quoted as saying by the Etemad newspaper, France24 wrote, referring to Agence France-Presse.

At the same time, the Iranian official added that the French government had cooperated very well with the Iranian delegation.

Read alsoPS752 downing: Iran vows to send flight recorders to France, MFA Ukraine says

As UNIAN reported earlier, a Kyiv-bound UIA flight PS752 crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport in the early hours of January 8. It was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members on board. Two passengers and the crew members were Ukrainians. There were also 82 citizens of Iran, 63 citizens of Canada, 10 citizens of Sweden, four citizens of Afghanistan, three citizens of Germany and the United Kingdom each. There were no survivors.

On January 11, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani officially admitted that the Ukrainian airliner had been shot down by accident as a result of a "human error" and that those responsible would be held accountable.

Member countries of the International Coordination and Response Group for Flight PS752 Victims have repeatedly demanded that Iran hand over "black boxes" of the plane to the group.

On July 6, the Iranian side promised to send the black boxes from the downed Ukrainian plane to France to decipher their data by specialists from the United States, Canada, France, Great Britain, and Ukraine.

According to a report from Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, an Iranian air defense unit that "forgot" to adjust its radar system triggered a chain of communication and human errors that led to the deadly downing of the Ukrainian passenger jet in January 2020.

Iran also intends to send its envoys to Ukraine in July to start negotiations on compensation for downing UIA plane.

On July 14, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv could not agree with Iran's statement that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by the Iranian military outside Tehran as a result of human error. Ukraine's foreign ministry also does not rule out that the country will have to sue Iran over the downing of flight PS752, and bring the case to the International Court of Justice.
Two FIRs have been registered on the basis of a complaint about audiotapes, which Congress alleged has recordings of a conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led govt

Jaipur: An eight-member team, headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Sharma of Criminal Investigation Department  Crime Branch, Jaipur, has been constituted to investigate the matter related to Rajasthan political crisis registered by the Special Operations Group (SOG).

On Friday, two FIRs were registered by the SOG based on the complaint filed by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi about audiotapes, which Congress alleged, had conversations about an alleged conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Jain, who was among persons accused by Congress in alleged horse-trading in Rajasthan and linked by it to purported audio-tapes, was on Saturday sent to four-day remand of the SOG by a Jaipur court here.

According to the police, Jain was arrested by a team of SOG under Sections 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Friday.

Meanwhile, Ashok Singh and Bharat Malani, who are also accused in the matter, refused to give their voice samples for further investigation. Gajendra Singh and Bhanwarlal Sharma were also named in the FIR.

"There were two complaints from Mahesh Joshi (Congress leader), it is with respect to the audio that went viral yesterday. We registered two FIRs under Section 124A and 120B. The veracity of clip is to be investigated," Ashoke Rathore, ADG SOG had told ANI earlier.
Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area.

12: 85 infants test positive in Texas county

Eighty-five infants have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nueces County, according to CNN.

"These babies have not even had their first birthday yet," said Annette Rodriguez, director of public health for Corpus Christi Nueces County. Please help us stop the spread of this disease."

Details on the babies' conditions have yet to be released.

11:30 a.m.: Texas sees deadliest day yet

As of Friday evening, the state's death count had risen by 161 new deaths to a total of 3,798, marking the highest day for new deaths since the pandemic began, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis.

Texas saw a 3.48 percent increase in new confirmed cases from Thursday to Friday, bringing the statewide total to 317,165 cases. The positive test rate statewide is now at 17.43 percent.

There are 10,632 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 across state hospitals. There are 10,479 beds, including 896 ICU beds, and 5,218 ventilators available in the state. Friday marks the ninth straight day Texas had fewer than 1,000 ICU beds available.



In the Houston region, cases had risen by 3.55 percent, or 2,634 cases, to 76,818 cases total. An additional 21 deaths were reported Friday, bringing the Houston region death count up to 738. Harris County saw a 3.05 percent increase in new cases and is now at 53,555 cases total.

NOTE: The numbers included in this report represent a one-day change in data from Thursday, July 16 through Friday, July 17. It is still unclear how many of the state's new cases can be attributed to jail inmates from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Houston Chronicle's analysis of COVID-19 case data now includes probable and pending cases. This change is based on interviews with multiple public health officials and epidemiologists, as well as in line with CDC guidelines on reporting.

rebecca.hennes@chron.com
TEL AVIV, Israel - Thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday against what they see as a bungled government response to the economic fallout from the new coronavirus.

Protesters gathered at a seaside park with signs reading Out of touch. Were fed up.

It was the second week of demonstrations against the governments response, which critics say has provided too little assistance and doesnt offer a safety net for hundreds of thousands of self-employed workers and business owners to weather the crisis.

On Monday, the Israeli government approved a safety net meant to offer benefits to unemployed Israelis and aid to struggling business for a year, but protesters have continued.

Other protests focusing on opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were also held in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the country. Police fired water cannons at protesters in Jerusalem who blocked roads.

Israel appeared to have largely contained a first wave of coronavirus infections earlier this year, but a reopening that critics say was hasty sent infections soaring and the country has begun to reimpose new restrictions on gatherings. The crisis has battered the economy and sent unemployment skyrocketing.

The number of Israelis who have died from COVID-19 is nearing 400 and officials have reported about 47,000 confirmed casesof coronavirus infections.
Gurugram, Pune or Nagpur police are popular for sharing creative posts on social media to raise awareness of issues like coronavirus pandemic, importance of wearing helmets among others. But this time, Meghalaya police have created a buzz with their witty post on Instagram.

Sharing an update about an intercepted truck carrying marijuana, Meghalaya police wrote, Weed like to inform the general public that, of all the Essential items permitted in the times of #Corona, Marijuana ain't one of them. Sorry for our bluntness, but that's just how we roll!

The truck, which was transporting around 500 kilograms of marijuana, was caught by the police of Meghalayas Ri-Bhoi district.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCvLlygl-aL/?igshid=jmo7ks1yajt

Instagram users appreciated Meghalaya police for their sense of humour and good work. They also flooded the post with comments.

One user praised the Ri-Bhoi police and asked them to keep up the good work. Another user wrote, Great job done with a great message. Kudos to you.

A netizen said, Thats an awesome caption up there it sounds really dope though. Good job Ribhoi Police, while the other said a bit of humour is necessary in times like these.

One person demanded more captions like this from Meghalaya police, praising them.

The state police have always gone after drug peddlers. In May, they arrested three drug dealers at Mawryngkneng Junction after tracking the movements of petty drug peddlers, reported The Sentinel.

The police recovered one plastic packet containing suspected yellowish orange powder weighing 11.63 grams and one empty pink soap box containing a transparent plastic packet.
In traditional societies, the clan was the basic unit of society. Clan marriages were almost always a matter of strategic planning with the goal of strengthening the clan, not romantic love orpersonal choice (anyone remember the play Romeo and Juliet?). Indeed, it was the development of the nuclear family and individual control that allowed the development of romantic love and personal choice in spouses.

The nuclear family grows out of the traditional extended family structure, where the leader of the clan, the oldest (almost always) male, asserts control over the lives and decisions of all the members of the clan. The nuclear family is an outgrowth of capitalism. The Industrial Revolution with its city living did indeed destroy the traditional extended family  it simply cost too much to house an extended family together in a single dwelling. But I would defend the development of the nuclear family and the development of romantic love as a basis for spouse selection.

Why is such an assertion necessary, you might ask? The answer rests squarely on BLM.

BLM, Incorporated has asserted in its goals, which are easily found on the BLM website: "We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and "villages" that collectively care for one another[.]"

BLM desires to "disrupt" this structure and replace it with a neighborhood community that would raise the child. To the average nuclear family, this would mean giving up the raising of their child to a neighborhood community. The idea that parents would do a worse job of raising their own child than a non-related neighbor community is objectively false. Does anyone think a nonbiologically related neighborhood community would do a better job of raising his child? If that is the case, I would ask: just how dysfunctional is your nuclear family?

How is it objectively false? Compare the fate of nuclear family's child to the fate of a child raised by the state in a state orphanage  or even single-parent homes, or a foster child in non-adopted settings. By any measure  economic status after ten years after being thus raised, crime and incarceration rates, poverty rates  the child raised by an intact nuclear family does a better job of raising his own children. So the idea of a non-biologically related neighborhood community will almost certainly be yet another failure with tragic results for the parents and the children thus raised.

The sooner everyone understands and acts on the fact that BLM is a socialist organization that aims to destroy our capitalist-democratic system and replace it with its own (dysfunctional and dystopian) socialist system, the better.
Screening entire populations for breast and ovarian cancer genes could prevent millions more breast and ovarian cancer cases across the world compared to current clinical practice, according to a global study led by Queen Mary University of London

Screening entire populations for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations could prevent millions more breast and ovarian cancer cases across the world compared to current clinical practice, according to an international study led by Queen Mary University of London. The research also shows that it is cost effective in high and upper-middle income countries.

The most well-known breast and ovarian cancer causing genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. These gene mutations cause around 10-20 per cent of ovarian and 6 per cent of breast cancers. If mutation carriers could be identified before they develop disease, most of these cancers could be prevented by drugs, increased screening or surgery.

Current clinical guidelines globally only recommend genetic testing for high-risk women, for example, if they fulfil certain clinical criteria or if there is a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. However, over 50 per cent of BRCA carriers do not meet these criteria so are not tested, and over 97 per cent of BRCA carriers in the UK population remain unidentified.

This new study was supported by the NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellowship and women's cancer charity The Eve Appeal and published in the journal Cancers. The researchers estimated the cost-effectiveness and health impact of BRCA testing in the general population, compared with current standard clinical testing of women designated as high risk, in countries considered high income (UK/USA/Netherlands), upper-middle income (China/Brazil), and low-middle income (India).

The researchers modelled a number of scenarios of population based BRCA-testing and compared the costs and health impact to the current family history based policy. Cost effectiveness was calculated from both a societal and a payer perspective. A payer perspective only includes medical costs incurred by the health system or health providers (such as costs of genetic testing, screening, prevention and cancer treatment). A societal perspective also takes into account costs such as the impact of income lost from inability to work and shorter life spans due to cancer.

The research team found that population based testing was extremely cost effective in high and upper middle income countries from a payer perspective. From a societal perspective it was cost saving in high income countries and cost effective in middle income countries like China and Brazil. Costs of BRCA testing would need to fall to around USD $172 to become cost effective in low income countries like India.

Findings suggest that population based BRCA testing can prevent an additional 2,319-2,666 breast cancer and 327-449 ovarian cancer cases per million women than the current clinical strategy. Over the course of a lifetime, this translates to preventing around an additional 57,700 breast cancer and 9,700 ovarian cancer cases in the UK; 269,000 breast cancer and 43,800 ovarian cancer cases in the USA; 15,000 breast cancer and 2,500 ovarian cancer cases in the Netherlands; 1,050,300 breast cancer and 154,700 ovarian cancer cases in China; 156,300 breast cancer and 25,170 ovarian cancer cases in Brazil; and 692,570 breast cancer and 97,650 ovarian cancer cases in India.

Lead researcher Professor Ranjit Manchanda from Queen Mary University of London said: "General population BRCA testing can bring about a new paradigm for improving global cancer prevention. Why do we need to wait for people to develop a preventable cancer to identify others in whom we can prevent cancer? Strategies and pathways for population testing must be developed to enable population genomics to achieve its potential for maximising early detection and cancer prevention.

"With the costs of testing falling this can provide huge new opportunities for cancer prevention and changes in the way we deliver cancer genetic testing. This approach can ensure that more women can take preventative action to reduce their cancer risk or undertake regular screening."

Dr Rosa Legood, Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine added: "Our analysis shows that testing all women for BRCA mutations is a more cost-effective strategy which can prevent these cancers in high risk women and save lives. This approach has important implications given the effective options that are available for breast and ovarian cancer risk management and prevention for women at increased risk."

Athena Lamnisos, CEO, Eve Appeal said: "We must invest in cancer prevention - this is what will save most lives and also be cost effective within cash-strapped healthcare systems. The evidence emerging from this study is an exciting step forward: we can stop cancer before it has a chance to start through broadening a simple genetic test to a wider population. At The Eve Appeal we work with women given a heart-breaking diagnosis of cancer, this is really hard news to process when they find out they carry a mutation which could have been identified at an early stage and their cancer prevented. For those women and their loved ones, this research provides hope."

This research was led by Prof Ranjit Manchanda (Queen Mary University of London) and supported by Dr Rosa Legood (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine). This research was an international collaboration involving research teams from Queen Mary University of London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and involved Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands); Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Peking University, Beijing (China); Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India); Presidency University, Kolkata (India); Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata (India); University of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Newcastle University (UK).

For more information, please contact:

Joel Winston

Communications Manager (School of Medicine and Dentistry)

Queen Mary University of London

j.winston@qmul.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)7968 267 064

Notes to the editor

* Research paper: 'Economic Evaluation of Population-based BRCA1/BRCA2 Mutation Testing across multiple countries and Health systems'. Ranjit Manchanda, Li Sun, Shreeya Patel, Olivia Evans, Janneke Wilschut, Ana Carolina de Freitas Lopes, Faiza Gaba, Adam Brentnall, Stephen Duffy, Bin Cui8, Patricia Coelho de Soarez, Zakir Husain, John Hopper, Zia Sadique, Asima Mukopadhyay, Li Yang, Johannes Berkhof and Rosa Legood. Cancers.

About Queen Mary University of London

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

In 1785, Sir William Blizard established England's first medical school, The London Hospital Medical College, to improve the health of east London's inhabitants. Together with St Bartholomew's Medical College, founded by John Abernethy in 1843 to help those living in the City of London, these two historic institutions are the bedrock of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Today, Barts and The London continues to uphold this commitment to pioneering medical education and research. Being firmly embedded within our east London community, and with an approach that is driven by the specific health needs of our diverse population, is what makes Barts and The London truly distinctive.

Our local community offer to us a window to the world, ensuring that our ground-breaking research in cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, and population health not only dramatically improves the outcomes for patients in London, but also has a far-reaching global impact.

This is just one of the many ways in which Queen Mary is continuing to push the boundaries of teaching, research and clinical practice, and helping us to achieve the previously unthinkable.

###

About the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a world-leading centre for research, postgraduate studies and continuing education in public and global health. LSHTM has a strong international presence with over 3,000 staff and 4,000 students working in the UK and countries around the world, and an annual research income of 180 million.

LSHTM is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK, is partnered with two MRC University Units in The Gambia and Uganda, and was named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2016. Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice.

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk

About The Eve Appeal

The Eve Appeal is the only UK national charity raising awareness and funding research in the five gynaecological cancers - ovarian, womb, cervical, vaginal and vulval. It was set up to save women's lives by funding ground-breaking research focused on developing effective methods of risk prediction, earlier detection and developing screening for these women-only cancers. The world-leading research that we fund is ambitious and challenging but our vision is simple: A future where fewer women develop and more women survive gynaecological cancers. http://www.eveappeal.org.uk
The State Department has released an internal cable from 2018 detailing the concerns of U.S. Embassy officials in China about a lack of adequately trained personnel at a virology lab in Wuhan, the city that later became the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Leaked contents of the cable sparked unproven speculation from senior U.S. officials beginning in April that the outbreak occurred as a result of an accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In May, President Donald Trump said he had seen evidence that gave him a "high degree of confidence" that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab. When asked why he was confident, Trump said, "I can't tell you that. I'm not allowed to tell you that."

The entirety of the cable had not been released through official channels until this week, after The Washington Post filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit for the records. The Post sued in April after the State Department failed to produce the records in the time period required by the law.

The full cable does not strengthen the claim that an accident at the lab caused the virus to escape, nor does it exclude the possibility. However, in recent months, skepticism of the accident theory has increased in the scientific community because the genetic sequences of isolates from the bat coronaviruses known to be under research at the lab do not match those of covid-19.

The State Department cable says the lab, which U.S. officials visited in 2018, "has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory."

It also says that scientists in the lab were allowed to study SARS-like coronaviruses isolated from bats but were precluded from studying human-disease-causing SARS coronaviruses in their lab unless given explicit permission from a designated commission.

"I don't see any evidence to support the idea that this was released deliberately or inadvertently," said Ian Lipkin, the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University, after The Post relayed the contents of the cable. "You can't just say someone is guilty of accidentally releasing a virus. You have to prove it."

Other experts downplayed the significance of the cable's criticism of the lab's personnel qualifications. "There is a continued global challenge in maintaining the appropriately skilled workforce. All [such] facilities around the world face this challenge," said Rob Grenfell, the director of health and biosecurity at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.

The cable is marked "SBU," for sensitive but unclassified.

This spring, after Trump's remarks about the lab, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there is "enormous" evidence to support the theory that the coronavirus originated in the Wuhan lab.

When asked on Friday if he had evidence supporting the lab theory beyond the 2018 memo, a spokesperson did not point to a specific of piece of information but offered Pompeo's remarks from Wednesday calling on China to be transparent.

"They have destroyed samples; they've taken journalists and doctors who were prepared to talk about this and not permitted them to do what nations that want to play on a truly global scale and global stage ought to do: be transparent and open and communicate and cooperate," Pompeo said

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has not endorsed or refuted the lab theory. In May, it issued a statement saying intelligence officials were still examining whether the virus "began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan."

The statement said the intelligence community "concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified."

The rare declaration by the intelligence community followed a report in the New York Times that Trump administration officials were pushing U.S. spy agencies to support the theory that the virus came from the lab in Wuhan.

The Trump administration has accused China and the World Health Organization of failing to contain the virus and warn the rest of the world about its lethality.

More than 140,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus and nearly 3.7 million have contracted covid-19, which has forced businesses, schools and places of worship to close all around the world.

Tom Inglesby, the director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University, said the full cable does not confirm nor deny the lab theory, and he emphasized that people should not draw too much from its claims.

"It was written in January 2018, two years before when this pandemic is judged to have started, and a great deal of change can happen within a lab like this in two years time," he said.

"Overall, my judgment continues to be that [covid-19] is consistent with a naturally occurring source," he added. "I'm very much hoping that Chinese public health officials will soon share the results of their scientific and epidemiologic investigations into the origin of [covid-19]."

The cable's contents were first reported by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin.
Contrary to what you may have been hearing, there is no shutdown looming for the Lone Star State.

As reported by the Texas Tribune, Gov. Greg Abbott said on Thursday that the rumors are not true and if people wear masks, they may never have to be. (yay?)

"I get this question, it seems like, a thousand times a day," he said to KPRC-TV. "People are panicking thinking Im about to shut down Texas again. The answer is no. That is not the goal. Ive been abundantly clear."

By 'abundantly clear', he's referring to an appearance on CBS19 last week, where he said he might have to implement another shutdown if Texans don't abide by his July 2 mask mandate.

The mandate requires all Texans to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth in public spaces in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases, with few exceptions."

In addition to the mask mandate, Abbott also ordered bars shutdown once again and he scaled back on restaurant capacity. These steps were crucial in preventing another shutdown, but it will take a few weeks before they start to actually slow the spread, Abbott said.

COVID-19: Bexar county reports thousands of backlogged cases

"If we do not all join together and unite in this one cause for a short period of time, of adopting a mask, what it will lead to is the necessity of having to close Texas back down," he said to CBS19. "That should be the last thing that any government wants  the last thing that any business owner wants."

After seeing the economic impact of the previous shutdown, it's no surprise why. "That is my message when I issued my executive order," Abbott told KPRC. "I said that what I want to do is make sure everyone begins to wear a mask so that we will be able to get COVID-19 under control so that we will not have to shut Texas back down."

Chron.com reported that from Wednesday to Thursday, the statewide total of new cases went from 14,430 to 306,490, a 4.94 percent increase. The death count went up by 4.4 percent, or 154 deaths, to a total of 3,637 deaths. According to a Houston Chronicle analysis, Texas saw its highest numbers on Thursday due to Bexar County reporting 4,810 backlogged positive cases.

Seriously people, just wear a mask.
Modified On Dec 02, 2020 11:48 AM By Sonny for Nissan Magnite

Nissans new sub-4m SUV for India will be a feature-loaded offering when it arrives

Update (02/12/2020): Nissan has launched the Magnite with prices beginning from Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Read more about it here.

It features a Datsun-like front fascia with the large single-piece grille and sharp LED lighting elements.

The Magnite will get features like a 360-degree camera, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and cruise control.

Nissan will likely offer it with a choice of 1.0-litre naturally aspirated and 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines.

The Magnite will be built in India with the launch expected in January 2021.

Alongside the Magnite, Nissan also unveiled its new logo that seems to match the theme of the times.

The all-new Nissan Magnite sub-4 metre SUV has made its global debut. This sporty new offering is expected to be launched here around January 2021. The pre-production concept was unveiled alongside Nissans new logo and the brands new Ariya electric SUV.

The Magnite shares some design cues with the Datsun models like the facelifted redi-GO , especially at the front. It has rugged proportions with flared wheel arches, a large grille, angular lighting elements, chunky bumpers and prominent cladding along the sides. Some of the exaggerated design elements are unlikely to make it to the final production-spec model but the proportions will likely remain the same. In profile, the Magnite seems to have a similar shape as the Nissan Kicks , especially when you consider the rake of the rear windscreen and muscular character lines over the cars haunches. It also gets roof rails and a roof spoiler for a sporty look.

Nissan has revealed that the Magnite will be equipped with features like cruise control, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and even get segment-first tech like a 360-degree around view camera. Only the exterior of the Magnite concept has been revealed so far which still leaves much to be known about the cars feature list. It is expected to get a digital instrument cluster, connected car technology and offer 4 airbags as part of the safety equipment. While the concept did not seem to feature a sunroof, we expect the final model to have it.

The Magnite will be a petrol-only model and will likely be offered with the 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine that powers the Renault Triber. It is also expected to get the new turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine which is expected to have an output of around 100PS. The naturally-aspirated 72PS petrol engine will likely be mated to a 5-speed manual while the turbo-petrol could be offered with the option of a CVT apart from the standard manual transmission.

Nissan will be manufacturing the Magnite locally, with the launch likely to be pushed to around January 2021 due to the current circumstances. It will be positioned as a feature-packed rival to the likes of the Hyundai Venue , Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the upcoming Kia Sonet and Renault Kiger. Since Nissan will be manufacturing the Magnite in India for exporting to other AMI (Africa, Middle East and India) markets as well, we expect the carmaker to be able to price it competitively. It could even undercut all of its rivals with a starting price as low as Rs 5.50 lakh thanks to economies of scale.
Abolitionists such as Elijah Lovejoy were not in the mainstream of 1830s society in Illinois.

But Lovejoy met the challenge head on.

The killing of Lovejoy, a newspaper publisher and vocal opponent of slavery, in Alton in 1837 became a flashpoint for the slavery debate in Illinois.

Born in Maine on Nov. 9, 1802, Lovejoy moved west to St. Louis and founded a classical high school. He also edited a reform-minded newspaper, though, oddly, never paid much attention to the slavery issue. After five years, though, he underwent some sort of religious transformation, went back east, and earned a divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

In 1833, Lovejoy returned to St. Louis to edit the Observer, a top Presbyterian journal of the west that opposed Catholics, Campbellites, Baptists, and liquor. Slavery now became a foremost issue to Lovejoy, and his editorials were increasingly heated, much to the anger of the pro-slavery public. In response to his writings on the lynching of a free Black man in St. Louis, a mob broke into his office in July 1836 and tore apart his printing press.

Alarmed, Lovejoy moved his wife and infant son across the Mississippi River to Alton, considered by many the most progressive city in Illinois. Still, plenty in Alton had no use of Lovejoy. When the remnants of his press arrived in town, a group of pro-slavery locals dumped it into the river.

The reaction to Lovejoys stance was certainly not unusual at the time. Slavery was a fiercely divisive issue in Illinois, and in 1837, the state Senate unanimously passed resolutions against abolitionism.

Alton was heavy with New England transplants, though much of its river business was conducted with Southern states. Still, city leaders offered monetary and moral support to Lovejoy, who insisted on his right, as long as American blood runs through these veins  to publish whatever I please on any subject.

In his first edition of the new Alton Observer in September 1836, he declared the system of slavery is an awful evil and sin. His editorials only flared from there, and he gradually lost support within the city.

On Aug. 21, 1837, an angry crowd broke into the Observer office and destroyed Lovejoys printing press once again. Eastern anti-slavery supporters contributed to a third press, which arrived a month later and was quickly pushed into the river by another mob.

Undeterred, Lovejoy invited other abolitionists, including Edward Beecher of Jacksonville, the brother of Uncle Toms Cabin author Harriett Beecher Stowe, to establish an anti-slavery society in Illinois. However, state attorney general Usher Linder and Upper Altons Cyrus Edwards, who ran for governor in 1838, overran Lovejoys convention with pro-slavery advocates.

Finally, Lovejoy was asked to leave Alton, but he refused to go. He defiantly declared his right freely to speak and publish my sentiments.  The contest was commenced here, and here it must be finished.  If I fail, my grave shall be made in Alton.

Lovejoys fourth press arrived at 3 a.m. Nov. 7, 1837, which he determined to protect with armed guards at a large stone riverfront warehouse. That evening, a mob assembled and shots were fired.

A boy climbed a ladder to the roof with a torch in hand, and Lovejoy twice emerged from the warehouse to knock over the ladder. On his second attempt, he was shot five times, dying in front of the warehouse. The mob extinguished the fire and again destroyed the press.

Northern abolitionists were incensed at Lovejoys death, but the mob was never punished. Linder actually tried to prosecute the owner of the warehouse and eleven other Lovejoy supporters for inciting the riot. Illinois Gov. Joseph Duncan expressed outrage at Lovejoys death, but blamed abolitionists for the violence.

Lovejoys brother, Owen, later moved to Princeton and remained a vocal abolitionist. Elijah became a martyr to the anti-slavery movement, and his reputation grew with time.

In 1897, a striking 117-foot granite memorial was dedicated to Lovejoy in the Alton Cemetery. The library of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville is named in Lovejoys honor.

Tom Emery is a writer and historical researcher from Carlinville. He may be reached at ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
Police are under growing pressure to ground noisy and polluting helicopters and instead use more drones to fight crime.

Residents complain of being kept awake at night and left unable to work from home because of the din of circling helicopters.

London had 2,500 flights overhead last year  five times more than anywhere else in the UK.

Residents have placed increasing pressure on police to use drones instead of noisy helicopters

Figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday show the National Police Air Service (NPAS) has received 65 complaints in the past year, two-thirds about noise over the capital.

Conservative London Assembly Member Tony Devenish, who has taken up the issue, said: Alternative methods could not only save taxpayers money but allow Londoners to live their lives without war-like noises above.

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick admitted in a letter to Mr Devenish the helicopters are noisy and polluting and revealed Scotland Yard has deployed drones 126 times in the past seven months.

London had 2,500 helicopter flights overhead last year  five times more than anywhere else in the UK

However, she argued helicopters cannot be abandoned entirely because drones must be kept within the pilots line of sight so cannot be used for chases.

The Met will continue to invest in drone technology and to use it instead of helicopters where appropriate, but the speed of change will continue to be dictated by the pace of technological developments, Ms Dick wrote.

NPAS said: Our pilots take the greatest of care to minimise noise disruption when on task and in particular at night.
A teen going skydiving for the first time has been killed after her parachute failed to deploy properly.

Jeanna Triplicata, 18, died along with her 35-year-old experienced instructor, Nick Esposito, on Sunday (local time), CNN reported.

The teen, from the US state of Georgia, had gone up in the plane with her grandma, Renee, who jumped first.

Her siblings and parents watched on from below.

Jeannas dad Joey Triplicata told NBC the family watched for the teens orange parachute, but noticed it spinning upside down.

Jeanna Triplicata, 18, and her grandmother, Renee, before the skydiving death. Source: NBC

His wife told him: I hope thats not Jeanna, and they drove over to where she landed, but couldnt get to her as a police officer had already established a scene.

Mr Triplicata told CNN he wanted to speak to his daughter about her skydive after she landed.

"I feel like we were robbed of that and now we're robbed of the rest of her life, he said.

It's so painful."

Mr Triplicata told NBCs Today show Jeanna had gone skydiving to celebrate finishing high school and the teens mum, her 15-year-old brother, nine-year-old sister and best friend all watched from the airfield.

"It was so terrible because they all had to experience this along with her mother and me. There was no way to shield them from it," he said.

The 18-year-old's family and friends watched as she skydived. Source: NBC

Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore told NBC Jeannas parachute didnt open properly and the emergency one opened too late.

Sheriff Kilgores explanation was supported by Skydive Atlantas statement.

After an uneventful freefall, a parachute malfunction occurred resulting in the passing away of both instructor and student, Skydive Atlanta said.

The incident remains under investigation.

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.
BioBridge Global, a San Antonio biotechnology company, laid off about 100 employees this week because of economic fallout from the pandemic.

In a statement to employees Friday, CEO Martin Landon said the job cuts stemmed from a drop in revenue at BioBridge subsidiaries since March.

BioBridge Global is a nonprofit holding company for the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, QualTex Laboratories, GenCure and the Blood & Tissue Center Foundation.

QualTex, which provides testing services for blood centers and plasma collection centers across the country, took the hardest financial hit. It is BioBridges largest subsidiary.

Government stay-at-home orders, aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, drastically reduced donations at plasma centers, with one of QualTexs customers closing all of its U.S. donation centers through May.

The job cuts represent about 14 percent of BioBridges 700 employees, mostly lab technicians. Employees who lost their jobs were given severance packages based on their length of service.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

BioBridge did not receive a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program, set up by the federal CARES Act to largely help employers retain workers during the economic crisis, because the combined workforce of its subsidiaries exceeded 500  the limit for PPP loans.

Once again, we want to stand on our own two feet at all times, so that wasnt a big worry for us, Martin said.

BioBridge, he said, will maintain its strong production capacity, largely because of a shift to automation.

Landon, a more than 30-year veteran of the health care industry, was hired as CEO in 2016. He said his aim now is to ensure the companys long-term financial stability.

Its just hard to predict when conditions will change, he said. Given the volatility that weve seen so far, were making the assumption that these conditions wont change overnight.

After the virus reached San Antonio in March, BioBridge Global, like numerous other employers, transitioned staffers to working remotely  but only a fraction of employees could do their jobs from home. Most workers are needed in labs or collecting blood products from patients, Landon said.

The company also is reducing executive pay and slowing its hiring.

On ExpressNews.com: Super donors help those suffering from COVID-19 in San Antonio get better

Landon said he doesnt expect any projects to be delayed at GenCure, which focuses on the development of medical technology.

He said donors arent likely to notice much change at the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center.

Weve been around for 45 years, and we expect to be around another 45 years, he said. Theres no change in the mission. We just want to make sure that if this uncertain economic situation holds for some period of time, we want to make sure well be OK.

Laura Garcia covers the health care industry. To read more from Laura, become a subscriber. laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura
Rep. John Lewis, the longtime Georgia Congressman and icon of the civil rights movement, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, it was confirmed late Friday. He was 80.

His death represents the end of an era, not only for Congress but for the country as a whole. A survivor of Alabamas Bloody Sunday massacre in 1965 and a protege of Martin Luther King Jr. who would ultimately inspire Barack Obama to enter public office, Lewis was one of the last living leaders of the civil rights movement. A member of Congress for more than thirty years, he channeled all he had learned from his fight for equality as a young man into empowering youth and minority communities and encouraging activism. After the election of President Donald Trump he became, in his mid 70s, a self-defined active leader of the resistance movement, boycotting the 2017 inauguration and delivering an impassioned speech on the need to impeach the President last October.

He was known as one of the most dedicated, principled, courageous civil rights activists of all, Clayborne Carson, a historian and Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, told TIME. There were a lot of people who I apply those adjectives to, but I think he exemplified them as well or better than anyone else.

With an

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewiss death in a statement, saying, Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history: Congressman John Lewis, the Conscience of the Congress.

John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation  from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years.

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Lewis death came months after he was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in December 2019, which his office said was discovered during a routine medical visit. I have been in some kind of fight  for freedom, equality, basic human rights  for nearly my entire life, he said in a statement announcing his diagnosis. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now. Although he soon began treatments in Washington, he did not shirk his duties, both to Congress and the fight for equality. In March 2020 he returned twice to Selma, Alabama to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, where he reiterated the importance of votinga right for which he had almost been killed fighting for half a century ago. We must go out and vote like we never, ever voted before, Lewis told a cheering crowd. Im gonna continue to fight. We need your prayers now more than ever before.

Those sentiments illuminate how, in a sense, Lewis life is a microcosmalbeit an extraordinary oneof the evolution and struggles of African Americans in the second half of the twentieth century in the United States. Born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama to the son of sharecroppers, he came of age in the heart of a region where legalized racial inequities deemed him a second-class citizen from birth.

But the treatment he received only imbued him with a sense of determination to change things, an outlook largely shaped by observing the activism of his idol: Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis first met King in 1958 as an eighteen-year-old. Frustrated by his education in segregated schools, he had applied to all-white Troy University but had not heard back. He sought the advice of King in a letter, who promptly booked him a ticket to Montgomery to discuss his plight and whether he should push for admission to Troy University in an attempt to integrate his hometowns institution. He had been inspired by Kings activism leading the Montgomery bus boycott, which took place less than 60 miles away from Troy, and frequently listened to Kings sermons that were broadcast on the radio for inspiration.

I had grown up in rural Alabama very, very poor. I saw signs that said White and ColoredAnd I would ask my mother, my father, my grandparents, Why? Why is that? And theyd say, Thats the way it is. Dont get in trouble. Dont get in the way. But that day, listening to Dr. King, it gave me the sense that things could change, Lewis wrote in LIFE for Martin Luther King Jr.: 50 Years Later, a tribute to King half a century after his 1968 assassination.

Path to Civil Rights

Despite Kings assurances of support if he were to take legal action against the University, Lewis did not move forward because his parents were concerned it would endanger them. Instead, he went to Tennessee for college, graduating from American Baptist Theological Seminary in 1961 and later receiving a bachelors from Fisk University in 1967. Both universities were almost entirely African American.

During his time in the seminary Lewis began attending lectures on non-violent protests by James Lawson, a civil rights leader who was at the time a graduate student at Vanderbilt University. Inspired by Lawson, he started participating in sit-ins at lunch counters in Nashville, which began shortly after the famed sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was during these sit-ins that Lewis was first arrested.

In 1961, Lewis also joined the group of inaugural freedom riders traveling from the East Coast to the South while challenging interstate segregation. He was arrested in Birmingham and beaten at a bus stop in Montgomery, but neither event deterred his future involvement in the movement. Within two years, he had ascended to the leadership of the civil rights movement, chairing the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which helmed the movements student activism. He went on to become the youngest person to speak at the March on Washington in 1963. How long can we be patient? a young Lewis told the throng of thousands gathered in the nations capitol. We want our freedom, and we want it now.

John Lewis, right, and Lester McKinnie, center, are interviewed by ABC News at the sit-in demonstrators' base at the First Baptist Church in Nashville on April 30, 1964. | J.T. PhillipsThe Tennessean/Imagn Content Services/USA Today Network/Reuters

Speaking to TIME in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the March, Lewis recalled how he was struck by the significance of the moment at the time. I stood up and I said to myself, This is it,  he recalled. I looked straight out and I started speaking.

In March of 1965, in the midst of his tenure chairing the SNCC, Lewis was beaten by law enforcement while on the front lines of the 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery to push for voting rights, in an infamous episode that came to be known as Bloody Sunday. King had planned to stay in Atlanta because aides feared for his safety, TIME reported in a cover story at the time. So Lewis and Hosea Williams, another civil rights activist, led the hundreds of marchers trying to reach the Edmund Pettus bridge. Were not going to jump, Lewis later remembered telling Williams. Were not going back. Were going to move forward. And thats what we did.

They were quickly greeted by law enforcement officers, some on horseback, others holding clubs, all ordering them to halt. Turn around and go back to your church! State Police Major Cloud shouted into a bullhorn. Youve got two minutes to disperse!

The marchers stayed put, and the troopers unleashed tear gas and starting beating them. Lewis sustained a fractured skull and was hospitalized. I thought I was going to die on that bridge. I thought I saw death, he recalled 50 years after the march, speaking at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma, which had sheltered him after the violence. I dont recall how we got back across that bridge, back to this churchbut I refused to die.

Despite his injuries, Lewis joined King and the other activists who resumed the march two weeks later to Montgomery. The National Guard accompanied them to ensure their safety. Less than five months later, then-President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, banning racial discrimination from voting practices.

Lewis stepped down as SNCC chair in 1966, but he would go on to help legislate the change he championed. As Director of the Voter Education project from 1971 until 1977, he registered four million minorities to voter rolls until then-President Jimmy Carter appointed him Associate Director of the Federal Volunteer Agency ACTION.

John Lewis (second from left) joins American civil-rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King in a march from Selma, Ala., to the state capital in Montgomery on March 30, 1965. | William LovelaceExpress/Getty Images

Legendary Lawmaker

His advocacy for equal rights ultimately led him to the political arena, where he spent the final chapter of his life. After running unsuccessfully as the Democratic nominee for Georgias fifth district in 1977, he was elected to serve on the City Council in Atlanta. In 1986, he prevailed in his quest to serve as Congressman, defeating former State Representativeand fellow civil rights activistJulian Bond in the runoff for the Democratic primary, and subsequently prevailing in the general election. He held this role until his death.

Known as the conscience of Congress, Lewis was respected, if not revered, by members on both sides of the aisle, a rare feat in todays polarized environment. It was not uncommon for freshmen lawmakers of all stripes to be star-struck as they met Lewis for the first time.

The leadership skills Lewis learned at the height of the civil rights movement lent themselves well to his roles in the Capitol. At the time of his death, he was the senior Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Party, and a member of the House Ways & Means Committee. In 2016, in the aftermath of a shooting at an Orlando night club that left 49 dead, he led his colleagues in a 25-hour sit-in to force Republicans, who controlled the chamber at the time, to vote on gun control after lawmakers had been dismissed. The American people are demanding action, he said at the time. Do we have the raw courage to make at least a down payment on ending gun violence in America?

Lewis leadership also displayed itself prominently off the floor. For years, he accompanied politicians from both sides of the aisle to Selma to ensure the power of Bloody Sunday would remain in the publics memory. And when Lewis spoke, his colleagues usually listened  even if his views and choices diverged from their own. In 2008, when Barack Obamas candidacy was still a long shot, Lewis announced he was switching his endorsement and backing the Illinois Senator over Hillary Clinton. The move was seen as crucial to cementing Obamas support among African American members of Congress, who would be key to his victory over Clinton.

Lewis reflected on the significance of Obamas presidency in an interview with TIME before the 2009 inauguration. When we were organizing voter-registration drives, going on the Freedom Rides, sitting in, coming here to Washington for the first time, getting arrested, going to jail, being beaten, I never thoughtI never dreamedof the possibility that an African American would one day be elected President of the United States, he said.

In 2010, Obama awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedomthe nations highest civilian honor.

Barack Obama, Amelia Boynton, right, Rep. John Lewis and the President's family lead a march toward the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on March 7, 2015, 50 years after

Lewis was married for 44 years to Lillian Miles, who died in 2012. They have one son, John Miles.

Throughout his life and career, Lewis remained steadfast in his dedication to civil rightsand wrote eloquently about his worldview in an op-ed for TIME in 2018.

I heard Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. say on many occasions, The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. I still believe we will get there, he wrote in a quote he repeated while speaking out after the death of George Floyd. We will redeem the soul of America, and in doing so we will inspire people around the world to stand up and speak out.

Buy a print of TIMEs commemorative John Lewis cover.
Options seem to be running out for Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli with the high powered nine-member secretariat of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) scheduled to meet on Saturday in Kathmandu to decide the political future of the country.



The meeting will be held today in Baluwatar.



According to political sources based in Nepal, Oli appeared to have softened his past hard stance in his meeting with NCP co-chair PK Dahal on Friday morning but that could be part of the political tactics to buy time for himself to remain both the head of government as well as the party.



In case the secretariat is not deferred on Saturday on grounds of Olis indisposition, the apex body may decide to hold the standing committee meeting on Sunday to take a decision on whether he remains either the prime minister or NCP co-chair or even lose both the posts for single-handedly playing into the hands of China and destroying bilateral relations with India.



While PM Oli has not uttered a word against the Chinese Communist Party leadership in Beijing, he has made all sorts of wild statements against New Delhi including that origins of coronavirus pandemic were from India and that Lord Ram was born in Nepal.



Apart from laying territorial claims on India-Nepal border, Oli has used all tactics in the book to paint anyone opposed to him politically as an agent of India. This despite the fact that the Chinese ambassador to Nepal seems to be the master puppeteer of the Himalayan kingdom.



The political situation in Nepal seems to be fluid as none of the three principal contendersOli, Dahal or Madhav Nepalwant to be seen as the breakers of the NCPs unity. This works to the advantage of Oli as this ensures that neither Dahal nor Nepal will precipitate the matters and hence the change in the power structure of Nepal will be slow.



However, as numbers count in political parties more than words or slogans, Oli is a minority in the secretariat, standing committee and the central committee as of now.



It is widely expected that the secretariat will make a decision on Olis continuation as the prime minister or co-chair of the NCP or both but the final decision will come through elaborate party processes.



The China model of Nepal is that the NCP remains united and individuals can be dealt with pelf and power at a later stage. The Indian model for Nepal is the people-to-people relationship with a working relationship with whosoever is in power.



Oli has done his best to break the working relationship.

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New Delhi: A special court on Friday (July 18, 2020) refused to accept the chargesheet filed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Rana Kapoor and others accused in the Yes Bank cheating case.

The CBI failed to obtain sanction to prosecute Rana Kapoor, a public servant, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI which submitted its chargesheet in the case had made a plea for the court to take its cognisance.

A chargesheet has been filed against Kapoor and seven others claiming he had entered a criminal conspiracy with the Wadhawans, extending financial assistance to DHFL.

Earlier in March, CBI had registered two cases against Rana Kapoor, YES Banks co-founder, former managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO).

An FIR filed on March 7 had alleged that the bankrupt YES Bank had invested Rs 3,700 crore in short-term debentures of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) between April and June 2018.

In return, Kapoor was allegedly paid kickbacks to the tune of Rs 600 crore by DHFL promoter, Kapil Wadhawan.

ED filed a second charge sheet on Monday, naming Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan and the firms that they had allegedly floated to indulge in money laundering.
Sumitra Devi Kasdekar, who represents Nepanagar in Burhanpur district, submitted her resignation in person to pro-tem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma

Bhopal: Sumitra Devi Kasdekar, Congress MLA from Nepanagar in Madhya Pradesh''s Burhanpur district, resigned from the Assembly on Friday and joined the ruling BJP. It was another jolt to the Congress in the state days after the resignation of Pradyuman Singh Lodhi.

Kasdekar submitted her resignation in person to pro-tem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma in the afternoon. "I have accepted the resignation of the Nepanagar MLA as she insisted on resigning even after being given time to think over it," Speaker Sharma said.

With the Speaker accepting her resignation, the Congress' strength in the House is down to 90. Also, as many as 26 out of 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh are now vacant, for which bypolls would be held.

Welcoming Kasdekar into the BJP at a function, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "Congress is a sinking ship. People are feeling suffocated. When you look at Delhi, you always find either Sonia Gandhi is party president or Rahul Gandhi is the chief."

"In the state too, the same person first becomes party president, then chief minister and now Leader of Opposition," Chouhan said, without naming Kamal Nath. Addressing media on the occasion, Kasdekar said, "I was ignored in the party. No development took place in my tribal constituency during the Congress' 15-months regime.

"I kept meeting the party leadership and others on the issue of development but in vain, and therefore decided to join the BJP for development of the area," she said. State BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma and cooperatives minister Arvind Bhadoria among others were present on the occasion.

Congress MLA Pradyuman Singh Lodhi resigned as a member of the Assembly on Sunday. Lodhi represented Bada- Malhera constituency. Hours after resigning, the BJP government appointed Lodhi as chairman of the MP State Civil Supplies Corporation and accorded him a cabinet minister's rank.

The Congress lost power in Madhya Pradesh in March when 22 MLAs, loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia, quit the party. Two MLAs had died earlier. Thus, the effective strength of the Assembly is now 204.

The ruling BJP has 107 MLAs. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has two legislators, Samajwadi Party one and four are Independent.
Ferries will be brought back to Botany Bay despite a feasibility study questioning the commercial viability of the service.

The NSW government has begun planning to reinstate ferry wharves either side of Botany Bay at Kurnell and La Perouse to provide either commuter or tourist services.

Ferries operated in Botany Bay from the 1890s until 1974 when wharves were damaged in a storm. Credit:Bayside Council archives

But the state government has been warned that a ferry service between Kurnell and La Perouse will be a "boat to nowhere" without additional commuter wharves.

Bayside Council mayor Joe Awada said the council would lobby the state government to expand its current proposal to include ferry stops at Brighton Le Sands and Sans Souci.
A Niagara Falls woman has organized a demonstration this week against Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, claiming he has a problem with women.

Angela Peebles, former owner of The Regal Diner on Main Street, said her anger stems from Diodatis dismissive treatment of Coun. Lori Lococo at Tuesdays council meeting and his ongoing treatment of Coun. Carolynn Ioannoni.

I think hes a bully for sure, said Peebles, who ran for council in the 2018 municipal election and finished 18th out of 34 candidates. She is co-organizing the event with resident Debra Jackson.

I dont think he likes powerful or outspoken women. He doesnt like a woman to stand up to him.

The hourlong demonstration, dubbed Not My Mayor  Peaceful Demonstration 4 Women in Politics, will be Thursday outside city hall on Queen Street. It starts at 3:30 p.m.

At last weeks council meeting, Peebles said, Diodati and other male members of council  she refers to them as the Old Boys Club  undermined Ioannonis attempts to have council adapt a mandatory mask bylaw in Niagara Falls. When Lococo said the vast majority of emails to council were in favour of masks, Diodati said they were irrelevant because they were from a fringe group.

Peebles also said Lococo was psychologically abused by Diodati when she asked about councillors being part of the citys Back to Business team.

Weve already got a team, Diodati responded. It depends, if youre not happy with what were doing.

Lococo did not respond to a request for comment.

Since the meeting, Peebles has shared several angry posts on Facebook, prompting responses from other members of council and even Diodatis wife, Yvonne, who said women who falsely label men as misogynistic are prostituting gender issues for sensationalistic personal causes and personal agendas.

Reached Friday, Diodati called the attacks untrue and its hurtful, saying disagreements at council are not tied to gender.

This is not a male-female thing at all and its very unfortunate that theyre trying to turn that into this.

Diodati was especially disappointed because he has worked with Peebles on the citys homelessness issue and recently helped start her mask-making business. He said he also brought her a gift on her last day at The Regal Diner a few years ago before she moved west (she eventually returned to reopen the restaurant).

Diodati said he has worked with several female politicians with no issues and has two daughters who are taken aback by the online attacks.

Its very disappointing, he said. I hope its not related to the fact she has aspirations to getting elected. I hope this isnt the basis of a negative campaign to try and get elected.

Peebles said she will not run again.

Diodati suspects Peebles friendship with Ioannoni is at the heart of the attack. Ioannoni and Diodati have been bitter rivals for several years, and he said the demonstration may be a smoke screen to distract from an upcoming report to council on the cost to taxpayers of Ioannonis repeated code of conduct violations.

Shes angry and shes lashing out, so shes making me the target of her anger.

Diodati gets especially angry at social media posts which bring up the children of city councillors. A recent post by Peebles called Coun. Chris Dabrowski a puppet to the mayor and said the saddest part is that he has a daughter, what a horrid example to set for her. Dabrowski responded it was offside and out of line.

Thats an unwritten rule of politics, said Diodati. People need to understand what kind of person were dealing with here, who brought Coun. Dabrowskis young children into the discussion.

Peebles said her anger over the mayor has been brewing for a while, and hopes the demonstration sheds more light on how council is representing the city.

Hes not my mayor, she said. Hes not representing me at all right now. He hasnt really been during the pandemic.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18)  On-the-job trainings or internships can push through online at the start of the coming semester, then gradually shift to limited face-to-face sessions, the Commission on Higher Education said Saturday.

This flexible setup is being studied by CHED for the resumption of classes in August, its executive director, Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro said in an online media briefing.

Ibig sabihin yung mga parte na kaya nating gawin na online wala pa namang skills based, wala pa naman na nangangailangan ng limited face-to-face classes ay gawin sa pagsisimula ng pag-open ng academic year, Benitez-Jaro said.

[Translation: This means the parts that can be done online, those that are not skills-based and do not call for limited face-to-face classes, can be done at the start of the academic year.]

Tapos, yung mga kailangan talaga ng limitadong face-to-face classes, doon natin ilagay sa dulo o kaya naman sa latter part of the semester, she added.

[Translation: And then, those that require limited face-to-face classes can be done by the end or the latter part of the semester.]

CHED, along with the Department of Education, earlier proposed to President Rodrigo Duterte the conduct of limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas or those under modified general community quarantine. This recommendation was also endorsed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, but the President, who has the final say, has not yet made his decision.

CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera also suggested that the first semester of college courses could focus on theory-based subjects, while the second semester should be devoted on laboratory courses or those that require fieldwork.

Classes are set to resume on August 24, with Education Secretary Leonor Briones saying they are ready to do so in whatever form." If classes are conducted online, many students are at risk of being left behind due to lack of the required resources, but physical classes could result in further spread of the coronavirus disease, which has infected more than 63,000 people nationwide.

Some groups are calling for an "academic freeze," but the government has not made it an option.
ARCHIVED - Covid positive irregular migrants cause a rumpus in Murcia this week



Migrant transit centres are temporarily closed so the Spanish government has no mechanism by which to repatriate those reaching Spanish soil illegally in small boats

During the state of alarm decreed by the coronavirus crisis, at least 2,545 migrants have irregularly entered Spain, of which 2,384 (94%) arrived by sea.

Illegal immigrants attempting to enter Spain in pateras or small boats, is a regular occurrence along the Spanish coast, migrants choosing the shorter routes across from the African coast via Morocco arriving in the various provinces of Andalucia, from Algeria and landing in Andalucia, Valencia region and the Murcia Region, or the longer routes from Algeria to the Balearic islands and a fourth across to the Canary Islands. All attempts are made to intercept the boats out at sea by the Spanish coastguard, which undertakes a major vigilance operation to prevent the pateras arriving undetected and their occupants disappearing off into the Spanish countryside.

All those intercepted are brought into Spanish ports, their medical condition assessed and the migrants taken to migrant transit centres(CIE) where they are temporarily held whilst attempts are made to repatriate them to their country of origin; 45 days is the maximum time permitted for this process, after which, if they cannot be repatriated, the Spanish government is obliged to release them onto Spanish soil. On average, only 36% of repatriation cases are successful.

The migrants are not given residency rights and are not allowed to work legally, which means that some end up being exploited or earning money illegally, and others continue their journey on to other European countries, France or Belgium where there are large established communities of migrants (and some trying to reach the UK) and other destinations.

The onset of the Covid crisis initially halted the flow of migrants, as both Algeria and Morocco closed their own external borders, but whilst this has the effect of limiting the number of migrants from entering via the African Continent, it also prevents the Spanish authorities from repatriating migrants who have successfully reached Spain.

Irregular migrants are normally held in a migrant transit centre for the 45 day period, but these were all closed during the state of emergency as the authorities could not repatriate the migrants. Algeria and Morocco are still closed off, so the centres in turn, remain closed.

But this hasnt stopped the mafias who earn millions transporting irregular travellers across to Spain. In Morocco confinement of the Moroccan population is very strict, so very few boats are reaching the provinces of Cadiz, Malaga or Granada, but boats from Algeria are more numerous, reaching the coast of Almeria, Murcia and the Balearic Islands, their numbers growing as word spreads that the Spanish Authorities cannot hold or repatriate those who reach Spain.

There are believed to be thousands of would-be migrants waiting for their chance to make the journey across into Europe, living in hidden encampments, and these have not escaped the Covid crisis which has engulfed the world, so recently, a number of the migrants reaching Spanish soil are testing Covid positive.

During the state of alarm decreed by the coronavirus crisis, at least 2,545 migrants have irregularly accessed Spain, of which 2,384 (94%) arrived by sea, according to data from the Interior Ministry. Most of them (1,412) arrived by boat on the shores of the Canary Islands.

Although the Covid cases in Spain have been largely brought under control by a strict lockdown, there have recently been a number of outbreaks, some of which are being attributed to illegal immigration, such as that of Navalmoral de la Mata (Caceres), or that of a Red Cross reception center in Malaga.

In the case of Navalmoral de la Mata (Caceres) a migrant who had arrived in Almeria on 24th May had been transferred to a Red Cross centre in Caceres along with a larger group of around 50 migrants, none of whom had been tested. Some of the other migrants who arrived in the same boat had been sent to Soria, and it was here that one of them tested positive for Covid. It wasnt until five days after the migrants had been moved that the Caceres authorities were informed that a positive had been found in Soria, and were warned to test all of those distributed amongst six houses for Covid, 20 of whom were found to be positive, having been in close contact with the patient zero. He walked out of the house and into the community and a search warrant had to be issued to track him down and bring him back into quarantine, sparking extreme concern in the local community.

In Malaga there were 103 cases at the Red Cross welcome centre, the origin believed to have been an aid worker who caught the virus whilst volunteering in the Canary Islands and who subsequently sparked off a major outbreak amongst staff at the centre in Malaga and many of the migrants the centre was sheltering.

The Canary Island of Fuerteventura only had two positives between April 23rd and June 17th, when an inflatable boat arrived from El Aaiun (Western Sahara) with 14 positive cases on board. And four days later, another boat came from the same port with 11 others.

And these are not isolated cases, there are many more, including our own in Murcia, which have this week caused a major stand-off between our regional government and the national government with several days of arguing, as well as causing upset amongst local residents in the locations in which they are being housed.

On Monday this week 7 Algerians reached Aguilas in a small boat, two of them testing positive for Covid-19. They were put into quarantine and temporarily housed in an encampment alongside the Guardia Civil installation in Aguilas, provided by Cruz Roja. Four cases were also detected amongst 108 migrants who arrived in a dozen small boats at the weekend and were taken into Cartagena, adding to the one case detected earlier in the same week, from a separate boat arrival in Aguilas.

In that case, 23 police officers were quarantined after coming in contact with the first individual.On Tuesday it was reported that the 14 year old covid-positive who had arrived in the first boat in Aguilas and was being monitored in the Rafael Mendez hospital in Lorca, had tried to leave the hospital, causing distress for other patients and staff. The patient, who doesnt speak Spanish, was described as having caused damage in the hospital and being in a highly anxious state, and although he didnt succeed in escaping the hospital, staff later expressed their concern about the situation, saying that the hospital is not a jail.

Of the 108 migrants who arrived last weekend, the four positives were taken to hospital, whilst the remainder were located in temporary accommodation by the Cruz Roja and the Fundacion Cepaim (which works to help refugees and migrants). Eight people, close contacts of the positive cases were put in quarantine.

At this point, the calls to find suitable accommodation intensified, the Mayoress of Cartagena meeting with the Government Delegate to the Region of Murcia (the highest representative of the Spanish state in the region who looks after the interests of the national Government, such as the Guardia Civil, prisons, coast guard and government-run bodies), Jose Velez to insist that the national Government provide more resource to help control the arrival of the pateras and resolve the issue of what happens once migrants reach these shores.

The Government Delegate wrote to the Murcian regional government requesting that the region provide accommodation for the migrants as the state-run migrant centre at Santomera (CIE) was closed. He stated in his letter that the same locations that had been used by the regional government to house the homeless during the state of emergency would be perfectly suitable for the purpose, (there were several problems at one of these locations in Mazarron after the residents rioted on two occasions and unsettled locals).

However, the regional Minister of Health, Manuel Villegas, responded that the Delegation should have sufficient means for this itself and "if you do not have the capacity, you should ask for help".

Han despedido al grito de "perros,maricones,hijos de la gran puta" a unos migrantes a los que han desalojado por su presion.Fueron trasladados a un piso de Los Nietos(Murcia) para pasar la cuarentena tras estar en contacto con 4 positivos por covid. Luego que no hay racismo y tal pic.twitter.com/E5EI0T0pWZ  Ibon Perez (@ibonpereztv) July 3, 2020

By this point on Thursday, some of the migrants had endured the unpleasant experience of being heckled by residents of Los Nietos, where six immigrants were temporarily housed in calle Mujol, in a property owned by Caritas. Rumours had spread that these were Covid positives, and there was a risk that locals could be infected. There were even rumours that one of the young men had escaped, and frightened residents gathered in the streets when cars came to transfer them to a Red Cross centre in Murcia on Thursday afternoon, heckling and shouting, as police separated them from the migrants. On Friday afternoon the president of the neighbour's association said that the residents were "not racist" but were "frightened" and criticised the lack of communication and explanations about what was happening for the neighbours.

In Murcia city residents in the district of la Fama where nine migrants who are close contacts of those who have tested positive and who had arrived in Cartagena were being housed in a property owned by Cruz Roja were also concerned, upset by the presence of two police cars and guard in the street outside the property in a residential area where the young men were being quarantined.

It was stressed that the young men were not being arrested, but simply offered a roof over their heads as they had nowhere else to go until they had completed a quarantine period and had not tested positive.

The Government Delegate issued a press statement on Thursday evening explaining that he could only hold any irregular migrants for 72 hours, as the only mechanism by which they can be detained for a further 45 days is the issuing of a judicial order for repatriation, after which they must be sent to the migrant transit centres, which are closed.

Finally, on Friday afternoon, it was announced that an agreement had been reached between the regional government, Government Delegate and Cruz Roja to temporarily house migrants who either tested positive or had been in close contact with others who had tested positive for a 14 day quarantine period.

Cruz Roja would undertake to house the migrants and the regional government would supply additional accommodation as required, with assistance and vigilance by the Policia Nacional.

The regional government stated that although illegal migration was the competence of the national Government, they were extremely concerned at the prospect of outbreaks in the resident population ( should Covid-positive migrants be left to wander freely) and were also concerned that residents not be disturbed (by the migrants being housed in unsuitable accommodation) as had occurred in Los Nietos, we have offered our collaboration to prevent the sacrifice of Murcian residents during the lockdown being wasted, they said.

However, this doesnt resolve the problem that as long as the Migrant Transfer Centres remain closed there are no repatriation orders being issued and after 72 hours there is no legal mechanism to prevent illegal migrants who test negative being detained in Spain.

The role of the humanitarian charitable organisations who will be looking after the migrants is to give medical assistance, help, advice and information and should those in their installations wish to leave then they can do so at any time; the only route by which they can be prevented is for the health department to obtain a judicial order should it be felt that they represent a health risk to the general public, which would only be done for those testing positive or held in quarantine.

Which is itself an added incentive for all those who are desperate to get to Spain to take advantage of this window of opportunity a point being seized on by Vox far-right politicians in other areas of the country.

Not all boats are detained. On Thursday Almeria media reported that a woman carrying a baby and child had been found walking along the road close to where an empty boat was later found. Had she arrived alone? Had any of her undetected companions been Covid positive? How many more boats are reaching Spain undetected???????

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Furgal became too popular from the view of the federal center, and the dossier that is kept for all representatives of the elite was taken out. This is a reminder to others of how the Kremlin will fight political disobedience, Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow and the chairman of the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote on Twitter.
In Bangladesh, security officials have arrested the owner of two hospitals that issued thousands of fake coronavirus test results, as he attempted to flee to India.

Mohammed Shahed, a member of the governing party who regularly appeared on TV talk shows, was arrested on Wednesday by the Rapid Action Battalion near the Indian border after a nine-day manhunt.



AP

Shahed is chairman of the Regent Group and owner of two Regent hospitals in the capital, Dhaka.



Abdul Baten, a commissioner of the Detective Branch in Dhaka, said Shahed admitted after his arrest that his hospitals did not have proper equipment to conduct coronavirus tests.

A court in Dhaka on Thursday allowed investigators to keep Shahed in custody for 10 days for questioning.

Officials said the hospitals had issued more than 10,000 coronavirus test results and about 60% were fake even though patients were charged for them. The hospitals allegedly arranged for the remaining tests to be conducted by another hospital.

Reuters

The two hospitals had not renewed their medical licenses for years, but the Ministry of Health nevertheless signed a deal with Shahed to dedicate the hospitals to coronavirus testing and treatment as the number of cases rose in Bangladesh.



Bangladesh on Thursday was nearing 200,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 2,496 deaths. Public health experts say the actual number is much higher because only about 70 testing facilities are available in the country of 160 million people.



Shahed belongs to the governing Awami League party headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and is a member of its foreign affairs subcommittee. He has more than 50 cases pending against him across the country on various charges including forgery and cheating.
When David and Victoria Beckham got married at an Irish castle in 1999, they perched on matching golden thrones during a lavish 500,000 ceremony.

Now their son Brooklyn could be set for an even more extravagant affair when he ties the knot with model Nicola Peltz.

His mother, Posh Spice Victoria, took the couple around a romantic Italian palazzo last week, and was overheard telling the bride-to be: Its your day, we want to make it special so whatever you want.

Brooklyn could be set for an even more extravagant affair when he ties the knot with model Nicola Peltz

Posh Spice Victoria, took the couple around a romantic Italian palazzo last week

But special comes at a price: weddings at the five-star Borgo Egnazia in Puglia, on the Adriatic coast, can cost as much as 3 million.

Brooklyns three siblings, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, also took the tour of the carefully landscaped grounds, which are modelled on a traditional Italian village.

The luxury hideaway is where Madonna spends her summers, famously celebrating her 59th birthday there in 2017, and it was also the venue for the wedding of Justin Timberlake and Hollywood actress Jessica Biel in 2012.

It is understood that Brooklyn, 21, first fell for the charms of Borgo Egnazia when he visited last summer.

The Beckhams stopped at the 135 million resort during a holiday to Italy and France.

They enjoyed a meal at its Michelin-starred, 180-a-head Due Camini restaurant before heading to the South of France to join Brooklyns godfather Sir Elton John on his yacht.

The Beckhams stopped at the 135 million resort during a holiday to Italy and France

Weddings at the five-star Borgo Egnazia in Puglia, on the Adriatic coast, can cost as much as 3 million

The hotel, which has been described as the most beautiful in southern Europe, boasts two private beaches and a spa which is listed in the top ten in the world.

It is big enough to sleep more than 400 people, with 63 rooms in the castle-like main building, 92 on the grounds and 28 villas. Rooms start at 545 a night.

Friends say the former Spice Girl is extremely excited that her son is marrying Miss Peltz, whose family are thought to be worth 1.3 billion  almost three times the estimated 370 million Beckham fortune.

One said: Victoria fell in love with Nicola immediately. She is absolutely delighted that her son has landed himself a partner from such a wholesome, rich American family.

She hasnt always approved of Brooklyns girlfriends, but Nicola is a dream come true for her. Victoria made sure she became part of the Beckham family very quickly indeed.

Miss Peltzs father is Donald Trump-supporting US fund manager Nelson Peltz, 78, who has ten children and lives in a 27-bedroom mansion in New York state, with Nicolas mother, former model Claudia Heffner Peltz, his third wife.

Last week, Brooklyn revealed in a gushing Instagram post that he had proposed to his girlfriend of eight months, writing: Two weeks ago I asked my soulmate to marry me and she said yes.

'I am the luckiest man in the world. I promise to be the best husband and best daddy one day. I love you baby.

He also posted a photograph of him embracing his fiancee, who was wearing a dress designed by his mother and showing off her gold ring, thought to have cost 160,000.

She replied: Im so lucky to call you mine.
OMAHA  Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska is celebrating its outstanding volunteers with special awards that recognize those who go above and beyond to make a difference for the organization and for girls, according to a press release from the organization.

Girl Scout volunteers are out in Nebraskas communities delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and directly impacting girls lives. They devote their time and talents to mentor Girl Scouts who are developing courage, confidence and character, and who are making the world a better place.

This year the annual Girl Scout Volunteer Awards Ceremonies normally held across the state had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Girl Scout volunteers are so creative and resilient. Even now, during a global pandemic, they are finding ways to connect with and support girls, said Fran Marshall, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska. We are really proud of the volunteers who return each year to support our girls, and so thankful for all they do to make a difference in the lives of girls.

Five-year volunteer Amy Hawk of Chadron said she has gained leadership skills and made lifelong friends as a Girl Scout volunteer.
Actress Nicole Kidman has been given the green light to film her $100M series Nine Perfect Strangers in Australia.

The production, based on the 2018 novel by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, will bring new life to the Australian film industry after it was sent crashing down by the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Sunday, Nicole said she's 'thrilled' to be able to bring hundreds of jobs to the local industry.

'It is a great opportunity for me to give back to the community that nurtured me': Nicole Kidman, 53, says she is 'thrilled' to film her $100M production of Nine Perfect Strangers in Australia next month

'It is a great opportunity for me to give back to the community that nurtured me through so much of my career,' she said.

The limited series is being produced by Nicole's production company Blossom Films, alongside Big Little Lies collaborators Bruna Papandrea (Big Little Lies, Gone Girl) and David E. Kelley.

Nicole will also star in the series alongside an A-list Hollywood cast including Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans and Manny Jacinto.

A-list cast: Nicole will also star in the series alongside an A-list Hollywood cast including Melissa McCarthy (pictured), Luke Evans and Manny Jacinto

According to The Daily Telegraph, strict COVID-19 restrictions will be placed upon the production, which is set to take place at an 'isolated production hub' at Nicole and Keith Urban's sprawling property in the NSW Southern Highlands.

Cast and crew members flying from overseas or interstate will be made to quarantine in a hotel for 14-days upon arrival into NSW.

Nicole and her fellow producers will also be responsible for paying all medical and security costs, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Precautions: Strict COVID-19 restrictions will be placed upon the production, which is set to take place at an 'isolated production hub' at Nicole and Keith Urban's sprawling property in the NSW Southern Highlands. Pictured: Nine Perfect Stranger star Luke Evans

The series will tell the story of nine stressed-out urbanites who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole's character.

And as with Moriarty's other novel adapted for the screen, what appears one way on the surface at the retreat is altogether different deep down.

Filming will begin on August 10 and will run for 19 weeks.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday regretted the states people were paying for the discord within the ruling Congress and that names of opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were needlessly being dragged into the controversy over attempts to topple the state government.

In a statement shared on Twitter, Raje said the discord has coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed over 500 lives and locust attacks. She added crimes against women are at an all-time high and there are problems related to electricity across the state. And Im only naming a few of the problems being faced by our people, she said. There is no point trying to drag the BJP and the BJP leaders names through the mud, she said. Raje said the interest of people must remain paramount. Think of the people.

Raje, a two-time chief minister, has remained at her residence in Dholpur and until Saturday maintained silence over the ongoing political turmoil that has led to much speculation.

Many like chief minister Ashok Gehlot have questioned whether the BJP was divided since Raje had not defended her party nor attended its meetings since the political crisis erupted.

BJP ally Hanuman Beniwal, who heads the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), on Thursday accused Raje of rallying Congress lawmakers in support of Gehlot as he faces rebellion from his former deputy, Sachin Pilot. He alleged Raje called Congress lawmakers and asked them to distance themselves from Pilot.

BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria rejected Beniwals allegation as baseless and said he was in touch with Raje and that she will be present in Jaipur when required.

Political analyst Narayan Bareth said Raje remains one of BJPs most charismatic leaders in the state. She still sees herself in the running for the chief ministers post and would not want Pilot to join the BJP and be a potential rival, said Bareth.

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Several residents of water-logged areas in Lagos have decried the destruction of properties and livelihoods caused by incessant flooding in Lagos.

Recent floods in Lagos have not spared many areas of the state including Agege, Alapere, Mushin, Surulere, Ikorodu, Lekki, Ebutte Meta, Lekki, Iyana Oworo, and many others.

PREMIUM TIMES interviewed several residents of the affected areas who attributed the incessant flood to the inadequate drainage system, clogged drainages and canals, and ongoing road construction in their neighbourhoods.

While many residents of the heavily flooded areas have relocated, some remained despite the hurdle, attributing their stay to financial constraint.

I have been living in this house for over 15 years, in fact, I did my youthful days in this Alapere, before I got married and moved to this place. This place has always been flooded at every rainfall, sometimes, the flood leaves us stuck in the house when it is much, Bose Apesin a resident at Ayo street, Off church street, Alapere said.

Government neglect

At the Agege area of Lagos, residents attributed the flooding they experience to the unduly prolonged bridge and road construction which is making life unbearable for them.

Fatai Akinwumi, a resident and house owner at Church Street, Agege, told PREMIUM TIMES that they have been in a terrible situation for more than two years since the construction of the Agege bridge commenced.

It wasnt like this before, we had to plead with the white man in charge of the construction to help us create a passageway for flood which he obliged.

Despite that, the last rain left all residents with damaged properties. The flood was up to the knee level that very time, we are just recovering from it but most properties are damaged, Mr Akinwumi said.

Ayo street, Alapere Flood at Church Street, Agege

Mariam Hassan, a 48-year-old resident at Church Street, showed a PREMIUM TIMES reporter the degree of damage caused by floods.

Clothes and many household items were tied up in large lumps and rolled to one side of the apartment. Tenants at the apartment registered their anger at how exposed they are to flood.

These are all the properties damaged by flood, it the rain starts during the day, we are more relieved because we are able to savage some of our properties, but during the night, we are left with no choice. No movement, phones damaged, no way to protect our properties, Mrs Hassan said.

High cost of housing

Despite the state of houses at Ayo street, off church street, Alapere, some residents have remained there due to financial hardship.

Some houses on the street are gradually sinking to ground due to the impact of the flood, while shanties housing some dwellers have partially collapsed as a result of heavy rainfall.

Green algae have taken over the veranda of many houses on the street was there was an absence of a drainage system.

READ ALSO:

Adekanye Adeniyi, 47, who resides at Ayo street, narrated his ordeal.

Mr Adeniyi and his brother are the only ones occupying the 16-room apartment popularly called Face me I face you as the house has become inhabitable.

Agege residents battling flood

This is my fathers house, I moved here when my business was no longer profitable and everything I had finished. I cannot live under the bridge and I cannot beg on the street, so I accepted my fate and started living here, the middle-aged man said.

Mr Adeniyi said all efforts to prevent flood have been unsuccessful given that the area is a swampy area.

Some other residents interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES also narrated how financial hardship has been a setback for them to relocate to better places.

Houses are expensive in Lagos, in this area, if you want to rent a room you must have between 6,000 to 7,000 per month, excluding agent fees and agreement and other expenses, Bose Apesin, a widow and a mother of four said.

Mrs Apesin said during heavy rainfalls, it is impossible for them to go out, while those that are outside cannot come in.

Lagos government Reacts

Efforts to reach Tunji Bello, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, were not successful as calls and text messages received no response.

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Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency, said efforts are ongoing to prevent further occurrence of flood in many areas in the state.

We are collaborating with the Ministry of Environment to clear drainages and canals, this operation has been on even before the rains started and it continues, Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said.

The LASEMA boss further said that the agency is sensitising and educating Lagos residents on Flood and ways to prevent it.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources said on Thursday that four Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state have a high probability of flood risk during the raining season.

The LGAs are Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Ibeju-Lekki and Ikorodu.

According to the statement issued by the Commissioner, the above areas will experience higher intensity of flood, especially from rainfalls between now and September.

Adekanye Adeniyi, a resident of a flooded area

He urged residents of the areas whose houses are in low lying areas to relocate to avoid the disaster that may come with flooding.

Other local governments that are expected to experience flooding are Lagos Island, Alimosho, Amuwo Odofin, Ikeja, Kosofe, Eti-Osa, Apapa, Ojo, Oshodi/Isolo, Agege, Ifako Ijaiye, Badagry, Surulere and Ajeromi-Ifelodun.

Mr Bello said the Ministry will intensify efforts at clearing and cleaning the drains as well as removing pet bottles and styrofoams that clog the drains.

He urged residents to desist from dumping wastes and pet bottles in the drains.
Barry Cowen was sacked as a Cabinet minister in the controversy over his drink-driving ban. The saga is by no means over. Cowen is pursuing a number of legal routes and has a high-powered legal team to advance his claims.

His solicitor handling the case is Robert Dore, best known for representing Fr Kevin Reynolds in the defamation case against RTE for the 'Prime Time Investigates: Mission to Prey' programme.

Bar Council veteran heavy-hitter Gerry Danaher is advising on any defamation aspects. A contemporary of Michael McDowell and the late Adrian Hardiman, he was a close associate of the late former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds. He came to prominence on the State legal team at the Beef Tribunal in the 1990s.

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Barrister Darren Lehane has been advising Cowen from the off for the past fortnight and is a pivotal figure. Lehane, an expert on public inquiries, is a former Fianna Fail local election candidate and the party's go-to lawyer for policy papers on matters such as water charges and rent freezes. A friend of Fianna Fail TD and fellow barrister Jim O'Callaghan, he is a product of the conveyor belt of party talent from the Donogh O'Malley Cumann in UCC, just like Micheal Martin and Michael McGrath.

He represented John McGuinness at the Disclosures Tribunal and former TD Declan Breathnach in a case taken by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. He's well got and trusted among Fianna Fail ministers and TDs.

Lehane and a local firm of solicitors in Offaly advised Cowen on his response when the drink-driving ban was first put to Cowen by the Irish Independent a fortnight ago.

Dore came on board last weekend and immediately issued a legal letter, two-and-a-half pages long, to 'The Sunday Times' newspaper as it prepared to publish an allegation about what the Garda record states and which led Cowen to deny any attempt to evade gardai. Cowen contends the leaking of information is a "criminal offence". Dore has now made an official complaint to the Garda watchdog, the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), about the alleged leak.

"They have confirmed they are now investigating my clients' complaint," he told this newspaper yesterday.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris also referred the alleged leak to the Garda watchdog last Sunday after Cowen issued a statement alleging a "criminal act".

Under the Garda Siochana Act, 2005, the Commissioner is obliged to tell the Justice Minister of "significant developments" in Garda business.

It is understood the new minister, Helen McEntee, has been kept updated by the Commissioner.

Gardai had begun a preliminary inquiry into the possible leaking of information but that is now parked.

A Gsoc report into the leaking of the arrest of Independent TD Clare Daly on suspicion of drink-driving is key here. The investigation has found information on the arrest was leaked by gardai to the media in an "unauthorised manner".

The Gsoc report will influence the next steps in the process. Cowen's legal team have notified the Data Protection Commissioner of the complaint to Gsoc and will revert in due course. Cowen says he is "taking steps under the Data Protection Act" to have the record corrected.

Further legal actions under privacy, defamation and data protection laws are possible as Cowen has vowed to "take all necessary steps to vindicate my good name and data protection rights".

Watch this space.

Last week, Cowen requested a copy of his record on the Garda Pulse system. The then agriculture minister rang the Garda to ask for the records. He was told to send in a subject access request, which he did. In light of the urgent nature of the issues, the Garda fast-tracked the request. What is known as a "person record" is a transcript of what is on Pulse regarding Cowen, without details of gardai or anyone else involved.

The report proved a crucial turning point for the Taoiseach and led to his sacking.

Unlike his snooze later in the week, Eamon Ryan was certainly wide awake and alert as he observed events in the Dail Chamber on Tuesday afternoon. Micheal Martin was getting skewered by Sinn Fein's on the ongoing Cowen controversy.

Ryan was sitting up the back of lobby of the Dail Chamber, the circular hallway that wraps around the TDs' benches, watching proceedings intently. Notably, Martin was largely flanked by Fine Gael TDs. As expected by the Taoiseach, his agriculture minister's exploits were centre stage. The Green Party leader looked concerned. However, along with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, Ryan was aware of what Martin was up to behind the scenes.

While the Taoiseach flailed around backing his Fianna Fail minister, he had also issued an ultimatum. Cowen had to come to the Dail to account for himself or else be gone.

Martin had weathered the storm for Cowen after he had learned of the drink-driving incident. The latest public airing of revelations was too much. But Cowen had ploughed a lone furrow.

The Taoiseach's officials weren't aware of what he was saying publicly when he admitted to the ban and nor were they aware of the statement he issued when the second wave came saying he "did not evade, or attempt to evade, a garda". A copy of the statement Cowen made to the Dail was provided to the Taoiseach in advance but there was no consultation on the matter. Once Martin eventually got sight of the Garda report, he felt Cowen had to account for his actions.

Martin summed up the clash in approaches in the Dail on Wednesday, the morning after his dramatic sacking of his minister, just 17 days after his appointment.

"The fundamental difference between myself and Deputy Cowen on this issue is that he took a legal route and a legalistic approach to defend his rights, in his words, as a citizen and as a public representative. In my view, this issue could only be resolved through the political route, that is, by coming before Dail Eireann," Martin told the Dail.

Cowen continues to take a legal route, while the political fallout for Martin continues .

"There's a number of disgruntled TDs now who are aggrieved and hurt. If they all stopped bickering and started working, it would be better for the party and government," a supporter of the leader said.

A Fianna Fail TD explained how senior TDs are concerned this will be party's last term in power for quite some time, following an almost decade-long absence. Failing to get a ministry now may mean never attaining such high office.

Martin is felt to be the last leader to have served in an old style Fianna Fail government, which dominated Irish politics. Nobody is quite clear where the party will be going next.

Martin's sacking of Cowen has shown Fianna Fail ministers and TDs he'll let nobody distract from his Government.

The Taoiseach displayed his ruthless streak again, while reaffirming his commitment to stability to his coalition partners. Martin has drawn Varadkar and Ryan closer but driven his party further away from his project in the process.

Fianna Fail's 'Last Dance' will be a lonely one for Micheal Martin.
SLFP in sideline battles on other fronts also View(s):

For the now emaciated Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the August 5 parliamentary elections campaign is not the only task.

It has opened up several other fronts at the same time. The political commentary in our issue today reveals how a ding-dong battle between the SLFP and its stronger partner the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna stalwarts is now playing out on election platforms.

According to the SLFPs Deputy Leader Rohana Luxman Piyadasa, the party has written to the Election Commission complaining against the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), using the colour blue. This colour has throughout been associated with the SLFP.

Much the same way he snatched a large segment of UNP parliamentarians to the SJB and gave the nominations to contest, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa has changed colours too. Along Kotte Road his multi-storeyed office earlier flew green flags. It is now carrying green and yellow flags. But party stalwarts say their colour is green, and some of them sport green and yellow  a true rainbow party.

Prof. Piyadasa said that if the Election Commission did not take action, the SLFP would initiate action in courts.

Another front the SLFP has opened up  a small army of lawyers who are monitoring the media, meetings and other publications. The SLFP Lawyers Association Acting Secretary said if they are defaming former President Maithripala Sirisena or destroying his good name, we will initiate legal action against them.

One of the accusations against former President Sirisena, he said, was that he was occupying an official bungalow.

Past Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa too have received official residences, he pointed out.

Mystery contract to exploit ilmenite in Mannar

A committee of officials will be appointed to probe reports that an Australian company together with Sri Lankan counterparts has been granted a contract to extract ilmenite in the Mannar area, the Cabinet decided this week.

The move came after the Industries and Supply Chain Management Minister Wimal Weerawansa told ministers that media reports had claimed such a project was under way. However, he told his colleagues that his Ministry had given no such approval and no records were available in his Ministry. Such a joint project also had a website, he said.

The Minister said queries made by him had revealed that such a project was under way. The committee is to be named next week.

Top posts: Ministers nominations to be fully checked

Nominations for government positions including even corporation heads  made by ministers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa  are being given strict background checks.

A government source said such checks included even whetting by intelligence agencies before the appointment is made. There have been occasions when a few were rejected, the source added.

Maithri to step down, will MR lead the SLFP?

Former President and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leader Maithripala Sirisena, will step down from his post after the parliamentary elections.

He made the announcement at an election meeting in Kalutara. He said that he would pave the way for younger people to take over the leadership.

For the election of a new leader the modalities have not yet been determined. It is likely to draw interest both from in and outside the party as some SLPP members have said that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the next leader of the SLFP.

Beware your hand sanitiser may explode

Here is a warning for motorists who place their hand sanitiser bottles on top of their dashboard when parking their vehicles in a parking lot.

Exposure to sunlight could cause the content to heat up and end in an explosion. This is because of the high alcohol content in the sanitisers.

A recent incident in the American state of Chicago, led to a major fire where a car was all burnt inside, the dashboard, seats and upholstery. The front window too was cracked. The owner had placed a bottle of sanitiser on top of the dashboard. The rays of the sun heated it and that led to the explosion. The particular sanitiser contained 80 percent alcohol.

Health authorities in Sri Lanka advise motorists to keep the sanitiser either in their car locker, compartment on the doors or compartments where there is no direct sunlight.

Polls Chief drives SLFP candidate off the road

Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya was in Jaffna this week to oversee election arrangements and discuss related issues with officials in the peninsula.

It was brought to his attention that there were complaints that Angan Ramanathan contesting under the SLFP ticket had publicised certain ongoing road projects which he claimed were the result of his own action.

Mr Deshapriya directed that boards be placed in areas where construction work was now under way, saying the projects were Government backed.

Minister in his own high tech jam

Transport Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, has become the victim of new measures he initiated to jam mobile phone conversations in prisons.

The Hambantota District Angunukolapelassa prison is one such case. His private residence is located close to the prison area. The installation of jamming equipment meant that he could not use his own mobile phone.

Not until he discovered a spot where the mobile phone signals were good enough to dial out. So, he went there, made the calls, and returned.

Tuk tuk campaign by UNP candidate in Jaffna

Vinayagamoorthy Sakhathevan, the United National Party (UNP) candidate for the Jaffna District at the parliamentary elections has found a novel way to campaign.

He stands inside a three-wheeler scooter that is parked at different road intersections to draw the attention of his supporters. As people pass by, he greets them and calls upon them to cast their vote for him.

Here is the candidate together with a supporter and a three-wheel driver.

Ultra-modern gym for troops in Jaffna

Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva yesterday declared open an ultra-modern gymnasium for troops at the Security Forces headquarters in Palaly, Jaffna.

Lady politico cause of row in the SJB

A former minister, now on the SJB national list, is drawing flak from a section of the party led by a candidate from the Colombo district.

At two successive meetings, the candidate unleashed a strong barrage of criticism against the ex-minister. According to an SJB source, him being shifted from one electorate in Colombo to another, appears to be the grouse.

The ousting, they claim, has come after pressure on the SJB leader Sajith Premadasa from the ex-minister. They say it was all because a lady politico wanted it done to accommodate a close relative.
The Confederate battle flag flies at the South Carolina state house grounds in Columbia, S.C., on July 8, 2015. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Coast Guard Bans Confederate Flag as Uniquely Divisive

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz announced the banning of Confederate flag imagery in a move akin to earlier prohibitions by the Navy and Marine Corps and, more recently, the Department of Defense.

While the Confederate battle flag may be symbolic of different beliefs, it divides Americans and threatens our black shipmates, he said in a July 17 statement. There is no benefit from a display of divisive symbols in our disaggregated and geographically widely dispersed workforce, and I have determined that the Confederate battle flag is uniquely divisive.

The decision comes after Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced on July 17 that Confederate flags would no longer be permitted at military bases and other installations within the jurisdiction of the Pentagon.

We must always remain focused on what unifies us, our sworn oath to the Constitution, and our shared duty to defend the nation, Esper wrote. The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols.

Activists with Confederate flags gather at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pa., on July 1, 2017. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

In our military environment, such division clearly endangers loyalty, discipline, and morale; undermines unit cohesion and mission effectiveness; and marginalizes segments of our workforce, Schultz said, explaining the decision.

Schultz said, effective immediately, displays or depictions of the Confederate flag are prohibited in all Coast Guard workplaces and operating facilities, as well as related public and common access areas. The ban extends to barracks, automobile bumper stickers, as well as clothing and other apparel.

Exceptions to the ban include state flags or state-issued license plates. Prohibited display of the Confederate flag also doesnt include private spaces, such as inside family housing.

It also does not apply to displays or depictions where the flag is only an incidental or minor component, such as in works of art, or in educational or historical displays, Schultz said.

Schultz earlier resisted banning the Confederate flag, although he said in March that Coast Guard commanders had the leeway to take action if its revealed and its offensive to somebody.

Every situation on a Coast Guard facility that involves a Confederate flag, or any hate symbol, will be investigated. It will be immediately removed, he said, according to Homeland Security Today.

Its clearly seen by many as a hate symbol. What we have to figure out is where do you want to position the Coast Guard on what could be a very interesting conversation and battle of First Amendment right to constitutionality, Schultz said in early July.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, has opposed some rules against flying the Confederate flag. Trump said this week that he believes displaying the flag is a matter of free speech.

The Marine Corps banned Confederate flags on its installations in June, as a symbol that has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no place in our Corps and presents a threat to our core values, unit cohesion, security, and good order and discipline.

The Navy announced days later that it, too, would ban the Confederate battle flag from all public spaces and work areas aboard Navy installations, ships, aircraft, and submarines.
Reuters

The NASA astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station in SpaceX's first crewed flight in May are expected to return to Earth on 2 August after spending two months in orbit, a NASA spokesman said on Friday.

US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will gear up for the final benchmark test of SpaceX's so-called Demo-2 mission: a coordinated splashdown somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean that will cap NASA's first crewed mission from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

Since 2011, when the U.S. space shuttle program ended, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.

Boeing Co, which is producing its own launch system in competition with SpaceX, is expected to fly its CST-100 Starliner vehicle with astronauts aboard for the first time next year. NASA has awarded nearly $8 billion combined to SpaceX and Boeing for development of their rival rockets.

Behnken is gearing up for his final spacewalk on July 21 ahead of prepping with Hurley to depart the space station, NASA has said. Mission planners on Earth will be watching weather forecasts to calculate the precise time and location of Crew Dragon's splashdown, the NASA spokesman said, adding the date could slip.




Zimbabwe will have enough power to push forward its rapid industrialisation from 2023 and is poised to become an exporter of electricity as new coal and coal gas generation capacity being planned or commissioned by private and public initiatives in Hwange come on stream.





This emerged when President Mnangagwa concluded his two-day working visit of coal projects here that saw him touring eight power concerns.





Zimbabwe imports power from South Africas Eskom and Mozambiques Hydroelectrica de Cahora Bassa after a 30-year hiatus when no new generation capacity was installed.





Power projects visited by the President on Thursday and Friday are expected to feed an additional 3 000MW into the national grid upon envisaged completion by 2023.





The power is not only sufficient for the countrys present needs, but will also suffice for an industrialised Zimbabwe as envisaged by the economic growth that is being planned in line with Vision 2030 that is set to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy.





The projects themselves, are designed to support the countrys industrialisation drive by generating the required electricity.





Crucially, the projects will also play a critical role in Governments devolution strategy which is aimed at improving standards of living, creating jobs and generating wealth in the provinces.

Speaking here yesterday, President Mnangagwa noted that employment creation will be accelerated for the benefit of local communities. With some of the projects being foreign-owned, the President implored the companies to prioritise using the local workforce in line with Government policy.





You (Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube) are spending hundreds of millions a month importing power when we have everything to produce power in this country, said the President during the tour of Zambezi Gas and Coal Mine.





Yesterday, where we visited and the general picture I have been given now, is that we should be energy sufficient by 2023 because we have everything. We have the coal, we have the gas in Zimbabwe . . . None of us here will live beyond the volumes of coal we have, said the President.





With the projects being dominated by companies of Chinese origin, the President also highlighted that this was a result of his visit to China in April 2018, where he got the backing and support of his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping.





Although the President assured all the companies he visited of Governments total support, he reserved special mention for the locally owned duo of Zambezi Gas and Makomo Resources.





He said he was particularly pleased by the progress being made by the two and noted that they have an added advantage in that their profits will not be repatriated to foreign countries.









He also challenged the two to draw and follow extensive expansion road maps.





Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando who accompanied the President said the visit had showed that the coal sector is poised to become the first to attain its target under the US$12 billion mining industry set for 2023.









President Mnangagwa speaks to Makomo Resources director Mr Raymond Mutokonyi (right) during a tour of the company





The sector is envisaged to contribute US$1 billion by the 2023 milestone.





The coal and hydrocarbon sector had been allocated to achieve US$1 billion, but all indications are that it will not only be the first to achieve but will exceed the US$1 billion, said Minister Chitando.




Islamabad:

Pakistani security officials say five more Indian diplomats have returned to their country amid deepening diplomatic row.

The two officials said on Wednesday that these five Indian diplomats were among eight diplomats, whose names were publicized by Pakistan, which said they were spies.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. A diplomatic row between Pakistan and India has deepened since October 27, when they each expelled an embassy staffer over espionage charge.

The situation worsened when Pakistan withdrew six of its diplomats after their names were released to Indian media amid tensions over Kashmir. Islamabad reciprocated by publishing the names of theeight diplomats. India protested the move, and what it called "factually incorrect allegations."

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
This piece was originally published in TIME in partnership with The Fuller Project, a global nonprofit newsroom reporting on issues that impact women.

The three young women agreed they would escape by nightfall. They didnt have any money or documents, but Jessica, 19, and her friends knew it was time to go. The brothel was not as crowded as usual: since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, the client base had fallen. Together, they waited for night to settle and for the madam to retire to her room. Then, they sprinted for the highway that runs through Papara, a town in the far north of the Ivory Coast, close to the border with Mali.

Jessica and her friend, Favor, had been trafficked into prostitution about a month earlier. (Both women, as well as the other survivors of trafficking in this story, asked TIME to use only their first names out of safety concerns.) Back in February, a female friend to both girls families in Nigeria had promised them jobs in a clothing factory in the Ivory Coast. Udochi, 20, had been trafficked in a similar manner earlier in the year. Upon arrival in Papara, all three women found themselves in a brothel, where the madam forced them to have sex with multiple men for a daily salary of $1.29.

The women fled the brothel in March, but almost four months later they are still in the Ivory Coast: three out of hundreds of trafficked Nigerian women who anti-trafficking advocacy groups believe are stuck abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, as border closures hamper repatriation efforts across the region. When the Nigerian government imposed a state of emergency lockdown in March, they paused international flights in an attempt to curb the infections spread and unwittingly left trafficking survivors stranded in dangerous locations far from home. Now these women are anxiously awaiting evacuation from across Africa and the Gulf, as authorities contend with towering logistical hurdles involved in organising safe flights and the virus continues to rage around the world.

Jessica, Favor and Udochi are safe in a womens shelter in Daloa, a city in the west of the Ivory Coast, but they dont know when theyll be able to get back home. Im happy I escaped that place, Jessica said, speaking by phone on a Saturday evening in June. But we want to go back to Nigeria.

For two weeks I have not slept, I dont understand whats happening to my body. I feel sick. Please help me.

That the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on trafficking survivors is agreed by experts worldwide. A forthcoming OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and U.N. Women survey reveals that almost 70% of trafficking survivors from 35 countries say COVID-19 has negatively affected their financial well being, while more than two thirds say that their mental health is suffering as government-imposed lockdowns trigger memories of the last time their freedoms were taken away.

More than half of the survey participants worried that the outbreak would increase rates of human trafficking in the future, while 43% believed women and girls would be the most at risk in coming months.

Trafficking from Nigeria to other African countries is not a new phenomenon, though the nature of the crime means its impossible to accurately track. The International Organization for Migration believes that hundreds if not thousands of Nigeriansthe majority of whom are womenare trafficked out of the country every year, often across the continent. Of the 20,500 Nigerian survivors of exploitation helped by the IOM since 2017, some 90% needed to be brought home from Libya. Nigerias National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) identified 20,000 trafficked Nigerian women in Mali in 2019 alone. The Nigerian embassy in Ivory Coast repatriates 20 women monthly, Mohammed Abdulkadir Maccido, the Charge dAffaires told Nigerias Punch newspaper last year.

According to the IOM, most of the trafficking survivors who they work with in Nigeria are women of around 21 years old. Theyre often lured with promises of jobs in other African countries, or in Europe or Asia: countries often seen as a welcome escape from rising unemployment in Nigeria. Once the women reach their destination, traffickers hand them off to madams: female ring leaders who are often victims of trafficking themselves. The madams force the women into prostitution and domestic work in order to pay back the debts theyve incurred for food, transport and accommodation since leaving their homestypically thousands of dollars that can take years of forced labor to repay.

During COVID-19, the number of women who are trafficked from Nigeria continues to groweven as local governments curtail legal movement. When awareness of the coronavirus began to spread in March, authorities in Nigeria and the Ivory Coast swung into action early, fearing an outbreak could decimate their health care systems. By the end of the month, both countries had closed their land and air borders. But despite the restrictions, international law enforcement agents and anti-trafficking organizations say trafficking networks remain active in the region, as traffickers bribe their way across borders in order to move freely.

The Nigerian government began lifting domestic travel restrictions earlier this month , but there is no confirmation yet of when external borders may open again. Nigeria, one of the worst hit countries on the continent, had reported over 34,000 cases and more than 700 deaths by July 16.

We are crying daily. We are working daily. Please have mercy upon us.

Meanwhile, lockdowns are limiting repatriation efforts and leaving trafficking survivors stranded. According to the OSCE ODIHR and U.N. Women survey, at least a third of anti-trafficking organizations worldwide are struggling to repatriate survivors during the crisis. In 2018 and 2019, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) worked with the Nigerian government to repatriate upwards of 7,000 survivors of exploitation each yearmen and women who had experienced forced labor and prostitution. Since the start of this year, theyve only succeeded in repatriating 620 individuals. Its a drastic drop, says Franz Celestin, IOM chief of mission for Nigeria. The longer we wait, the more theyll be exploited and the longer the pain and suffering will last.

Motilola Adekunle, co-founder of Project Ferry, a Nigerian NGO working with trafficked survivors and helping Jessica and Favor, agrees that the coronavirus is hampering efforts to support exploited women. This pandemic has literally put a halt to our work because people cannot move around and thats an issue, Adekunle says. Work that previously took days, she adds, now takes months, as systems put in place by nonprofits and governments to repatriate and support trafficking survivors have been turned upside down.

The Nigerian government has organized so many flights that now they dont have any space, says Celestin, of IOM. Its very difficult. He said IOM is currently working to find the funding to shelter 180 survivors of exploitation who are awaiting repatriation from Niger. Until IOM can work out where to house them, they must remain in Niamey and Agadez, far from their families and unsure of when theyll be able to get home. Celestin hopes to have them back in Nigeria by the end of July.

Since March, repatriation flights have been allowed into Nigerias Abuja and Lagos airports, but a 14-day quarantine is imposed upon arrival and problems have arisen regarding where survivors should stay in the days following their return.

Even in ordinary times, the process of recovery following repatriation can be complicated. Nonprofit staff will wait at airports across Nigeria to bring trafficking survivors to previously-identified safe spacesa womens shelter, or a hotel. Counselling and psycho-social support follows in the form of daily or weekly sessions, while local nonprofit organizations often team up to ensure the women can find employment nearby, and that they wont fall victim to re-trafficking back over the border.

But during the pandemic, the risk of spreading COVID-19 means staying in shelters is no longer an option. In an attempt to help the women reintegrate, organizations have begun rolling out counselling sessions and skills training online, but not everyone has access to the Internet.

Weve tried to help some women with getting online during the pandemic, says R. Evon Benson-Idahosa, founder of Pathfinders Justice Initiative, a local anti-trafficking initiative thats helping trafficking survivors set up their own businesses. But many of them just do not have the capacity to switch.

There was nothing I could do. I resigned to fate.

Outside of the African continent, hundreds of Nigerian women also say theyre stranded after experiencing trafficking and exploitation. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Nigerian women are trapped in forced domestic servitude in the Middle East. Nigerias National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has received over 650 reports of trafficked Nigerian women in Lebanon and Oman in 2020 alone.

Toluwalase, 30, has been trying to get back to her home in Nigeria since June. When the single mother-of-three boarded a plane from Abuja, Nigerias capital, nearly two years ago, she was aware she would be a domestic helper in Oman with a $200 monthly salary. What she didnt know was that her employers would force her to work from dawn to midnight with little sleep, that they would confiscate her passport and delay her salary, and that her boss would sexually assault her.

I was not told its this terrible, Toluwalase told TIME over WhatsApp. She would not have agreed to work in Oman if she had known about the abuse of migrant workers like her, she says.

Part of the problem is the kafala systemwhich transfers control of immigration and employment status of migrant workers to individual employersin countries including Lebanon and Oman. That means reporting abuses to local authorities is rarely an option: legally, a migrant worker cannot leave the country without his or her employers permission, even if theyre experiencing abuse. Many migrant workers from Nigeria do not speak Arabic, which also limits their ability to seek help.

Pre-COVID-19, women who were exploited by their employers overseas could contact local human rights advocacy groups, who would then notify Nigerian officials to arrange their journey home. But lockdowns have put a pause to activists work, and the migrant workers have found themselves stuck.

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Julie Okah-Donli, NAPTIPs director, said that the agency is working with Nigerian embassies across the Gulf and Middle East to evacuate exploited migrant workers and sex trafficking survivors. But because of movement restrictions, the agency can no longer reach stranded women in Europe and Asia. Without intervention, violence and abuse go unchecked. I can imagine the numbers that have died, unreported during this pandemic, she says.

There is no official timeline for bringing trafficked persons back home to Nigeria, confirms a spokesperson for the Nigerian ministry of foreign affairs. There are signs to suggest progress is being made, albeit only in certain regions. In May, the IOM and the Nigerian Government were able to repatriate 99 Nigerians who were being exploited in Lebanon49 of whom were survivors of labor and sex trafficking. Bringing back so many Nigerians from the region in one go is unprecedented: usually the IOM would receive word of two or three trafficking cases in Lebanon every month.

Were seeing a much more organized approach from the government in dealing with this, said Celestin. Usually with victims of trafficking, its all under the radar. Maybe its because of the spotlight thats on this, but we are seeing a concerted effort. The repatriations from Lebanon were possible because the Lebanese government supported Nigeria logistically and financially, said Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigerias minister of foreign affairs.

Similar efforts have yet to be seen elsewhere. For Jessica and her friends in the Ivory Coast, the longer repatriation takes, the longer theyre at risk of re-trafficking and violence. Although in a safe house, the threat remains that their traffickers will track them down and force them back into prostitution. All the women can do, they say, is hope that the Nigerian government will step in soon.

Those far away in the Gulf share the same wish. Although Toluwalase says that government officials have not responded to her requests for help, she remains optimistic about leaving Oman. The risk of contracting COVID-19 is low on her list of concerns: She is still sexually harassed by her employer and two years of abuse have taken a physical tollswollen feet, backaches, insomnia. Getting home is the priority.

If the evacuation flight is ready for us, if our government would evacuate us back home, I will be excited, she says.

Shola Lawal is a Nigeria-based contributing journalist with The Fuller Project, a global nonprofit journalism newsroom reporting on issues that impact women.

Corinne Redfern is a correspondent with The Fuller Project.
Green, of Cumberland, said it was fine  the booth was comfortable, and, anyway, she felt the risks of infection had been exaggerated. Her friend, a 24-year-old man from Fairfax County who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he didnt want to be judged for his views on the novel coronavirus, agreed.
TRENTON  The bloodshed continues.

Luis Gonzalez, 37, of Trenton, became the citys 21st homicide victim of 2020 in a Friday night shooting.

Authorities say the gun violence occurred about 8:50 p.m. in front of a residence on the 1000 block of South Broad Street.

Trenton Police received calls reporting shots fired, responded to the scene and found Gonzalez in the middle of the street suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Kathleen Petrucci of the Mercer County Prosecutors Office.

Gonzalez was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, Petrucci said Saturday afternoon via email.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department continue to investigate this shooting, the latest slaying in a capital city besieged with violence, officials confirmed.

Just over halfway through the year and Trenton has already surpassed the number of killings it had in each of the last two years. The city recorded 15 murders in 2019 and 16 in 2018, according to Uniform Crime Report data as compiled by New Jersey State Police.

Vehicular homicides, justifiable killings and deaths caused by negligence are generally excluded from UCR murder data.

July has been a particularly deadly month, and 2020 may go down as one of Trentons deadliest years on record if the gun violence does not abate.

At its nadir, Trenton experienced 37 homicides in 2013 followed by 32 in 2014, according to FBI expanded homicide data for Trenton Police Department.

No arrests have been announced in the latest homicide, and authorities as of Saturday afternoon did not provide any suspect descriptions.

Anyone with information on the shooting that killed Luis Gonzalez is urged to contact the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406 or mchtftips@mercercounty.org.
Two days after the Congress party alleged that it has audio tapes purportedly containing conversations detailing a plot to topple the Rajasthan government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded on Saturday a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into what it called a saga of illegalities and concocted lies and wondered whether the state adopted unconstitutional methods to tap into the phones of politicians.

The Congress, which rules the desert state, hit back within hours, saying the BJPs demand for a CBI probe amounted to admission of guilt and that it is attempting to murder the democracy. It reiterated that the BJP is behind former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilots rebellion that has triggered a political crisis in the state.

Also read: Audio tapes of talks to topple Ashok Gehlot govt add to Rajasthan turmoil

Later in the day, the ministry of home affairs sought a report from the Rajasthan chief secretary Rajeeva Swaroop on the allegations of phone tapping and asked him to provide details on the audio clips, an official said.

At a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, party spokesperson Sambit Patra threw a volley of questions at the Congress. Was phone tapping done? The Congress government in Rajasthan must answer. Is it not a sensitive and legal issue..? he said.

Assuming that youve tapped phones, was the SOP [standard operating procedures] followed? The people of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised. Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered? Is phone of any person who is related to politics is being tapped? Patra asked.

The political tug of war intensified after the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police registered two first information reports (FIRs) on Friday on a Congress complaint alleging a conspiracy to dislodge the government. The Congress demanded the arrest of Union water minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, rebel Congress legislator Bhanwarlal Sharma, and suspected middleman Sanjay Jain. Shekhawat denied it was his voice in the audio clips and the BJP dismissed them as manufactured.

Also read: BJP refutes Congress claim of horse trading in Rajasthan, says audio tapes are fake

A court in Jaipur remanded Jain, who was arrested on Friday night, to four-day police custody. The SOG also filed an application seeking his voice samples. The team said it could not locate MLA Sharma. Like Shekhawat, Sharma too rejected the allegations. HT couldnt independently verify the veracity of the tapes.

At the press briefing, Patra reiterated that there is a feud within the Congress party, but the BJP is blamed for Rajasthans political crisis that erupted after Pilot and 18 Congress legislators owing allegiance to him rebelled against chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot was removed from the posts of the deputy chief minister and the state Congress president earlier this week.

Separately, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje said it is unfortunate that the states people are paying for the discord within the Congress. She added that the Congress is trying to shift the blame on the BJP and the BJP leadership.

There is no point in trying to drag the BJP and BJP leaders names through the mud. It is the interest of our people that must remain paramount! Raje said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Hitting back, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told a virtual press conference that it is clear that the BJP is behind the rebellion by Pilot, whose camp is also believed to have the support of three independent legislators.

We all witnessed over the last week the daylight murder of democracy being attempted by the BJP, and every day a new layer comes out, exposing its direct links in creating a crisis in Rajasthan, he alleged.

BJPs only grievance is that when they were murdering democracy, why they were being recorded and if it was legal, Khera said, in a swift response to Patra.

That the rebel legislators were sheltered in a hotel in BJP-ruled Haryana proved the partys link to the Rajasthan political crisis, Khera said.

He also referred to the controversial audio tapes. Everything is out there. A case was filed based on those recordings. The SOG of Rajasthan Police proceeded to Manesar to collect the voice samples of legislators [on Friday], but was blocked by Haryana police...then the legislators were made to leave quietly from the back door, he added.

Khera alleged that there were attempts to shift rebel Congress legislators to Karnataka, another BJP-ruled state.

The state Congress leadership, too, claimed the BJPs involvement in alleged attempts to topple the state government, and sought a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Countering Patra, Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas accused him of being a generator of lies. This is clear that BJP is involved in the conspiracy to topple the government. Our chief minister has said that he will quit politics if the audio tapes are proved to be fake.., he said.

Amid the political tussle, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati said: The governor [Kalraj Mishra] must take cognisance of the political deadlock and instability prevailing in Rajasthan, and should recommend imposition of Presidents Rule in the state, so that the condition of democracy in the state does not deteriorate.

(With inputs from agencies)
Alhaji Buba Galadima is a founding chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) and estranged associate of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In this interview, he revealed the details of the power play within the APC and how the 2023 presidential ambition of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kaduna state governor, Nasir el-Rufai, sacked National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, will continue to unsettle the party.

They have set up a committee to organize national convention but what some Nigerians dont know is that some of these things happening within APC have to do with 2023, and this is why you have different factions about three of them desperately trying to secure control of the party.

Whichever among the factions of the party is able to control the partys structure from the ward to state, and federal level stands better chance of producing the partys presidential candidate in 2023.

You have the Oshiomhole, and Tinubu group, you also have the El-rufai, and Amaechis group, and Buharis faction, and now the President has taken over the party, he stated.

He spoke more on this and other issues.

Excerpts:

How would you react to the suspension of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu by President Muhammadu Buhari?

His suspension was long overdue. Magu should have been long suspended from office but why it took Buharis administration five years to remove him may be a surprise to many Nigerians, but for me, it is not. Magu remained that long in office because he has been doing the biddings of some powerful elements in Buharis administration. But obviously he had stepped on some toes, and thats why theyve now decided to do away with him.

The man has not been transparent in the way he had been working, and a lot of people have been complaining about him including members of the National Assembly especially the Senate, but Buhari shielded him because the man was doing his governments biddings but I believe Magu has offended a powerful cabal in Buharis administration, and thats why they decided to remove him. Im not trying to defend Magu, I have never been his admirer but Nigerians should not be deceived that Magu was sacked because of Buharis administrations commitment to the anti-corruption war. Magu is just being made a scapegoat to create the impression that Buhari is fighting corruption.

But some Nigerians may not agree with your point of view because

Cuts in What Im saying is this, Magu should have long been suspended, but why keep him there for five years when it was obvious that the man was not fit? Go, and mark my words, nothing will come out of Magus case. Its just like they want to entertain us, it is all part of propaganda to create impression that this administration is fighting corruption. But my stand on the issue is this, and it should also be the position of Nigerians, Magus investigation, and trial should be transparent. He should be given an opportunity to defend himself; after all, he has not committed murder. He should also be granted bail because the offence they accused him of committing is a bailable one. His trial should be conducted in the open, and not in camera because he can be eliminated if his trial is done in secret. Some powerful groups can decide to do away with him if he has some secrets to reveal. His trial should be done in the open so that the whole world can watch the proceedings. Anything short of public hearing into his case is not acceptable. Magu knows a lot about these people in Buharis government, and their cronies, and I know that some of them are not comfortable with his arrest, and detention, and may be desperate to eliminate him if he has some information that can nail or expose them. They just want to deal with Magu because he is no longer doing their bidding.

For the man who is now being accused of corruption to be in the saddle at EFCC for five years says a lot about the so-called Buharis anti-corruption war. For me, Magus case is just like giving the dog a bad name in order to hang it. Nigerians should not be deceived that Buhari is fighting corruption by removing Magu; they are doing away with him because they no longer need him. It is a pure case of use and dump. I challenge Buharis administration not only to give Magu a speedy, and accelerated trial but also to make it an open one. If they can take up this challenge, Nigerians will be jolted by a lot of revelations that will come out during the trial.

Whats your take on the new political group, National Consultative Front, NCF, that is being floated by some prominent Nigerians including former Minister for Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali NaAbba, Prof. Anthony Kila, and others?

Nothing will come out of it. Forget all those names being listed as members of the group; the group will soon fade out. Already some prominent people being linked with the group have denied membership of the association. Some of those who have disowned the group include Chief Olisa Agbakoba, Col. Abubakar Umar, and Shehu Sani.

According to some members of the group, their aim of coming up is to ensure that good governance is enthroned in the country, and also to strategize towards 2023 but is this the first time they will be coming out with such groups? You still remember the Patriots? Do you still hear about them again, and other similar groups that were floated in the past? I believe that for whatever reason, either personal or ideological reasons, members of the group will go their different ways before 2023.

I dont believe in this group kind of thing, rather Nigerians should be prepared to take their own fate in their own hands, and should be ready to resist bad governance. They must also insist on genuine practice of democracy unlike what we have now, which I consider basterdised democracy. I call it basterdised democracy because democracy where you involve the military in any election is never, and can never be a genuine democracy.

What are your feelings on the unfolding developments in APC, which led to the dissolution of the partys National Working Committee, NWC and the setting up of a Caretaker Committee to organize a national convention?

I have always been saying it that it is a matter of time before APC will crash. Not only that, I have also been saying it that Adams Oshiomhole was going to be the partys undertaker, and now I have been proved right. What is happening in APC should not come as a surprise to anybody, APC was hijacked from the original founders of the party like me, and anything founded on falsehood can never, and will never endure. APC cant survive this crisis, and it is just a matter of the time before the party collapses. We are optimistic of winning our on-going case against APC in court. The case should have been heard, and determined so that the party would have been spared of all the on-going troubles. I believe that the court should have sacked Oshiomhole earlier, and we would have taken over before his present ordeal.

What is happening in APC now is to be expected. It should not come as a surprise to anybody. It is because some people dont know Oshiomhole. They were thinking that they can use him to achieve their selfish goals but it is good that theyve realized their mistakes. Theyve all now discovered that Oshiomhole has been a big albatross on APCs neck. The bitter truth is that APC will never be the same again. The party is seriously factionalised, and the party will continue to be like palm oil, and yam, they will never meet, and agree with one voice again. It is a matter of time before the original owners of the party like me will take over. In fact, I will soon take over APC. We are the original founders of the party, and there is no way all these impostors like Oshiomhole can have their way. It is the law of Karma that is playing out in APC. You reap whatever you sow. APC leaders are reaping what they sowed. It is while you are still alive that you receive Gods judgment for your actions, and not when you die. So, it is Gods judgement that is already manifesting within APCs fold. APC leaders will never have peace; they will never have rest of mind.

They have set up a committee to organize national convention but what some Nigerians dont know is that some of these things happening within APC have to do with 2023, and this is why you have different factions about three of them desperately trying to secure control of the party. Whichever among the factions of the party is able to control the partys structure from the ward to state, and federal level stands better chance of producing the partys presidential candidate in 2023. You have the Oshiomhole, and Tinubu group, you also have the El-rufai, and Amaechis group, and Buharis faction, and now the President has taken over the party. Even on that 2023, APC is desperate to cling to power, and they are going to use the Police, and the Army to achieve their selfish goals. But I dont know of any country in the world where they use the military to conduct elections or to be involved in any election. Constitutionally, the military are not to get involved in any election, it is very undemocratic. Their major role as enshrined in the constitution is to protect the territorial integrity of the country. It is unfortunate that Nigerians are gullible, and thats why theyve never deemed it fit to resist military being drafted into politics to supervise elections.

Whats your take on the recent view by former President Obasanjo expressing doubt about the governments ability to tackle insecurity in the country?

You dont need an Obasanjo to tell you that. Every Nigerian knows that this present government is not in any position to secure and protect lives of Nigerians. I dont see Buhari doing anything over insecurity, and we have to live with that until he leaves office. The insurgency will continue, and the banditry will also not stop because of the simple reason that this government doesnt have the will to tackle the problem.

Do you agree with the former Presidents submission that the security situation will not improve until restructuring is done?

Restructuring means different things to Nigerians. Nigerians dont have a common agreement on the word restructuring. For people in the Southwest, they believe restructuring is the restructuring of government, for the people in the Southeast, restructuring means they must produce the President, and for those people in the South-south restructuring means resource control.

I support restructuring but not the kind of restructuring being canvassed by some Nigerians. The restructuring I support is the one that will allow one man, one vote, that will now do away with cannibalization of our national resources, the restructuring I support is the one that will not allow politicians to go, and canvass votes from Nigerians promising that when they win elections they will provide electricity, water, and other social amenities but to me this is a fraud because all these would have been provided for in the nations development plan.

What restructuring means to me is that Nigerians should sit down, and say that in the next 20 years, this is how we want Nigeria to be. We will now elect people in the National Assembly who will monitor how these goals can be achieved. If this can be done, nobody will be talking that his or her zone is being dominated or being marginalized, or being denied of dividends of democracy.

Now, who is the architect of regionalism, which forms part of restructuring being canvassed for mostly today by southerners? It was the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, a northerner who first canvassed regionalism because he wanted each region to be developing at its own pace while late Obafemi Awolowo was the architect of state creation. But who is the architect of unitary system of government that southerners are complaining about today? It is the southerners themselves, specifically people from the Southeast. It was General Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, and others from the Southeast that introduced unitary system of government but Nigerians dont look back to history before they talk. The North should not be blamed for the unitary system of government we are practising today but the blame should go squarely to the Southeast.

But even if now they say that the entire Southwest should become one region, do you think the Ekiti man will agree with Lagos or Oyo man? They will not. Some people talking about restructuring, if you ask them what restructuring means they dont even know. Some people are talking about Biafra but even if they have that Biafra, they will still quarrel among themselves. We are one Nigeria, and thats what we should be talking about. We should not be talking about issues that will divide us. Nigeria is a plural society, and what that means is that everybody must be given a sense of belonging. Thats the truth of the matter.

Southern leaders recently instituted a N50 billion suit against President Buhari over alleged bias against the South in appointments being made by the federal government. How do you react to that?

For one, I dont support what Buhari has been doing over the issue of appointments. Lopsided appointment is not in the interest of this country. As a leader, Buhari must give everybody a sense of belonging, you must carry everybody along. If people feel marginalized, then there will be no peace, and thats the truth of the matter. Lopsided appointments will divide rather than unify the country. Buharis lopsided appointment is a threat to the unity of the country. I see nothing wrong with the suit .It is the fundamental right of those who instituted the suit to do so. Let the court decide on the issue. Once anybody goes to court over any issue, I salute such people because doing so will help strengthen our democracy. Dont carry gun or stick when you are aggrieved, just go to court, and let the judiciary decide on the issue.

Some Nigerians are suggesting the postponement of the coming gubernatorial elections in Ondo and Edo states because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no need for that, as doing so will create constitutional crisis. Let the election go ahead but right measures must be taken to ensure peoples health or lives are not endangered. Even as at now, the issue is not being well handled by the federal government especially regarding the protection of health workers.

Whats your assessment of 21 years of democracy in Nigeria?

There is no democracy yet in Nigeria, not yet. There is no democracy anywhere without free, and fair elections, and we are yet to have that since 1999. It was only in 2015 that we had a semblance of democracy when President Muhammadu Buhari defeated the then incumbent Goodluck Jonathan but after that it has been business as usual again with democracy being bastardised with rigging and manipulation of subsequent elections. There will be no genuine democracy in Nigeria as long as the will of Nigerians is not being respected.

Culled from The Sun.
New Delhi:

PM Narendra Modi on Thursday landed in Bangkok to pay homage to late Thai King Bhumibol, will leave for Japan later today. The two countries are expected to sign a civil nuclear deal besides discussing ways to step up cooperation in areas like trade, investment and security.

In his second visit to Japan as Prime Minister, Modi will be holding the annual Summit meeting with his counterpart Shinzo Abe and have an audience with the Emperor of Japan in Tokyo.

An eastward sojourn begins, this time for the Annual Summit with Japan. PM departs for Tokyo, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on twitter this morning.

From Tokyo, Modi, accompanied by Abe, will travel to Kobe by the famed Shinkansen bullet train, the technology that will be deployed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway.

He will visit the Kawasaki Heavy Industries facility in Kobe, where high speed railway is manufactured.

I will have a detailed interaction with top business leaders from India and Japan, to look for ways to further strengthen our trade and investment ties, Modi said in a statement yesterday.

The PM said he looks forward to reviewing the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation when he meets Abe in Tokyo tomorrow.

Our partnership with Japan is characterized as a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. India and Japan see each other through a prism of shared Buddhist heritage, democratic values, and commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based global order, he added.

During the visit, the two countries are expected to sign civil nuclear cooperation agreement. The two countries had sealed a broad agreement during Abes visit here last December but the final deal was yet to be signed as certain technical and legal issues were to be thrashed out.

Both the countries have completed the internal procedures including legal and technical aspects of the text of the pact, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said last week.

Negotiations for the nuclear deal between the two countries have been going on for a number of years but the progress on these was halted because of political resistance in Japan after the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A man called police and threatened to kill a neighbour with a crossbow, a court has been told.

Christopher Hugh Gerard Kenny also had a sword and two large knives in his apartment when police searched it on Thursday.

The 31-year-old appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court on Saturday on a single charge to making a threat to kill the man.

Objecting to Kenny being released on bail a police officer explained that he made a call to police to say he was going to kill a man living in the same apartment block in south Belfast.

When officers went to his flat they found a crossbow with 10 crossbow bolts, a metal sword along with a 10 inch knife and a seven inch knife.

The officer told the court Kenny said he intended to use the crossbow to kill the neighbour and that he had a few whiskeys at the time.

Applying for bail, his solicitor told the court that Kenny wished to have the items returned to him.

He said Kenny had certain mental health issues and that this incident may be a cry for help but there seemed to be an issue with his neighbour.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall released Kenny on bail provided he lives at an address in Dunmurry, some eight miles from his home on Annadale Drive where alleged offence occurred.

She also barred him from drinking alcohol or from being on licensed premises and imposed a curfew from 10pm to 7am every night.

Kenny was released on his own bail of 500 to appear again on August 14.
WASHINGTON  Fox News host Chris Wallace fact-checked President Donald Trump's inaccurate claim during an interview that former Vice President Joe Biden is in favor of defunding the police, leading to a testy reaction.

In a clip released between the "FOX News Sunday anchor and Trump  the entire interview will air Sunday  the president blamed "stupidly run" Democratic local governments for the increase in violence in some cities and implied the increase was the fault of the defund the police movement.

'You can't do that': Fox News host Wallace confronts DeVos on threat to redirect funds from schools

"Its gotten totally out of control and its really because they want to defund the police, and Biden wants to defund the police," Trump said in the clip about the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Wallace interjected, "Sir, he does not."

"Look, he signed a charter with Bernie Sanders," Trump responded, referring to the unity platform released by Biden and the progressive Vermont senator that unveiled multiple progressive ideas and policy proposals.

Related: President Trump calls for officials to 'dominate the streets'

More: Biden-Sanders unity task forces release proposals to overhaul criminal justice, immigration

The proposed Democratic Party platform does include a series of police reforms including banning choke holds, ending racial profiling and allowing victims of abuse to pursue civil litigation.

However, the platform does not support defunding the police, as Biden and his campaign have stated on multiple occasions.

Wallace points this out, saying the plan "says nothing about defunding the police."

"Oh really? It says abolish, it says defund. Lets go! Get me the charter, please," Trump said, turning to speak to staff out-of-frame.

NEW: Chris and President Trump sit down to discuss the recent spike in violence in major cities across the country. Tune in Sunday to catch the full interview. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/r7hwgyVhKM  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 17, 2020

Federal agency: Supporting 'Black Lives Matter' isn't partisan or political

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Wallace explained on Fox News' "Bill Hemmer Reports" that the president had his staff retrieve highlights of the unity platform that found "a lot of things that he objected to that Biden has agreed to."

"But he couldnt find any indication  because there isnt any  that Joe Biden has sought to defund and abolish the police," the Fox News anchor said.

The Trump administration and campaign have been continually lodging attacks and ads at Biden, claiming he wants to defund and abolish the police.

Vice President Mike Pence said Friday, Joe Biden would weaken the thin blue line that separates us from chaos, and continued, You wont be safe in Joe Bidens America, seizing on remarks Biden made recently where he expressed support for redirecting some funds, but not all, to bettering social services.

Law enforcement has become a flashpoint between Biden and Trump because of protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

More: George Floyd's family sues city of Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin and 3 former officers

Biden became the presumptive nominee with support from Black voters in key states who are demanding police reforms. Trump has campaigned as the law-and-order president fighting chaos that erupted at some protests.

Biden has pledged support for the central cause of Black Lives Matter protesters  fighting systemic racism  and proposed policing changes.

Later Friday, Trump repeated his claim on Twitter:

Corrupt Joe Biden wants to defund our police. He may use different words, but when you look at his pact with Crazy Bernie, and other things, thats what he wants to do. It would destroy America!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2020

Contributing: Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Rebecca Morin

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fox News' Chris Wallace fact-checks Trump on Biden's stance on police
18.07.2020 LISTEN

For a socially and politically conscious writer in Africa, the most infuriating thing to deal with is the sheer hypocrisy people tend to display when things did not go their way.

People will pretend all they can to ignore all the realities that daily confront them only to rise up in arms when something directly affects them or threaten their interests. We will then see them hollering what a tribulation all day!

When some of us made it our business to chronicle the pervading ills that have stymied our social-economic and political progress on the continent, not only were we spurned and derided, we get mostly insults as payment for our troubles.

Only very few people appear to appreciate our efforts.

We all know that things are bad, very bad in all our countries across the continent. We also know that the religions and the political system we borrowed from our historic oppressors have all but destroyed our societies, yet we continue to glory them and sing their praises. Most of us prefer to close our ears, eyes, and mouths - see no evil, hear nothing, and will firmly zip up our mouths.

Rome was not built in a day is one pathetic excuse some of us continue to spout to support why we remain the worlds poster boy for underdevelopment and under-achievement.

The worst part is that those among us who ought to know better will join in the condemnation of those of us who dare to raise our voices. Perhaps with an eye on a juicy contract or a political appointment, they will continue to sing the praises of the rotten system that has not only destroyed their own lives but has condemned their children and grandchildren into a future of despair.

Today, Ghana has convulsed over the issue of a totally bizarre judgment the countys Supreme Court delivered a few days.

To those who pretend to be shocked and perplexed by the courts decision, I ask: Is this the first time a court in Ghana will deliver a judgment that defies both common sense and elementary logic?

To those who shout corruption, I asked which child born in Africa yesterday did not that our judicial system is one huge, corrupt and expensive joke?

A few years ago, some judges in Ghana were caught in a web of scandalous corruption. Some of them were caught on video offering judgment for sale. Goat and yam were among the items used to induce those we continue to worship as my lord and honourables.

Read about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Ghana_Judiciary_scandal

and

Here: Ghanaians turn out massively to watch alleged judges bribery video - Reuters

A former Chief Justice of Ghana was involved in buying stolen government land.

Below are two articles I wrote on the subject:

All this happened in the land, and yet we expect to get an unbiased judgment in our law courts.

Our officials do not only loot our treasuries, they flaunt their ill-gotten wealth in our faces and about the only thing we do is to grovel and continue to call them Your Excellencies.

It was Plato who told us that: One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.

Verily, verily, I say: As long as we refuse to raise our own personal bars and begin to consider things beyond the narrow prism of our selfish interests, so long shall we continue to suffer the indignities our misrulers continue to heap on us.

Femi Akomolafe

July 17, 2020
In a war-mongering interview with the Journal de Dimanche published Sunday, Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of Unsubmissive France (LFI), called for a massive military build-up and preparations by France for major wars.

Let us consider our conception of national defense, he said. Is the protection of our territory guaranteed? Can we continue with a navy whose deployment on our maritime territories corresponds, in density, to having two police cars for the entire French landmass?

What is the operational character of [French] nuclear arms when cyberwar and presence in space enable the hacking of an adversarys communications? Unable to restrain his anger at the supposed insufficiency of French armaments, Melenchon said it was as if at the epoch of the gun we were going into battle with crossbows. In the 21st century there are three new arenas of conflict: the sea, space and cyberspace. The conditions of power are no longer the same. France must be active in all these arenas. We have all the human and technical means to do so. This would be a powerful source of innovation and collective enthusiasm.

Melenchon did not specify the implications of his call for collective enthusiasm for a military build-up. Against which countries should France be prepared to launch nuclear strikes or crippling cyberattacks? How many people would be killed in such attacks?

Melenchon speaks and acts like an aggressive proponent of French imperialism because that is what he is. He presents the predatory ambitions of the French banks and corporations to secure control over geo-strategic resources and markets as national defense. His criticism of the Macron administration is from the right: that it is not sufficiently aggressive in the pursuit of these interests.

The call for an arms race as a source of collective enthusiasm is a nationalist appeal to war fever that has nothing to do with left-wing, let alone Marxist politics. It is, on the other hand, a political conception that right-wing and fascist regimes of the 20th century Europe understood quite well, as they sought to divert class tensions outward through war. This is however an increasingly central element of the Melenchons response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, in an interview with a group of Spanish, Swiss, Italian and German newspapers, Melenchon declared that in formulating its response to the coronavirus, LFI had carefully examined the policies pursued by the French ruling class during World War I.

We looked in the laws of 191516 to see what had been done, he explained. French society was a peasant society; all the men were at the front and were dying in the millions. We were interested to see how social cohesion was guaranteed at that time. This was a period in which the ruling class used militaristic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic propaganda to maintain social cohesion during the slaughter of World War I and suppress anti-war and socialist opposition in the international working class. This opposition finally erupted in the 1917 Russian Revolution.

As in World War I, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed before the eyes of hundreds of millions the inherent conflict between the profit interests of the capitalist elite and the defense of the lives of the working class, posing the necessity for the overthrow of capitalism. Melenchon speaks not as a revolutionary seeking to mobilize the working class to overthrow capitalism, but as a counterrevolutionary defender of the capitalist system seeking to prevent such a movement at all costs.

Melenchon and LFI have also been leading advocates of the Macron administrations introduction of universal youth service. The program includes optional military service and is aimed at paving the way for the draft. In a February 2018 press conference, LFI deputy Alexis Corbiere demanded a more extended national service, which would be the basis of a citizens National Guard that would allow us to build back up the link between the Army and the Nation.

Today, Melenchon is responding with hostility and fear to a shift to the left in the working class. After two years of yellow vest protests, railway strikes across France, and growing strikes of workers internationally, there is rising opposition among workers to the ruling class response to the pandemic. The European ruling elite used the crisis to hand itself trillions in bailouts to the banks and corporations and has enforced a return-to-work policy that is already leading to a further spread of the virus. It is now intensifying austerity to slash critical social programs and pay for its trillions in corporate handouts.

In France, Macrons newly-installed Prime Minister Jean Castex has set an accelerated agenda to finalize sweeping cuts to pensions and other social entitlements and mass job cuts. He is meeting closely with the trade union social partners to agree on the cuts and how to suppress opposition in the working class.

Melenchon supports this policy. His criticisms of Macrons response to the pandemic have largely been framed from the standpoint of his failure to adopt a sufficient degree of economic planning to defend French corporate interests against its rivals.

In Sundays interview, Melenchon complained, During the health crisis, our country was humiliated: we depended on China for simply tissue masks, tests and basic pharmaceutic products. Once again, planning is the key to the future to produce tomorrows sovereign people. Planning and sovereignty permit the reshoring [return] of economic activity.

Melenchon routinely criticizes one or another austerity policy of the Macron administration and calls for one or another limited social spending increase, which in any case he would have no intention of carrying out if he were elected. But his nationalist economic policies would mean the adoption of trade war policies against Frances imperialist rivals combined with a vast escalation of the social attacks on the working class.

Under conditions of globalized capitalist production, his demand for attracting capital from overseas into France requires slashing the wages and conditions of the French working class, cutting corporate taxes and collaborating with the unions to suppress working class opposition. His paeans to the military and the policy of the Sacred Union of the French ruling class during World War I show that this would be combined with a mass build-up of a police state.

This, in fact, is what Melenchons allies have already implemented wherever they have come to power. In Spain, Melenchons ally Podemos is in power with the Socialist Party (PSOE), where it has passed a 100 billion euro bank bailout, is preparing a new round of austerity, has unleashed riot police against striking steel workers, and has pursued a reopening of the economy through the pandemic that has further spread the virus.

In Greece, the former Syriza government that came to power with Melenchons support implemented the most brutal austerity measures seen in decades, used riot police against anti-austerity protests, and intensified crackdowns on refugees.

While Melenchon did not explicitly reference it, his interview reflected discussions in ruling circles of the ongoing French-Turkish conflict in the Mediterranean. France and Turkey are backing rival factions of militia in Libya that were unleashed by the French-British-US-led war for regime-change in 2011. Melenchon supported the French neo-colonial war and fraudulently claimed that it was aimed at protecting democracy. Today, he is demanding a further military armament to be able to assert French imperialist interests against its rivals in the carve-up of the country and the region.

There is no support in the working class for the policies of austerity, police-state dictatorship and militarism that are being pursued by the European ruling class. The development of a revolutionary struggle by the working class requires the unmasking and political break from demagogues like Jean-Luc Melenchon.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan National Oil Company (NOC) Friday expressed deep concern with reports of intensification of the military conflict that could extend to oil and gas installations
Dr. Wong-Staal was a member of the National Academy of Medicine and was inducted into the National Womens Hall of Fame last year. Her work was so prolific and influential that the magazine The Scientist named her the most cited female scientist of the 1980s.

Flossie was the best of the best, Dr. Gallo said in an interview.

Dr. Wong-Staal joined Dr. Gallo after he had started studying what was then considered an obscure class of viruses known as retroviruses. Unlike ordinary viruses, retroviruses invade the cellular nucleus and insert their genes into the DNA of their hosts. Retroviruses had been observed in birds and mice but not humans, and Dr. Gallos research was ridiculed at first.

He soon discovered the first human retrovirus, called HTLV-1, which caused a kind of leukemia in humans. Dr. Wong-Staal went to work studying its various parts and how the virus interfered with human DNA to activate certain cancer-causing genes called oncogenes. Her work contributed to the broader understanding of the role of oncogenes in cancers not associated with viruses.

In a strange coincidence, a year after HTLV-1 was discovered, Dr. Gallo and Dr. Wong-Staal suspected that another human retrovirus might be the cause of a new disease that was spreading in the gay community and elsewhere. Eventually called AIDS, the mysterious disease had many traits in common with HTLV-1: Both were transmitted sexually, through blood or from mother to child, and both infected T-cells, a type of white blood cell.

Dr. Gallo and Dr. Wong-Staal turned out to be right, but they were not alone. While Dr. Gallo and a French group led by Luc Montagnier were locked into a protracted fight over who got credit for discovering H.I.V., Dr. Wong-Staal moved the science forward by figuring out how the virus worked.
Announcement: Moody's update on Sovereign calendar issuers

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

London, 17 July 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service is releasing this update regarding the EU Sovereign Rating calendar activity scheduled for 17 July 2020 to provide additional clarity on EU sovereign rating activity. This update is provided as a service to the markets and does not constitute a formal rating action publication. For the latest and most complete information regarding the issuers listed, including the full formal text related to any credit rating action releases, please see the individual issuer pages found at www.moodys.com.

RATINGS THAT WERE UPDATED FOR ISSUERS ON THE CALENDAR FOR 17 July:

Not Applicable -- no ratings were updated for the issuers listed on the calendar

RATINGS THAT WERE NOT UPDATED FOR ISSUERS ON THE CALENDAR FOR 17 July:

Portugal, Government of

https://www.moodys.com/PortugalGovernment

Moody's Sovereign Release Calendar designates two dates for the potential release of both solicited and unsolicited sovereign credit rating actions, in accordance with EU Regulation 462/2013 ("CRA3"). It includes sovereign issuers that are covered by a Lead Analyst based in the EU, as required by CRA3 and, in order to provide greater market clarity, it also includes EU sovereign issuers that are covered by Lead Analysts based outside of the EU. The Sovereign Release Calendar is available at:

https://www.moodys.com/SovereignReleaseCalendar

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS ONLY: For more information, please call one of our global press information hotlines: London +44-20-7772-5456 , New York +1-212-553-0376 , Tokyo +813-5408-4110 , Hong Kong +852-3758-1350 , Sydney +61-2-9270-8141 , Mexico City 001-888-779-5833 , Sao Paulo 0800-891-2518 , or Buenos Aires 0800-666-3506 . You can also email us at mediarelations@moodys.com or visit our web site at www.moodys.com.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

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Alastair Wilson MD-Global Sovereign Risk Sovereign Risk Group Moody's Investors Service Ltd. One Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5FA United Kingdom JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Marie Diron MD - Sovereign Risk Sub-Sovereign Group JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350 Client Service: 852 3551 3077 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service Ltd. One Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5FA United Kingdom JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454

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Indian Foreign Ministry has shared a statement on its official website amid the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

"We have seen disturbing reports of exchange of fire on Armenia-Azerbaijan border which took place on 12-13 July. India is concerned over this situation which threatens regional peace and security.

We urge the sides to maintain restraint and take all possible steps to maintain peace at the border. India believes that any lasting resolution of the conflict can only be achieved peacefully through diplomatic negotiations.

In this regard, we support OSCE Minsk Groups continued efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan," said Indian MFA spokesperson Shri Anurag Srivastava.
Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have been married since 2003 and they still seem deeply in love. Heres what Joanna said about why her parents thought Chip was a risky bet.

On the first date, Joanna decided Chip wasnt the man she was going to marry

Chip and Joanna Gaines |Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic

Chip didnt make a great impression on Joanna. In the book What Makes a Marriage Last by Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas, Joanna said she looked at Chip and decided right away this was not the man she was going to marry. When asked if she had a pitter-patter when she was on her first date with Chip, Joanna said she did. However, there were also some thoughts going through her head that didnt seem to be in Chips favor.

I never told him this until later, but on that first date as he was talking, everything kind of went away and I just saw his mouth moving, said Joanna. And I remember having this internal dialogue: This is the guy Im going to marry? Nope, its not. Hes a talker and you always wanted a quiet guy.

Why Joanna Gaines parents thought Chip Gaines was risky

Joannas parents were hesitant about Chip. They thought he was very different and that he might be a ladies man. They thought he might be a risky bet because he was outside the box, said Joanna. She agrees Chip is charming, but she told her parents hes nice to everyone. He was a bit of a playboy and a charmer, said Joanna. But I told them it wasnt a male-female thingthat Chip genuinely loves people. They said, Well, just make sure hes not a sweet-talker.

Chip said he used to be a salesman. He didnt deny he was a charmer back in the day. He agreed with Joanna that he did know how to persuade people. Id always been a salesman, said Chip. Even before studying marketing in college. I was the type of guy who could sell ice cream to Eskimos.

Another reservation Joannas parents had was about Chips line of work. They didnt think purchasing and flipping homes was a real job. Her dad would take me on these cute little dates, Chip said. And he would say to me, So I was just thinking about you. Hows the job hunt going? And I was like, Im not hunting. Ive got a job.

Marriage and children werent on Chip Gaines mind at first

Although many people in Chip and Joannas town got married at a young age, he says that wasnt top of mind when he was in his twenties. When we started dating, I was 27 or 28 and not a mature person, said Chip in Donahue and Thomas book. Back then, marriage and kids were not on my radar, even though this was a conservative part of Texas, where some people got married straight out of high school.

As we know now, Chip and Joanna eventually got married and had five children. Joanna was initially hesitant to pursue a relationship with Chip, but she later realized he is the man for her. This is the guy! she told Donahue and Thomas. And I kind of held on to that last one. Id never had that instinct before.

Read more: Joanna Gaines Says Chip Has an Incredible Ability

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The price of cheddar cheese, which is imported in large quantities from Ireland, could climb by 57%. Photo: Getty

The cost of supermarket staple items, such as beef, cheese, and oranges, will surge if the UK leaves the Brexit transition period without inking a trade deal with the European Union, the countrys retail industry warned on Friday.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has determined that the price of beef, which is heavily imported from Ireland, will climb by 48% once tariffs are applied in a post-Brexit scenario.

The price of cheddar cheese  another item imported in large quantities from Ireland  will climb by 57%.

About 80% of UK food imports come from the EU, and imports from the bloc are also crucial to supply chains in the fashion and homeware sectors, the BRC noted.

READ MORE: Intensified talks with EU fail to break Brexit deadlock

If a tariff-free trade deal with the bloc is not negotiated in time for the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December, tariffs of over 5% will be applied to some 85% of foods imported from the EU.

The average tariff on EU food imports would be over 20%, which would push up prices significantly.

As a result, oranges from Spain will cost at least 12% more, while porcelain kitchenware will have a 12% tariff applied. Cucumbers will see a price jump of 16%.

With the clock ticking down to 31 December, the government must put consumers first and agree a deal that avoids tariffs and minimises the impact of non-tariff barriers, said Andrew Opie, the director of food and sustainability at the BRC.

Retailers, already struggling with the impact of the coronavirus crisis, will be dealt a further blow if consumers are faced with price hikes.

The BRCs warning comes after the second week of intensified negotiations with the EU failed to break the Brexit deadlock.

READ MORE: Digital bank for 'mass affluent' set to launch later this year

Michel Barnier, the blocs chief negotiator, said on Thursday that significant divergences remain between the UK and EU.

The scant progress comes in spite of the UK and EU agreeing to step up the pace of discussions in recent weeks, following five previous rounds of ill-fated trade negotiations.

Story continues

The failure of this weeks talks further raises the prospect of a crash-out exit from the current transition arrangements, which would result in the imposition of the tariffs that the BRC is warning of.

Both sides have until then to agree to a trade deal, a timetable experts say is almost unheard of.

The deadline for an agreement of an extension to the negotiating timetable passed last week, meaning that, unless a deal is agreed, the UK will leave the transition period without a trade accord.
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's banking and insurance regulator on Saturday announced measures to further increase credit and lending support and insurance protection for areas that suffered from recent floods. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said in a statement that financial institutions in the flood-hit areas cannot blindly withdraw, delay or cut credit lines to the companies who have good development prospects but whose operations were suspended by the floods. The regulator also encouraged financial institutions to lower lending rates appropriately and improve their loan extension policy to help relevant companies to tide over difficulties.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's banking and insurance regulator on Saturday announced measures to further increase credit and lending support and insurance protection for areas that suffered from recent floods.

The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said in a statement that financial institutions in the flood-hit areas cannot blindly withdraw, delay or cut credit lines to the companies who have good development prospects but whose operations were suspended by the floods.

The regulator also encouraged financial institutions to lower lending rates appropriately and improve their loan extension policy to help relevant companies to tide over difficulties.

Separately, the CBIRC urged insurers to properly perform investigations and claims settlement and arrange financial resources in advance to help flood-hit companies and people resume production and normal lives in a timely manner.

Large parts of China were reeling on Friday from the worst floods in decades, which destroyed homes and affected millions of people.

Economic activity in some parts of China, especially construction and steel and cement demand, has also been hurt by the flooding, analysts say, suggesting some loss of momentum after a stronger than expected bounce in the second quarter from the coronavirus crisis.

(Reporting by Winni Zhou and Brenda Goh; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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Linkedin Caroline Giovanie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, July 18, 2020 10:36 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406674b792 1 Art & Culture Papua,artist,arts,exhibition,virtual-exhibition,art-and-culture,Udeido,Tonawi-Mana Free

After the May death of George Floyd in police custody sparked a wave of antiracism protests all over the world, people also started to ponder on anti-Black and white supremacist rhetoric that spread globally through colonization.

According to a 2014 study by Camellia Webb-Gannon published in Anthropologica journal titled Merdeka in West Papua: Peace, Justice and Political Independence, Papuans have been subjected to racial and ethnic discrimination as well as physical assault and torture. ()

This was reflected in the opening statement by art group Udeido in their Tonawi Mana virtual exhibition, which is being held until Aug. 17 on their website and features 23 artists.

Today, Papuans are still mostly perceived to be primitive and barbaric. Underrepresentation of Papua in mainstream Indonesian media also hinders the discourse on Papua issues from leaving the island, according to the Udeido community.

The Tonawi Mana exhibition showcases artists speaking on Papua. Activist Ligia J. Giay spoke about Biak Berdarah (Bloody Biak), the torture and murder of a Papuan group 22 years ago and Indonesias lack of resolution to the overarching problem of racist violence, which made Papua seem like the place where rights go to die.

Giay said the lack of journalistic access to the issues happening in Papua was why exhibitions like Tonawi Mana was considered crucial in showing solidarity with the vulnerable.

I am not an optimistic person, said Giay. But this is the most hopeful I have been in a while.

Others who contributed to the exhibition used the help of other works of art to articulate their point. Anthropologist I Ngurah Suryawan used Arnold Aps song Life Is a Mystery to emphasize that Papuans often do not have the privilege to express themselves politically. The song, which speaks of being locked up in their world and waiting for nothing but freedom, is the sliver of a chance they get in conveying their desires.

Suryawan said the song was sung by Papuan activists Surya Anta, Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, Isay Wenda, Ambrosius Mulait and Arina Elopere who were charged with treason and conspiracy for demanding a referendum in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta in August 2019. Reading the daily narratives of Papuans on platforms such as the exhibition counteracts the suppression of their freedom of speech, Suryawan said.

He added that the separatist stigma was something the government had consistently used against Papuans to silence their expression, causing anger and suffering. An exhibition such as Taniwa Mana highlights the disconnect between issues in Papua and the rest of the country, he said.

It is these ideas about violence and terror that continue to support the journey of the nation and state of Indonesia, as well as the continuous seed to Papuans distrust of the Indonesian government, said Suryawan. It is human values that can become a candle of awareness about our discriminatory thoughts and colonial gaze toward Papuans. (wng)

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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.
The authors are a senior extension educator and the C.E. Meadows Chair in Dairy Management, respectively, for Michigan State University.

The 2020 pandemic is not yet over, but it is time to think critically about what can be learned from it. Though we dont like to entertain the idea, this will not likely be the last crisis to affect American and global agriculture.

The real shame comes when we repeat mistakes of the past because we failed to learn the lessons of previous crises. Whether the next crisis is a real virus or a perceived threat, the reality is that the food system is vulnerable to disruption. It is important for all segments of the industry, including farmers, to review what can be done now to reduce the impact of another crisis.

The current situation

What follows are 15 lessons we have observed the last few months:

All segments of the food chain are critically important . When disruption occurs at any link, that disruption will be quickly felt by the entire chain. Even though day-to-day operation on farms continued as before, the disruptions in the supply chain impacted every farm.



Just-in-time supply has a fault line . As a business model, just-in-time delivery of supplies had gained widespread adoption as the cost to own and store materials increased. However, that model depends on the unimpeded flow of supplies. We saw that everything can come crashing down when the supply chain is disrupted and there are no stocks in reserve.



Margin is cushion . Having the ability to weather a storm begins with creating a larger margin and maintaining a cushion. Even as farms try to rebuild their financial health, setting aside a portion for future stresses is important.



Risk management should be routine. Whether a farmer uses government programs or commodity market tools, risk management should be a routine aspect of financial management, year-in and year-out. It should be seen as a routine necessity, rather than trying to outsmart the market occasionally.



Business models need to be evaluated regularly. Each business, from farms up through the supply chain, should examine their business model considering current and future economic scenarios. We cannot assume that because a model has been working that it is appropriate for the future.



Fear drives prices down. The drop in commodity prices appeared to be much greater than that which would be dictated by supply and demand alone. Prices will drop sharply any time market traders face worry and uncertainty. Disruption that causes uncertainty or loss of any market will result in a sharp and significant drop in market prices as traders worry about the future.



Beware of the wolves. Some activist groups and individuals will use the crisis to advance their cause of restricting or eliminating animal agriculture by playing on fears. Others will take the opportunity to try to take advantage of the fears of people. We need to be careful, prudent, and always tell the story of the care that farmers take.



Repair of confidence is as critical as repair of the system. If prices drop because of fear, then confidence is the cure. Consumer confidence is the responsibility of everyone in the industry  farmers, cooperatives, processors, and marketers. Each person can reach unique individuals in different ways, and farmers have a great message to tell.



More meals are being eaten at home . Consumers will continue to eat a greater proportion of their meals from home, with ripple effects throughout the food industry, including shifts in product type and packaging. There are a number of reasons for this shift, including the financial strain on families with less cash due to furloughs, fewer restaurant options, behavior change driven by stay-at-home mandates, and a rise in the number of employees working from home.



Consumers are going back to the basics: wholesome, safe, and comfortable . Sales of milk at grocery stores emptied store shelves. Meat sales from farms grew so much that small meat processors are still booked up for months in advance. The local food movement, with all its inefficiency, was spurred by this crisis and is likely to maintain a higher interest level than prior to the crisis.



Employees are essential workers every day. We cannot ignore the health and safety needs and concerns of all employees. We need to evaluate risks and take steps to reduce them, making facility changes and training. Consider their resiliency and the potential impact of housing or working conditions.



Communication has changed on-farm. Some farms began using technology to communicate in place of daily meetings. One farm quit preshift meetings, and all information, including status of calvings, sick cows, equipment repair needs, and more, are shared with their 28 employees through a cellphone app. Dairy managers will also become more aware of the need to control their schedules. After seeing how much time is freed up when salespeople are not stopping by, they may be more assertive at turning people away.



There are fewer on-farm consults. Farm consultants may make fewer trips to dairies. Many farmers have gotten comfortable with e-meeting platforms and learned that consultants can provide value without walking the farm every one to two weeks. This could free up time for consultants to do more analysis or other value-adds.



Future investments will reduce person-to-person contact. Resilience will become one of the considerations regarding automation on farms. Robots are less likely to all go down at once versus a pathogen that can spread through an entire labor force on a farm. Furthermore, eliminating a milking parlor gets rid of a high-risk zone for pathogen transmission.



Mental health cannot be taken for granted. Crises bring concerns that add to the everyday stresses of working in agriculture. Mental health needs to be cultivated and nurtured, not just for the farm owner, but for all involved. The leader of the business needs to encourage others, not with a plastic smile, but with honesty and vulnerability.

A learning opportunity

Several individuals, from Winston Churchill to M.F. Weiner, have been credited with the saying, Dont let a good crisis go to waste. Crises can reveal vulnerabilities that were otherwise hidden; it is our task to reinforce those cracks before the next challenge emerges. Few anticipated the COVID-19 worldwide crisis, but we should learn from what has happened and take this warning as an incentive to re-evaluate and adjust our lives and businesses.

Dairy farms, even those that experienced no direct impact of the disease, can prepare for a future that may, in fact, include crises that will directly impact them. Now is the time to act.

What changes have you made?
Azerbaijan threatens Chernobyl-style catastrophe in Caucasus drone war, Forbes reported.

"The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has erupted into open warfare again. As previously noted on Forbes, there has recently been an alarming build-up of drone air forces on both sides. Azerbaijan has now threatened to use its capability to hit Armenia's only atomic power plant," the author of the article David Hambling noted.

"At least 16 people have been reported killed in the fighting. Drones have again featured, with both claiming to have shot down enemy drones. Azerbaijan denies Armenian claims to have shot down no less than 13 of their unmanned aircraft. Armenian officials claim that Azerbaijani drones attacked civilian targets in the town of Berd. Fighting now appears to have paused but the situation is tense. In Azerbaijan, thousands of protesters took to the streets to support retaking Nagorno-Karabakh by military force."

According to Hambling, "the most alarming development is the threat of nuclear catastrophe made by Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Vagif Dargyakhly on Thursday. According to TASS, Dargyakhly stated that their weapons are capable of hitting the Metzamur Atomic Energy Station with high accuracy, which will turn into a catastrophe for Armenia.

As the author noted, this threat was voiced allegedly after the Armenian 'threat to the Mingachevir dam, which hold 15 billion cubic meters of water, supplying a vital hydroelectric power plant. Armenia denies any such threat, saying they never attack civilian targets and have not suggested hitting the dam.'

Statements of this kind are a crime," Armenian Defense Ministry ex-spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan told reporters.

According to the publication, "while Azerbaijan does possess a handful of long-range ballistic missiles  which Dargyakhly mentions  with 30-meter CEP (the size circle they can hit 50% of the time) these are not necessarily accurate enough to hit something as small as a specific building. LORA ballistic missiles supplied by Israel are claimed to be more accurate (10 meters) thanks to a television-guided terminal seeker supplementing GPS guidance but finding an exact target may be challenging."

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have small UAVs. Azerbaijan seeks to import more and more drones. On June 22, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry confirmed that the country is purchasing drones from Turkey, which provides financial support for the purchase of weapons.

As Hambling noted, most likely we are talking about the Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, which Turkey exported to other states and which 'has reportedly proven highly effective in Libya and Syria, notably destroying Russian-built air-defense systems with guided missiles.'

The situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains tense. There is no sign yet of either side carrying out threats to strategic infrastructure, but the potential for a disaster that might spread far beyond the Caucasus has been made plain. The specter has been raised and it is not going to go away," Hambling concluded.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 04:14:06|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal to address inequality across the world.

COVID-19 is a human tragedy. But it has also created a generational opportunity to build back a more equitable and sustainable world, said Guterres in his Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture address, which was delivered virtually. "The response to the pandemic, and to the widespread discontent that preceded it, must be based on a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal that create equal opportunities for all and respect the rights and freedoms of all."

This is the only way that the world will meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development -- agreements that address precisely the failures that are being exposed and exploited by the pandemic, he said.

A New Social Contract within societies will enable young people to live in dignity, will ensure women have the same prospects and opportunities as men, and will protect the sick, the vulnerable, and minorities of all kinds.

However, he said, the global political and economic system is not delivering on critical global public goods: public health, climate action, sustainable development, peace. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought home the tragic disconnect between self-interest and the common interest, and the huge gaps in governance structures and ethical frameworks.

"To close those gaps, and to make the New Social Contract possible, we need a New Global Deal to ensure that power, wealth and opportunities are shared more broadly and fairly at the international level."

A new model for global governance must be based on full, inclusive and equal participation in global institutions, he said. "Without that, we face even wider inequalities and gaps in solidarity, like those we see today in the fragmented global response to the COVID-19 pandemic."

In his address entitled "Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: a New Social Contract for a New Era," Guterres said COVID-19 has laid bare risks that have been ignored for decades: inadequate health systems, gaps in social protection, structural inequalities, environmental degradation, the climate crisis.

"COVID-19 has been likened to an x-ray, revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built," he said. "It is exposing fallacies and falsehoods everywhere: the lie that free markets can deliver health care for all; the fiction that unpaid care work is not work; the delusion that we live in a post-racist world; the myth that we are all in the same boat. Because while we are all floating on the same sea, it's clear that some are in superyachts while others are clinging to drifting debris."

People want social and economic systems that work for everyone. They want their human rights and fundamental freedoms to be respected. They want a say in decisions that affect their lives, said Guterres.

The New Social Contract, between governments, people, civil society, business and more, must integrate employment, sustainable development and social protection, based on equal rights and opportunities for all.

Labor market policies, combined with constructive dialogue between employers and labor representatives, can improve pay and working conditions. Labor representation is also critical to manage the challenges posed to jobs by technology and structural transformation, including the transition to a green economy, said Guterres.

The gradual integration of the informal sector into social protection frameworks is essential. A changing world requires a new generation of social protection policies with new safety nets including universal health coverage and the possibility of a universal basic income.

Establishing minimum levels of social protection, and reversing chronic underinvestment in public services, including education, health care, and internet access, are essential. Equally important are affirmative action programs and targeted policies to address and redress historic inequalities in gender, race or ethnicity that have been reinforced by social norms, he said.

Taxation has also a role in the New Social Contract. Everyone -- individuals and corporations -- must pay their fair share. Governments should also shift the tax burden from payrolls to carbon. Taxing carbon rather than people will increase output and employment, while reducing emissions.

He also asked for efforts to break the vicious cycle of corruption, which is both a cause and effect of inequality. "Corruption reduces and wastes funds available for social protection. It weakens social norms and the rule of law."

A New Global Deal, based on a fair globalization, on the rights and dignity of every human being, on living in balance with nature, on taking account of the rights of future generations, and on success measured in human rather than economic terms, is the best way forward, said Guterres.

The worldwide consultation process around the 75th anniversary of the United Nations has made clear that people want a global governance system that delivers for them, he said.

"The developing world must have a far stronger voice in global decision-making. We also need a more inclusive and balanced multilateral trading system that enables developing countries to move up global value chains."

Illicit financial flows, money laundering and tax evasion must be prevented. A global consensus to end tax havens is essential, he added. "We must work together to integrate the principles of sustainable development into financial decision-making. Financial markets must be full partners in shifting the flow of resources away from the brown and the grey to the green, the sustainable and the equitable. Reform of the debt architecture and access to affordable credit must create fiscal space for countries to move investment in the same direction."

The corrosive effects of today's levels of inequality are clear, said Guterres. "We are sometimes told a rising tide of economic growth lifts all boats. But in reality, rising inequality sinks all boats."

Confidence in institutions and leaders is eroding. Voter turnout has fallen by a global average of 10 percent since the beginning of the 1990s. People who feel marginalized are vulnerable to arguments that blame their misfortunes on others, particularly those who look or behave differently.

Populism, nationalism, extremism, racism and scapegoating will only create new inequalities and divisions within and between communities, countries, ethnicities, and religions.

Looking to the future, two seismic shifts will shape the 21st century: the climate crisis and digital transformation. Both could widen inequalities even further, he warned.

"Now is the time for global leaders to decide: will we succumb to chaos, division and inequality? or will we right the wrongs of the past and move forward together, for the good of all?" he asked. "We are at a breaking point. But we know which side of history we are on," he said.

"Today, in demonstrations for racial equality, in campaigns against hate speech, in the struggles of people claiming their rights and standing up for future generations, we see the beginnings of a new movement. This movement rejects inequality and division, and unites young people, civil society, the private sector, cities, regions and others behind policies for peace, our planet, justice and human rights for all. It is already making a difference."

Guterres' address was delivered on Mandela Day, an international day in honor of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on July 18, Mandela's birthday. Enditem
The mangos growing outside Elfriede Gowasess house.

On the surface, Wilhelmina Ndapewa Onyothi Nekoto and Elfriede Gowases seem like a mismatched pair. Nekoto is a 26-year-old data scientist. Gowases is a retired English teacher in her late 60s. Nekoto, who used to play rugby in Namibias national league, stands about a head taller than Gowases, who is short and slight. Like nearly half of Namibians, Nekoto speaks Oshiwambo, while Gowases is one of the countrys roughly 200,000 native speakers of Khoekhoegowab.

But the women grew close over a series of working visits starting last October. At Gowasess home, they translated sentences from Khoekhoegowab to English. Each sentence pair became another entry in a budding database of translations, which Nekoto hopes will one day power AI tools that can automatically translate between Namibias languages, bolstering communication and commerce within the country.

If we can design applications that are able to translate what were saying in real time, Nekoto says, then thats one step closer toward economic [development]. Thats one of the goals of the Masakhane project, which organizes natural language processing researchers like Nekoto to work on low-resource African languages.

Compiling a dataset to train an AI model is often a dry, technical task. But Nekotos self-driven project, rooted in hours of close conversation with Gowases, is anything but. Each datapoint contains fragments of cultural knowledge preserved in the stories, songs, and recipes that Gowases has translated. This information is as crucial for the success of a machine translation algorithm as the grammar and syntax embedded in the training data.

Linguists, along with AI researchers concerned with language, describe this as the place effect. A model trained on translations rooted in one cultural context (say, Khoekhoegowab translations of US news archives full of references to American food, customs, and place names) will perform significantly worse when used in a different cultural context (like conducting business between an Oshiwambo speaker and a Khoekhoegowab speaker in Namibia). So Nekoto made sure to collect data that was true to Gowasess everyday life.

Story continues

From day one we said, okay, our target for this week should be at least five songs and two traditional processes, or some poems and a recipe, Nekoto explained. In December, during Namibias wedding season, they translated information about how marriages should be conducted. They talked about funeral rites, fashion from the 80s, and the countrys history under apartheid.

Normally, they did their work on Gowasess stoepthe porch in front of her house, shaded by trees bearing mangos, guava, and pomegranates, which is open to visiting friends and relatives. But Nekoto recalls a day when a particularly furious storm rolled in and forced them inside. High winds cut power to the house and sent one of Gowasess fruit trees crashing through the barrier wall surrounding the property. Nekoto told Gowases she was afraid. Gowases held her hand and began to pray.

The fallen tree crashed through a wall on Elfriede Gowasess property.

Ease our fears, for your protection and strength are much greater than our fears, Nekoto recalls Gowases saying. Thank you for this rain. May it bring a great harvest that will nourish our souls and keep our reserves full for years to come.

Before Gowases could finish, Nekoto had her notepad out, and was carefully transcribing every word. When she saw me writing, she laughed, Nekoto said. But then we started coming up with more prayers for various scenarios and wrote those down as well. As the storm raged on, they worked by flashlight to translate their prayers into English.

This, of course, is a particularly labor-intensive way of building a language dataset. At the end of January, they had translated a few hundred sentencesnot enough to train a robust model. Then Nekoto got a long-awaited visa approval to move to Germany and develop an AI system for modeling traffic with HTW Berlin. Separated by thousands of miles and a few technological barriersGowases doesnt use a computerNekoto had to come up with a plan to continue their partnership from afar.

Now, Gowases writes out parallel sentences in Khoekhoegowab and English on paper, then hands them off to a computer-savvy collaborator who scans and emails the sheets to Nekoto each week. Unfortunately, its not as easy as other languages, Nekoto said. I have to understand that its a difficult language. Its complex, it requires time, and if we had more collaborators we would be able to do more.

Nekoto does have another collaborator on the data science sidea Masakhane researcher named Musie Meressa, who has helped with a different branch of the project that involves building out a dataset based on a collection of Jehovahs Witness texts translated into Khoekhoegowab. But so far, Nekoto has done much of the work to collect language data from native speakers by herself.

Still, Nekoto remains optimistic. She says there are more Khoekhoegowab speakers interested now in helping to document their languageespecially older retirees who lived through apartheid and want to share their experiences. We can still collect data from a cultural and historical perspective and continue to build and increase the dataset, Nekoto said. Little by little, they are growing the collection of digital text available in Khoekhoegowab, and bringing its speakers closer to the AI tools available in the worlds dominant languages.

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Q: Why has the pension age become a hot topic again?

A: The controversial issue of the age at which people qualify for the State pension flared up again this week when the State's budget watchdog weighed into the debate and recommended that people work until they are 69 before drawing down the contributory pension.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council argues that the population is young now by European standards but we are ageing rapidly. Rising healthcare costs also mean measures are needed to deal with the increasing cost of an older population.

Q: What is the problem?

A: Among people who don't have a personal or occupational pension scheme in place, 60pc say they intend to rely on the State pension when they retire, according to Central Statistics Office research. Plans to raise the State pension age were one of the key issues in this year's general election.

People are furious that they will have to wait so long for something they have been contributing to for 40 years or more.

But economists say that in the next 30 years, the percentage of the population over the age of 65 will rise from 14pc at the moment to 27pc, almost doubling.

Around half of the debt burden by 2050 will reflect unfunded ageing costs, the Fiscal Council calculates.

Read More

Q: What are the rules at the moment?

Under current legislation, eligibility for the State pension is due to increase from age 66 to 67 with effect from January 1 next, and then to age 68 in 2028.

This is because the then Fine Gael-Labour coalition legislated in 2011 for the phased increase in the age at which people could access the State pension.

The age was increased to 66 for those retiring from 2014, and 67 from January.

Because the proposed increase in the pension age was a massive issue during the general election campaign it was agreed in the Programme for Government that the increase in January be deferred. This is pending a report from the Commission on Pensions, which will examine the sustainability of and eligibility for the State pension.

But Government will now need to legislate to avoid the rise in the State pension age to 67 next January.

Q: How will this affect people?

A: The decision to defer the rise to 67 for those retiring from January means people who have reached the age of 66 and are retiring next year will now qualify for the State pension.

They will not have to claim Jobseekers' Benefit, which is paid for 12 months from age 65 to 66 at the moment.

Q: What happens now?

A: What happens for people retiring from 2022 on is anyone's guess. We will have to wait for the Government to implement the recommendations of the Commission on Pensions, which has yet to be set up. It is due to report by June next year.

Q: What can I do?

A: One way or the other the qualification age for the State pension will rise. Almost one million workers have no supplementary or works pensions, with most set to rely on the State pension. There are plans to introduce an auto-enrolment scheme for these people, which would ease the financial pressure in retirement. But the implementation date for this has been knocked back repeatedly. It is expected the Commission on Pensions will insist the auto-enrolment pension is introduced in the next two years, as was previously planned.

Those in a pension scheme should make sure to keep paying contributions, and actually up them if they can afford it. Those in their 50s and 60s, who are not lucky enough to have a public sector pension, should do AVCs (additional voluntary contributions).

This might even allow for retirement in their mid-60s rather than the suggested 69.

Q: But can I keep working into my 70s?

A: Many workers' employment contracts specify a retirement age of 65. As things currently stand they will not get the State pension until they are 66. But if you are able to keep working there is nothing to stop you doing that, but you won't get the State pension until the qualifying age.

There is no legal obligation to retire at 66. The employer must be able to justify it, according to chief executive of the Irish Association of Pension Funds Jerry Moriarty.

Some workers, like gardai and firefighters, get to retire early. But any public servants employed since 2013 still have to wait until the official State pension qualifying age to get the State pension. Public servants employed before 1995 do not get a State pension.

Q: Are there alternatives to raising the age people qualify for the State pension?

A: Jerry Moriarty of the Irish Association of Pension Funds said just because the maths support arguments for raising the State pension qualification age does not mean we should go there.

Mr Moriarty, whose organisation represents trustees of company schemes, said the issue is also about people and how they live their lives.

Irish Congress of Trade Unions social policy officer Laura Bambrick said we need to equally focus on the lack of money going in to the State's coffers to pay for pensions, and not just the money going out.

And Dr Bambrick said there was a need to introduce a flexible qualifying age for the State pension to take account of different ages when entering full-time employment between manual and college-educated professionals, and differences in life expectancy between social classes. She also called for higher PRSI contributions to be paid by employers.
In Illinois, where the governor is suing to mandate face coverings in schools, at least one private school says it still wants to leave it up to the parents.

Parkview Christian Academy in Yorkville, Illinois, says it plans to welcome students back full-time this upcoming semester -- with masks optional and entirely up to the individual family.

"This is not a political thing for us," said Jed Davis, president of Parkview Christians school board.

MORE: Utah public hearing on schools dismissed after angry parents pack room without masks

"Were not trying to politicize masks by any means. Again, were not anti-mask, were pro-choice," Davis told ABC News in a phone interview.

As a debate rages across the country over mandatory face coverings, schools are quickly becoming the latest battleground in the fight over whether to mask up. The Centers for Disease Control and Protection recommends that both teachers and children over the age of 2 wear masks in school and maintain 6 feet of social distance to prevent the spread of the virus. The CDC says its planning to release additional guidance documents by the end of the month, after President Donald Trump criticized its initial recommendations as too tough and expensive.

PHOTO: Social distancing dividers for students are seen in a classroom at St. Benedict School, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Montebello, near Los Angeles, California, July 14, 2020. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

On Thursday, Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, along with the state health director and the state superintendent, filed a lawsuit against Parkview Christian and two other schools, aimed at enforcing a face covering mandate in schools.

"As a father, I would not send my children to a school where face coverings are not required because the science is clear: face coverings are critical to prevent the spread of coronavirus," Pritzker said in a statement.

"From the CDC to the American Academy of Pediatrics, doctors and epidemiologists agree that in order to bring large groups of people together, especially indoors, a face covering is needed to stop the spread. As school districts finalize their fall operations plans, it is imperative that they understand these clear evidence-based requirements to wear face coverings need to be followed to keep our children, teachers and communities healthy and safe," he added.

Story continues

But Davis says the school will maintain a safe environment for the students, and argues that a "one-size-fits-all" solution for all schools across the state isnt practical.

The debate over whether face coverings should be mandatory is taking place across the country. Earlier this week, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp filed a lawsuit prohibiting localities from implementing face mask requirements, and in Utah, several parents spoke out against mandatory face masks in schools, ABC News previously reported.

PHOTO: Amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, science teachers Ann Darby, left, and Rosa Herrera check-in students before a summer STEM camp at Wylie High School, July 14, 2020, in Wylie, Texas. (Lm Otero/L.M. Otero/AP)

In Utah on Wednesday, unmasked parents filled up a room and reportedly did not adhere to distancing guidelines to voice outrage against a mask requirement in the state for children in school. The meeting had to be adjourned for safety reasons.

However, as COVID-19 cases in the United States continue to tick upward, officials have repeatedly said the use of masks could help curb the spread of the virus.

"If everyone in his nation would just take on a face covering, practice excellent hand hygiene and be smart about their distancing in crowds, we can bring this outbreak to its knees in two, four, six, eight weeks," CDC Director Robert Redfield said.

PHOTO: Keith Boyd a former special education teacher who is volunteering at Bernard Harris Elementary School to help with summer school, takes the temperature of Kennedy Harris, a second grader, before she can enter the school. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/TNS/Newscom)

Meanwhile, the debate is taking place as teachers and parents across the country continue to voice concern about schools reopening at all.

Some teachers say they worry about their own health and the health of family members.

Amy Hawkins, a teacher in Volusia County, Florida, told ABC News that she is immunocompromised and said at the beginning of the pandemic, she had a conversation with her nurse that "essentially ended with the idea that if I contract COVID, it will probably kill me," the mother of two said.

MORE: Teachers worry about return to classroom amid surges in COVID-19 cases

She said its still undecided whether masks will be mandated for her school system -- some school board members, she said, feel it should be left up to the individual and families.

"Dealing with your mortality at this stage is very difficult," she told ABC News, also noting that she is currently writing her will for the first time.

Hawkins said she is not sending her two children back to school, "but I still have to go because its either that, or I cant pay the electric bill."

"Im literally having to choose between continuing to ensure the best education for the children of my community or risking a very reasonable possibility of death," she said.

ABC News' Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

Schools the latest battleground in fight over mandatory masks originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
18.07.2020 LISTEN

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Bono Region has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Banda Constituency of an attempt to cover up the murder case of the 28-year-old Silas Wulochamey with lies and propaganda.

The NDC noted that instead the NPP to condemn and sympathise with the bereaved family, it is rather engaging in unsubstantiated claims.

The NPP accused the MP of the area, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim of bussing in five foreigners from Ivory Coast to register in the constituency.

At a news conference in Bono Region, the Secretary of the regional NDC, Dennis Twumasi indicated that the accusation was hatched by one, Prince, an employee of the Wildlife of the Forestry Commission with a fake video recording.

He said the alleged ladies are known residents in Bongase with their landlord and landlady known NPP Members. Yaw Zugu and Madam Akua Donkor respectively, all of Bongase led by a known NPP woman activist guaranteed for the five ladies to partake in the ongoing voter's registration.

According to Dennis Twumasi, the NPP must accord respect to the dead and sympathize with the bereaved family and desist from peddling falsehood around.

Instead of the NPP leadership condemning and sympathizing with the bereaved Family of Silas, the 28-year young man who met this untimely death through the hands of the NPP Thugs, they engage in this fabrication of naked lies about Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, just to cover up the running media story of the death of Silas. This is very disrespectful to the family of the young man to say the least.

Based on the claims, the NDC is calling on the Interior minister and the Attorney Generals Office to investigate and prosecute these five young ladies alleged to be nationals of Ivory Coast together with their Landlord/Landlady, including their alleged accomplices who led them to the registration centre or better still, repatriate them.

Silas Wulochamey, a new graduate from Akim Oda Teacher Training College was allegedly accosted and stabbed by some men at Banda Kabrono on Monday when returning from a visit to his pastor at Wenchi Methodist.

The said men are thugs believed to be supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who mistook him to be an NDC sympathizer and without any provocation stabbed him leading to his death.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has given a firm assurance that it is in pole position to register all eligible Ghanaians in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

The Chairperson of the commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, who gave the assurance, said no qualified Ghanaian who would turn up at a registration centre would be left out.





At a press briefing in Accra on Friday, she explained that as of Wednesday, July 15 (Day 16 of the exercise), 7,279,237 people across the country had registered.



Using the average daily registrants of 600,000, the EC boss added that over eight million people would have registered as of yesterday, July 17, 18 days into the mass voters registration exercise across the country, representing 55 per cent of the expected eligible voters.



Optimism



Based on the figures, Mrs Mensa expressed optimism that although the registration exercise was not without minor challenges, the EC was committed to compiling a credible electoral roll that would not disenfranchise any eligible voter.





While emphasising that the EC had a watertight mechanism for reporting accurate figures, she urged any stakeholder who had issues with the accuracy of the figures to come with evidence for the necessary action to be taken.



"What we have are provisional figures, but we have a process of due diligence in place, so after the provisional figures are given out, we do proper checking to ensure that we get a very credible register," she added.



She stressed that the EC was committed to transparency, accountability and fairness in the electoral process, as required of it by law.



Regional breakdown



Giving a regional breakdown of the figures as of last Wednesday, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare, said the Greater Accra Region had the highest figure of 1,524,600 registrants, followed by Ashanti with 1,319,498, while Eastern and Central had 694,541 and 676,484, respectively.





The Volta, Western and Northern regions followed with 447,254; 440,858 and 434,601 registrants, respectively, while the Bono Region settled for 293,284 registered persons.



In the ninth position is the Bono East Region which had 261,503 registered voters; while the Upper East Western North and Upper West regions followed in that order with 251,134; 196,819 and 194,894 respectively.



The Oti and Ahafo regions followed with 148,111 and 144,961 registrants while the Savannah and North East regions completed the list with 126,980 and 123,715 registered persons respectively.



Special registration



Touching on the EC's special voters registration exercise in the prisons and senior high schools, he said officials of the commission would continue the registration on Saturday, July 18.



"We are using this medium to tell the political parties that they may send their agents to the SHSs and prisons without registration centres to observe the exercise," he added.



He said the special registration of persons with disability (PWDs) and the aged would continue in the various district offices without break.



However, he added, officials undertaking the main registration exercise would take a break today ahead of the beginning of phase four of the mass registration on Sunday, July 19.



So far, so good



Dr Asare said contrary to claims by some political parties and stakeholders that the registration process had been fraught with daunting challenges, the EC had risen to the occasion and resolved all hitches.



For instance, he said, biometric registration kits that had technical challenges on Sunday, July 12 had been fixed and were functioning properly.



Additionally, he dispelled claims by some individuals that the EC had deployed 40 per cent of the old biometric registration kits for the ongoing exercise.



He said the commission procured 8,530 registration kits and deployed 90 per cent of the equipment, while the remaining were on standby.



"The old registration kits had removable batteries, but this new equipment haas its batteries embedded and cannot be removed. Also, HP laptops were used for the old registration, but the new system uses Dell laptops. We challenge anyone with contrary evidence to come out and prove it, so that we can all clear the perceptions about the registration system," he said.





Source: Daily Graphic









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As Vietnam is attracting high-quality foreign inflows, domestic firms now have an even greater opportunity to draw technology transfer to improve added value in its manufacturing industry.

Warehouse of Hai Phong Port Service JSC, Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park





This was emphasized at the second Industrial Real Estate Forum held by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) in collaboration with the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA) in June in Hanoi.

Mr. Vu Tu Thanh, deputy regional managing director and representative of the US-ASEAN Business Council in Vietnam, said that Vietnam was expected to welcome around five to seven major companies in this foreign direct investment (FDI) wave, which would be a remarkable achievement.

The arrival of these top companies will bring more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their global supply chains to Vietnam. It is like what we have done with Intel, Samsung, LG, and other giants he said.

It also opens up new occasions for Vietnamese firms to tie up with foreign SMEs which have extensive experience in the supply chain for global companies. Therefore, Vietnamese firms can take this opportunity to receive technology transfer from oversea and improve its management skills.

The foreign suppliers will become a new source of tenants for many existing and upcoming industrial parks in Vietnam.

According to Economic Zones Management Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), by May 2020 the whole country has 561 industrial parks with a total area of about 201,000 hectares, including 374 established industrial parks with an area of about 114,400ha and 259 unestablished industrial parks with 86,600ha. Big Investor Foxconn is also proposing the development of a new industrial park in Vietnam. Meanwhile, localities such as Haiphong are su plans to implement over dozens of new industrial parks.

Prepared for new quality FDI

At the Industrial Real Estate Forum 2020, Mr. Do Nhat Hoang, general director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the MPI, underlined that the country had failed to meet some expectations after 30 years of FDI attraction, particularly in technology transfer and the added value by foreign investors in Vietnam. The spillover effects remained low.

To improve FDI attraction, the Vietnamese National Assembly has recently approved the revised Law on Investment, adding a new group of investors who are entitled to preferential treatment such as high-tech firms, sci-tech firms and organisations as well as innovation centres. However, it is not easy for Vietnamese firms to become suppliers for these big investors due to the insufficiency of requisite technology.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, general director of Sao Do Group, said that Vietnam had more advantages than other ASEAN countries in attracting new foreign inflows, especially in the wave of manufacturing relocation outside of China. However, Vietnam needs to make breakthroughs in administrative reforms and prepare highly skilled workforce to progress to higher-level qualifications.

Otherwise, Vietnam will continue to be an outsourcing destination despite luring big investors in the new FDI wave. This will not improve the added value for the local manufacturing industry.

We should not expect sudden and immediate changes as foreign investors need time to conduct research and consider the efficiency of the relocation plan. There will be a delay in luring these foreign inflows. Thus, it is time for us to make careful preparation, he stressed.

He further noted that Vietnam should consider the capability to absorb the capital wave. Industrial parks in the country should be at ready to meet investors demand. Besides the facilities construction, It is also important to develop high-quality workforce and skilled foreign workers in order to prepare a huge personel for new FDI projects. VIR

Thanh Van

What Vietnam needs to do to attract quality FDI after Covid-19 Speeding up infrastructure development and improving ease of doing business and vocational training are among things Vietnam can do to make itself more attractive to foreign investors post-Covid-19, according to VinaCapital.
By PTI

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government has issued strict health guidelines for the campaigning for the August 5 parliamentary elections, days after the country's top poll body said it would be "extremely difficult" to conduct the polls as political leaders were defying safety measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

The two-page guidelines were issued through a special gazette notification on Friday night, stating that election rallies must be limited to 300 people, which could be expanded to allow 500 people for events attended by party leaders.

According to the guidelines, organisers of political rallies must inform the health authorities 24 hours in advance and meeting arrangements should facilitate washing of hands and maintaining one metre distance.

All are required to wear face masks at all times.

The gazette notification came days after the election commission urged the government to legalise the health guidelines, saying that the political leaders were not adhering to the health measures while campaigning, jeopardising the lives of the people attending the campaign.

"It will be extremely difficult to conduct the election unless the legal effect is given to the health guidelines," Mahinda Deshapriya, the chief of Sri Lanka's Election Commission, said on Wednesday.

The guidelines for conducting the elections were announced on June 2 but they were not been legalised through a gazette notification.

However, sources in the opposition accused the ruling party of watering down the guidelines to make way for a more relaxed campaigning despite a spike in the cases.

Campaigning for the elections, which will continue till August 2, has been low key due to the pandemic and the sudden spike of over 500 cases reported from the north central region last week has led to fears of the spread of the virus.

According to Johns Hopkins university data, the country has 2,697 coronavirus cases with 11 deaths.

The role of the public health inspectors (PHI) has been excluded from the guidelines.

The PHIs had on Friday said they were withdrawing from COVID-19 related activities due to the government's reluctance to provide them with legal cover for their work.

The parliamentary polls were initially to be held on April 25, but had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which prompted the authorities to announce a nationwide lockdown from March 20.

Later, the election commission shifted the date to June 20.

It was again deemed not suitable in view of the raging pandemic.

Finally, August 5 has been selected for the poll process.

With the latest spike, it was feared that the election would be further put off and the country might return to the lockdown phase.

The country was earlier under lockdown from March 20-June 13.

The election commission has declined the opposition's call to postpone the elections amid a surge in the number of cases.

Over 16 million voters are eligible to vote to elect a 225-member parliament for a five-year term.
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.
(Global Times) When the UK made the unwise decision to join the US' politically driven crackdown on Chinese telecom giant Huawei based on fabricated "national security risks," it seemed to be ready to take the countermeasures from China even at the cost of the interests of the UK's businesses.





As China is evaluating the development and is expected to take countermeasures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, here is a list of the available options for China to fight back.

Chief among the options, China could call for businesses to revise their investments in the UK. With the discriminatory act, the UK has made it questionable whether the country can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from other countries. The UK is China's largest investment destination in Europe. If some Chinese companies, especially state-owned enterprises, start to pull back investments and sell assets in the UK, this could cause more Chinese companies and even other Asian countries' businesses to reconsider their plans to invest in the UK.

For UK companies in China, especially those largely benefiting from bilateral cooperation, the UK has complicated their situation by taking the first step of politicizing commercial and technological issues. The UK's interference in the Hong Kong issue had already made companies like HSBC suffer. HSBC's support of the national security law and further investment plans in China have clearly shown its objections to the UK's practice of curbing China. Companies like HSBC may start lobbying the UK government as their interests are further impacted.

China-UK trade remains in a stable condition despite the impact of COVID-19. But since the UK has started violating free-market principles, China may take corresponding measures. China could even consider cancelling the UK' s most-favored-nation treatment. Overall, bilateral trade may see a decline, but China could tackle the impacts by expanding domestic demands.

In terms of the financial sector, China is a vast market for the UK's financial services. If China starts to transfer parts of its financial cooperation with UK companies to their European competitors, their profits will see severe impacts.

China can also expand the influence of the yuan in Europe and we can join forces with the euro. Following Brexit, it is very difficult for the UK to maintain the dominance of the pound in Europe. Because the EU is also reluctant to see the strengthening of the pound, it means that the yuan and the euro can gradually expand in the European market and finally suppress the pound. And this is feasible.

The UK should not forget that China's economy has gained significant strength and the UK's available options are fewer than China's in a showdown over not just technology but also the Hong Kong issue. Of course, although China may fight back, it will not blindly escalate the situation. China's possible countermeasures are expected to be accurate, reciprocal and justified.

It should be noted that the UK government has given a buffer period in its Huawei ban, indicating that banning Huawei is a difficult action for it to take. There is reason to believe that giving the UK some time, as more UK companies taste the pain and start to be dissatisfied, they will let the government understand that the Huawei ban is a very unwise decision and the UK should change its attitude, before it is too late.
Is there a purer pop of wildlife than a puffin?

Those psychedelic beaks. That disarming cuteness. Puffins would look equally at home in a cartoon or on the cover of National Geographic. But they are surprisingly tough, as I found out on a visit to the Saltee Islands.

Chicks spend their first three years at sea, before returning to burrows in the wild fringes of the North Atlantic.

Several of those fringes lie in Ireland, including Rathlin Island, the Skelligs, the Cliffs of Moher and these islands off the coast of Co Wexford, which I finally ticked off my Irish bucket list this week.

Puffins return to the Saltees from April to July, and crossings are available from Kilmore Quay (salteeferry.com; 30/15pp). The boatmen didnt wear face coverings on our trip, but there was hand sanitiser as we came and went from the dock, numbers are reduced from around 20 to 12 per boat, and passengers were outdoors at all times.

After a 20-minute crossing, we transferred to dinghies for a wet landing that can involve a scamper across seaweed and rocks (bring beach shoes to avoid wet feet and socks). There is no shelter or facilities... so take layers, snacks and use the loo before you board, too.

Expand Close A puffin on the Saltee Islands, Co Wexford. Photo: Pol O Conghaile / Facebook

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Whatsapp A puffin on the Saltee Islands, Co Wexford. Photo: Pol O Conghaile

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The Saltees have stories to tell. Tales of smugglers, pirates and U-boats abound, and signs refer to Michael the First, who promised his mother in 1920 that he would one day become the islands owner and prince.

He did both. A throne at the centre of the Great Saltee was where Michael Neale, and later his son, were crowned.

The Great Saltee is easily circuited on foot. Some 220 bird species have been recorded here and, following the grassy trail up from our landing, the first teeming colonies soon came into view; their squawking carried in the breeze. We saw oyster-catchers, fulmars and razorbills. Gannets floated by, their yellow heads like flowers on stems, their wings spanning over six feet. Sunburst lichen lit up dry-stone walls and the occasional ruin.

Puffins were our purpose, and we saw them straight away  little blobs flying over the dinghies. Along the cliffs, we sat to watch them patrol their burrows, interact and dive to fish in gin-clear water (with puffins listed as a vulnerable species, visitors are asked to stay six metres clear).

Sitting there with my kids, taking photos with a long lens, the world of Covid-19 seemed far away. In that moment, it was puffins 1, pandemic 0.

Expand Close Pol on the Great Saltee, Co Wexford. Photo: Niamh Connolly / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pol on the Great Saltee, Co Wexford. Photo: Niamh Connolly

The boats left us on the island for about 3.5 hours  plenty of time to explore, picnic and push through a forest of ferns to the gannet colony at the far end. Come August, these merry little ambassadors, together with their pufflings (how perfect is that?), will return to the open sea.

It felt a bit like we were returning that way, too.

10 tips for visiting the Saltee Islands

1. Book ahead. In peak season, sailings can be busy, and they are always weather-permitting. Call 087 252 9736 or make a booking enquiry via the website, salteeferry.com

2. There are no facilities or shelter on the Great Saltee, so prepare accordingly - and use the public loos at Kilmore Quay before boarding.

3. What to pack: Bring snacks, water, hand sanitiser and a fully charged phone, along with a bag for taking rubbish home. Check the weather forecast - packing sunscreen, hats and sunnies, or layers and raingear as appropriate (this being Ireland, we took them all). Binoculars are handy for a closer view, and photographers should bring a long lens (no drones are allowed).

4. Beach shoes and a towel are also good for the wet landing on the island. With no pier, visitors are transferred to smaller dinghies which bring you to sand if the tide is high, or a trail of slippery seaweed and rocks if the tide is low. Visitors with reduced mobility should call ahead for details here.

5. Remember, the islands are privately-owned, with visits permitted from 11.30am to 4.30pm only. The main path passes close to the house, and a flag flies when the Neale family is in residence.

6. What's the best time to visit? Puffins return to the Great Saltee island between April and July. We found them by taking the main path straight across the island, and veering southwest to a natural viewing area over the cliffs. An explosion of bluebells adds an extra splash of background in early summer.

7. Visitors are requested to stay at least six metres from all birds, as footfall can endanger their habitat and safety, and there are sheer drops with edges that may give way. It's very easy to get distracted taking photos, so stay well back - there are no safety barriers on this wilderness site.

8. Leave time to trek to the far end of the island (heading southwest), to see the spectacular gannet colony. Again, do not get too close to the birds, or their nests, eggs and chicks.

9. No camping, dogs or fires are permitted.

10. Don't forget the Saltee Chipper afterwards (you've earned it). The queue was over an hour long on our visit, but those looking for a feed not only of chipper chips, but fresh items like homemade tartar sauce and monkfish scampi, can phone an order ahead of landing at 053 912-9911 or 087 161-0212.

See salteeislands.info and visitwexford.ie for more info.

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Research by Oxford University scientists suggests that many people may already have innate resistance or cross-protection against COVID-19 from exposure to seasonal colds.

This innate resistance or cross-protection, which may mean a group of the population is unable to transmit the virus, can greatly reduce the herd immunity threshold (HIT).

It should be noted that the paper, titled The impact of host resistance on cumulative mortality and the threshold of herd immunity for SARS-CoV-2, is yet to be peer-reviewed.

There are currently seven coronaviruses that can infect people, of which SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is one.

Four of the seven coronaviruses  HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-NL63  continually move through the population and produce mild symptoms of the common cold.

Coronaviruses all have crown-like spikes on their surface, which is where their name originates from.

Researchers previously suggested that many people have background immunity to COVID-19, which may include cross-reaction from T-cells that are activated by the common cold.

It is theorised that cross-protection may develop because of the similar structures in all coronavirus, notably the crown-like surface spikes.

The bodys immune system, which has previously been exposed to a common cold coronavirus, may recognise COVID-19 as a threat because it looks similar to a common cold coronavirus.

The body will, therefore, recognise COVID-19 as a threat and activate the immune system against it, even though the person has not been infected by this virus before.

This, in turn, can prevent COVID-19 from making the person sick, or at least make the symptoms less severe.

T-cell and IgG antibody activity have been reported in non-exposed individuals to SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that resistance to infection may accrue from previous exposure to endemic coronaviruses, the paper said.

Impact on herd immunity threshold

The study builds on this theory, suggesting that this cross-protection, in combination with innate resistance, can have a big impact on the herd immunity threshold (HIT).

The Oxford scientists said it is widely believed that the HIT required to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 is in excess of 50%  often quoted as 60% to 70%.

The study demonstrates that HIT may be greatly reduced if a fraction of the population is unable to transmit the virus.

The drop in HIT is proportional to the fraction of the population resistant only when that fraction is effectively segregated from the general population, it said.

The paper added that significant reductions in expected mortality can also be observed in settings where a fraction of the population is resistant to infection.

These results help to explain the large degree of regional variation observed in seroprevalence and cumulative deaths.

It further suggests that sufficient herd immunity may already be in place in the UK to substantially mitigate a potential second wave.
LONDON  The lawyer for a Black man who repeatedly asked a white officer to get off my neck as he was pinned to the sidewalk during an arrest in London told a court on Saturday that the encounter echoed the treatment of George Floyd in the United States and called for a police apology.

The Metropolitan Police have suspended the arresting officer, who knelt on the neck of the detainee while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground. A second officer, who assisted in the arrest on Thursday, was removed from operational duty pending an investigation into what the forces deputy commissioner, Steve House, called an extremely disturbing episode.

Images of the arrest, captured on video, were a troubling reminder of the killing of Mr. Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May.

The police in London and the citys mayor, Sadiq Khan, have condemned the tactics used in the arrest. Officers in England and Wales are not trained to put pressure on an individuals neck or face.
What happened

Shares of Evolent Health (NYSE:EVH) are up 20.4% at 3:23 p.m. EDT after the company announced that Passport Health Plan, one of Evolent Health's biggest customers, is being sold to Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH).

Last month, Evolent fell substantially after disclosing that Passport didn't get its Medicaid contract with the state of Kentucky renewed for 2021. The sale of Passport to Molina rescues some of Evolent's lost business and will put some money in the company's pockets since it had statutory capital tied up in the health plan.

So what

Molina's total payment for acquiring Passport is partially based on Passport's performance for the remainder of this year and how many members are retained when Molina takes over the contract in 2021. But based on current forecasts, Evolent expects to get between $130 million and $170 million when the deal is completed, which includes the repayment of a $40 million surplus note. Even at the low end of the estimate, that's not too shabby of a return considering that Evolent invested $110 million in Passport last year.

Starting in 2021, Evolent won't be doing as much for Molina's Kentucky Medicaid plan as it was doing for Passport. At this point, Molina has only retained Evolent to provide specialty care management services for cardiovascular care in Kentucky. But Molina is a much larger company than Passport, and management noted that there's a possibility that Molina may contract with Evolent to provide services for plans Molina runs in other states.

Now what

Evolent has certainly made lemonade out of the lemons that Kentucky's Medicaid program handed it. And the healthcare company could even end up coming out ahead if it can capture more of Molina's business. Beyond Molina, management has a goal of capturing six to eight new customer contracts this year, which should diversify its revenue stream and reduce the risk associated with relying on a few contracts for a bulk of its income.
Washington, July 18 : Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg are likely to depose before the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as part of a year-long probe into the company's business practices, the media reported.

The FTC is preparing for a sworn legal testimony from them as part of its probe into whether the social networking giant has violated US antitrust laws, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

"Top Facebook officials are preparing for potential depositions and some are worried about the possibility," the report said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify before the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee along with the CEOs of tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon during an antitrust hearing on July 27.

Apple's Tim Cook, Facebook's Zuckerberg, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai and Amazon's Jeff Bezos will testify before the antitrust panel that is working on proposals to reform and regulate the digital market.

The hearing would mark the first time all four top executives testify together in front of Congress, virtually or in-person.

"Since last June, the Subcommittee has been investigating the dominance of a small number of digital platforms and the adequacy of existing antitrust laws and enforcement," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI) said in a statement earlier this month.

"Given the central role these corporations play in the lives of the American people, it is critical that their CEOs are forthcoming. As we have said from the start, their testimony is essential for us to complete this investigation".

The House Judiciary Committee announced its antitrust probe into the four tech giants in June last year.

The FTC also issued special orders to these companies n February this year, requiring them to provide information about prior acquisitions not reported to the antitrust agencies under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act.

The orders require information and documents on the terms, scope, structure, and purpose of transactions that each company consummated between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019.

The Commission said it wanted to conduct wide-ranging studies of these acquisitions that do not have a specific law enforcement purpose.

"Digital technology companies are a big part of the economy and our daily lives," said FTC Chairman Joe Simons.
Reuters

In the middle of a dramatic court hearing, conducted via videolink due to restrictions in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the revelation by prosecutors that Ghislaine Maxwell was married almost went unnoticed.

The British socialite had not been seen in the year since the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein, with whom she was accused of conspiring to abuse minors. Finally, at a hearing to decide whether she would be freed on bail ahead of her trial, details about her life in hiding began to emerge.

The prosecutors alleged that Ms Maxwell was not being honest. They believed she had not been transparent about her access to potentially millions of dollars, which gave them cause to believe she was a flight risk. Then, almost in passing, they revealed that she was married.

The defendant also makes no mention whatsoever about the financial circumstances or assets of her spouse, whose identity she declined to provide to pretrial services, said Alison Moe, one of three prosecutors in charge of the case.

Theres no information about who will be co-signing this bond or their assets, and no details whatsoever, she added.

The revelation was central to the prosecutions argument that Ms Maxwell has been disguising her true wealth. Media reports have been rife with speculation that the spouse might be a tech CEO from Boston named Scott Borgerson, with whom she has been romantically linked.

That she had managed to keep the identity of that husband secret from law enforcement and the gaze of the media was a shock to everyone.

No one knew she was married, a former friend of Ms Maxwell told The Times.

Even more curious was the fact that there appears to be no marriage certificate in public filings in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, where she was known to have spent time in the last year.

The identity of the alleged husband may yet lead prosecutors down new avenues in the wide-reaching investigation into the sexual abuse of young girls by Epstein.

Story continues

At the two hour hearing on Tuesday, Ms Maxwell, 58, pleaded not guilty to six charges, including perjury and enticing minors to engage in illegal sex acts. She stands accused of grooming and procuring young women for her longtime associate and former boyfriend to abuse.

The indictment against her claims 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.

After hearing arguments on Tuesday, US District Judge Alison J. Nathan ruled that Ms Maxwell be held in jail until her trial, which was scheduled for July 2021, citing her international connections, her wealth and the seriousness of the charges against her.

No combination of conditions could reasonably ensure her presence at court. The risks are simply too great, she said, agreeing with the prosecutions contention that Ms Maxwell has displayed sophistication in hiding her resources.

Ghislaine Maxwell was said to have hired ex-British soldiers as protection prior to arrest (REUTERS)

Maxwells whereabouts had been the subject of intense speculation since Epsteins arrest and suicide in custody last year. Media reports have alleged that she was living in other parts of the US, 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. Federal investigators said they had been discreetly keeping tabs on Maxwell as they worked the investigation, before finally making their arrest on 2 July.

Prosecutors have so far been unable to ascertain the identity of Ms Maxwells mystery spouse. Some have speculated that it may be her last alleged romantic partner, Scott Borgerson, a 44-year-old CEO of a Boston tech company. The Daily Mail reported last year that she had previously lived with him at his oceanfront property in Manchester-by-the-Sea, in Massachusetts, prior to her arrest earlier this month. But he has frequently denied being in a relationship, insisting that they are only friends.

The pair reportedly met in 2013 when they were both speaking on panels at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik  a conference that brings together NGOs, politicians and corporations to discuss the future of the Arctic.

Mr Borgerson, who is divorced, is the CEO of a company called CargoMetrics and is described as an Arctic expert on his profile page for the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank. According to the profile he is a former Coast Guard officer and has testified before a number of congressional committees, contributed to White House strategic policy making.

Despite the reports of a relationship between the pair, however, there is no evidence to suggest they are married. Mr Borgersons father denied any knowledge of the marriage this week, the Daily Mail reported.

There are several reasons why Ms Maxwell would not want the identity of her spouse to be made public  not all of them nefarious, as prosecutors suggested.

The most obvious and benign is that shes trying to shield the spouse from press inquiry and notoriety, James Zirina former assistant United States attorney and partner at law firm Siegel & Kaufman, told Town and Country magazine.

Other reasons, however, could include that he may have knowledge of where her assets are and of crimes that she may have committed.

Mr Zirin noted that spousal privilege  a law that states that a spouse cannot be compelled to testify against the other spouse  would mean that whoever it is would be able to refuse to cooperate with the Epstein abuse investigation.

One acquaintance of Ms Maxwells suggested another more practical reason why she married, simply to protect the money she had, they told The Times.

But ultimately her attempts to do so ultimately ensured that she would remain in jail until her trial. Prosecutors spent much of Tuesdays hearing detailing how a lack of transparency over Ms Maxwells access to millions of dollars principally in foreign accounts made it necessary to remand her in custody.

Ms Moe, the prosecutor, said Ms Maxwell cited a net worth of more than $10million when she opened a Swiss Bank account last year, and an annual income greater than $200,000.

Her true wealth may be important for other legal actions currently underway. In addition to the criminal charges, Ms Maxwell is currently facing civil lawsuits from several of Epsteins alleged victims, who charge that she was central to the abuse they suffered.

Ms Maxwell, the daughter of late British media mogul Robert Maxwell, began working for Epstein in 1999 and claims to have worked for him until 2006, managing his homes in New York, Florida, New Mexico, Paris and the Virgin Islands.

According to the indictment, which focuses on the years between 1994 and 1997, Ms Maxwell facilitated Epsteins access to underage girls by inducing and enticing them for grooming and abuse at multiple lavish properties owned by Epstein.

These included his Upper East Side townhouse on East 66th Street, where he was known to throw lavish parties; his Palm Beach estate in Florida and his Zorro ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Victims were also groomed and abused at Ms Maxwells personal residence in London, according to the indictment.

Three minors, unnamed in the indictment, were allegedly induced and enticed by Ms Maxwell.

Ms Maxwell sought to normalize inappropriate and abusive conduct to the victim, the indictment reads, undressing in front of her and being present when the victim undressed for Epstein. Within a year of meeting, Epstein was abusing the victim.

Maxwell was present for and involved in some of this abuse, according to the court papers, in particular, in group sexualized massages of Epstein where the victim would engage in sex acts with Epstein.

At Tuesdays bail hearing, two alleged victims of Ms Maxwell and Epteins abuse addressed the court to argue that she be remanded in custody while she awaits trial. One of them, Annie Farmer, said she was 16-years-old when she met Ms Maxwell.

She is a sexual predator who groomed and abused me and countless other young women. She has lied under oath and tormented her survivors, she said. She added that Ms Maxwell has never shown any remorse for her heinous crimes.

Mark Cohen, the attorney representing Ms Maxwell, said his client has been the target of endless media spin as he called for her release on $5m (3.9m) bail.

Our client is not Jeffrey Epstein. She is not the monster made out by the media.
DUNCAN, B.C.British Columbias police watchdog has been called in to investigate the death of a man not long after he was released from custody on Vancouver Island.

RCMP in Duncan say an officer arrested a man for public intoxication at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

They say the man was released from RCMP cells around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday and at 3:30 p.m., RCMP were called to assist emergency health services after a man was found dead inside a unit at Warmland House, a shelter and transitional residence.

Police say the dead man was the same man who had been released from custody earlier that day.

The Independent Investigations Office is investigating to determine whether police actions or inactions are linked to the mans death.

Police say they wont release any further information as the investigation in ongoing.
The funeral took place yesterday of a young father from Ballycarney whose death in an industrial accident on Thursday has left an entire community numb with grief and shock.

MJ Malone, from Ballyduff, Ballycarney, died following the accident which local gardai said occurred at around 9 a.m. on Thursday morning in Tomgarrow.

People throughout Enniscorthy are this week coming to terms with his passing and the sudden and unexpected nature of his death has compounded the grief felt within the community.

Mr Malone, who was in his 30s, was working on the construction of a grain store when the accident occurred.

A devoted father, he was very highly regarded within his local community and that fact was highlighted by the large amount of condolence tributes expressed to his family following the tragedy.

People from all over County Wexford offered sympathies to his family in addition to condolences coming from other areas of Ireland and as far away as New York.

One person described Mr Malone as an 'absolute gentleman, a laugh, [and] a hard worker who knew his trade' while another couple said he was 'a gentleman with a big heart and time for everyone, young and old'.

Those sentiments were shared by Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan, from Enniscorthy Municipal District Council, who is a neighbour of the Malone family.

'He really was a decent, honest, hard-working young gentleman and he'd always have a smile when you would meet him,' she said.

Cllr Codd-Nolan said the entire community in Castledockrell is 'devastated' by the tragedy.

'It's just devastating for his family and for the wider community which is very close-knit,' she said.

'He was outgoing and was a friend to people of all ages,' she added.

Cllr Codd-Nolan expressed sympathies to Mr Malone's parents, siblings and to his partner and his children on their sad loss.

Her sentiments were echoed by Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy who also offered her condolences to Mr Malone's family.

'I would offer my deepest condolences to the family,' she said.

'It's heartbreaking for his family,' she added.

Mr Malone was working on the construction of a grain store when the accident that claimed his life occurred.

The gardai and the Health and Safety Authority launched investigations into the accident and a spokesperson for Enniscorthy gardai said both investigations are ongoing.

The spokesperson said the gardai received a report of an accident at Tomgarrow, Ballycarney, at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Describing the incident as an industrial accident, the garda spokesperson said HSA inspectors visited the scene, which remained sealed off until around 5 p.m. on Thursday evening, and the two investigations into the accident were launched immediately.

Mr Malone, who was a pillar of the community and held in very high esteem, was a dearly loved son of Eddie and Stella Malone and came from one of the most highly respected families in the community.

He is survived by his parents, his children, Evie and Pippa, their mother - Mr Malone's partner, Linda - and her son, Nathan.

He is also survived by his brothers, Ray and Eamonn, his sister, Eilish, and by his loving family, grandmother, Anna, aunt, Ann, uncle, Tim, brother-in-law, John, sister-in-law, Oonagh, nephews, nieces, relatives and large circle of friends.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Egypts role in Libyas intractable conflict as illegal, a day after his Egyptian counterpart met with the heads of allied Libyan tribes in Cairo.

Erdogan told reporters today that Turkey "will not allow our Libyan brothers to stand alone in their fight against the eastern-based Libyan National Army of Khalifa Hifter. The renegade commander is supported by Egypt, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Russia. The rival, UN-backed Government of National Accord counts Turkey among its patrons.

Egypt's steps [in Libya], especially their standing next to putschist Haftar, shows that they're in an illegal process," Erdogan said, according to Turkeys pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper.

In Cairo on Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Libyan tribesmen and told them his country would not stand idle amid escalating tensions in the northern city of Sirte.

His meeting came as Turkey-backed forces appear poised to enter the oil-rich coastal city, which is currently under the control of Hifters troops. Ankara has urged the strongmans forces to withdraw so that a sustainable cease-fire can be reached.

In turn, Sisi has warned the Egyptian military would intervene if the Government of National Accord moves farther east toward its border. On Monday, the parliament allied with Hifters army called on Egyptian armed forces to intervene if they see an imminent danger.

For the past six years, Libya has been embroiled in conflict between the two rival administrations and their array of foreign backers. Government of National Accord forces regained full control of Tripoli in early June, turning the tide of the war in their favor after a yearlong offensive by the Libyan National Army.
A man before Longford Circuit Court charged with robbery and assault has been sentenced to six years in prison with the final 18 months suspended.

Tony Wilson, formerly of Tallaght, Dublin 24, along with another co-accused was charged with robbing Jacqueline Ormond in Longford town on November 7, 2018. He was further charged with the assault of a third party who had come to Ms Ormonds aid when she was being robbed.

Speaking at a recent court sitting, Detective Garda Clive Glancy explained that Ms Ormond got the 5.30am train to Dublin on that day, and had arrived back in Longford at approximately 9.30pm.

As she disembarked the train and walked to her car at a carpark, CCTV footage shows Ms Ormond being followed by the defendant and three other people who had been on the same train.

She was accosted by three of the four when she reached her car. A female and a male grabbed her handbag, Det Gda Glancy explained.

She held on and was forcibly dragged until they forcibly took the handbag.

While this was happening, another man, Denis McGrath, who had been passing, intervened to try to help Ms Ormond and was accosted by two males, Det Gda Glancy continued.

A struggle ensued and he received facial injuries, he explained while CCTV footage of the incident was shown in court.

After the incident, Ms Ormond and Mr McGrath went to Longford Garda Station and reported the incident to Gda Satchwell.

The accused was arrested the following day and shown CCTV footage. During an initial interview, Det Gda Glancy explained, the accused replied no comment throughout but, in a second interview, he accepted he was on the footage from the train but said no more.

The court heard that Mr Wilson is well known to gardai. He had 98 previous convictions, many of which were for assault, and had a history of drug abuse.

A victim impact statement by Denis McGrath, which was read out in court by Det Gda Glancy, revealed that Mr McGrath had received a laceration below his left eye, which was black for a number of days due to being punched.

The statement read that Mr McGrath becomes nervous when its dark at night and hes alone, and that he is more aware of people around him.

I was shocked at the level of violence used against Jacqueline Ormond and by the violence used on me, his statement read.

His actions were commendable. Without his intervention, we could have been dealing with more serious matters, said Judge Keenan Johnson.

A victim impact statement written by Jacqueline Ormond was also read out in court. In it, she detailed the obliteration of any sense of security in public settings.

This happened in the presence of a number of significant deterrents, her statement read.

Ms Ormond wrote that she had identified the threat of one of the co-accused at the train station and had taken reasonable steps to ensure my own safety.

I was targeted, followed and isolated, she said, adding that she had no feeling of safety or security.

All that was missing on the night was a David Attenborough narration.

They dragged me along the ground on my back and they would not stop. I held a vice-like grip but they were unrelenting. They were so determined and had a complete disregard for my safety.

My arms were over my head, exposing my body to any number of violent attacks. I fully expected violence. I had to accept I was going to get hurt.

She also expressed her gratitude to Denis McGrath whose bravery she said could not be overstated and that, while this was a deeply traumatic experience, it also demonstrated the inherent good in people.

Ms Ormond also explained that she suffered grazes on her back from being dragged and was receiving ongoing psychotherapy to deal with her stress following the incident.

The court heard of Mr Wilsons history with drug abuse, as well as two assaults he fell victim to while in prison, and a probation report furnished to the court ahead of a sitting last week revealed that Mr Wilson had suffered a dysfunctional childhood.

He certainly wasnt born equal. He has suffered huge difficulties. The cards were stacked against him, said Judge Johnson when sentencing Mr Wilson.

He suffered appalling abuse, even while in foster care and he has yet to deal with that. I have a large degree of sympathy for him.

His drug addictions and all issues have all stemmed from that and he needs to deal with that.

In conclusion, Judge Johnson sentenced Mr Wilson to six years imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended for a period of five years.
Police are hunting for three people who allegedly lied about why they were crossing the border into South Australia after fleeing the coronavirus capital Victoria.

They allegedly told border control they needed urgent medical attention when they entered the state at the Yamba Point in the Riverland after 5pm on Saturday,

But they failed to attend the nominated Medical Centre in South Australia, police allege.

Police say the passengers are now in breach of COVID-19 directives and they are desperately trying to hunt them down.

On Saturday, cross-border travel restrictions were tightened by South Australian police, meaning all travellers from NSW, ACT and returning citizens must undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing.

The vehicle was a blue 2004 Holden Rodeo with Victorian registration 1IB-4CT (pictured)

Authorities have released CCTV images of the group and the ute they were travelling in.

The vehicle was a blue 2004 Holden Rodeo with Victorian registration 1IB-4CT.

Anyone who sees the three occupants, two men and a woman, are being urged to contact the police assistance line immediately on 131 444.

Increasing numbers of people have been caught trying to sneak across state lines in recent weeks amid changes to interstate travel.

Queensland opened its border to other states on July 10, for the first time since March 26.

Police also released the image of a man who who was allegedly driving the car (pictured)

The state reintroduced its hard border closure with Victoria on July 9, meaning only SA residents or those with special exemptions are allowed into the state (pictured: officers man the Pinaroo border in South Australia)

However the rising case numbers in Victoria and and NSW has prompted the state to ban residents from hot-spots areas.

Illegal crossings became such a concern that a 700me wall was built on the New South Wales and Queensland border in Coolangatta to stop residents sneaking interstate without being checked by police.

Plans to reopen the South Australia border to NSW have been put on hold because of rising case numbers linked to the Crossroads Hotel in south west Sydney.

This means anyone who crosses into the state from New South Wales or the ACT must undergo mandatory 14 day isolation upon entering.

The state reintroduced its hard border closure with Victoria on July 9, meaning only SA residents or those with special exemptions are allowed into the state.
Anti-mask demonstrators have clashed with a black pastor calling for reparations over the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that left an estimated 300 African Americans dead.

Footage shared to social media earlier this week shows Rev. Robert Turner speaking into a megaphone outside Tulsa City Hall with a small group of supporters.

The activists then become surrounded by large crowd of demonstrators protesting against mandatory mask-wearing.

The group of anti-maskers - who waved placards that read 'Fire Fauci' and 'Masks Harm Health' - attempted to down out Turner by changing 'USA! USA!'

However, Turner was not deterred, telling the crowd about the city's historic race massacre.

'An angry racist mob of white descended upon Greenwood [in 1921] and killed black people. Not one of those racist, white angry fools had a trial for the cause,' he stated into the megaphone.

A white anti-mask demonstrator then stated: 'Sweetie, let us have our voice and you can have yours!'

She subsequently yelled at Turner: 'You're racist! You're racist!'

Anti-mask demonstrators clashed with a black pastor Rev Robert Turner, who is calling for reparations over the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that left an estimated 300 African Americans dead

Turner continued, saying into the microphone: 'It is a travesty that you care more about face masks then you do about justice.'

He went on to call for reparations for the families of those killed in the massacre, saying that Tulsa has enough money to pay up.

'Reparations for what?' one anti-masker then yelled.

Another appeared to wave a dollar bill at one of the activists who was holding up a sign which read: 'Reparations now!'

According to The Washington Post, another anti-masker told the black pastor 'My ancestors freed your people'.

No criminal complaint was filed over the clash.

In a statement, Tulsa's Republican Mayor, G.T. Bynum, stated: 'The plaza in front of City Hall belongs to every Tulsan, and every Tulsan should feel welcome to make their voice heard in that space.

'Reverend Turner and I have had our differences of opinion, but I will always support his right to express that opinion.'

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has received new attention amid a national reckoning on racism in the United States.

THE 1921 TULSA RACE RIOT: AN ATTACK ON GREENWOOD After World War I, Tulsa was recognized for its affluent African-American community known as the Greenwood District. The community was often referred to as the 'Black Wall Street' because of its thriving businesses and residential area, but in June 1921, the community was nearly destroyed during the Tulsa Race Riot. The events leading up to the riot began on May 30, 1921, when a young black man named Dick Rowland was riding in the elevator with a woman named Sarah Page. The details of what followed vary from person to person and it's unclear what actually happened, but Rowland was arrested the next day by Tulsa police, with reports suggesting Rowland assaulted Page. During the Tulsa Riot, 35 city blocks were completely destroyed and more than 800 people were treated for injuries. Historians believe as many as 300 people may have died in the riot Subsequently, a report in the Tulsa Tribune dated May 31, 1921 was published that night with an accompanying editorial stating that a lynching was planned for that night. This started a confrontation between black and white armed men at the courthouse, with the white men demanding that Rowland be lynched while the black men tried to protect him. During a struggle between two men in the mobs over a gun, shots were fired and a white man was shot, causing the the African-American group to retreat to the Greenwood District. In the early morning hours of June 1, 1921, Greenwood was looted and burned by an estimated 10,000 white rioters, who flooded into the streets shooting residents. Planes also reportedly dropped incendiary bombs on the area. Many of the white mob had recently returned from World War I and trained in the use of firearms, are are said to have shot Black Americans on sight. Pictured: Part of Greenwood District burning during the Race Riots, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, June 1921. More than 1,400 homes and businesses were destroyed. The picture caption above says 'Burning of Church Where Ammunition was Stored-During Tulsa Race Riot-6-1-21' In addition, more than 1,400 homes and businesses were destroyed, and nearly 10,000 people were left homeless. The riots lasted for two days, and Governor Robertson declared martial law, and National Guard troops were called in to Tulsa. During the riot, 35 city blocks were completely destroyed. Historians believe as many as 300 people may have died in the riot - mostly Black Americans -and more than 800 people were treated for injuries. Bodies were buried in mass graves while families of those who were killed in the riots were held in prison under martial law according to Scott Ellsworth, a University of Michigan historian, in December. The families of the deceased were never told whether their loved ones died in the massacre, or where they were buried, and no funerals were held. Until the 1990s, the massacre was rarely mentioned in history books, and in 2001, the Race Riot Commission was organized to review the details of the deadly riot. Source: Tulsa History.org Advertisement

A geophysical scan conducted earlier this year found signs of a mass grave in Tulsa, and an archaeological excavation has begun in attempt to uncover the remains of victims from the Massacre.

On Monday, test excavations of potential unmarked mass graves were resumed by a team of researchers and historians in the city.

A backhoe operator began slowly moving dirt at Tulsa's Oaklawn Cemetery, where ground-penetrating radar earlier this year determined there was an anomaly consistent with mass graves.

'Our work continues to find the graves of our fellow Tulsans who went missing during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre,' Tulsa's Mayor G.T. Bynum said on Facebook.

Workers and researchers have begun digging at Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, pictured above, in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

'Today, we begin a test excavation in Oaklawn Cemetery to determine what is causing an underground anomaly found by geophysical scanning conducted earlier this year.'

'Because the scan is consistent with a mass grave, a team of some of the foremost researchers in the nation have assembled in Tulsa to assess both the presence and the condition of any human remains at the site in question,' he said.

Researchers plan to open a 6-by-3-meter excavation area using the backhoe to clear the first layer of soil, followed by shovels, trowels and even more delicate tools if remains are uncovered, said Oklahoma State Archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck.

'It can become a tedious process, but it's important that we do this carefully, cautiously and take copious notes along the way,' Stackelbeck said.

For two days starting on May 31 1921, an white mob estimated to be 10,000-strong destroyed Tulsa's Black Greenwood district, known as Black Wall Street,resulting in the deaths of an estimated 300 people and injuring 800 more

Pictured: Dirt is dumped into a truck at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 13, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

In the years that followed, Tulsa city and business leaders engaged in a 'concerted cover-up' to hide the truth about the massacre, Bynum said.

'You had generations of people who grew up in this community ... and never heard about it,' Bynum said. 'I feel a tremendous responsibility as mayor to try and find these folks. That's a basic thing that a city government should do for people, and Tulsa hasn't.'

'In Tulsa, if you're murdered we do everything we can to find out what happened and bring justice for your family,' The mayor said. 'It should not have taken us 99 years to get to this point of the investigation.

'But this generation of Tulsans is committed to being a better city, and to doing right by the victims. We will follow the truth where it leads us.'
China's geostrategic interests and orientations continue to expand, results of which can be seen spilling over in the form of unmitigated violence in the South China Sea, defending its military and trade interests in the Asia Pacific, sometimes by undermining the rights and sovereignties of other countries, over 18 in fact, despite sharing borders with only 14 of them.

China is the world's most populous country with a landmass area that is second only to Russia. With an increasing appetite for regional and global hegemony, resources are a key factor of how a country can become a dominating power in the 21st century. Here are five areas China currently has a key interest in:

Read | Why Chi*a banned the letter "n" and top 5 bizarre words censored by Xi Jinping's govt

Aksai Chin

Largely a remote and inhospitable region in the northeastern part of Ladakh, the area was ignored until the 1950s when China violated India's borders by building a military road through it to connect Tibet to China's southwest region Xinjiang (another province persecuted by the Chinese PLA under Xi Jinping's rule).

India retaliated to the untoward aggression and this ultimately led to the Sino-India conflict in 1962. After a bitter spell of the fight, India ceded control of 38,000 sqkm of territory in Aksai Chin. Following that, in 1993 and 1996, both countries signed a decree acknowledging the demarcation line and agreed to stay away from the LAC.

Why Aksai Chin is important

China eyes Aksai Chin for its access to Tibet and militarily strategic vantage point. Being situated mostly on high ground, with an average elevation of around 18,000 feet, if China ever went to war with its neighbours, its borders would remain secure and the marching armies will have to cross the mighty Himalayas to gain access to its lands.

Read | Is QUAD a viable alliance to counter the rising Chinese influence in Asia-Pacific?

South China Sea

Not only does China claim large sections of the water for itself but it is up in arms with a number of territories over disputed islands in the region. China is notorious for taking control by manning the waters with its Navy and aircraft carriers in Woody and Spratly islands in the South China Sea.

Currently, seven countries  China, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam hold different territorial claims in the region, sometimes these countries have multilateral disputes among them over its sovereignty. China inadvertently bullies its much smaller and weaker neighbours by staking historical precedence and geographical ownership claims over the territory.

Significance of the South China Sea

Adding to the tension, the US Navy frequently patrols the sea with its war machinery owing to its alliance with several of these countries, except for Vietnam and this in return aggravates China as it considers it an unwanted provocation.

The South China Sea is a big piece of the puzzle for Beijing's ambition as it provides crucial access to important trade locations  connecting Asia with Europe and Africa. According to WEF (World Economic Forum), one-third of global shipping USD 3.7 trillion worth of international trade passes through these waters.

In addition to this, the sea bed is also touted to be rich in oil and gas reserves. The US Energy information administration estimates that the region likely holds at least 11 billion barrels of crude oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas trapped in the sea bed. Alternatively, it is also a major food source. Over 10% of the world's seafood is reported to come from there.

Read | Galwan Valley face-off: 5 reasons why China shouldn't underestimate India's strength

CPEC and its significance to China's strategic interests

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC): Pakistan's warm water and deep seaport Gwadar is situated right at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which holds two-thirds of the world's oil reserves. After its initial construction phase between 2007-2012, the Port Singapore Authority (PSA) built a small port in the area, however, due to underperformance, it was handed over to China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), which revamped the port at a rapid pace.

Along with the building of the port, China also heavily invested in power generation plants and an international airport in the city. There are several other projects planned all with the intention of commencing commercial trade and shipment in the region.

Considering the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in place, the port is one of the three major deep seaports in Pakistan that could connect East Asia with central and west Asia and Africa.

Chinese investments - Iran, SL port

According to several leading news reports, it is believed that China and Iran have signed a comprehensive trade and security agreement worth USD 400 billion. The trade is likely to mark a significant geopolitical shift in the region and gives China access to the inner roads in West Asia. Although full details of the deal have not appeared in public domain, this is a sign of what is to come and regional powers including India and Japan as well as global powers such as Russia and the US should be concerned of the leeway China has made.

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the cornerstone of its aim to dominate global supply as well as find new markets for its products. China's exploitation coupled with the region's instability will not only disrupt regular business in the region but also empower China to take more extreme measures to thwart democratic values at home.

Iran's isolation by the US meant that China had a freehand to propose large-scale agreements and they did just that. China and Iran have reportedly agreed to expand the former's presence in Iran in the form of banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, and countless other fields.

Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port is another prime example of negative Chinese influence in an economy. Despite the country's ballooning debt under president Mahinda Rajapakse, China continued to loan billions to Sri Lanka. After years of construction and renegotiation, CHEC (China Harbour Engineering Company) it's largest state-owned enterprise decided to take over the rights and access to the port in 2015 for failure of non-payment.

China now owns the lease for Hambantota for 99 years and an additional 15,000 acres of land surrounding it. The transfer, according to New York Times, gave China control of territory just a few hundred kms off the shores of India  a strategically sound foothold to possess in the form of commercial and military waterways. But Sri Lanka will never reap its benefits.

Read | China shares border with 14 countries but has territorial disputes with over 18

Myanmar oil gas reserves

Not only does Myanmar have the largest natural gas reserve in Asia but it also has tremendous opportunities for commercial activities waiting for approval. Noting that FDI is constantly increasing in the region, U Thaung Tun, chair of Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) explained that large corporations such as ENI, PTTEP, Daewoo and Woodside are all commencing their exploratory drilling in more than 20 onshore and offshore blocks. Among these exploration project now in progress, the Ministry of Electricity and Energys Oil and Gas Planning Department said that is all set to invite international tenders of up to 31 oil and gas exploration fields in 2019. India had once lost the opportunity to gain an advantageous position with oil drilling projects to China in 2007 and has since been snubbed repeatedly due to Chinese influence.

Recently, one of China's closest ally in Southeast Asia blamed China for funding and arming rebels and insurgent groups in its country to destabilise the region. It accused Beijing of supplying its terrorist factions with "sophisticated weapons". Myanmar's Senior General Min Aung Hlaing explained that terrorist outfits active in the country, especially in oil-rich regions are backed by "strong international forces" referring to China.

Several other military leaders have stated the same implying Chinese forces were funding the Arakan Army, the Rohingya Salvation Army in order to gain more influence and supremacy over Myanmar's oil and gas reserves. This isn't the first time Myanmar's leaderships has alluded to the Chinese connection. Frequently, Myanmar's army raids and stumbles upon arms cache sometimes worth well beyond USD 100,000 and all the weapons seized the Generals acknowledge seemed to come from China.

Read | From 'President for life' to 'Xi Dada': How it's all gone downhill for China's Xi Jinping
Former chairs of Federal Reserve urged lawmakers to extend the $600 unemployment benefit under the CARES Act that is set to expire this month.

In some states, the unemployment benefit worth $600 is set to end next week. This means that the unemployment claim starting next month will vary depending on the state where you belong. Some will receive an unemployment claim of $300 or more, but this is only for a certain period of time.

During a remote hearing on Friday, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told members of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis that it would be a catastrophe if the unemployment benefit will not be extended. Currently, around 32 million Americans are receiving the federal aid weekly.

Yellen and her predecessor Ben Bernanke appeared before the Congress for the first time since they left the government. During their appearance, they praised the Trump's administration and the lawmakers for their fast response to the economic downturn.

While praising the initial action of the government, the two also offered a series of suggestions that mainly focus on the expansion of the unemployment benefits, which already helped millions of individuals who were furloughed or laid-off.

Bernanke and Yellen have become outspoken advocates for aggressive government response by both the Federal Reserve and the Congress during the pandemic.

In the previous weeks, they wrote op-eds, delivered speeches, and signed a letter to the Senate and Congress, according to a published article in NBC News.

Meanwhile, current Chairperson of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell has been reluctant to offer advice and suggestion to lawmakers on fiscal policy. Powell's predecessor has called for bold action to expand the federal program under the CARES Act.

Aside from extending the $600 federal unemployment benefit, Yellen is also urging the lawmakers to make sure that complementary programs like the food stamps are well funded. She further noted that the federal government should invest more in public health.

A Democratic-led HEROES Act was proposed in May that aims to extend the CARES Act. However, it was not accepted and it was replaced by a Republican-led bill that will be designed for wider recipients. Some members of the Republican lawmakers said extending the unemployment benefits would not help unemployed individuals to look for jobs.

But for Bernanke and Yellen, tying unemployment insurance to the unemployment rate could create an economic stabilizer. They also suggested benefits on which it is based on the employee's pre-unemployment wages. This suggestion has been the practice of all states in the country, where they set a minimum and maximum cap based on the salary.

Bernanke and Yellen have a wide experience in dealing with unemployment and recession. During the Great Recession in 2008, Bernanke headed the Federal Reserve, while Yellen was the Vice-chair. Their comments on Friday were based on their experiences in 2008.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 20:01:09|Editor: huaxia

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YANGON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 23,500 kilograms of sodium cyanide were seized in Myanmar's Mandalay region, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Saturday.

The seizure was made by a joint team comprising customs department staff and anti-narcotic police personnel in Patheingyi township on Thursday, the committee's release said.

Two suspects were arrested, along with a truck and they were charged under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law.

On the same day, 25.19 kilograms of heroin worth over 2.5 billion kyats (1.79 million U.S. dollars) and 508,000 stimulant tablets worth over 1 billion kyats (725,714 U.S. dollars) were confiscated from a damaged car which seemed to have a accident near Pyin Oo Lwin-Mandalay road in the same region.

The township police filed a case to capture the suspect who fled the scene under the respective law, the release said. Enditem
Even though it rankles me to work for these guys from the border or the guys from Sinaloa ... I will serve any of those guys, before I let the other ones come in, said a man identified as Yepez. While authorities would not verify the authenticity of the tape, Yepez has been known in the past for posting such videos on social media sites.
A massive number of asteroids are hovering around the planet Earth every year. Some people are worried that sooner or later, one of them will hit Earth and erase half of the population.

However, experts are certain that we do not have to worry about Armageddon and we do not have to fear the human life being wiped out, just like what happened to dinosaurs millions of years ago.

Earth is still safe

According to Lindley Johnson, humans should not be worried about asteroids hitting Earth anytime soon. But it is true that there is a chance that if an asteroid does hit Earth, it will be the most devastating natural disaster in history, as reported by USA Today.

President Danica Remy of B612 told NBC that it is 100% certain that Earth will get hit one day, but it is not certain when. History shows that humans survived a couple of devastating natural disasters.

Around 800,000 years ago, an asteroid that was a kilometer long crashed into Southeast Asia, but humans had survived it. It caused the Sun to be blocked out for years because the asteroid threw up dust and it had an impact on the evolution of humans, but humanity was not completely wiped out.

Also Read: Asteroid Alert: NASA Detects Four Asteroid Passing Earth's Orbit With One Closer Than Others

Scientists are still trying to find out how humans were able to survive the asteroid crash and they are hoping that finding the exact place of the impact will help.

Another reason why people should not be worried about asteroids wiping out humanity like what it did to dinosaurs is that humans are smarter than dinosaurs. It gives us an edge when it comes to surviving an asteroid impact.

Scientist and mathematician, Robert Walker, told Science 2.0 that as long as we retain at least stone-age technology, there are not many events that could make humans go extinct. It is possible that humans will go back to surviving on shellfish or back to beach-combing but we would still survive.

Another way to survive an asteroid impact would be to go deep underground to survive a nuclear winter. Nuclear winter is similar to what happens after a nuclear war.

As of now, there are numerous asteroids flying past the Earth's orbit, and some of them are a little too close to the planet, but none of them are on a direct collision course for the planet according to PDCO or NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination.

If ever an asteroid shifts its course, NASA has telescopes on the ground and in space, monitoring its movements. Currently, the space agency is working on a project called DART Mission to defend Earth against an asteroid that could cause the extinction of the human race.

What are asteroids?

Asteroids are small, metallic, or rocky objects that are orbiting the Sun. Asteroids are usually larger than 1 meter in diameter, while the smaller ones are called meteoroids. According to Planetary.Org, the largest asteroid that has been recorded is Ceres, which has a diameter of 965 kilometers or 600 miles.

Most asteroids are located in the asteroid belt that is between Mars and Jupiter, but there are some asteroids that come near to the Earth's orbit or cross the Earth's orbit.

Related Articles: MIT Researches Conduct Simulation On How To Deflect Asteroids from Hitting Earth

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By Trend

As many as 25,421 containers (35,488 TEU) of the Azerbaijani ADY Container company were transported by the local railroads in the first half of 2020, a source in the company told Trend.

According to the source, over the reporting period, railway cargo transportation showed growth by 21 percent (with TEU up to 24 percent) compared to the same period in 2019.

"In the first half of 2019, railway cargo transportation made up only 20,927 containers (28,705 TEU)," the source said.

ADY Container LLC has begun expanding cooperation, mainly with countries in the Far East region - China, Japan, South Korea, as well as with Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Iran and India, in order to increase the volume of cargo transportation along the international East West Transport Corridor, North-South Transport Corridor and Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

ADY Container LLC is engaged in storage, maintenance and transportation of containers in accordance with international standards.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Seventeen-year-old Katie-Louise (K-Lou) Murray has been getting creative as well as meeting the needs of hundreds of people during the Covid-19 lockdown by making cloth fabric face masks.

She explained that she had been wanting to learn to sew for some time and getting involved with this project presented the perfect opportunity while being stuck at home.

'I couldn't even sew at the beginning of lockdown so I'm shocked that it has turned into this but when I first started it was just to make some for my nan's care home. Then they said afterwards that they were so good that I should make a business out of them and that's what I did.

'I started selling them at 2.50 to mostly healthcare workers, but now that the demand has grown and the masks are compulsory on public transport, I'm selling them to England and all over Ireland at 5 a mask,' she said.

With more than 1,000 masks made and sold so far, K-Lou said that the demand came from everywhere.

'I made 60 for hotel business, 30 for staff at a homeless shelter and 20 for a care home and 45 for another business. I've gotten very lovely feedback and compliments from so many people who say they've loved their masks and they then recommend them to other people.

'They say that it's nicer to see young people doing this, but for me it was a way to stay creative because I was just doing school work at home. I was bored, and I wasn't seeing my friends, so it was a great thing to do. I always wanted to learn to sew so I had ordered material, but I never had the time before to sit down,' she said.

A friend of K-Lou's as well as another family friend donated material for her to get started.

K-Lou said that she took inspiration from her late grandmother Nellie, who sadly passed away after a battle with Covid-19 in late April.

'It has been a great experience and it's keeping me very well connected to my nanny, because she used to sew dresses when she was my age and it was really her thing'.

To contact Katie Louise, send a text to 083 4800053 or a private message on Facebook searching K-Lou Murray.
The UAE leaders reviewed the Hope probes pre-flight preparations days before its historic launch to Mars from Japans Tanegashima Space Center in the first ever Arab interplanetary mission.

Through a video meeting, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), were briefed on the range of technical tasks overseen by the space missions team.

The UAE's mission to Mars is now set to launch on July 20 at 1:58 am UAE time, the UAE government announced on Friday. The launch has been delayed three times following adverse weather conditions and officials hope to see clear skies this week for the launch to proceed without a hitch.

The UAE leaders reviewed the final technical and logistical checks of the Hope probe, which will provide the first truly global picture of the Martian atmosphere.

They listened to the plans set to manage the several launch phases before expressing their unflinching confidence in the teams capability of effectively managing and executing the historic mission despite any rising challenges.

They praised the relentless coordination and efforts of the Emirati teams at both the launch site in Japan and the ground station in Dubai to transfer the probe on time for its initial launch amid the health and logistical challenges posed by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The video meeting was held with the Emirati launch team in Japan and 21 engineers from the UAE Space Agency and MBRSC stationed at the mission control room in Dubais Al Khawaneej.

Addressing the launch team in Japan, Sheikh Mohammed said: "In 1976, the late Sheikh Zayed met Nasa experts because space was his ambition. Today, you are making his dream come true."

"The young capacities and engineers who have learned and reached to this stage today is what the whole project is about," he remarked.

The UAE Prime Minister said: "We are proud to have our leader Mohamed bin Zayed with us today to support you."

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed conveyed regards from the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Sultan Al Nahyan to the team in Japan and said: "We are certain that we will live up to the trust and confidence of our ancestors who established this home for us and granted us stability, prosperity and bright future."

Lauding Sheikh Mohammed's efforts and determination, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: "We see these young talents today bringing pride to us, their families, their country and the Arab world."

"This historic event would not have been possible without the devotion, determination and persistence of my brother Mohammed bin Rashid to make this day a milestone in our lives and in the journey of our nation. You were the main factor behind this event," he added.

The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince said: "Today marks a milestone in the history of UAE and the Arab nation because this unprecedented achievement is for all the Arabs."

"The fact that this achievement was crafted by Emirati hands certainly makes it a historic day. It brings great honor to me and the people of UAE  citizens and residents. I am sure that the heart of every Emirati is with us today."

Addressing the team, Sheikh Hamdan said: "We look forward to celebrating the first transmission from the Hope probe together when it begins its journey to the Red Planet. The Mars data gathered by the probe will be a scientific discovery dedicated for the benefit of humanity."

"This achievement is from the UAEs Mars mission team to the rest of the Arab world. Its an invitation from the UAE to Arab youth and scientists to join us for new scientific achievements. We have entered the space era and more missions await us. We need all the innovative Arab minds on board," he added.

The missions launch team in Japan has completed final testing and technical checks to prepare the Hope Probe for takeoff following the multiple delays caused by the unstable weather conditions on site.-TradeArabia News Service
Japan today imports 500,000 tons of coffee annually.

Barely 60 years earlier, it was a market that hardly sold a cup!

Ad guru Sandeep Goyal reveals how Nestle won the Coffee versus Tea Battle.

IMAGE SoftBank Corp's human-like robot Pepper gestures as it introduces Nestle's coffee machines at a shop in Tokyo. Photograph: Issei Kato/Reuters

The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice was an epoch making film produced in 1952 by the famous Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu.

Besides being a cult film that questioned bourgeois elitism in post-Second World War Japan, it explored the ideological dilemmas of post-war economic recovery and prosperity.

The most interesting perspective of the film, however, was actually in the film's title: The comforting taste, and flavour, of green tea poured over rice. A Japanese all-time favourite.

For most Indians, such a flavour would be completely outside their experience set, let alone provide any comfort or solace.

And thereby hangs a very interesting tale, of Japan, from Japan, but universal in its lessons, on acquired tastes.

I first heard this story maybe 25 years ago from my mentor Fumio Oshima who led the Nestle business at Dentsu Tokyo for almost two decades.

In post war Japan, many Western companies saw meteoric growth. But Nestle struggled with their flagship product: Coffee.

Nestle had brought coffee to Japan post World War II in the hope that it would be a huge market to exploit; the company developed a seemingly great product; priced it really affordably; its taste tested well with its intended audiences; but sales never really took off.

No amount of advertising, or sampling, or promotions helped.

Japan was a tea-drinking nation, with no familiarity to coffee, and no fondness for its taste. The brand managers were perplexed, totally frustrated.

In 1975, the famous French psychoanalyst, Clotaire Rapaille, was invited to Japan by Nestle.

Rapaille was well known for his research on the emotional bonds humans form with objects in their culture.

He was asked to look at the problem of the Japanese not taking to coffee despite much advertising, and persuasion.

The Frenchman assembled several large groups of Japanese and got them to participate in some 'stimulus experiments'.

He played soothing music and got them to talk back through their earliest childhood memories.

After that, he asked them to describe their experiences with different products and what emotions they associated with them.

He then asked them about their experiences with coffee -- but he got no response. Most had no memories of coffee.

They'd never tasted coffee, hence had no emotional bond to the drink. Why?

Because in Japan they only drank tea; had been doing so for thousands of years.

Coffee was a recent foreign phenomenon with no accumulated repository of past memories.

IMAGE: A woman eats a cup with 'Ecopresso,' an espresso coffee served in an edible cup made out of a cookie in Tokyo. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

This was the critical insight Rapaille was looking for. He went back to the brand custodians at Nestle Japan and said please don't throw endless advertising dollars at converting the Japanese public to coffee. Your problem is much deeper.

Instead, he suggested a much longer term strategy. He asked Nestle to focus on coffee-flavoured candies and market them to Japanese children.

Rapaille's hypothesis was that what was needed was to get the children to love Nestle's coffee flavour from an early age.

Not only would this condition them to the taste, it would also imprint the flavour in their minds and memories. They would start to associate coffee with positive emotions.

This imprinting strategy worked doubly well because Nestle, as it is, was a proven global leader in making good candy.

Nestle Japan flooded the market with their coffee-flavoured candies which immediately became extremely popular with Japanese youth.

The secondary effect of the candy push was the filtering up of the coffee flavour to their parents, who ended up tasting the candies out of curiosity, and started to like them too.

IMAGE: Nestle's KitKat chocolatory sublime ruby at a KitKat Chocolatory shop in Tokyo. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

A decade later, Nestle re-entered the Japanese market with a new wave of coffee offerings. This time, thankfully, the outcome would be very different.

Many of their candy customers were now of working age. They were already consumers of caffeine and worked long hours.

Nestle released instant baristas that were easy for home and workspaces. Instant coffee was a thunderous success. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Nestle is the undisputed market leader in that geography. Japan today imports 500,000 tons of coffee annually. Barely 60 years earlier, it was a market that hardly sold a cup!

Patience. Practicality. Prudence. Perseverance. Penetrative insights.

Rapaille delivered for Nestle Japan one of the most profound case-studies of modern marketing, underlining the strong correlation between consumer psychoanalysis, its manifestation in visible behaviour patterns and how smart marketers can pivot marketing strategies to advantage by fully understanding how consumers think, behave and buy.

The flavour of green tea over rice is still a Japanese favourite. But in less than half a century, a mere couple of generations, coffee too is an integral part of the Japanese palette.

Nestle repeated the coffee learning with noodles in India. Most of India had never tasted noodles. But Maggi noodles targeted kids, won over mothers.

In three decades all of India is addicted!

Feature Production: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
The mayor of Portland, Oregon has demanded that President Donald Trump remove militarized federal agents he deployed to the city after some detained people on streets far from federal property they were sent to protect.

'Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city,' Mayor Ted Wheeler said at a news conference on Friday.

'Over the past week, President Trump has used our city as a staging ground to further his political agenda, igniting his base to cause further divisiveness,' Wheeler said. 'Mr. President, federal agencies should never be used as your own personal army.'

Thursday night marked the 50th straight night of unrest in Portland, with protests frequently spilling into violent demonstration, statues toppled, and fires lit in the streets. On Thursday, a crowd outside the Southeast Precinct threatened to burn the building down, but was dispersed.

Protesters gather during a demonstration in Portland on Thursday. Federal officers deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters late Thursday

Police stand as protesters gather during a demonstration, Thursday in Portland. The mayor of Portland, Oregon has demanded that President Donald Trump remove federal agents

Police gather as protesters gather during a demonstration in Portland. Federal officers deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters late Thursday

'Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city,' Mayor Ted Wheeler (above) said at a news conference

Trump has vowed to 'dominate' the protesters with federal agents, and on July 12 a video showed a federal officer shooting a protester in the head with a nonlethal munition, resulting in a skull fracture.

There have been reports that federal agents dressed in fatigues are patrolling the streets in unmarked vans, grabbing and arresting protesters on sight.

Democratic Governor Kate Brown said Trump is looking for a confrontation in the hopes of winning political points elsewhere. She said it also serves as a distraction from the coronavirus pandemic, which is causing spiking numbers of infections in Oregon and the nation.

Brown's spokesman, Charles Boyle, said Friday that arresting people without probable cause is 'extraordinarily concerning and a violation of their civil liberties and constitutional rights.'

The ACLU of Oregon said the federal agents appear to be violating citizens' rights, which 'should concern everyone in the United States.'

'Usually when we see people in unmarked cars forcibly grab someone off the street we call it kidnapping,' said Jann Carson, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon. 'The actions of the militarized federal officers are flat-out unconstitutional and will not go unanswered.'

Federal officers have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Thursday. Some have been detained by the federal courthouse, which has been the scene of protests. But others were grabbed blocks away.

'This is part of the core media strategy out of Trump's White House: to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data,' Wheeler said. 'And it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials.'

Protesters disperse as tear case is deployed during a demonstration in Portland on Thursday

Protesters move barricades as they try to establish a new autonomous zone on Thursday

One video showed two people in helmets and green camouflage with 'police' patches grabbing a person on the sidewalk, handcuffing them and taking them into an unmarked vehicle.

'Who are you?' someone asks the pair, who do not respond. At least some of the federal officers belong to the Department of Homeland Security.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that its agents had information indicating the person in the video was suspected of assaulting federal agents or destroying federal property.

'Once CBP agents approached the suspect, a large and violent mob moved towards their location. For everyones safety, CBP agents quickly moved the suspect to a safer location,' the agency said. However, the video shows no mob.

In another case, Mark Pettibone, 29, said a minivan rolled up to him around 2 a.m. Wednesday and four or five people got out 'looking like they were deployed to a Middle Eastern war.'

Pettibone told The Associated Press he got to his knees as the group approached. They dragged him into the van without identifying themselves or responding to his questions and pulled his beanie over his eyes so he couldn't see, he said.

'I figured I was just going to disappear for an indefinite amount of time,' Pettibone said.

Pettibone said he was put into a cell and officers dumped the contents of his backpack, with one remarking: 'Oh, this is a bunch of nothing.'

After he asked for a lawyer, Pettibone was allowed to leave.

Graffiti is seen in a public restroom in Chapman Park across from Justice Square in Portland

Protesters have gathered in the public plaza and want to establish an 'autonomous zone'

'Authoritarian governments, not democratic republics, send unmarked authorities after protesters,' Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a tweet.

U.S. Attorney Billy Williams in Portland said Friday he has requested the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General investigate the actions of DHS personnel.

In a letter Friday, Oregon's two senators and two of its House members demanded that U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf immediately withdraw 'these federal paramilitary forces from our state.'

The members of Congress also said they'll be asking the DHS inspector general as well as the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate 'the unrequested presence and violent actions of federal forces in Portland.'

'It's painfully clear this administration is focused purely on escalating violence without answering my repeated requests for why this expeditionary force is in Portland and under what constitutional authority,' Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said.

On Thursday night, federal officers deployed tear gas and fired non-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters.

Protesters in Portland, Oregon, clashed with federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security this week as agents deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal munitions at residents. Pictured: a fountain in Portland damaged during Black Lives Matter protests on Thursday

Protesters gather outside the East Side Police Station in Portland, Oregon, after holding Black Lives Matter protests non-stop for the last seven weeks

Posts on social media called for residents to join the CLAT movement and camp out in front of the Pioneer Courthouse in protest of police brutality

Wolf visited Portland on Thursday and called the demonstrators, who are protesting racism and police brutality, 'violent anarchists.'

Wolf blamed state and city authorities for not putting an end to the protests. But Portland police said Friday they wound up arresting 20 people overnight.

At least two protests occurred Thursday night, one near the federal courthouse and the other by a police station in another part of the city.

Police told protesters to leave that site after announcing they heard some chanting about burning down the building. Protester Paul Frazier said Friday the chant was 'much more rhetorical than an actual statement.'

Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell told reporters Friday that his officers are in contact with the federal agents, but that neither controls the others' actions.

'We do communicate with federal officers for the purpose of situational awareness and deconfliction,' Lovell said. 'Were operating in a very, very close proximity to one another ... so its important for us to know if they're going to take some type of action and its important for them to know if we're going to take some type of action.'

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Oregon on Friday added the federal government to a lawsuit it filed earlier to halt the use of crowd control measures, including tear gas and rubber bullets, against journalists and legal observers at protests in Portland.

'The lawsuit is one of many the ACLU will be filing against federal authorities in Portland for their unconstitutional attacks on people protesting the police killing of George Floyd,' the group said.

Tensions have escalated in the past two weeks, particularly after an officer with the U.S. Marshals Service fired a less-lethal round at a protester's head on July 11, critically injuring him.

The protests following the police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis have often devolved into violent clashes between smaller groups and the police. The unrest has caused deep divisions in a city that prides itself on its activism and progressive reputation.
Rolando Rojano rested his head on the pillow while laying down on the sidewalk.

He was tired, he said, but not any more so than at any other time since the coronavirus pandemic began.

The 45-year-old spent Thursday night camped out in tent outside the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton, thinking of his wife, who he said is still recovering from a 20-day stay in the hospital battling coronavirus, and his daughter sleeping in their 2-bedroom apartment in Passaic.

He reached into his pocket to remember why he came. He pulled out a tattered PSE&G bill for $607.79 -- the utility bill hes been unable to pay for three months.

Rojano takes it with him whenever he leaves the house. I dont want my kids to see the bill so I take it with me almost everywhere, he said.

Rojano said he and his wife both lost their jobs in March  at a restaurant and fabric factory, respectively  and neither are eligible for unemployment because they are undocumented. They have no way to pay the $1,200 in rent and hundreds more in monthly expenses.

As undocumented immigrants, the couple and their daughter have been ineligible for any of the relief programs offered by the government.

Its very stressful, but we have to keep fighting, he said in an interview translated from Spanish. We have to keep fighting for everyone that needs recovery, because if we stop, who will give us relief?

About 30 immigrants and advocates camped out for 24 hours in front of the Statehouse Thursday and Friday, seeking help for those who did not get relief funds, including undocumented immigrants and their families and people here on visas.

Theyre calling on Gov. Phil Murphy and the state Legislature to provide a $600 weekly payment for the undocumented, and stimulus checks for families left out of the CARES Act, which provided $1,200 stimulus checks and $500 for dependents.

Weve paid taxes here for 18 years, said Rojano, who said he came to America 21 years ago from Mexico. We participate in this economy too, so its an injustice that they take money out of our checks every week that we cant access when we need it.

A bill (S2480) has stalled in the state Senate Budget Committee that would set aside $35 million for stimulus checks for undocumented immigrants who file state and federal income taxes. It could provide a one-time payment of up to $1,000 for families with dependents and $500 for a single filer.

State Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, who is sponsoring the bill with state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, said the legislature is in a better financial position to push for the bill after Murphy signed the bonding bill into law, which will allow the state to borrow up to $10 billion from the federal government.

I think its important for all of us, no matter what sector were in, to create policy that protects the well-being of every person who contributes to our state, Ruiz said, adding she would like to raise the $35 million cap if the funding allows it.

Undocumented immigrants working in New Jersey contribute approximately $604 million in state and local taxes and more than $1 billion in federal taxes, according to Make the Road New Jersey, the Elizabeth-based immigrant advocacy group that organized the encampment.

Immigrant families and undocumented workers who are left out of pandemic relief camped out in front of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton Thursday through Friday. A teen holds a sign that reads RECOVERY$ALL.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Murphy, a first-term Democratic governor, previously said he would consider a $600-a-week fund for people ineligible for unemployment, however, he stressed the economic crisis New Jersey faces.

Nearly 1.4 million New Jersey workers have applied for unemployment since mid-March, with more than $10 billion paid out in state and federal relief. The pandemic pushed all non-essential businesses to close, grinding the states economy to a near-halt.

Governor Murphy believes that immigrants are a critical part of the fabric of New Jersey and understands that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on our immigrant families. The state will continue working to find solutions for residents facing financial hardship, regardless of immigration status, said Alyana Alfaro, a spokeswoman for the governors office.

But still, advocates say, if the money is there to provide large tax breaks to Amazon and other corporations, there are funds for undocumented immigrants.

If they dont have the money, then why are they still giving tax breaks to people who own yachts? If you have money for them, you have money for me while I ride my bike to work in the heat, the rain and the snow, Rojano said.

Paola Marquez, a 26-year-old international student from Colombia studying at Drew University, stressed how needed immigrants have been during the crisis.

Not only do immigrants contribute, were essential in pandemic times. The maintaining of the structures and institutions has fallen upon the shoulders of immigrants, and their well-being has to be secured by the state, she said.

Marquez said she arrived in New Jersey in August 2019 to begin her masters at Drew, and continue her journey as an ordained pastor. But with her student visa, she can only work on campus.

Since the campus closed in March, she said she has lived in her dorm room with no income. She depends on her friends for basic items, like tampons and clothes, while she uses the little money she has to pay her phone bill.

Ive had a lot of dark days. Some days I feel like Ive lost my dignity, since I have other people making decisions for me, said Marquez. I feel depression, desperation.

And the comments that undocumented immigrants dont deserve help only adds to that despair, said 18-year-old Juliette Meneses, a U.S. citizen, who camped out overnight for her mom, an undocumented immigrant working in a factory churning out plexiglass dividers for businesses reopening.

Even though my mom is working, she didnt get PPE, there was no social distancing. We dont get help if she got sick, she said, noting one of her mothers coworkers died of COVID-19. Im always scared for my mom, and thats why Im here.

If the legislature passed these bills, Marquez said it would provide some continuity to immigrants.

Were just asking for the bare minimum: knowing we have enough to feed ourselves, knowing we have a roof over our head, knowing we will be okay, said Marquez, a volunteer with Wind of the Spirit, a faith-based immigrant advocacy group in Morristown.

Just that security would be enough for Rojano.

That money we are fighting for, it would help so much, he said, gripping the PSE&G bill in his fist. I could finally stop carrying this bill in my pocket.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

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Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz.

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Iran struggles with a resurgence of COVID-19 as new cases and deaths increase since a two-month low in May.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said 35 million Iranians may contract the coronavirus as the country still did not have herd immunity although a quarter of the population may be infected.

Our estimate is that up to now, 25 million Iranians have been infected with this virus, Rouhani said during a televised meeting of the countrys virus-fighting task force on Saturday.

We have to consider the possibility that 30 to 35 million more may face infection.

It appears to be the first time a senior Iranian official has indicated the country is seeking to defeat COVID-19 via herd immunity.

We have not yet achieved herd immunity and we have no choice but to be united and break the chain of transmission of the coronavirus, he said, citing the results of a study by the Iranian health ministry.

Iran has been battling a resurgence of COVID-19, with figures showing a rise in both new infections and deaths since a two-month low in May.

Officially, the virus has so far killed close to 14,000 people and infected more than 269,400 in the country with a population of more than 80 million.





The rising toll has prompted authorities to reimpose restrictions in worst-hit provinces after being lifted countrywide in April, with Tehran extending them for an extra week on Friday.

Rouhanis deputy head of communications, Alireza Moezi, said on Twitter hours later that the 25 million in fact refers to those who have encountered the virus and achieved complete immunity.

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Rouhani also said Iran may have to prepare itself for double the number of hospitalisations it has had in the past five months, according to the health ministrys study.

The ministry does not report the overall number of hospitalisations over COVID-19.

Iran has been struggling to contain the Middle Easts worst virus outbreak since announcing its first cases in mid-February.

The country has refrained from imposing full lockdowns but closed schools, cancelled public gatherings and banned travel between provinces in March, before lifting the restrictions the next month to reopen its sanctions-hit economy.

The virus has killed more than 602,000 people and infected nearly 14 million around the world as of Friday since first being detected in China late last year.
(Newser)  Millions more children in the US learned Friday that they're unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic as death tolls reached new highs, the AP reports. It came as many statesparticularly in the Sunbeltstruggled to cope with the surge and governments worldwide tried to control fresh outbreaks. In a sign of how the virus is galloping around the globe, the World Health Organization reported nearly a quarter-million new infections in a single day. In the US, teams of military medics were deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients. The two most populous states each reported roughly 10,000 new cases and some of their highest death counts since the pandemic began. For details:

story continues below

California Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out strict criteria for school reopenings that makes classroom instruction unlikely for most districts. The Democrat's rules mandate that students above second grade and all staff wear masks.

Texas gave public schools permission to stay closed for more than 5 million students well into the fall. Under the guidelines, schools can hold online-only instruction for up to the first eight weeks, potentially pushing a return to campus in some cities until November.

Most Chicago children would return to the classroom just two days a week and spend the other three days learning remotely under a tentative plan outlined by officials from the nations third-largest school district. A final decision for fall classes is slated for August.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced she will override school districts and require students to spend at least half of their schooling in classrooms, drawing criticism from the state teachers union.

(Read more schools stories.)
Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden

Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump

People should have 'certain freedom': Trump says won't order Americans to wear face masks

India

oi-PTI

Washington, July 18: President Donald Trump has said he would not order Americans to wear masks to contain the spread of the coronavirus, saying people should have a "certain freedom."

His comments came after Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, appealed to state and local leaders to be "as forceful as possible" in getting people to wear masks in public places.

In a 'Fox News Sunday' interview, Trump said, "I don't agree with the statement that if everybody wear a mask, everything disappears.

Commenting on the initial comments from top health officials, Trump said: Hey, Dr Fauci said don't wear a mask. Our Surgeon General, terrific guy said don't wear a mask. Everybody who is saying don't wear a mask all of sudden everybody's got to wear a mask, and as you know masks cause problems, too.

Trump, who has been seen wearing a face mask only once, said, I'm a believer in masks. I think masks are good.

But Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said social distancing, an important factor in blunting the spread of the coronavirus, can be difficult with more people going out.

More than 170 Indian nationals file lawsuit against US President Donald Trump over H-1B visa

"When you're living your life and trying to open up the country, you are going to come into contact with people. And for that reason, we know that masks are really important, and we should be using them everywhere," he said during a US Chamber of Commerce virtual event.

Americans are actually slowing down the re-opening the country by not wearing a mask, CNN quoted Fauci as saying during a US Chamber of Commerce event.

"If we could get more people to understand that, hopefully we'll get more people who'd be willing to wear masks," he said.

He said he would "urge the leaders -- the local political and other leaders - in states and cities and towns to be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks."

The country needs to concentrate on the problems at hand and not worry about a second wave, he said.

"When you're having up to 70,000 new infections ... that's something you need to focus on right now, as opposed to looking at what's going to happen in September or October," he said.

There were 77,255 new cases reported on Thursday, crossing a previous record set two days ago, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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Story first published: Saturday, July 18, 2020, 22:25 [IST]
Nearly five years have elapsed since the ASEAN Economic Community was established, and businesses in the region have gradually taken advantage of the blocs import tariff cuts to expand exports to Vietnam.

Coffee is one of the key staples exported from Vietnam into the ASEAN market each year. Photo: Le Toan

Meanwhile, the country has also done the same with the blocs member states, helping to gradually truncate the years-long trade deficit between both sides.



Just over a week ago, the Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi organised a webinar connecting Indonesian businesses with the Vietnamese coal market where the demand for the material is on the rise.

According to Ibnu Hadi, Ambassador of Indonesia to Vietnam, coal export from Indonesia to Vietnam is promising, with the total in 2019 from Indonesia being 15.4 million tonnes worth $868.6 million, up 10.06 per cent on-year.

Despite the aftermath of COVID-19, the export performance in the first five months of 2020 reached $407.7 million, up 3.82 per cent on-year. Vietnams coal demand is expected to total 40.31 million tonnes this year, 70.3 million tonnes by 2025, and 100 million tonnes by 2030, due to the high demand of energy for the thermal power plants.

Many Indonesian businesses are considering Vietnam a lucrative business and investment destination, the ambassador said. They are operating not only in the coal sector, but also in other sectors such as spare car parts, education, property, infrastructure, plastic moulding, consumer products, supplementary foods, agriculture, and processing.

One of the key reasons behind Indonesian businesses rising interest in Vietnam is that the country is strongly improving its investment and business climate, in addition to positive impacts of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) established in late 2015.

Over the past few years, many business delegations from Indonesia have come to Vietnam in search of business and investment opportunities. For example, PT. Asia Mina Sejahtera is seeking Vietnamese partners to co-operate in potential coffee projects.

Were expanding production, and we are looking for more supplies of input materials. Vietnam is our best market, said Pranoto Soenarto, director of PT. Asia Mina Sejahtera.

Expanding ties

According to Vietnams General Statistics Office (GSO), many factors including tax slashes under the regions commitments have helped Vietnam swell its trade and investment co-operation with not only Indonesia but also with many other regional member states.

Statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed that in the first six months of 2020, Vietnam expanded investments to some regional markets, such as Myanmar ($38.3 million), Laos ($24.7 million), Singapore ($19 million), and Cambodia ($15.7 million).

Meanwhile, as of June 20, total investment from ASEAN member states in Vietnam hit over $90.74 billion, with Singapores investment of over $54.74 billion, Thailand ($12.4 billion), Malaysia ($12.75 billion), Indonesia ($590.6 million), and the Philippines ($265.3 million).

For example, the first six months of 2020 saw Singapore making the largest investment in Vietnam with $4.32 billion registered for 121 newly-licensed projects, and Thailand with 16 newly-licensed projects registered at $134.6 million.

Notably, Singapores Delta Offshore Energy Pte. Ltd was in February licensed by the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu to implement a $4 billion project to develop a 3.200MW power plant run by liquefied natural gas. The plant will have four turbines of 750MW each and one with a capacity of 200MW, the former to go on stream at the end of 2023 and the latter in 2027.

After cultivating their investments in Vietnam, many of these ASEAN investors have also boosted import goods from their native nations into Vietnam, from which they have also exported goods back to their nations.

Currently, Southeast Asia is now Vietnams fourth-largest export market, after the US, the EU, and China. Vietnams export turnover to the region surged from under $1 billion in 1995 to $18.23 billion in 2015 and $17.45 billion in 2016. However, the figure ascended to $21.7 billion in 2017, $24.7 billion in 2018, and $25.3 billion last year, up 1.9 per cent on-year. In the first half of this year, the figure hit $11.1 billion, down 14.2 per cent on-year.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asia is also Vietnams third-largest import market. The countrys import turnover from other member states totalled $23.8 billion in 2015, $23.7 billion in 2016, $28 billion in 2017, $32 billion in 2018 and $32.1 billion last year. The figure touched $14.2 billion in the first six months of 2020, down 11.9 per cent on-year.

Not only foreign enterprises in Vietnam, but Vietnamese ones have also been boosting their exports to ASEAN markets, said a representative from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) at a recent meeting between the government and localities. This has been thanks to slashed import tariffs, besides enterprises improved awareness about ASEAN markets.

Key export items by Vietnam to the ASEAN include farm produce like coffee, pepper, and cashews; mobile phones, computers, and other electronics items; steel, machinery, and vehicles; and textiles and garments, and also crude oil.

Nguyen Dang Manh, sales representative from Pouching Garment and Textile JSC, a Vietnam-China joint venture company in the northern province of Hung Yen, told VIR that if his firm directly exports its garments from China to the ASEAN, it would face an average import tax rate of 10-12-10 per cent, but when the firm exports from Vietnam, it can enjoy a far lower import tax rate of 2-3 per cent only, which will be fully removed in 2020.

Last year, the firm exported to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, with turnover rising 15 per cent on-year. However, the rate was down to -3 per cent in the first half of this year due to the pandemic forcing these markets to halt trade activities. After COVID-19, we may expand to other markets in the region like Thailand and the Philippines, Manh said.

Wide-ranging tax cuts

As one of the key pillars of the ASEAN Community, the AEC aims to create a tariff-free zone on all traded goods and services, while setting a timetable for the removal of non-tariff barriers regionwide.

According to the MoITs Multilateral Trade Policy Department, the ASEAN-6 nations  including the most developed economies of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand - had erased 99 per cent of their import tariff lines in 2010.

Meanwhile, the remaining nations  Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam  already removed 90 per cent of their import tariff lines in 2015. From 2018 to 2020, the remaining tariff lines will be removed by Vietnam for such products as automobiles and their spare parts, steel, motorbikes and bikes and their spare parts, wine, beer, plastics, paper, poultry, eggs, sectioned fruit, rice, processed meat, and sugar.

However, in order to benefit from such tariff reductions, goods must meet many conditions. For example, they have at least 40 per cent of their materials sourced from within ASEAN.

According to the Timber and Forest Product Association of Vietnam (Vifores), Vietnamese wooden product producers are finding it difficult to enter regional markets. In spite of tax cuts, they cannot expand exports to these markets due to their low demand for Vietnamese products. Meanwhile, the firms also import a large volume of materials, such as paint, nails, and chemicals worth millions of US dollars per year from regional member states.

Along with wooden products, many regional markets also have almost the same export goods as Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnam is considered a manufacturing base of many foreign enterprises while its supporting industries remain underdeveloped, so businesses have had to boost imports from overseas markets including Southeast Asia.

Thats why the whole economy in general has still been suffering from a trade deficit with the ASEAN, Vifores vice chairman Nguyen Ton Quyen told VIR.

The GSO reported that the deficit level was $6.3 billion in 2017, $7.3 billion in 2018, $6.8 billion, and $3.1 billion in the first half of this year. Notably, Vietnam has seen a deficit with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Vietnam is also a net importer of many items indispensable for local production from ASEAN member states, such as petrol, plastics, and components for computers, electronics, machinery, and steel from these nations.

However, according to the GSO, Vietnam imports these items for local production, and then exports finished products to the world, including Southeast Asia. Thus, there should be no big worry about the trade deficit between Vietnam and the ASEAN, and one of the important things now is how to remove barriers facing businesses of Vietnam and other regional nations.

For instance, the Indonesian Embassy to Vietnam said that despite the great potential for Indonesia to boost coal exports into Vietnam, some obstacles remain.

Challenges identified among others are logistic transportation during export, the long process of supply chain from the bidding process up to export, and the compulsory utilisation of national shipping lines and insurance, read a release from the embassy. VIR

Thanh Thu

RCEP to send strong signal on ASEAN's commitment in promoting trade Iman Pambagyo, Director General of International Trade Negotiations at the Trade Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia and Chief of the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee of ASEAN,
The video starts with the man trying to sit up. The guard pushes the man down on his back and gets on top of him. It appears the guard is pressing down on or near the mans neck. The man rolls to his side and waves his arms. The man can be seen struggling and trying to grab the guard or push him off. The video clip does not appear to show him throwing punches.
China launches campaign against illegal activities related to hazardous waste

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China has launched a campaign to crack down on illegal activities endangering the environment related to hazardous waste.

Such activities include the illegal collection, utilization, dumping and disposal of hazardous waste, according to a circular made public Friday.

Jointly launched by the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the campaign will last from July to November.

The circular requires procuratorial, public security and environment authorities at all levels to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, the use of remote law enforcement methods and the monitoring platforms.

It also called for intensified information disclosure and public supervision.
WASHINGTON  On the morning after Rep. John Lewis died, Sen. Cory Booker spoke with Yahoo News on Saturday about his experiences with the man he viewed as a mentor and a titan of American history. Booker said he was feeling deep grief over Lewiss death at 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Every time I would sit in a room with him or take a sojourn with him over this last six years, I just had this feeling that God was giving me this precious gift of letting me be in the presence of one of the greatest Americans of this past century or more, Booker said.

Lewis was part of Bookers first day in Washington. Before Booker was sworn into the Senate in 2013, he and his mother visited Lewis in the congressmans office, where he had prepared a country breakfast with grits. Lewis also gave Booker a message.

His office, by the way, is like a museum of civil rights memorabilia  and he's in every picture, the New Jersey senator recounted. So, you have this humbling moment to just sit in his presence and sit in his office.  To have him tell me, try to impress upon me, how grateful he is to see me be the fourth Black person ever popularly elected to the United States Senate and tell me how much it meant to him to give him the sense of fruition of his struggles.

Rep. John Lewis center, and Sen. Cory Booker, left, in January 2017. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Booker described the moment as a vivid illustration of the fact that he stands on the shoulders of Lewiss generation.

I had been given this very gentle, but yet commanding, reminder that, you know, the title was not paid for by me. It was earned by him and his generation before my being ever came to be, Booker said.

Lewis also accompanied Booker on a road trip to visit former President Jimmy Carter in Georgia before Booker launched his own presidential campaign last year. Booker and Lewis also had a brief conversation about a week before the Georgia congressmans death.

It was another moment where you have, you know, five, 10 minutes to tell a man how much you love him, Booker said. So, I'm hurting right now and sad.

Story continues

Lewiss death has led to an outpouring of grief around the country, given his contributions to the civil rights movement and status as the last living speaker from the 1963 March on Washington, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech. Booker pointed out that one of Lewiss final public appearances was last month when, while battling cancer, the congressman visited the protests outside the White House in Washington and praised the Black Lives Matter mural painted there.

You can see his body is physically more slight, and he's standing there with the mayor of Washington, D.C.  on the Black Lives Matter words.  That picture, I just had to stop and stare at it for a long time, Booker said. It spoke volumes of where he stood, ailing from cancer, but God's not finished with me yet.

Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. John Lewis take part in a 2015 prayer circle in front of the U.S. Capitol to honor those gunned down inside the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Lewis, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, started his political career in the early 1960s as a student activist and one of the original Freedom Riders, pressing for enforcement of anti-segregation laws. He also was one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which led anti-segregation sit-ins and pushed for voting rights and registration in Black communities. Lewiss participation in demonstrations brought about many instances of violence against him from law enforcement and segregationists. One of the most well-known scenes from his career is 1965s infamous Bloody Sunday, when he and other civil rights marchers were beaten by state troopers after they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Images from that day shocked the country and helped raise support for the civil rights movement.

Booker stressed that Lewiss impact on his life began before they ever met. As proof, he recounted a tale that he often has invoked during his political career. Bookers parents were able to raise him in a well-off New Jersey suburb thanks to the help of activists who worked with them to combat discrimination from local property owners reluctant to sell homes to Black families. One of those activists was a lawyer inspired to work against housing discrimination after watching Bloody Sunday play out on television.

While Booker had a personal connection to Lewis, he noted many benefited from the congressmans sacrifice. Booker suggested it was painful for Lewis to see his gains debilitated by Republican efforts to curb access to voting. However, he also said Lewis was pleased by the recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests around the country.

For him, there had to be some satisfaction that in the waning hours of his life, he was watching a whole nation of people of all ages, from young folk to his generation, that said, Enough  we're going to get in the way again. We're going to take on this erosion of rights and liberties that we see in a criminal justice system, in a persistently unjust policing system, in attacks on the voting rights.  All the things that he stood [for] so courageously in his career, Booker said, adding, The shadow of the giant now falls upon us.

President Barack Obama walks across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., with Amelia Boynton and Rep. John Lewis, who were beaten by police on "Bloody Sunday. (Jacquelyn Martin, file/AP)

Booker described Saturday as a time to contemplate Lewiss legacy and our own contributions.

It's not about our Facebook posts today. It's not about our Instagram pictures of him today.  We should want what he wanted, which is justice, love. And we should dedicate ourselves to that, said Booker. Today is not a day to fawn all over him. It's a day to self-examine, to really look in the mirror at a country that still falls so far short of his example, of his yearnings, of his fights. We have to pick up that fight.  Today's the day to ask ourselves, Am I worthy of such a man who loved us so much?

Booker said Lewis would want to leave behind one major question.

Are you joining me in a nation that seems now to be dragging its feet along the pathway to justice? Will you pick up your step and march, like I did? Booker asked, adding that Lewis would implore people to put yourself into the gears of power. Cause good trouble. Get in the way.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
MIAMI  The on-again, off-again opening and closing of restaurants in Miami has angered restaurant owners in the area. Last week, 30 of them gathered to protest the latest shutdown order by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a Republican.

Nick Sharp, who owns three restaurants, said of the mayors latest closure order: Its moronic. Its idiotic. It doesnt make any sense.

The owners say they have complied with previous dictates limiting them to 50 percent indoor capacity, hand washing and masks on servers, but were still ordered to close. If such measures are supposed to protect people from getting the virus, why does Mayor Gimenez now deem them insufficient? It makes one wonder if the experts and politicians can be fully trusted.

Mitchell Sanchez, co-owner of Latin House, told station WSVN, It was a decision that was made in haste, definitely with no science backing it. The owners are also angry that Gimenezs decision was made without consulting other area mayors, some of whom oppose his edict.

After the protest, Gimenez partially reversed himself, saying outside dining, as well as takeout, would be allowed, which underscores for many the arbitrariness of it all. Outside dining is also problematic due to Miamis sometimes heavy summer thunderstorms.

In an email to Mayor Gimenez he shared with me, Nick Sharp said: We demand that our elected officials show specific data on how indoor dining rooms are responsible for the spikes (in COVID-19 cases). Without this data, we insist that restaurant dining rooms re-open, countywide, immediately.

Some restaurants in South Florida are permanently closed and employees lost their jobs after the last shutdown. Owners still in business believe many of them will not survive the current closure, causing additional job losses, along with severe impacts on supply chain food distributors, the local economy and state taxes.

In a phone interview, I asked Sharp how long his restaurants could survive this latest closure. Maybe one month, he replied. He said 25 other mayors in the region oppose Gimenezs directive and that Gimenez never consulted with anyone.

Sharp was just getting started: (Mayor Gimenez) gives no solution to reducing the positivity rate, other than public responsibility. Thats the only solution he offers. Thats what we have now, and it isnt working.

It is unfair to single out a single and prosperous industry for special treatment, especially when there is no scientific consensus or reason for doing so.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), an eye doctor who contracted COVID-19 in March and recovered after self-quarantining, recently said at a Senate hearing: It is a fatal conceit to believe any one person or small group of people has the knowledge necessary to direct an economy or dictate public health behavior. I think government health experts during this pandemic need to show caution in their prognostications. Its important to realize that if society meekly submits to an expert, and that expert is wrong, a great deal of harm may occur  when we allow one mans policy or one group of small men or women to be foisted on an entire nation.

That is a good model, not only for Miami-Dade County, but also for the rest of Florida and the nation. One size doesnt fit all, and neither should the opinions of a few experts dictate to everyone, especially when other scientists and political leaders have differing opinions. The economy and health of the country are at stake and decisions made now could harm or help America for decades.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
As hospital coronavirus data collection will no longer be a task for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), data in Kansas and Missouri suddenly went incomplete or missing.

The Trump administration gave orders to hospitals this week to change data collection. They also directed a change in the way data will be made available.

When CDC was removed from the data collection process, there were concerns raised on the matter.

Data is can no longer be accessed by the Missouri Hospital Association. They can't use the data to guide statewide coronavirus efforts right now.

Kansas Hospital Association said its hospital data reports could be delayed.

Dave Dillion, Missouri Hospital Association spokesperson, said in an email that the move was a "major disruption," the NPR reported.

He added that the current numbers in Missouri are "headed in the wrong direction".

With very limited knowledge on their situation, Dillion is concerned and thinks they face "very bad news."

With this struggle in getting data, health and public officials could not know how the virus is spreading. This also leaves the public clueless.

Who will take over?

As data collection is not done by the CDC, the private firm TeleTracking Technologies of Pittsburgh took over, reported the CBS Pittsburgh.

The Trump administration believed that data collection process will be sped up with the firm, as reported by The Christian Science Monitor. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said the agency has agreed to step out of the data collection process to help streamline the reporting.

The data collected includes bed occupancy, staffing, how severe the patients are, ventilators on hand, and supplies of masks, gowns, and other personal protective equipment. The data is meant to assess the impact of the coronavirus in the hospitals.

Last April, the federal government tasked TeleTracking to gather data already reported by the CDC. Their contract with the firm amounted to $10 million.

This raised concern from health experts, who don't think it's the best idea to hand over the data to a commercial entity. TeleTracking's CEO runs a real estate investment firm in Pittsburgh.

CDC to collect other data

CDC would still be collecting data about the numbers of cases and deaths. They will get data from state health departments.

HHS Spokesperson Michael Caputo said the data from CDC has been seeing a lag of a week or more and not all hospitals are taking part in the effort.

Caputo believed that only 85 percent of the hospitals took part in CDC data collection. He added that the change is meant to have faster and more complete reporting.

No guarantees

Even though Caputo said the tech firm can help give more complete reports, it is not clear how that will happen. It is not clear if there will be any incentives or mandates to get more reports from busy hospitals.

Meanwhile, a CDC official disputed Caputo's figures. The official said that while only about 60 percent of the hospitals have been reporting to the CDC system, most of the data is processed in a span of two days.

The official asked the Christian Science Monitor to keep him anonymous as he was not in authority to talk about the CDC's system on data collection.

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Turkey has reportedly rescued a Moldovan woman and her four children from the al-Hol camp for Islamic State (IS) families in Syria.

Natalia Barkal arrived in al-Hol in 2019, but returned home Friday with the help of Turkish and Moldovan intelligence, Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Barkals husband, who was of Syrian origin, lived in Moldova until 2013. The two eventually came from the eastern European country to live in Manbij in northeast Syria. The husband was killed in 2017, according to Anadolu. The news outlet did not provide details on how Barkal came to reside in al-Hol, the family's exact timeline in Syria, or her husbands affiliations. The Moldovan news site tv8 also reported on the repatriation, describing it as a joint effort by Moldovan and Turkish intelligence.

Al-Hol is administered by the Kurdish-led autonomous administration of north and east Syria. The administration has repeatedly called on countries to take back their citizens in the camp, but repatriations have thus far been limited. The 65,000 people in the camp live in poor conditions and have varying degrees of allegiance to IS. Most al-Hol residents are women and children from Iraq and Syria, but there are thousands of foreign women and children as well.

Most recently, France took back some children from al-Hol in June.

An autonomous administration official told Al-Monitor that Turkish intelligence enabled the Moldovan familys escape from al-Hol. The official did not immediately provide further details, other than the move was not sanctioned by the administration.

Turkish intelligence smuggled them out of the al-Hol camp, the official said. They didnt leave in an official way.

Vera Mironova is a research fellow at Harvard University who is in touch with dozens of female residents of al-Hol. She said people who flee al-Hol usually go to Idlib in rebel-controlled northwest Syria. The Turkish involvement in this operation could consist of Turkish authorities allowing the Moldovan citizens to enter Turkey via the border with northeast Syria.

Al-Hol women "say you cannot just appear at the Turkish border, Mironova told Al-Monitor. You would never be able to do that without your home government asking Turkey to allow you.

Other European governments have gotten their citizens home from the camp via Turkey, she said, pointing to Finland as an example.

In a statement Friday, the autonomous administration said that Turkish intelligence has repeatedly sought to break IS-affiliated women and children out of al-Hol.

We the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria turn to the world to hold Turkey responsible for the escape and welcoming of Daesh organization members, the statement read, using the Arabic-language acronym for IS.

The camp is guarded by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are the main fighting force in northeast Syria. A chain link fence surrounds the area, which is in a desert region near the Iraqi border. There have been several escapes in recent months. The SDF and its international allies defeated IS territorially in 2019.

The SDF is in a state of conflict with Turkey, and Turkey attacked SDF territory in October.

Turkey has around 1,000 foreign IS suspects in its custody and wants to send hundreds of them back to their home countries. The government has stated its intention to extradite foreign IS fighters.
The de Young Museum's beloved annual blooming event, Bouquets to Art, goes virtual for the first time ever this week with floral workshops, games, and more.

Plus, celebrate the reopening of Oakland Zoo; tune in for a talk with How to Be an Antiracist author Ibram X. Kendi; stream a live show with Thao Nguyen to benefit the Asian Art Museum; and make reservations for a five-course black truffle meal on the patio at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Learn how to be an antiracist from the guy who wrote the book. Ibram X. Kendi, a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow and NYT bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist, will be talking about how to build an antiracist society, rethinking relationships and implicit beliefs, and actively working to create change; Monday at 4pm PST. // Register for free on Eventbrite.





Get blooming with de Young Museum's annual and first virtual Bouquets to Art. Stream floral workshopos, tour the San Francisco Flower Mart, participate in a floral-themed games and more; Monday through Sunday. // deyoung.famsf.org





Shop Freda Salvador's marked-down high tops for charity. The covetable cheetah kicks are already sold out, but you can grab a pair of black leather sneaks for just $125, with 100 percent of sales going to The Loveland Foundation, which helps bring residency programs, fellowships, therapy, and listening tours to women and girls in communities of color. // fredasalvador.com





Livestream GGP's beloved bison in honor of the park's 150th anniversary. Thanks to two new webcams, you can peek in on the paddock to watch the wooly mammals interact, graze, sleep, and roam. // Stream via goldengatepark150.com



Treat yourself to La Toque's five-course all-black truffle menu. Make a reservation for the Michelin-starred restaurant's alfresco dining experience and enjoy dishes including fresh spaghetti with fontina and Australian black winter truffle; truffle-studded roast New York strip with stone fruit black truffle relish; and black truffle cheesecake. Add on wine pairings or a black truffle grilled cheese; available through Sunday. // $185 ($85 optional wine parings), latoque.com







Learn about the evolution of Black LGBTQ leadership with the GLBT Historical Society. Activists and movement leaders will discuss revolutionary leaders from the civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and current Black Lives Matter movement, and share their own experiences; 6pm to 7:30pm PST, Wednesday. // Register ($5 suggested donation) on Facebook.





Enjoy a virtual wine and cheese pairingappropriately held three days before National Wine and Cheese Daywith Mission Cheese founder Sarah Dvorak, who will walk you through three pairings with dried fruit and crackers to go with; 5pm to 7pm PST, Wednesday. // Register ($50 includes four-ounce wine tastings and three cheeses for delivery in SF) on missioncheese.net





Tune into ArtSpeaks for stories from Burning Man's Black Rock City artists. During this episode, you'll hear about the building processes and inspiration behind sustainable works by artists who work with discarded materials, including Filipino sculptor Leeroy New; climate scientist and structure artist Emily Nicolosi; and Danish recycled-art activist Thomas Dambo, Wednesday at noon PST. // burningman.org

Jam out with Thao Nguyen to support the Asian Art Museum; 7pm to 8:15pm PST, Thursday. // Register on asianart.org







Eat octopus with fermented beef garum and chiles and Wagyu-stuffed morels with Koshihikari rice at Ittoryu Gozu's new outdoor dining concept, Gozu-Chan, in the restaurant's courtyard from 3pm to 8pm, Wednesday through Saturday. Order Japanese highballs, beer, whisky, and wine to go with. // Reserve on Tock.





Catch a drive-in movie at the Village at Corte Madera. Screenings on the Lark Theater's 40-foot blow-up screen this weekend will include Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park. Enjoy the Lark's popcorn or special takeaway meals from Village restaurants while you watch; Thursday through Saturday nights through October; park by 8:30pm, movie at 9pm. // $30 per car in advance, $35 day of show, $15 for solo drivers, larktheater.net





Make Levant-style meatballs and tomato sauce with chef Reem Assil of Reem's California during episode two of The 7x7 Spice-In, on IGTV and Youtube on Thursday. // Get more details and ingredients on 7x7.com.

Order fried chicken sandwiches, burgers, curly fries, and soft-serve for takeout or delivery from Arbor, Arlequin Wine Merchant's new neighbor. Expect organic, local ingredients and plenty of plant-based options. // arborsf.com







Stream Nick Flint's Pieces of the Moon in honor of the 51st anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's moon landing. The new radio play explores the rise of the Black Arts Movement and simultaneous Apollo 11 mission through the perspective of poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron; live at 7pm PST on Monday with rebroadcasts on Thursday at 7pm PST and Sunday 3pm PST. // Register on hammertheatre.com





Watch Juanita More! and Sister Roma battle to make the best dish using three secret ingredients during Williams-Sonoma's Third Annual Drag Queen Cook-Off. Emcee Liam Mayclem, Top Chef's Melissa King, and Zoom viewers will pick a Cook-Off Queen; proceeds benefit The Trevor Project. Thursday at 6pm PST. // Purchase tickets ($10) on Eventbrite.

Send off ODC/Dance star Natasha Adorlee in style. After the nine years on the stage here, the dancer departs with a Zoom conversation, a performance of Two If By Sea, a highlight reel of her career, and a toast from founding artistic director Brenda Way; Friday at 5pm PST. // $25 suggested donation, odc.dance







Don your face mask for The Midway's three-day dining, drinking, and live-music-filled Mask'erade. Expect a full stage with takeovers by Trash Fence, Opulent Temple, and Set Underground, and tables extended onto the street. Can't score a reservation? Watch on Twitch, 5pm to 10pm Friday and 2pm to 8pm Saturday and Sunday. // Tickets ($80-$150) are availale at themidwaysf.com.





Watch plays by five female playwrights during Bay Area Playwrights Festival: Be a Part of the Story. Taking place entirely online, the fest explores themes of strength, freedom, self-discovery, family, and love; Friday through Sunday. // Purchase tickets on playwrightsfoundation.org.





Make dinner and cocktails during The Guardsmen's Quarantine Cuisine online event. Chef Seth Brundle of AspireTV's Butter + Brown will teach you how to prepare the perfect strip steak and potatoes au gratin, while Palm House and Foreign Cinema bartenders will help you create cocktail pairings. All proceeds benefit The Guardsman, a nonprofit serving at-risk youth and low income families. If you live in SF, you can get all the ingredients delivered straight to your doorstep; 6pm PST Saturday. // Register ($39-$139) on Eventbrite.

View Comet Neowise via Chabot Space & Science Center's virtual telescope. The three-mile comet will be in the inner solar system for the first time in 6,800 years and, weather permitting, you'll be able to catch a glimpse of it through Nellie, Chabot's most powerful telescope; 9:30 pm PST Saturday. // Details on chabotspace.org







Celebrate Oakland Zoo's reopening with LollapaZoola. This virtual party will introduce new animals, zookeepers, and feature performances by Dirty Cello and Steel Jam Plus, bid on auction items all week long and snag tickets to visit the zoo (with enhanced safety protocols) when it opens on July 29th; Saturday at 7pm PST. // Register on oaklandzoo.org.





Stream "Dreamer," a multimedia presentation of spoken word, music, dance, and visual art intended to promote allyship and amplify artists of color, put together by Digital Dance Project and SFbased eMotion Arts to benefit Campaign Zero. Catch the watch party 5pm Friday and Saturday, and 2pm Sunday; stream through July 31. // digitaldanceproject.org





Learn about the history of music festivals during the CJM's Sunday Stories. You'll also learn more the about the legendary Bill Graham, a Holocaust survivor and famed local concert promoter; Sunday at 10am PST. // thecjm.org
When it came to a scheme to try to influence the speaker of the Illinois House, a politician so deft and powerful that he is known as the Velvet Hammer, a lobbyist had some plain advice for his client, Commonwealth Edison, the states largest electric utility, prosecutors say.

I would say to you, dont put anything in writing, the lobbyist warned a senior executive of the utility. All it can do is hurt ya.

Whatever officials from Commonwealth Edison did to avoid leaving a trail, it apparently didnt work. On Friday, federal prosecutors in Chicago announced that they had filed a single bribery charge against the utility, which agreed to admit that it arranged for jobs and contracts for some of the speakers political allies and to pay a $200 million fine in hopes of having the bribery charge dismissed in three years.

Even by the standards of Illinoiss famously corrupt politics, the tale laid out by federal prosecutors was stunning.
Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III

18.07.2020 LISTEN

The Yaa Ansaa Royal Family of Akwamu in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern region, is appealing to the government, institutions, public and private organizations, as well as all well-meaning Ghanaians, to desist from engaging one Kwabena Owiredu as Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III-Akwamumanhene.

According to the Royal Family, anyone who goes ahead to deal with the disputed chief, does so at their own risk, especially at a time the Kumasi High Court, has ruled in their favour that the said man is a mere self-styled chief.

The Familys admonishment comes on the heels of a ruling by the Court presided over by (SGD) Francis Obiri, after an application for contempt against Secretary of the Family, Owusu Bruku, was dismissed by the Court.

The self-styled Omanhene, had filed an application in a SUIT NO C12/227/2019 under Section 36 (1) of the Court Act, 1993 (Act 459) on November 11, 2019 and prayed the Court to convict the respondent, Owusu Bruku, to prison for contempt of court for his conduct in casting aspersions on the judgment of the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs dated May 23, 2019.

The November 11, 2019 application was, however, dismissed on February 3, 2020 by the Court.

In his ruling, the judge, (SGD) Justice Francis Obiri, said, he could not grant the wish of the Applicant because he did not see how the Respondent's request to know if Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III name, has been entered into the National Register of Chiefs as Omanhene of Akwamu Traditiinal Area, could amount to contempt.

In my candid opinion, I do not see how such a question could meet any of the requirements which have been stated above to prove contempt of court. I do not think it prejudices the judgment of the National House of Chiefs in any way, the judge's ruling said.

The applicant then proceeded to the Kumasi High Court 4 presided over by Justice C. A Wilson to file an ex-parte motion for contempt against the Respondent alleging that he was in contempt of Court.

However, the Court in it ruling on March 24, 2020, dismissed the ex-parte motion and awarded a sum of GHC5,000.00 (Five Thousand Ghana Cedis) judgment to the Respondent (Owusu Bruku).

Part of the ruling by Justice Wilson read, As a general rule a party who is aggrieved by a decision of a Judicial or adjudicating body may challenge or appeal the decision to a higher court to have the decision reversed or vacated even if the applicant is to be affected by the decision he may equally appeal.

The alleged contemnor has sought to appeal the decision of the National House of Chiefs and, he cannot be debarred from doing so. The burden of proof necessary to sustain a charge of perjury is tremendously heavy and it is not met in this application.

The Respondents conduct therefore cannot form the basis to citation for contempt. The application is dismissed.

Cost of GHC5,000.00 (Five Thousand Ghana Cedis) was awarded in favour of the Respondent, the Court ruled.

The Yaa Ansaa Royal Family Secretary, Owusu Bruku, had written to the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, requesting for a search to ascertain if Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, a self-styled Omanhene of Akwamu, has been entered into the National House of Chiefs records as Omanhene of Akwamu Traditional Area.

The House in it response answered No.

The national House of Chiefs Registrar per it findings, also said Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, could not perform statutory functions as Omanhene.

The search request by the Family dated July 10, 2019, addressed to the Registrar, National House of Chiefs reads Whether the name Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III a self-styled Omanhene of Akwamu has been entered into the National Register of Chiefs as Omanhene of Akwamu Traditional Area with which the Registrar answered in the negative.

The Registrar indicated that, since the demise of Odeneho Kwafo Akoto II some 28 years ago, no name has been entered into the Register as the Akwamumanhene.

Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, however, saw the request of search to the House of Chiefs in Kumasi very offensive, especially the mention of him as a self-styled Omanhene by the Familys Secretary, hence the two actions in court against the Family Secretary, which he the Applicant was ruled against by the two Courts.
After searching for about a month, the Montgomery County Food Bank has found its new president and CEO. Kristine Marlow will officially start her new position Aug. 3.

Currently, Marlow is in a transition period from her position as the Childrens Sacrament and Formation Manager at Saint Anthony of Padua Church in The Woodlands, to her new position at the food bank. But shes eager to join the non-profit and start helping the community from her new position.

Im excited to give back, she said. I just want people to know that Im here to serve.

Marlow has been in her position at Saint Anthony for the past nine years, but she and her family have lived in The Woodlands for 21 years. When COVID-19 hit, she decided to become more involved with the food pantry that Saint Anthony runs as a partner with the food bank.

Community needs

She had volunteered at the church pantry a number of times over the years, but she saw the increased need in the community since the pandemic began.

The way that we were able to provide nourishing food, I mean its fruits and vegetables and meats and things, not just a bunch of cans, and I was very impressed by that, she said, and seeing the work the pantry was doing helped push her to apply at the food bank. God was really pulling at my heart to serve in this capacity, and the opportunity came around, there was a position open, and I feel like Im stepping into a really great organization.

Marlow has a bachelor of science degree in biology from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master of science in management from Troy State University. Currently, shes also working toward a master of arts in pastoral studies from St. Thomas University. She worked in the military for eight years as an aerospace physiology officer and operational test manager, and thats where she thought she would stay. But life had different plans. She met her husband, Garth, and they started a family together.

Together she and Garth decided to leave the military and raise their family here in Montgomery County. Garth pursued a career in the commercial airline industry as a pilot and Marlow stayed home to raise their four children. Now, her youngest of four is a sophomore at The Woodlands High School and Marlow is ready to put her talents to work helping the community through the food bank.

Thats not what I was looking for, Marlow said of the opportunity to be president of the food bank. But I think God put that in my path to find it.

Service and leadership

She was drawn to apply for the job, she said, because she is service-oriented and a strong leader. When she read the job description she felt it was her, and spoke to her skills. She sees the passion that she feels for helping people in the food bank team that is already there.

On behalf of the board of directors, we could not be more pleased to have Kristine as our leader, said Kelly Holmes, chairman of the food bank board, said in a press release. We are confident that her passion and skill will take the fight against hunger to new heights.

During her time at the Air Force Academy, she was made a cadet commander, as a test manager with the military she worked with people of varying ranks, and when she started working at the church she was put in charge of volunteers. She knows how to manage a team and deal with people.

Father Tom Rafferty, Pastor of Saint Anthony, told the Courier in an email that Marlows time at the church had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of the churchs families.

In addition to her managing our childrens ministries, she was a trailblazer on our Hurricane Harvey response team, as well as our COVID-19 food pantry service, Rafferty said. While I will greatly miss having Kristine on our staff, I am thankful that God has called her to serve more families in Montgomery County. She is a blessing to this community and I look forward to seeing her talents reach beyond our campus.

For Marlow, stepping into the position while the need is high and not likely to decrease any time soon, is an honor.

I feel like Ive been led to this position, Im ready to do it, she said. Im excited to move forward with it because Im sure this is not going away soon, the need is not going away soon. The economy is in a difficult place right now, people are losing their jobs, theres a lot of need, so things need to be changed for sustainability in the long-haul.

While Saint Anthony will always hold a special place in her heart and she is grateful for the churchs support as she steps into her new position, she knows that there are food pantry partners that dont have the resources the Catholic church does. Shes eager to see how the food bank can offer more support to community partners with fewer resources.

With support from her family, her community at Saint Anthony, and the food bank board, Marlow said that while this will be a big change, shes excited to move forward.

Im most excited about rolling up my sleeves, getting in there, meeting all the great people that work there, and fine-tuning it and making it better, she said.

jamie.swinnerton@chron.com
Lawan, in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Ola Awoniyi, said the media report about the said ambition must have emanated from the sort of practice that drags the noble profession of journalism to the gutters as it only dresses up the lazy fantasy of its unimaginative authors as a fact.

He said: The report apparently has its source in beer parlour gossips and should be treated with the contempt which it and those who concocted it deserves.

It is true that the Senate President was involved in the consultations that President Muhammadu Buhari held prior to the last emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

But there was nothing extra-ordinary in his involvement in such consultations, given his status as holder of one of the highest political offices in Nigeria and on the platform of the APC. Such is required of any concerned member of the party.

It is therefore sheer mischief for anyone to read ulterior motives to the Senate President joining hands with the President and other leaders in resolving misunderstanding in their own party.

We will like to stress that the Senate Presidents preoccupation is with advancing the agenda of the Ninth National Assembly to focus governance on the pursuit of the best interests of the Nigerian people and to support President Buhari in delivering his promises to Nigerians.

The Senate President does not suffer such needless distractions as imputed by the false report under reference.

He believes that it is premature for anybody to be talking now about 2023 when all hands should be on deck against the myriad of challenges that faces our nation in this period.

We advise the idle pseudo-journalists to look for other engagements and stop bastardising this noble profession.
Gurugram: To keep a check on criminal activities, the district police have come up with a centralised system for deployment of police personnel, officials said on Friday, adding that over 2,500 policemen would be deployed under the new plan. The move comes after the police department conducted the crime mapping exercise for identifying areas from where maximum cases of theft, burglary, and robberies were reported.

As part of the new deployment plan, 79 police control room (PCR) vans, 123 patrol bikes and 61 check posts would be deployed in inner and outer cordons of the district.

Subash Boken, police spokesperson, said that on the directions of police commissioner, a thorough crime mapping exercise was conducted over the past fortnight in which the police identified the crime prone areas from where maximum thefts, burglaries, and robberies were reported and the major routes used by the criminals to escape.

Accordingly, a deployment plan has been prepared in which both inter-district and inter-state check posts would be set up and police personnel would be deployed in three shifts of eight hours each. Earlier, the deployment of PCR vans and riders (patrol bikes) was from respective police stations and the policemen would also assist in other duties. As per the new plan, the personnel deputed with PCR vans, riders and nakas (check posts) would only be assigned specific patrolling duties, Boken said in a statement.

The personnel deployed on these duties would get one weekly off, he added.

The police said the deployment plan was prepared in a way to ensure that the police teams (PCR vans, riders) are able to reach a spot in the least amount of time. All the PCR vans and riders have been provided with GPS and wireless communication system, they said.

The police commissioner also issued directions to crime branch units to prepare a roster of most wanted criminals, proclaimed offenders and history-sheeters in a bid to reduce crime rate in the city, the police said.
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has announced that the isolation period for patients confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 has been reduced from 14 days to 10 days.

Mkhize said the shortened period is in line with guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation based on recent global studies.

He said the change is based on evidence that most patients with mild COVID-19 infections continue to share the virus from their upper airways for approximately seven to twelve days.

Furthermore, the presence of detectable virus when testing does not necessarily imply infectiousness, said Mkhize.

It has been proven that in mild cases, virus cultures are generally only positive for eight to nine days after the onset of symptoms.

However, those with severe COVID-19 illnesses and symptoms may be infectious for a longer period.

It is recommended that such patients de-isolate at ten days after clinical stability has been achieved rather than ten days after the onset of symptoms.

To illustrate this in simple terms, if a patient was admitted and placed on oxygen, we advise that when oxygen supplementation is discontinued, the patient must remain in isolation for another ten days, said Mkhize.

This continued isolation provides clinical comfort that the patient is no longer infectious.

The health minister said asymptomatic patients represent a conceptual challenge.

Since it is not possible to estimate where in the course of the viral shedding they are at the time point at which they test positive, we therefore advise that an asymptomatic patient must remain in isolation for a period of ten days following the date of their positive result.
Visits to residents of a Macroom nursing home remain suspended following the diagnosis of a member of staff with COVID-19. Stock image

Visits to residents of a Macroom nursing home remain suspended following the diagnosis of a member of staff with COVID-19.

The positive result came to light during routine tests in Macroom Care Choice last week.

It is now understood that all residents at the home, which can accommodate 62 residents, will be tested for the virus as a precautionary measure.

CareChoice Macroom last had a positive case of COVID-19 on April 20.

Residents and their families, as well as staff, continue to be kept informed in relation to COVID-19, it has been reported.

The Corkman contacted Macroom Care Choice on Wednesday and was referred to a Dublin office for the company which owns and administers a number of similar facilities throughout the country. There was no response from this number as this newspaper went to press.

In previous media reports, a spokesperson for CareChoice (Macroom) Limited said: "During routine weekly testing of staff, one who was asymptomatic tested positive for COVID-19 at CareChoice nursing home in Macroom.

"All other staff members tested negative."

Macroom Care Choice came in for criticism as it was featured in a report by the health watchdog HIQA, released on July 8.

The report was regarding an unannounced inspection on January 15 this year. HIQA recorded non-compliance in three of the 20 areas examined.

The inspector found the number of care staff working over the course of the inspection was inadequate, given the "needs and dependency levels" of residents.

The inspector also reported that call bells were "being left unanswered for an unreasonable amount of time" and "residents waiting unreasonable amounts of time for assistance".

HIQA also said two bedrooms were deemed "inappropriate for residents who are not independently mobile".

Some beds were considered "too close together".

On the report, CareChoice (Macroom) Ltd said: "Hiqa's inspection report stated that overall, the inspector found that a good service was being provided to the residents living in CareChoice Macroom, and they enjoyed a good quality of life.

"CareChoice Macroom has addressed the issue identified in relation to staffing levels and has also successfully maintained staffing levels during the COVID-19 crisis."
Ashitha Jayaprakash By

Online Desk

Memories of legendary author, director and scriptwriter MT Vasudevan Nair's works came flooding back on his 87th birthday on July 15.

He is not from my generation -- his films and books were enjoyed by my parents -- but the timelessness of his works have successfully created a universal fanbase of cinema lovers of all ages.

Lets take a look at some of his movies that will be watched and re-watched for years to come.

Oru Vadakan Veeragatha (1989)

Direction: Hariharan

The historical film set in 16th century northern Kerala revolves around the adopted son of the Chekavar clan, Chandu. It has been hailed as one of the greatest Indian films of all time.

Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (2001)

Direction: Hariharan

Another historical period drama set in 18th century Kerala, a period when the British is taking over India, one small kingdom at a time.

The film is set in 1796, four years after the occupation of Malabar by the British East India Company, near the end of the Pazhassi revolt in 1797 led by Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja of Kottayam house.

Perumthachan (1991)

Direction: Ajayan

Late actor Thilakan, who essayed the role of Perumthachan, gave life to the character of a proud Malayali caught up in a world dictated by caste. Perumthachan literally means a carpenter. The movie brings to light the caste hierarchy and how people must conform to it above anything else. A must-watch movie about Kerala society and the intricacies of familial relations in the south.

Thazhvaram (1990)

Direction: Bharathan

A revenge thriller on par with movies of the same genre today, Thazhavaram is all about suspense, revenge and gore. And Mohanlals acting prowess is on full display as a man of mystery who's new in town, or in this case, a valley. How the film makes us care for a vengeful man, is when it wins.

Vaishali (1988)

Direction: Bharathan

This is based on a substory, as told in the Mahabharata by Vyasa to King Yudhishtira, about a young devadasi woman sent on a mission. It's a movie mainly about betrayal, and then of power, concepts that stand the test of time even today.

Oru Cheru Punchiri (2000)

Direction: MT

A film about an elderly village couple still in love -- thats about it. A classic that proves that less is more. The former real estate agent and his wife live a contented life looking after their little farm, often finishing each others sentences even at their age. Its a sweet film by MT about an enduring love story.

Ennu Swantham Janakikutty (1998)

Direction: Hariharan

One of the only Malayalam movies that pinched my heart when the ghost in the movie vanished. The kind-hearted yakshi and the bond between her and the protagonist  a teenager, whos just paving her way through hormones and relatives opinions  leave you rooting for more.

Sukrutham (1994)

Direction: Hariharan

Mammootty plays a role of journalist who just discovers that he is suffering from terminal cancer. What he does after, holds the most intrigue. His life journey transforms after meeting an exciting new friend back at his hometown. The film comes with a lot of twists and turns always keeping the audience at the edge of their seats.

Asuravithu (1968)

Direction: A Vincent

A story about how a young Malayali man fights injustice in a caste-driven society. Prem Nazir gives his best as a Nair son defying social norms, and goes and lives with his Muslim friend. A must-watch for those who want to explore how a household fundamentally based on a feudal system worked  which still exists in Kerala, or rather the remnants of it.

Oppol (1981)

Director: K. S. Sethumadhavan

Appu, the young protagonist, is bothered after his mother (who he thinks is his sister) leaves him after her marriage. The film explores the Freudian theory of the Oedipus complex, which revolves around the psychosexual stages of development that describes a child's feelings of desire for his or her opposite-sex parent and jealousy or anger toward the same-sex parent.

(Graphic | Harish Narayanan)

Some of his other great movies include Sadayam, Amrutham Gamaya, Nakhakshathangal, Utharam, Adiyozhukkukal, Panchagni, Nirmalyam, Vilkkanundu Swapnangal, Kuttyedathi.

Rather than the grandeur of the sets, it was the plot and quality of the content in the epics made by him and S Hariharan back in the 70s and 80s that make them timeless. Unlike the epics we get to see today that have graphic designers roped in from Hollywood.

MT's hallmark is that he doesnt stick to a genre. There is a variety of storylines - from describing the intricacies of living as a teenage woman in one of Keralas small villages to a mans revenge story which takes place in the hills.

Familial relationships in a society built on a cruel caste hierarchy are an underlying theme in all of his movies, which show how Kerala had place for both the feudal landlord as well as the communist labourer-turned-fighter.
Washington, July 18 : The US Department of Defense has effectively banned the display of the Confederate flag at military installations, even though Defense Secretary Mark Esper in his carefully-worded memo laying out the policy did not mention the word "ban" or the specific flag.

"We must always remain focused on what unifies us, our sworn oath to the Constitution and our shared duty to defend the nation," Esper wrote in the signed memo on Friday.

"The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols." The memo listed a number of accepted flags, including the US and state flags, military service flags, and national flags of countries that are American allies, among others, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Confederate battle flag, which -- along with other Confederate symbols and statues as well as bases named after Confederate officers -- has become a source of division amid the recent Black Lives Matter protests, was not included, thus being effectively banned.

Those non-sanctioned flags will still be allowed to be featured in "museum exhibits, state-issued license plates, grave sites, memorial markers, monuments, educational displays, historical displays, or works of art, where the nature of the display or depiction cannot reasonably be viewed as endorsement of the flag by the Department of Defense", the memo said.

According to US media reports, the decision not to explicitly point out banned flags was made out of concerns that doing otherwise risks being political and facing legal challenges over freedom of speech.

President Donald Trump has rejected renaming bases and defended flying the Confederate flag, citing freedom of speech as the reason.

The US Marine Corps, for its part, already banned depictions of the Confederate flag at its facilities, effective in early June.

David Berger, the commandant of the Marine Corps, said in a letter dated April 20 that while he was "mindful that many people believe" the Confederate flag "to be a symbol of heritage or regional pride... This symbol has shown it has the power to inflame feelings of division".
NBFIs call for positive reforms strengthening legal enforcement in the sector By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas licensed finance companies (LFC) catering to financial needs of informal and relatively vulnerable segments of the economy are now under pressure of deterioration in asset quality triggered by defaults and deferred payments of customers following the Easter Sunday terror attacks and the COVID-19 crisis.

In order to meet the challenges arising out of an economic recession, the need of the hour is to introduce positive reforms for the sector while strengthening legal enforcement industry cooperation and consolidation and preventing unacceptable risks with public money from mis-selling, LFC officials said.

They emphasised the need to halt the unlawful transfer of leased assets to third parties; configuration of accounting policy standards, legal and regulatory frameworks; a better grievance handling process; using services of the Financial Ombudsman; and establishing ombudsmen services regionally.

The urgent need for legal and regulatory reforms in all the areas of the financial system has arisen due to consequences of regulatory gaps, overlaps, inconsistencies and regulatory arbitrage, Legal advisor of the Finance Houses Association of Sri Lanka (FHA) Shiranthi Gunawardena said.

Addressing a media conference convened by the FHA, she said that the industry is regulated under Finance Business Act No. 07 of 2007, Finance Leasing Act No. 56 of 2000, Consumer credit Act No. 29 of 1982 and most of the provisions stipulated in it were archaic.

The framework governing the financial sector has been built up over a long period, with over 20 Acts and multiple rules and regulations.

The financial landscape was very different today and current laws and regulations need prudent amendments to meet future challenges Ms. Gunawardena said adding that hire purchase agreements are not covered by these laws.

With hire purchase agreements, the ownership of the merchandise is not officially transferred to the buyer until all the payments have been made, she said.

A new Monetary Law Act and Banking Law and amendments to the Finance Business law and relevant, related regulations have been initiated, but it is yet to be finalised,

The FHA called on authorities to modernise the Money lending Ordinance and enact a new Microfinance Act that would close present loopholes.

FHA has proposed institutional consolidation, a special investigation unit to minimise unregistered companies, provincial financial ombudsmen, and macro-prudential policies more suited for the sector. FHA Chairman R.H. Abeygoonewardena said that LFCs are involved in serving borrowers who are generally excluded from the formal banking sector.

The whole purpose is to gear un-bankable customers to bankable customers with better profiles. Generally LFCs are involved in providing financial services such as offering of small ticket personal loans, financing of two/three wheelers, truck financing, farm equipment financing, loans for purchase of used commercial vehicles/machinery, secured/unsecured working capital financing, etc.

LFCs are considered to take a lead role in providing innovative financial services to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) most suitable to their business requirements, he added.

The non-banking financial industry of Sri Lanka has grown rapidly and the entire asset base of the Regulated Finance Companies (RFCs) stood at Rs.622 billion in 2013.

Within a span of six years, it escalated to Rs. 1.39 trillion. During the same period, loans and advances of the RFCs have grown to Rs. 1.066 trillion from Rs. 471 billion.

This 60-year-old industry accounts for around seven million customers at present in the form of 57-60 per cent borrowers and 40-43 per cent depositors while it has about 32,000 employees.

Immediate Past Chairman of FHA Krishan Thilakarathne said that more than 500,000 moratoriums of up to 3 months had been granted by LFCs

to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on customers.
De-radicalisation process for Easter Sunday suspects and others By Ranjith Padmasiri View(s): View(s):

The government will introduce a de-radicalisation process for terror suspects who hold violent extremist ideologies and are currently detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

They include those arrested in relation to the Easter Sunday attacks. Under the programme, the authorities will look into all those in detention for holding violent extremist views, those who have undergone weapons training and/or have engaged in violent activities. They will be divided into three categories, a senior official source said.

They include the Easter Sunday suspects and those arrested for other extremist activities.

Accordingly, legal action will be filed against those who have committed serious crimes. The second group will include persons who arent accused of serious crimes, but are connected to extremist activities. The third group is persons who have not participated in such activities but who have embraced extremist views.

The third group will be put through the de-radicalisation programme first, the source said.

The new regulations will be promulgated under Section 27-4B of the PTA. It will enable the Government to de-radicalise and rehabilitate suspects held in detention under the PTA.

Attorney General Dappula de Livera, this week, approved the draft regulations, subject to certain amendments.

Up until now, only terrorist suspects who had surrendered to the security forces have undergone rehabilitation. New laws were introduced for this purpose under the Emergency Regulations in 2009 and the PTA in 2011.

The decision on whether or not a suspect can undergo the de-radicalisation programme will depend on what has been unearthed during the investigation conducted into the suspect activities and the extent of his involvement in extremist activities.
Dressed for Success

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Julys #1 Indie Next List pick, is delightfully bonkers, our review said, and an energetic romp through the gothic genre. It pubbed June 30 and did better in its second week than its first, landing Moreno-Garcia at #19 in hardcover fiction. In those two weeks, Mexican Gothic sold more than half the copies that her top-selling title, 2019s Gods of Jade and Shadow, has sold since its release. The book club kit includes a paper doll of the books protagonist and her 1950s wardrobe.

Doing Damned Well

Debuting at #15 in childrens frontlist fiction, The Damned is the second installment of the series Renee Ahdieh launched with 2019s The Beautiful. Our review called the first book captivating, praising the series heroines wit and incredible grit. It heralded what a recent PW article called The Return of the YA Vampire, and unlike the undead, Ahdieh is enjoying her place in the sun. Stops on her virtual tour included a July 8 Books & Bookshosted chat, Spill The Damned Tea, with Roshani Chokshi, author of the Gilded Wolves YA fantasy trilogy.

A Hero and a Scholar

On July 3, Disney Plus debuted a filmed Broadway performance of Hamilton, starring show creator and title-role originator Lin-Manuel Miranda. The week after the production began airing, the 2004 biography that inspired the musical, Ron Chernows Alexander Hamilton, sold 17K print copies and just missed landing among the top 10 books overall. Other books that saw big gains: Hamilton: The Revolution, a 2016 behind-the-scenes look at the show by Miranda and cultural critic and director Jeremy McCarter, and Who Was Alexander Hamilton? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, part of Penguin Workshops popular Who Was? middle grade series.

Alexander Hamilton +695%

Hamilton: The Revolution +295%

Who Was Alexander Hamilton? +178

NEW & NOTABLE

A BEAUTIFUL FOOLISH ENDEAVOR

Hank Green

#4 Hardcover Fiction

Greens sequel to 2018s An Absolutely Remarkable Thing requires a bit of patience, our review said: Readers will have to hang in until the midpoint before the plot begins to come together, but once it does, its thrilling to watch the puzzle pieces fall into place. In addition to the 12K print copies that landed it at #4 on our list, the book sold 8,000 signed copies.

SEPARATED

Jacob Soboroff

#6 Hardcover Nonfiction

MSNBC correspondent Soboroff examines the origins and ramifications of the Trump administrations deliberate and systemic separation of thousands of migrant children from their parents,  our review said, in his harrowing and deeply informed debut.
Boris Johnson is being called on to make advice clearer. Photo: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images

Business leaders and trade unions have called on prime minister Boris Johnson for clarity in advice for going back to work.

They say he risks spreading confusion by letting employers decide whether or not to bring staff back into offices and other workplaces, and is passing over responsibility on a big decision.

John Phillips, acting general secretary of the GMB trade union, said: The prime minister has once again shown a failure of leadership in the face of this pandemic.

Passing the responsibility of keeping the people safe to employers and local authorities is confusing and dangerous.

The government is passing the buck on this big decision to employers, said Frances OGrady, general secretary of the TUC.

Getting back to work safely requires a functioning NHS test and trace system. Yet progress on test and trace is still patchy, and the government is still refusing to support workers who have to self-isolate by raising statutory sick pay from just 95 ($120) per week to a rate people can live on, OGrady continued.

Many trade bodies and business leaders agree that reopening the economy is vital for protecting jobs in the long-run, but it needs to be handled safely and in stages.

READ MORE: Government confirms holiday refund credit notes are protected

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said companies should receive tax breaks to re-open offices.

"Businesses should be able to offset the investments they make to ensure their premises are Covid-secure against their tax bill, which would help many to return to workplaces over the coming months," said BCC director general Adam Marshall.

As it stands, the government says people should work from home if they can. However, Boris Johnson has announced government guidance will change from 1 August and employers will have more discretion about how their staff can work safely.

Anybody will be able to use public transport - including to get to work - the prime minister said.

From 1 August employers must follow strict rules, including maintaining a 1m gap between employees, introducing one-way systems to minimise contact and more intense cleaning regimes.

Official figures show almost half of the working population in Britain worked from home in April during the first full month of lockdown.
Earlier this week, Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman said costs would not be more than the average monthly mortgage payment.

However, providers say they will have to be increased due to higher overheads and more regulation.

Alice Walsh from Harcourt Creche in Dublin says she has been asking parents to book now for August and September.

"For the month of July, I can ease them all back but then when it comes to August I really do need to know who is coming back and who is not."

"You know people are saying 'I had a level of childcare set up while you were closed so I can kind of wing it for the month of July and August, so I can think about it in September'".

"I need to know by August though who is coming back or not because we can't operate on those reduced numbers."

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Ms. Walsh said in general the cost of providing childcare has gone up considerably.

"There is no doubt it will increase, we do require more staff but fees were going to go up anyway before Covid-19.

"With childcare you have regulations and ratios so the fees are definitely going to go up."
The Nigerian Army has occasionally made statements condemning the spread of misinformation which, it says, has the potential to undermine national security. It has more frequently debunked particular claims about its operations that are in circulation. But recent trends show that it might have extended its definition of fake news to include any information from journalists that it is not comfortable having in the publiceven if true.

In May 2019, the army accused some individuals of deliberately churning falsehood against the security agencies with a view to set the military against the people and the government.

They are also demoralising troops and security agencies through false accusations and fake news, it said, adding that such actions had great consequences for the country.

The army itself, however, has been caught in the very act it has condemned time and again.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on July 11 that 356 soldiers, who are exiting the Nigerian Army, cited loss of interest as the reason. The paper noted that many of the soldiers withdrawing from service are those engaged in the war against insurgency in the Northeast and said insiders believed the trend is an indication of low morale in the army due to poor leadership.

[The army has become] broken, demoralised and polarised more than ever before under Buratai, the paper reported, quoting an army insider.

Similar reports have been published by TheCable, Punch Newspaper, and Global Sentinel which said, according to sources within the military, many have either deserted, abandoned their positions, on AWOL or about to also disengage if nothing is done quickly to arrest the downward spiral of morale.:

Reacting swiftly, the Nigerian Army tagged the publications as fake news and mischievous in a series of posts on its social media handles.

It referred to the report as fake and mischievous news story by supporters of Boko Haram designed to dampen the morale of gallant and patriotic soldiers.

The 386 soldiers who left the army disengaged in a normal routine exercise at the end of their service, it said.

The Nigerian Army is not in short supply of Nigerians willing to join its ranks. 4,600 patriots recently joined the Nigerian Army of which a large proportion opted to go into the Special Forces fighting terrorism.

It did not comment on the motive behind the soldiers withdrawals but was able to persuade some Nigerians who rallied behind it in the comment section. I cant imagine the military so weak to respond to act of aggression. This is war directed at the army. What do [we] need to teach them lesson? asked Ibrahim Tudu.

Thanks for making this clarification. We are so delighted with this your counter-threat action to this unpatriotic psychological warfare against our front line soldiers by uninsightful media practices. We will do our part to publish this appropriately, another user tweeted.

The army had also shared a publication on its official social media handles, titled, We are Motivated, Willing to Fight Security Threats; Frontline Soldiers Debunk Loss of Interest.

The troops while expressing misgivings over social media report of alleged low morale, said they are well motivated, happy and ready to fight for their fatherland which is the professional responsibility of the Nigerian Army, the report stated.

It added that some soldiers recently slept in the bush to wait for bandits as proof of their high morale.

Countering truth with false information?

A signed and sealed document sighted by HumAngle lends credence to the report that hundreds of soldiers applied to withdraw due to loss of interest.

The document, dated July 8, contains the list of soldiers approved for voluntary discharge for the first half of 2020, all numbering 380. It was signed by T.A. Gagariga, a brigadier-general, on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff.

The list has the full names of the soldiers, their army numbers, ranks, trade class, units, corps, and reasons for discharge.

While 24 said they were seeking disengagement to take up traditional titles, the rest cited loss of interest as their motive.

Their discharge is based on the revised Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for soldiers.

An emerging pattern

The events of last week are not the first time the Nigerian Army would be weaponising the expression fake news against the press. In April, it also labelled a report as fake news despite there being evidence that suggested the contrary.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the army suspended approval for voluntary retirement requests through an internal memo. The same day, the army posted a screenshot of the news page on Twitter with a fake news stamp and a caption warning readers to be aware!

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This newspaper subsequently published a copy of the internal memo confirming its story.

It is disheartening to [observe] the rate at which application for voluntary discharge soldiers [sic.] flood this headquarters and is becoming worrisome, the document stated.

OCs, therefore, do not critically access soldiers reasons for voluntary discharge from the Nigerian Army before forwarding to this end. Consequently, submission of NA form 9B for voluntary discharge soldiers is hereby suspended forthwith. Please take note.

Army should work with, not against, journalists

Olugbenga Adanikin, who heads the fact-checking unit at the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), said though the military already partnered a number of news organisations, it needed to broaden its collaboration with journalists and also make sure it provided accurate and timely information.

Unfortunately, he continued, agencies of government would rather wait until half-baked or reasonably true information is put out and then start thinking of damage control.

The military, in particular, is very sensitive, so we cannot afford to allow misinformation to flourish as it will have a severe impact on the nations territorial integrity, he said.

He advised the government to be proactive in giving reliable information, especially using official social media handles, in order to foster a win-win situation for both the military and the media the good of the public.

This story is republished with permission from Humangle
Now that life has become a little less burdened with the rules of the last few months, and with us all having a few more freedoms than before, my two teenagers have been looking, understandably, to spread their wings a bit more and spend increasing amounts of their time with their friends.

It's taking me a while to adjust. After so many months of being together every hour of the day, I'm finding it hard to relax those apron strings and give them their independence back. I've reverted to looking at them as my babies rather than fledgling adults. Not, I hope, that my children have realised this. I've been working very hard at maintaining an air of nonchalance, keeping the smile plastered on my face when asked for a lift in to town, or to be dropped off at the park. I have been very happy publicly, privately not so, to resume my role of resident taxi driver.

Yesterday presented me with the biggest challenge so far to my sustaining this relaxed demeanour. My eldest girl, who's 14, asked if she and her friend could go on a walk together through our local country park. This park, just to explain, has several wooded areas that you pass through and, even at the best of times, it would have jangled my nerves a little to think of her, walking that route without her daddy or I there as her personal bodyguards.

Yesterday my nerves weren't so much jangling as jumping out of my skin. But I said yes, explained that they were to stay in plain sight and away from the forest sections and then drove her to meet her pal. At that point I should have gone home and waited for her to call and say she was ready to be collected, but instead I sat in the car, with the 'find my friend' app on my mobile phone open, watching the little dot on the map that represented my girl, walking her way around the park.

It's one step away from stalking and, even while I was doing it, I felt like I was intruding on her privacy. The feeling of guilt was so strong that I had to confess what I'd done to her when she came back to the car. Luckily for me, she laughed, rolled her eyes and then told me all her gossip.

I think it's the constant worry, high levels of stress and the sense of not knowing what's about to come next that we've all been living with over the last few months which has turned me in to such an over-anxious parent. It may also be my own experiences of being a teenager that have left me more than a little fearful.

At not much older than my eldest is now, I began spending every summer working as a nanny in France. I'd be booked to work five or six weeks in the summer but would tell my parents it was a week longer, using the extra time to travel a little further afield, visiting places like Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.

I didn't see it as lying, and it certainly wasn't done with any malice, but I knew my parents would worry about my travelling alone, so I naively thought I was saving them the worry. I would finish working with the family, say my goodbyes, pop my bag on my back and set off, sometimes using public transport but often thumbing a lift from one town to the next before making the journey in reverse in time to catch my flight home. This was in the days long before mobile phones and tracking apps, and it makes me shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn't been as lucky as I was with the lovely people I met along the way.

Teenagers have that sense of invincibility, don't they? An innocent belief that nothing bad can happen to them. We as parents know only too well the possible dangers but our job, while warning them of the risks, is not to stifle their enthusiasm or thirst for adventure. Instead we have to swallow our fears and launch them, with confidence, into the world. I know all the theory. I'm just struggling to put it into practice...
Alex Hollywood is reportedly still making money from ex-husband Paul as she's allegedly still listed as a director of one of his companies.

It has been claimed that the cookery writer, 55, could be raking in a huge five-figure sum every year following her split from the Great British Bake Off star, 54.

The pair called an end to their relationship in 2017, with their marriage officially ending in divorce last year.

Making dough: Alex Hollywood is reportedly still making money from ex-husband Paul as she's allegedly still listed as a director of one of his companies (pictured in 2019)

The Mirror reports that Alex is still named as a director of the firm Paul Hollywood Ltd and may be getting a share of the profits, adding she could be pocketing a whopping five-figure amount.

They state that baker Paul is estimated to be worth around 10 million, while his company Paul Hollywood Ltd is listed as having investments of 2.5 million.

They added that accounts claim the company paid over 255,000 in corporation tax in 2019, meaning that with expenses deducted from the total, it made over 2 million last year.

An accountant source told The Mirror: 'You would be talking a five-figure dividend for both parties on which they'll also be liable for separate income tax payments.'

Earnings: It has been claimed that the cookery writer, 55, could be raking in a huge five-figure sum every year following her split from the Great British Bake Off star, 54 (pictured in 2012)

Though they added that the accounts do not identify the amount of dividends made on profits to Paul and Alex.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of Alex and Paul for comment.

In January, Alex  whose marriage to Bake Off star Paul crumbled in 2017, four years after his affair with Marcela Valladolid  insisted she played an instrumental role in his rise to fame, and now hopes to achieve the same for herself.

She told OK!: 'When Paul and I first came back from Cyprus [where they met], we literally had 1,000 and a suitcase. We worked hard together and as a result of that, Paul got The Great British Bake Off and did really well.

In the money? According to reports, Alex is still named as a director of the firm Paul Hollywood Ltd and may be getting a share of the profits, she could be pocketing a whopping five-figure amount (pictured in 2017)

Money maker? An accountant source told The Mirror: 'You would be talking a five-figure dividend for both parties on which they'll also be liable for separate income tax payments' (pictured in 2015)

'Through hard graft from both of us, he got to the point where he was so big with Bake Off and now it's my time to shine. I'm not saying I don't wish him well, I really hope that he will find happiness.'

Paul and Alex's marriage came close to ending in 2013, when it was revealed that he'd had an affair with his The American Baking Competition co-star Marcela, 42.

He told The Mirror in July of that year 'It's my fault. I am very sad about what has happened. I do feel very sad about it and what it brought on the family.'

However, Alex took him back three months later for the sake of their son, now 18, only for the pair to announce in November 2017 that things were officially coming to an end.

Cooking up a success: TV personality Paul has found huge success with the Great British Bake Off and is now estimated to be worth 10million

Claims: In January, Alex insisted she played an instrumental role in his rise to fame, and now hopes to achieve the same for herself (pictured in 2019)

Announcing the end of their union, the pair said in a statement: 'It is with sadness that we have decided to separate.

'Our focus continues to be the happiness of our son, and we would ask the press and public to allow us privacy as a family during this very difficult time.'

That same year, Kent barmaid Summer Monteys-Fulham, 24, sparked headlines when she revealed that she'd embarked on a romantic relationship with Paul.

Her revelation sparked outrage from Alex, who filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery soon afterwards, with sources saying she believed he'd been having an affair with Summer before their split.

Affair: Her marriage to Bake Off star Paul crumbled in 2017, four years after his affair with The American Baking Competition co-star Marcela Valladolid

Their romance attracted an avalanche of headlines as Paul treated Summer to countless lavish gifts and even purchased a 1million house in Kent for them to share back in February of last year.

However, things came crashing down in the summer, when Paul asked Summer to sign a non-disclosure agreement drafted up by his lawyers, which she refused to do.

She also recently revealed that she is taking her former flame to court for 4,000 over her two horse shelters, built at his 800,000 Kent farmhouse last year.

Summer claimed she'd been left with 'no alternative' but to take legal action against the Bake Off judge four months after they ended their two-year relationship.

She told MailOnline: 'All I have ever wanted was to get back what is rightfully mine - stuff I bought with my own savings... he's punishing my horses with his spite.'

Paul is now said to be in a relationship with pub landlady, Melissa Spalding, with the couple isolating in his 1 million farmhouse.
Commandos were deployed in Poonthura, where 26 positive cases were reported among 50 people tested.

Kochi: For the first time in India, a state government has officially confirmed community transmission of COVID-19. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has admitted that the virus spread that way in two coastal villages in Thiruvananthapuram named Poonthura and Pulluvila.

The situation in the two coastal hamlets is critical, the chief minister said.

Community transmission is when there is no clear source of origin of infection in a community. Its not clear how the virus sneaked in and spread among people who had no history of travel to infected places or had no contact with people from those places.

Though the rate of virus transmission has been very high in the big metros, the Union Health Ministry and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) have been in denial so far.

Community spread is confirmed when number of infections from unknown sources rises high with the formation of disease spread clusters. In these areas more than half of the people test positive.

On Friday, 51 persons tested positive out of a total of 97 samples collected in Pulluvila in Karimkulam panchayat. In Poonthura, 26 positive cases were reported among 50 people tested. Super spread of the virus was earlier detected in Poonthura.

With the discovery of community transmission, a triple lockdown has been imposed along the coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram. Coastal hamlets will be strictly cordoned off to prevent further spread. More first line treatment centres will be opened in these areas and more police personnel will be deployed to constantly monitor the situation, added Pinarayi Vijayan.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Kerala are worried over the increasing number of health workers getting infected. On Friday, 15 health workers tested positive in the state.

Kerala reported the highest single-day spike of 791 cases on Friday among which 532 cases were locally transmitted. The source of infection of 42 patients is unknown. Thiruvananthapuram has the highest number of fresh cases, 246.

One more death was reported on Friday, taking the total number to 38. The number of active cases is 6029.

Despite the rapidly increasing infections, the mortality rate in Kerala is still low when compared to other states and the national average.
Civil rights hero John Lewis, whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanise opposition to racial segregation, has died aged 80.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Mr Lewiss passing late on Friday night, calling the veteran politician one of the greatest heroes of American history.

Mr Lewis received tributes from both Democrats and Republicans when he announced in December that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by Martin Luther King Jr that had the greatest impact on the movement.

He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Mr Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police.

His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

John Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011 (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Within days, Reverend King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act.

The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred black people from voting.

Mr Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority.

After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Mr Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

Mr Lewis said he had been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman.

John Lewis, front left, and his wife Lillian lead a march of supporters from his campaign headquarters to an Atlanta hotel for a victory party after he defeated Julian Bond in a 1986 runoff election for Georgias 5th Congressional District seat in A

At 78, he told a rally he would do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump government.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Mr Lewis said in June, recalling the good trouble he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of President Trump, Mr Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say?

We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Mr Lewiss wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.
Jonathann S. Stewart

18.07.2020 LISTEN

According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition 2020 Report just released by the UNFAO, there are 690 million acutely hungry people and 2 billion people who do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. What an upsetting situation. The signs for global food insecurity are setting in. the indicators are getting clearer. The factors are visible enough for players in the food sector to identify. The reports are highlighting the gaps. As we experience the coronavirus across the world, in late April, there were concerns expressed over supply chain disruptions which led to several countries including Vietnam, Russia and Kazakhstan to stop exporting some staple foods to other countries in order to have enough available for their citizens. That is a sign!

The questions that I may ask, are we following? Are we taking notes? Are we adjusting, realigning and planning according to the trend and the gaps? In this article I tried as possible to highlight some of the signs as being dappled in many countries including Liberia.

Pre coronavirus global food security status was not favorable as the world had millions of hungry people. Malnutrition and other food and nutrition issues for vulnerable populations were increasingly settling in. Currently, there are series of issues surrounding global and local food security. With climate impacts, heavy rain fall, drought, flood and earthquake battling global food production and the disruptive actions of COVID-19 on the other hand, the future of global food systems are bleak. As whispered by the United Nations, there is a looming food emergency if nothing is done at this point to increase food production and diversify global agriculture. This is described as a food crisis that the world has not seen for over fifty years.

At present, there are reports of flood and earthquake in Asia and locust invasion in East Africa. Other natural disasters are being experience across the world compounded with the devastating impacts of the coronavirus on the economies and food systems. These are warning signs that must trigger policy actions and concerted effort from all food actors at this point of the situation. With the growing challenges, it must be seen that more need to be done and it must start now.

With the coronavirus non submissive posture to the United Sates health defense system, the impacts of the virus are something to look out for as the US economy is the biggest and whatever pain it feels will have a trigger down effect on the rest of the world. As the transmission gap scrambles in the US, the impacts are being felt with the labor market, manufacturing, food production and packaging, transport and food services. One would consider these as visible signs of what could put the world in another uncomfortable position (hunger pandemic).

The UN projection of growing food emergency recognizes the food security challenges of pre coronavirus era but saw new issues that have the potential to undermine to a larger extent the food security of developing countries with vulnerable populations and economies. Situations like increasing food access issues due to loss of critical income sources, growing disruption to local food market and collapse in global demand for internationally produced agri-food products show the gap the pandemic has created. If we expect to have a ravished global economy that means the agri sector is going to be highly affected especially for Africa that has 65% of it labor force in the agriculture sector.

Reports have it that President Buhari of Nigeria has called on farmers to increase food production as the nation experience rise in food prices. He informed the nation that the country does not have money to import food so Nigerians should get to the soil to produce food for the nation. This reflects the food gap created by the coronavirus which is not expected to go away anytime soon. Nigeria is a major producer of cassava and rice, therefore a decline in production of these staple will affect global food security as well. With over 200 million populations, a decline in local food production is a recipe for serious humanitarian crises and an open door to extreme poverty for vulnerable populations.

A farming organization in Ghana, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has warned against a possible food shortage during the harvest season in number and December of 2020 due to the disruption in seed and fertilizer supply and decline in demand for food from nearby countries because of closure of boarders and airports. This is an alarm that the message of the forthcoming global food shortage needs to be echoed immensely. About 45 percent of Ghana population derives their livelihood directly or indirectly from agriculture activities while 5 percent is food insecure and 2 million people are vulnerable to become food insecure. The agriculture sector is the most dominant sector in the economy of Ghana, therefore, shocks and disruption in the sector will play a major role in the widespread of poverty and hunger.

According to the Kenyan government, Kenya will lose sh 13.6 billion (126, 965,764.80 USD) in agriculture produce this 2020 due to pre coronavirus locust invasion, flood and COVID-19 disruptions. The government report indicated that due to COVID-19, food supply and output during this 2020 is likely to be affected due to some household financial incapacity. Kenya being a food hub for the horn of Africa, these loses will affect the East African community food security. It is a sign of something bigger for global discomfort. Let beware and act now!

The signs of global food crises are emerging and must be taken seriously at this critical stage. Liberia being a developing nation is vulnerable to the many food insecurity issues and must be on the alert to revert the impending hunger crises. Mind you, pre COVID-19 food security of Liberia recorded 34.9 percent in the Global Hunger Index and 39.1 percent of national food poverty. Truth be told, Liberia does not have the capacity to withstand the venom of the projected global food emergency. Already there is a household food shortage of 52.1 percent and poverty rate of 50.9 percent. Currently, smallholder farmers are facing difficulty in accessing input due to lockdown and border closure. Fertilizer, seeds and other chemical input are short on supply on the agro market, a situation that is affecting local food production. Liberia consumes 570, 000 tons of rice annually but unfortunately, only 20 percent is locally produce while 80 percent is imported, a situation that threatens Liberia food security at present and post COVID-19. Currently, there is some striving associated with accessing rice in some urban communities and rural locations. Some term it as rice shortage while others refer to it as artificial scarcity/ hoarding. Whatever name we may call it, I honestly see it as a sign of the imminent food crises. Even if we import thousands of tons of rice now, it is not the sustainable approach to a strong food security. A strong food security leverage local food production and smallholder farmers capacity to grow at national consumption threshold. Rice being Liberia staple food must be cultivated on a mechanized scale so as to increase and expand production. It is reported that some highest rice producing countries have temporarily suspended new rice exports. Vietnam, the worlds third-largest shipper suspended export while Myanmar also said it may cut overseas sales to avoid domestic scarcity. This is a warning sign to Liberia, a food dependent nation. If we cannot identify the signs of food insecurity now, we may not be able to do later as we will be overwhelmed. Significant portions of the nations foods are produce by smallholder farmers. With the vulnerability of the smallholder farmers in Liberia, the impact of the coronavirus will extremely affect their financial capacity to continue food production post COVI-19. Already, lack of access to sustainable finance is a fundamental challenge in the agriculture sector; our hope to depend on local farmers to feed the nation post COVID-19 has been dashed by the economic downturn of the virus on smallholder farmers. Just day ago, there is report that there is caterpillar worms outbreak in central Liberia, specifically Wolapolu clan, Zota District in Bong County. This is reportedly creating difficulty for residents most of whom are farmers and involve into agribusiness related activities for their livelihoods. Farm works and other activities are being abandoned and farmers are fleeing for their lives. This is another situation that calls for urgency from stakeholders so as to reduce its impact on the food and nutrition security of Liberia.

During this Coronavirus period, GROW Liberia, an agri-business and investment advisory program has been involved with tracking the impacts of the coronavirus on agri production and agribusiness in Liberia. Several articles were published which outlined the challenges and constraints faced by farmers, agribusiness actors and suppliers as a result of the disruption in supply chain, access to input and access to finance especially for smallholder farmers. In one of its COVID-19 Response article, how is COVID-19 disrupting Liberias vegetable production and supply networks, issues faced by vegetable producers were highlighted ranging from border closures, curfew, cost in transportation, access to market and fair price. These issues have crippled the already underperforming agriculture sector and if nothing strategic is done, the post COVID-19 output will make little impact on our national food security. There is lot that must be put in the sector to resuscitate it. Farmers will lack finance, quality and climate resilient seeds, market channels, storage and post-harvest technologies and skills. They will also need skills and technology on climate smart agriculture that will promote sustainable and profitable productions in the face of climate change.

The wind of food insecurity is emerging in all nations across the world which must get the attention of agriculture policy makers and stakeholders in Liberia. Experts have projected and announced a global food emergency due to these signs and situations caused by climate and environmental issues, COVID-19 economic and social impacts and weak food security policies and programs across predominantly developing countries like African nations. Farmers and farming organizations across Africa are signaling cautionary of the collapse of food systems if strategic national actions are not taken. The issues mentioned in here should draw the attention of national leaders in Liberia to develop immediate action plans and program for a food secured Liberia post COVID-19. Liberia needs to take note as a country and Africa as a continent to design impact based programs that promote agriculture development and empowers farmers, transform production systems and integrate technology (ICT & mechanized farming). In the post COVID-19 era, nations will focus on their economies, focus on production for domestic demand and social welfare for their citizens, therefore, Liberia will have to put in place policies and programs that will increase local production of the nations staple and enhance farmers capacity to grow more. Liberia needs to see these global and local situations as a sign of emerging danger that we cannot withstand.

By: Jonathan S. Stewart

Food Security Advocate & Green Ambassador

Email: [email protected]
Boris Johnson is being urged to back a new empire-neutral public honour as part of plans to reward the heroes of the fight against coronavirus this autumn.

The PM was warned that traditional Order of the British Empire medals would deter many worthy recipients from black and ethnic minority communities (BAME) from accepting gongs.

Liberal Democrat leadership contender Layla Moran said the creation of a more inclusive award omitting reference to the countrys imperial past was all the more important in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and the Windrush scandal.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) is being urged to back a new empire-neutral public honour as part of plans to reward the heroes of the fight against coronavirus this autumn

She told The Mail on Sunday: I am urging the Government to create a new honour to recognise courage in the face of coronavirus.

The reference to the empire increasingly repels some people from accepting the existing awards, and the Government must not force anyone to think twice about getting the honour they deserve.

Ms Moran stressed that she was not calling for the traditional OBE system to be scrapped, as many people had no objection to receiving empire-related honours.

The Prime Minister announced two months ago that the Queens Birthday Honours list  normally unveiled in June  would be postponed until the autumn to allow people in the front line against Covid-19 to be included.

The postponed list is widely expected to include awards to many people from BAME communities.

Oxford MP Ms Moran paid tribute to the heroic bravery shown by front-line workers  saying that many were from overseas and BAME communities [who] have put their own safety at risk to help the most vulnerable and deserve to be honoured.

But she added: Some people are worried about the connotations, especially after the Windrush scandal and the Black Lives Matter protests, but it is critical we find a way to pay proper tribute to those who went above and beyond.

I think the Government should ask the Honours Committee to look at this and come back with a proposal. No one who is worthy of an honour should miss out.

Earlier this year, Labour MP Lisa Nandy  now Shadow Foreign Secretary  called for the removal of references to empire, saying that it alienated people.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy (pictured) called for the removal of references to empire earlier this year, saying that it alienated people

She pointed to poet Benjamin Zephaniahs decision to turn down an OBE in 2003 because it reminded him of thousands of years of brutality.

However, Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said last night that the proposed honours reforms were not necessary.

He said: I can count on the fingers of one hand the people of colour who were not proud of either getting an honour or, even more importantly, their relatives getting an honour of this kind.

A diversity review into who receives official recognition is already set to take place, although Cabinet Office sources indicated there were no plans to create a new type of honour.
Thanks to the policy of the local government, Yu Haiyan, an unemployed middle-aged villager in Northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province, has secured a job as a baby nurse amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

Yu is from Mahe village, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province. Her husband died of liver cancer before the Chinese New Year, whose treatment cost all her savings and even got her into debt.

To take care of her aged mother and son who is still at college, Yu was eager to get back to work at a restaurant. However, her plan was disrupted by the sudden epidemic. She was laid off at the beginning of March.

To cushion the effects of the epidemic and help people like Yu, Mudanjiang human resources and social security bureau launched a program to bring jobs back to rural residents.

Through WeChat groups, phone calls and home visits, the government department introduced over 16,000 jobs to migrant workers and impoverished residents.

A recruitment advertisement for baby nurses sent to a WeChat group aroused Yus interest. I heard the baby nursing market is growing and the payment is also very good, Yu said. Though she wanted to give it a try, she then had no relevant experience or skill.

A livestreaming recruitment session held by the government helped solve her problem.

During epidemic prevention and control, Mudanjiang hosted 15 livestreaming recruitment sessions for the socially disadvantaged groups such as migrant workers, impoverished rural residents, the disabled and people who have difficulty finding a job.

During one livestreaming session, Yu learnt that people with registered rural residence like her could take courses on baby nursing at the Shiguanjia vocational school for free. The online training fee of Yu, which stood at over 1,900 yuan (about $272), was covered by a special fund offered by the government.

So far, Mudanjiang has given subsidies worth of over 14 million yuan to 93 such vocational schools, training nearly 12,000 people.

According to Yu, all questions that a newbie would encounter as a baby nurse can be asked in a WeChat group, such as what work shall be done as preparation, how to get along with clients and how to relieve symptoms babies develop. It was very helpful for green hands like me, she said.

In May, after completing basic training, Yu took an interview and landed a job in Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang.

However, due to the strict epidemic control and prevention measures in Mudanjiang at that time, no one was allowed to leave the city.

As many trainees of the Shiguanjia vocational school, including Yu, needed to go to Harbin for work, Yang Qiuhuan, head of the school, reached out to the Mudanjiang human resources and social security bureau for help of arranging chartered buses to transport migrant workers to their destinations.

Yu had a nucleic acid test as required by the health commission of Mudanjiang on May 23 and then got on a chartered bus three days later.

The health commission disinfected the vehicles thoroughly and took the temperature of the migrant workers, and the traffic detachment of the public security bureau monitored the vehicles through a satellite navigation system.

Meanwhile, the buses also offered masks, infrared thermometers, disinfectant, disposable gloves and other medical supplies.

After Yu completed her first baby nursing job in Harbin, the school recommended another job to her in Kunshan, East Chinas Jiangsu Province.

I will get paid over 6,000 yuan per month and be provided with food and accommodation, said Yu with satisfaction.
The conspiracy that ousted APC ex-national chairman Adams Oshiomhole and propped up Yobe Gov Mai Mala Buni as chairman of the partys caretaker committee has a focus: to put forward Senate President Ahmed Lawan for the 2023 presidency.

An exclusive report by Sahara Reporters revealed that Lawan is eyeing the government top job as he hopes the APC will throw open the contest for the partys primary.

Lawan is making moves for presidency in 2023 and this may be his first ambition in that direction, Sahara Reporters quoted a source as saying.

He is a proponent of the north-east producing the next president and that is his agenda if the zoning favours the region.

The northeast is jostling vigorously for the opportunity to also bid for power after the eight-year tenure of Preident Muhammadu Buhari from the northwest.

If the Yobe senator truly has such ambition, he is upsetting the alleged plan of his ally and partys national leader Bola Tinubu to contest in 2023.

Tinubu in 2016 stoutly rooted for Lawan to clinch the Senate presidency. The party leadership, too. But Sen. Bukola Saraki outfoxed them all. Again in 2019, the former Lagos governor didnt flagellate in his support for Lawan to become No. 3 citizen.

All of Tinubus support couldnt have been for nothing, considering his experience and finesse as a political juggernaut.

Should the APC make the contest a free-for-all in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election, Lawan and his backer will get in the ring with others to make a play for the ticket.

The office of the Senate president has denied the news as speculations.

There more related speculations when Oshiomhole, aided into office by Tinubu, held sway as chairman.

He was believed to have been stationed at the partys headquarters to swing the APC ticket for Tinubu.
JERSEYVILLE  A Jersey County project is among 21 housing developments sharing in $26 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.

Once sold to investors, the tax credits will generate an estimated $238.4 million in private capital to finance the creation and/or preservation of 1,188 affordable units for low- to moderate-income families, seniors, veterans and persons with special needs.

Diamond Apartments of Jerseyville plans to use the tax credit to help build six two-story breezeway buildings and one single-story duplex totaling 50 units and a community building.

The development will consist of four one-, 20 two- and 26 three-bedroom units. Each unit will include stoves, Energy Star refrigerators, dishwashers and ceiling fans.

With more and more families and seniors increasingly rent burdened and reeling from the impact of the pandemic, it is crucial that we continue to build and preserve affordable housing throughout Illinois to address this urgent need, said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program is the strongest tool in Illinois to spur the much-needed development of additional affordable housing, and these awards build on our efforts to provide real relief to local renters hit hardest by the economic downturn.

The Internal Revenue Service allocates a certain number of tax credits annually to each state based on population. IHDA awards the credits through a competitive application process, and, once developers receive the credits, they sell them to investors and use the equity generated to reduce construction and operating costs. The savings in underwriting are passed on to the renter in the form of below-market rents, which must remain affordable for a minimum of 30 years.
18.07.2020 LISTEN

We are delighted to hear the news of the appointment of Her Excellency Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, as the first female Prime Minister of the Republic of Gabon. Sixty (60) years after independence, we have reason to celebrate the breaking of a glass ceiling in the Central African Country.

On behalf of all the students and youth in Africa, say we okili mbia to you for this great accomplishment. We extend to Madam Ossouka Raponda, our heartiest congratulations on her historic appointment as Prime Minister, the second highest executive office of the Republic of Gabon.

The All-Africa Students Union (AASU) greatly welcomes her appointment to the office of Prime Minister. We are of the opinion that, this record appointment will inspire many young girls to believe that hard work and an excellent attitude pays off in the long run. AASU hopes that Madam Ossouka Raponda's appointment will be yet another cause to deepen the role of women as decision-makers in public and corporate governance in Africa. We are convinced that, her incalculable wealth of experience in public service, as Mayor of Libreville and Minister of Defense will prove invaluable in her new role as Prime Minister.

Her appointment comes at a time when the cry and struggle for greater inclusion in governance and decision making across the length and breadth of the Africa continent cannot be over emphasized. We are confident that her appointment holds glad tidings for all young girls and the youth.

We wish Her Excellency Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, nothing short of success in her new position and will be counting greatly on her sterling history in public service to bring about the much-needed reform in our education, key amongst them will be to remove all the structural inequalities in the education ecosystem and make education available to all in Gabon.

Once again, congratulations, Madam Prime Minister.

Signed,

Peter Kwasi KODJIE

Secretary General

All Africa Students Union (AASU)

ALL-AFRICA STUDENTS UNION (AASU) OVERVIEW

The All-Africa Students Union (AASU), formed in 1972, organizes all students in Africa  from the basic level to Institutions of higher learning. The Union has presence in all 54 African Countries, albeit, headquartered in Ghana under a headquarter agreement with the Government of Ghana. AASU's core activities are focused on a broad range of issues affecting students or have the tendency to affect students, including but not limited to the 7 strategic priorities of the Union - Education & Students Rights, Capacity Building, Gender Advocacy, Environment & Climate Action, Pan-Africanism & African Culture, Migration & Mobility, Democracy & Good Governance.

AASU's Strategic Priorities are fully aligned to the UN and AU's development priorities as articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 respectively. In addition, these priorities complement the global efforts to build a relevant contemporary human capital, capable of fitting into the global citizen ecosystem. In the year 2000, the UN awarded AASU a certificate of merit in recognition of the Union's efforts at advancing students' rights and championing the democratization of education across the African Continent.

See: http://www.un.org/press/en/2000/20000410.dev2241.doc.html

For further information please refer to our website at www.aasuonline.org
Two toddlers are in a critical condition after nearly drowning in a backyard swimming pool in Sydneys south west this afternoon.

An 18-month-old girl and a 23-month-old boy were found unresponsive by paramedics, who were called to a home on Lakewood Crescent in Casula just before 2:45pm on Saturday.

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said the children were treated at the scene before being transferred to Liverpool and Westmead Hospitals.

Both children are still in a critical condition as of 4:40pm on Saturday.

An 18-month-old girl and a 23-month-old boy were found unresponsive by paramedics, who were called to a home on Lakewood Crescent (pictured) in Casula just before 2:45pm on Saturday

It is unclear how the two young children came to access the pool and how long they were in it before they were found unresponsive.

A NSW Police spokesman said they are investigating the incident.

'Officers from Liverpool City Police Area Command have established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,' he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 18:09:47|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A senior legislator has stressed the full and effective implementation of the Charity Law to promote the development of charity and improve the social security system.

Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks at a meeting of a law enforcement inspection group on Friday.

Noting that the Charity Law is a legal pillar that underpins social aid and the multi-tiered social security system, Wang said the NPC Standing Committee will consider revising the law after the law enforcement inspection.

He stressed strict inspections of charity organizations in terms of donations, assets, services, information transparency, and management in accordance with the Charity Law.

Wang also called for more efforts in popularizing and implementing the law. Enditem
U.S. energy secretary signs initial agreement with India on emergency oil reserves U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette speaks with journalists during a roundtable in Rio de Janeiro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and India signed a preliminary agreement on Friday on cooperating on emergency crude oil reserves, including the possibility of India storing oil in the U.S. emergency stockpile, officials said.

U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette told reporters in a teleconference with India Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, that officials will discuss details of the emergency reserves in the next months.

The United States would like to begin the process of sharing with India the establishment of a strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) and then see how the U.S. SPR, comprised of underground caverns in Texas and Louisiana, could help India store oil there, Brouillette said.

U.S. President Donald Trump in March ordered Brouillette to fill the SPR to its capacity of about 714 million barrels of capacity, but Congress failed to fund a purchase.

Brouillette said it could mirror a recent plan with Australia, which in April committed to spending about $60 million to build an emergency oil stockpile, first by buying crude to store in the U.S. SPR.

"It could ultimately look similar ... but there's no predetermined outcome as to where this conversation is going to go," Brouillette said.

Global oil prices fell steeply earlier this year as shutdowns from the novel coronavirus sapped demand, but have stabilized at around $43 a barrel on hopes for stimulus programs.

In May, Pradhan said India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer and importer, had already filled its 5.33 million tonnes of strategic storage and parked about 8.5-9 million tonnes of oil on ships, primarily in the Gulf.

India is the fourth-largest export destination for U.S. crude. It plans to build new strategic storage to expand capacity by 6.5 million tonnes.

Pradhan said on Friday that the bilateral hydrocarbons trade between the two countries had touched $9.2 billion during 2019 to 2020, about 10% of the overall bilateral trade.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Nidhi Verma in New Delhi; Editing by Dan Grebler and Marguerita Choy)
US officials have 'gone mad' in dealing with China: Beijing

Iran Press TV

Friday, 17 July 2020 2:32 PM

China says US officials have "lost their minds and gone mad" in dealing with Beijing, in the strongest verbal reaction from China to the ratcheting up of tensions by Washington.

"These people, for self-interest and political gain, do not hesitate to hijack domestic public opinion to the point where they have lost their minds and gone mad," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a daily news briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Earlier, US Attorney General Bill Barr had accused Beijing of mounting an "aggressive" campaign to gain top economic status.

"The People's Republic of China is now engaged in an economic blitzkrieg  an aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government and indeed whole-of-society campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the world's preeminent superpower," Barr said in a speech on Thursday.

Hua said Barr had misread China's intentions.

"A sparrow cannot understand the ambition of a swan," she said. "This is a serious misjudgment and misunderstanding of China's strategic intent."

But she said China had no intention of challenging or replacing the United States, expressing hope that Washington could "return to rationality" in its China policy.

Relations between the United States and China have hit the lowest level in decades. The two are at loggerheads over a range of issues, including trade, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the coronavirus pandemic. In all of those cases, Washington has been aggressively ramping up rhetoric against Beijing in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would do everything it could to support China's rivals in territorial disputes, declaring a one-size-fits-all, openly hostile policy toward Beijing.

On Monday, the US said it would treat Beijing's pursuit of resources in the South China Sea as "illegal," and also threatened to impose sanctions on China over accusations of the exploitation of offshore resources in the South China Sea, where Beijing is involved in territorial disputes with regional countries.

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SpaceX's Crew Dragon is seen docked with the International Space Station

The two US astronauts who reached the International Space Station (ISS) on board the first crewed US spacecraft in nearly a decade will leave for Earth on August 1, NASA's chief said Friday.

"Splashdown is targeted for Aug. 2. Weather will drive the actual date. Stay tuned," tweeted the US space agency's administrator Jim Bridenstine.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley took off from Florida aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule on May 30, becoming the first astronauts to hitch a ride to the ISS on board a commercial spaceship, which is under contract with NASA.

It was the first time a crewed spaceship was launched from the United States since 2011 when the space shuttle program was ended.

Between then and this mission, American astronauts traveled exclusively on Russian rockets.

Eventually, Dragon will regularly bring four astronauts to the ISS at a time, from NASA and partner space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe and potentially Russia.

This will be the first time the SpaceX capsule will make the journey to Earth with astronauts, having successfully completed an uncrewed test run last year.

It will splash down in the Atlantic, like the Apollo capsules did in the 1960s and 1970s.

Explore further NASA announces first SpaceX crewed flight for May 27

 2020 AFP
WEST HAVEN  An unidentified person is dead after apparently suffering a gunshot wound, police said.

The person, who was the driver of a car involved in a crash at about 2:45 p.m., was found when officers responded to the 800 block of First Avenue, police Sgt. Patrick Buturla said in an email.

Officers determined that the driver of the vehicle appeared to have suffered a gun shot wound, Buturla said.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, Buturla said.

The case is under investigation by the West Haven Police Department Detective Division, he said, Anyone who may have any information regarding this incident is asked to call the West Haven Police Department at 203 937-3900.
New Delhi:

The decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes to curb the menace of black money was not an easy decision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed various aspects and held several meetings before announcing taking the decision.

Here is what all happened and what was on PM Modi's mind before the ban:



#PM Modi had given a go ahead this scheme six months ago.



#PM Modi was worried about the possibility of inconvenience that could be faced by common people.

#In 1978, high value notes were banned during the tenure of former PM Morarji Desai. PM Narendra Modi studied the file related to the decision taken by the then government.

#PM Modi discussed on the confidentiality with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley fearing the possibility that the information could be leaked.

#It was kept so confidential that it was not even revealed to other ministers in the cabinet. It was kept to only PM Modi, RBI Governor, Finance Minister and Finance Secretary.



#PM Modi held four meetings with RBI Governor, Finance Minister and Finance Secretary on the decision. The strategy to ban the currency notes was chalked out during these meetings.



#PM Modi was worried about the possible inconvenience in transactions after demonetisation. But PM Modi was told that America, Russia and China have only 100 value notes, hence it won't be a problem in India too.

#Now the question is why the government is introducing Rs 2000 notes? The simple reason was if the government allowed to circulate Rs 1000 again, Pakistan would again print those notes and send them to India. As of now, Pakistan won't be able to print Rs 2000 notes.

#The decision was kept top secret and the message was recorded on DD. Cabinet was informed only after the recording and the ministers were not allowed to go out until the telecast. The ministers are not allowed to carry their mobile phones in cabinet meet.

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State lawmakers have tried for years to exert their will on not just Tucson but all charter cities, including through a 2012 law requiring consolidated election dates. But in a legal fight with Tucson, the state Court of Appeals barred enforcement of that law, at least as it applied to charter cities, concluding they have a constitutional right to decide issues of local concern and lawmakers had no statewide interest in interceding.

That led to a 2018 revision of the state law. It sought to get around the earlier ruling by declaring it is a matter of statewide concern to increase voter participation in elections, including elections for cities. That law also had a trigger, forcing even-year elections if turnout at a local-only election was 25% less than the most recent statewide election.

Turnout in Tucsons 2019 election was 39.3%, versus 67% of Tucson voters who had voted in 2018. But city officials ignored the law, setting the next election for 2021.

The decision to set a 2021 election led to a complaint to Brnovich by Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, asking him to rule that Tucson had overstepped its bounds and should be forced to repeal its election-date ordinance or forfeit state aid.

Wilson said Mesnard is correct.
The missing teenage girl from the City of Rio Bravo has run away from home at least once, according to authorities.

Veronica Montiel, 14, ran away on or about Sept. 19. Her sister went to pick her up from school but Montiel never came out, according to Laredo police.

The next day, relatives told police that they had located Montiel.

Federal authorities said that even if Montiel has a history of running away, if an adult took her, its still against the law. She doesnt have the capacity to consent, authorities said. Its unclear if she went with someone or if she is by herself. The investigation continues.

READ MORE: Former Tecos pitcher under investigation for rape, murder of 2-year-old girl

The FBI said on Thursday that Montiels life may be in jeopardy. She was last seen on June 6 in Rio Bravo near her residence. FBI officials said Montiel has medical issues but does not have the needed medications with her.

She is believed to be in Mexico. She left her home without any clothes, money or items to indicate she planned on leaving for a trip, according to the FBI.

Montiel only took a cellphone, a charger and a stuffed animal with her. She is approximately 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs approximately 115 pounds. She has black hair and dark brown eyes.

Her family is extremely concerned for her safety, as she is only 14 years of age and has a medical condition. The public is urged to call the FBI San Antonio Division at (210) 225-6741 with any information. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov. Individuals who provide information may remain anonymous, the FBI said.
New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Since last week, 12 Bangladeshi citizens, including four women, one man and seven children, have been stuck at the international border as Bangladesh is refusing to accept them.



According to the Border Security Forces (BSF), Bangladeshi citizens have revealed that all are residents of Village Harikula, District Cumilla in Bangladesh.

"BSF party sensitized them about the International Boundary and Indian Territory and directed them to go back to Bangladesh territory. In the meantime, Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) party also reached the spot. Subsequently, a Company Commander level flag meeting was held with BGB BOP Kasba on the same day. During the meeting, BGB Commander did not accept the 12 Bangladeshi nationals as they were not in possession of any valid documents to establish their identity as Bangladeshi nationals," the BSF said.

BGB assured that verification of their addresses will be carried out and thereafter, a suitable decision will be taken. Simultaneously, Battalion Commander Level contact was established with Commanding Officer, 60 BGB on phone on the same day, during which BGB was apprised to take back those 12 Bangladeshi Nationals on the basis of their home address revealed by them. But, no satisfactory reply was received from BGB, it said.

"Subsequently, Battalion commander Level Flag meeting was held on 14th July 2020, during which BSF handed over supporting documents as evidence proving the identity of above 12 stranded Bangladeshi nationals like their photographs, home address, family tree chart and one CD containing voice and videos conversation between Kulsum Bibi with her son, who is residing in Bangladesh. But still, BGB did not respond with some positive outcome," it added.

As per the understanding between the BSF and BGB, women and children apprehended at the International Border have to be handed over or accepted by the BGB or BSF, subject to confirmation of their nationality, immediately after apprehension, treating them as victims of human trafficking.

However, Bangladesh authorities have been delaying such confirmation despite evidence handed over to BGB by the BSF during the Commandant level flag meeting. Resultantly, all the 12 Bangladeshi nationals are still stranded on the International Boundary and they have been provided with basic amenities by the BSF and locals on humanitarian grounds. (ANI)








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A 28-year-old woman, Mrs Clara Vincent, has allegedly committed suicide by drinking sniper after quarreling with her husband.



City Round learnt that the deceased, who lived on Ebewi Street at Agodo area of Lagos State with her husband, was rushed to the General Hospital, Isolo, Lagos where she was confirmed dead.



Her cousin, Mr Lawrence John, who reported the case to the police, said the family suspected foul play, alleging that the husband had a hand in her death.



He said, My cousin, Clara, was said to have taken her own life after drinking sniper. She was rushed to the General hospital, at Isolo, where she died. We were surprised that the husband had packed up the body and ready to take her to his hometown in Umuezeala in Imo State for burial without the knowledge of her family members. We suspect that the husband killed her based on the misunderstanding they had in previous times.



Our correspondent learnt that the husband was in police custody for interrogation.



John added, Her remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy. The husband has been arrested by the police and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, for further investigation.



The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana told our correspondents that investigation was ongoing.



He said, I am aware of the case and I can tell you that investigation is ongoing while we await the result of the autopsy.

Source: punchng.com









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WASHINGTON  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services violated federal contracting rules when its leaders misused communications consultants to burnish the image of the agency and its chief, Seema Verma, according to the Department of Health and Human Servicess inspector general.

In a 70-page review of three contracts that totaled more than $6 million from 2017 to 2019, Christi A. Grimm, the departments principal deputy inspector general, wrote that she found significant deficiencies in the agencys use of outsiders to perform duties that should have been assigned to civil servants. Contractors were allowed to manage government employees, the review found.

The agency, one of the largest and most powerful in the government, controlling $1 trillion in health care spending that influences virtually every aspect of the American health care system, employed more than 220 communications aides during the 18 months that the office investigated. Yet it still hired outsiders to perform functions that violated federal rules, investigators found.

The agencys extensive use of private communications contractors was first reported by Politico last year, and has become the subject of a congressional investigation as well as the inspector generals 15-month audit. The contractors helped hone communications strategies, revise speeches, arrange interviews with the news media and review social media posts, according to the report.
On Friday afternoon, the US government executed federal death row prisoner Dustin Lee Honken. His was the third federal execution in five days after a 17-year de facto moratorium on federal executions. Daniel Lewis Lee was executed on Tuesday; Wesley Ira Purkey was put to death on Thursday. All three executions took place at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The US Supreme Court cleared the way for these three lethal injections, vacating lower court injunctions that halted them on the basis of defendants claims of mental incompetency and that the method of execution to be used constituted cruel and unusual punishment, as well as legal procedural issues.

The Trump administration actively pushed for an end to the 17-year halt to federal government executions. Last year, Attorney General William Barr directed the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reinstate the death penalty for federal prisoners.

Although this drive to resume the federal state killing machine began a year ago, it is not a coincidence that it comes at a time of crisis for the Trump administration in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

As Trumps poll numbers plummet in advance of the November election, in large part due to his handling of the COVID-19 crisis, the White House response is to double-down on the presidents reactionary policies, which include support for the barbaric practice of capital punishment. There has been little critical coverage in the media or reaction from Democratic or Republican politicians to the governments rapid-fire executions.

The District of Columbia Federal District Court denied Honkens request for a stay of execution. The Supreme Courts ruling on the other two federal cases cleared the way for his execution as well.

As he was strapped to the gurney in the execution chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana, Honkens last words were, Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for me. He was pronounced dead at 4:36 p.m. by the BOP. Like Lee and Purkey, Honken was put to death by a lethal injection of a single drug, pentobarbital, which has been known to cause those injected to suffer flash pulmonary edema, which can lead to a sensation akin to drowning, along with pain and panic.

Honken was executed nearly three decades after his brutal crime spree gripped Iowa. Originally from the small town of Britt, Iowa, he was raised by an alcoholic father who recruited Dustin and his brother into a life of crime. He was reportedly terrorized by his violent father, resulting in mental health problems, but the jury never heard evidence about his background.

Dustin was a promising community college chemistry student who dropped out and went on to build a meth empire in Arizona, netting hundreds of thousands of dollars through sales by two dealers back in Iowa.

Honken was eventually convicted in the 1993 killing of one of these dealers, Greg Nicholson, his girlfriend Lori Duncan and her two daughters, Amber and Kandi, after Honken heard that Nicholson had turned states witness against him. Honkens girlfriend at the time, Angela Johnson, conspired with Honken in committing the murders and was picked up by the police and prosecuted. She revealed the whereabouts of the victims bodies to another prisoner while in jail, leading to Honkens arrest, conviction and sentencing to death in 2005.

Honken was the first Iowan put to death in more than 50 years. Iowa abolished the death penalty in 1965, but Honken was convicted in federal court due to his killing of government witnesses, which interfered with a federal case.

The Trump administrations drive to resume federal executions runs counter to growing opposition to the death penalty in the US population. The May 2020 Gallup Value and Beliefs poll, released June 23, found that the percentage of Americans who consider the death penalty to be morally acceptable fell to a record-low 54 percent, a 6 percentage-point decline over the previous year and the lowest in the 20-year history of the poll.

A recent Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) analysis found that more than 85 percent of those facing federal execution have at least one serious impairment that significantly reduces their culpability. These include severe mental illness, brain damage or intellectual disabilities, and long histories of childhood trauma and abuse.

In the modern use of capital punishment in the US, those sent to their deaths have been disproportionately poor and from minority backgrounds. Defendants cases have been plagued with poor and disreputable counsel and prosecutorial misconduct. Those executed have included the mentally impaired, those convicted of crimes committed as juveniles, and foreign nationals denied their consular rights.

The next federal prisoner set for execution is Keith Nelson, sentenced to death for kidnapping, raping and strangling a 10-year-old girl, who is scheduled for execution on August 28. So far this year, 10 death row prisoners have been executed in the US, including the three federal inmates, three in Texas, and one each in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Missouri.

Since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, the US has carried out 1,522 executions, according to the DPIC. Of the approximately 2,500 prisoners languishing on death row in America, 65 are held by the US government and the military.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 20:12:24|Editor: huaxia

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HANOI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam reported no new cases of COVID-19 infection on Saturday, with its total confirmed cases remaining at 382 with zero death so far, according to its Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, as many as 357 patients have totally recovered from the disease as of Saturday, said the ministry.

Vietnam has recorded no local transmission for 93 straight days while there are nearly 13,800 people being quarantined and monitored in the country, Vietnam News Agency reported. Enditem
(Natural News) A prominent New Hampshire Defund the Police and Black Lives Matter activist was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography last week. Chris DeVries is also being charged for possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms and falsification of physical evidence, which Jackson, New Hampshire police claim is a result of the progressive activist attempting to chuck away his cell phone when law enforcement arrived at his residence.

(Article by Richard Moorhead republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com)

DeVries is known as the rolling protestor in Carroll County, New Hampshire having organized an anti-police protest on Fathers Day in which skateboarders and bicyclists rode down a state highway. The Black Lives Matter protest was termed Skate Against the Hate.

I feel like this is one of the best things I can do as a father on Fathers Day, said DeVries last month. I want to live in a world where racism is not accepted or tolerated, and I dont want to live in a community or know there are communities in this country where people are afraid of their local police.

If we divest funds from police and prison systems we all benefit. said the leftist activist at the time. Certainly, those charged with sex offenses and detained in the jail system would benefit from the abolition of both, to the detriment of society.

DeVries is also a town official for Conway, New Hampshire, serving on the towns municipal budget committee.

Jackson police chief Chris Perley is alleging that internet forensics experts utilized by the police force have discovered more than sixty images of child sexual abuse on DeVries cell phone.

I cant comment on this case specifically or Mr. DeVries as he is a charged criminal defendant pending adjudication and presumed innocent until proven guilty, Perley told the Conway Daily Sun. But I can say that generally speaking, people should be very cautious about listening to voices suggesting defunding of the police because their motives are not always in the best interest of society.

Every count of child pornography possession is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but its doubtful DeVries would face the maximum sentence if convicted. Hes plead not guilty to all eight criminal charges and is being held without bail as of Thursday.

A convicted child rapist was recently arrested for a brutal on-camera assault at an Olympia, Washington ANTIFA left-wing protest.

Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com
Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya on Saturday demanded an apology from Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh over the Panvel Covid centre rape incident. Despite repeated attempts, Deskhmukh was not available for comment.

On Thursday evening, a 25-year-old man posed as a doctor and allegedly sexually assaulted a 40-year-old woman at the centre.

Somaiya, along with BJP Maharashtra vice-president Chitra Wagh and Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) mayor Kavita Choutmol, met the local police, demanding an upgrade in the security at Covid-19 quarantine centres. He later visited the Indiabulls quarantine facility in Kongaon, where the incident took place.

I have a question for home minister Anil Deshmukh. When will you apologise to the people of Maharashtra for this incident? What will the [Uddhav] Thackeray government do to ensure such an incident is not repeated? Somaiya said at the quarantine facility.

Choutmol demanded that the men and womens wards be separated at all centres.

Only one person is admitted in a room to ensure infection does not spread. So the security at the quarantine centres should be upgraded, said Choutmol.

She also issued a press release stating that the administration should appoint security personnel at the facility. At a time when coronavirus already spread fear among people, such an act can only be committed by a monster, the press release added.

Referring to last years police encounter of four men accused in the gang rape and murder of a 27-year-old veterinarian, Choutmol said, Such a monster should be given the same punishment given [to the accused] in the Hyderabad incident.

Meanwhile, Wagh cornered the state government over womens security and demanded action against the administration and security personnel for negligence.

The woman visited the centre for her treatment. The accused should get punishment, but action should also be initiated against the administration and security staff as their negligence led to the incident. Women have been molested at various quarantine centres in Maharashtra, and this incident raises further questions on womens security. The government must tell us if women should go to Covid centres for treatment or die at home? Wagh added.

Meanwhile, Raigad guardian minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Aditi Tatkare also demanded strict punishment for the accused. I have spoken to the police officials and have demanded strict punishment for the accused, she said in a statement.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 22:59:15|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, July 18 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi health official said Saturday that the recent decisions of the health authorities to ease some anti-COVID-19 restrictions were taken due to the heavy economic impacts on the war-shattered country.

Ryadh Abdul-Amir, head of the Health Department, said in a statement that most of the country's families are living in a critical situation because of the strict health preventive measures in various life aspects, and there is no way to assist them by the government.

Abdul-Amir, who is also a member of the country's Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, said that "the committee decided to open some important economic activities, but this does not mean (freely) launching coexistence with the virus, and does not mean that we controlled it, and certainly doesn't mean lifting all restriction measures."

"Reducing partial curfew hours would entail a focus on compliance with personal preventive measures," Abdul-Amir said.

Abdul-Amir's comments came as the Iraqi Health Ministry reported 2,049 COVID-19 cases during the day, bringing the total nationwide infections to 90,220.

The ministry reported 75 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 3,691.

It also said that 1,997 people recovered during the day, bringing the total recoveries from the disease to 58,492.

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
Disruption to the Leaving Cert means college will start later

Some third-level colleges are delaying the entry of first years by a further week after confirmation that Leaving Cert results and Central Applications Office (CAO) offers won't be released until September.

The country's largest university, University College Dublin (UCD), said it will affect its plans to have Orientation Week for first years starting on September 14.

"We anticipate it will impact on these students and are seeking to minimise this for them," a UCD spokesperson said.

At Trinity College Dublin, Freshers' Week is being put back a week to September 28, with the start of the first year teaching term also back a week, to October 5.

Lectures

Technological University Dublin is delaying Orientation Week to September 28, with lectures for first years starting on October 5.

Dublin City University, which had planned a two-week orientation programme for first years starting September 21, said it will have to curtail that.

The disruption to the 2020 Leaving Cert prompted all third-level colleges to pencil in later starting dates, and the publication this week of the September timeline for the results and CAO offers forced a further review.

Maynooth University and the University of Limerick (UL) are sticking with their re-opening schedules. Maynooth's Orientation Week will start on September 21, with lectures beginning the following week.

UL is also going ahead with its existing plans to bring first years on to campus on September 28.

Leaving Cert results will issue on September 7, three weeks later than usual, and CAO round one offers will follow on September 11. Round two offers will issue on September 23 and, depending on the college, acceptance of a place may mean a slightly later start for those students.

The late release of the results and offers has sparked some criticism. Union of Students in Ireland president Lorna Fitzpatrick said the delay in issuing Leaving Cert results was unfair on students hoping to start third-level, who had already faced so much change and uncertainty.

"The turnaround time between the results coming out, offers being made and college starting is now extremely short, which heaps yet more pressure on students," she said.

Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris moved to assure students grant payments would not be affected by the delay.

Meanwhile, the CAO offer season kicks off today with offers to 5,800 applicants, mainly mature and deferred applicants.
Doctor on OC Board of Education Says Social Distancing May Be Unhealthy for Kids

Dr. Ken Williams, a primary care physician and university clinical professor who serves on the Orange County Board of Education, is eager to see kids go back to school in the fall, and he wants them to experience a healthy and safe environment.

Kids, because of the low risk, dont need a mask. They dont need to social distance, and it may be unhealthy for them, Dr. Williams told The Epoch Times.

The county has been at the center of a recent debate about plans to reopen school districts in California during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Orange County Board on July 13 recommending that schools not enforce the use of masks and social distancing for children.

Meanwhile, the California Department of Education, has recommended that students use cloth face coverings, especially when children are unable to social distance.

On July 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that counties on the states COVID-19 watch list must only offer distance learning in the fall. To resume in-person classes, a county must be off the watch list for 14 days in a row.

More than half of the counties in California are on the list, including Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties.

Dr. Williams said many parents are worried about keeping their children home from school, and theyve struggled with making sure their kids do well with their schoolwork at home.

Distance learning is very, very difficult, he said, especially if youre a parent and you have to work outside the home. What does your child do online? And thats part of the biggest complaint that I hear by parents, is that they dont feel empowered to be a teacher.

While Dr. Williams used to believe that masking was important for everyone, he says the data convinced him that children are very low risk.

We all had the thought at the time (in March) that this is going to turn out to be like the 1918 epidemic, where depending on where you read, 50 to 100 million people died in the world. This virus has not turned out to be that, he said.

At the same time, the country is very divided on the correct response to the pandemic when it comes to the school environment, he said. Many parents agree that allowing children the freedom to play and interact together during the school day is better for their overall education, but school districts are worried about the liability of exposing teachers to the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

There are those who want the tight grip, following strict orders, wearing your mask, social distancing, and its almost like you have to fall in line with that public health recommendation that we sometimes think of as a scientifically validated position, and theres a lot of us who dont believe that position, said Dr. Williams.

He believes that as many as 40 percent of children in Orange County may not return to school if the schools dont open. Parents may choose to homeschool, switch to a charter or private school, or they may even move out of state.

Theres going to be a lot of parents who are going to be very upset if their kids go back to facial masking and social distancing. They want their children to have the best and optimal emotional, psychological environment to learn.

Dr. Williams expects the recommendations and procedures to be different for practically every county and school district around the country for the fall school year, which makes it challenging for parents.

Its an excellent opportunity for parents to be the primary teachers for their children, but for those parents who have to have two incomes to make ends meet, what do we do for those kids? he asked.
When University of Georgia student Nicole Garcia Sanchez left Venezuela in 2017, the country was experiencing an ongoing human rights and political crisis. Still today, conflict between two leaders fighting for power and the shortages of medicine and food have led thousands of Venezeulans to flee the country.

This year, Venezuela faces a new crisis  COVID-19. As of July 17, the country has 10,428 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization. Human Rights Watch and Johns Hopkins Universitys Centers for Public Health and Human Rights and for Humanitarian Health said the country was grossly unprepared for COVID-19, which jeopardizes the health of Venezuelans.

For Garcia Sanchez, Venezuela is home. The country in crisis is where her parents, family and friends reside. On July 6, following an announcement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Garcia Sanchez thought she would be sent back to Venezuela. Although the directive was later rescinded on July 14, the possibility of being deported worried her.

I cant go back, Garcia Sanchez, a sophomore public relations major, said. Venezuela doesnt have enough doctors [or] medicine. People are dying of hunger and now the virus too.

ICE previously announced that international students taking a fully online semester would not be able to renew their F-1 and M-1 visas. Students with all-online classes would have had to leave the country, transfer to an institution with in-person classes or face deportation.

The University System of Georgia is currently planning for in-person classes, but that is subject to change based on how COVID-19 looks in the fall.

Last fall, Garcia Sanchez enrolled in UGA as an international student, spending over $40,000 in fees and tuition and leaving her family in Venezuela.She said she came to study in the U.S. for the same reason many students from a country in crisis do  to find opportunities not offered at home. As an orientation leader, Garcia Sanchez met Julie Kettle, a fellow international student from Australia.

Garcia Sanchez chose UGA for the warm weather, cheaper cost of living and career opportunities. Kettle, who was born in Brazil but moved to Australia at 13, came to the university for the public relations program and to expose herself to a new culture.

Now president of UGAs Hispanic Student Association, Garcia Sanchez has created a home away from home in Athens. Kettle wanted the full college experience and received just that  shes created her own community, jobs and relationships.

Ive never been happier, Kettle, a sophomore intended public relations major, said. All the money and the struggle of being away from home, for me, its worth it to be this happy.

A threat to international students

ICEs July 6 directive threatened to break the community Kettle and Garcia Sanchez built at UGA.

UGA spokesperson Greg Trevor said UGAs plan to offer in-person classes, with a hybrid plan for some remote classes, didnt conflict with ICEs directive. He also said UGAs Office of Global Engagement was in contact with international students.

Kettle said she did not receive any emails from the Office of Global Engagement between July 6-14 when the ICE rule was still active.

Because there is some uncertainty as to the final implementation of the temporary rule, we will continue to actively monitor the situation. As always, we will continue to provide ongoing support and assistance to all of our students, including our international students, Trevor said in an email to The Red & Black.

Soon after the July 6 announcement, Kimberly Lopez, a UGA master of public administration candidate, and Jeremiah de Sesto wondered why the university and other organizations hadnt put out a statement in support of international students. Together, they formed the International Student Alliance in the University System of Georgia, in order to call for justice for international students facing deportation.

As a first-generation Filipino American, born and raised in the Philippines, my parents gave up everything for a chance for me to have a quality education in the United States, de Sesto, a sophomore international affairs major, said. I empathize with these international students, who like me, were exposed to something so foreign and so different.

Although the Trump administration eventually rescinded the rule, ISA member Atithi Patel said the universitys response showed a lack of support and understanding for international students. ISA hopes to create a forum for international students to lean on each other in the future, Patel said.

Continued uncertainty

In the aftermath of the directives reversal, Garcia Sanchez said she feels like she cant say the wrong thing or make a mistake without the risk of being sent back to Venezuela. Shes part of the International Student Advisory Board and last week spoke to members about the risks of her joining one of the Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta.

The board told her she had to be careful because if immigration showed up or if the country felt she was causing trouble, they could deport her.

I have a life here, I paid thousands in tuition here, so the fact that I could get deported for calling for the arrest of Breonna Taylors killers is frustrating, Garcia Sanchez said.

In Kettles case, Australia is not a country under crisis but does have fewer COVID-19 cases than the U.S. Being forced to return home meant the possibility of infecting her family and leaving behind her boyfriend and close friends.

The pandemic coupled with ICEs original directive reminded Kettle of her inability to make long-term plans due to her status in the U.S. She said there is nothing to stop ICE or the Trump administration from attempting to deport international students again under different circumstances.

Kettle has lived in Brazil, Australia and now the U.S. She said the U.S. is where shes had the most opportunities but has felt the most unwelcome.

The question Can they deport me? follows Garcia Sanchez and Kettle in their minds every day.

Garcia Sanchez said the racism shes experienced as a Latina and seen in other minority communities in the U.S. is heartbreaking. She said going from a country under dictatorship to a country where youre not always welcomed is difficult. However, shell take the hardships and the challenges in the U.S. in order to keep the home and opportunities shes created here.

Kettle said being an international student is a privilege and a gift for the student but also for the university. Despite what grades a student has or what country they come from, Kettle said an international student has the right to stay and study without needing to defend why.

Im tired of having to defend why Im here, why I have another home here, Kettle said. Its hard to constantly have to prove yourself.

This article is the first installment of the Minority Report series, where The Red & Black documents minority voices and the experiences that affect their community. To be a part of this series or to send a tip, reach out to Gabriela Miranda at gmiranda@randb.com.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court Friday allowed 34 foreign nationals from Thailand to walk free on payment of different fines, after they accepted mild charges under the plea bargain process, related to various violations including visa norms while attending Tablighi Jamaat congregation here during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gagandeep Jindal allowed the foreigners to walk free on payment of a fine of Rs 6,000 each, said advocate Ashima Mandla appearing for them. The court directed the foreignersto deposit their fines at the PM CARES Fund, since the foreigners have been found guilty of violating government orders pertaining to the pandemic.

It allowed them to walk free after the Sub-divisional magistrate of Defence Colony, who was the complainant in the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police of Lajpat Nagar, Inspector of Nizamuddin said they have no objection to it. However, seven Thai nationals did not plead guilty to the charges against them and claimed trial before the court.
U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped two human smuggling attempts and recovered stolen vehicles an hour of each other at the Interstate 35 checkpoint, authorities said.

The first incident occurred Wednesday evening, when a black pickup hauling a gray trailer arrived at the checkpoint and a K-9 unit alerted to the vehicle.

Agents then discovered 19 Mexican and Honduran nationals, including two juveniles, concealed in the trailer. All were in the country illegally, according to Border Patrol.

Homeland Security Investigations special agents took custody of the driver, a U.S. citizen, pending further investigation. Authorities discovered that the trailer was reported stolen and turned over to the Webb County Sheriffs Office.

READ MORE: These Laredo maqunitias have been shut down for not following COVID emergency order

A second incident unfolded an hour later.

A black pickup hauling a white camper trailer approached the checkpoint. A K-9 unit then allegedly alerted to the camper, where agents discovered 26 adults and one juvenile.

Border Patrol said they were citizens from Mexico and Honduras who had entered the country illegally. Authorities detained the driver, a U.S. citizen, for further investigation. HSI special agents are investigating the case.

Border Patrol said the pickup and trailer were reported stolen. Sheriffs officials recovered both.

To report suspicious activity such as human or drug smuggling, download the USBP Laredo Sector App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994.
Greg was an asset to FaZe and we wish him the best in his next endeavor, said Trink, the remaining chief executive of FaZe Clan. When it comes to diversity in gaming there certainly hasnt been enough progress in this crucial area, and we will encourage and support anyone who sets out to address this vital issue. FaZe has moved diversity and inclusion to the forefront of our priorities, specifically through the formation of a Diversity Council earlier this year, unconscious bias trainings for our gamers and employees and an ongoing commitment to diversifying the industry. We welcome anyone who will join us in working toward these incredibly important goals.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 15:21:27|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on July 18, 2020 shows the Three Gorges Dam opening the floodgates to discharge the floodwater on the Yangtze River in central China's Hubei Province. The Three Gorges reservoir in central China's Hubei Province has seen the second flood along the Yangtze River in 2020, the largest one arriving at the reservoir so far this year. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, the inbound flow of water reached 61,000 cubic meters per second while the outbound flow was 33,000 cubic meters per second, with 45 percent of floodwater withheld in the reservoir, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation. (Photo by Zheng Jiayu/Xinhua)

WUHAN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Three Gorges reservoir in central China's Hubei Province has seen the second flood along the Yangtze River in 2020, the largest one arriving at the reservoir so far this year.

At 8 a.m. on Saturday, the inbound flow of water reached 61,000 cubic meters per second while the outbound flow was 33,000 cubic meters per second, with 45 percent of floodwater withheld in the reservoir, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation.

Three lower floodgates of the Three Gorges Dam opened to discharge the floodwater on Saturday morning, with various parameters of the dam at safety levels.

After withholding rounds of floodwaters, the water level of the reservoir has reached 160.17 meters, more than 15 meters higher than the flood limit level.

It is expected that this round of floods will recede after it peaked on Saturday, but a new round of floods is forecast to arrive around July 21, according to the corporation. Enditem
Twitter said several of its employees were manipulated by hackers into providing credentials for internal systems leading to the bitcoin scam that targeted 130 Twitter accounts.

Twitter has said that many of its employees were manipulated by hackers into providing credentials for internal platform systems. This lead to one of the largest hacks Twitter has ever seen and compromised verified accounts belonging to users like Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Joe Biden and others.

The hackers posted fake tweets from these verified handles offering $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address. Twitter pulled these tweets down and restricted the accounts as soon as they noticed it, but according to Dmitry Bestuzhev, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky, within just two hours at least 367 users transferred $1,20,000 ( 90 lakhs approx) in total to the hackers.

While Twitter has been struggling to figure out exactly what happened, the platform has said that the passwords of the hacked accounts were not compromised. According to the platform, 130 verified accounts were targeted.

Speaking about the accounts hacked, Twitter said that hackers were able to reset passwords for about 45 users, while for eight of them hackers downloaded data, including private messages. Twitter mentioned in its blog that data has not been downloaded from any of the verified accounts.

Hackers may have also tried to sell the user names of some of the accounts, Twitter said.

There are some details  particularly around remediation  that we are not providing right now to protect the security of the effort, Twitter said in the blog.

The platform has not mentioned if the hackers have read any of the private messages from these verified accounts.

Twitter did not say, for instance, whether the hackers read any of the private messages of world leaders while logged into their accounts.

Twitter is working with authorities including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to identify these hackers and figure out the extent to which users data was compromised.

(With agency inputs)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city announced a plan on Friday to keep New Yorkers safe after weeks of increased shootings.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea unveiled their plan to reduce gun violence during a press conference at City Hall.

Parts of the plan include a shift of patrol and detective resources to high shooting areas, enhancement to shooting investigations, and an increased focus on community relations.

For seven years, we have made this city safer through the NYPDs close partnership with communities and by recognizing the leadership of community leaders, organizations and clergy, the mayor said. We will continue to build peace in our communities and strengthen the relationship between communities and the NYPD.

When compared with the same time period in 2019, as of Sunday, New York City has seen 36 more shootings in the past week, 162 more shootings in the past 28 days, and 240 more shootings year-to-date, according to the latest information from the NYPD.

Staten Island has seen a similar spike in shooting incidents, with six more shootings in the past 28 days, and 11 more year-to-date, when compared to 2019 as of Sunday, according to the latest NYPD data. From July 6 to July 12, there was only one shooting in both years.

Shea said the violence across the city has been isolated to certain neighborhoods, and sometimes particular blocks. Both men said the violence has overwhelmingly been linked to gang and crew members.

The increase in shootings and violence tears at the fabric of life in our city, the commissioner said. The NYPD has vigorously advanced reforms for the last nearly seven years, and our men and women officers continue to work hard to strengthen relationships with the communities they are sworn to serve. But we must do more. These new efforts are critical to stopping this violence, but we need everyone in public to step forward to help.

City officials will also be organizing additional gun buy-back events, and will be deploying additional community affairs officers to areas with high incidence of violence.
A Pakistani court approved the relocation of a lonely and mistreated elephant to Cambodia on Saturday after the pachyderm became the subject of a high-profile rights campaign backed by music star Cher.

Kaavan was kept in chains at Islamabad Zoo and exhibited symptoms of mental illness, prompting global outrage over his treatment and a petition demanding his release that garnered over 400,000 signatures.

The capital's High Court ordered Kaavan's freedom in May and instructed wildlife officials to find him a "suitable sanctuary".

Authorities told a Saturday hearing that an expert committee had recommended he be moved to a 25,000-acre wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement.

"The court has agreed with the proposal," Anis Ur Rehman, the chairman of Islamabad Wildlife management board, told AFP on Saturday.

Zoo officials have in the past denied that the Kaavan was chained up, instead claiming he was pining for a new mate after his partner died in 2012.

But his behaviour -- including signs of distress such as bobbing his head repeatedly -- demonstrated "a kind of mental illness", Safwan Shahab Ahmad of the Pakistan Wildlife Foundation told AFP in 2016.

Activists also said Kaavan was not properly sheltered from Islamabad's searing summer temperatures, which can rise above 40 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).

Kaavan's plight drew the attention of Cher, who spent years calling for his freedom.

She tweeted in May that the court's decision to order his release was "one of the greatest moments of my life".

Arriving in Pakistan as a one-year-old in 1985 from Sri Lanka, Kaavan was temporarily held in chains in 2002 because zookeepers were concerned about increasingly violent tendencies.

He was freed later that year after an outcry but it emerged in 2015 that he was once more being regularly chained for several hours each day.

Government minister Malik Amin Aslam said authorities would "free this elephant with a kind heart, and will ensure that he lives a happy life".

The court's May ruling also ordered dozens of other animals -- including brown bears, lions and birds -- to be relocated temporarily while the zoo improves its standards.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 22:38:57|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has mounted a "security campaign" against Islamic State (IS) militants in the eastern countryside of Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a war monitor and Kurdish media platform reported on Saturday.

The security campaign of the SDF is ongoing in areas under its control in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, where the SDF set up checkpoints and run patrols while deploying in schools and public sector institutions, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watched group said the SDF released some of the protesters it rounded up during protests in areas in northeastern Syria after "beating them." It said areas controlled by the SDF are in a state of lawlessness and chaos.

Meanwhile, the North Press Agency, a media platform operating in Kurdish-controlled areas, cited the SDF as saying that 24 IS militants were rounded up on Friday as part of the large-scale operation in Deir al-Zour.

The SDF also said they seized large amounts of weapons as part of the operation called "Deterrence of Terrorism" against the IS sleeper cells. Enditem
Bihar elections: No postal ballot facility for voters above 65

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, July 18: The Election Commission of India has decided not to extend the facility of postal ballot for voters aged 65 and above in the upcoming Bihar elections and also the by-polls due this year.

The decision was taken in view of the constraints of logistics, manpower and safety protocols in wake of COVID-19. In view of the pandemic, the EC had earlier decided to allow those above 65, COVID-19 positive voters and all those under quarantine to use the option of postal ballots.

EC not to extend postal ballot facility to voters aged above 65 in Bihar polls, bypolls

The EC had said that it had been constantly monitoring the electoral preparedness for the coming by-elections and assembly polls in Bihar. In view of this unprecedented environment, it was decided to limit the number of voters to 1,000 per polling station.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

The EC has however clarified that the facility of optional postal ballots for those above 80, as well as electors engaged in essential services and all those who are COVID-19 positive/suspect will be extended in these elections.

Bihar is creating around 34,000 extra polling stations, an increase of 45 per cent. This would increase the overall number of polling stations to 1,06,000.
Even as Mumbais Covid-19 case count is nearing the one lakh-mark, the recovery rate of the countrys financial capital is nearly 70 per cent, which is seven per cent more than the national average, official data has revealed.

A release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Friday said that there were 3,42,756 Covid-19 cases in the country (till Friday) and the number of of recovered patients was approximately 6.35 lakh, which was 63 per cent of the reported cases.

Mumbais recovery rate is nearly 15 per cent more than that of Maharashtra, which is 55.62 per cent, it said.

According to the data released by Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) on Friday, the number of active cases in Mumbai was 24,307, while 67,830 patients have recovered from the infection so far.

The Covid-19 recovery rate in Mumbai stood at 50 per cent around mid-June, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched Mission Zero under the Rapid Action Plan to contain coronavirus transmission.

The rate improved to 57 per cent on July 1 and further to around 70 per cent on July 15, the PIB statement said.

According to the BMC, the number of coronavirus cases in the city on Friday rose to 98,979, while the death toll due to the pandemic reached 5,582.

The city includes Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia with a population of around 6.5 lakh, which had emerged as one of the Covid-19 hotspots in the metropolis. However, it only had 102 active cases on Friday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had last week praised the efforts taken to contain the spread of the Covid- 19 in Dharavi.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had also said last Saturday that 82 per cent of patients in Dharavi have recovered from the infection.
At first sight, Unhinged seems a surprising choice for an actor as conspicuously serious as Crowe. Ostensibly, it's a straight-up genre film that asks one question: will Rachel, the scatty single mother played by Caren Pistorius, eventually get away? All you know about the Man  and indeed, all you need to know  is that he is very, very angry. It doesn't seem much of a stretch for an actor who has made a career out of simmering complexity. Crowe says he initially thought the same thing. He had agreed on a trip to Los Angeles to meet the director Derrick Borte, but was intending to tell him 'no'. "When I first read it - and this is becoming a more and more regular thing for me  I didn't see what I could do with it," he says. Naomi Watts as Gretchen Carlson and Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes in The Loudest Voice. Credit:SHOWTIME Everyone he told about the script, however, said it sounded great. "So it made me sort of start to think about it, because with each telling, you naturally start to distil it. And I started to realise that what I was being negative about was a certain type of fear." It frightened him, he says, because he felt it was true. "What I was reading was not a device for a genre film, but a comment on the place we're in where, in cycles of time that are getting closer and closer together, someone stands up and enacts this type of rage. Whether they're taking a firearm into a school or shooting in a Las Vegas nightclub, whatever it happens to be, we're seeing this situation where a certain type of person is becoming bereft of humanity and empathy and taking this path."

It's not that the Man's rampage can be excused or justified; while the script drops a few details about a lost job and a busted marriage, Crowe says Borte agreed with him this was not a man who had his reasons. "Because in reality, his life is the same as everybody else's. We all have peaks; we all have valleys. Divorce is a punishing thing; it's difficult for everybody, but it's one of life's travails. There are other things in play that strip this guy of his humanity - and it's not just his individual experience. There's a thousand things at the moment that undercut what a guy of his age may have grown up believing." Crowe is 56. He says he grew up believing we all shared the same ground rules. "Growing up, I always felt  and I'm not sure if you felt the same way  that there was a commonly understood truth, you know, regardless of what part of the political spectrum you were on and regardless of where you stood on a number of issues," he says. Now, he thinks, society is cleaved into two sides that can't even argue. "We don't seem able to have conversations from different perspectives with any level of politeness and it's getting worse and worse. Obviously a road rage response is an extreme situation, but we're getting more and more of this from a societal perspective." Ryan Corr (left) as Art and Russell Crowe as Joshua Connor in The Water Diviner, which Crowe directed. Last month, the Crowe cliche again made headlines when he refused to join a chat show discussion about The Loudest Voice, in which he gives a phenomenally committed performance as the late Roger Ailes, founder and director of Fox News, after the host introduced the segment with a tirade describing Fox as "mental poison" and Ailes as a "sick person". It was reported Crowe "went into a meltdown", although he and the AOL producers denied it. "I wasn't angry," he says. "I just decided there is no place here for me in this conversation. You have taken it upon yourself in the introduction to colour anything I might say." It's interesting, he says, how people don't recognise their own bias "That's probably what the exploration of The Loudest Voice is, at the end of the day. It's what constitutes bias when you are in a situation where truth is just one option, it doesn't necessarily drive what you're doing."

I speculate the Man is probably a Fox News watcher. There is a brief silence, during which I listen hopefully for the sounds of cattle lowing. "There's no commentary in the movie at all that puts him on one side of political discourse or the other," he says eventually. "The fact you've said that, that you have put that in as a symbol: now we are talking about your bias." We swing into a discussion of the vitriol of discussion on social media, which he doesn't see as worse than any other media. "The language of human discourse, wanting to shout your opinion in social media is a direct descendant of lurid tabloid headlines, which have have become the norm of how we get our news," he says. And broadsheets are the same. He doesn't like my tribe much, which I guess is not surprising; he says he has been in this business since he was six, which means he has had 50 years to become disenchanted with being a media asset. Loading But he certainly doesn't feel that way about making films; when he talks about directing, his excitement is palpable, even over the phone. He never felt more alive, he says, than when he was working on The Water Diviner, the World War I drama he directed in 2014. And while it may be difficult to get adult dramas made in this age of comic-strip tentpoles, he is working on it. "It is the greatest job in the world, Stephanie, seriously. The greatest job in the world! It combines every artistic pursuit, you know, from composition painting, writing obviously, music: it is just everything. I've lived my entire life pursuing art, you know. And then to find out that this directing job is all art." Not that acting has lost any of its lustre. "Every day I am walking towards a set for a day of work I know I'm in the right place," says Crowe. "Because this is the job I'm supposed to do."
AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Alan Purcell The Cottage Cafe, Swords, Emer OGorman, Director of Economic, Enterprise and Tourism Development at Fingal County Council and Cllr Tony Murphy promoting the Restart Fingal grant scheme

Almost 1,000 local businesses have availed of over 5 million in grants from Fingal County Council to restart their enterprises post-lockdown.

Restart Grant payments to Fingal businesses from Fingal County Council have now topped over 5m with 982 businesses approved for grants ranging from 2,000 to 10,000.

The Restart Grant is part of the council's endeavour to support the local economy and assisting businesses trying to recover from the difficult COVID-19 period.

The council's Economic Enterprise and Tourism Department has worked closely with local chambers of commerce and national agencies since the COVID-19 crisis commenced in early March to provide much-needed assistance to businesses and recently launched another major support initiative, the Fingal In It Together Charter.

Since the Restart Grant Scheme commenced on May 22, funding totalling over 5m has been awarded to 982 micro and small local businesses. The purpose of the scheme is to help local businesses with the costs associated with either staying open or re-opening and re-employing workers following COVID-19.

A total of 1,547 businesses have already completed online applications under the scheme and council staff are continuing to accept, validate, process and approve applications.

The closing date for the Scheme is August 31 and businesses in Fingal, which fulfill the criteria, are encouraged to apply for a grant.

Details of the scheme are available on the Fingal County Council website.

The Grant will be equivalent to the rates bill of the business in 2019, with a minimum payment of 2,000 and a maximum payment of 10,000.

The Deputy Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Robert O'Donoghue, said: 'The Restart Grant has helped many small businesses across Fingal to get up and running at what is a difficult and challenging time. Employees in many small businesses across Fingal are now back at work thanks to the Restart Grant.'

Cllr Tony Murphy, Chair of the Economic Enterprise and Tourism Strategic Policy Committee said: 'Fingal businesses need all the support they can get as they work to restart their businesses and continue to rebuild Fingal's local economy. It is very encouraging that so many businesses have already availed of the Scheme and shows the determination of our entrepreneurs to succeed.'

The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly said: 'I am really pleased that so many of our businesses have reopened and were helped in doing so by the Restart Grant.

'The application process is straightforward, and funds are paid quickly. All businesses that have suffered a loss in trade or who have closed should check their eligibility and make an application.'

Fingal County Council's Director of Economic Enterprise and Tourism Development, Emer O'Gorman, said: 'The Restart Grant is designed to alleviate the pressure on businesses and our business community have seen it as a very positive initiative. I would urge any business who has not yet applied for the grant to do so before the closing date.'
For a while, some U.S. officials seem to have formed a team of rumor mongers to stigmatize China.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Robert OBrien, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Attorney General William Barr have successively cooked up lies and put on shows on the world stage to slander China.

By defaming China in an organized manner, these politicians have greatly violated civilization and disgraced the diplomatic history of the U.S.

As some U.S. politicians are reluctant to face the situation in their own country and have failed to find solutions to the problems related to governance, they have adopted a narrow and distorted mindset to treat the achievements other countries have made through hard work.

Out of evil intentions, some American officials have continuously spread the China threat theory.

William Barr, for one, alleged on July 16 local time that China is engaged in an economic blitzkrieg to replace the U.S. as the world preeminent superpower, which is absolutely absurd.

It is in fact the U.S. that has gone out of its ways to suppress and threaten other countries, as has been acknowledged by the international society.

Some American politicians have recently started a series of rumors against China, the Communist Party of China (CPC), strategic intention and future development of the country, which has seriously disobeyed the basic norms of international relations and fully exposed their deep-rooted Cold War thinking and ideological bias.

The most important national condition of China is the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The CPC has been chosen by history and people as the ruling party of the country and firmly supported by about 1.4 billion Chinese people.

More than 93 percent of Chinese people support and are satisfied with the rule of the government under the leadership of the CPC, according to a survey conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School that lasted for 13 years. It fully demonstrates that any attempt to separate the CPC from the Chinese people is doomed to fail.

Some U.S. politicians, however, determine to remake China based on their political schemes when they should really have listened to former U.S. President Richard Nixon, who pointed out that a system that works for the U.S. may not work for others with different experiences.

We believe in our values, but a basic tenet of these values is not to impose them on others, the former president said.

It should be noted that the mutually beneficial and cooperative relationship established by China and America over the past 40 years suits the interests of the two sides, people in the two countries and even the entire world.

Many governments in the history of America have actively promoted the cooperation with China and win-win results for the two countries.

Some American politicians have claimed that win-win in China means China wins twice and accused China of taking advantage of the U.S., which are barefaced lies with no grounds at all.

Even when the bilateral relations are encountering unprecedented difficulties, the fact remains that the two countries have secured mutually beneficial cooperation.

The bilateral trade volume between China and the U.S. increased to $41.2 billion in April and China once again became the largest trading partner of the U.S. The number rose to $46.5 billion in May.

84 percent of American enterprises are unwilling to withdraw from the Chinese market and 38 percent of them will maintain or increase their investment in China, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

Decoupling countries with complex economic relations is like carrying out a difficult surgical operation, said an article titled The Folly of Decoupling from China published on Foreign Affairs, an American magazine of international relations and U.S. foreign policy.

Chinese economy is not a discrete organism that can easily be separated from the global economy but rater a Siamese twin, connected by nervous tissue, common organs, and a shared circulatory system, the article added.

Lu Xun, a deceased Chinese writer, once referred to rumors as weapons that kill without leaving a trace of blood and warned that rumor mongers could both kill and get themselves killed.

It seems that some American politicians determine to be trapped in confrontation with China and get stuck in a self-fulfilling prophecy by defaming China.

One thing is for surethe harder they try to attack and discredit China, the faster they will ruin their own reputation and the less likely they will pull the U.S. out of the predicament.

They could neither address the problems in the U.S. and bring development and prosperity to the country nor block the progress of China by starting and spreading rumors.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)
Late on a Highland morning just outside Inverness, with its turquoise skies and whippet-fast winds, Im standing in a century-old storage barn peering inside a barrel of single malt whisky.

Its suspiciously empty. Someone seems to have taken a greedy sip from it. Blame the angels, my guide tells me. They always have to take some for themselves.

Glenfiddich, the owners of the barrel, the warehouse and a fair few acres beyond where Im standing, are more than used to this act of natural theft.

Wild wonders: A walker in the Cairngorms National Park, situated in the heart of the Highlands

The angels share is the phrase distillers use to explain the process of evaporation, which results in around two per cent of the whisky in any oak barrel disappearing for every year it is in storage.

It explains why the 21-year-old barrel were looking at is barely half full, and also goes some way to explaining why, in the gift shop, a half bottle of 50-year-old single malt is on sale for 25,000.

Having reopened this week post-Covid, the Glenfiddich tour and tasting makes for an easy introduction to the whisky-making industry that surrounds Inverness, the de facto capital of the Highlands. There are around 50 distilleries in Speyside, which stretches from Inverness, down the Moray coastline and into the Cairngorms National Park.

The stout grey buildings of Invernesss city centre look initially rather stern. But I quickly warm to these compact streets, and its Victorian covered market.

The citys pretty castle is where Shakespeare placed the murder of Duncan by Macbeth, but the one we see today is a 19th-century incarnation. Earlier versions were destroyed, first by Robert the Bruce, and, centuries later, by Bonnie Prince Charlies Jacobites prior to their defeat at Culloden.

The somewhat staid reputation of dining out in the Highlands is slowly being rebuilt, too, and nowhere in Inverness is utilising the natural Highland larder to greater effect than River House. I pop in for a plate of oysters, sourced from Maorach Beag (Gaelic for little shellfish), a small cultivator located in Wester Ross.

They are the best rock varietals I have ever tasted. Plump and creamy in their glistening shells, they burst like egg yolk upon the first bite. A unique flavour of salt, copper, seaweed and brine floods my mouth and renders the usual oyster condiments of shallots and Tabasco unnecessary.

Spoilt for choice: The Speyside region is famed for its whisky

Loch Morlich may not possess the attractions that nearby Loch Ness and its mythical monster does. But it has long been described to me by my Scottish family members as the most beautiful loch. This part of the Highlands is not the shortbread biscuit tin version of Scotland. Its landscape is more akin to Montana or Newfoundland: vast, muscular vistas of black and bruise-coloured lochs and snow-blasted peaks.

Eventually, I turn into a deserted car park and pad onto the grainy mustard-coloured sands on the east end of Loch Morlich.

During a normal peak season, the huge wooden beach house is a hub for canoe hire and ice creams. On my visit, my only company is a couple walking an Airedale terrier.All else is silence, of the kind seldom found elsewhere in the UK.

There may not be such a swing to the Highlands in colder months, but theres a steady beauty in this land of high peaks, deep lochs and very thirsty angels.
Couple held for torturing domestic help in Dhaka

Staff Reporter :

Police on Saturday detained a couple on charge of torturing their domestic help in Dhaka's Rupnagar area and rescued the victim with injury marks.

Asia (10) was admitted to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for treatment, police said.

A team of Rupnagar police raided the house on Road 9 around 11:00am

after neighbours informed them that the couple kept a girl confined and abused her on regular basis, said Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Rupnagar Police Station.

Police detained Asia's employers -- Sajjaduzzaman and his wife Shahnaz -- from their residence.

The OC said Asia was employed nearly one year ago and the couple have been treating the minor in an inhumane way.

Her body bore numerous marks of torture. Her leg got scalded as they poured hot water on her, he said quoting the victim.

Police informed Asia's parents in Hatiya upazila in Noakhali after the drive.

Filing of a case is underway.
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Lower Austria, State of

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

Frankfurt am Main, July 17, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Lower Austria, State of and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

The credit profile of Lower Austria (Aa1) reflects its sound financial performance driven by tax revenue and some consolidation efforts, its substantial asset portfolio and favourable geographic location surrounding Vienna (Aa1), the country's capital and economic centre. The strengths are, however, balanced by the state's continuous financing deficits keeping the budget under pressure, which we expect to be balanced over the medium term (after the shock caused by the Coronavirus), and its moderate debt burden. Besides the fundamental factors reflected in the baseline credit assessment of aa3, we assess a high likelihood that the Government of Austria (Aa1) would provide support if the state were to face acute liquidity stress.

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This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodology used for this review was Regional and Local Governments published in January 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Tamas Fuszenecker Analyst Sub-Sovereign 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 Mauro Crisafulli Associate Managing Director Sub-Sovereign 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

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CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. AND/OR ITS CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE MOODY'S CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODY'S (COLLECTIVELY, "PUBLICATIONS") MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT OR IMPAIRMENT. SEE MOODY'S RATING SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS PUBLICATION FOR INFORMATION ON THE TYPES OF CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ADDRESSED BY MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE CREDIT RATINGS. CREDIT RATINGS DO NOT ADDRESS ANY OTHER RISK, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: LIQUIDITY RISK, MARKET VALUE RISK, OR PRICE VOLATILITY. CREDIT RATINGS, NON-CREDIT ASSESSMENTS ("ASSESSMENTS"), AND OTHER OPINIONS INCLUDED IN MOODY'S PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF CURRENT OR HISTORICAL FACT. MOODY'S PUBLICATIONS MAY ALSO INCLUDE QUANTITATIVE MODEL-BASED ESTIMATES OF CREDIT RISK AND RELATED OPINIONS OR COMMENTARY PUBLISHED BY MOODY'S ANALYTICS, INC. AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES. MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLICATIONS DO NOT CONSTITUTE OR PROVIDE INVESTMENT OR FINANCIAL ADVICE, AND MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AND DO NOT PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PURCHASE, SELL, OR HOLD PARTICULAR SECURITIES. MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLICATIONS DO NOT COMMENT ON THE SUITABILITY OF AN INVESTMENT FOR ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR. MOODY'S ISSUES ITS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS AND OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLISHES ITS PUBLICATIONS WITH THE EXPECTATION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH INVESTOR WILL, WITH DUE CARE, MAKE ITS OWN STUDY AND EVALUATION OF EACH SECURITY THAT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PURCHASE, HOLDING, OR SALE.

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Amid the on-going row over digital taxation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that a consensus-based solution on the issue should be simple and inclusive based on a robust economic impact assessment.

The minister was speaking at the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting held at Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) through video conferencing.

Referring to the issues concerning international taxation and challenges related to digital taxation, Sitharaman said, It is imperative that this consensus-based solution should be simple, inclusive and based on a robust economic impact assessment. Recently India defended the 2 per cent equalisation levy on non-resident e-commerce companies, saying it is non-discriminatory in nature and its purpose is to tax businesses that have a close nexus with the countrys market through their digital operations.

In a six-page written submission to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), India said the levy is applicable only for companies with annual revenues in excess of 20 million (about USD 267,000), which is a low threshold aimed at exempting very small e-commerce operators globally.

The US had last month decided to start an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act, 1974, into the digital services taxes that have been adopted or are being considered by a number of countries, including India, to unfairly target American tech companies. It had then invited public comments on the said investigation.

India is among 10 nations that are facing US investigations to assess whether the levies discriminate against American technology majors.

Sitharaman in the first session of the meeting, talked about the G20 Action Plan in response to COVID-19 which was endorsed by the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in their previous meeting on April 15, 2020, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

This G20 Action Plan lays out a list of collective commitments under the pillars of Health Response, Economic Response, Strong and Sustainable Recovery and International Financial Coordination, aimed at coordinating G20 efforts to fight the pandemic.

The Finance Minister emphasized that it is crucial to ensure that this action plan remains relevant and effective.

She shared her perspective on the way forward on the action plan and highlighted the need for international coordination required in addressing the spill-over effects of exit strategies.

Emphasising that the Action Plan needs to reflect how the economies are balancing their supply side and demand side measures in response to Covid-19, Sitharaman shared with her counterparts how India is working on ensuring this balance through credit schemes for greater liquidity, direct benefit transfers, and employment guarantee schemes.

The Finance Minister specifically referred to Indias comprehensive economic package to address recovery and growth amounting to over USD 295 billion, about 10 per cent of Indias GDP.

She also spoke about the procyclicality of credit rating downgrades by the rating agencies and its deterrent impact on policy options, particularly for Emerging Market Economies (EMEs).

Meanwhile, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said, Participated in virtual meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors today. Focused on macroeconomy, capital flows, cross border payments, transition from LIBOR and other issues. In the second session of the meeting, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed the developments on G20 Finance Track deliverables under the Saudi Arabian Presidency.

Enhancing access to opportunities for Women, Youth and SMEs is a priority agenda under Saudi Presidency and a Menu of Policy Options on Access to Opportunities has been developed by G20 under this agenda were discussed.

The Menu presents country experiences of G20 members related to policies aimed at: Youth, Women, Informal Economy, Technology & Adult Skills, and Financial Inclusion. The Finance Minister noted that this agenda has assumed even greater importance now as the pandemic has most impacted the vulnerable sections, it said.

During the session, Sitharaman also shared some of the policy measures taken by the Government of India to fight the pandemic, including direct benefit transfers, special support to agriculture and MSME sectors, rural employment guarantee measures etc.

She particularly highlighted how India has successfully employed technology-based financial inclusion by harnessing the nationwide digital payment infrastructure that India has built in the last five years, to make contactless cash transfers of over USD 10 billion into the bank accounts of 420 million people.

The minister also referred to the swift measures to provide free food grain to over 800 million people for eight months till November 2020.
VISAKHAPATNAM: Doctors at Visakha Steel General Hospital (VSGH) performed a successful surgery on a COVID-19 positive pregnant woman and her baby.

The woman from the CISF community of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was admitted in VSGH for delivery.

After observing her health condition, the doctors suggested a caesarean operation and her swab samples were sent for screening. Subsequently, the doctors stopped the operation and shifted her to a COVID hospital, as per protocol guidelines.

However, after travelling almost 40 km, VSGH staff failed to admit her in a COVID hospital. Several such attempts proved futile and after six hours of travel in the ambulance, the pregnant woman was brought to VSGH in the evening.

Observing her health condition, gynaecologist Dr G. Sujatha, along with doctors Ananth, K.Srikanth and theatre assistant Satyanarayana conducted caesarean and saved the mother and baby, both of whom are safe and undergoing medical aid.

I dont know why the COVID hospitals did not admit the pregnant woman. I performed caesarean along with a dedicated team. However, according to guidelines, she had to be shifted to COVID hospitals after she tested positive, Dr. Sujatha told Deccan Chronicle.

While appreciating the VSGH doctors, trade unions pointed out the lacuna that exists. Not only the pregnant woman issue, referral hospitals are not discharging those who are cured.

The RINL management is saying it is after the state governments confirmation that admissions and discharges are done in hospitals. I dont know why the COVID hospitals rejected admission to her. We are demanding a probe into the issue, said Visakhapa-tnam Steel Plant recognised trade union president J. Ayodhyaram.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 00:15:56|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The British cultural watchdog Historic England has unveiled its 50,000-pound (62,840-U.S.-dollar) project to explore setting up a new official school for treasure hunters.

The new training and education organisation for metal detectorists is set to promote best practice when enthusiasts head out in search of buried treasure.

Working with archaeologists and others in the heritage sector, the proposed institute of detectorists aims to provide training opportunities to promote responsible metal detecting and examine how metal detecting has been beneficial in the investigation of archaeological sites and landscapes.

Metal detectorist Keith Westcott, who is behind the project, said the aim of this project is to establish a not-for-profit research and educational body for detectorists.

"This body would promote responsible metal detecting as a technique that contributes to the understanding, conservation and protection of the historic environment," said Westcott. Enditem
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Democratic U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland has more than a 2-to-1 fundraising edge in her bid for reelection in the 1st Congressional District.

Haalands campaign reported having more than $352,000 cash on hand for the general election as of June 30, according to Federal Election Commission filings. And that is after contributing about $100,000 to other Democratic campaigns.

The Republican candidate, former New Mexico Attorney General Chief of Staff Michelle Garcia Holmes, reported having more than $145,000 in the race for the seat that represents most of the Albuquerque metro area.

The end of the quarter filing deadline was Wednesday.

Haaland raised more than $318,000 during the second quarter, with $209,000 coming after pre-primary filing. She received $27,500 came from political action committees. Her campaign said the average donation was $50.

She has raised more than $1.3 million in her bid for a second term, with more than 55% coming from out-of-state donors, according to OpenSecrets.org.

I am thankful for the continued support for our re-election campaign, Haaland said in a statement. Because of your support, we are able to fight for working families, take on climate change and protect our public lands, protect accessible and affordable health care, and continue to bring home much needed funds to battle coronavirus.

Garcia Holmes has seen an increase in donations since winning the Republican nomination. She pulled in more than $40,000 during the second quarter, with $5,000 coming from PAC contributions. She has raised more than $75,000 total, according to FEC filings.

Her out-of-state contributions are not listed with OpenSecrets.org.

We are supported by the people of New Mexico, unlike my radical opponent, Debra Haaland, who takes large donations from out of state special interest groups who do not have the best interests of New Mexico in mind, Garcia Holmes told the Journal. Our campaign contributions have come from people who reside in the District, because we are a get the Power back to the people campaign. 

The race has been the least expensive of the states congressional races. And it has not attracted much attention from outside groups.

Less than $100,000 has been spent by outside organizations so far, with almost $91,000 being spent by the conservative Hard Working American Committee in support of former candidate Jared Vander Dussen, who was defeated by Garcia Holmes in the Republican primary.

Liberal groups have spent $850 in support of Haaland.

By comparison, more than $3 million has been spent by outside groups in the 2nd Congressional District and $1 million in the 3rd Congressional District races.
Patna, July 18 : Conducting the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar is likely to be a 'more than usual' expensive affair due to certain challenges and difficulties that have emerged following the coronavirus-triggered crisis across the globe.

To ensure social distancing and other necessary precautionary measures, over one lakh personnel would be pressed into election duties -- mainly to look out for physical distancing among the people that would turn up to exercise franchise.

The term of the Bihar Legislative Assembly expires in November and it is believed that elections will be held on time if everything goes well. Sources said the Election Commission (EC) is considering all the challenges, and poll preparations are being constantly reviewed.

The EC has made it clear that this time, only 1,000 voters will vote at a particular polling station. Therefore, it has been decided to set up additional polling booths.

Sources in the Election Commission told IANS that due to the proposed formula of allowing 1,000 voters at a polling centre, preparations are underway to come up with around 34,000 additional polling centres.

Thus, elections will be held in around 1,06,000 polling centres in Bihar.

Additional polling personnel will also be appointed once those centres become functional. In such a situation, the Commission has estimated that at least 1,08,000 employees will have to be appointed at 34,000 additional centres.

EC sources said that vehicles are also needed for the movement of additional staff to those additional polling stations.

Besides, extra resources will have to be arranged for the election.

The additional employees will also have to be paid an allowance.

Thus, the expenditure in the Assembly polls will be more this time compared to the previous elections.

(Navneet Mishra can be contacted at navneet.m@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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OBU will hold Spring Commencement Saturday, Aug. 1, on the south lawn of Raley Chapel.

University Announces Safety Protocols for Spring Commencement Aug. 1 July 17, 2020

OBU will hold its Spring Commencement Saturday, Aug. 1, on the south lawn of Raley Chapel on the universitys campus in Shawnee. The ceremony will be held outdoors to follow physical distancing guidelines and will begin at 8:30 a.m. to protect attendees from the August heat. United States Senator James Lankford will deliver the address. A livestream of the event will be available on the OBU website for those unable to attend in person.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has enacted numerous safety protocols for the protection of all attendees. Face coverings will be required of all graduates and employees participating in the ceremony. Guests are encouraged to wear face coverings and are asked to bring their own seating for the event. To maintain physical distancing, each graduate will be limited to four guests seated on the south lawn area, with guests gaining access to the lawn via a wristband distributed to graduates during commencement rehearsal July 31 at 3 p.m. Graduates who are unable to attend the commencement rehearsal will be allowed to retrieve their wristbands Saturday morning, Aug. 1, from 7 to 8 a.m. A table will be set on the west patio of the Geiger Center for distributing wristbands.

Guests with wristbands will be allowed to enter the south lawn to claim their seating area beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Each graduates group of guests will select an area surrounding pre-staked flags on the lawn which have been spaced apart to maintain physical distancing. Guests are asked to stay close to their group surrounding the flags to allow as much distance as possible between groups. A large 16-by-9 foot LED screen will be positioned adjacent to the stage so that attendees may have a closer view of the ceremony even if they are seated further back on the lawn.

Restrooms will be open and available to the public in the Geiger Center and also in the Noble Complex. Raley Chapel will not be open for public use.

Graduates will gather in Raley Chapels Potter Auditorium by 8 a.m. Aug. 1, remaining physically distanced as they prepare for The Walk to the ceremony.

Graduates and their guests may park at the Noble Complex, Kerr Residence Hall or The Oval. View the commencement campus parking map.

View the full list of details regarding Spring Commencement and follow OBU on social media for the latest updates: @obunews on Twitter and Instagram, and Oklahoma Baptist University on Facebook.
A 25-year-old man was hit in the chest. He was was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Four others suffered gunshot wounds. A man was shot in the right leg, a 36-year-old woman was hit in the left leg, a 32-year-old man suffered a wound to the right arm and another man was shot in the right leg. All four of those victims also were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were listed in good condition, police said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-17 19:39:51|Editor: huaxia

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Zimbabwe's Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube delivered the mid-term budget and economic review statement in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Wanda)

Zimbabwe's economy is projected to shrink by 4.5 percent in 2020 from 3 percent earlier projected due to the negative impact of COVID-19, finance minister Nthuli Ncube said.

HARARE, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's economy is projected to shrink by 4.5 percent in 2020 from 3 percent earlier projected due to the negative impact of COVID-19, Finance and Economic Development Minister Nthuli Ncube said Thursday.

He was presenting the mid-term budget and economic review statement in the parliament.

He said the economy was poised to contract severely had the government not provided a stimulus package of 18.2 billion Zimbabwe dollars (264 million U.S. dollars) to companies in June to cushion them from the harsh effects of the pandemic.

"In the absence of the above stimulus package and assuming prolonged and severe impact of the crisis, the economy would contract severely," he said.

"Therefore, a combination of government and external development support in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to alleviate deeper contraction of the economy to a projected -4.5 percent GDP growth in 2020, against the initial budget projection of 3 percent growth," the minister said.

However, the economy is anticipated to recover and record GDP growth of about 7.4 percent in 2021 before moderating to around 5 percent thereafter, the minister added.

Out of the 300 million U.S. dollars international funding appeal made by the government in April to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, development partners have so far pledged 202.6 million U.S. dollars of which 26 million U.S. dollars have already been disbursed.

Zimbabwe's Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube arrived at the parliament for delivering the mid-term budget and economic review statement in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 16, 2020. (Photo by Wanda/Xinhua)

Ncube said the pandemic had further worsened the country's economic woes, characterized by climatic shocks in the form of drought and Cyclone Idai, energy challenges, and currency volatility.

The drought, in particular, affected agriculture, water, and energy sectors, with spill-overs to the rest of the economy while the situation was further aggravated by currency volatilities which led to skyrocketing prices of goods and services.

Ncube said the country's tourism, non-food manufacturing, mining, financial services, transport and distribution, and education sectors had been the most severely affected by COVID-19, while sectors including health services, ICT, manufacturing of foodstuffs, electricity and water had registered gains.

The minister said the agriculture sector will contract by 0.2 percent in 2020, against the 5 percent originally anticipated due to declining prices and the late-onset of rainfall.

Maize output for the year, however, increased by 24 percent from 852,000 metric tonnes in 2019 to 1,060,000 tonnes in 2020.

Traditional grains production is estimated at 152,515 metric tonnes in 2020, 103 percent up from 75,209 tonnes produced in 2019.

The mining sector is projected to slow down to -4.1 percent in 2020, weighed down by the COVID-19 pandemic and uncompetitive prices, erratic power supplies, and loss of skills.

During the first quarter of 2020, platinum group metals and diamond registered strong performance compared to the same period last year while gold, chrome and nickel performed below expectation, the minister said.

Manufacturing is expected to contract by 10.8 percent in 2020 against 1.9 percent originally projected while tourism will shrink by 7.4 percent due to the impact of COVID-19, the minister said.

The transport and communication sectors, however, are however projected to grow by 3.2 percent in 2020, driven mainly by enhanced communication activities that are offsetting the dampening effect of the transport sub-sector, the minister said. 
Armenian-made UAV shot down three opponent's tanks, defense ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan confirmed to Armenpress.

Earlier Stepanyan took to her Facebook to share an update on the situation at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

According to her, 'after the fights, the Azerbaijani side is moving its wrecked armored vehicles - in particular 3 tanks.'

"It should be reminded that so far the confirmed losses of the land armor of the parties are the following: Armenia - one fire engine, Azerbaijan - 3 tanks," she added.
If you could sleep on announcements, Ontarios frail seniors would be living out their final years in luxury. If you could live on promises, theyd have everything they need, and more.

The politicians love announcing new money to improve the provinces tragically inadequate long-term care system. In fact, they were at it again this week, with Premier Doug Ford boasting about his governments historic investment of $1.75 billion to create thousands of new beds.

For those who follow such things, it sounded a lot like former premier Kathleen Wynnes promise way back in November, 2017, to create 30,000 new long-term care spaces over 10 years. Or Fords own pledge in April, 2018, to create the exact same number of new beds over exactly the same period of time.

On the ground, however, the reality is far different  and as COVID-19 made horribly clear, far worse.

Neither the Liberals nor Fords Progressive Conservatives have lived up to their promises. Under the last decade of Liberal rule, from 2011 to 2018, Ontario created a scant 611 new long-term care beds  an increase of just 0.8 per cent while the number of elderly seniors soared by 20 per cent, swelling wait lists and jamming up hospital beds.

And in Fords first two years in power, hardly anything was done to make things better, despite his grandiose plans. In fact, as has been well documented, his government actually dialled back inspections of nursing homes just at the time when they were needed the most. And it created hardly any new beds even though the Liberals had set aside funding for just that.

So while Ford says he inherited a broken system, hes only partly right. Aside from more announcements, his government did little to make things better, and in some ways made them worse. We saw the deadly results as the pandemic raged through nursing homes.

Rather than engage in fruitless finger-pointing with other parties, though, the government should focus on making things better now for the tens of thousands of people living in long-term care homes. Building new homes will take three years or more, but seniors shouldnt be condemned to endure substandard conditions for months or years to come.

That means two things: improving conditions in nursing homes as quickly as possible, and designing a much better system for the future.

We know some of the key things that would make conditions better now. And we know none of them will come without a cost. No matter what model we decide for long-term care in the future, it will involve spending more money. Weve seen what cheaping out bought us, and it wasnt pretty.

Perhaps the key thing is to improve conditions for workers in the sector. They need better pay and assurances they can find full-time work at specific homes, so they arent forced to cobble together a meagre living through a series of part-time gigs.

And they need more time to spend actually caring for residents. Nothing can replace one-on-one care; staff shouldnt have to skimp on time spent helping residents eat, bathe and enjoy themselves. That, after all, is the very purpose of such institutions.

Down the road, we need a serious rethink of how to cope with the increasing numbers of elderly people needing long-term care.

Ontarios Financial Accountability Office laid out the situation last November, well before anyone had heard of COVID-19. It pointed out that the demand for nursing care will keep growing as the number of Ontarians over age 75 rises. And once the province meets its first commitment to create 15,000 new beds within five years, it will have to spend almost $1 billion a year to fund them.

Now we have the sobering experience of the pandemic behind us, and we need to learn those lessons. The government promises an independent commission starting in September, but as weve said before whats really needed is a full public inquiry.

The need is great, the costs will be high, and the time for announcements without action must truly be over.

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Actor Sonam Kapoors businessman husband Anand Ahuja has shared a sweet treat for their followers on Instagram. He shared a throwback post on Friday, missing the first time he and Sonam went on a trip together four years ago.

He shared two then and now pics on his page, one showed them looking all stylish in their fancy outfits in Paris and the latest is a selfie clicked in a car in London. THEN: Our first ever trip together, 4 years ago today! #FBF #Paris NOW: #EverydayPhenomenal #London, he wrote with his post.

Recently, Anand shared an appreciation post for Sonam, talking about her strength in the face of hate and death threats. Some people when they have taken too much and have been driven beyond the point of endurance, simply crumble and give up. There are others, though they are not many, who, for some reason, will always be unconquerable. You meet them in time of war and also in time of peace. They have an indomitable spirit and nothing, neither pain nor torture nor threat of death, will cause them to give up. #RoaldDahl @sonamkapoor #EverydayPhenomenal, he wrote.

Sonam, too, penned an appreciation post for Anand, thanking him for being extra kind and loving when she needed the most. An appreciation post for my husband. Thank you for being extra kind and loving today. I really needed it. Love you so much, Sonam wrote on Instagram.

Sonams post came after she faced heavy trolling on social media following the demise of Sushant Singh Rajput.

Also read: Bulbbul actor Avinash Tiwary has sharp reply to R Balkis find me better actors than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor comment

Sonam and Anand flew to London earlier this week. Shortly before the travel ban was imposed in March, Sonam, along with her husband, flew to Delhi from London.They were in Delhi first and then in Mumbai during the lockdown. In a series of Instagram stories on Monday night, Sonam uploaded pictures from the flight and captioned, London, Im back... So beautiful.

Recently, the 35-year-old actor had shared how she is missing her film crew and being on set, as all film shoots had come to a halt due to the coronavirus induced nation-wide lockdown. Sonam was last seen in the 2019 romantic comedy The Zoya Factor co-starring Dulquer Salmaan.

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Connecticut residents and officials reflected on the life of U.S. Rep. John Lewis on Saturday, as they and Americans across the country mourned the death of the civil rights leader and icon.

Lewis died Friday at the age of 80.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, said she was devastated and heartbroken at the death of her colleague, who she considered a force for justice in the world.

The impact John Lewis has had on our country cannot be overstated, said DeLauro. Congressman Lewis service to our nation pre-dates his time in Congress. He was a trailblazer.

Lewis was a leader of the 1965 Alabama march from Selma to Montgomery for equal voting rights. He was beaten by police after crossing a bridge into Selma. The bridge is named after a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader and there is now a movement to rename the bridge after Lewis.

DeLauro also noted that Lewis was a founder and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee which organized sit-ins throughout the South. He was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders challenging the unjust rules of segregation in the South in the 1960s.

There are few in this world who change it, said DeLauro. The lessons John Lewis taught me, and the wisdom he shared with the Congress have made this institution and this country a better place. He led us in the sit-in movement in the well of the House to end gun violence. As John always said, Never be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble. I will carry his words and his wisdom with me forever. My dear friend, John Lewis, you were a guiding light, you showed us the way.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker described Lewis as a true leader of the people, noting that he fought for justice throughout his entire life.

We should honor his legacy and continue to work to undo systemic racism that keeps our families of color from achieving the same opportunities as others, said Elicker.

Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut chapter of the NAACP, said he and fellow members of the organization were deeply saddened by Lewis passing.

He inspired activists in the NAACP across the State of Connecticut and throughout the Nation. He challenged us to be better and to find our way in the Civil Rights Movement. He always told us that if something isnt right, isnt just, we must stand up and do something about it, said Esdaile in a statement. That is what the Connecticut NAACP plans to do, we will continue to fight for freedom and justice. Congressman Lewis, will be truly missed, and we thank him for his service and sacrifice.

Gov. Ned Lamont ordered U.S. and state flags in Connecticut lowered to half-staff in Lewis honor.

On behalf of the State of Connecticut, I thank Congressman Lewis for the decades of service he gave to our nation, and the impact he made throughout the entire country in the ongoing effort to bring positive change in the face of injustice, Lamont said. He leaves behind a legacy that will forever inspire us in immeasurable ways. He is an icon and a hero, and his passing is a terrible loss for our country.

Thank you for all the good trouble you have caused, Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5, said in a tweet. You will be missed. Rest well my good friend~we will take it from here.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2, said Lewis morality never wavered in its intense fidelity to justice, decency and kindness.

He was a powerful orator whose speeches on the floor of the U.S. House and in public will long be remembered, but ultimately his power came from his deep faith in humanitys ability to evolve to a higher and better state, Courtney said. He advised friends and colleagues ... to give it your all in the pursuit of that goal. History will judge that John did indeed give his all throughout his extraordinary life.

U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1, said he was honored and humbled to have served alongside Lewis and to have called him a friend.

John Lewis never stopped fighting. From his time leading the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the rest of the Big Six, to his time in Congress, he fought day in and day out for a more just and equal country, Larson said. He was the living embodiment of the teaching of Dr. King and led nonviolent, peaceful protests for human rights and racial equality. We will never be able to thank him for all that he has done to move our country forward.

Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, said he cant quite believe that John Lewis is gone.

John radiated spiritual and temporal authority, always tempered by bone-deep grace and humility, Himes tweeted. His mission was nothing less than the expiation of our nations sins, even as his demeanor was always one of near childlike joy.

I dont understand why God would take him at a time when decency, goodness and justice  Johns values  have been overrun by a malignant national burlesque, Himes said. I guess his work is all ours now. We need to keep getting into good trouble.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., described Lewis as a towering leader  a teacher (and) preacher of giant conscience, courage (and) caring.

Khalilah Brown-Dean, associate professor of political science at Quinnipiac University, pointed to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as an example of Lewis legacy.

She previously presented a report she co-authored on the impact of the legislation, titled 50 Years of the Voting Rights Act: The State of Race in Politics, at a celebration of the act and Lewis bravery in 2015.

Congressman John Lewis was an American statesman whose dedication to making real the promise of democracy affirmed the importance of voting rights for all Americans, Brown-Dean said. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; a monumental piece of legislation inspired by the blood he shed on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. It is fitting that in this year of massive social unrest, economic uncertainty, and a looming Presidential election, that John Lewiss transition inspires all of us to commit to making good trouble. 

Officials at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, known as GLAD, said Lewis death is a tremendous loss at a moment when his moral conviction and clarity are needed perhaps more than ever, but noted the power of his example, saing that ageneration of young leaders is pushing today to dismantle the systemic racism and white supremacy that persist within our institutions of power.

His insistence on believing that America could be a country where true justice prevails for everyone is both an inspiration and a challenge to us all to stay engaged in that work, GLAD officials said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
COVID-19 second wave  a whole of country effort needed View(s):

The past week has been consumed by the question of whether a second wave of COVID-19 has hit Sri Lanka, or is it imminent in future. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa however has ruled out the possibility of a second wave with the remark that the second wave is only found on Opposition election platforms.

Whether a second wave has emerged or not, it is prudent to take all necessary steps to respond to any such situation if it does arise. The World Health Organisation has repeatedly warned that a second wave of COVID-19 in any country can be worse than the first. In such a context it would be wise for Sri Lanka to remain alert and pre-empt any possible second wave.

The countrys economy has taken a battering from which it will take a long time to recover. In the short run the poor and marginalised are badly impacted and struggling to make ends meet. Some estimates state that over 60 percent of the country comprise daily paid workers who were probably hardest hit when the country was under curfew. A repeat scenario is something the poorer sections of Sri Lankan society may find difficult to bear.

Sri Lanka has been credited with successfully managing the COVID-19 Pandemic. According to the WHO Country Representative in Sri Lanka Dr. Razia Pendse, Sri Lanka had been one of the few countries that has been able to control the epidemic more effectively than even more resourced countries.

Dr. Pendse attributed this success this to the well established public health system, especially the communicable disease surveillance and the proactive action taken by the Government.

Among the many factors contributing to the successful containment of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, she pointed out that community engagement had been critical because without involvement of communities it is difficult to control the spread of the virus.

It requires all of us to play our role as public health workers and as the public to keep loved ones safe. There is no fast track back to normal. All of us have to work together. The way we behave determines how the virus behaves, she said.

Pointing out that false news and misinformation on social media plus rumours could hamper the COVID-19 response, Dr. Pendse urged for the right information should be given to the people to end rumours and to defeat the virus. If we take all comprehensive measures that are required, we will be able to contain the spread of the virus.

While the Government has been able to contain the virus, its wrong public messaging both by word and deed has caused the public to drop their guard and create fears of the emergence of a second wave. In its anxiety to claim credit for containing the virus a counter productive relaxed mindset has spread among the people which in turn has resulted in a lax observance of health guidelines. This is evident when one sees that the wearing of masks, physical distancing and washing of hands have been considerably reduced in public spaces when compared to the early days of the pandemic when the public complied with the health guidelines more strictly.

Dr. Pendses remark the way we behave determines how the virus behaves gains added meaning when one observes what has been happening in the past few weeks.

When the health guidelines were strictly enforced even the crowd at a funeral was confined to a strictly defined number. The funeral of the late Arumugam Thondaman which took place under Government patronage saw all the health guidelines being violated. Not surprisingly the public too began to follow suit. Last week there were reports that a funeral at Rajanganaya had attracted a large crowd which was attended by one of those who had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Another area of public life from which the public gets wrong messages is the conduct of election meetings. According to the public health guidelines gazetted on Friday, election rallies are governed by all the health guidelines including wearing of face masks, washing of hands and physical distancing which those who attend such rallies are required to observe. The maximum number who are permitted to attend such rallies is 300 which can be increased to 500 if the leader of a political party attends such rally. Although this guideline took legal effect only with the gazetting it was still applicable as a guideline even before such gazetting.

However such health guidelines have been openly flouted as evidenced from TV footage. Both the Government and the Opposition have been guilty of not conforming to such guidelines and it is therefore not surprising that people began to think that the situation had returned to normal.

The emergence of a cluster originating in the Kandakadu Drug Rehabilitation Centre has come as a reality check for both the Government and the people. The identification of several COVID-19 patients in different parts of the country who have had contacts with the Kandakadu Drug Rehabilitation Centre have accentuated fears in the minds of the public about a second wave.

It is vital therefore that the public is made to understand that the danger from COVID-19 is not over and all precautions have to be taken to prevent the resurgence of the virus. The impending parliamentary election has queered the pitch in formulating the national response to a possible second wave of the pandemic.

Although it may have been more prudent to have recalled the previous Parliament and let it run for its full term up to September 2020 when the COVID-19 virus was first detected in Sri Lanka, that option is now not available. With only a little more than two weeks left for the elections it is best that the election is held on schedule. A considerable amount of time and money has been spent in the run up to the election and the country cannot afford such expenditure again if the election is postponed.

What is more important is that country will have to function without a Parliament for a further period of time if the election is postponed. This is highly detrimental for democratic governance.

However it is necessary to ensure that health guidelines are strictly followed so there is no disruption in the run up to the election. It will be wise for the Government to enlist the participation of all sections of society in this effort. A multi party national committee to oversee the COVID-19 response will bring the country together to realise this objective. The Governments efforts in this regard can be strengthened if the other political parties are also called upon to share the burden at this time of national need. A whole of country effort is undoubtedly better than only a Government effort.

(javidyusuf@gmail.com)
LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brock Pierce for President on Thursday announced the hiring of Brittany Kaiser, world-renowned data rights activist and whistleblower, as campaign manager a week after Pierce announced his candidacy as an Independent in the 2020 Presidential election.

"Now is the most important time for our country to move past partisan politics and unite behind ideals which we all need to take up as a nation. From innovations in ethical technology to advances in mental health solutions and criminal justice reform - there are some issues that we all should be able to agree on to move our country forward," said Brittany Kaiser.

"It's an honor to be joining Brock Pierce for President as campaign manager where we are promoting a new movement for democracy: a technology-first, unification of progressive, independent and conservative young people craving change in our system. We are engaging people with national virtual town halls, crowdsourcing our policies from our supporters, and implementing a strategy to register more first time voters than ever before by encouraging the next generation to believe in politics again," Kaiser added.

"Brittany has inspired the world in her fight for transparent democracy and I'm proud to have her as my campaign manager as this country seeks redemption from the partisan fights of the past and looks to our generation in the fight for its future," said Brock Pierce, Independent candidate for President of the United States.

ABOUT BRITTANY KAISER

Brittany Kaiser is a data rights activist and founder of the Own Your Data Foundation for digital literacy and the Digital Asset Trade Association (DATA) for legislative lobbying. She is the author of "Targeted" published globally by Harper Collins and was the main subject of Netflix original documentary The Great Hack, recently nominated for a BAFTA and shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2020. Ms Kaiser has lectured at Harvard University, Oxford University, Columbia and USC.

Early in her career Kaiser volunteered for the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean and John Kerry, and for Barack Obama's run for senate while still in high school. In 2007, she worked full-time for a summer in the new media team of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. In 2014 she volunteered for the "Ready for Hillary" SuperPAC before deciding to support Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary in 2015.

Following her work for these political candidates, Kaiser spent several years engaged with human rights projects around the world, including work for Amnesty International, lobbying at the United Nations and European Parliament to stop crimes against humanity, and contributing to human rights research projects in Asia and Africa.

These activities, together with her background in the Democratic party, caught the attention of Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix who recruited Kaiser to SCL Group, the then-parent company of Cambridge Analytica, as a business-development consultant in late 2014. Brittany was quickly promoted to Director of Program Development, and then served as Director of Business Development in 2015 until through 2018, working on clients worldwide including Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Yes on Brexit.

When Kaiser left Cambridge Analytica in 2018 she made international headlines as a key whistleblower in the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, exposing the abuses of data in elections around the world by testifying before the U.K. parliamentary investigation and releasing documents that would expose Cambridge Analytica's activities to the public.

Born in Houston, Texas, Kaiser grew up in Chicago and attended high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. She went on to study at Edinburgh University, before earning post-graduate degrees in international relations at The University of Edinburgh (MA with honors), an LLM in international human rights law at the University of London Birkbeck College, and an Masters in Philosophy in international law and diplomacy at Middlesex University.

ABOUT BROCK PIERCE

Brock Pierce is an entrepreneur, humanitarian and philanthropist with an extensive track record of founding, advising and investing in innovative businesses and foundations. He is global leader and pioneer in technology digital currency and has raised more than $5B for companies he has founded. Born into a middle class home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to a mother who was a preacher and a father who worked in construction, Pierce began his career early as a child-actor, starring in The Mighty Ducks and First Kid. At 16, Pierce's love for technology and its limitless possibilities inspired him to become an entrepreneur and eventually a leader in blockchain technology--a modern vehicle for the American dream.

Upon moving to Puerto Rico in 2017, he immediately prioritized philanthropy after seeing the devastation Hurricane Maria left behind. Developing the Integro Foundation, a Puerto Rico based not-for-profit organization, Pierce provided philanthropic resources to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean Islands, and indigenous people.

With programs designed to revive areas in critical need, the Integro foundation empowers humans, plants, animals and natural resources to thrive. Integro provides urgent relief during times of crisis, working with vetted local charities, organizations and government agencies to deploy resources efficiently, with fully accountable donations. A prolific philanthropist, his personal experience has led Pierce to become an advocate for due process and rule of law with a focus on an efficient, fair, and coherent justice system as the cornerstone of democracy. As founder of the Brock Pierce Foundation, his philanthropy focuses on the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, the Center for Individual Rights, the Brennan Center for Human Rights, as well as, the arts and cutting-edge research in medicine and mental health.



He holds two Honorary Ambassadorships in South Korea related to his international leadership in technology and philanthropy. He is the Honorary President of Gimcheon Blockchain AI center which helps female entrepreneurs advance in the technology industry. In 2019 Pierce was knighted by the Ordine dei Cavalieri di San Martino del Monte delle beatitudini in acknowledgement of his philanthropic work.

Pierce has been a regular lecturer at Singularity University, and has spoken at Milken Global Conference, Mobile World Congress, Wired, INK, Stanford University, USC, and UCLA. His lifework has been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, Wired, and Rolling Stone.

Witnessing the decline of the American dream provoked by the widening gap of wealth and social inequality, Pierce decided to run for President to positively transform our nation and planet. Recognizing the polarization that is dividing us, Pierce seeks to heal and reunite our country by harmonizing right and left. In repairing our relationship with nature through the transformed, renewable use of technology and resources, we can generate our collective rebirth as a nation. Pierce is campaigning on a vision for a brighter future for Americans in light of the new challenges we face in 2020. Supporting small businesses and implementing twenty-first century technology solutions, Pierce aims to help American families lead more prosperous lives, from supporting mental health initiatives to advancing cutting edge, grassroots efforts to protect the environment.

SOURCE Brock Pierce for President

Related Links

https://www.brock.vote


Loading It would be "dishonest", she added, "much as we would love to have elimination it's not going to happen in NSW. It never will  with a population our size". Yet there are plenty of well-credentialled voices arguing for a strategy that would have elimination as the end game. They include Professors Greg Dore (Sydney University), Tony Blakely (Melbourne University), Stephen Duckett (now of the Grattan Institute and a former head of the federal health department) and Professor Nick Talley, editor-in-chief of The Medical Journal of Australia. Talley sees "more voices coming out for a different strategy to suppression. I think that's because it's been recognised that elimination can happen, New Zealand being a good example." "Whether or not we call it an 'aggressive suppression' strategy is semantics. The issue is, do we want no virus  or almost no virus - circulating in our community, with the risks kept very low, or do we want a strategy where we will accept the lumps and bumps which will be tested and traced and with ring-fencing from time to time?"

Loading The problem with ring-fencing is the assumption that outbreaks will be manageable. Yet the escalation of COVID-19 community transmission in Melbourne has been so rapid that Victoria's testing and tracing capacity was "overwhelmed", Talley says. "Nobody wants a lockdown, but nor do I want a strategy where there is chaos  and that's what happened in Victoria." The southern capital, now in the grip of a further six-week lockdown, is currently wrestling with 160 outbreaks, including nearly 40 in aged care homes. Hundreds of health care staff and other front-line workers have either been infected or forced into isolation. The state's chief health officer Brett Sutton warns worse may still lie ahead, while federal aged care minister Richard Colbeck fears "tragic" consequences in the nursing homes. The economic fallout is having knock-on effects around the country, particularly in NSW. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt described the outbreak as having a "catastrophic impact in human terms as well as societal terms".

For all Berejiklian's determination not to go in and out of lockdown, her announcement on Friday of newly reimposed restrictions on social gatherings, and the businesses that facilitate them (pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and function venues) may not be the end of tougher measures in this state either. NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant addresses the media on Friday with Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro. Credit:Renee Nowytarger Berejiklian looked grim-faced on Friday as she warned that "we remain in a state of high alert". It was time to stay seated and stop dancing at weddings, she warned. "Mingling" at events like funerals had to be kept to a minimum. The state's citizens had grown complacent but needed to be forcefully reminded that "life is not back to normal until there is a vaccine or a cure". Wake-up call It's been a bitter wake-up call for NSW leaders to discover that the uptick in community transmission in this state over the past fortnight has been seeded by the Victorian outbreak.

Loading Victoria's Premier Dan Andrews has yet to publicly explain how that state allowed its hotel quarantine regime to become so lax. A number of state agencies, including police and health and human services, and the Department of Jobs were involved in the fateful decision to hire poorly trained private security guards to supervise returned travellers. But why the police and Australian Defence Force personnel were not involved from the outset, as they were in NSW, remains one of the "known unknowns", to steal a phrase from former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. However political leaders outside Victoria have mostly avoided playing a blame game  with the exception of Queensland senator Matt Canavan, who labelled it a "Dan-made disaster". NSW has been fortunate in having a strongly-led and well trained public health workforce which has played a vital part in getting on top of the south-west Sydney outbreak centred on the aptly-named Crossroads hotel in Casula. Fast detective work, genomic analysis of the newly-circulating viral strain and extensive contact tracing determined that a freight worker who travelled up from Melbourne on June 30 was the ignition point for the 42-strong cluster of cases so far linked to the hotel. The man, who did not suspect he was ill, had travelled to his Sydney office on business and then joined his colleagues for a party at the hotel on the night of July 3.

Loading Luck and diligence have also played their part, with NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant singling out a junior Liverpool clinician for particular praise this week. That young doctor's decision to order a COVID-19 test for a patient with unexplained fever allowed contact tracers to draw the first link between that individual and another positive case who recalled being at the pub. State health minister Brad Hazzard also paid tribute to Jennie Musto, who heads the public health team's emergency operations centre, inviting her to step into the limelight at a press conference this week. But of most concern to Chant remains the handful of cases uncovered in Sydney this week that have, as yet, not been linked to the Crossroads Hotel cluster and for which the source is unknown. Establishing whether there are new chains of transmission at loose in the community is a race against time, given the speed with which the virus can spread. UNSW infectious diseases expert Professor Raina MacIntyre is hoping for "some sort of improvement in the epidemic curve in Victoria next week because of the lockdowns. But the question is what the NSW trajectory will be ... and if it starts to look like out-of-control community transmission, then they will have to look at what other measures they need to take".

Loading Asked for a definition of "out-of-control transmission" MacIntyre replies "when the human resources capacity to contact trace all the contacts of all the cases is exhausted". Just trying to track down all possible cases from the Crossroads outbreak this week has meant chasing up between 5000 and 6000 contacts. In Victoria, hundreds of members of the ADF have now joined the mammoth contact-tracing effort, as have experts from other states. Insiders say NSW has had a major advantage over Victoria in contact tracing because of the long-standing strength and local expertise of its 18 public health units. Whereas Victoria's public health program is mostly run out of head office, the NSW model has recognised the value of vesting a large measure of independence in local public health teams who are already expert in knowing what is happening in their communities.

Loading Leeder was a professor of community medicine at Westmead when the NSW program began in the late 1980s, thanks to the vision of the then-chief executive at Westmead, Bernie Amos, who went on to head the state health department. Amos had set up the first local public health unit to deal with an outbreak of gastroenteritis at a facility for disabled children in western Sydney, and later established a public health unit in every district across the state. Leeder cites the fast response to an outbreak of measles in Blacktown several years ago to illustrate why local knowledge and contacts are so important. "They were able to move on that very quickly because they knew their community," he says. "In NSW, public health has always been taken seriously - it has had very high quality individuals who also have a clear position of political seniority in the bureaucracy."

Members of the Australian Defence Force and Victoria Police at a vehicle checkpoint along the Princes Freeway near Little River. Credit:Luis Ascui A senior Victorian medical insider says "when the reviews and the royal commissions are all done, it's not the Ruby Princess cruise ship and Melbourne's public housing towers that will need to be looked at the most. It's whether we had a public health system in each of the states and the territories that was fit for purpose. Hopefully what will come out of this is a much greater appreciation for investment in public health infrastructure." Push for masks Not every proponent of elimination believes lockdowns are necessary to drive out the virus. Nick Talley says the time has come for governments to consider a major advertising campaign, which would among other things encourage the uptake of mask-wearing in the general population. He cites the hugely successful campaign against HIV/AIDS which the federal government launched during the Hawke years.

"Obviously there are differences, but there are some possible similarities," he says. "Wearing a condom was really protective (against acquiring HIV infections)  now wearing a mask is protective. "The data has firmed up in favour of masks. I know some people argue the contrary, but the data has firmed up. And there are quite excellent disease models that suggest, combined with social distancing and handwashing, that by adding a mask you don't need to go to lockdown if you have sufficient numbers of people complying." Britain has made mask-wearing mandatory on public transport since June. Taiwan, which like New Zealand has achieved near-elimination of COVID-19, also brought in mandatory masks on mass transit systems in April, only recently slightly relaxing that policy.

As cases grow across Sydney, public transport workers here are starting to ask about masks again, according to the secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union division, David Babineau. Loading "It's time the NSW government mandated for the public to wear masks while travelling on public transport  we need to put these safety measures in now rather than waiting until it explodes, otherwise it's a Bandaid solution and it's too late." Babineau says. Australia is not alone in wrestling with suppression/elimination dilemmas. Until there is a vaccine or cure for COVID-19 many countries will repeatedly face the "fundamental challenge" of periodic lockdowns, the head of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program Dr Michael Ryan warned this week. "We all want to avoid whole countries going back into total lockdown, that is not a desire that anybody has," he said.
Rev. Fr. Joachim Cabanyes, of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu has died of COVID-19 related complications.

The Catholic Diocese of Enugu announced the death of the priest in a statement by Rev. Fr. Nkemjika Igweshi, Secretary to Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, Bishop of the Diocese.

He died at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital isolation centre. According to the statement, Fr. Cabanyes was a Spanish priest of the Opus Dei Prelature who worked in Enugu Diocese and had served the Nigerian Church for about 28 years.

Igweshi described the departed priest as a nice, easy-going, cordial, generous, prayerful, and dedicated pastor.

He hailed from Spain but loved our people so much and always attended our diocesan functions.

The statement noted that the Rev. Father has been buried according to the NCDC guidelines.

While calling on Catholic faithful to pray for his peaceful repose, the statement warned that COVID-19 is real, and we will do well to observe all the necessary health precautions and safety measures.
New projections suggest the human population will be smaller and significantly older by the end of the century.

Why it matters: As fertility rates continue to drop around the world, economic and political power among nations will shift rapidly, creating an international landscape radically different than it is in 2020.

Driving the news: A new report in the Lancet by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington forecasts the global population will peak in 2064 at around 9.7 billion before declining to 8.8 billion by the end of the century.

That slowed growth in the decades ahead followed by outright decline is chiefly caused by drastically falling total fertility rates, from 2.37 women per child globally today to 1.66 in 2100.

The fertility rate required to keep population stable is 2.1.

Not only will humanity shrink  especially in countries like Japan where fertility has long been below replacement level  it will become much older. By 2100 projections suggest there will be twice as many adults over 80 as there are children under five.

The big picture: The projected population changes won't play out evenly around the world, which means we could well see major adjustments to the international order.

China is set to become the world's biggest economy and is challenging the U.S. for international dominance. But decades of enforced low fertility means that China is set to age and then shrink, potentially setting it on a path of decline shortly after the country reaches the peak of its power.

Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to escape population decline, which means that what is currently the poorest part of the world is the one that will have a surplus of an endangered resource: working-age adults.

The U.S. is expected to be more resistant to decline than most developed nations, with a population in 2100 projected to rise just slightly higher than current levels. But it will be much older, and those numbers could be skewed if immigration  the main source of growth going forward  is further curtailed.

Yes, but: These projected population declines are in some ways a measure of global success.

As countries have grown richer and, especially, as women have become freer and more educated, fertility rates have fallen around the world.

A smaller human population should slow the effects of climate change, though it's important to remember that wealth has a much bigger effect on carbon emission than sheer numbers.

The catch: Any forecast that attempts to peer 80 years into the future inevitably rests on assumptions that may be  and almost certainly are  flawed.

The UN's latest projections, for instance, are for global population to reach nearly 11 billion by 2100.

While economic power has chiefly been driven by large, working-age populations in the past  hence the demographic dividend that has powered growth in parts of Asia and Latin America in recent decades  there's no guarantee that will continue in the future.

AI could help economies get far more out of a shrinking population  or possibly, dispense with the need for workers altogether.

The bottom line: By the time my 3-year-old reaches his grandparents' age, the world could be a lonelier place  and a much different one as well.
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The Shiv Sena on Saturday praised BJP leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying that he has been effectively carrying out his role as a Leader of Opposition.

The ruling party also said that as Fadnavis has expressed satisfaction over the public health machinery in the state in the fight against COVID-19, it has boosted the morale of the government and the coronavirus patients.

"Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis is as much young and dynamic as he was when he was the chief minister of the state. His recent statement has come to light in which he told a close party colleague that if tests coronavirus positive he should be admitted to a government hospital for treatment," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"Although Fadnavis should be praised for this statement, he is being trolled, which is not right. We have time and again said that he has been doing a good job as a leader of opposition," it said.

The Sen said that Fadnavis has been touring the state to monitor the COVID-19 relief work and the health facilities and has expressed satisfaction over the work being carried out by the state government against coronavirus.

"His statement that he should be admitted to a government hospital cannot be called a stunt. He has expressed confidence that the government health machinery will keep him safe if anything happens to him.

"This confidence is a morale-booster for the government and the COVID-19 patients in the state and he should be praised for that," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.
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Have a question, query, or quagmire youd like Renee and David to answer? Click that red button to the right, or click on this link to leave us a recorded message. Press and talk away and maybe youll be featured on the show!

There are few tools as significant to a cook of any caliber than a knife. So much so that some of us hoard them in all their array, which is easy to happen given the untold options available for each kitchen task. While others of us quietly rely on a single, more utilitarian knife thats easy on the budget and keeps things simple in the kitchen. Yet few of us, perhaps, ever consider the craftmanship that some few knifemakers express through their creations, offering us knives that are as much an expression of art as they are a means of slicing, dicing, and mincing. Here to share his talent and his story is entrepreneur Quintin Middleton, who apprenticed under a renowned knifemaker for years as he learned metalworking and the whys and hows of making a handle from wood, and then studied in chefs kitchens to better understand the specific qualities a knife needs to possess to be indispensable. What came after that can only be explained as inspired. Perhaps divinely so.

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Transcript

David Leite: Renee, do you have a favorite knife?

Renee Schettler: I have a confession to make

David: Oh my God, more confessions. You dont have knives.

Renee: I have one knife.

David: No! Youre like my mother!

Renee: No, Im NOT like your mother, with all due respect to Momma Leite. I have a very spare kitchen aesthetic and Ive been searching and searching for the right knife for a long time. And so Ill buy one of a particular brandmy current one is Schmidt Brothersand I just kind of see how it works for me. Because its not just how sharp it is, its how it feels in your hand

David: Absolutely, very good point

Renee:  how it looks on the rack

David: the balance. Everything.

Renee: Absolutely.

David: So you do everythingchopping, slicing onions and garlic, cutting up turkey, cutting up chickenwith that one knife?

Renee: With that one knife.

David: Wow. See, I have probably aboutI dont know30 knives. Probably about

Renee: 30?

David: Yeah. But about 25 of them I dont use. Truly. But we just keep on buying knives or people gift knives to me. But my favorite, though, I have to say my favorite is a knife thats older than me. I think its 61 years old. And it was given to me by friends of my mom and dad. He was a chef at this restaurant in Fall River, Massachusetts, a diner really, called Nite Owl. And its an old carbon steel chefs knife. Its very long. Its very stained. Its so marvelous. The thing is, I dont want to use it very often, because its just so beautifully patinaed and it has such special meaning to my mom and my dad. But thats, I think, my most treasured knife at the moment.

Photo: Eccentric Roadside

Renee: I can understand that. I mean, Ive actually spent hours looking on Etsy for knives. Knives with that character. But I cant ever bring myself to purchase it, because the story behind that knife is not mine.

David: Yes, exactly. And Im co-opting this gentlemans story, but the fact that he handed it down to me when he was done

Renee: Thats fair.

David: It is. Thats very special. Hi, Im David Leite, founder of the website Leites Culinaria.

Renee: And Im Renee Schettler, the sites editor in chief.

Quinton Middleton

David: And this is Talking With My Mouth Full. Today Renee and I have a guest on the show that were so, so proud to have on. His name is Quintin Middleton and he is an exquisite knife maker outside of Charleston, South Carolina. His company is called Middleton Made Knives, and they are something to behold. Theyre beautiful. Theyre well balanced. They have an incredible blade design and they were designed, really, for chefs and also home cooks. What I think is important about this interview is not just the knives, but the man, and the story behind the man and the knives. Welcome to the show, Quintin.

Renee: Were glad youre here.

Quintin Middleton: Thank you for having me, I really appreciate it.

When did you know you wanted to make knives?

Renee: So Quintin, making knives isnt exactly a common career choice.

Quintin: No, not at all.

Renee: How did that come to be?

Photo: Universal Pictures

Quintin: Well, it kind of started from me watching movies like Star WarsConan

Conan: Look out!

Quintin: Im an 80s baby.

David: Right.

Renee: Nice.

Quintin: Those movies like that kind of peaked my interest. And I would take tubing off my swing set, and I would take a cinder block and a hammer, and I would hammer it flat, and

Renee: Oh my god.

David: Wait a minute. You would take the tubing off a swing set?!

Quintin: Yeah.

David: What did your mother and father think?

Quintin: Oh, they did not like that one bit, not one bit at all.

Renee: Wait, did you have siblings that were on the swing set while you were disassembling it?

Quintin: Well, I have two older brothers and a younger brother. So my older brother would fight with me and I would take my whatever I would made then and be like[warrier cry]!

Renee: Thats great.

David: Wow.

Quintin: My younger brother is traumatized now. Still.

Renee: They learned not to mess with you, though.

Quintin: Exactly.

David: Very auspicious beginnings of Conan and Star Wars. So where did it go from there, from that sort of childhood fantasy all the way to making knives?

Quintin: While I was in school to be a mechanic, I worked in this mall, a local mall, and I was selling knives, pocket knives, and cigars. It was called Outman Knife & Cigars. This guy, this burly guy, came in there one day like, Hey, I make knives for a living. And my eyes just lit up. I was like, Can you teach me?

Renee: Thats when you know.

Quintin: Yes.

Renee: Nice.

David: So that was Jason Knight?

Quintin: Yes. It was Jason Knight. So he came in with his beard and everything. And he came in likeJason talks with his hands like how I doso, Hey! And he kind of took me on, I was maybe 17, 18.

Renee: Wow.

Quintin: I was his apprentice for maybe six years.

How divine intervention played a role in Quintins calling

David: You were making, if Im not mistaken, Jason makes hunting knives

Quintin: Yes. He made hunting knives, bowie knives, swords. And I was doing the same thing. I wanted to be just like him. But I had a dream. The Holy Ghost or God or the divine spirit told me to make chefs knives.

David: Really?

Quintin: Yes.

David: Wow.

Renee: Can you tell us a little more about that?

Quintin: Yes. My whole dream after seeing Jason have the freedom of being a knife maker and providing for his family, I was saying, Wow. I want to do the same thing. He kind of has that outdoor tactical thing locked down in the area. So I was like, LordIm prayingI said, Lord, I need you to make a way for me. I need you to do something for me. I need you to guide me and direct me on the things, what I should do. And when I was getting up out of my dream or waking up, a loud voice say, Make chef knives.

Renee: There you have it.

David: I have to tell you, Im getting goosebumps.

Quintin: Wow.

David: Im getting goosebumps as you tell the story. I mean, talk about divine intervention, doing what youre meant to do. Thats astounding.

Persistence and practice make a dream career happen

Quintin: Yes. But still, even though I haveanybody can tell you where to go and how to go on or what to do, but you still got to go down the road.

David: Yeah.

Renee: Absolutely.

Quintin: So I had the direction, I had where I need to go, now I need to know how to get there. So I made a long list of every top chef in Charleston, I called every last one of them. And every last one of them turned me down.

David: Really?

Renee: No.

Quintin: Yeah. Sean Brock. All these high-end chefs turned me down. But if I were to call you and say like, Hey, would you buy some knives? Youre more likely to say, No, get out of here. I dont want to

David: I would think youre selling Ginsu knives or something.

Quintin: Yeah, exactly.

Renee: So that didnt stop you.

Photo: John Smoak

Quintin: No, it didnt. While I had maybe about 30 people on my list, I called this individual, his name is Craig Deihl. He was a chef at this restaurant called Cypress. That same feeling or notion or the Holy Ghost leading me, he told me to call him back and ask him, Can you help me develop a knife?

David: Wow.

Quintin: So I called him back that same day. I said, I just called you, and I just talked to you, and I was wondering, can you help me develop a knife?

Renee: Beautiful.

Quintin: or something that you would want to use in your kitchen? He said, Of course. Come by today.

David: Wow.

Quintin: I went by there, and heres the funny part of that story, too. I went by there and the knives that I thought would be perfect for chefs, all his sous chefs and line cooks that came around, Oh, this is cool. Im thinking Im going to leave here with maybe like $500 or something. Somebodys going to buy something. And every last one of them put it down and walked away. I was kind of shot down. Craig came to me and said, Okay, these knives are cool, but I cant really use them because theyre too heavy. Theyre too clunky. Theyre like a bush knife or a hunting knife. Because thats what Ive been making.

David: Thats your background. Of course.

Renee: Of course.

Quintin: He would say, Okay, I need you to make a chefs knife and I need you to make it this thin. I need you to make it this long. So he would give me tidbits.

Renee: Thats it.

Quintin: From him giving me tidbits, I would go and make it with the advice he gave me. And I would bring it back. He loved it. He told friends, their friends told their friends, somebody told Emeril Lagasse, and

Renee: Wow.

David: Thats it.

Quintin: Yeah, it just blew up.

David: And how long have you been making culinary knives?

Quintin: Ive been making culinary knives for 10 years. Ive been making knives in general for 17 years.

David: Okay.

How do you make those crazy gorgeous handles on your knives?!

Renee: And over that time, what have you kind of learned in addition to what you learned that first afternoon?

Quintin: Wow.

Renee: In terms of what chefs

Quintin: Chefs want.

Renee: Yeah.

Quintin: What he told me after watching him work in his kitchen, and countless othersIve been in McCradys and a lot of the high-end restaurants in Charleston, I was basically standing in the corner and I would watch the line cooks work and prep. I would see how they move, how they hold themselves. From that, it wasI remember this very vividlyone of my friends, his name is Bob Cook, and he was the sous-chef for Craig. He was cutting up garlic and he had this very narrow paring knife. And I was saying, Why cant that knife be wide. Why can it be a little longer? So I said, Well, Im going to make something for him. I made something for him, he loved it. And thats my paring knives now.

David: Excellent.

Renee: Wonderful. Ive seen the handles, Ive seen, you have this amazing video on your

Quintin: Website.

Renee: website where you talk specifically about the ergonomic nature of the handles. Because thats often my complaint about a knife as you grab it. Itll do the job, but it just doesnt feel like it belongs in your hand.

Quintin: Correct, yes. Im all about comfort. The knife can look good and it does what you say its going to do, but when you work with it, its a chore. Youre not happy with it. Its just like, Okay, Im going to cut something and thats it. But when it becomes an extension of yourself, youre just like, Wow, Im enjoying this. Now you can sip wine and talk with your girlfriends or your homeboys and make them jealous because youve got something cool.

David: I read somewhere that you said, and forgive me, Im really messing this quote up, but you want your knife to work for you, you dont want to have to work for the knife.

Quintin: Yeah. Basically its saying, I want you to use the knife instead of the knife using you.

David: There you go.

Renee: Thats it.

David: Thats it. And I thought it was great because you also talked about the knife being an extension of your hand. Which I thought was really a beautiful way of looking at what you do with a knife. Because a knife, after a lot of cutting, you can get really weary.

Quintin: Yes. So when I kind of explained that to somebody, I would tell them, Okay, let me explain what I mean. If you take your finger and you point your finger out, your finger doesnt feel heavy. Your finger doesnt feel like its weird. Its a part of you. Your knife needs to be the same way. If you put your finger on the dot, its there, its very precise. So your knife needs to be able to do the same exact thing. It needs to go exactly where you put it.

Renee: I love that. I love that you studied the way chefs move in the kitchen. I mean, have you noticed how you navigate the kitchen and your own cutting boards? Do you cook a lot?

Quintin: Yes. My mom has all boys, so she says shes not going to be cooking all her life, so

Renee: So she taught you to cook?

Quintin: She taught all of us how to cook, actually. My younger brother is actually a professional chef.

Renee: Translating knives from the home kitchen to the chefs kitchen, what is it that makes the perfect chefs knife?

Quintin: So, I suggest the eight-inch chef knife and a lot of my knives, the handle is almost shaped like a Coke bottle. So when you grab a hold of it, the bulby part fits in this part right here. Where your pinky and thumb is, it kind of caresses the knife and it fits just right. Right above where the blade is, theres a notch where yourif you got a pinch grip, your middle finger will get in that groove. Every part of my knife has a place for your hand to go and it just feel comfortable.

Renee: Nice.

David: You can choke the blade then, easily with no problem.

Quintin: Yes.

David: Good. I do choke, I dont know why Ive always done that. Ive always choked the blade. You know what that means, Renee, to choke the blade?

Quintin: Your fingers are all the way up on it.

David: Exactly. Thats what that means, Renee. Its all the way up on the top.

Renee: Davids usually got to be all up into everyones businessso its no surprise to me.

David: I am always in everyonesand here I am mansplaining to Renee what a choke is. Thats great, mansplaining on the podcast. So what kind of materials do you use for your handles? Because theyre gorgeous and theres an Instagram post here where you have three different pieces of wood, gorgeous burled wood. A green, and also this purpley blue, and this crazy-ass zigzag design on the knife, which I want to talk about in a minute.

Renee: The engraving, the etching on the knives is exquisite.

Quintin: Thank you.

David: Yeah. Lets talk about the handles first. What materials do you use for the handles?

Quintin: I use countless materials, but I like to use maple burl. Maple burl thats the knots and the figuring inside the wood. And I dye them different colors, like the purple that you saw on that post. There was one thats in the middle, that was a green. That was from a curly maple where you see the waves in it. The brown one was desert ironwood, and its from Arizona, its a very dense, strong wood. And out of those three, the purple is winning. So Ill be making the purple handle on that knife.

David: That was what I voted for. I thought itd be great, I thought itd be wonderful.

Renee: Im from Arizona, so Im partial to the ironwood. But theyre each extraordinary.

And then there are those exquisitely designed blades

David: And talk to us about this crazy, incredible zigzag design that you have. What is that?

Quintin: Its called Damascus, or pattern-welded steel. What it is is two different types of steel, alternating in layers. And once you forge-weld it, or putting in a forge, and you heating it up to around 2300 degrees. Either youre hitting it with a hammer or using a hydraulic press that compress it down to make it a little bit more manageable. And we have different jigs that looked like zigzags, so it kind of bites into the metal. Thats where youre seeing the zigzags in it. How you will see it a little bit more, theres a core. I will have alternating layers on the outside and a big solid piece in the middle and another alternating layers on the other side. So when I compress it, and you bite into it, then thats how you see the zigzags in it. Its a lot of science. Or ideas.

Renee: All of your designs, though. I mean, where do you get the ideas for these designs? Ive seen these exquisite swirls. Ive seen all kinds of patterns and they just, you make it look easy. It looks like you just started sketching.

Quintin: Well, I could say, I invented it myself. I really could! It just came to me! But no, its a process that you learn when you start learning how to make Damascus. The patterns that I use is very simple. Even my knives, its a very simple design, but its effective, if you know what I mean. I dont want to put too much embellishments on it, because it takes away from what a knife is really used for. Because I can make a knife thats very elaborate, I can put ivory on it, mammoth ivory, let me clarify. I could put, all kinds of stuff to make it very fancy. Then someone really wouldnt want to use the knife. They just want to hang it up and put it on the wall. And Im fine with that too, but my knives are made to be used.

David: Right.

Renee: I have to admit, I was kind of thinking that as I looked at your knives. I was trying to select one and Im like, I dont know if I can actually use it, I think Im just going to hang it up.

David: I cant wait to get mine and use it. Im going to order one right after this.

Quintin: Well, I am ready for you, sir.

David: Thank you.

Renee: So all of these are handcrafted.

Quintin: Yes.

David: And where do you make your knives?

Quintin: Actually, its right on the other side of this wall.

David: Really? In your house?

Quintin: But this is my office, actually. So I have a 1,000-square-foot shop right next to my office, this is about 400 square feet office. My house is a little further up. My wife told me I couldnt bring any more knives in the house.

Renee: She doesnt want to hear you clanging and banging through the walls.

Quintin: Yes, exactly. She said, You need to go outside.

The real story behind the man who makes the knives

David: How many people do you have working with you?

Quintin: I have currently three people working for me. And thats really amazing to say. Wow. Three people working for me.

David: Congratulations.

Quintin: Thank you.

David: From an idea and a dream to having a staff.

Quintin: Exactly.

David: Congratulations.

Renee: And thats so much more satisfying to your soul.

View this post on Instagram My wife and I are enjoying the Festivities @cannongreenchs A post shared by Quintin Middleton (@middletonmadeknives) on Mar 2, 2017 at 4:17pm PST

Quintin: It is. Ive worked jobs where I really wasnt happy. I had to work because I had to work. Im married and have two children and working little jobs, I wasnt really satisfied or feel accomplished in anything. So when God told me to make chef knives and my wife telling me, I remember this day vividly, I got fired from a job. I was working a little dead-end job, probably making $200 a week. We just had our second child, my daughter. And the daycare was $240. And Im barely made that.

Renee: Wow.

David: Wow.

Quintin: And my wife, I just laid my head on her lap and said, Babe, as a man, I feel so helpless right now. Because I dont know what can I do? Because Im not used to being in this position. She told me, Follow your dreams and God will make a way. And here I am.

Renee: Beautiful.

David: Wow. That is incredible.

Renee: I love that she supports you that way.

Quintin: Yeah.

David: Really very touching.

Quintin: Yeah. The whole idea of that is, I want to build something for my family, build something for my children. Something that they can carry on. They dont have to be the grump that I am. I always tell them, Let daddy be the grump. I want you to be the CEO. I want you to use your brains.

David: See, whats wonderful is that the knives are far more than just knives now, theyre tools for chefs. Theyre tools to make peoples lives easier. But theres something that has worked for you to transform your life, transform your family, and transform the future of your children. And thats extraordinary.

Quintin: Thank you.

David: And I am so incredibly moved to hear that.

Quintin: Wow.

David: Im honored to be able to have you on the show to tell your story

Quintin: Thank you.

David: which is far more than knives.

Quintin: Yeah, its way more

Renee: So much more.

Quintin: Its way more than knives. Actually, and from day one thatwhen I said I had three employees, though from day one, I wanted to hire people from my community and kind of breathe life back into their American dream. So the American dream has so manyit means different things for different people

Renee: Sure.

Photo: Quintin Middleton

Quintin: But for me is to be able to provide for my family, provide a great life for my children, and something where my children can look back and say, I am proud of my dad.

David: Thats wonderful.

Quintin: Thank you.

David: That is truly wonderful. I want to get back to one question that our readers and our usersIm getting so verklemptI want to get back to a question about knives from our listeners and our readers is, many of them dont know how to sharpen their own knives, me included. Do you think its best to get one of those sharpeners at home or to have them professionally sharpened?

Quintin: If youre getting knives from a lot of those bigger stores, of course, use what you can to get it sharp. But if youre spending the money to get something custom or produced by a knife maker, either send it back to the knife maker or give it to someone that youre comfortable allowing them to sharpen the knife.

David: When I buy my knife from you, I would ship it back to you to get it sharpened.

Quintin: Yes, you can. I tell people, even when I do festivals, this is not the end of the relationship. This is not the end of the transaction. Were going to always be rotating back, because eventually within a year or so, youre going to want your knife sharpened. Or you want to kind of get the knife back his luster, the way when you first bought it. You cant take that to just anybody to do.

David: Excellent. Well, Quintin, thank you so much for coming on the show and opening our minds and our hearts to your product and also your story.

Renee: Quintin, thank you for bringing some beauty, in addition to all the beauty that David mentioned earlier. Its just a reminder that every day there can be art, there can be beauty, creativity.

Quintin: Yeah, exactly. You have to look beyond what your eyes see. And this is a ministry for me.

David: It is. Well, thank you.

Quintin: Thank you.

David: You could find Quintin and his gorgeous knives at middletonmadeknives.com, where you can purchase them. And I really hope that you will. As well as on Instagram at @middletonmadeknives.

Recipes on LCs specials board this week

Chef in the Kitchen: Hey, its a chop, a chopity chop.

David: Well, Renee, you know its that time, the end of the show. Can you please tell us what is on the specials board?

Renee: I can. Well, its mid-summer, so of course we have peaches

David: Peaches.

Photo: John Kernick

Renee: every which way, including a peach, burrata, and basil salad. Which is so easy to come together. Its basically cutting board cuisine, theres no stovetop involved. So exquisite. So rich. We also, speaking of rich, have chorizo breakfast tacos. Forget breakfast burritos today, were going tacos. So they call for eggssunny side up, not scrambledand that rich, flavorful, slightly spicy chorizo, so satisfying. Youre going to want these anytime of day.

David: I may want to use Portuguese chourico in place of chorizo.

Renee: You can do that, just dont tell me.

David: I wont tell the Spaniards, either.

Photo: kwasny221

Renee: We also tell you how to make the perfect French fries. A lot of people promise you this. We deliver.

David: Double fry?

Renee: Absolutely.

David: Lower temperature, higher temperature?

Renee: You got it.

David: Its the way to go.

Photo: Ed Anderson

Renee: Skin on the ends if you want. Okay. We also take peaches in a different direction. Weve got grilled pork skewers with peaches.

David: Lovely. Nice combo.

Renee: Peaches, perfect. And then we wrap it up with an apricot galette. Maybe youre scared of making pies. Galette is like a cheaters pie, where you only have to deal with one crust and you dont have to worry about transferring it into the pie dish. You dont have to worry about crimping the edges or fluting them or crisscrossing the lattice top. You just kind of plop the filling in the middle and you roll the dough up and over the sides. Thats it. So easy.

David: The uglier it is, the prettier it is, really.

Renee: Rustic is, I believe, the term we use.

David: Thats what were calling it these days, rustic.

Renee: Were calling it rustic, yeah.

David: This podcast is produced by Overit Studios, and our producer is the razor sharp-witted, Adam Clairmont. You can reach Adam and Overit Studios at overitstudios.com. Remember to subscribe to Talking With My Mouth Full wherever you download your favorite podcasts. And if you like what you hear and want to support us, leave a review and rating on Apple Podcasts. Chow!

Renee: Chow!

OopsOUTTAKES!

David: Renee, do you have a FAFE(gags and stumbles over his word). Thats an outtake, Adam, so you can use that. All right, youve got to save them.

Renee: No, I dont have one of those, David.

David: You dont have one of those, okay. Try it again.
Michigan representatives, senators and other leaders have taken to social media to mourn the loss of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960s who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress.

Lewis died of cancer Friday night at the age of 80, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. She called him one of the greatest heroes in American history, and many Michigan leaders agree.

US Rep. John Lewis, civil rights pioneer, dies of cancer at 80

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that Lewis dedicated his life to building a more just, equitable nation for Black Americans everywhere, and he has set an example for leaders across the country.

Lewis was an icon, and I know that people everywhere will feel the impact of his passing, Whitmer said. May we honor his legacy by continuing the work to fix the systemic racism Black Americans face every day and build a country where everyone, no matter the color of their skin, can find opportunity.

Rep. Debbie Dingell said Lewis was a close friend of hers and her husband, late U.S. Rep. John Dingell. Posting a picture on Twitter of herself and Lewis embracing, said she knows Lewis and John Dingell are with each other again.

John Lewis was Americas friend. He had the courage of a lion, the passion of a cougar, the wisdom of Solomon, and the heart of a lamb, Dingell tweeted Saturday morning. ... Today, do something to help someone else. And when you want to remember John, give others encouragement, power, and love.

I have lost a friend and our country lost a fighter. John Lewis was Americas friend. He had the courage of a lion, the passion of a cougar, the wisdom of Solomon, and the heart of a lamb.  Rep. Debbie Dingell (@RepDebDingell) July 18, 2020

U.S. Senator Gary Peters also took to Twitter, calling Lewis one of our nations most extraordinary civil rights leaders and the conscience of Congress. Peters served with Lewis in the House of Representatives, saying that time was a privilege.

Ill remember him as a hero and inspiration, who never backed down from a challenge and always pursued justice and civil rights, Peters wrote. We can honor his legacy by continuing to fight for a more inclusive and just society.

We mourn the loss of @RepJohnLewis, one of our nations most extraordinary civil rights leaders and the conscience of Congress. His passing is a huge and heartbreaking loss for our country.  Senator Gary Peters (@SenGaryPeters) July 18, 2020

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton said Lewis served his constituents with a deep sense of duty, unparalleled courage and conviction, and that Congress and the nation lost a giant Friday night.

Upton said he and Lewis were elected to Congress in the same year and shared a deep friendship over the past three decades.

I joined him and marched in Selma and Birmingham, in his footsteps following his leadership and grace  life-changing moments, Upton said. It is incumbent upon all of us now to live like John. It is time for us to choose to lay down the burden of hate  it is simply too heavy a burden to bear.

Also offering short statements on social media were U.S. Rep. Justin Amash and Senator Debbie Stabenow. Amash tweeted that Lewis was gentle, strong and kind, and his message was justice, and his voice was powerful.

John Lewis was gentle and strong and kind. His message was justice, and his voice was powerful. May his memory be eternal.  Justin Amash (@justinamash) July 18, 2020

On Facebook, Stabenow called Lewis a hero in every sense of the word, and the nation is better due to Lewis living fearlessly.

John Lewis was a hero in every sense of the word. He lived fearlessly and we are a better nation for it. Sending love and condolences to his family. Posted by Debbie Stabenow on Saturday, July 18, 2020

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley issued a statement, saying he worked alongside Lewis while serving as chair of the Legislative Black Caucus in the House of Representatives.

Lewis leaves us after a lifetime dedicated to fighting nonviolently for equity and social justice. He unabashedly stood for what was right  always, Neeley said. We owe it to him and to all our forefathers of the Civil Rights movement to make sure the echoes of his footsteps march on through our own actions every day.

Rep. Brenda Lawrence, who represents Michigans 14th District, said shes deeply saddened by the loss of Lewis, and his life long legacy was fighting racism and injustice.

We will continue this fight in your honor, Lawrence wrote.

I am deepy saddened by the loss of my colleague and friend @repjohnlewis.



A fearless leader, civil rights icon and longest serving member of @TheBlackCaucus. His life long legacy was fighting racism and injustice.



We will continue this fight in your honor. #RIPJohnLewis  pic.twitter.com/CtXRG9H1Fc  Brenda Lawrence (@RepLawrence) July 18, 2020

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist tweeted a photo of himself and Lewis just after midnight Saturday, saying Lewis work was good trouble that paved the way for many people to make history. He ended the post with the hashtag Rest In Power.

We will carry forward your legacy of good trouble so that the next generation can be, believe and become their greatest selves, Gilchrist wrote.

Good trouble.



All of the good trouble you made paved the way for so many people to make history in your footsteps.



We will carry forward your legacy of good trouble so that the next generation can be, believe, and become their greatest selves.#RestInPower pic.twitter.com/LcbVCx2TGt  Garlin Gilchrist II (@LtGovGilchrist) July 18, 2020

Congressman Dan Kildee also said in a statement that Lewis encouraged everyone to get into good trouble in the pursuit of justice and equality. Kildee walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Lewis and said that is one of his most cherished memories.

John was the conscience of the Congress and my friend. When John rose to speak, others always listened. Sometimes speaking in a whisper, and other times in a roar, Johns voice always brought moral clarity and purpose, Kildee said. ... I am heartbroken over Johns passing. Our country has lost an incredible giant, and Congress will not be the same without him. Rest in power, John.

Lewis announced in December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The Associated Press reports that Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement.

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By PTI

KATHMANDU: Nepal's ruling communist party's top decision-making body met on Saturday to try and end the tussle for power between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and former premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.

The meeting of the nine-member Central Secretariat started at around 3.

15 pm at the official residence of the prime minister at Baluwatar, according to Oli's press advisor Surya Thapa.

The highest body of the party is expected to discuss the agenda to be presented during Sunday's Standing Committee meeting, which has been postponed five times in recent weeks.

The Standing Committee meeting was postponed until Sunday to give more time to Oli and the rival faction led by Prachanda, the executive chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) to have more talks to end the intra-party infighting.

Prime Minister Oli, Prachanda, senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal among others are participating in the Central Secretariat meeting.

The meeting will also discuss ways to settle the current dispute surfacing in the party's leadership.

The NCP called a secretariat meeting after the two top leaders agreed to call a conclave of the highest body of the party ahead of the 45-member Standing Committee meeting on Sunday in a bid to strike a power-sharing deal by sorting out their differences.

During previous meetings, Oli has refused to resign or give up his position as chairman of the NCP as demanded by the faction led by Prachanda.

Sunday's Standing Committee meeting is expected to fix the date for the CWC meeting, which will ultimately decide the future of Prime Minister Oli, Ganesh Shah, a Standing Committee member, said.

Oli and Prachanda have held at least eight meetings in recent weeks to sort out the differences between them.

But, as the Prime Minister did not accept the condition of a one-man-one-post, the talks failed, party sources said.

Top NCP leaders, including 'Prachanda', have been demanding Prime Minister Oli's resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were "neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate."

They are also against Oli's autocratic style of functioning.

The differences grew further after Oli 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 Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura.

The differences between the two factions of the NCP, one led by 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.
French artist and illustrator Claire Prouvost, who is well known for her vibrant murals in Dublin, is looking forward to bringing splash of colour to Dundalk as one of the artists taking part in SEEK 2020.

Claire's murals have brightened up areas of Dublin city centre around Temple Bar. Aside from her murals, Claire has also received commissions from major brands such as Gucci, Penguin Vintage, Diageo and Lavazza, as well as editorial work

Her work is very much inspired by the post-impressionism, fauvism and cubist movements, combining bright colours with bold shapes.

She is now looking forward to coming to Dundalk to spent a week painting a mural of Dorothy Macardle, the Dundalk-born writer, Republican and feminist.

'Since a lot of events have been cancelled, I cannot wait to be back out and paint, particularly for such a lovely initiative in a town I have yet to discover. I am looking forward to meeting the other artists and see the different pieces,' she says.

As this will be her first time visiting Dundalk, she is also looking forward to seeing the works which were created during last year's inaugural event in real life, having already viewed them on social media.

'The lineup and artwork were impressive, I am so humbled and delighted to be part of SEEK festival this year.'

SEEK 2020 is one of the few arts festivals around the country taking place this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic and luckily the anture of the festival is such that the artists can work

'The building I will be painting is off the footpath, and there is a good bit of space in front of the wall,' says Claire. 'I am sure that event will be organised in a way that people can watch from a distance and wouldn't be allowed to come too close to the wall for obvious safety reasons. It is a pretty solitary job anyway, I will be painting on a cherry picker, so there is no direct interactions with the passersby.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 11:48:31|Editor: huaxia

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Local residents dance while attending a feast with neighbors in Tacheng, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 4, 2019. (Xinhua/Cheng Li)

Instead of recognizing the rock-solid fact that China has achieved indisputable human rights progress, some China-bashers in Washington are trying to narrate a different story with one cheeky lie after another. As the presidential elections are drawing close, their real purpose of scoring political points for themselves is too obvious to miss.

by Xinhua writer Chen Chen

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China always holds that the protection of human rights will only ring hollow unless human lives are valued, and social stability and security guaranteed. That principle has seen growing global consensus in today's crisis-stricken world.

At the just concluded 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), China has won broad endorsement of its tangible progress on the human rights cause despite some Western countries' persistence to smear Beijing's efforts to promote general stability and security in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

Over the past 18 days of the gathering of the world's only inter-governmental human rights body, more than 70 countries have backed China's national security legislation for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and 46 countries have voiced their support for China's anti-terrorism and de-radicalization drive in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, while strongly rejecting foreign interference in China's internal affairs.

Visitors take photos of Hong Kong Island in south China's Hong Kong, July 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

Cold-blooded terrorism and violent extremism, with little doubt, pose a severe threat to human lives, and thus to the most basic human rights. That is why Beijing has taken relentless law-based efforts to root out terrorism in Xinjiang and end violence in Hong Kong.

For Hong Kong, the city is on course to having order restored following last year's escalating chaos. What's more, Xinjiang has seen no single terrorist attack over the last three years because of a rigorous counterterrorism drive.

China's arduous yet effective battle against the COVID-19 outbreak and its historic poverty alleviation campaign are also a part of the reason why it can win wide support within and beyond the conference hall of the UNHRC session.

Instead of recognizing the rock-solid fact that China has achieved indisputable human rights progress, some China-bashers in Washington are trying to narrate a different story with one cheeky lie after another. As the presidential elections are drawing close, their real purpose of scoring political points for themselves is too obvious to miss.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has been one of the most hysterical anti-China voices in the current U.S. administration, slapped Chinese technology firms with visa restrictions on Wednesday, citing human rights abuses, and National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said weeks ago that the Communist Party of China has used China's UNHRC membership to dodge criticism in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Moreover, in an excessively desperate act to defame China, a U.S. state department spokeswoman recently tweeted a photoshopped picture to smear the human rights situation in Xinjiang.

Protesters take part in a demonstration in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the United States, on June 20, 2020. (Photo by Alan Chin/Xinhua)

While those China hawks in Washington are busy seeking to brainwash the wider international community, they seem hardly bothered by their own country's degenerative human rights track records, both at home and overseas.

Domestically, the United States is struggling with a "double crisis." The confluence of Washington's terrible response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the country's deep-seated institutional discrimination has not only further exposed its racial disparity, but also made the coronavirus deadlier to non-whites in the United States. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently quoted cardiologist Clyde Yancy of Northwestern University as saying that black patients are estimated to be 2.4 times more likely to die of the virus than whites.

Moreover, with Washington's bloody overseas military adventures in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, the United States is irrefutably the world's abuser-in-chief of human rights.

Smearing China may help those Washington China hardliners with a few more votes in the coming elections, yet America's deeply entrenched human rights problems are not being solved, and may grow even worse.

If Washington truly wants to make some positive contributions to the world's human rights cause, it should stop denying China's substantial improvement in human rights, start to fix its own problems and join others around the world in promoting peace and stability. 
Remote communities have for years been hit by deadly raids from armed groups of cattle rustlers and kidnappers.

Authorities in Nigerias northwest Zamfara state have offered two cows for each gun surrendered to halt bloody attacks by criminal gangs, including cattle rustlers.

Remote communities across the region have for years been hit hard by deadly raids from armed groups of motorcycle-riding cattle rustlers and kidnappers.

Military operations have failed to end the killings and local officials have repeatedly tried negotiations to broker peace.

Zamfara governor Bello Matawalle on Thursday said that under the new initiative for every rifle submitted by a repentant bandit, there would be compensation of two cows.

Matawalle said the offer of livestock was meant to convince the gangs, known as bandits, to disarm without cash payments that could be used to buy more arms.

180819221942335

There was no indication if the plan would be enough to convince them to forsake their lucrative cattle rustling and kidnapping rackets.

The unrest in northwest Nigeria, which experts say has been spurred by overpopulation and climate change, has seen an estimated 8,000 people killed and 200,000 flee their homes since 2011.

President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged a fresh push to end the killings after a spike in attacks in neighbouring Katsina state.

The bandits mainly come from the Fulani ethnic group that has long relied principally on cattle herding.

Vigilante groups set up by local communities to defend themselves have been accused of extrajudicial killings that add to the spiral of killings.
Question: I am looking to buy a laptop that will last at least four or five years. I am a primary school teacher and mainly use a laptop for Office Suite tasks, internet browsing and Netflix. I don't do anything substantial on the photo or video side of things. I was thinking about a 'two-in-one' laptop, but I'm wondering whether they're sufficiently durable. If they do last, then I would be interested. If a standard laptop is the best option, is it possible to get a slim laptop without sacrificing specifications or durability? I would appreciate any advice or recommendations you can give.

- Colm O'Mahony

Answer

For what you say you want, a two-in-one laptop is ideal. This is mainly because if you are going to use it for Netflix or Amazon Video or Disney+, many two-in-one laptops now have fully rotating hinges, meaning you can stand them up vertically on a table or a stand without taking up much space.

Similarly, in my experience, two-in-one laptops are no less durable - given sensible, non-rambunctious usage - than ordinary laptops.

Given what you say your primary usage patterns are, you won't need something very powerful. On the other hand, you can't really settle for a basic model either because it will seem frustratingly slow in two or three years. My advice is to get a two-in-one laptop with a rotating hinge that has a minimum of 8GB of Ram, an Intel Core i5 processor (or equivalent chip, like AMD's Ryzen 5) and 256GB of storage. You should get one for about 800. For example, Curry's has an HP X360 Pavilion with all of these specifications for 820. It's a decent buy.

Recommendation: HP X360 Pavilion, 820 from Currys

Question

I need a new phone. I'm thinking of an iPhone 11 but heard that Apple will bring out a new model soon. Is it worth waiting? Will I be kicking myself if I get the iPhone 11 now?

- M Kelly, Dublin

Answer

Barring a major surprise, Apple will bring out the iPhone 12 in September. Most leaks suggest that the main difference to the iPhone 11 will be 5G compatibility and a slightly different physical case design. Of these features, the case design is arguably the more interesting new element. If you remember the old iPhone 4S phones from eight or nine years ago, you'll recognise the new aesthetic: it's pretty gorgeous. 5G is less of an obvious must-have feature. It will eventually be needed, but none of the mobile networks are even close to anything resembling a comprehensive Irish rollout. (Three hasn't even started its rollout yet.) My guess is that 5G won't really be seen as a really valued feature for a least another two years.

The iPhone 12 will almost certainly have the now-customary upgrades in camera quality. This will reportedly combine with a powerful new chip to allow the iPhone to give you 'augmented reality' technology, which is at an early stage of development. Again, this may not be seen as a must-have feature for most people. Beyond the likelihood of those things being included, we don't really know what the iPhone 12 will bring.

I will say that if you get an iPhone 11 now, you won't be disappointed in that particular handset. I think that the current model is one of the most underrated upgrades in iPhones in some time, mainly because of the additional battery life. I've had every iPhone since it was launched. But the iPhone 11 was the first one I could reliably use all day, every day without a power top-up needed.

So the real answer to your question hinges on how much you depend on your phone. If it's just a thing you use for Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, email and YouTube, the iPhone 11 will be absolutely fine. If it's something you really love, wait for the iPhone 12.

To put it another way, if it was me (a tech-loving individual), I would definitely wait for the new model. But if it was my mother, I'd say it doesn't make much of a difference.





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Question

I run a busy law firm. Now that more of us are working from home, what virtual assistants would you recommend us to look at to help us in the day-to-day running of the office environment?

- Gary M, practising solicitor

Answer

You don't have all that much choice. It's really either Google or Microsoft. But although Microsoft is much more focused on workplaces, its Cortana assistant has some big drawbacks, like defaulting to Bing (a search engine virtually nobody in Ireland uses). Even still, I'm assuming that your 'office environment' uses Microsoft as a core software installation. If that's the case, I'd be focusing on Microsoft's assistant in the medium to long term. If not, and you use G Suite or Docs or Google Meet, Google's Assistant is pretty powerful.









Email your questions to  aweckler@independent.ie





Tech Two

Huawei Matebook X Pro

1,599 from Harvey Norman

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This is the best conventionally built slim Windows laptop I've used this year. It has an almost flawless combination of design and power and is ergonomically incredibly comfortable. It's also light, slim and sturdy with a high-end engine, good battery life, a great display and loads of built-in storage as standard.

Google Pixel Buds 2

199 from retailers

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vThese are a real alternative to Apple's Airpods. They have excellent audio quality and are very smart: they can even translate languages for you in real time using the Google Assistant. Just say "Hey Google, help me to speak Spanish" and, as long as you have an Android 6 phone, they will start translating.




YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan visited the Ministry of Defense headquarters, where he met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, headed by Defense Minister David Tonoyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Onik Gasparyan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan attended the meeting, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan referred to the recent escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The Prime Minister stated, in part: The purpose of todays meeting is to discuss the operative situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. However, first of all it should be stated that the military-political situation in the region has become tense due to Azerbaijans aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Late on July 12, Azerbaijans armed forces launched an attack and attempted to get hold of the Anvakh (Fearless) border post of Armenias armed forces. To give a comprehensive idea of the situation, it should be stated that the aforementioned position is located in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

At the same time, Azerbaijans armed forces targeted the villages of Movses, Aygepar, Chinari, Nerkin Karmiraghbyur in Tavush region with artillery fire and drones, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure and residential houses. We have evidence - factual data - that Azerbaijans armed forces have deployed artillery and armored vehicles in the courtyards between residential houses in the village of Aghdam, which faces Armenian Chinari village. They targeted our villages with the assumption that the Armenian side could not help hitting civilian targets in case of retaliation.

Dear Colleagues,

It is important to record the meaning and context of the events that are taking place in the region, because Azerbaijans offensive must have an explanation; therefore, the following question may arise: What does the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan want to do? Why?

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyevs long-standing warlike rhetoric has intensified in recent months. He threatens to resolve the Karabakh conflict by force and openly demonstrates his intention to abort the OSCE Minsk Groups mediation efforts. Against this background, he developed the thesis of the strength and invincibility of the Azerbaijani army in a bid to justify those billions of dollars spent over the past decade and a half under the pretext of army development.



The military-political leadership of Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that it is waiting for an order from Ilham Aliyev to resolve the Karabakh conflict by military means. This continuous rhetoric had to get some expression. Naturally, against the background of aggressive statements made by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, we were supposed to be more vigilant for the security of Artsakh, attention should have been doubled on Artsakhs Defense Army. Therefore, Azerbaijan decided to strike in the direction we should have expected the least with a single goal to materialize the myth of Azerbaijani armys invincibility by means of an unexpected blow, to break down the moral and psychological positions of the Armenian side with a swift military success and ultimately attack the Republic of Artsakh in that situation.

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, however, showed an exceptionally high level of combat readiness. They not only secured the inviolability of Armenias borders, but also shattered the myth built up by the incumbent President of Azerbaijan for a decade and a half about the combat effectiveness of the Azerbaijani army.

At the same time, with the recent onslaught, Azerbaijan caused significant damage to those countries with which it is cooperating in the military-technical sphere, since our Armed Forces destroyed weaponry that was deemed to be invulnerable all over the world.

However, the biggest surprise is the condescending attitude of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan towards its own soldiers lives who were doomed to death since the task set before them was obviously unachievable.

The provocation undertaken by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan also has a much broader geopolitical context. In an attempt to cover up its own failure, the Azeri propaganda has started to develop a thesis that the Armenian armed forces are positioned to disrupt and dismantle the international energy infrastructure originating in Azerbaijan. This is done to present Armenia as a global threat.

But this absurd assertion can simply be thwarted by the fact that Armenia theoretically had the opportunity to take such an action far before last weeks events. But it has never had such a goal; it has never been on our political agenda, we never sought to create economic, political, military-political or security instabilities in the region and in the world.

Our task is to ensure our sovereignty, our borders, the security of our country and people, and to promote global security. It has become clear in recent days that Azerbaijan poses a threat not only to Armenia but also to global security. An Azerbaijani official stated a few days ago that their country could launch a missile attack on Metsamor nuclear power plant.

Armenia is capable of ensuring its own security, including the Metsamor nuclear power plant, but this is a statement that should be unequivocally considered a crime against humanity, because such an action is a threat to commit terrorism against humanity, it should be given an appropriate international response and probe.



As for what to do next, our position remains the same. We must all get out of the vicious cycle of mere statements about ceasefire violations: an international system of reliable ceasefire monitoring needs to be established.

And next, the negotiations held in the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing format should be continued, and Azerbaijan should finally adopt a constructive position.

And finally, let me express my satisfaction with the high efficiency of the Armenian Armed Forces and state that the Governments army development policy, including the development of the military-industrial complex, has fully justified itself. There is no doubt that we will continue along this line. As I have said on many occasions, the development of our armed forces is not a priority for us, but the priority of priorities.

And I would like to address a crucial issue that we have raised in this context, that is, the return to the state of ill-earned money obtained through corruption, and the investment of that money for the development of Armenias Armed Forces. This objective has not been met in full as of yet. But we will be consistent on this way: specific legal mechanisms have already been established to that effect, which will come into force in the near future.
Camacho: I know the issues facing individuals we come into contact with and have lived in the precinct my entire life. I have the ability to effectively communicate and deescalate stressful situations with members of our community and it is my goal to make a difference. ... A constable has a tough job to perform and it takes an individual that understands their community and everyone deserves respect, and that individual is me.

Q. How would you carry out the duties during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Camacho: With the exception of evictions, our job remains the same. However, evictions are a major dilemma. On one hand you have tenants who are affected by COVID-19 and on the other hand you have property owners affected as well. I will follow the law  its my job  and the Arizona governors executive order, which for the first time in the history allows constables to delay an eviction if it is COVID-19 related.

Q. Although its not an official part of the job, some Pima County constables have been taking the initiative to also focus on eviction prevention. What are your ideas on this?
L ondons only domestic violence centre dedicated specifically to the needs of black women faces eviction at the end of July.

This could see it sent back to deeply unsuitable premises that might jeopardise the safety of the capitals black women, its founder has said.

Sistah Space rents its premises from Hackney Council. The charity, founded six years ago, moved out of its original shopfront location last September while the council carried out repairs.

Now the 35,000 refurbishment is finished, the council has given Sistah Space until the end of July to move back. Charity founder Ngozi Fulani told the Standard that the original premises in Lower Clapton Road are still unsafe for domestic violence survivors because of how exposed the glass shopfront is to the street, as well as anti-social behaviour in the surrounding area.

Ms Fulani said the number of people wanting help from the charity has massively increased since the move. She added that she is worried survivors would be less likely to come to the centre if it were forced to move back to its original location, which would be a real blow to the community."

London needs a domestic violence centre for black women because of the specific problems faced by many black people in the UK, Ms Fulani added. Sistah Space often acts as an intermediary between victims of domestic abuse and the police because of a relatively widespread distrust of the force, she said.

Black people are much more likely than people of other ethnic groups to be subject to stop-and-search procedures in the UK. Met police officers used force against black people five times more often than white people in 2018/19, according to government figures. Figures released by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), covering 2004-2019, show black people are nearly twice as likely to die in police custody than white people.

The Met has said that people from African-Caribbean heritage are more likely to be victims or perpetrators of knife crime and that much of Londons violence happens in more diverse areas.

Ms Fulani said: We have sons, husbands, brothers, uncles. We know that if we reported a black man to the police that could mean death or serious injury. So although we want the violence and the abuse to stop, we dont want the perpetrator dead or injured.

And thats a massive problem because we can see that theres a massive divide between the police and the community."

But bridging the gap shouldnt be a one-way effort, Ms Fulani added.

She said: Our community isnt always innocent in this because sometimes particular communities will put pressure on you if you report to the police, because of an idea that thats not how we do it in Africa or thats not how we do it in the Caribbean. So you can even be made to feel like you betrayed your people when you report abuse.

Now these are things that most people who arent black cannot understand and cannot cater for. Women who think immigration is going to throw me out if they make a fuss. Or even if theyve got stay [indefinite leave to remain] or are British - think about Windrush - there are women who feel so betrayed and let down that they sometimes think they would rather die than go to the police."

Other problems can be more mundane - if no less tragic - issues linked to language.

Ms Fulani gave the example of someone who struggled to describe the violence of a mans assault on her to police.

She said: We sat with someone who explained to the police that the perpetrator held her neck and it hurt. So she demonstrated and I asked so he strangled you? Yes, she said.

And then she said: I looked up and he was in the room. And then he was there. So the police wrote that down word for word. But I asked what do you mean he was there? And it turned out he was raping her, but she used the word there.

Ms Fulani continued: You cant just get an interpreter, its more than an interpreter. Its their use of the English language. Its about empathy and understanding someones culture. Shes reported this over nine years. Now shes got two babies that are from rape.

Its only after nine years that she could actually make the statement when she found Sistah Space and now the police are after both of the perpetrators.

A recent demonstration outside Hackney Town Hall in support of Sistah Space drew in hundreds of people. Tyrone Scott, a community organiser in London with housing charity Shelter, took part and said the support was massive.

He added: What this shows is that the support for Sistah Space and the needs of black women is out there, not just in Hackney but in the rest of London too.

A spokesperson for Hackney Council said: Although Sistah Space had agreed to move back to their new premises once refurbishment was complete, we understand concerns about moving at this time and have offered to extend their current temporary arrangements until at least the end of July. Well continue to monitor this situation.
The funeral of a man shot dead by police after stabbing six people in a knife attack in Glasgow has been delayed after more than 100 people turned up to the ceremony.

The funeral of Badreddin Abadlla Adam was expected to be held at Linn Cemetery in Glasgow at 2pm on Saturday afternoon, but police were called after a large crowd gathered in breach of coronavirus restrictions.

The 28-year-old from Sudan was shot by armed officers after injuring six people, including 42-year-old police constable David Whyte, during the attack at the Park Inn Hotel in June.

His burial service was due to take place from approximately 2pm, but by 3pm the service had not begun and three police vans were in attendance, with officers attempting to disperse the crowd.

The Scottish Governments current rules allow for a maximum of 20 guests at funeral services during the latest phase of lockdown restrictions being eased.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed that officers were in attendance assisting staff with social distancing regulations.

Badreddin Abadlla Adam, 28, from Sudan, who was shot dead by armed officers after stabbing six people in West George Street, Glasgow (Police Scotland/PA)

At the time of his knife attack, Adam was being temporarily housed in the hotel that was being used as accommodation for asylum seekers during the coronavirus pandemic.

He was described as a quiet and polite and decent guy by asylum seekers who were also residing at the city centre hotel.

Mourners who arrived for the funeral far exceeded the Scottish Governments maximum limit of 20 guests during the current phase of the lockdown, meaning the majority had to congregate in a nearby car park while the service took place.

Speaking on the Monday following the attack, a fellow resident by the name of Andrew said: Recently we were moved from the Park Inn Hotel to the Hallmark Hotel because of the incident that happened on Friday which has been traumatic for every single asylum seeker.

One way or the other we have been affected mentally, physically and otherwise.

I (was not) around when it took place but I happened to gather some information from my other asylum seekers.

Story continues

They described him as a quiet and polite and decent guy  they were surprised that he acted the way he acted.

There must be something that pushed him to behave in that ugly manner which honestly I strongly condemned because it is abnormal, but definitely something must have pushed that guy into that level of disastrous act.

Pc Whyte, one of the attackers six injured victims, paid tribute to police and medical staff after being discharged from hospital a week on from the attack.

There is no doubt that I face a long road to recovery but I am absolutely determined to be back on duty as soon as I possibly can, he said.

I would like to thank the medical staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for saving my life and getting me back to where I am today.

At the time of his discharge on July 2, four other men remained in hospital, three in a stable condition while one was still critical.
JUBA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in South Sudan on Friday handed over 58 oxygen concentrators to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in the east African country.

The oxygen concentrators were accompanied by over 2,000 consumable components of ventilators.

Hua Ning, Chinese ambassador to South Sudan, said the equipment will be installed at the China-aided Juba Teaching Hospital.

"These equipment is vital for the treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases. Our cooperation will not end up here. This relationship will continue to grow and prosper," Hua said.

Hua said the donation is part of China's heightened efforts to support the fight against the novel coronavirus. "Health is always the priority for South Sudan-China cooperation," the Chinese envoy added.

Mayen Machut Achiek, Undersecretary in South Sudan's Ministry of Health, said the latest Chinese donation will boost South Sudan's fight against COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses that require ventilators.

He commended Beijing's continued support to South Sudan's health sector.

"These supplies are the real dire needs of every nation, not just South Sudan. We feel honored for this donation from China. The people of South Sudan are saying 'thank you'," Machut said.

The Chinese government, and the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation, have supplied several batches of anti-COVID-19 supplies to the east African country since reporting its first cases on April 5.

South Sudan's total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 stood at 2,191, with 43 deaths and 1,180 recoveries, as of Friday.
(Natural News) If youre an investigative journalist, the first piece of evidence you search for after a sensationalized crime is blasted all over the news is video footage, the ultimate witness. So, even though video footage of George Floyd getting kneed to death was available, nowhere to be found was a police body cam, and there were 4 cops on that immediate scene the whole time. Very odd right? especially after we saw the Atlanta Wendys cop cam footage from that shooting was released right from the start.

Now, the body cam footage and transcripts from the George Floyd incident are out, and the truth about the way everything really went down is making its way to the surface fast, after being buried by fake news and months of riots that the insane Left calls peaceful protests. Was it ALL staged?

Did the cops already know Floyd was dying? Why didnt the emergency medical staff test Floyds vital signs at all, before slinging him onto a stretcher and tossing him in the back of the ambulance? Maybe because he had overdosed on fentanyl and was dying before Derek Chauvin ever put a knee on the back of his neck. In other words, death was imminent for Floyd anyway.

Lets take an inside look at the ultimate whistle-blower in this crime of the century  transcripts of those videos from the body cams worn by two of the 4 cops at the scene of George Floyds fentanyl overdose, where Floyd admits on video, before he ever got thrown to the ground, that he cant breathe, while hes foaming at the mouth from an overdose of one of the most dangerous drugs on Earth, and the most dangerous illegal drug in America.

Thats why the media wont show this footage or release these transcripts from the cop cams, ever. Floyd admits to the police during the arrest that he has shoved some Fentanyl up his anus earlier, and that might be how hes overdosing, if it broke open.

Journalism is about seeking the truth, not believing conspiracy theories or parroting some official narrative

Yes, the body cam tells a completely different story than what has been reported by mainstream media, Black Lives Matter, and every supporter of the fake race war being staged in America right now. This is like having the missing video from the plane that supposedly hit the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001. This cop cam video footage is like having the security footage at Sandy Hook Elementary, the day some teenager supposedly shot up a whole school full of kids, but the new security system somehow never captured anything, and nothing was ever released.

Wait, did you forget to ask about the cop body cams, or even think of it? Most people who are not investigative journalists get so overwhelmed by all the other coverage that they dont even think to ask. Well, were asking. Thats why, before you ever even start believing or stressing out about some mainstream news scary event, always ask for the video coverage. All of it. If its not available, you know the story is FAKE, like bad crisis actors and plastic trees.

George Floyd died of a drug overdose when his bloodstream became suddenly flooded with Fentanyl, causing respiratory depression and death from Wooden Chest Syndrome

Did you know that Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin, and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the DEA? It kills more Americans each year than automobile crashes. Thats because Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds immediately to opioid receptors, taking effect almost instantaneously. It only takes a little bit of Fentanyl to overdose any human, and thats why George Floyd was complaining he couldnt breathe BEFORE he ever got taken down to the ground by the police officers.

Sure, you can kill someone by putting your knee on the back of their neck for minutes on end while theyre face down on the ground, but police body cams reveal theres a whole lot more to this story, and when the truth comes out, it always stings.

Fentanyl is extremely dangerous because it causes respiratory depression with even the slightest dose, and thats a scientific fact. George Floyd, like a Mexican drug mule (human drug transporter) was carrying drugs inside his rectum, in the anal canal, where the baggie must have broken open just before his arrest. Thats why he was acting so erratic and desperate, telling the cops he was choking and couldnt breathe right, before he even got out of the car.

Wooden Chest Syndrome occurs when someone takes in Fentanyl intravenously, and the persons chest and abdomen muscles tighten so rigidly that even CPR is rendered useless for saving the person.

Is that why the paramedics did NOT even try CPR on Floyd, because they somehow already knew he had overdosed on Fentanyl, and resuscitation efforts wouldnt even matter?

Transcripts from videos from two Minneapolis police officers (not Chauvin) at the George Floyd death scene had their body cams rolling the whole time, and now the truth is out. Yes, these cameras caught everything, from before Floyd exited his vehicle until his lifeless, overdosed body arrived at the hospital.

Officers Thomas Lane and his partner, J. Alexander Keung, are heard, along with Floyd, discussing his counterfeit $20 bill and the fact that Floyd describes how he was suffering respiratory distress before the cops ever laid a hand on him. This should be alarming to all Americans.

While trying to coax Floyd out of his vehicle, he was acting quite disoriented and not rational at all. This was the first sign that he was overdosing on the worlds most dangerous drug. He was not cooperative as mainstream media, the Left, and BLM would have us all believe. Floyd admits to using counterfeit money, then begins foaming at the mouth like a dog with rabies. When the officers notice all of this, Floyd tells them that he was hooping earlier, which means hiding drugs by inserting them in your rectum, usually in some kind of plastic wrapping. Floyds drug-induced paranoia began as those deadly drugs broke open and flooded his blood and brain.

On page 22 of the video transcript, Floyd says he cant breathe. Hes still standing at this point, and literally asks the cops to put him on the ground. The autopsy report reveals he did in fact have Fentanyl in his blood. Its quite clear now what happened to George Floyd. Thats why you always ask for all the videos, especially body cams.

Tune your internet dial to NewsTarget.com for updates on how Black Lives Matter is leading the staged hate crime movement to turn this country over to Communist rule.

Last question: Could actual paramedics have saved George Floyds life with the anecdotal drug for Fentanyl called Narcan? Theres a reason why the crisis actors shoved Floyd into the ambulance without checking his vital signs. Keep digging.

Take a look at a typical Fentanyl overdose victim here and what actual EMTs do at a scene before tossing a body into an ambulance that was seemingly alive just moments before they arrive.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

NewsTarget.com

StarTribune.com

StarTribune.com

StarTribune.com

TheRecoveryVillage.com

NaturalNews.com

NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
10 missing: The audacity with which the JMB operates in West Bengal

West Bengal born girl, accused of recruiting for JMB arrested in Bangladesh

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, July 18: A girl of Indian origin has been arrested in Dhaka, Bangladesh for her alleged links with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB). She is accused of recruiting for the JMB.

The 25-year-old Ayesha Jannat Mohona hails from Hooghly in West Bengal and was arrested by the Bangladesh Police's Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Branch on Friday from Sadarghat in Dhaka.

During a media briefing, Sk Imran Hossain, Assistant Commissioner, CTC said she has been reminded in four days police custody by a court. Ayesha, born a Hindu as Pragya Debnath converted to Islam in 2009. Following this, she was actively involved in religious lessons online.

NIA charges JMB operative in Barpeta terror case

It was during this period that she got in touch with the women's wing chiefs, Asma Khatoon. She was actively involved with the women's wing of the JMB, the Bangladesh police also said. She was tasked with recruiting young girls for the women's wing and was asked to focus on India. The CTTC is in the process of finding out about her latest recruitments.

It was in the year 2016 that she first left for Bangladesh from West Bengal. The CTTC has learnt that she had made several to and fro trips since then. In Bangladesh, she even procured a fake birth certificate and a national identity card of Bangladesh.

In 2019 after moving permanently to Bangladesh, she started working in a madrasa. She has been accused of radicalising the girls at the madrassa.

She quit the madrasa and started recruiting online following Khatoon's arrest. She also married a Bangladeshi national based out of Oman.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

The JMB has a huge presence in West Bengal. The role of the outfit came to light in the infamous Burdhwan incident of 2014. It was found that the modules in Burdhwan had set up several cottage industries and were producing bombs.

JMB in Bengaluru: NIA charges 11

Over the years several from Bangladesh part of the JMB have been arrested in Bengal.

Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that Bengal has the most modules of the JMB.

Recently, the NIA too carried out scores of arrests of JMB members from Bengaluru and other parts of South India. Some were found to be involved in the Burdwan and Bodhgaya blasts as well.
Iran has sent the black boxes of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which crashed shortly after takeoff in Tehran on January 8 after being struck by two missiles, killing 176 people.

"The black boxes were transferred to Paris yesterday by aviation officials and a judge, and their deciphering will start on Monday (July 20)," Foreign Ministry official Mohsen Baharvand was quoted as telling the Etemad newspaper on July 18.

A source at France's Bureau for Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) was quoted by AFP as saying that the boxes had arrived and would be at the agency from July 20.



Flight 752 was struck by two missiles and crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran's main airport on January 8.



The Islamic republic admitted in the following days that its forces accidentally shot down the Kyiv-bound passenger plane.



In a recent report, Iranian aviation authorities concluded that a misaligned missile battery and miscommunication between soldiers and superior officers were to blame for incident.

Flight 752 was downed the same night that Iran had launched a ballistic-missile attack that targeted U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and Tehran's air defenses were on high alert at the time in case of retaliation.

That attack was in response to an American drone strike that had killed the powerful commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, Major General Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad five days earlier.



Canada and Ukraine had demanded that Iran, which had no means of decoding the crucial information contained in the data recording devices, send the black boxes abroad for analysis.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
A GAP year student is to launch a pop-up cafe, bar and restaurant by the Thames near Henley.

The Lockdown Lodge, which is due to open next month, will be made from four converted shipping containers placed by the Thames Path on the south bank near Hambleden Lock.

It is the brainchild of Minna Hughes, who lives nearby, with the help of her father Chris, whose business supplies catering kitchens for large-scale functions.

The 19-year-old came up with the idea after her travel plans were cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Miss Hughes had to race home early from volunteering in Botswana to avoid becoming stranded abroad as airports began shutting and also had to scrap a planned trip to Canada. When she got home, she discussed it with her father, who is managing director of Event Kitchens in Binfield Heath but has no work at the moment due to cancellations caused by the covid-19 restrictions.

Mr Hughes already had the containers in his storage yard and is currently overhauling them while his daughter is organising the food, staffing, marketing and other aspects of the business.

The containers will be transported to the site on lorries and lifted into place using a crane a few days before the opening on August 10.

They will be arranged end-to-end in two rows to form one 40ft long building. The ground floor will function as a kitchen serving simple takeaway food such as burgers and hot dogs as well as hot and cold drinks.

The upper floor will be a fine dining restaurant accessed by stairs and will have a marquee covering and balconies draped with trailing flowers.

Takeaway customers will have to queue for their food while observing social distancing measures. They can eat outside at picnic tables arranged at a safe distance.

The restaurant will offer a set menu of either four or five courses. The number of covers is yet to be decided but will comply with government rules for hospitality businesses.

The food will be provided by London chef and caterer Jimmy Garcia, for whom Miss Hughes has worked, and the ingredients will be sourced locally where possible. Mr Garcia was happy to be involved as he has been forced to cancel plans for a similar venture in the capital.

There will be a licensed bar selling beer and wine providing the licence applications are agreed by Wokingham Borough Council. The pair propose to be open daily from 11am to 10.30pm, seven days a week. The land belongs to the Copas Partnership.

Miss Hughes, who designed the look of the venue, is also being helped by her brother Barnaby, 17, who is building a website, and her mother Lisa, who used to work in marketing.

She will also draw on her experience of running a mobile event catering firm from a converted trailer belonging to her father.

The Lockdown Lodge will trade for about a month before she begins studying a primary education degree at Oxford Brookes University.

Miss Hughes, who attended Frieth Primary School and Sir William Borlases Grammar School in Marlow, said: It has been quite a chaotic year. Id been working as a nanny for a family in Highmoor before I went out to Botswana and I was only out there for two months before the coronavirus hit.

Dad had a lot of his work cancelled and we were thinking about what we could do. Ive always loved to cook and bake and I think Jimmy does amazing things so I thought we could do something in this lovely part of the world.

We were umm-ing and ahh-ing in the early part of the lockdown but as things started opening up and the future looked clearer we thought, Right, lets do this. Theres no such word as cant.

People will be able to go for a walk then stop for lunch or some drinks with us or have dinner with a view.

Were making it into a real destination to make up for the summer that weve lost to the pandemic.

Were hoping it will rain as little as possible but anyone up on the terrace will be protected and theyll enjoy a slightly higher view over the rushes and into the river. Itll be gorgeous on a good day.

The work is ongoing but weve built parts of it and everything is on the right track.

Copas have been amazing to work with and gave us the go-ahead after I presented a full proposal.

Its a very fluid situation because of the changing guidelines so we have to be flexible and not put anyone at risk.

Some of the details will have to be decided nearer the time as we dont know what the situation will allow. We dont yet have to wear full face shields but well be keeping an eye on that.

She added: It will be exciting to get it up and running.

Its a little bit daunting considering that were doing this by ourselves and Im only 19 but its all going to plan.

Dad has been very helpful, as has the rest of the family. It has been nice working with them on it.

Its new territory for all of us but it will be good experience.

Hopefully lots of people will come. I know Ive missed seeing my friends and going for a barbecue, to the pub and things like that.

I really want to give people a safe place to enjoy getting together.

Mr Hughes, 54, who has worked in the industry for 15 years, said he was proud of his daughter.

He said: It seemed like a great idea because we had all this equipment sitting around doing nothing.

Minnas had a bit of a rough time with all her plans being wiped out and this was a good way to make the most of the time.

A lot of landowners werent interested in the early days because it looked like the major events were still going to happen but they became more amenable when they were all cancelled.

I have to say Copas have been fantastic and very helpful.

All dads think their children are wonderful, of course, but Minna has always been the kind of person to get things done. When I converted the trailer for her last year, she finished a presentation on how the business should run on the same day.

Its a challenging location but weve worked at sites in central London with no vehicle access so Im used to dealing with that kind of thing.

Im happy to do what I can behind the scenes but she has a great team behind her and I know shell put her heart and soul into it. Its in a stunning location and it will be a success without a doubt.
Britain's Princess Beatrice on Friday married her Italian fiance at a small private ceremony in Windsor, attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip among other family members, reports said.

Beatrice is the elder daughter of the Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Sarah Fergusson, Duchess of York, and the ninth in the order of succession to the throne.

She was initially due to marry property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, to whom she was engaged in Italy last September, at the chapel in St James Palace, in London in May but it was put off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Friday morning wedding at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, close to the castle, was also attended by her parents, who still live at the lodge.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the "small" ceremony was in accordance with all relevant government guidelines.

The Queen and her consort have been isolating at Windsor since March and the ceremony is believed to be the first time they have attended a family gathering since lockdown began, the BBC said.

With their families long acquainted, Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi are said to have started a relationship after meeting again at her younger sister Princess Eugenie's wedding in 2018.
Would a vaccine be a panacea, stopping the coronavirus in its tracks? If a vaccine were to be approved for distribution today, would things go back to the way they were?

It's not necessarily going to make everything go away so that it's never a problem, said Virginia Pitzer. The chances of that happening at this point, that we eliminate and eradicate the coronavirus altogether, are pretty slim. It's going to take massive effort to do that, given the fact that it's now globally present in countries around the world.

Piitzer is an associate professor of the epidemiology of microbial disease at the Yale School of Public Health. As she put it, I use mathematical and statistical models to try and better understand the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, working mostly on vaccine-preventable diseases.

In general, to have a significant effect on disease transmission, to reach the herd immunity threshold  the point at which enough people have immunity to the virus that it cannot spread  a vaccine would need to have 67 percent efficacy, Pitzer said.

That means the vaccine would need to be 67 percent effective at conferring immunity and administered to 100 percent of the population, or be 100 percent effective and administered to 67 percent of the population, or somewhere in between.

The idea there is that if 67 percent of the population is immunized against the virus, then on average one case can only infect one or fewer other cases within the population and the disease is inevitably going to die, Pitzer said.

That doesnt mean a vaccine shouldnt be a goal. Pitzer said a vaccine with lower efficacy than that 67 percent threshold would still be valuable.

That doesn't mean that a less effective vaccine is not of any use to the population. There certainly would be value in a less effective vaccine as well, she said. Some fraction of the population  particularly in Connecticut where we had a relatively severe first wave of the infection  some fraction of the population is already immune. And so the reality is that, in order to see cases start to decline now, you could vaccinate or have a vaccine that's less than 67 percent effective and you'd see start cases start to decline because you already have some immunity from natural infection.

And that 67 percent is just a baseline. There are still many caveats that need to be considered.

For example, a potential vaccine would need to be effective against both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections, Pitzer said.

And then, of course, it is not known yet how long immunity against COVID-19 might last. Consider the flu. That virus mutates so quickly that you have to get another flu shot every season.

The flu differs from COVID in that it is far less transmissible, meaning you dont need to immunize as high a population against the virus every season.

You would only need to effectively immunize 50 percent of the population to eliminate flu, Pitzer said. However, that only pertains to a particular strain of flu. Because flu is constantly mutating to escape both natural immunity as well as vaccine induced immunity, by the time you reach that immunity threshold for flu, it's already moved on to being a different strain.

As for how long immunity might last, Pitzer said other coronaviruses offer a clue.

The expectation based on our understanding of other coronaviruses is that there will be some immunity lasting at least on the order of nine months or more, but exactly how we measure that immunity, and how that immunity would be conferred by a vaccine, is still being studied, Pitzer said. I think scientists are really just trying to understand those things now.

There are a few vaccine candidates being considered, but Pitzer pointed to one in particular.

The one that is kind of farthest along when it comes to the development process and testing process is the vaccine that's coming out of Oxford, she said. They've already started the phase three trials, which are the big trials where they're actually looking for the efficacy of the vaccine against the symptoms of COVID.
The politics of Nepal has been bewildering and rather messy this week. The countrys Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has irked many a devout Hindu Indians by claiming that Ram  contrary to the Indian belief  was Nepali, and the site of his birth, Ayodhya, lies in the Nepalese territory. In doing so, Oli seems to have irked many of his own country men and women as well. Specifically, he claims that Rams birthplace is in Thori, not far from the city of Birgunj. He has accused New Delhi of cultural encroachment and it appears that the Nepali foreign ministry has sort to soften and make his remarks more acceptable by suggesting that more research needs to be done in the cultural history of the Ramayana, and now Nepali archaeologists are reported to be planning studies and excavations.

For a millennia, Ramayana and the names of its characters and the places associated with them have been a lexicon (/vocabulary) of power. Olis remark is less about the fact that Ram might have been Nepalese and appears to be more of a covert attempt to assert cultural and economic independence and different alliances, at a time when the power dynamics of the region are shifting. But Oli has been slammed. His future looks uncertain. The BJP leaders have accused him of playing with peoples faith and Nepali politicians claim he has lost lost the moral and political basis to rule.

This isnt the first time a political leader has sought to gain traction  or assert power  by claiming kinship or association with Ram and his birthplace. Across millennia stories, names and places of the Ramayana have been used and reused, and cropped up in places thousands of kilometers away, to produce and reflect great political changes. In the fourteenth century, an epidemic forced King U Thong of Lavo Kingdom to shift his capital and build a new capital city of Ayutthaya, a city in Thailand, and to establish a kingdom there. U Thong came from a city and a capital that also had associations with the Ramayana  Lavo Kingdoms capital was Lopburi  that is, a derivation of Lavapuri  the city of Lava. This isnt the only city or kingdom to be named after Rams son. Lahore in Pakistan and Laos, the South East Asian kingdom, also share this distinction.

But U Thong not only referenced the birthplace of Ram in his new capital, he went a step further than Oli and gave himself a new title  Ramathibodi I, that is, Lord Ram. This title remains in use today  even though a different dynasty now rules Thailand, the Chakri dynasty, which displaced the rulers of Ayutthaya. But the Chakri kings, monarchs of a Buddhist country, continued the tradition of adopting Rama as a name and title. Case in point: the present king of Thailand, known as Maha Vajiralongkorn when he was crown prince. Today, he is King Rama X.

The Thai and Laotians were not the only ones who adopted names and associations with the epic for a powerful effect. The Vijaynagara empire, on the banks of river Pampa (Hampi comes from Pampa) then known as river Pampa, and associated with the river of the same name in the Ramayanaand Kishkinda, the site where Ram met Hanuman and Sugriva. The footprints of Hanuman are found all across South and South East Asia  in Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist countries  in Lepakshi, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia and countless other places.

Why does the Ramayana and its places crop up across millennia in different places and still in the twentieth century? Id like to claim that is to the enduring power of a story  but the idea of kingship associated with Ram, the conflation of divine right and power, makes his name, and the places associated with his story powerful. The Ramayana also for those who have been dispossessed is a powerful story  the story of an exile, dispossessed prince, who is victorious and full of heroic, self-sacrificing virtue, who places the words of his people and his parents over his own desires has shaped our culture, our values and left us with culturally ingrained templates of leadership. Leaders who tap into this thus adopt, for themselves, the same mantle of power and idea of divine kingship.

The Ramayana is not the only epic that does this cultures and kings in the past  from the Rashtrkutas of Karnataka, to Airlangga, a ruler in East Java, to the rulers of the Khmer Empire, drew on the names, associations and myths of the Mahabharata. The ancient rulers of Java, in present-day Indonesia, declared themselves to be God-kings, incarnations of Vishnu and Shiva  and Suharto, the long-ruling president of Indonesia and a Muslim, saw himself, and was seen, as a ruler who wielded mystical, divine power  perhaps a testament to the legacy of the Javanese God-kings. The usage of names and sacred geographies as a means to assert and certify power is nothing new. But it still seems to have a powerful effect, in the case of Ayodhya. The idea of Ayodhya, and its sacredness, has certainly been an influential perhaps kingmaking factor across millennia and across the continent, and even in our country, in recent times.

It surprises us, who live here in India and assume that the epic is solely our cultural property and is Hindu that the Ramayana has travelled outside of India, and influenced Muslim and Buddhist cultures and political systems. Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, is a city also named after Ayodhya.

The Ramayana went and continues to be viral. It has travelled and it has shaped the languages of power, in South and South East Asia, and it has travelled even outside of these places, through the spread of the Indian diaspora , to countries as far away as Fiji, Trinidad and Guyana, where Ram Leelas still take place, and giant effigies of Ravana are still burnt on Dussehra.

For the younger generation reading this article, a more recent manifestation of the viral effect of the Ramayana is (believe it or not) the Japanese anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z. Does Goku of Dragon Ball Z have anything to do with Ramayana? It seems he does. He is a character created from the Chinese legends of Sun Wu Kong, the great money king of Chinese folklore, who, in turn, shares an interesting similarity with Hanuman  both are monkey Gods. Some scholars believe that stories of Hanuman travelling, on the silk route, carried by traders and travellers, spreading far and wide merged with other myths to create Sun Wu Kong.

It seems that where people have travelled, they have taken these stories with them, and these stories took root on foreign soil, shaping cultures, power systems and communities, and birthing in turn new iterations, retellings and stories. And this continues to happen. This leaves us with the question: Is there a real Ayodhya? Is Ayodhya in India or in Nepal or could it even be in Thailand?

Ayodhya seems less to be a physical place and to me, both Ram and Ayodhya are best described as ideas, acts of imagination, (an idea that came from reading the work of Sheldon Pollock, who is a scholar that the Hindutva followers dont like very much), carried in the shape of our story, in beliefs, customs, festivals and rituals that allow for the possibilities of power, new starts, independence, across time. Using these words thus asserts political legitimacy and divine leadership and taps into the power of belief.

Conjuring Ayodhya, seems to have backfired for Oli in this instance, but it seems to have worked for the BJP in this country, and it seems to have worked for King U Thong, back in the fourteenth century. But Olis words are a continuing testament to how a story, which has spawned innumerable versions and storytelling traditions, has fashioned our culture, our politics and our ideas of self, and in doing so, has birthed  and will continue to birth  even more iterations and retellings.
New Delhi:

The Narendra Modi Government will re-introduce Rs 1,000 bank notes in a few months and also issue new series of lower denomination bills with enhanced security features.



The government on had demonetised the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as part of its efforts to clamp down against the black money, fake currency and terror financing. These are being replaced with new currency bills of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000.

ALSO READ: (Live | Chaos, queues and frustration: How people coping with Modi govt's currency demonetisation move)



Following the demonetisation of the currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, banks on started distributing new notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000.



The new Rs 500 bank notes have extra security features besides having peculiar colour, theme and size which differentiate the new bills from the earlier series.



The Rs 2,000 notes, which are being introduced for the first time, are of magenta colour with Mangalayan imprinted on the reverse side.



The higher value currency notes have other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme both on the obverse and reverse.



The new denomination has motif of the Mangalayan on the reverse, depicting the country's first venture in interplanetary space.

ALSO READ: (Modi govt's crackdown on black money, demonetisation of currency: How India reacted in last 40 hrs)



The Rs 500 banknotes are stone grey in color with a predominant new theme of the Indian heritage site Red Fort.

The RBI is introducing new design banknotes in the denomination of Rs 2,000 as part of Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series.



"In a few months, Rs 1,000 notes with new features will be brought into the market," said Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das while addressing the Economic Editor's Conference in New Delhi on .



The currency notes of lower denomination of Rs 100 and Rs 50 will continue to be the legal tender, he said, adding the Reserve Bank will come out with new series of such notes with new design and added security features.

The Reserve Bank, time and again, has been introducing new series of currency notes with new design and enhanced security features.

ALSO READ: (Sack full of burnt remains of 500 and 1000 Rupee notes found in Bareilly)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra, whose first film as director, Dil Bechara, is slated for release on Friday, has spoken about the last conversation that he had with actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Sushant died by suicide on June 14, at the age of 34.

He had personally called me up on my birthday and we spoke, Mukesh told Pinkvilla. We had a long chat on 27th of May. He would always be there, wishing you on your birthdays, so he had called. Thats about it. Because of the lockdown, he and I hadnt met for a few months. I wish I knew he was in pain.

He added, I had no idea (about Sushants depression). I wish I knew. I just feel I shouldve known that hes going through so much. Mukesh also revealed that Sushant agreed to do the film, an adaptation of the novel The Fault in our Stars, without reading the script, purely out of goodwill.

Recalling the moment he found out that Sushant had died, Mukesh said, The moment I got to know I ran (to his house). My parents and I were all shaking in disbelief. I was in shock and I am still in shock. He said he didnt remember who called to tell him the news, but that he received hundreds of messages. I was at the airport, because my mom had come from Delhi, and I got to know in the car. He said that he dropped his mother home and immediately went to Bandra, where Sushant lived.

Also read: Mukesh Chhabra reveals one promise he made to Sushant Singh Rajput which will never be fulfilled, says actor never watched final film

Mukesh said that Sushant was aware of the film being released on Disney+Hotstar and was happy about it. We had discussed the marketing plan.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Kolkata: Bangladesh Polices Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) branch on Friday arrested a 25-year-old Indian girl from Sadarghat in Dhaka with alleged links to neo Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). She was tasked with recruiting young Indian girls for JMB's women's wing.

According to CTTC officials, the girl, identified as Ayesha Jannat Mohona is an Indian national and an Indian passport was found in her possession.

Acting on a tip off, a team of CTTC officials conducted a raid at Sadarghat and arrested Ayesha Jannat Mohona. The arrest was made in connection with an earlier case registered at Motijheel police station. We have produced her before the court and she has been remanded to four days of police custody, Sk Imran Hossain, Assistant Commissioner, CTTC said in a media briefing.

Preliminary investigation by CTTC officials have found that the said girl, Ayesha hails from Bengals Hooghly district. Ayeshas roots have been traced to the Keshabpur village under Dhaniakhali police station limits.

Ayesha was born Hindu as Pragya Debnath and converted to Islam in the year 2009 when since then she got actively involved in religious lessons online, Hossain added.

During her online religious lessons, she got in touch with the womens wing chief, Asma Khatoon and from 2009 till 2016 Ayesha got actively involved in neo JMB womens wing.

Besides raising funds for the banned terrorist outfit, she was given the responsibility to recruit young girls for the womens wing especially from India. Infact, in the last couple of months, she has recruited some people too. We are going to investigate all angles, said a senior official of CTTC.

The CTTC officials will interrogate her over the next four days to nab her associates.

In 2016, Ayesha undertook her first journey to Bangladesh from West Bengal since then she has traveled several times to and from Bangladesh. She even procured a fake Bangladeshi birth certificate and a fake national identity card of Bangladesh.

In 2019, she permanently moved to Bangladesh and started working as a teacher in a local madrasa where the young female students were radicalised and recruited. Later that year, she married a Bangladeshi national based out of Oman.

However, her plans hit a hurdle when Asma Khatoon was arrested by the police. Immediately, she quit working at the madrasa and started focusing on online recruitment drive for the neo JMB women's wing.
The lineup began at Torontos Christian Centre Church before 10 a.m. Saturday and, one by one, the attendants were greeted by the men and women in face shields and blue medical gowns.

They came not for the spiritual service at the church but for COVID-19 screening in a community landmark they know well and feel comfortable with.

Over a four-hour span, some 90 area residents dropped by the pop-up COVID testing clinic near Jane St. and Steeles Ave. W., where some neighbourhoods have case rates more than 10 times higher than the least-affected parts of the city.

This clinic is so important because it is based in a community setting. We want to make sure testing is available for the population in places close to home, said Michelle Westin, a senior analyst for planning, quality and risk at Black Creek Community Health Centre, which co-ordinates the effort.

We are partnering with the church. Its a very visible location. Its a well-known location. Its a place where people feel familiar with. Its on a Saturday, so its time accessible as well. Having an accessible location and accessible hours is important.

While other areas in Toronto have had mobile coronavirus testing available, this was the first in the citys northwest region, the cluster with the highest COVID-19 case rates. The city has 13 assessment centres and the community is served by the Humber River Hospital at Finch Ave. W. and Highway 400.

A Star story found that these hardest-hit neighbourhoods also coincide with high proportions of inadequate housing, front-line low-wage workers, and poor access to health care  all key social determinants to health risks.

The pop-up operation is identical to other assessment centres operated at hospitals. People showing up for the test were registered, asked to fill out a form and provide contact information, led to one of the four screening stations inside the church and subject to a nasal swab. The results are available in about 48 hours.

Westin said the multilingual staff were able to assist in different languages spoken in the community such as Spanish and Arabic, and the process took no more than 15 minutes.

It was really well-organized. People definitely appreciated having it in their community. The turnout reflected different parts of the community, she said.

We had seniors. We had many people coming in with family members, parents with their kids and elderly. Its good to see that kind of interest.

Westin said the Black Creek Community Health Centre has been part of the community for more than three decades. Its been working tirelessly to promote the importance of COVID testing through its connections with residents and other service agencies.

In the long term, its really important, when we talk about tackling COVID, that community is engaged in that process, that they feel they are part of the solution as well, she said.

Any planning we are talking about, whether its future strategies and recovery, they have to have a voice and they do  This is an extremely resilient and strong community. If they can be included, any long-term strategies will be more successful.

The Christian Centre Church, at 4545 Jane St., will host two more pop-up testing clinics from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Wednesday and Friday. No appointment is required.
Parents marital status no longer relevant for babys birth certificate View(s):

A long overdue decision announced yesterday by Registrar General

Former National Child Protection Authority Chairperson hails move as step in right direction

Future birth certificates will no longer contain a question about the marital status of parents, thus eliminating the stigma associated with children born out of wedlock.

The decision was announced by Registrar General N C Vithanage but had been a long time coming. It was a longstanding recommendation of the National Womens Committee (NWC) before being taken up with the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Gender. Talks went on for at least two years with relevant Government institutionsincluding the Registrar Generals Department, the relevant Ministries, Pensions, Land and Immigration Department, said Swarna Sumanasekera, who headed the NWC at the time.

The Pensions Department and Land Department both opposed the decision on the basis that it would complicate inheritance and other entitlement in the event of other relationships. But a consensus was reached that, while the marital status would not be published in the birth certificate which is accessible to institutions such as schools, the Registrar Generals Department would still gather the relevant information which can then be viewed on a database as and when necessary.

It was agreed that it should be removed from the actual birth certificate but the information would be in the system, Mrs Sumanasekera, who resigned in December last year, said.

A child should not suffer discrimination based on the marital status of her parents, said Marini De Livera, former National Child Protection Authority Chairperson and also a former member of the NWC. We hear horror stories of children who are taunted and bullied by their peers and even by teachers on the basis they are the offspring of an unwed mother.

It is a step in the right direction and better late than never, she stressed.
The FTC may depose Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg in a probe looking into whether the social media platform broke anti-trust laws.

The commission, headed by Chairman Joseph Simons, is considering deposing both Zuckerberg and Sandberg as part of its investigation, a person familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal, according to a report published by the newspaper Friday.

Officials at the social media platform are braced for the possibility of depositions and concerned that they could happen, the person told the Journal.

The FTC may depose Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (left) and his chief operating officer Sherly Sandberg in a probe looking into whether the social media platform broke anti-trust laws

The FTC, headed by Chairman Joseph Simons (pictured), is considering deposing both Zuckerberg and Sandberg as part of its investigation into anti-trust violations by the social media platform

Zuckerberg, meanwhile, is already scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary anti-trust subcommittee on July 27, to face questions from the panel's head, Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler of New York, and others.

An FTC spokesperson did not immediately respond when DailyMail.com reached out for comment.

A Facebook spokesperson told the Journal that the company has shown government anti-trust enforcement agencies that 'innovation provides more choices for consumers'.

Facebook was prepared to appear before congress, alongside other technology companies, to explain its position on competition, the spokesperson said, referring to the antitrust subcommittee hearing.

The FTC is leading an antitrust investigation into how Facebook's practices affect its digital competition.

The Justice Department is overseeing similar probes of Google and Apple.

Zuckerberg, meanwhile, is already scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary anti-trust subcommittee on July 27, to face questions from the panel's head, Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler of New York (pictured), and others

The Justice Department and the commission both oversee antitrust issues in the US and typically must establish who will take the lead in different investigations into competitive practices.

Citing unnamed sources, the Journal previously reported that the FTC was to look into whether Facebook engaged in what it called 'unlawful monopolistic behavior.'

The Justice Department, in turn, would probe Google and a review of Apple's degree of influence over app development, the New York Times reported.

The FTC last suggested the idea of deposing Zuckerberg in negotiating a settlement over consumer privacy violations.

Facebook ended up agreeing to pay a $5 billion fine under the agreement made almost a year ago with the commission.

The deal included no real restrictions and blanket immunity for Zuckerberg and his executives.

News of the FTC's latest interest in possible depositions comes after Zuckerberg criticized the Trump administration over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic during a videochat with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading US expert on infectious diseases.

Speaking with Fauci in a Facebook live video on Thursday, Zuckerberg said some outbreaks of coronavirus were 'avoidable' and criticized the administration for 'calling into question' whether people should wear masks.

'Our government, and this administration, have been significantly less effective in handling this,' Zuckerberg said, comparing the recent surge in U.S. cases to other countries that have seen falling new cases.
Madigan has worked to ensure loyalty among his Democratic members in part through a vast political operation that runs campaigns as turnkey operations for candidates who dont want to engage in the nitty-gritty of raising money or working districts for election. In exchange, Madigan requires only one vote  for his reelection as speaker  while also using his fundraising ability as a cudgel to keep members in line on legislation he favors.
Popular holiday spots like Spain and Portugal are not expected to be on the green list of countries for safe travel.

Spain, Portugal and France are unlikely to feature on the list which is due to be published on Monday due to the higher rates of Covid-19 in those countries.

Dr Cillian De Gascun, chair of the expert advisory group to NPHET, said in an interview with The Irish Times that those regions were "not at a safe level" now.

The green list means people arriving here from those countries will not be asked to self-quarantine and restrict their movement for 14 days.

It was confirmed by the Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney yesterday that the US will not be on the travel list' and Britain is also "unlikely" to make the cut.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast today, Professor Kingston Mills, an immunologist from Trinity College Dublin, said a big issue regarding the number of cases in Ireland is the increasing number of flights into the country, some of which are coming from areas with higher levels of infections.

He said: "This is very similar to what happened early in the pandemic in March when we brought in a lot of cases from northern Italy."

Professor Mills added that he did not think the green list "is going to be a problem".

He said: "If we travel from one country to another where the levels are equal or as low as we have then that's not a big risk.

The risk is really coming from countries like the US or Brazil or South Africa where there are really rampant numbers of cases.

"Even the UK has higher numbers of cases than we do so I would doubt that the UK is going to be on the green list when it's published."

It comes as figures from Johns Hopkins University indicate that the number of people infected with Covid-19 throughout the pandemic is now more than 14 million worldwide.

Cases have risen by more than 237,000 in 24 hours globally, a new daily record according to the World Health Organisation.

Professor Mills said measures including self-isolation after flying or testing prior to and after travel would help to suppress the spread of the virus.

Professor Mills said the country has "done a very good job" in containing the spread of the virus so far.

However, he said the higher number of cases over the last week compared to the previous week is "worrying".

He cited house parties where people congregate in close proximity in large groups was now "a big source of the infection" and that younger people were now contracting Covid-19 in greater numbers.

Dr Cillian De Gascun, chair of the expert advisory group to NPHET, said Spain, Portugal and France were "not at a safe level". Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

"And that's the big risk, that people will start dying again that have contracted it from younger people."

Professor Mills added that it was "the right measure" by the Government to not reopen pubs fully straightaway, and said it was up to them whether bars should be allowed to open on August 10.

He said: "There is very little Covid-19 in many counties across the country and I think small rural pubs where there are not many people congregating are not an issue.

I think it's the larger cities where there are larger pubs and larger numbers of people and more Covid, that's the issue.

He said that the difficulty in maintaining social distancing in pubs and the difficulty in wearing face masks in these settings make them "an environment for spreading the virus".

He added that whether pubs could fully reopen is based on the number of cases.

He said: "If we're down to zero or close to it then everything can go back to normal but it's obviously up to everybody to buy into this and adhere to the measures and then we'll get over it, and if we don't re-import it from travel it will be suppressed, so that's what we need to do."

With regard to wearing face coverings, Professor Mills said the government's advice was "a bit late" and they should have been worn on public transport and in shops much earlier.

He said: "I think face masks are not 100% effective at stopping transmission but most of the scientific evidence is very strong in favour of the benefits of face masks so I think that's one measure that certainly will help."

Professor Mills said the logistics around testing "has been an issue from the word go", but that "the number of tests that are able to be done in a day are actually very good here now".

He said: "We really need to still improve what we're doing in terms of testing, not in the actual hours it takes to test but the hours it takes to get the result back and the number of people you test on who have been in contact with a known case or a predicted case."
Citywide

Photo: Teresa Hammerl/Hoodline

On Thursday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced the expansion of its Slow Streets program. 14 new corridors will be up for approval with the SFMTA board of directors next Tuesday.

In April, SFMTA announced the agency would close select streets to vehicular traffic, in order to provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists to socially distance during the shelter-in-place order. SFMTA staff also said they hope Slow Streets will provide better bike and pedestrian networks as transit capacity remains significantly reduced.

"In order to support further reopening of the economy, we need to make San Francisco more welcoming and accessible for people who want to travel on foot, bicycle, wheelchair, scooter, skateboard or other forms of micromobility, Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA's director of transportation, said in a statement.

Here is a list of the proposed street closures:

20th Street (from San Bruno to Pennsylvania)

Arkansas Street (from 23rd to 17th)

Arlington Street (from Roanoke to Randall)

Cabrillo Street (from 45th to 23rd)

Cayuga Avenue (from Naglee to Rousseau)

Clay Street (from Arguello to Steiner)

Duncan Street (from Diamond Heights to Tiffany)

Holly Park Circle

Mariposa Street (from Texas to Mississippi)

Minnesota Street (from Mariposa to 22nd)

Noe Street (from 23rd to Duboce)

Pacific Avenue (from Steiner to Gough)

Pierce Street (from Hayes to Duboce)

Tompkins Avenue (from Andover to Peralta)

Image: SFMTA

"Excited that the latest round of Slow Streets will now add Holly Park Circle and Tompkins Street in Bernal to the ones already in place in the Mission and the Portola," District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents those three neighborhoods, said on Twitter.

In addition to the new Slow Streets, the proposal also suggests closing parts of MLK Drive, Overlook Drive and Middle Drive West on Golden Gate Parks west side to cars to connect to JFK Drive on the east side. JFK Drive has been closed to vehicles since April after weeks of lobbying by pedestrian and cyclist advocates.

Story continues

This will "create a safe and connected route for walking and biking from Ocean Beach to Market Street," District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar, who represents the Outer Sunset, wrote on Twitter.

Golden Gate Park is "an oasis for socially distant recreation," Rec & Park general manager Phil Ginsburg said. "I am thrilled this phase of Slow Streets extends a car-free path of travel all the way to the ocean."

SFMTA Representatives also noted in a blog post that survey data indicates an 80 percent approval rating for Slow Streets. "These [additional corridors] will help give us the room we need to walk, run, cycle, play, and gather safely," Ronen said.

Most Slow Streets were requested for the western neighborhoods of the city as well as the Mission, according to the SFMTA. | Image: SFMTA

However, dense neighborhoods of the city, including North Beach, SoMa and the Tenderloin, still experience crowded sidewalks but remain without Slow Streets.

District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, who represents SoMa and the Tenderloin, said last month that these neighborhoods "were unfortunately mostly left out of Slow Streets program, despite my objections, due to the complicated nature of our streets and high traffic."

District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whose district includes North Beach, cited the "hilliest and transit-densest" streets as the "chief obstacles."

"Push on the SFMTA board and city leaders to expand Slow Streets to the Tenderloin and other neighborhoods that would benefit from additional space on our streets to move about safely," representatives of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition countered. "This program will only be a success if its designed with all neighborhoods and all San Franciscans in mind."

Last weekend, District 3 supervisor candidate Danny Sauter posted a photo to Twitter with a closed section of a street in his neighborhood. He said he and his neighbors closed it themselves, "since [the] city can't seem to figure it out."

It can and it should. But let's be honest and call out failures like District 3 not having a Slow Street, despite being densest part of SF.



I created one w/ my neighbors this weekend since city can't seem to figure it out. pic.twitter.com/uRwpWLGjQg  Danny Sauter for Supervisor  (@DannySauter) July 14, 2020

Photo: Teresa Hammerl/Hoodline

The next step will be installing additional barricades on current Slow Streets as more equipment becomes available, and beginning installation of new Slow Streets corridors if approved by the board.

Implementation of the new Slow Streets will continue through October, according to a presentation prepared for next week's board meeting.
- Papa Shirandula, whose real name is Charles Bukeko passed away on Saturday, July 18 morning

- His family confirmed he had the coronavirus prior to his untimely demise

- AFC Leopards were among the entities saddened by the legendary actors death

- Bukeko was an ardent Leopards fan and was present in many of their league games

Kenya Premier League side AFC Leopards on Saturday, July 18 took to social media to mourn the late legendary actor Charles Bukeko, better known as Papa Shirandula with a touching message.

Papa, as the late was usually referred to, was an ardent fan of AFC and throughout the years attended a number of the teams league games.

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AFC Leopards issued a heartfelt statement following the death of their superfan Charles Bukeko.

Source: UGC

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He was particularly a very conspicuous figure in the famous Mashemeji derby involving Leopards and Champions Gor Mahia.

In a statement, AFC sent a heartfelt message of condolences to Bukekos family as they hailed the late as a super fan of the team.

"We are sad to learn about the sudden death of our super fan and member Charles Bukeko. Our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this trying moment. Rest In Peace Papa Shirandula," the statement from AFC Leopards read.

Leopards fans also took to social media to decry the fact that their favorite fan would be heavily missed during Ingwe matches.

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As TUKO.co.ke reported earlier, Bukeko was among some employees at Royal Media Services who had tested positive for coronavirus.

READ ALSO: Georgina Rodriguez: Cristiano Ronaldo's partner twerks in tight gym outfit

He then proceeded to self-isolate at home but soon developed breathing difficulties which prompted the family to seek medical attention but breathed his last aged 58.

One of Bukekos stand out moments as an AFC Leopards fan was in 2015 when he led calls to have players return to the pitch to face Tusker FC.

At the time, Leopards players were keen on boycotting games owing to some internal grievances which club executives were unable to correct in the build up to the match.

Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news

My neighbour ruined my daughters life | Tuko TV:

Source: TUKO.co.ke
By Express News Service

ERODE/SALEM: Scotching the allegations levelled by the Opposition regarding the purportedly bloated electricity bills, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said in Erode that there was no confusion regarding the tariffs. The chief minister clarified that the bills that rocked the households were in fact the accumulated levy of four months, as electricity board officials were unable to proceed with their routine works owing to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Claiming that the Opposition was feigning hurt without any just grievance, Palaniswami said, Electricity department staff were unable to visit households to record the reading due to the pandemic. Later, they combined the reading of four months. The High Courts order regarding this also mentions this part. The Opposition is raking up issues just to stage protests. The CMs comments come in the wake of opposition parties planning to stage a protest on July 21 over the issue.

Palaniswami was in town to review containment measures, and inaugurate 13 projects worth Rs 21.73 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for 14 new projects with an outlay of Rs 76.12 crore. Later, Palaniswami categorically said that no other district would be bifurcated even as traders in Kumbakonam shuttered shops demanding a new district with Kumbakonam as headquarters.

For frontline staff

Assuring that the State was leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety of the people, Palaniswami said that his government has come up with a compensation scheme for the frontline staff succumbing to Covid-19. He said that the State would pay `50 lakh to a frontline health worker and `25 lakh to other department staff if they died in harness. The compensation would be over and above a government job to the legal heir.

Appointment order

In Salem, Palaniswami handed over an appointment order to Tamilarasi, the wife of a martyred Army Havildar P Mathiazhagan. The woman was appointed as a junior assistant at Edappadi Tahsildar office. On June 4, Mathiazhagan was critically injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Kashmir. He succumbed to injuries later. The CM is scheduled to return to Chennai on Sunday.

CM inaugurates projects in Salem

Palaniswami went on to dismiss uncorroborated reports on the rise in cancer cases in Erode as false. However, he took cognisance of the industries discharging untreated effluent into waterbodies and assured strict action against violators. Reiterating his commitment to democratic practices and transparency, he said 100 per cent compensation has been sanctioned for people through whose farms the Bharat Petroleum pipelines would traverse. The project will start only after consulting the farmers. Even after the implementation, the land can be used to grow crops, he assured.

Staking claim to being the torchbearer of farmers rights and wellbeing, Palaniswami said the long-pending Athikadavu-Avinashi project would see the light of day by December 2021. Over 30 per cent works are complete. My government has allocated Rs 1,652 crore for the project that will harvest rainwater and recharge groundwater. This mega project would irrigate 24,000 acres of agrarian land, he said.

While the AIADMK is handholding the State to modern times, it has not forgotten the lot of handloom and power loom industries, which would be provided free electricity, he said. He told people that Erode has been allocated Rs 484 crore under the Smart City Project. This allocation focuses on clean drinking water to residents of Erode corporation. Around 95 per cent of the works are complete, and clean drinking water would flow out of taps in two months, he said.

New office buildings

Palaniswami inaugurated a new office building constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore for Edappadi municipality later in Salem. He inaugurated a bridge constructed at a cost of Rs 2.42 crore across Sarabanga River on Vellalapuram-Akkaraipatti Road in Konganapuram panchayat union. He laid the foundation for new office building for Iruppali panchayat and nine other projects worth Rs 11.77 crore.

Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami said, Based on requests from residents, we constructed a new building for Municipality and opened it today. We are fulfilling all the promises made during elections.
Devaraj B Hirehalli By

Express News Service

TUMAKURU: 70-year-old Hulivan Gangadharaiah, a Karnataka Nataka Academy awardee, who shot to fame due to his acting skills, succumbed to the COVID-19 at the BGS hospital in Bengaluru on Friday night.

He is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son. He was laid to rest at his farm at Hulivana village near Kunigal on Saturday.

Gangadharaiah had postponed the setting up of his coconut 'neera' drink factory at his farm in March due to the rising scare of COVID-19, recently took part in the shooting of 'Premaloka', an upcoming Kannada soap in a private TV Channel.

A week ago, when he tested positive, most of the private hospitals had turned him down and later relatives managed to get him admitted at the BGS hospital at Kengeri in a critical state four days ago.

He had dreamt of breaking the ground for the 'neera' in the interest of farmers and had even registered 'Coconut Producers Company' in a corporate style. Hulivan had even resigned from ITI as the PRO in 1997 to get full-fledgedly involved in acting and farming.

The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, had even conferred 'outstanding and innovative farmer' award to him.

He had acted in as many as 118 movies such including 'Sedina Hakki', Dr Raj Kumar starred 'Jwalamukhi', 'Ade Kannu', Upendra starred 'A' among others, in over one thousand plays and over one lakh TV

episodes.

When The New Indian Express spoke to Hulivan Gangadharaiah, over the phone in March, he had revealed that he was postponing the shifting of machinery from Maharashtra to his 'neera' factory at his coconut farm due to the scare of COVID-19.

"He had acted in my debut soap 'malebillu' as the main character. I had learned a lot from the quarrelsome, over issues, Hulivan Gangadharaiah who had treated me at his farmhouse after a quarrel. I could not go to the funeral and I hope he will understand. Let's continue our quarrel in some other world.." said director Vinay Krishnaswamy on Facebook.
The AFL have issued a public apology to Indigenous players and their families for not providing them with sufficient clarity about whether pneumococcal vaccinations were required before they entered Queensland hubs.

In a frank admission the AFL conceded it could "have obtained and shared more information from the Queensland government health authorities regarding the vaccination including the underlying health safety benefits and that it can improve its processes in providing information to support club doctors in ensuring cultural safety in provision of health to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."

They apologised for "any distress this has caused [Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players] and their families."

The league was forced to admit their communication breakdown after it became clear the AFL Players' Association had not been made aware that Indigenous players were expected to have pneumococcal vaccinations before entering the AFL hubs in Queensland.

The AFL and the AFLPA have been in tense discussions alongside players as they considered their options with the AFL saying they would work with the AFLPA, players, the clubs and their doctors to resolve the situation.
The U.S. administration has continuously upgraded its wanton interference in the internal affairs of China, attracting criticism from the international community.

The most recent stigmatization of China has occurred amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the U.S. pushing to hold China responsible for the outbreak.

The U.S. has recently approved yet another arms deal to Taiwan and supported advocates of "Taiwan independence," interfered in the affairs of northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region under the guise of human rights, enacted the Hong Kong Autonomy Act to challenge the sovereignty of China, as well as allowed aircraft carriers to resume exercises in the South China Sea, trying to disrupt the peace and stability of the region.

The country is going out of its way to block the development of China's tech giant Huawei, and is even considering imposing travel bans on members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and their families, according to The New York Times.

In the interference of Chinas internal affairs, the U.S. has provoked conflicts and seriously violated the Charter of the United Nations, undermined the international law and the norms concerning international relations, as well as challenged the bottom line of justice and morals.

By interfering in the internal affairs of China, the U.S. aims to restrain China's development and hinder the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, ultimately leading China into the development road of the U.S.

The U.S. has a long history of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. It has imposed sanctions against Cuba for decades, and countries like Iran, Syria and Venezuela have also fallen victim to its interference for over 10 years.

China will oppose any country interfering in its internal affairs in any way, will unswervingly defend national sovereignty and interests, and will never give in on issues involving the country's core interests.

Some U.S politicians should never underestimate China's determination to take countermeasures, as their interference will only harm both China and itself.
LONDON, July 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Individuals who have become citizens of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis through the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme will have passed some of the toughest due diligence checks. Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris told Khaleej Times during a webinar on July 16th that attracting discerning investors maintains the Programme's "Platinum Standard."

PM Harris explained that the multi-tiered vetting process begins with the agents, who all applicants must apply through. They carry out their own level of due diligence before recommending an applicant for citizenship. Even agents must be carefully pre-approved before becoming so-called authorised persons.

"The vetting process is critical, and we have ensured, by and large, to maintain the platinum brand, that we have taken all reasonable precautions to ensure that only the most vetted person, only the most discerning of a citizen is attracted to St Kitts and Nevis," PM Harris said. "We want people who are honest, people of high integrity, people who could contribute to the development of St Kitts and Nevis and minimise any reputational damage to our country," he added.

After explaining how the various levels of due diligence work, the Prime Minister concluded: "When in fact someone is accepted by our Programme, it means that that person would have gone through a strict, rigorous, sophisticated system of due diligence and vetting, not only within [the country], but also by external parties and have come with no derogatory complaints regarding that person. That is when the officials in the [Citizenship by Investment] Unit would approve."

Senior Editor of Khaleej Times, Allan Jacob, admitted that that the Programme  established in 1984  appeared well ahead of its time. "In the 80s, it was very futuristic, but it's come a long way and it's been very successful," he said. Many other countries have since launched their variants of the St Kitts and Nevis model, as noted by Foreign Minister Mark Brantley in a recently released documentary. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Harris believes their Programme is "still the best."

After passing all the due diligence checks, applicants can make a contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund. This remains the fastest route to second citizenship. A temporary offer allows families of up to four to secure citizenship for US$150,000.

Contact:

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Breonna Taylor was a 36-year-old Black emergency medical worker who was killed in March while police in Louisville, Kentucky carried out a no-knock warrant as part of a narcotics investigation.

Breonna Taylor died as a result of the war on drugs, said Josh Alb as he shouted to demonstrators on the steps of Newark City Hall on Friday. The police went into her house for a no-knock warrant for drugs that were never there. This is one of the biggest pieces missing from the conversation surrounding her.

The war on drugs was a narcotics prohibition campaign that was created under former President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. Alb said the policy is still being used today to harm Black people like Taylor.

Alb, a William Paterson University student who lives in Newark and works in the cannabis industry, led about 30 demonstrators down Broad Street on Friday while shouting her name. They called for the legalization of marijuana to begin to end the war on drugs.

Legalization could happen soon - at least in New Jersey. Voters will decide if it should become legal on Nov. 3.

State lawmakers gave up on trying to legalize marijuana legislatively. And not every legislator supports legalization, like state Sen. Ron Rice. The former Newark police officer who leads the state Legislative Black Caucus says marijuana is still unsafe and is wary of who will actually profit from the legal recreational industry.

Demonstrators marched to Peter Francisco Park near Newark Penn Station and were joined by Ken Wolski, the executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana - New Jersey. Newarkers, he noted, were more likely to face harsher penalties when found in possession of marijuana than residents in suburbs.

Because of school zone laws, said Wolski, who set up a table in the park to register people to vote. You can hardly stand anywhere in the City of Newark and not be in a school zone. You get an enhanced penalty for any kind of marijuana violation and that is just unfair - unfair.

It has such a devastating effect on the minorities and the poor in our inner cities.

Ken Wolski, Executive Director for the Coalition for Medical Marijuana of New Jersey (CMMNJ), speaks to the crowd at Peter Francisco Park in Newark during the March Against the War on Drugs protest on Friday, July 17, 2020

An American Civil Liberties Union report released this year that examined 2018 arrest data showed that Black New Jerseyans were arrested for marijuana at a rate 3.45 times higher than white residents despite similar usage.

Gov. Phil Murphy last year signed a bill that would create automated expungement of past marijuana convictions. A bill to decriminalize marijuana passed in the state Assembly last month.

But Leo Bridgewater, Minorities 4 Medical Marijuanas veteran outreach director, said there are still issues with the industry. Medical dispensaries in New Jersey and elsewhere in the nation cant access federal coronavirus stimulus dollars.

They just wrote a $3 trillion check a couple of months ago and none of us get any of that money, said Bridgewater, who served in the Iraq War and now lives in Trenton. Nobody in this industry gets that money, thats not for us.

Leo Bridgewater, national director of veteran outreach at Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM), speaks to the crowd at Peter Francisco Park in Newark during the March Against the War on Drugs protest on Friday, July 17, 2020

Alb, meanwhile, said the war on drugs has also been used to discredit other Black people like Geroge Floyd, a 46-year-old father who was killed in May by police in Minneapolis. His death sparked nationwide protests, including several in Newark.

Two autopsies were conducted on Floyd, one by the medical examiner in the county where he was killed and another that was commissioned by his family. Both ruled his death a homicide.

The familys autopsy said he died from asphyxiation. But the county medical examiner reportedly said Floyd experienced cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by the officer and noted Floyds other conditions, including heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.

Alb said listing what drugs may have been Floyds system at the time was a way that could ultimately clear the cops involved in his killing.

You cant tell me that someones co-morbidity is meth or fentanyl when a police officer is kneeling on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, Alb said. That aint meth at that point.

Protesters gather in front of City Hall in Newark during the March Against the War on Drugs on Friday, July 17, 2020

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Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com.
Once the Democrats stopped calling President Trump xenophobic for taking the Wuhan virus seriously and started taking it seriously themselves, they instantly began to weaponize the virus. The first line of weaponization, of course, was to criticize Trump non-stop, even as he did everything that Fauci, their favorite expert, told him to do, and did it well and fast.

The second line of attack was to use the virus to destroy the economy, which had been Trumps strength for reelection. Thats why the promised two-week shutdown to bend the curve, quickly morphed into the seemingly permanent closure of large parts of the economy (even as Democrat governors presided over the slaughter of the elderly).

Democrats lost sight of the virus ball when Black Lives Matter used George Floyds death as their moment to use mass violence to advance their agenda, all the while shaking down corporate America. When it came to the corporate shakedowns, it helped that Americas businesses are heavily staffed at the management level with college graduates who have already been indoctrinated with the Marxist ideas underlying the BLM movement.

With the BLM agenda firmly in place, Democrats are returning their attention to the Wuhan virus that, not-so-coincidentally, surged after tens of thousands of mostly-unmasked people gathered all over America to protest and riot. The first order of business was to deny that the protests had anything to do with increased virus outbreaks (see, e.g., this risible article). The next order of business was to take advantage of the fact that the Trump administration, which had loosened the regulatory stranglehold on testing devices, successfully unleashed the free market to manufacture virus tests.

Unsurprisingly, now that Americans are being tested, were discovering that the Wuhan virus is out there. Lots of people have it. Thankfully, most do not have severe cases.

Even more thankfully, the medical establishment, when its not politicized, has learned that the virus can be treated early with hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and azithromycin (as Trump predicted) and that the overall mortality rate is dropping.

Thats why, despite the medias constant talk about how Trump is leading the world in killing Americans, America has one of the lowest mortality rates in the First World. If we subtract the elderly people who died due to Democrat governors malfeasance, our death rate would be even lower.

All of this poses a problem for Democrats. They need to keep a lid on the economy, and they need to continue convincing Americans that Trump is failing them. The media has, therefore, turned a gimlet eye on increased case numbers in Republican states. There is a problem with this approach.

Theres increasing evidence that the number of both diagnosed cases and deaths is highly inaccurate. Fox 35 in Orlando was the first to figure out that 300 test sites in Florida, a state Democrats are targeting, were reporting 100% positivity rates when the actual rates were, on average, under 10%. Likewise, Texas, another state on the Democrat hit list, removed approximately 3,600 cases from the roles because they were only probables and were based on tests with a lower virus sensitivity.

Theres also the problem of false death certificates. Larry OConnor wrote about his wifes grandfather, who died of Alzheimers, being diagnosed as a Wuhan virus death. And Florida just joined New York in reporting the virus as a cause of death when someone manifestly did not die from it. Its unclear how widespread this problem is. However, financial incentives tied to high Wuhan case numbers suggest that having federal money doled out to cash-strapped hospitals might motivate some people to massage numbers.

Democrats are also pushing hard to put a mask on every American face. Sen. Dianne Feinstein wants to force states to mandate masks by threatening to withhold federal funds. The Democrat mayor of Atlanta ignored George Governor Brian Kemps executive order against mask mandates, forcing him to sue. More governors are mandating masks, and so-called mask shamers are on the rise.

The problem is theres endless debate about whether masks work, especially because so many wear them wrong. I have my doubts about a cotton kerchief tied over someones nose. Also, watching people repeatedly put on and take off the same mask suggests that the utility is imaginary.

What we do know is that those areas that have the greatest number of mask wearers also have the highest incidences of the Wuhan virus. Correlation and causation are not the same, but one cant help suspecting that theres a connection, whether its that uselessly and carelessly handled masks are contributing to infections or that people surrounded by infections will make rational choices without government force:

Congratulations. You've discovered rational choice.



Hint: High infection rates lead more people to use masks.  (((Charlie Martin))) (@chasrmartin) July 17, 2020

Although Wuhan virus numbers are unreliable and the masks are of questionable utility, the one certain thing is that Democrats want us in a perpetual state of poverty and panic.

Image: YouTube screengrab
In the middle of a dramatic court hearing, conducted via videolink due to coronavirus restrictions, the revelation by prosecutors that Ghislaine Maxwell was married went almost unnoticed.

The British socialite had not been seen in the year since the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein, with whom she was accused of conspiring to abuse minors. Finally, at a hearing to decide whether she would be freed on bail ahead of her trial, details about her life in hiding began to emerge.

The prosecutors alleged that Ms Maxwell was not being honest. They believed she had not been transparent about her access to potentially millions of dollars, which gave them cause to believe she was a flight risk. Then, almost in passing, they revealed that she was married.

The defendant also makes no mention whatsoever about the financial circumstances or assets of her spouse, whose identity she declined to provide to pretrial services, said Alison Moe, one of three prosecutors in charge of the case.

Theres no information about who will be co-signing this bond or their assets, and no details whatsoever, she added.

The revelation was central to the prosecutions argument that Ms Maxwell has been disguising her true wealth. Media reports have been rife with speculation that the spouse might be a tech CEO from Boston named Scott Borgerson, with whom she has been romantically linked.

That she had managed to keep the identity of that husband secret from law enforcement and the gaze of the media was a shock to everyone.

No one knew she was married, a former friend of Ms Maxwell told The Times.

Even more curious was the fact that there appears to be no marriage certificate in public filings in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, where she was known to have spent time in the last year.

The identity of the husband may yet lead prosecutors down new avenues in the wide-reaching investigation into the sexual abuse of young girls by Epstein.

At the two-hour hearing on Tuesday, Ms Maxwell, 58, pleaded not guilty to six charges, including perjury and enticing minors to engage in illegal sex acts. She stands accused of grooming and procuring young women for her longtime associate and former boyfriend to abuse.

The indictment against her claims 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.

After hearing arguments on Tuesday, US District Judge Alison J Nathan ruled that Ms Maxwell be held in jail until her trial, which was scheduled for July 2021, citing her international connections, her wealth and the seriousness of the charges against her.

No combination of conditions could reasonably ensure her presence at court. The risks are simply too great, she said, agreeing with the prosecutions contention that Ms Maxwell has displayed sophistication in hiding her resources.

Ghislaine Maxwell was said to have hired ex-British soldiers as protection prior to arrest (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Maxwells whereabouts had been the subject of intense speculation since Epsteins arrest and suicide in custody last year. Media reports have alleged that she was living in other parts of the US, 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. Federal investigators said they had been discreetly keeping tabs on Maxwell as they worked the investigation, before finally making their arrest on 2 July.

Prosecutors have so far been unable to ascertain the identity of Ms Maxwells mystery spouse. Some have speculated that it may be her last alleged romantic partner, Scott Borgerson, a 44-year-old CEO of a Boston tech company. The Daily Mail reported last year that she had previously lived with him at his oceanfront property in Manchester-by-the-Sea, in Massachusetts, prior to her arrest earlier this month. But he has frequently denied being in a relationship, insisting that they are only friends.

The pair reportedly met in 2013 when they were both speaking on panels at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik  a conference that brings together NGOs, politicians and corporations to discuss the future of the Arctic.

Mr Borgerson, who is divorced, is the CEO of a company called CargoMetrics and is described as an Arctic expert on his profile page for the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank. According to the profile, he is a former coast guard officer and has testified before a number of congressional committees, [and] contributed to White House strategic policy making.

Despite the reports of a relationship between the pair, however, there is no evidence to suggest they are married. Mr Borgersons father denied any knowledge of the marriage this week, the Daily Mail reported.

There are several reasons why Ms Maxwell would not want the identity of her spouse to be made public  not all of them nefarious, as prosecutors suggested.

The most obvious and benign is that shes trying to shield the spouse from press inquiry and notoriety, James Zirina former assistant United States attorney and partner at law firm Siegel & Kaufman, told Town and Country magazine.

Other reasons, however, could include that he may have knowledge of where her assets are and of crimes that she may have committed.

Mr Zirin noted that spousal privilege  a law that states that a spouse cannot be compelled to testify against the other spouse  would mean that whoever it is would be able to refuse to cooperate with the Epstein abuse investigation.

One acquaintance of Ms Maxwells suggested to The Times another more practical reason why she married: simply to protect the money she had.

But ultimately her attempts to do so ensured that she would remain in jail until her trial. Prosecutors spent much of Tuesdays hearing detailing how a lack of transparency over Ms Maxwells access to millions of dollars principally in foreign accounts made it necessary to remand her in custody.

Ms Moe, the prosecutor, said Ms Maxwell cited a net worth of more than $10million when she opened a Swiss bank account last year, and an annual income greater than $200,000.

Her true wealth may be important for other legal actions. In addition to the criminal charges, Ms Maxwell is currently facing civil lawsuits from several of Epsteins alleged victims, who allege that she was central to the abuse they suffered.

Ms Maxwell, the daughter of late British media mogul Robert Maxwell, began working for Epstein in 1999 and claims to have worked for him until 2006, managing his homes in New York, Florida, New Mexico, Paris and the Virgin Islands.

According to the indictment, which focuses on the years between 1994 and 1997, Ms Maxwell facilitated Epsteins access to underage girls by inducing and enticing them for grooming and abuse at multiple lavish properties owned by Epstein.

These included his Upper East Side townhouse on East 66th Street, where he was known to throw lavish parties; his Palm Beach estate in Florida and his Zorro ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Victims were also groomed and abused at Ms Maxwells personal residence in London, according to the indictment.

Three minors, unnamed in the indictment, were allegedly induced and enticed by Ms Maxwell.

Ms Maxwell sought to normalise inappropriate and abusive conduct to the victim, the indictment reads, undressing in front of her and being present when the victim undressed for Epstein. Within a year of meeting, Epstein was abusing the victim.

Maxwell was present for and involved in some of this abuse, according to the court papers, in particular, in group sexualised massages of Epstein where the victim would engage in sex acts with Epstein.

At Tuesdays bail hearing, two alleged victims of Ms Maxwell and Epsteins abuse addressed the court to argue that she be remanded in custody while she awaits trial. One of them, Annie Farmer, said she was 16 when she met Ms Maxwell.

She is a sexual predator who groomed and abused me and countless other young women, she said. She has lied under oath and tormented her survivors. She added that Ms Maxwell has never shown any remorse for her heinous crimes.

Mark Cohen, the attorney representing Ms Maxwell, said his client has been the target of endless media spin as he called for her release on $5m (3.9m) bail.

Our client is not Jeffrey Epstein. She is not the monster made out by the media.
Sao Paulo: The first deaths from COVID-19 have come to a vast, remote region of the Amazon the Brazilian government says is home to the greatest concentration of isolated Indigenous groups in the world.

Experts fear the new coronavirus could spread rapidly among peoples with lesser resistance even to already common diseases and limited access to healthcare, potentially wiping out some smaller groups.

Six-year-old Ezinaldo dos Santosposes wears the traditional dress of his tribe and a Spiderman face mask in the Gaviao community near Manaus, Brazil, on Friday. Credit:AP

A 83-year-old Marubo man known as Yovempa died of COVID-19 on July 5, the country's Special Secretariat of Indigenous Health said five days later. Two other deaths were reported later by the independent Indigenous Peoples' Coordination.

Yovempa was not in an isolated group, but lived in a village close to some of those groups. An organisation representing Marubo people on the Itui River said in a statement that the elder indigenous leader hadnt left home for months.
Hundreds of Thais protested on Saturday evening, demanding the resignation of the government and the dissolution of parliament, defying a coronavirus ban on big gatherings in one of the largest street demonstrations since a 2014 military coup.

Those at the student-led rally near Bangkoks Democracy Monument cited a litany of complaints against the year-old government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the former army chief who ousted an elected government six years ago.

Organisers issued three demands: the dissolution of parliament, an end to harassment of government critics, and amendments to the military-written constitution that critics say virtually guaranteed victory for Prayuths party in elections last year.

How can we be OK with the lack of democracy like this? student activist Tattep Ruangprapaikit told the crowds.

Police were on standby but did not move to stop the protest. The monument was cordoned off with signs reading: No entry without permission. Maintenance in progress.

Public opposition to Prayuths rule has been growing in recent months.

Since last years election, a court has dissolved the second-largest opposition party, giving Prayuths ruling coalition firmer control in parliament.

Prayuth also saw several cabinet members resign https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-economy/thai-finance-minister-resigns-amid-economic-team-shake-up-idUKKCN24H0J9 on Thursday over internal disputes.

Prayuths Palang Pracharat Party campaigned on a vision of traditional Thai culture and loyalty to King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Thailand is officially a constitutional monarchy, but insulting the king is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and many conservatives view the monarchy as sacrosanct.

Some signs at Saturdays protest made reference to the monarchy, including one banner reading The Peoples Party isnt Dead - a reference to the political party whose revolution ended absolute royal rule in 1932.

Democracy Monument is the most prominent memorial to that revolution, but others have been removed or renamed since King Vajiralongkorn assumed the throne after the 2016 death of his father, who had reigned for 70 years.

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Some could say the Mascioli family took physical distancing to a whole new level late Tuesday night  four kilometres offshore of the Hamilton harbourfront, armed with one bag of Goldfish crackers, two giant pepperettes and three bottles of water.

Chantelle Mascioli, 25, said the evening started out as a harmless night of family fun with her mother Nadine, 45 and her brother Curtis, 19.

Chantelle and her mother had initially gone to Canadian Tire in search of an inflatable boat but there were none in stock. It was either a mattress-style raft or the giant pink flamingo.

We opted out for the big pink flamingo because, why not? Its big, its pink, its fun, said Chantelle.

Along with the bird, they picked up air horns, some plastic paddles and LED lights but no life-jackets. The store was sold out of any in their size, she added.

Around 9 p.m. on Tuesday night, Chantelle, along with her mom and brother, headed down to Pier 4. As they filled the giant floatie with air, she said the family got weird looks while other onlookers snapped photos.

We opted out for the big pink flamingo because, why not? Its big, its pink, its fun, said Chantelle Mascioli. Cathie Coward/The Hamilton Spectator

An hour later, the family was on their way into the water, launching the five-seater flamingo off into the harbour. They were looking for a break from being cooped up in their Beach Road home due to COVID-19, she said.

The first hour was fun, said Chantelle, and they stayed within the waterfronts boundaries.

We were just kicking back, relaxing, joking, she said. Just 30 minutes later, Chantelle said she looked up and realized theyd drifted at least 10-feet beyond the harbour boundaries.

But, they thought theyd be able to paddle back and decided not to worry.

That was our first mistake, Chantelle added.

Another half-hour went by and the family once again realized theyd bobbed even further out.

Attempting to paddle against the current for nearly 45 minutes, losing one paddle in the battle, Chantelle said it felt like for every inch we gained, we lost a mile.

They exceeded Gilligan and the Skipper's three-hour tour by an hour but luckily for Chantelle Mascioli and her mom Nadine, they made it safely home thanks to the Hamilton Police Marine Unit. Cathie Coward/The Hamilton Spectator

Weighing their options, the trio sat back and let the current continue dragging them along. Chantelle said they called their father, Damien Stinson, for help. He headed down to the waterfront to meet them  but there was no flamingo in sight.

By 1:30 a.m., theyd floated their way into the industrial part of the harbour, said Chantelle.

We had two choices. We were either going to sit there and drift all night until we got close enough to paddle onto shore or we call the police, said Chantelle.

Then they started to hear the horns of freighter ships getting ready to sail off and the decision was quickly made for them.

If those ships came within a certain amount of feet within us, that floatie definitely would have gone over, she added. We decided to save ourselves while we still had a chance.

With temperatures dropping and the family underdressed for a night on Lake Ontario, Chantelle called the Hamilton police non-emergency line.

Having a panic attack on the phone, Chantelle said the operator on the other end was super nice and patient with the family.

They were then directed to call 911 and  between the two operators  police managed to get a rough location for the raft after about an hour.

Dramatic reenactment of the Mascioli family realizing they had drifted too far away from shore. Cathie Coward/The Hamilton Spectator

A large freighter ship had also noticed them, putting a spotlight on the family to help the marine unit keep an eye on them, said Chantelle.

Not 15 minutes before police arrived, the family had managed to come within paddling distance of a cement wall in the water. They managed to perch themselves on it, joining a flock of seafowl.

According to Const. Lorraine Edwards, the marine unit found the family floating four kilometres off the shore early Wednesday morning.

They picked us up, put us on the boat, put the flamingo on the boat and kind of chuckled at us and said This is just absurd, said Chantelle. No one was injured.

Once back safely ashore, Chantelle said officers took photos with the flamingo and were laughing with the family. They also warned them about the danger of using the party raft on such a large body of water without life-jackets or an anchor.

That was unexpected, she said, thanking them for being so cool about the situation. We really appreciate the police.

Looking back on their misadventure on Friday, Chantelle said the family has learned their lesson and will be sticking to smaller bodies of water the next time they plan to go out with Mrs. Plamingo  a portmanteau of pink and flamingo for their vessel.

Once back safely ashore, Chantelle said officers took photos with the flamingo and were laughing with the family. Hamilton Police Service

We were just trying to kick back and relax, especially in this pandemic, we needed some fresh air and to get out, said Chantelle. We had no intentions of leaving the harbour. Clearly the water had other plans.

But even with the risk and the comments on social media, the family has no regrets. Chantelle described herself as having thick skin and that comments dont bother her.

As for their night spent on a giant blow-up flamingo, its a memory Chantelle cant wait to share with her future grandchildren.

It was definitely one for the books, she said. My grandkids will think Im legendary.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 19, 2020 - 00:24 | Japan, All

Japan is now immediately scrambling fighter jets against all Chinese military aircraft taking off from an air base in Fujian Province, as tensions continue between the two countries over the Senkaku Islands, government sources said Saturday.

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force planes have also been flying above the East China Sea from sunrise to sunset every day to monitor Chinese military aircraft moves, the sources said.

Before Japan reviewed its policy early last year, it used to scramble fighter jets against Chinese military aircraft approaching its airspace.

China had sent fighter jets to near the Senkakus from Zhejiang Province but it moved the location of their take-off to the air base, much closer to the islands disputed by Beijing, according to the sources.

The distance between the air base and the Japan-controlled islands is about 380 kilometers, where Chinese J-11 fighter jets can travel in about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, the distance between the ASDF's base in the Okinawa prefectural capital Naha, from which Japan scrambles jets against Chinese military aircraft, is about 410 km, requiring a travel time of about 25 minutes for the air force's F-15 fighters.

The ASDF now needs to immediately respond to Chinese fighters when they leave from the air base and prevent them from entering Japan's airspace, the sources said.

By combining information provided by the sources, the ASDF has set a defense line at a latitude of 27 degrees north, to block Chinese military aircraft's approach near the islands, which are located between latitudes of 25 and 26 degrees north.

The ASDF used to respond to one Chinese military plane with two fighter jets. But it now does so with four fighters, they said.

Japan scrambled fighter jets against Chinese military aircraft 638 times in fiscal 2018 and 675 times in the previous fiscal year through March, according to the Defense Ministry.
Satellite image of Fuego volcano by (c) Google Earth View

Stratovolcano 3,763 m / 12,346 ftGuatemala, 14.47N / -90.88W(4 sur 5)1581, 1585, 1586, 1587, 1614, 1617, 1620, 1623, 1629, 1679(?), 1685, 1686, 1689(?), 1699, 1702, 1705, 1706, 1709(?), 1710,1717,1730, 1732, 1737, 1751(?), 1765(?), 1773(?), 1799, 1826, 1829, 1850(?), 1852(?), 1855, 1856, 1857, 1860, 1861(?), 1867(?), 1880, 1896, 1932, 1944, 1949, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1987, 1999, 2002 - ongoingDominantly explosive, construction of lava domes and extrusion of viscous lava flows. In near constant activity, at least during the past centuries.(15-jours Voyage d'etude et expedition sur les volcans actifs du Guatemala)(15-jours Voyage d'etude et expedition sur les volcans actifs du Guatemala)

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BSP and SP attacked the UP government on Saturday after a woman and her daughter set themselves on fire outside the CM office alleging police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi, saying it should take the incident seriously and act against the officers responsible for it.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said the mother and her daughter were "compelled to set themselves afire" as they did not get justice from the Amethi administration. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the incident should "wake up" an "insensitive government".

"UP government should take this incident seriously, and deliver justice to the aggrieved. Action should also be initiated against the officers who showed laxity in this regard, so that such incidents do not happen in future," Mayawati in a tweet in Hindi.

"Is the attempt made by two women to set themselves afire not enough to wake up a sleeping government or is it that an insensitive government and chief minister are waiting for any other major incident? Is there something known as a government in Uttar Pradesh?" SP president Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

A woman and her daughter set themselves on fire in front of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Office on Friday allegedly over police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi. Police said they are probing the matter.

The women suffered burn injuries and were admitted to the civil hospital; they are said to be critical, police said.

The incident took place at 5.40 pm in Lucknow's high-security zone, where the assembly and the Lok Bhawan - the office of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath - is located.

The police personnel posted there rescued the women, they said.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
Its not often a first time author gets a glowing review from The New York Times.

And its even more remarkable when that author is 94 years old.

Beuna Coburn Carlson, the writer of Farm Girl and a former Macomb County resident, takes it all in stride, just as she did growing up on an 80-acre Wisconsin farm during the Great Depression and one of the worst droughts to hit the Midwest.

Carlson lets readers know from the get-go why she decided age is no deterrent to fine writing.

Heres a passage from the preface to her story told in just over 200 pages: This little book of memories of a Wisconsin farm girl is, in reality, a tribute to my parents and to the thousands of other farmers and their wives who hung on through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression not as victims but as victors. They taught by word and by example that a person can find ways to deal with adversity, that bitterness, hopelessness, and dependency are not the answers. There can be happiness in a neighbors success, joy at the birth of a fine calf, a moment of pleasure seeing that case of eggs ready for trading or catching the sun glistening on jars of ruby-red chokecherry jelly to be enjoyed during the dark winter days. Finally, to share an evening meal with family around the kitchen table at the end of the day was a reward for the days labor.

That optimism and well get through this attitude prevails throughout Carlsons book, appropriately sub-titled A Wisconsin Memoir.

The book is not chronological. Its written in two parts: first on her family and second on issues describing life on a farm.

Some, like cornhusking or using the telephone, are often only a few pages.

Farm Girl was released recently during the pandemic with families sheltered at home and children unsure of when theyll return to school.

Its a good time for children  and parents  to read how a farm family worked and played together.

There was no television, just a battery powered radio that didnt work.

Yet, the family used board games and play time to enjoy living on a large farm with no nearby neighbors.

A Christmas tree was decorated without lights because there was no electricity. Its a perfect time for todays children to learn how it was before television, smart phones and the internet.

You dont have to be interested in farming to enjoy Farm Girl.

My only introduction to farm life was picking tomatoes in Leamington, Ontario when my family vacationed there and I wanted to earn a little money. I lasted two days.

But life on a farm isnt short term

Carlson describes the day off: Sunday was a day of semi-rest. No work in the fields was planned but The Milking had to be done, as was the chores or feeding cattle, cleaning the barn, feeding and filling fountains for the chickens and gathering the eggs.

Not exactly what most would call a day of rest.

While Carlsons vivid descriptions of being raised on a farm, it was not a life-long venture.

While staying with relatives in South St. Paul, Minnesota, she met Richard M. Carlson, a student at the University of Minnesota.

They were married in 1950 and the couple moved to Michigan when Robert, referred to by family and friends as Bob, accepted a job at the General Motors Research Laboratories in Warren.

Beuna Carlson, known as Bunny since an aunt nicknamed her when she was a teen, adjusted to city life.

Bunny was the first female president of the Macomb YMCA in Mount Clemens, a founding member of the communitys art center, now known as The Anton Art Center.

She was a volunteer at the First Presbyterian Church, eventually becoming its director of Christian education.

They lived in Clinton Township and raised two children; Margo is an artist, and son Lee is an engineer.

Gretchen Glime, who with her husband, Ray, are longtime friends with the Carlsons, fondly remembers the many house parties hosted by Bunny and Bob.

Bunny was known as an excellent cook and often provided meals for guests.

The Carlsons moved to Grand Rapids four years ago to be near their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Farm Girl, published by The University of Wisconsin Press, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart eBooks, among others.

Tina Jordan, writing for The New York Times and whose grandfather told her stories of his farm life in Texas, noted of Farm Girl: Her memories may be sweet, but Carlsons prose isnt treacly; shes got that same brisk lets get it done tone my grandfather did. If this makes Farm Girl sound like Little House on the Prairie set a few generations later, well, thats exactly what it is  a plain-spoken firsthand description of a not-so-distant past that few of us can imagine.

Ken Kish, a retired Macomb Daily editor, may be reached at Kennethkish12@gmail.com.
China's stock market is closing in on a major milestone: US$10 trillion in capitalisation.

It has reached that level once before. That was in June 2015, and the spectacular implosion that followed when regulators moved to stamp out a debt-fuelled buying spree still haunts traders and investors today.

The total value of the shares trading on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges rose to as much as US$9.7 trillion this week, according to Bloomberg data, amid a buying frenzy that quickly ramped up stock prices.

A bigger stock market will bolster the appeal of mainland-traded equities at a time when China is opening up more of its capital to the outside world and overseas investors have been increasingly boosting their allocations of onshore yuan-denominated assets. Foreign traders held over 2 trillion yuan (US$285.8 billion) of Chinese stocks by the end of April, making up 8.6 per cent of the free-floating shares of listed companies trading on the onshore market, according to China Merchant Securities.

"The size does matter to investors, particularly the overseas ones," said Ken Chen Hao, a strategist at KGI Securities in Shanghai. "For them, a big enough market means less volatility and less chance that stocks are subjected to manipulation. That'll ensure the fairness of the market and increase willingness to trade."

China's market cap is now the world's second largest, well behind the US which is capitalised at US$35 trillion. Japan and Hong Kong are ranked third and fourth, boasting market values of US$5.8 trillion and US$5.5 trillion respectively.

A staggering US$1.6 trillion has been added to Chinese stocks' market cap this year, with gains accelerating over the past three weeks, as unparalleled monetary loosening and increased signs of an economic recovery raise risk appetite. Margin financing has added fuel to the frenzy, with the outstanding balance of money borrowed from brokerages to buy stocks rising to a five-year high of 1.35 trillion yuan.

Story continues

The market cap is now US$9 trillion, as stocks fell back on concerns the run-up was too fast and that China's return to growth in the second quarter will prompt the scaling back of policy loosening. Monetary easing will be limited for the rest of the year, as a 42 per cent year-on-year increase in aggregate financing that totalled 20.8 trillion in the first half consumed most of the annual target, according to Bob Liu, head of equity strategy at HSBC Qianhai Securities.

The abundance of liquidity has spilled over to the property market, with official statistics showing the nation's housing prices rising by the most in 10 months in June. That has led some local governments including Shenzhen and Ningbo to implement new curbs.

"We recommend our clients to buy the dip if Chinese stocks fall by 5 to 10 per cent from current levels in the near term, which is likely to happen in our baseline view," said Jing Sima, China strategist at BCA Research. "If Chinese stock prices consecutively fall by more than 15 per cent, however, a bear market is likely to follow."

Growth in China's market cap has outstripped the expansion of its economy for the last decade, mainly thanks to new listings. The capitalisation has increased fourfold in the 10-year period, while gross domestic product has expanded by 2.5 times to about 100 trillion yuan.

The mainland's exchanges have added 2,047 companies in the same period, raising a total of 1.8 trillion yuan from initial public offerings, Bloomberg data showed. Some 3,959 companies trade on the two bourses currently, with policymakers encouraging equity financing by smaller companies by creating the ChiNext market and a new technology exchange, the Star Market, in Shanghai.

Exactly when China's market will climb past the US$10 trillion mark hinges on the speed of new listings rather than how fast existing stocks rise, according to Chen.

"Even if stocks don't rise and stay where they are now going forward, it's still a matter of time before China tops that level," he said.

A rapid rise in the amount of borrowing to buy stocks poses a potential threat to the run-up. In the 2015 market crash, a rush by traders to exit their leveraged positions was mostly blamed for the ensuing collapse that saw the market fall by more than 40 per cent in just two months.

Still, the current level of leveraged stock holdings is only about half of the record high just before the meltdown five years ago.

"We can still be optimistic about the market in July and August, with the economic recovery going on and liquidity remaining ample," said Chen Li, chief economist at Soochow Securities in Shanghai. "But going forward, the overly fast gain on stock prices and the shift of the monetary policies constitute the biggest risk to the market."

With additional reporting by Yujing Liu

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.
New Zealand will be moving to mandatory pregnancy warning labels on alcohol products, Food Safety Minister Damien OConnor has announced.

The move was agreed late yesterday at a meeting of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation.

We share a Food Standards system with Australia so any decisions like this are made jointly, says OConnor.

This has been a really important issue for New Zealand and something weve been working towards for almost a decade.

This Government wants New Zealand to be the best place in the world to be a child, and that starts in the womb. Those formative months in pregnancy are the foundations for a long, healthy, happy life.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder  FASD - is caused by the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. FASD can be characterised by a range of problems such as intellectual and behavioural deficits, as well as irreversible damage to the brain and body. FASD is a life-long issue which significantly impacts individuals, families and the wider community.

Hundreds of babies a year are born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder because of exposure to alcohol in the womb. We need to take every action to reduce this harm, says OConnor.

While the alcohol industry has been voluntarily including warnings on some products since 2011 there is no consistency in the type, colour, size and design, reducing the effectiveness of the message.

A standard message that is clear and consistent on the importance of not drinking while pregnant will be easy to implement and will minimise the impact that alcohol consumption has on New Zealand children.

The move brings New Zealand in line with other countries that legally require pregnancy warning labels on alcohol such as the USA and France.

There is currently no New Zealand specific data on the incidence of FASD. However the Ministry of Health considers that a conservative prevalence rate for New Zealand is likely to be three to five per cent of the school-aged population (1,800 to 3,000 children born with FASD each year). This rate is likely to be lower in older age groups and higher in some sub-populations. The figures are based on recent research from Canada and the United States, and evidence of higher rates of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in New Zealand compared to north America.

The changes will be adopted in New Zealand and Australia following a three year transition period. This will enable businesses to make the necessary changes to their labels and processes. An exact date is still to be set.

The Ministry of Health advise women not to consume alcohol during pregnancy and recommend to stop drinking alcohol if you could be pregnant, are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant. There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

The official communique by the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation can be found here.
After joining in ASCN, Vietnam has launched various practical activities like the project Developing Smart Cities in Vietnam in the Period from 2018  2025, with a Vision to 2030. This project prioritizes three specific goals of planning smart cities, managing smart cities, and developing proper utilities for these cities.

Based on current integrated database platforms, many cities in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Da Nang City, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), have been successful in delivered smart services in the fields of education, healthcare, transport, construction, environment, greatly improving the living standards of citizens.

In 2020, the world has had to focus on the tough fight against Covid-19.

The representative of HCMC reported that applications in the smart city model have played an effective role in the citys fight. Particularly, the Command Center for Pandemic Prevention, based on the existing operation center for the city located in HCMC Peoples Committee, has worked non-stop 24/7 since April 1. It has monitored nearly 1,200 cameras, including 112 devices installed in hospitals and centralized isolation areas. in addition, the hotline to receive feedbacks and reports from citizens and businesses, organizations on disease prevention tasks has operated continuously.

HCMC was the pioneer in implementing a system to manage quarantined people and Covid-19 patients in centralized isolation sites; in launching an app for its residents to declare their health status; in monitoring the location of people getting close contact with patients.

In the last few months, HCMC has been able to integrate the automatic respond-to-inquiry system of the Healthcare Ministry into its electronic information portal so that those in need can access precise information. It also asked mobile network providers to deliver propaganda messages to 55.7 million subscribers to raise awareness about Covid-19.

Discussing the possibilities of coming back to the normal status during and after this pandemic, Secretary General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi shared that there must be a cooperation among ASEAN members in forming smart cities in the region, including digital connections and urbanization strategies.

The most important matter is to create a partnership between smart cities in the region and in the world. We need better understanding about state and private sectors in order to unlock all potentials and resources, to timely grasp valuable opportunities as to smart city after the pandemic, said Mr. Lim Jock Hoi.

Vietnamese Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha announced that if Covid-19 pandemic is well under control, Vietnam is going to organize an ASCN summit for members at the end of 2020 to further discuss and exchange experience about smart city development as well as boosting relationships with potential partners outside ASCN.

By Bich Quyen  Translated by Vien Hong
People found spitting in public places and violating home quarantine and social distancing norms will be fined from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 in Chhattisgarh, an official said on Saturday.

Earlier, the state government had imposed a fine of Rs 100 for those not wearing masks in public places. It is compulsory for people to wear a face mask or face covering while stepping outdoors, in offices, factories, hospitals, markets, etc.

Owners of commercial institutions and shops will be liable to pay Rs 200 in penalty if social distancing protocols are flouted in their facilities, the official said.

The official said as per a notification issued by the state health department in this regard, nayab tehsildars, assistant sub-inspectors and officers authorised by the district magistrates concerned will be appointed to collect fines from those who violate the protocol.

Non-payment of penalty will attract legal action under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, he added.

The official also said every person is required to wear face mask or face covering while travelling by two wheelers and four wheelers.

According to the Union health ministry, Chhattisgarh logged nearly 5,000 cases and 23 deaths due to Sars-Cov-2, which causes the coronavirus disease. The number of active cases climbed to 1,429 and more than 3,500 people have been discharged/cured so far in the state.

(with inputs from PTI)
A Republican senator has come under fire for suggesting Hispanic people in his state are less likely to wear masks and follow social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic.

Thom Tillis, the junior senator for North Carolina, said during a virtual town hall on Tuesday that he had concerns about less consistent adherence with public health guidelines among the Hispanic population.

Just wear the mask out of respect, Mr Tillis said, in an audio clip posted online by Democratic super PAC American Bridge.

Now I will tell you I'm not a scientist and I'm not a statistician, but one of the concerns that we've had more recently is that the Hispanic population now constitutes about 44 per cent of the positive cases, and we do have some concerns that in the Hispanic population we've seen less consistent adherence to social distancing and wearing a mask.

However, a Pew Research Centre study published in June showed 74 per cent of Hispanic adults polled said they wore masks in stores all or most of the time, compared to 62 per cent of white adults polled.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services also warned last month that many people in Hispanic communities were being exposed to the virus due to their work.

Many people in Hispanic/LatinX communities provide essential services and work in industries North Carolina relies upon, such as construction, child care and food processing, the department said in a statement.

Often, this work is in environments where social distancing can be challenging, health insurance is not provided and for a sick person, staying home could create a significant financial burden.

The statement added: These are all factors that may be contributing to the high rate of Covid-19 spread among Hispanic/LatinX communities.

Mr Tillis suggestion that Hispanic people were being infected due to not following public health guidance has provoked anger, particularly among Democratic members of Congress.

This racist BS needs to stop, Veronica Escobar, a Democratic representative for Texas and member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, wrote on Twitter.

Latinos and African Americans are most at risk, dying at higher rates  and STILL going to work every day [because] they are essential workers.

Meanwhile, Republican colleagues in Congress are the ones who refuse to use masks.

Arizona Democratic representative Ruben Gallego, another Congressional Hispanic Caucus member, also noted that Hispanic people were at-risk due to their work and said Mr Tillis needed to respect the people that feed America.

We are the essential workers that were forced to go to work, Mr Gallego said.

We pulled the food, slaughtered the animals, packaged the food that fed America.

Following his comments at the town hall meeting, Andrew Romeo, a Tillis campaign spokesperson, said the senator wanted all his constituents to wear masks.

Senator Tillis has been clear that not enough North Carolinians of all backgrounds have been wearing masks and has consistently advocated that all his constituents do so, Mr Romeo said.

He added that the Hispanic population in the state faced significant challenges due to issues such as the increased exposure risk from working in essential services and the prevalence of multi-generational households in the community.

North Carolina has reported 95,477 positive cases of coronavirus as of Friday, with 1,606 deaths, according to the state's health department.
New Delhi:

In another attempt to provide relief to the general public after PM Modi announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes will no longer be legal tender, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has exempted OPD card charges for walk-in patients and Out-patient clinical charges less than Rs 500 per patient from November 10.

In a statement, countrys premium medical institution said that OPD card charges of Rs. 10 per patient shall not be charged for new patients walking in at AIIMS from November 11.

The order further said that all charges fir clinical services for out-patients where the cumulative billing per transaction per patient is less that Rs. 500 will also not be charged now.

The order is being issued to cope up with liquidity shortages of lower denominations available with AIIMS and for the better convenience of the patients.

Earlier transport ministry had announced to waive off toll across all national highways till November 11. Banks are also directed to remain open on coming Saturday and Sunday.

Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes are already being accepted at outlets of emergency such as hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, railways stations and state-run milk booths.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A community in Essex is fighting back against the banks that have cynically abandoned it  with plans to open the country's first shared branch. The 18,000-strong town of Rochford saw its last bank close three years ago when Barclays pulled out. A year earlier NatWest quit the community while previously Lloyds turned its back on the town.

But this proud market town has now been thrown a lifeline. It has been identified as the best candidate out of eight 'cash pilot' schemes chosen to test new ways of ensuring that hard money  rather than just plastic  remains freely available to both consumers and businesses to use on the high street.

This autumn, locals intend to open a shared community bank in one of the still boarded-up premises once occupied by NatWest and Barclays. It will mean customers of all the major high street banks will once again be able to withdraw and deposit cash.

Demand: Butcher Jason Macaree says half his customers want to use cash

It is part of a 'community access to cash pilot' launched by former boss of the Financial Ombudsman Service Natalie Ceeney. This follows the publication of a Government-backed Access to Cash Review she wrote last year  setting out the desperate need for people to have access to cash.

COMMUNITY'S FURY AT BEING ABANDONED

Rochford District councillors Craig Cannell and George Ioannou are spearheading the shared bank initiative  and have a wealth of banking and technology experience to push through the plans.

George, 59, is a retired director of financial credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's while 30-year-old Craig is a former online banking analyst who now develops mobile phone apps for a living. Craig says: 'Our community is furious at the way banks have treated us. We will no longer accept lame excuses and are certain a shared branch can work in Rochford.

'We have the know-how and skills to ensure it will thrive. Being chosen to be part of this cash pilot scheme gives us the necessary initial funding to set the system up.

'We can even run it without the banks' full blessing  we just need them to be forced to sign up to this deal.' Initial funding of 100,000 is expected from the scheme organisers for Rochford  money that high street banks have been made to hand over. The aim is for the branch to open this September  and hope fully to become a full-time outlet after a six-month trial.

George says: 'As chair of the local chamber of trade, I am delighted that every local business is foursquare behind this exciting new project. An empty branch is being earmarked to house this new community bank hub.'

The businesses are responding to calls from locals desperate for a new banking service. Jason Macaree, 49, owner of town butcher J Mac Meats, says: 'The banks keep telling us all to bank online  but only because it saves them money and not because it's what people always want. For my business, about half the customers still insist on using cash.'

Naime Alagoz, who runs Annie's Coffee Shop and Sandwich Bar, collected more than 2,000 signatures four years ago in a fight against NatWest's branch closure  but to no avail. There is now only a post office counter at the back of a Martin's newsagent to handle people's financial needs  plus an outside Cashzone cash machine that charges 99p every time you withdraw money.

Naime, 59, says: 'The number of customers coming through my door fell by half after the banks abandoned us. It is the same for many other shops. This is about the survival of our high street and our community  not just access to cash.'

SCHEME IS LAST CHANCE FOR A SHARED BANK

Penny-pinching banks are still dragging their feet over the shared branch idea. They would prefer to install a free ATM in a local shop as an alternative 'cash pilot' solution. This year cash machine network group Link pledged 5million  coming from bank members  to install 250 ATMs nationwide.

Link admits this could be used to support the pilot scheme. A Link spokesman says: 'We will have a clearer idea on solutions over the next few weeks.'

Former Financial Ombudsman Service boss Natalie Ceeney has yet to confirm the shared branch will open  though she says it is a distinct possibility.

She says: 'It is perfectly feasible that a shared bank branch could work and there might well be justification for providing one in Rochford.'

Derek French is former director of the Campaign for Community Banking Services, an organisation that argued for shared bank branches in the early 2000s.

He says: 'Rochford, out of all the candidates, has the strongest case for having a shared bank branch. Banks have used every trick in the book to avoid trialling shared banking hubs.

'This pilot scheme provides a last ditch opportunity to make something happen.'

More than 7,000 cash machines have been removed from high streets since the coronavirus lockdown in March  and there are now fewer than 50,000 free-to-use ATMs nationwide. Over the past decade, more than 6,000 bank branches have closed  reducing the network by a third.

This has led the Government to pledge to introduce legislation requiring banks to provide access to cash  and support for the pilot scheme.

The cost of rolling out a network of shared branches has been estimated at about 20million a year. Banks currently spend 700million a year keeping open loss-making outlets and ATMs. A spokesman for banking industry trade body UK Finance says: 'We are committed to ensuring access to cash remains free and widely accessible  and understand there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

'Solutions include helping local communities identify non-ATM cash access ideas.'

OTHER PLANS TO KEEP ACCESS TO CASH

Ron Delnevo, director of the ATM Industry Association, is launching a new cash pick-up service in September to help keep ready cash freely available.

Using the Swiss payment service Sonect, it will enable people to order money via a smartphone app to collect at a local high street shop. Initially, he hopes to trial the idea in the Midlands before rolling it out nationwide.

He says he's worried shared bank branches will never happen 'as banks do not want them'.

He explains: 'If they did, they would have been introduced by now. I'm also concerned for the future of cash machines if it means banks have to pay to run them. This is why I am backing this new cash pick-up service.'

Delnevo not only wants the Government to keep its pledge of ensuring banks and building societies provide access to 'free' cash  but that this is reinforced by guarantees that shops accept banknotes and coins as well.

Delnevo points to a 'payment choice bill' being proposed in the United States as a benchmark to follow. This would make it unlawful for a shop not to accept cash if this is how a customer wanted to pay.

He says: 'It is appalling how shops are refusing to take cash on so-called 'safety' grounds  with high street retailers pushing people towards contactless payments.

'There is no proven link between cash and the pandemic. Shops are just using it as an excuse for their convenience.'
This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

WASHINGTON  Terry Strada breathed a sigh of relief last summer when a military judge finally set a date to begin the death penalty trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other men accused of planning the attacks that killed her husband and 2,975 other people on Sept. 11, 2001.

So did Joel Shapiro, whose wife was killed in the World Trade Center, Ken Fairben, who lost his son there, and the family members of other victims who have attended the slow-moving pretrial proceedings at the war crimes court at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and had been counting on the trial to begin early next year.

Now the coronavirus pandemic has dashed those hopes. With the proceedings halted for now, there is a real possibility that the trial will not even have begun on the 20th anniversary of the attacks 14 months from now.

The calamity of Covid is definitely disrupting our personal lives and our hopes for this trial to come to fruition, said Mrs. Strada, whose husband, Tom Strada, a bond broker, was killed at the Twin Towers. We were very hopeful back then. Its hard to have something taken away from you that you were really counting on. And that is a shame, just a crying shame.
Boaters on Vancouver Island are concerned that private American vessels may be entering Canadian waters on a promise to travel to Alaska but are, instead, visiting marinas, docking their ships and coming ashore.

After hearing numerous reports from concerned friends spotting boats flying an American flag, Bill Wilson, president of the Council of B.C. Yacht Clubs, sent a letter to his 10,000 members, asking everyone to keep a lookout for U.S. ships and to let him know what they were seeing.

Wilson says he immediately began receiving two or three emails a day.

"When we see the [COVID-19] numbers coming out of the U.S  the real concern is the possibility of spreading the virus," said Wilson.

"Within B.C., we've done such a terrific job of really controlling it."

The Alaska Loophole, by boat

Wilson believes that some Americans may be using the "Alaska loophole," where U.S. citizens travelling for essential reasons, such as returning home to Alaska, enter Canada without the intention of actually travelling directly to America's largest state.

Wilson says his fellow members will often watch private U.S. boats as they enter Canada through the automated identification system which tracks vessels. The boat will head northbound, he says, but by the next day, it will be travelling in a new direction.

He says he often receives reports of ships docking at marinas in Brentwood and Bedwell bays that are not on a direct route from where they first entered into Canada.

"A lot of these boats appear to be crossing the border and then taking their time and enjoying cruising in Canadian waters," he said.

Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press

In one situation, his team watched a boat clear customs only to be spotted 14 days later moored in April Point, near Campbell River.

"That doesn't sound to me like going to Alaska," he said.

Unsatisfied with the number of boaters that are making it across the border and their indirect routes, Wilson says many marinas are now denying access to American vessels.

Story continues

Peter Stockdill has also been working with the councils to track U.S. boaters and he worries that some of them may not be following quarantine and physical distancing rules when they dock for fuel and other supplies.

In fact, he's witnessed American boaters out and about, at which point he contacted the RCMP, who quickly located them, he says.

"They should not be going ashore anywhere, in any populated area, while going on their voyage to Alaska," said Stockdill.

Travellers only permitted essential stops, says CBSA

While essential travel through Canadian waters is permitted, the Canadian Border Services Agency says travellers are still subject to 14-day quarantine requirements.

As well, they're only permitted to make essential stops along the way, such as refuelling and restocking necessary supplies.

"Travellers will be asked to practice social distancing and are required to wear a non-medical mask or face coverings during these stops  if they have to leave their boat to obtain supplies that cannot be delivered," said Judith Gadbois-St-Cyr, with CBSA.

And if travellers need to dock and spend a night in a marina, Gadbois-St-Cyr says travellers are required to remain on their boats.

Hotels, she says, may be used for quarantine purposes.

"All travellers entering Canada, including foreign national boaters who drop anchor in Canadian waters, must report to the CBSA," said Gadbois-St-Cyr.

Failing to report is a serious offence, she says, that is subject to prosecution, while disobeying the current border restrictions under the Quarantine Act could lead to monetary fines and imprisonment.

Gadbois-St-Cyr is quick to warn, however, that there may be a legitimate reason for the presence of a U.S. boat in Canada such as dual citizens, essential workers or immediate family members.
Juniper Communities, a national owner operator of seniors housing communities, announced today it has entered into a partnership with Oakland, Calif-based Dascena, Inc., a machine learning diagnostic algorithm company that is targeting early disease intervention to improve patient care outcomes, to tackle COVID-19 head-on.

The partnership enables Juniper to deploy Dascenas advanced analytics to accurately determine which residents in their communities are at highest risk of contracting COVID-19 and have the greatest need for COVID-19 testing. Juniper will utilize Dascenas state-of-the-art molecular laboratory to drastically speed up turnaround times and lower the cost of providing routine COVID-19 diagnostic testing to residents.

We are proud to partner with an innovative organization like Dascena to find a proactive strategy to protect citizens, particularly older adults and others with chronic conditions that make them especially susceptible to the virus. This work is the first stop on a roadmap which we trust will afford us and others in our industry access to rapid, effective and less expensive testing that will also be easier to administer, said Lynne Katzmann, President and Founder of Juniper Communities. With access to Dascenas advanced algorithm and diagnostic testing capabilities, we believe we will facilitate earlier and more effective detection, and help our communities pull through these unprecedented times.

Dascena has recently been selected to participate in the RADx initiative by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which aims to accelerate innovative efforts in the COVID-19 diagnostic testing landscape to enable millions of tests per week by the fall in the United States. Further, Dascena is participating as a component of a public-private partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for early identification of sepsis in COVID-19 patients.

Delays in the detection and reporting of COVID-19 can contribute significantly to adverse outcomes, said Jonathan Roberts, Vice President of Strategy at Dascena. Not only can we assist in identifying individuals at high risk of contracting COVID-19 through our machine learning algorithms, but we can also promptly perform economical testing and efficiently report back whether or not individuals have COVID-19 through our molecular CLIA laboratory.

About Juniper Communities

Juniper Communities, a leader in quality, value and innovation in long-term care, operates seniors housing communities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Colorado that emphasize residents well-being, interaction and security. Our communities and approach to housing and care offers residents the opportunity to live a full life, regardless of age or health. Junipers innovative Connect4Life program has been proven to improve residents care by decreasing hospitalizations, re-hospitalizations and urgent care visits, while offering potential cost savings to public programs such as Medicare. To learn more about the many ways Juniper Communities innovates in support of our residents, visit junipercommunities.com.

About Dascena

Dascena develops data-driven diagnostics solutions to enable early disease intervention and improve care outcomes for patients. For more information, visit Dascena.com.
Immigration policy activists rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Nov. 12, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Federal Court Rules to Restore DACA

A federal court in Maryland ruled on July 17 that the Trump administration must begin accepting new applications to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children from being deported and allows them to work legally.

Describing the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys rescission of DACA in 2017 as arbitrary and capricious, the U.S. District Court in Maryland ruled on July 17 (pdf) that the DACA policy must be fully restored. The ruling means that, for the first time in three years, DACA must open up to new applicants.

From the Supreme Court down, the courts have made it clear: DACA stands, and now its doors are open to new Dreamers to apply, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said. Thats a fact and thats what matters.

The program was put in place via executive order by President Barack Obama, and currently some 649,000 immigrants are enrolled. Obama signed the order in 2012 following failed immigration reform negotiations on Capitol Hill. Many conservatives, including President Donald Trump, have argued that DACA is unconstitutional, although the president has expressed sympathy for the Dreamers plight and has indicated openness to a negotiated, bipartisan solution.

The Trump administration ended the program in September 2017, but last month, the Supreme Court blocked the move to rescind DACA on procedural grounds.

We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies. We address only whether the agency complied with the procedural requirement that it provide a reasoned explanation for its action, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in an opinion (pdf), referring to the Department of Homeland Security.

Claiming DACA to be an unlawful and unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch, Trump previously said that the winding down of DACA would be a gradual process, which would provide Congress a window of opportunity to act on the issue.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a briefing following the Supreme Court decision that the Trump administration will find a compassionate way to deal with the Dreamers program, as DACA is also known.

Were going to move forward in a responsible way and cure some of the remedies and the unlawfulness that we see with the previous memo that brought DACA into place, she said. But we want to find a compassionate way to do this.

Trump on July 14 said he would soon sign a merit-based immigration act that will also take care of Dreamers.

We are going to be signing an immigration act very soon. It is going to be based on merit, it is going to be very strong, Trump said at a White House press conference.

We are going to work on DACA because we want to make people happy, and I will tell you even conservative Republicans want to see something happen with DACA.
It really bugs me to see a far-off future-flung [story], and everyone is white, and everyone is assumed to be Judeo-Christian or atheist, the World Fantasy Award-nominated editor said. Because we are in this world. I dont believe that 100 or 200 or 400 years in the future, we will cease to exist  yet we dont show up in stories about the future.
Move over Arthur. Nimue, aka The Lady of the Lake, is getting her own series.

Attempting a very modern origin spin on a classic tale, Cursed is a teen-action-fantasy led by Aussie Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why).

In this lush green Camelot, Nimue is both sorceress & saviour, adept at everything from brash young men to horse chases and battle scenes. Her skillsets are just shy of Arya Stark, even if she looks more like Sansa.

A descendant of a good folk with supernatural powers, she is also reluctant heroine, declining powers bestowed upon her and taking off with best friend Pym (Lily Newmark) for a nearby port where she meets dashing lad Arthur (Aussie Devon Terrell).

But Nimue is always one step ahead of the boys, until they are run out of town while the villainous Father Carden (Peter Mullan) is ethnic cleansing the land of her kind, and resident King Uther Pendragon (Sebastian Armesto) is pressuring drunken magician Merlin (Gustaf Skarsgard) to rid his kingdom of a drought we know the feeling.

Despite ambitions for a woke Arthurian tale, there are tropes a-plenty in the storytelling with CGI to fill in around the cracks. The costumes are spotless and the rich production design would look right at home in any Myer Christmas window.

Thankfully the exquisite Langford makes it broadly entertaining and the pacing rises and falls with some drive. The dialogue by Tom Wheeler (The Cape) also slips into contemporary with such lines as Is he the real deal? and Did he have onion breath? but it shouldnt bother its target audience. The end result is too much Shrek meets Game of Thrones for my liking, without an arrow on target, or Excalibur in rock.

Devon Terrell (better known as a young Barack Obama in Barry) proves versatile as a blind-casting Arthur while another Aussie, Shalom Brune-Franklin (Doctor Doctor, Bad Mothers, Our Girl) will make an appearance as Igraine if you are after some light action.

Cursed is now screening on Netflix.
(Photo : Fusion Medical Animation / Unsplash) Quarantines are kept strict in many parts of the globe.

More than 130 employees in Tesla have tested positive for the coronavirus, a deadly disease that started in Wuhan, China last year. However, the CEO, Elon Musk is keeping silent with this breaking news, as of press time.

On the other hand, Governor of Oklahoma state, Kevin Stitt, has an insight to share about the exposure of Tesla' employees to the virus, making him question as to whether Musk has already got infected during his visit to Tulsa, a report on Radio Oklahoma Network said.

Tulsa is one of the two finalists of Tesla's Gigafactory, the other is Austin in Texas state, it added.

Tesla and COVID-19

An insider information obtained on Thinknum revealed that Tesla and its employees are increasing in popularity with their exposure to the coronavirus. Many of the cases reportedly are from California's Fremont factory.

Like several other tech companies like Amazon, Tesla has a long-standing history with regards to the coronavirus pandemic.

The renowned car maker once defied the local orders since it has decided to shut down the Fremont factory to curb the pandemic and the infections, Thinknum said from the information it has acquired.

Is Musk keeping mum on the issue? In the following weeks, the CEO was in fact outspoken about the pandemic, but now that his employees are the ones infected, is he issuing new statements?

"Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependent on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA," this word from Elon is the most proximate there is about COVID-19.

Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020

Frustrated?

Elon Musk must also have become frustrated about how the authorities are managing the people, since there are reported discrepancies and inconsistencies with the state and local regulations.

Furthermore, Tesla's vice president for environment, health, and safety is ensuring that more than 99.99 percent of the viral occurrences did not happen within their workplace.

Definition of terms

Being "affected" does not necessarily equate to the fact that employees are testing positive for COVID-19 but the company may have "affected employees" exposed with other employees confirmed to have the virus.

Based on Tesla's personal data, most of these employees monitored for the viral exposure, as a matter of truth, have never been tested at all, the data from Thinknum indicated.

When Elon Musk visited the state of Oklahoma this month, it has been revealed that the state governor has been tested positive for the virus, reason why Musk might the one more vulnerable.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Galway will be among the top choices for staycations this summer

The Government is developing a staycation subsidy as part of a set of measures aimed at reviving the tourism industry.

Holidaymakers will be able to reclaim part of their hotel and restaur- ant bills under the plan, which may be a central element of next week's July Stimulus Package.

The tax rebate scheme is aimed at encouraging people to eat out and holiday in Ireland in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The exact rate of the rebate and how it will be administered is still being finalised.

Vouchers

The Government had considered giving people vouchers to spend in hotels and restaurants, but decided against this over fears it would lead to price hikes.

VAT cuts were also on the table, but are now unlikely to feature in the economic package, which is being described as a mini budget, as it will not be passed on to customers.

It is hoped the tax rebate would encourage customers to shop locally, get back to work and put money in people's pockets.

A similar scheme was introduce by UK chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of Britain's econ- omic recovery plan.

His "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme sees the government pay up to 50pc of a person's restaurant meal up to 10. A family of four could save 40 on a meal costing 80.

The Irish scheme is expected to focus on hotels and restaur- ants, but it is unclear if pubs will be included.

An important part of the package will be encouraging people to shop locally and take staycations.

The Government is also working on a scheme to create jobs in communities that have been impacted. It also expected to expand the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to encourage more local business.

A cross-party Dail committee has called for bigger grants to help pandemic-hit businesses, an extension to the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and the possibility of vouchers for the hospitality sector to form part of a stimulus package.

The Dail's Special Committee on Covid-19 Response published a report that includes 19 recommendations aimed at boosting the economy.

These include changing the Restart Grant Scheme to increase the average value of the grants and to make it available to more businesses.

The committee also says the Government must ensure the TWSS remains available to firms that will operate below capacity due to Covid-19 and that "any tapering off of supports should have a significant lead-in time".

The report says the Government should "examine the feasibility and benefits of a voucher scheme for all residents, to be spent supporting the domestic tourism sector".

Tanaiste and Enter- prise Minister Leo Varadkar poured cold water on suggestions that such a voucher scheme, as proposed by Sinn Fein, should be included in the July stimulus.

He questioned how effective it would be in helping businesses that remain closed or restricted.

The report also recommends that consideration should be given to the costs and benefits of reducing the VAT rate in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Quarantine

It says the Government should increase the availability of apprenticeship schemes to reduce youth unemployment and increase the skills level in the labour force.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has confirmed that the US will not be on the green list for safe travel to Ireland, and the UK is unlikely to be included.

Currently, people travelling to Ireland from other countries are required to self-quarantine.

They also have to fill in a passenger locator form, which says where they have come from and where they will be self-isolating.

The green list is due to be published on Monday.
Along with Bangladesh, the report said, the three countries are able to expand their presence as suppliers to China and increase their market shares in North America and Europe at Chinas expense.

Vietnams apparel exports jumped 30% last year, raising its global share to 8.7%, up from 6.8% in 2018.

While Cambodia accounted for only 1.4% of the market in 2019, its apparel manufacturing sector has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 13% over the last decade, due in large part to relatively low labour costs and favourable investment policies, including allowing full foreign equity ownership in the textiles sector.

Being able to use Vietnamese shipping ports also helps Cambodia with the transport and import of raw materials from China.

Myanmar is also expected to continue seeing strong growth, with numerous seaports facilitating shipping at one of the cheapest rates in the region.
The authorities of Uzbekistan have introduced a temporary ban on the export of pharmaceutical products amid increase of coronavirus cases, the operational headquarters under the government of the country informed.

"The export of pharmaceutical products from the Republic of Uzbekistan is suspended, as well as their export by individuals," the headquarters stated.

According to the headquarters, the export of certain types of pharmaceutical products is carried out exclusively according to the decisions of the republican special coronavirus commission.
RTHK: Australia suspends parliament over Covid-19 surge

Australia's parliament will be suspended for two weeks over fears that politicians could bring coronavirus from outbreak hotspots to the country's capital, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Saturday.

The postponement comes a day after the nation's second-biggest city reported a record rise in Covid-19 infections.

Citing medical advice, Morrison said the government could not ignore the risk that legislators might spread the disease to Canberra.

"The risks posed by a parliamentary sitting are significantly higher and unlikely to be resolved in the next month," he said.

Canberra and its surrounding Australian Capital Territory continue like much of the country to control the virus but cases have been on the rise in Sydney and Melbourne.

The announcement means parliament will not reconvene until at least August 24, having resumed on June 8.

The main opposition party accepted the decision but described the loss of political oversight ahead of a government update on the economy on Thursday as "problematic".

"We expect to be consulted much further in advance from any decision being made than what's occurred with these circumstances," Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese told media in Sydney. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2020-07-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Three Madison City Council members have introduced an ordinance that would bar the citys police department from using neck restraints on suspects  the same technique used on George Floyd before he died in Minneapolis police custody in May.

The measure from council president Sheri Carter and Alds. Syed Abbas and Max Prestigiacomo is on the councils Tuesday agenda for referral to other city committees.

It would bar intentionally applying pressure to the carotid artery, jugular vein or sides of the neck with the purpose, intent or effect of controlling an individuals movement or rendering a subject unconscious by constricting the flow of blood to and from the brain, as well as using an arm or other firm object to attempt to control or disable an individual by intentionally applying pressure against the windpipe, or the frontal area of the neck with the purpose or intent of controlling an individuals movement or rendering an individual unconscious by blocking the passage of air through the windpipe.

In a statement Monday, acting Madison Police Chief Vic Wahl said: Chokeholds are not trained, and are prohibited  except as a last resort if deadly force is authorized. This prohibition has been in place for decades and I am not aware of any MPD officer using a chokehold since Ive been here.

Neck restraints are not taught in police training in Wisconsin, according to Wisconsin Professional Police Association executive director Jim Palmer, but they also arent specifically prohibited under state law. He said his organization does not oppose outlawing them, but would prefer there be an exception that would allow for their use in exigent circumstances, such as when an officer is in a struggle with a suspect and worried about getting killed or seriously injured and has no other choice.

The ordinance does not contain such an exception, and Carter said shes comfortable with that, but we would have to see what happens on the council floor.

She said she didnt think she would be opposed to such an exception, but I would need to hear more about the circumstances.

Shortly after Floyds May 25 death, when images of former officer Derek Chauvin surfaced showing him kneeling on his neck, law enforcement experts and active police roundly criticized neck restraints and Chauvins actions.

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Linkedin (Reuters) Shanghai and Seoul  Sat, July 18, 2020 16:06 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406676451c 2 Entertainment K-pop,TikTok,Douyin,China,#KPop Free

Some K-pop stars' accounts have been blocked from view on TikTok's China equivalent Douyin, Reuters' checks showed on Friday, days after South Korea's media regulator slapped fines on the short-video app for data privacy noncompliance.

The reasons for the blocks were unknown, but the move also comes after remarks by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the United States is "certainly looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok.

South Korea's communications regulator on Wednesday fined TikTok Pte Ltd, the publisher of the app, 186 million won ($154,320) for collecting personal information of children under 14 years of age without consent from guardians and failing to disclose or notify when sending personal information overseas.

TikTok was required to submit voluntary preventative measures within 30 days, and the regulator planned to continue discussions with TikTok on information security issues, a Korea Communications Commission official said.

Accounts of K-Pop stars such as Rain, TWICE, Mamamoo and HyunA were blocked from view on Douyin as of Friday.

Read also: Chinas TikTok enters race to digitize Indonesian SMEs

Douyin and TikTok operated independently and the accounts were working normally on TikTok, a TikTok spokeswoman said.

Representatives for Douyin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TikTok and Douyin are both owned by Chinese company ByteDance.

The Chinese ownership of TikTok, among the fastest growing digital platforms ever, has come under heavy scrutiny on issues including its handling of user data. India banned TikTok and other Chinese apps in June. Douyin is unavailable on app stores outside of mainland China.

ByteDance has quietly made a series of moves in recent months to transfer global decision-making and research capabilities out of China, Reuters reported in May.

The K-pop stars' management agencies did not comment.

China accumulated 196.6 million downloads of Douyin as of the first quarter, or 9.7 percent of more than 2 billion TikTok downloads in total, according to data from industry site Sensor Tower.

K-Pop concerts, tourism and South Korean businesses were hit hard by a Chinese boycott in 2017 after Seoul deployed a US-made missile defence system despite Beijing's objections.

Hopes of a thaw in relations grew earlier this year amid plans for a possible visit to Seoul by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The adversary breached the truce at the zone of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces about 500 times, from July 12 to 18.

During this time the Azerbaijan armed forces fired more than 6,000 shots toward the Artsakh military positions, the Artsakh Ministry of Defense (MOD) press service informed.

But vanguard units of the Artsakh Defense Army fully oversee the frontline and continue to confidently carry out their combat duty.
Unnikrishnan S By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 'USA to Kerala Travel Group' is not a tour operator but a Malayali social media group borne out of the necessity to coordinate the evacuation Keralites stuck in the US when the pandemic changed their lives for worse in a foreign country.

The group has over 600 Keralites brought together by fate when India closed the sky for flights two days before the country announced a lockdown on March 24. Among them are pregnant women, IT professionals, who lost their jobs, students, tourists, sick and elderly. The active intervention of the group helped establish direct flights to Kerala under the Vande Bharat Mission and coordinate the evacuation of over 1,000 people so far.

It all started when Muhammad Fasal (Atlanta), Murali Das Mohan (Chicago), Nishil Muhammad (Atlanta), Prashant Venugopalan (Houston), Rahul Soman (SanFrancisco), Vishal Kumar (New Jersey), Jimmy Antony (New Jersey), who are strangers to one another, realised that they have something in common.

All of them had been stuck in the US and they were knocking at the doors of authorities for evacuation. Some of them lost their jobs and their visas had expired while some others have travel concerns due to the fact that their children have US citizenship or wife being in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

"The more we started interacting we realised there are more people sharing the same plight and hence started the WhatsApp group called 'USA to Kerala Travel Group'. Soon the number of members in the group swelled to over 600." said Rahul Soman, an IT professional from Guruvayur.

The group collected information on people interested in evacuation and sent the details to Indian embassy, Ministry of External Affairs, state government and MPs for arranging evacuation flights. They also managed to connect with Malayali organisations in the US through Salim Muhammad who is based in Michigan.

Though the repatriation flights under Vande Bharat Mission started to bring back stranded Indians from abroad since May 7, lack of flights to the state was a cause of worry for them.

"I did not want to go to other states and get quarantined because my wife was in an advanced stage of pregnancy," said Prasanth Venugopalan. The couple managed to return during the third phase of the evacuation on May 25 and wife Neena had been delivered of a baby boy in Thiruvananthapuram a couple of days ago.

'USA to Kerala Travel Group' managed to have a virtual meeting with Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan who agreed to arrange more flights to Kerala. There will be six flights in fourth stage of mission which will bring another 1,000 people. The group administrators also made travel guides for ticket booking, travel and quarantine for the benefit of people still stuck out there. We also plan to focus on the rehabilitation of the returnees, said Rahul.
By Trend

The period of permission to leave the place of residence or location is extended from two to three hours from July 20 in the Azerbaijani cities and districts in which the special quarantine regime has been toughened, the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend on July 17.

The special quarantine regime was extended in Azerbaijan until August 31 in accordance with the results of analysis of the sanitary-epidemiological situation in connection with the spread of COVID-19.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
IONIA COUNTY, MI -- As the investigation continues, alcohol is now believed to be a contributing factor in the crash that seriously injured a trooper from the Lakeview Post, according to an update from the Michigan State Police.

Investigators believe the 28-year-old Utah woman, who was involved in the July 10 head-on collision near Saranac that injured Trooper Caleb Starr, was drinking.

Tpr. Starr remains in critical condition. The other driver remains in critical, but stable condition,' according to the Thursday, July 16 tweet from the state police.

Police said Starr, 33, was driving west on Grand River Avenue, west of Nash Highway, about 10 p.m. on Friday, July 10 when the collision happened. The other driver, whose name has not been released, was headed east on Grand River Avenue when she crossed the center line and collided with Starrs cruiser.

Starr was trapped in the wreckage and needed to be extricated by rescuers. He was then flown by Aero Med helicopter to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids for treatment. The other driver was also taken to Butterworth.

Related: State police trooper critically injured in West Michigan crash identified

A GoFundMe page was set up on behalf of the troopers wife, Rachael Starr. Donations totaled $36,760 as of Friday, July 17 at 4:30 p.m.

We are raising money for Tpr. Starrs family. His wife, Rachael, is a civilian employee with the Michigan State Police. Together they have two daughters, Evelyn who is 5yrs old and Rosalie who is 2 1/2 yrs old. The family lives in Mason, MI and is staying in Grand Rapids while Tpr. Starr is hospitalized there. We are asking for donations for medical expenses, lodging, food, and bills. Everything a family shouldnt need to worry about in a dire time,' according to the the GoFundMe page set up by Patrick Arena.

More on MLive:

Whitmer tightens Michigan mask order, says businesses cant assume customers are exempt

Biden campaign highlights plan to increase skilled trades jobs at virtual event in Michigan

Man charged with homicide in killing of 1-year-old child in Kalamazoo County
WASHINGTON  In attempting to honor the late Rep. John Lewis after his death, two Republican senators mistakenly used a photo of Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died in October.

It was an honor to know & be blessed with the opportunity to serve in Congress with JohnLewis a genuine & historic American hero. May the Lord grant him eternal peace," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote on Twitter, attaching a picture of himself in a conversation with Cummings.

Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement, died Friday at 80 from pancreatic cancer.

Rubio also briefly made the image of him and Cummings his Twitter profile picture.

Image: Marco Rubio tweet John Lewis (Marco Rubio via twitter)

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-AK, made a similar gaffe on Facebook. The post has since been deleted but a spokesperson for the senator said in a statement that "Sullivans staff made a mistake trying to honor an American legend.

Rubio's tweet has also been deleted and his profile photo has been changed, but not before users were able to screenshot his mistake and share it online.

"Earlier today I tweeted an incorrect photo," Rubio posted shortly after he deleted the photo of Cummings, a Maryland Democrat who died last year at 68 after a history of health problems.

"John Lewis was a genuine American hero," he wrote. "I was honored to appear together in Miami 3 years ago at an event captured in video below... My God grant him eternal rest," Rubio continued, this time including a picture of himself and Lewis, which he also made his profile photo.

Rubio's mistake sparked outrage among some politicians who demanded he apologize for mixing up two Black lawmakers.

'What an honor to know ... ' Unreal. Im glad that @marcorubio has removed this shameful post but he owes an apology to both the Lewis family AND the Cummings family," Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., tweeted.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., called Rubio's tweet a "disgrace" and said that "as the senior U.S. Senator from your state, you as well as your staff should know the difference between the late Congressman Elijah Cummings and Congressman John Lewis. #DISGRACEFUL... correct it and get it right!"

Lewis, the son of a sharecroppers, served in Congress for more than three decades representing the Atlanta area.

Lewis was an advocate of nonviolent protest whose skull was fractured by Alabama state troopers during Bloody Sunday on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965. He was the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington.
Iran sends black box of Ukrainian passenger jet shot down in Jan by its forces for reading

Iran has sent the black box of the Ukrainian passenger jet that its armed forces mistakenly shot down in January to France for reading, the Associated press agency said Saturday.

Mohsen Baharvand, an aide to Iran's foreign minister, said that the downed jet's "black box" was transported to Paris on Friday, accompanied by Iranian civil aviation and judicial officials.

Baharvand also said the black box will be read in Paris on Monday.

Earlier, the French Bureau for the Investigation and Analysis of the Safety of Civil Aviation reported that the technical work to decrypt the records from the black box will begin on July 20.

As reported, Ukraine International Airlines' Boeing 737-800 passenger plane on flight PS752 from Tehran to Kyiv crashed near Tehran minutes after takeoff on January 8, killing all 167 passengers on board the plane.

The commander of Aerospace Force of the IRGC Brigadier-General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh admitted full responsibility for the tragic air disaster.
Union Health Ministry has allowed gated residential complexes to set up small Covid care facilities within its premises. A detailed guideline for setting up such facilities within the residential complexes by resident welfare associations (RWAs) or non governmental organisations has been published.

The facility will be dedicated for management of suspect/asymptomatic/presymptomatic/very mild cases of COVID-19, residing in the particular residential complex. The RWAs will have to find resources to manage the facility. It is also not meant for elderly patients, children below 10 years, pregnant or lactating women and patients with comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, other immune-compromised states). Such patients will have to be admitted to the appropriate Covid Care Health Facility. The guideline also specifies that such Covid Care Facilities will be linked to the surveillance team (IDSP) and an ambulance provider.

The complete set of guidelines for the setting up of such coronavirus care facilities is available on the health ministry website, here are some key points:

Infrastructure

The Covid Care Facility will be a makeshift facility. This may be set up in community hall/centre, common utility area etc within the premises of residential complex or empty flats which are isolated location-wise from the rest of the occupied dwelling.

The Covid Care Facility should have a separate entry/exit. Entrance to have mandatory hand hygiene (sanitiser dispenser) and thermal screening provisions for caregivers.

Beds shall be placed with spatial separation of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from one another.

There would be partitioned areas to keep suspected and confirmed cases separated. Suspect and confirmed cases must not be allowed to mix under any circumstances.

Adequate natural room ventilation shall be ensured. Putting up exhaust fans to vent out air from the facility (to open area) is desirable.

For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which inter alia emphasises that the temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-34 degree Celsius, relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70 per cent, intake of fresh air should be as much as possible and cross ventilation should be adequate.

The Covid Care Facility should have a separate toilet for suspect and confirmed cases with proper cleaning and supplies.

Post signages in the perimeter and on the entry indicating that the space is an isolation area.

Posters/standees/AV media on dos and don'ts for patients and caregivers to be displayed prominently.

Temporary donning/doffing room (changing room) would be created with partitions for wearing and taking off PPE for the staff.

Preferably double door entry to be created through partition, etc.

Human Resource

A doctor residing within the gated complex or that provided by the NGO will facilitate daily medical examination of the admitted patients.

A caregiver designated by the RWA/Residential Society/NGO shall be identified to provide care to the patients. Such caregivers will follow instructions at Annexure I and also instruct patients accordingly.

The doctor and the caregiver so selected will undergo training on the iGot platform on Covid management and Infection, prevention and control practices.

Further support for clinical assessment, sample collection, packaging and transportation will be provided by the local rapid response team.

Patient care at Covid Care Facility

Patients admitted to Covid Care Facility will be clinically assigned as suspect/asymptomatic/presymptomatic/very mild. The local RRT/District Surveillance Officer or their nominee will be responsible for clinical assessment and admission of the patient to Covid Care Facility.

At all times, the patients so admitted will use a triple layer medical mask.

The identified medical officer shall be responsible for assessment of the patient(s). The doctor will examine the patient and monitor the vital signs (including respiratory rate, pulse rate, oxygen saturation and temperature).

The caregiver will keep records of patients admitted to such facilities.

The caregiver will maintain records of the vitals of all patients

There will be an oversight mechanism through video camera monitoring or through the guards so that the admitted patients do not leave the facility premises, visit their household, park or other common utility area.

Food for admitted patients shall be arranged by Facility preferably in disposable plates.

Keep the patient's personal belongings to a minimum. Keep water pitchers, cups, tissue wipes, and all items necessary for attending to personal hygiene within the patient's reach.

Any patient-care equipment (e.g. stethoscope, hand held infrared thermometer, blood pressure cuff and sphygmomanometer) that is required for use by other patients should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Immediate medical attention must be sought if serious signs or symptoms develop. These could include: i. Difficulty in breathing ii. Respiratory rate > 24/min iii. Dip in oxygen saturation (SpO2

If a suspect case admitted to Covid Care Facility tests negative, the patient will be assessed by the treating doctor and will either be discharged (on medication, if applicable) or referred to a non-Covid facility as per requirement.

In case of positive asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic/very mild cases, the patient would be discharged as per the discharge policy applicable to home isolation patients available on the health ministry website.

Also read: Coronavirus: Biggest spike of 34,884 new cases, 671 deaths in a day; tally at 10.38 lakh
AUBURN  Auburn city government, a Syracuse University professor and others have been working together to track coronavirus through wastewater.

For the last couple months, David Larsen, associate professor at Syracuse University, and his team have been analyzing the results of wastewater samples from Auburn and comparing the data with Cayuga County's known positive COVID-19 cases. Larsen is an environmental epidemiologist whose expertise in global health includes mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria and sanitation, according to his page on the university's website.

"As the coronavirus unfolded around the New Year I watched with interest, but not really knowing how I might help," Larsen told the Auburn City Council during a presentation Thursday. "And then as I observed what's happening in our country, I realized that we need some better data, better information so that the public can understand and the policymakers can understand."

Larsen's team is partnering with other groups and is working with several municipalities. His team has been analyzing Auburn's results "pro bono" since mid-May, Seth Jensen, the city's director of municipal utilities, said Friday.

Jensen reached out to Larsen after reading about the university's virus detection work in Syracuse. Jensen also brought on board Eileen O'Connor, the director of the Cayuga County Health Department's Environmental Health Division, with the idea to use data collected in making health and safety recommendations to the county.

The samples were initially being sent to SUNY Upstate Medical University, but now go to an independent Syracuse-based lab, and that means the city has to pay $200 a sample. Jensen said he believes bringing a sample to the lab once or twice a week can probably be done "within our existing operating budget."

After four samples per week were sent to SUNY Upstate for eight weeks at no cost, one representative sample per week for two weeks has gone to the independent lab the last two weeks, costing $400.

The technology for using wastewater was developed 25 years ago to understand polio transmission, Larsen said. If wastewater is monitored, "you can pick up when transmission's occurring in the community."

He added that wastewater surveillance can provide a representative sample of a population. Added benefits are that the samples do not provide identifiable information, according to Larsen's presentation.

The program's goals, Larsen said, are to have estimates of virus transmission in real time, to guide policymakers and the public through reopening phases, to give early warning to a second wave of an outbreak.

Larsen said RNA with the coronavirus has been consistently found in the city's sewage, but the counts have been too low to properly measure the amounts in the samples. He noted they have recently seen an increase in transmission throughout New York, indicating potential for a second wave, though not in Auburn so far.

City councilors asked a lot of questions but were receptive to the program.

"I think it's important that Auburn take advantage of this opportunity to respond to it on a real-time basis," Council Terry Cuddy said.

Jensen said the program is beneficial for the city and county.

"It's just another resource for us to be able to tap into at no cost other than the lab samples at this point," he said. "There is still a tremendous amount of effort that Professor Larsen and his team bring to the table for Cayuga County at no cost."

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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<! L-R: Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, Sowore Sahara Reporters publisher >

By Ebere Agozie/Abuja

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN said he has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the persistent malicious publications against him by SaharaReporters.

Malami who disclosed this in a statement issued by Dr Umar Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations in Abuja on Friday said his lawyers,Mr Sunday Ameh, SAN, and Co have forwarded the petition to the IGP.

The AGF in the petition wants the police to carry out comprehensive investigation into the motive behind the libellous and criminal defamation of his character, integrity and reputation by the medium.

He complained that his character and integrity as a senior lawyer had been maliciously lowered and brought into disrepute by the online publications.

He, also in the same vein, petitioned Omoyele Sowore, publisher of the offending publications, demanding an apology and retraction of the alleged criminal defamatory publications.

The petition by Malamis lawyer, Sunday Ameh reads in part:  For the records Sir, Malami is a second term Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice who has been returned due to his exemplary leadership of the anti-corruption program of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Under the supervision of Malami as Attorney General, the extant National Anti Corruption Strategy was conceived, designed, approved by the Federal Executive Council and is currently being implemented.

Malamis re-appointment as Attorney General is first of its kind and to our mind, a testimony of his unparalleled performance in Office, especially in driving the Anti-Corruption agenda of the Government among others.

In sum, the libellous publications contained direct allegations and innuendos  Notwithstanding that the stories untrue and false; Sahara Reporters published the defamatory articles in issue malafide, with intention to ridicule our client before the whole world.

Our client has since July 10, when the malicious criminal libel were first published, received and still receives several telephone calls and visits from well meaning Nigerians, his friends, well-wishers and associates from all over the world including those he has dealt with/still dealing with in his official capacity as Nigerias Chief Law Officer many of whom have expressed serious concerns as to his alleged conducts as reported by Sahara Reporters.

Our client deserves justice.

Similarly, the Attorney-General has written the publishers of Sahara Reporters complaining on the same alleged libellous and criminally defamatory publications.

Take notice that you are hereby issued a seven-day ultimatum to retract all the libellous and criminally defamatory publications, and cause to be issued a public apology to be published on your platform and on the front page of three newspapers with nationwide circulation for three consecutive days failing which we shall be left with no other option than to allow the law to take its course against your organisation.

Related
The first Wamberal resident to lose his home to the sea in 1978 says he has been waiting more than 40 years for the ocean to claim further victims, as residents consider a class action over the partial collapse of waterfront properties on Friday.

Coastal erosion is seen from the air over Ocean View Drive at Wamberal on Saturday. Credit:Darren Pateman/AAP

Luxury residences along Ocean View Drive were evacuated after a low pressure system pounded the coast on Thursday night, causing two properties to partially collapse and leaving others teetering on the brink of the ocean.

A Central Coast Council spokesperson said public works engineers spent Saturday assessing the damage, which would determine the next "protective actions" taken by authorities.

But Ocean View Drive resident Warren Hughes blamed council for the residents woes since 2016, when the strip was last battered by severe storms.
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Linkedin Dave Clark and Damon Wake (Agence France-Presse) Brussels  Sat, July 18, 2020 16:07 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406676480a 2 World European-Union,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free

EU leaders will consider new proposals on Saturday to overcome resistance from the Netherlands and Austria to their huge post-virus economic recovery plan on the second day of an extraordinary summit.

European Council president and Brussels talks host Charles Michel met late into the night with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel to thrash out a new package.

His initial blueprint of a 750-billion-euro recovery package to kickstart economies ravaged by the coronavirus and its attendant lockdowns ran into stiff resistance on Friday from the member states known in Brussels as the "Frugals".

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte admitted that he had been alone in insisting that member states retain the final say over approval of any EU funding for national recovery plans in his more heavily indebted partners like Spain and Italy.

But he insisted oversight was necessary to oblige them to reform their labour markets, and said the atmosphere at Friday night's dinner had turned "grumpy".

'Broken systems'

But he said that southern partners should not drag their feet on reform "to make sure that next time, when for whatever reason there is a crisis again, economic or otherwise, countries are better able to take care of themselves."

"Of course we are helping Europe again, but what you are talking about is the economic consequences of the coronavirus, the economic consequences. It's not like money has to go to a country tomorrow," he said, adding that while the Michel plan involves grants to countries "I was just thinking loans."

Austria has also been a holdout, and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wants the recovery fund to be smaller, tweeting to say he "clearly rejects" the sum of 500 billion euros that would be grants and subsidies to government, the rest of the package coming as loans.

"If the money is not used to invest in the future, if it does not go hand in hand with necessary reforms in states that are simply broken in their systems... then all this will fizzle out," he warned.

Amid rising tension, Michel suspended the Friday talks earlier than expected and called a new session for 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Saturday, before when he will meet separately with some leaders to try out his new proposals.

Diplomatic sources told AFP that this would involve a new balance between loans and grants in the final package, but that cuts to the total size of the plan would be linked to a reduction in the rebates that some richer countries like Austria and Netherlands get on their EU contributions.

"We'll have to restart things differently to save the summit," one senior diplomat said.

'Difficult to swallow'

Another diplomat from a non-frugal state warned: "What the Netherlands wants is legally impossible and politically difficult to swallow."

Before the talks Rutte insisted he wanted to show solidarity with countries that don't have the budget to stoke a meaningful recovery.

"But at the same time, you can also ask those countries to do everything possible to solve this yourselves the next time. And you do this through reforms, in the labor market, in pensions etc," he added.

The rescue package is in addition to the planned 1,074-billion-euro seven-year EU budget from 2021 to 2027 that the leaders must also agree on in the coming weeks or months.

Rutte's position has been backed to varying degrees by fellow members of the so-called "Frugal Four" -- Sweden, Denmark and Austria. Finland has also been calling for cuts to the Michel plan.
Opened in 1766, St. Pauls is the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan and sits in the heart of the Financial District, where it was an unlikely survivor of the Sept. 11 attacks. The church has a long history of blending secular and liturgical music; its first organ was imported from England in 1802, before there were builders in America, and it has since been upgraded, replaced and modified as the state of the art evolved.

In the modern era the pipes of St. Pauls organ had to be altered to account for vibrations caused by the network of subway lines running directly below it.

When you sit in this lovely, historic chapel you see, hear and feel the modern world all around you: Trains rumble by underneath your chair, a giant video screen shows the hands and feet of the performer in the organ loft above your head, and the sounds, which range from a heraldic trumpet to a more delicate stop designed to sound like a nightingale, envelop you in a mingled world of harmony, polyphony and percussion.

That cold day in January when Mr. Briggs gave his recital, he announced an improvisation on a theme he wouldnt identify in advance but promised we would all know. First he played it through straight, the 30-odd notes of the famous melody by John Williams from the epic space opera Star Wars.

Then, after a tiny pause, Mr. Briggs organized his feet on the pedals, hunched his shoulders with a devilish expression on his face and set into a series of loud, heavy chords, conjuring a full orchestra with his hands and feet, pulling out different stops as he went along.

A fugue-like section morphed into a riff on a carnival organ, then wandered into a minor-key lament in a performance that married the joy of improvised music with the unlimited capacity of the pipe organ. Turning around to face the audience and take a bow, Mr. Briggs made a gesture thats unique among organists: He motioned to the instrument  his orchestra  so that we could applaud it too.

When the pandemic shut down live musical performances, Mr. Briggs retreated to a small town in coastal Massachusetts, where he was given the keys to a local church, the Ascension Memorial in Ipswich. From its much smaller but still grandly expressive organ, Mr. Briggs set up his phone and started streaming what became an 11-week series of daily Hibernation Improvs, short pieces that ranged from the meditative to the silly, with tributes to old masters  Bach, Purcell, Vierne, Durufle  tossed in the mix.

Shut off from the real world, he tapped into that instinct that is clearly bred in the bone of every organist: to live in the moment by creating music that simultaneously evokes the past, vamps on the present and points a way to the future.

Annik LaFarge is the author of the forthcoming Chasing Chopin: A Musical Journey Across Three Centuries, Four Countries, and a Half-Dozen Revolutions.

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Los Angeles:

Donald Trumps presidential victory set off protests early on Thursday on both coasts. From Pennsylvania to California, Oregon and Washington hundreds of people hit the streets to voice their opposition to Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton.

Police said at least 500 people swarmed on streets in and around UCLA, some shouting anti-Trump expletives and others chanting Not my president!

There were no immediate arrests. Smaller demonstrators were held at University of California campuses and neighborhoods in Berkeley, Irvine and Davis and at San Jose State.

ALSO READ: (US Presidential elections: Hillary accepts defeat, says nation owes Trump an open mind and chance to lead)

In Oakland, more than 100 protesters took to downtown streets. KNTV-TV reported that protesters burned Trump in effigy, smashed windows of the Oakland Tribune newsroom and set tires and trash on fire.

The California Highway Patrol says a woman was struck by a car during the protest and severely injured.

In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland and forced a delay for trains on two light rail lines. Media reports say the crowd grew to about 300 people, including some who sat in the middle of the road to block traffic. The crowd of anti-Trump protesters burned American flags and chanted Thats not my president.

ALSO READ: (Barack Obama pledges to ensure a smooth transition for his successor Donald Trump)

In Seattle, a group of about 100 protesters gathered in the Capital Hill neighborhood, blocked roads and set a trash bin on fire.

In Pennsylvania, hundreds of University of Pittsburgh students marched through the streets, with some in the crowd calling for unity. The student-run campus newspaper, the Pitt News, tweeted about an event later today titled Emergency Meeting: Lets Unite to Stop President Trump.

ALSO READ: (US Election Results Declared: Barack Obama congratulates Donald Trump on being elected as 45th US President)

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Three terrorists have been killed in an encounter with the security forces in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday.

The gunfight happened in the Amshipora village in Shopian.

BCCL/ FILE

"A joint operation was launched early Saturday morning. The Security Forces were fired upon while laying the cordon, from the cow shed of the lone house in the orchard. A firefight ensued" the Army said.

The encounter broke out after a joint team of police and the Army cordoned off the area on the basis of a specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area.

As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the gunfight.

bccl/ file

In a related development, the Indian Army on Friday nabbed an intruder at the Line of Control (LOC) in Lam area of Nowshera sector in Rajouri district.

The gunfight came a day after three militants, including a self-styled top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed and two security personnel injured in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam.

One of them was identified as Waleed Bhai, a commander of JeM and an IED expert, while the identity of the other two was being ascertained.

bccl

Waleed was active for the past one and a half years and was operating in South Kashmir.

In the past few months, the Indian security agencies have been stepping up their crackdown against Pakistan-backed terrorists in the valley.

At least 133 militants in different operations across Jammu and Kashmir including top commanders of different terrorist groups in Kashmir this year.

bccl

However, the threat of militancy is still a matter of concern and recently there were reports of inputs about terrorists planning to carry out an attack on Amarnath Yatra.

"There are inputs that terrorists would try their best to target the yatra, but we have got our systems and resources in place to ensure that it goes on unhindered and peacefully," Brigadier Vivek Singh Thakur, Commander, Two Sector, said in a press conference in south Kashmir.

"We remain committed to ensure Amarnath Yatra will be conducted peacefully without any hindrance and the security situation will continue to remain under control," he said.
On its face, the legal showdown between Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over the legality of the citys face mask mandate is a dispute over the right balance between personal freedom and public health.

But the increasingly bitter feud between the Republican governor, an acolyte of President Donald Trump, and the Democratic mayor, a possible vice presidential pick who, herself, has tested positive for Covid-19, is also a microcosm of the fault lines  political, racial, geographic  hampering the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic and fueling an outbreak that now appears to be spinning out of control.

Atlanta City Council Member Antonio Brown says the failure to contain the virus is hurting our most vulnerable communities, which are Black and brown communities, the most. While we're pointing fingers, we're not getting the work of the people done. We're not saving lives. We're not protecting our communities that need to be protected.

The data matches his claim: the parts of the country where the coronavirus outbreaks are now the largest are metro areas across the country's south and west, areas with local Democratic leaders and large communities of color in states that are predominantly governed by Republicans. That's heightened the political tension between governors like Kemp, who is playing to one constituency in the state, and Bottoms and other city leaders fighting to protect their local communities.

Kemp filed suit against Lance Bottoms and Atlantas city council on Thursday, arguing the citys mask requirement violates a statewide executive order he signed Wednesday that voids local mask mandates.

Gov. Brian Kemp returns to his office after giving a coronavirus briefing at the Georgia state capitol on Friday in Atlanta. Kemp is suing Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over its face mask mandate.

The move, he said, "is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times." That echoes arguments made by President Donald Trump and fellow GOP governors, who complained the countrys response has overreacted in its lockdowns and restrictions as it seeks to contain the virus, and that the economic and personal damage of lockdowns should be weighed more heavily. The rhetoric plays well with Republicans predominantly white political base, which have been skeptical of public health advice, a distrust fanned from within the White House.

Story continues

On Tuesday, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci, the foremost U.S. expert on infectious disease, in a USA Today op-ed, writing that the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.

In an interview on the Today Show, Friday, Bottoms said she didnt think it was happenstance that Kemps lawsuit came the day after Donald Trump visited Atlanta, pointing out that the president did not wear a mask at the airport. This is the same governor who didnt know until well into the pandemic that it could be spread by asymptomatic transmission. He didnt go to Emory for guidance. He didnt go to the CDC for guidance.

Kemp and other Republican governors who pushed most aggressively to reopen communities and restart economic activity are now presiding over sharp upticks in coronavirus infections and rapidly filling hospitals. And its urban areas and places with large communities of color, like Atlanta, that face the toughest consequences.

Since Kemp re-opened Georgia businesses in late April, daily cases have been on the rise, at more than 3,000 people testing positive per day. Of the more than 3,100 total reported deaths in the state, nearly half are African American, despite making up 32 percent of the population.

And Atlanta and its suburbs are at the epicenter. Fulton County, where Atlanta is based, has reported 335 deaths, while the surrounding counties of Gwinnett, DeKalb and Cobb have reported a combined 642. The area is 51 percent Black.

A Center for Disease Control study published June 17 found that 79 percent of Covid-19 patients hospitalized in the Atlanta metro area in March and April 2020 were Black.

According to the CDC, Georgia ranks fourth among U.S. states when it comes to the number of Covid-19 cases reported in the past seven days, behind fellow Sun Belt states, Texas, Florida and California and just ahead of Arizona. Available data on infections, hospitalizations and deaths in those states reveal a similar racial divide, with a disproportionate effect on the Black and Latino populations.

The CDC, for example, has found that Hispanic residents of Harris County, home to Houston, are four times as likely to be hospitalized due to Covid-19 than their white counterparts.

Face coverings, public health experts agree, are one of the best ways to slow coronavirus transmission.

The guidance is clear from the public health perspective. How that's enforced is something different, said Dr. Stephanie Miles-Richardson, Professor of Community Health and Preventative Medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine. The coronavirus doesn't have any kind of politics or any political affiliation.

While mask-wearing remains anathema to many conservatives, more and more Republican officials are acknowledging their necessity. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reversed course and issued a statewide mask mandate at the beginning of July. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson followed this week. Florida Gov. Ron De Santis continues to buck pressure to do the same, but aides also said he would not challenge local masks requirements in his state.

Large corporations like Walmart and Target also recently began requiring face coverings in their stores.

In Georgia, several local leaders have followed Bottoms example and defied Kemps order by making masks mandatory in public spaces. Kelly Girtz, Mayor of Athens, Kemps hometown, said he plans to keep the mask mandate in place in his city.

I find it unfortunately, a waste of our valuable time and energy, when we really need to be working together to do the things that are demonstrably healthy, he said. I've been in local government now for 14 years. And I've seen political winds and alliances come and go. I think what has to be steady is doing the right thing for the people, the community and the right thing right now, is implementing a foundation for safety.


- Vice Ganda has recently been vocal about his opinion and stands regarding the closure of his home network, ABS-CBN

- It can be recalled that on July 10, ABS-CBN was not granted a new franchise after it gained an overwhelming 70-11 vote from the Congress

- This prompted various Kapamilya celebrities, including Vice, to air their frustrations and concerns for the people who are about to lose their jobs

- In a recent online post, Vice even penned a strong message to the people who were responsible regarding the franchise denial of his home network

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Vice Ganda has buzzed the online community after he wrote a strong message towards the people who were responsible for the franchise denial for his home network, ABS-CBN.

It can be recalled that on July 10, the Congress decided not to grant the media giant a fresh 25-year franchise with an overwhelming 70-11 vote from its members.

Following this news, KAMI learned that Vice has expressed his frustration and disbelief over the matter on his social media account.

Vice Ganda (Photo from Flickr)

Source: UGC

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In one of his online posts, the Kapamilya star began by writing a few words about the Lopez', "Sa pagpapasara ng ABS CBN mawawalan ng malaking pagkakakitaan ang mga Lopez."

The comedian then added that despite the closure of ABS-CBN, the Lopez' won't suffer but that the ordinary employees will, "Pero sigurado akong di sila maghihirap. Napakayaman na nila para maghirap.

"Ang totoong magdudusa dito ay ang mga pangkarinawang manggagawa na nawalan ng trabaho. Sila ang maghihirap."

Vice then ended his statement by addressing the people who were responsible for the closure of his home network.

"Kaya kung inaakala nyong nagtagumpay kayo e nagkakamali kayo. Mali ang natarget nyo. Mali ang pinatay ninyo. At lahat yan ay mumultuhin at gagambalain kayo. Alam nyo kung sino kayo!" he wrote.

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Vice Ganda is a popular actor, comedian, television host, and recording artist in the Philippines. He starred in many blockbuster movies including Praybeyt Benjamin."

The Kapamilya comedian recently buzzed the online community after he walked out during the opening number of ABS-CBN's It's Showtime after becoming emotional.

He was also featured in GMA-7's alongside other executives from ABS-CBN after the news show reported the media giant's current issue with their franchise renewal.

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Source: KAMI.com.gh
NAIROBI, Kenya - One opposition leader was shot 16 times and fled the country. Another had his leg broken by unknown assailants and his newspaper was shut down. A third, the countrys most prominent, has been banned for a year from making so-called seditious statements, or what others might call dissent.

But hes speaking out anyway. With Tanzania facing an October election that contentious President John Magufuli hopes to win, opposition leader Zitto Kabwe tells The Associated Press hes trying to unite the opposition behind one candidate for the best shot at an upset.

And his party just attracted a potential candidate, former foreign minister Bernard Membe, who left the ruling party that has been in power since independence.

Magufulis administration, however, has set up one obstacle after another. In 2016 it barred opposition groups from political gatherings, and theres no sign it will be lifted for campaigning. Human rights groups say that ban has no legal basis.

Politics are behind the attacks on opposition leaders and multiple arrests, rights groups say. And now the coronavirus is a threat after Magufuli declared it defeated in the East African nation. His government stopped updating the confirmed number of cases in April. The president has refused to shut down the economy or bar any kind of gatherings  except the political ones.

Kabwe, the leader of the Alliance for Change and Transparency party, the countrys fastest growing political party, has been arrested 16 times since Magufuli came to power in 2015.

The best weapon against a dictatorship is speaking up, he told the AP.

This week Tanzanias registrar of political parties added more pressure, threatening to deregister or suspend Kabwes party and accusing it of flouting rules by mixing religion and politics. Kabwe called the accusations flimsy and told supporters not to worry because the registrar is barred from deregistering a party in the 12 months before an election.

Kabwe says he crossed the Rubicon and became more outspoken after opposition leader Tindu Lissu, deputy leader of the CHADEMA party, was shot 16 times in 2017.

I decided and said this should not continue, he said. The state wants us to keep quiet, they threaten us. The best weapon for us is to speak up and radicalize even more.

Now his task is persuading Lissu and CHADEMA leader Freeman Mbowe, was attacked in June by unidentified assailants, to join forces in the election against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.

Lissu has announced he will run against the president, but he remains in Belgium. Mbowe has picked up a nomination form, which suggests he will run, too.

Kabwe said that in Tanzania, where whoever gets the most votes wins the election outright, a united opposition has the chance at an upset. Magufuli won the 2015 election with 58% of the vote.

I have been across the country and the feeling of the people is just change, Kabwe said. He said past efforts to form a united front had failed because of selfishness, giving no details.

On Wednesday, Kabwe told reporters his party was in talks with CHADEMA to front a single candidate and he will not vie for that position. Instead, he will support whoever emerges after the two parties choose their candidates in the coming weeks.

Talks with CHADEMA are at an advanced stage, he said.

He also warned the election wont be free and fair, pointing out that Magufuli appoints the members of the electoral commission. And independent media houses have been banned or had their licenses suspended.

But the opposition cannot boycott this election regardless of the obstacles, Kabwe said. Boycotting could make the situation in Tanzania worse as Magufulis allies would have no challenge for seats in the legislative assembly or local assemblies.

Ruling party delegates this month unanimously endorsed Magufuli to run for a second term. Some even want him to go beyond the two-term limit.

The president, although criticized over repressive measures, has won some support for his much-publicized fight against corruption, though some in the opposition question its effectiveness. Magufuli also celebrated when the World Bank this month reclassified Tanzania upward as a lower-middle income country.

Parliament speaker Job Ndugai has said they will force Magufuli to pursue further terms whether he likes it or not.

Amnesty International warns the October election will take place in a climate of fear as restrictions tighten. Already, organizations such as the Legal and Human Rights Centre and Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition that have previously convened local organizations on election observation or monitoring human rights in the context of elections have been barred by Tanzanias government from playing these roles, researcher Roland Ebole said.

Kabwe said he and other like-minded people will continue fighting.

We will call for electoral and political reforms while conducting our politics. There is no way apart from that in order to save our democracy, he said.
County police responded about 10:10 a.m. after a woman was found in a car with a gunshot wound to the head in the 9600 block of Stuart Lane in the Clinton area. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Armenias Permanent Representative to International Organisations in Vienna, Ambassador Armen Papikyan had a meeting Friday with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, Armenian MFA reported.

The aim of the meeting was to brief the Director General on the situation resulting from military offensive against Armenia launched by Azerbaijan on July 12, and inform him of threats and extremely perilous statements made in this context by official Baku.

In particular, Ambassador Papikyan expressed Armenias deep concern over threats of Azerbaijans Ministry of Defence to launch rocket attack at Armenias Metsamor nuclear power plant, and highlighted that such statements clearly violate all the norms of the international humanitarian law and gravely challenge the security and safety of not only Armenia but of the whole region. Ambassador stated that the Azerbaijans deplorable statement of targeting the Metsamor NPP is a clear case of manifestation of state terrorism.

Ambassador Papikyan expressed hope that the IAEA, within the scope of its mandate, will react to such irresponsible and dangerous statements of Azerbaijan.

While expressing concern over developments, the interlocutors, underscored the vital importance of ensuring safety and security of Armenias nuclear power plant and highlighted in this regard the years-long and effectively developing cooperation between Armenia and the Agency.




Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba

The Federal Government has given school owners up to 29th July, 2020 to meet specific guidelines for the safe reopening of schools, if they are interested in reopening schools soon.

According to TheNation, it said schools are expected to undertake self-assessment and send feedback to State Ministries of Education, not later than 29th July, 2020.

The government said an official date for safe reopening of schools will be announced once these guidelines are in place.

Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, said this on Friday in Abuja.

Nwajiuba said the the Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE), having consulted widely, has in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Education in Emergencies Working Group, developed and circulated guidelines for the reopening of schools.

In a statement on Friday by the Director of Information, FMoE, Ben Goong, the minister said school owners are expected to prepare and comply with the guidelines.

Thereafter, consultations with relevant stakeholders will be held to review the situation and decide on a specific date for reopening or otherwise.

Furthermore, the Minister said, having taken the painful but necessary decision not to reopen schools without necessary preparations to ensure the safety of students and teachers, the Federal Ministry of Education has continued consultations with stakeholders, and a mechanism to assess and monitor compliance shall be put in place, the statement said.

The minister said the ministry has consulted with Commissioners of Education in the 36 states, the Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria,(APSON), National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools,(NAPPS), Provosts of Colleges of Education, Rectors of Polytechnics, Vice Chancellors of Universities, some State Governors, and development partners since Tuesday last week.

Speaking on WAEC, Nwajuiba said: we met with WAEC on Monday and have agreed to further consult with four other countries on a new examination date.



We appreciate the concern shown by all stakeholders and note the divergent views expressed on the matter.

Parents should be rest assured that the safety of our students and teachers is paramount as we work assiduously towards speedy reopening of our schools for the exit classes to take external examinations, the statement added.
Acquisition expands Inozymes intellectual property portfolio for the development of novel therapies for ENPP1 deficiency



Alexion acquires ownership stake in Inozyme

BOSTON, July 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inozyme Pharma, Inc. today announced the acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals intellectual property and assets focusing on ENPP1 gene deficiencies. The acquisition complements the ongoing development of Inozymes lead product candidate, INZ-701, which Inozyme is investigating for the treatment of ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies, which are rare diseases of abnormal mineralization.

The acquisition includes Alexions patent estate, preclinical data, and manufacturing research relating to Alexions prior ENPP1 deficiency program. As consideration for these assets, Alexion received shares of Inozymes preferred stock representing a single-digit ownership percentage on a fully diluted basis.

We are pleased to acquire this intellectual property and scientific data to complement our own research and development programs for ENPP1 deficiency and related genetic diseases, said Axel Bolte, MSc, MBA, co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Inozyme Pharma. The acquisition expands our intellectual property portfolio, and we welcome Alexion as a shareholder of Inozyme. We look forward to building on the work of both companies to develop potential new therapies for patients who have limited choices today.

Alexion and Inozyme share a commitment to advancing the treatment of rare diseases, said Rajinder Khunkhun of Alexion Business Development. Given the development programs underway at Inozyme and their focus on ultra rare diseases of abnormal mineralization, this agreement represents an innovative opportunity to advance the development of therapies for ENPP1 gene deficiencies.

About INZ-701

INZ-701 is a soluble, recombinant, or genetically engineered, fusion protein that is designed to correct a defect in the mineralization pathway caused by ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies. In preclinical studies conducted in ENPP1-deficient mouse models, dosing with INZ-701 resulted in increased plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) levels, reduction in ectopic calcium deposits in a variety of tissues, prevention of calcification in the heart and aorta, and improvements in overall health and survival. In ABCC6-deficient mouse models, dosing with INZ-701 also increased plasma PPi levels. In addition to normalizing levels of PPi, in preclinical studies, INZ-701 prevented neointimal proliferation in both wild-type and ENPP1-deficient mice. The nonclinical INZ-701 toxicology studies that Inozyme has conducted in two animal species showed no systemic adverse effects at doses that significantly exceeded potential human doses.

About Inozyme Pharma

Inozyme Pharma is a rare disease biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of diseases of abnormal mineralization. Through our in-depth understanding of the biological pathways involved in mineralization, we are pursuing the development of therapeutics to address the underlying causes of these debilitating diseases. It is well established that two genes, ENPP1 and ABCC6, play key roles in a critical mineralization pathway and that defects in these genes lead to abnormal mineralization. We are initially focused on developing a novel therapy to treat the rare genetic diseases of ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies.
An iconic Portland business that began nearly 30 years ago on a whim, a dream, and a family home put up for collateral will close sometime in September.

The Whole 9 Yards, 1820 E. Burnside St., wasnt done in by a faltering economy, or a lack of customers, the fallout from social distancing rules required because of COVID-19.

The death of a family member convinced Amy Estrin and her husband, Jamie Eoff, that time is precious, and they needed to do something different with their lives.

My mom passed away last year, said Estrin. Jamie and I had a good run, a great run, but we have a long list of things we want to do.

The circle closes in the most appropriate of ways.

The store was born because of a list.

It dies because of a list.

***

Estrin, born and raised in Chicago, moved to Oregon in her 20s after her parents packed up and decided to open a retail fabric store in Salem. Her mother was a nurse, her father a wholesale fabric distributor.

They gave it all up and came to Salem of all places to open a retail fabric store, she said. Who does something that drastic in their 50s?

Estrin, a fine arts painter, moved to Salem to help her parents and then to Portland, where she met and married Eoff, a musician who played drums. She showed her work in local galleries and he played in bands. They also both had side gigs at Storefront Theater, a ground-breaking company. Estrin worked on designing sets, her husband with music for the shows.

During a road trip to Los Angeles the couple talked about working together. To pass the time, they made a list of possible ventures, including a coffee shop, a bookstore and a record store. Also on the list was a fabric store.

On the way home we crossed off the things we didnt want to do, said Estrin. The fabric store made the cut.

Estrin decided she wanted to do something different than her parents, something that incorporated her love of art, by creating a retail store featuring unusual fabrics from around the world.

But the couple had no money.

What they did have was their house, once owned by Eoffs parents. His father joined the Oregon Symphony when he was 19, playing the viola there for decades, and also working closely with the Portland Youth Philharmonic.

My parents were frugal, he said. My mother was a seamstress and stayed at home. But she managed their money well and they were able to buy the house that I inherited when they died.

Estrin and Eoff who said they were making a living the best they could, decided to use their house as collateral to get a loan for a business they named The Whole 9 Yards. They both knew it was a huge risk.

It still amazes me that Jamie trusted me, she said. He was going to do all the bookkeeping and all the behind scenes work at the store. I was going to be the primary person out front, the face of the store.

They rented space in Northwest Portland and opened for business.

I spent more money buying fabric than Id spent in my accumulated adult life, said Estrin. I couldnt sleep I was so worried.

The business grew slowly, the husband and wife doing everything until they made enough to start hiring employees. One woman they wanted to hire had to turn down the job because her husband didnt think the neighborhood was safe.

It was considered scary, said Estrin. This is before the Pearl District blew up and became what it is today.

The business took off when customers and interior designers from the metropolitan area discovered the stores selection of fabric. Estrin studied fabric from the perspective of a painter, traveling the United States and Europe, looking for good deals and fabrics not found in chain stores.

We did better every single year, she said. We hung in there during the recession.

In 2000, the couple had the chance to buy a building on East Burnside.

We did it, said Estrin. Thank you to the powers that be in life.

Eoff said his parents would have been astonished to see what their home helped build.

After Estrins mother died, the couple took stock of their lives. She is 63 and he is 69.

We have this list of things we want to do, said Eoff. So, were going to do them. We are going to go enjoy life.

The couple sold the building, which allows them to retire. Theyre willing to sell the store, but know finding a buyer in such uncertain times could be difficult.

But if someone is young and creative, they should come talk, said Estrin. It would be great to keep the spirit of the store alive.

The remaining stock of fabric will be on sale until the doors close in September.

Its bittersweet, said Estrin. In many ways its a lot harder to close the store than it was to open it.

As the weeks wind down, the couple is proud of what they managed to build.

We did all of this on our own, said Estrin. All we had was that house, the one we still live in, to fund everything.

-- Tom Hallman Jr; thallman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8224; @thallmanjr

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Teachers across Tucson and the state say they dont want to return to classrooms while the coronavirus rages.

Tucson school districts havent seen many teachers leave, but some educators say they would retire early or resign if forced into a classroom while COVID-19 numbers remain so high. Others say they cant afford to quit but are terrified to go back.

Every year kindergarten teacher Karen Motl jokes with her colleagues about being inoculated by students because of how kids pass around the flu or common cold when the school year starts. The 60-year-old Borman K-8 teacher, who has underlying health conditions, said this is different.

Theres nothing I would want more than to go back to the classroom to teach with kids, but I cant because its not safe, she said. I dont want to gamble my life.

The Tucson Unified School Districts reopening plan has room for educators to work remotely, teaching kids online while monitors supervise smaller groups of students in classrooms. A recent survey of TUSD parents found that 50% would choose not to send their children into classrooms on Aug. 17, the tentative reopening date for in-person schooling statewide. How many teachers are required to show up in person ultimately depends on how many kids show up.

There are four kindergarten teachers on Motls team. Two are in a higher age bracket and another is close, she said. One has diabetes, another has asthma and one has children with medical issues.
Germany says import controls policy detrimental By Sunimalee Dias Sri Lanka needs to be open to remain attractive to foreign investments: German ambassador View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas import restrictions will pose issues as its policy on open trade has become a cause for concern among European Union states.

Germany which also holds the EU Presidency and is a non- permanent member of the UN is of the view that Sri Lankas current trade restrictions are detrimental to Sri Lanka as it increases prices for consumers; and the countrys exporters are impacted since most value added products require imported items, German Ambassador Jorn Rohde said in an interview with the Business Times in Colombo.

Germany is a key partner of Sri Lanka as it continues to assist the country in increasing the vocational training through its popular German Tech colleges; in funding the SME sector; and engages in social cohesion and reconciliation efforts.

Sri Lanka is the only country in the world to impose extended restrictions, he said pointing out that just last month Vietnam had signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU.

In this respect he noted that if Sri Lanka wants to remain attractive for investments then they need to remain open.

Trade is not a one-way street and the EU is the biggest trading partner of Sri Lanka, Mr. Rohde said adding that if you have a prolonged restriction on imports then it will at some stage be a point of discussion at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Under the current circumstances where do possible investors go? he queried adding that Germany hopes Sri Lanka remains committed to an open trade regime.

Social and religious tension

Commenting on the concerns within the country in relation to the religious and ethnic concerns in terms of reconciliation, he pointed out, The Presidential election results of last year show a clear division between communities and religions where there was a clear majority support from the majority community and a clear minority support for the opponent.

Mr. Rohde pointed out that he had been made aware of the concerns of the North and East where since November land returns (back to their owners) have largely stopped.

Following the end of the war there has been a return of certain lands held by the armed forces to the people to resume their livelihoods.

Moreover, the task force established in the preservation of archaeological sites in the East has been criticised and Mr. Rohde had been informed by concerned parties by activities of the non inclusion of minorities in it who are a majority in the East.

President Gotabhaya Rajapakse appointed the Presidential Task Force for Archaeological and Heritage Management in the East chaired by Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Kamal Gunaratne and comprising 11 members with no inclusion of Tamil or Muslims who form a majority in the Eastern province of the country.

But because it was mentioned in the media and representatives of minority communities I spoke to expressed clearly there is a problem and in this respect there is room for improvement, he pointed out.

Trading partners

In addition the ambassador explained that Sri Lanka should also consider India as a supermarket for trading.

All over the globe your biggest trading partners are usually your neighbours. Only in South Asia the situation is different since for example Sri Lankas main export destinations are the geographically faraway EU, US and UK. For this anomaly to change you must have an open trading policy and increased regional cooperation. Neighbouring India with its 1.2 billion people for example provides huge potential to be the natural market for Sri Lanka, Mr. Rohde said.

The ambassador also expressed concern over the loans given by China adding that this had been discussed in Germany as well whether they are undercutting in terms of prices and whether their loans are given based on accurate assessments carried out.

Germany has also been miffed by the governments stance regarding tenders and raised the issue of transparency and fairness. The ambassador made specific reference to the Kerawalapitiya LNG power plant tender which had faced a number of issues particularly a conflict of interest in the case of Lakdhanavi Ltd which is also the lowest bidder but not awarded since it was said to have quoted too low a price and due to conflict of interest.

Lakdhanavi is a subsidiary of LTL Holdings also a subsidiary of the Ceylon Electricity Board that uses German technology.

But if they (tenders) are postponed or cancelled or shrouded in controversy then there is a concern for Sri Lanka as he pointed out, This results in low rankings in transparency indexes and others which demotivates investors in doing business in Sri Lanka.

It is important to attract investors and to do so you need to open up, the ambassador said.

Commenting on Sri Lankas logistics sector, he said that a key barrier to investment here is the 60-40 per cent rule applied at the Colombo port whereas in all neighbouring countries no such barriers exist.

Tourism partner

Responding to the query on Sri Lankas non inclusion in the list of countries to travel to, he said that the list of 15 countries can be seen as a first step towards a return to normal and that the absence of a country on this EU positive list should therefore not be considered to as being blacklisted. The list will be regularly updated to ensure that more countries can be brought in as soon as the situation allows with reciprocity with the country concerned.

The ambassador underlined his hope that  Germany being one of the major tourist source countries for Sri Lanka  tourism will recover as soon as the situation allows. In this regard he welcomed current plans by Sri Lankan Airlines to soon re-establish direct air links between the two countries again after it was stopped in 2016.

Mr. Rohde said Germany and the EU have a positive list of countries and noted this is not based on how countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

We cant repeat a repatriation process as about 250,000 Germans were brought back home by tour operators, the Foreign Office charters and commercial flights, he explained.

In fact, the ambassador pointed out under the circumstances however, Maldives is currently opening up adding Germany maintains a policy of opening up to borders that reciprocate.

On trade, he said the EU is for an open trade system, and we are in negotiation always with other countries, adding that GSP + is an unilateral trade tool and in this respect, adhering to labour standards is important; further the present Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) does not conform to EU standards.

He pointed out that Sri Lanka has seen a 300 per cent increase in its fish exports to the EU and also textiles adding that tax free access is very good advantage. In 2010 Sri Lanka lost the GSP + concessions as a result of its human rights violations raised by the EU but regained it in 1015. Now the apparel sector is facing a crisis due to a slump in orders.

EU itself is likely to see a slump of about 6-8 per cent of its economic growth due to the current COVID-19 crisis that has taken a toll on the economies of the bloc.

Having completed a wonderful four years the ambassador leaves behind a word of caution insisting that governance is vital in terms of enforcing rules, no impunity, providing services to your people and with a sustainable tax system.

EU has funded Sri Lankas COVID-19 crisis with a 22.5 million Euros and Germany contributes 20 per cent to the funds of the EU.
The in-depth integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology into the medical industry in recent years is creating more possibilities for people's health and medical services.

Smart watches are used to monitor ECG and atrial fibrillation; video meetings are launched to conduct multi-discipline consultation for patients in remote areas; and smart phones can help people with Parkinson's disease complete daily motion function assessment.

"The development of smart health services and AI technology has to a large extent facilitated doctors and brought convenience to health workers," said Zhou Yujie, vice president of Beijing Anzhen Hospital and expert in cardiovascular diseases. The data and models gained will be included in more human-machine diagnosis and treatment schemes in the future and serve as a bedrock for smart medical industry, he added.

Ping An Technology, a technology solution expert of Chinas leading insurer Ping An Group, has developed a smart COVID-19 image analysis system which is able to generate CT image results for COVID-19 patients in just 15 seconds, while a doctor normally has to spend 5 to 15 minutes on this process.

The system, since Feb. 21 this year, has been introduced to 1,500 medical institutions across China, including Hubei, former epicenter of COVID-19, greatly improving the working efficiency of the doctors. During China's battle against the disease, the system spotted over 20,000 suspected COVID-19 cases and helped doctors conduct further screening work. It has analyzed more than 4 million CT images in total.

CT images are of vital importance in the diagnosis of COVID-19, and the surging number of patients brought huge pressure for radiologists, Xie Guotong, chief healthcare scientist of the Ping An Group told the People's Daily. "They were in urgent demand of an assistant that is able to analyze images with high accuracy and speed," Xie added.

According to Zhou, Beijing Anzhen Hospital has to perform two to three hundred CT angiography operations every day. "It took over 4 days from examinations to report printing, because all the procedures were manually operated. Thanks to an AI-assisted cardiovascular diagnosis system developed by Shukun Technology, our efficiency has been doubled," Zhou introduced.

AI software is able to precisely detect hemadostenosis in CT examination for coronary heart disease. "We used to watch with our eyes, and stents would be inserted when the hemadostenosis reaches certain points. But now whether we use stents depends on how the patients blood vessels function, and the AI software can rate the hemadostenosis and blood vessel function of the patients in 5 minutes," Zhou introduced. "As long as the vessels function well, we won't insert stents," he added, calling it a milestone progress for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Zhou told the People's Daily that doctors used to manually record the medical history of patients, so it was hard to conduct structured analysis. Now, with AI and big data, both the management of the patients and the analysis of their states can be structuralized. For instance, doctors are able to acquire the characteristics of the cardiovascular disease-susceptible group above the age of 40, as well as the potential signals of pathological changes at different ages. "It helps a lot with the prevention and diagnosis of diseases," Zhou added.

AI imaging and AI-based auxiliary diagnosis are widely applied nowadays, in which AI aids the doctors in diagnosing based on the images, case reports and in vitro diagnosis of the patients. According to incomplete statistics, AI has offered auxiliary diagnosis for a total of over 10 million patients with lung or cardiovascular diseases.

With AI technology, a medical image reading platform developed by Chinese tech giant Tencent can help doctors identify and predict the risks of over 700 diseases, thus largely improving the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis.

In addition, AI also facilitates post-diagnosis management. It is able to assess the situation of dyskinesia patients through videos in a more efficient and precise manner, classify the patients, and make more targeted treatment plans. Besides, doctors can also interact with patients through mobile phones for better management of the patients.
How Lashkar operatives planned on burning down the Secunderabad-Darbhanga Express

Why NIA arrested former Congress MLAs daughter-in-law in an Islamic State case

Co-operative bank manager in J&K arrested in Handwara drug case

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, July 18: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key accused in connection with the Handwara drug case.

The arrested has been identified as Afaq Ahmad Wani. He was involved in the case pertaining to the seizure of 21 kilograms of Heroin. Cash of 1,35,89,850 was also recovered during the raid.

On June 6, 2020, the Handwara police Naka party intercepted a white-colored Hyunadi Creta vehicle without registration number plate, which was going towards Handwara from Baramulla.

Journalism student, gym owner from Pune arrested in ISIS case

The vehicle was being driven by one Abdul Momin Peer. During search, a black colour bag was found concealed under the front seat of the vehicle, from which cash amounting to Rs.20,01,000 and Heroin weighing 6.200 Kgs were seized and Abdul Momin Peer was arrested.

Subsequently, J&K Police arrested two more accused persons Iftiqar Andrabi and Peer Islam-ul-Haq. Their houses were searched and this led to more recovery. The NIA took over the case on June 23.

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

Afaq Ahmad Wani, who was working as Branch Manager at Baramulla Central Co-operative Bank, Handwara branch, was absconding since June 11. He was located and arrested from his hide-out in Srinagar.
London, July 18 : A London police officer has been suspended after footage emerged that appeared to show him kneeling on a black man's neck during an arrest, media reports said.

Video footage of the incident in Islington, London on Thursday evening showed two officers holding down the handcuffed suspect who was lying on the pavement, with one of them appearing to have his knee on the man's neck area, reports Xinhua news agency.

The local media reports said that the suspect can be heard shouting "Get off my neck" in the footage.

He is eventually released from the ground and continues to talk to officers after they sit him up.

Several police cars arrive at the scene after the arresting officers are confronted by onlookers.

The second officer has been removed from operational duty following the incident, according to a statement of the Metropolitan Police Service.

The Met Police said they have referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which investigates incidents and allegations involving the police.

The statement said the man was "arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon".

Steve House, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said that the video footage is "extremely disturbing", adding that the man involved "has now been seen by a police doctor".

"I'm deeply concerned about this distressing incident and we have raised this with senior officers at the Met Police as a matter of urgency," the BBC quoted London Mayor Sadiq Khan as saying on Friday in response to the incident.

"I welcome the fact the incident has been reviewed quickly by the Met and it's right that they have referred it to the IOPC." The incident came amid global protests against police brutality triggered by the killing of African-American man, George Floyd in police custody in May.

On May 25 in Minneapolis, police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck, despite the latter repeatedly saying "I can't breathe".

Chauvin, faces several charges including second-degree murder, while the other three officers - Lane, J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao - are charged with aiding and abetting murder.
Former New York Governor George Pataki expressed concern for the future of the Big Apple, declaring Mayor Bill de Blasio a 'disaster' as he also decried the state's handling of the coronavirus.

The three-term Republican governor, 75, has been out of politics for more than a decade but was contemplating the possibility of running against Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2022, sources said to the New York Post.

'You never say never,' he said. Pataki notably stopped Cuomo's father, Mario Cuomo, from winning a fourth term in 1995.

'For the first time ever I fear for the future of New York City. The de Blasio administration has been a disaster and New York has been hit by just decision after decision that really jeopardize its future. It's not just City Hall but Albany too,' Pataki said.

Former New York Governor George Pataki expressed concern for the future of the Big Apple and at the state's handling of the coronavirus

'This cannot be allowed to continue or New York City is going to die.'

Pataki, who was governor during 9/11, vocalized his disdain for bail reform and rent reform. He did, however, voice support for law enforcement and denounced what he perceived as a 'demonization of police.'

'So many people are going to lose their lives needlessly because of the demonization of the police and the decriminalization of acts where people should be arrested and put away as opposed to turned loose on the street,' he said.

The former governor claimed that the recent policies enforced by Democrats would not have as much effect on those with money and power.

Pataki called de Blasio a 'disaster' and expressed concern over the recent uptick of crime in New York City

While Governor Cuomo was not named by Pataki, sources tell the Post that he is not thrilled with his performance for the state. He is said to even be contemplating running against Cuomo in 2022

'It's the person working the night shift who will be murdered, or the guy in a bodega who will be held up and shot,' he said, pointing to recent upticks in crime in the city. 'If you're a writer for The New York Times living in a safe Upper East Side neighborhood and taking Uber it's not going to affect you.'

While Governor Cuomo was not named by Pataki, sources tell the Post that he is not thrilled with his performance for the state.

One source claimed that Pataki was appalled by Cuomo's decision to force nursing homes to accept seniors who tested positive for the coronavirus.

And while he was not of fan of de Blasio's performance, Pataki was not in favor or removing him from office.

'The consequences in our political system are political. If you make the wrong decision, the people have the right to change their view and elect new leaders,' he said. 'The criminalization of political differences is a third-world negative that has become too commonplace in our country.'

While he declined to endorse President Donald Trump for a second term, he did share that if the election was held today, Trump would lose

While he declined to endorse President Donald Trump for a second term, he did share that if the election was held today, Trump would lose.

'Many of President Trump's policies I agree with but his tweets and his feuds often result in the success of those policies being ignored,' he said.

Pataki did predict that Biden could lose if he went too far left or if 'it became apparent to the American people that he's not up to doing the job.'

He cited the 77-year-old's mental state - the same age he would be if he ran for governor in two years - and expressed worry that it could be 'a legitimate concern.'

But joked he'd still be 'the youth candidate in a [presidential] Democratic primary.'
President Donald Trumps newfound disdain for online education is a sharp departure from what his administration and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have long championed in terms of policy on virtual learning.

As he presses schools and colleges to physically reopen their doors this fall, Trump has dismissed online learning as an acceptable strategy that local education leaders can employ as they face surging coronavirus cases in many parts of the country.

Now that we have witnessed it on a large scale basis, and firsthand, Virtual Learning has proven to be TERRIBLE compared to In School, or On Campus, Learning, Trump said in a tweet last week. Not even close! Schools must be open in the Fall.

In events and media appearances over the past several weeks, the White House and administration officials have repeatedly insisted that the nations schools and colleges must physically reopen classes  and that online instruction, fully or partially, isnt an appropriate alternative. Theyve threatened to use federal funding as a lever to prod schools into physically reopening.

The Trump administration has been clear that its concerned that schools remaining closed would be a drag on the economic recovery that the president is banking on ahead of the November election. "If we don't reopen the schools that would be a setback to a true economic recovery, Larry Kudlow, Trumps top economic adviser said this week.

Trump blasted Los Angeles school officials earlier this week for a terrible decision to keep the nations second-largest school district online-only when classes start in several weeks. Many other large school districts across the country are also defying Trumps demands to physically reopen.

Its not a matter of if schools should reopen, its simply a matter of how, DeVos has repeated several times in recent weeks as shes become a main spokesperson for the Trump administrations push to reopen schools. Schools, she has said, must fully open and they must be fully operational.

Story continues

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listens as Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a roundtable discussion in Tiger Stadium on the LSU campus.

But the Trump administrations focus on in-person instruction in traditional school buildings is a stark change for DeVos, who has long been an ardent proponent of virtual schools and individualized digital learning options for students.

As secretary of Education, she has also taken action to promote online instruction in both K-12 schools and higher education, steering money and grants toward digital learning options and scaling back federal regulations in order to promote distance education.

DeVos last year traveled the country on a Rethink Education tour in which she repeatedly called for education leaders to question longtime assumptions about what K-12 and higher education looks like  which she noted hasn't changed much in several centuries.

It's past time to ask some of the questions that often get labeled as non-negotiable or just don't get asked at all, DeVos said during a 2018 speech. Among them: Why do students have to go to a school building in the first place?

DeVos also touted high-quality virtual charter schools as valuable option during her confirmation process. She and her husband previously were investors in K12 Inc., one of the nations largest virtual school companies.

Kevin Chavous, the longtime Democratic education reformer who previously served on the board of DeVos school choice advocacy organization, the American Federation for Children, is now a top executive at K12.

The administration has generally been supportive of parent choice, Chavous said, but he acknowledged that message feels more scrambled when you try to truncate the choice options into an either/or decision between fully online and brick-and-mortar options.

School districts can find a way to open by finding fully online options in a thought-out way or blended options depending on the status of the virus in their jurisdiction, he said. We should really be tailoring our approach in a solutions way instead of having some political conversation.

Emergency online or remote learning as its been administered by some school districts isnt the same as online schools administered by people who know what theyre doing, he said.

Chavous said K12 Inc. has seen unprecedented interest from school districts and parents since the start of the pandemic, adding that the company is looking to hire 1,300 new teachers.

John Bailey, who served as a White House domestic policy adviser to President George W. Bush, said there is a puzzling disconnect between Trumps criticism of schools opting for online education and his Education Departments previous celebration of local choices.

I cant make sense of it because it just shows an utterly dysfunctional federal government, said Bailey, who is also a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He said the Trump administrations criticism of online education in recent days has been a distraction for schools that have just several weeks left to plan for the fall.

As coronavirus cases soar in many parts of the country, Bailey said he expected that most schools will adopt some type of mix of online and in-person instruction this fall.

Everyone knows online learning was not great for a lot of teachers and students and in the spring, he said. The focus now needs to be on how we provide the best hybrid learning and online learning  not debating, Should the school be open five days a week or not?

As an example, Bailey said, a major problem this spring was how little time teachers and students interacted through online platforms. He cited Census data showing that virtual instruction in American households averaged just a handful of hours each week. We should be incentivizing more instructional time, not reopening schools, he said.

In higher education, too, DeVos has spent most of her time in office seeking to advance online education as an innovative way to bring college costs down.

DeVos new proposed regulation on online learning in higher education  which was unveiled in the midst of the pandemic but had been in the works for more than a year before  would make it easier for online colleges to access federal student aid.

Its pretty clear that the rhetoric were hearing right now is entirely politically motivated because of how inconsistent it is with what the administration has been doing, said Clare McCann, deputy director for federal higher education policy at New America.

McCann, who also worked at the Obama Education Department, has been critical of the Trump administrations deregulatory approach to online learning  as have other critics and consumer advocacy groups, who argue that there are too few federal guardrails for quality in the programs.

Those critics see irony in Trumps sudden criticism on the quality of distance learning as hes rushing to reopen schools. Theres no doubt that online education is really hard to do right, McCann said. At the same time, quality has not a big concern from this administration when it comes to online education.

Beyond seeking to change regulations, DeVos also threw a lifeline to one of the nations most prominent online schools, Western Governors University, in rejecting an inspector generals finding that the school ran afoul of federal law governing how much and how frequently instructors and students must interact to qualify for student aid. The final online regulations DeVos finalized also eases that requirement of regular and substantive interaction between instructors and students going forward.

In March, the Education Department also used emergency powers to loosen the rules for how accreditors could approve online learning in higher education  telling colleges they didnt necessarily need to adopt elaborate online learning platforms to win approval.

During a discussion about reopening schools at Louisiana State University this week, DeVos struck a more careful tone on the role of the online learning that Trump has slammed as inadequate.

While distance learning works well for some kids, it doesnt work well for others, DeVos said during a roundtable discussion with Vice President Mike Pence. Thats why Ive always believed that education needs to meet the needs of students, not the other way around.

Angela Morabito, a department spokesperson, emphasized that DeVos wants schools to be fully reopened in the fall but acknowledges that there may be some exceptions to the rule depending on the local health situation.

DeVos is focused on getting schools to provide a full academic year of learning that respects each students unique circumstances, she said. All hybrid plans are not created equal.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 10:29:41|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A London police officer has been suspended after a video clip appeared to show him kneeling on a black man's neck during an arrest incident, local media reported Friday.

Video footage of the arrest in Islington in north London on Thursday evening showed two officers holding down the handcuffed suspect who was lying on the pavement, with one of them appearing to have his knee on the man's neck area.

Local media reports said that the suspect can be heard shouting "Get off my neck" in the footage.

The second officer has been removed from operational duty following the incident, according to a statement of the Metropolitan Police Service.

The Metropolitan Police said they have referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates incidents and allegations involving the police.

The police statement said the man was "arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon."

Steve House, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said in the statement that the video footage is "extremely disturbing," adding that the man involved "has now been seen by a police doctor."

Since the death of U.S. black man George Floyd due to police brutality in May, police conduct has been under growing scrutiny. Enditem
Footage shows a skateboarder jump off the top of a public bus in Sydney

Footage has emerged of a risky skateboarding stunt using an 11-foot-tall Sydney bus as a prop.

Video shows the skateboarder ride across the bus and jump onto a glass shelter just before the bus drives off on one of Sydney's busiest streets.

The daredevil stunt was captured on George Street opposite Railway Square at Central Station.

The skateboarder waits for the perfect moment before scaling the shelter and hopping onto the bus after it pulls in to drop off passengers.

The skateboarder (pictured) waits for the perfect moment before scaling the shelter and hopping onto the bus after it pulls in to drop off passengers

He then skates across the vehicle and jumps onto the shelter before gliding back onto the footpath.

Passengers are exiting the bus as he soars overhead.

The video was published on Tik Tok by Noah Papadopoulos with a warning from the social media platform 'the action could result in serious injury'.

'Cup got arrested for this!' he wrote.

Since being shared on Friday morning it has attracted more than 78,000 shares and hundreds of comments.

Many people were impressed by the trick.

Video shows the skateboarder (pictured) ride across the bus and jump onto a glass shelter just before the bus drives off on one of Sydney's busiest streets

The daredevil stunt (pictured) was captured on George Street opposite Railway Square at Central Station

Since being shared on Friday morning the video has attracted more than 78,000 shares and hundreds of comments

'Legendary', wrote one follower, with another describing the stunt as 'iconic'.

But others condemned him for putting the public at risk.

'Conduct endangering serious injury, hope you go to jail,'

'This is what skaters have a bad reputation,' another wrote.

New South Wales police can issue on the spot fines of $54 for anyone caught breaching road rules on a skateboard.

A spokesperson for New South Wales Police told Daily Mail Australia they are aware of the video and making inquiries.
Dan Osborne and Jacqueline Jossa with Teddy and Ella arriving to attend the release of the new film Wonder Park at Chessington World of Adventure in Chessington, Kingston upon Thames. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)

After years of rumours that Dan Osborne cheated on wife Jacqueline Jossa, the former TOWIE star has finally admitted to being unfaithful.

EastEnders star Jossa has forgiven him, Osborne says and the couple continue to be an item - despite him saying if she were to have cheated, he would have ended their relationship.

Speaking to The Sun, Osborne said: Ive made mistakes, yeah. Ive done things I shouldnt have done. Me and Jac have spoken about that and she has forgiven me.

Read more: Jacqueline Jossa shares photo with Caitlyn Jenner as 'I'm A Celebrity' co-stars reunite

"There have been times where if it were the other way round, I would have left. I would have gone, so I've said to her 'I wouldn't blame you if you left me'.

He added: "I've said if it was the other way around Id be gone, it's not like I've been brushing off any mistakes that Ive made. I'm fully aware of them and I'm aware that it ain't right.

The couple have been together since 2013. They married in 2017 and have two daughters together.

However, rumours Osbourne, who has a son from a previous relationship, has been unfaithful have been rife throughout their relationship.

They reached new levels while Jossa was in Australia taking part in Im A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here.

With Jossa eventually crowned Queen of the Jungle, she was forced to address the rumours amid celebrating her win.

Read more: Jacqueline Jossa overwhelmed by Im A Celeb win

Appearing on Lorraine, Jossa said: "The thing is, its really funny because we've been going through it [the cheating claims] for two years, this isn't new for me.

To be honest I want to hit a restart button, it's been two years of me basically giving him hell and it's not like he's got away lightly at all, he knows he's done wrong, he knows hes done a lot wrong.

There's some stuff that is not true that's being done with legal so I can't talk about it. Were fine.
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Volunteers from throughout the area gathered at Hamshire-Fannett High School Friday to repaint the empty locker rooms as renovations continue after the school won a locker make-over contest sponsored by Hollman, Inc., earlier this year.

Hollman owners Stephanie and Travis Hollman, their sons Chance and Cruz and other employees joined in the event.

Hollman Brand Director Tia Williams was among those gathered for the community paint day, which drew dozens of volunteers, and she noted the role area businesses have played in providing support for the project.

Sherwin-Williams in Nederland donated over 70 gallons of paint and primer, and All Commercial Flooring has donated $200,000.00 worth of flooring for the remodeling project.

Its an amazing testimony of how much people want to give back, she says.

She adds, It is also so helpful, because we came into this wanting to do two locker rooms on a $150,000.00 budget, and now were doing four rooms and exceeding the budget. And were fine with that.

Part of the budget excess comes from the decision to use the highest grade locker material that is waterproof. It was more important to get the best material possible to withstand the storms this area gets, she says.

Locker installation will begin July 22, and a grand reveal of the new locker rooms, which will include high-end dramatic lighting, is tentatively planned for August 6, though Williams notes that event is subject to COVID-19 delays.
KEY FACTS 9 a.m.: Worldwide cases have topped 14 million.

4 a.m.: Quebec becomes the first province in Canada to require mask-wearing in all indoor public places.

The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Friday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

7:52 p.m. As fears of a resurgence in COVID-19 cases increase, many Canadians are reluctantly donning masks to stop the spread of the virus. This is according to a new Angus Reid poll which found only 55 per cent of Canadians are wearing masks regularly when they leave home. The other 45 per cent either wear masks rarely or not at all.

Every province except for Alberta and Saskatchewan registered over 70 per cent support for mandatory masking laws  the former at 60 per cent and the latter with just 55 per cent support for the measure.

Only a quarter respondents said their reason for not wearing a mask was that they forgot to bring one, while 74 per cent pointed to discomfort, lack of concern about catching COVID-19, a perceived ineffectiveness of masks, or simply mimicking others not wearing them.

The poll also found that men were much less likely to wear masks than women, and a majority of women across all age brackets reported wearing one when they leave home.

A different poll on COVID-19 from Leger and the Association of Canadian Studies found a nearly 10 per cent increase in support for masking between June 26 and July 12.

Across the country, the Leger poll found 67 per cent of Canadians support mandatory masking for all indoor public spaces, compared to 58 per cent just over two weeks ago.

3:18 p.m.: The Blue Jays will play their home games in Buffalo, N.Y. or Dunedin, Fla. this season after the federal government rejected a plan that would have allowed them to use the Rogers Centre.

Their home opener is scheduled for July 29 against the World Series champion Washington Nationals.

The Jays had presented a 176-page return-to-play proposal to all three levels of government, featuring a modified quarantine at the Rogers Centre and the adjacent hotel, in hopes of an exemption from the 14-day quarantine that applies to the general public when crossing into Canada.

The home of their triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, has some drawbacks. The clubs stadium, Sahlen Field, opened in 1988 and inferior lighting is among the shortcomings.

Their spring base in Dunedin, though, is in a state where the rate of new cases of COVID-19 has been hitting record highs daily.

The Jays are scheduled to open the regular season on Friday in Tampa, Fla.

2:56 p.m.: Quebec became the first province in Canada to require mask-wearing in all indoor public places on Saturday, with tougher new face-covering measures coming into effect.

The new directive, which applies to people aged 12 and older, coincided with tens of thousands of Quebecers spanning out on vacation with the beginning of the traditional two-week construction holiday.

Businesses will be expected to enforce the new rules and are subject to fines of between $400 and $6,000 if their customers are caught violating the directive.

That's something that has rankled small-and-medium sized business owners. A group of 13 associations representing the majority of those businesses that'll have to apply the rules called on the burden to be shifted to delinquent clients unwilling to wear a mask.

"We do think that asking people to wear masks in indoor, closed public spaces is fine, we prefer that rather than having to go into a second confinement and having to close our businesses again," said Gopinath Jeyabalaratnam, a senior policy analyst at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

"Where we are having some trouble is that we have to play police, we have to be the enforcer of this measure."

He said some businesses have opted simply to give disposable masks to clients who don't have one  an added cost. But short of putting up signs or asking citizens to put one on, there isn't much else they can do.

"It's very difficult for a store owner to enforce it in some other way, so we don't see why business owners should pay fines," Jeyabalaratnam said.

"It should be up to the person who is refusing to wear masks who is responsible in some way to pay for his or her own mistake."

Some Quebecers have also joined protests against the new edict, arguing the government shouldn't have a blanket policy when most regions outside Montreal weren't deeply affected by COVID-19.

But Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec's director of public health, has responded by stating all Quebecers should get in the habit of wearing masks to prepare for a possible second wave of the virus in the fall.

Quebec has seen a slight resurgence in COVID-19 cases in recent days, which Premier Francois Legault has said is due, in part, to house parties.

12:18 a.m.: The Bloc Quebecois says it'll support a bill to extend the federal emergency wage subsidy and make payments to people with disabilities to help with COVID-19 costs when the House of Commons meets on Monday.

In a statement, party House leader Alain Therrien said the measures proposed by the Liberal government are in keeping with demands the Bloc has made.

10:58 a.m.: The number people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York state dropped to 743 and 11 more people died, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.

Daily statewide statistics show New York with 754 newly confirmed cases, representing 1.08% of all tests performed. The number of people hospitalized Friday was down 22 from the previous day.

10:53 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 10:56 a.m. on July 18, 2020:

There are 109,835 confirmed cases in Canada.

_ Quebec: 57,142 confirmed (including 5,647 deaths, 49,939 resolved)

_ Ontario: 37,440 confirmed (including 2,748 deaths, 33,294 resolved)

_ Alberta: 9,219 confirmed (including 167 deaths, 8,193 resolved)

_ British Columbia: 3,198 confirmed (including 189 deaths, 2,802 resolved)

_ Nova Scotia: 1,067 confirmed (including 63 deaths, 1,002 resolved)

_ Saskatchewan: 936 confirmed (including 15 deaths, 793 resolved)

_ Manitoba: 325 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 318 resolved), 11 presumptive

_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 262 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 259 resolved)

_ New Brunswick: 168 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 163 resolved)

_ Prince Edward Island: 36 confirmed (including 27 resolved)

_ Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved)

_ Yukon: 11 confirmed (including 11 resolved)

_ Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 5 resolved)

_ Nunavut: No confirmed cases, 2 presumptive

_ Total: 109,835 (13 presumptive, 109,822 confirmed including 8,841 deaths, 96,819 resolved)

10:30 a.m.: Statistics Canada is working on plans to deliver a "contactless census" next May if COVID-19 remains a threat.

Officials from the agency said Friday the census day will be May 11, 2021 as planned

But efforts are being made to protect the health and safety of both census staff and Canadians, and any in-person census-taking will respect any applicable health advice such as physical distancing and protective gear.

9:08 a.m.: Confirmed virus cases worldwide have topped 14 million and deaths have surpassed 600,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data, a day after the World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections at over 237,000. Death tolls in the United States are reaching new highs, and Indias infections are over 1 million.

9 a.m.: Irans president Saturday estimated as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreak's beginning, and urged the public to take the pandemic seriously, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

President Hassan Rouhani cited a new Iranian Health Ministry study in offering the unprecedentedly high number of 25 million infections. Iranian officials have not explained what the reports estimates are based and the study has not been made public.

Rouhani also said he believes an additional 30-35 million people could be infected in coming months, again without citing the basis for his estimate. Irans population is around 81 million people.

8:01 a.m.: Bangladesh has surpassed 200,000 cases. Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Health Directorate, said Saturday that 2,709 people had tested positive over the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 202,066, including 2,581 deaths. Bangladesh lacks adequate laboratories for testing, and experts say the actual figures are much higher. Most people in rural Bangladesh have stopped wearing masks and are thronging to shopping centres ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, scheduled for later this month.

8 a.m.: The number of confirmed cases in a new coronavirus outbreak in Chinas far west has risen to 17.

The National Health Commission said Saturday that 16 more cases were identified in the previous 24 hours in the Xinjiang region, on top of a first case.

The outbreak in the city of Urumqi is the latest to pop up since China largely contained the domestic spread of the virus in March. The largest was a recent outbreak in Beijing that infected more than 330 people.

7:52 a.m.: Edmonton Oilers defenceman Caleb Jones has acknowledged he tested positive for COVID-19 before training camp.

Jones says he tested positive when he returned to Edmonton from his home in Dallas.

Jones opened his media session on Friday by revealing his positive test. He said he was asymptomatic.

7:26 a.m.: South Africa on Saturday could join the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia as the most badly hit countries as its cases near 350,000. Current case trends show it will surpass Peru.

7 a.m.: The federal government is ordering more than 75 million syringes, alcohol swabs and bandages so it is can inoculate Canadians as soon as a COVID-19 vaccine is ready.

Procurement Minister Anita Anand says Ottawa intends to stockpile enough vaccine supplies to be able to give at least two doses to every Canadian whenever a vaccine is available.

There are almost two dozen vaccines in clinical trials around the world and at least 140 more in earlier stages of development, but most experts predict it will be well into 2021 before the first vaccines could be ready for wide use.

4 a.m.: Starting today, Quebec becomes the first province in Canada to require mask-wearing in all indoor public places.

The new directive, which applies to people aged 12 and older, comes into force as tens of thousands of Quebecers begin the traditional two-week construction holiday.

Businesses will be expected to enforce the new rules and are subject to fines of between $400 and $6,000 if their customers are caught violating the directive.

Some Quebecers have joined protests against the new edict, arguing the government shouldn't have a blanket policy when most regions outside Montreal weren't deeply affected by COVID-19.

3:50 a.m.: The premier of New Brunswick says his government is strongly considering easing travel restrictions for some Quebec residents living near the border.

Blaine Higgs said today there is a strong sense of community between those residents and the New Brunswick communities of Campbellton and Edmundston.

Higgs says the Health Department is exploring if it's feasible and safe to allow some Quebecers living near the border to enter New Brunswick without having to self-isolate for 14 days.

The department is compiling data and will present its recommendations next week.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said today a deal between New Brunswick and Quebec won't exclude Quebec residents from having to self-isolate for 14 days if they enter his province.

Residents of the four Atlantic provinces have been able to freely travel within the region without having to self-isolate since July 3.

Click here to read more of Fridays coverage.
Banks have warned the Government to take a lenient approach to recovering coronavirus debts and have urged it to resist chasing small business owners through the courts where possible.

They have proposed contacting customers in default on two or three occasions before writing the loan off, leaving the taxpayer to cover the bill.

Sources said banks were keen to avoid a rerun of the aftermath of the financial crisis, when bankers were accused of destroying small business for profit.

Wary: Banks are keen to avoid a rerun of the aftermath of the financial crisis, when bankers were accused of destroying small business for profit

Banks have loaned out 46.3billion through the Government's schemes, much of which has been underwritten by the Treasury.

The proposals are designed to minimise the administrative burden on the banks. But sources said Treasury officials are keen to claw back as much money as possible.

Banks are discussing what support measures they could put in place before chasing businesses for loan repayments. It is hoped that all of the banks will adopt the same approach for customers.

The Treasury is considering a separate proposal, put forward by lobby group TheCityUK, which is also backed by the bankers. It suggests that businesses could repay the loan as a tax on their profits.

Banks are particularly concerned about the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which handed out loans of up to 50,000 with minimal checks. Borrowers have taken out 31.7billion under the scheme.

Banks fear the BBLS will be the source of the highest number of defaults, and they do not want to embark on fraught legal disputes to recover the funds. The rows would hit many small businesses including drivers and hairdressers.

The budget watchdog has estimated that losses across all of the schemes could hit 33.7billion.

It is thought that officials are at an early stage of discussions and could adopt a combination of ideas currently under discussion.

The Treasury said: 'We continue to work closely with businesses, lenders and other stakeholders on delivery and design to ensure we can both support businesses and protect taxpayers.'

Bankers faced fierce criticism for their treatment of small business after the 2008 crash. In one of the most notorious cases, a toxic unit at RBS was accused of wrecking family firms for profit. Small business owners alleged that the bank deliberately destroyed companies so it could seize their assets. One memo between employees said: 'Sometimes you need to let customers hang themselves.'

Other small business owners have complained that they were ignored when they tried to raise the alarm about a massive fraud perpetrated by bankers at HBOS Reading between 2003 and 2007.

Six bankers and advisers were convicted of fraud in 2017 and sentenced to a total of almost 50 years in jail. The bankers wrecked businesses and spent the profits on sex parties and lavish cruises.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has demanded the imposition of Presidents rule in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan, which has plunged into a political turmoil amid an internal power struggle between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and the sacked deputy CM and challenger Sachin Pilot, who enjoys the support of at least 19 rebel Congress lawmakers.

While the main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party, has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Gehlot-led government for ordering phone-tapping of lawmakers, Mayawati, too, described the move as illegal.

First, CM Gehlot misused the anti-defection law to get BSP lawmakers to join his party and now, by publicly ordering phone tapping, he has resorted to yet another unlawful and unconstitutional method, Mayawati said in a series of tweets on Saturday.

Last September, all six BSP MLAs in Rajasthan had joined the Gehlot government, which had infuriated Mayawati and she had accused the Rajasthan CM of indulging in horse-trading in his desperate bid to cling to power.

In the three audiotapes, which had surfaced on Thursday evening and have since gone viral on social media, a Congress rebel member of the Rajasthan legislative assembly (MLA) can be heard purportedly speaking to some BJP leaders about toppling the Gehlot government.

The Rajasthan governor must take cognisance of the political stand-off, government instability, and the one-upmanship prevailing in the state and must recommend Presidents rule there in a bid to ensure that democracy isnt undermined any further, she tweeted.

The BSP chief has also urged the Yogi Adiyanath-led Uttar Pradesh government to look into the issue of a mother and daughter from Amethi, who had attempted to immolate themselves in front of the chief ministers office (CMO) in Lucknow, over alleged police inaction in a property case. She has also demanded action against officials responsible for the womens self-immolation bid.

Both women have sustained burn injuries and are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lucknow.

After failing to get justice from local (Amethi) administration in a property case, a mother and her daughter had to come to Lucknow to immolate themselves outside the CMO. The UP government must take up the issue with all seriousness, Mayawati tweeted.

Along with ensuring justice to these women, the government must also act against officers responsible for it so that such things dont happen again, she further tweeted.
Bengaluru, July 18 : Three legislators of the opposition Congress in Karnataka, including 2 MLAs and 1 MLC tested positive for coronavirus and are under treatment, a party official said on Saturday.

"Our Bailhongal MLA Mahantesh Koujalgi in Belagavi district and Humnabad MLA Rajashekhar Patil and his MLC brother Chandrashekhar Patil in Bidar district tested positive for the infection and are under treatment at designated hospitals," party spokesman Ravi Gowda told IANS here.

Koujalgi's swab sample was taken on Friday after he showed signs of illness and its result turned positive earlier in the day.

"As Koujalgi attended a review meeting at Bailhongal, about 20 officials who participated in the meeting have been home quarantined," said Gowda.

Koujalgi is the second lawmaker in the state's northwest region to test positive after BJP's Belagavi North assembly segment MLA Anik Benake tested positive for the virus on July 15.

"Patil brothers were in self quarantine after meeting BJP's Bidar Lok Sabha member Bhagwanth Khuba, who tested positive on Wednesday. Their tests also showed they were infected with the virus," Gowda said.

Congress MLC Sandesh Nagaraj, who tested positive on Friday, is under treatment at a private hospital in Mysuru.

Dakshina Kannada district Youth Congress president Mithun Rai is in institutional quarantine in Bengaluru after he tested positive for the infection.
Cursed

Netflix, Friday

Rating:

I May Destroy You

BBC1, Monday and Tuesday

Rating:

Cursed is the latest fantasy series from Netflix, and you could say I did the opposite of binge-watch, in that I scarcely made it through the first episode (of ten). I barely watched. Looking for a new series to barely watch at the moment? This could very well be it.

It is based on the graphic novel by Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller and is a prequel to the Arthurian legend, starring Katherine Langford as Nimue (pronounced Nimway), who will one day become the Lady Of The Lake, handing the sword Excalibur over to Arthur. Its a tale of fire and water, we are told at the outset, which seems hard on earth and wind but there you are. Anyway, Nimue is one of the Fey Folk, I think  it was confusing but then I did only barely watch  and she has flashbacks (constantly) to a traumatic event involving her father, represses her ability for magic, and is treated like an outsider by her people.

Michaela Coel and Weruche Opia in I May Destroy You. The 12-parter, which concluded this week, was created and written by Michaela Coel, who also stars mesmerisingly as Arabella

I am sure Langford who, instead of being given the appearance of an ancient Briton looks like a young woman who has spent the morning in Topshop, is a fine actor but, as with all the other actors (including Peter Mullan), they dont stand a chance up against such a sub-Hollyoaks script with lines that, again, dont seem especially medieval. Mother will kill me! is typical, and also we hear He fancies you! and Hes gorgeous! and, down the market when perusing cloth, That colour wont work. And everyone speaks Home Counties, aside from a few Ray Winstone types who cry: I ate wizards! And: Stick it to em!

Set against woeful CGI landscapes, with woefully unconvincing battle scenes, this also features Sky Folk and Moon Wings and the Paladins, who wear red robes and go about burning everything down while (unconvincingly) waving their swords. There is also a drunk, half-dressed Merlin (Gustaf Skarsgard), evil King Uther (Sebastian Armesto) and a young Arthur (Devon Terrell), who is indeed gorgeous and has an ace chat-up line: Fancy an ale? Its one of those series that, once you get started, youll find very easy to stop. Thats why its my barely watch of the week.

I initially swerved I May Destroy You as I knew it was about young people taking drugs and being chaotic, and as I am not young and do not take drugs and am not chaotic I just assumed I was the wrong demographic and I would find it too unrelatable as well as too stressful. But I was wrong about being the wrong demographic because, as I now know, no one is the wrong demographic. It is gasp-makingly brilliant, and one of the best series Ive ever seen on television, and I say that having seen The Luminaries. (Thats another series for you to barely watch, right there).

The 12-parter, which concluded this week, was created and written by Michaela Coel, who also stars mesmerisingly as Arabella. Arabella is an East London writer who owes her publisher a book (stressful) and has an Italian drug-dealing boyfriend, and wakes from a night out in a bar with a gash on her forehead and the image of a man panting and thrusting in a bathroom stall. It takes her a while to realise that this is a memory: her drink had been spiked and she was raped. Coel was writing from her own experience of sexual assault, and that trauma runs throughout, but also Arabella has to carry on living life as best she can, as what other option is there?

Arabella has her best friends, Terry (Weruche Opia) and Kwame (Pappa Essiedu), who are also complex and multi-layered and experience their own issues around consent. Most on-screen narratives are linear, with a protagonist who will get from here to there, but this showed that life is distracting and takes many messy, unpredictable detours, which isnt as alien to me as you might think  indeed, sometimes my Ocado shop may contain substitutions, which can throw me completely  and it was packed with terrific moments. Some were unbelievably heart-breaking (Arabellas final visit to her Italian boyfriend) and some were unbelievably tender (Kwame asking for a hug), and some were wonderfully funny, as when Terry asks Arabella how she is going to pay back her book advance: I dont know, Terry. Thats why Im crying.

You believed in everyone 100 per cent, and also related to them 100 per cent  all the performances were superb  and the final episode was spectacularly audacious, playing with all the ways Arabella might achieve some kind of closure. What would she do if she were to encounter her rapist again? Kill him? Give him a taste of his own medicine? Lovingly therapise him?

In the end there are no easy answers, because there never are, and so it felt absolutely true in this respect. In fact, it felt absolutely true in every respect, and Im sad its finished, particularly as Im worried about Arabellas flatmate Ben (Stephen Wight). Hes so lovely and I just hope he finds someone soon.
Dear Amy: I have a severe general allergy to poison ivy. If the tiniest amount of the poison ivy urushiol oil touches any part of me I will break out with hundreds of small, but itchy, blisters. These blisters cover my body (not just where Ive come in contact). Without a steroid prescription from my doctor it can take months for a breakout to clear up.

My problem is that I like to hike on trails that have been cleared of poison ivy, but frequently the areas off the side have poison ivy. I stay on the trail, so this isnt a problem, but people love to bring their dogs, and if their dogs go off the trail, come in contact with poison ivy, and then touch me, it results in hundreds of blisters, doctors appointments, costs, medication and misery. Because of this, I try to be proactive.

Ill say: Please, dont let your dog touch me, I have allergies.

They say: "Oh, don't worry he is friendly."

I say: "I don't care. I can't touch your dog."

Then the person gets mad or acts insulted -- or worse, they let the dog jump all over me.

I dont hate dogs. I just dont want dogs (or any animal) touching me unless I absolutely know they havent had any contact with the common substance that makes me so sick. How would you address this issue? -- Allergic

Dear Allergic: I definitely enjoy dogs, but I also wonder why some dog owners dont seem to realize that their beloved family members are actually animals. Dogs are sometimes unpredictable (this is understandable because they are animals), and dogs can pose a risk to humans.

Just as no parent should assume that every stranger will find their children charming, no dog owner should assume that everyone will want to interact with their dog.

Oh dont worry, he is friendly is not an appropriate answer to a human who cant have contact with a dog without experiencing extreme consequences. The dogs friendly nature is not in question.

You should say, I have extreme allergies and could land in the hospital if I have contact with your dog. Im going to stay on this side of the trail while you pass by.

Dear Amy: I have three boxes of old love letters that must go.

Box A is from my high school sweetheart and first love, now deceased.

Box B is from my torrid college affair (no longer in contact).

Box C contains letters from my dear husband of many years, written before we were married.

I have not opened nor read any of these for at least 30 years, and revisiting these would be very emotional for me.

Should I read them privately, then dispose?

Should I share some of them with my husband?

Should I revisit only my husbands letters with him (we have no secrets)? Or should I just shred them all immediately and be done with it? -- Three Boxes in Phoenix

Dear Three Boxes: Ah, COVID-cleaning. Many of us are confronting bits and bobs (and sometimes, actual Bobs) from our past.

You should review all of these letters, privately. Tell yourself that you will at least open the envelopes and visually scan them. This job might pair well with a hearty merlot.

The letters from your high school sweetheart might contain nuggets from his youth that his family would appreciate. Because he is deceased, consider sharing some of this (descriptive, wise, or humorous) material with them.

Box B: Review and make the same determination. Would these letters be of value to anyone else?

Box C: Boom. You have your next anniversary present for your husband. Put these letters into a binder and save them.

Dear Amy: I have enjoyed the testimonials in your column from people who have successfully quit smoking.

After smoking for decades, I managed to kick the habit, permanently, a few years ago. I tried everything, and would be successful for a few weeks and a few months, even at one point for over a year. But I always relapsed, and I always felt terrible about myself when I fell off the wagon, which made everything worse.

I finally realized that  for me  quitting smoking would be a lifetime project. Truly a one-day-at-a-time proposition. Once I started focusing more on my successes than my failures, I was able to build on them. -Smoke Free

Dear Smoke Free: Testimonials from people who have been there are inspiring to people who are still struggling. Thank you.

You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068.
" " Modern Druids hold hands during a ceremony on Hampstead Heath, north London, on June 25, 1971. Evening Standard/Getty Images

Pick pretty much any topic on the planet, and you can go straight to Google with as many questions as you like, emerging from your search with answers from at least a few solid original sources. A glaring exception to this fact-finding rule of thumb? The Druids.

"What is fascinating is how little we know about the Druids," emails Owen Jarus, who wrote about the topic for Live Science in 2014. "The written references we have are written by non-Druids and their writings may be affected by anti-Druid Roman sentiment. When and where the Druids originated and much about their practices remains unknown."

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In fact, famed Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar is considered the world's preeminent expert on all things Druid, and the fact that he died in 44 B.C.E. may indicate just how little we actually know about the class of Celtic-speaking experts in magical and religious practice who inhabited northwestern Europe about 2,000 years ago.

"Because we don't have any accounts of Druids from early Celtic-speaking peoples themselves, there remains an air of mystery around them," Myriah Williams, a lecturer in Celtic studies at U.C. Berkeley, says in an email interview. "Perhaps this air of mystery is attractive; without concrete evidence of who Druids were and what their role in society was, they can be shaped to fit different molds for different purposes."

The basic definitions of Druidism as we know it can be tied to two main sources: ancient Greek and Roman writings and portions of medieval Irish literature. The first source has an advantage in that these writings originated from people who were actually alive at the time the Druids existed. The main issue, however, is that almost all these writings relied on secondhand information and none of it was very fleshed out.

"According to the accounts of Classical authors, who will have had their own biases and only some of whom may have been direct witnesses, Druids seem to have been a learned class of Celtic-speaking peoples who may have wielded some political authority and who acted as religious intermediaries," Williams says. "Poseidonius and other Greek sources describe them as philosophers. According to Caesar, they had to spend 20 years in training."

" " A Druidic leader places a red rose on a menhir  a large man-made upright stone used in Druid ceremonies  during the summer solstice rites at Stonehenge in England on June 21, 1961. Keystone-France / Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Caesar also said that there were two groups of men in Gaul (a historical region of Western Europe inhabited by Celtic tribes) that were considered honorable: the Druids and the noblemen, and that because Druids were in charge of public and private sacrifices, many people went to them for instruction. According to Britannica, "if anyone disobeyed their decree, he was barred from sacrifice, which was considered the gravest of punishments. One Druid was made the chief; upon his death, another was appointed. If, however, several were equal in merit, the Druids voted, although they sometimes resorted to armed violence." It's also thought that the Druids assembled annually to review all legal disputes.

The other main source of Druid knowledge  ancient Irish literature  has the advantage of being produced by a society that once included Druids and includes more frequent references to the group. But this source also has two big problems: Like the Greek and Roman texts, the ancient Irish texts also include widely varying depictions of Druids, so it's hard to glean whether they were considered wise, powerful figures or "savage pagan priests." The other main problem, according to History Today: "All the Irish texts were written, and perhaps composed, hundreds of years after the conversion of the Irish to Christianity when Druids had by definition ceased to exist."

What is known about Druids can be boiled down to their basic roles in society. Jarus credits scholar Sir Barry Cunliffe with much of what's known about the Druids today. "As Cunliffe wrote in his book, 'Druids: A Very Short Introduction,' the Druids performed a variety of roles including, 'philosophers, teachers, judges, the repository of communal wisdoms about the natural world and the traditions of the people, and the mediators between humans and the gods,'" Jarus says. "The ancient form of Druidism seems to have died out during the Middle Ages before being 'revived' centuries later, although there may be little to no continuity between ancient Druidism and more modern forms."

Did the Druids Build Stonehenge?

One major misconception about the Druids is that they were the group responsible for building Stonehenge, the iconic English monument constructed of massive rocks. While you may have heard that the Druids built the mysterious landmark to serve as a temple, the approximately 5,000-year-old site is actually thought to predate the group by at least a few thousand years.

" " A modern druid named Merlin is seen at Stonehenge as the sun sets ahead of Summer Solstice on June 20, 2020 in Amesbury, United Kingdom. Although Stonehenge has been effectively ruled out as having been built by the Druids, it remains a sacred ceremonial site for modern Druidic adherents. Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

"One important thing to note is that while modern Druids have a special reverence for Stonehenge, there is little evidence that the ancient Druids did," Jarus says. "Stonehenge was constructed between about 5,000-4000 years ago while the earliest written references to Druids date back 2,400 years. While the Druids may go back further than the surviving written records it's a big jump to say that they were involved with Stonehenge."

While little is actually known about the original ancient Druids, Jarus says he can see why modern people continue to be fascinated by the enigmatic group. "I think part of the reason why modern day people identify with Druidism is that they associate it with great megalithic monuments like Stonehenge (although the Druids likely had little or nothing to do with the structure)," Jarus says. "Also the fact that ancient Druidism is poorly understood makes it easier for people to put their own beliefs and hopes into modern Druidism."

Now That's Interesting The word "Druid" comes from the Latin word "druides," which is also found in Ancient Greek language. Broken down, the word means "oak-knower" or "oak-seer," but is also used to refer to a sorcerer.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

Hanover Invests in Taylors Story In a mid-six-figure deal, Hanover Square Presss John Glynn bought a currently untitled memoir by Goldie Taylor, an editor-at-large at the Daily Beast. Eve Attermann at William Morris Endeavor brokered the North American rights agreement. Taylor was five years old when her father was murdered in St. Louis, and the book, the publisher said, will reveal how the author survived a childhood marred by sexual violence and physical abuse to go on and create hope where none existed. The memoir is slated for winter 2022.

FROM THE U.S.

McCarthy Details Brat Days for GCP

Andrew McCarthy sold his memoir Brat: An 80s Story to Grand Central Publishings Suzanne ONeill in a North American rights deal brokered by David Kuhn at Aevitas Creative Management. McCarthy is an actor whose films include St. Elmos Fire and Pretty in Pink, and a bestselling author who published a 2012 travel memoir with Free Press and a 2017 YA novel with Algonquin Young Readers. He is best known as a member of a 1980s cadre of young Hollywood actors dubbed the Brat Pack. In Brat, GCP said, McCarthy details his coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. The book is set for spring 2021.

S&S Picks Up Norriss Race Card

Washington Post columnist and former NPR host Michele Norris closed a two-book, world English rights agreement with Simon & Schuster for an adult title and a childrens title based on her Race Card Project. Norris launched the project in 2010, asking people to submit postcards with six words summarizing their thoughts on the word race. The books, S&S explained, will chronicle Norriss experience collecting responsesshes received more than 500,000that distill how Americans see themselves and their place in a fractured world. The adult title was acquired by Dawn Davis for her 37 Ink imprint. Kendra Levin at S&S Books for Young Readers bought the childrens title. Gail Ross at the Ross Yoon Agency represented Norris, and both books are scheduled for 2022.

Morrow Nabs Nagamatsus Debut Novel

With a six-figure preempt, Jessica Williams at William Morrow signed Sequoia Nagamatsus debut novel, How High We Go in the Dark. Annie Hwang at Ayesha Pande Literary represented the author in the two-book, North American rights deal. Morrow likened the speculative literary work to titles such as Station Eleven and Cloud Atlas, saying it explores humanitys struggle to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague. Nagamatsu, who is the managing editor of Psychopomp magazine, published his short story collection Where We Go When All We Were Is Gone in 2016.

MCD Signs Crosleys Cult

Sloane Crosley (The Clasp) sold Cult Classic to Sean McDonald at MCD, his Farrar, Straus and Giroux imprint. MCD described the book as a twisted comedy cum mystery and said it follows a woman whose love life becomes the target of her former mentors cultlike psychological experiment. Jay Mandel at William Morris Endeavor represented Crosley in the North American rights deal, and MCD said it plans to publish Cult Classic in early 2022.

Hill Calls for Equality at Viking

Vikings Wendy Wolf acquired world rights to Anita Hills A More Perfect Equality at auction. The book, subtitled A 30 Year Journey to End Gender Violence, was sold by Wes Neff at Leighco Inc. The publisher said it is Hills personal account of sexual harassment and assault and draws from her own experiences and a wide range of others testimony, to show gender violence as a pervasive social malady, with a call to action based on her decades of advocacy.

Grays Austen-Christie Mashup Goes to Vintage

After what Vintage described as a competitive auction, Anna Kaufman won two books in a new mystery series by Claudia Gray, the first of which is titled The Murder of Mr. Wickham, for six figures. Diana Fox at Fox Literary brokered the world rights agreement. The publisher described the novel as a Jane Austen sequel and crossover with an Agatha Christie twist, in which the Darcys, Knightleys, and all of Austens other beloved couples unite for a house party that takes a dark turn when the notorious Mr. Wickham makes an unwelcome, and soon fatal, appearance.

Portland Activist Lands at Oregon State

Black activist Richard Brown sold a memoir, This Is Not for You: An Activists Journey of Resistance and Resilience, to Kim Hogeland at Oregon State University Press. David Forrer at InkWell Management brokered the deal and said that the author chronicles his struggles with racism and policing in present-day Portland while recalling his 1940s Harlem childhood... and his decades of activism in one of Americas whitest big cities. The book, which Portland writer Brian Benson collaborated on, is set for March 2021. Both InkWell and Benson, Forrer noted, plan to contribute their share of the proceeds to Black-led organizations fighting for racial justice.

OLeary Moves to Berkley

Beth OLeary (The Flatshare) has left Flatiron for Berkley, selling her third novel, The Road Trip, to Cindy Hwang. The book, Berkley said, follows exes who reunite after two years by reluctantly road-tripping to a friends weddingand confronting the choices that tore them apart. Hwang took North American rights from Tanera Simons at the Darley Anderson Agency, and The Road Trip is set for 2021.
From being at the frontline of the BJPs offensive against the Ashok Gehlot government to being accused of playing a key role in the alleged conspiracy to dislodge the Congress dispensation, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has come to the fore as the central figure in Rajasthans political space.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala accused Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the member of Parliament from Jodhpur, during a media address on Friday of being caught on tape conspiring with rebel Congress legislators to bring down the Gehlot government.

Shekhawat, the Union water minister, has denied the charge and sought a probe against, asserting that it was not his voice on the tapes.

The 52-year-olds presence as the key player in the political events unfolding in Rajasthan is being read as an indication of the Bharatiya Janata Partys high commands decision to give new leadership a chance to make its presence felt in the state.

Lending weight to this perception is the comparison being drawn between Shekhawats all-out offensive and the telling silence of former chief minister and BJP heavyweight Vasundhara Raje.

The former chief minister has been conspicuous by her silence on the political controversy that has erupted in the state.

A BJP functionary speaking on the condition of anonymity said the process of cultivating a new and younger set of leaders has already been set in motion and Shekhawats prominence in the states politics is in line with the partys decision to encourage younger leaders.

There are leaders who have had several terms in positions of authority and it is only natural that a newer line of leaders is allowed to take the place going forward. But it does not mean that the senior leaders are being dispensed with. Otherwise, a Shivraj Singh Chouhan would not have been given a fourth term as CM, the functionary cited above said.

Rajes silence notwithstanding, her clout in the state has been crucial to the partys fate at the hustings. It was Rajes support base that helped her have her way in deciding the partys state unit president, even as the central leadership had preferred Shekhawat.

However, there have been questions whether the tape controversy put a dent in the ministers graph that seemed to be on the incline.

A party colleague, who did not want to be named, said allegations and counter-allegations are part of the political process and Shekhawat has created a space for himself in the state as well as at the national level.

He was picked to head a ministry that has some critical work cut out for it, considering how water for all is a priority of the central government. He is also well versed in the RSS ideology and with the guidance of the central leadership, we will overcome the challenges, the second functionary said.

Rajasthan-based political commentator Narayan Bareth said the BJP leadership has been trying to infuse fresh blood in the states political unit and Shekhawat fits the bill.

He is an ideal candidate, he has roots in the RSS and is courteous to senior leadership and his caste also works in his favour, Bareth said.
Pakistan passes Bill to give right of appeal to Kulbhushan Jadhav

Pakistan gives Kulbhushan Jadhav right to appeal against death sentence

Third consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav: Will Pak ensure it is un-restricted

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, July 18: A day after India termed the second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav as "neither meaningful nor credible," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Islamabad is willing to provide a third meeting with the Indian death row prisoner, according to the Pakistani media.

Kulbhushan Jadhav 'visibly stressed', Pakistan 'records' conversation | Oneindia News

Pakistan on Thursday provided a second consular access to Jadhav, a 50-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.

The Indian government said the second access was "neither meaningful nor credible," and Jadhav appeared visibly under stress.

Pakistan offers third consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav without presence of its officials

"The Consular Officers were not given unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional access" to Jadhav, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in New Delhi on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Qureshi, however, said the Indian consular officers were provided access to Jadhav as desired by New Delhi.

Qureshi said Pakistan was willing to provide yet another consular access to India, The Express Tribune reported.

They had objected over the presence of security officials during the meeting, we are willing even to remove those officials. If India wants another access then our offer is open. If they (India) want to meet him tonight or tomorrow, we are ready, the paper quoted Qureshi as telling a news channel.

However, there was no official confirmation neither from India nor from Pakistan whether the decision was conveyed to New Delhi.

India approached the International Court of Justice against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Jadhav and challenging the death sentence.

The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July last year that Pakistan must undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.

The first consular access under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 was earlier provided by Pakistan on September 2 last year.

Kulbhushan Jadhav 'visibly under stress', Pakistan did not give unhindered consular access: India

Though Pakistan Foreign ministry had assured India that the consular access on Thursday would be unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional, it turned out that the arrangements of the meeting were not in accordance with the assurances made by Islamabad, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Srivastava said.

Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.

India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.
New Delhi, July 18 : While efforts are afoot to normalise Indo-China relations, the ground reality is far from normal.

At a time when news of India's solar manufacturing may get VGF support to cut Chinese imports or Union Minister Nitin Gadkari snubbing China on road construction deals are making headlines, some of India's key projects are either being run by or have crucial links with companies that have deep connections with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Sources close to the government said that one of the top projects is going on in Karnataka. Considered as one of the largest joint ventures between India and China, Xindia Steels Ltd has recently commissioned a 0.8 mtpa iron ore pelletisation facility in Karnataka's Koppal district, adjacent to Hospet, at a total cost of slightly over Rs 250 crore.

However, its main investor is Xinxing Cathay International Group Co. Ltd. (China), which as per its website, is "reorganised, reconstructed and unhooked from the previous production department and subordinate enterprises and institutions of the General Logistics Department of the PLA".

The same PLA, which engaged into a violent clash with the Indian Army soldiers in eastern Ladakh last month, resulting in the killing of 20 Indian bravehearts.

The company that powers the Hospet project is "under the supervision" of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council in China (SASAC).

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. There is another project in Andhra Pradesh which too raises security issues in view of the current scenario. China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) had announced a multi-million dollar investment in a 200 MW PV manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh's Sri City in 2018.

CETC is China's leading military lectronics manufacturer and also makes Hikvision CCTV cameras. It is known as China's surveillance czar that identifies Xinjiang's 11 million Muslim Uighurs through facial recognition and unleashes a state sponsored suppression.

Washington has long banned government agencies from buying Hikvision products. Several CETC research institutes and subsidiaries have been added to the US government's list, restricting exports to them on national security grounds.

Huawei is being ostracised in many countries in key telecom projects. It was Ren Zhengfei, a former deputy director of the People's Liberation Army engineering corps, who had founded Huawei in 1987 in Shenzhen.

Huawei is a popular brand in India with a reported revenue of Rs 12,800 crore in 2018-19 from its Indian operations. But due to security concerns, the company has been kept out of the 5G race in many countries.

Alibaba, a global tech giant, also raises security concerns, which the Centre too has realised. Alibaba has made strategic investments in the Indian startup arena, and its portfolio includes food delivery startup Zomato, online grocer BigBasket, Snapdeal and logistics firm Xpressbees.

However, it is also developing Artificial Intelligence in a range of sub-domains for China under the military-civil fusion initiative. Alibaba, along with Baidu and Tencent, is a part of China's national AI team.

The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a Congressional commission of the US government that monitors and investigates national security and trade issues between the US and China, in its 2019 report said, "The Chinese government's military-civil fusion policy aims to spur innovation and economic growth through an array of policies and other government-supported mechanisms, including venture capital (VC) funds, while leveraging the fruits of civilian innovation for China's defense sector." This raises direct questions on Chinese VC investments in India, including big names like Alibaba and Tencent, sources close to the government said.

This also raises concerns over investments by Tencent. Its first notable investment was $400 million in Ola Cabs, which came at a time when both Ola in India and the Tencent-backed Didi Chuxing in China were in a heated competition with rival Uber.

This was followed by a $700 million investment in Flipkart, in a deal that made Tencent the biggest Chinese investor in India.

And that's not all. Tencent has acquired a diversified portfolio in India, targeting stakes by leading a $175 million fund-raising round in Hike Messenger to a $90 million injection in the healthcare startup Practo. In the education space, it has invested $40 million in the learning app Byju's, following up with $11.4 million in a subsequent funding round.

Even your regular food delivery apps have a Chinese grab that now raises national security concern for the Centre. Tencent joined its shareholder Naspers in a $1 billion funding round for Swiggy, a rival of Alibaba-invested Zomato.

Now, if the US report is anything to go by, China wants "leveraging the fruits of civilian innovation for China's defense sector", which at present is at odds with India, due to the border disputes, while the funds drive the economic growth.

India is scrutinising afresh the threat of a 2017 law that China's legislature had passed. It's known as a new intelligence law which gave new powers to monitor suspects, raid premises and seize vehicles and devices.

According to the annual report of the US Secretary of Defense on the "Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China 2019", this law requires Chinese companies, such as Huawei, ZTE, Tik Tok etc., to support, provide assistance, and cooperate in China's national intelligence work, wherever they operate. This partly explains the government's abrupt banning of 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok.

Article 7 of the Law states: "Any organisation or citizen shall support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law." And now India seems to have started to identify those Chinese companies with links to the PLA as a starter.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 12:36:18|Editor: huaxia

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People queue up outside a clothing store in Mexico City, Mexico, July 17, 2020. Mexico registered 7,257 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 736 new deaths, bringing the nationwide caseload to 331,298 and death toll to 38,310, the Mexican Health Ministry reported on Friday. (Xinhua)

MEXICO CITY, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Mexico registered 7,257 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 736 new deaths, bringing the nationwide caseload to 331,298 and death toll to 38,310, the Mexican Health Ministry reported on Friday.

As the testing capacity grows, the government estimates the real number of infections is likely higher than the current confirmed cases.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that he will donate a fourth of his salary to help the country overcome the current COVID-19 crisis. He also encouraged the country's public servants to donate from their earnings. Enditem
The most recent polls on how the presidential race is shaping up in Pennsylvania arent good news for President Donald Trump, if you believe the polls anymore.

Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord and Democratic analysts Rogette Harris will join PennLives Joyce Davis at 5 p.m. Friday to bring their Battleground PA podcast to Facebook Live. They will discuss the Monmouth University poll released Wednesday that shows former Vice President Joe Biden with a 13-point lead over President Trump in Pennsylvania.

The poll shows Biden with 53 percent support among registered voters polled in Pennsylvania, with Trump at 40 percent. But Trump supporters are quick to point out just how wrong the pollsters were in 2016. And the poll raises the possibility that many people are secret Trump supporters.

Rogette, Harris and Davis also will discuss the ongoing political divide over masking, with Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick declaring he thinks it should be optional, even in the middle of a pandemic.

Bring your comments and questions to Battleground PA on PennLives Facebook page.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

And please subscribe to Battleground PA to stay abreast of the issues in the 2020 elections!
What is the CPC? US needs to be taught: Global Times editorial

Global Times

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/17 16:28:40

The New York Times report "US Weighs Sweeping Travel Ban on Chinese Communist Party Members" published on Wednesday has set public opinion ablaze in no time. The idea is incredibly absurd. Who in Washington were the first to propose it? Do they understand the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese society?

To begin, let's talk about what 93 million Party members means. The scale of the Party is unimaginable to Westerners, and 93 million is not just a number. That figure is more than the total population of Germany. According to reports, not only Party members but also their families are likely to face the sanction. If we count only their spouses, children and parents, there would be at least 300 million people - equivalent to the total population of the US. If their parents-in-law, siblings, cousins and other relatives are counted, about half of the Chinese population will be affected.

Let's take a look at who these CPC members are. The CPC has been the ruling party for a long time. Most officials in local authorities across the country are Party members. But senior and middle-to-high level officials are only a tiny part of the CPC. Most CPC members live and work among ordinary Chinese people. They themselves are ordinary Chinese people. They are usually active forces in all walks of life. If the CPC is a big tree, these people are the roots which deeply penetrate the soil of Chinese society.

The CPC is not a political party that has emerged under a Western political ecology. It is substantially different to Western-style parties in scale, goals, operating mechanism and the role it plays in society. The CPC is not a typical "party" in the English vocabulary. No English word can really describe it.

The CPC can be described from different perspectives. For instance, the CPC is the skeleton of China's vast society, the backbone of the mobilization and operation systems of the whole country. The CPC creates the selection and training mechanisms for advanced figures in Chinese society.

The CPC is the product of Marxism applied to China's distinct national conditions. Relying solely on the historical, social and political experiences of the West, one cannot truly understand the CPC which has, together with the people, brought China to its status of the world's second-largest economy.

Most CPC members join the Party when they are young, with dreams, enthusiasm, collective spirits, higher working competence and other qualities praised by others. They often volunteer for more difficult work and devote themselves more than others because that is an obligation of Party members.

In the face of emergency situations, CPC members should rush to the front. That is the common expectation and requirement of all Party members and Chinese society. "CPC members shall be the vanguard" has once again become not only a widely used slogan but also a common reality on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus. Many medical personnel - including doctor Li Wenliang who was infected and sacrificed his life in the fight against the virus - are members of the Party.

A small number of members have been found guilty of corruption, which has triggered the Party's anti-corruption campaign. It is due to the effective anti-corruption campaign - active since the 18th National Congress of the CPC - that the Party has further won the support and trust of Chinese people. The CPC, together with the Chinese people, is striving to change the destiny of the Chinese nation for the better. The Party is leading the Chinese people while integrating completely into the country. Its fundamental nature will never change. The hard work and responsibilities of the CPC have greatly boosted China's strength and its people's living standards. The Chinese people are aware of that.

Advocating for the separation of the CPC from the Chinese people for so-called targeted attacks is the fantasy and delusion of a few US elites. It is as hypocritical and arrogant as attacking a man's heart and nervous system yet claiming to be beneficial to his whole body. Opposing all CPC members is undoubtedly opposing all Chinese people. It is an attempt to hit the weight-bearing part of Chinese society's development and progress. Political parties under the Western system are political tools seeking interests for certain groups. The CPC's responsibility, however, is to seek interests for all Chinese people. That is also a strong source of the CPC's strength.

The current US administration openly antagonizes the CPC. It is sowing hatred between the two countries and the two peoples, trying to make the struggle between the two sides a fundamental confrontation rather than a fight for interests. What does such confrontation mean for the 21st Century and for people who want peace? China and the US are the two largest comprehensive powers worldwide. The two are both nuclear powers and have great strategic mobilization powers. By repeatedly creating tension, is the current US administration trying to force the two countries toward an all-out strategic confrontation? Is it going to bury global peace and tranquility?

History is not blind. The US is poisoning the 21st Century and it is bound to face retribution.

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At least 10,000 people are said to have taken to the streets of the Russian city Khabarovsk on Saturday, demanding the release of a popular regional governor, who was detained on suspicion of murder last week.

Khabarovsk governor Sergei Furgal, was arrested on July 9 and flown to Moscow, where he remains in pre-trial detention.

Russia's Investigative Committee says he is suspected of involvement in several murders of businessmen in 2004 and 2005.

At least 10,000 demonstrators have marched in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk (above) on Saturday afternoon, during a second week of anti-Putin protests

Protesters are demanding the release of popular Khabarovsk governor Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on July 9 and flown to Moscow, where he is in pre-trial detention

Some protesters called for a fair and open trial for the regional governor, who is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party

Furgal swept to power in 2018 after defeating a rival from the ruling United Russia party that backs President Vladimir Putin

Mr Furgal has denied the charges, which relate to his time as a businessman with interests ranging from imports of consumer goods to timber and metals.

Furgal, who is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, swept to power in 2018 after defeating a rival from the ruling United Russia party that backs President Vladimir Putin.

He could face up to life in prison if he is found guilty of the charges, which also include involvement in attempted murder.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators packed into Khabarovsk on Saturday afternoon, carrying posters supporting Furgal in the second week of the protests.

Many Khabarovsk residents have dismissed the charges against him as unsubstantiated and denounced the Kremlin for targeting a governor they elected.

Some placards demanded the release of the governor, while others called for an open and transparent trial.

Russia's Investigative Committee says he Furgal is suspected of involvement in several murders of businessmen in 2004 and 2005, charges which he denies

Demonstrators came out in mass to 'defend their voting rights', following simmering discontent over the Kremlin's policies

The protests are now in their second week, as hundreds of demonstrators have flocked to the city centre every single day this week

Many Khabarovsk residents have dismissed the charges against him as unsubstantiated and denounced the Kremlin for targeting a governor they elected

Local media estimated the rally in the city drew crowds of 15,000 to 50,000 people.

Svetlana, a middle-aged woman who was wearing a face mask, said residents were not put off by the accusations against Furgal.

She said that many Russian politicians have a dark past, as the final years of the Soviet Union were riddled with corruption and crime.

She added: 'People came out here to defend their voting rights: We elected him, so return him to us.'

Hundreds have rallied in the city centre every single day this week, protesting against the arrest of Furgal.

Mikhail Yerashchenko, one of the protesters, said on Saturday: 'It's not only about this (whether Furgal arrest is legal or not). People are fed up with the way we are treated, that they (authorities) can simply take away our choice.'

Furgal's victory in 2018 was unexpected as he did not actively campaign and toed the Kremlin's line, publicly supporting his rival.

Saturday's protests come three weeks after a landslide referendum victory for the Kremlin on amendments to the constitution, allowing Putin to remain in power for another 16 years

Dozens were arrested in Moscow last week after hundreds of people protested against the new amendments. Pictured, people hold a placard reading 'I Am/We Are Sergei Furgal' in Khabarovsk protests on July 18

During his two years in office, Furgal earned a reputation as 'the people's governor', after cutting his own salary and meeting protesters when rallies took place

Last Saturday, between 10,000 and 12,000 people took past in an unsanctioned march last Saturday in Khabarovsk, according to the local branch of the interior ministry. Pictured, people hold up signs in support of Furgal during protests on July 18

Moscow is still to appointed an acting governor to replace Mr Furgal, now 11 days after his arrest

But during his two years in office, Furgal earned a reputation as 'the people's governor'.

He cut his own salary and ordered the sale of an expensive yacht that the previous administration had bought.

Furgal even met protesters when rallies took place and significantly reduced flight fares for residents in remote areas.

The protests come three weeks after a landslide referendum victory for the Kremlin on amendments to the constitution, allowing Putin to remain in power for another 16 years.

Dozens were arrested in Moscow last week after hundreds of people protested against the new amendments.

Between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part in an unsanctioned march last Saturday in Khabarovsk, according to the local branch of the interior ministry.

The protests, unauthorised by authorities, are the largest ever to have taken place in Khabarovsk, a city of 590,000 people

Local media estimated the rally in the city drew crowds of 15,000 to 50,000 people, while the mayor's office claimed that less than 10,000 attended

In a statement, the mayor's office said that the protest was was peaceful and no detentions were made

The protests, unauthorised by authorities, are the largest ever to have taken place in Khabarovsk, a city of 590,000.

In a statement, the mayor's office said that fewer than 10,000 people marched in the latest protest on Saturday.

But some local news outlets have estimated that the number attending the demonstrations was significantly higher.

The mayor's office also added that the protest on July 18 was peaceful and no detentions were made.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the situation 'not standard' this week.

Khabarovsk, which borders China, is a seven-hour flight east of Russian capital.

Moscow is still to appointed an acting governor, now 11 days after Furgal's arrest.
Police Chief In Iran Threatens Protesters With 'Forceful' Crackdown

Radio Farda July 17, 2020

The police chief in Behbahan, a southwestern Iranian city where the first of what appears to be a new round of protests took place Thursday evening, says security forces used their "might" to disperse the protesters.

Speaking to the official news agency IRNA on Friday 17 July, Behbahan Police Chief Mohammad Azizi claimed, "the protest was against the economic situation," but insisted only "a small number of people" took part.

Videos shared on social media show hundreds of people rallying in various places in the city, particularly at the venue of last November's protests, while the police attacked the crowd with tear gas.

The police chief warned the protesters both Thursday evening and Friday morning that the crackdown might be heavy-handed.In November, the security forces shot protesters in the head or heart at point blank in various cities including Behbahan. Various sources put the casualty toll of November protests between 230 to 1500, but the Iranian government has still not released the official figures of the violent crackdown.

Although disruption in Internet connection stopped the flow of fresh videos from Behbahan and Shiraz, where most protests took place Thursday night, the videos that made it to social media platforms show clashes with the police and gun shots heard at least in one video.

The police chief says the slogans were against the norms of the society, which is the official jargon to describe demanding regime change. "Being ruled by clerics, we don't want - we don't want" was one of the most frequently chanted slogans in Behbahan while other protesters answered: "The Islamic Republic, we don't want - we don't want."

Other slogans included "Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, my life for Iran," which is a slogan against the Islamic Republic's regional ambitions. One of the most stinging slogans that must have annoyed the officials was: "Mullahs should get lost."

The police chief warned once again that the people should avoid joining any gathering and said that "protests will be dealt with forcefully."

Various reports from Iran said that tight security measures were in place and massive security presence was observed in Tehran, Isfahan, Mashad and Shiraz from mid-day on Thursday as the police anticipated some kind of protests following the "promotion" of "Don't Execute" hashtag on Twitter by over nine million social media users in less than two days.

The amplification of anti-execution messages on social media was initially meant to reverse the death sentence issued for three young men arrested during the November protests, but gradually it turned into a remembrance of all those who have been executed by the Islamic regime in Iran since 1979.

The government's response was the same routine practice that has taken shape since the post-election unrests in 2009: Heavy riot police presence and cutting off the internet to deprive protesters of an effective means of mobilization and messaging, as well preventing news and images being shared.

According to the international Internet Shutdown Observatory NetBlocks, the Iranian government restricted Internet access in Khuzestan Province from around 10 PM local time.

In the meantime, the Iranian Human Rights News Agency HRANA reported from Behbahan that Farzaneh Ansarifar, a young woman whose brother was shot to death during last November, has been arrested Thursday nights. At least 10 demonstrators were killed in Behbahan in November.

Arrests have also been reported in the Province of Khorasan Friday morning. The local police accused those arrested in Mashhad, the provincial capital, of "spying, encouraging others to take part in protests, acting against national security and disrupting public order through social media platforms."

The IRGC in Mashad charged that those arrested in the city were inked to "belligerent groups" but did not elaborate.

In Shiraz however, the IRGC intelligence announced that it has arrested a team "affiliated with the Mojahedin-e Khalq" opposition group. The IRGC did not say how many were arrested but said that those arrested "had come to the Fars Province for sabotage in a part of Shiraz."

Iranian officials, particularly President Hassan Rouhani have been preoccupied with the fear of recurring protests following massive demonstrations against deteriorating economic conditions in 2018 and 2019 which threatened the regime's existence and eroded its legitimacy to a great extent, particularly as the government's violent crackdown on protesters led to international disgrace for the Islamic system.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has been quoted earlier as having said that protesters might take to the streets as a result of financial problems created by U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. His health minister Saeed Namaki suggested that Rouhani's priority should be keeping the population safe from the virus while also looking for a solution for the economic problem.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/police- chief-in-iran-threatens-protesters-with- forceful-crackdown/30733437.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Srinagar, July 18 : Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will now have an independent office in Jammu and Kashmir to fight narco-terror in the union territory.

An official statement said this decision was taken on Saturday at the administrative council (AC) meeting chaired by LG G. C. Murmu.

"The AC today approved allotment and transfer of land up to 13 kanals 5 marlas to NCB at village Majeen, Sidhra, Jammu, for construction of office building and residential complex.

"The said piece of land will be allotted to NCB on lease basis for 40 years. The decision has been taken on the basis of recommendations of the Board of Directors of Jammu Development Authority and concurrence of Department of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs and Revenue Department.

"The decision will facilitate setting up of an independent NCB Zonal Headquarter and assist in effective control of narco-terror related activities in the region", the statement said.
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Linkedin Patrick Galey (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Sat, July 18, 2020 09:02 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667456cf 2 Science & Tech Solar-Orbiter,Science,space,European-Union Free

Scientists said Thursday they had obtained the closest ever images taken of the Sun as part of a pan-European mission to study solar winds and flares that could have far-reaching impacts back on Earth.

The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral in February and completed its first fly by of our star last month, sending back unprecedented images of phenomena close to its surface.

"The first images are exceeding our expectations," said Daniel Muller, Solar Orbiter project scientist at ESA.

"We can already see hints of very interesting phenomena that we have not been able to observe in detail before.

"This makes us confident that Solar Orbiter will help us answer profound open questions about the Sun."

In particular, the team observed dozens of miniature solar flares, known as "campfires", which until now had never been captured on film.

David Berghmans, from Belgium's Royal Observatory, said the campfires were several million times smaller than solar flares, which can be observed from Earth.

Nevertheless, the smallest the team observed still measured around 400 kilometres across -- "about the size of a small European country," said Berghmans.

"The Sun seems relatively calm on first viewing but when you look at it in detail you can see miniature eruptions everywhere," he added.

Solar winds and flares emit billions of highly charged particles that impact planets, including Earth. But the phenomena remain poorly understood despite decades of research.

The largest solar storm on record hit North America in September 1859, knocking out much of the continent's telegraph network and bathing the skies in an aurora viewable as far away as the Caribbean.

Solar ejections can also disrupt radar systems, radio networks and can even render satellites useless, though such extremes are rare.

During its first orbit, the craft -- developed in conjunction with NASA -- traveled around 77 million kilometers from the surface, about half the distance between the Sun and Earth.

Equipped to withstand temperatures as high as 500 degrees Celsius, it will eventually travel as close as 40 million kilometres from the surface, protecting its instruments with a heat-resistant structure that will be exposed to sunlight 13 times stronger than on Earth.

Read also: Solar Orbiter set to launch in mission to reveal Sun's secrets

'Terra incognita'

Its operators plan to gradually tilt the craft's orbit, enabling scientists to obtain the first ever images of the Sun's poles.

Sami Solanki, director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, said the team was especially excited about images of the Sun's poles, which he described as "terra incognita".

The Solar Orbiter mission and is set to last up to nine years at a cost of some 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion).
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'Be Water,' a Bruce Lee documentary directed by Vietnamese American director Bao Nguyen, is in the lineup for the 2020 edition of Cannes Classics, a popular sidebar dedicated to restored heritage movies and documentaries at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France.

The organizers of the Cannes Film Festival recently unveiled the list of 56 films that would have played there in May had the festival not been canceled due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In the Cannes Classics  one of the six official selections of the festival, Nguyen's 'Be Water,' a documentary about Hong Kong American actor Bruce Lee for ESPN, was selected for screening in the documentary section.

'Be Water' follows Lees story told by those who knew him, film critics and historians while nimbly weaving the martial artist and actors life with a broader context for his career and stardom.

I found that in order for us to really aspire and connect to these heroic figures that we relate to, we have to know who they were as a person, Nguyen was quoted by the Washington Post as explaining the inspiration for the documentary.

We had to kind of dive deep into their humanistic qualities.

Vietnamese American director Bao Nguyen is seen in an undated supplied photo.

The documentary was premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, a U.S. documentary competition, earlier this year.

Following the 2020 Sundance, 'Be Water' was invited to other film-screening events such as South by Southwest (SXSW), San Francisco, Miami, Seattle, Hot Docs and Sydney Film Festival.

The film received a 92 percent positive average from 25 reviews on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and appeared in many critics' lists of recommended movies in the first half of 2020.

Bao Nguyen is an award-winning Vietnamese American filmmaker whose past work has been seen in The New York Times, HBO, NBC, Vice, ARTE, and PBS.

He has directed, produced, and shot a number of short films, which have played internationally in numerous festivals and museums.

In 2014, he worked as the producer and cinematographer of the sci-fi feature 'Nuoc 2030' (Water 2030), which premiered at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival.

He also co-produced the Vietnamese film 'Rom,' which was honored with the New Currents Award at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, together with Vietnamese director Tran Thanh Huy.

'Rom' is scheduled to make its domestic debut on July 31.

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No sooner had Torstar Corp. finally succeeded in selling itself last weekend than a noisy minority of angry shareholders emerged to insist there is something fishy about the deal.

The deal is subject to shareholder approval in a vote next week, on July 21.

Actually, the deal is above-board, and the takeover process has been fair to shareholders.

That is the view of this space, at least.

Full disclosure: I am a Torstar shareholder, and an employee of Torstars flagship asset, the 128-year-old Toronto Star.

Torstars major owners agreed last Saturday to sell the company, owner of about 70 Canadian newspapers, to NordStar Capital LP for about $60 million.

NordStar is owned by Jordan Bitove, a Toronto equity-fund manager; and Paul Rivett, until recently president of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

Fairfax is one of Canadas biggest institutional investors. As owner of about 40 per cent of Torstars non-voting shares, Fairfax has veto power over any sale of Torstar.

So does a Voting Trust of five families, which owns about 93 per cent of Torstars voting shares.

NordStar is paying what the market would call a full price for Torstar, meaning a bit on the rich side. It is committed to the Stars longtime Atkinson Principles of social-justice journalism.

And NordStar has outlined a plan to invest about $100 million in hastening the digital transition of the Star and other Torstar papers.

For their part, some parties unhappy with the latest deal  a few Torstar shareholders and people affiliated with a losing bid for the company  allege an unspoken arrangement among NordStar, the Voting Trust, and Torstars board of directors to sell the company at less than its true value.

They dont give a reason for why they believe that happened, nor is there evidence for their claims.

But Torstar shareholders deserve to know if they have been treated fairly.

So, lets look at how this deal took shape.

The Torstar sale process began last fall and lasted about 10 months, according to Torstars regulatory filings. Thats a lot of deliberation over a small-cap takeover.

The Torstar board did not act in haste, though the pandemic was accelerating the decline in Torstars already worrisome financial performance, and had also weakened the global takeover market.

Torstars directors were determined to get a deal done, just the same, to establish greater certainty of Torstars status as a going concern.

The directors met their fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders, flatly rejecting Nordstars initial bid of 56.6 cents per share, on Feb. 10.

That forced NordStar to come back with a richer, 63-cent offer, made public in late May.

Late in the day, on July 8, a rival bid for Torstar was made public, valued at 72 cents per share.

It was made by private equity group Canadian Modern Media Holdings Inc. (CMMH).

That firm is backed by Neil Selfe, an investment banker; Matthew Proud, CEO of Dye & Burnham Corp., a law technology firm; and Prouds brother Tyler Proud, CEO of real-estate software firm Avesdo Inc. Greg Sorbara, former Ontario finance minister, is also part of the group.

The CMMH bid forced NordStar to boost its offer yet again, in a third bid, this one valued at 74 cents a share.

Torstars major owners accepted that bid, which shut out other bidders, given the veto power of the largest stockowners.

Torstar shares traded this week at about 74 cents, meaning the market does not expect a higher bid.

With its latest bid, NordStar is offering to pay almost 31 per cent more for Torstar than it initially planned. And its current bid represents a whopping 85 per cent premium over Torstars last closing price, of 40 cents, before NordStars first bid was announced, on May 26.

But hold on, say the Torstar investors who smell a rat.

Last weekends deal has been described elsewhere as one in which families, not finances determined the sale price. Meaning that the Stars Atkinson principles of social-justice journalism, of great value to the families, had trumped profit maximization.

That claim is bunkum. And the proof is that Fairfax told Torstars board at the beginning of the sale process that it would vote for any deal that satisfied Torstars directors.

Fairfax chairman Prem Watsa, sometimes described as the Warren Buffett of Canada, has no blood ties to the five families. And he is in the business of profit maximization, not social-justice journalism.

Sorbara said the deal left money on the table. He was alluding to an 80-cent offer CMMH said it would have made if the bidding hadnt been cut short.

Actually, sellers usually accept a little less than they could get. Pushing a buyer to its financial limits risks the deal falling apart. It also risks the takeover failing the day it is signed, because the buyer overpaid. That debilitating phenomenon has been especially prevalent in failed North American newspaper transactions.

Finally, CMMH claims the value of its bid might ultimately have been upward of $1.30 per share, a sum as ludicrous as it sounds.

CMMH says it was preparing to top up its 80-cent bid with additional contingency payments to shareholders from sales of Torstars minority investments in non-core businesses. CMMH calculated the total value of those sales at up to 50 cents per share. Thats where CMMH gets its $1.30 a share.

But contingency means just that, contingent on CMMHs ability to find buyers for Torstars mostly ill-advised minority investments. Torstar has already started taking writedowns on those, and has struggled in trying to find buyers for them at any price.

After the Torstar board last fall began discussing the sale of Torstar itself, almost all of the 26 potential buyers with which Torstar talked werent willing to buy the entire company. They just wanted Torstars papers.

So, CMMHs idea that Torstars doggy minority interests, mostly online startups, would eventually yield shareholders an extra 50 cents per share is pie in the sky.

But uncertainty remains about Torstars future even with the agreed-upon deal.

Bitoves call for a hurry-up strategy for Torstars digital agenda holds promise. So does his belief that the Atkinson Principles are the guiding light of the organization. They actually are a commercial asset that distinguishes the Star brand from look-alike metro dailies across the continent.

NordStar has no experience in newspaper ownership, however. (Neither does CMMH.) And NordStar has neither embraced nor rejected an eventual merger with Torstar rival Postmedia Network Canada Corp., a pairing that Bay Street has long regarded as inevitable.

But all that comes later. What matters now is whether Torstar investors are getting the best deal possible under the circumstances. And it appears that they are.

Be well, and stay safe.

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A man has appeared in court charged with spraying tear gas in Oxford Street Selfridges after at least 14 people were injured in an incident earlier this week.

Tyan Tulloch, is accused of possessing the toxic CS gas in the upmarket department store on Thursday, Highbury Corner Magistrates Court heard on Saturday.

He is also charged with affray after allegedly spraying the gas in the store.

The charge says Tulloch used or threatened unlawful violence towards other persons. His actions allegedly would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.

No indication of pleas were entered. Tulloch, of Trim Street, Deptford, south-east London, who appeared from custody by video-link wearing a camouflage jumper, was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court on August 14.

At least 14 people were injured in the incident on Thursday. Police were called to the Oxford Street department store on Thursday at 1.39pm to reports of a disturbance, and London Ambulance Service staff also went to the scene.

A Selfridges spokeswoman said:" We can confirm the police are in attendance at our Oxford Street store following a short altercation between two males which involved the spraying of CS gas by one of the males.

"A few team members and customers were checked over by the ambulance service for irritated nose and throat, with all but one being given the all-clear."
DUP members of Fermanagh and Omagh DUP District Council have lodged a complaint to the Local Government Commissioner for Standards, after an independent councillor brought a proposal against the extradition of Liam Campbell to face weapons smuggling charges.

Campbell was found liable in a civil court for the Omagh bomb in 1998, which claimed the lives of 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins and injured 220 others.

During a meeting of the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council's Policy and Resources Committee last week, Councillor Bernice Swift sought support in opposing Campbell's extradition under human rights.

During the meeting, chairman, Councillor Stephen McCann, permitted the last minute notice of the proposal and refused to allow open debate, moving quickly into confidential business.

The move has left victims of the Omagh bomb "appalled and re-traumatised".

The DUP complaint comes after republican Councillor Gary Donnelly of neighbouring Derry and Strabane District Council indicated his intention to bring forward the same motion.

DUP group leader Councillor Errol Thompson said: "We have lodged our complaint against Councillor Bernice Swift and Councillor and chair of the Policy and Resources committee Stephen McCann.

"We believe the standards of which the public expect of councillors has been profoundly damaged. The proposal raised is not within the remit of the council and should not be accepted as reasonable business for the council to conduct.

"It has instead insulted Omagh bomb victims and upset many within the community."

"There seems to be no end to the lengths some people will go to intentionally hurt and exacerbate grief," said victims campaigner Claire Monteith, who lost her brother Alan in the Omagh bomb.
India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist

India summons Pakistani envoy, condemns 'deliberate targeting of civilians in J&K'

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, July 18: India on Saturday summoned the charge d'affaires of the Pakistan high commission to lodge a strong protest over the death of three civilians in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC).

"Charge d'Affaires of Pakistan High Commission was summoned today and a strong protest lodged on the death of 3 civilians, including a child, in an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani forces in the night of July 17, 2020, in Krishna Ghati Sector in Jammu and Kashmir," the MEA said in an official statement.

India condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians by Pakistan forces. "This year alone, 21 Indians have been killed and 94 injured in over 2,711 unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces," stated the MEA.

Pakistan aviation authority suspends 15 more pilots having fake license

"Pakistan was called upon to adhere to the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control and the International Boundary," it further said.

The MEA also confirmed that Nidan Singh Sachdeva, a leader of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan, who was kidnapped in Chamkani district of Paktia province on 22 June 2020, was released from captivity today.

"We convey our appreciation to the Government of Afghanistan and tribal elders from the area, whose efforts secured the return of Nidan Singh. Targeting and persecution of minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters remain a matter of grave concern," added the MEA.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, July 18, 2020, 22:42 [IST]
By Holger Hansen

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrat Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is facing calls from rival parties to account for the regulatory failures that led to the collapse of Wirecard after it emerged he knew of concerns about the company 18 months ago.

The payment services company filed for insolvency last month after disclosing a 1.9 billion euro ($2.2 billion) hole in its accounts that auditors blamed on a global accounting fraud.

Scholz, seen as the party's best hope to succeed conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel next year, was informed in February 2019 that investigators were looking in "all directions" when regulators banned short-selling of Wirecard's shares, according to a parliamentary report seen by Reuters.

While there is no suggestion that Scholz knew of any malpractice, rival parties have suggested the Social Democrats' (SPD) most prominent politician bears responsibility for regulators' failure to spot problems.

"The fact that Olaf Scholz was informed as early as early 2019 about the Wirecard case strengthens the sense of a collective failure of responsibility," said Danyal Bayaz, finance spokesman for the Greens, who have moved into second place in the polls by eating into the SPD's voter base.

Merkel's Christian Democrats, in coalition with the SPD, also urged Scholz to stop "looking away" and focus on the alleged supervisory failings by BaFin, the markets regulator for which Scholz is responsible.

The complaints have so far had little impact on Scholz, who is among Germany's most popular politicians. But they could yet hurt his beleaguered party, which has few leadership candidates left after a string of electoral setbacks.

For now, the party remains committed to their main hope, with legislators accusing the other parties of mud-slinging.

"I see no reason for the Wirecard scandal to be dangerous for Olaf Scholz," said SPD legislator Jens Zimmermann. "He had to go along with what BaFin was telling him."

($1 = 0.8748 euros)

(Writing by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Mark Potter)
Los Angeles, July 18 : Actor Dennis Quaid says the whole animal abuse scandal around his 2017 movie "A Dog's Purpose" was a "scam".

In his new podcast "The Pet Show", the two-time Golden Globe nominee addressed the scandal about his 2017 film, reports dailymail.co.uk.

He said that accusations of animal abuse on the set of the film, which forced them to cancel the red carpet premiere, were "a scam".

The 66-year-old was referring to a video released back in January of 2017, which appeared to show that the German Shepherd named Hercules was resisting during a scene in the water.

"What happened was the dog jumps into the water... there were divers, scuba divers, three of them, underneath the water. One of the trainers reached down to give the dog a rest and he pulled him up, and it looks like he's pulling him up and choking him by the collar," the actor recounted.

"What it doesn't show, is that there's a table right below the dog, so the dog can rest his feet on the table. He's not just being held up," he added.

He also responded to a video that showed the dog struggling to get out of the pool, before sinking below the water, and said the dog "goes under and that's where the guy cuts".

'Well there were two divers waiting for him right there, it wasn't even a second and a half. They lifted him up, handed him to the trainer right by the pool and the dog didn't even wait to get a collar on, he ran right to the other side of the pool to do it again. He loved it," said Quaid.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a third-party investigation found that "preventative safety measures were in place", and stated that the videos were "deliberately edited to mislead the public".

Quaid later went on to star in the sequel "A Dog's Journey", which releases in 2019.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Surprising approximately no one in the publishing industry, Delia Owenss Where the Crawdads Sing topped the overall adult chart for the first half of 2020a resounding success for a debut novel by any definition, especially given that adult fiction typically sells far less than nonfiction. It was, after all, the overall top title last year, when it sold more than 1.8 million copies in all formats, according to NPD BookScan. In the first six months of 2020, its sold just under 715,000 copiesfewer than the 907,000 it sold in the same period in 2019. No shock there either: the pandemic has done its work on book sales, after all.

Three of the remaining titles in the overall top 10 are fiction: Charlie Mackesys The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, buoyed by a surprise Barnes & Noble Book of the Year nod last December; Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, whose Hulu adaptation helped to keep selling an already popular book; and Jeanine Cumminss controversial novel American Dirt, thanks to a star turn on the Oprah Book Club and wide-ranging discourse surrounding its publication. Only one political title, John Boltons much-fought-over The Room Where It Happened, placed in the top 10but did so after only a couple of weeks on salewhile two backlist titles about social justice and racism (Robin DiAngelos White Fragility and Ibram X. Kendis How to Be an Antiracist) made the list as people across the country continue to protest the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

Dr. Seuss, as always, had a great year in the childrens category, placing three books in the top 10. Dav Pilkeys Fetch-22 took the #1 slot, selling more than 402,000 copies. The #2 seller in kids, Crystal Radkes My First Learn-to-Write Workbook, saw a big sales bump as the pandemic drove children home from school.

And in YA, Suzanne Collinss return to the Hunger Games universe, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, sold more than 887,000 copies in just over a month following its May 19 publication.

Correction: This article initially said that only three of the top 10 adult titles were fictional, omitting a fourth, Little Fires Everywhere.
PHOENIX - A former Arizona prosecutor known for winning a conviction in the Jodi Arias murder case agreed Friday to be disbarred in an ethics case in which he was accused of leaking the identity of an Arias juror and sexually harassing female law clerks in his office.

Juan Martinez agreed to give up his license to practice law, ending the ethics case that was scheduled to go to trial in November.

Even though he still disputes the allegations, Martinez said in a court filing that I no longer desire to defend the charges but wish to consent to disbarment.

The State Bar of Arizona, which regulates lawyers and was seeking discipline against Martinez, said the outcome was just.

Earlier this week, Martinez suffered a defeat when the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated the sexual harassment allegations after a lower court had dismissed them.

In the ethics case, Martinez was accused of leaking the identity of a juror in the Arias case to a blogger with whom he was having a sexual relationship and lying to investigators about it.

The ethics complaint also alleged Martinez would stare at the chests of some female employees in the county prosecutors office and look them up and down as they walked away. It said some female employees would hide in the bathroom, duck into cubicles or engage in busy work to avoid encountering Martinez.

Two years ago, Martinez was reprimanded by then-Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomerys office for inappropriate and unprofessional conduct toward female law clerks. Montgomery now serves on the state Supreme Court.

Martinez was fired earlier this year after 32 years as a prosecutor and was appealing his termination.

Martinez and his attorney, Donald Wilson, didnt immediately return a phone message seeking comment on the disbarment.

Earlier this year, Martinez was reprimanded by the state Supreme Court for violating an ethical rule at three other death penalty trials. The court had concluded that Martinezs efforts to elicit sympathy for victims and fear of defendants, and his failure to follow court rulings had jeopardized the integrity of the legal system.

Arias is serving a life sentence for her first-degree murder conviction in the death of Travis Alexander at his home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa.

Martinez was criticized for writing a book about the Arias case and for his courtroom tactics, such as disregarding court rulings by repeating questions after a judge had overruled them.

In a sidebar conversation among lawyers and the judge during the Arias trial, Martinez profanely told one of the defence attorneys that if he was married to her, hed kill himself. He apologized after an objection was made.
Cate Blanchett has never been one to make the obvious choice. As one of the last Hollywood A-listers to be enticed away from the silver screen, she has finally taken the plunge into TV with two far-from-heroic roles. The first is as a cult leader in Netflix's new refugee drama Stateless. The second? As the pastel-clad Phyllis Schlafly - the real-life anti-feminist whose campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment set gender equality back decades - in the new BBC Two series Mrs America.

Blanchett took the role because it is a sign of our dire times. "In a way, I think that Phyllis Schlafly represents a whole way of thinking in America that really has to be acknowledged - that there's a whole stepping back," the Oscar-winning Australian actor tells me. "I think it's a resonant pocket of history that we're still living through the failures and successes of. It's something that makes me incredibly sad, but has also galvanised me. To me, that is the importance of the series - to keep that conversation alive. What is so frightening about equality?"

Schlafly attacked career women and reproductive rights, and taught wives to submit to their husbands. Her Eagle Forum organisation promoted misogyny. When these women would picket at feminist rallies, one protest sign read: "My husband said I could picket."

So much for girl power. This 1970s housewife became a leading conservative activist and ally of Ronald Reagan (Donald Trump attended Schlafly's funeral in 2016). She tore down the path to the Equal Rights Amendment, for which feminists tirelessly fought, claiming that it would force women to fight in the military and lead to same-sex marriage and gender-neutral bathrooms. So why tell her story?

To Blanchett, it is a way to trace the steps of how America got to where it is today - especially around women's rights. "As Phyllis would say, she already thought the extension for ratification was crooked," she says.

Second-wave feminists rallied for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) since the idea was born in 1923. That meant free will on abortion, the same divorce rights as men, as well as property rights and equal pay. The ERA was finally passed by congress in 1972 - but it needed to be ratified (given formal consent) by at least 38 states in order to make it into the constitution. It had managed 30 when Schlafly launched her campaign against it, blocking women's lib for the rise of far-right Christians. Its ratification was extended to 1982, but it still lost. The deadline expired. It has still not made it into the constitution.

That's why Mrs America is so relevant today, at a time when women still make 20% less than men. "Hasn't the man who sits in the presidential chair right now said that that isn't going to happen?" says Blanchett. "It's as complicated, I think, as the notion of Brexit."

Did feminists underestimate Schlafly? In short, yes. "They certainly did, even though she wasn't established and wasn't well-known," says Blanchett. "They underestimated her capabilities, her endurance and her ability to simplify a message."

That message was dumbing down feminism to an anti-family rhetoric, and it was certainly fear-based. "She was able to spell out the homemakers' big fear, that their world, their lives that they've spent all their lives protecting and defending, were going to be busted apart by the feminists."

Since the ERA kicked off with burning bras, protests and topless parades, this series unpacks what each superwoman brought to the table, from Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne) to Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba), Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman) and Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale). But rather than looking at each feminist as a hero, it views them through the eyes of their opponent, Schlafly, who created a countermovement to take them down.

But why give so much screen time to such a woman? "Prior to the 1970s, politically conservative women were not organised in any way," says the show's creator Dahvi Waller (a former Mad Men writer). "Phyllis not only organised Catholic women like herself but reached out to all other religious denominations who were socially conservative. Phyllis organised all of them into a strong bloc and they really became some of the foot soldiers in the Reagan revolution."

Is the show any good? Yes. Thankfully, it doesn't come off as a dry Wikipedia page covered in dust. It's more like an intellectual Dynasty soap opera steeped in rebellious legislation, following a group of smart women who rallied against the patriarchy in polyester. The feminists here battled the world - and each other - with their witty words and empowering authority. Meanwhile, the anti-feminist housewives schmoozed over men by offering them free loaves of bread and filo-wrapped cakes, which were handed out at feminist rallies.

In one scene, Schlafly gets pied in the face by lefty "pie guy" protester Aron Kay (set to The Ramones), while another details how Steinem fought for abortion in her early twenties, then lived her best life as an unmarried sexually liberated woman (word has it that Steinem watched the series and gave it a thumbs down for being factually wrong, claiming the ERA was defeated by the insurance industry, among other people, not just Schlafly).

For the actors, the conversations continued offscreen, too. "We often sat around on set going, 'Wow, we're still talking about the same things in 2019, when we shot it, as we are in the show, which is in 1970 to 1979,"' says Byrne, who plays Steinem. "So, it was quite surreal, in a sense, that we're still talking about reproductive rights and equal pay, the things the series addresses. There was an eerie sort of element to it."

Overlooked history is the key here. Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to run for president in 1972, and the show traces her paranoia from all the government surveillance, and her gusto to keep rallying on, despite other feminists trying to stop her. In another episode, Charlie's Angels director Elizabeth Banks plays the icy Republican feminist Jill Ruckelshaus - who battles Schlafly and her team of Waspy, upper-class activists - surprised to witness the rise of the Christian far-right.

What about that woman in the red hat? That's Bella Abzug, the Bronx lawyer who co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus, and who worked with Jimmy Carter on the National Advisory Committee for Women. She and Steinem were at each other's throats when it came to including Republican feminists into the caucus (Steinem was against it, Abzug was for it).

Mrs America isn't just about the contrast between now and then or intersectional feminist fights - it is designed to raise voices that might have not been heard, too. While much of second-wave feminism focuses on white women, this show sheds the spotlight on overlooked African American feminists like Flo Kennedy, who pointed out racism, discrimination, classism and sexism in American society, and held regular salons in her midtown apartment in New York, encouraging networking among activists.

"You know, it is not unusual for black or brown people to not get as much acknowledgement as other people in other things," says Niecy Nash, who plays Kennedy in the series. "I just feel like it doesn't keep you from fighting the good fight, you know what I mean? As a black actress, for instance, same song and a different verse. I just feel like you push through, and you walk in your truth. And eventually, you will be heard."

The show has its funny moments, too. Sarah Paulson stars as Alice, a fictional character who starts off as an ally of Schlafly, but upon learning more about feminism, warms up to the ideas at the National Women's Conference of 1977 in Houston, where she mixes Xanax and one too many cocktails, and ends up more liberated than she imagines.

Visually, the show is a vintage lover's paradise, with the cast gussied up in bell bottoms, trippy patterns and leather vests. "The time period was 10 years, when fashion really changed," says the costume designer, Bina Daigeler. "Early 1970s housewives wore tailor-made clothing, they had knitters or made things themselves, like aprons. It's clear to see who was on which side."

Though the ERA died out in 1982, the ERA Coalition has recently been revived - but it still needs a 38th state to ratify. It's so close -since the #MeToo movement, Nevada signed in 2017; Illinois in 2018; and Virginia in 2019 - but this 28th amendment probably won't happen under the Trump administration. Recently though, over 90 corporations, including Apple, Google and Twitter, are showing their support in a recent signatory to guarantee gender equality.

"Well, I do think on everyone's mind is the notion of equality," says Blanchett. "It's a terribly painful moment in human history for so many. The only opportunity here is to reimagine our way into a more inclusive future where governments are working for their citizens - for all their citizens. And I think the Equal Rights Amendment does speak to that possibility."

Mrs America, Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm
Congressman and Civil Rights Icon John Lewis dies at age 80

John Lewis, lion of civil rights era with long, celebrated career in Congress, has died; diagnosed with cancer in 2019.

John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died. He was 80. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis passing late Friday night, calling him one of the greatest heroes of American history. All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing, Pelosi said. May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make good trouble, necessary trouble.

The condolences for Lewis were bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Lewis was a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles. 

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Lewiss announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer  I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now, he said  inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.

The announcement of his death came just hours after the passing of the Rev. C.T. Vivian, another civil rights leader who died early Friday at 95. Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

John Lewis 1940-2020

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and its blood so that it might live up to its promise, President Barack Obama said after Lewis death. Early on, he embraced the principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as the means to bring about real change in this country.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal I Have a Dream speech.

A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a scorched earth march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.

It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.

Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his familys farm and attended segregated public schools.

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As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabamas segregated Troy State University.

He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.

Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.

The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didnt come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Selma to Montgomery, Alabamas capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.

Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

In an early setback for Barack Obamas 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.

President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday praised Lewis as a giant who became the conscience of the nation.

Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill  but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis refused to attend Trumps inauguration, saying he didnt consider him a legitimate president because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from shole countries, Lewis declared, I think he is a racist  we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.

Lewis said hed been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally hed do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Lewis said in June, recalling the good trouble he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say? While the vote would be hard for some, he said: We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.
KALAMAZOO, MI  Democrats Veronica McKissack and Chris Pomeroy are facing off next month in the race for the District 5 seat on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.

The winner of the upcoming Aug. 4 party primary will go on to face the lone Republican candidate for the seat, Valarie Cunningham, in Novembers general election.

The winner will be elected to the District 5 seat, currently held by Commissioner Julie Rogers, who is running for the Democratic nomination in the District 60 state House race against fellow Commissioner Stephanie Moore.

McKissack, 43, works as a clinical social worker at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital. She holds a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in social work from Western Michigan University.

Pomeroy, 48, is a labor organizer who currently serves as the director of organizing for Operating Engineers 324 union.

The seat is a two-year term. The winner of the November election will join the 10 other members on the board who are responsible for legislation and policy-making of Kalamazoo County government. The 11 members, elected from districts spread across the county, are responsible for the development and administration of policies and the countys annual budget.

Kalamazoo Countys District 5 borders Van Buren County and Allegan County, representing residents from Alamo Township and several precincts in Kalamazoo Township Oshtemo Township.

MLive Media Group has again partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund to provide candidate information and other voting resources to our readers. Each candidate was asked to answer a series of questions about their policy stances.

Information on all state and federal races and many of Michigans county and local races will be available at Vote411.org.

What are your top three priorities for the office you seek? What do you hope to accomplish?

CHRIS POMEROY

Upon entering this campaign. my top priorities have been to work for maintaining a progressive majority for the board, while being a true voice for labor in Kalamazoo. It is also a priority to bring a greater level of transparency to the work of the body.While serving on the board, I will fight to ensure that the responsible bidder policy is consistently enforced. I will serve without being driven by any personal agenda or ambitions and fight with fellow democrats to advance our progressive values. I will work with the voters in my district to keep Kalamazoo moving forward.

VERONICA MCKISSACK

Reduce Division/Divide within the commission: I will bring collaborative decision making by utilizing my skills and abilities to operate as a peace keeper while working within the Commission. Promote Diversity and Equity: I will bring transparency to reduce the culture of distrust within the county in order to bring forth equitable policies, putting county welfare over political agendas. Keep the county funds/property safe: I will advocate for accountability by complying with laws and regulations and impartially applying them to everyone.

The current pandemic illustrates the importance of preparing for unexpected events. Describe one type of unexpected event that would seriously disrupt Kalamazoo County government services. How would you ensure that the County is prepared?

CHRIS POMEROY

As we see increasing moments of civil unrest in communities across this country, we can only imagine the overwhelming strain that could be thrust upon county resources during these types of events.We can work to avoid these types of unexpected events by being true partners with our communities. We must continue the wonderful work that we have seen with community policing and court reform, while actively engaging with the residents we serve. With appropriate funds and oversight county law enforcement can work to prevent the type of destruction we have seen in other communities, while maintaining a capacity to restore order when needed.

VERONICA MCKISSACK

Kalamazoo County is at risk of events such as flooding, access to clean water and other natural disasters. I will promote procedures that include effective communication to all departments, when any emergency disrupting the normal day to day operations within the county occurs. This will ensure equitable allocation of available resources mitigating the impact of disruption in the community at-large. I will promote a culture of preparedness, advocating for remote and virtual service delivery, to ensure our community gets all necessary supports available.

Describe an example of how someone in the office you seek should work effectively with governmental departments and officials. What skills and talents qualify you to be the best person to play such a role?

CHRIS POMEROY

In recent months I have seen members of our county board debate budget priorities, at a time when concerns had been raised regarding the commissions training expenditures. During this time concerns were raised by a department official about their own training budget. It is my belief that an opportunity to shift funding priorities had been missed.As an organizer I have a great deal of experience in building consensus for creating change. In the stated example, I would have been motivated to address the county commissions training expenditures, at a time when more vital training needs were not being met.

VERONICA MCKISSACK

A commissioner should maintain a level of professionalism and treat all whom they encounter with dignity and respect. A commissioner should work effectively and collaboratively with governmental agencies and organizations by adhering to laws that advance the interest of the county. As a Kalamazoo County Commissioner, I will use my interpersonal savvy to relate with the diverse population with tact. Through effective communication, I will skillfully negotiate tough situations, utilizing sound logic, to advance interests of all constituents of the county. This will be done by promoting a culture that is welcoming and inclusive.
Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has warned that Russia is again trying to interfere in the upcoming presidential election.

Mr Biden issued the warning at a fundraiser on Friday evening, when he revealed that he had begun receiving briefings again due to his status as the nominee.

"We know from before and I guarantee you I know now because now I get briefings again. The Russians are still engaged in trying to delegitimize our electoral process. Fact," the former vice president said.

"China and others are engaged as well in activities that are designed for us to lose confidence in the outcome," he added.

Mr Biden did not reveal when he first started to receive intelligence briefings, but it is typical for major political party candidates to receive them prior to presidential elections. In 2016, then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump started to receive intelligence briefings starting in August.

No other details were added during Mr Biden's fundraiser speech about how the 2020 presidential election could be compromised by outside influences.

When speaking at a 30 June event, Mr Biden said he "very well may" ask for access to intelligence briefings after reports circulated that Russia put bounties on American soldiers' heads in Afghanistan to encourage the Taliban to attack them.

After reports surfaced about these bounties, it was revealed Mr Trump received a written briefing in February but took no action against Russia.

Mr Biden then criticised the president, stating he doesn't read his intelligence briefings.

Concerns have risen about potential election interference in a repeat of the 2016 election.

Multiple US intelligence agencies found Russia acted to help Mr Trump in the 2016 election, a charge that Vladmir Putin and other officials have denied. Mr Trump has also called the claims a "hoax" created by the Democrats.
Even as violent crime and deadly shootings in New York soar, Mayor Bill de Blasio has reportedly assigned no less than 27 cops working in shifts to protect a Black Lives Matter mural outside Trump Tower.

Just heard that @NYCMayor has 1 & 8 securing the #BlackMindsMatter mural at Trump Tower, tweeted former police commissioner Bernard Kerik. Thats one sergeant and eight cops, x 3 tours a day! Violence, shootings, and murder is up in NYC and this clown has three sergeants and 24 cops guarding a mural! If true, #SICKENING.

Just heard that @NYCMayor has 1 & 8 securing the #BlackMindsMatter mural at Trump Tower. Thats one sergeant and eight cops, x 3 tours a day! Violence, shootings, and murder is up in NYC and this clown has three sergeants and 24 cops guarding a mural! If true, #SICKENING  Bernard B. Kerik (@BernardKerik) July 16, 2020

His claim was backed up by Derrick Gibson, who is running for governor of New York. Gibson said that he spoke to cops on the scene who said they are getting paid to baby sit paint, and not happy about it.

Its true. I was just there and spoke to the cops, they say they are getting paid to baby sit paint, and not happy about it.@BernardKerik  Derrick Gibson Gov. 4 NY. (@Gibson4NYS) July 17, 2020

De Blasio and his wife helped paint the BLM mural on July 9 before it was subsequently vandalized, leading the Mayor to assert, The Black Lives Matter movement is more than words, and it cant be undone.

Even before the recent riots, major crime in New York City had soared by 22 per cent thanks to bail reforms that allowed suspects to avoid jail and re-offend.

Last month, it was reported that there had been 38 murders over the last 28 days up until June 14, twice as many as the previous year.

On Monday alone, 18 people were shot in 14 separate incidents. Six NYPD officers were also injured during clashes with protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge on Wednesday.

The city has already cut next years police budget by $1 billion, leading Houston lawyer Howard Steele to comment, He is spending his reduced police budget on guarding his arts and crafts project instead of New York lives.

He is spending his reduced police budget on guarding his arts and crafts project instead of New York lives.  Howard Steele (@HowardSteele5) July 16, 2020

Others pointed to the irony of having so many police guard a mural for a movement that explicitly hates them and wants them to be abolished.

Cops protecting a mural for a movement that hates cops. Wow the irony. And BLM wants to defund and abolish police, but its ok for police to protect THEIR mural?? This world has gone mad.  Alpuh Cheeno (Top 1%} (@Prospect_217) July 17, 2020

The very one who's calling to defund police wants them now to guard a mural.   V.Johns (TJ) (@Indy827) July 16, 2020

* * *

There is a war on free speech. Without your support, my voice will be silenced. Please sign up for the free newsletter here. Donate to me on SubscribeStar here. Support my sponsor  Turbo Force  a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.
Hushpuppi, a Nigerian Instagram personality, who is facing cyberfraud allegations in the United States, has disengaged Gal Pissetzky, hi...

Hushpuppi, a Nigerian Instagram personality, who is facing cyberfraud allegations in the United States, has disengaged Gal Pissetzky, his lawyer in Chicago, after his trial was transferred to California.





The self-acclaimed influencer, whose real name is Ramon Igbalode, had been arraigned in Chicago on money laundering charges following his arrest in Dubai and subsequent extradition to the US.





He had also hired the top lawyer who immediately took up his defense. Hushpuppi was however denied bail in a Chicago hearing, with a judge ruling that he would remain detained until his trial later this year.





According to Premium Times, documents showed that Igbalode case has been transferred to the central district of California for prosecution.





It was gathered that the transfer had come after the US government orally renewed its motion for removal in custody and the motion was granted during the detention hearing on Monday.





Accordingly, Defendant is ordered removed to the Central District of California in the custody of the U.S. Marshal forthwith, the court ruled after which the defendant was moved on Tuesday.





As provided by 18 U.S.C.  3142(f), the defendant is remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal and shall remain in custody until further order of the Court.





It is also understood from the commitment letter sent to California that Hushpuppi had refused to retain Pissetzky as his attorney, requesting that a court-appointed counsel be assigned to him.





The self-acclaimed influencer is said to have conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise (BEC) frauds and other scams, one for which he could get a maximum jail term of 20 years if convicted.




Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Mostly cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 73F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 36F. WSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Reports have recently surfaced that Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs would be closing on October 1 based on paperwork that was filed with the state of New York. Jeff Gural has put those rumours to rest.

Gural, owner of Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs, emphatically told harnessracing.com Friday afternoon that despite published reports that indicated both New York racetracks would be closing on Oct. 1, that is not the case.

Were not closing! Gural answered when asked about the reports that appeared after paperwork was filed on Monday (July 13) with the New York Dept. of Labor under the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification law, known as the WARN Act.

Typically, when companies that are going out of business, they have to send out WARN notices that they are going out of business, so they just assumed we were going out of business, Gural said about reaction to the filing of required paperwork.

While both Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have reopened for live harness racing -- without spectators -- after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the casinos at both sites have remained closed due to state regulations. As a result, more than 600 employees at Tioga Downs and more than 300 at Vernon Downs received furlough notices in March when both sites closed.

Under the WARN Act, the employees who were furloughed or laid off in March will be terminated on Sept. 30, thus the paperwork was filed.

When you furlough your employees, they are automatically terminated after six months, said Gural. And then if you terminate you have to give WARN notice, so this is a legal requirement.

Gural said while racing has resumed, without casino revenue he admits he isnt sure how much longer he can keep the racetracks open. And while is remaining cautiously optimistic, he hasnt been given any assurances from Gov. Andrew Cuomo as to when that might happen.

Having said all this, I dont know how I can keep going with the place closed, said Gural. I lose money every day keeping the racing going. I cant open at all and were losing a fortune.

(Harnessracing.com)
The Bihar government has decided to extend paid isolation facility in hotels to doctors and healthcare workers who test positive for Covid-19 if they do not have adequate facilities at home.

The health department, in its order issued on Saturday, said it would pay for the hotel stay, including food, of all such frontline corona warriors. It, however, capped the expenditure to a maximum of Rs 4,000 per day in hotels of Patna, Rs 3,000 for hotels in districts, which were divisional headquarters, and Rs 2,500 for other districts.

It also authorized district magistrates to negotiate with the management of respective hotels and get rooms at cheaper rates.

The order said that doctors and healthcare workers, who test positive or show symptoms of the virus, would be given priority in admission at medical college hospitals, depending on the severity of the case.

The department has already decided to earmark 100 beds for Covid-19 patients in each of its nine medical colleges and hospitals across the state.

The department had on June 23 allowed home isolation facility, with certain riders, for Covid-19 asymptomatic doctors and healthcare workers. However, Saturdays order said that many frontline workers stayed in rented accommodation and may face difficulty in self isolation besides quarantining other family members.

The facility of paid isolation at hotels was for such frontline workers, said the order issued by Bihars principal secretary, health, Uday Singh Kumawat. The department had also issued an order on June 24, allowing paid isolation facility at select hotels to Covid-19 patients who wanted to avail it.

Though the government order did not specify the number of healthcare workers who have so far been infected by the virus, it, however, acknowledged the fact that many employees at government hospitals and district health offices had tested Covid-19 positive of late.

The Bihar chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has claimed that over 200 healthcare workers, including doctors, had so far tested positive for the virus in Bihar.
HONG KONG, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said Friday that it regrets the action of the United States to revoke Hong Kong's special trade status, which will hurt U.S. businesses in Hong Kong.

The special trade treatment had supported Hong Kong's crucial role in the global economy and protected U.S. commercial interests in the region, the chamber said in a statement, adding that at present there are more than 1,300 U.S. firms and 85,000 U.S. citizens in Hong Kong.

U.S. businesses in Hong Kong have stressed the significance of enhancing regional stability through exchanges between the United States and Hong Kong, the chamber said.

Hong Kong has been a strong market for U.S. goods and in 2019 alone, the United States has enjoyed a merchandise trade surplus of over 26 billion U.S. dollars with Hong Kong, the highest among its trading partners, the chamber said, noting that the figure included a substantial volume of agricultural and manufacturing exports crucial to many communities across the United States.

The chamber said it hopes to see a return to a strong, open and constructive dialogue between the governments of the United States and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the mutual benefit of the people, communities and economies.
(Natural News) Consumer sentiment has declined in the first half of July following the reversal of the economic reopenings of several states in the face of a resurgent Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The University of Michigans Index of Consumer Sentiment slid to 73.2 percent during Julys preliminary reading, down from 78 percent at the end of June. The slump runs counter to forecasts from economists who had expected it to make a slight gain to 79 percent.

The promising gain recorded in June was reversed, wrote Richard Curtin, the surveys chief economist.

Consumer confidence dropped after coronavirus cases rose

The reopening of several state economies helped buoy spirits in late May, bringing the index as high as 78.9 percent by mid-June. This prompted some economists to predict that consumer confidence would continue to rise.

However, a rise in cases, especially in the South  the first region to open  has shaken consumer confidence, bringing the index down to 78.1 percent by the end of the month  a dip that has only gotten worse in July.

The report notes that sentiment is more closely tied to the coronavirus, said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James Financial.

The Michigan index has two components, one which measures current conditions and another which measures expectations for the future. Both dropped significantly in July with consumers assessments of current conditions falling by 3.3 percent and expectations crashing by 8.4 percent, 23.9 percent and 26.9 percent below their respective scores from last year.

The drop in consumer sentiment, despite predictions to the contrary, demonstrates how unpredictable and uneven economic data has become in the face of the pandemic, shutdowns to slow it and the unprecedented federal aid to support businesses and households.

Unemployment is nearing levels not seen in a century and jobless claims are at extremely elevated levels. Household incomes and spending, on the other hand, have seemingly held up. Meanwhile, the stock market has gone upward, the housing market is coming back to life and regional manufacturer surveys are showing strength.

However, declines may be the order of the day for the coming months as states continue to reimpose restrictions to combat the coronavirus.

Unfortunately, declines are more likely in the months ahead as the coronavirus spreads and causes continued economic harm, social disruptions, and permanent scarring, stated Cutin.

Rising caseloads could keep consumer confidence down

With consumer sentiment closely tied to the coronavirus, current events indicate that its not going up any time soon.

It was a surge in cases in the South and the West that helped drive consumer confidence down in June. Now, many of these states are continuing to see rising caseloads, even as they roll back their economic reopenings. (Related: Asymptomatic carriers responsible for over HALF of Americas coronavirus cases.)

Florida recorded more than 100 deaths for the fourth day in a row Friday, adding to the over 4,800 already recorded in the state. The Sunshine State also saw 11,466 new cases, bringing their total to over 327,000.

On the same day, Texas recorded 14,780 new coronavirus cases. This brings the states total of confirmed coronavirus cases to over 300,000, making it only the fourth state to hit that grim benchmark, alongside New York, California and Florida.

After having mostly avoided the pandemic during the spring, California has seen a massive surge of COVID-19 cases as of late, with over 366,000 positive cases as of Friday morning.

Government must act soon on the next round of economic stimulus packages

With the rising coronavirus caseload and falling consumer confidence, experts are saying that aggressive government intervention is once again necessary to keep the economy running.

Another aggressive fiscal response is urgently needed that focuses on financial relief for households as well as state and local governments, Curtin said.

Already, lawmakers have been deliberating on what to include in the next round of federal coronavirus aid. The Trump administration has stated wants a new round of coronavirus impact payments to taxpayers. Its unclear, however, what will happen to the federal governments $600 per week boost to state jobless claims, which are expiring at the end of July.

Whatever the administration plans to do, it may have to announce it soon, as the incoming election season could derail the implementation of further aid. Should that happen, then the economic fallout from the coronavirus could last even longer.

Unfortunately, there is little time left on the political calendar for Congress to act as the election season is about to begin in earnest, warned Curtin. Without action, another plunge in confidence and a longer recession is likely to occur.

Follow Pandemic.news for more on the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

SCA.ISR.UMich.edu

MarketWatch.com

NPR.org

NBCNews.com
Business Roundup Irrawaddy Business Roundup

--

YANGONThough the Myanmar government is allowing businesses to operate under COVID-19 restrictions, most are still struggling to survive due to the economic impacts of the pandemic, particularly tourism, garment and small and medium-sized businesses.

This week, the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) said clothing factories are struggling as large buyers in the European Union (EU) have suspended orders.

Although the World Bank said Myanmars economic growth could drop from 6.8 to 0.5 percent this fiscal year, the government has now forecast that gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 6 percent in the coming 2020-2021 fiscal year.

In addition, China has approved rice export licenses for 43 Myanmar companies, allowing them to officially export rice and broken rice from Myanmar to Chinas domestic market.

The Myanmar government also announced that it will allow the commercial breeding of crocodiles.

Garment factories are struggling to survive

MGMA said that cut, make and pack (CMP) garment factories are struggling due to a lack of orders from buyers in the EU, the major market for their products.

The association said many factories have reduced working hours and cut jobs, while some have permanently or temporarily shut down. Some factories have not received any orders nor even any price enquiries since March, MGMA said.

Many clothing shops across Europe have closed and the demand from Japan has declined by almost half, according to the MGMA. It said that without new orders, many more factories will be forced to reduce their workforce and working hours, and to close either temporarily or permanently.

Garment exports are mainly shipped to the EU, Japan and South Korea and Myanmar earned over US$4.5 billion from the sector from October to July, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Export revenues are down by US$65 million compared to the same period a year earlier, mainly due to COVID-19, according to the ministry. According to the MGMA, more than 100 garment businesses have closed due to the effects of COVID-19.

Myanmars GDP to grow by 6 percent next fiscal year, says government

The deputy head of the Ministry of Planning, Finance and Industry (MOPFI) said the countrys GDP is expected to grow by 6 percent in the upcoming 2020-21 fiscal year.

The 2020-2021 fiscal year will begin in October and ends Sept. 30, 2021.

Deputy Minister U Set Aung said that the National Planning Bill has projected the GDP will reach 125.8 trillion kyats and average annual income per capita is expected to reach more than 2.2 million kyats (US$1,604).

The countrys average annual income per capita was forecast to be 2 million kyats in 2019-2020.

China approves rice export licenses for 43 Myanmar companies

Chinas General Administration of Customs has approved rice export licenses for 43 Myanmar companies and 79 rice mills, according to the Myanmar Rice Federation.

The federation said the move will allow companies to export rice and broken rice from Myanmar officially into Chinas domestic market. China is one of the major markets for Myanmars rice exports.

Myanmar currently exports around 300,00 to 400,00 bags of rice daily to Yunnan, China via land border gates.

Government to allow commercial breeding of crocodiles

The Myanmar government will allow commercial breeding of crocodiles, according to the Forest Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.

It said the ministry will allow breeding of saltwater crocodiles, mugger crocodiles and Siamese crocodiles for zoos, commercial displays and meat and leather production.

The Forest Department said it will announce details later about requirements for crocodile farming. China is the biggest buyer of crocodile products, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan and countries in the Middle East.

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Wartime sexual violence a 'psychological weapon', sets back cause of peace

17 July 2020 - Sexual violence is used as a war tactic and a political tool to dehumanize, destabilize and forcibly displace populations across the globe, the UN's expert on the issue told the Security Council on Friday, pressing countries to adopt a survivor-centred approach that ensures victims will not be forgotten.

"This is a crime that shreds the very fabric that binds communities together, leaving social cohesion and safety nets threadbare," said Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Wartime sexual violence is a biological weapon, a psychological weapon, an expression of male dominance over women, she said, "a crime that sets back the cause of gender equality and the cause of peace."

Updating the Council on the Secretary-General's report, she said it documents almost 3,000 UN-verified cases committed over the course of a single year, the vast majority of them (89 per cent) targeting women and girls.

Accordingly, it emphasizes the imperative of a survivor-centred approach, she said, as articulated by the Council in resolution 2467 (2019), which requires tailored solutions that build resilience, restore voice and choice to survivors, and address the diverse experiences of all affected individuals.

'Countless' stories shrouded in silence

"War does not speak with just one voice", she cautioned, pointing to "countless" stories that are shrouded in silence and left off the historical record. Diverse life experiences must inform policy, operational and funding decisions. "If these decisions are not gender-based in their design, they will be gender-biased and exclusionary in their effect," she assured.

Ms. Patten also drew attention to the problem of underreporting, which is often linked with fear of stigmatization and reprisals, lack of access to the justice system and harmful social norms around honour, shame and victim-blame.

She called for decisive action to empower survivors and those at risk, through enhanced resourcing and quality service-provision. Acting on reports and information received is also important for bringing parties into compliance with international norms. In addition, greater accountability would serve as a "critical pillar of prevention and deterrence", ensuring that when parties fail to comply with their commitments, they are duly held to account.

Prevention is the best response, she said. But the Council has struggled to measure  or even define  progress on the prevention pillar of this agenda. "We must keep these crimes and their perpetrators in the spotlight of international scrutiny," she insisted.

Jolie spotlights child survivors

Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on Sexual violence in conflict, broadly agreed. "Entrenched discrimination in society and the gendered impact of sexual violence demands that actions are taken for survivors."

She acknowledged that resolution 2467 (2019) was the first to place survivors and their needs at the centre of all action. But words are promises.

"What counts, is if those promises are kept", she said. Having met child survivors everywhere, she said there is no country, rich or poor, that should not take a hard look at its own laws, agencies, immediate reporting, treatment of survivors and social attitudes.

Services for Yazidis fall 'far short'

She drew particular attention to the plight of Yazidi women and children in Iraq, who were abducted, enslaved and tortured by the thousands by ISIL terrorists in 2014. Many children were murdered. Nearly 2,000 returned and now suffer from post-traumatic stress. Many had witnessed the murder of their relatives and the rape of their mothers.

Yet, there are "very few" services available for Yazidi child survivors and children born of rape, she said. According to a new Amnesty International report, psychosocial services for Yazidi children fall "far short" of meeting their long-term specialist needs.

"I have heard this replicated in every conflict setting that I have visited for nearly 20 years with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)", Ms. Jolie said, stressing that the lack of services flows from the international community's failure to provide the funding or political will.

Chronic under-funding

Sexual and gender-based violence is the most chronically under-funded sector of United Nations humanitarian appeals and receives less than 1 per cent of humanitarian assistance. "Think of how many lives could be saved if we simply doubled that percentage."

She described today's world as one where child survivors live with stigma, gaslighting and fear of retaliation at the hands of powerful perpetrators. More often than not, including in Syria and Myanmar, not a single perpetrator of alleged systematic conflict-related sexual violence has been held to account.

"These are all choices, choices of the Member States," she said, pressing countries to "do the hard work" of supporting survivors, changing laws and attitudes, and bringing perpetrators to account.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 20:09:09|Editor: huaxia

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RAMALLAH, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestine has offered to sign agreements with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to facilitate the court's investigation on "Israeli war crimes" in the Palestinian territories, a senior official announced on Saturday.

Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian minister of foreign affairs told "Voice of Palestine" that Palestine is ready to fully cooperate with the ICC to open an official and comprehensive investigation into "Israeli war crimes."

"We will work on signing treaties with the court, including the opening of offices in the occupied Palestinian territories for the court and move the investigation committees and its staff to facilitate its mission," he said.

Al-Maliki affirmed that Palestine is pressing to accelerate the release of the decision by the ICC First Pre-Trial Chamber's judges regarding the geographical jurisdiction of Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to start an official investigation in the Palestinian territories.

"The ICC found full evidence that allows it to investigate into Israeli war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, mainly in regards to settlement and the large-scale Israeli aggression waged on the Gaza Strip in 2014," he said.

Several days ago, the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Israeli side is deeply concerned over the possibility that the ICC decided to investigate into "war crimes" Israel committed against the Palestinians. Enditem
Police take back the streets at around midnight after firing copious amounts of tear gas to disperse protesters and rioters outside the Minneapolis Police 5th Precinct during the fourth night of protests and violence following the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Morale of Officers Takes a Hit Amid Calls to Defund Departments: Police Groups

Last month, Minneapolis City Council approved a proposal to change the city charter that would allow the police department to be dismantled. Meanwhile, New York officials announced that $1 billion of the citys police budget had been shifted away from the department.

What was once seen as a radical idea, is materializing across the country as the defund the police movement, and it is gaining ground.

The Defund the Police movement, which emerged from the protests in the wake of George Floyds death, calls for the reallocation of funds away from police departments to other social programs. The movement claims that police departments are systemically racist and that police funding can be better used to help African American communities.

One of the prominent groups pushing the movement to defund police is Black Lives Matter, whose leaders claim to be trained Marxists.

This response to Floyds death, coupled with escalating anti-police sentiments, rioting across the country, and a push to reform policing practices, has taken a toll on the morale of law enforcement men and women, who are facing greater pressure in recent weeks in their already highly demanding jobs.

Their morale is maybe the worst ever right now, said Joseph Imperatrice, the founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, an organization working to support police officers and their families. Officers have no sense in what direction to go. Their training is thrown out the window right now.  Theyre trained properly and how to subdue individuals [but] theyre holding back now because they dont want to be on the front page of the paper and be arrested and lose their job for doing what they were taught to do.

Imperatrice, who is an active police sergeant, told The Epoch Times that he is seeing an increasing number of New York police officers retiring, saying that many of these officers feel demoralized in the face of the violence perpetrated by rioters and extremist groups and the lack of support from superiors.

Its a really hard time to be a police officer, he said. And on top of that, with the budget cuts, especially the billion dollars in New York, youre not going to have a backfill of officers coming in.

The New York Police Department (NYPD), which is the largest police department in the country with approximately 36,000 officers, told The Epoch Times that since May 25the day Floyd was killed503 officers have filed for retirement. This is a 75 percent increase over the same period last year. Meanwhile, between June 29 and July 6 alone, 179 police officers filed for retirement, a 411 percent increase over the same period last year.

The NYPD has seen a surge in the number of officers filing for retirement. While the decision to retire is a personal one and can be attributed to a range of factors, it is a troubling trend that we are closely monitoring, the department said.

Dwindling police department numbers could impact public safety as it could increase response time, Imperatrice said, adding that this would eventually lead people to feel that nobody is there to help them. He added that the uptick in crime that the Big Apple has seen in recent weeks would likely continue an upward trajectory if this is not addressed.

Between June 1 and 28, New York City saw 250 victims of shootings, the NYPD said. That number represents an increase of nearly 160 percent from the same period last year and the largest number for that four-week time frame since 1996.

Imperatrice said that people will begin to ask, where are the cops?

He said he believes it will lead to a lot of tension: thats not fair to the community. And its not that the officers arent doing their job. Its just the resources arent there to complete it.

The Numbers

Rob ODonnell, a former New York City police detective and board member of Brothers Before Others, told The Epoch Times that he thinks police officers are being targeted for an incident that was not representative of how policing is conducted.

Police are feeling attacked at all angles for what truly are isolated very infrequent incidents, ODonnell said.

About 50 million Americans over the age of 16 came in contact with police at least once in 2015, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (pdf).

Meanwhile, police use deadly force about 1,000 times annually, according to a database maintained by The Washington Post, who has been tracking fatal police shootings since Jan. 1, 2015. Over that time, the number of people shot and killed annually has remained consistently around 1,000.

ODonnell said while there is room for improvement in policing and with improving police-community relations, the conversation must not start from a place of false narratives. He added that politicians should also look at what the failure is at its core.

Is it the policys themselves or the application of policies? he said. In the George Floyd case I believe it to be the application of the policy, and when someone misapplies a policy be it via negligence or criminal intent, then we have avenues to deal with that, which is exactly whats being followed here. The officer was arrested, he will be indicted and tried, and will face a jury of his peers who will judge him criminally.

Meanwhile, the issue of systemic racism toward the black American community in law enforcement is at the center of calls for reform. The Posts database also shows that there were about 2,400 white Americans who were fatally shot by police since Jan. 1, 2015, which was almost twice the number of black Americans who were shot at 1,300 in the same time period.

However, since black Americans account for 13 percent of the population, the rate of black Americans who were shot and killed by police is twice the rate of white Americans. This is the source of the claim of systemic racism.

Heather Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of The War on Cops, previously explained to The Epoch Times that this does not necessarily mean police are shooting blacks out of racism.

What predicts officer use of force is the rate at which officers encounter violent and resisting suspects. And the rate at which officers killed blacks is actually far less than what their crime rates would predict, Mac Donald said.

The FBI Unified Crime Reporting Program shows that in 2018 black Americans committed 37.4 percent of violent crimes in the United States.

ODonnell said, Based on feeling from a statistically isolated incident we are making radical changes that are handicapping police who in 99.9 percent of the occurrences applied policies correctly, which will in turn lead to increased crimes, and more emboldened criminals.

Attorney General William Barr acknowledged earlier this month that he believes black American males are often treated differently by U.S. law enforcement such as treated with extra suspicion and maybe not given the benefit of the doubt.

Floyds death, he says, demonstrates that the country still has work to do in regards to correcting years of distrust between the black American community and law enforcement.

Before the George Floyd incident, I thought we were in a good place. I thought that economic opportunities were expanding and the African American community was able to participate more than ever before in those opportunities, Barr told ABC News in an interview.

I think that this episode in Minneapolis showed that we still have some work to do in addressing the distrust that exists in the African American community toward law enforcement.

Community Support

Melissa Robey, the founder of We Back Blue, a pro-police community group, has been holding marches around the country to show her support for law enforcement. Coming from a law enforcement familya sister is an active officer, her father is a retired District of Columbia police officer, and her grandfather was a state trooperRobey said she was saddened by the rioting she saw in Washington following Floyds death.

What I saw were people breaking into buildings and smashing windows and I saw police cars blocking the streets for them to do this, she told The Epoch Times. The police officers were standing there with their arms in front of them not really reacting. And I could tell, because I know a lot of people in law enforcement, that it was like really killing them.

Robey said after the death of David Dorn, the 77-year-old retired police captain who was fatally shot during looting in St. Louis, Missouri, she decided she needed to do something about it. She then gathered a few friends and marched up 7th Street in Washington to the police memorial on June 13. After that first march, people quickly got wind of the movement and it began to grow.

Police officers are also responding to her marches, Robey said. One state trooper came up to her while she was pumping gas and asked her whether she was the We Back Blue woman. She said the trooper then asked her whether he could give her a hug. The trooper said he was overwhelmed by the support he saw from the community during one of her rallies in Manassas, Virginia. He said he had expected 10 people to show up but instead 400 people did.

He goes: You have no idea what that did for our morale. So increasing their morale in the job, and increasing community awareness of what these officers are actually doing, and what theyre going through is going to effect change, she said.

Robey said her message for people is that there are really, really good police officers out there.

[There are officers] that love their community, that are doing the job to protect their community, she said. Theyre not becoming millionaires because they put on a gun and a badge. Theyre out there because they love their communities and they love people and they want to help.
The issue of arms sales to Azerbaijan is in the attention of Armenian MFA, foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan told a briefing.

Asked to comment on the issue that Azerbaijan is using Israeli-made UAVs against the civilian population of Armenia and how it affects the Armenian-Israeli relations, Naghdalyan noted that the Armenian side is considering the issue more broadly.

According to her, the MFA has consistently raised the issue of arms sales to Azerbaijan at bilateral meetings and international platforms.

"We believe that the sale of weapons to Azerbaijan is deadly in nature. Azerbaijan will not hesitate to use weapons against the civilian population. The events that followed July 12 confirm it. We will be consistent in this matter," she noted.
Local leaders are expressing their condolences and mentioning the impact of civil rights activist and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who died at the age of 80.

From U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam: "Brother John, as he was affectionately known to so many of us, was a timeless beacon of moral light who guided our nation through some of its darkest days. In our years of service together, he time and again offered me the gifts of his courage, his warmth, and his friendship. History is etched with the markings of his fierce and humble courage and generous spirit, forged in an iron crucible that seemed to glow from within him.

"I will forever cherish his visits to our region, including when he received an honorary doctorate of laws from Union College, and the point he made of speaking to our youngest children and in particular our children of color. His wisdom and example have long lifted the spirits and gaze of generations, and his legend will continue to do the same for generations to come."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY: Congressman John Lewis was an American legend, whose courage and leadership in the civil rights movement and the House of Representatives laid the foundation for a more equal and just future. It was a tremendous honor to work alongside John Lewis on many important issues, from fighting discrimination to expanding voting rights. While today our country mourns the loss of an icon, John Lewis legacy will live on in every American who believes in and fights for freedom and justice.

Thearse McCalmon of Schenectady, Democratic candidate for state Senate: "Today we mourn, but we rejoice as well. Without the courage and audacity of John Lewis, SNCC and Dr. King, many of us would not be able to get in the way, or get into 'good trouble' and make the changes that needed to happen; voting rights, integration of schools and neighborhoods etc. The fight continues! As we navigate through this pandemic, and Black Revolution, let us resemble the legacy of Congressman John Lewis. Let's get out there, be brave, courageous, and get in the way! Disrupt! Let's get into good trouble so that we can finally seal the lid on hate, and move forward with love and unity."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo: "John Lewis was one of the greatest men this country has ever known - a man of unimpeachable integrity, wisdom, courage, and morality. He was our conscience. And I know I speak for the entire family of New York when I say we are devastated by this loss. It's especially painful to lose Congressman Lewis at a moment when we need him most -- when division, fear, and anger are rampant and when we're trying to figure out how to rebuild our country better than we were before. He lived his life speaking for all of our better angels, and we will miss his singular voice."

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan: I join our nation in mourning the loss of Congressman John Lewis. I had the privilege of hearing him speak at Mt. Olive Southern Missionary Baptist Church when he visited Albany in 2010 at the invitation of Congressman Paul Tonko. I also was deeply inspired when I saw him speak at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He was a man of faith and a fierce advocate for civil rights. We owe him a debt of gratitude for all he accomplished, and must continue the fight for equity in our city and our country.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Albany County Executive Dan McCoy: Congressman John Lewis was the perfect example of how one persons righteous cause can change the course of history for the better. He fought for voting rights and other civil rights for African Americans when this country was gripped by racial upheaval. However, Congressman Lewis was a part of something so much larger than one man, and our nation is once again calling for change. It is now our responsibility to carry on his legacy. In his memory of the fight for equal rights, we must now continue to fight for full equality and equity of all people, no matter the color of their skin or where they were raised."

New York State Attorney General Letitia James: We will continue to follow the example of the great John Lewis by voting, fighting voter suppression at every turn, and standing up for those who cant stand up for themselves. And of course, by getting into good and necessary trouble."

From Dr. Teresa Miller SUNY Senior Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Chief Diversity Officer and SUNY Board of Trustees: SUNY joins the rest of America in mourning the passing of civil rights icon, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. His courage and leadership served as an inspiration for a new generation of young civil rights activists who joined in the struggle for civil and human rights, and laid the foundation for todays ongoing fight for social and racial justice."

From Scott M. Karson, president of the New York State Bar Association: The death of John Lewis, a luminary in the Civil Rights movement, is a terrible loss for our nation. I had the privilege of hearing him speak at the 1963 March on Washington, which inspired me to pursue racial justice my entire life. Although illness forced him to the sidelines as the country confronted the death of George Floyd, his insights still galvanized his followers and touched me personally. He will be sorely missed.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 10:11:17|Editor: huaxia

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WELLINGTON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A new case of COVID-19 was reported in managed isolation in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.

According the ministry, Saturday's case is a man in his 50s who arrived in New Zealand on July 12 from Central Africa via Tanzania, Doha and Brisbane. The man is now in the quarantine facility in Auckland.

The number of active cases in New Zealand is 22. The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand is now 1,200, which is the number New Zealand reports to the World Health Organization, said the ministry.

There is no one in New Zealand receiving hospital-level care for COVID-19.

It has been 78 days since the last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source, said the ministry.

New Zealand laboratories completed 2,403 tests on Friday and the total number of tests completed in New Zealand to date is 441,123. Enditem
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited the holy cave of Amarnath and offered prayers.

Singh spent about an hour at the temple complex there.

The Amarnath cave is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism and hundreds of thousands of devotees make an annual pilgrimage to it across challenging mountainous terrain.

His trip to the holy cave comes on the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

#WATCH Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, and Army Chief General MM Naravane offered prayers at Amarnath Temple, earlier today pic.twitter.com/jI3HB5ZJAg  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2020

On Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the overall security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with the top military brass, officials said.

He asked the armed forces to give a fitting reply to any misadventure by Pakistan.

At a high-level meeting, the defence minister had also asked the armed forces to maintain a strict vigil along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.
The Governor of the Stavropol Territory, Vladimir Vladimirov, told on his Instagram page to be careful on the water cites.

"On hot summer days, everyone is relaxing near water cites - to get refreshed! But water can be dangerous. Especially if you do not properly choose a pond or river for swimming," the head of the region emphasized.

According to him, because of such a frivolous attitude to recreation on the water in the Stavropol Territory, accidents occur every year. "In order to avoid the danger, you need to swim only on equipped beaches that have been certified by the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations," the governor reminded.
A woman and her daughter set themselves on fire in front of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Office here allegedly over police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi.

The mother-daughter duo sustained burn injuries and were admitted to the civil hospital where their condition was said to be critical, police said.

A video of the incident went viral on social media.

Two women attempted self-immolation bid in front of Lok Bhawan in Lucknow. They alleged police inaction over some drain related issue in Amethi. pic.twitter.com/GrGUIDJpuO  (@FareethS) July 17, 2020

"They had some dispute in the Jamo area in Amethi. They had come here but didn't approach anyone and instead tried to immolate themselves in front of Lok Bhawan," a senior police officer said.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday directed officials to constitute a committee in each district to study and recommend measures to strengthen security arrangements at health facilities where prisoners testing positive for COVID-19 are being treated.

The chief minister in a meeting with senior officials directed the Home department to set up a three member committee in each district comprising an Additional Deputy Commissioner, Additional Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Jail, an official release said.

He also directed the officials to take expeditious measures for implementation of the recommendations of the committees in the districts.

The meeting was held a day after a group of COVID-19 positive prisoners of Guwahati Central Jail attempted to escape on Friday from the Sonapur District Hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

Their attempt was thwarted by security forces deployed at the hospital where security has been further tightened.

COVID-19 positive cases have been reported from seven out of the 31 jails so far.

Sonowal also reviewed the steps taken for setting up a separate COVID Care Centre at Guwahati Central Jail and asked the Principal Secretary, Health, Sameer Sinha to expeditiously

implement the same.

Sinha informed the chief minister about the jail inmates who have tested COVID-19 positive and the steps taken for their treatment.

The Inspector General of Prisons apprised the chief minister about the security arrangements being made for jail inmates.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta, Additional Chief Secretary in charge of Home Department Jishnu Baruah, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sanjay Lohiya and ADGP (Law and Order) GP Singh, among others.
ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani court on Saturday approved the relocation of an elephant to a sprawling animal sanctuary in Cambodia after animal rights activists launched a campaign saying the pachyderm that spent three decades in the Islamic nation was being mistreated at the capitals small zoo, officials said.

The decision was hailed by the World Wide Fund for Nature, which said its representative in Pakistan has been part of the continuous efforts to address welfare issues regarding Kaavan, the 33-year-old elephant that was given to Pakistan in 1985 by Sri Lanka.

The group had proposed that the animal be moved a 25,000-acre sanctuary in Cambodia, which already houses elephants and has rehabilitated over 80 elephants so far.

Mian Aslam Amin, Pakistans federal minister for climate change, called the ruling by the Islamabad High Court a sad but correct decision, which he said was made for the benefit Kavan, the lone elephant at Islamabads zoo.

He said Kaavan would be relocated, but gave no dates for it.

The elephant was well-loved by children and was treated well until recent years when it was chained. Authorities had said that was done for the safety of visitors after observing occasional aggression in the animals mood.
Loading It is our colonial constitution that is the problem. It meant that 75 years after Federation we still had unelected English people deliberating on the whys, wherefores and hows of bringing down a democratically elected Australian government. And that to this day, our government leaders must still report in to the English and swear fealty to Her Majesty. As to how the ARM is travelling generally, the answer is: never better, thanks for asking. We have had a wonderful surge in membership this week, a particularly wonderful donation, and record 62 per cent support among Australians for an Australian Head of State. Onwards! He's no Lincoln I can't resist. This is Donald Trump  who often compares himself to Abraham Lincoln, who wrote and delivered the greatest speech of all time, the Gettysburg Address  speaking on God knows what, in the same week as he has been attacking Joe Biden for being incoherent.

"So shower heads, you take a shower, the water doesn't come out. You wanna wash your hands, the water doesn't come out ... Dishwashers you didn't have any water ... In most places of the country, water is not a problem. They don't know what do with it. It's called rain." No words. Joke of the Week An atheist is out walking in the forest. Such a stunning day! The green trees! The blue skies! The bubbling brook! The rustling of the ... actually what is that rustling? He looks around to see a huge grizzly bear emerge from the bushes just behind him. In an instant, the bear has covered the ground between them, knocked the atheist to the ground and is just bringing his mighty jaws down with the clear intent of crushing the atheist's skull like a grape. All the atheist can do is to moan out a strangled, "Oh my God". Time stops. The bear freezes. The forest falls silent, as the clouds part and a bright light shines right down upon him. A voice now comes from the heavens: "You! You deny my existence for decades and ridicule all others who say I exist. And now, only when you need me to save you, do you even utter my name with anything other than derision. Can you really expect me to help you? And if I do, can I count on you to be a believer for the rest of your days?" The atheist looks directly into the light and says, "Lord, you're right. Even in these extreme circumstances, it would be hypocritical of me to become a Christian, but ... but perhaps you could at least make the bear a Christian?" There is a pause, as God in his heaven reflects. And then He speaks again: "Very well."

The light disappears, and again the brook bubbles, the rabbits run free and life resumes as normal. And now the bear stills his crushing jaws to bring his massive paws together, bow his head and say, "Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive, and for which I am truly thankful." Quotes of the Week "If Joe Biden drops out and the DNC runs a tomato can, I will vote for the tomato can, because I believe the tomato can will do less harm than our current President." - Life-time Republican voter Josh, from North Carolina, whose testimonial has been circulated by Republican Voters Against Trump. "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man." - Such is the title of Mary Trump's book about her uncle Donald, which sold 950,000 copies in its first day on sale. "It is extraordinary that a tiny unelected outpost of Britain in Australia should be deciding the fate of a democratically elected prime minister in between comparing notes about the desirability of unofficial trips to Paris and Norfolk." - Katherine Murphy in The Guardian on the Palace Letters.

"How are we going? Two words: incredibly well. So far, the results of clinical trials have been encouraging: good, strong immune responses." - Professor Dale Godfrey, head of immunology at the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, summing up worldwide efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. "I was of the opinion that it was better for Her Majesty not to know in advance." - Sir John Kerr to Sir Martin Charteris, the Queen's private secretary after Sir John had sacked prime minister Gough Whitlam. "It's not going to be Tony." - Julia Gillard, after being asked to name her favourite prime minister of those who followed her. "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." - A warning to travellers from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 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. "Life in lockdown during coronavirus has been challenging in many ways but personally it's been one of the most exciting and happy times of my life." - Instagram announcement from Sam Stosur that her partner Liz has given birth to a baby girl, Genevieve.
I was happy to hear the interior of the 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW building is becoming a food hall, calling itself Western Market in honor of the marketplace that formerly existed nearby. Ive visited Eastern Market over the years but never realized it was part of LEnfants original plan that also included Center Market and Western Market. But before I get too excited about the upcoming Western Market revival, please tell me: Were these locations ever used as slave markets or were they historically just a place for buying food and other consumer goods?
On Thursday, Tibetans-in exile held a protest against China in Dharamshala and urged the international community to stand up against Beijing which is a "global threat" to freedom. These protests are a direct result of last month's clash on the India-China LAC border that left 20 Indian soldiers martyred. Since the Galwan valley standoff and amid China's continued belligerence and aggression, anti-China protests have broken out in many parts of the world with not just Indians, but members from other countries also standing in solidarity with the pro-Indian and anti-China idea. Such anti-China protests have also been witnessed in Canada's Vancouver.

Amid the protest, Tibetans-in exile were heard sloganeering against the 'Dragon'. Khando, who led the protest, made the remarks against China and the protestors sang the Tibetan and Indian national anthem and observed a minute of silence to register their protest.

"We want international organizations and communities to stand together against China and hold it accountable", said Central Tibetan Women's Association Secretary Tenzin Khando on Friday.

The protest further drew attention of the international community towards the tactics being used by China on the occasion of World Day for International Justice.

"We are here to protest against China and to show how China is a global threat to freedom. We demand the world and international community to support us and collectively stand together against China," Tenzin Khando told ANI. Gonpo Dhondup, the chief of Tibetan Youth Congress said, "This is the kind of silent protest and joint statement given by the five leading NGOs in Dharamshala."

READ: 'China betrayed us, it can happen to India,' Tibet CTA President details '5-fingers' quest

READ: Tibetan Youth Congress stage protest in Dharamshala; burn Xi Jinping's effigy

Boycott made in China

While Tibet is said to be an autonomous region of China, in reality it has been oppressed and cut off from the world since China annexed it 60 years ago and forced the Dalai Lama - the spiritual leader of Tibet - into exile in India where the Tibet government in exile now operates from. The demonstrators in New York waved Indian flags, chanted anti-China slogans and were seen holding a banner that read, 'Global movement to boycott Made in China'. Last week another Anti-China protest by Indian Americans, Taiwanese Americans and Tibetans at the iconic Times Square took place.

READ: China to impose visa restrictions on US personnel with 'egregious behaviour' on Tibet

READ: Chinese Army removing tents, seen withdrawing troops from Galwan Valley: Sources

(With Inputs from ANI)
SUNDAY, JULY 12

Home-schooling a growing option

With circumstances changing quickly and districts still trying to make plans for what classes might look like in the fall, some parents have decided to home-school instead.

For many, home-schooling is out of the question, often because parents have full-time jobs. Others feel they're not equipped to handle the daunting prospect of educating solo. But for some, it is an option as COVID-19 continues and the prospect of a vaccine is still far away.

The full impact of the shift out of the classroom is still to be gauged, as districts ramp up the registration process and collect information. Additionally, Illinois doesn't require parents who home-school to register with the state. It's also unclear what losing students will mean for school budgets, while President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding if schools don't reopen in the fall.

Nationally, about 3.3% of students were home-schooled in 2015-2016, the most recent period available from the National Center for Educational Statistics. In Illinois, requirements for home-schooling include instruction in language arts, math, biological and physical science, social science, fine arts and physical development and health.

MONDAY, JULY 13

High pollution days in Chicago

After missing out on cleaner air during the coronavirus lockdown, the Chicago area suffered its longest streak of high-pollution days in more than a decade.

Nine consecutive days of bad air swept through the region amid an emerging scientific link between exposure to pollution and COVID-19 death rates. Low-income, predominantly Black and Latino communities are being hit the hardest.

Air quality has been so poor, the entire Chicago area ended up dirtier than notoriously smog-choked Los Angeles during the beginning of the month, according to a Chicago Tribune review of federal data.

Satellites and land-based monitors tracked how unusually hot, sunny weather in the Midwest baked exhaust from automobile tailpipes, diesel engines and factory smokestacks into smog, also known as ground-level ozone.

TUESDAY, JULY 14

Plea deal rejected in Barnes murder

The murder trial of Anthony Myers  who denies charges of slowly killing a 2-year-old Decatur girl through starvation and neglect  got underway with jury selection in Macon County Circuit Court.

The body of TaNaja Barnes was found Feb. 11, 2019, wrapped in a urine-soaked blanket in an unheated room of a home police described as full of filth and rodent droppings.

TaNajas mother, Twanka L. Davis, 22, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in September after pleading guilty to murdering her daughter through chronic neglect.

Myers, 26, was the live-in boyfriend of Davis and is the father of a son by Davis. Myers is pleading not guilty to first degree murder and a second count of causing the life or health of a child to be endangered to the point where the mistreatment resulted in death.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15

Pritzker vague on potential to roll back reopening

Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave only vague answers to reporters questions about potential future restrictions Illinois might put in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in certain areas.

He took the inquiries at an unrelated news conference in Chicago, hours before the Illinois Department of Public Health announced another 707 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 26 more virus-related deaths. That brought the total COVID-19-related casualties in Illinois to 7,218 among 155,506 confirmed cases.

There were 28,446 test results reported over the previous 24 hours, making for a one-day positivity rate of 2.5 percent, which kept the rolling seven-day rate at 3 percent for the fourth straight day after multiple weeks below that number.

THURSDAY, JULY 16

Pritzker outlines what could set the state back in virus fight

Gov. J.B. Pritzker spelled out some details of the restrictions the state will impose if Illinois experiences a spike in coronavirus cases like those occurring in other parts of the country.

As part of that plan, he also announced that Illinois will be divided into 11 regions rather than four in the original Restore Illinois plan so that mitigation efforts can be focused on areas where the virus is spreading the fastest.

Pritzker warned that Illinois residents cannot lose their vigilance or the state could start to see the same sort of spikes that have struck some southwestern and southeastern states.

FRIDAY, JULY 17

Myers faces up to 100 years in prison

A Macon County jury has found Anthony Myers guilty of killing 2-year-old TaNaja Barnes by allowing the half-starved child to freeze to death in her unheated bedroom.

The jury deliberated for a little less than 2 hours Thursday before convicting Myers, 26, of first-degree murder.

The fact that TaNaja was aged under 12 gives Macon County Circuit Judge Thomas Griffith a sentencing range of 20 to 100 years. The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Sept. 10 and Myers is being held in the custody of the Macon County Jail.

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Iran Military Insists Only Eight Servicemen Killed In All Israeli Air Raids In Syria

Radio Farda July 17, 2020

The senior spokesman of Iran's Armed Forces has insisted that only eight Iranian servicemen have been killed in Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military bases in Syria in recent years.

An Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)-linked news agency, Fars, cited Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi as denying on Thursday, July 16, reports that "hundreds" or even "thousands" of Iranians had been killed in Israeli airstrikes in war-torn Syria.

The IRGC Brigadier General maintained that only eight Iranian military personnel have been killed in Israeli raids.

The airstrikes attributed to Israel started after the civil war broke out in 2011 in Syria and Iranian forces were dispatched to help the Assad regime and thy began establishing themselves in the country.

Israeli officials believe the military presence of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in Syria is a deliberate attempt "to open a new front against the existence of Israel."

Apparently, Mohammad Ali Allahdadi is the highest-ranking Iranian military personnel killed so far in the airstrikes attributed to Israel.

A commander of the Qods Force, the IRGC's arm for extraterritorial operations, 52-year-old Brigadier General Allahdadi was killed in January 2015 alongside six Hezbollah Fighters near the Israeli borders.

Following his death, the IRGC released a statement saying, "Zionists should await devastating thunder of the IRGC," and Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a "warning letter" to Israel via the United States, Al Jazeera reported on January 28, 2015.

Jihad, the son of the Lebanese Hezbollah's notorious field commander, Imad Mughniyeh, and several other Lebanese militias, were killed along with Allahdadi.

On several occasions, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors developments in the Syrian war, has claimed that "many" of the casualties of Israeli air attacks were Iranians.

However, the Iranian armed forces' senior spokesman dismisses the claim and insists such claims are cooked-up by the Western-Zionist media empire and their sidekicks to aggrandize Israel's power, while it is merely a paper tiger.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-military -insists-only-eight-servicemen-killed-in-all- israeli-air-raids-in-syria/30732723.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Ade Coker has threatened to urge all of his partys Members of Parliament (MPs) in Accra to embark on a massive campaign at the various registration centres across the city.



This is as a result of Ablekuma North Member of Parliament (MP), Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie's alleged campaign at some registration centres during a tour recently.



Mr Ade Coker in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie noted that his party will not hesitate to start its intensive campaign soon if the lawmaker is not arrested for flouting COVID-19 protocols.



He was quick to add that do you know the implications if we [NDC] also do the same in this COVID-19 era?



We should all condemn what is wrong. What Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie did was wrong and she must face the law, he told host Mac Jerry Osei Agyeman.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Imphal, July 18 : The condition of the Manipur's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arvind Kumar, who on Saturday reportedly shot himself at his official chamber, "is still not out of danger".

Doctors at a private hospital in Imphal operated upon the police officer and he is in the ICU of the hospital where his condition is said to be "serious and not out of danger", officials said.

A police official said that Arvind Kumar, a 1992 batch Manipur cadre IPS officer, shot himself with his service revolver at his official chamber at the 2nd Manipur Rifles Complex near the Police headquarters on Saturday afternoon.

"Immediately, Arvind Kumar was taken to a private hospital in Imphal and then shifted to the ICU. His condition was stated to be critical," a police officer refusing to be named told IANS.

"He used his service revolver and had shot himself on his chin and the bullet pierced his cheekbone. Police is looking into the incident and efforts are on to ascertain the cause of the likely suicide attempt. It was not yet known why the senior police officer shot himself," the police officer said.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Chief Secretary J. Suresh Baby, top police officials including Manipur Director General of Police L.M. Khaute have also visited the hospital.

The Chief Secretary said that Kumar's condition is very serious but according to the doctors he is responding to the treatment.

"Kumar will be sent to Delhi or in a better hospital outside Manipur, once his condition improves," the Chief Secretary told the media and said a probe has been ordered about the incident.

The IPS officer Arvind Kumar was earlier posted in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) at a very senior position in Delhi before returning to Manipur recently. "The police officer was staying alone in Imphal and he was in mental stress due to some unknown reasons," a Manipur police officer said.

Opposition Congress in the state prayed for the senior police officer's speedy recovery. "Arvind Kumar was posted in the IB in Delhi as Joint Director. May God give strength to his friends and family members," Congress spokesman Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said.
China warned US not to interfere with its relations with India

With no sign of disengagement along LAC by China, Delhi pins hopes on diplomacy

No additional deployment of troops along LoC says Pakistan

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Islamabad, July 03: The Pakistan army on Thursday rejected as "false and irresponsible" media reports that it has moved around 20,000 additional soldiers along the LoC in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan to match the Chinese deployments on the LAC.

The military's media wing in a statement on Twitter "vehemently" denied the presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan and refuted reports that the Skardu Airbase in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was being used by China.

News claiming additional deployment of the Pakistan army troops along the LoC in GB and alleged use of Skardu Airbase by China is "false, irresponsible and far from truth", inter-services public relations director general Major General Babar Iftikhar said.

LAC remains tense despite slight reduction of troops

Covid vaccine in India by August 15? India to have a vaccine by Independence Day? | Oneindia News

No such movement or induction of additional forces has taken place. We also vehemently deny the presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan, he said.

Amid the military stand-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh, media reports claimed that Pakistan has deployed "almost 20,000 additional soldiers" along the LoC in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan "to match Chinese deployments on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the east.

The report said that the level of troops Pakistan has deployed is more than what it did after the Balakot air strikes.

The ties between India and Pakistan strained following the Balakot strike when the Indian Air Force jets bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan on February 26 last year to avenge the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14.

Pakistan retaliated on February 27 by attempting to target Indian military installations. The ties further nose-dived after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir in August last. Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and expelled the Indian high commissioner.

Last month, India asked Pakistan to reduce the strength of its high commission in New Delhi by 50 per cent within the next seven days and announced a reciprocal reduction in Indian strength in Islamabad.
US Attorney General William Barr has taken aim at Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, Cisco, Hollywood, and others over their interactions with China. Some of those, Mr. Barr went so far as to allege, are willing pawns of Chinese influence, reports indicate. The commentary was given during a speech at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and Library, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Apple and Cisco reportedly bore the brunt of the scathing remarks. The latter company was specifically called out for its role in building the Great Firewall of China.

The term is commonly used to describe Chinas authoritarian take on networking and communications. More succinctly, its the combination of legislation and technology used by China to keep a tight grip on Internet use in the country. That includes a wide array of censorship and monitoring.

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On Apple, AG Barr pointed more directly to the companys use of servers located in China as part of its iCloud data network. The servers, according to Mr. Barr, allow Chinese access to emails, texts, and other personal data. But the Attorney General also pointed out that Apple was more than willing to remove a news app from the region at the Chinese governments request. Apple removed the Quartz app from the App Store in China following complaints from the government about unfavorable news curated by the app.

Additionally, Mr. Barr called out Apple for its failure to cooperate in unlocking smartphones associated with terrorist attacks.

Hollywood and other US companies didnt go unscathed here either

More general comments were also made by the US Attorney General about the ongoing trade war between the US and China, leaving Google and other tech giants aside. According to Mr. Barr, the Chinese Government has effectively been engaged in an economic blitzkrieg.

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US companies are more than willing to go along with the alleged attack all too often, Mr. Barr says. In doing so, he continued, the companies are putting short-term profits in a position of importance over freedom and openness in the US. And the list of companies said to be all too willing to collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party doesnt just include tech giants. Mr. Barr also claimed that companies more commonly associated with Hollywood are a part of the problem.

Specifically, the Attorney General called out Disney, stating that the company frequently bows to demands for Chinese censorship. And that stretches across the industry, according to Mr. Barr. Hollywood, from actors through producers and directors, talk about freedom and the human spirit, Mr. Barr stated. But Hollywood also censors its own movies to appease the CCP.

Some of the tech companies have already reportedly responded but not all

Cisco and Apple have already released statements on the comments leveled against them via emails sent to CNBC. The former company notes that all of the products it supplies to China are identical to those it ships worldwide. It also says that it fully complies with export control rules that are applicable to Attorney General Barrs statements. That includes those associated with human rights.

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The company continued to say that it does not supply equipment to China that is customized in any way. And that includes customizations that facilitate blocking or surveillance.

Similarly, Apple responded to reiterate its own stance on cybersecurity and its strong encryption across our devices and servers.

Conversely, both Google and Yahoo declined to comment on the matter. Disney, Microsoft, Viacom, and others have also opted not to respond for comments.
A Middletown police officer admitted Friday that he backed his police cruiser into a pickup truck and then lied about it a report he filed, authorities said.

Thomas E. Foster, 33, of Keyport pleaded guilty to falsifying a report and will face probation when he is sentenced on Sept. 21, according to a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office.

The plea deal also calls for Foster to forfeit his job with the department and any future employment for a public office in New Jersey, the office said.

Foster has been suspended without pay since being charged with the fourth degree crime in June.

Another cop notified the police administration in July after suspecting potential wrongdoing and untruthfulness, Middletown police said in their own statement. After the departments internal affairs investigation showed inconsistencies in Fosters report, Middletown police notified the prosecutors office.

An investigation showed that on July 3, 2019, Foster was assigned to a road repair on Cedar Avenue and while working, he backed his cruiser into the truck, damaging both vehicles, the office said.

However, when he filled out a Police Vehicle Accident and Damage Report he said he contacted a telephone pole, near his home and only a few blocks away from the project to which he was assigned.

Foster, who was hired in August 2014, is paid an annual salary of $77,699, according to public records.

Dishonesty will never be tolerated within our department by any of our officers, Middletown police chief Craig Weber said in a statement when Foster was charged in June. The alleged conduct is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our agency and we strongly condemn the officers actions.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
Ranjani Madhavan By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: A looming health crisis stares the state in the face and its capital Bengaluru may most likely bear the brunt of it. Experts have warned of a huge shortage in beds and healthcare personnel even as Covid-19 cases are skyrocketing. These problems have already existed on the ground, but will only worsen as the state continues to break its own record every day in the number of cases, they warn.

As on Friday, Karnataka recorded 55,115 Covid-19 cases of which 33,205 are active. Of these, Bengalurus count is 27,496 cases, of which 20,623 are active cases currently under treatment.The BBMPs real-time dashboard on availability of beds as on July 17 shows 396 of them available in government hospitals, 58 in government medical colleges, 4,585 in private hospitals, 924 in private medical colleges and 239 in Covid Care Centres.

Over the last few days, 1,700 AYUSH doctors and 42,000 ASHA workers have stopped reporting to work, further straining the already ailing public healthcare system in Karnataka. Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, HoD of Pulmonology at Manipal Hospital explained that it is not just about reaching the peak, but how we reach it.

If we reach two lakh cases in 10 days, there is no chance we will have enough beds. If we reach the same figure in two months, we still have a chance of finding beds for patients. In Bengaluru, if we see around 800 cases per day, and say 60 of them need ICU, it will be difficult to find ICU beds for all of them. None of the prediction models are accurate and there are a lot of unpredictable factors driving this pandemic, said Dr Mysore, who is also on the tele-ICU committee which is monitoring high-risk cases in the state.

Use of Care Centres, home isolation should be popularised

Apart from the non-availability of AYUSH doctors and ASHA workers, Dr Mysore said, About 20-30% of healthcare staff are getting infected, which is worrying. Even after they recover, they do not wish to resume work. All this threatens the quality of care and distracts us from managing the pandemic. At present, 50% of beds in private hospitals must be reserved for patients. We are seeing 2,000-odd cases a day in Bengaluru. If this increases to 5,000, of which 20-30% require hospitalisation, we will not have enough beds, said Dr Prasanna H M, president-elect, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Associations.

We are working with 50% staff. As cases rise, 10% could contract the virus and another 10% may just quit. Weve been asking the government to recall final-year MBBS, nursing and pharmacy students, MSc, BSc graduates, and train them, he said. He said medicos currently working will be quarantined after two weeks, creating a staff crunch. The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences has a database of students who could be recalled for Covid duties, he said.

Use of Covid Care Centres and home isolation are not being popularised, says Dr M K Sudarshan, chairman of the Covid-19 technical advisory committee to the State Government. We are looking at a crisis with bed shortage in the future with rising cases. To counter this, CCCs and home isolation must be popularised. People are running helter-skelter to find beds and it is high time treatment at home is made acceptable and implemented. It is essential to reduce demand for beds. Those eligible must be motivated to opt for CCCs and private centres, Dr Sudarshan said.

BSY to meet pvt medical colleges

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has called a meeting with representatives of private college hospitals

at his home office Krishna at 4 pm on Saturday, in a bid to seek suggestions from them towards fighting the pandemic better.
L&T Finance Holdings Ltd (L&TFH) on Friday said it has decided to wind up its Dubai-based subsidiary L&T Capital Markets (Middle East) Ltd, after the proposed sale plan didn't materialise.

In early July, L&TFH informed that the share purchase agreement (SPA) with Proud Securities and Credits Pvt Ltd (an NBFC firm forming a part of InCred group) to sell 100 per cent of its shareholding in L&T Capital Markets (Middle East) was mutually terminated.

L&T Capital Markets (Middle East) LTCM (ME), a wholly owned subsidiary of the L&TFH, was into wealth management business based in Dubai, UAE.

"LTCM (ME) is not a material subsidiary of the company and only represents nearly about 0.1 per cent of the consolidated income and consolidated net worth of the company," L&TFH said in a regulatory filing.

The acquirer had applied to the RBI to seek permission to purchase shares of LTCM (ME) and RBI vide its email dated May 20, 2020 intimated that the application "could not be acceded to", it said.

After this, the buyer and seller were exploring various options to decide a way forward for consummation of the transaction in accordance with the terms of the SPA.

"Considering that an alternate structure and commercially mutual decision was not arrived at, the parties mutually terminated the SPA on July 2, 2020...Pursuant to this, the board of the company vide a resolution passed at its meeting held yesterday (July 16, 2020), approved the proposal to voluntarily wind up LTCM (ME) subject to applicable laws of UAE," it said.

The said proposal has also been approved by the board of LTCM (ME) at its meeting. The timelines for the winding up process will be as per the laws of UAE, it added.

The company also said that "it believes it has a clear 'Right to Win' and create value for all stakeholders, it should exit the offshore wealth management business at the earliest and focus on growing its core businesses to maximise return for its stakeholders".Also Read: Air India calls financial situation challenging, leave without pay 'win-win situation'

Also Read: Informed PM Modi of coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra: Former CM Devendra Fadnavis
An increase in shark attacks over the past few weeks could be due to whale migration, a marine biologist has claimed.

There has been five shark attacks off Australia's east coast resulting in three deaths in the past five weeks alone.

Marine biologist Dr Julian Pepperell said the enormous apex predators could be following whales because they provide a huge feeding opportunity when they die.

There has been five shark attacks off Australia's east coast in the past five weeks alone (stock)

'The big sharks feed up on dead whales and get lots of energy and reserves from that,' he told ABC.

'It stands to reason with a lot more whales  which there are  there may be a steady increase in the population of white sharks which are fully protected.'

Marine biologist Dr Julian Pepperell (pictured) explained that sharks follow whales on their migration north to feed off them if they died

Macquarie University marine scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta agrees with Dr Pepperell's theory.

She said that the humpback whale population grows up to 11 per cent each year and currently stands at around 35,000.

'When whales die and when they float they attract numbers of large sharks very quickly,' she said.

Dr Pirotta said more research was needed to explain why sharks follow whales during their migration and if it correlates to attacks on humans.

There is an estimated 5,460 great white sharks in eastern Australia, according to a CSIRO genetic study in 2018.

Dr Pepperell said it is 'logical' that the number of sharks had increased as the study took place two years ago.

Marine biologist Dr Julian Pepperell said the enormous apex predators could be following whales because they provide a huge feeding opportunity when they die

Deckhand Anika Craney, 29, pictured in hospital after surviving being attacked by a shark off Fitzroy Island near Cairns on Tuesday

Three fatal attacks in five weeks June 7: A 60-year-old surfer was tragically killed by a 3-metre shark at Salt Beach just south of Kingscliff in NSW. July 4: Earlier this month a man was attacked while he was spearfishing off the Fraser Island, in the Sunshine Coast. The 36-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. July 11: Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was killed when he was attacked by a shark while surfing at Wilsons Headland off Wooli Beach near Grafton, NSW. Advertisement

On Friday, a 10-year-old boy was grabbed from a boat and mauled by a shark about 5km off the coast of Stanley, northwest Tasmania.

The boy suffered head, chest, and arm wounds and was rushed to North West Regional Hospital, where he is in a stable condition.

On Tuesday afternoon, Anika Craney, 29, suffered significant leg injuries after she was bitten by the shark - believed to be a bronzed whaler - while swimming off Fitzroy Island near Cairns.

Last Friday, brothers Lee and Adam Ferguson set off from Coogee in Perth and set out for Carnac Island at 5am.

During their fishing trip they spotted the shark trailing behind their 5.2 metre boat.

The men estimated the shark was about four metres long and swam tight figure eights around them for 15 minutes while ramming into the boat and biting the motor.

Last Saturday, Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was surfing at Wooli Beach, near Grafton on the NSW North Coast when his legs were bitten just before 2.30pm.

He suffered deep bites to both legs and sadly died at the scene.

Last Saturday, Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was surfing at Wooli Beach, near Grafton on the NSW North Coast when his legs were bitten just before 2.30pm
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 14:42:27|Editor: huaxia

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PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, July 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 militants have been confirmed dead and more than 30 others injured in Dand-e-Ghori district of the northern Baghlan province, Abdul Razeq, a senior army officer, said Saturday.

According to the official, the government forces launched operations against Taliban bastion in Dand-e-Ghori district from ground and air on Thursday night and the operations lasted until Friday morning.

As a result, 50 insurgents had been killed and more than 30 others injured, the official added.

The restive Dand-e-Ghori district, 3 km outside provincial capital Pul-e-Khumri, has been regarded as the Taliban main base in the troubled Baghlan province.

Taliban militants who have been ruling the restive Dand-e-Ghori district over the past five years have yet to make comments on the situation. Enditem
Police surround the wives of detained CNRP activists in front of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, July 17, 2020. The wives and other family members staged a protest demanding the release of their loved ones.

Police suppressed a protest by 25 family members of detained opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) activists Friday in front of the Phnom Penh Municipal court, where they were demanding the release of their husbands and fathers, several of the activists wives told RFA.

Fridays rally was the fifth such protest organized by family members of the 17 CNRP activists who have been jailed at Prey Sar Prison on charges of incitement to commit a felony

As in previous protests, police officers descended on the scene and confiscated or destroyed their banners, ordering the crowd to disperse.

After leaving the area, the protesters marched to the Embassy of Australia to submit a petition asking for the Embassy to intervene in the case. The petition was accepted by embassy officials who promised to monitor the case.

The wife of one of the detained activists told RFAs Khmer Service that she and other supporters of the CNRP spent personal funds to travel to Phnom Penh to protest. She maintains the innocence of her husband, Commune Councilor Las Chheng Lai of Bavel district in Battambang province.

My husband did not hurt anyone. He is a gentleman. Everyone loves him but [the court] accused him. I cannot accept this, said Leng Lei,

It is very brutal and nothing compares to it, she said.

Leng Lei said she and others had their banners ripped from their hands.

When I came to demand my husbands release they took my banner from me. It is very savage and unjust to me as a Cambodian citizen. Police did not allow us to protest with banners, so we couldn't show [the people] what we are demanding, she said.

Another wife, Sok Bolyma, demanded the court release her husband Phsar Depo 3 Commune Councilor Khem Phenakry and the other 16 activists immediately.

I urge all the CNRP members to stand with victims like us if you are unable to participate in our protests. We are the real victims, she said.

The water has now risen as high as the nooses around our necks, so everyone must wake up and not be afraid, because if we are afraid they will step on us. I am not afraid. If the court does not release my husband I am prepared to die in front of the court. I am not afraid of death, so [I urge] everyone to stand up, she said.

RFA attempted to contact Ministry of Justice spokesman Chin Malin for comment, but could not reach him. Previously he had said that since the activists cases are already in court, no one can interfere with the due process of the judicial system.

Injuries sustained

Earlier this week at least five CNRP activists wives complained that they were injured during their fourth protest in front of the courthouse on July 10.

Sam Chenda, the wife of a CNRP activist from Kampong Thom province told RFA that guards at court assaulted her and strangled her, leaving her with bruises and unable to work.

My hands are swollen. My whole body hurts, she said on July 10.

But the police denied any wrongdoing.

We did not [assault them] Do you have evidence to prove that the police were violent? We only stopped them from going to the court. We did not attack them, Phnom Penh Police Chief Sar Thet told RFA on the same day.

Right to protest

The CNRP activists wives have the right to protest under Cambodian law according to Soeung Sen Karuna, spokesman for the locally based Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC).

Everyone knows these are politically motivated cases, he said.

[The government] should resolve them to end the crisis and ease political tensions in Cambodia and restore human rights and democracy. It would be a benefit to the country and would help to avoid [international] pressure, he added.

Soeung Sen Karuna said that the movement would become larger if the court fails to resolve the peoples demands.

The move to ban the CNRP was part of a wider crackdown by Prime Minister Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election.

Last month, a group of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) urged Cambodias government to stop arresting those critical of its policies, including opposition activists, saying the campaign is a violation of their rights and will lead to a societal split that will be ruinous for the nation.

Also last month, 30 local groupsincluding Adhoc, Licadho, and Comfrelissued a joint statement saying the government and the CNRP should return to the negotiating table to resolve their political issues for the sake of society, and to respect civil and political rights and freedom of expression.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Portland has spent $8.25 million related to demonstrations as of July, including nearly $5 million in police overtime plus $2 million in other police personnel costs, city data shows.

The data also shows more than $430,000 of overtime for other departments including the fire bureau and nearly $260,000 spent by the police bureau on food.

The data was released to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday and shows costs incurred from late May to July 8 on payroll personnel expenses and to July 15 on spending for materials, services and other expenses.

[Read a tally of the expenses]

The fire bureau, which has reported having to put out fires during the protests, spent close to $357,000 in overtime, $3,800 on equipment and tools, and nearly $11,000 in other labor costs.

Overtime costs also make up around $52,000 for the bureau of emergency communications, where the citys 911 dispatchers work.

The citys office of management and finance reports spending $332,000, including around $206,000 on repairs and maintenance services for city facilities.

The parks bureau attributed the majority of their more than $14,000 in spending to pay for $5,000 in professional services, more than $3,000 in repair maintenance supplies and nearly $2,000 in overtime.

Demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality have occurred every night in Portland since May 28. Thought the majority of citywide demonstrations have been peaceful, protesters who gather near city and federal buildings downtown have defaced buildings with graffiti, launched objects including water bottles, rocks and fireworks toward officers and shined lasers in officers eyes.

The city fenced off two downtown parks early Thursday morning, citing a need to repair lawns, bathrooms, benches and statutes.

The police responses to the demonstrations have generated widespread criticism including from local and state elected leaders whove called for no use of tear gas among other tactical changes. The city also faces several lawsuits related to officers tear gas use and attacks on protesters and journalists at the demonstrations.

A federal judge has banned Portland police from using tear gas except in cases where the safety and lives of officers and the public are at risk. A new state law says tear gas can only be let loose after police have declared a riot, defined as six or more people acting together to put life and safety at risk.

 Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com
Malaysias financial watchdog says Binance and eToro dont comply with the countrys securities law; its unlikely to make much of a difference to their local operations, however.

The Malaysian Securities Commission (SC) added exchanges Binance and eToro, which offer a series of crypto-based products, to a list of companies not permitted to operate in the country.

The regulator blacklists companies that offer financial services without its approval or authorization.

Its not clear when the SC added Binance and eToro to its non grata list. An official told CoinDesk that this information was not readily available.

Binance tested its newly launched debit card in Malaysia. The countrys currency, the ringgit, has been supported in Binances peer-to-peer platform since March.

In May, the SC told local media that eToro was not authorized to operate in the country and was liable for a $2.4 million fine.

Being blacklisted by the SC, however, is unlikely to disrupt either Binances or eToros local operations.

The SC does not have the authority to block websites  that rests with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which so far has said nothing on the matter.

An eToro spokesperson told CoinDesk the companys Asian operations are all regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission; Malaysian clients are effectively onboarded on an entity that falls out of the SCs jurisdiction.

Binance has resisted calls to publicly divulge where its headquartered.

Bobby Ong, COO of price aggregator CoinGecko, which is based in Malaysia, said the SC may have fired a warning shot as Binance did not get the proper licenses before it started offering a ringgit gateway for its peer-to-peer marketplace.

Binance is one of the most high profile exchanges, but Ong said there were many other unregulated p2p ones operating in Malaysia.
BALTIMORE  In the raging national debate over whether to reopen schools, advocates on both sides are basing their arguments on a range of factors: political, economic and emotional.

But there is a growing consensus in the public health and scientific community that schools should resume in-person classes this fall  particularly in states such as Maryland, where cases have not spiked as they have elsewhere.

To be sure, these experts say safety precautions will be necessary to reopen schools. But they say an assessment of risks versus benefits points to the wisdom of reopening.

The latest available data suggests that children are less likely to become infected with the coronavirus and less likely than adults to develop severe cases. In addition, health experts say children appear not to spread the virus to family members and other adults as efficiently as flu and other common illnesses.

While public health experts and some doctors acknowledge that there is some health risk for children, they say it has to be weighed against other serious risks  such as child abuse or hunger a child may experience if confined at home.

And, they note, there also is significant harm to children if their education is interrupted.

Reopening schools is really important. Its a difficult issue, but its one that should be addressed as a matter of priority. Theres good evidence that we can do so safely  if certain conditions can be met, said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

On Wednesday, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine issued a report calling for the reopening of schools, with measures taken to reduce coronavirus risks.

Given the importance of in-person interaction for learning and development, districts should prioritize reopening with an emphasis on providing full time, in person instructions in grades kindergarten through grade five and for students with special needs, the report said.

Story continues

If school buildings stay closed, it said, districts risk increasing educational inequities experienced by low-income children and children of color.

The report focused on children under 12 because they are considered less at risk for the virus than older children and are also less adept at learning online. The National Academies report followed a statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which announced it supported a return to classrooms with restrictions in place.

For children, the risk of dying of COVID is less than the risk of dying in an accident involving a car, boat or truck, said Anita Cicero, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Safety.

Health experts caution that schools can reopen safely only if they institute social distancing, require masks and take other precautions that have been laid out by the CDC and other organizations. Safely opening schools also will also depend on success controlling the virus in the broader community.

Support for reopening among many public health experts is in contrast to the significant opposition from educators. Unions representing nearly all of Marylands teachers have asked that schools reopen online only, saying they fear for the safety of teachers and staff.

Parents can be found on both sides of this debate  or deeply torn between them.

Many teachers and parents say they learned this spring that virtual learning does not work as well as in-person teaching, and many educators believe students have fallen far behind, particularly low-income students who may be living in homes without internet.

Baltimore area school systems are in the process of deciding how to proceed in the fall  with officials in two systems, Harford and Howard counties, proposing Thursday to offer only online instruction for the first half of the coming academic year.

School officials in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Carroll counties are considering offering some in-person classes in the fall, although Baltimore Countys superintendent said he is leaning toward beginning the year with all classes online.

After a superintendent proposes a reopening plan, the local school board must vote before it is sent to the Maryland State Department of Education by Aug. 14 for its approval.

Driving some of the decisions are teachers and staff who are concerned about the health risks of in-person instruction. Cafeteria workers and cleaning staff have been working during the pandemic, but unions representing most state teachers held a news conference Tuesday asking that school buildings remained closed for at least the first semester of the coming year.

They cited health risks, especially to older teachers and staff. And they said schools systems dont have measures in place, including enough masks and other protective equipment, to reopen safely.

School systems considering in-person teaching have suggested they would give parents the option of keeping their children at home and learning entirely online.

The decision could be an emotional and agonizing one for parents, with some considering it too risky for their child. In some district surveys, as many as half of parents said they will keep their children out of schools.

As a parent I default toward the safety of my kids, said Pete Fitzpatrick, the father of two school-aged students in Catonsville. I feel like I have the liberty to say that. We have internet access at our house.

Laura Hamilton, a Baltimore County mother of three young girls, said she isnt sending her two elementary school aged children back.

There are too many unknowns from this. There have been a lot of people with long term side effects. I couldnt forgive myself if one of my kids had chronic lung problems because I sent them back to school.

On the other side are parents who have formed a nonpartisan advocacy group, Return2Learn, who believe schools should consider the educational, psychological and physical needs of students when they consider keeping school buildings closed.

Christina Olson, who started the group, says her children have a stable family with computers and internet, but she and her husband struggled to work and help their children learn at the same time.

Every single day was a fight, every single day was tears. It was horrific for them, she said.

Olson said parents who must work will be forced to put their children in child care, which could as risky as sending their children to school.

Health data show about 2,400 children up to age 9 in Maryland have been infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, along with about 4,200 kids aged 10 to 19.

Together, those groups represent about 8.8% of the total cases in the state. One of the roughly 3,200 deaths was a child.

Children appear to weather the disease, even when they have underlying health conditions, said Dr. Susan Lipton, head of infectious diseases as the Herman & Walter Samuelson Childrens Hospital at Sinai in Baltimore.

Lipton said Sinai has screened around 2,000 kids and 91 have come back positive. The biggest problems have been in children with serious medical conditions, specifically sickle cell disease, a blood disorder. Four children recovering from COVID-19 have developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a complication affecting several organs and systems in the body.

Nationally, about 3% of children and teens under 20 with COVID-19 are hospitalized, she said. Most have mild or moderate flulike symptoms. About 20% dont show any symptoms. That has complicated the count of children affected by the disease because often they are tested only when they are exposed by siblings or others.

Lipton said there are a lot of factors that could make COVID-19 infections worse in children, like asthma, obesity or another infection like the flu. But she said those who get the sickest likely have a more serious blood disorder like sickle cell or a heart condition.

I urge parents to get well checks and follow advice to better control asthma and other conditions, monitor sugar and get immunized for influenza and measles, she said.

Still, she said she believes most kids can safely return to school, provided the schools are taking precautions such as reducing class sizes, distancing, masking students and staff, and sanitizing surfaces.

Increasing air flow would be helpful, by opening windows or holding classes outdoors if possible. Air filters and purifiers could help inside because there is some evidence that micro droplets that people breathe out could hang in the air. Toilet lids may help keep water droplets contained during flushing.

Families have a big responsibility too, Lipton said, by keeping children home who have been exposed to the virus or show any symptoms.

We need to make everyone responsible for this, she said. It may have to be the honor system. I know parents want to keep their jobs, but we dont want to be back in a Stage One shut down.

Some states should open schools and some should not, said Dr. Tina Tan, a board member of the Infectious Disease Society of America and a professor of pediatrics in Northwest Universitys medical school. Tan said students could return to schools in states such as Maryland, where cases have been mostly on a downward trend. States where cases are spiking, such as Texas, Arizona and Florida, shouldnt open schools, she said.

Tan said each school system will have to cater its plan to its unique student population and their health and education needs. African American and Latino children appear to be infected at higher rates. Some have more children with special needs.

And some schools will have more room to space children than others. Tan suggested all parents have their children practice wearing face coverings and performing proper hand washing.

She also said there should be protocols to screen students and staff daily, though some may have to be done at home, such as monitoring for fevers and other symptoms of COVID-19. School nurses need guidance on handling suspected cases.

Once schools devise a plan to open that is clearly conveyed to everyone, they have to be prepared to quickly shut classrooms or whole schools if there is an outbreak.

There are things every school can do like distancing and masking, Tan said. But flexibility will be key. One size wont fit all schools.

With a decision on school openings just a few weeks away, Cicero of Hopkins said parents  no matter their view on school reopening  should support efforts to drive down the community spread in Maryland and make reopening schools a much higher priority than either bars or restaurants.

A recent study showed that both Sweden and Finland opened schools successfully without spikes in the virus. Neither country had any deaths among school-aged children. But Cicero said those countries had very low incidence of the disease at the time.

Seven states right now in the U.S. have over 30 cases per 100,000 today, which is still 10 times or more the number of cases  that Denmark, Finland, France, and South Korea had when they reopened schools, she said Thursday.

A number of experts said school districts need to be more creative in how they teach and provide services to children and families. Social meetings between teenagers can happen online. After school activities dont have to be given up. And schools can send out teams of social workers to find students who havent shown up in virtual classrooms.

Schools are being asked to help restart the economy, and they need more money if they are going to be able to do it safely and provide what students need, said Annette Anderson, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Safe and Healthy Schools.

Parents seem to be driving the conversation, Anderson said, and once the decision has been made for the fall, the discussions will continue for the next year.

There wont be a bigger decision in 2020 than how did we send our students back to school, Anderson said.



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The Armenian Foreign Ministry assessed the Turkish participation both in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and in the latest aggravation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan told a briefing.

However, according to her, Turkey cannot play any role or carry a historical mission either in the conflict or in the region.

"Turkey has already left the stamp of genocide in the region, and the first thing the Turkish side should undertake is to eliminate its consequences. We call on Turkey to do this, and not to enthusiastically participate in another anti-Armenian initiative," she noted.
It was a mean and cruel world  how else do you express it? And then came Martin King, Vivian said, according to a 2017 Tribune story about his address at St. Sabin Catholic Church on the South Side. He forced the most powerful nation in the world to say no when it wanted to say yes and yes when it wanted to say no, Vivian noted, explaining how the King-led movement, rooted in peaceful protest, was a major influence on the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
aharashtra Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray has filed a petition in Supreme, challenging UGC's updated guidelines. The new guidelines order Universities to conduct final year exams by the end of September.

Aaditya Thackeray, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister, has just filed a petition in Supreme Court against UGCs decision to conduct final year University exams by the end of September. The Supreme Court has yet to reject or admit this petition. He had already been opposing UGCs revised guidelines, that order final year examinations to be held by the end of September.

In an earlier tweet, he wrote that this decision is absolutely absurd and out of an alternate Universe. He urged UGC not to put the lakhs of lives involved at stake. He added, among other things, that students would suffer from anxiety, incomplete curriculum and the overall risk involved in commuting from their homes to the exam centres for all, be it students, their parents or University staff.

The petition was filed by Shiv Senas youth wing called the Yuva Wing. It stated that the physical health, mental condition and safety of students are being ignored. It added that UGC should have cancelled the exams due to the coronavirus outbreak, which is a nation-wide catastrophe.

Also read: Covid 19 India Update: Spike of 34,884 new cases in 24 hours, tally now at 10.38 lakh

India has crossed 10lakh mark for Covid Cases. Yet @ugc_india is adamant on compulsory examinations. We have written to them and requested reconsideration multiple times but to no avail Hence, Yuva Sena has filed a Writ Petition (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India. @AUThackeray pic.twitter.com/WPnZVfpdIW  Varun Sardesai (@SardesaiVarun) July 18, 2020

Today Yuva Sena has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court with a humble prayer to save lives of lakhs of students, teachers, non teaching staff and their families by asking the UGC to not be stubborn about enforcing examinations when India has crossed the 10 lakh cases mark  Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 18, 2020

Also read: Rajasthan political crisis: BJP demands CBI inquiry on audio tapes leak

The Yuva Sena also gave examples of other Universities that have cancelled their exams, either planning to conduct them when the situation blows over or assessing the marks of students based on their previous performance, such as the Indian Institute of Technology, or IIT. It called for UGC to follow suit, so as to avoid risking the lives involved.

Also read: Andhras new initiative against Covid-19: 102 new buses deployed to test, recruiting 9700 healthcare professionals

Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray files a petition before Supreme Court challenging the decision of University Grants Commission (UGC) to conduct final year examinations. Court has not yet admitted the petition for hearing. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/DBv2gI20j2  ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2020

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European Aviation Agency Warns Airliners Of Risks Flying Over Iran

Radio Farda July 17, 2020

The European Aviation Safety Agency has warned airliners flying over Iran of the danger of being accidentally targeted by Iran's anti-aircraft defense system, seven months after a Ukrainian jetliner was shot down over Tehran.

"Due to the hazardous security situation, and poor coordination between civil aviation and military operations, there is a risk of misidentification of civil aircraft," EASA announced on July 16. "Due to the presence of various advanced air-defense systems, it is advised to be cautious."

Iranian civil aviation agency reacted Friday to the news, saying that "negotiations" are in process with EASA and "several European countries" to dispel their concerns about the safety of Iran's airspace.

Ukraine International Airlines' (UIA) flight 752 with 167 people aboard was shot down on January 8 as it took off from Tehran's international airport. Hours earlier, Iran had fired missiles at American bases in Iraq and was on alert for possible retaliation. However, the government kept the airspace open and the military allowed the Ukrainian airliner to take off.

It is assumed that due to lack of coordination an air defense battery fired two missiles and brought down the plane. Iran has not provided a transparent explanation about what exactly happened and what officials should be held accountable. It has also refused to hand over the flight recorders for independent analysis.

So far, Tehran has only offered "human error" as the cause of the tragic event.

The Germany-based EU agency warned airliners that "risk of operations is assessed to be HIGH" and instructed planes not to fly lower than 25,000 feet over Iran, adding there is a risk of being accidentally targeted by the country's air defense system.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/european- aviation-agency-warns-airliners-of-risks- flying-over-iran/30733200.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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With Seo Ye Ji's impressive, must-have styles in the hit series "It's Okay To Not Be Okay," she instantly rose to become a new fashion icon. In her character as Go Moon Young, she is a celebrity writer who often displays her elegance and flaunts her envy-worthy garbs from head to toe.

She had worn the latest and the luxury brands in each episode. For instance, her outfits approximately amounted to USD 2,500 in one chapter, excluding her jewelry.

We're only halfway through the series, which means there are more captivating, awe-inspiring, laudable dresses to leave us drooling. But one thing's for sure: she pulls off all her garments, and she looks stunning while clad in them all!

Draped asymmetric dress from Magda Butrym

She wore this one to work and met Kim Soo Hyun at the office. She paired it with her earrings from Subyul, along with a bag from Playnomore and heels from Gianvito Rossi.

Blouse with billowy sleeves from Minju Kim

As she started her work as a literature teacher in the hospital, she wore a dashing dress from Minjukim. FYI: the South Korean designer of this is the winner of Netflix's "Next in Fashion." She accentuated with a belt from Loewe and paired a bag from Gryson.

Iridescent vintage dress from Dior

Such a lavish and dramatic look, Seo Ye Ji looked like a fairy while wearing this Dior vintage dress, matching it with red pump shoes from Prada. Truly one of her elegant and powerful styles in the show!

Sienna polka-dot dress from Magda Butrym

She loves to wear dresses with statement ruffled sleeves, just like this Magda Butrym dress that costs around USD 1,502, paired with Tulle 105 suede ankle boots that cost $1011 (USD) from Gianvito Rossi. Her black bag is from Moynat.

Peggy floral-embroidered linen dress from Zimmerman

She begins to wear a set of clothing with lighter tones, which actually has a meaning behind it. Now, she often wears an optimistic spirit with Moon Gang Tae, Kim Soo Hyun's character. She wears a flared style, a Mandarin collar, and long voluminous sleeves from Zimmerman, paired heels from Burberry and bag from Alexander McQueen.

Asymmetric pleated satin top from Peter Do

Wearing a chic style and showing off her gorgeous legs, this asymmetric pleated satin top is from Peter Do. Matched with a dark green blazer from the same brand.

Two-piece pink set from Minju Kim

Also designed by Minju Kim, Queer Eye's Tan France and fashion designer Alexa Chung also wore this two-piece pink dress on Netflix and Net-a-Porter

Which one is your favorite dress of Go Moon Young? Comment below!
The rebellion-riddled Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan received a boost on Saturday with two MLAs of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) pledging their support to the government in a reversal of the partys earlier stand of neutrality announced on Monday.

The MLAs, Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad, held a joint press conference with newly appointed state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara unequivocally declaring their support to Ashok Gehlot on his assurance to meet their demands related to the development of the state.

The support is significant given the thinning of government majority due to an ongoing rebellion by former deputy chief minister and state party president Sachin Pilot and 18 Congress MLAs supporting him.

Also Read: Sanjay Jain, linked to alleged horse trading in Rajasthan, arrested

The assured support of BTP MLAs could be crucial in a possible floor test to save the government. It is also significant since the regional party had on Monday issued a whip directing its MLAs to take a neutral position during the present political turmoil.

We had supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections on the condition that our demands related to the development of our areas will be met. We have again held discussions with the chief minister on those demands and we have been assured that the demands will be fulfilled, BTP MLA Roat said.

Earlier in the day, Gehlot received a list of demands from the BTP MLAs and their party functionaries. Gehlot later tweeted to say that BTP had announced its support to the government.

Dotasara confirmed the meeting.

Also Read: Rajasthan paying for discord in Congress: BJPs Vasundhara Raje

BTP MLAs and their party leaders held discussions with the chief minister. They were already with us and have reassured their support to the Ashok Gehlot government, he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Ramprasad said his party believed in issue-based politics and was against toppling an elected government.

Congress has a total of 107 MLAs, including the 19 rebels who could lose their seats in the assembly if they are disqualified by the speaker.

The party claims that the Gehlot government has support of 109 MLAs, including Congress, independents and other supporting party legislators.
Front-line medical workers and hospital staff in Fort Bend County hospital are stretched thin to care for the growing numbers of COVID-19 infected patients as the ICU-bed capacity reported an all-time high with 119 of the countys 122 operational ICU beds occupied Wednesday (July 16), according to statistics provided by the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC). The number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Fort Bend County and the greater Houston-area region, with some hospitals reporting a shortage of medical workers needed to expand the countys ICU units to surge capacity levels. The ICU beds at OakBend Medical Center, a 274-bed health system based in Richmond, have remained full for the last six weeks.

We have reached out to staffing agencies and they are recruiting COVID-19 trained, battle-hardened nurses for us, Freudenberger said. A crew of new nurses is needed to add an additional 16 ICU beds to the hospitals existing 12-bed ICU unit. For now, we are making do with what we have. We have gone into overtime mode with our staff but theres only so far that can go and it tires out our people greatly.

Related: With COVID-19 cases spiking in Texas, should schools return via virtually or in-person?

So far, hospital administrators have hired an ICU nurse and a medical surgery nurse with offers extended to several other nurses, Freudenberger said. Until then, nurses and medical workers from different departments all over the hospital have arrived each day to help feed and care for the COVID-19 patients struggling to recover.

The way we have come together during this time of crisis is unparalleled and is something I could never have foreseen, Freudenberger said. Its something that makes me feel proud of our employees and their ethics.

According to SETRAC reports, general bed capacity remains available with 585 general use hospital beds filled of the countys 957 operational bed capacity Thursday. Of the total, 28.9 percent are occupied by COVID-19 infected patients. Infections happen quickly and despite reports earlier this year, can happen to healthy, younger people as well those who are chronically sick, Freudenberger said. During his July 12 online COVID-19 hospital update, the discussion took a more personal turn when Freudenberger confirmed he had tested positive for the virus. He later discovered hed been exposed not from infected hospital patients but during a quiet Sunday night dinner with his family, including his grown son whod unknowingly had lunch with an infected colleague earlier in the week. Of the six gathered for Sunday night dinner, four people became infected Freudenberger said.

Let me tell you when you get this thing, its scary, he said and described how he arrived to work feeling out of sorts, but it wasnt anything he could pinpoint until the next day when he developed a low-grade fever and a slight cough. Hes since been treated by an OakBend specialist and reported he and other family members were on their way to recovery.

Fort Bend County officials report a total of 3,302 active cases as of Friday (July 18) with the death count rising to 71 and a fatality rate of roughly 1.2 percent. Alarmed by the rising counts, Fort Bend County Judge KP George last week announced the county had advanced to Level 1 or Code Red, the highest possible COVID-19 threat level, following a recent surge that saw the number of new COVID-19 cases double over the last month.

Related: COVID-19: Fort Bend County advances to risk level 'red'

At this point, if our citizens are not participating in the process in a positive way, through frequent hand washing and wearing a face mask and following the CDC guidelines, its possible we are headed toward a shutdown and thats the last thing I want to do, Judge George said and urged resident to practice social distancing, frequent hand-washing and wearing a face masks when in public. We cannot afford at this point to increase these numbers. We want to avoid a shutdown in Fort Bend County or in Texas because that could have a devastating effects on our economy.

Judge George also voiced concerns over recent increases in the number of occupied ICU beds in Fort Bend County hospitals.

We are actively pursuing an alternative care site in case we need it. We are at that level, Judge George said and acknowledged the recent increases reported by Fort Bend County health officials mirror a regional trend as Texas has recently emerged as a hot spot as compared to many other states.

knix@hcnonline.com
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 16, 2020 | 04:06 PM | KNOXVILLE

The Tennessee Valley Authority's Regional Resource Stewardship Council will meet Tuesday, July 21 to discuss TVA's pollinator study, environmental policy, updates on Asian carp and hear public comments.The virtual meeting is open to the public and runs from 8:30 am to 2 pm.Please register in advance at: https://bit.ly/2NowQde (see link below). Public comments will be accepted that afternoon for 30 minutes at noon. In order to make oral comments, the public must pre-register by 5 pm on Monday, July 20, by emailing ccoffey@tva.gov. Due to time limitations, speakers will be given two minutes to address the council. Written comments may be sent to the RRSC at any time through links on TVA's website at www.tva.com/rrsc.For more information about this meeting and the public comments session, or to make arrangements for special accommodations for a disability, please contact Cathy Coffey at ccoffey@tva.gov.The RRSC was established to advise TVA on its natural resources and stewardship activities. Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. To learn more about the RRSC, visit the council website at http://www.tva.com/rrsc.

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State that the governments army development policy has fully justified itself, said Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan visited Saturday the Ministry of Defense headquarters, where he met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, headed by Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Onik Gasparyan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan attended the meeting, government's press service reported.

"Let me express my satisfaction with the high efficiency of the Armenian Armed Forces and state that the Governments army development policy, including the development of the military-industrial complex, has fully justified itself. There is no doubt that we will continue along this line. As I have said on many occasions, the development of our armed forces is not a priority for us, but the priority of priorities," he said.

"And I would like to address a crucial issue that we have raised in this context, that is, the return to the state of ill-earned money obtained through corruption, and the investment of that money for the development of Armenias Armed Forces. This objective has not been met in full as of yet. But we will be consistent on this way: specific legal mechanisms have already been established to that effect, which will come into force in the near future."
At 94 years old, Mae Krier is hard at work helping her country, just as she did 75 years ago.

Krier, from Levittown, Pennsylvania, was one of World War IIs Rosie the Riveters.

At just 17, she left home to help build B-17s and B-29s at Boeing in Seattle.

After the war, she married her sailor husband, Norman, who she met on the dance floor. They started a family and were together for more than 70 years.

PHOTO: After the war, she married her sailor husband, Norman, who she met on the dance floor. (Mae Krier)

All these years later, Krier is rolling up her sleeves once again to make masks during the coronavirus pandemic. People all over the United States have now started asking Krier for masks. Shes made hundreds so far.

MORE: Essential worker tells David Muir front-line donor group 'made an impact on my life'

When I make these bandanas, I make them with good feeling, Krier told ABC News. If just one of these little face masks can save one life, I've done my job.

PHOTO: Krier works on masks made of the iconic red polka dot fabric 'Rosies' were famous for. (Mae Krier)

Krier has another mission: to get her fellow Riveters recognized for their work.

MORE: Dad, stepdaughter give back to health care workers who cared for them through cancer

We're working really hard to get the Congressional Gold Medal, she said. The House has passed it but we're having a hard time with the Senate.

PHOTO: Krier with fellow Rosies. (Mae Krier)

In the meantime, she says shell keep going. Shes confident, just like back then, that the U.S. will be ok.

People are great. They'll do what has to be done, she said. When World War II was declared, every man, woman and child just dropped everything and did what it took to save our country. It wasn't my job or your job; it was our job.

Her message to Americans is simple: We can do it!"

PHOTO: Mae Krier's message to America: 'We can do it!' (ABC)

'Rosie the Riveter' back on the job making masks to prevent spread of COVID-19 originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The immediate damage to Nantes Cathedral was not as severe as that to Notre Dame, which lost most of its roof and will require years to repair. The French government announced last week that Notre Dame  especially its spire  would be constructed exactly as it was before.
Kangana looks alluring in her visit to her Kul Devi Temple

Kangana Ranaut has proved that she is a strong-headed lady of Bollywood with her vigorous opinions and outspoken attitude. Amid the Coronavirus lockdown, the actress is enjoying her quarantine in her hometown, Manali. Recently, Kanganas team who handles her social media accounts shared the actress picture when she visited her Kul Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh.


Mumbai, July 18 : Actress Maanvi Gagroo on Saturday tweeted a witty reply to filmmaker R. Balkis defence of star kids, particularly Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.

"How to apply Sir?" Maanvi wrote on her verified Twitter account. She added: "P.S. I do like both Alia and Ranbir though." Maanvi is among an increasing number of Bollywood denizens who have reacted to Balki's comment that it is "unfair" to criticise star kids saying "they have an unfair or bigger advantage" in the film industry.

"The question is do they (star kids) have an unfair or bigger advantage? Yes, there are pros and cons. But I'd ask one simple question:?Find me a better actor than Alia (Bhatt) or Ranbir (Kapoor), and we'll argue. It's unfair on these few people who're probably some of the finest actors," Balki has told Hindustan Times in an interview while talking about nepotism in the film industry.

"Bulbbul" actor Avinash Tiwary has also joined the chorus of responses to Balki's comment. He tweeted from an unverified account: "Dear #RBalki Sir, you would not know of the better Actors if they are not given an opportunity and you don't step out to watch them." Reacting to Balki's comment, filmmaker Onir shared on his verified Twitter account: "This is the reason why talent from outside hardly gets a fair chance to bloom in our industry . Instead of encouraging and nurturing we dismiss so many talented artists just to fulfill our aspirations n be in the 'right' circle by only recognising a few empowered ones. This contributes in continuing the tradition of nepotism/ unfair favouritism. When one reads something like this you know that despite the recent outrage the industry will take a very long time to change." On Friday, veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur had tweeted: "Have huge respect for you, Balki. But i just saw 'Kai Po Che' again last night. Three new young actors at that time. And stunning believable performances by each." Commenting on Kapur's tweet, actor Amit Sadh wrote from his verified Twitter account: "I love you sir !! Sending love and hugs fr now ... and hoping we meet soon for our another round of chat ... where we talk art and basic things in life .. been a long time!" Onir commented: "Absolutely ... so many talented actors ..., and to just dismiss everyone ... it's an unkind act." Scriptwriter and film editor Apurva Asrani had also responded to Balki's comment on Friday.

"Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann, Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, Richa Chaddha. Many others too if we look beyond A list film families, and take a few chances. I love Ranbir & Alia, but please, they aren't the only good actors," tweeted Apurva from his verified account.

"Pankaj Tripathi, Gajraj Rao, Amit Sadh, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rasika Dugal, Swara Bhaskar, Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra, Neena Gupta, Divya Dutta, Manav Kaul, Nawazuddin, Jeetu. My god, I could go on and on about the wonderful talents we have. Stop fussing over the same 3-4 names now!" Asrani, who scripted the critically-acclaimed "Aligarh" wrote in a separate tweet.
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- Lukoye received his appointment letter from Agan University on Thursday, July 17 and is expected to assume office on August 1

- The appointment to the prestigious university came nearly nine months after he resigned from Moi University as the institution's school of medic dean

- Atwoli, like a proud father, commended his son for the milestone achievement he has recorded in life and prayed for God's guidance in his new role

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) boss Francis Atwoli has congratulated his son Lukoye Atwoli on his appointment as the dean for Agan Khan University's East Africa medical colleges.

Lukoye, a former Moi University's School of medicine dean received his appointment letter on Thursday, July 17, nearly nine months after parting ways with his former employer over frustrations.

READ ALSO: Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja spends night in police cell after he was arrested in a nightclub

COTU boss Francis Atwoli. Photo: Francis Atwoli.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Leeds United promoted to Premier League after 16-year absence

Atwoli, like a proud father, commended his son for the milestone achievement he has recorded in life and prayed for God's guidance in his new role.

Congratulations my son Lukoye Atwoli on your appointment as dean of medical colleges at Agan Khan University (EA). As a family we are proud of you. May Almighty God continue guiding you, growing you in knowledge and wisdom and protect you," Atwoli said via his Twitter handle.

Agan Khan University hailed Lukoye as an outstanding scholar with impeccable record in research and administration and exuded confidence he would turn around the fortunes of the prestigious learning institution.

"Professor Lukoye comes to AKU in the midst of a global pandemic. Given his experience and research credentials, and through his gentle but firm leadership, he brings a steady pair of hands to help the Medical College, East Africa navigate the challenges ahead," said the university management in the appointment letter.

Lukoye Atwoli speaking during a past KMA annual conference. Photo: Lukoye Atwoli.

Source: Facebook

The soft-spoken but radical reformist professor of medicine holds several other local and global leadership positions in reputable institutions.

He is currently the vice president of Kenya Medical Association (KMA) and a visiting scientist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and an honorary associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town.

He is also a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) World Mental Health Surveys Consortium, which is the leading collaborative project in psychiatric epidemiology globally.

Lukoye Atwoli. Photo: Lukoye Atwoli.

Source: Facebook

Lukoye is an international faculty member at the Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, and an external examiner for multiple universities.

The Kenyan scholar has over 50 publications to his credit in academic books and in peer-reviewed journals.

He has supervised to completion 17 masters candidates and is currently supervising four PhD and four Masters students at universities in Kenya, the US and Europe.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly

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Toronto police are looking to identify a pedestrian after she was fatally struck near the Don Valley Parkway early Friday morning.

In a news release, police that at about 2:10 a.m., the woman was struck by a motorist who was heading north on the Don Valley Parkway on-ramp from Dundas Street East. She was pronounced dead on scene.

Police have been unable to identify her and describe her as white, 60 to 70 years of age, with white hair. She was wearing a blue and white T-shirt along with blue shorts and white flip flops, police say.

Police stopped short of calling the incident a hit-and-run and said the driver may not have been aware that they had struck the woman. They are asking the driver to contact police.

Anyone who can help identify the woman as well as witnesses or anyone with footage of the incident to contact investigators.
Shamima Begum is said to be delighted but also very nervous after it was ruled she should be allowed to return to the UK to appeal against the removal of her British citizenship.

The former London schoolgirl, who left the UK for Syria aged 15, lived under Isis rule for more than three years before being found in a refugee camp last February.

Sajid Javid, then the home secretary, removed her British citizenship shortly afterwards, and the government has used the same powers against dozens of alleged Isis members to prevent their return to the UK.

Ms Begums lawyers challenged the decision, accusing the government of making her stateless and exposing her to the risk of death or inhuman and degrading treatment.

They appealed to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) but it ruled the move lawful and said Ms Begum had not been made stateless in February.

Recommended Shamima Begum may finally account for actions in court

On Thursday, the Court of Appeal granted Ms Begum permission to launch a judiciary review against that decision.

Ms Begum currently lives in Al-Roj camp, the north eastern Syrian refugee camp she was moved to after being first discovered last year.

According to a member of the camps security forces, the now 20-year-old is very happy that she has been allowed to return to Britain but is concerned about what will happen to her and how people will look at her there.

She is in a good mood because she will see her family and her country again. But everything is very uncertain, the security personnel told The Daily Mail.

The Kurdish authorities holding Ms Begum have repeatedly called for the UK to repatriate her and other Isis members.

In the full judgment made by the Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Flaux said national security concerns over Ms Begum could be addressed and managed in the UK.

If the Security Service and the director of public prosecutions consider that the evidence and public interest tests for a prosecution for terrorist offences are met, she could be arrested and charged upon her arrival in the UK and remanded in custody pending trial, he added.

The Home Office moved to immediately block the effect of what it called a very disappointing decision by the court.

We will now apply for permission to appeal this judgment, and to stay its effects pending any onward appeal, a spokesperson said.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast PA UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA

Tom Hickman QC, representing Ms Begum, previously told the court she had no fair and effective means of challenging the decision to deprive her of her British citizenship.

The only things that are clear are that Shamima Begum was a child when she left the UK and had been influenced to do so, he added.

Sir James Eadie QC, representing the Home Office, said the fact that Ms Begum could not fully engage in the appeal procedure was a result of her decision to leave the UK, travel to Syria against Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice and align with Isis.

Ms Begum was nine months pregnant when a journalist found her in northern Syria last year, and her baby son later died. She said two children she previously had with Isis fighter husband Yago Riedijk had also died.

Of more than 900 people who travelled to Syria and Iraq from the UK, an estimated half have returned but only about 40 were successfully prosecuted.
Informed sources told Ahram Online that the Egyptian parliament  the House of Representatives  is expected to hold a plenary meeting this week to discuss the political and military situation in neighbouring Libya.

The sources said the discussion is to be followed by a vote to mandate President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to intervene militarily in Libya to help defend the western neighbour against Turkish aggression.

In a 16 July meeting between leaders of Libyan tribes and El-Sisi, they asked him to authorise the Egyptian Armed Forces "to intervene to protect the national security of Libya and Egypt, if they see an imminent danger to both countries. President El-Sisi said he would do so after obtaining the approval of the Egyptian parliament.

In a resolution passed on 13 July, the Libyan parliament also asked the Egyptian and Libyan armed forces to work together to guarantee the occupier's defeat and preserve shared national security in the face of the dangers posed by the Turkish occupation.

In his meeting with Libyan tribes on Thursday, President El-Sisi said Egypt has the strongest army in the region and Africa.

"But the Egyptian army is a very wise force, and it is not interested in mounting occupation operations, and if we need to undertake any operations outside our borders we will be required to first obtain the approval of the Egyptian parliament."

MPs told Ahram Online that El-Sisi's words go in line with Article 152 of Egypt's constitution, which states that "the president of the republic is the supreme leader of the Armed Forces. He shall not declare war or send the Armed Forces outside the state's borders to undertake fighting missions unless he first seeks the opinion of the National Defence Council and takes the approval of the two thirds majority of MPs."

Mohamed Hani El-Hennawi, an independent MP representing the Nile Delta governorate of Beheira, told Ahram Online that Egyptian MPs have closely followed all the issues discussed in the meeting between President El-Sisi and leaders of Libyan tribes on 16 July.

"I think that the majority of my colleagues in the House will vote in favour of granting President El-Sisi a mandate to take all the measures necessary to preserve the national security of both Egypt and Libya," said El-Hennawi.

MP Hussein Abu Gad, a member of the parliamentary majority "Mostaqbal Watan" party, also said "the issues raised during President El-Sisi's meeting with leaders of Libyan tribes last Thursday were directly related to the national security of both Egypt and Libya.

"All Egyptian MPs were keen to closely follow this meeting, particularly his indication that he should seek approval from the Egyptian parliament before he undertakes any military operations outside our borders," said Abu Gad, agreeing that "what president El-Sisi said goes in line with the constitution."

Abu Gad, however, indicated that Egypt's military intervention does not necessarily mean that Egypt will send troops to Libya or that Egyptian military forces will participate in any fighting missions on Libya's land.

"I think that President El-Sisi was quite clear during the 16 July meeting when he said that Egypts Armed Forces will closely work side by side with the Libyan National Army in terms of military support, training Libyan army officers in Egypt's military academy, and providing Libyan tribes with weapons that can help them fight the Turkish aggression and their supported mercenaries," said Abu Gad.

Said Hassasin, an MP in the Democratic Peace Party and a media expert, said "I think that by giving support and assistance to the Libyan army, Egypt will be able to help the Libyan people free the country from the Turkish occupation."

Hassassin said the Turkish occupation of Western Libya would be a direct threat to Egypt's national security if Turkey occupied Sirte and Al-Jufra. "This is why President El-Sisi said Sirte and Al-Jufra are a red line for Egypt," he added.

Parliament to discuss draft laws

Egypts parliament will meet on Sunday and Monday to discuss a number of laws. On Monday, parliament will discuss the president's decree (number 391) on the extension of the state of emergency for another three months, beginning on Monday 27 July.

The schedule of parliamentary debate on Sunday and Monday will also include discussing nine draft laws. Topping the list are amendments to the law on Civil and Commercial Procedures, fighting cheating and leaking of foreign certificate exams, police control, waste management, and supporting and financing the management and building of educational projects.

The list also includes draft bills on industrial quality control systems, the Waqfs (religious endowments) related to the Egyptian Catholic Church and the Anglican sect, the Islamic House of Zakat (Alms) and the regulation of the Egyptian Dar El-Iftaa (the house of religious edicts).

Parliament is also expected to take a final vote on nine draft laws, foremost among which are the law on regulating the performance of the Central Bank of Egypt and the Banking Sector, and the law on the Public Enterprise Companies Sector.

Other laws include adding a new allocation of LE80 billion to the state's new budget 20/21, setting up a Takaful (solidarity) fund to contain the negative economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, regulating the affairs of medical staff affiliated with the Ministry of Health, setting up the fund of caring for the innovative and genius people, and regulating advertisements on public roads.

Parliament will also take a final vote on the amendments to the stamp law and the income tax law.

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WASHINGTON  The Pentagon, without once mentioning the word Confederate, announced a policy Friday that essentially banned displays of the Confederate flag on military installations around the world.

In a carefully worded memo that Defense Department officials said they hoped would avoid igniting another defense of the flag from President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper issued guidance that listed the types of flags that could be displayed on military installations  in barracks, on cars and on signs.

According to the guidance, appropriate flags include those of U.S. states and territories, military services and other countries that are allies of the United States. The guidance never specifically says that Confederate flags are banned, but they do not fit in any of the approved categories  and any such flags are prohibited.

Problem solved  we hope, one Defense Department official said Friday, speaking on the condition of anonymity so as not to anger Trump.

That senior military leaders are contorting themselves to such an extent shows the gap that has developed between the White House and the movement for racial justice that has swept across the country since the killing of George Floyd while in police custody in May in Minneapolis. As protests ignited, senior Defense Department officials began grappling with the legacy of racism in the military.

Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week at a House hearing that the Pentagon needed to take a hard look at changing the names of Army bases honoring Confederate officers who had fought against the Union during the Civil War, explicitly laying out a course that diverges from his commander in chief. Ten Army bases that honor Confederate generals who fought to defend the slaveholding South have been the focus of a growing movement for change; Trump, for his part, has sided with those who want symbols of the Confederacy to remain in place.

The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars, Trump wrote in a string of Twitter posts. Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations. Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!

In the hearing, Milley echoed senior military leaders who also wanted to remove the Confederate symbols and base names. There is no place in our armed forces for manifestations or symbols of racism, bias or discrimination, he said.

Espers memo Friday did not address the issue of bases named after Confederate generals; one senior military official said this week that the Pentagon would wait until after the November election before further raising the issue. But the memo goes after the many American soldiers, Marines and airmen who display Confederate flags and other symbols in their barracks and in parking lots on military installations.

Flags are powerful symbols, particularly in the military community, for whom flags embody common mission, common histories and the special, timeless bond of warriors, Esper said in his memo, before quoting former Justice John Paul Stevens that the U.S. flag is a symbol of freedom, of equal opportunity, of religious tolerance and of goodwill for other peoples who share our aspirations.

Esper added in his memo that the flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect and rejecting divisive symbols.

A Defense Department official said that the new directive meant that Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ flags would not be allowed, either. The ban applies to public and shared spaces; troops and military officials can display Confederate flags in areas deemed private and personal, like lockers and single rooms.

Its absolutely outrageous that Defense Secretary Mark Esper would ban the Pride flag  the very symbol of inclusion and diversity, said Jennifer Dane, interim executive director of the advocacy group Modern Military Association of America. In what universe is it OK to turn an opportunity to ban a racist symbol like the Confederate flag into an opportunity to ban the symbol of diversity? This decision sends an alarming message to LGBTQ service members, their families and future recruits.

Next week, senators will continue their own bipartisan push to strip military bases of Confederate symbols, advancing an amendment to the annual defense bill spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that would require the Pentagon to eliminate Confederate names, monuments or symbols from military assets in three years. The House is expected to press ahead on a similar measure as lawmakers consider their version of the military policy legislation.

Top Republican leaders in Congress have indicated they would broadly support such measures. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. and the majority leader, said this week in an interview with The Wall Street Journal this week that he would not block the effort to rename the bases despite Trumps pledge to veto the broader defense bill if Warrens amendment was included. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. and the House minority leader, told reporters last month he was not opposed to renaming the bases.

The Marine Corps this year banned the Confederate flag, and the Army was moving to do the same until Esper intervened, saying that he wanted to issue uniform guidance across all services.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) -- There was a second protest in Rochester in response to the city's emergency order.

Mayor Lovely Warren's order bans all public gatherings of five or more people outside and 10 or more people inside from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in an attempt to reduce violence.

On Thursday, a few dozen protestors gathered at the Liberty Pole at 11 p.m. for a second protest organized by Free the People Roc.

Demonstrators claim the order is discriminatory against black and brown people.

They also called on police to drop the charges for the 30 protestors who were arrested early Thursday morning.

As of Friday morning, no arrests were made.
Daisy and Paul Cooper appearing on Gogglebox (credit: Channel 4/Gogglebox)

This Country dad Martin Mucklowe was based on serial killer Fred West - star Paul Cooper has revealed.

The popular BBC mockumentary comedy is written by siblings Daisy May and Charlie Cooper, who play cousins Kerry and Kurtain.

The show is very much a family affair, with character Martin, who is Kerrys dad, being played by the pairs real dad Paul. His brother Trevor Cooper also appears as Len.

Read more: This Country creator Daisy May Cooper reveals why show must end

Despite having no previous acting experience, Cooper senior was convinced to try for the part, and was advised to base his character mannerisms on the evil West.

Paul told Metro.co.uk: Daisy said you kinda look like me and we have the same genes so why dont you give it a go and do a screen test?

Daisy May Cooper (L) and Charlie Cooper with the award for Scripted Comedy for 'This Country', pose in the press room at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on May 13, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

They said listen to the police interviews of Fred West  that quiet kind of voice but saying chilling things so I went on YouTube and listened to those and got the voice.

The character proves something of a villain throughout the show, moving between indifferent towards daughter Kerry and slightly menacing towards people who disagree with him. His also rumoured to be a voyeur.

Photograph of Fred West. Frederick Walter Stephen West (1941-1995) an English serial killer who, along with his wife Rosemary West (1953-), committed at least 12 murders between 1967 and 1987. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The character even mentions knowing Fred West, saying he played pool with him and praising his skills as a builder - a scene Cooper says he ad-libbed during the screen test.

The scene sees Martin Mucklowe say he knows West did some iffy things but adds as a builder he was top notch.

Read more: This Country star Daisy May Cooper expecting second child

Along with wife Rose, West killed at least 12 people including her eight-year-old stepdaughter Charmaine and 16-year-old daughter Heather.

Some victims were buried at their home in Gloucester - the address was later demolished.

Paul and daughter Daisy have been seen recently taking part in the celebrity edition of Channel 4 show Gogglebox.
With the Avengers, Fantastic Four and the X-Men all involved, a potential Secret Wars movie could be the biggest spectacle ever put on screen. It would be the only reason why Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, would consider returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Speaking to BroBible, the directors expressed their love for the Secret Wars storyline, and said that if made, the film would be larger in scale than the Infinity Saga. The filmmakers have previously spoken about their interest in the story, on several occasions.

Joe said, You know, I read that when I was 10 or 11, and it was the scale of getting all of the heroes together. It was one of the first major books to do that  that was really event-storytelling to me at its finest. And what happens when you put all of those personalities together.

Also read: Robert Downey Jr hints at Marvel return with Russo brothers

He added, I also like the idea of villains having to team up with heroes. Anth and I like complicated relationships between heroes and villains, we like villains who believe theyre heroes in their own stories, so its all sort of built into this notion of Secret Wars. To execute something on the scale of Infinity War was directly related to the dream of Secret Wars, which is even larger in scale.

Anthony added, It would be the biggest movie you could possibly imagine, so thats what really excites us about the story  the ambition of it is even bigger than the ambition of the Infinity Saga.

The directors have said that they intend on making smaller films, before jumping back into blockbuster territory. Theyve wrapped production on Cherry, starring Tom Holland, but on Saturday it was announced that their next film will be a $200 million Netflix spy thriller, starring Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Russia's Putin orders snap military drills in southwest

Iran Press TV

Friday, 17 July 2020 10:44 AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to go on high alert for snap military exercises in the country's southwestern region, which is facing "a serious threat of terrorism."

The Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the Commander-in-Chief ordered the snap exercises to be held in order to ensure "security in Russia's southwest," the Moscow Times reported.

"In accordance with the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces snap exercises are being conducted by troops of the Southern and Western military districts," said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

He said the military exercises aim to assess the troops' ability to provide military security in Russia's southwest where serious terrorist threats persist and to prepare for the Caucasus-2020 strategic command and staff exercise.

The drills, involving 150,000 soldiers, over 26,000 weapon systems, more than 400 aircraft and 106 warships will be conducted in the Black and Caspian Seas, among other places.

Russia is scheduled to hold the Caucasus drills in September.

The military said formerly that the wargames will become the most important event of the Russian Armed Forces' combat training.

Troops from some 17 countries would take part in the military exercises.

To the Southwest, Russia borders Belarus, Finland, Ukraine and NATO members Latvia, Norway and Estonia.

The US has been deploying missiles in Eastern Europe and near Russia's western borders, a provocative move repeatedly denounced by Moscow.

Its bombers and spy planes, as well as NATO aircraft, have frequently been detected in the vicinity of Russia's borders in recent years.

Moscow, which has repeatedly warned the US against deploying NATO forces near its borders, said any increased military presence in Poland could provoke Russian retaliation and prompt it to step up its military presence in neighboring Belarus.

It has also repeatedly warned the US and its NATO military allies against conducting "provocative" war games near its borders.

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Vancouver, B.C., July 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lomiko Metals Inc. (TSX-V: LMR, OTC: LMRMF, FSE: DH8C) (Lomiko or the Company) announces that it has engaged Kenmar Securities, LLC of New York (The Advisor) to raise $ 40 million Cdn for acquisition and development of critical metals projects. Kenmar Securities, LLC, is a Delaware limited liability corporation and SEC-registered securities broker-dealer and FINRA member.

The Advisor will assist the Company in analyzing its business, operations, properties, financial condition and prospects, prepare suitable marketing materials, contact any potential partner companies, assist and advise the Company with respect to the financial form and structure of any potential transaction.

This year is the start of the Electric Vehicle Revolution. Lomiko would like to become part of the Battery Material supply chain stated Mr. A. Paul Gill, CEO.

The Company agrees that, should the Company, or any affiliate of the Company, consummate any Transaction with a Referral pursuant to this Advisory Agreement, from the Effective Date through a period lasting until the twenty-four (24) month anniversary of the cancellation or termination of the Advisory Agreement, the Company shall pay to the Advisor, or cause the Advisor to be paid, at the funding of such Transaction, a success fee (the Success Fee) equivalent to five percent (5.0%) of the gross proceeds raised from the Transaction, which is equivalent to the total amount received or to be (and actually) received by the Company, from one or more Referrals. The Advisor cannot be certain that any amount of financing will be made available by its Referrals.

The payment of fees under any transaction is subject regulatory approval.

For more information on Lomiko Metals, review the website at www.lomiko.com, contact A. Paul Gill at 604-729-5312 or email: info@lomiko.com.

On Behalf of the Board,

A. Paul Gill

Chief Executive Officer

We seek safe harbor. 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

Attachment
There are various different types of tests in this country, she said Thursday. Some take longer to process than others. But we have surged testing to the states and we encourage them to use it to their best ability and to process those tests as quickly as possible.
Photo: (Photo : unsplash/Mathilde LMD)

Now that there is a debate regarding school reopening, most parents are thinking before making a decision. They are torn between sending their children to school and proceeding with homeschooling.

New York City and Los Angeles school districts have already announced that schools will reopen in the fall. They will have full-virtual classes for two or three days a week. Soon, other districts will follow suit. This gives parents no choice but to let children go back to school.

Read also: Homeschooling: The Best Way to Educate Kids During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Other parents still do not agree to sending their children back to school. They are afraid that their children, teachers, family members, and the community could be at risk of getting the disease.

Homeschooling affects parents' jobs

The problem now is that homeschooling is not doing any good for parents. Those who are working at home have a hard time giving their all to their work since they must take care of the little ones. Add to this issue that they have to homeschool children. Work-life balance becomes difficult.

Read also: Life Balance: 8 Testimonials from Working Moms on How to Achieve It

A new approach to homeschooling

Now, parents are finding ways to make everything efficient at home. A professor mom tweeted regarding their plans about homeschooling. They decided to hire a full-time at-home teacher who will be shared with friends.

A psychologist, geneticist, and associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Paige Harden, posted on her Twitter account. She shared her experience with her followers about her plans with other parents.

She said that they are teaming up with another family to hire a full-time teacher for all their kids. They went with "Elementary Teacher for At-Home Learning" in their job ad. Immediately, they got a dozen applications.

We are trying to do this -- teaming up with another family & hiring a full-time teacher for all 4 kids. We went with "Elementary Teacher for At-Home Learning" in our job ad & got a dozen applications right away. Here are some thoughts on our experience so far (thread): https://t.co/EalwlWAN3v  Dr. Paige Harden (@kph3k) July 13, 2020

Read also: Telecommuting Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic: How do Families Benefit?

Share the cost with others

Even though it may sound quite expensive, it will not cost that much for parents with two kids who need daycare. It will also help to share with another family to lower the cost. Paige believes that many working families are used to paying for childcare for children ages zero to five. .She said that this is just an extension of that.

The mom of two said that parents who applied for her job listings explained why they do not want their children to return to school. Some have older children who are at higher risk of getting infected. Other parents share that the school or daycare of their children has closed.

It is estimated that 40 percent of the daycares are closing permanently due to the pandemic. Many moms are losing their jobs because they have a hard time balancing their careers and childcare. Working parents are losing on both sides so they are trying other ways to keep on living.

You may be one of those moms who are juggling between working full-time, homeschooling, and keeping the house livable. Maybe an at-home teacher is what you need to keep you sane. It could be the only thing to help prevent working moms from quitting their jobs due to lack of childcare.
Australian Sara Connor has finally returned home after spending four years in an Indonesian prison for her role in the fatal assault of a policeman on a Bali beach.

The Byron Bay mother-of-two was spotted arriving at Sydney Airport on Saturday night, but was soon whisked away by police to undergo two weeks of quarantine.

Wearing a black face mask and jeans, Ms Connor was seen clutching her mobile phone to her chest as she enjoyed her first taste of freedom.

She appeared to be dressed in the same clothes she was seen in when she left the prison two days ago.

She was jailed in the notorious Keobokan prison after the bashing death of police officer Wayan Sudarsa in Kuta in 2016.

Wearing a black face mask and jeans, Ms Connor (pictured on Saturday at Sydney Airport) was seen arriving home after four years in an Indonesian prison

Ms Connor (pictured, at Sydney Airport on Saturday) was jailed in the notorious Keobokan prison after the death a police officer Wayan Sudarsa in Kuta in 2016

Ms Connor left prison in Bali on Thursday to return to Australia and was seen on Saturday being escorted into the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney for quarantine (pictured)

She was jailed alongside her then-boyfriend, British national David Taylor, after they were found guilty of a fatal group assault.

Ms Connor kept her head down and barely made eye contact with anyone as she quickly stepped onto the bus that would take her to hotel quarantine in Sydney.

She appeared to want her return to Australia to take place quietly and without any issues as she stood alone waiting in line to get on the bus.

The shuttle bus was escorted by a motorcade of police officers on motorcycles.

A brief statement from security firm Tora Solutions said the 49-year-old woman was released on Thursday into the custody of Indonesian immigration.

It said Ms Connor was looking forward to returning home and grateful for the support she had received.

Ms Connor (pictured at Sydney Airport on Saturday) was jailed alongside her then-boyfriend, British national David Taylor, after they were found guilty of a fatal group assault.

The mum-of-two (pictured at Sydney Airport on Saturday) has left ex-boyfriend Taylor behind, who is serving a six-year sentence in Kerobokan's male prison for his part in the officer's death

Ms Connor will spend the next two weeks quarantining at the five-star InterContinental hotel in the middle of Sydney's CBD.

Celebrities and world leaders such as Oprah, Jennifer Aniston, Cher, Frank Sinatra, Bill Clinton and the Prince of Thailand have all stayed at the hotel over the years.

Ms Connor declined to answer questions from the media as police directed her inside of the hotel.

She attempted to use her hair as a shield to cover her face.

As of Saturday 12.01am single adults arriving into New South Wales are required to pay $3,000 to cover their stay in hotel quarantine.

Travellers who purchased their ticket before 11:59pm on July 12 are exempt from this rule.

It is unclear when Ms Connor's ticket back to Australia was purchased.

After the two weeks of coronavirus quarantine, she will be reunited with her sons, having spent her time inside honing her craft as an artist and undertaking hair-dressing, crochet and make-up courses.

Ms Connor will spend the next two weeks quarantining at the five-star InterContinental hotel in the middle of Sydney's CBD (pictured, leaving the bus on Saturday)

She declined to answer questions from the media as police directed her inside of the hotel (pictured on Saturday)

As of Saturday 12.01am single adults arriving into New South Wales are required to pay $3,000 to cover their stay in hotel quarantine. It is unclear if this applies to Ms Connor (pictured)

Ms Connor (pictured) attempted to use her hair to cover her face from the media on Saturday

She has left ex-boyfriend Taylor behind, who is serving a six-year sentence in Kerobokan's male prison for his part in the officer's death.

However, there are concerns she could be killed in a revenge attack as soon as she's released after a cop killer on the popular tourist island was recently murdered in Sulawesi upon their release from jail.

'We want to ensure her safety when she is released from prison. We don't want another revenge killing,' Mr Suprapto, the corrections division head of the Law and Human Right ministry's Bali office, told The Daily Telegraph.

Sara Connor (pictured on Thursday) is escorted to a waiting car after being released from prison in Bali

The Australian woman (pictured) covered her face with a headscarf as she was bundled into the back of an immigration vehicle on Thursday

She was all smiles the day before being released from Kerobokan Prison after serving four years for her role in the fatal assault of a policeman on a Bali beach

'Her safety is our consideration. Cases where victims are police officers can attract persecution.'

Prisoners serving time with Ms Connor say she has grown paranoid in the weeks leading up to her release and will lash out at anyone she suspects is trying to take a photo of her.

Although she has retrained as a hairdresser during her sentence and took up painting, insiders say she has grown very withdrawn and now rejects any jail activities including exercise, arts and even food.

'Sara keeps to herself and is not friendly. Not to anyone. She didn't participate in our recent fashion show and never gets involved with dance, or anything that the jail asks her to be part of,' a prisoner, who did not wish to be named, said.

'She thinks people will sell her photo and is crazy and paranoid about that. She loves her ciggies and coffee and hanging out in a quiet corner.'

The Byron Bay mother-of-two was issued her release papers on Thursday after a four-year stint behind bars

Ms Connor showed off her inked fingers (pictured) before she was released from Kerobokan prison in Bali

Ms Connor's 'relaxing holiday' turned into a 'nightmare' when her then British boyfriend David Taylor, beat a police officer of 35 years to death with multiple objects.

They included a mobile phone, the officer's own binoculars and a Bintang beer bottle.

The holidaying couple were cuddling at the water's edge at Kuta Beach before the killing unfolded.

An Indonesian court found that the now 38-year-old 'DJ Nutzo' confronted officer Wayan Sudarsa after Connor had lost her purse.

Ms Connor (pictured) is seen in hand cuffs during her trial at Denpasar District Court in Bali on February 14, 2017

He began to frisk Mr Sudarsa before the situation violently escalated.

Connor was found to have put her arm around the policeman's neck and sat on his stomach an was convicted of fatal assault in company.

The mum, whose children are now 13 and 15, claimed she was bitten by Mr Sudarsa when trying to separate the pair, and ran away, ending her involvement.

Taylor claimed he was 'in fear of his life', when he struck Mr Sudarsa over the head with a beer bottle.

When Mr Sudarsa was motionless, Taylor took the officer's identification cards.

At Ms Connor's trial, the judges said she cut up Mr Sudarsa's ID cards not to protect his identity and stop them from being stolen, but because she panicked and felt guilty.

Ms Connor (pictured) is set to walk free on Thursday after spending the past four years behind bars for her role in the fatal assault of a local policeman at Kuta Beach in August 2016

Connor's 'relaxing holiday' turned into a 'nightmare' when her then British boyfriend David Taylor (pictured) beat a police officer of 35 years to death with multiple objects

A man walks past the main gate of the notorious Kerobokan Prison (pictured) where Ms Connor was being held

Taylor later told Ms Connor the police officer was 'passed out' on the beach.

They had no idea, they claimed, of the seriousness of Mr Sudarsa's injuries.

Dr Dudut Rustyadi, who performed the autopsy on Mr Sudarsa, told their trials it would have taken him at least two hours to die and had someone intervened he might have been saved.

Instead, Ms Connor and Taylor returned to their hotel, cut up Mr Sudarsa's cards and left for nearby Jimbaran later that morning.

Two days later, Ms Connor turned on her mobile phone and learned of his death.

She has since offered $2,500 in compensation offered to the policeman's widow, and has always maintained her innocence.

Taylor is serving a six-year sentence for his part in the officer's fatal assault.

Connor and her British boyfriend were convicted over the murder of a local policeman. She is pictured (above) inside an immigration office after her release
Cross-section of Lebialem Fons, elite Moore Atem

Rebels fighting to create a breakaway state called Ambazonia kidnapped at least 63 young boys and girls in Fossimondi, a village in Cameroons South West Region Monday, July 13, the Lebialem Fons Conference said in a statement yesterday.

The three-page dispatch signed by the traditional heads of the 17 chiefdoms that make up Lebialem Division said the kidnappings were carried out by armed men led by self-proclaimed General Ayeke of the Alou Guerrilla Fighters. The group is one of many others fighting in the North West and South West Regions of the central African country.

In the early hours of Monday 13 July 2020 when the peace-loving people of Fossimondi Village in Lebialem Division were going out for their usual daily duties, some people of Lebialem who have vowed to defy all peaceful offers and fatherly advice in the name of Amba Boys of the so-called general Ayeke brutally kidnapped 63 young boys and girls into the forest for reasons beyond our understanding, the custodians of tradition said. We have learnt that Pastor Chris Anu, Tapang Ivo, Akwanga Ebenezer, and associates are the brains behind these sinful atrocities disconcerting social life in Lebialem Division for about four years now.

The Fons say they are dismayed that the names of some of their colleagues and their chiefdoms are on the villain discussion table.

To hell with atrocities and to Lebialem with peace, if that is what you have in stalk, they thundered!

Traditional Rulers of Lebialem say it has come to their notice that Pastor Christopher Anu and associates are falsely claiming that one of our top elite, Minister Paul Tasong could be sponsoring the atrocities in Lebialem Division in the same light as similar claims were made on the names of other prominent elites last year.

They, therefore vehemently condemn these barbaric acts perpetrated on our children and the fear entrenched in the psychic of our populations.

In what appears to be a riot act, the 17 traditional rulers wrote: We further call on Christopher Anu, his associates and their fighters on the ground to mind the interest of the population of Lebialem Division in all they do in the name of a revolution because the traditional rulers, elites and population of Lebialem Division are totally against everything they have been doing.

We stand for dialogue, peace, and the sustainable development of our division. That the Fons of Lebialem Division and their populations have confidence in their top elite who will never stoop so low to support and finance any terrorist acts.

We use this opportunity to send a clear message to civil society organizations, national institutions, and international organizations that the burnings, looting, kidnappings, and killings being ordered by Christopher Anu and associates in Lebialem Division for the past over three years do not give them the legitimacy required to represent the interest of Lebialem people in any national or international forum.

Most if not all Fons Palaces in Lebialem Division have been violated and looted of its artifacts, antiquities, archives and other precious goods stolen and sold by these individuals who are now enjoying the luxury of huge bank accounts at the detriment of the peace-loving people of Lebialem Division.

That for spreading deadly arms all over Lebialem Division and chasing out Traditional Rulers from their Palaces at gunpoint is sacrilege and we strongly condemn it.

That those sons and daughters of Lebialem Division in the diaspora who are still nursing hopes of secession should take the advice of the Fons today and meet up with the ongoing peace process which started in Cameroon since 2017 and most remarkably from the holding of the Major National Dialogue before it becomes too late for them.

That we have consulted our ancestors and the gods of Lebialem on the recent kidnappings and call upon these warlords and their fighters to drop their arms willingly rather than choose to be exposed to the wrath of the gods which comes unnoticed.

We enjoin those still hesitating to take our advice to do so for the love of lasting peace in Lebialem Division and send our comforting message to the afflicted families. God bless peacemakers and those who stand for peace.
Mumbai:

Hurried donations made to nearly 100 temples and trusts and sudden spurt in cash reserves in nearly 1,000 cooperative banks and credit societies in Maharashtra have come under government's scanner following the Centre's decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, a senior state minister said on Thursday.

"The suspicious part of the whole rush for temple donations and opening six deposit accounts is that they were triggered immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement of demonetising currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination," the minister said.

The minister, who did not wish to be named, said officials have apprised the state government that there has been a surge in donations to temples immediately after the announcement.

"Some people have tried to secure their unaccounted cash by donating it to temples by taking its management into confidence and making receipt of such donations as anonymous donors," he said.

A similar pattern was applied in some cooperative banks that are associated or directly controlled by politicians, he said.

"Some people having unaccounted cash in lakhs of rupees have managed to secure receipts of opening of fixed deposit account. It was possible because these (cooperative) banks operate locally with handful of branches and cater to local banking needs," the minister said.

"In such cases, the unaccounted cash will turn into white money, if people manage to produce all valid documents. We have asked officials from departments concerned to keep a tab on any suspicious transaction, donations or deals," he said.

"In most of these banks, works, including issuing receipts, is done manually. As a result, some people managed to get the date of opening of the FD account, as prior to the PM's announcement. To counter such frauds, government will check the unnatural rise in the cash reserves in these banks. They will be under scanner," the minister added.

Such fraudulent transactions have taken place in over 100 temples and trusts in the state, he said, adding, action will be initiated against those guilty of colluding with the fraudsters.

The government will also monitor the sudden spurt in cash reserves in the nearly 1,000 cooperative banks and credit societies in Maharashtra. Some temple managements are "close to political parties, making such transactions possible," he alleged.

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Noah McIntosh, 8, in a photo released by Corona police, left, and in a family photo. (KTLA-TV; family photo)

A civil lawsuit filed against Riverside County last month alleges that social workers were aware of allegations of abuse being inflicted on 8-year-old Noah McIntosh nearly two years before the boy's death but failed to properly investigate and intervene to protect him.

The boy's father, Bryce McIntosh, is awaiting trial on torture and murder charges in connection with his son's death last year. Noah's mother, Jillian Godfrey, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of child endangerment in December.

Noah was reported missing by his mother in March 2019 after years of "horrific abuse and neglect" at the hands of his father that on at least three occasions triggered referrals by Riverside County Child Protective Services, according to the lawsuit. Despite an intense search that produced many incriminating clues, Noah's body has not been found.

The lawsuit, filed in Riverside County Superior Court on behalf of Noah's older sister, who is a minor, names the county and five social workers who attorneys contend violated the state's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and breached their duties when they failed to protect the girl and her brother.

"There's cases where social workers have to make tough calls, but this case in particular was one where it was clear that this boy and his sister were being abused and the father really didn't deny it," said attorney Roger Booth, who is representing the girl. "They really had an opportunity to do something here and they just did nothing."

County spokeswoman Brooke Federico noted that the county has made several improvements since late 2019 to the county's Children's Services Division, including leadership changes and a "shift in culture towards greater accountability and safer practices and outcomes."

"While the county is limited on providing specific details related to any pending litigation, protecting children, dependent adults and families from abuse and neglect is at the core of the Department of Public Social Services mission and is a top priority for the county," Federico wrote in an email. "Its heartbreaking when children and vulnerable adults suffer harm."

Story continues

News of the lawsuit comes a day after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge dismissed criminal charges of child abuse and falsifying public records against four social workers who had been accused of failing to protect Gabriel Fernandez. The 8-year-old Palmdale boy was tortured and killed by his mother and her boyfriend in 2013.

Gabriel's case, which became the subject of a Netflix series, touched off a firestorm of debate over the breakdown of local government in protecting him and whether social workers should be held criminally liable in such situations.

"There's certain cases  the Fernandez case is an example and the McIntosh case is an example  where it's clear that CPS should act," Booth said. "They're not just there to do investigations and write reports. They are there to take action when action is required. That's what these cases are about."

Noah and his sister lived for several years with their maternal grandparents in Orange County until July 2017, when they went to visit their father in Corona and he refused to return them. A month later, social workers were called to investigate allegations of neglect and physical abuse.

According to the complaint, over the course of their investigation, the workers learned that Noah's hands and feet had been zip-tied together for long periods of time, he was handcuffed to a bathtub in cold water for hours, had his head dunked underwater  sometimes while wearing a blindfold  and was forced to consume laxatives and made to sit in his own feces if he soiled himself. Noah's sister was forced to assist their father in carrying out the torture and was subjected to her own physical and psychological abuse, the lawsuit alleges.

The social workers acknowledged in writing that the father had "inflicted serious physical harm on Noah" and "was a threat to continue to do so," the lawsuit states. However, when McIntosh and Godfrey refused to cooperate with their investigation, the social workers closed their file without interviewing the children.

In November 2017, social workers received another referral to the home, based on allegations of general neglect. They learned that McIntosh  as a form of punishment  had taken Noah to school wearing only toilet training pants and a shirt. He had also forced the boy to wear girl's clothing to school, according to the lawsuit.

Once again, the lawsuit alleges, the parents would not speak to social workers or allow their children to do so. Social workers closed the investigation as inconclusive and took no further action.

Three months later, social workers received a third allegation of neglect and discovered that McIntosh had forced his children to sleep in a car with their mother. Officials again closed the referral as inconclusive after the parents again refused to cooperate, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages from the county. It is also seeking punitive damages against the individual social workers, an effort to hold them legally accountable for their actions.

"The parents lack of cooperation, rather than being a reason to stop defendants investigations in their tracks, should have made it clear to defendants that more proactive steps were urgently needed," the lawsuit states. "Defendants did not exercise discretion in deciding not to take such steps. Rather, they willfully turned a blind eye to the abuse and neglect and simply decided not to do their jobs."
Penn State University expects to offer at least half of its fall semester classes on all of its campuses partially, if not fully, online.

University President Eric Barron announced on Thursday that due to a limitation in available classroom space that allows for social distancing, classes across the university will take on a variety of forms.

The university estimates 19% will be offered in-person, 28% through a mix of in-person and online, and the rest entirely remotely. Those percentages could change, though, as the university is exploring other indoor spaces on campus that would allow for social distancing. That includes using the Nittany Lion Inn to hold some classes, instead of as an isolation ward for students who test positive for COVID-19, as was announced last month.

The hybrid courses could take on a variety of forms including rotating lecture attendance where part of the class attends in person and the rest attend remotely in a synchronous environment, having lectures delivered remotely combined with in-person small group sessions; or delivering lectures remotely combined with in-person labs or performance sessions.

Large lecture courses at University Park with enrollments of over 250 students would be among the ones offered entirely remotely while on commonwealth campuses, any class of 100 or more must be offered through remote instruction, according to the universitys plans.

Additionally, smaller classes also may need to be offered remotely due to health and safety considerations for faculty and students, the restrictions that physical distancing places on class size and room availability, and the status of virus spread in local communities, according to a university news release.

Regardless of which instructional delivery method is used during the fall semester, all courses, exams, and assessments, including final exams, will be remote after Nov. 20.

We greatly appreciate the efforts being made by our faculty as they adjust their delivery modality and as we continue to make changes to adjust to our new environment, Barron said in the news release.

This plan, however, doesnt sit well with some faculty members. More than 1,000 of faculty, staff and graduate students last month sent a letter to Barron asking that they be given the autonomy to decide whether to teach their fall semester classes in-person.

In fact, Sarah Townsend, an associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University Park campus who spearheaded that letter-writing effort, called the universitys fall semester plan reckless in light of the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases around the country including in some areas of Pennsylvania.

The pandemic already has touched the University Park campus. On June 30, a 21-year-old Penn State student Juan Garcia died due to complications related to the coronavirus.

The university is creating the conditions for a public health emergency, and they are also giving students a false sense of security as well as a false impression of what their on-campus experience will look like in the fall, Townsend said in an email to PennLive.

Further, she said the university lacks a comprehensive testing plan and she questions its testing capabilities.

All theyve said so far is that they will test symptomatic individuals and others identified through contact tracing - which all available information indicates is insufficient, Townsend wrote.

She also accuses the university of misleading students and parents about its ability to offer in-person instruction for nearly half of its classes. She said it lacks the space to adhere to social distancing requirements to be able to do that.

The percentage of classes that the university cites as having some or all in-person instruction is inflated by including independent studies and dissertation-writing credits for graduate students, which are arranged individually and will likely not entail in-person meetings, she said. Moreover, she anticipates the hybrid options the university laid out will result in a disjointed experience for students.

All this to say that the pedagogical value of offering so-called in-person instruction in the context of the pandemic is very dubious, Townsend said.

The university is encouraging students to work with their adviser to make any possible adjustments to their schedule to try to accommodate their instructional delivery preference for classes.

In addition, students may temporarily change their campus to enroll in in-person, remote or hybrid courses at any of the 20 commonwealth campus or online in World Campus. Tuition then would be the applicable rate at the temporary campus, according to the university.

If students choose to temporarily transfer to a different campus or take an entirely remote course load, students can cancel their housing contract without penalty but should advise the universitys housing officials if they want to retain housing for the spring semester since those contracts are for the fall and spring semesters.

We are doing everything we can to bring our students, faculty and staff back to campus in a safe way, Barron said. This may mean that some students will want to work with their advisers to alter their course schedules to meet their individual needs and the requirement of their programs, and we are here to support our students do so.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

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On July 14, ProPublica published an expose detailing the case of a 15-year-old who was sent to the Childrens Village juvenile detention center in Pontiac, Michigan for failure to complete online coursework after her school switched to distance learning.

The girl, referred to as Grace, was incarcerated May 14 for violating her probation under a zero tolerance rule. At a court hearing before Judge Mary Ellen Brennan of Oakland County Family Court Division, Grace explained her struggles adjusting to online classes during the pandemic.

Katherine Tarpeh, Graces special education teacher at Groves High School in Birmingham, Michigan, submitted a statement in her defense, indicating the school could have done a better job providing information. Let me be clear that this is no ones fault because we did not see this unprecedented global pandemic coming, Tarpeh wrote to the court. She added, Grace has a strong desire to do well. She is trying to get to the other side of a steep learning curve mountain and we have a plan for her to get there.

Charisse, her mother, also testified that Grace was improving. Judge Brennan, nonetheless, ruled that Grace had violated her parole by not doing her homework. I told her she was on thin ice and I told her that I was going to hold her to the letter, to the order, of the probation, the judge said.

Grace was taken out of the courtroom and led away in handcuffs.

Rally at Groves High School preceding protest caravan [Credit: Facebook, Victoria Clark]

Thousands have organized through the hashtag #FreeGrace and rallied over the past few days, with a 200+ car caravan beginning at Groves High School in Beverly Hills, Grace's school, and driving to the Oakland County Circuit Court on Thursday. As a result of what has become a national outcry, the Michigan Supreme Court has now said it will review the case. Meanwhile, Judge Brennan has scheduled a hearing for Monday morning to review Grace's "progress," but denied a request to release her before a July 24 hearing. "It is not in (Grace's) best interests to interrupt the mental health treatment before receiving a report regarding her progress," she ruled.

The original charges leading to probation arose from a fight Grace had with her mother on November 6. Later, she stole another students cellphone from a school locker room, adding larceny to her offenses. While Grace, like many teens, had a volatile relationship with her mother, Charisse told a court caseworker that nothing significant occurred during the pandemic. Both had been participating in individual and family therapy, and tensions were easing.

When the pandemic hit, Grace, who suffers from ADHD, found the transition difficult. School went well at first, but without the physical structure and routine of school, problems such as oversleeping and focusing arose. ProPublica noted this was far from unique. School districts have documented tens of thousands of students who failed to log in or complete their schoolwork: 15,000 high school students in Los Angeles, one-third of the students in Minneapolis Public and about a quarter of Chicago Public Schools students.

After Charisse confided in Graces caseworker that her daughter was struggling, the mother was told that Grace needed time to adjust to the new normal and an opportunity to change. Graces Individualized Education Plan dictated that teachers periodically check in to ensure she was on task, clarify the material, and give her extra time to complete assignments and tests. As schools made the rushed transition to online learning, however, most public schools were unable to provide these crucial supports. This was the situation for Grace.

Five days later, when the caseworker checked in and learned Grace had fallen back to sleep one morning, she filed a violation of probation against her for failing to do her schoolwork.

Despite going months without any incidents, and Graces teacher explaining that she was just as behind in her work as many of her peers, Judge Brennan deemed Grace a threat to the community and sentenced her to juvenile detention.

The decision to send a teenager to a detention center for not doing homework would be a draconian measure under normal circumstances. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it was sociopathic.

Michigan ranks sixth in the US for the confinement of youth. A recent report, Overdue for Justice by the National Juvenile Defender Center, is scathing in its exposure of lack of due process for young people. The report notes Michigan often fails to protect the constitutional rights of its youngest, explaining, Juvenile defense practice in Michigan is not subject to any state standards, receives no state funding, and has no consistent, effective monitoring or enforcement mechanism in place to ensure youth receive effective counsel at all critical stages. They noted that many young people like Grace are represented by public defenders, who are often so swamped with cases that they cannot adequately prepare a defense.

It also mentions that families are charged the costs assessed by juvenile courts. In fact, Judge Brennans ruling demanded that Charisse be responsible for the costs of placement, professional testing and evaluations. Graces mother is thereby cruelly forced to pay for her daughters incarceration.

Amid growing social unrest and an escalating class struggle, the capitalist state increasingly exerts itself as a means of control. It does so both through police violence and a turn toward outright authoritarianism, currently spearheaded by the Trump administration, with the outright collusion of the Democratic Party.

Juvenile detention is another of these means of control. It is predicated on the criminalization of social problems created by poverty, the defunding of mental health care and public schools, and the increasing exploitation of society. Studies show that youth who are heavily disciplined are typically less prepared for school entry and are disproportionately involved in delinquency and crime, problems created by poverty.

The United States has long led the industrialized world in the rate at which it locks up young people via juvenile detention, correctional, or residential facilities. Every year, an estimated 218,000 young people spend time in detention facilities nationwide, despite the negative effects of detention on young people, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The injustice of Graces case has rightly generated nationwide outrage: petitions demanding her release have amassed over 35,000 signatures at the time of writing.

The outrage, however, is being deliberately distorted through the lens of racialist politics. ProPublica is an investigative journalist nonprofit associated with the Democratic Party. Their report emphasizes that Grace is black and lives in a majority-white neighborhood, the Detroit suburb of Beverly Hills. It also describes the disproportionate rates at which black youth are placed into juvenile facilities compared to their white peers.

The disproportionate incarceration of black youth is a fact. A study funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation states, Among jurisdictions that provided information disaggregated by race and ethnicity, about one-fifth of detained young people are white, while more than half are African American and nearly one-fourth are Latino. However, they note that referrals to juvenile detention during the pandemic were not, in fact, racially disproportionate, nevertheless, the rate of release was.

More fundamentally, the statistics demonstrating a high rate of black incarceration, like those of police killings, point to the fact that blacks and Latinos are disproportionately part of the working class, including the working poor. In other words, the driver of the problem is primarily one of class, not race.

In line with the Democratic Partys endless promotion of identity politics, however, ProPublicas outrage is directed against the racial discrepancies, not the fact that young people of all ethnicities are being criminalized for poverty or mental health reasons.

The editors take pains to depict the mother and daughter separation on Juneteenth, quoting Charisse, For us and our culture, that for me was the knife stuck in my stomach and turning. ProPublica adds, As the country faced a reckoning over systemic racism, the day had taken on increased recognition and Charisse lamented she and Grace couldnt mark it together as they usually did, attending programs at church or at the Museum of African American History in Detroit.

The horrific crime perpetrated against Grace and Charisse is part of a far-reaching class war waged by the ruling class against the vast majority of Americans who are facing unprecedented levels of poverty and unemployment.

One in six children in the US live in poverty and comprise the poorest segment of society. As is well known, poor children are more likely to have low academic achievement, drop out of high school, become unemployed, experience economic hardship and find themselves in the criminal justice system.

In Overdue for Justice, there is an extended quote from Tamar R. Birckhead, author of Delinquent by Reason, which lays blame. Walk into almost any delinquency courtroom in the United States and you will find that the vast majority of children in the system are living at or below the poverty level. One or both of their parents are unemployed. If their family members have jobs, they earn minimum wage. They are chronically absent or have developmental delays, learning disorders, or mental illnesses

If you spend enough time in these courtrooms, you begin to ask why. Why is it that poor children are arrested, charged, and prosecuted at higher rates than children of means? Why are fewer poor children diverted from the system than wealthy children? Why does the standard of proof seem to depend on the socioeconomic level of the childs family? Why do so many poor children violate the terms and conditions of their probation? Why are so few middle- and upper-class children sent to detention?

ProPublica has rightly highlighted a terrible crime. But its racialist approach leads to a reactionary dead-end. Divide and conquer is the age-old policy of ruling elites aiming to distract the oppressed from the real enemy. Capitalism has no future for youth except war, poverty and exploitation.

The Democratic Party in particular wants to obscure that fact in the wake of the massive and unprecedented multi-racial and multi-ethnic demonstrations against the murder of George Floyd and so many others across the globe. This clear evidence of class solidarity against the capitalist state has provoked a near-hysterical campaign by the ruling elites and its corporate media to infuse toxic racialism into the description of every social problem.

A society based on genuine social equality, real democratic rights and international solidarity can and will be secured by the unified struggles of workers and youth of all races, ethnicities and nationalities joining together to end the predatory system of capitalism, the source of war, poverty, racism and state brutality.
By PTI

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has extended by a week the current school closure to ensure the well-being of students amidst the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly 2,700 people, an official statement said on Saturday.

The decision was taken after students from selected grades, who were asked to return to school on July 6 after the lockdown of over three months, did not attend the school in view of a threat from the sudden COVID-19 cases spike reported from the North and Central region.

The Director General of Health Services remains confident that there is no possibility for the social transmission of COVID-19.

However, since over 200 school children and teachers are under quarantine in five districts and three students are among the infected, it was important to shut the schools for a further week, the statement said.

Before the latest spike, the ministry had announced a phased programme to re-open schools after they had been shut on March 20.

The health authorities said the latest spike has been curbed and there was no need for a further lockdown as feared.

Sri Lanka's parliamentary election scheduled for August 5 is also to go ahead with the application of health guidelines both on campaigning and on the day of the polls.

The pandemic had already formed a change to the election procedure.

For the first time in the island's electoral history the counting of votes would start on the following morning, the Election Commission has announced.

Sri Lanka has so far reported 2,697 cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
New Delhi: Notorious human trafficker Sonu Punjaban alias Geeta Arora, who was convicted in a case of kidnapping, human trafficking, and prostitution by Delhi court, attempted suicide by consuming poison.

Sonu, who was lodged at Delhi's Tihar jail, was immediately rushed to Deen Dayal Hospital after her condition worsened. According to doctors, she is said to be out of danger now.

Sonu Punjaban, notorious for running flesh trade in the national capital, was convicted, along with her associate Sandeep Bedwal, in a case of kidnapping, human trafficking and prostitution. The quantum of the sentence is yet to be pronounced.

Sonu Punjaban was convicted under various charges dealing with kidnapping, etc of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant Sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act dealing with prostitution. On the other hand, Sandeep Bedwal was convicted under several sections of the IPC, including rape and kidnapping.

According to the police, the girl fell in love with Sandeep, who took her to a house in Laxmi Nagar on the pretext of marriage and raped her in September 2009. He sold the victim, who was 12 years old at the time, to one Seema Aunty.Seema Aunty forced the victim into prostitution and gave her drugs injection, police said based on the statement of the minor girl and added that she was sold several times and once to convict Sonu Punjaban.

Sonu Punjaban used her for prostitution. Before sending her to customers, she used to administer drugs such as proxyvon and alprex tablets and also injected drugs to the victim so that the body of the victim became tight and more suitable for prostitution, the police said.

The victim had come to Najafgarh police station on February 9, 2014, and after counselling, her statement was recorded by the police, wherein she narrated her ordeal.
A previous version of this article erroneously contained an image of Melbourne lawyer Martin Amad, who was not the lawyer involved in Mr Gatto's defamation proceedings and was in no way responsible for any error. Mr Amad has a reputation as being a skilled lawyer. The image of Mr Amad and Mr Gatto was erroneously taken from a historical proceeding where Mr Amad represented Mr Gatto in relation to firearm charges. The Age sincerely apologises to Mr Amad for erroneously publishing his image in connection with Mr Gatto's defamation proceeding.

Melbourne underworld figure Mick Gatto is not amused, while his legal team have good reason to be nervous.

The Supreme Court of Victoria has ruled that a defamation trial due to start next week between Mr Gatto and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation will not be heard before a jury, but by a judge alone, after his lawyers bungled the paperwork.

Mick Gatto would prefer that jury hears his defamation case against the ABC. Credit:Paul Jeffers

The former Carlton Crew boss will be the first witness called at the trial on July 22.
Six decades on from Cuba's proclamation of equality and despite three top government officials being black, the Caribbean island nation has made little headway on racism.

"Racism in Cuba is very hypocritical ... No-one says they're racist, even if they are," researcher Tomas Fernandez, 79, an author of several books on the subject, told AFP.

Cuba used to have an open problem with racism until the communist revolution of 1959.

Some buildings had signs saying "no dogs or blacks" while there was also racial segregation that saw black people barred from some clubs and schools

The government has enacted policies to address centuries of inequality due to slavery, which was abolished in 1886, and to promote access to higher education and public office.

But racism persists. In local jargon, a white woman with a black boyfriend is "burning oil" or "holding back the race" while he is "advancing" his.

Ethnologist Jesus Guanche has identified around 20 definitions to describe skin color, including "blue-black" for someone with very dark skin, while Cubans often describe frizzy hair as "bad."

"There's something that is a burden, it's very subtle, but it's a prejudice that keeps going," said painter Salvador Gonzalez, 71, who exhibits his work in El Callejon de Hamel, a bastion of African heritage in the capital Havana.

Black activist Alexander Holl, 22, says skin color has a "huge influence" on relationships in Cuba.

"It's common for white families to tell (their daughters) not to get involved with that (black) lad," said the history student.

"When you want to be with a white girl, sometimes you realize this is an impediment."

Recognizing the magnitude of the problem, President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced in November a program to "definitively eliminate the vestiges of racism."

In Cuba, 9.3 per cent of the 11.2 million population identify as black, 26.6 per cent say they're mixed race, while 64.1 per cent claim to be white, according to a 2012 census.

Manuel Cuesta, 57, an Afro-Cuban government opponent, says "there are the vestiges and remnants of symbolically cordial racism, structurally hidden, installed in the economic, institutional and political dynamics" of the country.

The racial debate gained a new impulse following the murder of George Floyd in the United States, and the recent death of Afro-Cuban Hansel Hernandez.

The 27-year-old was accused of theft and died during an alleged confrontation with police.

"Both events have once again pushed the racial theme into the discussion, although the true debate is on social media," said Cuesta.

Those critical of the government find a link between the cases of Hernandez and Floyd. Fernandez however believes that's a mistake and that the Cuban's death "cannot be associated or analyzed as if it was a racial crime."

He says "racial hatred doesn't exist" in Cuba, but underlying racism does.

Roberto Zurbano, a black researcher into issues regarding race, says an "itinerary of deficiencies" as well as "his social environment and low level of expectations" contributed to Hernandez's death.

In 1962, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro considered racial discrimination over, but while active discrimination was outlawed, prejudice lingered.

According to the German institute, GIGA in 2019, 50 per cent of white Cubans said they had a bank account compared to just 11 per cent of blacks; 31 per cent of whites had travelled abroad compared to three per cent of blacks. And whites control 98 per cent of private businesses.

"We were romantics and we didn't realize that racial discrimination was much deeper (and) didn't disappear through one law," said Fernandez.

In 2003, Castro admitted there was underlying racism "associated with poverty and a historic monopoly on knowledge" in various fields by whites.

In parliament, 40.5 per cent of deputies are black or mixed race, including the president Esteban Lazo.

The country's Vice-President Salvador Valdes and the Deputy Prime Minister Ines Chapman are also black.

But Holl says no-one should fall into the trap of "counting the number of blacks and mixed-race people in parliament or the government to demonstrate that racism doesn't exist.

"The true racism is in the streets, in the feeble structural and economic conditions of the black and mixed-race population.

"You guaranteeing me a right by law doesn't mean that I have all the economic and social conditions to validate that right."
WASHINGTON, D. C. - Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis died Friday of cancer at age 80. Heres a selection of the statements Ohio politicians issued upon learning of his death:

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine:

Fran and I were very saddened to learn this morning of the death of our friend Congressman John Lewis.

"John Lewis changed America.

"In 2004, when I was in the U.S. Senate, Congressman Lewis led a small group of lawmakers to Tennessee and Alabama and showed us history. He opened our eyes with first-hand accounts of the abuse and prejudice he experienced. He told us about his time as a Freedom Rider, when he and fellow activists were badly beaten while riding buses throughout the South to protest segregation.

He took us to the Rosa Parks Museum and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Rev. King had been pastor and preached hope and perseverance. We also walked with him to the Civil Rights Memorial, as he led us in singing We Shall Overcome.'

John also took us across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where on March 7, 1965 -- known as Bloody Sunday -- he and so many other civil rights protesters were attacked and beaten as they peacefully marched.

"Fran and I had taken our two youngest children, Mark and Anna, with us, and we will all be forever grateful to John for what he taught us on that journey.

John Lewis was an extraordinary leader, teacher, and role model for us all. He left a legacy for which we all have a responsibility now to carry on.

.@repjohnlewis was a man who loved our country deeply enough to devote his life to improving it. Tonight, were all saddened by the loss of an American giant, but his work continues. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/FoorXSnkU1  Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) July 18, 2020

Rep. Marcia Fudge of Warrensville Heights:

We have lost one of our countrys great moral leaders, a stalwart advocate for freedom and justice, a lifelong champion for civil, human and voting rights, the conscience of Congress, the man who taught us to get in Good Trouble to effect change, my friend and colleague, Congressman John R. Lewis.

A native son of Alabama, born in a time of segregated schools and whites only drinking fountains, Congressman Lewis experienced the evils of racism and discrimination firsthand. At an early age, he made the bold and courageous decision to become a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, fighting alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Congressman Lewis was a giant of a man and he stood when others would shrink and cower. From organizing sit-in demonstrations at lunch counters to participating in Freedom Rides, he repeatedly risked his life to enable us to enjoy the freedoms we too often take for granted. He taught us to turn despair into action, to band together, to demonstrate, to sit in, to stand up, to vote and to never stop fighting because when your cause is just, it is the right thing to do.

Congressman Lewis served the people of Georgias 5th Congressional District with steadfast resilience and unwavering dedication for over 30 years. Congressman Lewis was awarded the medal of freedom by President Barack Obama, and the impact of his lifes work will remain in the annals of history as a template for the continued pursuit of social justice and equal rights.

Congressman Lewis marched from the segregated streets of the deep south to that bridge in Selma where he gave a little blood. And he marched through the halls of Congress where he fought to rid our nation of racism, push for lasting equality, end poverty and hunger, eradicate gun violence, establish the first national African American museum in Washington, and ensure every person has unfettered access to the ballot box.

Congressman Lewis was a fighter who gave hope to the hopeless and a voice to the voiceless. As we march onward today, we reflect on his words instructing us to get out there and push, and stand up, and speak out, and get in the way [of racism, oppression and injustice] the same way my generation got in the way. Get in trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble.

John was victorious in life and in death and has moved from labor to reward. It was my privilege and my pleasure to call him a colleague and friend. He will be missed. Rest in Power.

The loss of John Lewis is one that will be felt far beyond the halls of Congress. He dedicated his life to making America a more perfect union - I know his remarkable legacy will continue to inspire others to do the same.



My family is praying for his during this difficult time.  Dave Joyce (@RepDaveJoyce) July 18, 2020

Sen. Rob Portman:

John Lewis was a civil rights icon who committed his life to fighting for justice and equality. I was honored to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives with him where he helped us establish the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in my hometown of Cincinnati. I have been blessed to call this gracious man my friend.

In 2015, Jane and I joined John Lewis on a trip to Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which I understand the people of Selma may rededicate in his name, an appropriate tribute.

In Selma on that 50th anniversary, John Lewis brought together elected officials of both parties, including President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush, in support of the civil rights movement, and the dignity, civility, and non-violence that John stood for. We will all miss his presence. Jane and I lift up his family in prayer during this difficult time.

John Lewis was a champion of freedom.



His family will remain in our prayers.  Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 18, 2020

Sen. Sherrod Brown:

Today, our hearts are heavy as our nation mourns the loss of my friend Congressman John Lewis, an icon in the civil rights movement, the conscience of the Congress. From the age of 20, John risked his life fighting for justice and racial equality in this country. He was a man of courage, principle and tenacious faith.

The first time I walked across the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1998 was one of the most inspiring moments of my life. Thirty-three years earlier, John Lewis and other civil rights activists marched in nonviolent resistance against the brutality and hate they faced in order to create change for our country. Throughout his life, John walked across bridge after bridge to fight for justice, to embrace everyone with his kindness and generosity, to help anyone in need, to listen and to understand.

John Lewis was our guiding star. He was a freedom fighter and we all must continue his fight. We will honor his legacy by finally tearing down the walls of racial inequality in this country and ensuring that all Americans will have full and equal participation in our democracy.

May he rest in peace as he joins his beloved wife of 44 years, Lillian. Connie and I pray for his son, John-Miles and the Lewis family.

The American flag will wave always at full mast to beloved Congressman and legendary civil rights giant, and dear friend, John Lewis. An inspired man, a steady force, a gentleman of noble and kind bearing, he changed the arc of history toward justice. https://t.co/XOQ7XX5kVf  Marcy Kaptur (@RepMarcyKaptur) July 18, 2020

We lost a legend last night. No words can do justice to the impact that John Lewis had on America. The three days we spent on a Civil Rights Pilgrimage with him last year changed my life forever. I am beyond grateful for his wisdom, his courage, and above all, his grace. pic.twitter.com/n21MlwTtbm  Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (@RepAGonzalez) July 18, 2020

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Pennsylvanias Republican Congressional delegation sent a collective message to Gov. Tom Wolf calling his decision to withhold federal relief funds from Lebanon County during a pandemic unconscionable.

The delegation released a statement Friday, which rebuked Wolfs authority. Wolf said he wont release $13 million to the county, which is intended to help ease the financial stress of businesses, nonprofits, and government entities that were told to close their doors for months this Spring to help flatten the coronavirus curve.

On Thursday, Wolf confirmed at a press conference that there are no plans for Lebanon County to receive Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds.

Governor Wolfs announcement yesterday that he would be restricting pandemic relief funds to Lebanon County is a clear example of political retribution at the expense of more than 140,000 Pennsylvanians, the delegation said in the statement. By refusing to release this funding to Lebanon County, the Governors office is exceeding its authority in distributing relief funds, which were designated for all Pennsylvanians, by both the state and federal governments. Amidst an unprecedented public health crisis, it is unconscionable for the Governor to punish his constituents in order to settle political scores.

Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Karen Groh and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, who is part of the delegation, both wrote letters to Wolf this week imploring him to change his position on the matter.

Wolf insisted that Lebanon County should have followed the states reopening guidelines, but because leaders there got ahead of the states strategy, they are not receiving funds. That caveat was decided by Wolfs administration, not by state and federal lawmakers.

The governor also said his decision is not a form of retribution. He said he has been consistent in this decision.

Meusers letter stated that withholding available money is a contradiction of the acts purpose. Groh said his decision was unacceptable.

Along with Meuser, the Republican delegation includes Congressmen Glenn Thompson, Mike Kelly, Scott Perry, Lloyd Smucker, Guy Reschenthaler, John Joyce, and Fred Keller.

The statement pointed out the following background on the CARES Act:

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided direct funding for states and some localities, including roughly $4.9 billion in direct funding for Pennsylvania. PA House Bill 2510, signed into law by Governor Wolf as Act 24, allocated portions of this funding to various programs at the state level and created the COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant program.

Section 130-C of Act 24 lays out the requirements for a determination of a countys eligibility for funding, concluding that all counties would receive formulaic funding based upon their population.

The Pennsylvania DCED added additional requirements to Act 24, mandating counties to follow all state-issued closure orders to guarantee eligibility for the program.

Because Lebanon County did not initially follow such orders, they have been denied nearly $13 million in funding to assist their residents amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

These new parameters set forth by the Wolf Administration are in direct conflict with the PA General Assemblys legislative intent of the County Relief Block Grant program.

Further, these requirements are not in line with guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the federal entity responsible for distributing CARES funding to the states.

READ MORE

Pa. names counties to watch for coronavirus cases, including some in central Pa.

Gov. Wolfs refusal to release Lebanon Countys CARES money is an incredible insult, GOP foes contend

Hospitals must continue to report coronavirus data to Pa. amid federal shakeup
Too early to predict whether community spread is on  GMOA View(s):

It is too early to predict whether community spread of COVID-19 has begun because for such transmission to be established, unrelated clusters need to be reported, said Dr. Haritha Aluthge of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA).

This vocal representative of the GMOA said that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are four levels in a pandemic  no cases, sporadic cases, clusters and community transmission.

In Sri Lanka, most of the cases we have encountered, we were able to find the exposure point. As such, we dont see open or free community transmission. But if the current trend goes on as in the Kandakadu incident, where we have several persons who were exposed and tested positive in several parts of the country, there could be some risk. It has not started yet and contact tracing of all visitors has been done effectively. The problem though is that some instructors and soldiers had used public transport. They dont have the history of the vehicles, such as numbers, they travelled in and this is worrying, he said in a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday Times.

The risk of community transmission cannot be excluded yet as it would depend on the incubation period of the virus, cautioned Dr. Aluthge, explaining that the tracing of the first ring of the first contacts has been done. If they are positive, transmission could happen in the contacts of the first ring. Going by what the WHO states that if 90% of contacts can be traced, the possibility of Sri Lankas success is heavier than failure. However, a prediction cannot be made when this cluster would end.

Conceding that we still cant say 100% how the Kandakadu cluster started, he emphasized that we should learn from the past. The navy cluster was not studied. At least the Kandakadu cluster should be investigated thoroughly on how the infection started. RT-PCR tests have been done on those at the Kandakadu and Senapura centres, now antibody testing should be initiated to see how many have had exposure to the virus.

We have recommended that in centres such as Kandakadu, people should be compartmentalised into smaller groups to prevent what happened in the navy camp, he said.

Referring to some instances where there had been issues with RT-PCR testing, he said that the GMOA has requested the Director-General of Health Services to accredit and standardize all laboratories which are doing these tests. At that time, the DG had indicated that there are some practical barriers in achieving this but promised to arrange an accreditation process with support from Prof. Malik Peiris based in Hong Kong and the WHO. Unfortunately that has not happened.

The GMOA is also of the view that there should be aggressive testing as an attack mode to identify patients, while performing repeat testing to get any case which may have been missed.

What we have suggested is that once you open up the country, you have to assess the risk in each and every part of the country whether province, district or region through random surveillance. Unfortunately, the Health Ministry is only carrying out community surveillance in high-risk groups. For the country to be declared safe, you need to test as many as possible, he said.

The present capacity is 2,500 tests daily. The ministry is not utilising the maximum capacity on some days but does only about 500 tests. If the ministry has a problem with resources or manpower, they should tell the government these problems for a solution to be found, said Dr. Aluthge.

With regard to preventing a second wave of COVID-19 engulfing the country, the GMOA was proposing the hammer-and-dance strategy. Under hammer comes cutting virus growth; understanding true cases; recruiting personnel; improving treatment; releasing healthcare system pressure; learning; and building healthcare capacity. Under dance comes keeping infected numbers under a certain amount; conducting proper testing, contact-tracing, quarantining and isolating; educating the public on hygiene and social distancing; banning large gatherings; removing most restrictions; tightening up when needed; and applying cost-benefit social distancing measures. Currently Sri Lanka is experiencing the dance phase of the first wave. Then if a cluster is identified, small lockdowns should be implemented such as in Grama Niladhari areas.

Some issues sorted out Many contentions of the GMOA have been sorted out. The GMOAs protest over the Technical Committee not meeting in a month has been rectified. The committee headed by the Director-General of Health Services to deal with this public health emergency which used to meet daily had not done so since the country opened up. However, on the urging of the GMOA, a meeting was held on July 11, said Dr. Haritha Aluthge, underscoring that now is the time you need such a committee because once you open the country, the risk is more. When asked why the extensive guidelines set out by the Health Ministry to prevent COVID-19 from spreading have not been gazetted, he disclosed that it would happen this weekend, after discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday attended by all stakeholders. There are guidelines for different settings and situations drawn up with input from many including the GMOA. The problem is that they are not considered law. When we requested that they be gazetted immediately, the President agreed and ordered that it should be done. There had been issues such as translation errors but now they have been dealt with, he said. Meanwhile, at a meeting the same afternoon at the Health Ministry, a concern that had been brought up was whether these powers could be misused. However, this would not happen if the proper chain of command and supervision is followed, Dr. Aluthge added.
This piece has been inspired by infiltrators of an interesting sort in these times of Chini Kum narratives, by creatures scripting virtual infiltration narratives into the other kind of LAC  Line of Audio Control. Where else, but on Google Hangouts or Zoom. And where the infiltrators are crossing all lines of etiquette enabling Zooms zero-background intrusion protocol, there it tantamounts to infiltration of the Line of Aesthetic Control.

Like the tell-all tales in Donald Trumps new biopic, Too Much And Never Enough, by niece Mary, these infiltrators, in this season of pandemic where Virtual is the New Real, come in all shapes, sizes and surprises.

Not all lungs are as gifted or garrulous as those appended to the anatomies of the Prattlemouths of Primetime  Arnab, Chaubey & Co  to have the power to drown decibel-ism from the background that the Zoom call may be inviting onscreen, the way a roaring lion outshouts the whimpers or whining of lesser creatures who deign to air their lungs just when the King of the Jungle is jibber-jabbering his jingle.

A portrait of peculiar tribes of Tweeple guilty of infiltrating into Zooms LAC. And how!

Of Far From The Migrating Crowd

Picture this. Lollita is on a Zoom call with CEOs, Colleagues & Co, deconstructing and deliberating how jobs have been robbed by recession. Bingo, barging into the background is a floating form of recession  the receding hairline of Lalit ji or Lamba ji.

Inadvertent intrusion, for he happened to be tiptoeing into the other room and was manoeuvring to materialise this migration by ducking down almost on all fours so as not to be caught on Zoom, much like monkeys at a Hanuman Mandir crawling to creep off with your Chanel clutch without being spotted. Alas, Lamba ji or Lalit jis bald pate somehow strayed onto screen to stage a guest appearance. Love it or hate it (oops, pate it).

Now, if this had been a scene from the 2014 romcom Khoobsurat in which the heroine Mili (Sonam Kapoor) is having her Maa Ka Phone Aaya moment  a video call on the terrace with mom Manju (Kirron Kher)  and just then, the hero decides to stroll into the background and even stray into the video call, Lollita & Co wouldnt really mind it. Nor would the peers on the Zoom call. For, who minds if peers get to peer at eye candy and who minds flaunting a dandy, as dapper as Pakistani heart-throb Fawad Khan.

Alas, when Lollita is twaddling with colleagues about their companys fiscal deficits, it isnt the most opportune moment to expose her households follicle deficits.

Or just when Lollita is pontificating on a pandemic webinar about mid-caps or middle-class survival, it isnt the best of times for the middle anatomies of the migrating population on home turf to raise their heads, virtually. That smacks so much of actor Kajols baby bump playing a cameo, where else but in a song in KJo flick Kal Ho Naa Ho.

Best is to be ready for a realistic remedy  of being pushed up against the wall. But if the wall doesnt boast backdrops as oomph-y as The Oprah Winfrey Show studio or as museum-y as The Louvre, or even as clinically cerebral as a Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswami news studio  the sort of setting conducive to the Nation Wants To Know brand of squeaky screen presence  then the only way to keep creeping n crawling populations out of the Zoom backdrop is to migrate ones screen countenance in sync. When in (Zoom) roam, do as the roamers do.

If facial migration fails, as badly as Donald Trumps dumb tweets or even dumber histrionics, simply stick your face up close and personal into the webcam such that fellow Zoomers can even count the blackspots on your nasal bridge. After all, in these pandemic times, Zoom-ing is but the only bridge between Tweeple.

The curious case of Zoomers zinging, Honey, I shrunk the creeps!

Of Band Baaja Baarat & Beyond LAC

Then, there is the infiltration by Biradri, BFFs, Bulldogs & Co into Zooms Line of Audio Control.

Zoom is New Normals Banquet Hall and Marriage Palace. From virtual sangeet ceremonies to cacophonous Antakshri rituals to saat pheras saat samundar paar, Zoom is the new Band Baaja Baarat stage for the Great Garrulous & Ghee Fattened Indian Family. But its not only the Zoom screen thats staging the Kith, Kin & Canines Day Out, as in the shaadi of SpuddyKat (Bengaluru bride Spandika Jayaraj) where a canine in Candy Cane Tie stole the show. Off-screen action may steal the show, too.

Sample this. Lockdowns Lamba ji or Lalit ji and family are all copiously congregating globally on Zoom for the third wedding of the second brother of their first cousin Larry or Lalli. Vows and wows waft from the Zoom wedding, which has upstaged My Big Fat Indian Dhoom Wedding, as the masked priest prattles, Till Death Do Us Part  

Bingo, that very moment the pets of the household  Chihuahuas, Cats & Co  start tearing their teeth into Lamba ji or Lalit jis pyjama string (pyjamas and boxers being elevated to the New National Dress of India Quarantining and curiously constituting the casual bottom wear beneath the blue-collared or white-collared elitism or formalism of Zoom conferencing). And the pets belt out their own canine chorus driven by similar sentiments stirred for the string, Till Death Do Us Apart  

Lo behold, the Big Reinvented Zoom Minus Dhoom Wedding party gets torn -- between listening to the vows and bow-bows.

The curious case of Zoom staging 101 Dalmatians.
'Ladakh is a tiny salami-slice issue.'

'The big one for China is Arunachal Pradesh, more than 83,000 sq km.'

'Do they imagine they can grab any of this by force?'

'In the 21st century, nursing those thoughts only means you need to get your heads examined.'

'It isn't going to happen,' declares Shekhar Gupta.

IMAGE: Leader for Life Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist party of China, its president and chairman of its central military commission. Photograph: Reuters

Addressing troops on his surprise Friday morning visit to Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took care not to name China.

But he left no guesswork as to where his message was directed when he said that the era of expansionism was over and that this was time for development.

This was directed at China.

But it is one of those fine lines of pragmatic wisdom that could also be directed at Pakistan or even at ourselves.

I know the risks in my going that far, but let's expand on the thought.

China's expansionism under Xi Jinping is a globally acknowledged issue.

It is the new migraine for the big powers and is crushing toes among most of its neighbours, terrestrial or maritime, barring its clients/surrogate States.

The Chinese, like us Indians, are also a civilisational nation and carry the collective weight of nostalgia about a more glorious past.

In our case, it could be the Akhand Bharat of Mauryan or the Gupta Golden Period.

Theirs is the hankering for a return to the expansive borders of the Qing Dynasty.

Let's describe this, for convenience and brevity, as their 'Akhand China' fantasy.

The difference is, in India, it is the ideology of the founders of just one -- though now dominant -- party in a democracy where power changes hands.

In China, it is central to the only party that rules forever.

How unrealistic and destabilising it is, particularly in the hands of the world's first Deputy Super Power, run by a dictatorial power, we have seen.

Ladakh is a tiny salami-slice issue.

The big one for them is Arunachal Pradesh, more than 83,000 sq km.

Do they imagine they can grab any of this by force? In the 21st century, nursing those thoughts only means you need to get your heads examined.

It isn't going to happen.

But so irresistible is the force of nationalism -- particularly when the fuel propelling it is what political scientists describe as irredentism, the belief that you should restore to your country what was its own at some point in history -- that reason takes the backseat.

This applies to both dictatorships, democracies and systems which are a bit of this and a bit of that.

The Chinese bristled at the prime minister's advice against expansionism, presuming that it was directed at them.

But equally, this could be counsel for Pakistan.

That nation has spent all seven decades of its existence believing it can take away from India all of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In that quest it lost a larger part of its own original country. Did it dissuade them?

On the contrary, they became even more desperate to realise that dream.

In the process, they drove out capital, financial and intellectual, as they became a military-ruled, single-agenda State, a chronic basket case with 13 IMF bailouts over 30 years and in crashing need for another one sooner than later.

IMAGE: Lieutenant General A A K Niazi, the Pakistan army commander in East Pakistan, signs the Instrument of Surrender, before Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Command, December 16, 1971. Photograph: DPR Photo Division Archives

My old friend and the late Pakistani poet of dissent, Habib Jalib, had put it beautifully -- and cruelly -- in a special May Day composition in 1990 as Pakistan and India seemed poised for war yet again: Nasheeli aankhon, sunehri zulfon ke desh ko kho kar/main hairan hun woh ziqr waadi-e-Kashmir karte hain (after losing the land of enchanting eyes and golden tresses, Bangladesh, I am astounded they still dream of the Valley of Kashmir).

Leftist poets, however, live in a world far too idealistic for ideological nation-States built on one impossible agenda.

The post-war world saw the rise of two ideological States at about the same time: Israel and Pakistan.

One was the promised land for the Jews, the other the 'natural home' or the 'fortress of Islam' for the subcontinent's Muslims.

Israel is by no means perfect. But, compare it with Pakistan.

Both started out as democracies around the same time.

Both became American allies and the West's favourites very early on.

Both were fighting adversaries whose support base lay in the Soviet Bloc.

See, where each one has ended up, politically, economically and socially.

The only area where Israel has failed to achieve its objective is territorial, the West Bank.

But it is different from Pakistan on Kashmir.

Annexation of the West Bank is itself a polarising issue in Israeli democracy and not central to its nationalism.

Pakistan is different.

It is today a Chinese protectorate for all practical purposes, and on its way to being colonised economically.

It still uses terror as leverage against India.

It has shrunk to less than its original.

And it has even less of Kashmir than it was left with in 1948.

From a per capita income about 18 per cent higher than an average Indian's in 1985, today it is about 30 per cent lower and the gap is rising.

Bangladesh has beaten it on all social indicators and will soon do so on per capita income too.

IMAGE: Indian soldiers march near the Tezpur-Tawang highway in Arunachal Pradesh. Photograph: Frank Jack Daniel/Reuters

What made the difference? How did lost-cause with starving millions make such a turnaround?

That's because when the East liberated itself from West Pakistan, they also declared freedom from its Kashmir madness.

Which brings us to ourselves, India.

We are philosophically, ideologically and constitutionally committed not just to defending the borders that exist in reality, but reclaiming the ones shown on our map.

In the 70 years since our Independence, we haven't been able to get a square inch more of that territory.

This is despite four large wars and several smaller ones.

The slivers of territories captured by us in 1965 and 1971 had to be returned, as they might have to be in the future as well.

Even the Chinese in 1962 withdrew from all the territory they captured in the east, and almost all, barring some tiny enclaves, in the West (Ladakh).

India has two Parliament resolutions to win back every inch of its territory as shown on its map, in Chinese or Pakistani possession.

We have prolific calls and assertions of that intent.

Among us three neighbours, each wants territory from another, believing it to be its own.

Can China grab Arunachal Pradesh, or even 'at least the district of Tawang' as it has sometimes said, militarily?

Can Pakistan ever see its flag over the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar?

And can India get back Aksai Chin, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit-Baltistan?

None of this is impossible.

But, these large, powerful nations with nuclear weapons can lose territory on such a scale only if they are fully destroyed.

Do we expect a large nuclear nation to be annihilated like that?

And without the other being destroyed too?

That's the reason what each country sees as a dream borders on the fantasy.

I dare not say more on this.

Especially when I can lean on the wisdom of a former navy chief and decorated war hero, Admiral Arun Prakash (Vir Chakra, 1971).

Writing in The Indian Express, the admiral cautioned, 'As a nation, we need to be pragmatic enough to realise that neither conquest nor re-conquest of territory is possible in the 21st century.'

Parliament, the admiral says, should, now, resolve to ask the government, 'to establish with utmost urgency, stable, viable and peaceful national boundaries, all around, so that India can proceed, unhindered, with the vital tasks of nation-building and socio-economic development'."

Irredentism rose in the late 19th century Italy.

It entailed restoring to the country all Italian-speaking districts in the adjoining European nations.

The history of the world since, especially all of the 20th century, tells us that the concept has done nothing but damage to those who embraced it.

It is time all three Himalayan neighbours to reflect and rethink too.

By Special Arrangement with The Print

Feature Production: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Mindy Kaling doesnt talk much about her personal life. She does, however, incorporate pieces of her experiences into some of her characters such as The Offices Kelly Kapoor and The Mindy Projects Mindy Lahiri. Ironically, Kalings career took off around the time she lost someone close to her.

The Mindy Project showcased someone important to Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling | Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

RELATED: Inside The Office Star Mindy Kalings Relationship With Estranged Brother

Many know Mindy Kaling from The Office with her on-again-off-again relationship with B.J. Novaks character, Ryan. But, The Mindy Project is a little closer to the stars life.

When I was very little, I would have that thing with my brother  (I was) competitive about spending time with my mother alone, like one-on-one, Kaling told Mom.Com about her OB-GYN mother, Swati Chokalingam.

That was so important to me, that no one would be around except the two of us.

She noted that Chokalingam was her absolute best friend, which is likely why she chose to honor her career in The Mindy Project.

I always loved wearing those doctors coats, she told Good Morning America. I think it always made my parents really happy that at least I played a fake doctor since I wasnt actually a doctor.

One of the stars favorite memories with her mother, as she recalled, was a sweet moment.

She came back from work, and she was in her scrubs, and she had spent the night at the hospital and she had brought home Dunkin Donuts. She had a jelly doughnut, which Id never seen as a kid, she said.

I sat on her lap in the kitchen, and we shared a jelly doughnut. So it was like everything I ever wanted in the world was just undivided attention from my mother and to be exposed to this new delicious sweet filled with another sweet.

Kalings mother received a devastating diagnosis

For those of us missing our mothers, today can feel like Missing Mom Day. Luckily, love is a rope that connects us to our moms forever. Xoxo  Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) May 11, 2014

RELATED: The Office: 1 Dunder Mifflin Star Had a Nightmare Audition For a Starburst Commercial

As Kalings time with The Office came to a close, she worked on developing a new project  one that became The Mindy Project. In 2011, her mother was diagnosed with stage-five pancreatic cancer.

Kaling took a leave of absence from The Office to be with her mother, her friend, who died in January 2012. Kaling has been reluctant to talk in-depth about the loss and has described her mother as being the love of my life.

The day Chokalingam died, Fox picked up The Mindy Project.

I was very lucky that the show started up at that time so I could just throw myself into it and distract myself. But the truth is, even though its been three years, it still feels like it just happened. I remember the sound of her voice so distinctly, Kaling said.

She added in an interview with Los Angeles Times what shes learned.

One inadvertent thing Ive learned from her passing is that anything bad could happen to me professionally, but it would not be worse than one sad weekend, she said. The experience of losing my mom was just so much worse than anything that could happen to me workwise. I could lose all my money, and I would be like, its fine.

Motherhood means something different to Kaling now

RELATED: The Office: B.J. Novaks Closest and Least Closest Friend From the Show Was Mindy Kaling

After the loss of her mother, Kaling questioned having a child of her own.

When she passed away when I was 30, I thought, I really want to have that relationship again even I have to be the mom and someone else is the daughter, she said.

Kaling gave birth to daughter, Katherine Swati, in December 2017 but the void her mother left remained.

After my daughter was born in December, I remember bringing her home and being in my house with her for the first time and thinking, Huh, according to movies and TV, this is traditionally the time when my mother and spouse are supposed to be here, sharing this experience with me, Kaling said via Her.WomenWorking.Com.

And I looked around and I had neither. And for a moment it was kind of scary, like, Can I do this by myself? But then that feeling went away because the reality is, Im not doing it by myself. Im surrounded by family and friends who love and support me.

She continued: But this year, I feel lucky to have my daughter because telling her stories about her grandmother is a great distraction. But I will always feel that hole in my heart.

The Office star later told Today that motherhood is so rewarding in a way you cant explain.

I look back at myself  its very crazy to me, Kaling said. I feel brave having done it.
India and Japan have restarted discussions to firm up dates for the annual summit between prime ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe, possibly around October. The summit is expected to focus on an expansionist China that has been attempting to change the status quo on its borders with India, and in the East China Sea around the Senkaku Islands, people familiar with the development told Hindustan Times.

The Modi-Abe summit, initially scheduled to be held last December in Guwahati, was put off due to protests in Assam over the passage of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) law. Discussions on the next date were paused after the virus that originated in China spread across the world soon after, killing over 600,000 people and grounding the world economy.

But as the world suffered, Chinas Xi Jinping went on an overdrive to expand its territory in the South China Sea and its land border with India. It has lately initiated the process to get its army to disengage along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh but the troop withdrawal process has been a slow and deliberate process.

A defence white paper by the Shinzo Abe government released this week counted Chinas aggressive moves in the East China Sea and the South China Sea and its relentless attempts to alter status quo by coercion as a key concern.

The Abe government, which had taken a lead role in crafting the quadrilateral security dialogue process in the Indo-Pacific region, also noted that a regional cooperation framework had not been sufficiently institutionalised in the Indo-Pacific region. The Quad comprises the United States, Japan, India and Australia with the door open for others to join in.

During the summit, India and Japan are also expected to formalise a logistics sharing pact, Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement, that would give militaries of the two countries access to each others bases.

Japan would get access to major Indian naval bases including the Andaman and Nicobar islands, which lie near the Malacca Straits through which a large amount of Japans but also Chinas trade and fuel supplies is shipped. It would also help Indias naval ships to send ships further to counter Chinas expanding presence in the Indian Ocean. India had signed a similar agreement with the US, and has firmed up the pact with Australia, the other members of the Quad.

A government official said the summit could be held in October, not earlier. It is not certain yet if PM Abe would travel to India for the summit as had been planned earlier or hold the summit meetings over video conference.

India is expected to also deepen strategic ties with other ASEAN countries that have also been at the receiving end from Beijing. We expect a meeting between PM Modi and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte shortly, the official said, adding that it could also be held in October. President Duterte was supposed to travel to India in March but the bilateral meeting was postponed due to the global pandemic. Apart from growing defence cooperation, India and Philippines are expected to join hands to ensure free navigation and over-flights in the South China Sea.

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Imphal, July 18 : Manipur's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arvind Kumar on Saturday shot himself at his official chamber. He was rushed to the hospital where his condition is said to be serious, officials said.

A police official said that Arvind Kumar, a 1992 batch Bihar cadre IPS officer, shot himself with his service revolver at his official chamber at the 2nd Manipur Rifles Complex near the Police headquarters on Saturday afternoon.

"Immediately, Arvind Kumar was taken to a private hospital in Imphal and then shifted to the ICU. His condition was stated to be critical," a police officer refusing to be named told IANS.

"It was not yet known why the senior police officer shot himself," the police officer said.

Top police officials including Manipur Director General of Police L.M. Khaute and Chief Secretary J. Suresh Baby also reached the hospital.

The Chief Secretary said that Kumar's condition is very serious but according to the doctors he is responding to the treatment.

"Kumar will be sent to Delhi, once his condition improves," the Chief Secretary told the media and said a probe has been ordered about the incident.

The IPS officer Arvind Kumar was posted in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as its Deputy Director in Delhi. He had applied to the government to be repatriated back to his home cadre in Bihar.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Baghdad, Iraq  Sat, July 18, 2020 16:51 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066766d9e 2 World Iraq,Saudi-Arabia,Iran,Mustafa-al-Kadhimi Free

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi will travel to Saudi Arabia and Iran back-to-back next week, carefully balancing ties to regional rivals in his first foreign trip as premier, officials said Saturday.

Baghdad has often found itself caught in the tug-of-war between Riyadh, Tehran and even Washington, which the premier is also set to visit within the next few weeks.

On Sunday, Kadhemi will host Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Baghdad, before travelling with Iraq's ministers of oil, electricity, planning and finance to Saudi Arabia the following day, Iraqi officials said.

They are set to stay in NEOM, an area in the kingdom's northwest that is currently under development, and are scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with whom Kadhemi is known to have warm personal ties.

Baghdad proposed a package of energy-focused development opportunities in Iraq to Saudi Arabia earlier this month, and the talks will likely focus on financing for those proposals, other infrastructure projects, and a reopening of the Arar border crossing between the two countries, the officials said.

They said the delegation will then travel directly to Tehran late Tuesday, where Kadhemi is expected to meet Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Read also: Pandemic has silver lining for Iraq: food self-sufficiency

Kadhemi rose to the premiership in May after serving as the head of Iraq's National Intelligence Service for nearly four years, which helped him form a close relationship with Prince Mohammed.

He is also known to be respected by Iran's intelligence services and government circles, which prompted speculation he could mediate between the two regional foes.

And Kadhemi is well-liked in Washington, where he is expected later this month or in early August to pursue a strategic dialogue between Iraq and the US.

It would be the first visit by an Iraqi premier to the White House in three years. US officials never extended an invitation to previous prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, whom they saw as too close to Iran.

Tensions skyrocketed following a US drone strike on Baghdad in January that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

It appears Washington is now encouraging a rapprochement between Baghdad and Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this week, officials from Iraq, the US and the Gulf Cooperation Council discussed over teleconference an arrangement for Iraq to import electricity from Kuwait, a deal which was agreed last year but has yet to come into effect.
In the wake of yesterday's landmark ruling by Europe's top court -- striking down a flagship transatlantic data transfer framework called Privacy Shield, and cranking up the legal uncertainty around processing EU citizens' data in the U.S. in the process -- Europe's lead data protection regulator has fired its own warning shot at the region's data protection authorities (DPAs), essentially telling them to get on and do the job of intervening to stop people's data flowing to third countries where it's at risk.

Countries like the U.S.

The original complaint that led to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) ruling focused on Facebook's use of a data transfer mechanism called Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) to authorize moving EU users' data to the U.S. for processing.

Complainant Max Schrems asked the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) to suspend Facebook's SCC data transfers in light of U.S. government mass surveillance programs. Instead, the regulator went to court to raise wider concerns about the legality of the transfer mechanism.

That in turn led Europe's top judges to nuke the Commission's adequacy decision, which underpinned the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield -- meaning the U.S. no longer has a special arrangement greasing the flow of personal data from the EU. Yet, at the time of writing, Facebook is still using SCCs to process EU users' data in the U.S. Much has changed, but the data hasn't stopped flowing -- yet.

Yesterday the tech giant said it would "carefully consider" the findings and implications of the CJEU decision on Privacy Shield, adding that it looked forward to "regulatory guidance." It certainly didn't offer to proactively flip a kill switch and stop the processing itself.

Ireland's DPA, meanwhile, which is Facebook's lead data regulator in the region, sidestepped questions over what action it would be taking in the wake of yesterday's ruling -- saying it (also) needed (more) time to study the legal nuances.

Story continues

The DPC's statement also only went so far as to say the use of SCCs for taking data to the U.S. for processing is "questionable" -- adding that case by case analysis would be key.

The regulator remains the focus of sustained criticism in Europe over its enforcement record for major cross-border data protection complaints -- with still zero decisions issued more than two years after the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force, and an ever-growing backlog of open investigations into the data processing activities of platform giants.

In May, the DPC finally submitted to other DPAs for review its first draft decision on a cross-border case (an investigation into a Twitter security breach), saying it hoped the decision would be finalized in July. At the time of writing we're still waiting for the bloc's regulators to reach consensus on that.

The painstaking pace of enforcement around Europe's flagship data protection framework remains a problem for EU lawmakers -- whose two-year review last month called for uniformly "vigorous" enforcement by regulators.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) made a similar call today, in the wake of the Schrems II ruling -- which only looks set to further complicate the process of regulating data flows by piling yet more work on the desks of underfunded DPAs.

"European supervisory authorities have the duty to diligently enforce the applicable data protection legislation and, where appropriate, to suspend or prohibit transfers of data to a third country," writes EDPS Wojciech Wiewiorowski, in a statement, which warns against further dithering or can-kicking on the intervention front.

"The EDPS will continue to strive, as a member of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), to achieve the necessary coherent approach among the European supervisory authorities in the implementation of the EU framework for international transfers of personal data," he goes on, calling for more joint working by the bloc's DPAs.

Wiewiorowski's statement also highlights what he dubs "welcome clarifications" regarding the responsibilities of data controllers and European DPAs -- to "take into account the risks linked to the access to personal data by the public authorities of third countries."

"As the supervisory authority of the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, the EDPS is carefully analysing the consequences of the judgment on the contracts concluded by EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. The example of the recent EDPS own-initiative investigation into European institutions use of Microsoft products and services confirms the importance of this challenge," he adds.

Part of the complexity of enforcement of Europe's data protection rules is the lack of a single authority; a varied patchwork of supervisory authorities is responsible for investigating complaints and issuing decisions.

Now, with a CJEU ruling that calls for regulators to assess third countries themselves -- to determine whether the use of SCCs is valid in a particular use-case and country -- there's a risk of further fragmentation should different DPAs jump to different conclusions.

Yesterday, in its response to the CJEU decision, Hamburg's DPA criticized the judges for not also striking down SCCs, saying it was "inconsistent" for them to invalidate Privacy Shield yet allow this other mechanism for international transfers. Supervisory authorities in Germany and Europe must now quickly agree how to deal with companies that continue to rely illegally on the Privacy Shield, the DPA warned.

In the statement, Hamburg's data commissioner, Johannes Caspar, added: "Difficult times are looming for international data traffic."

He also shot off a blunt warning that: "Data transmission to countries without an adequate level of data protection will... no longer be permitted in the future."

Compare and contrast that with the Irish DPC talking about use of SCCs being "questionable," case by case. (Or the U.K.'s ICO offering this bare minimum.)

Caspar also emphasized the challenge facing the bloc's patchwork of DPAs to develop and implement a "common strategy" toward dealing with SCCs in the wake of the CJEU ruling.

In a press note today, Berlin's DPA also took a tough line, warning that data transfers to third countries would only be permitted if they have a level of data protection essentially equivalent to that offered within the EU.

In the case of the U.S. -- home to the largest and most used cloud services -- Europe's top judges yesterday reiterated very clearly that that is not in fact the case.

"The CJEU has made it clear that the export of data is not just about the economy but people's fundamental rights must be paramount," Berlin data commissioner Maja Smoltczyk said in a statement [which we've translated using Google Translate].

"The times when personal data could be transferred to the U.S. for convenience or cost savings are over after this judgment," she added.

Both DPAs warned the ruling has implications for the use of cloud services where data is processed in other third countries where the protection of EU citizens' data also cannot be guaranteed too, i.e. not just the U.S.

On this front, Smoltczyk name-checked China, Russia and India as countries EU DPAs will have to assess for similar problems.

"Now is the time for Europe's digital independence," she added.

Some commentators (including Schrems himself) have also suggested the ruling could see companies switching to local processing of EU users' data. Though it's also interesting to note the judges chose not to invalidate SCCs -- thereby offering a path to legal international data transfers, but only provided the necessary protections are in place in that given third country.

Also issuing a response to the CJEU ruling today was the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). AKA the body made up of representatives from DPAs across the bloc. Chair Andrea Jelinek put out an emollient statement, writing that: "The EDPB intends to continue playing a constructive part in securing a transatlantic transfer of personal data that benefits EEA citizens and organisations and stands ready to provide the European Commission with assistance and guidance to help it build, together with the U.S., a new framework that fully complies with EU data protection law."

Short of radical changes to U.S. surveillance law, it's tough to see how any new framework could be made to legally stick, though. Privacy Shield's predecessor arrangement, Safe Harbour, stood for around 15 years. Its shiny "new and improved" replacement didn't even last five.

In the wake of the CJEU ruling, data exporters and importers are required to carry out an assessment of a country's data regime to assess adequacy with EU legal standards before using SCCs to transfer data there.

"When performing such prior assessment, the exporter (if necessary, with the assistance of the importer) shall take into consideration the content of the SCCs, the specific circumstances of the transfer, as well as the legal regime applicable in the importers country. The examination of the latter shall be done in light of the non-exhaustive factors set out under Art 45(2) GDPR," Jelinek writes.

"If the result of this assessment is that the country of the importer does not provide an essentially equivalent level of protection, the exporter may have to consider putting in place additional measures to those included in the SCCs. The EDPB is looking further into what these additional measures could consist of."

Again, it's not clear what "additional measures" a platform could plausibly deploy to "fix" the gaping lack of redress afforded to foreigners by U.S. surveillance law. Major legal surgery does seem to be required to square this circle.

Jelinek said the EDPB would be studying the judgement with the aim of putting out more granular guidance in the future. But her statement warns data exporters they have an obligation to suspend data transfers or terminate SCCs if contractual obligations are not or cannot be complied with, or else to notify a relevant supervisory authority if it intends to continue transferring data.

In her roundabout way, she also warns that DPAs now have a clear obligation to terminate SCCs where the safety of data cannot be guaranteed in a third country.

"The EDPB takes note of the duties for the competent supervisory authorities (SAs) to suspend or prohibit a transfer of data to a third country pursuant to SCCs, if, in the view of the competent SA and in the light of all the circumstances of that transfer, those clauses are not or cannot be complied with in that third country, and the protection of the data transferred cannot be ensured by other means, in particular where the controller or a processor has not already itself suspended or put an end to the transfer," Jelinek writes.

One thing is crystal clear: Any sense of legal certainty U.S. cloud services were deriving from the existence of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield -- with its flawed claim of data protection adequacy -- has vanished like summer rain.

In its place, a sense of deja vu and a lot more work for lawyers.
I cant recall the last time I wrote or received a handwritten letter  but its time to send such letters again.

The reasons why the handwritten letter died are obvious: email, text messaging and cellphones. With how quick those innovations make whipping off a note, why would anybody take an hour to hand-write one?

But how much better off might we be if we started sending such letters again?

Ive kept every handwritten letter I ever got, in boxes in my attic. One Saturday in 2000, when I was moving from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., organizing and storing stuff soured my mood.

Until I stumbled upon a handwritten letter Id received in 1985.

It was from a fellow Id gone to Penn State with, whod become an editor in Bangor, Maine. As I read it that Saturday in 2000, it took me back 15 years  to exactly who I was at age 24. I laughed out loud reading it.
URUMQI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The so-called "forced demolition of mosques" in Xinjiang is totally nonsense, an official of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said on Friday.

Commenting on the 2019 report on international religious freedom issued by the United States, which claims that Xinjiang is dismantling mosques, Mehmut Usman, director of the regional ethnic affairs commission, told a press conference that, as long as venues for religious activities are registered with the government under the law, they have legal status, and all their rights and interests are protected by law.

"Xinjiang has always attached great importance to the protection and repair of mosques, and the governments at all levels in Xinjiang have not only helped and supported the improvement of mosques, but also guaranteed the normal religious needs of religious believers," the official said.
The term bogan has long been used to describe people, accents, street signs and even clothes, but the origin of the word has long been a mystery.

Researchers suggest that the term originated from Melbourne's western suburbs in the 1980s or local communities living around Bogan River in New South Wales.

Since then, other states have put their own twist on the word with Queenslanders using 'bevans' and Sydneysiders saying 'westies' for those from the western suburbs.

Tasmanians use 'chiggas' or 'chiggs', short for the suburb Chigwell, for those they claim the local bogans hailed from.

People from Canberra use the term 'booners' or 'boons' instead of bogan.

The etymology of the word bogan is still unclear but has been widely used around Australia since the 1980s

The term 'bogan' has been used to describe people who love their country or wear the flag (Pictured: Crowds celebrate Australia Day on day seven of the 2020 Australian Open)

Academic and historian Henry Paternoster said that bogan would have several different meanings when one is asked to explain what it means.

'Generally, it has been regarded as something of a replacement for previously used terms like 'larrikin',' Mr Paternoster told Nine News.

Bogan was first included in the Oxford English Dictionary back in 2012.

Their definition of the word read: 'depreciative term for an unfashionable, uncouth, or unsophisticated person, especially of low social status'.

Similarly, Australia's Macquarie Dictionary defines a bogan as a 'person, generally from an outer suburb of a city or town and from a lower socio-economic background, viewed as uncultured.'

A reddit thread claims that bogan is a tribute to the Darling River, near Parkes in NSW, and flows upstream of Bourke.

The word bogan also appeared in a poem written by Henry Lawson in 1897 titled 'The Shearing Shed' who had a character called 'Bogan Bill'.

Mr Lawson's third draft saw Bill's name changed to Barcoo, however in 1917 decided to stick with his original name.

'Bogan is and sounds better than Barcoo. Besides, Bogan was there,' Mr Lawson's letter read indicating that 'Bogan Bill' was based on an actual person.

The thread further shows that the term bogan was used by Mary-Anne Fahey 'Kylie Mole' character on 'The Comedy Company' television show in 1981.

Ms Fahey said she picked up the word from her children who learned it at school but was unclear of the origins.

It is possible Ms Fahey's children learned the term from Cliff Green's adaptation of Mr Lawson's stories under the title 'Lawson's Mates: Six Television Plays', recorded and broadcast in 1979, with John Wood in the role of One-eyed Bogan.

Duo Kath and Kim from the popular television series present how bogans would act and speak

Mr Paternoster said bogan has generally been used to describe someone from the working class.

However it also has a positive or negative connotation to it depending on who uses it and what it is used to describe.

'It becomes this stereotype used to bash Australian or to elevate some aspect what you think Australian culture is,' Mr Paternoster explained.

Bogan has also been associated with white Australians who ignore the country's indigenous history.

'It becomes this stereotype where some people are for it, some people are against it but there's an actual human cost or consequence associated with it,' he said.

Mr Paternoster suggests being cautious with the term bogan depending on why it is being said or used to describe.
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) A tragic accident near St. Joseph has state troopers urging every Missouri driver to buckle up before hitting the roads. They say the simple, yet life saving act is one of the best defenses against the rise in fatality accidents they're seeing across the state.

On Thursday, four people died near the intersection of Route E and US-169 in a rollover accident, the four victims were not wearing their seat belts.

The crash killed Twila Obanion, 61, Darlene Obanion, 81, Sharry Dawn, 46 of St. Joseph and Kimberly Walker, 45 of Union Star.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says their SUV was carrying five people when it left the roadway and struck a culvert causing it to flip several times, ejecting the four victims.

The fifth occupant of the SUV was a two-year-old child that survived and was in a proper child safety seat.

This comes as troopers report an increase in fatality wrecks across the state.

I dont want to sit here and quote a bunch of statistics, but right now in the state of Missouri, were roughly 13 percent over where we were for fatalities from this time last year, Sergeant Jake Angle of the Missouri Highway Patrol said. Unrestrained fatality accidents are up 70 percent.

Because of those disappointing numbers the highway patrol says they will be enforcing the seatbelt use as well as the proper use of child safety seats.
A health care worker carries a stack of clipboards at a COVID-19 testing site sponsored by Community Heath of South Florida at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Clinica Campesina Health Center, during the coronavirus pandemic, Monday, July 6, 2020, in Homestead, Florida.

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Health officials in Florida say that of the 54,022 kids who have been tested for COVID-19, 16,797  or roughly 31%  have tested positive.

The average positivity rate for COVID-19 among all ages in Florida is about 11%.

Infectious disease specialists say the number of children who have tested positive is inarguably high, but it's still not clear whether children easily spread the disease.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nearly a third of children tested for COVID-19 in Florida have tested positive for the virus, according to data from the Florida Department of Health, raising new concerns about how children spread the disease.

According to data through July 9 released by health officials this week, 54,022 people under 18 years old have been tested for COVID-19 in Florida. State data shows that 16,797 kids  or roughly 31%  tested positive.

Florida has tested more than 2.8 million people for COVID-19 in total, and state data shows that the average positivity rate among all ages is about 11%.

Related: 6 months of coronavirus in the USA, reviewed in 6 minutes

Infectious disease experts told Insider that the number of children who have tested positive for the coronavirus in Florida is inarguably high compared to what's been reported in other areas of the country. A hospital system in Charlotte, North Carolina, for example, reported a 13% positive rate in children tested by their system in early July, which at the time was around the same as the region's overall positive test rate.

The Florida figures complicate research whether children are, in fact, less susceptible to contracting the virus, which had been previously posited in numerous studies across several countries.

"That's a really high number," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Insider. "It's a concern that translates into curiosity. We need an elaborate understanding of what that number means."

Story continues

The data, on its face, is incomplete. It's unclear whether only high-risk children with symptoms were tested, or if the figure also includes children with no known exposure who were tested, for example, to gain admittance to camp or another organized program.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Associated Press

Florida is dealing with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country. On Sunday, it set a new one-day record high for new cases, at 15,299. The state hit a one-day record high for COVID-19-related deaths on Thursday, with 156 people dying, and has 327,241 cases overall.

The Florida Department of Health didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

A major question mark at this time  with regard to children and the coronavirus  is whether or not young people who have COVID-19 spread the disease with ease. It's a pressing concern as states decide if  and how  to safely reopen schools in the fall.

"How penetrate is this virus is in our hot spots to our children?" Dr. Schaffner said. "This is something we don't know yet. We don't have a good handle on this."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed for schools to reopen in the fall in recent weeks. On Wednesday, he told Florida education leaders that data suggested children are at lower risk of COVID-19 than older people. As evidence, he said many day cares have remained open during the pandemic.

"We're in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, but we're also in a situation where we need to provide as many options to parents as possible in terms of the education of the kids," DeSantis said, according to WPTV.

Dr. Alina Alonso, Palm Beach County's health department director, countered DeSantis' claims in a meeting with county commissioners this week. She said health officials are wary since they don't yet know if COVID-19 leads to long-term effects in children, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

"They are seeing there is damage to the lungs in these asymptomatic children. ... We don't know how that is going to manifest a year from now or two years from now," Alonso said. "Is that child going to have chronic pulmonary problems or not?"

Read the original article on Insider
OTTAWA - The House of Commons ethics committee has put off to next week a decision on whether to demand records of the Trudeau familys speaking engagements as part of a probe of how WE Charity was given responsibility for a vast federal volunteer program.

Conservatives on the committee want the documents; Liberals said the committee has no business inserting itself into an investigation the federal ethics commissioner is already conducting.

WE gave up running the $912-million volunteer program amid controversy over hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees the WE organization paid to members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus family for appearances at WE events.

Trudeau has said he should have recused himself from the decision but didnt.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau, one of whose daughters works for an arm of the WE organization, has said the same.

The Tories say the committee needs to understand how well the governments conflict-of-interest regime works and the WE Charity deal presents a case study.

Lets put some sunlight on this, said Ontario Conservative MP Michael Barrett, his partys ethics critic, as the meeting began.

According to WE, most of the fees went to Trudeaus mother Margaret, a mental-health advocate, for events between 2016 and 2020, and Justin Trudeau has never been paid anything.

Quebec Liberal MP Brenda Shanahan argued the ethics committee is not an investigative body. It broadly oversees the work of people such as federal ethics commissioner Mario Dion, she said, but doesnt do probes itself.

Dion is investigating Trudeau and Morneau in the affair, to determine whether they violated the Conflict of Interest Act.

Shanahan said thats the way the probe should be carried out, rather than have a Commons committee nosing through the finances of Trudeaus relatives.

Is that really the way we want to go? Investigate everyone publicly? When there are other tools available? she asked.

Other Liberals on the committee such as Greg Fergus and Elisabeth Briere echoed her, insisting the committee only has a role to play if the ethics commissioner somehow cant act.

Both padded their ideas out with long disquisitions on the history of democracy, back to Greek city-states, and how members of the executive branch are properly held to account.

New Democrat MP Charlie Angus accused them of filibustering, running out the clock on the meeting, and not even doing it particularly well under the rules.

I mean, I love the stuff about ancient Athens, he can talk about ancient Sparta ... but he needs to be introducing new material, Angus said of Fergus.

In the end, Angus proposed a compromise that would see the committee seek the speaking records only so they can be handed over to Dion, and also directly call the prime minister to testify before the group.

He voted with the Liberals to break until next week to consider the idea, a move Fergus promised is not just a delaying tactic to defend Trudeau.

The Conservatives accused the Liberals of seeking to shut the committee down in a coverup.

Thursday, the Commons finance committee heard from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger and senior public servants about how the arrangement with WE came together after Trudeau announced plans in April for a volunteering program for students who couldnt find work this summer because of COVID-19.

That committee heard WE pitched the government on a different but related project days before the announcement, and officials saw the groups connections with young people as vital to making the governments program work.

The Conservatives wrote to the lobbying commissioner Friday, seeking an investigation of whether WEs contacts with the government should have been recorded on the federal lobbying registry.

The Conservatives have also called on the RCMP to investigate whether anything in the affair was criminal. The Mounties said Friday that theyre examining the matter carefully with all available information and will take appropriate actions as required.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 17:36:12|Editor: huaxia

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Volunteers wait in front of the "blood lounge" to give their blood in Dakar, Senegal, July 17, 2020. As the novel coronavirus swept through Senegal, more and more doctors and patients in the West African country have come to feel one of the pains exacerbated by the pandemic --the shortage of blood supply. In May, two months after the first case was recorded here, the blood supply has started to run low, said Saliou Diop, director of National Center for Blood Transfusion (CNTS). (Photo by Louis Denga/Xinhua)

DAKAR, July 18 (Xinhua) -- As the novel coronavirus swept through Senegal, more and more doctors and patients in the West African country have come to feel one of the pains exacerbated by the pandemic --the shortage of blood supply.

In May, two months after the first case was recorded here, the blood supply has started to run low, said Saliou Diop, director of National Center for Blood Transfusion (CNTS).

"We saw a 26 percent decrease in blood donation in May because the gathering restrictions issued by the government," he said.

The number of confirmed infections in Senegal is approaching the 9,000 mark, and more than 2,500 cases are under treatment.

The worsening situation added to his worries about the blood supply, which is key to hospitals during the trying times.

"Our mobile teams, which used to move to gather blood, did not work any more during the restriction period. Now we only have about 5 days of stock," said Diop.

"Our concern is to see how the summer vacation will go. We have to keep an eye on the holidays, because it's the period when there is the least amount of donors," he added.

On Friday morning, before the afternoon traditional gatherings and prayers, a blood donation event took place in Pikine, the second most populated city in the country.

"We're going to tie the tourniquet to allow the vein to be visible. I found a vein here. Before stinging, I'll clean it up with alcohol," said Nar Fall, a young nurse with a needle in her hand.

Momoudou Saudi, a 24-year-old law student, sitting in front her, watching blood being extracted from his right arm quietly.

"There are people who need this, for example, people with burns, women suffering excessive loss of blood after delivery. If you donate your blood, you will save lives, so that's good," he said.

The room, where five nurses are working inside, has been cleared up with all tables and chairs being pushed against the wall. They said they are looking forward to 80 donors within the day, with about 40 liters of blood to be extracted in total.

"Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, sometimes we find ourselves in a certain difficulty. Despite the fact that we have made all our arrangements necessary to inform them and ensure their safety when coming to the center, people are still afraid to go to hospitals to donate blood like what they used to do," said Oumar Kane, worker of the CNTS.

In suburbs, the CNTS teams are working closely with local youngsters, associations and small NGOs to provide the much-needed stuff and recruit donors.

"It has been found that in some large hospitals, there is a shortage of blood. So we took the initiative to organize a day to help people", said Alpha Ba, a 25-year-old engineering student.

Alpha Ba set up a local association which regularly does social work around Pikine and other suburbs.

"We only want to help our community and do social work", he said.

"Giving blood is saving lives, it's a very noble act. If I could do it every 3 or 6 months, I would do it. I too am a person who may need it in the future, that's why I do it," Ba added. Enditem
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High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said on Friday he was deeply concerned over the growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the United States against European companies and interests.

"We have witnessed this developing trend in the cases of Iran, Cuba, the International Criminal Court and most recently the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream projects," Borrell said in a statement.

Emphasizing that "European policies should be determined in Europe not by third countries," Borrell said the EU opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business, and the bloc "considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law."

He said the EU is always open to dialogue, but "this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions."

On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected Washington's latest threat of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.

The Kremlin also said Thursday that Washington's threat to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 as well as the second line of the TurkStream pipeline stretching from Russia to Turkey across the Black Sea is "unfair competition."

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent fresh warnings of possible sanctions to companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and the second line of the TurkStream pipeline.

Pompeo claimed that the projects are not commercial but serve as Moscow's tools to exploit European dependence on Russia's energy supplies.
The wave of manufacturers releasing Ryzen 4000 series variants of their gaming laptops continues and the latest to join the movement is Lenovo as they announced new AMD variants of their Legion 5 17-inch and 15-inch laptops along with an AMD Ryzen variant of their Ideapad Gaming 3 laptop.

Starting with their Legion gaming laptops, Lenovo has introduced two new models  the Legion 5 and the Legion 5P. The Lenovo Legion 5 comes in two sizes  15.6-inches and 17.3-inches, and can be configured with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 4800 H-Series Mobile Processor, up to a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, up to 16 GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory and up to a 1 TB PCIe SSD.

For screen options, it offers up to 144Hz 1080p panel with support for Dolby Vision. Other features include Legion Coldfront 2.0 thermal solution, the white backlit Legion TrueStrike keyboard and up to 7.5 hours of battery life in the 17.3-inch model.

The Lenovo Legion 5P is a higher end model, also configurable with up to AMD Ryzen 7 4800 H-Series Mobile Processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPUs. For RAM, it can be configured up to 32 GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory and for storage, users can choose up to 1 TB PCIe SSD.

Lenovo has outfitted this laptop with Dual Burn support and Lenovo Q-Control 3.0 for maximum performance and control. Other features include the option of a 144Hz 5ms response time Full HD panel, Dolby Atmos and 4-zone RGB system backlighting.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 features up up to AMD Ryzen 7 4800 H-Series Mobile Processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU. It features an updated thermal design, with support for Lenovo Q-Control 3.0 for performance mode switching. Lenovo will offer the option of a 120Hz refresh rate Full HD panel, along with up to 32 GB DDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD.

The 17-inch Lenovo Legion 5 laptop will be available in September 2020, starting at a price of $1089.99 (Approx. Rs. 81,730) and the 15-inch Lenovo Legion 5 laptop (with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU) will be available now, starting at $759.99(Approx. Rs. 56,985). The 15-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop will be available from July 2020, starting at $659.99 (Approx. Rs. 49,487).
PORTLAND, ORE.Federal agents dressed in camouflage and tactical gear have taken to the streets of Portland, unleashing tear gas, bloodying protesters and pulling some people into unmarked vans in what Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon has called a blatant abuse of power.

The extraordinary use of federal force in recent days, billed as an attempt to tamp down persistent unrest and protect government property, has infuriated local leaders, who say the agents have stoked tensions.

This is an attack on our democracy, Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland said.

The strife in Portland over 50 consecutive days of protests reflects the growing fault lines in law enforcement as President Donald Trump threatens an assertive federal role in how cities manage a wave of national unrest after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police.

The agents in Portland are part of rapid deployment teams put together by the Department of Homeland Security after Trump directed federal agencies to deploy additional personnel to protect statues, monuments and federal property during the continuing unrest. The teams  which include 2,000 officials from Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard  are supporting the Federal Protective Service, an agency that already provides security at federal properties.

Brown said in an interview that she asked the acting homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf, to remove federal officials from the streets and that he refused. She said the Trump administration appeared to instead be using the situation for photo ops to rally his supporters.

They are provoking confrontation for political purposes, Brown said.

Wolf, who arrived in Portland on Thursday, called the protesters a violent mob of anarchists emboldened by a lack of local enforcement.

The demonstrations began in the aftermath of Floyds death. On some nights, protesters would blanket the Burnside Bridge, each lying face down on the pavement for eight minutes and 46 seconds in remembrance of Floyd.

Those mass demonstrations have waned, but hundreds have continued on, clashing with police almost nightly. They have set off fireworks, lit fires and attempted to create an autonomous zone similar to one in Seattle.

City leaders have tried a variety of tactics to calm the tensions. Wheeler has pleaded for calm. The citys police chief resigned. City commissioners have moved to cut some $16 million (U.S.) from the police budget.

But the protests have continued.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington  Sat, July 18, 2020 14:03 550 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406675b073 2 Health dexamethasone,coronavirus,COVID-19,health Free

The keenly-awaited full results from a UK trial of the steroid dexamethasone were published Friday, confirming its life-saving benefits for COVID-19 patients on ventilators but suggesting it may cause harm if given too early.

A total of 2,104 hospitalized patients were assigned to receive six milligram daily doses of the medicine for up to 10 days, and 4,321 to receive usual care, with the rate of deaths compared after 28 days.

Among patients on ventilators, the rate of death for patients on the drug was 29.3 percent compared to 41.4 percent on those without.

In other words, this group saw a 29 percent reduction in mortality, just under a third.

In patients who were given oxygen but through less invasive means, the benefit was smaller -- 23.3 percent on dexamethasone died versus 26.2 who were not on it.

However, there was no benefit among the group who weren't receiving any oxygenation at the time the trial started.

In this cohort, 17.4 percent on the steroid died compared to 14 percent who did not receive it -- suggesting the drug increased their mortality risk.

This is because the drug works by suppressing the abnormal immune response that damages the body's organs, rather than attacking the virus.

Speaking to AFP in June, leading US scientist Anthony Fauci cautioned that dexamethasone should not be prescribed too soon after a person was infected.

"It had no effect, if not maybe even a suggestion of making things worse early on," he said.

"This is perfectly compatible with knowing that early on in infection, you need the immune system to suppress the virus."

The authors of the paper, which appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, added that getting benefit from the drug "is dependent on a selection of the right dose, at the right time, in the right patient."

They added that, as far as the COVID-19 illness is concerned, for patients who require oxygen, the abnormal immune response seems more responsible for harm than the replication of the virus in the body.

But they cautioned that this hypothesis should not be applied to other viral respiratory illnesses, like SARS, MERS and influenza, without further study as they may have different impacts.

Read also: Public urged not to buy dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment

Dexamethasone was adopted into UK practice on June 16, the day when the initial results were announced, and is also recommended by the US National Institutes of Health.

On its website, the NIH cautions that it isn't yet known how well dexamethasone might work in combination with the anti-viral drug remdesivir, which has proven beneficial when used alone.

It adds that patients on the drug should be closely monitored for secondary infections and high blood sugar.

It is also known that use of corticosteroids can also re-activate previous infections that were lying dormant, like the hepatitis B virus or tuberculosis.
Five area health care systems are in line for a total of almost $17.5 million in federal funds designed to help the facilities stay afloat as they deal with the public health and financial devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, New York's senators said Saturday.

The awards announced by Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand:
Jayanta Roy Chowdhury By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Indian policymakers are realising that their twin objectives of building high customs duty walls to stimulate a 'Make in India' program, and carve out trade pacts with their largest trading partners such as the European Union and the US are often at variance.



Top officials said the work that went into the Indo-EU summit held earlier this week was "an example of this... They (EU) want tariff cuts and market access in return for trade concessions that we are looking for... but giving anything away at this moment when Indian industry is in recession and we are promoting Make in India, is well nigh impossible.



Possibly realising this, European Commisson President Ursula Von der Leyen announced at the end of the summit that the two sides will be working towards a free-trade agreement, though there is "still a long way to go." Von der Leyen pointed out that any deal "needs to include our usual requirements in terms of market access, public procurement and, of course, sustainable development."



A key element in India's 'Make in India' initiative is to build tariff walls to deter competing imports of certain products such as automobiles and electronics and to give home-grown businesses a free ride in the domestic market.

ALSO READ | As urban business lags, rural India drives recovery from COVID-19 fallout



Duties ranging from 15 to as high as 200-300 per cent are used as deterrents to competition, something that Indias trading partners are not happy about. However, analysts and Indian policymakers, point out that that the EU and US too have high duties and other hidden protection.



"High levels of subsidies such as in farming make it impossible for our farmers to compete against them without duty protection," pointed out prof Biswajit Dhar of JNU, a member of the Board of Trade.



However, industries such as textiles and software which are anxious to reverse declining fortunes by improving market access to major markets such as the EU, US and Japan want trade deals to come through. Commerce Ministry officials said they were being lobbied in favour of a quick trade pact with the EU by domestic textile manufacturers.

"The garments, textiles associations are in favour (of trade pacts)," said a top official.



India wants to start negotiating free-trade pacts with both Britain and the European Union now that their divorce has come through besides working out a preliminary trade pact with the US.



Top officials said they had been told to restart the off again and on again trade negotiations with EU, which started in 2007. And also to formally start trade talks with Britain now that it was no longer bound by EU trade rules.



Said Dhar, "To negotiate these pacts, we need to be clear what we will get and what we will be giving away. The balance needs to be there. Striking that balance will be difficult given the troubled times where our industry is going through a recession and. Our farmers need protection."



The problem in not doing anything is that foreign trade contributes about 43 per cent of Indias GDP and exports have witnessed a massive fall of 36.71 per cent in the April-June 2020 period. A continued free fall would hit Indias overall income levels besides hurting several key sectors.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

The strategic heights taken by the Azerbaijani army allow us to control several settlements in Armenia, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

I must say that in recent days the Azerbaijani army has once again demonstrated its advantage. I believe that this operation will take its place in the glorious history of the Azerbaijani army. Just as in 2016, during the April battles, we taught the enemy a lesson and liberated a part of the Aghdara, Fizuli, and Jabrayil regions from it. Two years ago, in 2018, as a result of a successful Nakhchivan operation, the Azerbaijani army liberated an area of more than ten thousand hectares, the occupiers were expelled from these regions, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that the strategic heights taken by the Azerbaijani army allow us to control several settlements in Armenia.

We control the road leading from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. At one time - in the early 1990s - the Armenian forces that occupied part of the territory of Nakhchivan were expelled, expelled from these territories, the flag of Azerbaijan was raised on these lands, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state pointed out that this operation, the military confrontation of recent days, is yet another glorious victory for us.

The people of Azerbaijan know this. These days I have been receiving letters from thousands of citizens, and they all express support. International military experts are of the same opinion, as evidenced by the real situation in the region. The Armenian forces failed to invade the Azerbaijani lands by a single centimeter and they will never succeed. On the contrary, if we wanted to, we could have taken control of a significant part of the lands on that territory of Armenia. But this is not our goal, added President Ilham Aliyev.
The Luxembourg government has put in place a system to allow travellers a free test ahead of visiting countries which require a negative result or a 14-day quarantine for arrivals from the Grand Duchy.

In light of the recent increase in Covid cases, several countries have placed restrictions upon travellers from Luxembourg, with a 14 day quarantine or a negative test result required.

The Luxembourg government has set up a system to facilitate these requirements, allowing people who have to travel to one of these countries to register for a free test.

From 17 July, Luxembourg residents can make a request on www.covid19.lu (travel abroad), completing a form and providing proof of the need for the trip (for example: booking tickets or hotel, business travel certificate by the employer, and so on).

Each request will be analysed prior to acceptance. Once accepted, a unique code will be sent by email to the requester. The traveller can thus use this code to make an appointment in one of the 17 testing centres around the country.

This service is only intended for people who are required to present a negative test result in order to travel abroad. The regulations in force must be checked on the websites of the embassies of the countries concerned, or on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

The system is designed to not only help those travelling for leisure, but also those needing to visit countries such as Germany on an ad hoc or temporary basis, for professional reasons.
No Going Back: US Air Force Cancels Refurbishment of Open Skies Treaty-Compliant Aircraft

Sputnik News

19:01 GMT 17.07.2020

The US Air Force has canceled the overhaul of its OC-135B Open Skies spy planes built to meet the 1993 treaty's requirements. The US withdrew from the treaty in May, accusing Russia of noncompliance, and on Friday, a senior Russian Defense Ministry figure accused Washington of torpedoing the peaceful treaty so it can pursue militarizing space.

Earlier this year, one of the US Air Force's Open Skies planes was removed from service after receiving camera upgrades. The 1993 Treaty on Open Skies has specific requirements for planes making flights under the treaty, and the replacement of a wet-film camera with a digital camera required Moscow's approval first. As a consequence, the US had just one usable OC-135B, which still had wet film that needed replacing.

Then in late May, US President Donald Trump announced the United States' formal withdrawal from the treaty, claiming Russia was noncompliant for barring certain flights over certain places at certain times, even though this is allowed by the treaty. As a consequence, the Air Force has now officially withdrawn its solicitation notice seeking bids from defense firms willing to do the upgrade work.

"On 22 May 2020, the United States provided formal notice of its intent to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies. As a result, this announcement is hereby cancelled," reads the curt notice posted by the Air Force on the beta.sam.gov contract site on July 14.

The writing about Open Skies was on the wall before Trump's announcement, though: in March, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that efforts for Open Skies aircraft were on hold until Washington's plan with regards to the treaty became clearer.

"At this point and time, until we make a final decision on the path forward, I'm not prepared to recapitalize aircraft," Esper said. "We're holding until we get better direction."

The treaty permits 35 countries to conduct overflights in other countries in the interest of defusing tensions by dispelling suspicions the other side is secretly preparing an attack. In practice, however, most of the signatories are US allies and use the treaty to fly over parts of Russia and Belarus; only Russia has shown significant interest in overflights across the US. As a consequence, the foreign ministries of nearly a dozen European countries issued a joint statement in May stating the treaty remained "functional and useful."

Talks on saving the treaty from the scrapheap were due to begin this week. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US would "reconsider our withdrawal should Russia return to full compliance with the Treaty." However, Moscow has firmly denied any noncompliance, leaving it unlikely the two parties will reach an accommodation for reviving the treaty.

On Thursday, Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry's National Center for Reducing Nuclear Danger, told the Russian military paper Krasnaya Zvezda the US' accusations were simply "a pretext" for its intention to withdraw.

"The real reasons for the US withdrawal from the [Open Skies Treaty] are not those declared by the Americans," Ryzhkov said. "First: the desire of the Americans to control all of space (communication systems, navigation, space debris control, remote sensing of the Earth, etc.), and make good money on this in the future by selling relevant materials. Second: to no longer allow the inspection of US territory."

On Wednesday, a Minotaur IV rocket blasted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia carrying the US Space Force's (USSF's) first mission. According to the Salisbury Daily Times, the rocket carried four classified payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office. NRO Director Chris Scolese told the paper the agency's burgeoning satellite network "will demonstrate revolutionary capabilities of value to the nation and our allies,"

"Despite facing challenges in 2020, we found new and better ways to collaborate with our partners from a distance, relentlessly pursuing our mission and denying sanctuary to our adversaries," Scolese said.

The US Air Force also recently announced the selection of 2,410 service members who will begin transfer to the USSF by February 2021.

 Sputnik

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DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2020) Syria's Justice Minister Hisham al-Shaar told Sputnik that the connection between the Syrian leadership and the people has frustrated foreign hopes that elections will fail.

"There is an external bet on the failure of the elections or any constitutional vote through the siege and fighting in Syria over the past 10 years. They will fail now as they have failed previously because of the leadership's connection with the people," al-Shaar told Sputnik in an interview in Damascus.

Al-Shaar went on to say that despite the great suffering that the Syrian people are undergoing due to terrorism and economic strangulation, there is "no choice but to join hands and move forward and continue to fight our enemies."

The legislative election for the People's Council of Syria was initially scheduled to take place on April 13 but was postponed due to pandemic fears. Syrians will head to the polls on July 19 to elect 250 lawmakers for the country's unicameral parliament.
Detectives have charged a 16-year-old boy with the murder of a 20-year-old, who was stabbed to death during a fight.

A 16-year-old, from Dewsbury, has been charged with the murder of Bradley Stewart Gledhill, who was stabbed to death in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Twenty-year-old Bradley, from Heckmondwike, died from his injuries after he was attacked in Park Croft on June 21.

A 16-year-old, from Dewsbury, has been charged with the murder of Bradley Stewart Gledhill, who was stabbed to death on June 21. Pictured, police at the scene in Park Croft, Batley

Bradley Stewart Gledhill, 20, (pictured) was stabbed to death in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Two other males also suffered serious but not life threatening injuries.

The teenager appeared before Leeds Magistrates Court on July 18 on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and joint enterprise.

The 16-year-old was charged after West Yorkshire Police made two arrests on July 17.

An 18-year-old man, from Stancliffe, has been released on police bail since yesterday's arrests.

This comes after three men and a teenager have already been charged with the murder of Bradley, as well as the attempted murder of two other men.

The men, who are due to stand trial on December 7, are 18-year-old Raja Nawaz, from Heckmondwike, Usman Karolia, 19 and 23-year-old Ahmed Karolia, both from Batley.

The teenager charged with the murder is a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Police are still appealing for information and ask anyone with any information to contact the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team on 101, or anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI  The mayor of Muskegon Heights has threatened to resign if the city manager, who is on suspension, is terminated after less than a year on the job.

Mayor Walter Watt called the city councils motion to terminate Troy Bell an outright embarrassment at the start of the councils meeting earlier this week that ended with a suspension for the time being.

Bell, interviewed on WUVS 103.7 The Beat radio Thursday, July 16, said he was caught by surprise when he learned of the move to get rid of him.

That caught me completely off guard, Bell said.

The council, after meeting in closed session on Monday, July 13, voted to place Bell on suspension so the citys attorney could conduct further investigation into the allegations against Bell. Watt and Council Member Marshal Cook cast the two no votes.

Related: Muskegon Heights city manager suspended after less than a year on the job

Right now, we say we want someone in that seat that represents this community and does a good job and he does that, Watt said. And some back-door deal has been cut amongst four people to make this move and I am totally, totally against it. And if this happens, I will strongly consider resigning myself.

Watt declined to comment when contacted by MLive. He was elected mayor in November 2019.

Cook also called the situation an embarrassment.

It is a sad day we are talking about getting rid of a manager that hasnt had a personnel evaluation  nothing, Cook said.

Bell has not returned phone calls from MLive. When interviewed by Paul Billings live on The Beat, Bell addressed the complaints against him.

City of Muskegon Heights Manager Troy Bell City of Muskegon Heights Manager Troy Bell Posted by WUVS 103.7 The Beat on Thursday, July 16, 2020

One complaint involved Bell continuing to receive an hourly wage of $44 as compared to his $85,000 salary. When taken as a 40-hour week, the compensation is nearly the same, but not if overtime is worked.

Bell told Billings his contract calls for him to switch from the hourly wage once he receives his credentialed city manager certificate  a document he hasnt received, most likely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, hes worked a lot of hours and the overtime costs are attributed to the COVID cost and should be eligible for CARES act reimbursement, Bell said during The Beat interview. The federal CARES act allows reimbursement to local governments for necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency.

Bell told Billings the issue of his pay is one that should be addressed by the councils personnel committee, but that committee has not met this year due to COVID-19.

Regarding a contract he entered with a communications firm, Bell said that involves the development of an unorthodox and first of its kind app through Bloomz. Bloomz has a parent communication app for schools, and Bell said hes working with the company to develop a communication app for use by cities, of which Muskegon Heights would be the first.

He told Billings that he entered a contract and authorized  without council approval -- payments to Bloomz totaling $7,200 via two separate payments of $3,500 plus. He asserted that the contract falls within his discretionary spending of $5,000  which does not need council members approval  because each payment was below that amount.

Bell spent considerable time describing the interactive app that he said hes helping develop and would allow the city and citizens to communicate directly, and for neighborhood groups to communicate with residents as well.

The city will soon embark on a pilot of the app, which will cost up to another $5,000, Bell told Billings. Once the pilot period is over on Nov. 1, the city could choose to walk away with no obligations, he said. If it chooses to stick with the app, citizens would pay to use it, or the city could choose to cover the cost, he said.

Part of the agreement with Bloomz is for Muskegon Heights to receive a commission for each app that is sold to another municipality, Bell told Billings. He called that a revenue source for the city.

I understand some of the things were doing represent change and change can be a little bit scary, and change can be uncomfortable, Bell said. We cant continue to do things the same way weve done before.

Bell also discussed a confrontation at a local store, describing how a man cut in front of him in line and when he protested called Bell the N word and threatened him physically. Bell told Billings he showed the man his identification, which the man perceived to be a police badge. The man ended up calling police and giving them the license number on Bells car, which resulted in the Muskegon Heights police chief contacting Bell and telling him there was a stop on sight order for Bell.

Bell said he explained the situation to the chief and Mayor Watt the following day. He said the incident occurred during the unrest following the death of George Floyd and that Bell had been labeled an aggressive Black man. He was never charged, he said.

Bell was placed on suspension until July 27, so that city attorney Doug Hughes can do more background work, Hughes told MLive.

Prior to coming to Muskegon Heights, Bell was a guest lecturer at Purdue University. He is a former Miami, Florida, police officer and has worked as a deputy city manager in Washington and California, as well as a city and school administrator in Florida.

In 2016, Bell was terminated from his position as deputy city manager for Walla Walla, Washington, after only four months on the job and as his probation period was expiring, according to the Union-Bulletin.com. The city manager told the news organization at the time that the alignment of (Bells) skills and job expectations were not what was hoped for.

In 2017, Bell resigned from his position as chief administrative officer of the parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, five days after he was offered the position. His resignation followed questions about the accuracy of his resume, according to The New Orleans Advocate. When he interviewed for the Muskegon Heights city manager position, Bell said the New Orleans Advocates article contained several inaccuracies that he claimed were either misunderstandings of his history, blatant attempts to attack his credibility or were racially motivated.

The Advocate cited a 2006 article in the Tallahassee-Democrat newspaper that indicated Bell was fired from two positions in Florida state government. Bell denied that he was fired.

Also on MLive:

Muskegon-area pub closed for deep clean after employee tested positive for coronavirus

Former Muskegon County board chair seeks to retake seat in Democratic primary

Woman jailed, unrestrained infant hospitalized after rollover crash in Ottawa County
The truth is that while his anti-McCarthy broadcasts on CBS were damaging, Murrow himself admitted to a New York Times reporter that he was late to the battle: My God. I didnt do anything. The real McCarthy slayers were little-remembered reporters at papers like the Capital Times, along with Americas most-read journalist of the period, Andrew Russell Drew Pearson. Pearson saw in McCarthy a witch hunter who couldnt snare a witch  precisely the sort of faker hed spent his career exposing. Pearson penned dozens of columns on McCarthy, all scathing, in the months after the senator charged that the State Department was riddled with subversives. His muckraking encouraged Murrow and other journalists to take on McCarthy, and it anticipated arguments that would be raised at the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, which were the senators undoing.
The following appeared in an editorial in The Washington Post:

President Donald Trump has a plan sure to make plenty of teenagers very unhappy: ban the video-sharing app TikTok to punish China for its handling of the coronavirus crisis.

The Beijing-based company ByteDance purchased what is now TikTok three years ago, and the platform has since surged in popularity. More than 175 million people in the United States have downloaded it; Generation Z in particular has adopted it as a go-to. Axing the app would deprive Americans of a favorite outlet for free expression  and yet TikTok's provenance does pose real privacy risks that should not be ignored. Which is why treating the tool as a geopolitical cudgel rather than engaging in a thoughtful assessment about its role here is exactly the wrong approach.

TikTok's connection to China invites legitimate concerns about data mining. Although TikTok is mostly full of goofy lip-synching and perplexing meme-making, it collects far more than what its users post  from IP addresses to locations to browsing histories. Certainly, allegations of a real-time information pipeline to the Politburo are far-fetched; no evidence exists to show that TikTok has given information to Chinese authorities so far. But the question is not only what has happened; it's what could happen. President Xi Jinping's government does have the ability to demand data of domestic firms, leaving them little option but to comply.

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These worries would make it reasonable for the federal government to bar employees from downloading TikTok, as the military has already done. Today's meme-making 13-year-old could be tomorrow's intelligence analyst with a high-level clearance, and it's possible that a cache of knowledge about young people's habits could prove useful in future election interference efforts. These questions are precisely those the ongoing national security review of TikTok should answer.

TikTok has tried to distance itself from China by pulling out of Hong Kong in response to Beijing's imposition of a sweeping security law. Yet the White House has signaled that none of these steps will appease it. The point is retribution against another country rather than protection of this one. The U.S. needs a lawful process to evaluate them  or else it only accepts China's techno-nationalism as its own.
Bernal: My experience and my training make me the most qualified person to continue in this role. I have had the privilege of serving as constable for Precinct 6 for nine years. Each year we have to get 16 hours of post-certified training. Also, in my nine years in office, I have had the opportunity to work with Tucson City Council members, members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, neighborhood leaders, nonprofit organizations, and Pima County Justice Courts to better our community.

Q: Why do you want to retain this position?

Bernal: Being a constable has never just been about the paperwork and the legal requirements to me. While those things are a given, it has always been about bringing hope and change to people and to the constable role. Throughout my years as a constable, I have served thousands of civil and criminal papers in difficult and dangerous situations, but what is the most gratifying thing to me is when I dont have to evict a family or an individual. Instead, we find ways to keep them in their homes.

Q: Although its not an official part of the job, some Pima County constables have taken the initiative to focus on eviction prevention. What are your ideas about that?
An angry mob on Saturday set ablaze a truck allegedly belonging to Dangote, whose driver crushed a motorcyclist to death along old Ibadan road, Ijebu Ode area of Ogun.

Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta.

Mr Akinbiyi explained that the accident occurred at about 8 a.m and was caused by speeding on the part of the driver of the truck.

According to him, the truck driver ran over the moving motorcyclist while negotiating a roundabout.

He noted that the accident involved three males: the motorcyclist, the truck motor boy, and driver.

The truck was coming from Ago-Iwoye inbound Ijebu-Ode, when the driver due to speeding could not control the vehicle when it approached Ibadan roundabout.

It ran over the motorcyclist who was trying to negotiate the roundabout as at that time and killed him on the spot.

The driver was later apprehended after attempt to run away and was beaten mercilessly by the angry mob who also set the truck on fire.

But for the intervention of TRACE, police, NSCDC and FRSC personnel, the driver would have been killed, he said.

The Dangote truck

The TRACE spokesman further said that the driver and the motor boy had been arrested and taken to Igbeba Motor Traffic Division, Ijebu-Ode.

He added that the body of the deceased had been deposited at the mortuary of Femtop Hospital, Ijebu-Ode.

Mr Akinbiyi urged drivers of articulated vehicles to maintain their vehicles, be more responsive when driving and avoid speeding, especially when approaching a bend and roundabout.

(NAN)
Chinese FM slams US accusation of cyber attacks by China to 'steal' US vaccines

Global Times

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/18 0:59:43

China's Foreign Ministry has slammed US accusations that China and Russia launched "cyber attacks" to "steal" US vaccines and COVID-19 treatments, and pointed out that China is a global leader in COVID-19 vaccine research and development.

Speaking in Michigan on Thursday, US Attorney General William Barr said that China-linked "hackers have targeted American universities and firms in a bid to steal (intellectual property) related to coronavirus treatments and vaccines, sometimes disrupting the work of our researchers. Beijing is desperate for a public relations coup and may hope that it will be able to claim credit for any medical breakthroughs," USA Today quoted him as saying.

"China is playing a leading role in coronavirus vaccine R&D. We have top ranking researchers, and we don't need to steal to be in the lead," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular press meeting on Friday.

China has developed five types of vaccines, with at least four vaccine candidates entering late-stage clinical trials in cooperation with other countries.

China has always been devoted to developing vaccines as a global public good, as well as making them available to all, especially developing countries, said Hua.

China does not seek monopolies or buy-outs of vaccines and coronavirus drugs as a few countries do, Hua stressed, urging all countries to promote healthy competition rather than malicious attacks.

The US National Security Agency, as well as its counterparts in Britain and Canada, all said Thursday that they're seeing persistent attempts by Russian hackers to break into organizations working on a potential coronavirus vaccine, NPC reported.

Hua said China firmly opposed cyber attacks in any form, and said that in fact the US and a few other countries had arbitrarily launched "cyber wars" against other countries, posing a threat to peace and security in the global cyberspace.

Hua urged US politicians to abandon the "Cold War mentality" because such confrontational thinking can only poison the cooperative environment and harm global cyberspace.

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday asked if the Congress government in Rajasthan resorted to "unconstitutional" methods to tap phones of politicians and demanded a CBI probe into what it called a "saga of illegalities and concocted lies".

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit back at the Congress a day after it cited some audio clips to accuse some saffron party leaders, including Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, of conspiring to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in the state.

Patra said senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Gehlot, have been claiming that these audio clips are authentic even though the FIR registered by police does not say so. "These are serious questions that we want to ask the Congress high command and Ashok Gehlot. Was phone tapping done? Assuming that you've tapped phones, was the SOP followed? Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered?" Patra asked at a press conference.

People of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised, he said, asking if phones of people related to politics are being tapped? "Is it not a case of veiled emergency in Rajasthan?" he asked.

Patra demanded an immediate reaction from the state government and called for a CBI investigation into this "saga of illegalities and concocted lies". He cited regulations governing phone tapping to say that it can only be done by authorised agencies as per due process of law and subject to approved safeguards and a standard operating procedure (SOP).

ALSO READ| Rajasthan audio tapes: Sanjay Jain arrested in connection with conspiracy to topple Congress govt

The Congress on Friday demanded the arrest of union minister Shekhawat and rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma after two audio clips surfaced pertaining to the alleged conspiracy to topple the Gehlot government.

The BJP had described the audio clips as "manufactured". Shekhawat has denied the charge too, saying the voice in these clips was not his. He said he was ready to face any probe.

Patra also insisted that the political crisis in Rajasthan is an outcome of factional feud between Gehlot and rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and noted that the chief minister has said that he was not on "talking terms" with his deputy for 18 months.

The two groups had been fighting since the Congress won the assembly elections in the state in 2018 over who would become chief minister, the BJP spokesperson said. They have been in a "cold war", he said.

Scoffing at the Congress's allegation that the BJP was behind the rebellion, Patra cited Gehlot's recent digs at Pilot and said the conspiracy grew within the state's ruling party. "The political drama unfolding in the Congress in Rajasthan is a cocktail of conspiracies, concocted stories, manufactured lies and illegalities...The sin was theirs. Conspiracies existed within the Congress," he alleged.

The Congress has a history of "phone tapping and bugging", Patra said, and referred to a row involving Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram, both senior ministers in the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government, over alleged snooping.
A rare sighting of a long-billed dowitcher at Mohammedabad village in Sonepat has triggered excitement among birders in Delhi-NCR, with experts saying this is the first sighting of the bird in the region since it was last seen at the Sultanpur National Park in 2013.

Suresh Sharma, a veteran birder from Sonepat, spotted the long-billed dowitcher on Friday afternoon in a paddy field.

I saw the bird and took a photograph, realising that it didnt look like any of the other birds in the marsh. I initially thought it was an Asian dowitcher, but closer scrutiny showed that it was actually a long-billed dowitcher, Sharma said, adding that the bird was in its brighter, breeding plumage.

Breeding adults of the species are known to have orange undersides, with varying black and white stripes around their necks and sides.

Nikhil Devasar, a Delhi-based birder, explained that the long-billed dowitcher is a coastal bird that breeds in Central Asia before moving toward the tropics for the winter. Shorelines are the birds natural habitat. The specimen Sharma spotted on Friday is likely a vagrant, as it is rarely seen in the plains. The last sighting in Delhi-NCR is from at least five or six years ago, he said.

The birds affinity for a shoreline habitat, birders said, is the reason for multiple sightings in Indias coastal states Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat, though it has also been previously seen in Punjabs Harike region. Describing the sighting as a lucky find, Sharma said: I dont think I would have spotted the bird if it wasnt for the rains. A downpour in Sonepat on Saturday has submerged a paddy field, creating the right marshy habitat that dowitchers prefer.
The agents in Portland are part of rapid deployment teams put together after Trump directed federal agencies to deploy additional personnel to protect statues, monuments and federal property during the continuing unrest.

Portland: Federal agents dressed in camouflage and tactical gear have taken to the streets of Portland, unleashing tear gas, bloodying protesters and pulling some people into unmarked vans in what Governor Kate Brown of Oregon has called a blatant abuse of power.

The extraordinary use of federal force in recent days, billed as an attempt to tamp down persistent unrest and protect government property, has infuriated local leaders, who say the agents have stoked tensions.

This is an attack on our democracy, Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland said.

The strife in Portland, which has had 50 consecutive days of protests reflects the growing fault lines in law enforcement as President Donald Trump threatens an assertive federal role in how cities manage a wave of national unrest after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police.

One Portland demonstrator, Mark Pettibone, 29, said he had been part of the protests before four people in camouflage jumped out of an unmarked van around 2 am. Wednesday. They had no obvious markings or identification, he said, and he had no idea who they were.

One of the officers said, Its OK, its OK, and just grabbed me and threw me into the van, Pettibone said. Another officer pulled my beanie down so I couldnt see.

Pettibone said that he was terrified  protesters in the city have in the past clashed with far-right militia groups also wearing camouflage and tactical gear  and that at no point was he told why he was arrested or detained or what agency the officers were with. He said he was held for about two hours before being released.

It felt like I was being hunted for no reason, Pettibone said. It feels like fascism.

In a statement issued Friday, Customs and Border Protection said agents who made the arrest had information that indicated a suspect had assaulted federal authorities or damaged property and that they moved him to a safer location for questioning.

The statement said that the agents identified themselves but that their names were not displayed because of recent doxxing incidents against law enforcement personnel.

The agents in Portland are part of rapid deployment teams put together by the Department of Homeland Security after Trump directed federal agencies to deploy additional personnel to protect statues, monuments and federal property during the continuing unrest.

The teams  which include 2,000 officials from Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard  are supporting the Federal Protective Service, an agency that already provides security at federal properties.

Agents have been dispatched to Portland, Seattle and Washington, DC, to guard statues, monuments and federal property, such as the federal courthouse in Portland, according to homeland security officials.

But the response by the homeland security agents in Portland has prompted backlash over whether the federal officers are exceeding their arrest authority and violating the rights of protesters by detaining demonstrators in the area around the federal courthouse.

The agents have the authority to make arrests if they believe that a federal crime has been committed. Homeland security has pointed to dozens of possible crimes in Portland, such as the damaging of the federal courthouse, the spray-painting of graffiti on federal property, and the throwing of rocks and bottles at officers.

Law enforcement officials say it is rare for local police departments to request help from federal authorities  or for the federal government to deploy in a city without that consent  because of the risk of escalating an already volatile environment.

The last people you really want are any of these federal officials, said Gil Kerlikowske, the former commissioner of Customs and Border Protection and the former chief of the Seattle Police Department.

Billy Williams, the US attorney for the District of Oregon, said in a statement Friday that he was asking the Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general to investigate reports of officers detaining protesters.

Brown said in an interview that she asked the acting homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf, to remove federal officials from the streets and that he refused. She said the Trump administration appeared to instead be using the situation for photo ops to rally his supporters.

They are provoking confrontation for political purposes, Brown said.

In early June, the administration deployed an array of federal agents to cities like San Diego; Buffalo, New York; and Las Vegas.

In Washington, DC, tensions were heightened when the Park Police and Secret Service used chemical agents to disperse a crowd of protesters in Lafayette Park for a photo opportunity by Trump.

Federal agents without any insignia also sparked fear and confusion in the demonstrations, and military helicopters flying below rooftop level sent protesters scurrying for cover.

Customs and Border Protection also recently sent drones, helicopters and planes to conduct surveillance of the protests in 15 cities.

Wolf, who arrived in Portland on Thursday, called the protesters a violent mob of anarchists emboldened by a lack of local enforcement.

Federal officers on the ground in Portland have deployed a range of forceful tactics: They appeared to fire less-lethal munitions from slits in the facade of the federal courthouse, one officer walked the street while swinging a burning ball emitting tear gas, and camouflaged personnel drove in unmarked vans.

Homeland security officers have been dispatched to help local law enforcement in the past, but typically if a request was made by local government or if there was a national special security event taking place that could be especially vulnerable to terrorism, such as the UN General Assembly or the Super Bowl.

Harry Fones, a homeland security spokesman, did not answer questions seeking additional details about the tactics of the officers in Portland, instead referring to a Customs and Border Protection statement that said the federal officers did display insignia.

Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said in a series of tweets Friday that the agents from BORTAC, the equivalent of the agencys SWAT team, would continue to arrest the violent criminals that are destroying federal property & injuring our agents/officers in Portland.

The demonstrations began in the aftermath of Floyds death in Minneapolis, drawing thousands of people to the streets to denounce police violence and racial injustice. On some nights, protesters would blanket the Burnside Bridge, each lying face down on the pavement for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in remembrance of Floyd.

Those mass demonstrations have waned, but hundreds have continued on, clashing with police almost nightly.

They have set off fireworks, lit fires and attempted to create an autonomous zone similar to one that existed up Interstate 5 in Seattle. Police officers have responded with tear gas, although a federal judge has since limited the use of that tactic, and dozens have been arrested.

The persistent unrest has frustrated city leaders, including Wheeler, who has often been a target of protesters. Some Black leaders in the community have also expressed disappointment, suggesting that the predominantly white protest crowd was seizing an opportunity and detracting from the vital efforts needed to reform policing.

City leaders have tried a variety of tactics to calm the tensions. Wheeler has pleaded for calm. The citys police chief resigned. City commissioners have moved to cut some $16 million from the police budget.

But the protests have continued.

Trump has vowed to dominate protesters and said last week that he had sent homeland security personnel to Portland because the locals couldnt handle it.

Its a pretty wild group, but you have it in very good control, he told Wolf.

One recent video appeared to show a protester, Donavan La Bella, being struck in the head by an impact munition while he was holding a sign across the street from the federal courthouse, leading to a bloody scene. His mother has told local media that he suffered skull fractures and needed surgery.

Members of Congress from Oregon have called for an investigation, and Williams said the encounter had been referred to the justice departments inspector general for further investigation.

Kelly Simon, the interim legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, said the alarming federal tactics, such as the unmarked vans, have been used at times to intimidate immigrant communities, and she worried that the use of the tactics was growing.

What were seeing in Portland should concern everybody in this country, Simon said.

Sergio Olmos, Mike Baker and Zolan Kanno-Youngs c.2020 The New York Times Company
A Confederate battle flag in front of the South Carolina statehouse, in Columbia, South Carolina, July 9, 2015.

AP Photo/John Bazemore

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper sent out a memo Friday regarding flags flown at American military installations.

The memo effectively bans the display of the Confederate flag, which is not on the list of approved banners included in the document, at US military bases.

Speaking before the House Armed Service Committee this month, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley condemned the Confederacy as an "act of treason."

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Secretary of Defense Mark Esper issued a memo Friday that effectively bans the display of the Confederate flag at US military installations.

"Flags are powerful symbols, particularly in the military community for whom flags embody common mission, common histories, and the special, timeless bond of warriors," Esper wrote in the memo.

"The flags we fly," he said, "must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols."

Esper's memo does not specifically mention the Confederate battle flag; however, the flag does not appear on the list of acceptable flags included within the document. The memo says that the American flag is the "principal flag we are authorized and encouraged to display."

The memo comes at a time of national reflection on race, injustice, and division following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, in late May.

The move by the Pentagon follows action by the Marine Corps in early June to officially ban the display of the Confederate battle flag from both public and work spaces on its military bases. The Navy followed suit a week later, announcing that it was drafting plans to prohibit the display of the Confederate battle flag in all public and work areas on bases, ships, aircraft, and submarines.

Story continues

The Army has also been looking closely at divisive symbols. Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy told reporters this week that "anything that is a divisive symbol, we do want to take those off our installations and keep that sort of thing out of our formation," Politico reported Thursday, revealing that McCarthy had been pushing Esper "hard" to ban the Confederate flag.

Speaking before the House Armed Service Committee this month, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milleycondemned the Confederacy as an "act of treason." He also suggested the military take a "hard look" at bases honoring Confederate military leaders.

"We've also got to take a hard look at the symbology, the symbols, things like the Confederate flags and statues and bases," he said, telling representatives that "those officers turned their back on their oath."

President Donald Trump has firmly opposed the renaming of bases celebrating Confederate leaders, like Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, and Fort Pickett. He tweeted last month "my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The United States has approved the sale of up to 16 Mark VI patrol boats and related equipment to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"The United States has approved the sale of up to 16 Mark VI patrol boats and related equipment to Ukraine. This will help the Ukrainian Navy meet current and future threats in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. I highly appreciate the continued ironclad support of U.S. partners," Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

The Mark VI is a modern and maneuverable vessel designed for coastal deployment. Six boats are currently being prepared for Ukraine using U.S. security assistance funds. The remaining vessels will be available for Ukraine to purchase using its military budget

"The approval is a sign of deepening trust. The U.S. support, together with the reform of the national security and defense sector and defense industry, will help Ukraine establish modern NATO-interoperable Armed Forces, capable to effectively counter Russian aggression," the minister noted.

ish
Anunt de selectare a participantilor si participantelor la cel de-al doilea curs de instruire din cadrul Programului educational pentru dezvoltarea competentelor lucratorilor de tineret
Mumbai: While everyone is looking for ways to keep themselves encouraged during these tough times, actors Asha Bhat, Pooja Chopra and former Mr India International Darasing Khurana engaged in an enriching online session with spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar recently.

The celebrities asked various questions related to mental and emotional health and sought the gurus advice. Among the many questions that came up, one of the questions that Asha asked was, Whether in love or career how does one give 100 per cent and stay centred despite hurt and failure?

Dara had an interesting query, too. My upbringing taught me, if I do Seva or donate at someplace, I am supposed to keep it a secret for it to be counted as good karma. But being a youth icon, I realised if I talk about it, I inspire more people to walk that path. So does my donation or Seva count for nothing if I talk to people about it with the intention of inspiring them? Pooja asked, What does one do when the heart says one thing and the logical mind another? These were among a string of questions that were asked and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar patiently responded to each of them.

Gurudev had an interesting answer to Darasings question on charity. He said, The idea of not speaking about the charity you do was to prevent the ones donating from being boastful or full of ego about themselves and also to ensure that the ones on the receiving end never felt small or unconfident. But your philosophy to share your actions of social welfare to inspire more people to do the same is great. Theres nothing wrong in that. Responding to Ashas question about staying centered, he said, Every failure is a stepping stone to success. So always listen to your gut feeling and go for it. Youll see thatll youll always feel a sense of success. When you listen to your gut feeling and just march forward, things fall in place. And when in tough situations, always take to prayer. Its the way out. Replying to Poojas question, the spiritual leader said, It depends from field to field. In matters of business, one must listen to the mind. But in matters of life and relationships, listen to your heart.

The enriching session lasted for about 30 minutes and saw participation by several social media users.
QUEENSBURY  A motion to appoint Travis Whitehead back to the Warren-Washington Industrial Development Agency board was tabled Friday, after Board of Supervisors Chairman Frank Thomas said Whitehead was harassing county employees.

In January, Thomas declined to reappoint Whitehead, who has been critical of county decisions in the past. These include the countys now-abandoned project to expand the main runway at the Warren County airport and the Siemens co-generation plant, which cost the county millions of dollars.

Thomas appointed Glens Falls 4th Ward Supervisor Dan Bruno instead.

Another opening was created in January with the resignation of Horicon Supervisor Matt Simpson on the economic development board. Thomas wanted to appoint Larry Stephenson, of Stephenson Lumber, to the position, but the board tabled the request because it wanted to determine whether it should go through the Personnel and Administration Committee. Then, the committee delayed filling the vacancy, pending a review of how IDA appointments should be made.

No appointment has been made, so some supervisors on Friday brought forth a resolution to appoint Whitehead back to the IDA.

Supervisors split over bringing the motion to the floor, but the motion passed. (See accompanying vote box.)

The only supervisor to make a comment was Chester Supervisor Craig Leggett, who said he believes the appointment should have come through the Personal Committee.

Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Michael Wild, who served on the board with Whitehead, acknowledged that Whitehead can be controversial, but he added significant value while he was on the IDA.

He does tend to rub some people wrong sometimes, because he is strong-willed, he said.

Wild said the board needs more help. It just lost a deal with WL Plastics, who backed out of a plan to go into the former dewatering plant property in Fort Edward, citing the coronavirus pandemics negative effect on its business.

The more hands on deck to move this organization forward, the better, he said.

After Wilds remarks, Thomas asked: How many harassment claims do Warren County employees have to officially file before it becomes an issue with this board? he asked.

Thomas did not mention Whitehead by name.

Thomas comments caught the other supervisors off guard.

Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Rachel Seeber called it highly unprofessional to raise this issue in a public session and asked why it had not come up at the Personnel Committee. This is the first she is hearing of these complaints, she said.

Horicon Supervisor Matt Simpson called for a motion to go into executive session to discuss the matter, which was seconded by Hague Supervisor Edna Frasier.

Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Doug Beaty was incredulous at this turn of events and said Thomas was being unfair to Whitehead.

Is that person going to be allowed to participate in that executive session like we allowed the sheriff? Beaty said, referring to an earlier executive session to discuss Sheriff Jim LaFarrs now-rescinded appointment of his son Tanner LaFarr to a road patrol officer position.

No, I dont believe he is, Thomas responded.

The motion to go into executive session passed, with Beaty, Queensbury Supervisor-at-Large Brad Macgowan, and Glens Falls 2nd Ward Supervisor Peter McDevitt voting in opposition.

Mr. Chairman, youre going over some bounds that are scary, Beaty said.

Following a 15-minute executive session, Seeber voted to table the appointment resolution and Beaty seconded it. It unanimously passed.

During the public comment session, Whitehead posted a comment asking how many harassment complaints does it take to get rid of the Board of Supervisors?

It takes no evidence to file a harassment complaint, he said.

Whitehead responds

Whitehead told The Post-Star afterward that the only harassment complaint he knows of is the one filed in July 2014 by then-Airport Manager Ross Dubarry. Whitehead said he overheard a conversation that Dubarry had with then-Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Mark Westcott in which Dubarry sought to come up with an excuse not to meet with Whitehead to talk about his concerns with the runway expansion. Whitehead had accused the two of stonewalling his request for information.

Whitehead called Dubarry a sorry son of a bitch.

The Warren County Sheriffs Office investigated the complaint and determined that no laws were broken.

Whitehead said he filed a Freedom of Information Law request after the meeting to find out if there are any more complaints.

Whitehead also had called Thomas an ahole after the meeting in January, when he was removed from the IDA.

Is Thomas and others looking out for the citizens who need these jobs to come here, or is he more concerned that his decisions are not questioned or his feelings are hurt? Whitehead said in an email.

Whitehead believes that this is an ongoing feud that dates back to when Thomas was taking office, when Whitehead made a comment to The Post-Star that supervisors from northern Warren County seemed to be holding the positions of power and they have such a smaller population compared with Queensbury and Glens Falls.

I just said, Watch out for this North Country crew because theyre running the show, he said.

Whitehead also said he has been a vocal critic of whether the IDA has been effective in bringing jobs to the area.

Theyre waiting for the fish to jump into the boat, he said.

Instead, he said the IDA should be recruiting downstate companies that are looking to get out of the urban area, which may not be as receptive to manufacturing businesses.

Whitehead also recently questioned why Warren County Attorney Mary Kissane went ahead and withdrew a lawsuit against David Decker, former director of the Lake George Watershed Coalition, to recoup a $50,000 payment that county officials said he never turned over to the county.

Kissane had the blessing of a county committee to proceed and then dropped the case last month. The full board then voted on a resolution to approve the matter after the fact.

I think she got a little upset that I had pointed out to her bosses that she had done the wrong thing. Is that going to be a harassment charge or has it been a harassment charge? I dont know, he said.

Whitehead said some county officials may not like the fact that he questioned the need for the runway expansion at the Warren County airport, or that the county was losing millions of dollars with the Siemens co-generation plant, instead of saving money.

They are elected officials doing our work for us. And Im sorry if I question when they do things wrong, he said.

Reach Michael Goot at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com and follow his blog poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/.

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Rajasthan first: Vasundhara Raje reacts for first time after crisis outbreak

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Jaipur, July 18: It is unfortunate that the people of Rajasthan are paying for the discord within the Congress, former chief minister of the state, Vasundhara Raje said.

This is in fact her first response since the crisis erupted in Rajasthan. She tweeted, " there is no pint dragging the BJP and its leaders names through the mud. It is the interest of our people that must remain paramount."

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded to know f the phones of state leaders in Rajasthan are being tapped. The allegation by the BJP comes amidst the alleged conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.

Are phones of state leaders being tapped in Rajasthan: BJP demands CBI probe

The BJP also demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the allegations made by the Congress in Rajasthan that it has audio tapes to prove that the BJP was in collusion with rebel Congress leaders to bring down the Gehlot government.

Is phone tapping not a legal issue. Were the standard procedures laid down followed for phone tapping? The CM should answer if the state machinery was misused and if there is a veiled emergency in the state, BJP spokesperson, Sambit Patra said at a press conference.

On Friday Congress spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala had briefed the media about the existence of tapes where BJP leaders including Union Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat can be heard conspiring with rebel MLAs from the Sachin Pilot camp to topple the state government.
The Shankill GAA Adult Ladies team took on a challenge to walk, run, cycle all the way to 'New York City' from Shankill, raising over 3,000 for St Joseph's.

Each of the 15 ladies could choose their preferred method to collectively reach the target of 5123km (the distance from Shankill to New York). Many of the ladies opted to really ramp up the kilometres by taking to their bicycles, as the fastest way to gain miles under their belts.

The challenge raised funds for Saint Joseph's Shankill, Ireland's largest dementia specific home. John Dempsey, chairman of the Shankill GAA club said, 'it is wonderful for our ladies team to support such a worthy local charity, the ladies did an amazing job and their dedication to the challenge enabled them all to keep up the team spirit that they missed as their training and competition was suspended during lockdown'.

He was joined this week by team manager Steve Davis and players Orla Kavanagh, Louise Ryan and Jen Mahon to present the funds to Siobhan Grant. As the miles were being clocked up, the ladies had an added incentive to achieve the goal as it turned in to a race against old rivals Glencullen ladies team, much to the delight of the Shankill side they were victorious in reaching the goal first!

On the final day of the challenge a group of the ladies cycled all the way from Shankill to Malahide to ensure the target was smashed, rumour has it a couple of them had to get the dart home!

Team captain Orla said 'This challenge really brought the whole team together, and was a great way to reconnect with each other.

'We are delighted to be back in training together and competing again, knowing we have raised over 3000 for the wonderful care provided for people living with dementia at Saint Joseph's.' Siobhan Grant, Fundraising Manager at Saint Joseph's said on receipt of the funds: 'we have been blown away by the commitment of the Shankill GAA Ladies team and the generosity of all those people who supported this challenge.

'It was wonderful to know that this effort was happening locally for our cause as we took on our own challenge here to keep everyone safe during lockdown, thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all involved.
Chennai, July 18 : Editor of Tamil magazine Thuglak and chartered accountant S. Gurumurthy, who has alleged a scam in the Tamil Nadu Congress Charitable Trust (TNCCT), said on Saturday that its trustees are appointed by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Earlier, Gurumurthy had alleged a scam similar to the National Herald was brewing in the Tamil Nadu Congress that owns properties worth Rs 20,000 crore.

"National Herald Scam II brewing. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee trust has properties worth 20K crore. Annual income in crores. Kanishk Singh, Rahul Gandhi's right-hand man, has taken over the trust documents and accounts. What are trustees like GK Vasan and Jayanthi Natarajan doing?" Gurumurthy tweeted on Friday.

Rejecting Congress leader E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan's contention that TNCC appointed the trustees, Gurumurthy citing 2015 news reports in a tweet and alleged that said Sonia Gandhi appointed the trustees.

"See the news item which says TNCC President EVKS Elangovan only announced the appointments made by Sonia. Where is Natchiappan who asserted only TNCC executive made the appointments? Why does he tell a lie that can't last for even 24 hours?" Gurumurthy tweeted.

In February 2015, then TNCC President Elangovan had said Congress President Gandhi had appointed Motilal Vora and C.R. Kesavan as trustees of TNCCT, after the exit of Vasan and Jayanthi Natarajan.

"Under the TNCC Trust deed, it is only the TNCC Executive Committee which can appoint the trustees. Natchiappan asserts it also. Why then Sonia appointed Vora and Kesavan as trustees and on what authority? Was Natchiappan sleeping when she made illegal appointments?" Gurumurthy asked.

"TNCC property fraud more info from the horses' mouth. All trustees were summoned to meet Rahul in 2009 & instructed to sign something. A trustee out of the country wrote to Rahul to express concern about the Trust and wanted to discuss the matter. Rahul didn't respond," he further alleged.

Gurumurthy said that former Union Minister Vasan told him that he had left Congress six years back and he was not aware of what was happening in the trust.

Meanwhile, TNCC President K.S. Alagiri on Saturday said the trust is functioning honestly for the benefit of the poor.
'A perfect storm' start for County Wexford Chamber has seen its CEO and President resign within a matter of weeks and a scramble to get interim replacements in place at a time of unprecedented challenges for around 450 Chamber members.

CEO Fiona Lewis resigned last week, her resignation following that of former president Sean Reidy, along with two directors of the fledgling chamber: Adrian Twomey and Cllr. Diarmuid Devereux. Ms Lewis said she resigned for family reasons, having taken up the role - which is understood to come with an 80,000 wage packet - in January.

Mr. Reidy confirmed in June that he had stepped down from his voluntary role as Director and President of the organisation which represents business interests in Wexford, New Ross and Enniscorthy. Chamber board member Willie Fitzharris has been appointed chairperson of the organisation, effectively taking over as president and a deputy CEO is due to be appointed this Friday at a meeting in Wexford.

Describing Covid-19 lockdown as a huge blow to the fledgling organisation, Mr Fitzharris said: 'It was a perfect storm and that means there will be casualties.'

He said working with 15 different people on Zoom calls was impossible, adding that County Wexford Chamber was just being formed when Covid hit. 'That wiped us out. There was no one on the board that wasn't affected by Covid in their own business. It was a two year process to get the amalgamation over the line. It's not easy to get people to join a Chamber board. We found we had 15 directors in a room on these calls and most of them didn't know each other.'

He said there was deep frustration at the lack of progress with the Chamber during Covid, adding that this created problems for management.

Mr Fitzharris said Chamber membership fees keep the organisation going, while acknowledging the 720,000 funding from Wexford County Council for the Chamber's first three years. He said the chambers are on a much firmer footing today than they were individually eight months ago.

'They were operating with very limited resources. They weren't funded to the same extent and didn't have the staff resources. Going forward there is a very good structure.'

He said the appointment of a new CEO will be challenging, adding that he is confident a successor to Ms Lewis can be found.

'Of course we are frustrated when good people resign. I would say thank you to them for coming in in the first place. There are ten good directors left and good work was done. We intend to be even more in touch with our membership and to target new membership over the coming months.'

He is positive that the Chamber can bounce back.

'We have a lot of experience in how not to do things. We are learning. I'll be there, along with the new deputy CEO and we'll be hiring a CEO later this year. We're not going to panic.'

Ms Lewis said she was excited coming into the role in January. She said the Chamber was a blank canvas when she started on January 20.

Ms Lewis said: 'You set out with a 100 day plan and vision that you've developed with your fellow board members and the president. We started working very well together and sadly it was scuppered by the pandemic so we didn't get to do what we had hoped to do. This was always going to be a challenge, but not an insurmountable challenge and I will look back on this chapter of my life with positivity.

'From the first day I started there were many challenges and many opportunities. The opportunity was there to amalgamate chambers which were predominantly run by women and to get them all working together from a county perspective. To see that was wonderful.'

Describing her resignation as a 'natural break', Ms Lewis said people are entitled to a return to a more normal existence, adding that family reasons were why she chose to step down. 'I was delighted to be involved in the opening of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge. Reviving Wexford was a really big project and 217 people responded and had the opportunity to raise some many issues.'

Working on the reopening plan for Gorey, New Ross and Wexford was another highlight, she said.

She said she collaborated very well with Wexford County Council officials. 'They were involved as major stakeholders to support us.'

Ms Lewis said getting Enniscorthy to join into the county structure was a goal set out from the beginning. 'The goal was always to encourage Enniscorthy to join us into a one county chamber.'

She is hopeful for the organisation's future: 'There are some excellent people remaining in the Chamber. The Chamber is only a collection of people and it's all about the members, of which there are around 450 potential members in terms of the amalgamation so the loss of me or Sean for our own personal reasons will not impact..'

Ms Lewis declined to comment when asked how many members have signed up for the year.

Describing her role as intense, challenging and fulfilling, Ms Lewis said she will back on her time in Wexford warmly, thanking her Chamber colleagues for their support.
That news came the same day attorneys for the teenager filed a motion in court seeking an emergency review and reconsideration of her case and more than 200 people formed a car caravan to protest on her behalf outside the Oakland County Courthouse.

The case, which has drawn national scrutiny, was detailed in a ProPublica Illinois investigation co-published Tuesday with the Detroit Free Press and Bridge Magazine.

The girl, Grace*, was a high school sophomore in Birmingham Public Schools when she was charged with assault and theft last year. She was placed on probation in mid-April and, among other requirements, told to complete her schoolwork. Grace, who has ADHD and receives special education services, struggled with the transition to online learning and fell behind.

Oakland County Judge Mary Ellen Brennan, the presiding judge of the Family Division, found Grace had violated probation by not completing her schoolwork and ordered her to detention. She concluded Grace was a threat to (the) community based on the prior charges of assault and theft.

Grace was detained beginning May 14, when the state was operating under an order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to eliminate any form of detention or residential placement unless a young person posed a substantial and immediate safety risk to others.

In the court filing on July 16, one of Graces attorneys, Jonathan Biernat, wrote that the decision to detain the teenager was contrary to that order because she was detained based on incomplete schoolwork, which hardly presents a risk of harm to either the community, or herself.

The record is entirely devoid of facts to support the actual threat of harm presented by (Grace), Biernat wrote in the motion.

The motion states that Grace has had no issues during the more than two months she has been at the Childrens Village detention center in suburban Detroit, first in secure detention for three weeks and then in a residential treatment program. She has been an exemplary participant and has completed any and all tasks assigned to her in the time allowed.

In a statement, the Oakland County courts Family Division pushed back on criticism of Brennan, saying judges base their decisions on an extensive review of information, including public and non-public documents. The court said Graces assault and theft charges were two of many factors leading to her placement at Childrens Village.

By definition, any public report is incomplete, out of context, and unfair to all concerned, according to the statement. Family court judges have one criterion that must be followed  to make decisions that are in the best interest of the child and the family. This decision is not influenced by race, by income, by ethnicity, or any other variable.

The ProPublica Illinois investigation did not rely solely on the publicly available court records, and it reported a history of conflict between the mother and daughter, including the mother calling police to the residence on several occasions. There has been no police contact with the family since the November incidents, records show.

The violation of probation involved only incomplete schoolwork and failure to get up for school, and both the mother and daughter have pleaded with the judge to allow them to be together at home. The judge, in announcing her decision in June to keep Grace at Childrens Village, said she thought the teenager was best served by getting treatment and other services that would set her and her mother on a better path forward.

If this child was such a substantial risk to herself, to others or to the community, that would have been placed on the record and made part of the court file, Biernat said in response to the court statement.

The suggestion that (Grace) is so dangerous she needs to be detained and separated from her mother for  months is not supported by the evidence available. If there is additional information that has not been disclosed, I look forward to reviewing that documentation, Biernat added.

A group representing family law attorneys came to Brennans defense. They said the judge, who has been on the bench for 12 years, is a compassionate, fair, thoughtful, and deliberate judge with an excellent judicial demeanor.

About 200 people turned out for a car caravan to protest the girls detention that traveled from Groves High School, which she attended, to the courthouse. Some made signs  Black Lives Matter and Free Grace  and taped them on their windows. Grace is African-American.

Amber Abboud, a graduate of Groves High School, said many alumni have shown support for Grace on social media.

I came out because there is a clear injustice at hand here. I think a lot of these people who attend these schools, we know there is a racial disparity but we dont talk about it, she said.

From January 2016 through June 2020, about 4,800 juvenile cases were referred to the Oakland County court. Of those, 42% involved Black youth even though only about 15% of the countys youth are Black, according to a ProPublica Illinois analysis of county data.

Beverly Hills resident Joyce Peralta, who has a daughter with ADHD, spoke about the racial disparities and difficulties for children with learning disabilities.

This intersects implicit bias because this would not be happening to a white Birmingham girl who had a little bit of a spat with her mom. Thats what teenage girls do, she said. And it intersects both the racial disparities, it intersects how we dont have services for ADHD kids.

On Thursday afternoon, at a special meeting of the Birmingham Public Schools Board of Education, board members unanimously approved a resolution asking the court to review Graces case and apply restorative justice practices in the best interest of this student. The district had pledged to be flexible with school requirements during the school shutdown. Work was graded on a credit/no-credit system.

No harm should come to (Birmingham Public Schools) students as a result of the sudden shift to online learning caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, according to the resolution. State and federal elected officials, the ACLU of Michigan and others also have called for Graces release from detention.

School board member Adrienne Young, who works in the State Appellate Defender Office, said board members have received about 300 emails from across the country about the case. She thanked supporters for standing up for Grace and apologized to Grace and her family.
We might not know. And thats no surprise to Nicole Woitowich, associate director for the Womens Health Research Institute at Northwestern University. Woitowich recently finished a 10-year review examining whether medical studies included male and female subjects, and if data was analyzed by sex. She found that although more studies included both sexes, there was no improvement on breaking down results among males and females. This matters because without analyzing results by sex, she said, its hard to assess whether men and women react differently to treatment.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to thank the British government for its decision to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies from involvement in the country's 5G network when he visits London next week, the South China Morning Post has learned.

Pompeo's trip will also include discussion on human rights in Hong Kong after Beijing's imposition of a national security law in the special administrative region, sources said.

"Pompeo's main purpose in London is to thank the British government for the decision it has taken on Huawei," a source with direct knowledge of preparations for the trip said.

According to the US State Department, Pompeo will meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to discuss "Covid-19 economic recovery plans, issues related to the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong, and the US-UK free trade agreement negotiations".

As Pompeo begins his trip, Raab is expected to deliver a speech on China in the parliament on Monday, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle demanding a clear government strategy on the world's second-biggest economy.

On Tuesday, Pompeo is expected to meet a small group of lawmakers and possibly some human rights activists, sources said.

Bob Seely, a Conservative member of parliament critical of the Chinese government, said he expected Pompeo to listen to different voices " not just in Whitehall, but also in Westminster.

"He would try to get an understanding of both voices. In many ways, parliament is helping lead the policy on China," Seely, also a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said, adding that Hong Kong would also likely be discussed.

US to restrict visas for employees of Huawei, other Chinese tech firms

China has suggested that Britain has been acting as a "junior partner" to Washington in targeting Huawei.

"Britain can only be Great Britain and exert a global influence when it has an independent foreign policy. Otherwise it is just a junior partner of the US," Chinese ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said in a tweet on Thursday. "The decisions on Huawei are not about security risk, but political pressure.

Story continues

While London denies this, Pompeo's trip could fuel suspicion among Chinese diplomats who say they are surprised that Johnson's government would work closely with the US administration so close to the presidential election.

"The 'golden era' between China and Britain is now totally overshadowed by the 'special relationship' between Britain and the US next week," a Chinese diplomatic source said.

Pompeo's trip was first reported by British media just hours after Westminster announced the decision to ban Huawei equipment from its 5G network from next year and to phase out all existing equipment by 2027.

Johnson's government insisted the Huawei decision was not aimed at China, but only in response to Huawei's inability to source secure equipment after the US government in May announced sanctions on the Chinese company over links to the Communist Party, a claim Huawei denies.

Later in the week, Pompeo will go to Copenhagen to meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the foreign ministers of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland to discuss China, among other issues.

The Faroe Islands has invited Huawei to build 5G networks there, while the US has been trying to curb Chinese influence in Greenland, strategically located between Europe and North America.

The US has sought closer alignment with Europe to confront China. Earlier this week, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien and his Chinese-speaking deputy, Matt Pottinger, met in Paris with their counterparts from France, Britain, Germany and Italy to lobby against the Chinese tech giant.

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.
Covid-19 threatens to exacerbate many issues the world is facing, such as years of conflict and other humanitarian crises, the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, while calling for continuity of essential health services.

Although Covid-19 has rightly captured the world's attention, many countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East, are still reeling from years of conflict and other humanitarian crises, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday at a routine briefing, Xinhua reported.

He said the pandemic, and the restrictions put in place to suppress it, are taking a heavy toll on 220 million people in protracted emergencies. While it is too early to assess the full impact of so-called lockdowns and other containment measures, up to 132 million more people may go hungry in 2020, in addition to the 690 million who went hungry last year.

According to the WHO chief, deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty caused by the pandemic could force at least 9.7 million children out of school forever by the end of this year, with millions more falling behind in learning.

Meanwhile, the economic impact of the pandemic in humanitarian settings can aggravate already dire living conditions, such as more displacement, food shortages, risk of malnutrition, decrease in access to essential services, and mental health problems, said Tedros.

"The pandemic is teaching us that health is not a luxury item; it's the foundation of social, economic and political stability," he said. "The impacts of the pandemic go far beyond health, and so do the needs, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable countries."

The WHO chief called on the international community to use Covid-19 as an opportunity to build health systems that are more resilient and more able to withstand the impact of health emergencies.
HARBOR BEACH  As administrators, teachers and staff at Harbor Beach Community Schools prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, they are confident they will be ready to welcome back students on Sept. 8, the scheduled first day of school in Huron County.

Superintendent Shawn Bishop is aware that all school districts, including his own, have a great deal of work to do so theyll be ready to open their doors to students, so his district is keeping its options open as that Sept. 8 start date quickly approaches.

Youre making some guesses as to what the future holds, Bishop said.

When classes finally begin, teachers at Harbor Beach will be ready with a solid plan in place. Bishop established a task force in April to formulate that plan to ensure that students educational opportunities are maximized if in-person learning is suspended or an alternative is preferred by individual students. The task force has met every Wednesday since April, and Bishop said they have come up with a road map that will allow Harbor Beach to offer the best options available to its kids.

I feel very proud of our district for the work that theyve done, Bishop said. If (students) are not comfortable coming back to school for any number of reasons, well work with them to provide an education.

Bishop said that same task force has also been meeting to ensure the health and safety of students when they return. The task force, which consists of between 35 and 50 district staff members, has established protocols to satisfy Gov. Gretchen Whitmers guidelines for the reopening of Michigan schools. The school is ready with cleaning plans in place and has a hydrostatic sprayer on order for disinfecting.

One advantage that students in Harbor Beach will have is the school health center. Bishop said his district has partnered with Harbor Beach Community Hospital for a health center in the school staffed, with a full-time nurse and a full-time social worker. School and hospital officials have met twice to coordinate on providing the physical and social-emotional services students may need as they return to school for in-person learning. School staff have also met with Tony Emerick, a registered nurse and Harbor Beach Community Hospitals emergency preparedness coordinator, as theyve drawn up plans for reopening school. The health department will also assign the district its own nurse.

Bishop said staff members are prepared to handle the day-to-day aspects of student life in the middle of the pandemic. They have plans in place for safely moving students from class to class in the hallways and as they arrive and leave school every day. He added that class sizes will help with social distancing, and with proper planning, they will be able to avoid bottlenecking as students enter and exit buses.

Were lucky at Harbor Beach that we havent been running buses to capacity, he said.

Custodial staff will also have some new tools to keep classrooms and other parts of the school disinfected and safe for kids at Harbor Beach. Bishop said the district has ordered a device that uses ultraviolet light that kills the coronavirus. He and Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Kowalski have kept themselves up to date on the latest and most effective safety measures.

Editor's Note: The first day of school has been revised to reflect updates made by the district.
Chabahar port

For hundreds of years, India flourished on the banks of the Volga. From shops in the great trading city of Astrakhan, rented for just 12 roubles a year, men with names like Ramdas Dzhasuev and Talaram Alimchandov, the historian Stephen Dale teaches us, sold cotton, silks, spices, furs and silver. From their small enclave on Volodarskogo Street  where a two-storey building still stands  Indian traders ran great networks reaching out across Central Asia and into Kazan and Moscow.

In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a deal meant to rebuild the foundation of that great web of enterprise: an $85 million port at Irans Chabahar; a railway line to link it to Irans network into Central Asia; and giant aluminium and urea plants. The previous year, the prime minister had spoken of creating a vast network of physical and digital connectivity that extends from Eurasias northern corner to Asias southern shore.

This week, though, Iran began work on the railway line on its own, citing delays in New Delhi delivering on its $150 million investment commitment, and the unwillingness of Indian firms to risk United States sanctions by participating in the work. Though Iran has made clear India is still welcome to invest in the project, theres growing uncertainty that will happen any time soon.

Lessons need to be learned in New Delhi, from this unhappy story, on the risks involved in playing that ultimate game of the great powers, geopolitics  and, more important, the thin line that divides ambition from hubris.

Following 9/11, optimism grew on tapping Afghanistans mineral resources to rebuild the countrys war-ravaged state and civil society. Even as China successfully bid for control of copper mines at Mes Aynak, near Bamiyan, New Delhi secured the rights to iron oxide deposits at Hajigak. The rail line through Iran was to bring this iron ore to plants to be processed into aluminium, and then transported through the port of Chabahar.

Indias initial ambitions had been more modest. Facing resistance from Pakistan to even limited trade  Islamabad even blocked the supply of high-protein biscuits for Afghan children  New Delhi had seen that the port could bypass the Karachi-Khyber Pass route.

For New Delhi, investing in Iran also made strategic sense. India sought access to the countrys vast hydrocarbon reserves. Arch-competitor China had invested over $25 billion in everything from Irans energy sector to its highways, power infrastructure and train systems since 2005, helping it beat back sanctions imposed by the United States. Indias funding was small, in comparison, but at least gave it a toe-hold.

Investing in Iran made perfect sense  but, like so many well-laid strategic plans, it was soon undone by circumstances no-one had anticipated.

First, President Donald Trump dismantled the nuclear-weapons deal put together by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany  the so-called P5+1  to rein in Irans nuclear-weapons programme. In essence, Iran had agreed to stop enriching its fissile-material stockpile to weapons-grade in return for an end to economic sanctions. President Trump, though, was persuaded by Saudi Arabia and Israel that the deal didnt do enough to check Irans missile capabilities.

The end of the P5+1-Iran nuclear deal brought a renewed round of sanctions, exposing Indian companies involved in Chabahar to risks they were unwilling to take. European and Chinese corporations, too, scaled back their dealings with Iran.

Perhaps more important, President Trump announced an end to the United States open-ended commitment to the post-9/11 Afghan state, and signed a controversial peace deal with the Taliban. For New Delhi, this opened up the prospect of an Afghanistan characterised by persistent ethnic-religious civil war, or domination by Islamabad, the Talibans key patron.

Even China, despite its expansive resources, had been unable to commence mining operations at Mes Aynak; the idea that Hajigak might presently be safe for India seemed increasingly unrealistic.

The problems with the idea of land-bridge linking India, through Chabahar, to Central Asia, go even deeper. In 2016, Prime Minister Modi had argued that routing India-Europe cargo could bring down the cost and time of the cargo trade to Europe by about 50 percent. From the experience of Chinese trains to Europe, though, it has become clear this might not be true: using well-established maritime networks has proved far cheaper than the new, trans-Asian land routes.

In a 2018 paper, transport economist Peter Bucsky noted that shipping a standard container from Europe to China by sea cost about 1,0001,500, to 5,000 by train (and above 20,000 by air). Though some types of high-value products were shifting to the faster overland system, he pointed out, railway transport is still negligible for the trade between China and the European Union, and there is no sign that it will change in the future.

Even though Indian trade with the Central Asian states has expanded significantly, the costs of shipping through Iran are likely to significantly exceed those of using well-established logistics networks now running overland through ports in Asia or Europe.

In 2014, a study by the Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations of India tested the land routes to Europe and Central Asia through Irans Bandar Abbas. It cost $3,132, and took 33 days, to shepherd a 20-foot container from Mumbai to Baku in Azerbaijan  more expensive, and not much faster, than sending cargo through Rotterdam, in Holland.

Talaram Alimchandov and Ramdas Dzhasuev succeeded not because the resources of nation-states were committed to their great trading networks, but because governments stayed out of the way. Following a meeting with an Indian trade delegation led by Anbu Ram, the Emperor Pyotr Alekseevich  or Peter the Great  even allowed the merchants to govern their disputes according to their own customs, not his laws.

Indian strategic investments should, likewise, serve private-sector need  not seek to shape or guide it. In this case, the country needs to count itself lucky it isnt stuck with a colossal white elephant. Even in 2016, the idea of building a land route linking India with Europe had elements of grandiosity. In the event, the project ended up mired in the competing ambitions of the United States and China, and the swirl of tensions between Iran and its West Asian competitors.

The induced coma the Chabahar project has been placed in, thus, marks no great reverse. Trade with Afghanistan, minuscule as it is, can continue to be conducted through the port; there is no economic case, though, for the construction of a railway line. Indeed, Pakistan  likely under United States pressure  has reopened Afghan trade transit through the Wagah border, suspended in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

As it considers the future, New Delhi needs to carefully match the ends it seeks with the means it has. True, Chabahar could have been a reasonable, win-win outcome for all those concerned  but in the world we inhabit, win-win outcomes arent always preferred to zero-sum games. New Delhi must beware participating in geopolitical battles where it is unable to either significantly influence events or insulate itself from their outcomes.
Live TV can throw up all sorts of potential hurdles - technical glitches, unpredictable guests and knowing that there is no take two.



But Marichka Padalko, a news anchor in Ukraine, faced an unusual problem this week when part of her front tooth fell out.



However, like a true professional, she simply put the tooth in her hand and continued.



"Honestly, I thought the incident would go unnoticed," she wrote on Instagram.



"But we underestimated the attention of our viewers," she added, under a video of her losing the tooth.



Ms Padalko revealed that she required a tooth repair around a decade ago after her daughter smashed it accidentally while swinging a metal alarm clock.



Despite the network initially not posting the video to YouTube, Ms Padalko said she had been impressed by the amount of support she received.



"In any situation, keep calm," she added.



"See you tomorrow morning."

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.

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(Natural News) The College Fix speaks to author of new book about transgender peer contagion

For many years, The College Fix has frequently reported about emerging gender trends.

(Article by Jennifer Kabbany republished from TheCollegeFix.com)

In 2015, we reported that universities across the nation now teach students gender is a fluid concept and not based in biology. Also that year, we reported that a growing number of universities embraced gender-neutral pronouns, such as ze, hirs and theirs. Again in 2015, we flagged how California universities rolled out six gender identity choices on admissions applications.

In the five years since, gender transitioning has become accepted, embraced and celebrated, a firmly established dogma in higher education  as well as the medical and psychological fields.

Colleges today allow students to use preferred names and genders on class rosters, school IDs and other documents. Many campuses have done away with homecoming kings and queens. Tampons are now readily available in many male campus bathrooms. All-female colleges admit biological men who identify as women. Educators and students are told to avoid gender-specific language (think policeman)  and even the terms boys and girls. Health plans at dozens of colleges cover cross-sex hormones or transition surgery.

Pushback is met with swift force. Take our 2018 post Theres a sudden surge of trans students coming out at my college  and Im scared to talk about it. Also that year, Brown University disavowed a study done by one of its researchers whose findings on rapid-onset gender dysphoria suggested the astronomically high number of young women suddenly deciding theyre men may be a social and peer contagion.

In the wake of all this are families. In 2019, one of The College Fixs most-shared articles of the year was headlined: Mothers in shock as daughters come home from college with mustaches, breasts removed.

Now a new book explores the issue deeper: Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier.

It focuses on how and why a huge wave of girls who never expressed gender dysphoria in their early years now as teens and college students rush to undergo a faddish form of self-harm: irreversible gender treatment and surgery, according to a news release accompanying the books June release.

Shrier conducted nearly 200 interviews with trans-identified girls, parents, doctors and others to dig in. She also talked with detransitioners who say they regret their foray into transgenderism.

In an interview with The College Fix, she spoke about some of her books most surprising finds.

Number one: Some people involved warn its a cult

Parents and detransitioners describe it as a cult, Shrier said, adding she does not personally call it a cult. In the book I use the word craze. Parents use the word cult because there are many influences that encourage you to cut off your parents, especially those found online. The internet influencers very often give the advice that if youre parents arent agreeing with your self diagnosis  and even some therapists say this  you should cut them off. So its that aspect.

As for detransitioners, while they were in this sort of passion, being influenced or caught up in this craze, they felt that they were believing things that werent reality. For instance, that biological sex doesnt matter.

Number two: The rush of administering testosterone

Testosterone can be administered via a gel, pill or injection. The dose will vary, the method of administering it varies. But some who used it acknowledged to Shrier that they felt there was some sort of addictive quality when injecting testosterone.

This is a craze, so people caught up in it are really enthusiastic, she said. While they are involved in it, some of them ritualized the practice of administering testosterone. And you see a lot of videos online glorifying the injections.

Shrier also said in her research she found that injecting testosterone becomes an alluring hurdle for some, that its like a rite of passage or sort of an induction ritual.

Number three: Parents wrongly told if they dont affirm childs new gender their kid will commit suicide

We dont know whether gender dysphoria causes suicidality and we dont know whether affirmation cures it, Shrier told The Fix. We do know that trans-identified kids have a very high rate of suicidal ideation and suicide. But given that we dont know that affirmation cures it, and we dont know that gender dysphoria is the cause, its very strange to say that we have to affirm or the child will kill themselves.

Theres something else too, she added. A therapists repeated suggestion that a child who isnt affirmed will kill herself of course can suggest that to the child, to the teenager. So the power of suggestion is also itself very dangerous.

This mantra is not something that should be used to coercively get parents to do things they dont think are right, and also there is some danger in repeatedly suggesting it, especially to an adolescent.

Number four: Hello infertility, goodbye breasts

In some cases, a round of puberty blockers is immediately followed with cross-sex hormones. That prescription has consequences.

I interviewed several endocrinologists who told me that it is uncontroversial that infertility is guaranteed if you go straight from puberty blockers to cross-sex hormones, Shrier said.

As for those who get whats called top surgery, its not reversible.

You cant bring back breasts at all. What you are getting are lumps that resemble breasts in a superficial way, Shrier said.

Asked whether young people truly grasp whats at stake with top surgery, Shrier said shes not convinced: Do I think a 16-year-old can appreciate the loss? No.

The book also includes a few phalloplasty horror stories. Not many brave such a surgery, Shrier said: These girls are  looking to escape womanhood, but they dont exactly want to become men.

Number five: This isnt being treated as a mental health issue. It should be.

Its not being treated as a psychopathology, Shrier told The College Fix. We know its not typical gender dysphoria. So whatever mental health issues these girls are suffering with, whatever their problems, transition is unlikely to cure it.

For one, she said, they dont really have typical gender dysphoria at all. But in the broader culture the moment they say they are transgender, the moment they assume the social status, theyre met with celebration, even by doctors who ought to be there to help them.

The problem gets worse. The book points out that while not every therapist agrees with the affirmative model, many states have laws that would have them risk losing their license if they try to convert a patient out of a transgender identity.

Shrier said a reckoning of sorts may take place after the lawsuits are filed  that will have the biggest impact on the professional organizations.

In the meantime, parents can take a more proactive role.

Parents have to oppose gender ideology in the schools, because its confusing children, she said. Theres no reason we cant be compassionate to transgender children or gender dysphoric children without sowing confusion in the entire student body. And I think parents can do a much better job keeping their kids off social media.

The third thing is parents should not necessarily be agreeing with their childrens self diagnosis, especially when they dont think its accurate, and they dont think its doing their daughters any good.

Read more at: TheCollegeFix.com
Holidaymakers looking to travel to Hoi An will be able to receive a special promotion of 50% at several tourist sites from August 1 to October 31.

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The promotion will see visitors offered a VND10,000 discount when visiting the ancient town of Hoi An, a VND35,000 discount when traveling to Cu Lao Cham, and a VND15,000 discount for Bay Mau coconut forest.

In an effort to stimulate tourism demand and attract greater numbers of visitors to the city at night, An Bang beach in Hoi An city will host a food and music festival on July 18.

The occasion will be the first of its kind following the nation bringing the novel coronavirus epidemic under control.

Aside from Hoi An, visitors to My Son Sanctuary will also be able to enjoy a 50% discount on tickets, with the price of entry set to be only VND20,000 per person.

Moreover, tickets to visit Bang An Tower, Chien Dan Tower, Khuong My Tower, and the Sa Huynh Culture Museum will only cost VND10,000 per person. VOV

Post COVID-19: Vibrant nightlife returns to UNESCO-recognised Hoi An The Hoi An Centre for Culture, Sports, Broadcasting and Television has resumed all cultural and art activities under the Hoi An By Night scheme aimed at popularizing the ancient towns image through nightlife activities in the post COVID-19 period.
Extra Care provides a range of services to people who need support to remain in their home, including personal hygiene, assistance in and out of bed, and helping dialysis patients. (Joe Giddens/PA)

Northern Ireland's biggest domiciliary care charity has said it was "always confident" that the outcome of a recent inspection would show that it continues to deliver an "excellent service".

Extra Care, which provides community care packages on behalf of the health trusts, was given the all-clear by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) after it addressed concerns that had been raised by the health watchdog.

The Antrim-based organisation was given three 'failure to comply' notices by the RQIA.

Reacting to the positive outcome of an inspection earlier this month, chief executive Brian Hutchinson said he never doubted that Extra Care's "excellent service" would be recognised.

"We were always confident that a follow-up inspection would confirm the excellent service that we continue to deliver for our service users, reflecting the hard work and dedication of our carers and all the staff in Extra Care," Mr Hutchinson commented.

"We will continue to work closely with the RQIA and our partners in the health trusts to help our service users live independent lives."

Last month Extra Care was handed three failure to comply notices by the RQIA after a failing discovered on March 6.

At the time the health watchdog said it found "evidence to demonstrate that the safety and wellbeing of service users had been placed at risk". Following the recent inspection a spokesman said the domiciliary care charity had complied with its regulations.

"RQIA is pleased to report that Extra Care in Antrim has achieved compliance with regulations following a period of enforcement action," he said.

"On July 9 we inspected this service and we were satisfied with the actions taken by the management of this service to address the concerns highlighted in our enforcement notices."

The RQIA spokesman also said the watchdog would continue to monitor the organisation.

"The safety and wellbeing of all those in receipt of care from Extra Care is of paramount importance to RQIA, and we continue to monitor this service through our ongoing regulatory activities," he added.

Extra Care provides a range of services to people who need support to remain in their home, including personal hygiene, assistance in and out of bed, and helping dialysis patients.

Its website states: "For over 80 years, we have been leading the way in how home care is delivered."

It describes its vision as "to be the leading provider of and champion for innovative, high quality, cost effective and flexible services", while listing integrity, honesty and respect among its values.

The RQIA inspection in March 2020 said three service users and their representatives had raised concerns with the agency's management team, but these had not been consistently recorded.
The South Korean government through, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have extended $10 million towards the improvement of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) services in five districts in Busoga sub-region.

The support is aimed at improving RMNCAH service delivery to the communities and strengthening the capacity of health systems in the selected five districts. The areas of focus will be the procurement of ambulances, training of health workers, improving cold chain systems and refurbishment of 30 health facilities in Bugiri, Buyende, Iganga, Kamuli and Mayuge districts.

The five-year project dubbed, Health System Strengthening for Improving RMNCAH Service Delivery in Five districts in Busoga sub-region, Uganda, is collaboration between KOICA and WHO were the two are contributing Nine Million Dollars and One Million Dollars, respectively.

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Through this project, 560,809 pregnant women, 499,852 newborn babies and over 1,480,200 people in the select districts will benefit from the support.

The partnership fits well within Strategic priority four of the WHO Country Cooperation Strategy that looks at strengthening the multisectoral approach for addressing reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) and the social and environmental determinants of health.

KOICA Country Director, Mr Kim Taeyoung, said the Health System Strengthening for Improving RMNCAH Service Delivery in Five districts in Busoga sub-region Project is in line with national and global RMNCAH strategic plans and frameworks especially the SDGs three on Good Health and Well-being and 17 on partnership for the goals. KOICA is concerned about the health sector and wellbeing of Ugandans and this intervention is in line with the KOICA Country Partnership Strategy for Uganda.

KOICA expects that the project will unlock some of the systemic challenges within the six pillars that make the Health systems strengthening blocks in the Busoga sub-region as well developing a responsive health care system that will benefit mothers and children in need of RMNCAH services. We are also grateful to WHO and the Government of Uganda for the continued cooperation and we are hopeful that this will be a sustainable and successful project, Mr. Kim Taeyoung remarked.

This collaboration comes at a time when the delivery of essential health services has been derailed by the COVID-19 outbreak. The timely support from the KOICA will indeed go a long way in addressing the gaps in RMNCAH service delivery especially in terms of health system strengthening. WHO is committed to continually work with KOICA and the Ministry of Health to strengthen the health system. Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, WHO Representative in Uganda.
Kumar Kartikeya Prakash and Akash Srinivasan

It is not uncommon for medias expose to make headlines, but Financial Times persevered watch on Wirecard AG (Wirecard) revealed one of the biggest accounting frauds in the world. Wirecard provides payment solutions, software for digital payments and fraud prevention systems to large companies such as FedEx and KLM, and acts as a card issuer and sponsor for several FinTech companies, globally.

Founded initially as a payments processor for online gambling and adult websites, Wirecard grew exponentially over the years to become Europes FinTech success story and Europes biggest competitor to the Silicon Valley giants.

On June 22, Wirecard announced that 1.9 billion had disappeared from its balance sheet. This led to a 98 percent fall in its share price and the arrest of its former CEO, Markus Braun, on the ground of suspected falsification of accounts and money laundering. Since 2009, EY had been involved as the companys auditors and in late 2019, KPMG was appointed to carry out a special audit, which highlighted certain gaps in verifying Wirecards profits.

Regulatory Oversight?

This incident raised concerns over how BaFin, Germanys financial regulator, dealt with the situation, despite multiple investor complaints and whistle-blower allegations over the years. Public sources indicate that measures undertaken were unsatisfactory.

However, one may note that the regulatory framework precludes BaFin from investigating on its own. Instead, the Financial Reporting Enforcement Panel (FREP), a private institution and Germanys accounting watchdog, has the right to conduct the first probe over such allegations. Unusually, the FREPs relationship with the government is contractual, rather than statutory, and is under the scanner now.

Impact on Indian FinTech

Wirecards scandal brings to the fore several complexities that could concern the Indian FinTech industry. Some of them are:

Jolts due to inter-dependence

Payment chains consist of several companies that are inter-dependent, but do not always compete with each other. The Indias FinTech industry is built on inter-dependence, where the smaller players are more dependent on the larger ones for sustenance and growth, and such failures can have alarming repercussions on the financial system. For instance, when the United Kingdom ordered the suspension of Wirecard UKs regulated activities, it caused panic as several FinTechs were dependent on Wirecard for debit card issuance and e-money licensing, and were struggling to find new suppliers and card issuers.

In India, such an incident could lead to suspension of accounts and consequent blockage of cash flow, severely impacting the services of several FinTech businesses.

Loss of trust

While reports dont indicate that customers money was compromised, such an incident nevertheless causes severe trust deficit among stakeholders  customers, investors and merchants. It will slow funding and collaborations and hamper the growth of the industry.

Even card networks such as Visa and MasterCard may suspend their affiliations with such faltering companies, causing disruptions to their card issuing and settlement functions.

Systemic risk

While the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act) requires payment processors to store customers money only in a prescribed escrow account, any wrongdoing in this regard may have a bigger impact on the payments processing eco-system, causing a systemic risk.

Drag on business

Given the repercussions of inter-dependence and potential loss of trust, FinTech companies may want to reduce their dependence on the big players  this, however, may be counterproductive. Typically, such a move to harbour critical aspects in-house is costly and time consuming, given the regulatory requirements, and will eventually cause a drag on business.

Indian Regulatory Framework

While accounting frauds are not uncommon in India, over time, there has been increased emphasis on regulatory oversight and better corporate governance. The Companies Act, 2013, contemplates the establishment of the National Financial Reporting Authority to regulate accounting and auditing standards for certain class of companies (in addition to the scrutiny of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in India, as generally applicable).

Payments system participants are governed by the PSS Act and the regulations framed by the Reserve Bank of India. Also, financial institutions are governed by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, which seeks to monitor and punish money laundering and prescribes reporting obligations for suspicious transactions.

To conclude, while regulations may imply safeguards, it is up to the industry players to instil and increase stakeholders confidence in the growth story of the FinTech and payments industry.
bseh.org.in HBSE 12th Results 2020, Haryana Board class 12th Result 2020: Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE/BSEH) is set to announce the class 12 results on July 21 on its official website bseh.org.in. Some other websites also post results which are listed in this article.

bseh.org.in HBSE 12th Results 2020, Haryana Board class 12th Result 2020: The Haryana Board of Secondary Education, or HBSE, will release HBSE Class 12th Results 2020 on the 21st of July on its website bseh.org.in. The Haryana Board Class 12th Exams were held from March 3 to March 18. Some exams that were earlier been delayed due to the coronavirus epidemic had been scheduled between July 1 and July 15. The BSEH Haryana Board informed earlier that the class 12th results will be uploaded within the 3rd week of July. Haryana Board HBSE class 12 results of all three streams, Arts, Commerce and Science would be released together on July 21 by BSEH as per the latest notice.

HBSE 12th Results 2020: Official website link to check Haryana Board class 12th Result:

bseh.org.in

HBSE 12th Results 2020: List of alternative websites to check Haryana Board class 12th Result:

examresults.net

jagranjosh.com

indiaresults.com

The class 10 results were also uploaded on the above websites. As such, the class 12 results will be similarly uploaded on them as well.

Follow the given steps to view your Haryana Board HBSE 12th Result 2020 (on bseh.org.in):

1. Visit the Boards official website, www.bseh.org.in.

2. Click/tap on the Class 12th Result link on the home page.

3. A window for HBSE 12th result 2020 will be opened.

4. Fill in the necessary login details.

5. Click/tap on Find Result button.

6. Your subject-wise mark sheet will be displayed on your screen. You may download or print it for future reference.

Also read: HBSE 12th Result 2020: When, Where and how to check BSEH Haryana Board class 12th Result

Also read: HBSE 12th Results 2020 date and time: Haryana Board class 12 results out soon @ bseh.org.in

Students of Haryana Board Class 12 have to secure, at the very least, 33% overall marks to pass the examination and 33% in each subject to pass in that particular subject individually. If a student thinks that they have been awarded fewer marks than deserved for any question then the student in question may file an application for re-valuation on the official website bseh.org.in.

Also read: IIT Admissions 2020: Class 12 marks criteria dropped, all passed students eligible

For all the latest Education and Jobs News, download NewsX App
Kremlin Critic Navalny Ordered Not To Leave Moscow During Investigation Into Video Post

By RFE/RL's Russian Service July 17, 2020

MOSCOW -- Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny says he has been ordered not to leave Moscow as investigations continue connected to a criminal case launched over comments he made on social media.

Navalny wrote on Twitter that the investigator of the case told him about the restriction during questioning at the Investigative Committee on July 17.

"All this has been invented so that I couldn't travel to the regions" to campaign against candidates from the ruling United Russia party ahead of regional elections in September, he wrote.

While he was being interrogated, law enforcement officers searched the offices of his Anti-Corruption Foundation in southern Moscow.

Navalny also said that after the interrogation, investigators took him to the apartment he rents in Moscow and another apartment where he is registered as a resident.

The Investigative Committee said in mid-June that Navalny had been accused of libeling a World War II veteran who featured in a video clip with other Russians to express support for proposed constitutional reforms.

In a social-media post on June 2, Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics, described those in the video as "traitors," "people with no conscience," and "corrupt lackeys."

The Investigative Committee said the comments contained "deliberately false information denigrating the honor and dignity" of the veteran.

Navalny faces penalties ranging from a fine of 1 million rubles ($14,255) to 240 hours of community service if convicted.

Earlier this year, Russian state-run media broadcast videos of WWII veterans, celebrities, and ordinary people expressing their support for constitutional amendments that were approved by a national vote on July 1.

Among other changes, the amendments allow Putin to seek two more presidential terms after his current term ends in 2024.

Navalny, 44, has been jailed several times in recent years, barred from running for president, and had a bid to run for Moscow mayor blocked.

In March, Navalny and his associate Ivan Zhdanov said that their bank accounts had been emptied and all their payment cards and those of relatives been blocked in what they described as a move to discredit and disgrace them.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kremlin-critic -navalny-ordered-not-to-leave-moscow-during- investigation-in-video-post/30733582.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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No plan for further lockdown in West Bengal: Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinh

Devotees from outside MP will not be allowed to enter in Mahakal temple: Administration

Kerala reported 593 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths in last 24 hours

Total number of positive cases in Delhi now rise to 1,21,582

Highest spike of 4,807 new Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu

Judicial and administrative works of Calcutta HC to remain suspended

West Bengal: 2,198 new cases of Covid-19 in last 24 hours

Mask-wearing in enclosed public spaces to be made mandatory in France

Coronavirus cases continue to set new and grim records across the world as there is no sign of the curve flattening globally. The large number of cases are being reported from North and Latin America which are currently hotspots of Covid-19. India along with US continue to report high number of cases.

Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic

India, US, Brazil and Mexico contributed mostly to the million cases that have been recorded in the last four days. Weekend lockdowns have been imposed in several cities of India. Some states have reimposed lockdowns as cases continue to rise.
The number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in Maharashtra climbed to 300,937 on Saturday, with the total infections in Mumbai rising to 100,350, 132 days after the first case of the pathogen was reported in the state.

Maharashtra reported 8,348 new infections on Saturday, the second biggest jump so far, and Mumbai, the worst-affected city in the state, reported 1,186 fresh cases of the disease.

The latest 100,000 cases in Maharashtra came in 14 days. The states first 100,000 infections were reported in 96 days, while the next 100,000 cases took 22 days. Maharashtra currently has 123,377 active cases, with 165,663 patients having recovering, translating to a recovery rate of 55.05%. The state also reported 144 new fatalities, pushing the death toll to 11,596 at the case fatality rate of 3.85%. The national CFR is 2.53%. Of the 144 casualties reported on Saturday, 65 were in Mumbai.

Mumbai, which breached the 100,000 mark after 131 days since reporting its first case, accounts for 33.35% of the total infections in the state. In the states first 200,000 cases, Mumbais share stood at 41.61%, while in the first 100,000 cases, the figure was 54.83%.

The virus infections in the city (Mumbai) have stabilised, as its daily share in the state figure has dropped to around 15%, from 50% a few weeks ago. I think the rest of MMR [Mumbai Metropolitan Area] has reached the peak, while the rest of Maharashtra has just begun. We expect the curve to stabilise in the rest of the MMR in next two weeks and in the rest of the state in the next four weeks, said Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the task force appointed by the state government for clinical management of critical patients.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday reviewed the pandemic situation in various districts during a video conference with district collectors and divisional commissioners. The CM asked district authorities to ramp up Covid-19 facilities that can handle a surge in cases.

Thackeray also asked the local authorities to implement the Dharavi model to arrest the spread of the virus. WHO has praised the Dharavi model, which can be replicated in other parts of the state. Great amount of transparency was maintained by the Mumbai civic body, without hiding any information. Other civic bodies should convince people by citing the Mumbai example to win over their trust, he said.

Cities such as Kalyan-Dombivali, Bhiwandi, Mira-Bhayandar, Panvel, Nashik and Pune have been asked ramp up health infrastructure. We have been closely monitoring these cities and districts to ensure more facilities in coming days, said a top official, asking not to be named.

The civic bodies in rest of MMR have been directed to set up unified command centres so that the relatives of the patients get information about the availability of beds and ambulances are made available at one contact point. They have also been instructed to ensure that test reports are made available in 24 hours.

The Maharashtra CMs principal adviser, Ajoy Mehta, said that the doubling of the patients in 10 days in districts such as Gadchiroli was worrisome. To keep the CFR in check, the availability of oxygen is key. To trace the suspected contacts, activate vigilance committees at village level, he said.

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Chennai, July 18 : Senior Tamil Nadu Minister S. P.Velumani on Saturday questioned the continued silence of DMK President M. K.Stalin on the issue of the denigration of Lord Murugan.

In a series of tweets, Velumani questioned Stalin's silence on the denigration of Hindu God Lord Murugan by a YouTube Channel Karuppar Koottam, while he used to issue statements ahead of others on other matters.

Velumani asked whether the silence is due to doubts being raised about those connected with Karuppar Koottam and DMK party members? Or was it because he and his party in the guise of secularism functioned against the majority, Velumani asked.

Velumani said, "Perhaps only during elections one will remember all sections of the society and their feelings." "The political drama of visiting various temples will then be enacted." According to Velumani, the culprit who had denigrated Lord Murugan has been arrested and other action will follow.

Recently YouTube channel Karuppar Koottam had aired an obscene video denigrating Lord Murugan and the prayer Kanda Shasti Kavacham sung seeking his blessings.

Lord Murugan is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi.

Police have arrested Sentil Vasan and Sundara Natarajan, who were associated with the controversial YouTube channel in this connection on the receipt of a complaint from the state BJP.

While the BJP held a protest against Karuppar Koottam, and Velumani has come out against the YouTube channel, the DMK party and its allies are maintaining a studied silence on the issue.
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN

Basel, Switzerland, July 17, 2020

Following the closing of the tender offer period on July 16, 2020, at 4 p.m. (CEST) and the announcement of the results of the tender offer (principal amount of tendered Existing Bonds being CHF 47,085,000) this morning, Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. ("Basilea" or the "Company") today informs that it waives condition no. (iii) set out in its Notice of a Repurchase Offer requiring:

a minimum placement of CHF 100 million of the senior unsecured convertible bonds due 2027 (the "New Bonds") and

a minimum of valid tenders of CHF 90 million in principal amounts within the repurchase offer ("Repurchase Offer") regarding its outstanding convertible bonds due 2022 (ISIN: CH0305398148; SSN: 30'539'814, the "Existing Bonds")

Based on this waiver and a reduction of the offer size of the New Bonds to CHF 97,085,000, the Company can continue implementing the Repurchase Offer and issuance of New Bonds within the maximum of CHF 250 million outstanding convertible bonds approved by the last shareholders meeting.

Final allocation of the New Bonds will occur after successful completion of the Delta Placement, which is expected to take place as soon as practicable, but no later than July 22, 2020.

Adesh Kaul, Basileas CFO, commented: "Whilst we were initially targeting the tendering of more of the existing convertible bonds, we are pleased to have found a way to meet our objective. We have made significant progress in improving our debt maturity profile. Upon completion of the transaction, we will have moved about one quarter of our mid-term debt to a significantly later maturity date. Moreover, the fact that holders of 75% of our Existing Bond have decided not to tender their bonds shows their trust in the financial stability and the mid-term perspectives of Basilea, while our ability to place and provisionally allocate in a first step CHF 125 million New Bonds underlines the confidence of new investors in the long-term strategy of the company."

Story continues

After successful completion of the Repurchase Offer and the issuance of the New Bonds, the Company will continue to pursue its goal of further reducing its mid-term debt. It intends to earmark and place in escrow the majority of the net cash proceeds from the New Bonds to be available for that purpose.

The Company expects settlement of the Repurchase Offer and of the issue of the New Bonds to occur on 28 July 2020.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Federal Tax Authorities have provided a ruling on the withholding tax treatment of the 0.5% per Bond offered over the principal amount: no withholding tax will have to be withheld from such amount.

About Basilea

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on the development of products that address the medical challenges in the therapeutic areas of oncology and infectious diseases. With two commercialized drugs, the company is committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products to meet the medical needs of patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: BSLN). Additional information can be found at Basilea's website www.basilea.com.

Disclaimer

This announcement regarding the Repurchase Offer does not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate in the Repurchase Offer or the Offering in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from which, it is unlawful to make such invitation or for there to be such participation under applicable securities laws. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this press release comes are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions.

No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction in relation to the Repurchase Offer that would permit a public offering of securities in any such jurisdiction.

United States

The Repurchase Offer is not being made, and will not be made, directly or indirectly, in or into, or by use of the mail of, or by any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce of or of any facilities of a national securities exchange of, the United States or to or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons as defined in Regulation S of the Securities Act (each a "U.S. person"). This includes, but is not limited to, facsimile transmission, electronic mail, telex, telephone and the internet and other forms of electronic communication. The Bonds may not be tendered for purchase pursuant to the Repurchase Offer by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility from or within the United States or by any persons located or resident in the United States as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or to U.S. persons. Accordingly, copies of the Repurchase Offer Notice and any other documents or materials relating to the Repurchase Offer are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise transmitted, distributed or forwarded (including, without limitation, by custodians, nominees or trustees) in or into the United States or to persons located or resident in the United States or to U.S. persons. Any purported offers to tender Bonds pursuant to the Repurchase Offer resulting, directly or indirectly, from a violation of these restrictions will be invalid, and any purported tender of Bonds made by a U.S. person, a person located or resident in the United States or from within the United States or from any agent, fiduciary or other intermediary acting on a non-discretionary basis for a principal giving instructions from within the United States or any U.S. person will not be accepted.

Each Bondholder participating in the Repurchase Offer will represent to the Offeror, the Joint Dealer Managers and the Tender Agent that it is not located or resident in the United States and is not a U.S. person and is not giving an order to participate in the Repurchase Offer from within the United States or on behalf of a U.S. person.

United Kingdom

The communication of the Repurchase Offer Notice and any other documents or materials relating to the Repurchase Offer is not being made and such documents and/or materials have not been approved by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, are not directed at and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to persons within the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order)) or falling within Article 43(2) of the Order, or to other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated (together relevant persons). The investment activity to which this document relates will only be engaged in with relevant persons and persons who are not relevant persons should not rely on it.

European Economic Area

In any Member State of the European Economic Area (the "EEA") or in the United Kingdom (each, a "Relevant State"), the Repurchase Offer is only addressed to, and is only directed at, qualified investors in that Relevant State within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation"). Each person in a Relevant State who receives any communication in respect of the Repurchase Offer contemplated in the Repurchase Offer Notice will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the Joint Dealer Managers, the Tender Agent and the Company that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. The Bonds have not been admitted to trading on a regulated market in the European Economic Area or in the United Kingdom.

Switzerland and General

This document and the Repurchase Offer Notice neither constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Articles 652a and 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (as in effect immediately prior to the entry into force of the FinSA) nor a prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange, a prospectus within the meaning of the FinSA or under any other applicable laws.

For further information, please contact:

Peer Nils Schroder, PhD



Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Phone +41 61 606 1102 E-mail media_relations@basilea.com

investor_relations@basilea.com

This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com.

Attachment
You need to ensure that you enter the right account number but also the correct Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) while transferring money online through your bank account. Every bank branch has their own IFSC code.

You first need to register the persons bank account to whom you want to transfer money under the list of payees or beneficiaries to your bank account to make online fund transfer using National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) or Immediate Payment Service (IMPS). To register the beneficiary, you need to give details, including the beneficiarys name, bank name, account number and IFSC.

It is mandatory to add the payees name while making an online fund transfer. Some banks match the beneficiarys name as a precautionary measure to ensure fund transfer happens to the correct account, but its not mandatory for banks to do so, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s regulations.

Here is what happens if you enter wrong IFSC code.

What is IFSC code?

To identify each branch of every bank in India, an 11-digit alphanumeric unique code that is used is known as IFSC. Usually, the first four characters of the code stand for the bank, the fifth is always a 0", and the last six digits represent the branch code.

For example, SBIN0007483 is an IFSC code one of the branches of State Bank of India (SBI) uses. The first four characters, SBIN, stand for the banks name, while the last six digits (40278) represent the branch of SBI.

RBI identifies the beneficiarys bank to which the transfer has to be made using IFSC.

If IFSC code is entered wrongly?

There are less chances of a mistake as most of the banks ask customers to choose the name of the bank and the name of the branch from a dropdown to get the IFSC code, but banks also give the option to write the IFSC code.

Following are the two scenarios in case wrong IFSC code is entered:

- If you have selected IFSC of a different branch then, for eg: You have to transfer funds to the Andheri branch of SBI but you selected the IFSC code of the Bandra branch then, the money transfer will most likely happen, provided other details you enter are correct.

- If you have selected the IFSC of a different bank then, for eg: You had to transfer money to an HDFC Bank account but you chose the IFSC of Axis Bank (the chances of something like this are low). In this case, whether or not the fund transfer happens will depend on whether Axis Bank has an account with a matching account number.

The chances of two banks having the same account number are rare but not impossible.

It is usually very difficult to get the money back or reverse the transaction once the money is credited into the wrong bank account. Online transfer of money is an easy and convenient mode of transaction but you have to be careful that no error is done and ensure money transferred by you is to the right bank and right branch.
MERIDEN  A grassroots effort to bring a Trader Joes grocery store to the west side is gaining steam, but an organizer wants the public to add more voices to the chorus.

Its always been in the back of my mind, said Maureen Suzio. That would be a great place for a Trader Joes. I felt like we have a captive audience. We want to ask what does it take?

While Suzio is eyeing the soon-to-be vacant Stop & Shop in Centennial Plaza, any location in the city would suffice, she said. Stop & Shop announced last month it is leaving the plaza, saying store traffic was weaker than at its other stores. Stop & Shop is investing in its East Main Street store to entice shoppers to stay with the brand.

But Stop & Shops departure leaves a 46,000-square-foot vacancy at Centennial Plaza, which is already saddled with an additional 68,000 square feet of vacant space.

Suzio, a fan of Trader Joes for years, travels once per week to West Hartford or Manchester to shop at the grocery chain, which focuses on natural foods while shaving expenses to keep costs down. The Monrovia, California-based chain ranked number two nationally in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Publix stores took the top honor.

After a recent visit to the West Hartford store, Suzio learned there was a link on the Trader Joes website that allows people to request a store in their city.

Its really simple, she said. Name, address and why?

Suzio posted the link to her Facebook page and received dozens of positive responses. She intends to post to local forums for even more publicity in Meriden and surrounding towns.

In addition to West Hartford and Manchester, Trader Joes has stores in Orange, Fairfield, Danbury, Westport, Stamford and Darien. Representatives from Trader Joes couldnt be reached for comment but company management addressed the numerous requests for stores in May 2018 on episode 10 of its podcast, Inside Trader Joes.

OK, so finding those locations, thats not easy, said marketing director Tara Miller. There are people all over the country who really want a Trader Joes in their neighborhood, and were so grateful for that.

Tracy Anderson, Trader Joes vice president of real estate, explained Trader Joes has a growth plan based on input from customers, employees and regional vice presidents.

I get multiple emails every day ... asking for a Trader Joes in their neighborhood, Anderson said on the podcast. We look at current stores, where things are really hot. We look at accessibility, visibility, parking, square footage. Parking is a thing and its becoming a big thing. Clearly a suburban area where the neighborhood is mostly folks driving. We would like a nice big beautiful parking lot.

Suzio approached city Economic Development Director Joseph Feest, who has been in contact with Centennial Plaza owner Cornerstone Properties. Representatives from the Farmington property management company told the Record-Journal last month that it plans major changes to the plaza after Stop & Shop vacates and ends its lease. Feest applauds Suzios efforts as well as those who petitioned to save the Stop & Shop. Feest agreed the citys west side needs a supermarket, but understands the need for market research and modeling, he said.

Cornerstone Properties has reached out to Trader Joes representatives about the Centennial Plaza location and we are waiting for a response, Feest responded in an email. Trader Joes is a highly sought after tenant that has a model store of about 13,000 square feet. I have had several conversations with the owners of Cornerstone and have done a walk through of the plaza with them. They have reached out to several grocery stores and provided them with all the details of the building. They are not only focusing on the grocery side of the building but also trying to fill the other vacancies in the plaza.

Trader Joes also likes to have representatives drive-through towns and cities to get a better understanding of potential customers. It also opens stores in historical properties without changing the outside appearance, such as a store in a movie theater in Houston, Texas, and an armory in Pennsylvania.

Suzio is not deterred by Trader Joes typical store size and points to a larger store in its Manchester location. A store in New York City, which opened in 2018, is 30,000 square feet and has 200 employees, according to Inside Trader Joes. The current need for social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in grocery stores also demands more square footage, Suzio said.

Its a great corridor with access to 691. Its not a detriment, and definitely a coup, Suzio said. (Trader Joes) is really affordable and they take EBT. They do their own branding they control the cost and the purchasing, so theres no middle man. If we get interest from other towns that would help the cause.

mgodin@record-journal.com203-317-2255Twitter: @Cconnbiz
On July 16, a hacking group from Russia was accused by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada of attempting to steal information on potential COVID-19 vaccines. The hacking group is a name that is already familiar to cybersecurity experts.

Getting their hands on the vaccine

Advanced Persistent Threat 20 or APT-29, also known as Cozy Bear, is one of two hacking groups that cybersecurity researchers have linked to the intelligence services of Russia.

ABC News said they have been accused of interfering with the U.S Presidential elections back in 2016. Researchers and cybersecurity experts have suggested that APT-29 is directed by the FSB or the domestic intelligence service of Russia.

But now they have come to believe that APT-29 is being directed by the SVR or the foreign intelligence service. APT-29 is said to have tried to steal confidential information and intelligence from political groups, activists and think tanks.

Also Read: Major Email Program Might Be Hacked by Russian Spies for Almost a Year

The group became known in the United States after they allegedly hacked the computers of the committee that works for the Democratic Party. Back in 2016, APT-29 was accused of hacking into the servers of the Democratic party.

A second hacking group, the APT-28, was also in on the hacking. APT-28, or Fancy Bear, is linked to the GRU or the military intelligence agency of Russia. They were also accused of stealing emails and data from the Democratic party then leaking them online.

Cozy Bear, on the other hand, was described by researchers as more discreet. The two hacking groups duplicated some of the efforts of each other and suggested that they were unaware of the operations of each other.

Other activities

In 2018, Dutch media reported that AIVD, or the intelligence service of the Netherlands, had successfully managed to break into the computers that were used by APT-29. It was located in a university building close to the Red Square in Moscow, as reported by the Associated Press.

AIVD's hackers had compromised the group since 2014, and it allowed them to watch in real-time the attacks done by APT-29, including the 2016 U.S Presidential Elections.

According to the Dutch hackers, they were able to access a CCTV camera overlooking the building, so they were able to identify those who were inside. They shared the information with the National Security Agency and the FBI.

In 2017, Norwegian police said Cozy Bear targeted numerous government ministries and the left-wing Labor party of the country. Also, the Dutch government ordered votes in Holland's general election to be counted by hand after Dutch intelligence said that Russian hackers had targeted ministries. APT-29 is also known for phishing.

The hackers would send emails to social media users and once a user clicks on the links, the malware is delivered onto the computer of the unsuspected user. They steal login credentials and personal data.

In 2015, more than 1,000 people received emails with malware. It was months before the 2016 U.S Presidential election and the FBI and Department of Homeland Security found out that it was APT-29 who spread those emails. The login credentials and personal data may have been used to interfere with the result of the election.

Related Article: US Agency Accuses Russia of Hacking Email Servers; Threatens Revenge If It Continues

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Do mosquitoes carry the novel and can they transmit Covid-19 to humans? Maybe not. In a new study, the researchers have confirmed that Covid-19 virus cannot be transmitted to people by mosquitoes.

The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, provide the first experimental investigation on the capacity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, to infect and be transmitted by mosquitoes.

"While the World Health Organisation (WHO) has definitively stated that mosquitoes cannot transmit the virus, our study is the first to provide conclusive data supporting the theory," said study researcher Stephen Higgs from Kansas State University in the US.

For the results, three widely distributed species of -- Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus -- representing the two most significant genera of arbovirus vectors that infect people, were tested.

Also, all three of the species are present in China, the country of origin of the novel

The study found that the virus is unable to replicate in three common and widely distributed species of mosquitoes and therefore cannot be transmitted to humans.

"We have demonstrated that even under extreme conditions, SARS-CoV-2 virus is unable to replicate in these mosquitoes and therefore cannot be transmitted to people even in the unlikely event that a fed upon a viremic host," the study authors wrote.

"I am proud of the work we are doing at the university to learn as much as we can about this and other dangerous pathogens," said Higgs.

Research has been ongoing with other animal pathogens that can be transmitted from animals to people, including Rift Valley fever, Japanese encephalitis, African swine fever and classical swine fever.

"We have remarkable talent and capabilities working within our research and training facility at the university's Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI)," said study researcher Peter Dorhout.
The market gained for the fifth consecutive week as Sensex and Nifty rose 1.2 percent each for the week. Nifty Bank, however, snapped the four-week gaining streak, slipping 1.9 percent this week.

The broader markets underperformed frontline indices as the BSE Midcap index gained a percent, but Smallcap lost 0.17 percent during the week.

Sectorally, the rally was driven by technology, FMCG, Pharma and Energy stocks, whereas Banking & Financials, Power, Realty and Telecom saw selling pressure.

With no major event, experts feel the June quarter earnings season and global cues will continue to dictate the market trend.

While the COVID-19 cases are continuously rising, the market is also rallying on liquidity boost and hopes of a vaccine.

Let's take a look at what experts have to say about the short-term trend of the market:

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services

The markets globally are banking on continued liquidity to ensure that the recent momentum seen in the markets does not stall.

Indian stocks are seeing earnings-specific moves while the ever-present possibility of another lockdown has done little to affect the sentiment.

Jimeet Modi, Founder & CEO Samco Group

Nifty formed a hanging man candlestick pattern on the weekly chart after a narrow range candle in the previous week. This gives the impression that the market is tired of gains and is witnessing a tug of war between bulls and bears, waiting for a bearish trigger.

Bank Nifty has witnessed a big bearish candle after a shooting star in the last week.

We believe the range of 10,900 and 10,950 can unfold as a crucial hurdle for Nifty and expect a limited upside.

Immediate support on the downside is now placed at 10,570 and break of the same may lead to downward decent.

India Inc will carry on with its pseudo-event of earnings season in the coming weeks.

It is expected that Q1 FY21 may not see much pain from the financial space since the real dent will only be felt after the moratorium ends. Hence, markets are expected to flex their muscles in a rangebound manner.

Going ahead, intraday traders can follow a buy on dips strategy in the IT sector and for companies coming out with bad earnings performance.

Investors are still advised to stay on the sidelines and wait for market dips before investing.

Shrikant Chouhan, Executive Vice President - Equity Technical Research at Kotak Securities

On both daily and weekly basis, the market has formed a completely bullish reversal establishment.

The Nifty closed above the starting level of the week, which is an indication of short sale covering or fresh buying from traders and investors.

As the market activity was broad-based and across all the sectors, we are of the opinion that the fresh buying interest has been found in the market.

In the coming week, the market will reach the minimum side level of 11,050 and we see upside till 11,200.

Market support has risen from 10,400 to 10,500. Bank Nifty also returned from 21,000 levels. It could hit the 22,550 or 22,900 level next week.

Financial, Metals, Auto and Pharmaceutical companies should do a better job.

Ajit Mishra, VP Research, Religare Broking

With no major event, the on-going earnings season and global cues will continue to dictate the market trend. Besides, the progress of monsoon will also be closely watched.

Markets are braving all the storms and gradually inching higher, however, the participation is largely limited to a handful of index majors.

The recent surge was led by better than expected earnings from IT majors but the upside seems capped now as Nifty has again reached closer to the resistance zone of 11,000.

Traders should maintain extra caution in the selection of stocks and prefer hedged trades.

Siddharth Khemka, Head  Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services

After the recent consolidation, the near-term momentum looks positive on the back of positive newsflows around the COVID vaccine.

However, the valuations look stretched at 21 times P/E and given the concerns over US-China trade relations, persistent rise in virus cases and implementation of fresh lockdowns in parts of the country, we would advise traders to remain cautious.

Technically too, Nifty formed a Bullish Candle followed by a Hammer on a daily scale which suggests strong buying interest from key support levels and may witness a fresh leg of the rally above 11,000 zones.

Next week BoJ and Chinas interest decision is due which would be keenly tracked. Overall, We would suggest investors continue with their defensive portfolio approach.

Dharmesh Shah, Head  Technical, ICICI direct

We reiterate our positive stance on Nifty over medium-term and expect the index to head towards 11,400 levels by August 2020.

We believe, the rally towards 11,400 is likely to be gradual as the index has rallied 15 percent in the past five weeks, thereby pushing weekly stochastic oscillator to the overbought reading of 97.

This could result in temporary episodes of minor profit-booking at higher levels.

However, we believe such a breather should not be construed as negative, instead, it should be capitalised to accumulate quality stocks amid ongoing Q1 FY21 result season to ride the up move towards 11,400 as it is 80 percent retracement of entire CY20 decline (12,430  7,511), placed at 11,445.

The formation of a higher peak and trough on the weekly chart signifies the continuance of the positive bias which make us confident of maintaining support base at 10,600 as- 1) it is the confluence of 38.2 percent retracement of ongoing up move (10,195  10,933), at 10,651 and 2) during past four weeks on multiple occasions index reacted from 10600 zones.

As per the change of polarity concept, previous resistance of 10,600 would now act as support. Last weeks low is placed at 10,563.

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.
London, July 17: A Covid-19 vaccine developed by researchers at Oxford University generated an immune response against the disease in Phase-1 trial, The Telegraph reported even as official publication of the results are awaited.

The Oxford vaccine candidate is believed to be leading the race among over 100 to find an effective protection against the disease.

Oxford scientists have found that the jab triggers a response that may offer a "double defence" against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, The Telegraph report said on Wednesday. COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Clinical Trials of Covaxin and ZyCoV-D, India's 2 Indigenous Candidates, to Begin Soon.

The vaccine was developed at the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute.

Oxford in April announced an agreement with the UK-based global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the further development, large-scale manufacture and potential distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

While the Phase-1 trial of the vaccine candidate began in April itself, a start of the Phase2/Phase-3 UK trial of the Oxford vaccine, named AZD1222, in about 10,000 adult volunteers, was announced in May.

However, the results of the Phase-1 trial were still awaited.

In June, Astrazeneca CEO Pascal Soriot told Belgian radio station Bel RTL that the Oxford vaccine will likely provide protection against the disease for one year.

"We think it will protect for about a year," Soriot was quoted as saying.

According to a report in City A.M., AstraZeneca is aiming to deliver two billion doses of the drug by the end of the year.

The drugmaker had earlier said it had reached an agreement with Europe's Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), spearheaded by Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, to supply up to 400 million doses of the University of Oxford's Covid-19 vaccine, with deliveries starting by the end of 2020.

The company completed similar agreements with the UK, the US, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance for 700 million doses, and it agreed a licence with the Serum Institute of India for the supply of an additional one billion doses, principally for low- and middle-income countries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2020 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi fired another salvo at the Centre on Saturday over its handling of the face-off with China in Ladakh.

In a tweet, he said India will pay a huge price because of the governments cowardly actions.

China has taken our land and GOI is behaving like Chamberlain. This will further embolden China. India is going to pay a huge price because of GOIs cowardly actions, he said in his tweet.

The former Congress president tagged Defence Minister Rajnath Singhs speech in Lukung near the Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh on Friday during which he said progress has been made in talks with China for a solution to the border standoff but he cannot guarantee to what extent it would be resolved.

Singh went on to say that no power in the world could grab even an inch of Indian territory.

On July 3, in a thinly-veiled reference to Chinas attempt to intrude into Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the age of expansionism is over and applauded the troops posted in the Galwan Valley for showing fire and fury to the enemies.

Rahul Gandhi has been targeting the government ever since the clash of June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese troopers dead in Galwan valley.

Gandhi and the Congress party have also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times to specify where the clash had occurred and if the Chinese did not intrude into Indian territory then where did the Indian soldiers die?

The Congress has also accused the government of being economical with the truth about the ground situation in Ladakh.
What China's Asian Maritime Rivals Expect from Bolder US Support

By Ralph Jennings July 17, 2020

Asian countries who feel pinched by China over competing maritime claims expect the U.S. government to step up aid following Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's words of support this week, but only in severe cases and without risking conflict, scholars in the region believe.

In a statement issued Monday, Pompeo promised to protect the maritime rights of the smaller Asian countries in keeping with international law. China vies for maritime sovereignty with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, all of which have weaker militaries. At stake is the shared 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, which is flush with fish and energy reserves.

Claimant governments tentatively welcome Pompeo's offer but want to know what, specifically, Washington will do before feeling more confident, analysts say.

"It will really make Southeast Asia sit up and take notice if there are real concrete actions that follow soon after the recent Pompeo statement, because otherwise it will still remain a statement and people will continue guessing what is going to come after the statement," said Collin Koh, a maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Pompeo told reporters in Washington on Wednesday he would consider protecting third countries against China through legal means and multilateral bodies including the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines are among the bloc members.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell hinted at a conference Tuesday there is "room to sanction Chinese officials and state-owned enterprises that engage in illegal activities," Olli Pekka Suorsa, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, wrote in a commentary e-mailed to reporters on Thursday.

Pompeo said Washington's superpower rival Beijing lacks rights to claim 90% of the waterway, where it has angered neighboring countries over the past decade by landfilling tiny islets for military, economic and scientific use.

Stephen Nagy, a senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo, said U.S. officials will probably respond just to major upsets involving China but do that without sparking a conflict.

The U.S. government would ignore localized fishing disputes and altercations over placement of oil rigs, he said. American officials might consider responding instead to Chinese ship movement in waters claimed by other countries. Chinese survey vessels have this year tested waters claimed by Malaysia and Vietnam.

"It's a very difficult line to walk between putting significant pressure back on the Chinese without it spiraling into a kinetic conflict," Nagy said.

China cites historical records to explain its maritime claims. On Thursday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman defended China's compliance with international law and questioned whether the U.S. side had been as diligent.

Washington is expected to enlist other powers in any action against China on behalf of a third country. A Japan-Australia-U.S. statement on July 7 condemned Chinese actions in Asia after Australia, Japan and India made their own similar comments. India's external affairs ministry said Thursday the sea should stay open to international navigation and overflight.

"I see that (it's) stepping up and concentrating all levers of pressure against China and it's going to include a multilateral pushback against China's claims," Nagy said.

Officials from Southeast Asian states were quiet after the Pompeo comments.

Vietnam, normally the most outspoken claimant, probably welcomes Pompeo's plan but hopes not to be singled out as a protected country, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, director of the Center for International Studies director at University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam needs China as a trading partner and the two Communist neighbors still try to get along despite decades of flare-ups in the South China Sea.

"I think that they hope the U.S. can confront China unilaterally or with some other allies," Nguyen said. "Vietnam should not be deeply involved in any initiatives."

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Kerala became the first state to acknowledge that parts of the state have reached stage three - also known as community transmission when patients who have no travel or contact history tests positive and the source of the infection is unknown.

BCCL

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday confirmed that community transmission of Covid-19 has occurred in two coastal hamlets of capital Thiruvananthapuram. Read more

Day After Top JeM Commander And IED Expert Killed, Forces Gun Down Three Terrorists In Shopian

Three terrorists have been killed in an encounter with the security forces in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday.

bccl

The gunfight happened in the Amshipora village in Shopian. Read more

Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials Done On 375 Volunteers

In the race to develop a cure for coronavirus, India has taken first strides as human trial of Bharat Biotech's anti-COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin began across the country.

BCCL

Indias First Indigenous COVID-19 Vaccine Covaxin initiated phase-1 clinical trials across the country on 15th July 2020. Read more

Assam Is Already Suffering Due To Floods & Heavy Rain In Neighbouring States Could Worsen It

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alerts for five states in the East and North-East India in the coming days at a time when the region is already under a heavy flood, which has thrown normal life out of gear.

AP

Things are not looking good for Assam, the worst-hit state where the IMD has issued a yellow alert for Saturday and red alert till Tuesday. Read more

COVID-19 Patient Allegedly Raped In Maharashtra Quarantine Facility By Another Inmate

In a shocking incident, a woman who had was under observation after showing coronavirus symptoms was allegedly raped at a quarantine centre in Navi Mumbai.

Medical Science

The incident happened on Thursday night at the COVID-19 quarantine facility India Bulls in Panvel. Read more



Delhi Records COVID-19 Positive Children Showing Kawasaki Disease-Like Symptoms

In the past few months, several hospitals in Delhi have seen children who have tested positive for COVID-19 also showing symptoms of Kawasaki disease.

AFP

The first such cases were reported in Mumbai in June when a 14-year-old girl was admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai with rashes and high fever, which are symptoms of Kawasaki disease. Read more
Portland police and the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office have received help from more than a dozen local and federal law enforcement agencies over the past month.

At least two of the partnering agencies  Clackamas and Washington county sheriffs offices  are operating under a new agreement that has no stipulations for public transparency or police oversight.

So far, it is unclear whether the counties deputies have served on the front lines during the past weeks of tense  and at times violent  face-offs with protesters. Washington County officials said their deputies have helped by responding to priority calls on the citys west side, while Clackamas County officials said that deputies have assisted with building security.

However, at a time of increased interest in police accountability, Portland and Multnomah County are relying on an agreement that has no specific requirements for how partnering agencies record when their officers use force. That is of particular concern for the Portland Police Bureau, which is required by its settlement with the federal government to record detailed reports when its officers use force.

A top city oversight official, who reviews complaints of police misconduct, said the police bureaus use of the new agreement could present the city with some serious problems. The new agreement lacks provisions typically found in law enforcement-specific agreements for reporting use of force and could leave Portland or Multnomah County responsible for the conduct of the other agencies deputies.

The idea that in the same city, maybe a block apart, you could have two officers using force, one is expected to write it up and detail that, and the other one has no such expectation  it is just baffling, said Ross Caldwell, director of Portlands Independent Police Review. Its the antithesis of any kind of real accountability.

The head of Oregons Office of Emergency Management, which oversees the agreement system, questions how it is being used, adding that law enforcement agencies have not used it for this purpose in the past.

Documents obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive show that in Mayor Ted Wheelers role as police commissioner, his office asked the Washington County Sheriffs Office to assist the city under the new agreement on May 31 and Multnomah County Sheriff asked for help from Clackamas County on June 8.

Multnomah County did not respond to follow-up questions on July 10 about how many other local law enforcement agencies are operating under the new agreement to help cover Portland protests. And neither the county nor the city will release documents related to the new agreements or the status of such agreements with the outside agencies.

Portland police have refused to release documents detailing the specific actions of any agency during protests. A bureau spokesperson told The Oregonian/OregonLive to file a formal records request for any information pertaining to their use of the new agreement.

Liability concerns

More typically, police agencies partner using an agreement designed specifically for law enforcement.

The agreement, which was created about 20 years ago, required outside police agencies to follow local laws and regulations, as well as report all uses of force to the law enforcement agency that asked for help. The law enforcement-specific agreement also allowed for a hosting agency to require additional training or place limitations on activities of outside officers.

But if something goes wrong, the old agreement provides less protection for partnering agencies than the new agreement, according to a Washington County spokesperson.

Just last year, Washington County said it could no longer help Portland police after losing a $7 million judgement for battery and negligence after sheriffs deputies and Hillsboro police officers shot and injured a man while helping Portland police. The judgement was ultimately reduced to $1 million.

Citing the same liability concerns, Clackamas County also said last year it could no longer team up with help Portland police under the old law enforcement-specific agreement.

But the new agreement appears to eliminate the issue, placing all liability on the agency that requests help, Washington County officials said.

The Washington County Sheriffs Office said the new agreement makes it clear that the requesting agency owns all the liability.

Andrew Phelps, director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, said he was unsure if that was actually the case.

A new agreement

A new state law in 2017 created the Oregon Resource Coordination Assistance Agreement, which automatically qualified every local government in Oregon to share resources in an emergency.

When testifying before lawmakers about the new agreement, Oregon Emergency Management officials offered examples of how it could be used -- for agencies scrambling to respond to a mass shooter situation, wildfires, even the occupation at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge.

The description did not include ongoing police issues, such as Portlands sustained and anticipated series of protests. The intent in passing the new agreement was to provide a structure for sharing resources where it otherwise would not exist.

It wasnt meant to replace existing agreements, Phelps said. This is really meant to fill in any gaps where a mutual aid agreement doesnt exist.

Phelps said the agreement was not intended to shield outside agencies more effectively from liability, as it has been used in this instance.

No, not at all, Phelps said. It was intended to provide more coverage for the workers going out should they get injured. That was really the impetus behind the protections that are in place.

Phelps also said the agreement is rarely used in general and has never been used by two law enforcement agencies to share officers.

Because it is not specific to law enforcement, the agreement doesnt include police accountability requirements, such as how law enforcement agencies that ask for help should track how their partners use force. The new agreement also makes no mention of outside agencies being required to follow the policies of the local government they are assisting, as the law enforcement-specific agreement does.

That could be a problem for the Portland Police Bureau, which is under a federal settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to record more detailed use-of-force reports than other law enforcement agencies in Oregon, Caldwell said.

Caldwell directs the Independent Police Review, an independent oversight agency within the city auditors office that investigates allegations of misconduct and reviews policies within the Portland Police Bureau.

Caldwell added that Portlands detailed reports improve accountability and lower the number of force incidents because officers know they cant get away with it.

He said reports of alleged misconduct during the protests have already come in that appear to raise concerns about the outside agencies. Uniformed officers from different agencies can look similar, but if the Portland Independent Review office determines a complaint involves police from another agency its hands are tied.

When asked about how the county is tracking partner agencies, sheriffs office spokesperson Chris Liedle said outside officers will be bound by their own law enforcement agencys policies.

ORCAA guidelines and statutes dont speak to things like use of force reports, he said. However, given that officers of a responding agency are still under the command and administrative control and subject to the operating procedure of their home agency, it is the expectation that use of force events will be recorded in such manner as provided by the home agencys policies.

Record-keeping concerns

Additional record-keeping concerns also exist, which Caldwell said is not surprising, as law enforcement agencies have a history of poor administrative work.

Guidelines in the law say that when agencies execute the agreement, they should be reported to the countys office of emergency management as soon as practical.

Alice Busch, operations division chief of the Multnomah County Emergency Management, said the sheriffs office had not filed any such reports. Busch also said a cursory search for corresponding documents from Portland police did not turn up any filing, either. Though she said that does not mean Portland police had not submitted the documents.

The states Office of Emergency Management also had no record of the agreement being used by Portland police or the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office. The law says the office should be notified so use of the agreement can be included in yearly reports, though it does not provide a specific timeline for reporting.

-- K. Rambo

krambo@oregonian.com

@k_rambo_

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
By Colin Ainsworth

Special to the Times

CHESTER >> Bennett Community Farm staffers showcased their farmstands performance in the COVID-19 economic downturn Thursday afternoon during a return visit by U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5 of Swarthmore. The congresswoman first visited the 2-acre site on the grounds of the Ruth L. Bennett Homes last September on an invitation from Chester Housing Authority. She returned this week by her own request to survey its food distribution efforts during a district tour.

I think its a pretty good model for what we can do when we think more holistically, said Scanlon, who faces Republican challenger Dasha Pruett in the November general election. In addition to bringing fresh produce into into an area where theres food insecurity, and theres not access to a lot of healthy foods it expands and provides nutritional advice, it employs kids, it provides a community focus, she said.

Scanlon also called for expansion of SNAP and WIC usage at similar community farmstands, which the Bennett farm normally accepts during its bi-weekly summer and fall selling season. In light of the economic downturn, for 2020 the stand has suspended sales and distributed food boxes to area residents for free through a combination of local donors and expanded federal funding.

The farmstand got an earlier start in the spring with Foundation for Delaware County donations to distribute produce boxes. The produce is sourced from area farms through Philadelphia-based nonprofit Common Market, which has in turn received support through USDA programs, according to Farm Manager Natania Schaumburg.

I think we got like 140 boxes this time and were half way done, Assistant Farm Manager Malik Savage said about 45 minutes into Thursdays noon-2 p.m. sale hours. We buy from Common Market because they buy from local farmers, its certified organic.

The farmstand is now distributing Common Market-sourced boxes, its own vegetables and addition eggs and fruits through a combination of private donors and CARES Act funds, said Schaumburg. Right now we plan to continue through the end of October and then have a Thanksgiving distribution on Tuesday, Nov. 24, she said.

Speaking with the Times after Scanlons appearance, CHA Executive Director Steve Fischer said bolstered federal funding to the authority allowed it to work smoothly through the COVID situation. After applying for CARES Act funds to supply food to the Bennett farm, private farm donations freed the allocated government funding to supplement the CHA general budget. Were doing a lot of disinfecting of buildings we didnt do in the past, then we have rents that were lowered pretty much to nothing due to people losing their jobs  you have all that loss of income, said Fischer.

Weve had to spend a lot of money setting up all the (CHA employees) who have to work from home now, Fischer said. For the authoritys workers who had to remain on site, Fischer said they have received unspecified additional compensation for the hours they came in and exposed themselves (to infection risk).
New Delhi, July 19 : The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday sought a detailed report from Rajasthan government over the alleged phone tapping issue in the state, said sources.

The ministry has asked Rajasthan Chief Secretary to submit the report by next week over the issue after the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Rajasthan on Friday lodged a case against Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for trying to destabilise the Ashok Gehlot government by attempting to offer money to the MLAs.

The development comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into all the aspects of the alleged phone tapping.

The Congress on Friday suspended two rebel MLAs -- Bhanwar Lal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh -- from party's primary membership after alleged audio clips of a conversation between the two and Shekhawat surfaced on social media. They were allegedly talking against the Gehlot government.

Shekhawat, however, denied that it was his voice in the alleged clips and said that he was ready to face any inquiry.

In a press conference earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the events around the unfolding of the political crisis in Rajasthan were a mix of "conspiracy, lies and illegalities by the state Congress government in the state".

He then asked five questions on the alleged tapes made public by All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Randeep Surjewala on Friday.

"Phone tapping can only be done by authorised agencies as per due process of law and subject to approved safeguards and SOPs. Each case is also reviewed by a committee chaired by a Cabinet Secretary in case of Centre and State Secretary in case of a State government," Patra said.

"These are serious questions that we want to ask the Rajasthan Congress and Ashok Gehlot. Was phone tapping done? The Congress government in Rajasthan must answer. Secondly, is it not a sensitive and legal issue, if phone tapping has been done? Assuming that you've tapped phones, was the SOP followed? The people of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised. Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered? And finally is the phone of any person who is related to politics being tapped," asked Patra.

"We demand a CBI probe into all the illegalities of this alleged tapping," he said.

The BJP's aggressive stance comes after the case against Shekhawat and after the Haryana Police rushed to regulate the ingress of an SOG from Rajasthan at the Manesar hotel where rebel Congress MLAs loyal to Sachin Pilot are lodged.

An FIR was filed by the SOG in Rajasthan against Shekhawat and two others on the basis of a complaint by Congress whip Mahesh Joshi soon after three audio clips with alleged conversations on toppling of the Ashok Gehlot government were released by the ruling party.

The clips have recorded purported conversation between Shekhawat, Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma and Jaipur resident and BJP leader Sanjay Jain while discussing plans and actions to topple the Congress government.
Some school officials say their districts are in a no-win situation as they draw up reopening plans meant to balance health and education amid a pandemic that closed schools in the spring and upends any hope of normalcy in the fall.

Those plans, required by state health and education officials before any district can resume in-person classes, will be imperfect, most agree, and it will be impossible to come up with a solution that pleases every student, teacher and parent.

We have a whole lot of bad options, and were just trying to pick the best bad option, said Joe Scheuerman, president of the Hempfield Area teachers union.

Recommendations released Thursday by state officials touch on everything from recess and lunchtime to hallways and buses.

The basic tenets of most of the recommendations, though, come down to masks and social distancing.

Keeping students away from each other is easier said than done.

Its just tough to put into practice the guidelines, Scheuerman said. Thats a tough call.

Schools were largely left on their own to create health and safety plans because of the diversity of Pennsylvanias school communities and the different circumstances related to covid-19, said Nicole Reigelman, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.

That includes the decision of whether they will hold in-person classes at all. Some of the countrys largest school districts, including in Los Angeles and San Diego, already opted for online-only education for at least the start of the school year.

New York City schools will reopen only partially, with in-person classroom attendance being limited to only a few days a week.

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera championed a hybrid approach last week. That appears to be a popular plan for most districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania that have released details of how they hope to reopen.

If we have to take into account the best practices from both a health and public health perspective and education and public education perspective, I would say that as school districts are starting to plan today, a hybrid approach is a good model, he said.

Christopher Lilienthal, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said the obvious goal among educators is to get students back into classrooms, as in-person education is how most students learn best. The PSEA is the union that represents teachers in nearly all of the districts in the region, outside of Pittsburgh.

Members are very adamant about that, he said. There are some concerns. Were all concerned about reopening our schools, and thats why were talking about it a lot.

Health and safety, he said, are paramount.

Theres no compromising that, he said.

The balancing act is central as districts work to create their reopening plans: student safety, staff safety, the quality of the education, the services students need  the list goes on. Thats why its vital, pediatrician Dr. William Keough said, that districts engage with all of the groups involved as they outline their plans.

Balancing all of those competing interests is important and is going to require all of us to be responsive and nimble as the virus decides what its going to do, said Keough, a member of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Because the virus does what the virus is going to do.

On the health side, there are both early research and a host of unknowns, said Keough, who co-chairs the state AAPs advocacy committee.

Children can get the virus, and they have no different immunity than adults, he said. Although researchers have seen fewer cases in children, the testing also hasnt been focused on them, he said.

Part of that has been because of the availability of testing  Keough called the availability mosaic at best  and part of it has been because children have showed fewer symptoms.

(Children) dont seem to be the ones who are the major spreaders of this, but that doesnt mean that they dont spread it, he said.

While teachers are giving mixed opinions on whether going back to in-person instruction is safe, Scheuerman, president of Hempfields teachers union, said his districts plans are among the best he has seen.

Initial plans show kindergarten students attending school on a half-day model. Smaller class sizes would be utilized for students in first through fifth grades, and students in sixth through 12th grades would attend school every other day. On days students are not in school, instruction will be provided virtually.

The New Kensington-Arnold School District, among many others, will also have an online option. Parents there will receive a questionnaire next month presenting them with their options for fall schooling.

Several school board members said last week they themselves would not be comfortable being back in the school buildings.

I dont think anybody can feel safe going back to school, said board president John Cope. Thats my opinion. I didnt feel safe  I retired.

Cope previously taught at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.

Board Vice President John DeAntonio said at the same meeting that he favors remote learning through at least the first nine weeks.

Superintendent John Pallone said the want is for the largest number of students to stay active on our roll (in the building).

It is the intention to bring back students full time with safety protocols in place, he said. Theres nominal risk in what were considering to do.

Lilienthal said he thinks such models will be the case among many schools. Oftentimes, districts have multiple neighborhood-based elementary schools. Middle and high schools are larger and often take in students from multiple elementary schools, meaning larger class sizes and generally more people.

There is also the issue of changing classrooms in middle and high school, he said. Every 45 minutes, he said, students are spilling into hallways, passing each other and sharing germs.

Guidance from the state suggests keeping students in one classroom and rotating teachers rather than changing classrooms. Recommendations include one-way hallways and social distance markers on the floors.

I would have preferred additional guidance from PDE (state Education Department), but I do believe that the current guidance has been helpful, Norwin Superintendent Jeff Taylor said.

The district is expected to present reopening plans later this month.

While we know that in-person instruction for most children and adolescents is ideal, he said, we recognize that there are safeguards, precautions and safety measures that need to be in place to make our schools safe, healthy and effective for teaching and learning.
Fingal County Council officials have moved to defend the ten week trial of the pedestrianisation of New Street in Malahide in the face of vocal opposition to the pilot scheme on the ground, from a number of traders and local residents.

The trial has caused a lot of division in Malahide among the business community and residents but is set to continue after officials defended the on-street experiment at a meeting of the Malahide/Howth Area Committee.

At the meeting held via video conference, council official, Andrew Nolan defended the scheme saying it was a response to a dangerous situation that was developing on the street as COVID-19 restrictions were being lifted and shops were re-opening.

The streets narrow footpaths meant that queues forming outside shops on the street were spilling out on to the road and the pedestrianisation of the street was an attempt to allow users of the street to maintain two-metre social distancing in a safer way.

'We are trying to provide a safe space for shoppers,' he told the meeting.

Quoting evidence gathered from similar experiments in the UK, he said pedestrianised shopping streets creates 'vibrant areas' that ultimately attract more customers who tend to spend a longer time in the area browsing than those driving to a specific store.

One of the more controversial elements of the scheme is the feeling on the ground that there was a lack of consultation about the process.

The council official explained that the advice from the National Transport Authority (NTA) was that a full public consultation process was not required for a public health measure and the council pointed to the difficulty of having a public meeting in the current circumstances.

However, council officials argued there was a meeting with representative groups in the area, representing businesses and residents groups across Malahide but acknowledged that the message did not appear to be distributed as widely from those groups, as the local authority had expected.

The council said there is an 'ongoing' public consultation process on the ground, with council staff talking to traders and customers on the street on a daily basis and that if the 10 week trial was to be extended, there would be a full public consultation process first. Mr Nolan said the air quality in the area had improved since the experiment began and he rejected the argument over a lack of parking in the area, saying Malahide had far more parking than Swords.

Number of councillors are critical of the scheme

A number of councillors on the Malaide/Howth Area Committee have expressed reservations about the scheme to pedestrianise New Street and brought the concerns of a number of local residents and traders to the attention of the committee.

Cllr Joan Hopkins said she had received 45 representations from people who were 'not convinced this is the right thing to do or the right time to do it'.

She said that it was very important that the council was 'very transparent' about the trial.

She said that while she was personally supportive of the idea in principle, she said it needed to be done 'in the right way' and there needed to be more engagement with people on the ground. She said it was 'heartbreaking' to hear from traders who were 'really worried' about their businesses.

Cllr Jimmy Guerin said the one message he was hearing was that there 'wasn't proper consultation' on the scheme. He said he was not convinced by the public health argument for the move either as pedestrianising the street had resulted in increased footfall on New Street, making social distancing more difficult.

He said that there had been concern locally about drinking on the street, and while he is assured that is not going to happen now, this was among the fears that locals had about the experiment.

He said the scheme was 'dividing the community'. He said there was a 'level of opposition to this' and in his view, the scheme was 'a mistake'.

Cllr Anthony Lavin acknowledged the experiment had proved 'problematic' and there were a number of legitimate concerns about it. He stopped short of opposing the scheme though and recommended the ten week trial be completed so that lessons could be learned from it.

He expressed the hope that it would not create any more 'division' among the local community.

Cllr Aoibhinn Tormey was the most vocally opposed to the scheme among the local councillors on the committee and recommended that the experiment be abandoned altogether.

She said there were signs up in a number of shop windows on New Street and it was 'notable' how many opposed the scheme.

She called for the pilot schme to 'stop immediately'.

She said the road should be re-opened to allow for further consultation with local businesses and residents to discuss the future solution for the street.

Cllr Tormey said there was nothing about the scheme that 'screamed' it was a public health measure.
With more than 165 million downloads and a rabid teen following, short-form video app TikTok has emerged as a rare U.S. success story for a China-based app.

It may be the last.

Amid mounting concerns over the growing influence of Chinese companies and their ties to the communist government, national security experts say Washington is leveraging all of its tools to keep Chinese technology-related investments out of the U.S.

I think that the door is going to be largely shut to cutting edge Chinese investments, said Mario Mancuso, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis, and former member of the Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S. or CFIUS. U.S. business, whether it's the tech community or industry as a whole, I think they're starting to get that picture.

TikTok, known for its viral dance clips, has emerged as the latest geopolitical flash point in US-China relations. Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, the Trump Administration has repeatedly raised suspicions about the vast amounts of data collected on the platform, and Beijings ability to access it.

The company has denied those accusations and gone to great lengths to prove its independence from its Chinese parent company, as both President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threaten to clamp down on the popular social media app.

Earlier this year, it hired Formed Disney (DIS) executive Kevin Mayer to become the CEO of TikTok and COO of ByteDance. It is reportedly considering a global headquarters outside of China, and maintains that American user data is only stored on U.S. servers, with a backup in Singapore

No guardrails to guide policy

Still, anything short of a spinoff from ByteDance is unlikely to appease lawmakers and regulators suspicious about any Chinese-owned companys intentions. Theresa Payton, Former White House Chief Information Officer under President George W. Bush says the distrust extends to every Chinese company with ambitions in the U.S.

Something has to be hammered out at the deal table between China and the United States around protection and honoring intellectual property rights, and the privacy of citizens and their data, said Paytoo. Until that international relationship is hammered out, any Chinese hardware, software and social media apps will fall under this level of scrutiny because we don't have clarity on what the guardrails are.

Story continues

CFIUS has emerged as a critical check on Chinese companies looking to expand here. The Inter-agency committee tasked with reviewing national security implications of foreign investments in American companies has used its expanded scope under the Trump Administration to aggressively block transactions. In 2018, the committee blocked Ant Financials acquisition of Moneygram over data security concerns. Last year, CFIUS ordered Beijing Kunlun Tech Co to sell popular gay dating app Grindr.

While CFIUS is tasked with reviewing all foreign transactions, Mancuso, who also served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, Industry and Security, says the committee views China as a category of one. And it has wide latitude to determine the fate of firms, especially those invested in emerging tech.

This is not a criminal proceeding, where the government has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt [that a national security risk exists]. In fact, the government doesnt have to believe that anything went wrong, Mancuso said. The government could both force an unwind and believe that no data left servers in the United States.

Members of the City Youth Organisation hold posters with the logos of Chinese apps in support of the Indian government for banning the wildly popular video-sharing 'Tik Tok' app, in Hyderabad on June 30, 2020. (Photo by NOAH SEELAM/AFP via Getty Images)

The growing move to clamp down on Chinese companies comes as countries around the world increasingly look to build out their digital walls. Following heightened border tensions between India and China last month, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese-owned apps including TikTok, calling them a threat to the countrys sovereignty and security. That cut off access to 200 million TikTok users, a third of the apps global user base. India, is among roughly 45 countries with data localization requirements in place, mandating tech companies to store domestic user data on local servers.

Samm Sacks, Senior Fellow at Yale Law Schools Paul Tsai China Center, says Washingtons efforts to push out Chinese companies, accelerates the move towards digital protectionism.

It creates a blueprint to start using national security as a reason to ban market competitors. I think about places like India and Europe that have taken a really strong stance on digital sovereignty and this idea that Silicon Valley has a concentration of power and it's time to return some of that power, Sacks said. We're sort of showing them the way, if they wanted to make a case against U.S. tech companies.

Impact to Big Tech in the U.S.

That may prove to be problematic for U.S. tech giants fighting their own regulatory battles both at home and abroad. Matt Perault, Former Director of Public Policy at Facebook (FB), says foreign competition in the market helps quiet antitrust concerns expressed by regulators in the U.S. and Europe.

Having companies quickly rise to challenge U.S. tech firms, is an important thing in terms of ensuring that U.S. tech firms continue to have the incentive to deliver better products at lower prices, and to continue to be as innovative as possible, said Perault, Director of Center on Science & Technology Policy at Duke University. I think it would be a problematic thing if the U.S. market, for no reason other than sort of political concerns...all of a sudden had fewer choices and services you could use.

Still, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has singled out TikTok on a number of occasions, suggesting that a crackdown on the American social media platform, would enable Chinese apps to gain in popularity, and dictate the regulatory rules.

Until recently, the internet in almost every country outside China has been defined by American platforms with strong free expression values. Theres no guarantee these values will win out, he said, in an address at Georgetown University last fall, pointing to reports of TikTok censoring protestors and activists. Is that the internet we want?

Perault says the U.S. crackdown on Chinese companies and lawmaker concerns about American tech companies becoming too powerful, point to the incoherence of U.S. government policy.

Right now, political figures in the US are saying two things that are in conflict with each other. On the one hand, they're saying, we're really concerned about the increasing dominance of us tech firms, they have unchecked power, it's really problematic he said. On the other they're saying, we're deeply concerned about Chinese products. And so, in a range of different ways we want to have a more protectionist approach to protect U.S. tech firms from competition from Chinese firms.



Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AkikoFujita
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, described President Donald Trump's commutation of Roger's Stone sentence as "historic, unprecedented corruption," and many seem to agree. Yet a deep dive into the history shows another president's relentless campaign of pardons as far more destructive to the nation at one of its most fragile moments.

Before 1860, presidents used the constitutional power to pardon and commute sentences sparingly. But like so much else in American history, the Civil War changed all that. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the so-called Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. The order offered a full pardon to anyone who had joined the Confederate cause, save for a number of key exceptions: high-ranking officials and those who mistreated Black soldiers or their officers.

For Lincoln, this measure was less about pardons than undermining the Confederate war effort, offering amnesty in exchange for abandoning the secessionist, pro-slavery cause. Moreover, this was less a program than a tentative plan. Few took him up on the offer. In the end, Lincoln pardoned only 64 individuals for secession-related crimes.

When Johnson became president after Lincoln's assassination, he revived the idea as a way to reintegrate states on the losing side of the war. In May 1865, Johnson issued a far more sweeping proclamation of amnesty that aimed to restore the white men who participated in the rebellion. With a single signature, he pardoned hundreds of thousands of people, but drew a line at those worth more than $20,000.

Those with more wealth were encouraged to apply directly to Johnson to clear their names. Otherwise, they could not acquire or transfer property or possess other economic rights. And, crucially, they could not participate in politics, much less hold political office.

Over the summer and fall of 1865, throngs of well-off Southern whites flocked to the White House to beseech Johnson for pardons. The more savvy of these applicants began hiring "pardon brokers" who had special access to the president.

Johnson soon began approving individual pardons with little regard for their merits, ultimately signing upward of 13,500 of them. As a result, many pardoned aristocratic planters and politicians who ruled in formerly Confederate states won the right to run for office in the next election. Thanks to Johnson's assistance, they soon found themselves once again in charge of local and state governments. One of their first initiatives was passing racist "Black Codes," laws used to limit the movement of freed slaves so that they could be forced to labor for their former enslavers at low wages. At the same time, white vigilantes operating under the newly formed Ku Klux Klan began terrorizing black communities.

Lincoln's Republicans, who envisioned the abolition of slavery as the first step in the full enfranchisement of African Americans, were outraged. The minister and reformer Thomas Wentworth Higginson spoke for many when he wrote: "What most men mean today by the 'president's plan of reconstruction' is the pardon of every rebel for the crime of rebellion, and the utter refusal to pardon a single black loyalist for the 'crime' of being black."

Johnson's use of the pardon power became a matter of growing concern. What had begun as a practical attempt to reconstruct the South soon became a brutally effective political weapon, with Johnson repeatedly siding with white Southerners. Indeed, Johnson was a white supremacist who had no interest in helping the freed slaves, vetoing legislation aimed at protecting them.

Radical Republicans in Congress fought back, passing legislation designed to wrest control over Reconstruction from Johnson. They passed the Civil Rights Bill in 1865 (and overrode Johnson's veto), giving blacks equal rights with whites and creating the Freedmen's Bureau.

Johnson's attempts to undermine the Republican vision of Reconstruction - and his willingness to pardon people en masse - eventually led to his impeachment in 1868. Johnson emerged from this much weakened, as Congress took control of the policy toward the former Confederacy. But he wasn't done using the pardon power to re-enfranchise the former rebels.

On Christmas Day in 1868, just before leaving office, Johnson issued a universal amnesty for every single treasonous Confederate, effectively pardoning those exempted from his earlier edicts. In the end, his pardons would effectively expunge the crime of treason from the record of millions of Americans.

The only exceptions that remained were a handful of high-level Confederates who could not fully enjoy the benefits of this general proclamation because the 14th Amendment forbid former Confederate officials like Jefferson Davis from holding office without a special vote of Congress. Indeed, Davis never applied for a full pardon. As he quipped in 1884, "'Tis been said that I should apply to the United States for a pardon, but repentance must precede the right of pardon, and I have not repented."

The same, of course, could be said of Johnson himself, who went to his grave convinced of the righteousness of his pardoning power. The verdict of history, though, has been far harsher: Johnson remains one of the most reviled presidents of all times, rightly blamed for restoring a bunch of treasonous white supremacists to political power, and undermining the nation's formative attempt at pursuing racial equality in the immediate wake of emancipation.

It may be small consolation right now, but when it comes to pardoning, Donald Trump is focused on helping the people closest to him. Let's hope it stays that way.

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Mihm, an associate professor of history at the University of Georgia, is a contributor to Bloomberg Opinion.
Rescuers pulled bodies from under mud and debris Friday as they raced to find dozens still missing after flash floods killed at least 36 people on Indonesia's Sulawesi island. More than 14,000 people left homeless by the disaster have taken refuge at temporary shelters in hard-hit North Luwu regency, with the country's search and rescue agency hunting for 66 people still unaccounted for. Several rivers burst their banks after torrential rains pounded the region Monday, sparking the deadly flash floods. On Friday, officials said at least 36 people had died in the disaster, following the retrieval of more bodies. They also raised previous missing victim figures from a dozen to more than 60, citing new reports from concerned relatives. "The chances of finding them alive are slim as we've been searching for four days now and it's a difficult situation in the field," Andi Mukti, coordinator of North Luwu's search-and-rescue team, told AFP. "There's thick mud up two metres (six feet) high." The search would still continue through the weekend, he added. Several thousand houses as well as government offices and public facilities were engulfed by mud from the floods. This week, desperate residents searched through their homes for pots and pans and other belongings to take to the temporary shelters in flood-prone North Luwu. In January, record rains triggered flooding and landslides that killed nearly 70 people in and around Indonesia's capital Jakarta, which is on neighbouring Java island. The Southeast Asian archipelago is regularly hit by floods during the rainy season.
Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

Mayawati wades into phone tapping row in Rajasthan, seeks Presidents rule

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati weighed in on the alleged phone tapping row in Rajasthan accusing chief minister Ashok Gehlot of acting illegally and calling for Presidents rule in the state. Read more

Ram temples construction date, plan on agenda as trust members meet today

The date for the construction of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya will be discussed on Saturday as members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will meet in the temple town. Nripendra Mishra, Prime Minister Narendra Modis former principal secretary and also the chairperson of the committee for the construction of the temple, will be present at the meeting. Read more

Fits the bill: How Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has emerged in Rajasthan politics

From being at the frontline of the BJPs offensive against the Ashok Gehlot government to being accused of playing a key role in the alleged conspiracy to dislodge the Congress dispensation, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has come to the fore as the central figure in Rajasthans political space. Read more

EC seeks suggestions on conducting poll campaigns amid Covid-19

The Election Commission of India has asked national and regional political parties to send in their views and suggestions by July 31 on how to conduct election campaigns and public meetings amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This comes as Bihar is set to go assembly polls later this year amid the Covid-19 crisis. Read more

China takes over companies linked to disappeared financier

Chinese regulators will assume control of nine financial firms that are linked to a financier who was taken from a hotel in Hong Kong by Chinese authorities in 2017 and hasnt been seen in public since. Read more

Waqar Younis recalls incident when Inzamam stood up for Azharruddin and confronted abusive fan in 1997

Remember the sight of Inzamam Ul Haq going into the crowd and confronting an abusive fan in the 1997 Sahara Cup? Well, turns out there was more to the infamous story than Inzamam getting riled up for being called aaloo (potato). Read more

How to make space for new emails if your Gmail storage is full

Storage issues on Gmail are nothing new, especially if you use the service as your main email driver. You might have seen a notification on the page or app warning you that your storage is full and that you need to delete older emails to get new ones. Read more

Happy birthday Bhumi Pednekar: 6 times the actor changed looks to get into her character

Actor Bhumi Pednekar is an oddity in Bollywood - a person who went from casting other people for roles in Yashraj Films to being cast herself as a leading lady in a film. Bhumi is a classic instance of never letting go of ones dreams. Read more

Happy Birthday Priyanka Chopra Jonas: The fashionistas red carpet journey

Does Priyanka Chopra Jonas even need an introduction anymore? The stunning desi girl took India by storm when she won the title of Miss World 2000 at the tender age of eighteen. The Sky is Pink actor is the personification of beauty with brains, and has floored the world with her immense acting talent, wit and intelligence. Read more

Firefighters rescue dog stuck in drainpipe for 3 days, people shower praise

In todays edition of stories-that-can-make-you-smile, we have the rescue story of a dog. Sophie, a two years old mix fell down into an 18 inches deep drainpipe where she remained stuck for three days. However, thanks to the firefighters of Santa Barbara County the furry creature is now rescued and out of danger. Read more

Watch: Stunning visuals of Indian paratroopers jumping out of plane over Ladakh
The conference between South Korean businesses (including Samsung) and the Vietnamese government

At a dialogue organised today (July 17, 2020) between the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedural Reform and the South Korean Embassy and businesses community, Choi Joo Ho, director general of Samsung Vietnam, raised three recommendations.

Regarding the Law on Investment, Choi Joo Ho said that if the scale of investment increases or decreases too much, businesses have to adjust their investment registration certificates. "However, this procedure is quite complicated and takes a lot of time, especially in the IT sector. For example, a Samsung subsidiary spent so long to deal with the procedure of adjusting investment registration certificate last year that they almost missed the plan on manufacturing new products," Choi Joo Ho said.

"Of course, thanks to support from Minister, Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung and government authorities, we accomplished this procedure. However, other companies could face the same challenges or even worse. I think businesses have to adjust their certificate if the investment scale decreases, but the government should review and consider simplifying administrative procedures so that investors can disburse their money easier," the head of Samsung Vietnam added.

Related to the advanced pricing agreement (APA) proposed by the South Korean government and businesses, Samsung Vietnam's representative hoped that the Vietnamese government would sign the agreement this year.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of trouble related to international customs procedures. South Korean and most export companies in Vietnam are challenged by importing material raws and exporting. Although customs clearance to China has been reopened, delays in the export of huge volumes of goods have caused troubles to businesses.

Thus, the general director of Samsung Vietnam proposed to temporarily use some of the available aircraft of Vietnam Airlines  which manages most direct routes to Europe  for cargo transport while all flights to Europe are closed. This will benefit both airlines and export businesses.

In addition to Samsung, the conference was attended by 320 representatives from the ministries of Industry and Trade, Planning and Investment, Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Finance, Natural Resources and Environment, Health, Construction, the State Bank of Vietnam, and representatives of several cities and provinces. This was also contributed by the participation of leading South Korean businesses in Vietnam like Samsung, SK, LG, Lotte, POSCO, Hanwha, CJ, Hyosung, LH, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, and some associations (KOTRA, KOICA, KoCham).

The conference includes three contents: listening to the difficulties and obstacles of South Korean businesses; plans of the Vietnamese government to cope and overcome challenges after the pandemic; and co-operation between the two countries in the time coming. The event aims to boost the economic relations of the two countries and confirm the determination of the Vietnamese government to improve the business climate.
Dear Editor,

I recently sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, encouraging him NOT to support H.R. 2407, No Way to Treat a Child Act, because these so-called children are largely 15-19 years old, who are also terrorists.

Further, despite propaganda to the contrary, in fact, no Palestinians, minors or otherwise, are held in Israeli military prisons. According to BTselem, which is highly critical of Israeli policies, there are zero Palestinian minors being held by the Israeli military.

As of August 31, 2018, 239 Palestinian minors were held by the Israel Prison Service (IPS). The IPS is independent of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces), and its prisons are civilian, not military.

An example of how anti-Israel peace extremists spew their propaganda comes from 2011, when Israel freed Palestinians in the 2nd Stage of an exchange. They claimed that one prisoner released, Izzedine Abu Sneineh, had been arrested in 2008, at the age of 15, for throwing stones and hanging Palestinian flags from telephone poles.

If in fact, Israel really imprisoned Palestinian children merely for putting up flags or throwing stones, there would be tens of thousands of Palestinian children in Israeli jails, instead of less than 200 at that time. Whatever young Abu Sneineh did, it had to involve something much more serious.

In fact, Az al-Din Shhada Akram Abu Snina, was convicted and sentenced for Weapons training; attempted murder and possession of weapons/ammo/explosives.

Unfortunately 22 Representatives do not understand that Israel is dealing with Palestinians whose major thrust in life is to exterminate the nation of Israel, and thus the bill is actually an anti-Israel/anti-Semitic subterfuge.

Susan Puretz

Saugerties, N.Y.
Rajib Sarma was arrested from his residence in Assams Gauripur at 2 am on Thursday, hours before his 64-year-old father passed away due to cardiac arrest

Assam Police on Friday announced a CID investigation into the arrest of a journalist Rajib Sarma, taken into custody on charges of misbehavior with the wife of a district official.

The DY365 channel journalist was arrested from his residence in Assams Gauripur at 2 am on Thursday, hours before his 64-year-old father passed away due to cardiac arrest. Following an uproar over his protest, the district superintendent of police and the divisional forest officer (DFO) were transferred, PTI reported.

Sarma was granted interim bail on the same day as his arrest, however he reached home to find that his father had passed away, NDTV reported. I have not even seen his (Roys) wife. I have not even spoken to her. This is a conspiracy on the part of the existing nexus between influential people who are involved in these illegal activities, Sarma had said after being released.

Sarma did a series of news reports claiming that cattle smuggling in Dhubri district was thriving on the alleged nexus between the DFO and district police. "The case of the arrest of a local journalist of electronic media has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for a proper probe," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) GP Singh told reporters on Friday.

Meanwhile, Dhubri DFO Biswajit Roy had lodged a police complaint against Sarma accusing him of extortion and misbehaving with his wife. He has been charged under sections 389 (putting person in fear of accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion), 384 (punishment for extortion), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code

On Friday, a local court granted Sarma an interim bail to complete the last rites of his father. The ADGP said the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Cell will be investigating the DFO's case separately and it will be unrelated to the criminal case against the journalist. Dhubri district forest officer Roy alleged Sharma attempted to extort Rs 8 lakh from him on the basis of fabricated news regarding his involvement in a cattle smuggling syndicate.

Singh also said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to inquire about the role of Dhubri district police in cattle smuggling cases in the last two years. "I have done the preliminary inquiry today and will submit my findings to the DGP and the chief minister by tonight," the police officer said.

Apart from bringing the issue to the National Human Rights Commission and Press Council of Indias attention, DY365 channel has also decided to move the Gauhati High Court, according to The Wire. Atanu Bhuyan, consulting editor of DY365, said, Our decision to move the high court is final. It is not fair that a journalist is whisked away by the police in the late hours, like a common thief. His father died out of shock. Only Rajib and his father lived together in the house. When Rajib was taken away, the neighbours found the doors open the next day. His father was already dead; it is believed he died of shock.

A BJP delegation met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and submitted a memorandum denouncing the arrest and seeking an impartial probe into the case. The Guwahati Press Club too sought the chief minister's intervention in the matter so that the scribe's family is not harassed unnecessarily. "We want the CM to intervene and ensure that Mr Sharma is not harassed in the name of investigation," president Manoj Kumar Nath and secretary Sanjay Ray of the press club said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Assam government transferred Dhubri Superintendent of Police Yuvraj to 1st Assam Police Battalion at Ligiripukhuri as its commandant. Charaideo's SP Anand Mishra replaced him. The Environment and Forest Department also transferred Roy to the Genetic Cell Division in Guwahati. The current DFO of the Genetic Cell Division, PV Trimbak, will be posted to Dhubri, according to an order.

With inputs from PTI
The Executive Director of the Doyen Institute of Intelligence and Investigations, Mr George Dosoo Doyen has cautioned businesses who deal in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to be wary of fraudsters due to the high demand of the commodity.

Explaining the modus operadi of the fraudsters, Mr Doyen said they most place advertisements on the social media and if anyone contacts them to make a purchase, they asked the client to make an advance payment and sometimes demand half payment before delivering the goods.

He cited a lady in Tamale who wanted to sell PPE and upon chancing on an advertisements on the social media, contacted the supposed manufacturer of the items and made half payment, but ended up being defrauded thousands of Ghana cedis.

Mr George Doyen gave the advice at the side-lines of a graduation ceremony for Private Professional Investigators trained by the Institute, in Accra at the weekend.

He advised individuals and businesses interested in trading in PPE to avoid making advance payment, but should receive the goods before making payment.

Mr Doyen also cautioned individuals to avoid taking cheques for payment as the fraudsters often issue dud cheques to their clients or victims.

The Executive Director advised the graduands to maintain high integrity, professionalism and exercise diligence in their work.

"In this profession, trust is very important and so you should be trustworthy and maintain high integrity, professionalism and be time conscious," Mr Doyen advised.

He asked them to desist from taking money to entrap innocent persons, saying, "if you take money to entrap people because you want quick result, it will ruin your career and also affect your integrity".

Mr Richard Kumadoe, a Fraud and Security Consultant, making a presentation on The Role of Security Professionals during COVID-19", entreated the graduands to offer strategic counselling to their clients.

He said: "Businesses, individuals, communities and countries will employ your services, therefore, you should give them strategic advice to ensure their safety. You dare not fail them".

Mr Maxwell Caleb Nortey-Newman, a Certified Fraud Examiner and Forensic Investigation Professional, on his part, advised them to abide by the Code of Ethics of the profession and live morally upright life, in order to engender public trust.

"The security industry is a slippery ground and you'll encounter lots of challenges, but you should maintain high integrity and professionalism, "he added.

Some of the courses run by the Institute include Private Professional Investigation, Organised Crime Investigations, Analyst Intelligence Officer, Money Laundering Investigations, Financial Investigations and Corporate Investigations.

GNA
(TNS)  The coronavirus pandemic has upended how the criminal justice system operates, turning routine face-to-face hearings into virtual adventures The latest courthouse procedure to go virtual in New Jersey? Grand jury proceedings.The states Administrator of the Courts recently launched a virtual grand jury pilot program in an effort to speed up the criminal justice process and limit gatherings in courthouses in Bergen and Mercer counties. So far, nearly 50 indictments have been handed up since June 18 Given that we have no way of knowing when this health crisis will end, virtual grand juries are our best alternative if we are to move cases forward in a manner that allows all citizens to participate in the jury process, Judge Glenn A. Grant, acting administrative director of the court, said in a statement last week. Justice cannot be served if the criminal justice process is stalled.But criminal defense attorneys and county prosecutors across the state have banded together and publicly raised concerns over how the virtual grand jury proceedings are playing out and the long-term consequences the new process could have on defendants. A grand jury decision is the first step in the criminal justice process after a complaint is filed.The sanctimony of the criminal justice system is under attack, Matt Adams, vice president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDL-NJ), said about the virtual grand juries.In a statement released this week, the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey (CPANJ), whose prosecutors present evidence to a grand jury, echoed the concerns raised by the ACDL-NJ , which called virtual grand juries unconstitutional and simply wrong earlier this week.Both organization raised three main concerns:Virtual grand juries limit the cross-section of jurors selected because some residents may not have access to technology because of social and economic inequities.The secrecy of a grand jury proceeding is undermined when held virtually.The technological issues and glitches that often arise on a video conference could impact the presentation and the jurors understanding of the case.There are certain lines in the administration of justice that cannot be crossed, the county prosecutors said in a statement. Given our sworn obligation to seek justice, we cannot stand by and fail to advocate for the protection of Constitutional rights, privacy rights, and the safety of all participants in our criminal justice system, including defendants and victims.Prosecutors in both counties where the pilot program is being utilized are members of the county prosecutors organization who denounced virtual grand juries, though their offices continue to convene them.A spokeswoman for Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Mussella said the county will continue to present cases to a virtual grand jury as requested by the judiciary. She said the prosecutors office had not encountered any issues presenting cases virtually.Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, who is the president of the organization, did not respond to a request for comment.The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) said a number of safeguards were put in place to make sure the proceedings continued lawfully, but also efficiently in its new virtual setting.In the pilot program, the court system has provided jurors with tablets that have broadband access or with web cameras in order to not exclude those without the proper technology from sitting on a grand jury. No jurors were turned away because they lacked the space or technological equipment to participate, according to the AOC. Jurors access the virtual proceeding through a secure login and are given headphones to wear so others in the home do not hear the proceedings.Additionally, the court has supplemented its standard grand jury charge and secrecy oath with an oath that specifically addresses the requirements of participation in a virtual proceeding.Just as we do with live grand juries, we rely on virtual grand juries to honor the oath they are sworn to follow, Judge Grant said.Grand juries have long been a staple of the criminal justice system. In New Jersey, before a criminal case moves forward, every defendant has a right to have their case heard by a grand jury. A grand jury is made up of 23 people who determine whether there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against a person. In a typical year, grand juries across New Jersey return nearly 27,000 indictments in criminal cases, according to the Attorney Generals office.The state Supreme Court authorized in May that the AOC could hold grand jury proceedings virtually with the intent of speeding up the process for more than 1,800 defendants in county jails awaiting indictment while also not crowding courthouses with potential jurors.Originally, virtual proceedings were to be conducted for defendants who consented to them being held virtually to assist in identifying early cases for presentation to a grand jury, said Peter McAleer, a spokesman for the AOC.However, no defendant consented to a virtual grand jury. The county prosecutors organization said the lack of consent should have been a red flag for the judiciary and it expects defendants to consistently challenge indictments returned by a virtual grand jury.The courts proceeded with the virtual grand juries without the defendants consent, as they would have proceeded with grand juries pre-pandemic. Judge Grant said the courts had to explore the best immediate option for restarting our criminal justice process.Under the pilot program 47 indictments have been secured through virtual grand juries in Bergen and Mercer counties as of July 13. In three cases, the grand juries declined to indict on all of the proposed charges, McAleer said.The ACDL-NJ is describing the process as Wi-Fi indictments that has stripped down the extensive grand jury process to expedite cases at the expense of the least powerful party involved.Make no mistake, the pandemic is being used as an excuse to fundamentally reshape the entire landscape of the criminal justice system in a way that diminishes rather than enhances the protections of human beings in the state of New Jersey, said attorney Michael Baldassare, a member of ACDL-NJ.Both the ACDL-NJ and the county prosecutors organization have urged the AOC to shut down the virtual grand jury proceedings and come up with a strategy to hold in-person grand juries in larger spaces where social distancing is possible, which other jurisdictions across the country have instituted Given that we have no way of knowing when this health crisis will end, virtual grand juries are our best alternative if we are to move cases forward in a manner that allows all citizens to participate in the jury, McAleer said.The pilot program will next be expanding to state grand juries, as requested by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who has been working with the judiciary to expand the virtual pilot program.We cannot indefinitely halt the criminal justice process and allow a backlog of cases to develop while individuals are detained and the memories of witnesses fade, a spokeswoman for Grewal said. This situation requires that we act boldly and creatively to safeguard our criminal justice system during this difficult time.Adams said if the virtual grand juries continue, the ACDL-NJ will explore all options, including litigation, in order to stop the program that he said has altered the first step of the criminal justice process in a way that defense attorneys and prosecutors have said is not an appropriate way for grand juries to be held.
In turn, the state has argued that any attempt by the concessionaire to walk away would violate the contract. The consortium has until Friday, the states notice said, to withdraw its termination notice, ensure its construction contractor remains on site or find a new one. After that, it said, the state could draw on the companies $906 million performance security, similar to an insurance policy, to complete the construction.
Amid the fast-changing political developments in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on July 18 said he has not been on speaking terms with former deputy CM and dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot for the past 18 months.

"There was no dialogue between us since the last one and a half years. A minister who doesnt talk to the chief minister, doesnt take his advice, keeps no dialogue with him... There can be opposition, but dialogue is necessary in a democracy," Gehlot said, according to a report by Hindustan Times quoting an interview that the CM gave to a TV channel.

Gehlot, however, added that in case Pilot decides to return to the Congress fold, he will welcome the 42-year-old "with a hug".

"He was three years old when I became MP for the first time. I have ties with his family going back decades. I will welcome him with a hug," Gehlot said. The 69-year-old Congress veteran claimed that Pilot and the legislators supporting him had planned to flee on June 10, but he had managed to quell their attempts.

"They were planning to leave at 2 am. I had to save the government. I woke up all the collectors at 1 am and I asked all party leaders to reach Jaipur the next day and almost all of them reached. Then these people realised the truth and started saying there was no conspiracy and there was no need for placing MLAs under lockdown. But I had proof then and I have proof now," Gehlot said, according to the report.

The chief minister also claimed that while Pilot wanted to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), his MLAs were unwilling to do so. He also spoke about Jyotiraditya Scindia, the senior Congress leader from Madya Pradesh who had switched sides to the BJP in March, thus engineering the fall of Kamal Nath-led Congress government there.

"You should not betray the party, the party has given you so much. I have been a three-time central minister, three-time PCC chief, three-time AICC general secretary and three-time CM because I went through the grind in the NSUI and Youth Congress. Leaders from our generation worked hard and stayed loyal to the party and its ideology and so we are where we are today," Gehlot said.
The Warriors will need to consider free agent backup point guard candidates during their upcoming offseason. Since Golden State will be stretched thin due to some exorbitant contracts to the teams top four players, The Athletics Anthony Slater makes the case for 28-year-old injury-prone non-shooter Michael Carter-Williams, an unrestricted free agent, on a league minimum.

Carter-Williams, a career 40.3% shooter from the floor (and a 25.6% shooter from deep), has logged time with the Sixers, Bucks, Bulls, Hornets, Rockets and Magic in his seven NBA seasons. Slater lauds the 65 guards size and notes that his three-point shooting has improved with Orlando, adding that he was a +27 in his time on the floor during the Magics three road games, all wins, before the NBA season pause on March 11. For 2019/20, Carter-Williams is shooting a below-average 29.4% from long range, which would be his career-high over a full season.

There are more updates out of California:
A Sudanese asylum seeker shot dead after stabbing six people in Glasgow has been buried an hour late after more than a hundred mourners arrived at his funeral.

Badreddin Abadlla Adam, 28, was due to be buried at Linn Cemetery in Glasgow at 2pm this afternoon.

He was shot by armed officers last month after injuring six people, including police constable David Whyte, 42, during an attack at the Park Inn Hotel in the city.

By 3pm today, an hour after the ceremony was scheduled to begin, three police vans had been called to the cemetery to try to disperse crowds of mourners.

The Scottish Government's current rules allow for a maximum of 20 guests at funeral services during the latest phase of lockdown restrictions being eased.

More than 100 mourners arrived to at Linn Cemetery in Glasgow for the funeral of Badreddin Abadlla Adam, 28, at 2pm today

A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed that officers were in attendance 'assisting staff with social distancing regulations'.

At the time of his knife attack, Adam was being temporarily housed in the hotel that was being used as accommodation for asylum seekers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Badreddin Abadlla Adam (pictured) died after he was shot by police

He was described as a 'quiet and polite and decent guy' by asylum seekers who were also residing at the city centre hotel.

The number of mourners far exceeded the Scottish Government's maximum limit, meaning most had to congregate in a nearby car park while the service took place.

Speaking on the Monday following the 'traumatic' attack, a fellow resident by the name of Andrew said those living at the Park Inn Hotel had been moved.

He said: 'Recently we were moved from the Park Inn Hotel to the Hallmark Hotel because of the incident that happened on Friday which has been traumatic for every single asylum seeker.

'One way or the other we have been affected mentally, physically and otherwise.

'I (was not) around when it took place but I happened to gather some information from my other asylum seekers.

'They described him as a quiet and polite and decent guy - they were surprised that he acted the way he acted.

By 3pm today, an hour after the ceremony was scheduled to begin, three police vans had been called to the cemetery to try to disperse crowds of mourners. Pictured, the coffin

Mourners lined up to pay their respects to the coffin ahead of the burial. The number of mourners far exceeded the Scottish Government's maximum limit

Most of the mourners had to congregate in a nearby car park while the service took place

'There must be something that pushed him to behave in that ugly manner which honestly I strongly condemned because it is abnormal, but definitely something must have pushed that guy into that level of disastrous act.'

Pc Whyte, one of the attacker's six injured victims, paid tribute to police and medical staff after being discharged from hospital a week on from the attack.

'There is no doubt that I face a long road to recovery but I am absolutely determined to be back on duty as soon as I possibly can,' he said.

'I would like to thank the medical staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for saving my life and getting me back to where I am today.'

At the time of his discharge on July 2, four other men remained in hospital, three in a stable condition while one was still critical.

The coffin is removed from the hearse by six men wearing masks and hi-vis jackets

Pictured: Officers stand guard near a bouquet of flowers outside the Park Inn Hotel on Saturday, June 27

Adam had been on a call with his immigration lawyer minutes before the attack, it was previously reported.

Hotel staff were also warned about the man's mental state the night before, when a liaison worker had reportedly spoken with hotel staff at about 11 p.m. on Thursday.

Campaigners warned that the coronavirus lockdown would trigger a mental health crisis among 'traumatised' asylum seekers in Glasgow weeks before the rampage.

Hero police officer David Whyte was critically injured while responding to the attack

Minutes before the stabbing began at 12.50 p.m. on Friday, Sky News reports that the suspect had spoken with an immigration solicitor over the phone, who said he would raise concerns with a 'safeguarding' team at the home office.

Armed officers were scrambled at lunchtime on June 26 to West George Street, where immigrants were being housed during the pandemic, after the knifeman launched his stabbing spree.

But the coronavirus lockdown, imposed in March, allegedly triggered previous trauma in the 'vulnerable' group of migrants, some of whom had reportedly experienced war and sexual assault.

Campaigners flagged their concerns to Scottish newspaper The Herald before Friday's attack and called on more mental health support from the Government.

Ronier Deumeni, from charity African Challenge Scotland, which has been giving weekly food packs to black and minority ethnic (BAME) families during lockdown, said the measures imposed to combat coronavirus have triggered 'post-traumatic stress.'

Police officers attend the scene after the stabbing rampage in a central Glasgow hotel at around 1pm on June 26

Another activist said campaigners had been saying 'for months' that the asylum seekers were 'not well' and that the attack was a 'depression' and 'mental health issue' rather than terrorism.

Among the injured in the rampage was a 17-year-old boy, hotel staff and hero police officer Mr Whyte, who raced to the scene of the stabbing spree at around 1pm.

He was critically injured after being stabbed around the eye while trying to overpower the attacker.

Within a matter of a few minutes, firearms officers arrived and the knifeman was shot dead. Dramatic pictures showed hordes of emergency services outside the hotel, including armed officers running through the street.
Counties would have to be off the list for at least two weeks before their classrooms would be allowed to reopen, but the decision would still be up to local officials on whether to resume in-person classes, the governor said.

Many districts in those counties had already said they would start the academic year online, including San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Long Beach, Santa Ana and San Bernardino. But at least a few districts that had planned to hold in-person classes would be required to switch.

Quite frankly, we are going to have to pivot, which is my new least favorite word, said Eimear OFarrell, the superintendent of Clovis Unified School District in Fresno County, which is on the watchlist.

On Wednesday, the Central Valley district with about 43,000 students had rolled out what Ms. OFarrell described as a painstakingly developed plan to welcome students back to classrooms in August.

It is a challenge and a source of frustration for us, she said in a virtual news conference on Friday afternoon. Every superintendent has been aiming to get this information out in time.

The statewide rules would also require teachers and staff members in schools that are allowed to reopen to maintain six feet of physical distance with one another and children, and mandate masks for students in third grade and up. Younger children would be encouraged but not required to wear face coverings, and all children would be encouraged to maintain six feet of distance.

The guidelines recommend that school employees be tested regularly for the coronavirus, something teachers across the country have been pushing for, although the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said doing so is not necessary, and scaling up testing has been a challenge.
Thousands of Montana students have gotten money from CARES Act funding that was earmarked to aid students directly during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Montana universities have wide gaps in how money has been handed out so far.

At Montana State University, about 6,100 of the 7,400 eligible students have gotten grants, and the school has doled out about two-thirds of the $5.2 million that must go to its students.

At Montana State University Billings and the University of Montana, less money has gone out so far and to a smaller proportion of students.

At MSUB, of the $1.2 million earmarked for students, $279,655 has been given out as of July 9. By then, about 415 students' applications had been processed; that's up another 40, university officials said. About 900 students were eligible for grants during the spring semester, and about 450 were eligible during the summer.

At the University of Montana, about $1.5 million of its $3.8 million has been distributed as of a July 10 update. The school had about 5,500 students it "encouraged to apply," according to the update, and about 1,200 had received grants.
A top officer of Manipur police department allegedly shot himself in his office Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The officer, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arvind Kumar, was taken to a hospital following the incident.

Top brass of the state police and officials, including Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu, were at Raj Medicity where Kumar was being treated.

The chief secretary said Kumar's condition is serious but he is responding to the treatment and has also spoken to the doctors.

"He will be sent to Delhi, once his condition improves," Babu added.

Kumar, a 1992-batch IPS officer of the Manipur cadre, shot himself with his service revolver in his office in Manipur Rifles Compound, said a senior police officer.

It is being probed why he took the step, he said.

Kumar was sent back to his home cadre around a year ago, the officer added.
California progressives are not letting up on Joe Biden after he released a clean-energy plan last week that is more left-leaning than what he campaigned on during the primaries.

They want him to go further left on that and other issues  and they arent going to stop pushing him even if he defeats President Trump in November and winds up in the White House.

Progressives dont expect Biden to shift course anytime soon and embrace their top priorities, including a Medicare for All health care plan and the Green New Deal environmental outline. But while many are pleased with some of the policy compromises that came out of a recent unity commission composed of Biden and Sanders supporters, they arent satisfied with everything in the 110-page document. Biden is reviewing the proposals that will shape the Democratic Party platform.

Its better than what Biden campaigned on, said Amar Shergill, chairman of the progressive caucus of the California Democratic Party, the largest affinity group in the nations largest Democratic state organization. We dont reject progress when we get it. This represents progress.

But Shergill added that progressives will keep pressuring Biden even if he wins the presidency.

Were going to get the best possible deal we can now, make it the new normal for Democrats, and then get up the next day and keep trying to get more. Even after hes elected.

In addition to pressure from his left flank, the coronavirus pandemic is reshaping Bidens platform. Lately, he has been talking about increasing the scale of his plans to the New Deal-era proportions of President Franklin D. Roosevelts administration. Biden predicted that the economic fallout from the pandemic might eclipse what FDR faced.

Because of this COVID crisis, I think people are realizing, My Lord, look at what is possible, Biden said at a recent fundraiser. Look at the institutional changes we can make. 

The reference to FDR resonates with Sanders supporters. The Vermont senator often name-checked Roosevelt during his campaign when pressed about what being a democratic socialist meant.

Here is a look at areas where Biden has shifted since all but wrapping up the nomination in March:

Health care: Biden hasnt embraced Medicare for All, saying it would be too costly. He continues to prefer a public option, which would allow people to buy into the government-run Medicare program. Those who dont want to do so would still have their private insurance.

However, the unity commission did propose to strengthen the public option significantly, said Michael Lighty, an Oakland resident who advocated for Medicare for All across the country as the Sanders campaigns health care constituency director.

It is now a no-premium, no-deductible plan for families making roughly $52,000 or less annually, he said. In terms of benefits, its a platinum-level plan that would be run by the government, not a private insurer.

Matt Rourke / Associated Press

Its a recognition that because of COVID, the benefits need to be expansive, Lighty said.

National Nurses United, the 155,000-member union that is a longtime backer of Sanders and Medicare for All, endorsed Biden this month. But union president Zenei Cortez said the nurses will be on his doorstep 24/7 to get Medicare for All.

Environment: Biden isnt close to supporting the Green New Deal, which calls for the U.S. to run on 100% renewable energy within 10 years. Unlike Sanders, Biden hasnt totally disavowed fracking, which is key to his support in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, where the industry accounts for many jobs.

However, Bidens $2 trillion clean energy proposal drew guarded praise from Varshini Prakash, a member of the unity commission and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led environmental organization. Biden called for the U.S. to be fully powered by renewable energy by 2035, which is 15 years sooner than he suggested during the primaries.

Our movement, Prakash said in a statement, taught Joe Biden to talk the talk. Now, lets defeat Trump and mobilize in mass after the election to get Biden to walk the walk.

But R.L. Miller, who chairs the environmental caucus of the California Democratic Party and supported Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the primaries, said the unity commission does not mention phasing out fossil fuels in any way, shape or form. The commission called for following science and the law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts from fossil fuel production, transportation and use.

Still, Miller said, the commissions proposals are not a bad plan, and its a lot better than anything that the Democratic Party has put forward before.

Immigration: Some immigration rights advocates still link Biden with former President Barack Obama, whom National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguia once called the deporter-in-chief for overseeing more than 3 million deportations.

The unity commission didnt propose eliminating or cutting funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, nor did it suggest that Biden support ending criminal penalties for people who illegally cross the U.S. border, as some Democratic candidates did during the primaries. Biden opposed both.

The unity group suggested focusing on righting the wrongs of the Trump administration first. It proposed rescinding the administrations travel ban, cutting funding for the southern border wall and reinstating protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. when they were young.

For years, Biden and other Democrats have called for comprehensive immigration reform, hoping to package their priorities with goals backed by Republicans. It hasnt worked, as few Republicans have joined them.

Instead, the unity team proposed a number of smaller, more specific goals. They include fast-tracking the citizenship process for those workers who have been essential to the pandemic response and recovery efforts, including health care workers, farmworkers and others.

Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center Immigrant Justice Fund who co-chairs the unity teams immigration group, said she saw Bidens team evolve over the course of their discussions.

Joe Biden probably started off feeling that comprehensive immigration reform was the silver bullet that solves all the immigration problems. Thats the default of most Democrats, she said. But Joe Biden has shown that he can listen to the community. This is a different political moment.

Criminal justice: During the primaries, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker called Biden the architect of mass incarceration for his support of a 1994 crime bill toughening sentences for many federal crimes.

Bidens policies on criminal justice have softened since the 1990s, but he disagrees with progressives in several areas. He does not support the federal legalization of cannabis, for example. He would allow states to make their own decisions regarding recreational weed and wants to expunge prior convictions for marijuana.

Los Angeles Rep. Karen Bass, one of the women on Bidens short list of possible running mates, told the Sacramento Press Club last week that she didnt necessarily think that he should support federal legalization. I think you can have problems with marijuana, and I dont like the way it is just put out there as though theres no problems at all, Bass said.

Biden also doesnt side with progressives who want to end the legal concept of qualified immunity, which protects police officers from being sued for misconduct. The unity commission leaned toward Biden, suggesting reining in qualified immunity.

Shergill, the California Democratic progressive caucus chair, was frustrated that progressives havent budged Biden on either issue.

Criminal justice reforms, he said, are probably the most disappointing area to me.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
The border encounters between China and India along the Himalayan mountains have become increasingly tense as the two countries have continually expanded their claims and constructed military equipment.

Tensions rise higher

According to The Wall Street Journal, the two Asian nations previously had a scuffle that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unreported number of Chinese troops and showcased the rising stakes in the high-risk stand-off between the two countries.

In recent years, the two nations' generals have continuously fortified their military positions by deploying thousands of troops supported by heavy artillery, including tanks, which has not resulted in a resolution.

The two parties have constructed observation posts, altitude-acclimatization centers, as well as personnel barracks. Patrols conducted by the two countries have also gone much more smoothly over the expanded road networks.

The origin of the territorial contests has been due to disagreements over where the boundaries and territory of both nations lie. The Chinese and Indian governments accuse each other of invading territory several hundred times every year, and each denies allegations that they are guilty themselves.

The ongoing exchange also brought into light fears of each country pursuing their own agenda and gaining an advantage in military power and the region and seeking control of the most advantageous points.

Indian military analysts alleged that China is employing tactics it has been using in its claims of territories in the South China Sea to make small. Still, continuous movements in the region to cement its military's position and hardened its territorial claims.

Also Read: China Retreats from Border Front to East Tensions Against India, But Claims Another Territory

China's agenda

An expert on Sino-Indian relations, Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution in Washington, said Beijing was intent on ignoring India's territorial claims and will continue to move to take control of and build on the disputed regions.

On the other hand, Chinese officials have continued to blame India for what they called term-provocative actions within the disputed area, which Beijing said was what led to the deadly encounter in June.

Recently, another clash at an isolated and disputed part of the Himalayan border resulted in a deadly conflict between troops of the two countries, which the Indian government has considered to be part of China's broader plan to conquer the Southeast Asian territories, as reported by US News.

The fatal encounter occurred at the Galwan River Valley and had both sides sending military forces to support their claim of the region. Indian officials have gathered several documents by analysts claiming that China has been attempting to nefariously take-over territories.

The Indian government has linked China's recent attacks at part of its imperialist desires. One of the documents obtained by India revealed Beijing's apparent undermining of several countries' territorial sovereignty.

Analysts and experts have backed the claim as the United States expressed its concerns that China has taken advantage of the economic and international fallout that has been caused by the coronavirus pandemic to further its own claims and agenda.

Related Article: China-India Tensions Rise Amid Brutal Border Clashes, Death of Several Troops

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Srinagar, Jul 18 (UNI) Three unidentified militants were killed by security forces in an encounter which ensued during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in south Kashmir district of Shopian on Saturday, a defence ministry said.

This was the second encounter during the past 24 hours in south Kashmir, where three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed on Friday in Kulgam.



Col Rajesh Kalia told UNI that on a tip-off about the presence of militants, the troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint CASO at village Ashmipora in Shopian. However, when the security forces were moving towards a particular house, militants hiding in the cowshed of only house in the orchard opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, he said, adding that the security forces also retaliated ensuing in an encounter.

Col Kalia said three unidentified militants were killed and their bodies were recovered.

Later, the security forces, they said, adding operation was going on in the nearby orchards.

Earlier, it was reported that four militants were hiding in the cowshed. However, bodies of only three militants were recovered.

Meanwhile, official sources said security forces burst few teargas shells and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse people protesting near the encounter site.

Additional security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order, they said.

The mobile internet service has been suspended as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours.

UNI BAS GK 1008
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 10:18:06|Editor: huaxia

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CAPE TOWN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Friday defended the country's COVID-19 tracking system, urging South Africans to heed relevant rules.

The "COVID Contact" app, launched in June to track and trace suspected COVID-19 patients, does not compromise people's personal information or confidentiality, said Mkhize when giving a virtual briefing on the country's response to the pandemic.

The pandemic makes it necessary for all citizens to heed the advice of the contact tracing system and to take it seriously, he said.

The system allows the health authorities to contact those positive with the virus and those who had contact with them.

App users can get their information and advice on whether to self-isolate or their lab results.

As of Friday, South Africa's cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases jumped to 337,594, up by 13,373 from Thursday, according to Mkhize.

Meanwhile, the country reported 135 more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 4,804, said Mkhize. Enditem
G20 nations will consider extending debt relief for coronavirus-hit poor countries in the second half of 2020, the group's finance ministers and central bankers said Saturday after talks aimed at spurring global economic recovery. The 20 most industrialised nations announced a one-year debt standstill for the world's poorest nations in April, but campaigners have criticised the measure as grossly inadequate to stave off the knock-on effects of the pandemic. World Bank president David Malpass on Saturday called for the debt suspension initiative to be extended through the end of 2021, while multiple charities including Oxfam said it needs to be stretched through 2022 to avert a "catastrophe for hundreds of millions of people". In their final statement after the virtual talks hosted by Riyadh, G20 ministers and bankers said they would "consider a possible extension of the (debt suspension initiative) in the second half of 2020." So far, 42 countries have applied for the initiative, asking for a cumulative $5.3 billion in debt to be deferred, the statement said. Any extension of the initiative will be based on how the pandemic develops and recommendations of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank that will be submitted to G20 members in advance of their meeting in October, it added. Saturday's talks, chaired by Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan and central bank governor Ahmed al-Kholifey, came as the surging pandemic continues to batter the global economy and campaigners warn of a looming debt crisis across poverty-wracked developing nations. Downgrading its growth forecasts, the IMF last month said it expected global GDP to fall by 4.9 percent this year due to a deeper contraction during lockdowns than previously anticipated. - 'Deep recession' - "Due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy faces a deep recession this year, with partial and uneven recovery expected in 2021," Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF's managing director, said in a statement after the meeting. "We need to unite to help the poorest and most vulnerable economies, especially those struggling with high debt... The G20's debt service suspension initiative has been commendable and I hope that consideration will be given to extending it." French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire voiced optimism that the initiative will be extended, saying G20 states were on track to securing a deal on this "fundamental issue". Meanwhile, Germany pledged an additional 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in the form of long-term loans to IMF's poverty reduction programme for low-income countries, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said. Despite the group's initiatives so far, 73 of the world's poorest countries are still required to pay up to $33.7 billion in debt repayments through the end of the year, according to the charities Oxfam, Christian Aid and Global Justice Now. "The global economy has been hit harder by the coronavirus than the already dire predictions we saw in April -- the G20 finance ministers have the mandate to avert an impending catastrophe for hundreds of millions of people," said Chema Vera, Oxfam's interim executive director. "They must make (the initiative) legally binding to cancel all debt payments, including private and multilateral, through the end of 2022 and also include middle-income countries," he added. - 'Glaring inequalities' - Amnesty International also called on G20 nations to "cancel the debt owed by the poorest countries for at least the next two years". "COVID-19 has exposed the glaring inequalities that exist in our world," said Julie Verhaar, Amnesty's acting secretary-general. "If we are to build resilience to future crises, we need to make long-term structural changes that will require courage and leadership from G20 countries." Earlier this week, the IMF's Georgieva said around $11 trillion in stimulus measures offered by many countries, including the G20, have "put a floor under the global economy". But as pressure mounts to do more, G20 nations are themselves scrambling to defend their virus-wracked economies amid forecasts of a deepening recession. Last month, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said measures to curtail the disease caused a record 3.4 percent drop in GDP for G20 economies in the first three months of 2020. That marks the biggest decline since the Paris-based agency began compiling data in 1998. burs-ac/hc
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With temperatures approaching 100 degrees, an extreme heat advisory has been issued for Staten Island on Sunday and Monday.

The heat advisory is in effect from Sunday at 12 p.m. until Monday at 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service (NWS), and poses serious risks of heat exhaustion during outdoor exertion or extended exposure.

Based on expected humidity, New York City may reach a heat index of 103 degrees between Sunday and Monday, according to the NWS.

The NWS also warns residents that extreme heat can cause illness and death among at-risk populations who cant stay cool.

The added stress caused by heat can aggrieve heart or lung disease without symptoms of heat illness, according to the NWS, and seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health conditions are at an increased risk.

New York City Emergency Management urges residents to check on neighbors during a heat wave, especially if they are seniors, young children, and people with disabilities and access and functional needs.

The heat advisory warns residents to use air conditioning to stay cool at home, or go to a place that has air conditioning.

Cooling Centers

As the city continues its response to COVID-19, social distancing guidelines have been implemented to ensure the safety of any New Yorker who visits a cooling center to seek relief from the heat, according to city Emergency Management Department and the city Health Department. Face coverings must be worn at all times inside cooling centers, and attendees must adhere to social distancing guidelines of six feet or more, the Health Department said.

A citywide map of cooling elements can be found online at Cool It! NYC. To find your nearest cooling center, call 311 or visit the citys Cooling Center Finder. DOTs Open Streets also highlights each Cool Street across the city.

Cool Streets

The city recently unveiled the first set of Cool Streets for this summer, announcing expanded cooling options on existing Open Streets in the most heat-burdened parts of New York City. The Cool It! NYC program prioritizes new cooling options on blocks in vulnerable neighborhoods with the highest tree-based shade and fire hydrants with spray caps, according to NYC Emergency Management. During heat advisories, NYCDEP and FDNY will proactively install spray caps on these streets hydrants to ensure every New Yorker living in a heat-burdened community is within 1/4 mile of an outdoor cooling element.

NYC Emergency Management released tips for protection against the heat:
Metro mail carrier pressured into working despite COVID-19 symptoms, coworkers say INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - Workers at a metro post office are outraged over how their employers handled a colleague who recently tested positive for COVID-19. Several employees, who asked to remain anonymous, told FOX4 an unidentified mail carrier at the main post office in Independence, off Lexington Avenue, started feeling ill over the 4th of July [...]

Public health warning that doesn't present much of a danger to those opening letters and packages with their hands and not other sticky body parts. Read more:
Although arbitration tends to disadvantage employees, there are several reasons many believe arbitration is preferable to litigation. First, arbitration is a less formal and faster process than traditional litigation. Employees dont need to wait months for a court date or nervously prepare for the skeptical eyes of a judge and jury. For some, waiting for their day in court is more anxiety inducing than the trial itself, so having the process done quickly and informally is preferred. Employers also benefit from the streamlined process because they dont have to devote as many resources to arbitration as they would for litigation. Second, arbitration hearings are private and not a matter of public record. While this can be seen as a drawback for employees as their stories cant be shared with the greater public, some prefer keeping their legal issues private. This a clear benefit for employers as their workplace mishaps and abuses are prevented from being exposed. Last, arbitration may allow for both parties to choose their arbitrator. When an arbitration clause provides for both parties to consent to the arbitrator, it allows both the employer and employee to decide who will hear their case as opposed to litigation where judges are chosen at random. While it can prevent employees from having their day in court, arbitration can be beneficial to both employers and employees who want a speedier and confidential outcome.
(ANSA) - VARESE, JUL 17 - Italian police have stopped a consignment of coffee beans stuffed with cocaine addressed from Colombia to a tobacconist's at Pontassieve near Florence.

A Varese man was arrested when he went to pick up his delivery.

The self-styled chef, 50, was arrested on charges of drug trafficking.

The addressee on the package was Santino D'Antonio, the name of a mafia boss played by Riccardo Scamarcio in the film John Wick 2. (ANSA).


A SERIAL offender who threatened an elderly woman and robbed a young student in separate incidents on the same day has been jailed for three and-a-half years.

Limerick Circuit Court was told Patrick Quilligan, 29, of OConnor Park, Ardagh has a propensity for violence and previously served a lengthy prison for assaulting and robbing a taxi driver.

Detective Garda John Sheahan said the first incident happened at Dunnes Stores, Harveys Quay at around 5.45pm on January 11, 2019.

He said Mr Quilligan entered the store and stole a kitchen knife which he then used to threaten a woman as she was loading her groceries into her car.

He manoeuvred himself between her and her car and demanded her handbag, he told John OSullivan BL, prosecuting.

Despite being threatened, the woman, who was aged in her 60s, stood her ground and Mr Quilligan fled empty-handed.

Around an hour later the defendant approached a student after she got off a bus near where she lives at Old Cratloe Road.

Detective Garda Sheahan said that having initally engaged in conversation with the young woman, Mr Quilligan produced a knife and demanded money from her.

She was in fear and she gave him 3, said Mr OSullivan who added that Mr Quilligan then went with the woman to her accommodation.

Having entered the property, he later climbed out a window and left after security were alerted to his presence.

Following his arrest the defendant, who has 59 previous convictions, told gardai he had committed the offences to get money to pay for drugs.

Lorcan Connolly BL said his client made full admissions and did not try to minimise what had happened.

He was not in a good place, he said adding Mr Quilligan has taken considerable steps since to deal with his issues since

Judge ODonnell imposed a five year prison sentence, suspending the final 18 months.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 06:30:16|Editor: huaxia

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Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza attends a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

"Venezuela has faced the pandemic in extremely difficult conditions," he said, as the country has been the target of various attacks and unilateral measures imposed by the United States. However, Arreaza said that he believed "the worst has been avoided, despite catastrophic forecasts," thanks to the solidarity and cooperation of friendly countries and the UN.

CARACAS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Friday that the role that the World Health Organization (WHO) has played during the COVID-19 pandemic is an example of "necessary multilateralism."

Arreaza made these statements during a videoconference with the high-level segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

He said that the WHO "must act and speak faithfully, must not bow to pressure, extortion, or attacks by the powerful, must confirm its moral authority, its scientific capabilities, and cooperation based on solidarity."

"The multilateralism that humanity needs during and after the pandemic must demonstrate solidarity, efficiency, audacity, creativity, and courage," Arreaza said, adding that it must also work to "end conventional and economic wars."

Arreaza said that the UN is at the forefront of an era of human evolution, but it is facing "the arrogance of unilateralism" and countries that live in a state of "conflict and war."

"Venezuela has faced the pandemic in extremely difficult conditions," he said, as the country has been the target of various attacks and unilateral measures imposed by the United States. However, Arreaza said that he believed "the worst has been avoided, despite catastrophic forecasts," thanks to the solidarity and cooperation of friendly countries and the UN. 
Late US rapper Pop Smoke's Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon is the latest posthumous album to achieve unlikely success on Australia's ARIA charts.

The album  the first release for the New York rapper born Bashar Jackson, following his murder at his Hollywood Hills home in February, aged 20  debuted at #1 on the ARIA Top 50 Albums chart last Saturday, achieving more first-week streaming units than other high-profile 2020 releases from pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Justin Bieber.

Late rapper Pop Smoke's posthumous album debuted at #1 in Australia. Credit:Jauris Bardoux

It also became the first posthumous album to top the ARIA chart since Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) was released in April 2018.

For a Brooklyn rapper largely unknown to mainstream audiences in Australia before his death in February, it's a remarkable result.
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Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

So, the natural question for Australian Mines (ASX:AUZ) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

Check out our latest analysis for Australian Mines

When Might Australian Mines Run Out Of Money?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. As at December 2019, Australian Mines had cash of AU$3.9m and no debt. In the last year, its cash burn was AU$6.6m. So it had a cash runway of approximately 7 months from December 2019. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Is Australian Mines' Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Australian Mines didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. The 66% reduction in its cash burn over the last twelve months could be interpreted as a sign that management are worried about running out of cash. Australian Mines makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth.

Story continues

Can Australian Mines Raise More Cash Easily?

While we're comforted by the recent reduction evident from our analysis of Australian Mines' cash burn, it is still worth considering how easily the company could raise more funds, if it wanted to accelerate spending to drive growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Australian Mines' cash burn of AU$6.6m is about 11% of its AU$58m market capitalisation. As a result, we'd venture that the company could raise more cash for growth without much trouble, albeit at the cost of some dilution.

How Risky Is Australian Mines' Cash Burn Situation?

On this analysis of Australian Mines' cash burn, we think its cash burn reduction was reassuring, while its cash runway has us a bit worried. We don't think its cash burn is particularly problematic, but after considering the range of factors in this article, we do think shareholders should be monitoring how it changes over time. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 5 warning signs for Australian Mines (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

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.
T he funeral of the Glasgow knife attacker, who was shot dead by police, has been delayed after more than 100 people turned up to the ceremony.

Badreddin Abadlla Adam was killed by armed officers after stabbing six people, including 42-year-old police constable David Whyte, during the attack at the Park Inn Hotel in June.

A funeral service for the 28-year-old from Sudan was expected to be held at Linn Cemetery in Glasgow at 2pm on Saturday afternoon.

However, the police were called after a large crowd gathered in breach of coronavirus restrictions.

Police have released an official Home Office image of Badreddin Abadlla Adam, who was shot dead by officers during an attack in Glasgow / PA

By 3pm the service had not begun and three police vans were in attendance, with officers attempting to disperse the crowd.

The Scottish Governments current rules allow for a maximum of 20 guests at funeral services during the latest phase of lockdown restrictions being eased.

The funeral of Badreddin Abadlla Adam, who stabbed six people in West George Street, takes place at Linn Cemetery in Glasgow. / PA

A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed that officers were in attendance assisting staff with social distancing regulations.

At the time of his knife attack, Adam was being temporarily housed in the hotel that was being used as accommodation for asylum seekers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Glasgow Attack - In pictures 1 /22 Glasgow Attack - In pictures Emergency services staff with a person on an ambulance trolley at the scene in West George Street in Glasgow Milroy1717/AFP via Getty Images Getty Images Armed officers @ThatReilz/PA Emergency respoders are seen at the scene @Milroy1717/Reuters Sky News Sky News @JATV_scotland/PA @JATV_scotland/PA Sky News @Milroy1717/Reuters @JATV_scotland/PA @JATV_scotland/PA Sky News @Milroy1717/PA @Milroy1717/PA Getty Images Getty Images

He was described as a quiet and polite and decent guy by asylum seekers who were also residing at the city centre hotel.

Mourners who arrived for the funeral far exceeded the Scottish Governments maximum limit of 20 guests during the current phase of the lockdown, meaning the majority had to congregate in a nearby car park while the service took place.

Speaking on the Monday following the attack, a fellow resident by the name of Andrew said: Recently we were moved from the Park Inn Hotel to the Hallmark Hotel because of the incident that happened on Friday which has been traumatic for every single asylum seeker.

The funeral of Badreddin Abadlla Adam, who stabbed six people in West George Street / PA

One way or the other we have been affected mentally, physically and otherwise.

I (was not) around when it took place but I happened to gather some information from my other asylum seekers.

Police explain to mourners that there are too many people in the graveyard as per government guidelines / PA

They described him as a quiet and polite and decent guy  they were surprised that he acted the way he acted.

There must be something that pushed him to behave in that ugly manner which honestly I strongly condemned because it is abnormal, but definitely something must have pushed that guy into that level of disastrous act.

Pc Whyte, one of the attackers six injured victims, paid tribute to police and medical staff after being discharged from hospital a week on from the attack.

There is no doubt that I face a long road to recovery but I am absolutely determined to be back on duty as soon as I possibly can, he said.

I would like to thank the medical staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for saving my life and getting me back to where I am today.

At the time of his discharge on July 2, four other men remained in hospital, three in a stable condition while one was still critical.
One airline is charging up to to $12,000 for a plane ticket to Australia after the country puts a cap on international arrivals.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced only 4,000 passengers would be allowed into the country per week from July 13.

The measure was introduced to reduce strain on Australia's beleaguered hotel quarantine system.

New South Wales' bill for accommodating return travellers during the pandemic has already exceeded $50million.

International airlines have been forced to reduce the number of passengers on flights to as low as 30 while others have suspended online sales and raised ticket prices, Australian Financial Review reported.

One airline is charging up to to $12,000 for a plane ticket to Australia after the country puts a cap on international arrivals (pictured is a passenger waiting to board a flight at Sydney Airport)

Prime minister Scott Morrison announced only 4,000 passengers would be allowed into the country per week from July 13 (pictured are two women wearing masks at Sydney Airport)

Qatar Airways is charging business class passengers $12,000 for flights from Doha to Sydney.

Available economy seats are hard to come by until mid August with prices set between $2,500 and $3,000.

Singapore Airlines has also suspended online sales of flights that have already reached their limit and are only flying two aircrafts into the country.

Sydney International Airport has announced it will slash its 50 passenger cap to 30 from Monday onwards, which will bring it on par with the limit imposed at Brisbane Airport.

Melbourne is accepting no flights as the city endures a six-week long stage three lockdown to battle a killer second wave. Perth will accept 50 passengers per flight.

Adelaide has a slightly higher cap at 150 passengers while Canberra is accepting 250 passengers.

Australians have said the cap is wreaking havoc on their attempts to secure flights as airlines prioritise business class passengers.

Jim Collins said he and his wife Cathy, from Tasmania, had been trying to get home from the UK since March, and thought he had finally found a way when he was re-booked onto a flight to Sydney last week.

However the airline he booked with cleared his family off the flight before he learned they were favouring business class passengers to cut capacity down to the 50-passenger limit.

'As best as I know, all economy passengers were cleared off the flight to make room, with a 50-person limit for premium passengers only  first class and business class,' Mr Collins told 7.30.
Criminal charges are being pursued after a 1,700-year-old statue of Buddha was deliberately destroyed by construction workers in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.



Video of workers smashing the life-sized statue with a sledgehammer in the town of Takhbhai went viral on July 17.



The destruction of the statue, which had been discovered on the grounds of a home construction site, led to widespread condemnation and prompted the regional archeology department to file a criminal report against the perpetrators.



Abdul Samad, general director of the archeology department, told RFE/RL on July 18 that the statue was destroyed by a local contractor and that five people had been arrested for breaking antiquity laws.



Samad added that the statue was completely destroyed.



Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province was the the site of the ancient kingdom of Gandhara, and Takhbhai, located in the Pashtun tribal region's Mardan district, is considered a major regional site of Buddhist civilization.



Afrasiab Khattak, a former parliamentarian, wrote on Twitter on July 18 that the incident was part of a "systematic effort to separate Pashtun identity from Buddha."
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Saturday there was movement in the right direction on the second day of a summit to reach a deal on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro (2.1 trillion US dollars approx.) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund.

Austria Press Agency reported however that Kurz wants to see a higher budget rebate for Austria and a smaller proportion of grants in the 750 billion-euro (approx. 855 billion US dollars) recovery fund.

He couldnt say when an agreement would be in sight.

Kurz said major issues still under discussion include the rule of law in EU nations and certainty on how the funds will be used.

Kurz and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are among the leaders of four frugal nations, also including Sweden and Denmark, that want conditions such as economic reforms attached to EU handouts to help countries recover from the hammer blow of the coronavirus and checks on how the money is being spent.
(CNN)  Physical distancing measures can help slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a new analysis out of the United States and the United Kingdom.

But one expert cautioned that the findings, however "politically convenient" they might be, are based on flawed data and should not be thought of as conclusive, but rather suggestive.

With currently almost 13.5 million confirmed cases worldwide and a lack of effective treatment or a vaccine, "the most pragmatic recommendation has been to advise physical distancing (referred to by some as social distancing) to minimize person-to-person transmission with a view to flattening the epidemic curve," wrote the study authors, led by Dr. Nazrul Islam, Oxford University physician-epidemiologist and medical statistician.

But there hasn't been much data to show whether it works or not.

So the researchers gathered and analyzed information on daily reported cases from 149 countries or regions both before and after five different physical or social distancing measures were put into place.

The measures were: school closures, workplace closures, public transport closures, restrictions on mass gatherings and lockdown restrictions on people's movement within countries or regions.

Real-world data: pros and cons

They found that on average, any physical distancing measure was associated with an overall reduction in Covid-19 incidence of 13% over the study period. Restriction on mass gatherings, in combination with school and workplace closure, appeared to be a key component associated with a decrease in Covid-19 incidence, they reported in a study published Thursday in the BMJ.

On the other hand, closing public transport was not associated with any additional benefit when the other four measures were already in place, suggesting that public transport could remain open "especially for those working in vital services, including health, care giving and emergency response roles."

The order in which these measures were put in place did not appear to matter, but when the estimates from all the countries were pooled together, the researchers found a greater reduction in incidence of Covid-19 was associated with earlier, rather than later, implementation of lockdown.

In an accompanying editorial, Thomas May, a research professor at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University, praised the researchers for using real-world data in their modeling, but pointed out that this strength is also problematic.

"Unfortunately, using such results is also the study's greatest weakness, making analysis dependent on the quality of the data from testing. Specifically, the authors relied on 'daily reported cases' compiled from 149 independent countries; data subject to variable quality, accuracy and inconsistent testing practices," May wrote.

"As a result, caution is warranted when interpreting the findings," he added.

As an example, he points out that data from the United States, is "less than ideal" due to variation in testing practices from location to location, a lack of tests earlier in the pandemic and the lumping together of antibody testing from testing for active disease -- all of which weaken the associations that can be drawn.

Although the study provides support for physical distancing, it "cannot be definitive for the reasons outlined." But, he added, the measures probably are effective.

This story was first published on CNN.com Physical distancing measures could reduce new Covid-19 cases by 13%
Tens of thousands of demonstrators in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk took to the streets on Saturday, protesting against the arrest of the region's governor on charges of involvement in multiple murders.

Local media estimated the rally in the city 6,100 kilometres (3,800 miles) east of Moscow attracted more than 15,000 people.

It is the second large-scale protest in the region over the past seven days, following on from a rally in the city centre last Saturday.

Both demonstrations are reported to be the largest in the history of Khabarovsk, a city with a population of 590,000.

Khabarovsk governor Sergey Furgal was arrested two weeks ago and flown to Moscow where he was put in jail for two months.

Russia's Investigative Committee says he is suspected of involvement in several murders of businessmen in 2004 and 2005, before his political career began.

Furgal, a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, was elected governor in 2018 and is widely popular in the region.

His unexpected victory in the gubernatorial election reflected growing public frustration with President Vladimir Putin's policies and marked a painful setback for the main Kremlin party, United Russia.

Furgal has denied the charges that date back to the period before he launched his political career when he was a businessman with interests ranging from imports of consumer goods to timber and metals.
Historian Samir Puri explains what inspired him to explore how imperial powers have shaped the world we live in today.

A decade ago, I witnessed a milestone in the Irish peace process, when an agreement was reached to devolve policing and justice powers from London to Belfast. Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Prime Minister Gordon Brown stood side by side as the joint guarantors of the Hillsborough Agreement. Heated negotiations came down to the wire before the deal was done with a politically weakened Peter Robinson of the DUP and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein in February 2010.

I was a junior civil servant in the British government working to support the process and, as an impartial generalist, had no axe to grind one way or another. In fact, back then, I didn't know much at all about the history of Anglo-Irish relations. And why should I have done?

There was just one moment in my youth when Northern Ireland's Troubles briefly touched my life. The Real IRA detonated a bomb in August 2001 in Ealing, west London: it exploded just after midnight, thankfully not killing anyone, but shattering the sheet glass of shopfronts along my bus route to school.

The stories I heard when growing up naturally related not to Irish history, but to my own background. My family had somehow managed to traverse three continents in three generations, from Asia to Africa to Europe - a migration that was undoubtedly an outcome of the British Empire's globe-straddling dominion.

My grandfather had sailed from India to Kenya in 1935, initially as an indentured labourer, toiling away on British railway construction. Later, as Commonwealth citizens living amid Africa's decolonisation in the 1960s and 1970s, my parents moved to the former imperial metropolis, London, where I grew up.

We are not habitually raised with the stories of other people's histories, which is why it takes real effort to see the world through someone else's eyes. For all the effects of globalisation and the information revolution, it is what we inherit from our immediate past that still carries the greatest emotional resonance. This is what makes us tick in terms of how we understand ourselves and, when we look across the world, how we understand each other.

Which is why, having long since left government service, I wrote The Great Imperial Hangover to capture how multiple histories unfold at the same time, each of great consequence to those close to it, but perhaps unseen by others.

And what a time to reconsider the themes of our different imperial legacies. Questions of identity and history are exploding into significance around the world.

The recent Hong Kong protests and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations offer two stark examples of how imperial legacies can haunt modern superpowers. For Hong Kong's Cantonese people, the unsteady balances that were established during the UK's handover of power to China in 1997 are tipping decisively against their sense of political identity. For many African-Americans, the bitter aftertaste of slavery, compounded by Donald Trump's divisive leadership, still has the power to set the US alight.

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It is worth recalling that, for all the distaste that the word 'empire' leaves for many of us today, empires of some shape and size predominated since ancient times. They had existed for so long that we are still only getting used to their absence today.

Formal empires of some sort existed into the 20th century, ending only with the collapse of the European maritime colonial empires and, in 1991, with the Soviet Union's demise.

The way global power is exercised today reflects the fact that powerful countries seldom march off to formally take over new territories. So far, Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 remains the exception that proves this rule.

Now, instead of the formal empires of old, we have informal empires of economic and political dominance, such as those being forged by China, or by the US after World War II. For now, the age of formal empires is over.

These history lessons are crucial to putting into some context the state of our world. Every nation today, rich or powerful, large or small, exists in the long shadow of the end of the age of formal empires.

The world is addled with post-imperial legacies. As they heal in one nation, they reopen elsewhere. Our ability to progress to a more harmonious future depends in no small measure on the wisdom and empathy with which we grasp the world's varied imperial inheritances.

To deny how empires may have influenced our heritage would be to cut off our nose to spite our face. Positive things also flowed, for instance, the migratory patterns that have created thriving modern communities.

Take the Leo Varadkar family's roots. His father, Ashok, hails from Maharashtra, and how he came to practise medicine in Ireland not long after India's independence is itself a post-imperial story of sorts, and a wonderful one at that.

'The Great Imperial Hangover' by Samir Puri is published by Atlantic Books
Enhancing childrens intelligence

Unlocking a students potential is always the top priority of educators worldwide. Among the research projects on this issue, most popular now is the theory put forward by Dr Howard Gardner of Harvard University in the US. Gardner suggests that all people have different strengths and weaknesses of the eight intelligences: intrapersonal, interpersonal, linguistic-verbal, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, and naturalistic.

At VAS, assisting children in fully developing in all aspects is the ultimate goal. VAS educators are also fully aware that among their 9,500 students from kindergarten to secondary school, there will be future musicians who are not good at math, future business people who do not pay much attention to history, and future athletes who consider physical health more important than physics, to name but a few. To foster a dynamic environment where the eight intelligences can be exposed and grow, VAS offers multiple playgrounds where children may get in touch with multiple aspects, from academic subjects to personal talent.

In the kindergarten years, VAS students have regular opportunities to attend talent contests, such as VASs Got Talent, VAS Olympics, painting contests, and story-telling contests. Primary and secondary students may venture into new fields, such as English speaking contests, robot programming, or film-making based on literary works. Being able to stay in touch with and practice these matters will help students enhance their strengths and build self-confidence in academic subjects or social activities. All these attempts provide a springboard for young talents in academic and talent competitions at all levels, from national to international.

Meaningful changes to society

During the 2019-2020 academic year, VAS focuses on the Green School Year project including dozens of diverse activities aimed to spread the green living spirit while reducing waste and conserving energy. Among these activities are VAS Talks 2019, a series of talks by 10 environmental activists; VAS Green Day Run which also plants 2,600 trees in Can Gio Mangrove Forest; VAS Painting Contest; and the 3Rs Project, an attempt to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. In December 2019, VAS became the only educational institution in Vietnam to be conferred a noble Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award by the Saigon Times Group.

Springboard for young talents

Delivering a speech at the end-of-school-year ceremony, Nguyen Thuy Quynh, a student from Class 12B5 at VAS Ba Thang Hai campus, said, In this ever-changing world, I have realised my dynamism and energy comes not from theoretical knowledge but from the adaptability to new environments. In my opinion, this adaptability plays a crucial role in surmounting challenges, not only in the school but also in other environments, especially when we are facing the formidable challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. I find myself lucky to acquire this skill as soon as I began studying at VAS, where I meet many devoted teachers and dear friends. Now that I am stepping out of this protective environment, I will be bold enough to think, act, and be responsible for what I do.

Aside from achieving excellent academic results, Thuy Quynh has become an active member of the VAS Students Council. She was also a member of the National Top-50 Delegates at the Conference for Vietnamese Youths Initiatives, and became a Vietnamese representative at the conference for future leaders in Bangkok, Thailand, where she bagged the second award of the world youth conference. Thuy Quynh is one of the hundreds of VAS students who will attend university this year.

Inspired by students like Thuy Quynh, VAS is proud to be an incubator of generations of young and talented students throughout the past 16 years.
She's a regular face on Loose Women and celebrated turning 50 during lockdown.

And Saira Khan looked sensational as she showed off her exercise skills while working out in a bikini during a holiday to Cornwall on Friday.

The TV presenter wowed fans with her impressive moves, but things took a turn for the worst on Saturday when Saira's baggage was lost on the way to Portugal.

Keeping fit: Saira Khan, 50, looked fantastic as she worked out in a patterned bikini , but things took a turn for the worst on Saturday when her baggage was lost on the way to Portugal

Saira shared the annoying news on Instagram Stories, explaining that her suitcase had been left in London.

She added that eight or nine other passengers had experienced the same thing and revealed that British Airways had told them it should be on the next flight over.

Before landing in Lisbon, Saira also advised her followers that if they were flying from Heathrow over the weekend to arrive early as queues were really long.

It came after the Loose Women panelist showed off her toned physique during a gruelling workout at the Carnevas Holiday Park in Cornwall.

Not impressed: The TV presenter explained how her case had been left in London (left) and that there had been lots of queues (right) at Heathrow airport

Work it: On Friday Saira shared clips of herself working out while on holiday at a Cornwall caravan site with her family

Saira was staying at the site with her family but made sure to fit in some time for exercise, slipping into a black and white patterned bikini.

She expertly completed burpees and squats and lunges in a video shared to her Instagram page as well as jumping over a skipping rope.

Along with the video, Saira wrote a positive caption to encourage her followers to keep fit and 'reconnect with their passions'.

She said: 'So many women when they hit 50+ say they feel invisible. My advice is to reconnect with your passions, do the things that bring you joy and put you in a good place.

Impressive: Saira expertly did burpees and lunges during her exercise routine

Looking good: She slipped into a black and white bikini for the work out and added a black cap

Putting in the work: Saira has previously spoken about getting fit at 50 and wrote an inspiring caption along with her workout clip to encourage her fans to 'reconnect with their passions'

Go for it! She accompanied her fitness video with a lengthy caption telling her followers to do things which bring them joy

'If you feel invisible - you will act that way and you will be overlooked. But if you feel alive, strong and radiate energy with your presence you will be visible to everyone -including yourself.

'Let go of the norm, stop trying to live your life to please others, take a little risk, f**k the negativity and rejoice in life - Your Life - everyday counts because you will never get it back.

'Do it for you! Do what makes YOU come alive! Be inspired by your ability to do the incredible if you dare to give it ago.

'I dared myself and I never looked back! Im daring myself to go further than I ever imagined ... Ill keep you updated.'

Off she goes: Saira opted for a comfortable travel outfit for her flight to Lisbon on Saturday

Quick turn around: The star only left her Cornish getaway (pictured at the caravan) on Friday

It comes after Saira celebrated her 50th birthday by catching up with her Loose Women panellists on Zoom call and revealed that she can now fit into a pair of jeans from her 20s.

The TV personality chatted the night away with her pals, saying her birthday 'ended on the biggest high' thanks to the call.

Spending her big day at home with her family amid the UK's lockdown, Saira shared her delight earlier in the day when she revealed her impressive weight loss while modelling jeans she couldn't fit into in February, when she began the challenge.

Gushing: Saira said she ended her 50th birthday 'on the biggest high' by Zoom calling her Loose Women pals

Saira posted several before and after shots to show her progress during the fitness journey, before sharing a video of her in the jeans and a yellow crop top that showed off her toned abs and slimmer figure.

She wrote in the captions: 'I did it!! From 2nd Feb 2020 until today May 15th , Ive been working hard with my PT @bradleysimmonds to fulfil a personal dream.

'I wanted to feel fit and fab at 50! I honestly can say today, right now, in this moment I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I have my health, my family and friends and a birthday cake.'
Phillipsburg School District is planning a hybrid schedule of in-person classes and online remote learning for students in the 2020-2021 school year, the superintendent announced Saturday in a letter to parents.

The plan comes after Gov. Phil Murphy said he expects New Jersey schools to physically reopen in the fall with restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but last week acknowledged that plans could possibly change if there is a trend that is causing enormous concern.

In the letter, Superintendent Gregory Troxell said the full plan will be released on or before Aug. 3, but that details were being released now so families could prepare.

He cautioned the hybrid plan is aimed for the start of the school year, and may change as new information about health and safety is released.

The hybrid model will divide students into two groups, assigned to either Group A or Group B, and efforts will be made to keep siblings in the same rotation.

Group A will be in class Mondays and Thursdays, and Group B will be in class Tuesdays and Fridays. To start the year, in-person instruction will only be half of the day; Troxell said that may change according to public health data.

Wednesdays and the rest of the week will be online learning. Teachers will have to devote a certain amount of time to virtual instruction, the superintendent said.

Make no mistake: Phillipsburg students will still be learning 5 days a week, Troxell says in the letter.

The district is investing to ensure every student has a device and internet connection needed for online learning.

State officials previously announced a $115 million plan, using a federal money, philanthropic donations, and state coronavirus relief funds, to provide students with devices and internet access.

In terms of masks, all staff will be required to wear a face covering while in school buildings.

With exceptions for health concerns, students will be required to wear face coverings in all common areas of the school buildings. Troxell said it is also likely students will be required to wear coverings during class time, though a final decision has not been made and the state department of education has said that may be impractical for young children or individuals with disabilities.

Lunch will be a grab-and-go before students leave for the day.

Families that choose all-remote learning, which will be different than what was used this past spring when the pandemic started, are asked to email their respective principal by July 28, Troxell said.

Nj.com reported that some schools expect between 10% and 40% of families to opt out of in-person classes.

No doubt the fall will continue to be profoundly challenging, but I know that you and your children will be able to handle it with unbelievable grace and effort, and the school community will once again come together to make it work in historic fashion, Troxell said.

Dear PSD Community, All students / parents should have received a letter, via email, this morning regarding the... Posted by Superintendent of Schools, Phillipsburg School District on Saturday, July 18, 2020

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
Channel Seven might bill it as the dating show for real love but Farmer Wants a Wife, which returns after a lengthy hiatus next week, still manages to attract its fair share of ... special characters.

Emerald City understands a few contestants from reality TV central casting will appear on the show - chosen, it seems, to instil some good telly drama. Take 31-year-old Gold Coast teacher Henrietta Moore, who is matched with handsome Cunnamulla sheep farmer Alex Taylor on the show.

Cunnamulla sheep farmer Alex from Farmer Wants a Wife. Credit:Louise Kennerley

We hear that before Henrietta gets booted off the farm, she deploys that classic reality TV trope of packing her bags and demanding to be allowed to go home.

It takes some convincing from Alex and one of the show's producers to lure her back. As far as we can tell she isn't the bride the handsome farmer chooses, but it turns out Henrietta has gone missing before.
RBSE 12th Arts Result 2020: After the results of RBSE Science and Commerce stream are declared, the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) will now announce the results of the Class 12 Arts examination.

Students will be able to check their results of the Class 12 Arts exam on the Hindustan Times as soon as the results are declared. At the same time, registered students will receive Hindustan Times alerts and students will be able to check the results through SMS. For this, students will have to register by going to exam results, Rajasthan Board, and Rajasthan Board (Arts): 12th Board Result. To register, students have to fill their names, mobile number, and email address.

Click here to Register for class 12 arts results 2020 at HT Portal.

How to register for RBSE Class 12th Arts Result 2020 at hindustantimes.com:

Step: 1- Visit the official website of Hindustan Times at hindustantimes.com

Step: 2- On the home page, go to the Education section and click on the Exam Results section

Step: 3 -- Go to the Rajasthan Board tab

Step: 4-- Click on the link that reads RBSE 12th arts result 2020

Step: 5-- Key in your credentials in the rectangular box provided and submit

Step 6 --The RBSE Class 12th Arts Result alert will be send to you soon after the results are declared.

The Rajasthan board announced the RBSE class 12 Science and Commerce results on July 8 and 13 respectively. A total of 36,551 students appeared in the Rajasthan Board Class 12th Commerce board examination. Out of which, 94.49% students passed. On the other hand, 239,800 students appeared in the Rajasthan Board class 12 science exam this year. Out of which, 91.96% students passed.

Last year, 85.48% students passed the Rajasthan Board 12th Arts exam. The result of the female students was 90.8 percent.

Students can also check the results of class 12 arts examination online at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler says President Donald Trump has used Portland as a staging ground to further his political agenda, that federal officers under Trumps orders are endangering residents and they must be held accountable for their actions in the city.

During a news conference Friday with Police Chief Chuck Lovell, Wheeler said the city has no oversight authority on federal officers during downtown demonstrations. He reiterated that Portland officials didnt ask for federal officers to be deployed and said local officers can end any violence that occurs on the streets without federal help

Mr. President, we see right through you, Wheeler said. So do us a favor: Keep your troops in your own buildings or have them leave our city.

Gov. Kate Brown has also called for the president to recall the federal officers, and Democratic members of Oregons congressional delegation said they would demand a federal investigation into the deployment and actions of federal officers, which have included seriously injuring an unarmed Portland protestor apparently unprovoked July 11 by hitting him in the head with a projectile.

Oregons U.S. Attorney Billy Williams also said he wanted an investigation into the federal officers actions after OPB reported officers have taken people into custody and driven them away in unmarked vans. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon also on Friday called the actions of federal officers in Portland unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Michael Simon on Friday granted the oregnizations request to add the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals Service to a temporary restraining order preventing police from dispersing, arresting or targeting journalists or legal observers at protests.

Meanwhile, the president and Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf have blamed state and city leaders for not doing enough to end violence that occurs during protests in Portland and in recent days have doubled down on their plans to keep federal officers on Portland streets.

Wolf called protesters lawless anarchists Thursday and said that federal officers were in the city to defend the federal courthouse. He was in the city the same day meeting with federal law officials about the response to the demonstrations.

Wolf said Friday on Twitter that two Homeland Security officers were injured during a downtown Portland demonstration Thursday when they were assaulted with lasers and frozen water bottles from violent criminals attempting to tear down federal property.

Protests against systemic racism and police brutality have occurred every night in Portland since May 29. Though the majority have been peaceful, some protesters whove gathered near city and federal buildings downtown have defaced buildings with graffiti, launched objects including water bottles, rocks and fireworks toward officers and shined lasers in officers eyes.

Federal and city police responses to the demonstrators as a whole over the last seven weeks have generated widespread criticism including from local and state elected leaders whove called for changes in police tactics ranging from completely ending the use of tear gas on crowds to stopping the practice of Portland officers wearing riot gear while responding to the protests.

The city also faces several lawsuits related to officers tear gas use as well as attacks on protesters and journalists at the demonstrations. A federal judge has banned Portland police from using tear gas except in cases where the safety and lives of the officers and the public are at risk.

In recent days, attention has shifted more toward the response of federal officers.

Wheeler on Thursday acknowledged that Portland police have made mistakes over the last seven weeks of responses to demonstrations. But he called attention to the fact that there is a process for the public to hold Portland police officials responsible by filing complaints with the citys Independent Police Review office whereas there is no apparent process to seek accountability for federal officers.

Lovell said although the police bureaus main headquarters are sandwiched between the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse and the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland police and federal officers have operated separately. He did say both jurisdictions do communicate with one another and know when the other engages in some form of action during demonstrations.

Lovell and Wheeler said they didnt meet with Wolf while he was in Portland, but the police chief later said police union president Officer Daryl Turner did.

In one of a series of photos Wolf posted Friday on Twitter, among the people the Homeland Security secretary is shown meeting is an officer other than Turner in a camouflage uniform displaying a Portland Police Bureau patch.

Wheeler said city officials sensed last week that protests were winding down in size and energy and expected that would have continued if not for the deployment of federal officers.

We actually believed that we would be in the clear by this weekend, Wheeler said. And clearly, whats happened over the course of this week, with the federal officers stepping up both their rhetoric as well as the violence of their actions, its set us way back.

If the federal officers remain into next week, Wheeler said the city will continue to demand they leave and that federal officials launch an investigation, the results of which will be made public.

 Everton Bailey Jr.
As the active coronavirus cases in the state of Victoria surge past 2,000the highest level yet in Australiaa growing number of nurses, doctors, aged care workers, paramedics and their patients in the state are testing positive for COVID-19.

Health workers are raising concerns about personal protection equipment (PPE) shortages, rationing of PPE and inadequate infection control measures in their workplaces.

This morning, after days of cover-up by the state Labor government in the face of increasing reports of clusters in multiple hospitals and aged care facilities, Victorian Health authorities revealed that 405 healthcare workers had been infected with coronavirus11 in the previous 24 hoursand 150 of which were active cases.

Coronavirus screening clinic at Royal Melbourne Hospital [Credit: World Socialist Web Site]

Still, the department did not outline where all the cases were. The true level may be higher. Up to 800 healthcare workers have either been diagnosed with the illness or are in isolation as a close contact, according to one union source reported by Nine Media outlets.

Recent infections include at least five staff members at Monash Health, Victorias largest public health service, where 77 are now in precautionary quarantine, five at the Royal Childrens Hospital and six at the Royal Womens Hospital.

Last week, the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne confirmed that eight of its staff had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these confirmed cases, a spokesperson said three had been self-isolating as close contacts of colleagues who had previously tested positive. This is the hospitals second outbreak since the pandemic beganthree cancer patients died in March after contracting COVID-19 at the Alfred and a further 10 staff and five patients were infected.

Pictures have since emerged of overflowing bins containing contaminated masks, gowns and gloves at the Alfred Hospital. An anonymous healthcare worker told the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald that staff are concerned about infection control and I had to touch the bin lid with my hands to get PPE off, its disgusting and dangerous.

A nurse from Northern Hospital in suburban Epping told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that P2/N95 masks and disposable gowns were being rationed and had to be requested by the nurse in charge. Another health worker said management was telling staff to hand in any unused masks and that they would have to request them.

At Northern Health, which includes Northern Hospital and Broadmeadows Hospital, 21 staff have tested positive for coronavirus over the past two weeks and a further 142 staff are in self-isolation, which includes about 40 percent of its emergency staff according to the ABC.

At Western Healths Sunshine Hospital emergency department, two healthcare workers tested positive last Wednesday. One week earlier, another staff member tested positive, forcing two patients and 16 staff members into home isolation.

Last week, 12 staff from the Royal Melbourne Hospital and 48 inpatients tested positive, sending at least 70 staff into self-isolation. A hospital spokesperson said two nurses with COVID-19 had attended the hospitals electronic medical record training, which has two-hour long, face-to-face sessions. One anonymous doctor told the ABC that staff members were beginning to boycott the training due to the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Coronavirus cases have increased sharply in Victoria over the past month, but the state Labor government only last week advised metropolitan Melbourne health services staff to adopt basic Tier 1 PPE precautions in public facing areas, particularly where adequate social distancing is not possible. Tier 1 PPE consists of a surgical mask and eye protection, usually a face-shield.

Residential aged care facilities too have suffered a surge in cases among workers and residents. At least 10 different facilities have had staff been diagnosed with COVID-19. The largest clusters are at Menarock Aged Care in Essendon, with 38 recorded cases, and Glendale Aged Care, which has 23 cases. A 90-year-old resident, Alf Jordan, died just three days after testing positive.

Aged care homes are a major source of infections due to inadequate protective equipment, testing and staffing levels. In April, Newmarch House in Sydney suffered a wave of infections and 19 residents died after government health officials refused to allow infected residents to be treated in hospital. An earlier outbreak in Sydney at Dorothy Henderson Lodge infected 13 residents and five staff, and claimed six lives.

Four new cases of COVID-19 have been reported among paramedics in Victoria. Victoria Ambulance is yet to confirm whether these cases are linked, but said two of the paramedics were in close contact.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, reports and studies have highlighted PPE shortages among health workers. Around the world, thousands of healthcare workers have been infected and hundreds have died from the disease.

In April, an Edith Cowan University survey found that around half of doctors, nurses and paramedics had no access to adequate and safe levels of PPE. Nearly 70 percent of participants said they had been asked to ration PPE and around 30 percent said they knew colleagues who had to resort to using non-traditional or non-vetted forms of PPE.

A more recent Australia-wide survey of 500 healthcare workers found that half were still experiencing PPE shortages. Furthermore, it found that, in some cases, only low-quality masks were available for workers in aged care and disability services, and that some were having to source their own PPE.

These studies highlight how unprepared Australias health services remain for the rapid rise in coronavirus cases. After the bipartisan national cabinet began lifting limited safety restrictions in April, claiming to have flattened the curve, orders for ventilators and defibrillators were cancelled or reduced. Plans to build a 750-bed intensive care unit (ICU) facility at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre were shelved.

Only last Monday did Prime Minister Scott Morrisons federal government announce that five million masks would be released from a government stockpile, with one million going to primary health care workers and four million to aged care services.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced on Thursday that all category three elective surgeries would be suspended across Melbournes public hospitals. Mikakos said elective surgery capacity would be cut by 50 percent to free up beds for coronavirus patients. Private hospitals are to pause elective surgeries at 75 percent capacity.

Mikakos told reporters: We have created more ICU capacity, more beds in our hospital system, and we have undertaken extensive training of our staff. But she provided no direct response to a question about the current surge capacity, that is, the ability of hospitals to rapidly mobilise staff to meet a sudden increased demand.

For decades, both Labor and Liberal-National governments at a state and federal level have cut and privatised health services, leaving hospitals unequipped to deal with a pandemic. Moreover, the premature lifting of lockdown restrictions by the state Labor government, in line with the Morrison governments push to reopen the economy at the risk of workers lives, has facilitated the spread of the virus to health workers.
Will come back to haunt you: Jaishankar in veiled reference to Pakistan

India-Central Asia dialogue: Need to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Afghan, says Jaishankar

Ask yourself: When Jaishankar slammed Rahul Gandhi on China issue

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, July 18: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of the government's foreign policy, saying that under the Modi dispensation India's major partnerships are stronger, international standing higher and it engages China on more equal terms politically.

"Pakistan (that you skipped) surely notes the difference between Balakot and Uri on the one hand, and Sharm-el-Sheikh, Havana and 26/11 on the other. Ask yourself," Jaishankar said, attacking Gandhi over his comments.

Jaishankar's no-holds-barred attack on Gandhi came after the former Congress chief, in a video message posted on Twitter, hit out at the government saying that over the last six years, India has been "disturbed and disrupted" with regard to its foreign policy and economy.

LAC standoff: Rahul Gandhi releases new video explaining why China has chosen this particular time

Gandhi shared his thoughts on why did China chose to be aggressive now and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "indiscretions" have weakened the country and left it vulnerable.

"Rahul Gandhi has questions on Foreign Policy. Here are some answers: Our major partnerships are stronger and international standing higher. Witness regular summits and informal meetings with US, Russia, Europe and Japan. India engages China on more equal terms politically. Ask the analysts," Jaishankar said in a series of tweets in which he made a point-by-point rebuttal of Gandhi's criticism and tagged his video.

India speaks its mind more openly now on issues such as China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China's Belt and Road initiative, South China Sea and UN-sanctioned terrorists, he said, adding, "ask the media".

Covid vaccine: India begins first stage Covaxin human trials | Oneindia News

"And some facts on our neighbourhood: The Hambantota Port agreement between Sri Lanka and China was concluded in 2008. Ask those who dealt with it...Difficult ties with Maldives, after India watched President Nasheed being toppled in 2012, now stand transformed. Ask our business," he said.

On Bangladesh, Jaishankar said a settled land boundary in 2015 which opens path to more development and transit.

Rahul Gandhi rings another warning bell to Centre over increase number of Coronavirus cases in India

"Terrorists no longer find safe haven there. Ask our security," he said.

"Nepal after 17 years is getting Prime Ministerial visits. And a swathe of developmental projects: power, fuel, housing, hospital, roads, etc. Ask their citizens," Jaishankar said, highlighting strengthening of India's ties with neighbours.

Bhutan finds a stronger security and development partner and unlike in 2013, they don't worry about their cooking gas, he asserted, referring to the row over cooking gas with that country under the UPA rule.

Ask the households in Bhutan, he added.

Afghanistan sees completed projects -- Salma Dam and Parliament, expanded training and serious connectivity, Jaishankar said, adding that ask the Afghan street.

On India's foreign policy, Gandhi said the country had relationships with multiple countries and it used to share a strategic partnership with the US.

India also had a relationship with Russia and Europe and they used to help it manoeuvre in the world, he said.

'India losing power and respect everywhere': Rahul attacks Modi over foreign policy

"Today...We have a transactional relationship with the United States. We have disturbed our relationship with the Russians. We have a transactional relationship with Europe," he alleged.

He claimed that in the neighbourhood all countries, other than Pakistan, had been working with India and partnered with it in the past.

Gandhi alleged that today Nepalese are angry, Sri Lankans have given a port to the Chinese, Maldives is disturbed and so is Bhutan.
HBSE 12th Result 2020, BSEH Haryana Board 12th Result 2020, bseh.org.in: Haryana Board of Secondary education is set to release the much-awaited HBSE 12th Result 2020 on July 21 on its official website bseh.org.in. Here's a complete guide as to when, where and how to check the HBSE 12th Result.

HBSE 12th Result 2020, BSEH Haryana Board 12th Result 2020, bseh.org.in: Haryana Board of Secondary education (HBSE/BSEH) will release the much-awaited HBSE 12th Result 2020 on July 21 on its official website bseh.org.in. The board recently also released the HOS 10th Result 2020. Since then, class 12 students have also been waiting for their result. The BSEH Haryana Board exam results 2020 got delayed this year as the Coronavirus pandemic affected the functioning of the board and the exams were postponed. The exams were scheduled to be conducted in the month of March but due to Coronavirus, these exams were postponed to be held in the month of July.

How to check HBSE 12th Result 2020 at bseh.org.in:

Once the results are out on July 21, students can follow the following steps:-

1. Visit the official of the Board www.bseh.org.in

2. Click on the class 12th result link that you see on the landing page.

3. A window for HBSE 12th result 2020 will appear on the screen.

4. Enter login credentials that include your roll number mentioned on the admit card.

5. Click on Find Result button.

6. You will be directed to your subject wise scorecard.

Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH/HBSE) has announced the Haryana Board Class 12 Result 2020 for HBSE 12th Board exams on www.bseh.org.in. students can check their results through online mode. These exams were conducted from March 3 to March 18 and the ones that were postponed were scheduled to be held from July 1 to July 15. This year, the supplementary exams will be conducted in the month of September and their results will be released by the board in the last week of the month of September.

Also read: HOS 12th Results 2020 date & time: HBSE Haryana Open School results @ bseh.org

Also read: HBSE 12th Results 2020 date and time: Haryana Board class 12 results out soon @ bseh.org.in

Haryana Board class 12 students have to obtain a minimum of 33% overall marks and a minimum of 33% marks individually in each subject, both in theory as well as practical in order to pass the examination. If a student believes that he/she has been allotted lesser marks than deserved for particular questions then the student can file an application for revaluation on the official website bseh.org.in.

Also, if a student failed to pass the HBSE 12th Result 2020, he/she will be given a chance to improve their performance by writing the compartment exam. The date for the same will soon be announced by the board.

Also read: IIT Admissions 2020: Class 12 marks criteria dropped, all passed students eligible

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 21:52:30|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and five others wounded in a gas cylinder explosion in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Saturday afternoon, a firefighting police chief said.

The accident happened at a gas vending house at St. 63 in Daun Penh district when sparks from a worker welding bars fell on an apparently leaked gas container, Phnom Penh Municipal Firefighting Police Chief Prum Yot said.

Negligence was blamed for the fire, as firefighters took about an hour to extinguish the flame and to remove dozens of unexploded gas cylinders from the house, he added. Enditem
Chinas Xinjiang reported 16 new locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases on Friday, health authorities said Saturday as the country readies to battle a new front against the outbreak in the remote northwestern region.

The jump in cases on Friday followed one new case, and eight more asymptomatic ones, which were reported on Thursday.

All the cases have been reported from the regional capital Urumqi, and at least 269 people in the city have been put under medical observation.

Authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have reacted to the new outbreak by cancelling nearly all domestic flights from the capital, limiting city transport systems, closing off a handful of residential communities and restricting people from leaving the city.

The new restrictions will add to the existing ones imposed by Beijing on the province to tackle, what it calls, Islamic radicalisation. Rights group say Beijing has implemented harsh policies in the region to gradually wipe out the distinct culture of the Muslim Uyghur community.

Local media reports said a 24-year-old woman tested positive on Thursday after displaying symptoms  the first such case to be reported from the province in months.

State-run Global Times reported that since Friday, Xinjiang conducted intense screening to identify infected and asymptomatic people and their close contacts. Nearly 90 percent of Urumqi flights were cancelled on Friday after new Covid-19 cases were reported.

The Xinjiang outbreak comes weeks after Beijing saw a localised spike in Covid-19 cases in June after not reporting a single case for nearly two months. It indicates the difficulty in fully eradicating the coronavirus despite China having brought the pandemic under control even as it rages globally.

Chinese epidemic prevention expert Tao Lina told state media that it was necessary to compare the genetic sequencing results of the novel coronavirus from Beijing and Urumqi to determine whether the cases were related.

But because Xinjiang has a much smaller population density than Beijing, it should be relatively easy to control, Tao told state media.

The new Covid-19 cases in Xinjiang are likely to be tracked and monitored closely by rights groups in the backdrop of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uyghurs being interred in controversial camps to be de-radicalised.

Earlier this year, China had said that all inmates of what it calls vocational training institutes had graduated but did not offer any evidence to support the claim.

International rights groups had earlier expressed fear of the virus getting into one of the camps  as it has done in prisons in China  and triggering widespread infections among the inmates.

Until Friday, Chinas confirmed infections stand at 83,622, with deaths at 4,634.
Marcus Coutain, 48, was filmed pleading with officers to get off my neck as he was handcuffed on the pavement in Islington, north London, on Thursday evening.

The police watchdog is investigating the manner of the arrest, which has resulted in one Metropolitan Police officer being suspended and another placed on restricted duties.

Deputy Commissioner Sir Steve House has described the footage as deeply disturbing and said some of the techniques, which are not taught in police training, caused him great concern.





Coutain appeared in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon charged with possessing a knife in public.

He indicated a not guilty plea and was granted technical bail as the case was sent to Snaresbrook Crown Court on August 17 by District Judge Gillian Allison.

Scotland Yard has said officers were called to a fight in Isledon Road at around 6.30pm on Thursday and the court was told Coutain matched the description of a suspect.

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Footage posted on social media on Thursday evening shows two officers holding a handcuffed black man on the pavement and one appears to be kneeling on the mans neck and has his hand on his head.

The man struggling on the ground can be heard shouting: Get off me  get off my neck, I havent done anything wrong, get off my neck.

But Coutains lawyer Timur Rustem told the court his client was initially searched for drugs and was then told he matched the description of someone involved in an attack.

Mr Rustem named officer David Herald in court and read his statement which said: I considered I used proportionate, necessary and reasonable force.

Coutain was charged on Friday with possession of a knife in a public place, which was found in his trousers, the court heard.

Mr Rustem told the court Coutain had the blade for repairing his bicycle, adding: He had a lawful reason to have that item on him.

He said the case mirrors almost identically what happened to George Floyd in America, telling the court his client wanted an apology from police and the charge withdrawn.

As Coutain appeared in the dock wearing a green 7-Up branded T-shirt and grey jogging bottoms for the 15-minute hearing, protesters from Stand Up To Racism staged a demonstration against police brutality outside Islington Police station.

Video: Say his name #GeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter #ICantBreathe Islington Police station protest against police brutality pic.twitter.com/NuDbMShv01  Stand Up To Racism (@AntiRacismDay) July 18, 2020

Speaking outside court, Mr Rustem said his client was very distressed and very confused and not quite sure why he was targeted in this way.

He told reporters: Essentially Mr Coutain was stopped and searched for matters for which he has not been charged.

It is the use of what I would regard as excessive force, a knee being placed on his neck  references which mirror exactly what happened to George Floyd in America.
WASHINGTON - The Border Patrols parent agency said Friday that it fired four employees and suspended 38 without pay for inappropriate social media activity following revelations of a secret Facebook group that mocked members of Congress and migrants.

The investigation began in July 2019 after posts surfaced in a secret Facebook group called Im 10-15. They questioned the authenticity of images of a migrant father and child dead on the banks of the Rio Grande River and depicted doctored images of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez purporting to perform a sex act on President Donald Trump.

Customs and Border Protection said another 33 employees were disciplined with reprimands or counselling. Of 138 cases investigated, 63 were found unsubstantiated. Six cases remained open to investigation Wednesday.

The agency said the disciplinary actions, first reported by the Los Angeles Times, addressed violations of its standards of conduct and behaviour that is contrary to our core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity.

The Facebook 10-15 group, which had 9,500 members and is named for someone in Border Patrol custody, included graphic posts that referred to Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Veronica Escobar as hoes.

A news story about a 16-year-old Guatemalan boy who died in Border Patrol custody elicited a response from one member, If he dies, he dies. Another member posted a GIF of the Sesame Street character Elmo with the quote Oh well.

Escobar, a Texas Democrat, said on Twitter that the investigation should have addressed why other group members didnt report the activity. She said the posts mocked vulnerable people dehumanized by a broken system and that Facebook is a cesspool.
Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have received a new grant from the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) that will fund continuing research on an antibody developed as part of a longstanding collaboration between the two organizations.

The research focus is to test the effectiveness of an immune-stimulating antibody developed by BGU researcher Angel Porgador, PhD, to attack multiple myeloma, a blood cell tumor localized in the bone marrow. The antibody helps the immune system kill multiple myeloma tumor cells. Since it may work on many different types of tumors, future research will explore its use as a wide-ranging treatment option for patients with cancer.

"Our collaboration with Fox Chase encompasses many different cancer research studies and enables our students to pursue their degree research in Fox Chase Labs," said Porgador, a professor in BGU's Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology. "I look forward to further development of this project to help cancer patients around the world."

When tumor cells develop, they can be detected by receptors on the human body's natural killer (NK) cells, which are part of the innate immune system. These NK cells can either target tumor cells for destruction or release immune-boosting molecules called cytokines.

Different receptors on the surface of NK cells scan molecules and structures on the surface of other cells as they travel throughout the body, and these receptors can activate a response to structures on tumors but inhibit responses toward molecules on normal cells." Kerry S. Campbell, PhD, grant co-recipient, director of the Cell Culture Facility and co-director of the Immune Monitoring Facility at Fox Chase

To protect itself, a tumor cell can express a molecule called PCNA on its surface that can bind to an NK cell receptor known as NKp44. Previous work by Campbell and Porgador, who is also the deputy vice president for research and development at BGU, led to the discovery that PCNA could bind to NKp44 and thereby prevent NK cells from functioning effectively. This interaction can serve as an "immune checkpoint" to shut down NK-mediated attack.

"In this case, the expression of PCNA by a tumor hijacks the inhibitory receptor, NKp44, thereby putting the brakes on NK-mediated attack. On the other hand, the unique antibody binds PCNA and blocks its detection by NKp44, thereby releasing the brakes, so NK cells can again attack the tumor," said Campbell.

The $320,000 BSF grant is the fourth consecutive awarded for this team. Campbell is among several Fox Chase faculty members who have received joint grants with BGU through the BSF.

Campbell and Porgador's 16-year partnership began when they were encouraged by Alton Sutnick, MD. Sutnick founded the American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) Health Sciences and Academic Affiliations Committee, based in Philadelphia. Sutnick was once director of clinical development at the American Oncologic Hospital, a precursor to Fox Chase Cancer Center.

The two researchers exchanged data and began collaborating, leading to their first grant proposal in 2008. Since then, the team has jointly published 14 academic papers and trained graduate students at BGU, where Campbell is also an adjunct professor.
VillagePod is looking to expand its service to a number of Fingal towns in a bid to make shopping local that bit easier for consumer and retailer.

Hot on the heels of its successful pilot in the Wicklow towns of Bray and Greystones, the platform is emerging as a key tool for small businesses to signal to consumers that they intend to make shopping local a safe and rewarding experience.

Small Firms Association Director, Sven Spollen-Behrens estimates that if we all spent 20 a week in small businesses over the next three months it could boost the local economy by up to 875 million.

The VillagePod app is designed to do just that and more, helping both the local community and economy to thrive. Crucially, the digital payments, gifting and rewards solution will help retail businesses to attract shoppers back in-store and keep them coming back.

When launched in late 2019 the Wicklow-based team behind the app never imagined a pandemic would result in such demand for VillagePod into towns and communities across Ireland so soon.

The simple app, which allows small businesses to take contactless payment from consumers without expensive set-up costs, also features attractive customer reward tools to engage customers.

Appealing to the lucrative gifting market, the app also supports retailer and local area gift cards to be delivered contactlessly and keep this money circulating in the local economy.

The company has made a proposal to Fingal County Council to secure funding for a rollout of the shop local platform in Fingal towns under the Government's recently announced Town and Village Renewal Scheme for COVID-19 response measures. Commenting on the submission, VillagePod Partnership Manager Louise O'Neill said: 'We've been greatly encouraged by the interest in the platform coming from local businesses and towns around Ireland and would love to be in position to rollout in the towns of Fingal.'
Press Release

July 17, 2020 Pia wants budget anchored on programs promoting SDGs Senator Pia S. Cayetano is urging the country's top economic planning agency to come up with specific budgetary targets that would prioritize initiatives promoting sustainable and resilient growth in the post-COVID world. The Chair of the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Innovation, and Futures Thinking, Cayetano led the panel's hearing on Thursday (July 16) to discuss the future of transportation during the New Normal and beyond. The senator has been actively pushing for sustainable transportation, including the integration of mass transport systems with infrastructure that support personal modes of mobility, including walkways, bicycle parking facilities, and bike lanes. During the hearing, Cayetano urged the National Economic and Development Academy (NEDA) to propose a budget strategy to achieve the country's growth targets under the United Nations' SDGs, as well as the Philippine government's AmBisyon Natin 2040. "Given that NEDA is the agency tasked to oversee these goals, it would be very relevant for this committee if you can really put targets in terms of budgets to promote sustainability," she said. The senator said realigning our budget to incentivize sustainable activities would allow the government to maximize its resources in a way that the country would "always move in the direction of sustainability." "If there will be fewer counterproductive activities, then we might be able to spend more for sustainable ones. For instance, if we can reduce expenses in addressing the detrimental effects of pollution on our people's health, more resources could be used to build (green) infrastructure." Cayetano also expressed her willingness to hold more dialogues and work with different agencies and other stakeholders in order to convince more decision-makers to pour funding and support for the achievement of the SDGs. "These are discussions we need to have about budgeting for the SDGs [and] creating the right environment to promote investments that are sustainable in nature," the senator stressed.
While other countries are busy dealing with COVID-19 pandemic, China has been testing its new advanced air-to-ground missile. The test result shows that the new weapon can be used to attack moving targets, ground targets, and even large ships. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that it is China's first long-range stand-off weapon.

Also Read: U.K. News: After Interfering with Gov't on Huawei Deal, the Tory Rebels Now Wants Chinese Nuclear Station Out

In late June, the newly developed missile was tested at a desert location in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. A helicopter was used to fire the new weapon, which successfully hit its target, as reported by China Aviation News.

It was confirmed that the new missile is a stand-off weapon. Even if China's air-to-ground missile is launched from a distance, it can dodge any counter-attacks fired at it. The People's Liberation Army did not reveal its name and specification.

Also Read: COVID-19 Update: Trump's Theory May Work! X-ray Radiation Speeds Patient's 'Clinical Recovery'

It is the first weapon of China's military with guided systems, long-range features, and the capability to evade jamming. The missile developed by a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute (CHRDI), was delayed because of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, but it is back on track again.

The AKD-10 and AKD-9 anti-tank missiles and Yj-9 anti-ship missiles, which are already in service, will be replaced by the new missile once it is fully functional. It can also be used by different types of helicopters, just like the US AGM-114 'hellfire" series.

China will build two more aircraft carriers

China is currently planning to develop its next-generation aircraft carrier within a year and build a sister ship. The Typen 002 aircraft carrier began the final assembly process. It is considered as China's third carrier and the second to be domestically developed.

#PakGuardian pic.twitter.com/0PzGeqEjtP BEIJING: China has recently test-launched a new type of air-to-ground missile, which can be fired from a helicopter, according to the team that developed the projectile @TeamPKGuardian  @ishaq baig (@ishaqbaig181) July 17, 2020

"Assembly of the new aircraft carrier has begun and is expected to be completed in the first half of next year because the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down progress," said one of the two independent sources coordination with South China Morning Post. The sources requested anonymity since the issue is sensitive, as stated by the report.



Type 002 carrier's sister ship had begun initial construction work as early as 2018. However, the operation was stopped because of technical reasons. Photos showing two huge parts in a dry dock, assembled from prefabricated vessel components, were circulating on mainland China's social media platforms.



The latest images revealed that the aircraft carriers made much more progress compared to the previous satellite images taken by the U.S. Centre for Strategic and International Studies in April 2019.

Also Read: [BEWARE] US Army Twitch Streamers Use Fake Giveaways to Recruit Teens as Young as 13: Twitch Orders Them to Stop

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Libya denounces Egypt's threats of military intervention

Iran Press TV

Friday, 17 July 2020 5:40 AM

Libya has denounced the Egyptian president's recent threats of military intervention in the North African country to support forces of renegade strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday that he "will not stand idle" against threats to national security and could arm Libyan tribes against the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

He made the remarks at a meeting with tribal leaders backing Haftar, whose forces are fighting the Serajj government.

Haftar's forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Russia, began their offensive in April 2019 in an attempt to seize Tripoli and unseat the government of Sarraj.

Al-Sisi said, "The red lines that we have announced are primarily a call for peace and the end of conflict in Libya."

"But we will not stand idle in the face of any moves that pose a direct threat to the national, strategic security on our western borders, especially during increased military mobilization around the city of Sirte," he added.

Libyan government forces have been able to push the rebels as far back in the country as the city of Sirte, on the Mediterranean coastline.

Al-Sisi said last month that the cities of Sirte and Jufra were a red line for Egypt.

Libya says Sisi fueling conflict

Libya's Foreign Ministry spokesperson described Sisi's recent remarks as "blatant interference in Libyan internal affairs."

Mohammed al-Qablawi told Al Jazeera that Sisi's remarks were "not aimed at peace as he said, but it is he who is fueling the conflict."

Sisi's remarks came days after an eastern-based parliament allied to Haftar called for Egyptian military intervention in the North African country.

It said on Monday that the Egyptian armed forces "have the right to intervene to protect Libyan and Egyptian national security if they see an imminent threat to the security of our two countries."

Sisi threatened last month that his government could launch "external military missions" into Libya.

Egypt's military intervention would further escalate the conflict in Libya, which first plunged into chaos in 2011 when a popular uprising backed by a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The United Nations warned last month that the "last thing" Libya needed was more conflict on its territory.

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By Express News Service

MADURAI: Observing that police, in the name of preventive policing, was using history-sheeting as a tool to choke the just voice of a citizen to dissent and to protest democratically, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court set out certain parameters to be followed by police while history sheeting.

Justice N Seshasayee directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to constitute a district-wise committee to examine all the cases of history-sheeting based on those parameters within a year and also issue a circular containing the parameters, to all police officials.

The judge also told the DGP to automate the history-sheeting process and file a report after six months regarding the progress of compliance of the above directions. The order was passed on a batch of petitions filed by various persons seeking direction to remove their name from the history-sheet list.

While some of the petitions were allowed, others were returned to the authorities concerned to be considered afresh based on the parameters set out by the court, within three months.

Arbitrary exercise of power

The judge pointed out that the inaccurate and imprecise drafting of the Police Standing Orders (PSO) is the reason for the arbitrary exercise of police power to history-sheet. Among the petitioners, many persons are found to have been history-sheeted because of their participation in protests or demonstrations, the judge noted. He also noticed that some of the petitioners are retained in history-sheet list merely because they were once convicts, even though there was no fresh case against them for more than a decade

Hence, till legislative alternatives are found, the judge listed certain parameters that ought to be followed by police while history-sheeting.

Parameters
A Hindu lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday told the provincial assembly that the minority community in the country would welcome the construction of a Krishna temple in Islamabad.

Speaking in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, MPA Ravi Kumar said the minorities were enjoying equal rights and living in peaceful coexistence with the majority community in Pakistan.

The Pakistan government has approved Rs 10 crore for the Krishna temple, the first temple in Islamabad which will come upon a 20,000-square feet plot in the H-9 administrative division.

We would welcome the decision of the government as it would be according to law and the Constitution of the country. The minorities are enjoying equal rights and living in peaceful coexistence with the majority in Pakistan, he said.

He said action should be taken against those who are trying to wedge differences between Muslims and Hindus.

Kumar submitted a resolution in the provincial assembly secretariat this week condemning the alleged derogatory remarks against the Hindu deities on social media on the issue of the construction of the temple.

This negative propaganda against Hindu religion has hurt the feelings of the Hindu community not only in Pakistan but all over the world, the resolution stated.

Anti-state elements were damaging inter-faith harmony and promoting hatred among the various sects, it said.

On July 8, a Pakistani court dismissed three identical petitions challenging the construction of the first Hindu temple in Islamabad.

A single bench of the Islamabad High Court delivered the judgment, making it clear that there was no bar on the Institute of Hindu Panchayat from building the temple on the land allotted to it by using its own funds.

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.

The majority of Pakistans Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions, and language with Muslims.

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Hyderabad: The Telangana Congress on Friday failed in its attempt to get the Supreme Court to scupper chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao's decision to raze the Secretariat and build a grand new one in its place. The court refused to hear a public interest litigation filed by the party's MLC, T Jeevan Reddy.

In a double boost to the Telangana Rashtra Samiti government, the High Court too dismissed petitions challenging the demolitions.

In the apex court, the three judges on the bench--justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and MR Shah--pointed out findings of the Telangana High Court that there were several derelict buildings in the Secretariat complex, and then said we would not like to interfere.

Sarasani Satyam Reddy, senior counsel appearing for petitioner Jeevan Reddy,

sought to argue that not all buildings in the 25 acre complex were old and unfit to stand. These buildings were constructed from 1966 to 2012. Two blocks that were constructed in 2012 are state-of-the-art buildings with a life span of 70 years. "Demolishing them and building a new hub would cost more than Rs 1,000 crore which would be a waste of public money, he said.

The senior counsel also pointed out the anomaly of the state government pleading inability to pay salaries to its employees and yet spending lavishly on such projects.

The Telangana government fielded solicitor general Tushar Mehta in its defence. He submitted that the High Court had already ruled on the merit of petitions challenging the demolition and there was nothing left to be decided by the apex court.

After the verdicts of the Supreme Court and the Telangana High Court,

chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao summoned his senior staff for a review of the new Secretariat project. He desired that the new complex be so built as to enhance the prestige of Telangana while having all that is needed for an administrative hub.

The chief minister wants the new Secretariat to be reflective of Telangana's culture and prestige while at the same time having all the utilities needed.

In particular the chief minister desires the news secretariat to be grand on the outside while allowing the chief minister, ministers, chief secretary and secretaries to work together in close proximity.

He also wanted his staff to finalise the location of religious structures, banks, a creche, visitors lounge, parking and the office of security personnel after taking all issues into consideration. He asked the officials concerned to call for tenders only after finalising the facilities and amenities inside the new Secretariat

complex.
(Newser)  If only Marcus Catalin Rosu had kept his cool. The California man's blow-up at an airport car rental eventually led to his arrest for alleged "skimming"a fraud issue that plagues the ATM industry, the New York Times reports. Authorities say Rosu, 39, had been riding his bike to ATMs and using automated credit card readers to capture vital information, which allowed him to make counterfeit cards and dozens of deposits in his own bank account. Total booty: over $180,000, per a criminal complaint. The investigation began in February when US postal workers spotted a package going from California to Alaska containing 555 magnetic cards; by March, the probe focused on Rosu, who had been convicted in a similar case in Australia in 2010 and caught in a Connecticut skimming incident in 2019.

story continues below

But investigators couldn't find Rosuuntil the incident at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. That's where he apparently turned up late on July 11 and told Enterprise Rent-a-Car agents to give him another customer's car. "Enterprise denied his request and Rosu caused a disturbance which led to the Airport Police responding, identifying and detaining Rosu," the charges say, per Alaska Public Radio. Investigators say a hotel key on the dashboard of his rental led them to find 1,000 blank, magnetic strip cards hidden in the ceiling of his hotel room. Rosu, a Romanian citizen, didn't enter a plea Thursday in Anchorage. A conviction would be a rare win for authorities in what one expert calls "the biggest fraud issue" in the ATM business. (Read more fraud stories.)
MOSCOW  Ignoring pleas from the Kremlin for calm after more than a week of unrest, protesters in the Russian Far East on Saturday staged their biggest display of defiance yet, with tens of thousands of people pouring into the streets to protest the arrest of a popular regional governor.

Russian news media reported that 50,000 or more people had joined a rally in the capital of Khabarovsk Krai, a sprawling territory nearly 4,000 miles east of Moscow. Thousands more attended protests in other regional towns and in Vladivostok, a port city on the Pacific Ocean in neighboring Primorsky Krai.

The government in Khabarovsk, the regional capital, said in a statement that only 10,000 people had gathered at the beginning but gave no figure for the overall turnout. Police officers in Khabarovsk made no effort to stop what the authorities described as an illegal but peaceful protest and instead handed out face masks. In Vladivostok, however, a number of arrests were reported.

The protests began after the arrest on July 9 on murder charges of Khabarovsks governor, Sergei I. Furgal, one of a handful of regional leaders not affiliated with a party entirely controlled by the Kremlin.
Murder victim Chynna Deese (left) is pictured with her mum Sheila

The mum of a tragic backpacker shot and killed on the side of a Canadian highway while on a dream holiday with her Australian boyfriend has shared the last text she received from her daughter.

Love-struck couple Chynna Deese, 24, and Lucas Fowler, 23, were killed by teenagers Kam McLeod, 18, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 19, while on a road trip adventure through British Columbia on July 15, 2019.

The teenagers also shot and killed 64-year-old University of British Columbia botany lecturer Leonard Dyck four days later, stole his Toyota RAV4, set their own pick-up truck on fire and sparked a nationwide manhunt.

On August 7, Canadian Police announced they found McLeod and Schmegelsky's bodies in bushland, after the pair decided to end their lives.

One year on from the couple's death Chynna's mum Sheila told news.com.au she last heard from her daughter on July 13.

The 24-year-old, from North Carolina, had told her she was excited to be reunited with her boyfriend, who was from Sydney.

Love-struck couple Chynna Deese, 24, and Lucas Fowler, 23, were killed while on a road trip adventure through British Columbia on July 15, 2019

Chynna's mum Sheila said she last heard from her daughter on July 13, two days before her body was found

'The last thing Chynna said to me was ''we won't have Wi-Fi for a while so don't worry mum and I love you'',' Ms Deese said.

'So I wasn't worried when I didn't hear from her and plus she was with Lucas.

'There was not an ounce of worry I had about this trip because it was Canada, Canada was meant to be safe. Chynna had travelled to 13 different countries, why would anything happen to her in Canada?'

Over text messages, Ms Deese wished her daughter 'safe travels' and said she was excited to hear about the couple's adventure.

Ms Deese said she never expected she would never hear from her daughter again.

The devastated mother and her other children Stetson, 31, Kennedy, 30, and British, 28, are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of Chynna.

Sheila Deese said she could not understand why the teenagers decided to kill the young couple, who she describes as 'two beautiful people'. Pictured: Chynna Deese and Lucas Fowler

A national manhunt was sparked after Chynna and Lucas' bodies were found on a highway

The mother said she could not understand why the teenagers decided to kill the young couple, who she describes as 'two beautiful people'.

Ms Deese told the publication she likes to think of her daughter and Lucas how they were seen in CCTV footage days before their murder.

The couple had stopped to fill up gas and were seen hugging in the vision. Ms Deese described the pair as a 'team' and it was 'a gift to see how much they loved each other'.

The couple met in Croatia in 2017 and spent the next two years sharing their love of travel.

At Lucas' funeral last year, New South Wales Police Chief Inspector Stephen Fowler said he was glad his son had found Chynna.

'The day she stole Lucas's heart she became part of her family,' Mr Fowler said. 'We were so happy he had met a life partner'.

Ms Deese and her other children Stetson, 31, Kennedy, 30, and British, 28, are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of Chynna (pictured)

Kam McLeod (left), 18, and Bryer Schmegelsky (right), 19, went on a murder rampage in northern British Columbia in July, 2019

'We are so happy that Lucas and Chynna found each other and had such a great time travelling together, meeting new friends and just milking every last drop of fun out of life.'

Mr Fowler said his son had lived a life many would envy.

'He didn't just dream of travelling, he worked and saved and made it happen ...

'He met the love of his life and was at his happiest.'

Their future had been equally bright, Mr Fowler said.

'We so looked forward to having Chynna in our family.

'Her mother tells us she wanted her kids to have an Aussie accent.'

The couple met in Croatia in 2017 and spent the next two years sharing their love of travel
Gal Pissetzky, a top Chicago lawyer who is representing suspected Internet fraudster, Ramon Abass, aka Hushpuppi, has said that his case is getting better though he was denied bail and transferred to California.

The lawyer who denied reports that he had dumped the suspect, told us he would still be standing for him in California where the case has been transferred to.

He also told the publication that Hushpuppi still stands a good chance of being acquitted.

Pissetzky said;
The global COVID-19 storm has transformed the way the world conducts business and, more specifically, what can be accomplished digitally. And while we all long for the human touch and personal interaction, a post-pandemic world of greater online functioning is unfolding before our eyes. But, with greater digital dependency and reward, comes greater risk in the form of cyber threats.



Major corporates have sophisticated and multi-layered internal security systems to safeguard sensitive and valuable data, and to protect clients and customers. However, many small to medium enterprises (SMEs) across the continent dont have access to, or budget for, sophisticated IT security infrastructure and highly skilled IT teams. It is also these small businesses that are mostly at risk. They are viewed as easy targets by cybercriminals, especially during a period of prevailing uncertainty and financial decline. Here are some of the latest scams and tactics that all small business owners should be aware of:



1. Phishing



Phishing works by duping users into thinking that they are logging into a legitimate site (through spoofing), only to have them (unintentionally) share their private credentials or banking details with cybercriminals. Dubious links can be sent via email, SMS or WhatsApp and can give criminals access to mail systems, servers, customer data and the like. Employees working from home are particularly vulnerable as they may think that instructions come directly from employers. Make sure you encourage employees to immediately flag any suspicious correspondence, and educate customers about some of the currents scams that may be out there.



2. Supply chain attacks

The risk comes with third and fourth parties and so on, who are just as exposed to the rise in cyber-attacks brought on by the pandemic. Corporates deal with thousands of suppliers and vendors, all governed and managed through strict frameworks and protocols. The situation is obviously vastly different for SMEs who need to realise that the moment a third party has access to business information, owners relinquish control. It is like giving the keys to your house to someone you trust. Its great if this is a reliable person but what if that individual passes the keys on to someone else? How far does the trust extend? Make sure you have done your due diligence around external parties, including asking questions around data storage and privacy as well as cyber risk procedures.



3. Human error and social engineering

The biggest problem is us  humans - and it will always be. From a Neurolinguistics Programme (NLP) perspective, humans are conditioned to react to certain prompts or signals. Even more so during lockdown, when fear and doubt are rife. If someone calls saying that he/she is contacting you from your financial institution and begins to list and ask details such as your business email address and passwords, your defence goes down. That is why we make customers aware that the bank will never ask you any of these questions, if you do receive a call like this, it is most certainly a criminal attempting to gain access to your critical information. If unsure, rather end the call and contact the bank directly (using official numbers). Social engineering also comes into play because most people use the same passwords across multiple platforms and applications. Make sure that passwords are hard to guess (but easy to remember), change them regularly and make use of a robust password management system.



4. Data vulnerabilities

Ransomware (where access is restricted to a digital asset until a ransom, often in bitcoin, is paid) is also on the rise, with criminals taking full advantage of the current circumstances. These activities range from denying companies access to their servers, or a user to his/ her phone. Ultimately, the most important thing is making sure your data is secure and that you have a full backup. We are fast moving to what is called a Zero Trust Model, where stringent verification will be required for any device or person (internally and externally) attempting to access company resources or networks. Major corporates have virtual private networks (VPNs) with correct and certified configurations, two-factor authentication and a host of additional layers of security, which are continuously monitored and reviewed. Most SMEs wont be in position to lay out significant security investments (especially now), as such, secure cloud services are an ideal and affordable option to allow data to be shared safely.



While the pandemic has exacerbated cyber exposures, criminals are constantly coming up with new online schemes. Long-term business sustainability and growth will depend on sustained risk mitigation. The first step would be to assess your business data and how effectively it is secured. Next, would be installing reputable antivirus software where possible, backing up files on a regular basis, making sure vulnerabilities are patched and updated routinely, and always carefully scanning the emails you receive. The golden rule of if it seems too good to be true, then it usually is still holds true.

Source: Sandro Bucchianeri, Absa Group Chief Security Officer









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chilton County officials hope to reopen tag and probate office services early next week after a nearly two-week closure caused by a ransomware attack.

Commissioner Joseph Parnell said the countys first priority is to reopen the tag office by early next week and open the probate office at some point next week. Residents have been unable to renew their tags since July 7 when the attack was discovered. Until the computer system is back online and offices reopened, residents cannot renew tags or do any other county business.

Parnell said the officials dont yet know what information was compromised, but he said around 70 computers were hit. He said the county system hard drives on Tuesday were sent to be processed by an IT company in New York. He did not identify the company.

In a ransomware attack, hackers deliver a file to unsuspecting users that once downloaded is used to commandeer and lockup a network. Hackers generally demand payment to return access to files and the system to its owners. In 2019, the City of Leeds paid $12,000 to regain control of its files. Governments and businesses have been targeted in Alabama, including DCH Health System in Tuscaloosa, also in 2019.

The county did not pay the ransom demanded by the hackers, who Parnell called terrorists. He said hed rather use taxpayer money to recover data than to give taxpayer money to the hackers.

Were feeling very blessed. It could have been a lot worse, Parnell said.

The county has ordered updated computer equipment for many county offices to better protect against another attack.

We really learned where our weaknesses are, Parnell said.

It could be a month or more before all the computer systems are upgraded and the system is up and running at usual capacity.
Mumbai, July 18 : Actress Rumana Molla, who plays the heroines buddy in the new digital release, "Virgin Bhanupriya", says that women are judged more than often if they openly talk about their sexual desire.

"I think women who are outspoken about their need and sexual desire, and sometimes even about their rights, get criticised, judged and trolled on social media, and also get intimidated by society. This is truly one of those instances where there is just black and white, and no grey areas. It is simply wrong. I think we should act right away when anyone is trying to shut us up. I think it is important to be very vocal about those bullies who try to humiliate women. There is no other way to deal with it." In "Virgin Bhanupriya", Rumana plays Rukul, best friend of the female protagonist. The directorial venture of Ajay Lohan stars Urvashi Rautela and Gautam Gulati.

Rumana has appeared in films like "Ek Villain", "Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2" and "Irada". Asked if she feels she is stuck in a 'second lead' image, she said: "I do not think on those terms. I think as long as I am acting, I am getting my due. I am getting to do what I set out to do -- acting! For me, that is a gift and I am thankful for every single opportunity that I have got so far." She added: "In this film I have played the character of the best friend of the female lead. My character in 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2' was also that of the heroine's best friend. But I do not feel stuck because those are the choices I made. I wanted to work with Luv Ranjan sir and 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2' was an opportunity for me to fulfil that. Having said that, after that film, I decided not to play similar roles. In the latest film, I think my character brings a lot on the table. It is substantial." "I have couple of projects in the pipeline in which I am playing really different kinds of roles. So I have no reason to feel disappointed," Rumana signed off.
Fanad Head lighthouse in Co Donegal has been voted one of the world's most beautiful lighthouses

Lighthouse Technicians Malcom Gillies and Gay Mulvey at the Baily Lighthouse in Howth, Co Dublin. Photo by Mark Condren

'I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse," George Bernard Shaw once said. "They were built only to serve."

Even after the leap in navigational technology represented by GPS, they maintain that historical function: shining a light for miles around, warning sailors and ships of dangers lurking beneath the surface.

The way they are powered is changing, though, and with it the work of the people who tend them.

The tradition of constantly manned lighthouses ended on March 24, 1997, but the lightkeepers' cottages are still inhabited for weeks at a time by maintenance staff who service the lights' diesel-powered motors. Today, Irish Lights workers travel to sites including Fastnet Rock off Co Cork, Tuskar Rock off Co Wexford, Inishtrahull Island off Co Donegal, Slyne Head off Clifden in Co Galway and Kish Tower in Dublin Bay.

By 2025, however, all lighthouses, beacons and buoys dotted around the coast and in Irish waters will be powered by renewables. The amount of work for technicians who stay at remote lighthouses will fall.

Irish Lights, led by chief executive Yvonne Shields O'Connor, is withdrawing from lighthouses' accommodation quarters. Anything that could cause harm will be removed and the fuel systems will be drained.

After 41 years of service, Brian Kelly (65) retired on May 29. When he began working as a lighthouse technical mechanical worker in 1979, there were 600 lighthouse keepers in the country. The move to automation spelled the end of this unique career.

Kelly describes his profession as one of constant evolution. For the first 25 years of his career, he left his family home in Cabinteely, south Dublin, to travel to the other end of the country to maintain lights. Sometimes that meant not telling his children exactly when he would be home; bad weather had a habit of causing disappointment.

He could be hundreds of miles away on Ireland's most remote island - Tory, 14km off the coast of Donegal - when high winds and swelling seas made the journey back to the mainland impossible.

"It was a job I loved - I would've done it for nothing. If you like peace and quiet, you'd be in the right job," says Kelly, who is originally from Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

"What I miss more than anything else is being out on the coast. I miss the freedom and the peace. The job meant you got to see lots of tiny little beaches people can't get to. Ireland is beautiful - we don't appreciate how beautiful it is. We were privileged to see if from a different angle," he says.

"There's nothing like sleeping in a lighthouse on a bad night with driving rain and big waves breaking - it's very comforting.

"But if you're a light sleeper, you won't sleep well," he says.

A bird's-eye view

Of all the lighthouses, Kelly's favourite is Kish Tower, a landmark well-known to sailors and ferry passengers passing through Dublin Bay.

For Malcolm Gillies (44), from Drumconrath, Co Meath, who trained as an electrician before joining Irish Lights, maintaining lighthouses has given him a bird's-eye view of some of the island's most beautiful places.

In his 17 years' service, the job meant 150 days a year away from home. It often meant being sent on a rock off the coast with all his provisions for three weeks at a time.

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"You do feel privileged when you're in these places - only a small minority of people will ever see them in their lifetime. I've spent a lot of time on Fastnet and it is a unique experience," says Gillies.

He describes having dinner there as being a bit like eating in the most exclusive coastal restaurant, with a 360-degree view from the top and the most beautiful sunsets imaginable.

There were negatives, though. "There are days when you're on a rock for two weeks and you have down days," he says. "The helicopter may not be able to land because of wind or fog. You have to dig into the reserve of food and keep the humour up. As people retire, they aren't being replaced. There's enough of us to cover things at the moment, but technology has a grip on things now," he says.

Gay Mulvey's family has held various roles with Irish Lights since 1934, and the Dun Laoghaire man's retirement this year marks the end of an era.

Mulvey says the change has been so gradual it barely registered. While he admits there is a certain romance to lighthouses, he won't miss the smell of diesel or the noise or the dirt of working with engines.

Despite the long periods away from home and family, he says he loved the job. He recalls one evening on Skellig Michael off Co Kerry when the puffins came out and walked around him as he sat stock-still watching them.

Another fond memory is of swimming in a "natural swimming pool" in the rocks at Slyne Head off Clifden, Co Galway. "When the tide went out on a sunny day, the water would heat up and we'd be able to swim there," he says. "People would pay thousands for it."

He remembers being stranded for days at Bull Rock off Dursey sound in Co Cork, which looks like something from a pirate movie, with a passage through the rock.

After 44 years of spending time on lighthouses, he says what he will miss most is the camaraderie. "Whether you like someone or you don't, you have to find a way. There's a circle of us who are buddies as well as colleagues. You can't be on a rock for three weeks at a time without some friction. There's a lot of psychology and of biting your lip," he says.

Mulvey explains that each lighthouse has a different 'character', by which he means the flashing sequence of the light. "It could be four flashes every half minute or three flashes every 40 seconds. That character is unique to that light within that zone," he says.

"The ships have to know where they are. It sounds primitive with all the technology we have in this day and age, but internationally, they still want the lighthouses. It's absolute certainty. There's no wondering about [the lighthouses' signal]. Ships can tell exactly."

Robert McCabe, the director of coastal operations with Irish Lights, says that lighthouses are far from a relic of a not-so-distant past. Despite all the developments in GPS navigation, he says, mariners and ships are resolute that they want the lighthouses and buoys maintained.

McCabe says huge advances have been made in navigation since he first went to sea as a cadet in the 1970s. He calls GPS a 'godsend', but points out it is not infallible.

A report entitled 2030: Navigating the Future commissioned by the lighthouse authorities of Ireland and the UK identified an overwhelming reliance on GPS, with its inherent vulnerability to man-made interference and space weather.

"The big fear nowadays is deliberate jamming of [GPS]," McCabe says. "If you were in a busy shipping lane, that could cause havoc. The mariner still wants to be able to say, 'I still have my old skillset' and they want to be connected with the world outside the window. We have spent about two years talking to people.

"The big ships value the lighthouses much more than people might think," he adds. "There's no sense that their value will disappear."

Getting up close with maritime history

Expand Close Fanad Head lighthouse in Co Donegal has been voted one of the world's most beautiful lighthouses / Facebook

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Whatsapp Fanad Head lighthouse in Co Donegal has been voted one of the world's most beautiful lighthouses

Lighthouses have been symbols of both romance and tragedy for generations. They have often been remote and untouchable, but in recent years many have opened to the public, with some available for self-catering accommodation.

The Irish Landmark Trust, in partnership with Irish Lights, has 14 lighthouses in the Great Lighthouses of Ireland portfolio dotted around the coast. Having reopened for business at the end of last month, the idea is to give people and up-close experience of these structures' role in the island's maritime story.

At Fanad Head lighthouse (inset) in Co Donegal, which has been voted one of the world's most beautiful lighthouses, you can stay at one of three lightkeepers' cottages, which were restored in 2015.

At Wicklow Head, the Irish Landmark Trust transformed the 239-year-old octagonal stone tower into self-catering accommodation, including 109 steps up into the kitchen.

Fastnet Rock, near Cape Clear in Co Cork, is not available to visit but there are boat tours around it.

For more information, go to greatlighthouses.com
Out of the Blue: Russia Holds Snap Checks in Its Military Districts

Sputnik News

08:40 GMT 17.07.2020(updated 10:00 GMT 17.07.2020)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday a snap check of troops in the southern and western military districts, as well as certain units of Airborne forces and Naval Infantry per the decision of President Vladimir Putin.

"In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, a snap check of the troops of the southern and western military districts, certain units of central subordination, the Airborne troops and marines of the Northern and Pacific fleets is conducted," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that the checks of the troops of the southern and western military districts were carried out to assess the ability of the Russian armed forces to ensure security in the south-west and to prepare for the "Caucasus 2020" drills.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with senior staff that over 149,000 people and more than 26,800 units of equipment were involved in the checks of the southern and western military districts.

"During the check, 56 tactical-level exercises are planned to be conducted among the troops. Thirty-five polygons and training fields are involved, 17 marine polygons in the waters of the Black and Caspian Seas. A total of 149,755 people, 26,820 units of weapons and military equipment, 414 aircraft, 106 ships and support vessels were involved in a sudden check," Shoigu said.

A Sputnik

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Shimla, July 18 : As 11 members of a family in Himachal Pradesh's Nahan tested positive for coronavirus, authorities on Saturday imposed a curfew in the town till 7 am on July 21, officials said.

Sirmaur Deputy Commissioner R.K. Pruthi imposed the curfew in the town, the first such case in the hill state, after a pregnant woman tested corona positive during a routine test at Dr Y.S. Parmar Medical College in Nahan on July 15.

After contact tracing and testing, 10 members from her family also returned positive results. All of them had attended a wedding on July 5.

Authorities fear the number of corona positive cases will rise as primary contact tracing was still on. The family lives in Govindgarh locality in the town.

As per the order, the movement of town residents has been restricted but government offices and banks are permitted to open, though they have to observe social distancing and other health protocols.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Iran has sent the black boxes from downed Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 to Paris.

Iran has sent the black box of the Ukrainian passenger jet that its armed forces mistakenly shot down in January to France for reading, AP reports, referring to an Iranian semi-official news agency.

According to Mohsen Baharvand, an aide to Irans foreign minister, the downed jets black boxes were transported to Paris on Friday, accompanied by Iranian civil aviation and judicial officials

He also also said the black boxes will be read in Paris on Monday.

The Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane (flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after it took off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport at about 06:00 Tehran time (04:30 Kyiv time) on January 8. There were 176 people on board  nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). They all died.

It emerged later that the UIA plane had been shot down by two missiles of the Tor-M1 air defense system, which Iran received from Russia.

The International Coordination and Response Group for the Victims of Flight PS752 Crash insisted on the transfer of flight recorders to France which has the necessary technical capabilities for decoding them.

Six people charged with the downing of flight PS752 were detained in Iran.

ish
Under severe criticism for keeping out foreign students and faculty under its coronavirus protection entry ban, Japan is hinting at plans to start relaxing the rules from August.

But a lack of clear policy, including a specific entry date for foreign students and teachers, continues to worry university management amid concerns over the status of their studies, research and jobs.

This contrasts with others such as Taiwan, which never had a complete campus lockdown, and Singapore where universities are now reopening. These countries will allow in foreign students and researchers from this month and August respectively, under strict quarantine conditions that will be completed in time for foreign students to start the new semester.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on 10 July that Japan will start discussions with countries seeing declining coronavirus infections and high demand for business trips. The entry ban was imposed on 3 April with 129 countries on the list.

The easing of travel restrictions will be in stages and cover 10 countries including China, South Korea and Taiwan, Japanese media reported. The conditions for entry are that foreigners must submit negative COVID-19 test results.

Some foreign residents are allowed to return under special conditions such as for humanitarian reasons. But the foreign minister also said Japan would prioritise abusiness travellers and international talent Japan is in need ofa before easing restrictions for foreign students and eventually for tourists.

The lack of testing capacity in Japan has been highlighted by Japanese media. Japanas Kyodo News service reported on Friday that China and South Korea could pose a larger challenge because of the sheer number of people that could potentially come to Japan.
John Lewis died on Friday of cancer. Several former presidents and many leading American politicians paid tribute to the Congressman and civil rights activist who fought on the side of Martin Luther King against racial discrimination. President Trump tweeted that he was "sad" to learn of the death of Lewis'. On Saturday, he was ordered to put the flags over the White house and public buildings at half-mast.

Marco Rubio must, however, corners in the case of Twitter criticism. The Republican Senator from Florida had on Saturday published a picture on Twitter, he wrote: "It was an honor for me to be with him and with the possibility of blessed to get to know, to serve with John Lewis in Congress, a true and historical American heroes." And: "May God give him eternal peace."

The image may not fit to the Text: in addition to Rubio is not Lewis to see, but Elijah Cummings, a former democratic member of the house of representatives, who was, as Lewis is African-American. The photo with the 2019 deceased Cummings put out Rubio initially without comment. Later, he tweeted a picture, to show Rubio and Lewis in Miami three years ago. To do this, it is written: "prior to that, I tweeted a false image."

criticism and malice followed the click. A user was: "they look all the same. I assume that you would agree, if everyone were to be assumed that they are because they speak Spanish, a Mexican? Rubio's parents emigrated in the fifties, from Cuba to the United States. Other users on Twitter were making fun of me and posted images of the supposedly real Marco Rubio.

Updated Date: 18 July 2020, 18:19
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 22:06:29|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on July 17, 2020 shows a screening and triage area at Health Point Upper East Medical Center in Harare, Zimbabwe. Three Chinese firms operating in Zimbabwe have teamed up with a local medical institution to establish a COVID-19 treatment and isolation center in the country. (Photo by Chen Yaqin/Xinhua)

By Tafara Mugwara and Zhang Yuliang

HARARE, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Three Chinese firms operating in Zimbabwe have teamed up with a local medical institution to establish a COVID-19 treatment and isolation center in the country.

Hongyu Enterprises, Jin'an Corporation and China Mingchang Engineering Corporation partnered with Health Point, a private medical institution in establishing the facility.

Health Point is providing medical expertise while the Chinese firms are providing medical equipment and funding at an investment of more than 3 million U.S. dollars.

The Harare-based facility, named Health Point Upper East Medical Center, will have a capacity to accommodate more than 80 intensive care patients at a time when it officially opens next week.

The development comes at a time when Zimbabwe is witnessing a spike in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.

A total of 1,420 cases were reported as of Friday evening, with 24 deaths and 438 recoveries.

Michael Li, Executive director of Health Point Upper East Medical Center, said in an effort to complement government efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese community in the country decided to partner a local institution to establish the facility.

"After we started this project, the first major decision we made towards opening and receiving patients is that we realized that none of us in the Chinese community were experts in the medical field, so the first major decision we made was to partner with Health Point."

Li said the Chinese embassy also provided support to the project.

"The Chinese embassy gave us a lot of help as well, from finding the equipment to helping us with the logistics," he said.

Li said the motivation behind the establishment of the facility was not profit driven, but was driven by the desire to serve the community.

He said they will also consider opening a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) center at the facility.

"We are definitely thinking of opening a TCM center here. But anything that is new to society and community takes time."

"So we are looking forward to working together with the Zimbabwean health authorities and health professionals to share our knowledge and to collaborate together so that the community will accept TCM in a good way," he said.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Zimbabwe, China has made a notable contribution to the country's fight against the pandemic.

In addition to providing technical support, China has donated a significant amount of medical supplies to the country to help it combat the coronavirus.

Chinese companies operating in the country offered over 500,000 U.S. dollars in March for the rehabilitation of Wilkins Hospital in Harare, one of Zimbabwe's isolation and treatment centers for COVID-19.

The renovation enhanced the hospital's capacity to handle infections, increasing beds for COVID-19 patients to about 60 from 35.
Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Hon. Sam George has called for the dissolution of the National Peace Council for exhibiting hypocrisy towards political parties in the country on matters of violence arising from the ongoing voter registration exercise.



According to him, the National Peace Council is one of the biggest threats to the peace and stability of the countrys democracy.



He described on Joy FMs Newsfile as disingenuous, the attempt by any group to generalize the political temperature rising in the country by saying that both political parties are involved.



He remarks follows on the heels of calls by the Peace Council for calm amidst brutalities arising from the ongoing voter registration exercise.



Chairman of the Council, Prof Emmanuel Asante in a statement said the incidents were prevalent among the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).



He highlighted happenings in the Ejura-Sekyere-Odumase Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Kasoa in the Central Region, Asutifi South, and Tano South Constituencies in the Ahafo Region, as some hotspots.



Hon. Sam George however furiously said the Council is being hypocritical to blame the issues on both parties.



I hold a personal view that the National Peace Council should be disbanded because they are the biggest threat to the peace and stability of our democracy. The reason being the hypocritical stance of that organization. They always seek to make equivalence the basis of their statements.



This is what has raised the temperature. First and foremost, the MP for Ejura-Sekyedumase Bawa Braimah was attacked by NPP hoodlums and he was nearly crippled.



The National Peace Council did not find it right to criticize the NPP on that. They waited and held their cool till the murder of an innocent Ghanaian citizen in Banda, he said.



Hon Sam George, therefore, accused the National Peace Council of acting unfairly, taking sides instead of playing the man.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Management at IT Carlow once again fired shots at certain elected representatives this week in a discussion with delegates of Wexford Sinn Fein who attended a meeting at the college.

In a letter circulated to staff and students in recent weeks, the IT branded commentary from local representatives on the subject of a long awaited new Wexford campus as 'unhelpful', something which was elaborated on further in a meeting with Sinn Fein TD Johnny Mythen and councillors Tom Forde and Fionntan O Suilleabhain. The trio arranged the meeting with the President of the College Patricia Mulcahy in a bid to progress the provision of the new campus and seek clarity on the situation with the mooted Technological University of the South East.

'I was very alarmed to learn in the meeting that it appears some of the local representatives who have been the most critical and vocal about the delays of this project had themselves failed to engage directly with the college to try and fix any of these issues, rather than simply highlighting them to the public,' Cllr Forde said. 'The reps from IT Carlow made it clear that this commentary from public representatives has been very unhelpful on such an important and complex project.'

Concerns were also raised around the commercial sensitivity of discussing potential sites and it was confirmed that the college were investigating a Wexford site, believed to be Killeens, in the coming weeks.

'This type of information when leaked to the public can escalate site prices beyond the budget of the college,' said Cllr O Suilleabhain. 'We were glad to learn that IT Carlow are actively investigating a site in Wexford in the coming weeks and we hope that this site will be suitable for the new campus. If not, it will be up to all public representatives and the colleges to work together to suggest alternative locations.

For their part, the college has conceded that the campus at St Peter's College, on which they say they've invested over 6m, is 'no longer fit for purpose'.

Deputy Mythen said that the college should be commended for their work to date.

'It's clear that Wexford is their top choice for this project. In turn we also made it clear that we will work with them in any way we can to help further this project. It's not as simple as finding a site and building an empty building. This modern Wexford campus must be accessible by public transport, have adequate and affordable accommodation in the area, as well as having suitable curricula and staff numbers.'

'I would call for cross party support on this project, all public reps need to work together, and actively seek solutions to these obstacles. We need to get it built and we need to get it staffed and fully functioning so that the County can begin to reap the benefits.'

As one of the most outspoken critics of IT Carlow in relation to delays, Labour councillor George Lawlor welcomed progress being made, but was unhappy at apparently being singled out by Sinn Fein and the college.

'I completely welcome IT Carlow moving on with investigating a site that I brought to their attention via the County Manager last August,' he said. 'I also welcome Sinn Fein at long last coming to the table on the issue of a third level campus for Wexford. It's an issue that has always had unanimous cross-party and non-party support and the notion that Sinn Fein would use it to attack colleagues who have sought progress on the issue on countless occasions is despicable.'

On the IT branding the input of local representatives as 'unhelpful', Cllr Lawlor said: 'I make no apology for highlighting a lack of movement, progress and an apparent lack of interest in this project for the past nine years. But now is the time to look forward and I welcome that the IT have sat down to the table to discuss sites.'

Cllr Lawlor conceded that he had not personally sought out a meeting with Dr Mulcahy or the management of the college, but said he opted to go via the county manager.

'On every occasions I raised this issue or had information to provide, I went via the County Manager Tom Enright,' he said. 'I felt the information coming directly from him would carry more weight than if brought to the college by an individual councillor. However, now we must look forward and I look forward to seeing progress at pace on the new campus. It's something that's far too important to be used as a point scoring exercise.'
A Colorado man knew something was wrong when he heard a commotion in the early morning on July 10 in the Aspen house where hes staying with his kids.

I laid in bed thinking, I really hope this isnt a bear, Dave Chernosky told CNN. I figured it probably was, but I was sure hoping for something else once I got into the kitchen.

He said the large black bear, estimated at about 400 pounds (approx. 181 kg), was standing at the refrigerator when he walked in the room. The animal had opened drawers and cabinets and thrown stuff around.

Chernosky was then able to keep the kitchen island between them and then tried to coax the bear into the garage to get it outside.

The plan seemed to work, but Chernosky said the bear got spooked when he hit the garage door opener, and it came back inside the house.

Chernosky went to make sure that it didnt wander down the stairs to where his 12-year-old twins were sleeping. Thats when he encountered the bear face to face.

We looked at each other, and he just smacked me in the side of the head and spun me around and got me again on the back, Chernosky said. I literally heard it crack on my head. A bear paw is not soft and cushy.

He was bleeding heavily from cuts to his forehead and neck but was able to scramble away and scream at the bear to leave.

Dave Chernosky is recovering from cuts on his face and neck after an encounter with a bear that got into the kitchen of the house where hes staying. (Courtesy of Dave Chernosky)

I just knew if he didnt leave I was in big trouble, Chernosky shared. But fortunately, he was done at that point and just left.

Officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife were able to track down the bear and euthanize it. Theyll test samples from the bear and the house to make sure they got the right animal.

Based on the direct and clear trail that tracking dogs quickly followed, along with the physical description of the bear from witnesses, were certain that we got the offending animal, said Area Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita in a statement. We never like to have to put an animal down but the protection of the public is paramount once a bear begins entering homes and responding aggressively toward people.

Officials said it matched the description of a bear that had been seen in the neighborhood for several days. It may have been the same bear thats been reported raiding trash cans in the area and evading capture for the past couple of years.

Its unclear how the bear got in the house, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Randy Hampton told CNN affiliate KMGH that the front door had a lever handle, which is easier for bears to open.

(Illustration  Nick Fox/Shutterstock)

This was the first bear attack in Aspen this year, according to the statement. The three bear attacks in the area in 2019 all occurred outdoors.

Chernosky said he feels lucky as he recovers from his wounds, adding that doctors told him the bears claws just missed his eye and his carotid artery.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will require his GOP colleagues to wear face masks for a conference next Tuesday to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in Congress, Bloomberg first reported and McCarthy's team confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: McCarthy upped his past recommendation that lawmakers wear masks to a requirement this week. Democrats previously complained that some Republicans were appearing on the House floor and in committees without face coverings, threatening not to recognize members who refused to mask up in session.

Those attending the in-person Republican-only conference next week will receive temperature checks at the door and be required to wear masks and maintain social distance.

However, not all 197 House Republicans can attend the meeting because of social distancing measures. Only 131 members can RSVP.

The big picture: Congressional Republicans have started advocating for face coverings and rigorous COVID-19 testing as case counts are increasing in several states, including Florida, Texas and Arizona.

Go deeper: Where the science stands on using face masks against coronavirus
Srinagar: Security forces on Saturday (July 18) gunned down three terrorists during an encounter that broke out in the wee hours today in Amshipora village of Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir. Identities and terror group affiliations of the slain terrorists are yet to be carried out.

A search operation was underway in the area when the last report came. This was the second operation in the last 24 hours.

"So far 03 #unidentified #terrorists killed. #Operation going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice," the Kashmir Police tweeted earlier.

According to reports, a joint team of Kashmir Police, 62 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in the wee hours of Saturday in Amshipora village after forces received specific inputs about the presence of a few terrorists in the area. As per the inputs, 3-4 terrorists were believed to be hiding inside a house in the orchard.

The search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists opened fire at the forces from the cowshed of the lone house in an orchard.

The forces retaliated to the gunfire thus ensuing a gunbattle between the two sides.

On July 17, three terrorists, including a self-styled top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed and two security personnel injured in an encounter in the Kulgam district. Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar at a press conference said one of the militants had been identified as Waleed Bhai, a commander of JeM and an IED expert, while the identity of the other two was being ascertained.

"Waleed Bhai had escaped from the cordon (of the security forces) four times so far. He was among the 12 most wanted militant commanders," he said, adding that the forces recovered a US-made M-4 carbine from him.

So far, the forces have neutralised at least 133 terrorists in Kashmir this year.
Two US naval attack groups in the region. Trump administration: Sanctions on state enterprises that help Chinese military forces. The Asian giant challenges Washington's maritime power by building two new aircraft carriers.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - There is high tension in the South China Sea between the United States and China. US aircraft carriers Nimitz and Ronald Reagan, with their respective combat groups, are operational in the strategic waterway, which Beijing claims almost entirely.

Washington's two naval forces reached the region in early July, when the Chinese were conducting a massive naval exercise around the Paracel islands.

On July 13, without mincing words, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Chinese claims on this vast body of water are "completely illegal".

The United States maintains that Beijing's territorial claims threaten the freedom of navigation and air space in the area where the Chinese have occupied and militarized numerous coral atolls and sandy banks.

Chinese warships and coast guards, along with maritime militia vessels, frequently operate in these waters, also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and Indonesia.

The following day, US secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, David Stilwell, revealed that the Trump administration could impose sanctions on Chinese state-owned enterprises that help the People's Liberation Army strengthen its presence in contested waters. Stilwell accused the Chinese government of using its public companies to intimidate other Southeast Asia nations and thus ensure control of mineral and hydrocarbon resources.

Beijing immediately launched a counterattack, dismissing the US accusations. On July 14, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that US naval operations in the South China Sea violate China's territorial sovereignty, threatening national security.

According to experts, China wants to gain control of the region to better defend its coastal provinces, where its main military and industrial assets are located. To achieve this goal, by 2035, Beijing has set its sights on equaling US naval power in the western Pacific.

The Middle Empire is stepping up the construction of new aircraft carriers, which have been the flagship of the US Navy.

The South China Morning Post reports today that China is building two modern naval units of this type; one of the two should be launched within a year. At the moment, Beijing can deploy the Russian-made aircraft carrier Liaoning; another aircraft carrier, Shandong, is still being tested. The United States owns 11.
Students and parents from across the country are demanding postponement of the JEE-NEET exams due to COVID-19 pandemic

It's exam result season in India, with various boards releasing results of Classes 10 and 12, leaving students under immense pressure as they correlate their marks with their career. However, life is much more than board results, said an IAS officer.

Nitin Sangwan, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, posted a picture of his Class 12 mark sheet, showing how he barely passed in Chemistry.

In my 12th exams, I got 24 marks in Chemistry - just 1 mark above passing marks. But that didn't decide what I wanted from my life, the officer said in his tweet.

He further asked students to not get bogged down with the burden of marks.

Life is much more than board results. Let results be an opportunity for introspection and not for criticism, Sangwan added.



In my 12th exams, I got 24 marks in Chemistry - just 1 mark above passing marks. But that didn't decide what I wanted from my life

Don't bog down kids with burden of marks Life is much more than board results Let results be an opportunity for introspection & not for criticism pic.twitter.com/wPNoh9A616  Nitin Sangwan, IAS (@nitinsangwan) July 13, 2020

His marksheet showed that he had gotten just 24 marks in theory and 26 marks in the practical exam of Chemistry in Class 12.

His tweet went viral with people commenting and sharing it across Twitter.

Reacting on his tweet, Bhisham Singh, an IPS officer, said, Exactly! Concepts and clarity of thoughts are much more important for success in life. I got only 59.2 percent marks in 12th class with Science and Maths in UP Board.



Exactly! Concepts & clarity of thoughts are much more important for success in life. I got only 59.2% Marks in 12th class with Science & Maths in UP Board https://t.co/iUQEOX16gE  Bhisham Singh IPS (@BhishamSinghIPS) July 15, 2020





English did same for me. Still struggling ;-)

 Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 14, 2020

Another user Parveen Kaswan, who is said to be in the Indian Forest Service, said, English did same for me.

As the tweet received widespread appreciation, Sangwan said he was glad that the message had reached so many parents and he hoped that it will make the life of students who were not lucky enough to score high a little easy.
Pentagon Effectively Bans Confederate Flag From Military Bases

Sputnik News

15:55 GMT 17.07.2020(updated 17:21 GMT 17.07.2020)

Some branches of the US military have already banned the public display of the flag amid concerns that it might inflame racial tensions and damage unit cohesion.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday issued a memorandum that effectively bans the display of the Confederate flag at United States' military facilities around the globe.

"The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline ... Consequently, in addition to the American flag, Service members and civilian employees are authorized to display or depict representational flags that promote unity and esprit de corps," Esper said in the memorandum.

The list of flags that are allowed on the installations includes those of US states and territories, military service flags, flags of other countries that are US allies and ceremonial and branch flags.

Earlier on Friday, the Associated Press reported, citing US officials, that the US Defence Department was considering a new policy on displaying flags at military facilities that would ban the use of the Confederate flag, without actually singling it out by name.

Confederate symbols were targeted during anti-racism protests that recently took place across the US, as well as in Europe. Protesters said that they considered those symbols to glorify racism and xenophobia.

Statues of Confederate generals were dismantled by angry crowds during the protests.

US President Donald Trump strongly criticised the removal of Confederate symbols from public view and also spoke against a ban on flying the Confederate flag, insisting that its display is lawful under freedom of speech.

 Sputnik

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Elected officials in Portland have called on the Trump administration to remove militarised federal agents from the city following reports of protesters being arbitrarily detained, likening their actions to the tactics of a government led by a dictator.

Federal law enforcement officers driving unmarked vehicles and wearing camouflage have been seizing people from the street in recent days in Portland, Oregon, which has seen nightly protests for racial justice since the police killing of George Floyd.

Agents from the US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Homeland Securitys Federal Protective Service have deployed in the city ostensibly to protect federal property. But video and witness testimony show they have far exceeded that mandate and have detained people without cause far from the buildings they are supposed to be protecting.

The message crafted by the Trump administration to justify this escalation of force and intimidation in Portland borders on propaganda, apparently to serve the presidents perceived political interests. This is unacceptable under our Constitution, said a letter signed by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, together with House Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici.

The letter, which was addressed to acting Department of Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf, who deployed the agents, and US attorney general William Barr, accuses the federal agents of operating without identifying insignia in an apparent effort to evade accountability, and of snatching people off the street with no apparent reason.

These actions are out of control [...] They are more reflective of tactics of a government led by a dictator, not from the government of our constitutional democratic republic, the officials wrote.

They were joined by the citys mayor in calling for the removal of the federal troops.

Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city, Mayor Ted Wheeler said at a news conference on Friday.

This is part of the core media strategy out of Trumps White House: to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data, Mr Wheeler said. And it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials.

Federal officers have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Thursday. Some have been detained by the federal courthouse, which has been the scene of protests. But others were grabbed blocks away.

One video showed two people in helmets and green camouflage with police patches grabbing a person on the sidewalk, handcuffing them and taking them into an unmarked vehicle.

Who are you? someone asks the pair, who do not respond. At least some of the federal officers belong to the Department of Homeland Security.

Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that its agents had information indicating the person in the video was suspected of assaulting federal agents or destroying federal property.

In another case, Mark Pettibone, 29, said a minivan rolled up to him around 2 a.m. Wednesday and four or five people got out looking like they were deployed to a Middle Eastern war.

Mr Pettibone told The Associated Press he got to his knees as the group approached. They dragged him into the van without identifying themselves or responding to his questions and pulled his beanie over his eyes so he couldnt see, he said.

I figured I was just going to disappear for an indefinite amount of time, Mr Pettibone said.

Mr Pettibone said he was put into a cell and officers dumped the contents of his backpack, with one remarking: Oh, this is a bunch of nothing.

After he asked for a lawyer, Mr Pettibone was allowed to leave.

Federal officers prepare to disperse the crowd of protestors outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 17, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Federal law enforcement agencies attempt to intervene as protests continue in Portland. (Mason Trinca / Getty Images)

Acting DHS secretary Wolf justified the deployment of the federal agents with a press release that detailed a litany of alleged crimes carried out by violent anarchists. Many of the incidents listed are graffiti of federal property or removing fences.

The city of Portland has been under siege for 47 straight days by a violent mob while local political leaders refuse to restore order to protect their city, said the release by Mr Wolf.

Each night, lawless anarchists destroy and desecrate property, including the federal courthouse, and attack the brave law enforcement officers protecting it.

Mr Wolf visited Portland on Thursday and again called the demonstrators, who are protesting racism and police brutality, violent anarchists.

The ACLU of Oregon said the federal agents appear to be violating peoples rights, which should concern everyone in the United States.

Usually when we see people in unmarked cars forcibly grab someone off the street we call it kidnapping, said Jann Carson, interim executive director of the ACLU of Oregon. The actions of the militarised federal officers are flat-out unconstitutional and will not go unanswered.

Oregon attorney general Ellen Rosenblum said she would file a lawsuit in federal court against the Department of Homeland Security, the Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection and Federal Protection Service alleging they have violated the civil rights of Oregonians by detaining them without probable cause. She will also seek a temporary restraining order against them.

 With agencies
A popular Nigerian Instagram celebrity facing wire fraud charges in the United States, Ramoni Abbas (popularly called Hushpuppi), has settled for a government lawyer after his case was transferred to another district.

Mr Abbas, 37, who was resident in Dubai and known for flaunting extravagant lifestyle on social media, was arrested last month over money laundering allegations. He was extradited to the U.S on July 3.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had earlier alleged that Mr Abbas was part of a network that made hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise frauds and other scams.

Also, the American government said Mr Abbas funded his extravagant lifestyle with stolen money.



Mr Abbas hired a top lawyer in the U.S., Gal Pissetzky of the Pissetzky & Berliner law firm as his attorney.

Mr Pissetzky, renowned for handling criminal cases in Chicago, had argued that his client sourced his money from promoting designer products on social media and a real estate investment.

It should be noted a Chicago court, on Monday, denied him bail and ruled that he remains in detention till his next trial date later in the year.

However, documents obtained by Premium Times showed that Mr Abbass case has been transferred to the Central District of California for prosecution.

American prosecutors had earlier said Mr Abbas would still be transferred to Los Angeles, a city in California.

During the detention hearing on Monday, the government orally renewed its motion for removal in custody and the governments oral motion was granted.

Accordingly, Defendant is ordered removed to the Central District of California in the custody of the U.S. Marshal forthwith. As provided by 18 U.S.C.  3142(f), Defendant is remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal and shall remain in custody until further order of the Court, Justice Gilbert ruled.

Transfer documents signed by Thomas G. Bruton, the Clerk of the U.S Court in Chicago, indicated that Mr Abbas was moved on Tuesday.

Moreover, in the commitment letter sent to California, Mr Abbas refused to retain Mr Pissetzky as his attorney. Rather, he requested that a court-appointed counsel be assigned to him.

If convicted, Mr Abbas would get a minimum sentence of 20 years in the U.S. federal prison.

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By Marine Strauss and Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders failed to agree on a massive stimulus fund to revive their coronavirus-hammered economies on Saturday after two days of fraught negotiations, but extended their summit for another day to try and overcome their differences.

As the 27 leaders scurried back to their hotels after a late, inconclusive dinner, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron stayed behind in the EU's headquarters in Brussels to haggle with the Dutch-led camp of thrifty countries demanding cuts to the 1.8-trillion-euro package.

"The negotiations were heated," said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, one of the EU countries most affected by the coronavirus crisis that are seeking generous aid from the bloc. "Europe is under the blackmail of the 'frugals'."

"We have to do all what is possible to reach a deal tomorrow. Further delays are not useful to anybody."

Summit chairman Charles Michel was due to hand new proposals before the 27 reconvene at noon (1000 GMT) on Sunday.

With the pandemic dealing Europe its worst economic shock since World War Two, leaders first locked horns on Friday over a proposed 750 billion euro ($856 billion) recovery fund and a 2021-27 EU budget of more than 1 trillion euros.

But a group of wealthy and fiscally "frugal" northern states -- the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden -- blocked progress in the first face-to-face EU summit since spring lockdowns across the continent.

They favour repayable loans rather than free grants for the hard-hit indebted economies mostly on the Mediterranean rim, and they want stricter control over how the funds are spent.

Hopes for an agreement grew earlier on Saturday when Michel proposed revisions to the overall package designed to assuage the Dutch concerns.

Under his new plan, the portion of grants in the recovery fund would be reduced to 450 billion euros from 500 billion and an 'emergency brake' on disbursement would be added.

Story continues

But hopes that this would be enough faded quickly as Sweden asked for grants to be cut to 155 billion euros, according to diplomatic sources. Some pointed out the recovery scheme would risk being irrelevant at that much-reduced scale.

Conte also said a de-facto veto on national applications for aid sought by The Hague was "politically and legally improper and also largely unfeasible".

"HIGH TIME"

The budget commissioner of the bloc's executive reminded the leaders - who wore masks and kept their distance from each other - that COVID-19 was still among them and they needed to act.

"Just a solemn reminder: the Corona crisis is not over: infections on the rise in many countries," Johannes Hahn tweeted. "High time to reach an agreement which allows us to provide the urgently needed support for our citizens+economies!"

Diplomats said the "frugals" also pressed through the day for bigger rebates for net payers into the core EU budget, among other demands.

Other countries had their own demands in negotiations criss-crossing different regional and economic priorities, putting in doubt an unprecedented act of solidarity for the EU under which the executive European Commission would borrow billions of euros on capital markets on behalf of them all.

The exact size of the EU's long-term budget and how far to use payouts as leverage for reforms, or whether to withhold money from countries that fail to live up to democratic standards, were unresolved as the leaders left on Saturday.

Hungary, backed by its eurosceptic, nationalist ally Poland, has threatened to veto the whole package over a new envisaged mechanism to freeze out countries flouting democracy.

The EU is already grappling with the protracted saga of Britain's exit from the bloc and has been bruised by past crises, from the financial meltdown of 2008 to feuds over migration.

Another economic shock could expose it to more eurosceptic, nationalist and protectionist forces, and weaken its standing against China, the United States or Russia. ($1 = 0.87 euros)

(Reporting by Francesca Landini in Rome, John Chalmers, Marine Strauss, Kate Abnett, Robin Emmot, Gabriela Baczynska and Francesco Guarascio in Brussels, Belen Careno in Madrid, Bart Meijer in Amsterdam, Andreas Sytas in Vilnius and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Writing by John Chalmers, Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
The Management of Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto has hiked its service charges by more than 100 per cent to maintain efficient service delivery.

Buhari Abubakar, the hospitals head of public affairs told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the institutions charges still remained the lowest in the country.

Mr Abubakar said that the increase was necessitated by the prevailing increase in prices of antigens and other medical consumables.

He added that the increase was implementable from July across all departments, laboratories and other areas.

The last time the hospital increased charges was in 2015, he said.

According to him, the move was not motivated by the profit motive but to sustain revolving hospital activities, which are about going down.

He remarked that the health sector was generally experiencing financial difficulties and UDUTH is not in the exception.

Increased charges is better than halting the services and not unconnected with realities of economic situations in the country in term of prices of items, chemicals, antigens and consumables.

He noted that it was better for patients to pay slightly higher and access health services than go to pay higher costs and inconveniences of travelling to Abuja, Zaria, Jos or other areas to obtain such services.

Mr Abubakar reiterated that the hospital had been running at a loss before now and that the current move was part ways of ensuring that it remained sustainable as an institution.

(NAN)

Editors Note: This report by NAN does not state the old and new charges.
Rally in Khabarovsk city attracts more than 15,000 people protesting against arrest of Governor Sergei Furgal.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators in Russias far eastern city of Khabarovsk have taken to the streets, protesting against the arrest of the regions governor on charges of involvement in multiple murders.

Local media estimated the rally in the city 6,100km (3,800 miles) east of Moscow on Saturday attracted more than 15,000 people.

Khabarovsks Governor Sergey Furgal was arrested two weeks ago and flown to Moscow where he was put in jail for two months.

The huge rallies in the city of Khabarovsk on the border with China present a growing concern for the Kremlin, observers say, and come after President Vladimir Putin this month oversaw a controversial vote that allows him to extend his hold on power until 2036.

It is the second large-scale protest in the region over the past seven days, following on from a rally in the city centre last Saturday.

People hold a banner reading Freedom for Furgal during a rally in support of Sergei Furgal, governor of Khabarovsk region who was arrested a week ago [Aleksandr Yanyshev/AFP]

Both demonstrations are reported to be the largest in the history of Khabarovsk, a city with a population of 590,000.

While many expressed support for the arrested politician, some of the protest signs and chants were distinctly anti-Putin.

Smaller rallies also took place in nearby cities and towns including Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Amursk and the Pacific port of Vladivostok in next-door Primorsky Krai region.

In rallies that lasted several hours, the crowds also massed outside the building housing the regional administration, chanting Freedom!

Protesters carried placards reading Freedom for Furgal! and cried out As long as we are united, we are invincible, as passing cars honked horns in support.

We need him

Demonstrators praised the arrested governor, saying he has done a lot for the region over the past two years.

I am defending him because I am fond of him, said Anatoly Svechin, a 49-year-old Cossack, a member of the paramilitary group traditionally loyal to the Kremlin.

Another protester, Gennady Vasin, called the governors detention an example of political arbitrariness.

We dont want Sergei Ivanovich to be taken away, said Gennady Yakovlev, using Furgals first name and patronymic. We need him, we elected him.

Furgals unexpected victory in the gubernatorial election reflected growing public frustration with President Vladimir Putins policies and marked a big setback for the main Kremlin party, United Russia [Igor Volkov/AP]

Furgals unexpected victory in the gubernatorial election reflected growing public frustration with President Putins policies and marked a big setback for the main Kremlin party, United Russia.

Many of the protesters say the charges are politically motivated and question why investigators waited so long to accuse a public official who should have undergone background checks.

Investigators say Furgal organised the murders of several businessmen in the Far East in 2004 and 2005.

The protesters called for a fair trial for the governor, and not in Moscow, where he is being held since his arrest.

Hes our governor! And we will defend him, they shouted.

As with previous protests, the rally was not approved by the authorities, but police made no moves to disperse it.

Russias main opposition leader Alexei Navalny cheered the protests and posted a message on social media site Instagram heralding the city of Khabarovsk for refusing to believe Putins endless lies about the justice of his courts and the honesty of his elections.
Representative Image

A young Rajasthani lad has been scaling a mountain daily for the past one and a half months to make sure he can attend online classes, as schools continue to be shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Academia has suffered greatly since the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country and has brought school education to a standstill for months now. While most educational institutes have been conducting online classes to ensure the students do not miss out on an entire academic year, internet accessibility and penetration, coupled with the availability of devices such as smartphones and laptops, have acted as impediments for many.

For live updates on coronavirus, click here

However, the indomitable spirit of a Rajasthani boy, Harish, has proved once again that when there is a will, there is a way. According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, the eagerness to learn has made the student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidhyalay, which is located in a small village called Darura in Rajasthans Barmer district, climb a mountain daily.

Harishs father Veeramdev says: For the past month and a half, Harish has been climbing the mountain at 8 am to attend classes. He stays there and returns home around 2 pm after the classes end.

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

A similar case had surfaced earlier, where a student from Dhanpura had said he had to climb trees and roofs to get an internet connection and attend online classes.

As such, recent government data has revealed that only 15 percent of students in rural India have access to digital media necessary to attend online classes.

Follow our coverage of the coronavirus crisis here
Citywide, Marina

Photo courtesy Friends of the SFPL

The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library bookstore at Fort Mason has closed permanently, according to an announcement from Friends of the SFPL.

The bookstore, which hosted events and sold books and other media donated through Friends' donation program, was a cornerstone of Friends' fundraising efforts for the San Francisco Public Library, alongside the annual Big Book Sale, which was canceled for 2020.

"San Francisco Public Library is grateful for the ongoing support of Friends," Kate Patterson, director of communications for the San Francisco Public Library, said in an email. "We understand that their decision was difficult but necessary in order to ensure their future sustainability, so that they can continue to support our work."

The book sales help underwrite the Friends' financial support of SFPL's $150 million annual budget, raising some $1.5 million annually and distributing that money in direct grants and services, according to the Friends' annual report and SFPL's current budget.

In 2019 the Friends provided SFPL with over $813,000 in direct support for the library and its preservation fund, as well as programming, writer residencies, volunteer coordination, and more.

The Friends' book donation program will resume "in mid to late August," according to SFPL's website. The group is in the process of launching a plan to sell books online via Ebay, as well as behemoth online retailer Amazon.

Representatives from the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library did not reply to requests for comment at press time.
The boss of Britains biggest service station company has called on the Government to slash fuel tax to encourage drivers back on to the roads.

Moto chief executive Ken McMeikan has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak with a plea to consider an immediate VAT reduction on fuel, from 20 per cent to 5 per cent.

Millions of motorists would benefit, encouraging many who have become used to lockdown to leave home for work, to visit friends and relatives and for holidays.

Moto chief executive Ken McMeikan has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak with a plea to consider an immediate VAT reduction on fuel

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, McMeikan said Moto has taken the lead this weekend with an 8p cut in petrol prices at five of its sites, slashing the cost of a tank of fuel by more than 4.

He said he hopes to roll out the price cuts across all 58 Moto service stations.

McMeikan said in a letter to Mr Sunak that a VAT cut on fuel would allow him to pass on the benefit directly to millions of motorists by lowering fuel prices, helping to ease the financial worries of UK consumers.

The letter added: A reduction in fuel prices would instantly put more money into peoples pockets at precisely the time they need to be travelling again for work, visiting loved ones and the expected increase in staycations.

The Government has previously been keen to lower fuel prices for motorway drivers. In 2018, then Transport Secretary Chris Grayling warned that high prices at service stations were exploiting motorists, encouraging them to drive with dangerously low tanks to hold out for cheaper fuel.

The majority of Motos petrol stations are run as franchises from oil giant BP, meaning Moto sets the pump price.

McMeikan said Moto has taken the lead this weekend with an 8p cut in petrol prices at five of its sites, slashing the cost of a tank of fuel by more than 4

McMeikan said the chains initial price cuts, down to 111.9p for unleaded and 117.9p for diesel at sites such as Frankley on the M5 and Lancaster on the M6, put Motos fuel prices in line with the average local petrol station and just 5p more than supermarkets.

He added that he wants to promote transparency on fuel pricing by advertising petrol prices on electronic signs on the motorway before Moto service stations.

He is close to getting the green light from the Department for Transport and Highways England, which maintains Britains motorways, and hopes to have the first sign in place by September.

McMeikan said: My view is, if youve got the right price, you should want the consumer on the motorway to see what that price is. Then they can make a judgment to see whether they want to stop and fill up.
Srinagar, July 18 : Three terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter with the security forces in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday.

The gunfight was going on in the Amshipora village in Shopian.

The Army said the operation was in progress and three terrorists have been killed.

"A joint operation was launched early Saturday morning. The Security Forces were fired upon while laying the cordon, from the cow shed of the lone house in the orchard. A firefight ensued. Joint Operation in progress," the Army said.

The encounter broke out after a joint team of police and the Army cordoned off the area on the basis of a specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area.

As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the gunfight.
President Donald Trump has said he would not order Americans to wear masks to contain the spread of the coronavirus, saying people should have a certain freedom. His comments came after Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, appealed to state and local leaders to be as forceful as possible in getting people to wear masks in public places.

In a Fox News Sunday interview, Trump said, I dont agree with the statement that if everybody wear a mask, everything disappears. Commenting on the initial comments from top health officials, Trump said: Hey, Dr Fauci said dont wear a mask. Our Surgeon General  terrific guy  said dont wear a mask. Everybody who is saying dont wear a mask  all of sudden everybodys got to wear a mask, and as you know masks cause problems, too.

Trump, who has been seen wearing a face mask only once, said, Im a believer in masks. I think masks are good. But Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said social distancing, an important factor in blunting the spread of the coronavirus, can be difficult with more people going out.

When youre living your life and trying to open up the country, you are going to come into contact with people. And for that reason, we know that masks are really important, and we should be using them everywhere, he said during a US Chamber of Commerce virtual event.

Americans are actually slowing down the re-opening the country by not wearing a mask, CNN quoted Fauci as saying during a US Chamber of Commerce event.

If we could get more people to understand that, hopefully well get more people whod be willing to wear masks, he said.

He said he would urge the leaders -- the local political and other leaders -- in states and cities and towns to be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks. The country needs to concentrate on the problems at hand and not worry about a second wave, he said.

When youre having up to 70,000 new infections ... thats something you need to focus on right now, as opposed to looking at whats going to happen in September or October, he said.

There were 77,255 new cases reported on Thursday, crossing a previous record set two days ago, according to Johns Hopkins University.
A man has appeared in court accused of a five-month-long campaign of harassment against his ex-girlfriend.

Declan Anthony Carlin faces one charge of misuse of a public communications network in July this year for what police have said was a life changing event for his alleged victim.

A police officer told Belfast Magistrates Court on Saturday they believe the 48-year-old made as many as 100 calls to the womans work telephone in a single day.

The officer said it took place over the course of five months and that the woman was only now at the point at which she is starting to recover.

She added that Carlin and the woman had been in a relationship for a year and that she had no other connection to Northern Ireland.

Applying for bail Carlins barrister said that there was no independent evidence to prove offences as neither the PSNI or Durham Constabulary had seized any phones.

The officer added that the PSNI was awaiting a phone being sent from Durham.

The barrister said that Carlin denies the offence and insists the woman was fabricating the claims against him.

He said he was in full time employment and living with wife.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall refused bail remanding Carlin, of Aylesbury Road in Newtownabbey, to appear again via videolink on August 14.
Even as Covid-19 cases continued to rise in Karnataka and more so in its capital Bangalore despite a lockdown - imposed for a week since 14 July - the Karnataka government decided to replace the Commissioner of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Senior IAS officer N Manjunatha Prasad who was the principal secretary to the revenue department has been posted as the new Commissioner of BBMP while the incumbent B H Anil Kumar has been transferred as Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises.

Opposition Congress party has been alleging corruption in hiring and purchase of equipment -- both medical and non-medical -- required to treat Covid patients and has repeatedly asked for the government to release a whitepaper on the whole issue. The government has denied the charges and said that the opposition leaders are welcome to look at any files relating to this and the focus right now is on fighting the spread of the virus.

The government had also been heavily criticised by the opposition for the poor manner in which the pandemic was being handled in the state capital leading to a ten fold spurt in cases in the city over the last three weeks. Speaking to the media the new commissioner Prasad said We will take steps to address any shortcomings or defects in the system which are there. We are contemplating using city transport bus drivers as ambulance drivers to ensure better availability of it.

Meanwhile Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa who met with Private Medical College Hospitals on Saturday regarding Covid management directed them to provide 50 percent of the beds for Covid care to the government as promised, with effect from Sunday itself.

The CM asked the private medical college hospitals to cooperate with the government as there is a sharp rise in Covid cases in the city. He also expressed concern that some institutes are denying treatment for Covid as well as non-Covid patients and conveyed his dismay over some colleges not providing the number of beds as promised. The private colleges and hospitals had promised to provide 4,500 beds for Covid care.

On Saturday, Karnataka registered 4,537 new Covid cases taking the cumulative total to 59,652 cases which includes 21,775 discharges and 1,240 deaths. Bangalore, as has been the pattern in the recent past, accounted for the bulk of the spike recording 2125 new cases taking the total active cases in the city to 22,449. The capital city of Karnataka now accounts for more than 60 percent of all active cases in the state.
UPDATE: 4 teens severely injured in Route 22 crash that shut highway for hours

Route 22 West was shut for hours on Friday evening after a one-vehicle crash near a ramp from Route 378 in Bethlehem.

Emergency radio reports indicated four people were trapped in the car.

Three people were taken from the Honda Accord to St. Lukes University Hospital in Fountain Hill and one was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Pennsylvania State Police said.

The wreck was reported about 7:15 p.m. The highway was still closed at 8:30 p.m. Delays should be expected and the highway was going to be shut for another couple of hours, Trooper Nathan Branosky said just before 9 p.m. The crash finally cleared at 11:20 p.m., the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said.

Vehicles were being worked around the scene using the ramp and the grass to continue west on the highway, according to a report from the scene.

Emergency personnel and Pennsylvania State Police respond after a crash the evening of July 17, 2020, on Route 22 West in Bethlehem.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

At one point, a man was held back as he tried to get to the car involved.

The state police Troop M Accident Reconstruction Team was called in to investigate, Branosky said.

Anyone who saw the crash is asked to call state police at 610-861-2026 and ask for Cpl. Thomas DiMaggio.

Bethlehem EMS personnel and firefighters assisted at the scene, Branosky said.

Freelance photographer Mike Nester provided information from the scene.

State Route 22 Westbound is closed at the Route 378 South offramp, City of Bethlehem due to a serious motor vehicle crash. Troopers are on scene. Expect delays. Troop M Accident Reconstruction Unit are in Route.@wfmztraffic @lehighvalley @mcall pic.twitter.com/9B1oJLz5xV  Trooper Branosky (@PSPTroopMPIO) July 18, 2020

This post was updated when state police said a dump truck wasnt involved in the crash.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
Lebanon County Police are looking for 35-year-old Tyrell Giles, who they think stabbed another person at a gas station.

Giles has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Possessing Instruments of Crime. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

According to a police report, officers were dispatched at 12:41 p.m on July 16 to a gas station in North Lebanon Township near 12th and Cumberland streets. A 30-year-old person, who had been stabbed in the torso, was found.

The stabbing victim was transported to a local medical facility where they are recovering. Police didnt release any additional details of the persons condition.

Giles became a suspect during the officers investigation. He is described as black, 5 feet four inches tall, and he weighs about 210 pounds. Police noted that he has ties to New York.

Officers were told that Giles was a passenger in a vehicle when he passed the person he stabbed in the gas station parking lot. Giles knew the person he stabbed, police said.

When Giles exited the vehicle, he assaulted the person in what appears to be an unprovoked assault, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the incident or who has knowledge on Giles whereabouts is asked to call the Lebanon City Police at 717-272-2054 or Crime Stoppers at 717-270-9800.

READ MORE

Parents of boy, 13, who fatally shot 9-year-old brother charged with child endangerment

Three men arrested after woman shot in the neck: police

Cumberland County man charged with inflicting life-threatening injuries on infant: police
On Pearl Harbor Sunday in 1941, I was 9 years old. Confused by the sudden urgent talk, the clamorous excitement in the adults around me, the competing voices in the room, on the radio, in the phone calls that rang and rang I knew to be afraid but had no real understanding of what had happened and why.

Lives were changed, priorities altered. Shortly gas rationing curtailed Sunday trips to the country. Sugar and shortening almost disappeared. Young men fresh out of high school were being drafted and hastily sent away. Many left new wives. Bewildered boys were issued a rifle and sent off to war.

There was weeping all around. You could feel the anxious air. There was worry, for at times in those early days, our enemies  on the far side of both oceans  were way too near. But what I remember most was my foreboding sense of the dictators who'd turned our world to chaos. Remote men, in countries I knew only as outlines in the geography book, had collected vast armies, warships, tanks, airplanes and bombs and were coming to seize us and our way of life.

It was a long hard-fought bloody war. But we won. And thereafter, for a decent interval, we set our sights on restoring the damage, both here and abroad.

But for me those dictators and what they'd managed to murder and destroy with impunity lingered. It was possible to upend peace, prosperity, and moral values, and unleash wanton murder if you seized and kept a heavy hand upon the rudder of an elected government. And Stalin, Hitler, the Japanese  with control of each country's military machine, and the loyalty of key players in key offices  had turned the world upside down for four years of bloody war. They did this with the military, with the fear of secret police, and most of all with propaganda.

During Donald Trump's campaign for the presidency in 2016, each time I heard "Lock her up," I'd cringe. How could this man be allowed to publicly slander this woman over and over until it became a chant, seconded by the crowd without public shame? How could he crowd Ms. Clinton's physical space on stage during their debate without one of the moderators asking him to back away? And in my ears the rallies themselves sounded too much like George Wallace cheering Alabama on towards more fear and segregation. They were reminiscent of Munich as Hitler ranted , rousing the citizens of Germany to wild frenzy, priming them to welcome the Holocaust that was soon to follow?

Trump is a failed tyrant but not for the lack of trying. His handicap is his personal vanity. His distinct advantage is Attorney General William Barr. It is the addition of Barr to the Trump cohort that most fills me with dread. Barr the apologist, who sees nothing sinister in his parsing of the law to exempt our president from culpability by virtue of the extent and power of his office. Barr has attempted to immunize the president from the law, saying that the president has the power to shut down an unwarranted investigation. And whether an investigation is warranted or not is the president's decision.

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To hear Trump spray bold claims without truth, court grievances and urge violence as he is cheered on by his chaotic rallies, is to return to my childhood foreboding anew. I hear Hitler raging, Mussolini raving, Castro's nearly endless harangues, and Joseph McCarthy is not far off, scattering the seeds of suspicion everywhere. And it troubles me.

But lately, I have also been reassured by our military who have resisted calls for force and absolute power, who have refused to use their weapons against peaceful or not so peaceful citizens. And most of all I am sustained by the continued steadfastness of our rule of law, by the morality and ethics of judges who continue to strike down Trump's attempts at absolute control and by the ingrained common sense of citizens long accustomed to the freedoms of our democracy and their conviction that no one has a free pass by virtue of an elected title. And no one is above the law.

If we go back to those forward-thinking colonists who crafted our constitution with its deliberate distribution of powers among the executive, legislative and judiciary branches, maintaining the balance necessary for thought and actions that keep our freedoms functioning, we find we have much to thank them for. They have pulled us through an attempt at dictatorship. And we are grateful. Probably more grateful than some of us like to admit.

Barbara DeMille lives in Rensselaerville.
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Trento, Autonomous Province of

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

Paris, July 17, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Trento, Autonomous Province of and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

The credit profile of Trento, Autonomous Province of (Baa1) reflects its sound and stable budgetary performance supported by long-established statutory independence, providing a high degree of financial and legislative autonomy and a wealthy and diversified economic base. The province accounts no direct debt and regularly posts very high operating margins. While the coronavirus outbreak and the associated deterioration in the economic outlook will impact regional budgetary results in 2020, ad hoc financial support from the central government will limit negative credit implications. Moody's considers its management and governance to be sound with sophisticated and transparent practices and focused on maintaining the budgetary efficiency over time. The province benefits of ample revenue-raising capacity granted by the current legislative framework. Credit challenges include rising indirect debt exposure, although debt metrics remain low compared with peers. The rating incorporates a baseline credit assessment (BCA) of baa1 as well as Moody's assessment of a moderate likelihood of extraordinary support from the government of Italy (Baa3) in the event that the issuer faced acute liquidity stress.

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The credit profile of Cassa del Trentino S.p.A. (Baa1) reflects the very high likelihood of extraordinary support from Trento, Autonomous Province of (Baa1) supported by very strong institutional and operational links between the two entities. Cassa del Trentino is the financial arm of the Province of Trento and has the strategic role to centralize the management of provincial funds allocated to the local public sector. As such it benefits from irrevocable annual transfers from the Province, fully covering its debt service. Moody's notes that Cassa del Trentino's debt and liquidity management are sound and sophisticated. Credit challenges include moderately-high debt burden, although trending down since 2016.

This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodologies used for this review were Regional and Local Governments published in January 2018 and Government-Related Issuers Methodology published in February 2020. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Nadejda Seu Analyst Sub-Sovereign Group Moody's France SAS 96 Boulevard Haussmann Paris 75008 France JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Mauro Crisafulli Associate Managing Director Sub-Sovereign Group JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Releasing Office: Moody's France SAS 96 Boulevard Haussmann Paris 75008 France JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454

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Rep. John Lewis, the sharecroppers' son who became a giant of the civil rights movement, died Friday after a monthslong battle with cancer, his family said. He was 80.

The longtime Georgia congressman, an advocate of nonviolent protest who had his skull fractured by Alabama state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, was the last surviving speaker from 1963's March on Washington.

"He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise," former President Barack Obama said in paying tribute to a man he called a personal hero. "And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., described Lewis as "one of the greatest heroes of American history."

"John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation  from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years," the speaker said in a statement.

Lewis announced in late December that he was undergoing treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

"I have been in some kind of fight  for freedom, equality, basic human rights  for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now," he said in a statement at the time.

"He was honored and respected as the conscience of the U.S. Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother," his family said in a statement Friday night. "He was a stalwart champion in the ongoing struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to nonviolent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed."

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Lewis had served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1987, where he was sometimes referred to as the "conscience of Congress." He often voted and spoke out against U.S. military interventions, including the Iraq War.

His activism continued even as he was battling the cancer that claimed his life. Lewis issued a statement on Jan. 5 slamming the drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

"I want to be clear in my unequivocal condemnation of yesterdays unauthorized military strike," he said. "Many times, I warned that war is bloody, costly, and destroys the hopes and dreams of a generation. Failure to learn from the lessons of history means that we are doomed to repeat mistakes of the past."

He also returned to the bridge in Selma on March 1 for the 55th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and urged marchers ahead of the Alabama primary to "keep the faith. Keep our eyes on the prize. We must go out and vote like we have never voted before."

"Help redeem the soul of America," he said.

And as the country was engulfed by violent protests in May over the death of George Floyd during his arrest in Minnesota, Lewis spoke out again. "Justice has, indeed, been denied for far too long," he said in a statement to protesters. "Rioting, looting and burning is not the way. Organize. Demonstrate. Sit-in. Stand-up. Vote. Be constructive, not destructive."

One of his final tweets, on July 7, was accompanied by his mug shots after he was "released from Parchman Farm Penitentiary after being arrested in Jackson, MS for using a so-called 'white' restroom during the Freedom Rides of 1961."

His illness didn't stop him from fending off a primary challenge in June. He won with 87 percent of the vote.

In one of his final acts, Lewis, along with Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., sent a letter Friday to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos seeking millions in funding to help educate students about civics and government.

"Johns final act of public service was also about civic education: he and I sent a letter yesterday urging more money to be spent on civics courses in elementary, middle, and high schools. Even on the last day of his life, John never stopped working to improve the lives of others," McCarthy said in a statement.

The Congressional Black Caucus praised Lewis' fearlessness and said that his mere presence "encouraged a new generation of activist to 'speak up and speak out' and get into 'good trouble' to continue bending the arc toward justice and freedom."

Born near Troy, Alabama, on Feb. 21, 1940, and raised on a cotton farm, Lewis attended segregated public schools  and started to question that after hearing Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio.

"I would ask my mother and my father and my grandparents, my great grandparents, 'Why?' And they would say: 'Thats the way it is. Dont get in the way. Dont get in trouble,'" he recalled in a 2015 speech. "The action of Rosa Parks and the leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired me to find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble  good trouble, necessary trouble."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; John Lewis; Rev. Ralph Abernathy; Rev. Andrew Young; Jimmy Lee Jackson (AP)

He attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he became involved in the nonviolent protest movement, helping to organize sit-ins at segregated lunch counters. The protesters were attacked physically, and Lewis was arrested repeatedly, but the campaign was successful.

"I grew up sitting on those lunch counter stools," Lewis said.

Lewis then became one of the original Freedom Riders in 1961, taking buses from the North to the Deep South to protest segregation at interstate bus terminals. The 5-foot-5 Lewis was badly beaten during a stop in South Carolina.

By 1963, he'd become chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was one of the speakers at the March on Washington, site of King's "I Have a Dream" speech. "How long can we be patient? We want our freedom and we want our freedom now," Lewis, then 23, told the crowd.

Lewis also fought for voting rights, which is what he was championing for when he helped lead a group of about 600 across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on March 7, 1965. The marchers were confronted by Alabama state troopers, who told them to disperse.

Image: (AP)

"We were kneeling" when "they started beating us with nightsticks, trampling us with horses, releasing the tear gas," Lewis recalled in a 2015 interview with NBC's "Meet the Press." "I was hit in the head by a state trooper with a nightstick. I lost consciousness. I don't recall how I made it back across that bridge."

King and other religious leaders came to Selma after "Bloody Sunday" and "I knew something good was going to happen," Lewis said. The incident helped spur passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

He continued working on civil rights issues and was elected to the City Council in Atlanta in 1981. He ran for Congress five years later and won, and has represented Georgia's 5th District ever since.

Embedded in the fabric of his legacy is the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. Lewis had championed a bill to make the museum a reality for 15 years before it was in 2003 signed into law by then-President George W. Bush.

Image: FILE: U.S Rep. John Lewis Dies At 80 (Alex Wong / Getty Images, file)

In the 2008 presidential election, Lewis initially supported then-Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, but by that February had switched his allegiance to then-Sen. Obama of Illinois, who would become the country's first Black president. After Obama was inaugurated in 2009, Lewis asked him to sign a picture of the event.

Obama wrote, "Because of you, John."

Obama awarded Lewis the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2011.

"In so many ways, Johns life was exceptional," Obama said in a statement Friday. "But he never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country might do. He believed that in all of us, there exists the capacity for great courage, a longing to do whats right, a willingness to love all people, and to extend to them their God-given rights to dignity and respect. And its because he saw the best in all of us that he will continue, even in his passing, to serve as a beacon in that long journey towards a more perfect union."

Lewis's relationship with Obama's successor was frosty. Lewis refused to attend Donald Trump's inauguration, telling NBC News he didn't consider him "a legitimate president."

I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, Lewis told "Meet the Press."

Trump responded on Twitter, saying Lewis "should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart." Lewis, Trump wrote, was all "talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!"

Lewis spoke out forcefully from the House floor in favor of Trump's impeachment ahead of last year's historic Dec. 18 vote.

"When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something," Lewis said. "We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history."

Lewis was honored as an American hero by those who mourned him Friday night.

"He gave a voice to the voiceless, and he reminded each of us that the most powerful nonviolent tool is the vote," Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of Martin Luther King Jr., said in a tweet.

Lewis's wife of 44 years, Lillian, died on New Year's Eve, 2012. They're survived by a son, John-Miles Lewis.
French unions have welcomed Prime Minister Jean Castex's decision to shelve negotiations of the government's controversial overhaul of the pension system, which led to months of strikes and protests across France.

The trade unions representatives who met Castex and his ministers on Friday said talks with the newly appointed prime minister had been very productive and covered a number of pressing issues: kick-starting the economy, youth employment, retirement and unemployment benefits.

Castex said negotiations over the overhaul of the country's retirement system would be delayed until 2021 because of the economic crisis brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He announced that the pension reform will be maintained but his government will not push to finalise it before September.

The reform was a key promise in President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 presidential campaign, and the government had hoped to pass the pension law in the coming months. But with the economy now expected to shrink by at least 11 percent this year, increasing unemployment is threatening many of Macron's plans.

The government is now focusing on a 100 billion euro economic recovery package instead.

The pension overhaul, a centrepiece of Macron's sweeping plan to reform the French economy and institutions, would replace the current system of 42 separate schemes with a single point-based system which the government says would be fairer and more sustainable.

But unions are resisting a new "pivot age" when workers would qualify for a full pension, beyond the official retirement age of 62.

Macron maintains that the pension reform will be fairer to women and some low-income workers who are not on the public pay-roll, such as agricultural workers.

The plan prompted weeks of crippling strikes and protests by unions, who fear the changes will force millions of people to work longer for less money.

The unions said that Friday's dialogue with Castex was marked by openness and clarity on the part of the Prime minister.
The time of growing human populations may be ending, a new study shows. And that move will affect society, the economy and the environment.

Today, the world is home to about 7.8 billion people. The study found that the worlds population may top out at 9.7 billion on or around the year 2064. But researchers think it could shrink to 8.8 billion by the end of the century.

The findings appeared in the medical publication The Lancet.

The numbers come from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle. Those estimates disagree with the findings of the United Nations Population Division. Its experts expect the population in 2100 to be 10.9 billion and rising.

U.N. Population Division chief John Wilmoth has called the new estimates "extreme."

If the study proves to be correct, however, the changes brought on by a shrinking population could be great.

"I think this is one of the more profound changes that's faced humanity ever," said Chris Murray. He is the director of the IHME and a co-author of the study.

The new estimates would be great news for the environment. Fewer people would make fewer pollutants, for example. This would lower demand for food, reducing the demand that agriculture puts on land and water.

But a shrinking population could be very bad for the economy.

Decreasing populations mean fewer people are working, which means lower gross domestic product (GDP). It also means fewer people are able to buy things, and buying things is the basis of the international economy.

"What happens when you don't have young people buying their first housebuying the first car?" asked Darrell Bricker. He is co-writer of the book, "Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline." Bricker was not involved in the study.

Also, populations age as birth rates fall.

"This is actually more serious than just simple population decline," said Zhenchao Qian, a sociology professor at Brown University in Rhode Island. He was also not involved with the research.

A smaller workforce would be supporting a larger population of older adults, Qian said. He added that this puts great demands on paying for healthcare and social programs.

Population decreases could also have geopolitical affects. Fewer workers also mean fewer soldiers, Murray said.

"The balance of power between nation-states has always been related in some ways to the size of the working-age population," he said.

Female empowerment

Birth rates have been decreasing worldwide because women are getting more education and face fewer restrictions on birth control.

"It's really a story about female empowerment," Bricker said.

The main difference between the IHME estimate and the U.N. study is what researchers expect will happen after birth rates hit bottom.

Population numbers change little when women have about two children each. This is known as the replacement rate. Across wealthier countries, the average birth rate is more like 1.6.

The U.N. believes birth rates will rise again over time to 1.75.

But Chris Murray disagrees.

"We see no sign of that," he said.

He believes that decreasing birth rates in places like Japan and parts of Europe will expand to other countries.

By 2100, his group estimates that nearly every country in the world would be below the replacement rate. Populations in 23 countries, including Japan, Thailand and Spain, would be half what they were in 2017.

But only if Murray and IHME researchers are right.

'Great uncertainty'

The U.N.'s John Wilmoth notes that both groups are basing their projections on "what's still early experience in the lives of a few countries. Sothere's great uncertainty about that," he said.

"We will know much more about that in 10 or 20 years," he added. "But for now, we're both guessing.

Murray said countries will have three ways to keep their populations from decreasing.

"One is to make it easier for women to work and have children," he said.

Most countries have policies to help working mothers, he added, but that alone does not bring the birth rate to the replacement rate.

The second way is to open their borders to immigration. But many governments, including the Trump administration in the United States, are not open to increased immigration. Anger about the European Unions migration policies was a major issue in Britains vote to leave the EU.

Ibrahim Abubakar is director of the University College London Institute for Global Health. In an opinion piece published in The Lancet, he wrote if the IHMEs estimates are only 50 percent right, migration would be necessary for all nations.

Finally, some countries might decide to take away women's reproductive health rights in an effort to pressure them to have more children. He called that third way "very undesirable."

Im Susan Shand.

VOAs Steve Baragona reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

profound - adj. deep, dramatic

author - n. one who writes an essay, book or article

gross domestic product - n. the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.Compare with

geopolitical - adj. relating to politics, especially international relations, as influenced by geographical factors.

decline - n. a decrease or lessening
The coronavirus pandemic has made the past few months really difficult to be a kid.

It seems, sometimes, that many of the things that makes childhood fun have been cancelled or changed because of the illness.

Schools have been closed and birthday parties and celebrations have been cancelled. The State Fair is not going to happen.

Global events throughout history have often had negative consequences for children.

But in July 1915, events in northern Europe had children in Central New York, and in the rest of the country, rejoicing.

During World War I, German submarines sunk over 12 million tons of shipping, creating a disruption of commerce between the United States and Europe.

One of the products that was affected was cod liver oil, produced in places in northern Europe, like Norway. The vitamin A and D rich supplement was given to children of the era by the tablespoons to prevent rickets was long remembered for its taste.

The memory of the stuff was described this way by Torontos Globe and Mail in 2002:

The oily, fishy, smelly exudation of the liver of the Gadus morrhea -- once crudely obtained by simply letting the oil float to the top of a barrel full of rotting fish flesh -- has been known to induce a dry heave in the memory decades after the last swallow.

On July 18, 1915, the Syracuse Herald reported that the price of a barrel of cod liver oil had gone up drastically, from $45 to $65, due to the tying up of European fisheries by the sinking of trawlers in the war.

The headline from the article said "kiddies cheer" as prices of the foul-tasting cod liver oil skyrocketed in July 1915. Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm

With a cute cartoon, the humorous article gave children hope that their daily spoonful of cod liver oil might be coming to an end.

Here are some of the highlights:

KIDDIES CHEER AS PRICE OF COD LIVER OIL GOES SKYWARD

ONE THING GERMANS HAVE DONE MAKE AMERICAN YOUTH FEEL KINDLY TOWARD THEM

Cod liver oil has gone up from $45 to $65 a barrel. This is announced officially. Perhaps the raise in price was due to the fact that it has always been a dern sight easier for cod liver oil to go up then to go down. It has always required one stern faced father, one strap, one mother, a spoon and promises of candy afterward to make it go down, but the stuff has often come up of its own accord.

This is one thing the Germans have done that ought to make every patriotic American boy feel more kindly toward them.

Its hard even to talk about cod liver oil in barrels. Its bad enough to think of it by the spoonful and when you come to talk about barrels of it  well its far sickening.

Children, howd you like a nice barrel of cod liver in the cellar? Wouldnt it be handy to have a barrel down cellar, just like some folks have a barrel of cider or a barrel of apples?

But to be optimistic it really looks as if in all common sense nobody, not even the meanest dad in the world would buy a whole barrel of the stuff. It is also a fact that fathers dont really enjoy administering cod liver oil any more than mothers do and probably they will be just as glad to find something else as a substitute.

So its reasonably certain that you wont be interrupted every time you get to playing soldier or playing with dolls if youre a girl, just to swallow some of the most sickening medicine ever invented to make childhood apparently the unhappiest time of life.

Its a pretty good old world after all, or it will be if cod liver oil and emulsions are eliminated from the possibilities of life. Being sent to bed without any supper isnt bad either so long as there is no shadow of that accursed cod liver oil bottle across the horizon of each day.

MORE CNY NOSTALGIA

1920: Friendly Syracuse YMCA hotel secretary tries to find guests missing trousers

1900: A sudden thunderstorm delivers 90 minutes of havoc in Syracuse

1918 Flu Pandemic: How Syracuse editorial cartoons gave readers a unique perspective

July 1936: CNY roasts in a week-long heatwave that saw 3 straight days over 100

1942: NY cancels state fair for first time to use fairgrounds as military base during World War II

Looking for a true-crime podcast to check out?

An invention from Upstate NY soon became the preferred method of execution across the United States -- the electric chair. In The Condemned, we trace the history of the chair through the stories of five men who were sentenced to death for their crimes. Explore our series here.

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958.

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The co-director of the White Houses coronavirus vaccine development programme will not be required to divest his pharmaceutical company investments or be subject to ethical disclosure rules, reports have said.

Dr Moncef Slaoui, who is currently leading the governments Operation Warp Speed, has extensive ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

The doctor and venture capitalist is a former longtime executive at GlaxoSmithKline, a multinational pharmaceutical company, and he also recently sat on the board of biotechnology company Moderna, one of the leading companies in the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine that has received hundreds of millions in government funding.

Two watchdog groups called for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) to order that the scientist be listed as a government employee or a special government employee (SGE) so that he is required to disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Because Dr Slaoui is currently employed as a volunteer contractor he is not considered an official government staff member and is therefore not required to adhere to federal disclosure rules.

The contractual arrangement that regards Dr Slaoui as merely a private contractor appears unwarranted and designed primarily to allow Dr Slaoui to maintain an extensive web of conflicting financial interests without the need to divest of, recuse from or disclose those conflicting interests, Public Citizen, one of the two watchdog groups, said.

Classifying Dr Slaoui as a special employee would mean he would be hired by the government as an outside expert for up to 130 days and would consequently be subject to the same ethical disclosure and divestment rules as permanent federal employees.

However, OIG stated in a letter to the watchdog groups that the vaccine contact is expected to run beyond 200 days, and therefore he would not be eligible to be classified as a SGE, The Washington Post reported.

OIG is not in a position to determine that the Departments decision was unreasonable when it pursued options other than an SGE appointment for Mr Slaouis advisory services for this operation, the letter reportedly said.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reiterated that Dr Slaoui resigned from the board of Moderna before taking the administrative role and divested his equity, The New York Times reported.

HHS ethics officers have determined Dr Slaouis contractor status, divestiture and board resignations put him in compliance with our robust department ethical standards, a spokesperson told the newspaper.

In his position as chief adviser, Dr Slaoui has significant input over financial commitments made by the government project.

The basic idea that hes in a really privileged position with lots of resources to command and that he has a personal financial stake in the industry is really challenging, Margarida Jorge, the campaign director for Lower Drug Prices Now, the second watchdog, told The Times.

Everyone can appreciate that Dr Slaoui has expertise in the development of vaccines, but expertise and ethics should not be mutually exclusive.
Rating Action: Moody's downgrades Mountain Province Diamonds' ratings to Caa3; outlook negative

Global Credit Research - 17 Jul 2020

Toronto, July 17, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") downgraded Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.'s ("MPD") Corporate Family (CFR) rating to Caa3 from Caa1, Probability of Default Rating to Caa3-PD from Caa1-PD, and second lien secured rating to Caa3 from Caa1. The company's Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating ("SGL") remains SGL-4 and the outlook remains negative.

The downgrade of MPD's rating reflects Moody's view that the company will be challenged to repay its revolving credit facility as per its revolving credit facility waiver agreement [1] given the current difficult rough diamond market as the coronavirus pandemic has further weakened prices and sales volumes, as well as the increased risk that the company enters into a debt restructuring transaction. MPD has said it is [1] continuing negotiations with its major shareholder and other financial institutions to secure additional debt facilities in order to repay the current lenders and meet short term obligations.

Downgrades:

..Issuer: Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.

.... Corporate Family Rating, Downgraded to Caa3 from Caa1

.... Probability of Default Rating, Downgraded to Caa3-PD from Caa1-PD

....Senior Secured Regular Bond/Debenture, Downgraded to Caa3 (LGD4) from Caa1 (LGD4)

Outlook Actions:

..Issuer: Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.

....Outlook, Remains Negative

RATINGS RATIONALE

MPD's Caa3 CFR is constrained by 1) a lack of liquidity, 2) the elevated risk that the company enters into a debt restructuring transaction, 3) high leverage and limited financial flexibility given the weak rough diamond market, 4) concentration risk (only produces diamonds, at one mine site), 5) small relative production (3 million carats/year), of lower value diamonds (average price of $63/carat in 2019), and 6) the opaqueness of diamond pricing, including the managed supply-demand characteristics of this luxury good. MPD benefits from 1) operating in a favorable mining jurisdiction (Canada), and 2) consistent mine operation by De Beers.

Story continues

MPD's liquidity is weak over the next year (SGL-4). The company had CAD32 million in cash and equivalents at March 31, 2020, against Moody's expectation that the company will have about CAD40 million of negative free cash flow over the next 12 months. The company has an undrawn US$25 million credit facility, however it matures in December 2020, so any draws would create a corresponding current liability. MPD has received waivers from compliance with financial covenants including the total leverage ratio and total net worth tests, and minimum cash balance that it would otherwise have had to satisfy as of June 30, 2020 in respect to its revolving credit facility. In exchange, MPD agreed to a reduction in the size of the revolving credit facility to US$25 million from US$50 million, the imposition of additional covenants, and a requirement to demonstrate progress by August 31, 2020 to be able to enter into a binding financing commitment by September 30, 2020 to repay the revolving credit facility. MPD's senior secured notes mature December 2022.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, deteriorating global economic outlook, low oil prices, and high asset price volatility have created an unprecedented credit shock across a range of sectors and regions. We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety. Today's action reflects the impact on MPD of the deterioration in credit quality it has triggered, given its exposure to rough diamond prices and demand, which has left it vulnerable in these unprecedented operating conditions.

The negative outlook reflects the uncertainty regarding MPD's ability to refinance its debt, and the challenges it faces in improving its capital structure in light of the depressed diamond market.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

The ratings could be downgraded if there is increased default risk including distressed exchanges or inability to refinance its debt.

MPD's CFR could be upgraded if the company is able to address the refinancing risk associated with its revolving credit facility, and improve its liquidity position. An upgrade would also require a recovery in rough diamond prices that improves the company's profitability, whereby MPD is able to generate sustained positive free cash flow.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Mining published in September 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1089739. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

Mountain Province Diamonds Inc., headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, is a publicly-owned company that owns 49% of the Gahcho Kue diamond mine ("GK") located in Canada's Northwest Territories. De Beers Canada owns the other 51% of the joint venture and is the operator. Each company markets its share of rough diamond production. Revenues for 2019 were CAD276 million and Mountain Province sold 2.4 million carats during this period.

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.

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.

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.

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REFERENCES/CITATIONS

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John Lewis in the Civil Rights Room in the Nashville Public Library in Tennessee in 2016. (Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)

Rep. John Lewis, an iconic pioneer of the civil rights movement who famously shed his blood at the foot of a Selma, Ala., bridge in the fight for Black voting rights and went on to become a 17-term Democratic member of Congress, died Friday. He was 80.

One of the last survivors among leaders of the 1960s civil rights era and members of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s inner circle, Lewis was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in December. Ever the activist, he nonetheless took to the streets again in early June, to join protests near the White House for racial justice that were sparked by police killings of Black people.

Lewis spent much of his life trying to advance civil rights through nonviolent means, beginning with the mobilization for Black voting rights when he was a college student and continuing through the gay rights movement as a senior member of Congress representing Atlanta.

As a 25-year-old man, Lewis helped to plan the peaceful 1965 protest march from Selma to Montgomery that was one of the seminal moments of the civil rights movement. The clash between protesters and the Alabama state troopers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, called Bloody Sunday, spurred protests in 80 American cities and Congress' passage of the Voting Rights Act, which President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law five months later.

The protesters literally, in my estimation, wrote the Voting Rights Act with our blood and with our feet on the streets of Selma, Alabama, Lewis said in a 1985 interview for the documentary Eyes on the Prize.

It wasnt the first nor the last time Lewis would be beaten. He often said he was arrested or jailed 40 times throughout the 1960s.

Fifty years after Bloody Sunday, Lewis marched across the same bridge with the first Black U.S. president, Barack Obama. Earlier this year, Lewis attended the 55th anniversary march  a surprise appearance given his illness.

I had to be here, as long as I'm breathing, Lewis said, according to the Rev. Al Sharpton. Even when Im not, be sure to keep marching to protect our voting rights.

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Lewis for decades was an inspirational figure for generations of Black political leaders, a living link to the historic struggle for fundamental rights and equality.

John Lewis was probably the embodiment of the civil rights movement and of the empowerment movement in terms of Blacks running for office, and keeping alive the nonviolent tradition of protest, Sharpton said.

Sharpton, 15 years younger than Lewis, praised the Georgia Democrat for passing down Kings tradition of peaceful protest. Lewis continued to preach that gospel even as many activists turned to the more militant approach of the Black Power movement.

It took great courage, Sharpton said. We saw him not only fighting white racism but standing up to Black rejection of his philosophy.

In 1977, the new president and fellow Georgian Jimmy Carter named Lewis to be director of ACTION, a federal agency for volunteerism. Four years later Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council and, in 1986, to the U.S. House of Representatives. There he became known among Democrats as the conscience of the Congress.

As the civil rights movement expanded to other minority groups, Lewis early on joined the battle to extend the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Legislation called the Equality Act faced skepticism from some civil rights groups concerned about the unintended consequences of reopening the 1965 landmark law, fearful that they could lose some of its federal protections in the process.

John Lewis waves to the crowd in August 2013 during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. (Saul Loeb / AFP/ Getty Images)

Chad Griffin, former president of the Human Rights Campaign, credits Lewis with helping to build support for the legislation. We have so far to go, but we owe so much of the progress that we have made to John Lewis," Griffin said.

"Sometimes people ask me, 'Why do you take such a strong stand for gay rights, for marriage equality?'" Lewis said at a 2014 Human Rights Campaign event. "My simple answer is I fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up for discrimination today based on sexual orientation."

Lewis' politics had grown more partisan in the last decade, said David Garrow, a civil rights historian and King biographer. He was frequently counted as among the most progressive Democrats in the House, a reflection of his very Democratic district. He boycotted the 2001 inauguration of President George W. Bush, arguing that Bush was not legitimately elected. He did the same in 2017 when President Trump was sworn in.

The John Lewis I saw in Congress is this really angry, uber partisan. I have trouble connecting that John Lewis to the John Lewis of the 1960s, Garrow said.

John Robert Lewis was born Feb. 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Ala., to sharecroppers. When Lewis was 4 years old, his father bought a farm, where his son's duty was to care for the chickens. Lewis joked in a 2013 C-SPAN interview that he engaged in his first nonviolent protest when his parents tried to prepare one of his flock for Sunday dinner.

Lewis attended segregated public schools in rural Pike County. As a teenager, he listened to radio broadcasts by King and news of the Montgomery bus boycott. While his parents and grandparents urged him to come to terms with Jim Crow laws and segregation, the burgeoning civil rights movement inspired Lewis to do the opposite.

Alabama state troopers use clubs against participants of a civil rights voting march in Selma, Ala. At foreground right, John Lewis is beaten by a state trooper. The day became known as "Bloody Sunday." (Associated Press)

As a student at Fisk University in Nashville, he began organizing sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters. In February 1960, he was one of 89 students arrested at a sit-in. It was the first time he engaged in good trouble, necessary trouble  a phrase that he would repeat for decades.

That was my first arrest. That was my introduction to Southern jails, Lewis said in the C-SPAN interview. I grew up sitting down on those lunch counter stools and going to jail in places like Nashville, Birmingham, Jackson, Miss., and Atlanta, Ga., and a few other places across the South.

By 1961, he was volunteering for the Freedom Rides, challenging segregation by sitting among white people on buses in Southern cities, not in the rear sections designated for "colored" people.

Sometimes he was beaten and arrested. On May 9, 1961, as his bus stopped at a Greyhound station in Rock Hill, S.C., he and his companions were beaten by Elwin Wilson, a white man Lewis didnt officially meet until nearly 50 years later. Wilson visited Lewis congressional office in 2009 to formally apologize.

It demonstrated the power of nonviolence, the power of love, the power of the way of peace, to be reconciled, Lewis said.

By the time he was just 23, Lewis was known as one of the Big Six national student leaders in the civil rights movement. He was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which organized student activism including sit-ins, voter registration drives and the Mississippi Freedom Summer, a 1964 project to register Black voters in the state. The role at SNCC brought him to Atlanta, a city that he would call home for the rest of his life.

Lewis helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. Two years later, he planned the Selma-to-Montgomery march for which he'd be best remembered, but which might have ended his life.

I was hit in the head by a state trooper with a nightstick and had a concussion at the bridge. I remember my legs going out from under me and falling to the ground. I thought it was the last protest. I thought I was going to die and I kept thinking about what was happening to the other people, Lewis said in 2013. I dont recall 48 years later how I made it across that bridge, back through the streets of Selma.

Since 2015, activists have pushed to rename the Pettus bridge, which was named for a man who was a Confederate general, U.S. senator and head of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. A proposed alternative: the John Lewis Bridge.

A turning point in the Southern civil rights movement and Lewis role in it came in 1966, when Lewis lost the chairmanship of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to Stokely Carmichael. The group adopted black power as its organizing principle  a shift that Lewis believed limited the organizations effectiveness.

The John Lewis of 1960-66 is, to my mind, a remarkably principled, courageous, committed young activist whose grounding in principle is just as fundamental as Kings, Garrow said.

In 1968, Lewis married Lillian Miles, a Los Angeles native who became Lewis closest political advisor. The Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. conducted the ceremony.

John Lewis views images of his arrest for leading a sit-in at Nashville's segregated lunch counters on March 5, 1963. (Rick Diamond / Getty Images)

Lewis political career began in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council. Five years later, he was elected to Congress, to a seat he has held since then.

While serving in the House of Representatives, Lewis became a leader and inspirational figure among his fellow Democrats. On major legislation, he often gave a closing speech that roused his party faithful. In the wake of the shooting massacre at the gay nightclub the Pulse, in Orlando, Fla., in 2016, he led a sit in on the House floor to protest Republicans refusal to act on gun-safety legislation.

For the first 15 years of his congressional career, Lewis repeatedly introduced a bill to create a national African American history museum, legislation that was repeatedly blocked by Sen. Jesse Helms, a Republican and onetime segregationist from North Carolina. Helms retired in 2003 and that year Lewis was able to pass his bill and President George W. Bush signed it into law. The museum opened on the National Mall in 2016.

In 2011, President Obama awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor.

"Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind," Obama said at the ceremony. Lewis, he went on, is "an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time, whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now."

Times staff writer Janet Hook contributed to this report.
A personal assistant arrested Friday in the death and dismemberment of a 33-year-old tech entrepreneur was believed to have owed his boss a significant amount of money, New York City police said.

Tyrese Haspil faces a murder charge in the death of Fahim Saleh, whose beheaded, armless body was found Tuesday by a cousin who had gone to his luxury Manhattan condo to check on him.

Haspil, 21, handled finances and personal matters for Saleh, whose ventures included a ride-hailing service in Africa.

Haspil, who grew up on Long Island and lives in Brooklyn, was taken into police custody Friday morning in the lobby of another luxury apartment building several blocks from where Saleh was killed, NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said.

Information on Haspils arraignment and a lawyer who could speak on his behalf was not immediately available.

Officers responding to the cousins 911 call discovered Salehs clothed torso, bags containing a head and arms and an electric saw in the living room of his luxury seventh-floor apartment on the Lower East Side, police said.

Investigators recovered security video showing Saleh exiting an elevator that leads directly into the full-floor, two-bedroom apartment, closely followed by a masked person dressed entirely in black, according to a law enforcement official who was briefed on the case.

The video also showed a struggle between the two that ensued at the entrance to the apartment, said the official, who wasnt authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Harrison said investigators determined that Haspil assaulted Saleh in the elevator with a stun gun a day before his body was found. Speaking to reporters about the arrest, Harrison would not say when police believe Saleh was killed, nor would he discuss other details about the case or take questions.

Investigators initially believed that the cousin who went to check on Saleh may have interrupted the attack and that the assailant fled out a back exit. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide after an autopsy found the cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the body.

Saleh was the chief executive officer of ride-hailing motorcycle startup Gokada that started operating in Nigeria in 2018.

Salehs LinkedIn biography described him as a self-taught businessman who founded Gokada, building on his experience of first seeing an opportunity in his parents native country of Bangladesh and starting that countrys largest ride-sharing company. It said he also invested in a similar venture in Colombia.

The headlines talk about a crime we still cannot fathom, Salehs family said in a statement after his death. Fahim is more than what you are reading. He is so much more. His brilliant and innovative mind took everyone who was a part of his world on a journey and he made sure never to leave anyone behind.

Apartments in the 10-story building where Salehs remains were found sell for more than $2 million. The building was completed in 2017 as part of a wave of gentrification in the neighborhood.
(Newser)  Bjorn Lomborg has dropped another bomb in the climate-change debate, and one economist is rushing to defuse it. "As a matter of policy, I typically decline to review books that deserve to be panned. You only make enemies," writes Joseph Stiglitz in his New York Times review of Lomborg's new book, False Alarm. "In the case of this book, though, I felt compelled to forgo this policy." Stiglitz points out that the Danish author doesn't deny climate changein fact, he supports a carbon tax and spending on innovationbut Stiglitz doesn't like Lomborg's argument that climate change is too expensive to fix. After all, Stiglitz asks, aren't rising sea levels, bigger storms, more floods, and more droughts also a drain on the economy? And what about the cost to future generations?

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Stiglitz also takes issue with Lomborg's notion of a "consensus" around his own work. "When one looks at [his] list of 'experts,' one sees the conservative biasall distinguished economists, but most with a particular bent, and not including any of the true experts in climate science who might have raised an objection," writes Stiglitz, himself a Nobel Prize winner and lead author of a sobering IPCC climate report in 2019. Stiglitz admits one thing: "Lomborg is correct that climate change is not the only problem the world faces." But Lomborg "poses a false choice, because it is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time. As the advocates of the Green New Deal point out, investments that reduce climate change can usher in a new era of prosperity." (Read more climate change stories.)
ARCHIVED - 390 new Covid cases in Spain today; highest daily figure since May



Aragon has the highest number with 160, followed by Catalonia (91) and Madrid (43)

The Spanish Ministry of Health has published Covid case figures for the last 24 hours, reporting the highest rise in the number of daily infections of COVID-19 since May; 390 new cases.

This brings the nationwide total of cases confirmed by only the PCR swab testing method, to 257,494.

The largest single amount in one region is 160 in Aragon, ahead of Catalonia (91) and Madrid (43).

Again there is a complete mis-match between the figures being reported by the Ministry of Health and the Catalan government. The Conselleria de Salut de la Generalitat de Catalunya has published the figure of 938 new positives, but according to the Ministry of Health the figure is 91.

Andalucia: 28

Aragon: 160

Asturias: 0

Baleares: 0

Canarias: 5

Cantabria: 3

Castilla-La Mancha: 5

Castilla y Leon: 6

Cataluna: 91

Ceuta: 1

Comunidad Valenciana: 7

Extremadura: 6

Galicia: 7

Madrid: 43

Melilla: 2

Murcia: 3

Navarra: 17

Pais Vasco: 3

La Rioja: 3

Fatalities:

There have been 4 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to date up to 28,413.

In the last week, 11 of the autonomous regions and the two autonomous cities (Melilla, Ceuta) have not reported any deaths. Those which have are Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Catalonia, Madrid and the Basque Country.

Outbreaks:

Asturias has confirmed a localised outbreak today, the last of the 17 autonomous regions to do so, which means that every region now has outbreaks; there are more than 130 active outbreaks nationwide as of today.

UK figures

85 deaths in the UK in the last 24 hours, bringing the running fatalities count to date up to 45,053.

In the last 24 hours 538 new cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to date up to 291,911.

Worldwide.

There are now 13.3 million cases worldwide with more than 578,000 fatalities to date, according to the daily global balance published this Wednesday at 9:00 am by the John Hopkins University. The United States alone has 3.43 million cases of COVID-19, and has declared 59,000 new positives in the last 24 hours, The fatalities count is 136,466.

Hidden victims of Covid from the wire today;The Ministry of Health in the Netherlands has reported that it has detected another mink farm with a coronavirus outbreak. Mink transmit Covid easily. There are now 24 such farms with infected animals and the Ministry has issued an order to slaughter 4,500 animals.
When genre conventions are punctuated by other considerations, Black Coal, Thin Ice slowly drifts away (in a good way) from the expected.

The plot of Black Coal, Thin Ice (in Mandarin, and released in 2014) is the stuff of classic murder-mystery, and the opening stretch lays out this premise with clinical efficiency. The year is 1999. Theres some sort of cloth-wrapped package peeking out from the coal at the back of a truck. The shape of the package becomes clearer as the coal is dumped into a yard, scooped up and deposited on a conveyor belt, and before long, a helmeted employee is shouting to the line operator to shut the power off. As the belt comes to a stop, we see what the package contained: a severed hand.

Meanwhile, we have been cross-cutting to a man and a woman. While all this soundless action has been happening around the coal, these two have been playing cards, soundlessly. And just when the lifeless hand is discovered, we cut to the womans hands here. The couple is now making love and her fingers are twitching. The man, we learn, is a detective named Zhang Zili. Hes obtained a divorce from this woman, and this appears to be their last meeting.

With the two cross-cut narratives, a thematic core has been established  though its probably evident only by the end. Even as Zhang investigates the mystery behind the limb, we are in a story about husbands who have withdrawn from their wives. But coming back to this scene, between Zhang and his divorced wife, what a curious way this is to spend time with a formerly loved one you are now separating from. The lovemaking, I understand. Its the card-playing that feels odd. Of all the things you could do...

But then, these odd bits are a given with Diao Yinan. The filmmaker has made only four films since  and including his first one  Uniform (2003), but its been a rich career. Night Train (2007) and The Wild Goose Lake (2019) played at Cannes, and Black Coal, Thin Ice won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. All of them have solid genre premises, yet none of them is what youd call a nail-biter.

In Uniform, a man pretends to be a cop when he stumbles upon a policemans attire. In Night Train, a female prison guard (and helper in executions) strikes up a relationship with a widower she may have a disturbing connection with. In The Wild Goose Lake, a hunted gangster and a sex worker are on the run. But beyond the genre thrills, theres some sort of commentary happening, too. Otherwise, why have the scene in The Wild Goose Lake, for instance, where a man is gunned down by the police even after he surrenders?

In a Film Comment interview, Diao Yinan said, I dont just want to portray society in a sentimental prose style or as slices of life Genre films can be made well, can be made seriously. Another way of saying it is that genre films can also express an attitude towards society, towards reality. In other words, instead of expressing his views on society through a social drama, hes opting to say what he wants to say through stories of crime. He added, (The genre film) may be a touch cynical, but deep down it is very pure and serious.

And so, when genre conventions are punctuated by these other considerations, the film slowly drifts away (in a good way) from the expected.

One of the most startling and strange  i.e., odd  scenes in Black Coal, Thin Ice occurs when two detectives interview the manager of an apartment complex. But suddenly, theres a horse in the building. The manager is as stumped as we are. She asks, Who brought a horse in here? The reply: Its been wandering around the neighborhood. It looked cold and hungry, so the neighbors brought it in.

The investigation continues after this brief interlude, but what a scene! Screenwriting schools would probably say its not needed. (Does the film work without the horse? It does, perfectly well.) But the horse says something. At least, it suggests something. Along with the central mystery (whose hand was found in the coal?), we now have a secondary one (whose horse is this?). And at the end, when we find out who the killer is, the revelation occurs in the middle of a street, and, out of nowhere, fireworks appear. Who? Why? Its another mystery, another odd bit in the film.

And thats where interviews help. I strongly believe that one should not read what a filmmaker has to say about his/her film before you watch it, because it wires you into his/her way of thinking, and sometimes you end up seeing the film that the director (through these interviews) brainwashes you into seeing. But afterwards, interviews can be very useful. The fireworks scene at the end of Black Coal, Thin Ice still works for me without my understanding it. Its such a surreal stretch that you gape at it like youd gape at, say, the Northern Lights.

But if you still want to know what its about, heres a passage from an interview in timeoutshanghai.com: The Chinese name for Black Coal, Thin Ice translates to fireworks in daylight. While the English title carries overt references to film noir (black coal and white ice), the Chinese title is more metaphorical. Fireworks in daylight provide a kind of emotional catharsis that people use to shield themselves from the harsher aspects of the world The truth is that in every persons inner world they might hide some unbearable memories, but most days they have to behave as if nothing has happened In using this title Im obviously suggesting that Chinese people today are in dire need of that kind of catharsis.

Even the setting (the coal plant) is a statement. Diao Yinan told fourthreefilm.com that the majority of the Chinese market would rather use the scenery of a beautiful city. It is a bit unusual to focus on the industrial village and industrial sites. Only a few directors like Jia Zhangke and Wang Bing use such locations. Perhaps it has something to do with the way they were all brought up They were from those types of cities, small cities. A person from an industrial background can also see the loneliness it creates.

This is the thing that alienates some viewers from such films. They say: Why should I watch movies where I need a glossary (in the form of an interview) to fully get it? Why cant I just watch a simple genre film, instead? Well, sure. I cant answer for others, but at least for me, the appeal of a film like Black Coal, Thin Ice comes from the question: What else can you do with a genre film? Also, I suppose it helps if you dont watch films to entirely understand them. I mean, it would be a bummer if I didnt get the who-what-why of the murder mystery itself. But the odd bits like that horse, or those fireworks  these are just a part of cinemas mystery.

Baradwaj Rangan is Editor, Film Companion (South).
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 04:08:00|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the United States is "deeply disappointed" by the European Court of Justice's ruling that invalidated a transatlantic data sharing deal.

"We are deeply disappointed that the Court of Justice of the European Union ("ECJ") has invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework," Pompeo said in a statement.

He added that "the United States is reviewing this outcome and the consequences and implications for more than 5,300 European and U.S. companies, representing millions of transatlantic jobs and over $7.1 trillion in commercial transactions."

The European Court of Justice on Thursday struck down the data sharing arrangement, arguing that it had failed to offer enough privacy protection for Europeans against U.S. surveillance.

The court found that in the current arrangement of data transfer, "the requirements of U.S. national security, public interest and law enforcement have primacy, thus condoning interference with the fundamental rights of persons whose data are transferred to that third country."

On July 12, 2016, the European Commission adopted the adequacy decision on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, and the Privacy Shield framework became operational in August the same year. Enditem
Bleak business result of ACV may delay construction of Terminal 3 on time

The construction of the third terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport is expected to be kicked off in the third quarter of next year and finished within 37 months, as per Airports Corporation of Vietnam's (ACV) commitment.

The Ministry of Transport, ACV, and relevant parties are rushing to prepare the ground-breaking ceremony of the project in the third quarter of 2021. Accordingly, ACV is establishing a managing board to build the feasibility report, technical design, and select contractors. In addition, it is also co-operating with Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee to complete procedures to receive land from the Ministry of Defence.

In May, the prime minister assigned ACV as the investor of the third terminal with the total investment capital of VND10.99 trillion ($477.83 million). The investment capital will come from the legal capital of ACV. With the designed annual capacity of 20 million passengers, once completed, Tan Son Nhat International Airport will handle 50 million passengers.

The expansion should help alleviate stress on the overburdened airport. Meanwhile, work creeps along at Long Thanh International Airport, which will shoulder part of Ho Chi Minh City's air travel demand when completed.

Tan Son Nhat is the busiest airport in Vietnam, with Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 handling domestic and international flights, respectively. The two terminals handled over 40 million passengers last year, 1.6 times higher than their designed capacity of 28 million passengers per year.

During the following two years, ACV plans to prioritise investment in the construction of the second terminal at Phu Bai International Airport in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

The corporation forecasts a pre-tax profit plunge of 80 per cent this year to VND2 trillion ($86.96 million) due to coronavirus impacts.

The state-owned company, which operates 21 airports, also anticipates its revenue to fall 45 per cent to VND11.3 trillion ($491.3 million), according to its document submitted to shareholders.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18

Trend:

Thanks to our activity, many have learned that Armenia committed this dirty provocation, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2020 and future objectives, Trend reports.

I would like to note one more issue, which is related to the reaction of international organizations. First of all, I want to express my deep gratitude to fraternal Turkey and its President, my brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We saw a fraternal and friendly attitude on the part of Turkey yet again these days. From the very first hours, the official bodies of Turkey supported the fair position of Azerbaijan and made statements on this issue. The President made a very important statement yesterday. His statement followed those of the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Presidential Administration, MPs and public activists. The whole world, the peoples of both Turkey and Azerbaijan were further convinced that we are real brothers. We are next to each other both on happy and difficult days. Citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan probably remember the words I said many times and see how right I was when I said that on a global scale there are no two countries as close to each other as Turkey and Azerbaijan. The current situation shows this once again. Therefore, once again, on behalf of the Azerbaijani people and on my own behalf, I want to express my deep gratitude to the people of Turkey and its President, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state noted that another friendly and brotherly country for Azerbaijan, Pakistan, expressed an unambiguous position and supported the just cause of Azerbaijan.

Officials from other countries also supported Azerbaijan. The Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States issued a statement. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the leaders of the countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, of course, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. At the same time  the people of Azerbaijan probably know this  the Organization of Islamic Cooperation issued a statement in support of Azerbaijan. This organization includes 57 states. This is the kind of international support we received. As I have already noted, other countries, some European states have also expressed support for Azerbaijan through their official representatives. Now lets see who supported Armenia. I have not seen any. It is in a state of isolation here too, because everyone knows that Azerbaijan is right. Thanks to our activity, many have learned that Armenia committed this dirty provocation, added President Ilham Aliyev.
Prior to watching I May Destroy You, I was unaware of the themes covered in the show but I truly believe after watching the final episodes this week, Michaela Coel has given me a more thorough education on sexual consent and trauma than Id ever received in school.

I understand that sex education will vary from school to school due to factors such as religious beliefs but I cant help but think that schools are failing their students by not providing them with knowledge of the myriad of sexual encounters that can exist.

At primary school, my sex education involved watching an animated video, in which we were told that when a man and a woman love each other, the man inserts his penis into the womans vagina. Then when I attended an all girls high school, we were shown how to use a condom. But that was about the extent of it. We were taught that sex is science and logistics, when actually its a much more emotional experience.

At the age of 17, my boyfriend at the time raped me. I hadnt been taught about consent and therefore didnt have the language to express what had happened until a few years later when I casually mentioned it to a friend and realised how wrong it sounded. I had been taught to believe that when a man and woman love each other, this is what youre supposed to do, but what I hadnt understood is that this didnt mean he was entitled to my body.

In a study conducted by the World Health Organisation on intimate partner violence, they found that out of over 24,000 women from 10 different countries, 6 to 59 per cent reported sexual violence by a partner at some point in their lives. It also concluded that one of the most consistent factors between abusive partners and the victims is a low level of education. This data suggests to me that the sex education being given in schools needs to be re-evaluated to prevent more vulnerable people being exposed to sexual assault.

In episode four of the BBCs I May Destroy You, Arabella is having consensual sex with Zain when he chooses to remove the condom without her knowledge; the encounter has then evolved into non-consensual sex or, as Arabella refers to it in her speech at a publishing event: He is a rapist, not rape-adjacent, or a bit rape-y, hes a rapist.

Watching this episode was refreshing to me as I had often excused my exs abusive behaviour as not being that bad because it wasnt like the strangers that raped women in back alleys that I was so used to seeing on TV.

Kwames rape is another example of a sexual partner taking advantage of the original consent and is an unsettling reminder that rape isnt always a result of a strangers random attack. The series divulges into various taboo subjects and Coel is fearless in broaching the complexities behind consent and what rape actually is in comparison to what we are led to believe it to be.

Consent and rape are such paramount elements of sex education and Im grateful for someone like Michaela Coel to create a show that opens up a broader conversation on sexual assault than I ever had in the classroom.

Hannah MacDonald is an actor and freelance writer from Manchester
Tributes pour in for the civil rights icon who represented Atlanta for 30 years in Washington, DC.

The mayor of Atlanta said flags will be lowered to half-mast indefinitely to honour Representative John Lewis, a civil rights icon who represented the city for more than 30 years in Congress before his death this week.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made the announcement on Saturday, saying words cannot describe the loss of Lewis, who made a career of politics in the city after years as one of the nations premier civil rights leaders.

The people of Atlanta often called upon Congressman Lewis for counsel, guidance, and assistance with getting into good trouble. No matter how busy his schedule, or important his Washington duties were, he answered, she said.

When I visited Uncle John last week, I looked in his eyes and said, Well done. I told him that I loved him and that we are going to continue to fight. So I must mourn and move at the same time.#JohnLewis pic.twitter.com/v6VxL48vgw  Be A King (@BerniceKing) July 18, 2020

The statement came amid an outpouring of tributes from local, national and international figures.

Bernice King, the daughter of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr with whom Lewis had worked, tweeted: Farewell, sir. You did, indeed, fight the good fight and get into a lot of good trouble. You served God and humanity well. Thank you. Take your rest.

Meanwhile, Arthur Blank, the owner of the NFLs Atlanta Falcons, noted the city lost two civil rights icons in a single day: Lewis and the Reverend CT Vivian, an early and important adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.

John Lewis, left, was the youngest of the so-called Big Six activists who organised the 1963 March on Washington where King gave his iconic I Have A Dream speech [File: Harry Harris/AP]

Vivian died on Friday at the age of 95, and Lewis died hours later. He was 80.

John risked his life to end legalised racial segregation and make America a better place for us and future generations. Thats the enduring legacy of one of the most courageous people I ever met, said a statement by Blank.

Georgias Republican Governor Brian Kemp also praised the longtime Democratic congressman in a tweet.

Congressman John Lewis was a Civil Rights hero, freedom fighter, devoted public servant, and beloved Georgian who changed our world in a profound way. The Kemp Family is praying for his loved ones as they honor his life & mourn his passing, he wrote.

State buildings lower flags

State law says the governor must schedule a special election to fill the current term of Lewis, who was first elected to represent Georgias majority Black 5th District in 1986, said Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs. A vote would have to be held within 30 days.

Separately, Democrats can appoint a replacement candidate to fill Lewiss slot on the November ballot since he already had won the nomination for another term, said Fuchs.

In an order, Kemp said flags on state buildings would be lowered through sunset on the day of Lewiss burial, although no funeral arrangements had immediately been announced.

I know of no man with more courage than John Lewis. He was a giant walking among us. When I saw him, I couldnt help but think one thing: I havent done enough. May his life and legacy inspire every one of us to strive for justice, equality and what is right. pic.twitter.com/jtoCnmjexz  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 18, 2020

President Donald Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-mast at the White House and all federal public buildings and grounds, including embassies abroad and all military posts and naval stations, throughout the day on Saturday.

Trump, who had once called Lewis all talk and no action after the Congressman questioned the legitimacy of his presidency, tweeted on Saturday he was saddened to hear the news of his passing.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former US vice president, said on Saturday: Johns life reminds us that the most powerful symbol of what it means to be an American is what we do with the time we have to make real the promise of our nation  that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally.
Photo: (Photo : Screenshot from Facebook)

A lot of big businesses have closed. Some opted to shift to online platforms instead of keeping their physical stores.

However, giving up is not likely to be an option for some kids who go out of their way to make their lemonade stands succeed.

READ ALSO: The Children's Place is Closing 300 Stores To Focus On Online Shopping Sales

That is why different groups are very supportive of these kids' endeavors.

A group of police officers has started showing their support, and another group is willing to give one hundred dollars to deserving lemonade stand owners.

One hundred dollars for 'bailout.'

Country Time has a project called "Littlest Bailout Relief Fund."

This project aims to support struggling junior entrepreneurs.

Recently, the company opened this project to kids who own a lemonade stand. The bailout is one hundred dollars. It is offered to kids who were affected or even shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Country Time believes that lemonade stands are there to preserve some important values. In their call for applicants, the company says that this is "to help kids preserve the values of lemonade stands, honest work, and entrepreneurship while putting a little juice back into the economy."

The bailout is open to support kids ages fourteen and below. They only need their parents to help them apply. The deadline for online application is on August 12.

READ ALSO: 2 Boys raise $400 to help a food pantry during the coronavirus pandemic [they made dog treats]

Lemonade while on patrol

It is part of the Dover Police Department's everyday routine to go on patrols. However, just recently, a team had to break the routine for a while.

On the Dover Police Department's Facebook page, they shared a few photos of their stopover.

The police officers had fresh lemonade that was given away by kids.

On the post, some citizens commended the police officers for the support for the kids.

The mom of the kids, Jennifer Lee, also commented on the post. She said, "Thank you guys so much for your hard work. You made my kids day!"

It seems like the short stay for a few refreshments of the police officers was worth it.

The photos already got a thousand reactions and several shares.

READ ALSO: 9-Year-Old Girl Sells Friendship Bracelets, Raises $50K to Help Residents of Minneapolis

Lessons from a lemonade stand

It may seem like a small accomplishment for kids to put up a lemonade stand and sell a few drinks. However, business experts believe that starting a lemonade stand is the first step in teaching children financial literacy.

According to an article published by BBC, some of the important principles in financial literacy are learned through the small things that children do when they are younger. One of these principles includes valuing the work put into earning money.

When children are taught the hard work they need to put into earning money; they will also learn how to spend the money wisely.

READ ALSO: 7-year-old girl donates $20,000 worth of multicultural educational materials in California
The live webcast provides opportunities not only for those seeking to be internet celebrities, but also for those wishing to take advantage of their rich agricultural resources.



With the 5G-supported technologies, watermelon farmers in Lianzhang village, Qingyuan, Guangdong province, have quickly been able to make their fortunes by selling off their entire harvest.

"5G not only facilitates access to the Internet, but also establishes good conditions for us to develop smart agriculture and e-agricultural businesses through live streaming promotions," said Lu Feihong, the local Party secretary.

The village became the country's first administrative village covered by 5G network when two 5G base stations were put in use on October 31 last year.

According to Lu, he was surprised to find that the village's watermelons totaling more than 25,000 kilograms sold out in May, creating a pace that was hard to imagine when telecommunications there were so backward.

Today, Lianzhang village has been transformed from a poverty-stricken area to a well-known online agricultural production center, whose success exemplifies the power of a live-streaming platform.

According to Xiao Lixin, a media officer for Qingyuan city, 5G has helped them get through a most difficult time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic early this year.

Affected by the epidemic, one farmer's 7,500-kilogram harvest of Chinese yams had to be stockpiled due to stagnant sales.

"However, a short video webcast online attracting more than 400,000 visits helped the farmer sell his entire output in a short period of time," Xiao recalled.

In addition to farmers, manufacturers in Guangdong have also been put on fast track of development thanks to technology and innovation.

Take Guangzhou Mino Auto Parts Co. Ltd. as an example. The quickest manufacture of a body-in-white (BIW) structure now takes only 42 seconds. By January this year, the company had owned a total of 667 patents, 52% of which were in key intelligent equipment production.

Innovation enables us to reduce our costs and raise our efficiency while creating value for our customers, said Long Pu, deputy CEO of the company.

Technology and innovation have also helped administrative offices greatly streamline examination and approval procedures, and offer one-stop online services for businesses.

"I never expected that our company's registration could have been completed so rapidly, as I started to apply only at 6:00 last night, but received everything, from business licenses to the seal, at about 11:00 this morning," said Lin Jian, a partner of Zero Search, a service platform for the cross-border trade of international industrial products in Shenzhen.

The time for business registration has been cut from generally one week to two hours at the Electronic One-stop Service Center of Qianhai.

"In order to reduce errands of our applicants, we promote reliance on data technology," said Li Jieshi, an official from the enterprises services office of the administration of the Shenzhen Qianhaiwan Free Trade Port Zone.

Content created in partnership with Science and Technology Daily.
The Canadian government has denied the Blue Jays approval to play games in their home city of Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from Rob Gillies of the Associated Press. While the Blue Jays were given the go-ahead by the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario to host regular season games at the Rogers Centre, they were still awaiting clearance from the Canadian federal government.

As of now, the likely outcome is that the Blue Jays pivot their regular season games to Buffalo, the home of the franchises Triple-A affiliate. Dunedin, Florida, where the team holds Spring Training, has also been floated as an alternative, though Buffalo now looks preferable given the state of the virus in Florida.

In an official team statement, the Blue Jays said they are in the process of finalizing the best home location for the remainder of the 2020 season and will share an update as soon as it is available.

This development comes as something of a surprise, as just days ago it was looking like a good bet that the Rogers Centre would host regular season games as intended this year. However, shuttling MLB teams back and forth across the U.S.-Canada border poses undeniable concerns about preventing the spread of COVID-19, which have only been heightened in light of diverging COVID-19 trends between the United States and our neighbors to the North.

As reported by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the Canadian government has informed the Blue Jays that it would be open to considering future restart plans for the post-season if at that time risk of virus transmission has been tempered. But for the time being, its looking like Toronto will have to wait until 2021 for Blue Jays home baseball.
He is 73 now.

He suffers from hypertension, cannot hear very well, needs hernia surgery, has osteoarthritis and glaucoma.
OLGA DZIDZVERG said when her nine-year-old son Georgii found out he would be going to the Assiniboine Park Zoo Camp this year, he could not have been more excited, especially because he likes polar bears.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/7/2020 (550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OLGA DZIDZVERG said when her nine-year-old son Georgii found out he would be going to the Assiniboine Park Zoo Camp this year, he could not have been more excited, especially because he likes polar bears.

Last year, Dzidzverg learned about the Winnipeg Free Press Sunshine Fund, which helps low-income families send their children to camp.

SUPPLIED Georgii Dzidzverg with his mom, Olga Dzidzverg. Georgii has become more outgoing because of his camp experience.

The fund relies on donations and grants to subsidize camp expenses for children. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the summer camping experience, many camps have switched to pop-up camps, virtual camps and day camps.

Dzidzverg said after Georgii went to the day camp last year, he couldnt wait to return.

"Georgii is a bit reserved," said Dzidzverg.

"He is conservative and he doesnt like to change anything. Thats why he very much likes this camp and thats why we decided to take this option again this year."

Last year, Dzidzverg and her son moved to Canada from Russia. As a single parent, she feared her son would have trouble communicating with other children at camp because his first language is Russian.

She said after attending camp last year, he became more confident with his communication skills and improved in school.

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"He went to school in September last year, the teacher told us that his language level improved. He was at the second level and he got the third level.. Its certainly a good experience for him."

Applications for the Sunshine Fund are available through the Manitoba Camping Association website, which processes funding requests on a first-come, first-serve basis. Funding is still available, and applications are encouraged.

Based on Statistics Canadas low-income chart, a family could be eligible for up to $300 per child. This year, the camping association board has decided to lower the parental contribution to 20 per cent.

Dzidzverg said she is "very thankful" to receive the funding.

"I do appreciate this opportunity... He can go to this camp again and be with kids, with animals and be outside because all this summer hes staying at home with me. I am studying a lot and he is home and its no good for the child," said Dzidzverg.

nadya.pankiw@freepress.mb.ca
Gov. Kate Brown has ordered all flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff Saturday in honor of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who died Friday at age 80 following a diagnosis of late-stage pancreatic cancer in December.

The White House issued a national flag order Saturday.

We lost a legend, Brown said in a news release. Congressman John Lewis exuded justice and equality for all. He was the heart and soul of the civil rights movement. In times of darkness, he reminded us all to get into that good trouble and carry on the fight. Now more than ever, we carry his fight with us. Dan and I are sending condolences to the entire Lewis family during this difficult time. May we all celebrate his legacy, and his journey.

Lewis long and storied career as a civil rights activist drew bipartisan praise Friday.

He was also an adamant opponent of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 -- in that role, he spoke in Portland to an estimated 30,000 protesters at Waterfront Park.

People around the world will not be inspired by our missiles and our guns; they will be inspired by our ideas, he said, according to The New York Times.

Lewis also visited Portland in 1989 to speak on black-Jewish relations and to participate in a public dialogue titled ``Civil Rights Issues and the Political Agenda of the 1990s.

In his first talk, at Temple Beth Israel, he said, ``We must find and support a new breed of leaders, courageous leaders who have the courage to redirect the priorities of this country not to oppress but to uplift, not to enslave but to set free,' according to an Oregonian article.

At the second event, where he was hosted by the Albina Ministerial Alliance and introduced by then-U.S. Reps. Les AuCoin and Ron Wyden, Lewis said, Hope is on the way, The Oregonian reported.

The article continued:

``The people of Oregon have a long history of supporting civil rights,' said Lewis, who spent time in Portland during the 1968 presidential campaign of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

He carried that theme through to his speech, telling an audience of about 100 people, ``Your state remains so beautiful and green, it makes me hope Oregon can be a national leader on human issues.'

awang@oregonian.com; Twitter: @ORAmyW

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
The next sitting of Federal Parliament will be cancelled because of the risk of coronavirus transmission as cases rise in NSW and Victoria.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly told the government that parliamentarians and their staffers coming from interstate could "jeopardise the health situation in the ACT" and "place residents at unnecessary risk of infection".

Parliament was going to sit for a fortnight from August 4 but the next sitting week, in which the government can pass legislation and the opposition can scrutinise its agenda, will now be from August 24.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he did not believe it would be right to exclude parliamentarians from one state  in a reference to Victoria, where new cases have hit successive records in recent days.
By Trend

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who had recently pretended to be infected with COVID-19, suddenly recovered and departed to Minsk to take part in a meeting of representatives of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

It should be noted that the EAEU summit was held in Minsk at the level of the prime ministers of the organization's member states, but formally, Pashinyan should not have attended this event due to his rank as the head of state. According to the status, it was the deputy prime minister of the Armenian government who should have participated in the summit. Armenia is a parliamentary republic where the prime minister has broader powers.

To repeat: due to his status, he may have not arrived in Minsk and sent instead his deputy. On the other hand, Pashinyan is officially the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces, and in the context of the aggravation of the conflict with Azerbaijan, his flight to Belarus to participate in this meeting looked at least out of time. Why did Pashinyan fly to Minsk?

Firstly, Pashinyan rushed to Minsk to meet with Russian Prime Minister Mishustin; despite the fact that the Armenian prime minister is treated with contempt in the political elite in Russia, the meeting in Minsk gave a chance to obtain the favor of the Russian leadership.

Secondly, Pashinyan, through his own fault, has accumulated numerous negative factors including the provocation organized by him on the border with Azerbaijan, a bad epidemic situation in Armenia, and a sharp decline of his rating in the country.

Thirdly, Pashinyan desperately needs help in the confrontation with Azerbaijan that relies on a powerful army and influential allies, especially after Azerbaijan's threat to launch a missile strike at the Armenian nuclear power plant in response to Yerevan's promise to strike at the dam of the Mingachevir reservoir.

Even prior to the Minsk summit, vigorous statements were made in Armenia, which expressed hope for Russian mediation in the settlement of the border conflict. Moreover, Armenians also counted on the political support of the Pashinyan regime from the Kremlin. But none of this happened for one simple reason: Moscow knows very well what a bad politician Pashinyan is and quickly saw through his provocation game on the border.

Besides, Moscow did not forget that Pashinyan showed open disrespect for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) by ordering the arrest of the current secretary general of the organization, Colonel General Yuri Khachaturov. In response to Pashinyan's demand to urgently convene a CSTO meeting to complain about Azerbaijan's behavior, the "allies" said that "the meeting was postponed for an indefinite period."

This was a serious blow to the political reputation of Pashinyan and his entourage. Everything that he managed to "achieve" in Minsk was reflected in his own statement: "There is no alternative to peace negotiations."

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
A volunteer receives a COVID-19 test vaccine injection developed at the University of Oxford. (PA)

Hopes for a coronavirus vaccine as early as this year have been given a boost after human trials are reported to have shown promising results.

Researchers at the University of Oxford believe they have made a breakthrough after discovering the jab could provide "double protection" against the virus, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said teams were working towards a "best case scenario" of a vaccine being made available sometime this year, although conceded it was more likely in 2021.

The best-case scenario is sometime this year, but the more likely is next year

@matthancock tells @peston that the Oxford vaccine for COVID19 probably wont be ready by September as reported earlier today. Watch the full interview at 1045PM @ITV #Peston pic.twitter.com/7pVfZWaSCx  Peston (@itvpeston) July 15, 2020

Speaking on ITV's Peston on Wednesday evening, Hancock said: "We're all working towards the best case scenario, we're all giving AstraZeneca and the team at Oxford, and the Imperial vaccine, every possible support, we're working with the other potential vaccines around the world, in America, and Germany, and the Netherlands.

"We're working with them to ensure that if they come off first, that we'll get access to them here.

"But this is an inexact science and it's at risk.

He said the most clinically vulnerable, such as the elderly, and healthcare workers would be the first to get the vaccine, and added that he is expanding the list of professionals who can legally vaccinate, which will include not just GPs but also technicians, nurses and pharmacists.

Story continues

Nurses and pharmacists can already administer certain vaccinations without a prescription from a doctor.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the phase one trial in healthy adult volunteers, which began in April, showed the vaccine generated an immune response, with blood samples indicating it stimulated the body to produce both antibodies and "killer T-cells.

The combination of the two responses "will hopefully keep people safe", a source told the paper.

A person working inside the lab working on a potential COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at Oxford University. (AP)

David Carpenter, chairman of the Berkshire Research Ethics Committee, which approved the Oxford trial and continues to work with scientists on amendments, told the paper that the team were "absolutely on track.

He added: "Nobody can put final dates things might go wrong but the reality is that by working with a big pharma company, that vaccine could be fairly widely available around September and that is the sort of target they are working on.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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Jewellery worth lakhs and Rs 50,000 in cash were burgled from a house near Kolkata on Saturday after most of the family members had to be admitted

to the hospital with COVID-19, police said.

The incident happened in the early hours in South 24 Paraganas district's Pujali area, they said. Four members of the family are in hospital after they tested positive for COVID-19, police said.

They were tested and found to be positive after a member of the family died of the disease recently, a senior police officer said. A woman and child were at the house when the incident took place, he said, adding that they were asleep.

The woman noticed the burglary after she woke up in the morning, he said. The burglars broke in and decamped with golden ornaments worth several lakhs and Rs 50,000 in cash from the house, the officer said.

Locals alleged that despite the area being declared a containment zone there was no police patrolling. Police said an investigation has been started and efforts are on to nab those behind the incident.

A similar incident happened at a house in the same area a few days back after all the members of that family were taken to a quarantine centre.

"We are checking the modus operandi of the gang involved in the incident and hope to track them soon," the officer said.
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, yesterday launched the World Population Day (WPD) in Accra, to raise awareness on population issues.



Set aside by the United Nations, it highlights the problems of increasing population as well as raising awareness about the effects of over-population on the environment and planet.



It was globally held on the theme, Putting the brakes on COVID-19: safeguarding the health of women and girls now.



In a speech read on his behalf, Dr Bawumia expressed appreciation to the National Population Council (NPC) and its partners for making the event possible and working effectively to promote the well-being of women in the country.



According to the Vice President with the current global population of 7.8 billion and an estimated 9 billion people by 2050, Ghana and the world at large would need to prioritise population issues in order to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstance.



Referencing a study by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), he revealed that 800 women globally die every day during the process of childbirth hinting that, if the lockdown continued for six months across the world with continued major disruption to healthcare and services, 47 million women in low and middle income countries might not have access to modern contraceptives to help minimise rapid growth of the worlds population.



This, he said, could lead to seven million unintended pregnancies as well as rise in gender based violence , female genital mutilation and child marriages and thus threaten the transformative results attained so far in raising the health conditions of women.



Dr Bawumia said the dedicated theme of this years WPD assumes critical significance with its primary aim and importance to ensure greater awareness and advocacy for people to boost their sexual and reproductive health and heed to the importance of family planning.



Highlighting the way forward, the Minister for Gender and Social Protection, Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, said population growth constantly acts as a hurdle in effectively addressing the problem of poverty, hunger and malnutrition and in providing the better quality of health and education, with limited resources.



COVID-19 has accentuated these challenges and also raised concerns on the timely attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). It is therefore important to understand that in order to have a better future for all on a healthy planet, attainment of SDGs is critical, she noted



She said government through her ministry had taken the onus to promote awareness and advocate the sexual and reproductive rights of women.



The Board of Director of NPC, Dr Gladys Norley Ashitey, in her submission said, the key stakeholders involved in the empowerment of women needed to be committed to well researched planning and implementation to harness the population growth for the maximum economic benefit of the society and county.



She said there was the need for a proactive measure to avert the unfortunate within the short, medium term run.



Provision of adequate education and training to the large young population would ensure them to be productive, effective and competent, thereby proving themselves as key contributors to economic growth

Source: The Ghanaian Times









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Nearly 280 Vietnamese citizens return from Russia and Belarus

Nearly 280 Vietnamese citizens from Russia and Belarus have just been brought home on a repatriation flight which landed at Van Don International Airport on July 17.









Vietnamese people check in for a repatriation flight at the airport in Moscow on May 12.



According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the flight was arranged by local authorities of the three countries and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.



The passengers included children aged under 18, the elderly, pregnant women, people with illness, workers whose visas and labour contracts expired, students without residence due to the closure of dormitories, and other people facing difficulties in the two countries.



All the passengers and the flight crew members were given health check-ups and sent to quarantine areas right after landing in accordance with current regulations on virus prevention.



This is the third repatriation flight arranged for Vietnamese citizens stranded in Russia due to the Covid-19 pandemic.



Since April 10, Vietnam has organised 55 flights bringing 13,323 citizens home from overseas, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 16.



More flights will be conducted in the near future to bring Vietnamese nationals home, taking into account domestic quarantine capacity.
Experts say vote lacks legitimacy as candidates are either members or allies of Bashar al-Assads Baath Party.

Syria held parliamentary elections across government-controlled areas of the country on Sunday, as President Bashar al-Assad marks 20 years in power amid a continuing war and deep economic woes.

More than 2,000 candidates, including businessmen under recently imposed US sanctions, are running in the legislative election  the third since the start of the 2011 protests and ensuing civil war.

The elections, originally scheduled for April, have been postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Although several lists are running in the polls, real opposition to al-Assads Baath Party is absent in the election.

Opposition groups traditionally tolerated by the government are expected to boycott the vote and the Baath Party is guaranteed to monopolise the new parliament as it has done in previous elections.

In the last vote in 2016, the Baath and its allies took 200 of the 250-seat parliament while the remaining posts went to independent candidates.

Theatrical election

Syrias state news agency SANA showed images of voters casting their ballots inside some of the 7,277 polling centres in the country, including former rebel-held areas that the army recaptured over the last two years.

Today is a political victory that is added to the military victories, said Hussein Arnous, Syrias prime minister.





However, the Syrian National Coalition, an opposition bloc based in Turkey, called it a theatrical election by the Assad regime.

Observers say the contest lacks credibility with the majority of candidates being either part of al-Assads Baath Party or loyal to his regime.

The majority of Syrians believe the election is only a process controlled by the regime to represent itself as a legitimate authority in Syria, said Zaki Mehchy, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House and co-founder of the Syrian Centre for Policy Research.

People know that the majority of MPs are nominated by the Baath party and all of them need to have security approval based on loyalty and not qualifications, he added.

Karam Shaar, an expert on Syria at the Middle East Institute, said: The al-Assad regime uses parliamentary elections to reward loyalty. This time around, warlords and militiamen are expected to gain yet more seats for their contributions to the state over the past four years.

Syrian children living in Atmeh camp, near the Turkey-Syria border [File: Khalil Ashawi/Reuters]

Economic woes

More than 7,000 polling stations have been set up across about 70 percent of the country where the al-Assad government maintains control.

Government forces have been pushing to regain control over areas overtaken by opposition and rebel groups since the start of the war.

Al-Assads troops regained control over Eastern Ghouta in 2018 and southern parts of Idlib after the launch of a Russian-backed offensive to retake the northwest province in late 2019.

Other parts of Idlib remain as the last rebel-held bastion in the country, while large swaths of land along the Turkey-Syria border house millions of internally displaced Syrians from the war.

Syrians living abroad, including millions of refugees forced to leave their homes because of fighting, will not be taking part in the election.

Citizens casting their ballots in Sundays vote are expected to focus on soaring living costs and the countrys dire economic situation.

As nearly 90 percent of the country plunges into poverty, people are increasingly focusing on meeting their basic needs, said Shaar.

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Syrias economy has been in freefall over the past few months with the pound losing about 70 percent of its value, making the price of basic commodities now unaffordable to many Syrians.

Still, observers say most Syrians believe the parliament is not the right channel to solve their economic problems.

The economic situation is choking the average Syrian in both government and rebel areas, said independent researcher Malak Chabkoun.

She explained a deteriorating economy and US sanctions will be at the forefront of the voting agenda, but people will be casting their ballots for candidates they were told [by the government] to vote for.

The Baath Party candidates have [also] added US sanctions to their platform this time around to garner support and cry victim, she added, referring to a range of newly-imposed US sanctions, known as the Caesar Act, that target companies, institutions, and individuals doing business with the al-Assad government.

While analysts say the legislation affects the al-Assad government and its local and foreign backers, humanitarian efforts and civilians in Syria, and neighbouring Lebanon, have also been affected by the sanctions.

Displaced Syrians walking past their makeshift tents in Idlib, Syria [File: Getty Images]

Lack of international recognition

After the vote, the new parliament plans to approve a new constitution, and al-Assad is expected to name a new prime minister. The new parliament will also be expected to approve candidates for the next presidential election.

But experts say the international community will not recognise the vote.

The international community and political opposition groups will not recognise this parliament as a legitimate one, said Mehchy.

A new constitution can be only approved by a new parliament based on a transparent election in which refugees and Syrians outside the country have the right to vote, he explained, adding the coming parliament will only approve candidates nominated and approved by the security agencies.

Al-Assad came to power at the age of 34 in 2000 after nearly 30 years of his fathers rule. He was elected for a third seven-year term in 2014, with the government claiming more than 88 percent of the votes were in his favour.

His time in power has been marred by a bloody civil war that has seen hundreds of thousands of people killed and millions of Syrians displaced inside and outside of the country.

Commenting on al-Assads 20 years in power, Chabkoun said: Bashar has continued the same pattern [as his fathers] of quelling any opposition, disappearing people who speak out against his government, and continuing to control the goods and resources of the country for his family and friends own gain.

According to Freedom House, the Syrian government is considered one of the worlds most repressive regimes, which along with other belligerent forces, has severely compromised Syrians political rights and civil liberties.

According to Mehchy, al-Assads rule has been a catastrophic era, especially the years of conflict since 2011, which he said the governments policies during the first 10 years contributed towards as root causes.

These policies neglected the economic and political exclusion that the majority of Syrians were suffering from, said Mehchy.
Beijings nationalist push to shore up support for the ruling Chinese Communist Party has stoked tensions with Washington, Jessica Chen Weiss has said.

In an article in Foreign Affairs, Weiss said: Although the main objective of Beijings nationalist push has been to build domestic support for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it has also stoked tensions with Washington, as each side tries to outdo the other in shifting blame and avoiding accountability for its handling of Covid-19.

The tit-for-tat rhetoric has already accelerated a race to the bottom in US-Chinese relations and hindered cooperation in fighting the pandemic. For the United States, this more nationalistic Chinese approach will present even greater challenges going forward, hindering US leverage and deterrence in ways that will constrain US policy options, she added.

Relations between the US and China have worsened in recent times over a range of issues including the handling of coronavirus pandemic.

But over the long term, she stated that nationalism will prove even more of a hindrance to Beijings ambitions since it undermines Chinese efforts to attract international support and show global leadership.

Wolf warrior diplomacy might appease Chinese nationalists at home, but it will limit Chinas appeal abroad. And xenophobia and repression in the name of national stability--whether toward African migrants in Guangzhou, Central Asian minorities in Xinjiang, or ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong--have given the lie to Chinese efforts to project a benevolent and magnanimous image, she said.

China has faced criticism for massive abuse of human rights of Uighurs in Xinjiang province.

Even if Beijing recognizes these problems, it will be costly--although not impossible--for the Chinese leadership to constrain the nationalism it has unleashed, said Weiss.

She noted that to some extent, Beijing has already tempered its most aggressive nationalist rhetoric in the face of domestic and international pushback in recent weeks.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has denied that China is trying to export its coronavirus response model. Leading military hawks have cautioned Chinese nationalists against using force to reunify with Taiwan, she said.

Censors have shuttered social media accounts promoting fabricated and misleading claims about India, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam. But despite this modest tamping down of nationalist rhetoric, even Chinas internal reporting suggests that global anti-Chinese sentiment is at its highest point since the 1989 crackdown at Tiananmen Square, she added.

In recent times, China has tried to bully smaller neighbouring countries, aggravating tensions in the region.

Still, she said, more assertive nationalism is likely to remain a feature of Beijings rhetoric and diplomacy, with significant implications for US policy.

The more the CCP prioritizes nationalism and public stability relative to economic growth as sources of domestic legitimacy, the less leverage the United States and other outside powers have, particularly on issues of central importance to Chinas leaders, such as territorial integrity, the article read.

Citing the example of Hong Kong where China has imposed draconian national security law to crush dissent, she said: Take Hong Kong, where Beijing has feared both democratic contagion and a separatist threat to national sovereignty. Threats of economic sanctions have been ineffective at deterring Beijing from pushing through new national security legislation that effectively ends Hong Kongs autonomy.

She highlighted that once mobilized, nationalism creates pressure for the government to talk tough and placate domestic audiences, increasing the costs of restraint.

Cautioning that US policymakers aiming to shape the trajectory of Chinas behaviour and influence must consider both the short- and long-term effects of nationalism on Chinese politics and policy, she said policies to force near-term Chinese restraint may also make medium- or long-term belligerence more likely by hardening the overall opinion climate inside China.

In crafting strategies to deter or punish Beijing, policymakers may end up increasing domestic Chinese demands for tough retaliation, including countermeasures against the range of foreign interests that benefit from access to China--whether scientific, journalistic, or corporate, she said while adding that the more the CCP leans on nationalism, the less worried the United States should be about China as a rival for global leadership.
NEW YORK, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

If you own shares in any of the companies listed above and

would like to discuss our investigations or have any questions concerning

this notice or your rights or interests, please contact:

Joshua Rubin, Esq.

WeissLaw LLP

1500 Broadway, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10036

(212) 682-3025

(888) 593-4771

[email protected]

National General Holdings Corp.

WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of National General Holdings Corp. in connection with the proposed acquisition of the company by The Allstate Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, NGHC shareholders will be entitled to receive $32.00 in cash and an anticipated pre-closing dividend of $2.50 per common share. If you own NGHC shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://weisslawllp.com/national-general-holding-corp/

MYOS RENS Technology Inc.

WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of MYOS RENS Technology Inc. in connection with the proposed merger of the company with privately-held pharmaceutical company MedAvail, Inc. ("MedAvail"). Under the terms of the agreement, all of the assets and liabilities of MYOS (with exception to certain excluded assets) will be contributed to a subsidiary of MYOS, and shares of that subsidiary will then be distributed as a dividend to MYOS shareholders immediately following the closing of the merger. Ultimately, following the closing of the deal, MYOS shareholders will own only 3.5% of the new combined company, with MedAvail's security holders and new investors owning the remaining 96.5% of the new entity. If you own MYOS shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://weisslawllp.com/myos-rens-technology-inc/

Dime Community Bancshares, Inc.

WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. in connection with the proposed merger of the company with Bridge Bancorp, Inc. ("BDGE"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, DCOM shareholders will receive 0.6480 shares of BDGE common stock for each share of DCOM that they hold, representing implied per-share merger consideration of $12.41 based upon BDGE's July 16, 2020 closing price of $19.15. If you own NGHC shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://weisslawllp.com/dime-community-bancshares-inc/

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Photograph: Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images

Covid-19 cases are surging across much of the American south and west, as familiar scenes of weary doctors and nurses in packed hospitals replay across a whole new region.

Related: Coronavirus death rate: what it is, what it isn't and why US can expect it to rise

In Washington, Congress is gearing up to pass another economic stimulus package. Optimistic economists once thought such a package could be unnecessary, but Covid-19 is now expected to continue to hurt the economy.

The White House is reportedly trying to hurt any resultant bill. According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration is pushing to block billions of dollars for state-run testing and tracing, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and attempts to combat the pandemic at the Pentagon and state department.

The US is now logging more than 70,000 new Covid-19 infections a day, according to Johns Hopkins University, up from a low of around 20,000 in early June.

Nearly 3.7 million people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and more than 139,000 have died since January, when the disease was first found in the US.

People continue to regard the virus as a political scheme or conspiracy theory, Dr Chad Dowell, a doctor in Indianola, Mississippi, said in a Facebook post released by South Sunflower county hospital.

People continue to ignore recommended guidelines on how to help slow the virus spread. People continue to complain about wearing a mask. Weve got to do better as a community.

Experts consider rising hospitalization rates a likely harbinger for a surge in US deaths, which as a lagging indicator, have remained relatively low. In the last week, hospitals from Florida to southern California have filled with patients in need of intensive care.

All of our ICU beds are full, Dr Risa Moriarity, the University of Mississippi medical center executive vice-chair, emergency medicine, told local news station WAPT. We have patients in the emergency department who need ICU beds. Theyre on ventilators.

Story continues

7/11 States with high rates, high and rising test positivity: FL, TX, GA, LA, SC, AL, NV, ID. AZ stabilized at high rate. CA, UT and many others intermediate; CA population means large numbers. Reassuring so far but at risk: Northeast, WY, SD. HI and AK low with small increases.  Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) July 17, 2020

At the same hospital, Dr Andy Wilhelm, the head of intensive care, told WAPT: When youre on a hamster wheel, and a lot of people die, its tiring.

At Tampa general hospital in Florida, Dr Jason Wilson, the associate medical director, told the Washington Post: We can withstand a disaster. But we cant withstand a disaster every single day.

How many jumbo jet crashes can you handle before you run out of capacity? Thats what were facing.

Florida officials are dealing with what appears to be an uncontrolled rise in infections.

It took us 100 days to reach the first thousand cases, said Patricia Boswell, a state department of health administrator in Volusia county, which encompasses the Daytona Beach metro area, according to the Daytona News-Journal.

Then, it took 12 days to reach the second thousand cases. Nine days to reach the third thousand cases, and six days later, to exceed 4,000 cases on 13 June. In the past three days, weve had more than 600 cases reported in Volusia.

Last spring, Congress approved the largest ever stimulus package, of $2.2tn in aid. That money went to help flagging businesses shut down by the pandemic, and gave people on unemployment an additional $600 a week.

Those unemployment benefits are expected to run out at the end of this month, if Congress does not act. At the beginning of July, the unemployment rate was above 11%, with 17.8 million out of work.

Republicans are demanding businesses receive liability protection from Covid-19-related injuries, as a part of the new aid package. The Trump administration has provided mixed signals about what it would approve.

Trump himself has repeatedly claimed the US should do fewer tests, so fewer cases will be confirmed.

On Saturday, Sam Hammond of the right-leaning thinktank the Niskanen Center, which has been working with Senate Republicans on testing legislation, told the Post such politicians knew cases were surging in many of their states.

Senate Republicans have asked for funding to help states purchase test kits in bulk, he said. As it currently stands, the main bottleneck to a big ramp-up in testing is less technical than the White Houses own intransigence.

The White House declined to comment.

Even amid the pandemic, Republicans are still hoping to hold local and national conventions, in line with the presidents desire for large crowds to cheer him on in the 2020 campaign.

Republicans in Texas are locked in a court battle to try to salvage the remainder of their state convention. They had hoped to bring thousands to a convention center in Houston, currently one of the worst Covid-19 hotspots in the nation.

City officials cancelled the convention on the grounds it would become a super-spreader event. Texas Republicans sued, and were blocked on appeal, to be left with a virtual-only convention although delegates have arrived in the city, according to Bloomberg News.

The growing pandemic sets an ominous tone for the Republican National Convention, currently set to take place in Jacksonville, Florida, in late August. It has already moved once.

Officials in Charlotte, North Carolina, barred the convention in their city, after Covid-19 cases began to rise. In 2016, 50,000 people flooded into Cleveland, Ohio, for the Republican convention.



Local officials will require masks at the Jacksonville convention, which will be scaled back. The Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced this week 7,000 people would be allowed to attend the largest event, Trumps acceptance speech, the Washington Post reported.
Celestial events have always fascinated humans.

Now, sky-gazers are waiting for Comet NEOWISE, which will appear in the Indian sky this week.

NEOWISE has been named after NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the space telescope that first observed the comet in March.

According to Hindustan Times, the comet will be best viewed with naked eyes around sunset on July 22 and July 23.

"If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, you can see it. As the next couple of days progress, it will get higher in the evening sky, so you're going to want to look northwest right under the Big Dipper," reported space.com quoting Joe Masiero, deputy principal investigator of NEOWISE telescope.

How to spot Comet NEOWISE

Those who want to view the comet need to wait until 45 minutes after sunset when the first stars start appearing.

If people are watching it with naked eyes, it will look like a fuzzy star with a bit of a tail. But, if they use binoculars or a small telescope, they will get a much clearer view.

NEOWISE telescope spotted the comet near Sun on July 3. When it came closer to Sun, its outer layers got scorched, erupting dust, gas and debris from its icy mass. But, Comet NEOWISE has still retained most of its fiery mass.

The comet is expected to disappear by mid-August.
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

In 2009, The New York Post profiled gatekeepers working the doors at New York Citys trendiest nightspots. One was Frans Nieuwendam, who had counterintuitive advice for women hoping to gain his approval for admission to Bijoux, in the meatpacking district: Dont bother trying to flash your way in by showing a lot of skin.

I look for a more sartorial approach rather than a revealing outfit, he said. There is a way to be sexy but still be sophisticated.

Sartorial sophistication was something Mr. Nieuwendam (pronounced NEW-in-dahm) knew a bit about. When he wasnt plying his part-time job as gatekeeper, he was working in the fashion business as a made-to-measure specialist, helping mens wear customers at Barneys and other retailers and as a consultant for, and producer of, fashion shows.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, is considered one of the most important figures not only in the U.K but in the whole world.

For more than six decades, Her Majesty the Queen has been at the forefront of the institution and has turned the British royal family into a global brand that continues to attract worldwide fascination.

Kate Middleton Outshined Queen Elizabeth II

However, with new members joining the monarchy, one royal stood out and transformed into a confident and driven duchess that she is today.

In the latest royal family news, Kate Middleton has swooped her way to the top and has been hailed as the "most popular member of the royal damily" -- ahead of Queen Elizabeth II and sister-in-law Meghan Markle.

Based on the survey conducted by Daily Mirror, the 38-year-old duchess took the top spot and gained 35 percent of the votes, proving that she is a fan-favorite.

The 94-year-old monarch ended up in the second spot with 928 votes, followed by his grandson Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry.

The Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, came in as the fifth favorite most popular royal due to her hundreds of patronages and several royal engagements every year.

Meghan Markle, on the other hand, fell to sixth place, while Zara Tindall (who doesn't have an HRH title) came in at seventh.

Meanwhile, Sophie Wessex, who has been dubbed as the royal family's "secret weapon," is in the eighth spot after stepping up to her A-game during the coronavirus pandemic. She has also been actively doing public duties following the exit of Prince Harry and Meghan.

Unfortunately, Prince Charles gained only 120 votes while Duchess Camilla had 74 votes, which placed them at the ninth and 10th spot.

Hard Work Pays Off!

Furthermore, royal expert and Daily Mirror editor Russell Myers claimed that the Cambridges' popularity has increased over these past few months as they led the monarchy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the Sussexes' popularity went downhill after resigning from their roles as senior members of the royal family and moving to the U.S.

"Harry used to top these polls for eons over the last few years, didn't he and his star is wavering a little bit in certain quarters," Myers mentioned on his show "Pod Save the Queen" together with co-host Ann Gripper.

The royal expert also mentioned Prince William and Kate's contribution to the royal family.

"The Queen, obviously, was front and center for many years before him. But I think this is an indication of how well the Cambridges have done."

Meanwhile, Gripper pointed out how the second in line to the throne was "being a dab hand, both alongside Kate and on his own and very visible during the lockdown, and showing a bit more of his personal side."

She also stressed the great "disappointment" of the public towards Meghan after choosing to leave the U.K.

"Again, I think there's probably a feeling of big hopes and expectations and disappointment that it's not quite how we thought it would be. And maybe some people say, 'Well, they're not quite royal anymore,'" Gripper added.

READ MORE: Kylie Jenner Bikini: 5 SEXIEST Instagram Photos Of Kylie During Quarantine
With Bollywood's nepotism debate gaining speed, filmmaker R. Balki's statement on Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt as the best actors in the industry at present, has sparked outraged reactions. While acknowledging their unfair advantage he sees them as deserving of their position.

With an ongoing debate in Bollywood on nepotism in the industry there has been a constant inflow of defensive and offensive remarks, with a multitude of stances. While most acknowledge the privilege star children possess, some are beginning to come under increasing censure for an insensitive appropriation of that privilege.

Most recently, filmmaker R. Balki contributed to this debate. While he admittedly could not deny the obvious privilege and greater opportunities actors born into the industry are allowed, he took the argument to another level, indicating that these lucky individuals are deserving of their privilege as a result of their superior talent.

While acknowledging the basis for a debate on nepotism, his remark left many in the industry astounded. The Padman director, in an attempt to turn the argument, calling nepotism debates unfair to the talented progeny of those within the industry, instead sounded biased against talent who suffer from a lack of exposure and opportunity.

Also Read: Raat Akeli Hai trailer: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte starrer promises a gripping thriller

Also Read: Aarya Reimagined: A mother becomes a warrior in this animated video

He clearly stated that there is an unfair advantage possessed but took the statement forward by saying that while there are pros and cons, asking a simple question, could anyone tell him if there are any better actors than Ranbir Kapoor or Alia Bhatt.

The inappropriateness of R. Balkis remark met with significant respectful outrage on social media. Shekhar Kapoor, the director of films like Mr. India and Bandit Queen, acknowledging respect for his fellow contemporary R. Balki, adamantly defied him.

He tweeted, that having watched Kai Po Che! once again the previous evening, he witnessed unbelievably stunning performances by Rajkummar Rao, Amit Sadh and late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, all new and young actors at the time, not born into the industry. In a separate tweet he acknowledged the brilliance of innumerable actors entering Bollywood through the theatre industry and back-handedly denied the superiority accorded to star children.

Have huge respect for you, Balki. But i just saw Kai Po Che again last night. Three new young actors at that time. And stunning believable performances by each @filmfare https://t.co/cIvSVsfNJR  Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) July 17, 2020

Best actors today are coming from theatre. Theres new found respect for them. And confidence.

Ive worked with Naseer, Shabana,Satish Kaushik, Seema Biswas and entire cast of Bandit Queen, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Heath Ledger Daniel Craig Eddy Redmayne

All are from theatre  Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) July 17, 2020

In a more veiled response, Tapsee Pannu also reacted on social media with a statement that said a race is fair, and its result only valid if the starting point for all involved is the same. While her remark is assumed to be a criticism of Bollywoods nepotism, she did not go as far as to clarify her statement.

A race is fair, the result is valid, only if the starting point was the same for every player. If not, the comparison and the ensuing onslaught will take away the dignity of the sport eventually. #JustAThought #AppliesToLife  taapsee pannu (@taapsee) July 17, 2020

A significant reaction was also drawn from Avinash Tiwari. He asserted that better actors could not be known of if they arent given an opportunity and no effort is made to step out and watch them. Many reactions to his tweet came through, and actor Apurva Asrani also responded with a list of significant actors.

Dear #RBalki Sir, you would not know of the better Actors if they are not given an opportunity and you don't step out to watch them. https://t.co/hlyRMhGAsq  Avinash Tiwary (@avinashtiw85) July 17, 2020

Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann, Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, Richa Chaddha. Many others too if we look beyond A list film families, and take a few chances. I love Ranbir & Alia, but please, they aren't the only good actors. https://t.co/G8ddYv8LVc  Apurva (@Apurvasrani) July 17, 2020

These statements are an interesting division of Bollywood into two camps, one in support of nepotism and another involved in a fight for equal opportunities and acknowledgement.

Also Read: Sonakshi Sinha reveals her look from Bhuj: The Pride of India

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It's strange to think back to life before the pandemic  just seven months ago a world with Covid-19 didnt even exist. Family and friends could be greeted with hugs, and evenings and weekends were whiled away in packed, noisy restaurants and bars.

When old footage of a crowd pops up on TV, I now have to remind myself it was normal to stand closer than a metre or two apart.

Hopefully a vaccine can soon be found and some sense of normality will return. But there are some things which I hope will stick.

Before Covid-19, getting an appointment at my GP surgery  and most others  was a scramble. Demand vastly exceeded supply.

But every day there would be no-shows  patients would simply not turn up for their appointment. No call, no cancellation.

It made me so cross. I even wrote an article suggesting that everyone should be charged 50p to see their GP  a bit like the plastic bag tax we all now pay. The whole situation was a shambles.

Almost overnight, GPs were catapulted into the 21st Century and suddenly, video and phone GP consultations became the norm, appointment-booking processes were overhauled and the patients who really needed help fast, got it

For years weve been shopping, banking and ordering takeaways online, but the NHS was lagging well behind. It was clear it needed an upgrade, but far too much time was being wasted, agonising over what might go wrong.

Some doctors were dragging their feet too, fearing technology might change the essence of the patient-GP relationship.

Then lockdown happened. There was no time for red tape or indecision. We had to work out quickly how best to deliver care to patients at home.

And almost overnight, GPs were catapulted into the 21st Century.

Suddenly, video and phone GP consultations became the norm, appointment-booking processes were overhauled and the patients who really needed help fast, got it.

The shift, made possible thanks to tech firms implementing fit-for-purpose systems in record speed and practice staff who rose to the challenge, has been breathtakingly fast.

When the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the UK back in January, 71 per cent of GP consultations were carried out face-to-face, figures from the Royal College of GPs show.

Now the picture is reversed: the proportion of appointments held remotely has soared to 71 per cent.

If youd shown me these numbers before the pandemic, I would have found them alarming. Face-to-face appointments are essential for building rapport with your patients, and you can also pick up on symptoms or problems that you might otherwise have missed without seeing someone. I believed technology might limit this vital contact, but it hasnt.

Before lockdown, I thought it was a great innovation that I could send a text message to my patients. They couldnt reply, but it meant I could let them know quickly if their blood results were fine, send reminders or useful links to online information.

Just 48 hours after the announcement of strict restrictions on our lives, the options at my disposal expanded vastly, and we were given the green light to have video consultations with patients.

Using this technology I have seen new babies with their mums and keyworkers who were unable to get to an appointment, and checked up on shielding patients and care home residents too.

For years weve been shopping, banking and ordering takeaways online, but the NHS was lagging well behind

My patients can now reply to texts, and I can send them documents such as fit notes (once known as sick notes) or referral letters securely to their phone. If you need a prescription, its sent straight to your pharmacy  meaning you no longer need to pick up a green slip from reception.

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Most surgeries now ask patients who wish to book an appointment to fill out an online form, giving plenty of information. If its just a letter that they need, admin staff can handle that. Complex problems can be forwarded on to your doctor  you might need a face-to-face appointment, or you might not.

There have been understandable concerns that many cancer diagnoses are being missed. Last month, Cancer Research UK said an estimated two million people were waiting for breast, bowel or cervical screening.

But during lockdown, patients who have come to me with symptoms have been diagnosed quicker than ever  with most seen within 48 hours instead of the usual two, three or four week wait for that first GP appointment. One of my patients was diagnosed with breast cancer after a video consultation raised alarm bells and then after she came in for a quick face-to-face appointment she was immediately referred. Another was diagnosed with bowel cancer after speaking to me on the phone.

Our tech system now allows patients to send us images from their phone, say of a strange growth. This has been transformational in the diagnosis and treatment of skin troubles.

A friend who had a skin infection on his face sent pictures to his GP at 10.23am on a Friday morning. A treatment cream was prescribed and sent to his pharmacy, and at 10.49am he was told it was ready to be collected.

But if you dont have a smartphone, you wont be left behind. The reception telephone lines are now freed up, so you can speak to a member of staff directly, without wasting any time on hold.

And no-shows are a thing of the past too. Last year, the magazine GPonline revealed that patients fail to attend an estimated 16.4 million appointments over a 12-month period. Thats the equivalent of 375 average GP surgeries opening every day of the year without their doctors seeing a single patient.

NHS guidelines now recommend that practices permanently move away from the old first-come, first-served system, which will ensure that patients in greatest need of support are seen first

But this problem has evaporated. We have a list of people we need to call, and we just work through it. If we dont get an answer, well move on to the next appointment then try again later, perhaps three to five times depending on how concerned we are to speak to the patient.

These changes will be long lasting. NHS guidelines now recommend that practices permanently move away from the old first-come, first-served system, which will ensure that patients in greatest need of support are seen first.

I am, of course, concerned some patients may still be hesitant about using up NHS time during the pandemic  appointments, in numbers, are down overall.

But could it be that we are also getting better at working out who really needs to see a doctor or nurse? Its not just GPs either. Hospitals have also gone online, helping thousands of patients see specialists without leaving home.

Moorfields Eye Hospital in London now hosts 600 video appointments a week, including consultations after surgery and check-ups for people with long-term conditions.

There is even a virtual A&E service dedicated to emergency cases, with a waiting room where patients are prioritised. Patients are typically able to see a doctor within one minute of logging on.

Surgeons have embraced technology too.

According to the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 90 per cent of them have used telephone or video for consultations and outpatient clinics during the pandemic.

And as this newspaper reported last week, patients with chronic wounds  ulcers and cuts, usually on the legs, that fail to heal  are also benefiting from virtual care. Legs Matter, the UKs leading charity for leg and foot problems, believes half a million sufferers are now treating themselves effectively at home, thanks to guidance they have received via video or phone calls from specialist nurses.

When we look back on the impact of Covid-19 on the nations health, there will no doubt be lasting, damaging consequences. But I believe there will be a silver lining too, and that is the technological transformation of the NHS.

The health service has always been slow to change, and many will ask why, if all this was possible, did we not do it sooner. Only policymakers and Government will have the answer. The truth is, Covid-19 forced this action. And, in years to come, I think we will realise that not being able to see patients could very well be the best thing that could have happened to the NHS.
ATLANTA (AP)  John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, has died. He was 80.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis passing late Friday night, calling him one of the greatest heroes of American history.

All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing, Pelosi said. May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make good trouble, necessary trouble.

The condolences for Lewis were bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Lewis was a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles. 

Lewiss announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer  I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now, he said  inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.

The announcement of his death came just hours after the passing of the Rev. C.T. Vivian, another civil rights leader who died early Friday at 95.

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

At age 25  walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat  Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the countrys attention on racial oppression in the South.

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Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

He loved this country so much that he risked his life and its blood so that it might live up to its promise, President Barack Obama said after Lewis' death. Early on, he embraced the principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as the means to bring about real change in this country.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal I Have a Dream speech.

A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a scorched earth march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.

It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.

Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his familys farm and attended segregated public schools.

As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabamas segregated Troy State University.

He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.

Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.

The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didnt come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Selma to Montgomery, Alabamas capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.

Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.

Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.

He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his partys senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.

In an early setback for Barack Obamas 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.

President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday praised Lewis as a giant who became the conscience of the nation.

Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill  but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.

He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.

Lewis refused to attend Trumps inauguration, saying he didnt consider him a legitimate president because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from s---hole countries, Lewis declared, I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.

Lewis said hed been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally hed do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.

There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free, Lewis said in June, recalling the good trouble he got into protesting segregation as a young man.

If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us, he shouted. I will go to the border. Ill get arrested again. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.

In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do? what did you say? While the vote would be hard for some, he said: We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.

Lewis wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.

___

Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.
As the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, the Center for the National Interests Korean Studies team decided to ask dozens of the worlds top experts a simple question: Do you believe that the Korean War will finally come to an end before its next major anniversary in 2025? The below piece of The National Interest is an answer to that question.

Will the Korean War come to an end before it turns seventy-five years old in 2025? For many, the question may sound odd. Despite the resurgence of tensions, we are not actually fighting. However, the question means something quite different. Will the Armistice Agreement, signed not by national representatives but by military leaders, be replaced by a peace agreement?

The prospects of such an outcome by 2025just over one presidential term in the futureare not zero. But they are pretty close to zero. The problem is that there is no clear path to such an agreement that would be acceptable to all parties. This can be seen by considering what the terms peace agreement and peace regime mean to North Korea.

In general, North Korean usage sees a peace agreement as a bilateral arrangement to be struck with the United States that would settle outstanding issues and set in train a process of mutual recognition and diplomatic normalization. Pyongyang has attached a variety of conditions to such an agreement, sometimes to be achieved in advance, sometimes exhibiting more flexibility about when mutual concessions would actually be made. These demands have included a full or partial withdrawal of American troops, a suspension of exercises, the lifting of bilateraland now multilateralsanctionsand the elusive but often-repeated demand for the United States to end its hostile policy.

The United States asks has consistently centered on bringing North Korea into compliance with its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Since the first nuclear test in 2006, that would now require an actual rollback of existing capabilities. Such an outcome is a much harder lift than the Obama administration faced in negotiating with Iran when the country had not broken out. It is exceedingly difficult to imagine an American president signing a peace agreement with a nuclear North Korea, let alone moving formally to replace the armistice with a new peace architecture.

That sequencing, though, may beg the question, and here is where those slim chances of a path to peace might lie. If nuclear negotiations narrowly conceived have proven a nonstarter, then why not throw everything on the tablefirst bilaterally, drawing on the summit processes set in train since 2018, and then multilaterally as conditions ripen? Such a negotiating process would try to solve the recurrent problem of sequencingwho moves firstby outlining a comprehensive path to mutual recognition and a peace regime in which there are no preconditions whatsoever.

At this juncture, it is pretty clear that the leadership for such an initiative is missing in action. The president has said openly that he has no interest in tackling this issue prior to the elections. At the same time, the United States has given President Moon Jae-in precious little wiggle room to develop a North-South channel. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has effectively played the role of Dr. No to virtually anything Seoul might seek to do on the North-South front, adding an additional strain to those imposed by the embarrassing United States overbidding with respect to the host-nation support negotiations.

Would a Biden administration do any better? I honestly doubt it, but perhaps not for lack of trying. The sad fact is that North Korea has become quite comfortable with its nuclear weapons. Hopes that either expanding our offers or turning the sanctions screw one more notch will yield a different outcome seem unlikely.

The advice that springs from this pessimism is not entirely pessimistic, however. A Biden could provide Moon some space to breathe on the issue; indeed, reducing the low-level tensions between Washington and Seoul would probably strengthen the credibility of the deterrent. Putting more generous offers on the table might be useful if the Kim regime were to magically change its mind about its nuclear and missile programs. But magical thinking is not policy. We are in a containment world, and the armistice is likely to remain an integral part of that world for some time.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 20:17:10|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt reopened 31 more hotels for tourists last week amid anti-COVID-19 measures, raising the number of hotels reopened nationwide to 572, an Egyptian tourism ministry official said in a statement on Saturday.

The hotels have been reopened with a limited capacity after receiving an official hygiene safety certificate issued by a joint inspection commission from the ministries of tourism and health, said Abdel-Fattah al-Aasy, assistant minister of tourism and antiquities for monitoring hotel facilities.

Egypt started reopening hotels in mid-May, but they were limited to local tourism initially due to the international flight suspension.

The North African country started to resume international flights on July 1 amid a "coexistence plan" to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities.

The government has recently lifted a partial nighttime curfew it has been imposing since late March, and reopened restaurants, cafes, theaters and cinemas, as well as hotels, museums and archeological sites for tourists, all with limited capacity.

Tourism is one of the main sources of national income and foreign currency in Egypt. The country's tourism revenues hit a record high of 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2019.

Until Friday night, Egypt has registered a total of 86,474 COVID-19 cases, including 4,188 deaths and 27,302 recoveries. Enditem
More Ghanaians are scheduled to be evacuated from London to Ghana in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

A statement issued by the Ghana High Commission in London said the government is working with KLM to evacuate Ghanaians home on Monday, July 27, 2020.

Kindly refer to the High Commission's earlier communications on the evacuation exercises and note that per directives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, arrangements have been made with KLM for stranded Ghanaians to be evacuated to Accra from Amsterdam at 10.00 am on Monday 27th July 2020 at a cost to be confirmed by KLM.

It should be noted that persons who wish to take advantage of the flight are to make reservations to enable them to arrive in Amsterdam to board the flight to Accra at the scheduled date and time.

The statement indicated that persons who wish to take advantage of the offer to return home should have paid for their hotel reservations where they will be quarantined for the required number of days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It should be noted that the affected persons must have paid for the cost of hotel reservations directly to any of the 45 hotels attached prior to departure.

It added: Passengers are to carry the appropriate PPE i.e. face masks before boarding the flight; all passengers also to note that they will cover the cost of mandatory 14-day quarantine with a possible extension to 21 days depending on individual's case. The cost of quarantine as indicated below per night must be paid directly to a selected hotel before passengers are allowed to travel.

The statement further indicated that: Eligible nationals and Resident Permit holders who are prepared to pay for their cost of travel to Ghana from Amsterdam must submit their details specified below to the Ghana High Commission as follows:  name, passport number, telephone, not later than noon on Saturday 25th July 2020.

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At least persons, including children, were killed when a bomb exploded at Yammama village in Malumfashi local government area of Katsina...

At least persons, including children, were killed when a bomb exploded at Yammama village in Malumfashi local government area of Katsina state on Saturday.

A source revealed that the bomb was planted inside a farm in the village.

Many persons who sustained injuries in the attack are currently receiving treatment at General Hospital in Malumfashi.





Gambo Isah, police public relations officer in the state, confirmed the incident, saying six other children were injured in the blast which occurred around 11:30am on Saturday.

DPO Malumfashi reported that a loud sound was heard inside the farm of one Alhaji Hussaini Maikwai.

On receipt of the information, the DPO led Operation Puff Adder to the scene, Isah said.





The explosion killed five children that belonged to one Alhaji Adamu of Yammama village in Malumfashi local government area. It also injured six other children, who were sitting under the tree inside the farm.





The police spokesman added that the children went to the farm to cut grass for animals.





He said the scene had been preserved, while detectives from police explosive ordinance development (EOD) are currently conducting investigation.





No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in the state where armed bandits have killed many residents.





Last month, protesters hit the streets of Katsina, calling on the government to make more efforts to end the killings.




VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday asked the state government why its directive reinstating N. Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner had not been implemented.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice M. Satyanarayana Murthy, also asked Ramesh Kumar to approach Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan for appointment as the SEC. The court, which was hearing the contempt case filed by Kumar, directed the state government to file a counter-affidavit within a week.

When S. Sriram, advocate general, brought to the courts notice about the state government filing a Special Leave Petition challenging the HC order, the Chief Justice reminded him that the apex court did not stay the HC order. The Supreme Court refused to stay twice and said it is the responsibility of the State to implement the HC order, he pointed out.

Earlier, Ashwini Kumar, counsel for the petitioner, brought to the courts notice about the state not acting on the HC orders and he read out relevant paragraphs in the judgment in support of his claim for reinstatement. When the Bench observed that the petitioner should approach the Governor as he is the appointing authority under Article 243 (k) of Constitution, Ashwini Kumar informed the Court about his petitioner sending a mail to the Governor explaining about the judgment and seeking reinstatement.

The Chief Justice asked the petitioner to submit the copy of the communication and make a fresh attempt to approach the Governor.

The petitioner made Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, Panchayat Raj principal secretary Gopalakrishna Dwivedi and SEC secretary Vani Mohan as respondents in their individual capacity.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement on Tuesday night that Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes will be discontinued. However, in his televised address to the nation, Modi assured the common people that their money remains safe. Just as the banks started rolling out new high-denomination currency notes on Thursday, people in Delhi proudly posed for photos with their prized possession.

1.Banks roll out new series of high-denomination currency notes

Just as the banks started rolling out new high-denomination currency notes on Thursday, people in Delhi proudly posed for photos with their prized possession. Two Delhi residents Rajnish and Ahmad told India News that they feel relieved to get the new currency from their bank.

2.Ishaat Hussain replaces Cyrus Mistry as interim chairman of TCS

Tata sons has appointed Ishaat Hussain as the interim chairman of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Hussain has replaced Cyrus Mistry who was sacked by the company management last month. Hussain has been serving as the finance director of the company since July 2000. Earlier, he joined the board of Tata Sons as executive director in July 1999.

3.US: Many injured in shooting during anti-Trump rally in Seattle

At least four-five people are reportedly injured in a shooting incident at an anti-Trump rally in Seattle, Washington, police said on Wednesday. Seattle Police Department said its officers are investigating the incident.

4.Army foils infiltration bid, kills one terrorist in Rampur sector of J-K

An infiltration bid was foiled by Army in north Kashmir's Baramula district on Thursday. According to police official, One infiltrator has been killed,. The Preliminary reports suggest that the Army spotted a group of infiltrators in Uri Sector , about 100 km north of Srinagar.

5.PM Modi makes a surprise stopover in Thailand to pay respects to late King Bhumibol

En route to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday made a surprise stopover in the Thai capital to pay his respects to revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last month after a protracted illness.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Screening entire populations for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations could prevent millions more breast and ovarian cancer cases across the world compared to current clinical practice, according to an international study led by Queen Mary University of London. The research also shows that it is cost effective in high and upper-middle income countries.

The most well-known breast and ovarian cancer causing genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. These gene mutations cause around 10-20 per cent of ovarian and 6 per cent of breast cancers. If mutation carriers could be identified before they develop disease, most of these cancers could be prevented by drugs, increased screening or surgery.

Current clinical guidelines globally only recommend genetic testing for high-risk women, for example, if they fulfil certain clinical criteria or if there is a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. However, over 50 per cent of BRCA carriers do not meet these criteria so are not tested, and over 97 per cent of BRCA carriers in the UK population remain unidentified.

This new study was supported by the NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellowship and women's cancer charity The Eve Appeal and published in the journal Cancers. The researchers estimated the cost-effectiveness and health impact of BRCA testing in the general population, compared with current standard clinical testing of women designated as high risk, in countries considered high income (UK/USA/Netherlands), upper-middle income (China/Brazil), and low-middle income (India).

The researchers modelled a number of scenarios of population based BRCA-testing and compared the costs and health impact to the current family history based policy. Cost effectiveness was calculated from both a societal and a payer perspective. A payer perspective only includes medical costs incurred by the health system or health providers (such as costs of genetic testing, screening, prevention and cancer treatment). A societal perspective also takes into account costs such as the impact of income lost from inability to work and shorter life spans due to cancer.

The research team found that population based testing was extremely cost effective in high and upper middle income countries from a payer perspective. From a societal perspective it was cost saving in high income countries and cost effective in middle income countries like China and Brazil. Costs of BRCA testing would need to fall to around USD $172 to become cost effective in low income countries like India.

Findings suggest that population based BRCA testing can prevent an additional 2,319-2,666 breast cancer and 327-449 ovarian cancer cases per million women than the current clinical strategy. Over the course of a lifetime, this translates to preventing around an additional 57,700 breast cancer and 9,700 ovarian cancer cases in the UK; 269,000 breast cancer and 43,800 ovarian cancer cases in the USA; 15,000 breast cancer and 2,500 ovarian cancer cases in the Netherlands; 1,050,300 breast cancer and 154,700 ovarian cancer cases in China; 156,300 breast cancer and 25,170 ovarian cancer cases in Brazil; and 692,570 breast cancer and 97,650 ovarian cancer cases in India.

Lead researcher Professor Ranjit Manchanda from Queen Mary University of London said: "General population BRCA testing can bring about a new paradigm for improving global cancer prevention. Why do we need to wait for people to develop a preventable cancer to identify others in whom we can prevent cancer? Strategies and pathways for population testing must be developed to enable population genomics to achieve its potential for maximising early detection and cancer prevention.

"With the costs of testing falling this can provide huge new opportunities for cancer prevention and changes in the way we deliver cancer genetic testing. This approach can ensure that more women can take preventative action to reduce their cancer risk or undertake regular screening."

Dr Rosa Legood, Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine added: "Our analysis shows that testing all women for BRCA mutations is a more cost-effective strategy which can prevent these cancers in high risk women and save lives. This approach has important implications given the effective options that are available for breast and ovarian cancer risk management and prevention for women at increased risk."

Athena Lamnisos, CEO, Eve Appeal said: "We must invest in cancer prevention -- this is what will save most lives and also be cost effective within cash-strapped healthcare systems. The evidence emerging from this study is an exciting step forward: we can stop cancer before it has a chance to start through broadening a simple genetic test to a wider population. At The Eve Appeal we work with women given a heart-breaking diagnosis of cancer, this is really hard news to process when they find out they carry a mutation which could have been identified at an early stage and their cancer prevented. For those women and their loved ones, this research provides hope."

This research was led by Prof Ranjit Manchanda (Queen Mary University of London) and supported by Dr Rosa Legood (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine). This research was an international collaboration involving research teams from Queen Mary University of London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and involved Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands); Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Peking University, Beijing (China); Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India); Presidency University, Kolkata (India); Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata (India); University of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Newcastle University (UK).
Hayden Panettiere is hoping to support victims of domestic abuse with her story.

In a statement to PEOPLE on Friday, the actress addressed the alleged abuse she faced at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson after he was arrested on Thursday and charged with felony assault stemming from previous incidents.

"I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve," said Panettiere, 30. "I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I'm grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life."

Her attorney Alan Jackson issued the following statement: "After suffering for years as the victim of psychological, emotional and severe physical abuse, Hayden Panettiere has begun the process of taking back her life. Hayden has found the strength and courage to share the truth about her abuse and her abuser, and she intends to assist the prosecution to see that justice is served. As a survivor, she recognizes that her arduous journey of healing has just begun."

Panettiere and Hickerson started dating after reports circulated that she and then-fiance Wladimir Klitschko had split in August 2018. Panettiere and Klitschko, 44, share daughter Kaya, 5, who lives in Ukraine with her father.

A source close to the actress told PEOPLE that Panettiere is "taking this incredibly brave step as part of her recovery process."

"She has been undergoing successful treatment for alcohol abuse issues and is focused on healing, sobriety and recovery," the source said. "She wants to be honest about what happened in the hope that it may help someone else who is dealing with emotional abuse, intimidation or physical violence."

"This is a turning point for her as she stands up for herself, her family and the many other people impacted by intimate partner violence," the source added.

Story continues

A criminal indictment obtained by PEOPLE establishes that Hickerson, 31, was arrested on Thursday on multiple felony charges, including four charges of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, two charges of assault, and one of intimidating a witness, his ex-girlfriend Panettiere.

The charges stem from from alleged incidents between May 2019 and June 2020. His arraignment is scheduled for Monday.

According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and inmate records, he currently remains in custody and is being held on a $320,000 bail.

Hickerson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether he has retained an attorney.

The charges come after a source confirmed to PEOPLE on Wednesday that Panettiere had filed to register an out-of-state restraining order against Hickerson in California.

Hickerson was arrested on Valentine's Day in Jackson, Wyoming. He was charged with domestic battery and interference with a cop, both misdemeanor charges in Wyoming, a spokesperson for the Teton County Sheriff's Office told PEOPLE at the time. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Hickerson allegedly punched Panettiere "with a closed fist on the right side of her face."

Hickerson reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charge in April. A jury trial was reportedly scheduled for September.

In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested on a domestic violence charge and released on bail. According to the felony complaint obtained by PEOPLE at the time, prosecutors had alleged Hickerson "willfully inflicted corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon Hayden P."

He pleaded not guilty to one count of felony domestic violence later that month; the case was dismissed at the end of September. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said at the time, "Our office was unable to proceed because we could not secure a material witness."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
(Photo : NASA/Kim Shiflett) Behind the rope, SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk (left) and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine greet NASA astronauts Robert Behnken (left) and Douglas Hurley inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the agencys SpaceX Demo-2 mission. The launch, initially scheduled for May 27, 2020, was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather conditions around Launch Complex 39A. (Photo : Steve Jurvetson/Unsplash) At the Tesla Annual Shareholders Meeting today. (Photo : Ontario Images/Wiki Commons) How to update your style to suit the Silicon Valley lifestyle

For years, a lot of technological advances happen in Silicon Valley with tech employees and executives wear business casual fashion at all times. However, it seems that was already a thing of the past as tech CEOs seemed to outgrow their usual jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers.

In 2017, Business Insider listed some top tech executives and how they do their fashion. Surprisingly, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was then at the bottom of the list as he has worn the same set of clothes: jeans, hoodie, gray crewneck shirt, and Nike running shoes.

However, Zuckerberg chucked his casual look for a more business-type look with his well-fitted pair of suit-and-tie as he is seen in important events.

Unlike Zuckerberg, Elon Musk is seen in various looks. While he looks good on his tuxedo, he can also be seen with an Alexander McQueen velvet jacket or in a Tesla graphic tee.

Known as a billionaire, the Business Insider identified Musk as the real-life Tony Stark, even with his clothing style that puts him above many of his colleagues. As the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, Musk has been running multiple companies.

This may be the reason for the differences in his looks as he knows the importance of dressing up appropriately when going out in public. This was noted by a Quora user who responded to a question as "Why do Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos not practice wearing the same type of clothing daily like Mark Zuckerberg does?" Another respondent simply answered: "Different strokes for different folks." She also noted that the difference in style is apparent because "Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos aren't Mark Zuckerberg."

Similarly, Jeff Bezos went through a style revamp three years ago, which somehow reflects the style update in Silicon Valley.

Like Musk, the Amazon CEO's fashion sense came a long way. He seems to be into health and wellness nowadays as he is seen in slim-fit suits, high-end sunglasses, tight polos, and t-shirts. He also matches his looks with cool outwear like jackets and vests. His new looks prove he now puts attention on how his clothes look and feel.

How to update the Silicon Valley-style

For seven years of working, Stylist Kimberly Gant's clientele includes tech workers and executives from startups and tech companies in Silicon Valley. Many of these elites think that sporting the right pair of kicks suggests creativity, exclusivity, power, and casualness. She noted that Bay Area workers are now more aware of how they want to present themselves.

Well-fitted jeans is a must

Having a pair of jeans that do not fit is distressing, so Gant advised finding a tailor or brand that suits the body type. She also suggested paying attention to fabrics of the garment, which may feel nice in the dressing room, but does not give the right fit.

Focus on the color and quality of the garments

To look good and confident, people must understand what colors look good on them. Also, they must focus on the quality of the product and properly taking care of them.

Wear clean and good looking shoes

For many tech execs, getting pairs is an important part of their style. This is why we see Zuckerberg or Musk on their sneaker, which is not also comfortable to wear but also shows off a lot of character. Changing shoes is the easiest way to update a person's wardrobe.

Gant urges people to seek professional help when they feel like updating their look. One does not need to be a billionaire to do so, but top executives should be careful of how they look in public because it says much about their character and how they do business.

"While style can be super analytical, there is an art to it too," Gant added.

Read also: Tesla Epic Moment? Watch How This Driver Tries to Fill His Tesla With Gas; Here's What to Do if your Run Out of Power?

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Enid Maude Lindeman grew up in Strathfield, Sydney, the granddaughter of Henry Lindeman, founder of the famous Hunter Valley vineyard Cawarra. Tall, beautiful and spirited, she would marry and be widowed four times: twice to the wealthy sons of shipping magnates, once to a famous soldier and, lastly, to a larger-than-life London journalist and aristocrat named Valentine Castlerosse.

At the end of World War II, she and her three children  Rory, Pat and Caryll  moved to a palatial home called La Fiorentina, at Cap Ferat on the French Riviera, which she allegedly won in a card game at the Monte Carlo casino.

Enid as a young bride in 1913. It was the first of her four marriages.

Enid had had her fill of husbands. If she married again, given her record of four dead husbands, then the unlucky groom would undoubtedly die, and sooner rather than later, as she told one suitor who quickly withdrew the offer of matrimony. With the notion of pandering to the whims of a lover fading after the death of Valentine Castlerosse, her desire for adult male companionship was satisfied by the attention of her son Rory, who was as attentive as any husband, and the accidental hiring of a man to be her ladys maid.

The young man in question was Walter, the footman with the short leg, who was asked to fill in when Enids maid suddenly retired. Rather than be insulted by the notion, Walter had set about his new task with vigour, and was placed in charge of dressing her ladyship each morning, choosing her clothes and advising on style and make-up. He even helped her dress. Enid was happy with Walters attention to detail and decided to keep him on.
In life he was known as one of the Big Six of the civil rights movement and later nicknamed the Conscience of Congress. In death, praise has poured in from former presidents and political opponents alike.

Tributes are being paid to the American civil rights leader John Lewis, who has passed away aged 80.

Former US leaders Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are among the heavyweights who have honoured the activist turned congressman.

"He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise, Mr Obama said in a statement online.

And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example."

Mr Clinton and wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, released a joint statement saying: "We have lost a giant.

It added: "John Lewis gave all he had to redeem America's unmet promise of equality and justice for all, and to create a place for us to build a more perfect union together."

Congressman Lewis was a towering figure even among the giants of the Sixties civil rights movement.

He was one of the so-called Big Six activists, led by the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, and was a pivotal and oft-inspirational figure in some of the biggest moments in the drive for a more equal America.

During the famous 1963 March on Washington, he spoke to massed crowds just before King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. Two years later, Lewis led 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama. His brutal assault by police that day  which left him with a fractured skull  drew condemnation from across the planet and was widely seen as a moment that won public support for the movement.

In 1987, the son of an Alabama sharecropper was elected as congressman for Georgia, a position he continued to hold until his death, from cancer, on Friday. His ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality earned him the nickname, the Conscience of Congress. Only last month, he voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labelled him "a titanwhose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation."

But it was not just fellow Democrats who honoured the congressman.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  who himself has served since 1984  described Lewis as a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles.

Although being active on Twitter, president Donald Trump  who had several run-ins with Lewis  has not yet commented.
Rep. John Lewis, the longtime civil rights activist and ordained Baptist minister who preached about getting in good trouble, died Friday at the age of 80.

From childhood, when Lewis preached to chickens on his family farm, to his twilight years, when he urged National Prayer Breakfast attendees to be a blessing to our fellow human beings, faith was the fuel of Lewiss life.

As a people of faith, as a people of hope, we need the blessing of God Almighty, he prayed as he uttered a benediction for the February breakfast via videotape, with a photo of the US Capitol as a backdrop. It does not matter what language you speak or the color of your skin, it does not matter whether you worship one God, many gods, or no gods. We are one people, one family.

The Congressional Black Caucus announced the death of its longtime member in a statement Friday.

The world has lost a legend; the civil rights movement has lost an icon, the City of Atlanta has lost one of its most fearless leaders, and the Congressional Black Caucus has lost our longest serving member, it said.

The Georgia congressman had announced in December 2019 that he been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. That announcement prompted tweeted prayers from luminaries ranging from William Barber II to Fox Business News anchor Lou Dobbs to former President Barack Obama.

Hearing of Lewiss death, Obama said: He believed that in all of us, there exists the capacity for great courage, a longing to do whats right, a willingness to love all people, and to extend to them their God-given rights to dignity and respect. And its because he saw the best in all of us that he will continue, even in his passing, to serve as a beacon in that long journey towards a more perfect union.

Lewis recounted his young days of ministry in March, the award-winning graphic novel series about his life in rural Alabama, his role in interfaith and interracial civil rights marches and his leadership as a Democratic congressman.

He preached his first public sermon five days before he turned 16, on the theme A Praying Mother, based on the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. A nearby newspaper wrote about it, featuring his photo: That was the first time I ever saw my name in print, he wrote in the first book of the trilogy of graphic novels.

He attended segregated schools, often hiding under the front porch and running to catch the bus so he could get his education and escape the grueling tasks of planting and harvesting crops. As he grew up, sometimes carrying his Bible to school, the future congressman was influenced by the faith and activism of lay people such as Rosa Parks and clergy like Martin Luther King Jr., who he first met in 1958.

In the book Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America, Lewis included a chapter on faith. In it, he talked about living out principles of compassion and unity, concepts he said were shared by a range of faith groups, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and others.

It was no accident that the movement was led primarily by ministersnot politicians, presidents or even community activistsbut ministers first, who believed they were called to the work of civil rights as an expression of their faith, he wrote in the book co-authored with Brenda Jones. Religious faith is a powerful connecting force for any group of people who are working toward social change.

Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, noted that Lewis is among the key men and women who accompanied King and made sacrifices for benefits Wesley and others in the next generation now reap.

John Lewis is clearly one of thosean inspiration to me to be reminded that the true legacy of any person is not what they achieve or acquire, but what they do for others, said Wesley, who was a Martin Luther King Jr. scholar at Boston Universitys theology school. Thats why we loved him so much. Thats why we mourn him.

In 1961, Lewis applied to be a Freedom Rider, a member of a corps of civil rights workers who sought to desegregate buses in the South.

In the 2020 documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble, the native of rural Alabama recalled how he ate Chinese food for the first time at a Washington restaurant just before embarking on his first Freedom Ride.

Someone that evening said, You should eat well because this might be like the Last Supper, he recalled.

Lewis was arrested dozens of times40 instances in the 1960s aloneand faced angry and violent opponents.

He was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, stepping to the microphone shortly before Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech.

By the forces of our demands, our determination, and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in the image of God and democracy, said Lewis, then the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

We must say: Wake up America! Wake up! For we cannot stop, and we will not and cannot be patient.

In addition to his civil rights work, Lewis graduated from American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville (now American Baptist College) and earned a bachelors degree in religion and philosophy from Fisk University in the 1960s. He was appointed by President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s to lead a national volunteer program. In 1981, he was elected to the Atlanta City Council and served as a member of Congress since his 1986 election.

As the country marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington in 2013, Lewis told Religion News Service that his enduring recollection of that day was the religious unity demonstrated by the people in attendance.

My most lasting memory of my participation in the march was to march with Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Joachim Prinz, Eugene Carson Blake of the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, he said, and to see hundreds of thousands of people carrying signs representing different religious communities from all over America.

On March 1, just months after his cancer diagnosis, he made an unexpected appearance at the Bloody Sunday commemoration in Selma, Alabama. It was 55 years after he marched over the Edmund Pettus Bridge and was beaten for his activism.

We were beaten, we were tear-gassed. I thought I was going to die on this bridge, he said in a tweet that day. But somehow and some way, God almighty helped me here. We cannot give up now. We cannot give in. We must keep the faith, keep our eyes on the prize.

In recent years, Lewis has continued to preach his message about the need to enhance voting rights.

We need to fix it before next years election. Weve got to do it, brothers and sisters, Lewis, told leaders of the Progressive National Baptist Convention in 2015. We have a moral obligation, a mission and a mandate to do it.

Gavel in hand, Lewis announced in December the Houses passage of a bill to restore the struck provision of the Voting Rights Act. The measure has not moved forward since it was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He also encouraged others to keep working on the goals put forth by King, who spoke of the three evils of racism, poverty, and militarism.

Barber, co-chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, which echoes Kings efforts, said that Lewis supported the newer version of the campaign.

It was on that Edmund Pettus Bridge that John Lewis gave his blessing and encouraged us, Barber said in a June (2020) conference call with faith leaders. And when I talk to him from time to time, he always says Stay with it.

Lewis was honored by Obama with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 and at the 125th anniversary of his home church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, a month later. King was co-pastor of that congregation in the 1960s.

Five years after receiving the honors from the White House and his church, Lewis spoke at a 2016 community forum at Ebenezer on gun violence. It occurred a week after he led a sit-in on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to draw attention to the issue.

Sometimes you have to find a way to get in the way, he said, reciting his mantra to hundreds of people the church, according to a recording from Georgia Public Broadcasting. Sometimes you have to find a way to make a way out of no way. Sometimes you have to find a way to get in trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble and thats what we did.

Asked in 2016 if he ever regretted not sticking with ministry in its traditional sense, Lewis told RNS he did not at all.

I think my pulpit today is a much larger pulpit, he said. If I had stayed in a traditional church, I would have been limited to four walls and probably in some place in Alabama or in Nashville, Tennessee. I preach every day. Every day, Im preaching a sermon, telling people to get off their butts and do something.
Healthcare workers take blood sample from a passenger for Covid-19 test in Manila, the Philippines, July 15, 2020. Photo by Reuters.

Vietnam's second repatriation flight from the Philippines since the Covid-19 breakout brought 241 of its natives home on Saturday.

The flight operated by Vietjet Air landed at Can Tho International Airport in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho at 6:30 p.m., with mainly seniors, pregnant women, children, and students whose visas had expired inboard, Vietnams Foreign Ministry stated.

After producing health declarations, all passengers were sent to quarantine facilities in Dong Thap and Hau Giang provinces, also in the Mekong Delta.

In May, Vietnam brought home 190 Vietnamese citizens stranded in the Philippines, currently Southeast Asias second biggest Covid-19 hotspot after Indonesia.

The Philippines has so far reported over 65,000 infections and 1,773 fatalities.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press briefing on Thursday that 13,323 returnees stranded in various countries and territories have been brought home on 55 flights since April 10.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc instructed government agencies to bring home another 14,000 Vietnamese.

Vietnam has reported no new infections on Saturday, marking the 93th day without community transmission caused by the novel coronavirus.

The country has recorded 382 infections so far, with the latest being a Russian expert. Its tally of active cases is 25 and no deaths recorded to date.
In a statement, State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister commended the support for the program as part of schools ongoing needs in the pandemic.

There are many pressing needs, including internet connectivity and PPE for teachers, staff and students, Hofmeister said. But without question the Learn Anywhere initiative will help students all across Oklahoma continue learning during a school year filled with challenges and uncertainties.

In the midst of the pandemic and its huge impact on education, it is critical that students have greater opportunities for virtual instruction. Many schools are certain to have building closures, both short-term and long-term, over the course of the upcoming school year.

Fridays announced relief package also included $10 million for the Stay in School Funds, which offer aid for low-income families whose students private school attendance could be threatened by COVID-19-related financial reasons.

Hofmeister previously stated her opposition to these private school scholarships and reportedly left them out of her own proposition for how to use relief money, instead wanting to see the bulk of it put toward better connectivity for school districts.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-18 22:40:39|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Saturday said that 40 African countries are under full border closure due to concerns related to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Africa.

The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) Commission, disclosed on Saturday that some 40 African countries are still under "full border closure" while night-time curfew has been activated across 34 countries in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus.

As of Saturday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent surpassed 682,743 as the death toll from the pandemic rose to 14,671, according to the latest figures from the Africa CDC.

The continental disease control and prevention agency also said that some 362,071 people who were infected with COVID-19 had recovered across the continent so far.

According to the Africa CDC, some African countries still allow cargo, freight and emergency transport into and out of their respective countries, and some AU members allow citizens and residents to enter but all borders are essentially closed.

It also noted that 54 African countries are practicing limited public gathering, and some 36 countries have exercised country-wide closure of educational institutions.

Amid growing efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 across countries in Africa, 41 countries are practicing mandatory public use of face masks, it noted. Enditem
Thousands of people on the Warm Springs reservation havent had clean water in their homes for weeks -- a recurring symptom of aging infrastructure that tribal members fear could contribute to the spread of the coronavirus.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is already facing one of the largest case rates per capita in the state  with 2.8% of the population infected, the reservation has more cases per person than any Oregon county.
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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1. Verification and registrar choice

After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files.

In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days.

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A Dandenong man has appeared in court after being charged with the murder of Thomas "Tommy" Tran in Melbourne's south-east last month.

Mr Tran, 20, told his family he was going to the gym before he was fatally stabbed in Oakleigh's Eaton Mall on June 29.

Thomas "Tommy" Tran and his mother Amy. Credit:Nine News

Dandenong man Lindim Aliti, 18, was arrested and charged with murder by homicide detectives on Saturday over the death of Mr Tran.

The 18-year-old appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon and did not apply for bail, according to Nine News.